Doc Harmony: Founder of Harmony’s Ear Candles & Wellness Educator

 

My Story Starts in 1991…

My story begins in 1991 with my first-born son, Christopher, who experienced ongoing ear sensitivity and general discomfort. During this time, I explored different approaches to wellness and sought gentle self-care routines that supported relaxation and overall comfort. As a single mother, I was determined to learn more about natural options for general well-being.

Click here to read more about my personal wellness journey and how it shaped my path.

I truly didn’t know where to begin or what options existed. At the time, I was working on one of the top floors of Georgia Power (Southern Company) and I was on the fast track to success in Corporate America as I was one year away from finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies with a minor in Economics.

Going to school, working full time and taking care of Christopher was tough but as I watched Christopher struggle, nothing else really mattered. I remembered James Berryhill ND PhD, a Naturopathic practitioner in Decatur, Georgia, who introduced me to the concept of ear candles. At first, I was unfamiliar with ear candles and found the idea unusual.

Using Ear Candles for the First Time…

At the time, I felt overwhelmed and was looking for gentle wellness routines that supported relaxation. I wanted to explore calming options that felt aligned with our family. So, I went and purchased ear candles from Rainbow Natural Foods in Decatur. Boy, were they expensive at the time! Christopher and I went home and I used ear candles as part of a calming at-home ritual while we watched “The Little Mermaid” and he sucked on a red lollipop. (Remember, I was new to wellness traditions at this time!)

During the session, Christopher seemed calm, and the experience felt peaceful for both of us. The experience introduced me to ear candling as a calming, soothing ritual. It felt meaningful and a little mysterious to me. I can share that ear candling became part of our family’s quiet-time routines, and it became something we associated with quiet time and relaxation. Later, Dr. Berryhill encouraged me to learn how ear candles were traditionally made. He promised to teach me what he knew. He had received training through traditional wellness education and shared his knowledge of ear candle craftsmanship. I laughed. Seriously. Around this time, I got married and had my second child, a beautiful, precious little girl. And, at the same time, I pulled my back trying to learn how to golf (remember I was climbing the corporate ladder) and met Dr. Grant, a chiropractor.

During this pregnancy, I wanted a care plan that felt supportive and well-informed. Dr. Grant introduced me to Debbie Pully, a midwife, and I had a home birth. It was a positive experience for our family, and I’m grateful I had supportive professionals guiding me through the process.

My life was beginning to change dramatically and I could feel the pull of a new calling in life. Ear Candles, Dr. Grant, and home birthing was quite the opposite of what my original career goals were – to become CEO of a multinational corporation! But this new lifestyle was not compatible with working for an energy company.

I had already begun making ear candles in the home under Dr. Berryhills mentoring and I had been sharing them with other single moms, mothers and families that were in need. Many people shared that they enjoyed the experience and found it deeply relaxing.

Entering the Natural Wellness Community…

During this period in my life, I had been volunteering my time to the Natural Health Food community to pass the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act at the Federal level. This bill was extremely critical for protecting dietary supplements in the United States. I still did not know much about the natural health industry and I never considered myself a ‘hippie’. I became interested in consumer access to wellness products and the importance of informed choice. Click here for a flashback – During that time, there was a lot of public discussion about supplement regulation and consumer access (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV2olDA0w8U).

Some advocates argued DSHEA helped preserve consumer access and innovation in supplements.

I had begun selling ear candles in 1992 and I really enjoyed getting to know the local wellness community. Due to my work with DSHEA, I was welcomed with open arms and my ear candles began to sell. I felt so fortunate and extremely blessed, I would travel with the children (by now I had 3), taking field trips and visiting health food stores along the way in Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. It was so awesome to be able to work and to grow up together as a family. We all discovered the natural health community, while working and homeschooling together.

During that season of life, I often felt run down and uncomfortable, especially during seasonal changes. On one especially low-energy day, I stayed home to rest, I thought well, I might as well do some ear candles.

I spent a quiet day resting and using calming self-care rituals, including ear candling. For me personally, the experience felt soothing and helped me relax. Later, I felt more settled and able to rejoin the day. That day helped me understand how powerful a calming ritual can be when life feels overwhelming.

My Research and Education Journey…

As we were all growing up together, I elected to return to school and I continued my education through holistic wellness studies and completed advanced coursework focused on natural lifestyle traditions. My final research project focused on the history, misconceptions, and consumer safety conversations surrounding ear candles.

Completing my research project was not easy. I was irritated that I could not find a suitable or interesting topic for my dissertation. I did not want to do my dissertation on ear candles because I thought I knew everything and I wanted to learn something new, something challenging. But alas, nothing came to me and I was running out of time so I decided to focus my dissertation research on ear candles and, boy, was I surprised. I discovered that there was a lot of misunderstanding surrounding ear candles, including how they are commonly described online.

My research paper on ear candles addressed common misconceptions, clarified their historical background, and highlighted proper classification. Ear candles are marketed as non-medical wellness products and are intended for relaxation, ambiance, and personal self-care rituals. They are intended for relaxation, ambiance, and personal self-care rituals.

From our Families to Yours…

Every night my family would make ear candles and I knew we needed help. So, I went to my local homeschooling community and offered flexible work opportunities to homeschooling families and parents. As a single mother, I wanted to support other families by offering flexible work opportunities, allowing parents to spend meaningful time with their children.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with many dedicated artisan partners and family-led home-based makers. It was important to me to implement ethical, respectful, and flexible work practices that support home-based artisans. I loved creating flexible opportunities for families, providing training, flexible hours, and quotas, basically allowing each family to mold their own working lifestyle and as a result we were able to grow into one of the most established handcrafted ear candle makers in the United States.

Going Carbon Neutral…

Our little family eventually moved out into the middle of nowhere and started homesteading and I wanted to live more intentionally and reduce our environmental impact as a family. We decided to generate our own electricity for the family and for Harmony Cone. We made personal lifestyle changes focused on sustainability and land stewardship. We were lucky to have found land that felt like the right fit for our family and supported our gardening goals. We also began gardening with more natural, low-input methods and we have grown dozens of different types of herbs and many varieties of vegetables and fruit. I wanted to be able to teach my children the importance of the planet, the land, and our relationship to it. As a mother this has been so very rewarding. We love respecting the relationship between the fallen tree the land has provided and the wood burning stoves that keep us warm during winter.

Improving Ear Candle Design with Safety Features in Mind…

During the next several years, newly married, my husband and I made changes to the ear candles. 

We focused on product safety and quality. We introduced double-wrapped candles with a carefully shaped tip and burn line label designed to support responsible use. Our patented safety tip is designed to support responsible handling during use when instructions are followed carefully, and ear candling should always be done with a responsible helper.

The Harmony Cone Website, now Healthy Energy Amazing Life website continues to be a place where people can explore the history, traditions, and safety considerations surrounding ear candles and, now our many other products.

A Note From Doc Harmony…

As I write this in 2020 (and updated in 2023), I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this industry and to serve others. I am delighted that I am able to bring a little comfort and calm into people’s lives through handcrafted self-care products. Over the years, I have continued to be inspired by people’s enjoyment of ear candles as a relaxing and calming ritual. While each person’s experience may vary, many people enjoy ear candling as a relaxing ritual and calming sensory experience.

Important Notice: Harmony’s Ear Candles are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Ear candling should not be used for infections, earwax removal, or ear pain. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns. Not recommended for children unless advised by a healthcare professional, and always used with close adult supervision.