I recently completed a life shifting course. Some of you may guess it was further study in Aromatherapy, or perhaps TCM tongue Diagnosis, or Organic Gardening, or the more challenging topic of how to embrace new normals, what ever they may be.
I am happy to report that I am now certified in Permaculture Design, and it has components of all of my other career paths tucked into its’ very inclusive umbrella. It is based on working smarter not harder. It is about working with, or copying nature, not raging against it. Traditional Chinese Medicine has components of this too with observation ( tongue and pulse), asking lots of questions, diagnosis, and finally treatment which may be some diet changes, meditation, or a few select needles versus a more invasive treatment.
The three guiding principles of Permaculture are: Earth care, people care, and fair share. I really like those principles and I jokingly quip that it is my new religion and politics.
By “earth care”, I urge you to get to know where your food comes from, and be able to pronounce all the ingredients of it. Know that farmers need to care for their earth not just mine its minerals. By “people care”, even though we are this year embracing or nurturing “our bubbles”, so to speak, I encourage you to savour those important times with family and friends, even if they are from 2 meters of via a ph or zoom call. We can show our care of people in a myriad of ways, and this year is a prime time to practice building strong ties in families and communities. I care for you as an individual and your unique place of health, and want that to show every time we interact. And fair share… is a bit deeper concept. For me it means: buying local when ever I can, supporting the small businesses that may have had a pretty rough spring, for donating to my community with volunteering or gift certificates, and for having a special treatment rate for seniors or those on a lower income. Barter also works great for me. Let me know if you need this option and we can probably figure something out.
The motivation to take Permaculture was initially to prepare myself to grow more nutrient dense food, in a time of more time available to spend gardening this spring, and to lessen the inner angst I felt about not working in my career, for a couple of months. I did learn how to grow more wonderfully nutritious food and herbs, and the angst was relieved with the deep philosophical shift and optimistic focus, on change being possible and regenerative. Foraging for wild foods and medicines that grow abundantly in our area, has also very productively filled spring and summer days too. These Rocky Mountain grown or foraged foods and herbs are potently nutritious! We are so fortunate here in the Columbia Valley that our market gardeners, and ranchers, and even community gardens are producing these health promoting quality fuel of nutrient dense foods for us!! Get to the farmers markets for some awesome quality, nutrient rich meats or veggies, to propel your summer and grow your health through earth care, people care and fair shares.
With all that healthy food you get this summer, I hope you have the energy to hike a few mountains, swim in a few lakes and find more moments of bliss this summer than you can count. The picture above is a moment of Bliss I recently enjoyed in a refreshingly cool float.
I will be filming a herbal medicine making course with College of The Rockies soon and will post it to my website, & facebook when it is ready. I also have a good variety of herbs dried for tea, as well as some made into tinctures or salves ready to be sold. These are only a ph call or email away if you are interested. Most popular is the bug off /sun moisturizer with zinc and titanium as sun blocks and essential oils to minimize mosquitos bites.
Bliss wishes sent to you.
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