As they say in TX....Howdy! Really. They do! I am thrilled to announce that after a long summer of travel and adventure, our online store is re-opening and we are again accepting new clients! The boxes are unpacked and we are rearing to get our business going here down south. We sincerely appreciate everyone's patience as we made this exciting transition. And we truly appreciate all of the emails of support wishing us well in our new location. Although it's been hot (as in over 95 degrees every day since we arrived!) I have managed to find some beautiful places here in College Station. And I'm slowly meeting some plant friends along the way. I was also ecstatic to learn about the thriving Yoga Community here in College Station! It has really reached it's arms out open wide. Yesterday there was a community wide Free Yoga Day to celebrate National Yoga Month. I was able to offer two classes and even snuck one in myself. Here's where I'll be teaching this Fall. Come and see these amazing studios. All of the instructors are fantastic! I look forward to hearing all of your summer adventure stories!
Kristin
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That's right! Told you there were some changes coming. :)
At the end of June we're headed out of beautiful Western Massachusetts, south to Texas. There are so many things I'll miss about this part of the country. The lush green foliage, our sweet and supportive community, and the ability to drive a few hours and gaze at the ocean. At the same time, we are so excited to be headed back the Southwest! I love the vast open landscape, bleached by the sun and filled with desert plants. I honed my botany skills on those plants. They're my friends, and I am so excited to get reacquainted with them! On June 15th we'll be closing our online store and won't be accepting new consultations until the end of summer. We plan on being up and running again by September 1st. I will do my best to get a few blog posts in to keep you updated during the transition. So get your orders in this week! We'll be back at the end of summer. And don't be surprised to see a few new products featuring some of the amazing plants of the Southwest. They make some powerful medicine! Have a beautiful summer. Hope it's filled with lots of outdoor yoga, herb-harvesting, and medicine making! xo, Kristin Those of you who regularly read this blog have probably heard of flower essences before. Even if it was just in the context of Rescue Remedy. But how many of you actually know what they are? The name, Flower Essence, to me conjures up the image of trying to capture the gently wafting scent of a flower. Like a genie in a bottle. But, in fact, essences have no scent at all. Flower essences are basically infusions of certain flowers in water that are stabilized in a solution of brandy and water. These are very dilluted preparations and should not be confused with herbal tinctures or essential oils. While they can be used for certain physical ailments, these products are mainly used for emotional healing. Stress, anxiety, trauma, sadness, and fear are all great reasons to try one. There's a lot great products out there! Which brings me....to the review! Our friends at Mossop Natural Remedies were kind enough to send us a sample of one of their lovely products. Their formulas are unique in that instead of a liquid form, they are put into small sucrose pilules similar to homeopathic remedies. I found this form great for traveling, and much easier to get the kids to try. I happened to throw the "Relaxation" formula, comprised mainly of Evening Primrose, into my bag before I headed off to the East West Seminar led by Michael Tierra. It's an intense week of clinical study, classes, and personal growth. Between the traveling and the intense clinical work, I was glad to have it! Several attending practitioners needed to take a break at some point during the seminar. But I was able to fully participate without my nerves getting frazzled. I even dispensed some to a few people during the seminar, and the feedback was very positive. In addition to the Relaxation formula, there are many others. If you need a little extra boost to resolve an emotional issue or help during a stressful time of life, give them a try. We are coming up on some big changes here (more on that later!), and I know I'm glad to have this tool in my kit! Be Well! Kristin Finally, we come to the last part in our detox series. Yoga! Including any kind of light exercise in a detoxification plan is key. You need to get things moving, so your body can get rid of all the toxins that it is in the process of releasing. Walking, yoga, an easy ride on your bike. All these exercises will assist your body as it tries to flush out your system. Here's a simple yoga sequence you can do to get started. Reclined Twist: Jathara Parivartanasana Start by lying down on your back. Slowly take an inhale and extend both arms over your head. As you exhale, curl into both knees, hugging them into you. This will compress the organs just enough to begin to squeeze out deeply held toxins. Let your head and shoulder rest on the ground, arms out wide out to the side, palms facing up. Take a nice deep breath in, and as you exhale, slowly lower your bent knees over to the right, to or towards the ground. This twisting through the organs allows for a deep cleansing. Just like you are squeezing out a sponge. Hold for 2-3 breaths, and repeat on the other side. Do this 3-5 times. Bridge Pose: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Bend your knees and place your feet about hip distance apart, fingertips just grazing your heels. As you exhale, push down and away through your feet to lift your hips off the ground. Clasp your hands underneath you, or press the arms into the floor, to create a stable foundation on the tops of your shoulders. Breathe here for 3-5 breaths, as your organs release toxins and you increase blood flow and promote circulation. Slowly lower your hips back to the ground. Cat/Cow: Marjaryasana From Bridge, cross your ankles and clasp under your knees as you rock up and back a few times, stimulating your nervous system. Roll over to hands and knees. Place your hands underneath your shoulders, knees underneath your hips. Inhale as you arch your back, drawing your chest slightly forward and lifting your tailbone up towards the sky (Cow). Exhale and push deeply into the earth as you round your spine and release your head towards the earth (Cat). Repeat 3-5 times, stimulating your nervous system and lymphatic system. Downward-Facing Dog: Adho Mukha Svanasana Place your hands shoulder width apart, and spread your fingers wide. Inhale as you tuck your toes. As you exhale, push deeply down and away through the hands as you lift your pelvis up and back. Keep your knees softly bent as you draw your hips towards the sky, descending through the heels only if it feels comfortable. Hold here for 3-5 breaths, strengthening the circulatory system and blood flow. For a more heat-building practice, follow with 3-5 sun salutations. Revolved Side Angle Pose: Parivrtta Parsvakonasana From Downward-Facing Dog, step your right foot forward between your feet. Spin your right heel down, grounding the outer edge of the foot into the earth. To come into a high lung, inhale and push into the earth as you reach for the sky. Keep that lift of the ribs as you twist your torso to the right and reach your left hand towards the floor. Let your right arm swing towards towards the front of the mat over your head. This deep twist will enhance liver and kidney elimination. Hold for 3 breaths, then repeat on the other side. Bow Pose: Dhanurasana Slowly lower yourself down onto your belly, turning your head to the side to rest on the floor. As you exhale, bend both knees and reach back to clasp the heels or outer edges of the feet. Inhale, and push the feet strongly into the hands to begin to lift your head and chest up off the floor. You can gently rock here up to 5 times to massage out the internal organs and increase assimilation. Slowly lower down and then turn your head to the other side to rest the neck. Wiggle the hips from side to side to dissipate any tension that may have built. Childs Pose: Balasana From the belly, push deep into the earth to come up onto your knees. Slowly widen your knees to about the width of your mat, and then bring your hips towards your heels. Keep the arms outstretched and let the forehead rest on the mat. Breath here for 10 breaths. Forward folds such as this promote elimination, flushing toxins out the system. You can end your session here, or finish with Savasana. Try to practice this sequence each day of your detoxification plan. You will assist your body to rid itself of toxins while nourishing the nervous system. Enjoy!
Kristin Hopefully this past week you've been thinking about what type of detoxification plan would best serve you. My last post highlighted just a few strategies. Ready for some recipes to get you started? Here are some of my favorites. Detoxification Tea -1 part Echinacea Root -1 part Yarrow -1 part Red Clover Blossoms -1/2 part Dandelion Root -1/2 part Peppermint -1/4 part Parsley *Mix herbs well. Infuse 1 tablespoon of tea in 1 cup hot water for 10-15 minutes. Drink 5-7 cups for 7-10 days. Spring Master Cleanser -2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juices -1 tablespoon pure maple syrup -1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper -8 ounces filtered water Mix and drink 8-12 glasses a day. *This tastes way better than it sounds! Autumn Rejuvenation Ration -3 cups filtered water -1 tablespoon ginger root, chopped -1-2 tablespoons miso paste -1-2 stalks green onion, chopped -cilantro to taste, chopped -1-2 pinches cayenne pepper -2 teaspoons olive oil -juice of 1/ 2 lemon *Boil water. Add ginger root. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in miso paste to taste. Turn off heat. Then add green onion, cilantro, cayenne, olive oil, and lemon juice. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Enjoy! Of course incorporating fresh greens and fresh fruits this time of year is a great choice too. Just focusing on fruits and greens, the springtime master cleanser, and detox tea is a great plan to follow for many of us. Figure out what will realistically work best for you, and start planning your menu. I'll be posting some helpful yoga postures to include during your detox, to help get things moving quickly and efficiently. Be Well! Kristin As promised, I'm delivering a few tips for dietary and herbal recommendations for forming your own detox plan. Trust me, you need a plan! Each person has their own unique needs and considerations that come into play when choosing what strategies will work best. Are you anemic? You need greens! Have poor circulation? Try herbal teas! Are you hypoglycemic? You need protein rich foods! You get the idea. Not only that, but the time of year has an impact on what type of detox plan you choose as well. Have you ever noticed that in the winter you crave heavier comfort foods? And in the Spring you crave lighter foods and more veggies? Your body is already tuned into the seasons. Listening to your body, and eating lighter in spring and summer, and focusing on more nourishing foods in fall and winter is important. Tuning into nature’s cycles will help facilitate the process and increase your chance for success. How long you choose to follow your detox program is up to you. While you can feel results in as little as 3 days, following a 7-10 program is common. With any program, you want to slowly wean yourself off your normal diet towards a detoxification diet. First, eliminating caffeine and sugar, then dairy, then perhaps grains over a period of 3 days or so. Take it slow. Follow your detox diet plan, and then slowly re-introduce foods like whole grains, dairy, and wheat again after your diet is finished. Want to know a secret? Detoxing doesn’t necessarily feel good for the first few days! Make sure to get extra rest, take care of yourself. Take naps, do yoga, get a massage. Also, be sure you are getting enough fiber either through your diet, your juices, or herbal preparations. You want to get the toxins out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Dietary Recommendations
Herbal Recommendations There are many herbs that can support or create detoxification. These can be used for blood cleansing and cleaning the tissues or strengthening the function of specific organs. I recommend using herbs in conjunction with any detox program. Here are a few of my favorites: Garlic -Along with a myriad of other therapeutic uses, garlic is a fantastic blood cleanser. Not only does it increase circulation, but it’s an anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and has been shown to decrease free radicals. Dandelion Root- Drinking a tea from the root, or taking it in tincture form is especially effective for liver cleansing. It is also a gentle laxative and great for toxin removal. Parsley- This is another great detoxifying herb that is easily obtained and prepared. Traditionally used for everything from coughs to the plague, more recent research has shown that parsley is effective on the urinary tract and kidneys. Perhaps this is due to its diuretic properties and ability to flush the kidneys. Red clover blossoms- blood cleansing champion Echinacea Root- a good lymph cleanser, improves lymphocyte and phagocyte actions, stimulating the immune system and clearing inflammation Cayenne- blood purifier, increases fluid elimination and sweat Ginger Root- stimulates circulation and sweating With any detoxification therapy, you also want to drink lots of water! Be sure to research any contraindications that might be present, and explore what other techniques (dietary changes, fasting, juicing, etc.) appeal to you. I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes in the coming days, but in the meantime start planning your strategy for a safe and effective detox. Be Well, Kristin Well.....Do you? You should. In a recent workshop I gave on detoxification I was amazed by the enthusiasm participants showed in changing their diet and lifestyle. And it inspired me to share it with a wider audience. Taking the time to cleanse the body a few times a year is an important aspect of preventative healthcare. And I'm not talking about radical water fasts, or a one-size-fits-all kind of detox diet that includes expensive (and often ineffective) supplements. There are lots of simple ways we can cleanse our systems. And guess what? Spring is a great time to do it. Okay, maybe there is still snow on the ground here in the Northeast, but the winds of change are blowing. The weather is slowly warming, the birds are coming back, and life is starting to spring forth from the ground in those little green patches peeking through. Why detox, you ask? Well, you can...
Intrigued? Well, over the next few weeks I'll outline a few key strategies for detoxification. Check back soon for dietary, herbal, and yoga asana recommendations. You won't be sorry! Be Well, Kristin Recognize these?
These are the red, hot, itchy little buggers covering my little one right now. Hives, or Urticaria, are raised, itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin. They are usually an allergic reaction to food or medicine. But in our case, it's a result of the latest virus going around. So not only is my little one hot and stuffy, but itchy as well. Is it Spring yet?! Hives are one of those signs that gets parent's hearts beating a little faster. Since they are normally associated with an allergic reaction, we worry that it will lead to swollen throats and trouble breathing. Scary stuff. And not to be messed with. However, if they are not associated with an allergic reaction (and you've talked to your doctor), there are lots of ways to treat hives naturally. Think cool and soothing. 1. Cold Compresses- place a cool cloth over the affected area, changing frequently. Even better is soaking the cloth in a cool tea of peppermint, spearmint, or lavender. 2. Aloe Vera- the cool gelatinous insides of Aloe are perfect for cooling down the inflamed areas of hives. The gel is widely available. Just make sure it is 100% Aloe. 3. Tumeric Paste- You might have Tumeric sitting around in your spice cabinet. It's a great addition to a lot of meals! It is also a well-known anti-inflammatory. Take 1 tablespoon of Tumeric powder, add enough water to form a thick paste, and then apply. 4. Oatmeal and Marshmallow Root Bath- If you have hives all over the body, you might want to try this one. Take about 1 cup of rolled oats and grind into a fine powder. Do the same with 1/2 cup of Marshmallow Root. You can also use Slippery Elm Bark, but it's an at-risk plant, so make sure you have a reputable source. Sprinkle the mixture into the running bath of lukewarm water. Make sure the water isn't too hot, or it will further aggravate the hives. This colloidal treatment will cool and soothe those hot itchy bumps. Apply any of these treatments as needed and hopefully you (or your little one) will find some relief! Be Well! Kristin I know what you're thinking.
Really? Savasana? The one where we lay down and basically take a nap? That's right. You might think this is the easiest pose that Yoga has to throw at you, but in my opinion it's actually the most challenging. In a world where we are constantly on the move, connected, and multitasking; how do we stop and do nothing? How do we clear the mind? Learning to let go is a challenge that even the most sage monks have struggled with through the ages. Some Background: Savasana can be broken down to Sava (Corpse) asana (Pose). Literally Corpse Pose. While it may sound morbid, the intention is a conscious act of dying, letting go, and becoming one with your spirit. When we transition out of Savasana we often roll to the side with bent knees (a fetal position) and it's like we are being re-born. Here's How: 1. Slowly lie down onto your back, using whatever props you like. Maybe you place a blanket under your head or a bolster under your knees. Feel free to even cover yourself with a blanket, or use an eye pillow to block out light and encourage your senses to go within. Close your eyes. 2. Once you have your props in place, gently lift one leg up a few inches off the floor. Rotate the toes out, then lengthen that leg out and down until it rests comfortably on the floor. Repeat with the other leg. 3. Do the same with your arms. Gently lifting one arm up a few inches, turning the palm to face the ceiling, and then lengthening it out and down until it rests comfortably on the floor. Repeat with the other arm. 4. Take a deep breath in. And let it out. Now, soften that space between the eyes, and let that softness erase any expression that might be on the face. Slowly and methodically, release any tension that might be present in the body, all the way from the crown of the head to the very tips of the toes. 5. If you find your mind wandering, come back to the breath. Slowly inhaling and exhaling. Use aromatherapy, by spritzing lavender hydrosol (flower water), around the room. You can even play soft music to block out the sounds of the outside world. 6. Rest here as long as you can. Whether it's 5 or 35 minutes, your body and mind will benefit from the pause. Allowing you to tackle life's daily challenges with more consciousness and clarity. The real key is not to beat yourself up if you find yourself thinking of the errands you have to run, or reliving an argument you may have had with a loved one. It's even okay if you feel self-conscience. It's totally normal to get caught up in our own stories. That's exactly why we practice Savasana. So we can learn the difference between our perception, and our reality. Be Well, Kristin If you are anywhere near the Northeast, you've probably (hopefully!) heard of the impending Super Snowstorm. They've even given it a name. Nemo. Somehow that name just doesn't conjure up images of driving snow that could bring down power and bury us all in 2 feet of snow. So while you are out there stocking up on the necessities, and the not-so-necessities, consider adding some of the ingredients for these yummy natural marshmallows to your list. Snow days in my house = lots of snow play, lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and lots of board games. Usually in that order, and usually repeated throughout the day. So in honor of dear Nemo, I've dug up this old post on how to make your own delicious, natural marshmallows. Enjoy! Originally from Snow Day! We like to put our own herbal spin on things around here, so I thought I'd share a fun recipe to making real marshmallows. Those air puffed, spongy white things don't contain any marshmallow at all, which is actually a very healing herb. Marshmallow root is renowned for its abilities to sooth skin and heal inflammations in the body. It's one of my go-to herbs for sore throats. Go on, I dare you try making these. Super easy and SO delicious. This recipe is adapted from Lesley Tierra's (2000): A Kid's Herb Book. Ingredients: -2 eggs -1/2 tsp Vanilla -1/2 cup sugar -2 tablespoons marshmallow root powder -Preheat oven to 275 degrees F -Separate 2 eggs, keeping the whites. Beat whites until foamy and not quite stiff. -Add in 1/2 tsp. Vanilla or other delicious flavoring -Slowly beat in up to 1/2 cup (it's okay to use less!) sugar, 1 tsp at a time -Beat in 2 tablespoons marshmallow root powder -Drop mixture using teaspoonful at a time on a lined cookie sheet. -Bake 1 hour -Remove from sheet and let cool. Yum! *Refrigerate extras (if there is any) for several days Be Well, Kristin |
AuthorI am constantly amazed by the healing power of yoga and herbs. They inspire me to heal, to write, to teach, and to keep exploring. Archives
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