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Tag Archives: castor oil

Embodied Autonomy, Read Me First

Biochemistry & Embodied Autonomy

Posted on by Ellen Heed
Biochemistry & Body Autonomy
08
Jun
All these systems add up to the totality of us, and our body is one nation, ruled by the quality of our blood. Every one of our cells is bathed in it. It’s basically a question of plumbing – when fluid flow is plugged at either end, cells suffer, and health suffers.
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Embodied Autonomy, Read Me First

Scar Tissue & Embodied Autonomy

Posted on by Ellen Heed
Scar Tissue & Body Autonomy
29
Jun
Scars are a fact of life lived in the body. Healthy scars close wounds, and that’s the end of it. But some scars don’t stop there; they spread three-dimensional web-like structures, emerging from a wound site or surgical incision. These are pathological scars and can form fibrotic shells around muscles and organs, creating rough, raised tissue that tightens over time as it spreads away from original sites of tissue trauma. The effects of scars can go much further – their pull can be felt at quite a distance from old injuries or surgeries. Scars are often at the root of postural distortions.
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Embodied Autonomy

Castor Oil: Ancient yet Modern Medium for Self-care

Posted on by Ellen Heed
16
Dec
Castor oil is derived from the plant Ricinus communis, with a global history of use reaching deep into our past. This is a story about how I used it to treat genital, vaginal, and abdominal scars. I learned about castor oil and scar tissue at the Shiatsu Massage School of California in the late 1990s. I was beginning to think about how to help women suffering from sexual pain after perineal tears, episiotomies, C-sections, and other injuries after giving birth.
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