The day I got my Bellingham office in September, I fell in love with this crazy old grate sitting on the floor. The house is ancient, so it only makes sense to have a nifty grate like this in a room. I feel lucky that it was in mine.
Yesterday I put a pretty candle holder, candle lit of course, in front of the grate for some added interest. With my trusty new camera first phone, the Memoir, I shot it. Little tweeking with photoshop (pays to be married to a computer guy) and I cleaned it up a little more. I like it. Nice divergence from the snot and neti pots posts(And videos! Let’s not forget those!).
I can hardly wait until I can get myself an awesome DSLR!
Per request of friend/reader Yoshi, I’m putting up a couple of youtube videos for a more visual approach to neti pot instruction.
The first is very thorough. The second is to the point and has no speaking whatsoever. It is just right though. Her approach seems to say, “Get off your ass and do it!” The first video I thought good because it’s done by a normal looking guy, not some crazy hippy chic. And he apparantly started to do it because of a suggestion from his wife whom watched Oprah.
Enjoy!
On a side note:
While at work today, surrounded by other hippy massage therapists (Yes, at the moment I have a job, as a fill in contractor. So it’s okay, I’m still in control of my schedule and am working for a respectable clinic, not an assembly line. I’m still damn the man, but setting up one’s business takes time when you are lazy and recovering from a rough year.), I was asked how I was feeling. Meh, I said, but I bought a neti pot and that and essential oils, are helping me a lot. No antibiotics for me! Each person had their own thing to say about neti pots and how wonderful they are. I love this hippy town!
I was reading through my recent favorite blog, The Pioneer Woman, and stumbled across a post that reminded me of a post I had done well over a year ago, Breathing Well.
On Pioneer Woman, her mother Gee, wrote a guest post about breathing. It’s lovely! I love the way both Ree(a.k.a. Pioneer Woman) and Gee write. To read it follow the link here: Guest Post from My Mom, Gee: Stress Reduction 101. Her mother sounds like a wonderful, kindred modern hippy spirit.
I’ve spent my sick time reading, devouring really, Ree’s site. She’s a ballerina city girl whom fell in love with a cowboy rancher. Her stories make me want to have four kids, live in the middle of nowhere(even more than I already do), teach Rick to ride a horse, dress him in Wranglers and a cowboy hat. Not that I don’t love him wearing his adorable baseball tees, making lovely websites and fixing the internet when it won’t bend to my will. But, her stories hit that spot in my imagination that loved Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables.
Thank you Pioneer Woman (and Gee too!) for the wonderful reads!
I will be singing the neti pot’s praises for a long time! I used it again this morning in and out of the shower. Let me say, I was very nervous, being a bit of a chicken when it comes to nose/sinus stuff. Yeah, so I had done it once before, but I was still nervous. Maybe it was because I had been in so much pain last night. Not from the neti pot experiment, but just from feeling like poop, forgetting to take my fish oil pills, sitting in a chair all day, not being able to nap properly, having a monstrous sinus and tension headache AT THE SAME TIME! It was so pathetic and bad that I cried four times, over silly things like dropping the chicken sausages on the floor and not being able to see where one rolled. Yup, that’s how ridiculous I am when I’m sick. But that’s not the point. The point is, today I feel much better. And today, I was able to get the water to come out the OTHER nostril! And I got to see it happen!
I tried it in the shower, still made the back of my eyes feel cool and tear. And I coughed a lot. Today though, I was brave and curious enough to try it in the sink – while watching myself in the mirror. Sorry, no photos, I still have some self respect, or is it self consciousness?
Per request of a friend and occasional reader, Yosh (hope you don’t mind the mention), of the modern hippy, I will be giving instructions and other information about using the neti pot.
First, what you’ll need is a neti pot. Funny I know. Can you tell I’m feeling better? Please wash your neti pot out and thoroughly rinse. You don’t want soap behind your delicate eyeballs – imagine that headache! Then decide where you are going to do it. Over the sink? In the shower? I suppose you could do it outside if you’d like. Where ever it won’t matter if you splatter. (Hahaha, rhyming too!) Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Unrefined is okay, I used it. I wouldn’t recommend any of the colored sea salt. No need to dye your sinuses, plus that might cause problems I don’t know about. I DO NOT recommend using iodized table salt, as brands like Morton’s actually contain dextrose, an artificial sweetener. Artificial sweeteners are not meant for sinuses! Let alone eating, but once again I digress.
Fill the neti pot with warm water. I used warm tap water, though when I get a filter I’ll probably use that. Mix until the salt is completely dissolved.
Now comes the fun or scary part. Remember, you will be breathing through your mouth through this, your nose will be busy. Lean forward, tip your head to about a 45 degree angle. If you aren’t leaning forward enough the gunk will flow down the back of your throat and make you sputter and probably gross you out a little. Stick the spout of the neti pot in one nostril. Make sure there is a good seal and the water won’t sneak out. Steady your hand if you are shaking. Very slowly tip the pot. Can you feel the water enter the bottom of your nose? Good. Keep pouring slowly and wait unti for a funny feeling behind your eyes. It’s almost out! Try to remember to breathe, but breath holding is acceptable if you don’t hold it too long. It’s a very strange sensation to be breathing while water is running through part of your breathing apparatus.
Something to remember is that you are in control of how much water flow there is. The more you tip the pot, the faster the water will flow. I’m a fan of slow flowing.
Also, the more you do it the better you will get, the easier everything will be.
Rinse through both nostrils. I didn’t use the whole saline solution that time. I was still getting used to it. I think I used about a third of it. Do what is comfortable for you, and what gets you the best results. I’ve read that some people use a whole pot for each side of the nose.
When you stop rinsing exhale gently through your nose to help the gunk out. Use a tissue or do this over the sink. I’ll say this again: Do blow gently to avoid hurting yourself. Also, don’t plug either side of your nostrils. Allow things to come out on their own, without the closing of one side.
Then wash your neti pot!
After you are done see how you feel. Can you breath better? I could. It felt strange, but good.
Some considerations:
I read that if you can’t blow your nose (though I’m not sure if this means “don’t have the ability” or “it hurts too much”) consult a health care professional first. If you are sensitive like me, go slowly, don’t rush it. Children should be closely supervised! Don’t share!
Where to get a neti pot?
I got mine from our local co-op. If you don’t have a natural food store, or supplement store, try a pharmacy. You can of course check online! Etsy has some cute stuff, if you’d like something handmade and unique! If I hadn’t been so desperate, and hadn’t put buying one off until the last minute I would have gotten one there.
One last note. Why use a neti pot?
It’s a great way to clean out your sinuses. If you are like me and have sinus trouble, use it. If you have allergies, use it. If you live in a polluted area, use it. If you live in a dusty area, use it. If you have a cold, use it. If you have pets, live in an old house, or live in a small place, or work in a poorly ventilated place, smoke, go camping, have kids, use it. “Have kids?”, you ask? Why not? You could win the gross out competition and show them that there are natural ways to deal with your sinuses. Just don’t let them play with it unsupervised. Maybe wait until they are older to show them, just in case.
Yesterday, a few hours before I tried to die from a horrible cold/sinus infection, I went to our co-op to get food and a neti pot. Yup, I could feel it, with each nose blow, each sneeze or almost-sneeze that caused my left eye to tear up(not my right eye – it was fine and well behaved), the pressure building that would cause my head to explode later that day.
I brought the little green box home and looked very suspiciously at it. Several people I know have used neti pots and recommended them to me. “They make you feel so fresh and clean.” “Use only sea salt or it will hurt.”
What?!? It’s going to HURT? “No, it will feel strange, but then you’ll get used to it.” What they didn’t know is every time I got lake water or pool water in my nose I dealt with horrible burning sensations and a terrible cough/gag reflex. Wonderful.
Despite being very nervous about it, I gave it a try in the early evening as I started to die. Might as well do something to help myself die a little more slowly and perhaps less violently. I followed the directions which called for 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a warm cup of water. (They recommended table salt, I thought they were crazy because it has other crap in it sometimes. Like dextrose. Yup, Morton’s iodized salt has dextrose! That’s for another post though.) I used unrefined sea salt because I don’t have regular table salt. The directions said to stir until the salt had fully dissolved. Pour into the pot. Then they mentioned some people just mix it in the pot. Right, didn’t read that far. I could have cut out a step. Then I was supposed to stick the spout of the pot in my nose and lean over a sink. I was doing it in the shower. Might as well not risk sputtering salt water and snot all over my clothes. Plus I was dying, er miserable, and the shower would make me feel better.
Well, it did feel weird. Once or twice it burned a little. Once or twice it threatened to go down the back of my throat. Gag. Bleh. Cough.
I used the hole pot, so about a cup of water. The funny thing was, I didn’t feel it come out of the other nostril. I’m pretty sure there was too much snot in my sinuses to let anything through. Let me tell you, even if it didn’t get fully clear, it did rinse out a lot of nasty snot. More than I thought possible. It did make my nose feel a little better. I didn’t get sick. Nor did I drown. But no satisfying spout of water out the opposing nostril. Oh well, it was my first try.
It’s about time for another post about maintaining or reclaiming better health. Perfect timing since my nose is stuffed with recycled toilet paper in lieu of tissue paper. (That’s what happens when you almost never get sick – you run out of tissues and don’t think about getting more, until it’s too late.) Yup, I officially have a cold. It’s been a year and a half since I’ve had a cold. It’s been several months since I was officially sick. Score one for the modern hippy! It’s the little victories that count.
”How did you get sick?” – Rick asked me. I have no idea. Maybe it’s because my good sleep has disappeared again. Maybe it’s because along with the quality, the quantity has been down for a couple of weeks. There have been nights – very fun of course – where I didn’t get to sleep until 4 a.m. I haven’t done that since I was 20. Even if that is the cause of my drippy nose and left eye – it was worth it. A very good friend is leaving to do military stuff far away very soon. So what if I didn’t sleep the way I should have?
I digress… a lot…
So what to do once bad germs are ravaging your nasal passages, ears, throat, and general sanity? The modern hippy way of course!
1. Rest – get as much sleep as possible. Even a boring old, stick in the mud, M.D. will tell you that.
2. Drink lots of water, filtered if you can.
3. Don’t eat or drink sugary things. Sugar feeds bacteria.
4. Eat well – meaning no junk food. Your body needs real nutrients, not empty calories.
5. Take it easy, kick back, say “No” – let your body do it’s job of kicking the hell out of the germs you’ve recently acquired.
6. Drink some herbal tea like echinecea (as long as you aren’t allergic to rag weed).
7. If you have essential oils, pull them out and get ready to use them! Think lemon, eucalyptus etc.
8. Wash your hands – even a school kid will tell you that.
9. Try to stay positive – I’ve heard that if you are in the better mood you’ll health faster. Also, who really wants to be in a bad mood?
10. a. Experiment! Carefully of course. Call your friends for ideas on healthy ways to deal with a cold. Or check here!
10. b. Don’t be stupid. If you are horribly sick, not getting better, go see a doctor or a nurse practitioner. They are there for a reason.
What am I doing? I chose not to make cake – remember the sugar thingy. I’m drinking a lot of water, though I don’t have a filter yet. I’m making more tea – tasty tea that even Rick likes. The fun part, that appeases my inner Little House on the Prairie lover, is that it’s tea from scratch (just like a modern hippy would make).
Homemade Cold Care Detox Tea
Quick Recipe:
All you need is organic ginger root, organic peppermint leaves(stems have flavor too if you are using something you dried – like I am) and a couple of slices of organic lemon.
Slice the ginger thin. More surface area for the hot water to work on. And through in the whole slices of lemon, rind and all. Rind contains nutrients as well, though I’m not sure what’s killed by the hot water.
Let it steep in boiling hot water for 10-20 minutes, depending on how strong you want it.
Effects of this tea:
1. Warming – I’m not kidding, you will start to feel toasty. The thought is that raising your body temp will help to kill the nasty bugs.
2. Diaphoresis – fancy word for sweating. Good because it’s a way for your body to detox.
3. Peppermint will sooth a sore throat – it’s an analgesic – fancy word for pain killer.
4. It’s tasty – this is always a plus when you are feeling under the weather and you really want cookies and milk. Or whatever.
5. Ginger root, lemon, and peppermint all contain essential oils. Each of these oils work well for colds flus, among other things.
Note: I suggest, if you have any interest in theraputic aromatherapy pick up The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless. It’s a brilliant reference book – I bought one for a friend I love mine so much!
Best essential oil reference book
Note: These photos were taken with my new phone, the Memoir, old one need to be retired. I think this takes pretty fantastic photos. It will work while my point and click limps along – until I get myself a gorgeous DSLR.
Among my home health experiments detoxing is climbing the priority ladder. The more reading I do the more it seems like a prudent idea. Much of the reading I’ve been doing says eat organically. It seems perfectly logical to decrease the amount of toxins in the form of pesticides you place into your body.
As frugally as possible I am switching our foods to mostly organic. Eventually we will be entirely organic. But as cost is a major factor in any life change, it’s going slowly. By eating organic foods I’m cutting out several toxins that would otherwise add to the crap already stored in my body. I decide what to choose to buy organically by referring to the list provided by The Environmental Working Group. Here they are by rank. Feel free to check out the full list here.
1. Nectarines
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes – Imported
11. Carrots
12. Pears
Potatoes make the list at #15. I’ve read that anything that grows in the ground like potatoes or peanuts should be organic because they are sitting in a mire of chemicals and dead dirt – they end up absorbing quite a lot of disgusting bits. I want my potatoes to live in a dark chocolate loam of purity until they get picked up for the co-op or other natural food store.
I have been following this for a couple of weeks. Lots of organic apples and lettuce can be found in our fridge at the moment. Honestly, what I’ve found in the last couple of years of buying more organic foods – they usually taste better. I’m all about taste. Food should taste yummy – not only a visual picture of yummy.
Organic foods are important to help eliminate the ways toxins get into your body. Wonderful. How do I get rid of the toxins I already have? That’s a little more complicated. There are a million things out there claiming to help detox. What I do, when researching things is to view everything logically, then pick the things that seem to fit together like a puzzle. Synergy is the idea. The logical things I’ve found, that are helping me shape what I’ll be doing to detox my body, short and long term are:
Eliminate processed foods – There is no way around this!
Cut out ways toxins get in – i.e. in food and personal care products
Drink enough water – you have to pee these nasty things out!
Drink filtered water – same idea behind eating organic foods!
Rest – it’s hard work for your body to clean itself!
Cut out things that aren’t beneficial for detoxing or are harder for your body to process – red meat, dairy, coffee etc.
Get enough vitamins – supplements or fresh fruit and veggie juices, preferably organic
Give your digestive system a break – do a water or juice fast. I’ll be trying a juice fast in the near future.
Exercise – It increases all sorts of good hormones, increases circulation which helps to get the nasty stuff out!
Add a probiotic – Miso, kombucha, keffir or yogurt, though the latter two do break the dairy rule
Colon cleanse – I’ve read something that compared your colon to your sink – if you never cleaned your kitchen sink imagine to horrible possibilities!
Drink some teas that promote detoxing – you can find them boxed, or make some lovely loose leaf blend!
Use milk thistle – a friend of mine mentioned that her mother’s naturopath said if she wanted to do a little detoxing buy a bottle of milk thistle, take double or so of the dose until the bottle is empty. (I’ve tried it, it’s amazing how it can help!)
I’m a firm believer in finding things that fit your life. It’s a westernized ideal to find the one magic treatment that will detox your body fully. My opinion is that detoxing will start to happen naturally after making certain life changes, i.e. cutting out processed foods or coffee. To further detox it seems that the idea of finding synergistic things to use will help you to cleanse your body the most effectively. It’s like clutter – clutter attracts clutter – the problem are habits and choices. I’ll use myself as an example.
I’ve cut out processed foods. Almost no coffee – only twice or so monthly. I’m cutting down on sugar – I do make fabulous gluten free baked goods so it’s hard. Switching to organic stuff. Cutting down on dairy. I’m lactose intolerant so I don’t drink milk, but I loooooove cheese and yogurt. However, these still create phlegm in the body – the idea is to not create more phlegm. From what I’ve been reading it’s a better idea to use goats milk products like cheese and yogurt instead. I haven’t tried that yet. I’ve done the milk thistle thing. I drink a decent amount of tea that either supports my immune system or helps to boost detoxing. (There are things that detoxing herbs will do that you might not expect. I’ll explain later.) I’ve started exercising at least twice a week. In the grand scheme of things that isn’t much, but it’s way better than what I was doing. I’ve added some needed vitamins such as B12 (I don’t eat a lot of red meat at the moment), D3 (we live in Washington and I know the lack of sunshine affects me profoundly) and minerals such as calcium and magnesium (necessary for proper muscle and nerve health). I’m doing more research to help me figure out what else is important and may need supplementation. I’ve started drinking Kombucha, which I love. I choose only the stuff at the store that has herbs added, no artificial or “natural” flavors or other additives. (Soon I’ll be making my own!) I drink a ridiculous amount of water in a day. I’ve adopted a system of drinking water 30 minutes before or after a meal. I’ve read many times over that drinking water with a meal will dilute the digestive juices and subsequently not allow food to be broken down properly. Thus improper digestion. I’m also planning on doing a juice fast, either using organic juices from the store or ones I prepare myself. Problem, I don’t have a juicer at the moment so I might just have to buy stuff from the store. I figure that one day, doing a fast won’t hurt me – as long as I use juice and teas. Just water will probably make my blood sugar drop too far. Also, a plan for further future would be the colon cleanse. I’m also thinking about adding a more broad vitamin B complex supplement as well. And I’ll be learning how to make keffir from both milk (cow and goat) and coconut milk (crazy I know!).
From what I’ve seen so far, each change is beneficial in a different way I didn’t know mattered. Not drinking anything 30 minutes before or after a meal has made a HUGE difference in my indigestion problem – I was getting uncomfortably farty.
I’m also trying to sweat out some of these nasty things through taking hot bathes at home and hopefully soon using the YMCA’s sauna.
A note on using detoxing herbs. Some herbs are laxatives. Laxatives shouldn’t be used long term as your body can become addicted to them. Stop using them and your body may have the opposite problem – not going enough. However, there are some that have a laxative-like effect, but are not true laxatives. Milk thistle is one of the ones I think falls in the last category, but I can’t find definite literature on that. Just be cautious. Aside from laxatives, sometimes detoxifying herbs will make you sweat, which I have found out the hard way several times. Peppermint, lemon, and ginger induce sweating. Since I’m making my own teas and using fairly fresh items I got the crazy sweats a few times and didn’t know why. Also, please understand that the fresher the herb or whatever, often the stronger the effect. So if you have a box of peppermint tea in the cupboard that has been there for awhile, chances are it won’t have the same effect. My advice, experiment on an day that doesn’t matter or be prepared for some entertaining times.
Also, remember that if you are taking any sort of prescription consult a trained professional. Though most herbs you’ll find are safe, many prescriptions drugs are not safe with herbs. On a little side note: many of the articles that are written by allopathically focused people tend to phrase their sentences to make it sound like the medicines are safe and the herbs are risky. (This makes me very angry.) Hands down, prescription medicines have more side effects and have a higher chance of having a negative reaction with another prescription, food, or herb. Herbs rarely have side effects. Almost all medications have side effects or things you must consider and/or change in order to “safely” take those medications.
Any suggestions on what to do to help clean myself out are always welcome!
For the last few months I’ve been reading what my library calls “consumer education” books, such as The Omnivore’s Dilema and Fast Food Nation. It all started when I decided to educate myself more on the US food system,and “environmental toxins”. The whole thing started with The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend.
I make jokes about how I’m on a depressing book reading binge. Honestly, it’s true. I’m addicted to learning new terrible things. The books I’ve read recently are: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, The Omnivore’s Dilema by Micheal Pollan, The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend, Drop Dead Gorgeous by Kim Erickson, and now The Hundred Year Lie by Randall Fitzgerald.
I’ve learned that diseased cows were slaughtered and sold to us. The pesticides sprayed on our foods aren’t just of the surface of the skin, but also in the parts we eat. Cheap food is subsidized by the government, so the actual cost is not what we pay. Once calves are old enough to wean they are shipped to feed lots and fed corn, which they aren’t built to digest. Their diet of corn has caused health problems with the cows and has created a crazy, often deadly e. coli bug. I’m learning that there really is little comprehensive testing of drugs before they are released to the unsuspecting public. And once they are released they are only taken off the market once people get really sick or die. And enough people have to do that before they even think about reacting to “protect” the public. Also, our water systems can’t filter out the chemicals that get flushed down the toilet in one way or another. So the rest of us, whom don’t want to or don’t have to use these meds are ingesting small amounts every time we go to the sink for more water.
I’ve already made the decision that some time this year, once we have enough money and once I decide which water filtration system is best for the price, that we will become filtered-water-drinking people. I’ve also decided most fruits and veggies we eat will be organic. I buy wild fish, organic humanely raised beef as I can afford. We almost never take pills to ease a cold. All of our old meds – such as expired tylenol – are waiting for me to find the time to take them to a proper disposal place, because as I said, flushing them will only pollute our water.
I have arguments with myself over what is best for our dog and cat to eat. Should I go completely raw? What is the appropriate amount of protein, carbs and fats for them? Is is a good idea to supplement their diets with a little canned food or dry food as long as it doesn’t contain artificial ingredients? How many vaccinations do they really need? Or do they need them?
I was reading something a few days ago that mentioned drinking warm lemon water in the morning and before bed will help the colon to expel mucus. Gross sounding I know. However, the colon is incredibly important to health. Dirty colon, dirty body. So I bought a couple of lemons and gave it a try. A few couple of days into this lemon experiment, while I was drinking my lemon ginger tea, I realized that while citrus fruits aren’t among the Top 10 fruits and veggies to eat organically, I was placing the whole lemon slice in the hot water. So what was on the peal was going into my tea, thus into my system. Shoot. Now I’d have to buy organic lemons.
After realizing my lemons needed to be organic I was feeling discouraged. I’m trying so hard to be healthier and mindful about what is healthy for the environment, but there is always something more. When those negative thoughts sneak in I try to remember this: just reading, learning and trying different things out is a big step forward. So many people don’t try. They don’t care, or believe that what they are ingesting is a “safe” amount. Safe as said by companies that sell them, or by the FDA, USDA, EPA, or CDC, or whatever other three or four letter organization. The thing is, if you dig a little, you will find people within these organizations, doctors, scientists – are thinking more along the realistic big picture. Perhaps it is safe to ingest that tiny amount of whatever synthetic ingredient found in your convenience meal. However, if you eat mostly processed “convenience meals” and less unprocessed whole foods (fruits and veggies etc.) those tiny “safe” amounts accumulate. Is the bigger amount still safe? Probably not. They didn’t test for that. Oh and by the way those chemicals that are supposed to be safe are not getting processed out of your body as fast as they should be, or at all.
What is a hippy girl to do? Not give up! Keep reading, keep changing, keep pushing forward to find more. I’ll finish using those non-organic lemons. Next time though, I’ll buy organic. Remember the victories. I now buy only organic potatoes, apples, and carrots (among other things). I feel better than ever before. I don’t feel guilty about flushing old meds because I’ve changed. I won’t do that. A cleaner, healthier self is a work in progress, not an over night miracle. So when you start to obsess, or freak out, remember you aren’t alone, and something is better than nothing.
Sounds dramatic doesn’t it? It conjures images of dreadlocked hippy women with upraised fists smelling of rosemary, lavender and patchouli. The dramatic stuff aside I feel like there is so much truth in it. I do research now and again about different things, such as say natural birth (when I catch the baby bug) or naturopathic medicine. Everything I learn further supports my conclusion that we have forgotten how to take care of ourselves – how to listen to ourselves. So many of us rush through life and only stop when we have cramps or a migraine to take a pill or get a shot. It doesn’t occur to many people that the problem is them – they don’t listen to their body, or let it repair itself.
Part of the reason for my blog is I want more people to feel as empowered as I do. Lacking medical insurance I’m relying on books and magazines, mostly alternative to heal myself. (Disclaimer: Please understand that if I had a serious emergency I would go to the hospital.) Also please understand, I don’t disrespect doctors. But I don’t think I should rely on them all the time. I can learn things on my own. I am woman hear me learn and tell you about what I’ve learned!
I think period discomforts fall under what is safe for me to experiment with. After a ridiculous amount of reading I no longer feel helpless. I don’t have to take pills to ease the pain in my belly. The name of my game for my period is proactiveness – yes I made up a word. First thing I did was to prioritize the irritations. Cramps are the most irritating for me. Then the horrible tired feeling for about week prior. After that the general shortness of temper.
It’s fairly easy to remember when I need to be proactive, I can feel a lot more now that I’m not taking the pill. When I feel heavy, bloated or more tired than normal I pull out my raspberry leaf tea. For the last several Moon Times I’ve had at least two cups of raspberry leaf tea a day until cramping stage was almost over. It’s amazing how quickly it works. And how long it lasts. I’ll make myself a cup of tea, just as I’m starting to feel uncomfortable. Then within a few minutes the deep cramp I feel releases. After a couple of cups I’m usually fine for the rest of the day.
I’ve also noticed that my period keeps getting easier. Less pain, less craziness, less general yucky feelings. It’s even strange. I feel alive, like parts of me that never really moved before are doing what they are designed to do.
Perhaps part of the reason I’m seeing an improvement is because my general attitude has changed. I’ve decided that rather than having a “get through it” attitude, I’ll make it “me time”. I’ll sit and watch a movie, take a hot bath, or sleep in more than normal. Of course there are the times when the cramps start at more inconvenient times such as while I’m working or out with friends. While I’d love to go directly home, I do have to finish my massages or hang out time. When this happens breath work helps a lot. Slow deep diaphragmatic breathing is best. A few calming breathes later and I can momentarily lose myself. Something I learned in massage school is when you are stressed your “fight or flight” nervous system is activated. When this happens things seem to feel more painful. Doing deep breathing will help to activate your “rest and digest” nervous system and allow you to relax, and not fight against the discomfort.
For those times when I’m not working, I find the best thing to do is to take time away from the world – to let go. Something that our society has lost is the ability to step away from everything and relax, repair, and live in the moment. For me, my period is the perfect opportunity to live in the moment and acknowledge a very important system of my body. And perhaps read a good book.
Ideas for treating the unpleasant things related to Moon Time:
Drink raspberry leaf tea
Use heat on your belly to ease cramps
Stay warm
Take a hot bath or shower
Use essential oils geared for relaxation and hormonal changes such as lavender and geranium rose
Combine the hot shower or bath with an essential oil blend
Turn off your phone
Read a book
Do a relaxing project
Take a nap
Diaphragmatic breathing
Procrastinate! (Yes, I said it. Why make yourself suffer today when you can do it tomorrow or the next day when you feel better?)
Get a massage, acupuncture
Find an herbalist or naturopathic doctor to get some herbs if needed
Say “No” and don’t feel badly about it
Through every bit of research I’ve done, every book listed under “consumer education”, I’m reminded that pills don’t cure – they only treat symptoms. Lifestyle changes be it food, work, recreation can often give you lasting results without unwanted side effects.
Though I still have cramps at least one day, it’s okay. I’m not polluting my body or the city water system with synthetic hormones. It’s one more guilt free step in the right direction.
A few months ago I started a hunt on etsy to find someone whom provided safe cosmetics. I read through countless ingredients list, profile pages. I managed to narrow it down to what I was looking for specifically – mineral foundation and eyeshadow. Which really, only narrowed it down a little. I eventually decided to try a sample pack from a little shop called Orglamix. I liked what she said, her ingredients lists, and the pictures were just so fetching!
I love her stuff! I’ve ordered from her several times in the last few months. My makeup case has been recreated without chemicals. Cheri is my makeup girl!
In December I ran out of my foundation so I ordered the large size for winter color. And got it, along with a couple of sample eyeshadows. Lovely! (The other time I ordered from her she sent a sample as well. I love samples!)
Then yesterday, Rick got the mail and brought me yet another package. I wasn’t expecting anything. I already had my handmade shoes delivered a week ago. (Yes, handmade! With vintage fabric! I’m in love with them and will eventually do a post on them in the future.) I opened the package to find two of my foundation color! With the order form from December. I was confused to say the least. Today, I sent her a message and asked what I should do. I offered to pay for them, ship them back, whatever she wanted me to do. She sent me a quick note that it was a mistake, but don’t worry, they were on her! I still feel strange about keeping them. But since I plan on ordering from her indefinitely, she will definitely get more money from me. (I wish there was a way to tip through paypal)
I wanted to tell everyone whom reads my little blog that Cheri at Orglamix is super awesome! Thank you Cheri for your kindness, and great service!
Hey, I'm Missy. I'm a "damn the man" kind of girl. Nature lover finally living in an awesome town - Bellingham! This blog is devoted to my obsessions(becoming more eco-friendly and photography and pets) and concerns(health and cooking)and a bit about my life.
I do a few reviews on my site. I want to say that I have never been paid for any of them. They are my honest opinion. Mine is not an opinion that can be bought. Even if one day I am given anything for a review, it will remain an honest opinion from a modern hippy.
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