The wind, or the breath of life, is an invisible, yet permanently present element, and is indispensable. It is the movement of life, the ever-changing spirit of creation. It is invisible, yet so very present and powerful. We can stop drinking for days, stop eating for weeks, yet it’s impossible to stop breathing for more than a few minutes. They say that the wind is the voice of the spirits. When we perform rituals, we honor and pay attention to the winds. They speak to us and express the approval or disapproval of the spirits.
Good quality air is essential if we wish to remain healthy. Breathing fresh air is increasingly difficult in cities and in the workplace because of pollution and contamination. Large buildings, for example, have ventilation ducts that collect mold, fungus, and dust that can be extremely harmful to health. Even our homes contain all kinds of invisible dust, various pollutants, gasses emanating from building materials or furniture, etc. Our air is polluted. But air needs to move and flow, to inhale and exhale. That is why we talk about the element Wind rather than air: this living element is always in motion.
NUUTUN was the first aromatherapy complex of the elements to be created. Besides my own needs, it was also created to meet the needs of children, in my family and among my neighbors, who were battling against various respiratory problems: colds, flu, bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma, and so on. I use NUUTUN whenever I feel respiratory discomfort.
Wind corresponds to thought. Even though it is invisible, the wind can either refresh and delight us with a beautiful breeze that makes the leaves dance and sing in the trees, or it can destroy everything in its path with the power of a tornado or hurricane. Similarly, our thoughts, even though they are also invisible, can create or destroy. We must learn to be the guardians of our thoughts, to become aware and conscious of the creative power of our mental projections. As Real Human Beings we are responsible for what we create, and must take time to reflect, particularly on the way we express our thoughts. It is essential to avoid cataloging people by judging them or by focusing only on their negative aspects. The Europeans who came to America committed numerous atrocities against the First Nations. One of these was the “long walk,” when the Cherokee people were deported from their homeland. They were woken up in the middle of the night and forced, at gunpoint and sometimes with bare feet in the winter, to abandon their possessions and walk thousands of miles to reservations that were not on their native land. Thousands died during this long walk. Nevertheless, the name that the spiritual elders chose to give to these white people was: “they who appear to be evil,” as opposed to: “they who are evil.” This left them a chance to change, to become better people. They knew the power of thoughts and words and, despite the intensity of suffering inflicted on them, they left the door open so that their persecutors might change.
Our voice expresses our innermost being. We must learn to express ourselves and also to listen. Expressing our feelings and emotions allows us to dissociate from them. This gives us perspective; a step back that helps to understand them better. For this to happen, it is essential to share them with someone who knows how to listen. Someone who is prompt to offer advice and suggestions does not know how to listen. Active listening is about being attentive and accepting that what is being expressed is that person’s reality. Sometimes we can ask questions to help the other person express what they need to share. Advice should only be offered if it is asked for. To offer suggestions and unsought advice is to negate the innate wisdom of that person. A good confidant knows how to limit his interventions, keep secret what has been expressed, and listen with all his heart.
The sound of the voice and of song comes from the breath. Breath is the expression of spirit. There is nothing more pleasant and therapeutic than to sing for our loved ones. There is no prayer more powerful than one that is sung. We should be attentive to the sound of our voice. We must learn how to soften a loud, intimidating voice, and avoid being violent if we speak words of anger, because they can “break the peace better than any gunshot,” to use the expression of the Cherokee Bear Clan. There are voices that harm, and there are voices that heal. The most therapeutic voice remains neutral, without influencing the atmosphere for the person listening.
The sound of sorrow and the flowing of tears frees the lungs of unhealthy energy. It is very important to accept that someone is crying without inhibiting what that person needs to express. The words “stop crying,” all too often said to children, can condition people to restrain from crying. With time, unhealthy energy can accumulate in the lungs, which may then develop various pathologies. On the other hand, too much grief over long periods of time also harms the lungs. In situations where there is too much sorrow and bereavement, it is good to alternate with periods of joy, or at least rest, before again expressing bereavement and sorrow.
Breathing fresh air, walking in a forest, especially an evergreen forest, near a waterfall or in the mountains, taking time to create beautiful, constructive, and positive thoughts, and expressing them in a beautiful neutral voice, listening to the music of Spirit Songs and Chants in the Native American Tradition and spraying Yuutin, will help you free your breath and live a healthy life.
Essential oils of rosemary, Canadian hemlock, balsam fir, red mandarine, abrialis lavender, spearmint, white pine, oregano, and clove enhance this process. To these essences we have added others to harmonize the complex and increase the effectiveness and beauty of this olfactory composition: bergamot, geranium, Canadian cedar, tansy, wallflowers, goldenrod, and thyme.