Maple Leaf Farm

My last post was in November. Since then we have moved to our new home on the farm and begun our new ventures. Please visit us www.mapleleaffarm.ca

My energy has been being poured into the farm and our b&b and retreat business. Transitioning to living outside of Toronto was hard (we lived near Owen Sound in the country for 6 months), and further transitions have occurred since we moved to the Algonquin area. I have been reading tons of homesteading books and learning all I can! I am most excited to start planting little seeds and have been planning our garden for this year. Country living is wonderful, folks, lots of quiet and lots of space. I have missed some things about city life, like the nightlife and getting dressed up;), but am recognizing my changing self and embracing parts of myself that I had put on hold before. My nightlife is full moon fields and the dancing we do around the farmhouse now, with the odd community dance and get together.

One of the best things for me has been taking the time to address my long standing knee and back pain and inflexibility. I now see a chiropractor twice a week, and have a daily practice of home sauna, my own yoga practice, hot salt and essential oil baths, trampoline, yoga swing, dry brushing, nettle tea and more. What have you been putting off that you *know* will bring you relief in an area of your life that is painful or uncomfortable? Perhaps it is time to follow your intuition and experiment a bit. Often it is just a matter of movement!

Water Reflections

here is a little bit of peace for you, this is the river where we have been living for the past 5 months, trees are being reflected

Spring Cleansing

We are in the midst of spring cleansing season. If you haven't yet done a spring cleanse, here are some tips. The spring is a natural time to cleanse as we leave behind the winter and enter a new season of growth. The fresh shoots of spring greens brought a welcome relief historically from eating preserved food and winter vegetables.

* If you haven't cleansed before, get educated. There are so many. At your local health food store you will find herbal packages. You could also put together your own herbal teas. Some people do The Master Cleanse. Others simply omit all except for organic vegetables and fruit for a week or so. Water fasting may be a bit extreme if it is your first time.

* Make sure that you get lots of sleep and take time to rest when cleansing. Your body will be going through changes, and may need to lie down at times to process the release of winter gunk, toxins, emotions, old thoughts... whatever may be coming up for you.

* Be careful with herbal laxatives. Go with cholagogues instead (such as yellow dock) that stimulate bile production instead of laxatives which may make you dependent.

* To help the process of cleansing, remember to drink lots of clean water, with lemon if you can (rinse your mouth with water after having lemon drinks to prevent the citrus eating away your teeth).

* At this time, clean your home, go through the basement, filter your files, go through your clothes and give some away to 2nd hand stores... your outer environment is a reflection of your inner environment: what needs to shift?

* If you feel really ill and have only been drinking vegetable juices for two days then you CAN slow down your cleanse, remember you are in control, and if you are not into torturing your body, then slow down. Make a green smoothie (the fibre will slow down the detox) or add some ground flax to your juice or have some fruit.

* Cravings may arise during your cleanse for a variety of things. Breathe and count to 25... have some fruit. Keep going.

* Add solid food into your diet slowly afterwards, or your tummy may feel bad!

* Take an enema or get a colonic - this may help a lot of digestive distress, headaches or aches & pains.

* Dry brush, give yourself facials with honey or avocados, take hot Epsom salt baths, take hot/cold showers.

* Go for long walks in nature and stretch/ practice yoga.

* Whatever you do, listen to your body, and make adjustments as necessary.

And reward yourself at the end of your cleanse. You have just done something great not only for yourself. You have become more clear and focussed, and can bring that clarity to whatever your purpose may be (now go and save the planet!).

Stop! And smell the flowers...

We have heard this said. And on walks I will often slow down and smell the blossoms on trees, or newly opened flowers. But recently I have been realizing that this old saying means so much more!

Are you busy checking off your To Do list? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the items on your list, and all the things you are not getting to in your life? If you are constantly rushing to get things done then stopping to smell the roses may be just the thing for you. When was the last time you made time to enjoy the moment, fill your senses with delight, and REFLECT ON ALL THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE!!! Yes, you have already 'accomplished' so much - you have been given and given yourself so many gifts. A gratitude journal comes in handy here, or simply a weekly list of 12 accomplishments.

Take a moment every day, in all areas of your life, and reflect and review. Doing so will give you a wonderful feeling of wealth. Reflect on all the ways that you have loved and been loved, all the scrumptious dishes you have made and adorned, all the poems you have written, all the songs you have sung. Think of all the money and resources that have poured through your life!

Often just reviewing this way may give you inspiration for your next project, and that sense of accomplishment that will propel you to the next plateau of your journey.

Next time, I will be writing about Spring Cleansing (since it is the season:)

Daily Morning Routine

I still wait to reveal my surprise. As all is handled behind scenes and the wheels of bureaucracy turn, I am compelled to continue writing into The Green Hearth blog. I have a list of topics that I have been asked about, and blog entries on these topics (ex. migraines, raw food, menstrual cycle pain and heaviness, skin problems, etc) will follow in the upcoming weeks.

For today I thought I would include my morning routine. This is what I do every morning for my whole being health. I may take a couple days off during the week, but honestly I feel best when I stick to it. The whole routine takes me about 2 hrs, some days longer, some shorter. Here she is:

~Wake with the sun (I am working towards this;)
~Big glass of water
~Bathroom necessities
~Green smoothie
~Raw vitamins and herbal teas
~Dry brushing
~Shower
~Daily yoga (my own routine after years of yoga classes and workshops)
~Dance DVD's (1/2 hr or so routines)
~Strength exercises (I do Pete Cerqua's 90 second strength training)
~Salve and essential oils on my injured knee
~Journalling (part of my daily writing too)

And then my day continues, and I feel like gold. I highly recommend making your health a priority, especially first thing in the day. Then you can do what you need with your day, the most important person is taken care of : YOU! If you are not feeling great, what do you bring to your work, your relationships, your life?

Make your new morning routine today, and be gentle with yourself adopting it, it takes time, especially if you are switching from addictive and unhealthy habits (like too much coffee, fatty and nutrient deficient breakfasts, lack of movement and flexibility). I look forward to my whole morning routine growing and changing to best support me. I would love to incorporate a walk in the park in now that the weather is turning. Go for it! Make your mornings a joy.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) in Winter

So of course it happened. I booked some time away from work and I got sick. It started as a hoarseness in my chest and progressed to laryngitis like symptoms (I lost my voice for a couple of days) and ended with my sinuses all plugged up. The worst part was (and this keeps changing in my mind) the tiredness. Although it was hard to sleep, I somehow still managed 15 hours a day at least. That was over a week ago and I am still pooped. I would wake up late, see only 3-4 hours of light, and it would get dark again.

I didn't take any drug store drugs or antibiotics. From the beginning I focussed on herbs, hydrotherapy and essential oils. It still took time for it to move through my system, but I think I am better off afterwards not having filled my body with any drug store drugs. I covered my chest and upper back with a peppermint gel I made, did hot steams with eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils diluted in apple cider vinegar, took hot essential oil baths, drank mullein and sage tea, ate lots of soup, and took an immune herbal tincture daily (I really loved taking a tincture that had cayenne and organically grown goldenseal (don't get wildcrafted goldenseal, it's in danger in the wild), I would pour hot water over the tincture and it felt so good in my throat and in my chest).

Also, I had some mental problems during my sickness. My mind kept wandering and I felt down. Looking back over the past week I feel like I shed a lot, and cocooned myself in a chrysalis. Right now I feel like I am emerging, as one friend put it, coming back from the dead. And strangely much in my life has shifted. I realized that the symptom of losing my voice was a very clear sign telling me that somehow I have lost my way a bit in life. Somehow I have lost a say on where I am in life, and the forces of existence are controlling me, instead of me shaping my own destiny, having a say in what is going on. And I saw how much of my lack of say is rooted in past experiences and fears.

I am glad I got sick on my vacation. It gave me a chance to actually slow down, stay in one place, get grounded in my new home. Gain insight. The next time you are ill, take a look inside. What are your symptoms attempting to communicate?

The Holly and Ivy

When this time of year comes round, I usually go through a period of being overwhelmed by all the holiday (Hollyday:) parties, shopping for Christmas gifts, trying to make plans for the holidays that fit everyone's schedule and more. At the same time, I *LOVE* the evergreen boughs, the holly with it's red berries in my backyard, the two beautiful rosemary bushes that seem to be flourishing in my kitchen, and all the beautiful Solstice celebrations. It has taken me a few years to learn how to juggle everything, this year has been a bit too much, but also balanced out by the slow ways in my life.

My question for you this year is: Do you really need to eat all those cookies and all that candy? Do you really need to go to all those parties? Do you really need to drink so much alcohol? What are your excesses? Pulling back into yourself even a little can have marvelous benefits this time of year and help balance out the seasonal insanity. The longest night of the year invites not only celebrations of light and rebirth but also a time to be more introspective, to practice your slower and more yin yoga, to drink herbal teas and get a little bit more sleep. It is time for reflection and has the potential of being one of the most peaceful times of the year.

During the winter, I love root teas. Right now my favourite is burdock. Simmer 3 tsps. in 3 cups of water for 20 minutes and sip throughout the day. Burdock has so many healing qualities. I have also been drinking Ojibwa tea, which is more commonly known as Essiac. Burdock is one the the four herbs in this tea. Floressence is based on the traditional Ojibwa tea but has been formulated with 8 herbs, it is widely available and a great daily detoxification tea.