Tree Of Life Center For Wellbeing Newcastle, Maine

02/05/2026

Coneflower (Echinacea)

Coneflower is a popular, easy-to-grow perennial native to North America, known for its daisy-like flowers with a prominent, spiny center. These hardy plants thrive in full sun with well-drained soil, bloom from summer into fall, and attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Echinacea has a long history of traditional use and is widely recognized in herbal practices today.

Native Habitat:
• Eastern and central North American prairies and woodlands
• Full sun and well-drained soils
• Blooms from summer into fall

Plant Description:
• Upright, perennial plant
• Daisy-like flowers with a prominent cone-shaped center
• Traditional colors: purple, pink, white
• Newer varieties: orange, green, coral
• Attracts pollinators and wildlife

Parts Used & Traditional Uses

Roots:
• Used in teas, decoctions, and tinctures
• Part of traditional herbal routines for wellness

Leaves:
• Used fresh or dried in teas or infusions
• Can be incorporated into herbal preparations for general supportive use

Flowers:
• Used fresh or dried in teas, tinctures, or herbal blends
• Traditionally included in formulas supporting general wellness

Forms Commonly Used:
• Fresh or dried plant parts
• Teas and infusions
• Tinctures and extracts
• Capsules or powders
• Glycerite formulas

General Benefits:
• Supports the body’s natural balance
• Traditionally used for everyday immune support
• Often included in teas or tinctures, particularly during seasonal immune challenges
• Supports general wellness and daily herbal routines
Note: These are general supportive uses rooted in tradition and common practice.

Pollinator & Wildlife Notes:
• Nectar feeds bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
• Seed heads provide food for songbirds in fall and winter

Global Use & Cultivation:
• Cultivated worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Australia
• Popular for herbal use, general wellness, and ornamental gardening

Fun Facts:
• Belongs to the Asteraceae (daisy) family
• The name Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos, meaning “hedgehog” or “spiny,” referencing the flower center
• Several species are commonly used, including Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida

02/04/2026

https://l.smartnews.com/p-763BhSiQ/HSnFtQ

A pilot study has found...

02/03/2026

Anyone else? 😅💜

02/02/2026

The Enteric Nervous System

After a beautiful week of helping my fellow therapists dive deeper into the enteric nervous system, I realized how many of us may not fully understand this incredible inner steward. It is quiet, vigilant, and continually tracking our inner terrain. How often does this system get overlooked?

Most people know it as “the gut.” The stomach. Digestion. Something that should quietly do its job in the background as long as we eat well enough and manage stress properly. But the enteric nervous system is not passive, and it is not secondary. It is intelligent. It is responsive. And it is deeply involved in how we experience safety, emotion, and regulation.

This inner caretaker lives entirely within the digestive tract, stretching from the esophagus to the colon, woven through layers of smooth muscle and connective tissue. It contains hundreds of millions of neurons, more than the spinal cord itself. Communicating constantly with the brain, the heart, and the immune system, yet it can function on its own. It makes decisions. It adapts. It remembers.

The enteric nervous system manages digestion, yes, but it also monitors threat, modulates stress responses, and plays a decisive role in emotional processing. It is exquisitely sensitive to rhythm, environment, and touch. That is why emotions so often show up in the belly before they reach our lips.

Anxiety often tightens the belly before fear ever finds words, and grief dulls appetite before the heart understands what has been lost. And under chronic stress, the gut becomes a holding place.

When the nervous system perceives a threat, resources are diverted from digestion. Blood flow shifts, stress hormones rise, and peristalsis slows or becomes erratic. The microbiome adapts to a body preparing for survival instead of nourishment. Over time, this state becomes familiar, and familiarity begins to feel like a baseline.

Because the enteric nervous system does not respond to logic or reassurance, you cannot talk it into safety; it learns through sensation, through rhythm, through the difference between being rushed and being met. It is exquisitely attuned to touch, pace, and presence, just as any living creature would be.

This is why the belly is such a powerful place to begin.

Research consistently shows that gentle, intentional abdominal contact increases parasympathetic activity, improves vagal tone, and supports heart rate variability. Stress chemistry begins to soften, digestion improves, and inflammation quiets. The nervous system receives a clear message that it no longer has to stay on guard.

What many of us don't realize is that most of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut. Mood, sleep, and emotional resilience are intimately tied to this system. When the enteric nervous system is overwhelmed, even the most self-aware person can feel emotionally unsteady. When it feels safe, things begin to reorganize quietly, often without conscious effort. This is why I return here again and again within my work.

Not to uncover stories, or to chase emotional release, but to honor the system that has been carrying a heavy load from the very beginning. The system that adapts silently, holds stress without complaint, and keeps the body moving forward when life demands more than feels possible.

The abdomen is not just another place to work, but a neurological crossroads, a sensory hub, and often the first place the body tells the truth. When we understand this, our touch, our pacing, and our outcomes change.

Tomorrow, I want to take you further into this landscape and show you how abdominal work becomes a conversation rather than a technique, and why beginning here can change everything that follows.

02/02/2026

ASEA signaling molecules are providing a whole new way of understanding health and healing and supporting the inherent healing capacity we all have.

FMI: aseaglobal.com/tlcmaine

Our latest blog: https://center4wellbeing.com/2025/09/07/new-asea-redox-gold-massage-and-soothing-gel/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17v17FaFGd/

The morning alarm rings, and the mental checklist begins. Work deadlines. Workouts. Meal prep. Perhaps a fleeting question about the meaning of it all before

02/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18Ajvr84b1/

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 — 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬

For a long time, sensory nerves around bone were viewed primarily as pain sensors.
Recent evidence now shows they play an active, instructive role in bone regeneration.

🧠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥–𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Sensory nerves innervating the periosteum release neurotrophic factors—most notably FGF9—in response to mechanical stress or injury.
These signals drive periosteal stem cells toward osteoblast differentiation, directly supporting new bone formation.

🔬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞

- Fractures heal more slowly when sensory nerve signaling is impaired
(e.g., neuropathy, nerve injury)
- Stress fractures trigger robust repair partly because they strongly activate periosteal sensory nerves
- Bone healing efficiency declines with age as sensory nerve density and signaling decrease
- Mechanical loading supports bone repair not only through strain, but through neural–bone cross-talk
- Excessive suppression of sensory signaling may unintentionally blunt regenerative signaling

🧩 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲

Bone regeneration is not purely structural or hormonal.
It is neuro-regulated.
👉 Effective bone healing requires intact sensory nerve signaling to initiate and sustain repair.
This work reframes bone as a tissue that actively communicates with the nervous system.

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⚠️Disclaimer: Sharing a study or a part of it is NOT an endorsement. Please read the original article and evaluate critically.⚠️

Link to Article 👇

02/02/2026

No matter what kind of healing you seek, these powerful Buddhist teachings will empower you to rebuild trust in yourself and rediscover your self-healing capacity.

01/31/2026

01/31/2026

Four Problems – One Remedy Helped Them All.
Homeopathy often surprises with its ability to address seemingly unrelated issues through one well-matched remedy. In these four real cases, Sulphur proved transformative: relieving chronic arthritic pain and supporting significant weight loss in one person; easing hot flushes, angina, and irritability in an elderly woman; restoring purpose, focus, and clearing recurrent boils in a man; even resolving severe flea-bite eczema in a dog. Each case matched Sulphur's broad symptom profile — physical, mental, and sensory — demonstrating how individualised prescribing targets the whole person (or pet) for gentle, lasting relief. Explore the detailed accounts and see the consistent results.
https://homeopathyplus.com/four-problems-one-solution/
Learn How to Use Homeopathy with our 30-Day Course: https://homeopathyplus.com/homeopathy-in-30-days-course/

01/31/2026

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Mullein is a tall, biennial herb recognized by its soft, velvety leaves and towering flower stalk. It has a long history of traditional herbal use and has been commonly included in gentle, supportive wellness routines across cultures.

🌿 Native Range

Native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia

Naturalized throughout North America

Commonly found along roadsides, fields, disturbed soils, and open landscapes

🌿 Parts Used

Leaves:
•Traditionally used to support respiratory comfort
•Commonly prepared as teas or infusions for soothing purposes
•Historically included in herbal smoke blends
•Typically dried before use and carefully strained when prepared as tea due to fine leaf hairs

Flowers:
•Traditionally infused into oil for external use
•Often used fresh or dried
•Valued in folk practices for gentle, supportive applications
•Bright yellow flowers bloom along tall stalks in the plant’s second year

Root:
•Less commonly used than leaves or flowers
•Historically included in specific folk and traditional practices
•Typically harvested in the first year before flowering happens the following year.

Common Forms:
Dried leaves
Loose-leaf teas
Flower-infused oils
Tinctures
Traditional herbal smoke blends

🌿 Preparation Notes

Leaves are usually dried prior to use

Teas are strained thoroughly to remove fine hairs

Flowers are infused slowly into oil and stored away from light

Preparations are traditionally simple and used in moderation

🌿 Fun Facts

The soft leaves were once used as natural lamp wicks and candle substitutes

Commonly nicknamed “cowboy toilet paper” because of its texture

Mullein thrives in poor soil and often appears after land disturbance or fires

Flower stalks can reach over 6 feet tall

Bees are especially drawn to mullein flowers

Has been used in traditional European, Asian, and North American herbal practices

⚠️Disclaimer
Mullein is generally considered gentle, but it’s not for everyone. Like any plant or herb introduced into a daily routine, it should be approached with caution. Those with underlying health conditions (including kidney concerns), who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have plant allergies, or are taking medications should use caution. Always do your research, be mindful of possible interactions, and consider consulting a medical professional or someone knowledgeable before use.

01/31/2026

YARROW (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow is a hardy perennial herb with feathery green leaves and clusters of small white, yellow, pink, or red flowers. It grows 24–36 inches tall and thrives in temperate regions. Historically, yarrow has been valued for its leaves, flowers, and roots in traditional herbalism, and it continues to be appreciated for both wellness and ecological benefits.

Parts Used and Traditional Applications

Leaves:
• Traditionally used in teas, infusions, and poultices
• Included in gentle wellness routines for soothing minor skin irritations
• Mildly aromatic, incorporated into herbal formulas

Flowers:
• Used in teas, tinctures, and infused oils
• Historically included in herbal preparations for calming and supportive effects

Roots:
• Historically used in plant-based remedies for pain relief, including toothache
• Occasionally brewed in teas for medicinal purposes
• Less commonly used than aerial parts but documented in traditional herbal practices

Forms:
• Fresh or dried leaves, flowers, and roots
• Tea
• Tincture
• Infused oil
• Poultice
• Capsules

Fun Facts:
• Known as Soldier's Woundwort due to its historic use in stopping bleeding
• Scientific name, Achillea, refers to Greek hero Achilles, who is said to have used it to treat soldiers' wounds during the Trojan War
• Sometimes used to induce or stop nosebleeds, earning the nickname “nosebleed plant”
• Attracts beneficial insects such as butterflies, bees, ladybugs, and hoverflies
• Starlings and other birds weave yarrow into nests to repel parasites
• Can produce yellow and green dyes for textiles
• Thrives in poor soil, is drought tolerant, and helps prevent soil erosion
• Edible and used in traditional medicine and divination
• Strong aromatic scent similar to sage or chrysanthemum, which deters deer

Native Range:
Europe, Asia, and North America

⚠️ Always do your research before introducing into your diet, especially if you have any underlying or pre-existing conditions, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are taking medications. Yarrow, including the root, is generally not recommended during pregnancy.