In February 2017 Cynthia attended an 8 day training in The Arvigo® Techniques in Maya Abdominal Therapy. Arvigo® Therapy is founded on an ancient Maya technique of a non-invasive, external abdominal massage. Arvigo® Therapy stimulates circulation and blood flow within the abdominal area, supporting the body for optimal function of digestive and reproductive health and wellness. It is a therapy that can be applied throughout every stage of a woman, man or child’s life. After the training Joe and Cynthia bounced around between the beach and the rain forest of Belize and had a true Belizian experience. In addition to all the natural beauty and activities you can do in Belize, the locals are some of the friendliest, most hospitable people you can find. The fact that they speak english there is a real bonus too!
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Tips For Growing Food In Florida
Basic/general gardening tips for Florida – according to what has worked for us.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021
*Pick a sunny spot; most crops need atleast 6 hours of sun per day; more is even better
*The Florida soil is sandy and doesn’t hold moisture well; if you are planting directly in the ground, you might buy an organic potting mix and then enhance it with black cow or some other compost (using more than one kind is good too), peat, and vermiculite (these amendments help hold moisture in the soil and aerates it as well). You can use equal amounts of each amendment, or keep it simple and use what you have; it doesn’t have to be an exact science.
*If you are making a large garden bed and want to buy soil in bulk, there is a company in Oviedo called K & K Materials and they have a very nice, well rounded garden soil you can buy by the truck load. If you don’t have a truck, but have a trailer hitch on your car, you can rent a small trailer for $45 and go fill it for about $100 or less.
*You can build or buy an above ground system; using whatever you have on hand or can find even if it is a small kiddie swimming pool that you put holes in the bottom of. The idea is to keep it simple so it is doable.
*Check the website for the extension office to see what grows in this season.
*Buy seeds locally or online. Start them in the smallest pots you can find. Set them in the sunniest spot in your yard, and water them twice a day. Be sure to label the pots or make a diagram in a notebook so you know what you planted in each pot. Or you can purchase seedlings and start that way.
*After the seedlings are a few inches tall, you can transplant them to your garden bed. This is a good time to give them their first fertilizer; using fish emulsion at half strength.
*Fertilizer – It is good to feed your plants. They will take in the nutrition from the fertilizer and soil and then you will get it from eating the plant. You can research different fertilizers and choose what you want, or you can do what I do (and I learned from a workshop called ‘Organic Gardening in Florida). Alternate using a ‘fish emulsion’ type fertilizer and ‘blood meal’ every three weeks. Follow directions on label.
*After planting, continue to water twice a day unless you are getting a lot of rain. You can research ‘drip irrigation’ and that is a good system to install to help out with the watering.
*Harvest your food! After everything is established it isn’t that much work and you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Be patient with yourself as there is a learning curve. Sometimes it takes a few years to really get the hang of it but once you do, you have it for life. The extension office in Seminole and Orange Counties both have regular gardening workshops. Check the schedule and attend one.
*South Seminole Nursery in Winter Springs http://sseminolefarmandnursery.com/ has classes you can attend and a nice selection of seedlings to start with if you don’t want to start with the actual seeds.
*Just plant what you like to eat. You might also include some herbs and especially mint because they are so yummy.
*Good Luck! Message me if you want or need to talk about any of it!
Chile (Julian) Feb 2015
Chile Highlights:
We started in the capital city of Santiago, by far the most modern city we visited. A interesting city but not one of our favorites, you have to try a hot dog from one of the street vendors. The port of Valparaiso just outside Santiago was really cool, had a great hippy vibe. Kind of a San Francisco feel. From here we traveled up the coast of Chile and visited some cool small towns along the Pacific ocean. The city of San Pedro is in the Acadama desert (the driest in the world) and is a cool tiny star gazing town. Actually it is considered one of the best places in the world to look at the stars!! We didn’t visit any wine regions in Chile due to time constraints but heard they were really nice.
We did not visit anything around Patagonia in South Argentina or Chile because it was so far but heard it was a amazing place.
Argentina (Julian) Feb 2015
Argentina Highlights:
Buenos Aires and Mendoza! Mendoza is located at the foothills of the mountains and is the most famous wine growing region in South America. Mendoza is a small city with lots of wine and outdoor adventure activities and friendly people. We could have spent a month just here. Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and a cultural hub, called the Paris of South America. A large city with tons of neighborhoods (called barrios), very cool place to explore. Lots of people will say that there is lots of crime (muggings are common at night in some parts)but we never felt unsafe. Lots of historic things to do and markets for shopping. The city is alive all night long! It is common for locals (called portenos) to go out for drinks at 3am!
Bolivia (Julian) Jan 2015
Bolivia Highlights:
We enjoyed the capital of Bolivia, La Paz. It is the highest altitude capital in the world and you can feel it when walking around the city. We were there in Mid to Late January and there was a huge festival going on that was really interesting and a great opportunity to experience their culture. From La Paz we traveled to the Salt Flats and arrived in the morning, did a tour and then left that night. The city that is the staging area for salt flat trips is a hole in the wall place and I would try to not spend a night there. We only did a day trip to the salt flats but 3 day trips are available and we should have done one. The salt flats are one of the coolest places we had ever been and a must do it you are in that part of the world. When we left the salt flats we really wanted to travel directly into Argentina instead of the traditional route that goes into Chile. We took the worst bus ride of our lives and would not recommend it, take the route that the other tourists take.
Peru (Julian) Jan 2015
Peru Highlights:
We arrived in Peru in the capital city of Lima. We found the people very friendly and excited to share their culture (especially the food). From Lima we went to Cusco (the historic Inca city that people travel to before visiting Machu Picchu), it is possible and much cheaper to travel to Cusco from Lima by bus but we heard it was a awful ride and the flight was worth every penny. We loved the city of Cusco, very touristy and lots of cool day trips offered from the city. We did the 4 day 3 night guided hike along the Inca trail to Machu. The hike was amazing (and really hard) and we all enjoyed the hike more than the time we spent at Machu at the end of the hike. Machu Picchu was a really interesting place however there are tons of people there and it kinda feels like a tourist trap, the hike there was what made the experience.
Cynthia’s Favorite Resources
Women’s health has been my focus for many years and here are some of the resources I refer to when I need guidance. I have attended online courses with some of these experts in the field and regularly enjoy listening to podcasts they produce. There is always more to learn and I am ready to absorb all I can get my hands on! Take your health into your own hands. It can be very empowering to know you have control and can change your health with the choices you make. I am available as a sounding board should you need someone to listen to your concerns and help you find the resources you need.
https://avivaromm.com/ – Aviva Romm MD is one of my personal favorites in women’s health. She was a midwife and herbalist for 25 years and then went to Yale and became a medical doctor. She specializes in women’s and children’s health. Check out her blog posts and podcasts.
https://nutritiousmovement.com/ – Katy Bowman says ‘You are how you move’, and this website can help you restore your body by moving towards more nutritious movement. Move, have fun, and feel good!
https://wellnessmama.com/category/health/ – Be sure to look ‘all around’ this website from remedies to recipes to motherhood to natural home and more. Loaded with helpful information.
https://wholewoman.com/ – A revolution in women’s heath. Learn about women’s chronic conditions and how you can heal yours.
http://www.drnorthrup.com/ – Christiane Northrup MD is a visionary pioneer and a leading authority in the field of women’s health and wellness, which includes the unity of mind, body, emotions, and spirit.
https://www.sagemountain.com/ – Rosemary Gladstar, Herbalist. This is the place to go to learn about herbalism. I attended her three year online course, ‘The Science and Art of Herbalism’ and gained a solid foundation in herbalism. I enjoy growing many of the herbs I use for cooking and medicine.
http://www.susunweed.com/ – Susun Weed, author of the Wise Woman Herbal series, is an extraordinary teacher with a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an extensive knowledge of herbs and health. She guides women in activating the energy of their bodies and reclaiming the wild in themselves. Understanding the creative essence within your own center is the key for giving life to your dreams.
Intentional vs Forced Self Care
This morning I was inspired to think about self care. I have a friend that said she is so busy with ‘life’ that she really doesn’t have anywhere in her schedule that she can fit self care. I promptly told her that I believe that if we don’t take the time for our ‘self’, the Universe (or your body or whatever) will make it happen but not in a way we can actually enjoy, ie. you’re sick and stuck in bed for a week.
So what is self care? In a nut shell, I believe it is going within and consciously choosing to be present with yourself, your breath, your actions and acknowledge that you are important. It can be done anywhere and only takes a moment if that is all you have. It can be more, and is more beneficial if you do more, like the ‘conscious actions’ part of it. Consciously doing what makes you feel good and gives you a sense of self worth. I have a number of ways I practice self care. One is by taking the time each morning to practice exercise,s and stretches in particular, that I know are beneficial to my body and make me feel alive and awake. I am a birth doula and one of the tools I have shared with my laboring women is to ‘smell the flowers and blow the bubbles’ as a way to stay with the breath during a contraction. I practice smelling the flowers and blowing the bubbles any time I feel stress arising and it works wonders at keeping me focused and in the moment. Self care can also be as simple as being aware of how you are holding your body. Many times our shoulders begin to tighten and rise closer to our ears as the day goes on; telling our body we are under stress. A practice of tuning in and doing a mental check of our posture can tell us to slide the shoulder blades down our back, tuck our tailbone, pay attention to our breath. We can slowly begin to consciously tune in and calm our sympathetic nervous system to save our health.
In today’s busy world, a lot of people have their sympathetic nervous system in constant alert. That might be the same as never turning your car off and the engine running on high non stop. If our sympathetic nervous system is in constant alert, our adrenal glands are also over worked and excessive amounts of adrenaline are produced, minerals are drained from our body and we become acidic. Acids then drain calcium from our bones and tissues causing a myriad of illnesses including inflammation and osteoporosis. Excessive adrenaline also produces extra insulin that results in hypoglycemia and eventually diabetes. Take CARE of your body and practice self care! Something as simple as stopping and paying attention to your breathing for a few minutes can be enough for the parasympathetic nervous system to engage.
Phew! That was a mouth full and sounds scary! If you love your life, or want to love it more, get in touch with ‘you’ and let your mind, body and spirit know you care. You are important and if you’re a mother there’s an old saying that ‘if mama ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy'(!) and it’s the truth!
Happy trails!
Lessons Learned From Lyn
Today I got to spend the day with one of my favorite ‘wise woman’ friends. Lyn is always there to ‘bring me back down to earth’ and reassure me that I am fine and healthy and thriving and I needn’t get wrapped up in conventional medicine and look for something wrong. Thank you Lyn! Because I am in the wise woman menopausal years, I want to continue to nourish my mind, body and spirit in the most healthful way possible and by consuming calcium/mineral rich plants daily I believe that is possible.
Today I learned (again because I forgot) about nourishing herbal infusions for good health. They are also referred to as food medicine. I love it! The infusions I am going to begin incorporating into my daily nutrition are (and I will alternate):
Oatstraw, tastes delicious(!), good for strong bones and teeth, stabilizes blood sugar, relieves depression and emotional uproar, nourishes strong nerves, high in b vitamin complex, eases bladder spasms, incontinence, uterine pain, and vaginal dryness. Oatstraw infusion is good in your teacup and your bathtub (ahhh!) relieves physical and emotional pains and energy disturbances, and strengthens vaginal, bladder, and urethral tissues. – Be an outrageously sexy old lady!
Nettles, are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, especially the critical trace minerals – A quart of nettle infusion contains more than 1000 milligrams of calcium, 15000 IU of vitamin A, 760 milligrams of vitamin K, 10% protein, and lavish amounts of most B vitamins. Herbal Wise Woman Susun Weed says “There is no denser nutrition found in any plant“. I prefer my nettles tea cold, or cool rather than hot.
Red Clover, is very high in protein, macro- and trace-minerals, and vitamins (except B12), it is an excellent source of phytosterols. Phytosterols are hormone-like substances found in many plants that can be bio-converted in the human gut into active anti-cancer estrogens, world’s leading anti-cancer herb; improves the memory, is also a fertility-increasing plant
Red Raspberry Leaf, well known for its benefits during pregnancy, but it is beneficial to women at all stages of life. High in magnesium, potassium, iron and b-vitamins which make it helpful for nausea, leg cramps, and improving sleep during pregnancy. The specific combination of nutrients in Raspberry Leaf makes it extremely beneficial for the female reproductive system. It strengthens the uterus and pelvic muscles which some midwives say leads to shorter and easier labors.
There are other equally important herbal infusions I will incorporate as I develop the daily habit of using them. I am currently enrolled in Rosemary Gladstar’s ‘The Science and Art of Herbalism’ online course and learning more about the benefits of herbs in my life.
HERBAL INFUSION PREPARATION: An herbal infusion is a large amount of herb brewed for a long time. Typically, one ounce by weight (about a cup by volume) of dried herb is placed in a quart jar which is then filled to the top with boiling water, tightly lidded and allowed to steep for 4-10 hours. After straining, a cup or more is consumed, and the remainder chilled to slow spoilage. Drinking 2-4 cups a day is usual. Since the minerals and other phytochemicals in nourishing herbs are made more accessible by drying, dried herbs are considered best for infusions. I typically drink a quart (4 cups) of herbal infusion daily.
Lyn makes her infusions at night before she goes to bed and they are ready in the morning. You can also find information on making them here:
http://www.susunweed.com/How_to_make_Infusions.htm
Other helpful websites …… are:
http://www.wisewomanuniversity.org/
http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Menopausal_Years.htm
Vietnam Cave Hiking
(Sadie’s post from backpacking with her brothers through southeast asia for two months) Vietnam cave hike. Tu Lan Cave System in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. This 12 hour hike traverses over and through two mountains. Part of the hike includes swimming through pitch black caves in ice cold water on a freezing day, fully clothed. Needless to say, I ended up with pneumonia by the end of the trip and when we got back to Thailand I spent a week in the hospital.
