Hi there everyone.
So I've been very busy lately with other life goals, and sadly didn't work on writing on my blog at least. This being said I am going to write as much as possible, every single day. I really miss my creative outlet, writing, basket weaving, gardening...I am doing them to a minor extent but it's not enough.
Anyways. Lots of fun and crazy things happening lately. A major re occurring theme has been someone's life passion, what you are meant to do...etc. My greatest passions in life are herbal medicine, so writing about this field and helping others heal like I have from the plant medicine; also travel.
I am working on how to combine those into a great blog so I can travel the world, learn, write, experience and live life!
I am thinking of still dividing this blog by food, and health, even though they are very related and integrated but to include more info..i'll also have them in different parts of my blog.
So I will talk about alot of my favorite travels, but in reference to herbs in food and herbal medicine, as well as nature in general.
Take Japan for example, gorgeous simple country, with a rich history. They have tea all the time, tea is medicinally valuable and useful in food as well. So I will work on an article for those topics. Also, Thailand, I have now been there twice and I absolutely loved it!! The quote "food is medicine and medicine is food" -- Hippocrates , comes to mind. Their food is packed with curry spices, ginger, garlic and more; and those are very medicinally useful, and their tea...don't get me started...so many amazing locally grown teas that are packed with nutrients.
will write more soon.
thanks!
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Simplicity & Following Your Dreams!
My
sincere apologies for not posting any blogs in a long time, I have gone through
a few major life events, its been incredibly hard, but incredible,
none-the-less. I finally moved out of my parents’ house almost 1 ½ years ago,
into a pretty cool old house in Minneapolis. I also successfully paid off one
small college loan, and am working on the next few! Also more related to my
2014 new years resolution, within the next year or two, I will be doing a
Working Holiday Visa (of 1 year) in New Zealand!!! So I can visit all “The
Hobbit” and LOTR filming sites, do amazing hikes, see the Maori culture, make a
bone carved necklace, and much more.
I’m
getting ahead of myself though. The most incredible thing that has positively
influenced me the most in the past 7-8 months was the fact that I read Marie
Kondo’s book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” (link
to amazon here http://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445961310&sr=8-1&keywords=marie+kondo ).
I
am ever grateful that my sister, while we were skyping mentioned that she had
started reading this really cool book, by a Japanese organizing specialist.
After this conversation, hearing so many good things about her, and her
recently published and super popular book, I looked up all I could on her. I
read numerous articles reviewing her book, and praising her professional skills
as a consultant (that’s her job-helping people tidy up their places & thus
their lives). As soon as I could I received a copy of Marie Kondo’s book from
the library, which took a while, since it was so popular. So on a cold night in
February, I was quickly reading through her book, and started to tackle all my
stuff—or tidy up—as Marie Kondo would probably say. Her method is simple, but
extremely easy to use, and really makes sense once you get started.
1)
tackle categories, not rooms: this
is an easier way to deal with clutter, otherwise you’ll never seem to be able
to diminish the chaos
2)
respect your belongings: consider
your clothing’s feelings, are they rolled up on the floor or shoved into the
closet.
3)
Nostalgia—is not your friend: focus
on one category at a time, and don’t let your emotions get a hold of your
project
4)
Purging Feels SO very good: pile
everything of one category on the floor, say clothing, then channel your energy
and go through it in one go. If it doesn’t give you joy ditch it, donate/sell
it whatever, but don’t let it linger. If you feel on the fence about it, you
are probably feeling guilt (which she does mention as one of two reasons we
feel we should hold onto stuff), but it’ll pass…so kick it to the curb. You’ll
feel lighter!
5)
Fold, Don’t Hang: to better respect your clothing Kondo prefers
a certain type of folding method,
6)
The Fold: and placing items into shoeboxes
(without the lid of course). I found this to help keep everything looking
fresher, and much tidier.
7)
Fall in Love with Your Closet:there
is breathing roome for your clothing, for you itehat to wear.
8) Rediscover your
Personal-Style: when you narrow down your clothing, decorations, books and
everything else, you are left with your favorite things—what gives you the most
joy! With that said, it is easy to find more happiness in having fewer items,
but of what you cherish more.
Once this was in Place…I had the
time, space, and mental capacity to pursue other personal endeavors,
passions…etc. This is still a bit of
a working process for me, because for some more major or nicer items, I am
keeping out some hope that I can sell them, versus just donating them and
hoping to get a tax break.
After
working on applying for really cool full-time jobs, so I didn’t have to work
two part-time jobs anymore (they weren’t hiring for full time-ironically), I
finally caught/got a break!! I was offered a full time position at a local food
co-op here, starting in front end, and I finally was able to transfer to a more
preferred department (to produce—though my top is HBC but that’s another
story). I really do love the produce department, I get to work at my own pace,
move around a lot, work with incredible people, and it is not a particularly
mentally-taxing position at all. This being said, I had the mental energy to
pursue my true passions, writing, herbs & my small business. I submitted,
hopefully they will publish it, an article about Elderberry for the upcoming
winter/flu/cold-season to the ever popular Western Herbal medicine journal
“Plant Healer”. My most exciting news apart from finally landing a full-time
job at a cool place, is that I got an incredibly well paid part-time
writing/administrative position with an Herbal School. So far I have completed
social media updates for them to post, and a newsletter, and will soon be
completing a second newsletter!
I
am very happy and excited that I have successfully accomplished several major
life goals recently, hoping for many more quickly (like paying off loans then
travel), but I still have many more long-term goals to reach. Wanting to travel
for me is one of the top few things I LOVE to do, along with anything herbal
and gardening-related, and writing. A book I adore entitled “Less is More”, co-authored
by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska, beautifully “Travel has become one of my
greatest passions and one of those indulgences that I permit myself several
times a year. For me, transporting myself to a different world, a different
culture, brings home to me the importance of the here and now—living in the
moment… I want to feel that I am truly in
the moment and not just recording it” (pg 112).
What
I want to get to is the feeling of “I no longer dream of escaping to a better
life. This is a good life. It will
still change, evolve in different and surprising ways, but the restlessness is
gone. It may seem simplistic to say, but living life in accordance with one’s
values is a deeply satisfying thing”
(pg 113).
So
what are those long-term goals for me? Here it is in a nutshell. In the next
two years, work very hard to pay off most of the rest of my college loans, and
save for New Zealand. Then year three, work and travel in New Zealand, year
four travel and work through Australia & South East Asia. Travel back home
for a bit, then work abroad a lot in Europe, I really want to learn from herbal
companies there, get more farming and gardening skills, and just enjoy travel,
life, different cultures (see above quote). Otherwise, I want to find a cool
place to settle in, get a little land, garden, do permaculture, and have TONS
of herbs. Start up my herb business (successfully) and do that, plus writing
for myself and other organizations…maybe I even want to have an herbal practice.
I want to be a healing-pillar in my community, so to speak.
Will write again soon, cheers for now!
References/Further
Information:
Review of her Method
via Today Show http://www.today.com/home/life-changing-magic-tidying-testing-marie-kondos-method-t21356
Marie Kondo’s website
http://tidyingup.com/
How to with Pictures http://goop.com/the-illustrated-guide-to-the-kondo-mari-method/
“Less
is More” by Cecile Andrews & Wanda Urbanska
Thursday, January 16, 2014
2014 New Year's Resolutions!!
It has come to my attention that I have not posted a
blog in, a while, the fact that I have to think really hard about when means
it’s been “too long”. SO firstly, I apologize, I have been insanely busy with
two major customer-service based jobs, not trying to make excuses, just to
explain. Thanks to those who kept viewing my pasts blogs despite this break in
posts, otherwise I hope you can look forward to more posts monthly/bi-monthly
from now on.
With
that said, here is my first blog of the New Year! The topic appropriately with
the new year having just started is about my resolutions, and I felt ten of
them was a nice solid number, not too many to get overwhelmed, nor too few.
My
2014 New Years Resolution(s)~
1)
Actually
‘take’ days off, not just have a day off and jam-pack it
with to-do lists, seeing friends (whom I love dearly but I need to prioritize
myself too!), and running errands. I am making a promise to myself to 3-4 days
a month, read books in my pjs all day, get a massage, go for a long walk, eat
chocolate, whatever—just chill out!
For
your own ideas see this lovely article: http://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/mind-and-body/day-of-rest-zmez13jfzmel.aspx
 |
2) Run
several 5ks! I have been getting back into running
due to an awesome job with a bank which I love, having lots of confidence in
what I do, and having a semi-grown up profession/career path, I got insanely
motivated to run 3-4 hrs a week, and cook even better food! This makes me feel
physically good, I have a lot of energy, I sleep well and thus perform very
well at both of my jobs. So I decided hey, lets make a goal of running a few
5ks with my mom! So here are several ideas for races to do: the Irish one, the
National Running day, and the fall Monster dash, though I know there aren’t all
the races in Minnesota for the year, just some main ones! https://www.tcmevents.org/events/
3)
not
worry so much about what is in the future, just be in the present, and have
fun!
“Happiness can only be found if you free yourself from all
other distractions” –Saul Bellow
4) Be
more grateful, gracious, and realize how awesome I have it!
I heard of this inspirational and uplifting little project you can do called
“the 365 grateful project”, via www.upworthy.com,
I believe. I have been doing this project for the past two weeks and have found
even the smallest things really do make a huge difference in my level of
happiness, in how grateful I am: example…during the coldest part of the winter
(so far), I didn’t realize how grateful I am for nice hot food (egg, cheese,
potato, ham bake to be exact)! The
website is: http://365grateful.com/.
 |
| a gorgeous japanese garden, I believe near kyoto, I always think of Japan when I think of relaxation, and peacefulness... (taken by me) |
5)
PAY back parents, and some college loans! This may seem
trivial, or oh well why pay it back now…so on. If you have college loans you’ll
understand the feeling, finally making and saving enough to start paying back
my parents, and college loans, of which is the rough equivalent of a decent
house—no joke—it is such an incredibly-stress-relieving action, sure its money leaving
my bank account BUT it is the peace
of mind knowing I won’t be gaining x-amount of interest, so I’m really saving
money, sanity, stress…etc. I got really motivated to do this by a dear friend
who is resourceful, a health nut, frugal (not cheap-just money smart), friend
who introduced the “Total Money Makeover” by David Ramsey. (http://www.daveramsey.com/store/books/dave-s-bestsellers/the-total-money-makeover/prodtmmoclassic.html)
Though I had to read it 2 times for it to click, man, it has really been a
godsend! Knowing that I’ll be debt free that much sooner, makes me actually
start to see the light at the end of the long and crazy tunel. Also see the ‘debt snowball’ tool on his
website: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/get-out-of-debt-with-the-debt-snowball-plan/
6) Do other fun volunteering things I love! I
love my two current jobs, but of course outside of work I enjoy working on my
etsy business, an in the Minnesota based North Country Herbalist guild (www.nchg.org), but I need to make MORE time to
enjoy cooking health food, making kombucha, water kefir and fermented veggies;
removing invasives at the native plant sanctuary Eloise Butler Garden, and go
to Weston A. Price chapter meetings (find yours www.westonapricefoundation.com)
7)
Take a few awesome trips & plan future trips! Now
that I have a good paying job where I actually—gasp—get PTO
(paid-time-off/vacation) I can plan…for the future! What a relief, for a minute
I was starting to worry.
Save
to visit my dear friend in New Zealand! Having been the filming country for the LOTR, Lord of the Rings trilogy, and now the first 2 of 3 The Hobbit movies, we need to visit where the hobbit village took place!
http://www.worldwanderingkiwi.com/2012/11/new-zealand-visit-the-hobbiton-film-set/ (above picture source)
8) Research, take classes, and save to get educated in: naturopathy, nutrition, and permaculture. Paying someone to take a class seems easy and cheap, but recently I've been coming to the relization that here in the states we LOVE to pay someone to do ______for us (From haircuts, growing food, making beauty/cleaning products, and teaching us), this being said I am going to invest lots of time, energy and hopefully get places to try out, permaculture, vermi-composting, strawbale house making, to vertical gardening. Also, I am reading alot about nutrition, from reading the book "eating on the wild side", to learning the benefits of kombucha, water kefir, and foraging some own food each year. Being able to teach/help-myself, and be resourceful, teach others than once I know it well enough, is such a lost art, and very important! *side note, one of
my favorite permaculture books is here...http://www.amazon.com/Sepp-Holzers-Permaculture-Small-Scale-Integrative/dp/160358370X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389897694&sr=8-1&keywords=sepp+holzer%27s+permaculture+a+practical+guide+to+small-scale+integrative+farming+and+gardening
my favorite permaculture books is here...http://www.amazon.com/Sepp-Holzers-Permaculture-Small-Scale-Integrative/dp/160358370X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389897694&sr=8-1&keywords=sepp+holzer%27s+permaculture+a+practical+guide+to+small-scale+integrative+farming+and+gardening
 |
| http://www.patternliteracy.com/files/2011/09/gaias_garden.jpg |
9)
MOVE OUT into an apartment/house, which means moving out
of my parents’ house.
Thanks to the above David Ramsey book, combined with health-nut eating frugal friends, I have been very confident in my ability to: save enough money before moving out in case of a job switch/emergency, and to save for the future. On top of that, I am really feeling good about living on a budget, due to some awesome friends saying hey I'm in this food co-op, here are prices for organic produce, want to order some with me and we'll have healthy good quality food for cheap!?...yes please
Also, paying off my parents, as stated above, and others help to up my savings (having lots of money saved, but also lots of debts is counter-productive), helps with some fear and stress of moving out, having less debt...well means just that...less debt! Alot of this also worked because I started to buy primarily with cash, or do all my errands one day a week and leave my cards at home (credit & debit).
Back to the food buying, I buy in bulk from locally started food co-ops, make my own menu plans, and soon I will even take measuring spoons and a calculator to grocery stores, buy with cash, leave plastic (debit/c.cards) at home….etc
Also, paying off my parents, as stated above, and others help to up my savings (having lots of money saved, but also lots of debts is counter-productive), helps with some fear and stress of moving out, having less debt...well means just that...less debt! Alot of this also worked because I started to buy primarily with cash, or do all my errands one day a week and leave my cards at home (credit & debit).
Back to the food buying, I buy in bulk from locally started food co-ops, make my own menu plans, and soon I will even take measuring spoons and a calculator to grocery stores, buy with cash, leave plastic (debit/c.cards) at home….etc
And last but not least # 10...which is an article on "20 things to let go of before new year"
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11973/20-things-to-let-go-of-before-the-new-year.html
Enjoy, Cheers & Happy New Year!!
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11973/20-things-to-let-go-of-before-the-new-year.html
Enjoy, Cheers & Happy New Year!!
Monday, September 23, 2013
Herbal Hair Treatments & Recipes: Henna, Hair Rinses & More
Henna: Sanskrit:
Madayantika, Hindi: Mehndi.
Thy henna lies soaking in a fine red bowl.
The love juice of henna is a lovely
tint.
O Lady, who has painted thy hands?
The love juice of henna is a lovely
tint.
O Lady, put thy hand on my heart.
The love juice of henna is a lovely
tint. ~ Folk song of Rajasthan
 |
| Henna Plant http://cdn.sailusfood.com/wp-content/ uploads/2009/09/henna-plant-gorintaku.jpg |
As
previously stated it is also a major cosmetic in India ,
and through the ‘Near East ’, where it is often
grown as a common shrub. Egyptian mummies were found with hennaed nails, and
Pliny referred to this plant as the “Cypress of India”, whereas to the Hebrews
it was “camphire”, sourced from the Song
of Solomon.
“My beloved is unto me
as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi”.
Besides in Egypt ,
women thousands of years ago also colored their hands and nails with it, men
their bears and moustaches, and both men and women to dye and condition their
hair. Such color, being all red base though in a spectrum of blond to black and
purple, is so treasured, they dye the manes and tails of horses in India .
The flower, as the song excerpt previously suggests, are in small clusters of
rosy white or red flowers, which are very fragrant and also used to make
perfumes, and sleeping pillows, which are considered: an anti-irritant, a
deodorant and antiseptic. It is also used by Ayurvedic physicians for: skin
irritations such as heat rashes and skin allergies, and to cool the body during
the intense heat of summer. Lastly, the leaves and flowers are used to make
lotions and ointments, used externally for: boils, burns, bruises, and skin
inflammations, including sores from leprosy
(Patnaik,
124).
Hibiscus: Hibuscus rosa-sinesis, Sanskrit:
Japakusuma, Hindi: Gurhal (Patnaik, 131).
“The flower is fuller in cooler than that of a pomegranate, and may be
the size of the red rose, but the red rose…opens simply, whereas when this
opens a stem on which other petals grow is seen like a heart among its expanded
petals…This is not a common matter” – Babur, first Moghul emperor, Babur-nameh (1525)
When it
comes to this gorgeous flower, often found throughout tropical areas such as
The
Hibiscus flower dates back to reference in ancient Hindu mythology, where it
was offered in the worship of the Goddess and Ayurvedic medicine, also “seems
to lend credence to the particularly female virtues of this plant”, as it was
prescribed often as an emmenagogue historically (promoting a woman’s period) (Patnaik,
131). The root of the Hibiscus flower yields a drug, which Ayurvedic
medicine believes, is useful in treating veneral disease, also an extract from
the flower is used often in preventing unwanted pregnancies, “inhibiting the
flow of semen in men, and bringing on temporary sterility in women”, these
physicians also believe this herb is postcoitally effective in it’s
anti-conception properties (Patnaik, 131). Of course this last claim
can often spark much …negative… especially in India where population control is
of ‘paramout importance’. It has been tested on male animals and found sterility,
but it seemed to be too limited to occasion interest as a male contraception,
though the findings “as regards a possible natural postcoital contraceptive for
women have been more impressive” (Patnaik, 131).
Lastly, one study conducted in
1974, being an uncontrolled clinical trial, where ethanolic extract of the
hibiscus plant was given to women. This extract was “carried out in 21 women in
the reproductive age group by administering…3 divided doses from the 7th
to the 22nd day of the menstrual cycle (a total of 229 cycles).
Fourteen women did
not have pregnancy for 4 years whereas 7 women dropped out of the trial for
various personal reasons” (Medicinal Plants of India, Indian
Council of Medical Research, 1987). (patnaik, 131).
Rosemary: “Let this
Rosemarinus, this flower of men, ensigne of your wisdom, love and loyaltie, be
carried not only in your hands, but in your heads and hearts. Grow for two
ends-it, matters not at all Be’t for my bridal, or my buriall”
-
Robert Hacket 1607 at a Wedding Sermon
(ourherbgarden.com,
Rosemary History).
Rosemary
during wedding ceremonies has traditionally symbolized, along with the above,
“fidelity, love, abiding friendship, and remembrance of the life the woman had led prior to her
marriage” (ourherbgarden.com, Rosemary History). Rosmarinus officinalis is
this Mediterranean herb’s botanical name, though it was commonly referred to as
sea dew, due to the “light, luminous color of the flowers which, at a distance,
can look as blue as the patch of sunlit morning dew” (Seymour
This herb was a favorite of the
Greeks, having been brought west by Romans,
was commonly grown by Spaniards and Italians to “ward off witches”, (
with
rosemary distilled in alcohol, recovered her agility, and grew so youthful that
the kind of Hungary proposed
to her ; supposedly where ‘Queen of Hungary water’ got its name (Seymour Seymour
Currently, it is used to treat
pain, increase circulation, thus improving headaches, migraines and memory (Brown, 139).
The essential oil, which is commonly used in beauty products has an “invigorating…and
antifungal” (Bremness,
122). I personally love to put strong sage, hibiscus, thyme and rosemary
tea with apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse after I use conditioner. Rosemary
makes an excellent dark hair conditioning rinse, makes hair softer, can help improve
dandruff; treats dry skin by encouraging “oil production…[and also] chamomile,
lavender…and small amounts of peppermint” (Keville, 321).
Thyme: “According to
legend, thyme sprouted from the tears of Helen of Troy
Writers, it seems, myself included,
have always seemed to “have a soft spot for thyme, possibl[y] because…thyme has
no nicknames: a sprig of thyme is a sprig of thyme, sweet and plain” (Seymour Seymour
Greeks and
Romans considered thyme to be a “strong antiseptic [and disinfectant] and
credited it with a multitude of powers, including anti-aging”, and
appropriately was used by the Egyptians as an embalming herb (Brown, 143).
Medicinally, it was used historically for treating: flatulence, inflamed liver,
bad breath, sore throat, headaches and fevers (levy, 161). And lastly, in
Culpeper’s time as “a digestive, and for hangovers…whooping cough, and as a
purge for catarrh and for any lung-connected illness” (Seymour
Chamomile: really
just a blond hair rinse…for hair products. Further information will be coming
soon in my herbal beauty and product recipe blog!
Sage: “a tea of sage tops is one of the most
refreshing and beneficial available to mankin
~ Juliette de Bairacli-Levy
(pg 141)
 |
| http://karonv.files.wordpress.com/ |
Currently, sage is seen as a
disinfectant, antiseptic, aromatic and astringent herb, helping to calm and
strengthen the nerves. This helps in relieving “nervous headaches, help[ing] to
ease lung congestion [colds and fus] and stimulates digestion/liver function” (Brown, 139). The hydrocarbon known as salvene in sage is thought to be
why it is astringent, aromatic, bitter, and stimulating, thus enhancing memory.
As far as beauty uses of sages
goes, I never really understood its use, until I looked it up. Guess I just
subconsciously knew it was good for my hair—ha! Some cool recipes I found
include: mix sage leaves with thyme, lavender and
rosemary for 1 week, infused in apple cider vinegar, becomes an aftershave; for
graying hair, boil the leaves for half an hour, strain and massage into hair 4
times a week to produce a “fairly convincing dark collour while helping the
hair grow, and look glossy” (Seymour, 103).
Black Tea Henna
Recipe:
Ingredients-
-1 part
black tea
-1/2 part
hibiscus flowers
-1 part
thyme, rosemary and other herbs
-Mix the above ingredients, and steep 2-3 tsp/cup of water
(make 2-3 cups). Strain and let cool until luke warm.
- Mix the cooled liquid with henna color of choice, I do red
and copper (the hibiscus brings out the red, and rosemary and thyme brings out
the brown shades). Mix till it is the consistency of semi-thick mud. NOTE- you can always ADD more henna,
but you can’t if you are one, out of henna, or two have way too much. So add a
little tea at a time.
-Apply to clean, dry hair and cover with a plastic bag.
Leave in for 3-6 hours depending on how intense you want the color to be.
-Rinse out, let fully dry and enjoy the gorgeous natural
hair color!
Hair Rinses:
-Apple Cider Vinegar & Herbs
Fill a bottle ½ way with Apple
Cider vinegar
Fill the
rest of the bottle with the following concentrated tea recipe
Brunet and Auburn Herbal Hair-Rinse:
Mix the
following in a pyrex glass measuring cup: 2 tsp black tea, 1 tsp hibiscus
flowers, ½-1 tsp sage, 1 tsp thyme, 2 tsp rosemary. Pour boiling water over,
steep for 15-35 minutes, strain. Let fully cool and pour into a bottle you can
keep in the shower area.
Queen of Hungary
“this wonderful astringent lotion
has been hailed as the first herbal product ever produced and marketed. Legend
has it that the early Gypsies formulated it and claimed it to be a cure all…is
an excellent astringent of the face and great rinse for dark hair. The gypsies
used it as a hair rinse, mouthwash, headache remedy, aftershave, footbath…”
 |
| Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis |
Ingredients:
6 parts lemon
balm
4 parts chamomile
4 parts roses
3 parts calendula
3 parts comfrey
leaf
1 part lemon peel
1 part rosemary
1 part sage
½ part thyme
Vinegar to cover
(apple cider or white vinegar-I used apple)
Rose Water or
witch hazel (I did separate batches with each)
Essential oil of
lavender, or rose
Directions:
1) place the herbs in a widemouth jar.
Fill the jar with enough vinegar that it covers the herbs by an inch or two.
Cover tightly and let sit in a warm spot for 2-3 weeks.
2) strain out the herbs. To each cup of herbal vinegar, add 2/3-1 cp rose
water, or witch hzel. Add a drop or two essential oil if desired.
3) put in bottles, with a sprayer, or a
small 1-2 oz jar with a thin top, I used mine as a toner after I shower or wash
my face. Keeps indefinitely.
Resources~
-My Blog on Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey health benefits http://www.motherearthliving.com/wiser-living/boost-your-health-with-apple-cider-vinegar-and-honey.aspx#axzz2ffxGhEo8
-Natural Beauty at
Home by Janice Cox
-Herbal Recipes for
Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar
-The Garden of Life
Works Cited
Baïracli-Levy, Juliette De. Common Herbs for Natural Health.
Woodstock , NY
Bremness, Lesley. Herbs.
New York :
Dorling Kindersley, 2002. 122+. Print.
Brown, Kathleen L., and Jeanine Pollak. Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends
for Daily Health and Vitality. Pownal ,
VT
Gladstar, Rosemary. Herbal
Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 teas, tonics, oils, salves, tinctures, and
other natural remedies for the entire family. Adams , MA
"Historical Uses of Rosemary." Web log post. Rosemary History. N.p., n.d.
Web. 5 Sept. 2010.
Keville, Kathi, and Peter Korn. Herbs for Health and Healing. Emmaus , Penn.
Patnaik, Naveen. The
Garden of Life :
An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India New York : Doubleday, 1993. 124-31. Print.
Seymour, Miranda. A
Brief History of Thyme and Other Herbs. London : John Murray, 2002. 96+. Print.
Sumner, Judith. The
Natural History of Medicinal Plants. Portland ,
Or.: Timber, 2008. 27. Print
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Enough: The Scanadanivian Idea of Lagom & Wabi Sabi in Japanese Culture
...How to Find your Way Through
American culture of ‘bigger is better’, to
Finding your own 'just right'...
Have you ever wondered why, and
how, so many things here in the United
States are large, spaced out even space
inefficient, and how this slowly consumes one’s hard earned money, time and
energy? I know I personally feel lost among many things that are time, money,
space, energy, and environmental resource wasters, sometimes yeah I even use
more than I need…I feel like it can be very hard not to, having been brought up
in such as society. But think about it, who TRULY wants to:
“worry about how we’re going to get it and getting it and going
into debt for it. Rather than doing without…I’m sure it would lead to a simpler life if we didn’t have to worry about the things we didn’t have” ~ Rosalynn Carter (Andrews, 15)
into debt for it. Rather than doing without…I’m sure it would lead to a simpler life if we didn’t have to worry about the things we didn’t have” ~ Rosalynn Carter (Andrews, 15)
With this
idea in mind, I would like to in this blog, cover two interesting topics
related to the idea of— enough. First we have the Swedish idea of lagom, and secondly, the Japanese
concept of Wabi-sabi. The first
topic, an excerpt from the book Less is
More, is by Alan AtKisson, who at the age of 40 learned Swedish, and
appropriately soon after moved to Sweden . He thought their culture
quite interesting, and found it not so ironic, with Sweden being a wealthy
country it possessed many shopping malls, and also, not surprisingly “the
advertisements that drive us to them” (Andrews, 102). Sweden, as many people may
know is where the world-famous brands such as Ikea, and Hennes & Mauritz
come from, though, despite the ‘ususal consumerist excesses’ one finds there,
they also have something to offer unlike most other countries, the concept of: lagom (Andrews, 102). Not to my
surprise, this concept, and way of living and simplicity—if you will— has no
direct English equivalent, and appears quite often in Swedish conversation. For
people in Sweden ,
it captures something essential about the culture.
“Lagom has to do with quantity,
with the “how muchness” of something. Lagom
is neither too much, nor too little; but neither it is just “enough”...
Meaning “exactly the right amount” ” being widely applicable to everyday life
in Sweden (Andrews, 102).
 |
| http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XguBXwT-prQ/TXIfIve0OYI/ AAAAAAAAAOI/ivyhVGuUEag/s200/lagom.gif |
“if it were a place it
would lie north of sufficiency, but south of excess”, when something is “just
right” that is lagom (Andrews, 102). Alan first encountered the idea of lagom when he visited his wife’s
apartment for the first time, outside of Stockholm .
The simple-but-comfortable style has always appealed to him, though he was
amazed to find she only owned two towels (where in America most people have a whole
closet full). “the concept of owing just
two towels was just mind-boggling” (Andrews, 102-103). She said when the
towels are dirty I wash them, and if they wear out, she buys very good ones
again, because they last a long time since they are high quality… “why do I need more than two…De tar lagom?” (Andrews, 102-103).
If you can understand this idea
of lagom, other aspects of Swedish
culture and design start to make sense. Some rules of Swedish design include,
that: materials should not be wasted, function proceeds form; nothing is gained
by excess; and something important is lost (Andrews, 103). The origins of lagom, is quite interesting. In the time
of the Vikings, when they would pass a bowl of beer around in a circle, it was
expected that “everyone would drink exactly the right amount for them…and leave
exactly the right amount for everyone else” (Andrews, 103). Lagom
comes from two words, “lag”
meaning team, and “om”, meaning
around, so a sense of togetherness, and social solidarity became a pillar to
Swedish culture and politics. Social solidarity means, the “commitment of the
well being of others, not just oneself” (Andrews, 103).
Not surprisingly, there is no adequate English word, or phrase, that comes
quite matches lagom, it has a certain
attractive quality that “enough” and “sufficient” in English lacks (Andrews, 105).
To many, “enough” sounds like it should
have the word “barely” in front of it…for some reason, and to use “enough”
never sounds like… [insert word- enough-here] (Andrews, 103).
Of course, with anything good
thing, it comes to an end, or in lagom’s case
a limit. For instance: How much is enough chocolate cake, or what is lagom for the earth’s maximum amount of
CO2, on the flip side, calling your boyfriend lagom, would not be a very good idea (Andrews, 104). Similarly
to this Swedish concept, is a Japanese parallel, the phrase meaning: “I have
just what I need”. Though in this an a later blog, I will cover Wabi-Sabi, Zen & Chado. Research
suggests that people often want “more than what is around them” this desire
seems to be deeply wired in the human organism, that we have seemed to develop
over millennia in hostile environments, both natural and social, to have more
than enough to defend “against the vagaries of an uncertain future”, hoarding
being the modern day extreme (Andrews, 105). We are more likely to get
the idea of lagom to most people, since
it speaks a lot to what people want in life.
 |
| http://www.motherearthnews.com/~/media/Images/MEN/ Editorial/Articles/Magazine%20Articles/2011/02-01/Wabi-Sabi% 20Finding%20the%20Beauty%20and%20Peace%20in %20Ordinary%20Things/wabi%20sabi%20lead.jpg |
A
tangent/note, that I felt was very applicable to the above idea. One of my new
favorite books, The Name of the Wind written
by Patrick Rothfuss, which is an amazing tale spun of a gypsy boy, with a
feeling of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Having nothing when he goes to
University, he reflects on his new surroundings and room later in this book:“I set my battered copy of Rhetoric &
Logic on the shelf over the desk. My lute case leaned comfortable in the
corner. Through the window I could see the lights of the University unblinking
in the cool autumn air. I was home…looking back I count myself lucky…true at
Anker’s the crowds were not as wealthy, but they appreciated me in a way the
nobles never had. Think in terms of shoes. You don’t want the biggest you can
find. You want the pair that fits. In time, that tiny room at Anker’s came to
be more of a home to men than anywhere else in the world” (Rothfuss, 454-455).
Lastly, part of a chapter on Wabi-Sabi, authored by the editor in
chief of Mother Earth Living
(combination of Natural Home Magazine & The Herb Companion magazine), Robyn
Griggs Lawrence. She grew up in Iowa ,
where she was able to find the beauty in old abandoned barns, and was taught to
appreciate true craftsmanship, from her father being a wood worker. She believes Wabi-Sabi is an important means of helping people accept and
embrace their homes as sacred, nurturing spaces—just the way they are (Andrews, 157). Wabi-sabi
is an umbrella for many other ideas that came to light around the time of
9/11, right when she happened to have her first article of this topic
published. Some other topics related to it include: simplicity, slow-food,
reusing and recycling. This idea is an
ancient Japanese philosophy which roots, not surprisingly, in Zen, revering
austerity, nature and the everyday. Wabi-Sabi
stems more directly from the Japanese tea ceremony, Chado, the Zen ritual for
making and sharing a cup of tea, whose origins go back to warlords in the 15th
century Japan .
The ‘waby’ way of tea (wabichado), grew
out as a backlash against right warlords having gaudy imported good based
ceremonies, championed by a still famous tea master, Sen no Rikyu. His simple tea ceremony, with tea severed in
locally fired bowls and flowers in fishermen’s baskets, quickly became the most
sought-after way to have tea, with wood and bamboo replaced porcelain (Andrews,
158-159). Wabi, is an interesting poet’s word, being
slightly melancholy, is the author’s favorite description. It is: “the feeling
you have when you’re wating for your lover.” (Andrews, 159). The status of
these monks rose alongside wabi in the 15th century Japan ,
as people grew war-weary, and the upper classes grew tired of conspicuous
consumption.
“Simplicity, the aesthetic of the
everyday samurai, took on a new nobility.
No matter how much wealth they had, everyone
in Japan
No one really seems to know how
sabi got hooked with wabi, but we do have a meaning for sabi: “the bloom of time”, connoting tarnish and rust, the
enchantment of old things. Brings appreciation for dignified, graceful aging:
worn cobblestones, weathered wood, oxidized silver (Andrews, 157-162).
Lastly, for
an introduction to the Zen making of tea—Chado.
I will start by saying, I love tea, A LOT for an American (my opinion), and
when I first heard about the Zen art of making tea, you have no idea how
ecstatic I was… ! With American’s drink of choice NOT being tea, we can still
integrate lagom and Zen ideals into
our lives.
The most important tenet of the tea: ichigo, ichie, or “once in a lifetime”…reminds us that every
meeting is once-in-a-lifetime occasion to enjoy good company, beautiful art and
a cup of tea (Andrews, 162). This being said, here is a wonderful take on
a tea bowl by Christy Bartett, a San Fran based tea master. She has had this tea bowl for 22 years “every time I look at it, I still see
something new…you can’t be lazy. It’s up to you to see and see something new,
to sustain your interest in the world around you. It’s not up the world to
entertain you. It requires effort to be interested” (Andrews, 161).
“if you can’t find beauty—for free—when you are poor, you won’t be
likely to have it when you are rich…even though you may have bought and paid
for it” (Andrews, 160)
Resources:
-Less is More co-authored by Wanda
Urbanksa & Cecile Andrews
-articles by
Robyn Griggs Lawrence
http://www.motherearthliving.com/search.aspx?tags=+Robyn+Griggs+Lawrence#axzz2dhGYmulm
-Simply Scandinavian by
Sara Norman
Works Cited~
Andrews, Cecile, and Wanda Urbanska. Less Is More: Embracing Simplicity
for a Healthy Planet, a Caring Economy and Lasting Happiness. Gabriola Island
Rothfuss, Patrick. The
Name of the Wind. New York :
DAW, 2007. 454-55. Print.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Herbal Sedatives Part 2: Kava-Kava & Valerian
 |
| High Quality Hawaii Kava where Paul Strauss works in the winter |
Next we have a very popular sedative
herb, Kava-Kava, whose botanical
name is Piper methysticum. It is
commonly known as a muscle-relaxant, and a traditional social drink among
traditional Polynesian people. Having great ritual and cultural significance, it
was taken as a daily tonic (Brown, 129), believing it helped them to communicate with their gods. Hawaiian native American tribes chewed the root
for sharp, blinding headaches, lung troubles, chills, and to prevent contagious
diseases, including: skin diseases and eye troubles, and weakness of body (Moerman, 365). Used in an alcoholic drink
for incuding hallucinogenic states during religious cermonies, stimulates than
depresses the nervous system (Mabey, 96).
Piper
methysticum’s properties include: analgesic, sedative, euphoriant,
antiseptic, anti inflammatory (Balch, 85); Aphrodisiac, diuretic, (Brown, 129).
Eases insomnia, fatigue, nervousness, giving a deep restful sleep
with vivid, clear and colorful dreams, and also relaxes tense muscles, useful
for chronic pain (Brown, 129),
and due to it containing kavalactones releases tension in the
skeletal muscles, so is a muscle relaxant overall (Balch, 85). The analgesic
strength of kava is comparable to procaimadie and even cocaine, also deadens
the pain of kidney and urinary tract infections, the painkilling effect is felt
for up to 24 hours (Balch, 86).
 |
| Paul Strauss, owner of Equinox Botanicals showing us how to make Kava tea |
Kava doesn’t
impair user’s mental alertness, unlike other heavy duty sedatives, though the lactones
present in this herb, tend to have a depressant effect on the central nervous
system (Brown,
129). Overall, German researchers have found that kava is effective
in treating anxiety, based on measured brain waves of people who were subject
to anxiety (Keville,
33). Kava is found to improve mental functioning and mood, and
contains several chemical constituents which interact with the brains
benzodiazepine receprots (also activated by tranquilizers) (Balch, 85).
In one of several clinical
studies, kava helped more than 50 people reduce both depression and high
anxiety levels, and this difference was noticed only after a week. Another
study, conducted in Germany
where kava was given to women who suffered from “anxiety, depression and other
symptoms associated with menopause, the symptoms were relieved and women
reported and increased sense of well being” (Keville, 32). Lastly, several
other studies showing that people with symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety,
including “agoraphobia, social phobia, and anxiety disorders, were
“significantly reduced in people who took kava versus placebo” (Balch, 85).
Next we
have another favorite gentle-sedative herb of mine, Valerian. Having gotten a bad rap/reputation from being an
addictive substance by Hitler, it’s fame can be traced back to the 1300s when
it was recommended to cause “truculence, [or] having a truce [from fighting]”.
If you gave valerian to two combatants, thought… the writer urged, that they
would immediately become tranquil and lay down their weapons (Foster,
193). This interesting smelling root herb was also utilized in 1592
by Fabius Cauna who is said to have cured himself of epilepsy, it was also used for treating shell
shocked soldiers throughout WWII (Seymour
 |
| us hand-making kava tea was very strong but so relaxing |
Valerian, coming from the Latin valere, means “fare well” and was often
referred to as all heal in English, (Seymour, 118), not to be confused with the
commonly called all heal which is Prunella
vulgaris; Valere, was also
thought to mean “to be powerful or of well being” (Brown, 144). The Greek philosopher
Discorides, referred to this plant, in the 1st Century, as “phu”
which accidentally got turned into “phew” and this is where we get the common
phrase “pee-you”, meaning something smells …in a bad way…similarly to how
valerian root actually smells, like insanely dirty gross socks (Foster, 193).
Historically,
was commonly used for a slew of ailments, including: migraine, hysteria,
vertigo, insomnia, and convulsions.
Culinary-wise, the poorer classes of Northern
England found it “essential in flavoring soups and broths” stated
John Gerard in his 1596 Herball (Foster,
193). Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries
it was referred to as one of the best ‘tranquilizers’and antispasmodic herbs, and
as a sleep aid. William Cullen stated /wrote in 1808 ... “its antispasmodic
powers in genera are very wel established: and I trust to many of the reports
that have been given of its efficact”(Foster, 193). Later, was officially listed
in the United States Pharmacopeia from
1820-1936 (Foster,
194).
Presently, valerian
is commonly sold in tincture and teas, whose properties include: antispasmodics, anodynes, carminiatives, hypnotics,
nerviness; worm expelling. This sedative herb also relieves stress, muscle
spasms, cramps, mental depression, despondency, migraines, insomnia, fatigue
and nervous conditions. Valerian root affects the central nervous system,
stimulating it in fatigue and calming it in agitation (Foster, 193), thus helping to
relieve anxiety, encourage sleep and improves quality of sleep (Brown, 144).
Relaxes muscles to the digestive tract, soothes that system, and relieves
indigestion, constipation, especially when due to nervous tension; valernic
acid is believed to be one of the antispasmodic compounds, treating IBS, and
cramps (Balch,
139). Valerian root has
similar compounds as barberry, goldenseal, Oregon Grape Root (berberine), and
Echinacea, thus inhibits candida (Keville, 81), and has been used in dozens
of over the counter sleep aid medications (Balch, 139).
 |
| part of our group at United Plant Savers' 'Goldenseal Sanctuary' waiting turns to make kava tea |
 |
| Valerian at Quiet Creek Herbal farm Brookville, Pennsylvania |
Studies done in Germany ,
in 1993, concluded that valerian helps you to fall asleep more quickly,
especially if you are elderly or habitually are a poor sleeper, and in addition,
it helps you to have improved deeper stages of sleep, thought to be due to a
similar compound found in the sedative barbiturate, by depressing the nervous
system (Keville,
38). Lastly, another similar study (double-blind), done of 128
participants, showed that by taking a water-based extract of valerian this
improved subjective ratings of sleep quality, reduced the time in which it took
to fall asleep (sleep latency), also relieved insomnia, leaving the
participants without the side effects of grogginess or the ‘hangover’ feeling (Balch, 139).
Works Cited Part 2~
Balch, Phyllis A.
Prescription for Herbal Healing: A Practical A-Z Reference to Using Herbs
with Vitamins, Minerals, Nutritional Supplements, Natural Healing Techniques,
and Prescription Medications. New
York : Avery, 2002. 85-85, & 138-139. Print.
Brown, Kathleen
L., and Jeanine Pollak. Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health
and Vitality. Pownal , VT
Foster, Steven,
and Steven Foster. Herbal Renaissance: Growing, Using & Understanding
Herbs in the Modern World. Salt
Lake City : Gibbs-Smith, 1993. 193-194. Print.
Keville, Kathi,
and Peter Korn. Herbs for Health and Healing. Emmaus , Penn.
Mabey, Richard,
and Michael McIntyre. The New Age Herbalist: How to Use Herbs for Healing,
Nutrition, Body Care, and Relaxation. New York : Collier, 1988. 96 & 124.
Print.
Moerman, Daniel
E., and Daniel E. Moerman. Native American Medicinal Plants: An Ethnobotanical
Dictionary. Portland ,
Or.: Timber, 2009. 365. Print.
Seymour, Miranda.
A Brief History of Thyme and Other Herbs. London : John Murray, 2002. 118-120. Print.
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