Full Moon Flower Moon

Two resources for Full Moon alignment:

spiritdaughter.com and mysticmamma.com

It is becoming increasingly important to me to align myself with the natural rhythm of life. Seasons, Moons, the flow of day to night.

Tuesday I begin to put into practice classes to this end. Monthly New and Full Moon classes + Seasonal Resets.

According to those that know, this Full Moon will be in Sagittarius. For those not astrologically inclined this can seen at best "woo woo" and "out there" and at worst, offensive on some level. To this, I allow judgements to move through and resist an urge to defend because at the heart of it is a desire to simply live my best life in alignment with my core values; which include living in beneficial and collaborative relationship. My soul longs for connection and I often find it through Nature and natural rhythms and flow. I believe that we are not separate but connected to each other in ways we will never truly comprehend. I believe the coming together intentionally to share ideas, work through shadow aspects and limitations, and ultimately bravely connect to each other is what brings healing. I believe in consistent realignment to ensure balance. I believe that we are aware and powerful in our ability to course-correct and to make choices in service of happiness and truth. 

Below are some notes for Tuesday's Candle-lit Full Moon Class in the Blue Lotus Room as well as a more in-depth exploration than I can cover within the boundaries of our time together.

But first, in the spirit of full disclosure, I work through Jill Wintersteen's monthly Spirit Daughter workbooks in perpetration for these classes; and I source many of the practices and ideas from there. I do my own work with them and concentrate on what resonates with me before bringing them to you in my unique way. I am grateful for Jill's permission to do so. I am limited in knowledge of astrology and Jill's resources and knowledge base is vast in practice and experience. "Full Moon in Sagittarius", for example, works so well as a concept and structure to work within. 

WHY THE FULL MOON
"The Full Moon represents the peak of the Lunar Cycle."
"The Full Moon is a time to gather with others."
"The Full Moon is time to forgive."
"It is a magical time when we have the chance to transmute energies within and form new patterns of balance and alignment."

SAGITTARIUS FULL MOON
Sagittarius is The Wanderer. Qualities of this sign are manifest in wandering, gathering knowledge and experience to learn, evolve and expand. Acting as student, then as teacher with no distinction between and seeking to connect the world. 

"The Sagittarius Full Moon is a time for us to see new truths in our world and rewrite old stories."
Now is an excellent time to explore patterns and limiting beliefs, then make even subtle shifts to change perspective. Now is also a time to allow instinct and intuition to lead the way. Be curious ad listen to what feels right. 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Intentionally created space: I love to create atmosphere and I am thoughtful in this regard. I sincerely want to create and hold space for the possibility of magic. I will ask you to leave your mat at the threshold and then welcome you in when everything is set. This is important to me and it creates a sense of sacred space. I will clear and cleanse the space and you. This is a sweet ritual that involves smudging or burning herbs (like sage or sweetgrass) to symbolically clear, cleanse, and bless your experience. I learned how to do this from my friends in Oregon. Regardless of your background, this is a gentle and very sweet practice acting as a shift from outside to inside. Place your flower, herb or oil on the altar. We will start by way of introductions. Then we move into meditation and yoga practice following by writing practice and sharing. We'll close our space and put all of our offerings into a big bowl of epsom salt for the creation of Full Moon bath salts to take home to further your Full Moon self-care. 

Some questions to get you thinking ...
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO RELEASE? :: WHAT ARE YOU MAKING ROOM FOR?

WRITING PRACTICE :: RELEASING JUDGEMENT
"Judgements stem from our natural ability to discern, an important skill in our evolution. Natural discernment escalates into a judgment when it becomes inflexible, full of assumptions and carrying expectations. Judging closes the door to learning and paradoxically makes us feel self-conscious and inferior .. .. Judging is simply a habit we most likely learned at a young age. Like any habit, it takes time to break .. .. As you go through the practices, commit to building awareness of your own judgments. (Consider committing a month to this.) The result: the energy of confidence, open mindedness, genuine curiosity and acceptance of others and yourself .. You will become .. more compassionate and energized."
AWARENESS: Write 5 common judgements you form about yourself and 5 your form about others.
ASSUMPTIONS/ROOT: Write down the underlying assumption in your judgment to find its root. 
CONSEQUENCES: Look at the consequences. Fill in the blank .. When I judge ...        I feel ..        
REFRAME/REWRITE: What stories and truths can you rewrite? Compassion helps here.
ACCEPTANCE: What compassionate truths can you integrate that alleviate the need to judge? Over the course of the next few days, turn your 5 judgments into gratitude.
INTENTION + MANTRA: Write 5 intentions that support you embracing your power and letting go of the need to prove you are right. Now, create a mantra for yourself to support you when judgements come up. Can you cut off judgments before they have a chance to affect your behavior?

I think that though these concepts and ideas aren't new, this may pull some of us out of our comfort zones - this is true for me, but in order to grow we must make room for inevitable discomfort. The result, should we trust the process, is magical. 

Though discomfort is part, I want you to know that I am happy to answer questions before or after the class so that you are ready and that you feel safe. 

As always, I am here for you.

YOUR SIGN UP WILL ENSURE YOUR SPACE.

Partnering

I don't care about what is said about this class or about me.
I care about you.
I care about your health. Your wellness.
I am here to create and hold space for you - so you have time and space for yourself.
I want you to function well. I want this for all of us. 

When I am depleted. And you are depleted. We have nothing to give, nothing to share (save our own suffering).
When I am full. And you are full. We have everything. We exchange ideas and laughter and love and joy and we can weather our suffering and grow from it.

This is why I am here, everyday that I have the privilege to wake up with my capabilities, my abilities; I am here to remember this. To work towards this.  To use my tools ... To partner with my allies. To partner with my medicine. Consistently. Daily.  

May we all find space today. May what we do, give us Life.
 

Love note to 40

Goodbye 40.

You taught me so much.

You hit me hard and broke my heart. I wish our experience together this last year hadn't hurt so much. I had really looked forward to you. You put me in touch with all my feelings of disappointment, regret, and pain. I felt the depths of nightmare, negativity and fear. I became more vulnerable and stripped than ever and I think it frightened everyone, especially me. 

40 you took away the future I had in mind, I was furious. 

40, I'm leaving you behind, but there are a few other things that happened and so there is celebration too.

I found a whole community of people, of women mostly and some really stellar men, who aren't afraid of my scars or deformities and make me feel more beautiful and held because of them - they give without expectation, lift me up, and help me see the power of my own choices. I have been held tenderly this year though friendships quieted and connections faded.

40, I was mentored this year, take under a big beautiful powerful wing. I was mentored to elevation, recovery and encouraged to practice me. To practice to be my Truest Self, my Highest Self, my Best even when I could barely move. 40 you were a disruption but I've found my seat of Joy again.

I've cleared so much, let so much go. I'm not a victim, I'm unashamed.

Authenticity has never felt so powerful. I have dug down deep into the dark mine of my soul and I can see a brilliant Light. I'm bringing that Light, that Divine Gift, up and out. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere.

On our last day together, I've let go of the false pharisees, the untrue laws that bound me. I've cast off a heavy cloak of darkness and I am fee, open and Alive.

Goodbye 40. Hello 41!

Love,
K

Gut Cleanse

Who needs a gut cleanse?

ME! 

There are many health complaints that may benefit from a gut cleanse including:

• Bloating
• Constipation and diarrhoea
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Allergies
• Skin issues
• Mood swings
• Headaches
• Joint pain

A gut cleanse is essentially eating a clean diet of unprocessed, unrefined gut-friendly foods as well as some gut-friendly supplements. For more serious health complaints, commit to a four-to six-week cleanse, for general wellness opt for two weeks.

 After holidays is also a good time to cleanse as alcohol and treat foods wreak havoc on gut bacteria and gut lining. 

The best foods for your gut

• Apple cider vinegar (this stimulates digestion)
• Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, coconut kefir yogurt, kombucha, kimchi (these foods promote a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut)
• Turmeric powder (this has great anti-inflammatory properties)
• Fresh ginger (to aid in digestion and nausea)
• Psyllium husk (a great source of fibre for bowel function)
• Cabbage, kale, broccoli and other brassica vegetables (these enhance detoxification and are a good source of fibre)

Supplements

• Probiotic powder or capsule - this promotes healthy gut bacteria. Look for one that contains at least 15 million CFU and includes Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains.
• Aloe vera and spirulina green powder - these both promote gut cleansing and repairing.
• Glutamine powder or capsule - this strengthens and supports gut lining.
• Digestive enzymes capsules - these promote optimal food digestion and nutrient absorption.
• Fish oil capsules - these have great anti-inflammatory benefits. Look for 1000mg per capsule.

Gut cleanse cheat sheet

Foods to include:

• All fresh seasonal vegetables, especially brassica vegetables
• All fresh seasonal fruit
• All fresh sprouts
• All fresh herbs and spices, especially ginger and tumeric
• Unsweetened almond milk, rice milk or coconut milk
• Fermented foods
• Apple cider vinegar
• Gluten free grains (rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet..)
• Chicken, eggs, fish, turkey (all organic where possible)
• Avocado, e.v. olive oil, raw nuts and seeds (including psyllium husk), nut butters, coconut oil
• Herbal tea and green tea

Foods to avoid:

• Dairy (natural unflavoured yogurt is ok)
• Gluten (wheat bread, cous cous, pasta, rye, spelt)
• Legumes
• Deli meats, red meat, bacon, sausages
• Processed/ refined foods (breakfast cereal, canned foods, chips, biscuits, pastries, muffins…)
• Sugar, sweets, milk chocolate, jams, fruit spreads
• Hot chips, burgers, fried foods
• Alcohol, coffee, soft drinks
• Margarine, commercial dressings, sauces, artificial colours, flavours, additives, flavour enhancers & hydrogenated fats
   

Gut cleanse sample meal plan  

Water - At least 2 litres of spring water and herbal teas throughout the day.
Morning supplements - 1 serve aloe vera + spirulina green powder + 1 serve glutamine powder in 200ml pure water + 2 fish oil capsules + 1 serve digestive enzymes
Breakfast - Quinoa and grated pear porridge cooked with almond milk and 1 tbs flaxseed meal + 100g unsweetened natural yogurt
Snack - Handful raw nuts + green tea
Lunch - Mixed seasonal vegetable salad with a palm serve size of grilled organic / free range chicken seasoned with garlic, tamari soy and turmeric powder. Dressing 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar + 1 tbsp. extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
Snack - Raw vegetables + guacamole (mashed avocado, chopped tomato, lemon juice, garlic, coriander and seasoning)
Dinner - Palm serve size of baked salmon with seasonal baked vegetables with coconut oil + side serve of kimchi
Evening supplements - 1 serve aloe vera + spirulina green powder + 1 serve glutamine powder in 200ml pure water + 2 fish oil capsules + 1 serve probiotics

* all information above is excerpted from this article

Why

My first true experience with Essential Oils was when David Crow, founder of Floracopeia visited the yoga studio where I was in teacher training. He was traveling with his beautiful oils, and home, in his truck. My experience of this Essential Oils Medicinal Shaman was otherworldly and such a gift. I had not yet met anyone who opened this kind of world to me. He told stories of Night Blooming Jasmine and Blue Lotus Attar, Rose Attar, that appealed to my wonderlust and poetic sensibility. I could see why bringing oil to the newly born King was such a big deal. The scents were Divine, and very expensive, as they should be, and well worth it. I bought a small potent collection of my favorites. Frankincense and Sandalwood dispersed quickly and I was intoxicated by the very precious Rose Attar so that disappeared, but I still have others, which included the Vetiver. More than a decade later, the deep earthly green-grass smell instantly grounds me. I used the oils in meditation and prayer practice, while journaling, writing, creating and to add intrigue and adorn my body. I continued to use them in baths even as I began to loose my sense of smell to allergies and developing polyps, the memories and subtle energy of those divine compounds and molecules still triggered delight and intoxication. 

My teacher started to talk more and more about Oils and her emerging Oils business, and though I loved hearing of her discoveries and knowledge gleaned, I wasn't interested in building a business. The packaging was beautiful and the sourcing standards stringent, but because I couldn't smell, they didn't mean that much to me; and I was unclear and unsure about this so called multi-level marketing company.

Then we found out that Brendan has dmd. 

Along with the tears and sympathy and offers to be there for us, came an outpouring of Oils - our family was truly anointed with Oils - Console and Peace and all the oils for muscles repair, cellular regeneration, inflammation and sadness, strength, peace of mind, peace of soul. We had the diffuser going all day and night all summer long. We cried and woke up to a parent's nightmare. Time went on and more friends sent oils and books and cards and donations and family helped us move into a more suitable house in a neighborhood close to an extremely supportive school with accessible an park and trails near by. We received so much, I was stunned by the generosity. Even though I could feel the energy shifting and softening us, I still couldn't smell. So, when I got home from the hospital after having nasal surgery this fall, and could smell for the first time in about 7 years, I started to cry. These oils, not only energetically magnificent, but the smells - oh, the smells. Divine delight.

As I began to understand what life as a dmd family would entail, the special and financial needs we would be facing, I began to reconsider everything that my teacher was saying about building a business with doTERRA. This what I know:

dōTERRA, The Company. Founded in 2008 by experts in the Essential Oils business, there are no outside investors with dōTERRA – the owners personally funded the start-up and own 100% of the company. They changed their lifestyles, took second mortgages, and worked without pay to make their own choices early on. dōTERRA is now the largest oil company in the world, debt-free.

dōTERRA is family-focused and pro-woman. One of the owners is a woman; Mamas and babies and families are welcomed, encouraged and supported through dōTERRA, from classes to conferences.

dōTERRA gives back. Healing Hands is dōTERRA’s non-profit, and it’s funded by members, employees and the executives. Our option is to donate each month on our monthly orders, and the company raises funds via events as well. Healing Hands has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and has changed many lives in several countries. In 2016, doTERRA Wellness Advocates and Wholesale Customers donated over $500K to Operation Underground Railroad through donations to the Healing Hands Foundation. Operation Underground Railroad, also known as OUR, is a non-profit organization with whom doTERRA has partnered to extricate as many children as possible out of sex trafficking. Our donations have also helped fund the construction of a facility in Thailand, with state-of-the-art technology to intercept trafficking before it happens.

We’re also supporting the victims’ aftercare. Some receive care through Days for Girls, another organization with whom doTERRA is partnered, educating girls and women on women’s health and sustainable feminine hygiene. Having helped over 640K girls and women to date, Days for Girls affords them the dignity and supplies to function in society during their cycle so they aren’t missing chances to learn and grow out of poverty. Without sustainable solutions to manage their monthly cycle, women are abolished from society for the duration of their menstrual time every single month. 1 in 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, 113 million adolescent girls in India, and 30% of girls from rural areas of Brazil will miss school this year without the help of Days for Girls.

dōTERRA’s Oils are high quality. Pure, high quality, optimally-sourced Oils are at the heart of dōTERRA’s success. Sourcing the Oils where they flourish, making sure the soil is primed, harvested at the perfect time, distilled for the ideal amount of time at the perfect temperature – this leads to a high quality Essential Oil. dōTERRA also has many exclusives with their growers, so their Oils are exceptional. Visit Source to You for extensive information on the sourcing and quality testing of doTERRA Oils.

dōTERRA’s testing practices are stringent. For transparent accountability, they’ve created an internal standard called Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® (CPTG), verified by third party labs.  The name is a trademark; the standard is real and concrete. Stringent testing happens throughout the whole process (even monitoring soil quality) on EVERY liter. All of the basics are checked first: sight, smell, taste and touch. Then they test to rule out any presence of fungus, mold, pesticides, extenders and any other contaminants. Learn more about the science of their practices of testing here. Each location has its own specific laws and rules governing agriculture and collecting wild-crafted botanicals. If an oil fails the test, specifically pesticides, there is no secondary process for removing the pesticides or foreign matter. The oils failing the test would simply be rejected. Other than the careful distillation of the oils from the plant material, no other processing takes place. They are aromatic extracts, nothing added, and nothing removed; they either meet that standard or they don’t.

dōTERRA focuses on education. On the site, you’ll find hundreds of hours of free education, guidance, recipes and other support for both oil users and those building businesses. Company-wide resources are supplemented by our team’s resources, from forums to weekly calls, and those who have businesses with dōTERRA are amply supported. Product support of any kind is one email or knowledgable phone call away, detailed PDFs for each oil can be found at doterratools.com.

dōTERRA is helping us detoxify our households. No need for harsh, toxic chemicals to clean your home. No risk of spreading toxins throughout your air – or your cells. Our home smells and feels incredible with of dōTERRA’s On Guard Home Cleaner Concentrate, Detergent, Hand Soap, Toothpaste, and bar soap. With Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary CPTG® Essential Oils, the Cleaner concentrate provides natural protection – this powerful blend is combined with plant-based derivatives for a non-toxic and biodegradable way to clean and eliminate odors, safe for loved ones as well as the environment. We use it all over the house.

dōTERRA is committed to Co-Impact Sourcing worldwide. dõTERRA searches the globe to find the best locations to grow the plants for each oil; they team up with local farmers whose families have been growing and harvesting that plant for generations. The company then forms cooperatives, teaching the farmers improved growing techniques, harvesting and distilling methods, and elevates their quality of life. Paying them above fair wages, dōTERRA often brings in the Healing Hands foundation to improve the community as a whole as well. Visit dōTERRA.com and click “Our Caring” to explore projects in Bulgaria, Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal, Guatemala, Haiti and Somaliland.

This video describes why and how dōTERRA uses the Co-Impact sourcing model.

As we enjoy and share dōTERRA, we are providing thousands of jobs globally, changing families and blessing communities.

The people, the social aspect, and the connection. It surprising how much more social I have become, I am still very much an introvert, but I love to cultivate connections and share what I am learning. I am encouraged to be real, honest, authentic, compassionate, and true to myself and am surrounded by others encouraged and encouraging to do so also. So many times a week as I connect with my team via video, text, phone or in person, I’m reminded of why this is such a good choice for me. I love teaching yoga and meditation, and I also love switching on my business mind and creatively considering new ways to share what I love and empower others to take good care of themselves through practice. I also love to study! The power of plants and the elegance of how its all connected, and the cultivation of relationship and community, continues to blow my mind. 

Visit here to explore the Oils.