Facing a challenge with intention

Photo by Lisa Lee Harbaugh

It's quiet. Your body is still. You are finally ready to rest. Then a wave of thoughts come storming into your brain. Where am I going next? Is this what I really want to be doing? Will I be successful? Can I take the leap? All of these fear based thoughts are normal, but how do you navigate them? 

I am not a therapist, I am an empath. I am human. This is how I navigate through fear based thoughts so that I can find my High Self’s voice. Once you find this voice you will begin to learn who you are and where you are meant to be. Then your true empath will begin to grow. Because we are all empathetic and have the power to use your intuition to guide us through this human experience. 

Beginning to question, where you are in life, is the first step. These questions are arising because you are ready to start navigating and exploring yourself. But how do we put fear to the side, so we are not afraid to explore? How do we spark curiosity? Intentions, actions, and trust are key. 

Photo by Lisa Harbaugh

Let's talk about intentions. Ask yourself what it means for you to have intention in your life? Write it down. Maybe it's the goal to succeed, or to find love, or be more focused. When you break them all down, you get a plan. You have a plan to heal something inside. To change from the present. Now make examples of what needs to change to make this goal happen. What feelings need to be put forth to make it happen? Maybe something like confidence, direction, passion, love, come up? If not that is okay no wrong answers here, this is your journey. But let's just say an emotion then gives you clarity. Then ask yourself, what do all of the examples have in common? When I broke down all of my intentions, it all came down to trust. 

I need trust in myself. I can handle the next challenge, and I will be confident in  my decision.  I need to trust in myself that, if I fail, I will still love myself and find my next step. I need trust that the universe/god has put me here for a reason. I will fight until I conquer this challenge. Trust is hard. How do you trust when it isn't right in front of your face? How do you build trust within yourself? This is where your intention to heal comes in, you have to ask yourself the hard question and find out why you don't trust in yourself.  Because everything you need in laying dormant in your mind and body. It is there waiting for you to ignite it. You have to give yourself permission to heal. This takes journaling and asking the hard questions. What was your family like? What emotions did you feel the most as a child? What makes you fulfilled? When you start asking these questions you start to awaken who you are, and the personality that has been created. You can then start to divide from who you truly are and what your traumas have created. Don’t get me wrong, traumas are real, they are hard to heal. But the minute you get to know them and bring them forward you start to make them tangible and they become workable. You build trust. You build a relationship with yourself. You start to open your eyes to the idea that this fear was never me. I was never lacking. People may have taken from you. People may have made you build a wall, digging your truth far down inside, but it’s there. Find your traumas, to find your lessons, to find your truth.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Traumas are a part of this human experience, so stop thinking you need to fear them because you show weakness. If you are truly ready to face all your challenges with passion and trust, then this is a huge step. Have that conversation with yourself, fall in love with yourself again. Find curiosity and wonder why? Leave judgement at the door. Because it has no place here. 

When you start having a conversation with yourself, you build a relationship. You will begin to trust your intentions. You will begin to take the next step into finding out who you are and why you are here. You will take that cooking class, or dancing class. You will enroll into school, you will feel confident in your choices. Small steps, small challenges will awaken you to how powerful you actually are. And when you start to take these challenges as adventures you start to realize it's not about how you are perceived, it's not you being successful in your career, it's about the small details. It's about the process, the education, finding out the small wonders of life. 

Don’t get me wrong, everytime I pick up a new challenge, I sit with myself and I feel my anxiety. I'm scared. Fear comes creeping its way in again. But I sit above my thoughts and ask who is this? What if this decision fails? I say to myself oh well then, What’s fucking next on the list? 

Photo by Lisa Harbaugh

So lets put this all into an example. Say you are feeling a lack of direction. You are stuck in a relationship, or in a career, or maybe none of these things have happened yet, you are just unclear in your next step. In this moment, you want to write down all of the reasons you are not taking the leap to make a decision. Do you feel lazy? Like all you want to do is sit on the couch? Do you think it's depression or unbalanced health? Or is it all just because you are thinking about all that can go wrong in this decision? Like going to school or taking a class. You aren’t smart enough? Right down why you think that. If it has to do with past classes, that doesn’t mean those will dictate your future. What if you fall in love with education. The motivation will grow, it's called passion. What if you do fail at it? Write down all of the things that could go wrong. Are they as serious as you thought? Could you conquer this failure? 

The action of actually taking the leap is where the magic lies. It's not if you actually succeed at it. So drop the idea that everything you do has to be perfect and successful, that is not realistic. It's building the trust in yourself that no matter how much you fail you will still get up, find something new and take on that challenge knowing it will lead you to happiness and your purpose. 

This can be as small as eating a healthier diet. Say you start making healthier meals, you start to work out, and feel good about your body. You will probably go in and out of this new habit, but it makes you feel like you have clarity. Maybe it sparks you into wanting to teach others how to build healthier meals for themselves, or how to workout. It might not do any of those things. I bet it will start a journey of self discovery. It will build trust. Back to that again. You set a goal, made it happen, may have succeeded or failed, and survived. It might have been great or sucked, but no judgment was there,and you were kind to yourself. Now it is time to start a new challenge, with the intention of love, and trust that no matter what happens it's just the next step into your truth.

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Lisa Lee Harbaugh — click here

 The Essences and Magic of Calendula 

Calendula showing off her Ray and Disk Florets with the early morning dew.

I am positive we have all heard of a marigold. The orange pom pom looking flowers, gardners love as companions to their vegetables. Well this isn’t about them. This is a close cousin Calendula. (Calendula officinalis, Asteraceae)  She is bright like the sun, persistent, and well, medicinal. She is a great herb to start with in the beginner’s garden. When I started my education with herbs, Calendula stood out to me. Her brightens and mightiness was waving me down through the computer screen. 

She's more than just her looks, she is an ally to the immune and lymphatic system, great for the skin, and she will aid in lifting your spirits. Um, you want to be her best friend yet? She's almost like a catch all. 

I am writing about Calendula, because she made me feel empowered in my journey of becoming an Herbalist.  Plant one seedling in your favorite pot, or just in the ground in Early Spring to see her blossom. She has resinous leaves that are broad and curvy, as they cuddle her flowerhead the more unique the leaf becomes. Everything sticks to her. That is a signature of her medicinal qualities to the immune and lymphatic system. She will grab onto whatever is causing a blockage and help relieve that stagnation. 

Let's get to her flower head. She is made up of petals called ray florets. Those are not the only petals she has though! A characteristic of the aster family, she also has disk florets. They reside in the center of her head and are placed so perfectly. If you turn calendula over, you will find bracts, they hold her petals in place and are super resionious. When harvesting you want to keep these bract intact for a strong medicine. If you are hungry, and just want a snack, that could only fill up a Fae, you can pick her petals and eat them. Calendula has loads of antioxidants so they make a great addition to salads or baked goods. 

Calendula does more than just help internally, she is well known for her vulnerary actions. She is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial- and antifungal. You can make an oil infusion by harvesting her flower head and soaking it in oil of your choice for 4-6 weeks. Calendula oil can be used on eczema, psoriasis, acne, stings, cuts, burns, rashes, sunburns, bruises, and that's just touching the surface. Are you convinced yet of her wonders? 

As I grow her in the garden, I am more drawn to her. Every morning she greets me with her sunny blooms. Her orange blooms have the energy of the sun. Powerful and energetic.  Calendula has the ability to remove negative energy from the body, with a glance of her blooms, or infused into a warm cup of tea. Her leaves are so characteristic. They flow like a dancer. Giving movement to the garden. Giving movement to your spirit. If you think I sound crazy, well grow her yourself. Use her medicine and see what I am talking about! 

She’s holds lots of M A G I C. Her infusion will lift your spirits and make you feel like you just received a hug. Her energetics are warming and drying. This makes her an ally for winter time. We all find ourselves a little gloomy and feeling “without'' in times of darker days. Calendula can be that friend to bring light to those sunless days.

I hope I have convinced you to start growing and learning more about Calendula. It’s time we start taking control of what we see, feel, and how it impacts our health. A garden can do more than you think for your holistic health. Calendula can be grown even if you think you have a brown thumb. So why not? Start the journey of a medicinal garden with Calendula. She might teach you more than you think!

Recipe for Calendula Oil 

Adding Rose, elder flowers, and comfrey to the calendula oil

Ingredients Needs for Calendula oil:

Whole Dried Calendula flowers ( bracts included)

Organic Olive Oil or Oil of Choice

32 oz Mason Jar

Natural Wax Paper

Optional : Food processor and double boiler

Instructions:

First, grab about 2 cups worth of whole calendula flowers and add them to your mason jar

Secondly, add the oil of your choice to the jar and allow 1 inch to be above the flowers

Thirdly, put this mixture into a blender or food processor so it greats more surface area

Fourthly, put this mixture back into your mason jar. Add the wax paper to the top of it and then screw on the lid. This is to help with the erosion of the lid getting into your medicine.

Optional: Adding your macerated mixture to a double boiler for 6 - 8 hours on low heat will help extra the resinous compounds in the calendula. This will make stronger medicine.

If you opt out of doing the double boiler, store the jar in a dark cabinet for 6 weeks with a label on it.

Label should included, ingredients, medicine mixtures names ie. Calendula oil, Origin of herbs, and date.

If you feel comfortable adding more skin loving herbs to the mixture go for it!

Some good ones include:

Yarrow, Comfrey root, Chamomile, Rose, violet, Elder Flowers and Gotu Kola.

For Further Reading and Resources

Check out Chestnuts School of Herbal Medicine for more on Calendula <— Link Here

To find loose Calendula flowers, check out a local apothecary or Mountain Rose Herbs <— Link Here

To grow your own Calendula, Johnny’s Selected Seeds  <— Link Here or Strictly Medicinals Seeds <— Link Here

Finding Daily Rituals for Personal Growth

What comes to mind when you think of a ritual?

For me, it’s a time set out to overcome, embrace, and grow. Our ancestors also come to mind.  Villages hosting festivals for the people. Cultures fasting together to cleanse the body and soul. Creating a movement, or dance, to overcome an emotional burden. Across history cultures would host these rituals to help “better” their people. To release the tensions of everyday life. A second chance.  

Now let's think about modern time rituals….

Modern times have let the ideals of rituals dwindle. It is now, in the hands of the individual. It's all now “ Do it on your own time” type of attitude. Rituals are no longer in the hands of the  governments. It's a personal endeavor. And that's fine. So let’s make sure you are taking the initiative, in your daily life, to create rituals. 

What can we do to bring back the joyfulness of rituals into our daily lives? What are you doing to help release the burden of the work/money dynamics of our modern society?

Personally, I try to create my days around small rituals. It keeps me sane. As it keeps me sane, it also helps me open my mind and provide room for personal growth. 

We don’t have to have a huge society gather to create a ritual. Bringing it to the individual means that the meaning behind the ritual, can be on a level that you are ready to uncover.

 For example, before bed I prepare myself a cup of tea. This cup of tea sometimes is accompanied by yoga, but that's not what I hold importance too. 

I know that when I have this cup of tea it's time to reflect in stillness. To be present with myself. I take in the flavors of the tea, the smells, and the way my body feels after drinking it. This puts me into my body and out of my head. Work can sometimes keep us in our minds and cause stress. So we need to start finding release from these moments. Finding things that remind us we are grateful for our existence. 

I try to not let anything interrupt this time, no phone, no to do list. Just the tea and me. 

As I relax, I become aware of the tensions in my body. The moments throughout the day that  brought me anxiety. I think about those moments and I let them settle, then I release them. Bringing awareness to what brings me anxiety or anger in these moments, helps me understand myself more deeply.

 I am not letting those emotions sit in my body unacknowledged. The ritual allows me to release, daily. Anything that comes up in these moments I do not judge or fear. I have an outside perspective on. I am kind with myself and I allow myself to learn.  

Herbal tea is healing to the body, mind, and spirit.

Questions to ask yourself during times of negative emotions (For daily rituals)

• What is it about that situation that made me so anxious? Why is it so important? Could I have communicated better? 

• Why did I react out of fear or anger doing that situation? Why is that important? Was it really the other person or myself causing the anger? 

• Why was I embarrassed after that situation? Why is that important? 

• Why did I pass that judgment? What was I projecting onto that person?

Rituals are not always to sit with negative emotions or moments. Negative reactions have an important lesson to teach, but so do positive. 

Positive emotions should be recognized to help you to build memory in your body of these feelings. Being able to fill your body with positivity such as love, gratitude, and joy you will enter into a higher vibration. Which is contagious.

Positive emotions or situations seem to be more fleeting in our minds. We don’t hold on to them as tightly. This is where practicing gratitude comes in. Creating a ritual to remind yourself of how far you have come, and what all you have achieved. 

In my tea ritual joy, and gratitude usually come after I have digested the negative. Personally, I address the negative first because I want to learn from it. I end with grateful moments and intentions because it helps me settle into who I truly am, and leaves me with the feeling of joy. I forgive myself for things I don't identify with, and I know don’t serve my greater good, and I fill myself with love and joy. Forgiveness and trust are so important in developing self love and growth. 

Questions to ask yourself to fill your self with joy and gratitude (For daily rituals)

• What tasks were you proud of attending to today? Why did these make you so proud?

• As you settle into your home, how have you made this space your own? Why do you choose these items to fill your home? 

• Bring into awareness your loved ones, and why you cherish them. How have they impacted your life? How have you impacted theirs? Why is this so important?

• What actions small or big have you taken to spread love and laughter today? How did those make you feel? Do you remember what your body felt like? 

These answers will help you gather information about yourself that builds self awareness and confidence. We all have moments of fear and being overwhelmed. It’s  about how we bounce back to joy and calmness in our bodies. Figure out what questions you need to ask yourself to bring you back to these moments. Remind yourself to breathe and check into your body and how it is feeling. 

Once you begin to become familiar with how your emotions enter your body and their impact, it will become easier to ground yourself. You will find small rituals and large ones to bounce you back. It won't always be perfect, but that's okay. Some feelings are way stronger than others and deserve more time to heal. 

** Be kind to your reactions, there are no right or wrong answer. Everything that comes up is personal to you and is there to help you. NO JUDGEMENT. NO EXPECTATIONS. ***

A small ritual I know a lot of spiritual people use, is to put your hand on your heart and breath deeply.  This helps you to enter into your body, out of your mind, and ground. It’s a small action to help emotions to overcome you. I like to use it in times, where I am not in my ideal space, i.e. Work. 

After reading all that, has anything come to mind? Do you have these rituals and never really noticed what you were doing for yourself? 

Other examples of rituals I have found helpful

• Grounding- putting my bare feet to the ground for several moments. Being away of nature in the present moment. 

• Lighting candles helps bring awareness to my senses while in stillness- gets me out of my head and into my body.

• Eating what I was craving that day, it's a weird one, but allowing yourself to indulge a little, brings trust into yourself, and well, all those e n d o r p h i n s. 

• Dancing- oh this is a good one. 

• Journaling- This helps you make your thoughts and emotions tangible. You start to enter into your heart space and become more authentic.

The list could go on and on really. Just finding small actions to help you embrace yourself. Actions to help you get out of a numb state. Stop having limited thoughts on emotions. They serve a purpose, and you do not need to identify so heavily on one or another. Everything is fleeting. It will come, and go, and come back again. Be at peace with this. 

If this all feels silly, well maybe it is, but you need to get past that. You need to put in the work and really want to find out who you are and your souls purpose. Do whatever you have to, to shake off the embarrassment of talking with yourself, because it the best thing you can do for yourself. <3

I do want to remind you, that this is for daily rituals to help you build a relationship with yourself. This is not a cure all. Healing yourself takes time, help, and WORK. I just know these small moments of reflection have helped me so much. It opened doors to more healing. 

So be kind to yourself. Find moments to get to know yourself more. You are a strong, and magnificent being. You are more than your emotions. Give your power back to yourself. 

(((((I do want to give a shout out to the organizers of Pride Festivals, and Marches to fight for causes. These are examples of rituals that have come from society but not hosted from our main governments like in the past, it is from the people.)))

Spring is finally here, and so are all the lovely little medicinal powerhouses. W E E D S. Well, I don’t like to shame them with this label, but it’s what most of us know them as. Let’s go ahead and just call them by their ‘god given’ names. So here we go!

The first we see are Cleaver, Chickweed, Purple Dead Nettle, and Violets.

In this recipe we are going to use Chickweed, Cleavers and Purple Dead Nettles. I chose these because, well, that’s what I found right out in my yard!

(If you are wild harvesting from your yard, PLEASE make sure you know the area has been free of chemicals. Our soils can hold these chemicals for a while, if you are not sure grow them in your own garden or go for little trip into the unknown of nature. )

I live in the middle of the Pisgah National forest on top of a mountain. Its still a little colder up here so I am limited to what’s sprouting, but give it a few weeks, and I’ll have the violets and red clovers!

Here is a quick overview of what makes these herbs so wonderful for you in the spring.

Spring is a time to start n e w and refresh. It’s a wonderful time to find movement in all aspects of the word. These herbs help the body c l e a n s e. Remove all those toxins and debris out of your system, from the stagnant winter.

Chickweed- a gentle food herb, meaning safe for liberal use and for babies and elders. It’s easy to identify, with its single string of hair, that goes down the stem on one side. Put it up to the light, and you will see it shine. Chickweed has a high mineral content. It is a demulcent, nutritive tonic, and blood tonic. Best used to help strengthen the body after an illness, or as a general nutritious ally.

Cleavers- A friend that will sticks by you. Cleavers uniqueness is that no matter what, its sticky hairs will form a bond to your clothes. It has whorled leaves, which set it apart from its spring time herbal pals. It is best known for its anti-inflammatory qualities, a tonic herb, and detoxifying actions. Cleaver is also best known for its cleaning of the lymphatic system. This system doesn’t have an organ like the heart to pump it so herbs, massage, and exercise are crucial in draining it.

Purple Dead Nettle- WHAT A BEAUT. To me, it looks like a flower alien hybrid. The purple flowers are like antennas that poke out form under the base of the leaves. Purple Dead Nettle has antioxidants and is a diuretic. Its not a huge medicinal plant, but it adds a flare to your salads, and I almost feel mean taking it away from its friends. So, I go ahead and added it into the tonic. Why not add some extra antioxidants!

Garlic - We all know this culinary herb. We have brought it into our kitchens for a reason. Beyond the yummy taste, this herb gives our immune system a boost, and is a blood cleanser. It’s a cardio tonic by helping reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. It can also help in aiding-in detoxifying the body. I add garlic into everything I possibly can.

Now, that you have gotten to know these herbs a little better, lets get to the medicine making!

SPRING TONIC HERBAL BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

*Vinegar tinctures or infusion do not have to use exact measurements. Bringing in that intuition is important with a lot of medicine making. So, you know your body, and needs, so take that into consideration when you are making your medicine. Certain herbs give more to vinegars. Herbs with demulcent actions and high mineral content.

But… for the people that love measurements here you go.

• 2-3 cups of loosely packed & chopped chickweed, cleavers, and purple dead nettles

  • The amount I used was based off what I could harvest at the time and the majority was chickweed.

• 4-8 oz of honey (depending on your pallet for sweetness)

• 25 fl oz of your choice of Balsamic Vinaigrette.

• 5 fresh garlic cloves -chopped

• Canning jar of appropriate size for your recipe with a plastic lid, or a metal lid lined with a piece of natural wax paper

• Optional; Add 1 teaspoon of peppercorn for an extra ziiingggg.

Chopped chickweed, cleavers, and dead nettles with garlic and honey

Herbs are tightly packed, making a stronger medicinal vinegar

First rinse and clean your herbs. Then chop up all your herbs, doesn’t have to be super fine, or you can add them into a food processor. (NOTE: DO NOT make into paste). Then add the chopped herb into a jar, I used a 32 oz mason jar. Lastly, add the garlic, the honey, and the vinaigrette. Feel free to personalize this recipe. If you want it spicer add onions, do you want a sweeter aspect, add raspberries. I want you to feel empowered while creating your own medicine. So experiment.

**Make sure you have cleaned your jar and sterilized it. This can be done by boiling the jar in hot water for a few minutes. You can add mason jar caps to the bottom, to prevent jar from touching the bottom of the pot.

When finished, add a LABEL. Super important. We can’t remember everything, so the label helps us remember the herbs we used, and when they will be ready for straining. Shake every other day to move solution around. Do a little dance, make it fun.

If using a mason jar, before sealing the jars cap, add natural wax paper under it since vinegar can erode the metal.

Herbs covered in Balsamic Vinaigrette & Honey

Label:

Add clear tape over label to make it water resistant, if you can’t read you label what’s the point?

• Name of herbs and where you got them - if from store add lot #

• Type of solvent - here its vinegar and honey.

• Date of creation and straining date- this should be 4- 6 weeks after preparation.

6 w e e k s later…..

Straining, this all depends on what utensils you have in the kitchen.

If you don’t have all the fancy medicine making utensils, its okay.

Grab:

• Strainer, a tight meshed one.

• A fresh clean jar or glass bottle

• An old t shirt, or cheese cloth

• Mason Jar

• Flip-top bottle or used glass vinegar bottle to store your finished vinegar

• Funnel

Set up your straining station.

Put the strainer inside the top of the mason jar, and drop the old t-shirt over the strainer to catch all the loose herb.

Then take your preparation and start pouring it into the strainer and letting the vinegar pour into the mason jar. Once all the loose herbs make it into the strainer, go ahead and s q u e e z e out all that extra vinegar from the loose herb. You might have to divide this into steps, depending on you strainer size.

Now you are left with the herbal solution in your mason jar. This is where you will get a funnel (or something similar), to pour your vinegar into a Flip-top bottle, or store bought vinegar bottle. Then store in fridge with another label on it.

This vinegar should last up to 6 months or a year in the fridge.

Sine I used fresh herbs, I will be keeping my dressing in the fridge to help prevent bacterial growth. Since fresh herbs have water content, this adds water to the mixture, which leads to risk of spoilage. But it should be fine. The vinegar and the fridge will work together to keep it safe for you.

I will be adding her to salads, toast & hummus, sandwiches, pastas and more! Get creative.

You can also just take it by the spoonful, every morning, to get that extra nutritive boost!

Suggested Utensils:

If you are thinking about making at home medicine more often, I advise you to buy the following items:

• Porcelain coffee strainer - Coffee Strainer - Click here for amazon listing

  • This will take over your meshed strainer. Sturdy and won’t move while straining, fits on most mason jars.

• Cheese cloth, ones they use for goat cheese (smaller mesh). Makes straining much easier.

• Potato ricer for easy pressing, but hands work just fine.

• A set of metal funnels- Small Funnels and Larger Funnels - Linked

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@florapeutic_medicinals

&& tag #florapeutic so I can see your creation!