inspirited

            I had encountered this word previously in an eco-spiritual context.  Now I read it again in Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer's melding of her Native American background's eco-spiritual understanding of the natural world and her scientific education as a botanist.

            The best of both worlds, in my perception, involves indeed the broadening of our scientific worldview, which is naked and somewhat devoid on its own, and doesn't tell the whole story.  We are slowly coming around to understanding that.

            As an example, Kimmerer tells of a two-year scientific investigation into the link between depletion of sweetgrass in particular areas and the lack of harvesting it for the purpose of weaving baskets in that same area.  Put differently, there is a link between ongoing tending to and harvesting of sweetgrass, and its increased vigor and growth.  This is something science can't explain because, according to its paradigm, harvesting equals depletion, not the other way round.  Yet Native Americans, and all who have a green thumb and speak to their flowers, or pets for that matter, or biodynamic farmers who farm "spiritually" and "homeopathically," know that we are connected to Nature, we are in ongoing communication with Nature, and that Nature is inspirited in some way, not dead.  In order to live sustainably we must recognize the reciprocal relationship with Nature we exist in, and the inspiritedness of it.  It's a win-win for both side.

barefooting it

             I forgot about walking barefoot.  My kids walk around the house barefoot all the time.  And my sister reminded me when she came to visit recently.  Walking barefoot frees the feet of their unnatural shoesy confines.  Walking barefoot is grounding.  Walking barefoot outside is even more grounding.  Grounding techniques do just that - connecting us to the ground in order to rebalance the mind and reconnect us with the earth.  In addition, walking barefoot outdoors - on grass, sand, or even more adventurous ground - lets us absorb negative ions.  Negative ions counter all the positive ions electronics spew out (Himalayan salt lamps also generate negative ions and counter the effects of electronics - see a recent post on that).

            So, take your shoes and socks off while the weather is warm, and go for a barefoot walk outside.  As little as five minutes a day is beneficial.

feel good hormones

              Some childlike part in me loves to discover - berries, bargains, golf balls.  I get such simple pleasure out of spying ripe red raspberries among the green leaves of the raspberry bushes and plucking them to fill a bowl of these delicate treasures.  When our kids were little we used to go for walks near a golf course.  There I had as much fun looking for lost golf balls in the grass and under trees, lurking in the grass like a white or yellow, or sometimes even bright orange, Easter egg, as my children did.  I also get the same pleasure out of finding that special inexpensive, and fashionable, bargain at a second hand store, or that unexpected find at a yard sale or thrift store.

            Presumably these discoveries release oxytocin and dopamine, the feel good hormones, that scientists discovered are also triggered when we get "likes" on social media.  Which mundane everyday activities trigger feel good hormones for you?

white man to green man

           There was so much symbolism, albeit subconscious, in what my daughter said at lunchtime as we sat outside, looking at our faded-to-almost-white, plaster cast of the Green Man.  She said "The white man needs to become the green man again," simply meaning we ought to give him a fresh coat of green stain.

            Today's NY Times article about a draft report by federal agencies that we are already experiencing climate change here in the US, that human activities are the primary culprit, and that temperatures have risen dramatically since 1980, reminds us how interwoven with Nature we really are - we can't escape it.

            It is high time that we white men return from feeling superior to Nature to respecting it, working with it, recognizing that we humans are Nature, too, and cannot exist without it.  Nature is what surrounds us, provides us with everything we need to live - food to nourish ourselves, fiber to clothe ourselves, building materials, plants for medicine to heal ourselves, and materials to express ourselves creatively via music and the visual arts. 

            The Green Man is an ancient, mostly Celtic, symbol for man's symbiosis with Nature.  While indigenous cultures have steadfastly maintained their intertwined relationship with Nature, as much they were able to through the long assault period by Western culture, we whites completely forgot that we are Nature, that we owe everything to it, that we cannot live without it.

            May the White Man become the Green Man again.

rebooting your system

             Sometimes your system needs a reboot.  Mine does and I am doing a one-day liquid fast as I write this.  Did you know that 60% of your daily energy consumption goes towards running your digestive system and the digestion of solid foods?  That only leaves 40% for everything else - work, play, heal.  If you can free that 60% up for a short period of time by refraining from solid foods for a day or two it can do wonders for cleansing and healing your body.  Drinking lots of liquids during that time - vegetable juices, green juices, fruit juices always in moderation because of the high sugar content, broth, lemon water with a bit of maple syrup, some tea, lots of water -  literally reboots your system, cleans you out, gives your digestive tract a break, and frees up that energy for healing your body.

            It's interesting to note that many religions include fasting in one form or another in their rituals.   Some people are religious about regular fasts (pun intended), such as a liquid day a month; some people fast for two or three days whenever they feel their system needs it.  Fasting is a time honored practice that makes a lot of sense, although it's not indicated for everyone (so make sure you consult your health care practitioner for advice if you've never done this and have doubts or questions).

            Why not give it a try?  It will leave you energized.

just vinegar

             Or almost.  Vinegar, water and a drop of liquid soap for wood floors, Bon Ami scouring powder for sinks and shower tiles, baking soda and vinegar for shower doors, vinegar for the toilets, wet sponge, and sometimes a drop of soap, for countertops and cabinet fronts, vinegar and water for glass tops. That's pretty much all I use for cleaning my house.

            No harsh chemicals, no artificial scents, no nonsense, and inexpensive.   And I bet you that my house is as clean as yours.

a positive spin

              I loved this sign I recently saw in Corning, NY so much that I took a picture.  It shows that you can look at everything from two perspectives.  An empty building from the owner's perspective means obviously lack of rental income, and we have a knack for noticing the negative aspect.  But, as this sign expresses, the same empty space can be seen as "the other side of the coin," a different perspective of the same fact.  The building is indeed full of opportunities, it's full of possibilities, your imagination is the limit as to what you can do with this space.  It is a very positive interpretation of the same fact, an unoccupied space.

            How you look at something is always in your power, always under your control.

my new favorite spice

            Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say, and often I find the taste of cinnamon a bit too predictable and a bit too Christmassy.  Cardamom has become my new favorite spice (smoked paprika is a close second), and it works well in many instances where the recipe calls for cinnamon.  Cardamom has such an elegant fragrance and taste - light and flowery, and entirely unique.  There is really nothing quite like cardamom.

            I have found whole pods in Indian rice dishes, it's used in Middle Eastern desserts, the Swedes sprinkle it in the dough of their yeast rolls.  It's beautiful in tea, black or green, makes for an instant chai, just add some latte (cow's or almond) - no sugar needed.  It works well in mild desserts where its unique flavor really stands on its own, such as rice pudding, panna cotta, chia pudding, or cardamom flavored vanilla ice cream.  And sprinkling it on your breakfast oatmeal makes the mundane sophisticated.

            As an ancient Indian spice, that's been around the block a few times, it has of course medicinal properties, and chewing on a pod freshens your breath.  Just open a spice jar with cardamom pods or powder and let yourself be transported far far away by the fragrance of this beautiful spice.

no size fits all

            You are unique, your digestive system is unique, your food preferences are unique, your constitution, in combination with ethnic provenance and health history, is unique. 

            It's ok to critically read books on diet trends (paleo, ketogenic, vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, ethnic), or on nutrition, in order to become informed on the state of our food and its profound influence on our wellbeing.  But then you need to test these theories mindfully on your own body to understand what agrees with you and what doesn't, what aggravates certain conditions or alleviates them, what gives you energy, what regulates your weight, what helps you heal.  The one exception I'll take is refined sugar.  It's not good for anybody.  Period.

            We like to simplify and standardize, but imagine what would happen if some diet fundamentalist prescribed the same diet for all seven billion people on this planet?  Digestive systems have adapted over hundreds and thousands of years to what is available geographically.  Prescribe a vegetarian diet to an Inuit, or an Inuit diet to a Hindu - ok, these are extreme analogies - and they would likely become ill.

            So, take all you read, all that people say, with a grain of salt - then see what really applies to your own condition and constitution.   Although I had already cut out a lot of grain from my diet (and lost quite a bit of weight in the process) I am currently trying this gluten-free thing.  I'm really not convinced this is necessary for me - we'll see, hoping to prove myself wrong.  No diet applies to all - which one is the right one for you?

in awe

           I am always in total awe when I see big creatures out there in the wild. Seeing a bear (two days ago at lunchtime out my office window), a fox (same thing, out my office window), even a deer, a flock of turkeys, or a moose (last year in Alaska), seems not only exotic to me, but twists my reality back into place.  These magnificent creatures show me how awesome nature is, that we must respect their magnitude, their sheer force and power.  There is always a bit of incredulity at their sight, maybe feeling privileged that they show themselves, and awe that we are part of the same environment that sustains them too.

            It touches something deep down in me.