Detox/Nourish

  Last year (2014) produced some very concentrated tinctures and salves, given the drought California has been in. I didn’t water the garden much, didn’t plant as much, just let nature do her thing (let the land rest), the reward was a harvest not as bountiful as other years, but what was given produced intense goodness. The healing salves came out particularly divine this past autumn, a richness not yet experienced.

 Though rains are no where near normal, the ground has erupted with a bounty of herbs not seen in a while. I missed seeing my old friends! One cannot help but awake from winters doldrums as these green eager sprouts burst from their droughts sleep with healing goodness for all.

Lena, my raccoon baby girl, was always the first to initiate spring cleanse. Eating tasty greens, short fasts, such a bright girl she was. Her physical presence is certainly missed, her spirit still expressive as ever.

 Spring is the optimal time to cleanse the liver, an organ very stressed in modern times with many toxins. Anger is harbored in the liver. Clearing the liver lightens the bodies’ burdens, makes for efficient digestion and optimizes un-provoked, clear thinking. A body clouded with toxins equates to murky rumination in the mind and body.

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 Years ago, I took a herbology class. We were given herbs to try (not knowing which herb they were). The object of the exercise was to put a bit of the herb in your mouth and tune into your body to see if you could “feel” which organ systems the herb addressed. To our surprise, most of us were able to identify the body organ/system the herb an affinity for. It was a very validating tool and a neat way to start a class.

 Many creatures know how to sense the energetic signature of healing plants and clays in more subtle ways. Nature is the ultimate educator.

 Winter rains combine with decaying organic matter to enrich the soil and bring about a bountiful spring harvest. One does not need chemicals to induce bounty. This world has long known how to care for Herself, our contriving cannot improve the abundance this beautiful Mother of ours bestows.

 Fruits, vegetables and herbs relish the warming weather and sunshine, bringing their vitality to us. I love my garden this time of year, well, truth is; I love my garden all year!

 Many are returning to growing their own gardens, reconnecting with the soil, atmosphere, seasons and planet. The bounty of earth does not cease, it may rest, wait for those stewarding the land to rekindle its love affair with the sacred ground we walk, but She does not fail us.

 Sharing the harvest with neighbors, nourishes not only bodies and families, but fosters a significant act of tribe/community. The environment shapes us, when we honor the ground our feet grace; we treat ourselves, each other and the planet with honor.

 So many plants grow well, even in times of drought.

 Artichokes love the Southern California climate and quickly divide into what I like to call a small artichoke forest. Very cleansing and healing to the liver, an organ that filters many toxins from our bodies. When boiling artichokes up, I save the “tea” and mix it with my horses’ bran mashes so they too benefit, as well as cook up a portion of my dogs’ food with it. Nothing goes to waste in this house!

 Milk thistle, a relative to the artichoke, also grows abundantly. This herb is very healing to the liver and for anyone whose liver is working overtime due to indulgence or toxins, should be a consideration.

 Beets easy to grow, purify the blood aiding the entire body. Grating them raw into a slaw with red and green cabbage provides beautiful color and just the right amount of sweetness. If boiling them, the remaining tea can also be added to horses’ mash for added benefits.

 A variety of herbs (weeds to some) grow where needed. While some consider them “invasives”, many know healing plants find residence where an ailing body needs it. Many also deeply condition and heal the soil. Nature is so much wiser than we are; “weeds” are no more invasive than we humans, like cures like.

 Leaving an area wild or a “reparian buffer” invites native fauna which in turn provide a bounty for soil organisms, various bugs, bees and butterflies. All the creatures know where such havens exit. They see so much more than we do.

 This burst of herbal goodness seemed timely as Belle, the new addition to the herd is cleansing and toning in her recuperation. Her case will be explored in much more depth, but after a series of remedies (some which address endocrine issues) she eagerly chowed- down herbs like Lambs Quarters, Shepherds Purse (great uterine tonic – helps tone/ regulate cycles), Malva (very healing for the throat and thyroid – esp with Fukushima still spewing) and so many more.

 I find it interesting that both horses tend to seek out different herbs, as their bodies and constitutions dictate. I learn so much from them!

 Delicious combinations of the earth’s bounty speak to me as I prepare them for meal time. One can sense the energetic signature of what the body needs. This is the original and best form of self-medication. So much food is grown depleted of vital nutrients and modern food production techniques like GMO’s and glyphosate (Round-up) greatly disrupt the soil/bodies ability to absorb nutrition. You cannot heal deficiencies with chemicals, the body does not lie.

 Chia seed known to the Aztecs and Mayans as the “corps reviver” can be made into a gel by adding boiling water, let it soak for a bit, then sip to nourish depleted beings. Adding a tablespoon of seed to 1 cup boiling water, lemon and raw organic honey to taste can be a gentle way to cleanse the liver. Chia seed also eases stress the pancreas endures with modern life, bringing balance to bodies with blood sugar issues.

 Various healing clays aid in removing heavy metals and other toxins from the body. These include calcium bentonite and zeolite. Some of these clays occur naturally at the bottom of stream beds or in cliff walls. In the wild, different animal species travel many miles to ingest clays that remove toxins found in plants that animals eat. We have places in local canyons where many creatures stop to take a few licks of these healing gifts that well up from our fault lines in California’s ever changing landscape.

 Zeolite is negatively charged, this makes it very effective in removing positively charged particles of heavy metals from the body. I have found it very useful when combined with well selected homeopathic remedies in resolving digestive issues that many beings now suffer from. Many, I feel, are induced by genetically engineered feeds which include but are not limited to wheat, soy, corn, cottonseed, alfalfa, beet pulp and the counterpart glyphosate.

 There is also a super heated form of this clay that is more potent than the clay form. Some have found this to be effective in resolving vaccine damage (along with the appropriate homeopathic remedy). However, this form of zeolite should not be used by those with kidney issues or those on specific medications. Natural does not mean benign.

 Many homeopathic remedies are effective in aiding the spring cleanse. Homeopathic clay has an affinity for moving stuck states, in the mind as well as the body. It works deeply on the lymphatic system as well. Many liver remedies can be used in drainage potencies to aid the body as well. The Bach Flower Essence Crab Apple also clears the body of toxins and can clear spaces as well.

 The list goes on and on, moderation is always prudent. A body suffering a heavy toxin load will experience a type of healing crisis if it has not been honored by periodic cleansing care. Once the body is use to such care, it will often spontaneously “ask” for a cleanse – skipping a meal, or just focusing on cleansing drinks like lemon and water, juicing, soups and such. These don’t work for everyone, the body is unique and when working consultations, homeopathic constitutionals of the body are considered as well. These include cravings, foods aversions and more, always considering the whole picture.

 There can be much to consider in chronic cases, but a simple start with some seasonal flavor and support can do much to strengthen digestion, clear the skin and ease the soul to enhanced living. Be gentle to yourself, it does the body good.