Optimum Connections

News from Optimum Choices, LLC

December 2004

To receive this newsletter in your e-mail, click here.

Contents

Current news
Oil of the month
Protect your dog's spine
Upcoming classes
Book of the month
Contact us

Current news

December Sale on Canine Massage Gift Certificates

Gift certificate for canine massage at our location normally $45, only $35 when paid by December 31, 2004.

Gift certificate for canine massage at your home (up to 30 miles one way) normally $75, only $60 when paid by December 31, 2004.

Click here to view all our products/services on our new online shopping page.

K9 Castle Adoption Party

Margaret Auld-Louie will offer mini dog massages at the K9 Castle Doggie Daycare Adoption Party on Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5 from 10 am – 5 pm. K9 Castle is located at 5603 W. 6th Avenue Frontage Road, Denver, CO.

For more current news, see our news page: www.optimumchoices.com/news.htm.

Oil of the month

Essence of the Season Kit

Contains two single oils: Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) and Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha); one blend: Christmas Spirit; and two gum resins: Frankincense and Myrrh. Refresh and purify the air while you lift your spirits with the exquisite one-of-a-kind essential oils of frankincense, myrrh and Christmas Spirit (a beautiful blend of orange, cinnamon, and spruce essential oils). This exquisite collection of therapeutic-grade essential oils and resins possesses rich, exotic fragrances with the unique ability to lift emotions and heighten spiritual awareness. [Three 5 ml. bottles of oil and two small glass bottles of resin.]

Ingredients
Frankincense

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) is considered a holy anointing oil in the Middle East and has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years ( ...[T]hey presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11). It was well known during the time of Christ for its anointing and healing powers. Frankincense is now being researched and used therapeutically in European and American hospitals. It is stimulating and elevating to the mind and helps in overcoming stress and despair. It may also support the immune system.

Myrrh

Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) is an oil referenced throughout the Old and New Testaments (A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me. Song of Solomon 1:13). The Arabian people used it for many skin conditions, such as wrinkled, chapped, and cracked skin. Is has one of the highest levels of sesquiterpenes, a class of compounds that has direct effects on the hypothalamus, pituitary, and amygdala, the seat of our emotions. Myrrh is widely used today in oral hygiene products.

Christmas Spirit

Contains the oils of the evergreens and spices reminiscent of Christmas, bringing joy, happiness, and security.
How to use: Diffuse, sprinkle on logs in fireplace, on Christmas trees, on cedar chips for dresser drawers, or on potpourri. Use all year round. [15 ml. bottle.] Ingredients: Orange (Citrus sinensis), Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum verum), and spruce (Pciea mariana).

Click here to order on our Young Living Essential Oils website. Go to Product Catalog, Kits, Essential Oils, Essence of the Season Kit.

Protect your dog's spine

by Dr. Debbie O'Reilly, D.C., certified animal chiropractor, (303) 979-5736

Factors that can misalign your dog's spine

• Choke collars that are pulled when high on the neck.
• Using the collar and tail to hoist the dog onto a table.
• Tug-of-war play that goes beyond the normal range of motion of the neck.
• Running in a field that has holes which may cause the dog to trip.
• Picking up the dog by his/her front legs.
• Roughhousing with the dog and using his neck for leverage to tussle.
• Pushing the dog's head backwards and upwards to show the teeth to a dog show judge.
• Groomers or vets who string the neck with a restraint high on the neck behind the ears.
• Vets who hyperextend or hyperflex the dog's head during examination.
• Slapping the dog in the face, head or neck.
• Using a thin nylon or chain collar on a dog who pulls hard on the leash while walking.
• Hard Frisbees are hard on the temperomandibular joint (jaw joint). Soft Frisbees are advisable.
• Anytime anesthesia is used, the neck is hyperextended.

Suggestions for supporting your dog's alignment

• When walking your dog, keep the collar low on the neck.
• Whenever possible, use a harness on your dog versus a slip, choke or thin nylon collar.
• Have your dog run on level terrain.
• Be emotionally supportive.
• When playing, remember not to exceed the cervical spine's normal range of motion. Avoid tug-of-war games where you pull on the tug and yank your dog's head around. Instead, allow your dog to move his head himself. Avoid double nelson hugs around the neck.
• Use nutritional support to aid in overcoming physical and emotional stress
• Buy a dental mirror to assist the judge in viewing your dog's teeth and ask the judge to get down to the level of the dog's head.
• Have your dog's spine checked after any procedure using anesthesia.
• Periodically have your dog's spine checked by a certified animal chiropractor.

To find a practitioner certified by the American Chiropractic Veterinary Association, click here.

For a list of animal chiropractors in the Denver metro area, click here.

We suggest combining regular canine massage sessions with chiropractic adjustments for maximum benefit. Massage helps relax muscles so they don't pull the bones out of alignment again. Click here for more information on canine massage.

Upcoming classes

Using the Tao in Business, Saturday, December 4th, 2004

Add Years to your Pet's Life with Natural Pet Care, February 26th, 2005

Book(s) of the month

Conversations with Dog, Cat & Horse (buy all 3 for a great gift set for the animal lover in your life!)

We featured these books by Boulder animal communicator Kate Solisti-Mattelon previously. We are happy to announce that they have come out in newer and much nicer editions just in time for your holiday shopping.  The new books are slightly larger than the first editions and are in hardback. They have new photos on the covers, chapters with more beautiful photos and quotations accompanying each one, and a conclusion with a message to readers from the Council of Canines, Felines and Equines. We viewed these new editions recently and they are quite beautiful and more elegant than the original editions. If your local bookstore doesn't carry them, we suggest ordering directly from the publisher (Amazon.com is still featuring the old editions). Click on the book pictures to order from the publisher.

Conversations with Dog
Author: Kate Solisti-Mattelon
ISBN: 1-57178-156-0
Publisher: Council Oak Books
Price: $15.95

Who hasn't been touched by a dog? With their enthusiastic love, clarity of purpose, and boundless ability to forgive, dogs may be our greatest teachers, if we could just take the time to listen and learn their language. In Conversations with Dog, professional animal communicator Kate Solisti-Mattelon asks the questions every dog lover wants to know. We no longer have to search for meaning solely in wagging tails, droopy ears, or bared teeth; dogs kindly spell things out for their human friends and provide a window into the consciousness of canines and the reasons for their existence within our human families.

Conversations with Dog also includes photographs from Lynda Niemeier that capture the essence of dog, making it the perfect gift for anyone who loves dogs.

Conversations with Cat
Author: Kate Solisti-Mattelon
ISBN: 1-57178-155-2
Publisher: Council Oak Books
Price: $15.95

Cats have lived alongside humans for thousands of years, but until now, they've remained silent partners. In Conversations with Cat, professional animal communicator Kate Solisti-Mattelon poses some of life's most challenging questions to our feline friends, and the cats' responses offer surprising insights into the spiritual, physical, and mental awareness of our feline neighbors. Cat people won't be surprised to learn that by connecting with our cats and being humble enough to understand how they perceive us, we can actually learn more about ourselves and begin to model cats' examples of detached love in our human and animal relationships. In addition, Lynda Niemeier's photography captures the essence of cats, making this book the perfect gift for anyone wishing to understand more about these beautiful creatures.

Conversations with Horse
Author: Kate Solisti-Mattelon
ISBN: 1-57178-157-9
Publisher: Council Oak Books
Price: $15.95

Horses have inspired, awed, and worked alongside humans for centuries — but have we really ever gotten to know them? In Conversations with Horse, professional animal communicator Kate Solisti-Mattelon takes us inside the mind of the majestic equine, revealing hidden insights from the equine spirit. She breaks through the species barrier and goes beyond personal animal stories to ask horses what it is they want to tell us. By reading about horses' innermost thoughts and feelings, horse lovers of all kinds will learn how to reestablish the original contract of love, trust, and mutual respect between equines and humans. You will learn how horses, as a species, have committed to bringing humans into balance with self and with other physical beings on our great planet. Horses give us many gifts, but perhaps the greatest gift of all is to teach humans to trust.

Conversations with Horse is filled with revelations and accented with photography from Tony Stromberg that captures the spirit of horses.

Publisher's website: www.counciloakbooks.com

Contact us

Click here to give your pet the fountain of youth today!

E-mail

General Information: Russell@OptimumChoices.com

Webmaster: info@OptimumChoices.com

        Newsletter Editor, Margaret Auld-Louie: Editor@OptimumChoices.com

Telephone

303-271-1649

        866-305-2306 (toll-free)

Location (call first for appointment)

416 Plateau Pkwy

        Golden, CO 80403-1533

Return to top.