Stroke of Insight

Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist, discusses the awareness she had while having a stroke. She also speaks to the experience of surrender and deep inner peace which is part of the circuitry of the right hemispheres of our brain. I also have noticed from working with elders who have had strokes that when forced to surrender function and former abilities from brain injury, they seem to acquire a sense of peace within themselves. Very yin yang.

Level One Yi Ren Qigong Class

This class teaches the foundational exercises for practicing Yi Ren Qigong. It sets the groundwork for cultivating receptivity to our own bodies and developing self-healing skills. In this class we learn a series of gentle and relaxing movement and breathing exercises which are designed to refresh, restore and reorganize our minds and bodies. Instructor: Joyce Greenberg,L.Ac

When: Mondays, May 5 - June 23 (8 weeks)
Time: 6:30p.m. - 7:45pm
Where: SE Seattle Senior Center
4655 S. Holly St. (corner of S. Holly and Rainier Ave. S.)

Cost: $125.00 / $85.00 seniors

To Register: call SE Seattle Senior Center: 722-0317

Spring Detox Class, Sat., May 10, 11a.m -1p.m.

Get a fresh start this spring with a detoxifying cleanse! We are fortunate to have Karen Lamphere, a whole foods nutritionist teach this class. She will discuss diets and supplements that support cleansing and detoxification. This is a great way to strengthen immunity, lose that excess winter weight, or simply feel great as you rejuvenate your body with the change in seasons. You will receive a 7 day protocol with recipes, menus and supporting therapies. Karen will serve a yummy light lunch. Location: Joyce's kitchen. Cost: $35. per person. Call Joyce to register: 760-4828 or let me know your interest by commenting here. limit 10 people.

Get a Jump on Spring

Sometimes the transition between winter and spring can be rugged. It is warming up and there is more light outside but we still feel sluggish and dull. Acupuncture can help move your Qi and detoxifying herbs like nettle, chickweed, dandelion and burdock will nourish and clean your blood.

Come in for a spring tune-up treatment and receive a complimentary 5 day supply of organic tonic and cleansing herbs.

Call Joyce at 760-4828 or comment here if you have a question.

How To Make An Herb Infusion

Let's face it: Our soils are depleted of nutrients and we don't eat enough veggies or roots. Infusions of leaves, flowers and roots are an inexpensive, gentle and real way to incorporate essential vitamins and minerals on a daily level. With Infusions we steep leaves, flowers and roots in order to extract their medicinal properties. I notice that when I consistently make infusions, I do not get colds and I wake up in the morning without the need for caffeine although oxygenating my system with exercise is always a necessity.

To make an infusion, simply boil 1 quart of water per 1/4 cup of herb (or 1 cup of water to 1 Tablespoon of herb). Pour water over the herb(s) sitting at the bottom of a jar and let steep for a minimum of 4 hours. A canning jar holds the heat well. Be sure to use a cover on your jar. I make my infusions in the evening and let the jar sit overnight. In the morning I strain the herbs and pour off the liquids into another jar or glass. I drink the infusion as a tonic throughout the day. You can heat up the infusion or drink it cold depending on what is best for your constitution. The slightly bitter flavor of some infusions are beneficial for cleansing the blood of toxins.

Why Yin and Yang Matters

Why does it matter if yin and yang is in balance? Why do all these Chinese medicine practitioners, martial artists and Taoists keep bringing up the topic? The answer is that it is part of a larger description of the general structure of the universe; its dynamics and laws. It is relevant to me because it gives me a framework to understand why it matters if I maintain internal balance or not.

Yin and yang describe polarities that are in a dynamic tension at all times. Tension because they are in a forced relationship, one cannot exist without the other and dynamic because they are in constant motion, alternating and fluxing. When yang is strong, yin must be weak and visa versa. For example, when we have fever (too much yang) we often are dehydrated (not enough yin/water); when one person is too assertive (yang) in a relationship, the other is usually too passive (yin); when the mind is too active (yang) the body often cannot rest and get sleep (yin) or when we are stuck or depressed (yin) we lack activity and resist change (yang). When there is balance then harmony is experienced in one's health and wholeness in one’s spirit and relationships. There is a kind of dynamic flow which characterizes how one navigates and moves through their day. An out of balance state brings extremes and an uncomfortable feeling of tension within oneself. Obstacles present difficulties, we polarize and react, finding opposition at every turn. Recognizing the relative balance of yin and yang in my current life and then reconciling how I may need to shift my energy so balance is re-established is something I need to do daily, hourly. With awareness and a whole lot of Qigong practice I can do it instantly and flow from one moment to the next, naturally.

Learning Languages

This is a fascinating look into how an autistic woman experiences her world. She translates for those of us who interact on a more symbolic level with language and shows us that the interaction she has with her environment on a sensory level gives her just as much meaning. Very enlightening and moving.

Make Your Own Shampoo

If you are concerned about low-grade toxic chemicals in your body care products then go to www.cosmeticdatabase.com to check out what ingredients are in your products and how hazardous they are to your health.

Looking up my shampoo and finding the results sent me on a mission to make my own shampoo. This is a recipe from the herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar, that works for my hair and actually gives it more natural body than my previous expensive shampoo promised. It is quick and inexpensive to make and lends itself to experimentation in terms of which herbs you add to the recipe. I like to put rosemary in my shampoo because it has a refreshing and stimulating scent but use those herbs that give you a positive feeling or that you can pluck straight from your garden. You can get unscented castile soap (Dr. Bronner's) or ones with peppermint and lavender. I prefer the unscented one. This recipe did not leave my hair a tangled mess after shampoo so conditioner is not necessary but I often use a rinse of infused nettle after shampooing. Some herbs can be found at your local natural food store but www.mountainroseherbs.com has a complete selection of organic herbs and spices at a reasonable price.

8 ounces distilled water
1 house herbs (see below)
3 ounces liquid castile soap
1/4 teaspoon jojoba oil
25 drops pure essential oil (optional)

1. Bring water to a boil. Add the herbs, cover, and let simmer over low heat fo 15 -20 minutes. Strain and cool.

2. Slowly add the castile soap to the tea, then mix in the jojoba oil and essential oil. Store in a plastic container with a flip-top lid in the shower or bath. Shake before using.

Herbs for Dark Hair: mix a combination of any of these herbs. sage leaf, nettles, rosemary, black walnut hull (chopped), comfrey leaf.

Herbs for Blond Hair or highlights: calendula, chamomile flower, comfrey leaf

Herbs for Dry Hair: calendula, marsh mallow root, nettle leaf

Herbs for Oily Hair: rosemary, witch hazel bark, yarrow leaf and flower

Leap into Chaos

Last weekend Craig cut down a whole hedgerow along the property line between our yard and our neighbor's yard to make way for the northwest native plants we will plant this spring. Faced with extreme exposure because now we had no visual barrier between us and our neighbors and a HUGE pile of sticks, I decided that I needed to bundle the sticks and use them as a fence. An airy visual blur of slicks would give me the privacy I had grown accustomed to.

It seemed like such a good idea - right? Well, when I was suddenly faced with sorting through that pile of sticks, I felt annoyed that they didn't just all stand up and get into order for me so I could simply tie twine around them. No, I had to pull, yank; get scrapped and cut; prune, chop and saw the tough, lean long lengths of wood. At first I thought I could create some kind of order, get the thicker sticks in the back of the bundle, but after doing battle with too many sticks so I could get my desired thick stick, I realized that I had to abandon that plan. No, what was required of me was to just jump in to the pile, start pulling out sticks randomly and then make sense of them after they were tangled free. After I let go of my plan - I was able to move swiftly and piles of sticks started forming on the ground until I had enough for a bundle. And then another bundle. And then 12 bundles. When I tied up my first bundle, it occurred to me that humans have an instinct to create order out of chaos. The I-ching is just lines, originally yarrow stalks, which offers a structure and progression for all things human. Was I making my own hexagram in every bundle I made? From my experience, when I am dealing with raw materials whether it is a pile of sticks or a lump of clay or a dream state, I find it challenging but interesting and satisfying to render and manipulate it. It's not any single idea that will begin the progression from raw material to finished form but rather the sheer intention and energy to make it so. Only by leaping into the chaos will I ever progress.