On my shelf for next time! I've been continuing my day on, day off pulling, but I have been having internet connection trouble! So here is the rest of my pulling saga from this past week:
Morning 9:
I stayed at a friend’s house, and forgot my oil, so I skipped this morning too. It seemed to help my lips! They’re still recovering from whatever that dryness is. My digestion is not dry, though, which remains a good thing.
Morning 10:
I pulled again this morning, and noticed I don’t have nearly as much mucous as I used to, and definitely don’t have those hard dry bits anymore. I like how this feels, except for the lips!
I’m also not as distracted as I was last week, not forgetting things and bumping into things as much, but I don’t know if this is the pulling or what.
Morning 11:
I’m skipping again today, trying to see if one on, one off, helps the dryness without reducing the benefits of the pulling.
Today I was scraping at my lips with my teeth constantly, because the dry skin is starting to come off in pokey spikes. Fun!
I think I’ve had it with the dryness. I wonder if I should wait for a different season. Since it’s March, and very clearly a time of transitional Earth (according to Daoist 5 Element Theory) maybe my body is not willing to easily release what it’s accumulated.
Morning 12:
The great Dory Ellen Fish gave me some insight- the lips correspond to the Stomach, not the Large Intestine as I though, and she thinks the dryness is my stomach detoxing, albeit uncomfortably. She agrees that it doesn’t sound like a good detox, and urged me to switch to untoasted Sesame Oil in case the Coconut is too much, and to shorten the time I do it.
She also shared an online forum of people with the same problem asking questions. There’s no really helpful solutions in it, but it’s really nice to know I’m not a complete oddity.
Morning 12:
I haven’t pulled in several days, and my lips are fine. The weather turned cold again so they’re a little dry, but nothing out of the ordinary.
However, I have a new symptom! My shins are super dry- red, a little blistery, and VERY itchy. This also corresponds to the Stomach and Spleen meridians, furthering the detox connection. Did I mention it itches???
So today I’m going to drink tea a la Susun Weed- nourishing infusions! Nettles, Chickweed, Dandelion, Alfalfa, maybe some soothing Plaintain and Milky Oats, anything to calm this and nourish my system a little.
And, I’m going to wait till Lady Spring wams up a litte more!
Morning 13:
Still itchy and red in the legs. Now I have a couple welts on the back of my hips, and on my elbows, as well. Clearly I have something to go through here, but this is pretty severe discomfort!
I'm using a liniment I made up of Comfrey and Calendula oil, and Gotu Kola tincture, to help my skin. It's not necessarily ideal- I'd like to use some Plantain, for example, and maybe some Rose, but it's what I had on hand and seems to be easing the crazy need to scratch through my pants.
So, to recap:
I like oil pulling! But it doesn’t seem to like me, at least not right now.
I’m going to make a few changes:
1. Try sesame oil next time
2. Try pulling for only 5 minutes, and work up from there
3. Wait till next season, for the warmer end of spring, to try again
Morning 9:
I stayed at a friend’s house, and forgot my oil, so I skipped this morning too. It seemed to help my lips! They’re still recovering from whatever that dryness is. My digestion is not dry, though, which remains a good thing.
Morning 10:
I pulled again this morning, and noticed I don’t have nearly as much mucous as I used to, and definitely don’t have those hard dry bits anymore. I like how this feels, except for the lips!
I’m also not as distracted as I was last week, not forgetting things and bumping into things as much, but I don’t know if this is the pulling or what.
Morning 11:
I’m skipping again today, trying to see if one on, one off, helps the dryness without reducing the benefits of the pulling.
Today I was scraping at my lips with my teeth constantly, because the dry skin is starting to come off in pokey spikes. Fun!
I think I’ve had it with the dryness. I wonder if I should wait for a different season. Since it’s March, and very clearly a time of transitional Earth (according to Daoist 5 Element Theory) maybe my body is not willing to easily release what it’s accumulated.
Morning 12:
The great Dory Ellen Fish gave me some insight- the lips correspond to the Stomach, not the Large Intestine as I though, and she thinks the dryness is my stomach detoxing, albeit uncomfortably. She agrees that it doesn’t sound like a good detox, and urged me to switch to untoasted Sesame Oil in case the Coconut is too much, and to shorten the time I do it.
She also shared an online forum of people with the same problem asking questions. There’s no really helpful solutions in it, but it’s really nice to know I’m not a complete oddity.
Morning 12:
I haven’t pulled in several days, and my lips are fine. The weather turned cold again so they’re a little dry, but nothing out of the ordinary.
However, I have a new symptom! My shins are super dry- red, a little blistery, and VERY itchy. This also corresponds to the Stomach and Spleen meridians, furthering the detox connection. Did I mention it itches???
So today I’m going to drink tea a la Susun Weed- nourishing infusions! Nettles, Chickweed, Dandelion, Alfalfa, maybe some soothing Plaintain and Milky Oats, anything to calm this and nourish my system a little.
And, I’m going to wait till Lady Spring wams up a litte more!
Morning 13:
Still itchy and red in the legs. Now I have a couple welts on the back of my hips, and on my elbows, as well. Clearly I have something to go through here, but this is pretty severe discomfort!
I'm using a liniment I made up of Comfrey and Calendula oil, and Gotu Kola tincture, to help my skin. It's not necessarily ideal- I'd like to use some Plantain, for example, and maybe some Rose, but it's what I had on hand and seems to be easing the crazy need to scratch through my pants.
So, to recap:
I like oil pulling! But it doesn’t seem to like me, at least not right now.
I’m going to make a few changes:
1. Try sesame oil next time
2. Try pulling for only 5 minutes, and work up from there
3. Wait till next season, for the warmer end of spring, to try again
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