May you flow into the new year of the Yin Water Rabbit with ease and delight, and savor all the little flowers of spring. Enjoy e.e. cummings’ poetry as we dance into spring:
when faces called flowers float out of the ground
and breathing is wishing and wishing is having-
but keeping is downward and doubting and never
-it's april(yes,april;my darling)it's spring!
yes the pretty birds frolic as spry as can fly
yes the little fish gambol as glad as can be
(yes the mountains are dancing together)
when every leaf opens without any sound
and wishing is having and having is giving-
but keeping is doting and nothing and nonsense
-alive;we're alive,dear:it's(kiss me now)spring!
now the pretty birds hover so she and so he
now the little fish quiver so you and so i
now the mountains are dancing, the mountains)
when more than was lost has been found has been found
and having is giving and giving is living-
but keeping is darkness and winter and cringing
-it's spring(all our night becomes day)o,it's spring!
all the pretty birds dive to the heart of the sky
all the little fish climb through the mind of the sea
all the mountains are dancing;are dancing)
~~~
Our mountains are truly dancing right now. With all the rains and nutritious silt from the floodwaters, we can expect them to keep on dancing— even through the landslides, broken roads, and fallen trees. We’ve learned from the Thomas Fire and history of this landscape: it’s resilient. And we are resilient too.
Support local restoration efforts with your time, muscles, or money:
Get to know our local flora! It’s easiest to identify plants when they are blooming. Here’s some of my favorite apps to reference out in the field:
After you get home, cross-check with field guides and botanical medicine materia medica:
- “Wildflowers,” by Mitt McAuley (identification)
- “Medicinal Herbs of California,” by Lanny Kaufer (botanical uses & lore)
- ”The New Wildcrafted Cuisine,” by Pascal Baudar (recipes)
- ”Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West,” by Michael Moore (materia medica)
BREAKFAST
If you’re an ongoing patient, then I’ve probably sent you my “Breakfast Blends” handout to help sustain and stabilize energy throughout the day with yummy nourishment. If not, then enjoy my new article/ recipes on the Mountain Rose Herbs blog. (With videos!)
MAKE CHOCOLATE
- 1/4 C cocoa butter
- 4 T cocoa powder
- 2 T sweetener
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- herbal spices/ powders/ fruits/ nuts as desired
… Because Valentine’s Day is coming. Basically, melt cocoa butter. Stir in cocoa powder. Add sweetener, vanilla, herbs, fruits, nuts, etc as desired. Pour into molds. Let cool— then enjoy when solidified! Easy, enjoyable, and luxurious.
CLINIC
I am now offering self-care tools for sale, to better support your health and well-being with useful, affordable, and high quality items. This includes massage balls, guasha stones for self-massage (obsidian, rose quartz, and jade), and AcuAroma kits. Come visit to learn more about each of these items and offerings!
CLASSES
Acupressure Aromatherapy | Love up on yourself with AcuAroma, the application of properly diluted organic essential oils to specific acupressure points. Join me at The Pharm on February 15 for an intro to AcuAroma class to learn about the basics of meridian flow, acupressure, and how to practice AcuAroma at home. Also available in clinic.
Elemental Creativity | Connect with the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine within and around you through embodied movement, meditation, and drawing. Deepen your understanding of the principles of mindfulness and apply them, through the lens of the Elements, to channel your creativity. (Quarterly online class, starts Feb. 21 with Art Monastery founder Suiko McCall! Sliding scale. BIPOC/ other scholarships available)
- New Article: Breakfast Blends (with cute videos!)
- New Interview: Following the Golden Thread (with Mason Hutchinson)
- Upcoming Event: Acupressure Aromatherapy live @thePharm
- Ongoing Class: Embodying Elements online
- Get involved: Surfrider beach cleanups
❤️ Spring blessings,
acupuncture . herbs . yoga
Book your acupuncture appointment here
Subscribe to this monthly newsletter here!
