From injury to function

The lotus lifts from mud.

Injury and wounds call for attention, mindfulness, focus. They demand us to care for ourselves, which is a gift. To learn this is a gift. Below is a list of suggestions brought about by conversations with patients: things to do and not do every day toward recovering from pain, injury, illness. Do the work. Don’t… Continue reading From injury to function

Move, Flow, Meditate

  We often refer to mindfulness and being mindful. What does this mean? Literally, the character for mindfulness can be translated as “presence of heart.” Gather on the University of Oregon’s  EMU lawn at 6:00 p.m., May 22, for Move, Flow, Meditate, a first-time mindful event to awaken to now. Join an actively mindful function… Continue reading Move, Flow, Meditate

Kombucha: taste and perspective

If you asked me, here is what I’d tell you about the tastes of kombucha. Pomegranate white tea brings out a burst of hope from each pomegranate seed involved. It’s a mix of blissed and blessed; straightforward and non-complex. A great one for the card-carrying kombucha naysayers out there. It is sweet and light and… Continue reading Kombucha: taste and perspective

Be the tree, strong and flexible: spring is in the air.

Wood is the element of spring. What are the conditions of spring and how do we notice, align, and incorporate with this season? This blog churns up a few notions about Chinese medicine from an elemental/seasonal perspective. We are all of this earth, so we have earthy elements. Studying the elements is a way to… Continue reading Be the tree, strong and flexible: spring is in the air.

Be slightly ridiculous

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but I pick up sticks. I collect them. I see them everywhere. Usually they are on the ground. I don’t go around poaching live branches off trees. Some of the best places to find them are on the borders and edges of reservoirs. Roots, limbs, branches, and even… Continue reading Be slightly ridiculous

Signs that speak

Making signs has become a passion of mine. It involves words, discarded wood, and sticks. I can do it outside and inside. It’s expressive and involves color choices. I like it. The following is my latest group of signs and their stories. The devotion sign had to be made because I kept saying devotion in… Continue reading Signs that speak

Meditation provokes potato calm

Today’s group meditation was like a smooth slalom through warm, mashed potatoes. Visualize effortlessly carving left and right down a gentle tater slope. An occasional splatter sprays your cheek. You lick at this flavor of experience. There is only a slight drag on the bottom of your skis, not in an obstructive way, but in… Continue reading Meditation provokes potato calm

DIY autumn body wash: Inspire; Release!

The following is a fall aromatherapy body wash based on Chinese elemental theory. The season is: autumn. Time to let go of the old, and take in the new. The direction of this time of year is downward- a quiet movement back into the earth to push nutrients into the soil for next spring. The… Continue reading DIY autumn body wash: Inspire; Release!