Forest Therapy & Oracle Cards

Just realized I haven't posted anything to my blog in over a year! Time to step back and regroup. So much negative energy floating around that has captured my thoughts, my heart and my spirit lately. I look out my window each morning and am so grateful for where I live, the forest, the birds, the other wildlife that lives and visits our property. The Wood Frogs that have been calling for over a week now and the early signs of Spring. So much to be grateful for and I feel way more blessed than many. Starting each morning with gratitude [and coffee] has been really good for me. One of my beautiful friends, Katie, is a "Reiki Master Energy Healer" and I have had a couple of sessions with her. She is amazing and I always feel so grounded when I'm in her presence and, certainly, after our sessions. I've also been doing a weekly Pilates series and working on my balancing and strength. One of the things Katie used in our recent Reiki session was a "Selenite" wand. She placed it across my hips to align my chakras. I actually have one of these wands that I just had sitting around collecting dust and bringing it outside on occasion to be charged by the full Moon. I decided to start using it in my forest therapy sessions and, in particular, my balancing practice. So this photo is of me, laying on the ground, with my legs up one of my favorite trees and balancing the selenite wand on my feet. I have to admit, it was quite the challenge...but certainly invigorating!

I also recently purchased this gorgeous deck of "Forest Power Cards" from Moc Lasu. They are wonderful and the prompts are perfect for anyone wanting to practice Forest Therapy, Forest Bathing [Shinrin Yoku] or just enjoy being in nature and learning/observing. It was no surprise the first card I drew was this one! "A Snail's Pace" ~ the actual way I practice my sessions. If you've been looking for a connection, I highly recommend this deck. 

Of course, my favorite time of year is when the Wood Frogs show up to fill up our little ponds with eggs, which will be hatching tadpoles in a few short weeks. This little female was so full of eggs, she could barely move. I just love seeing them, hearing them and watching their whole life cycle evolve right in our little forest. 

This cute little Male was just taking in some Sunshine and waiting for a Female with a belly full of eggs to show up. I could sit and watch them for hours.

I know some people think I'm crazy...because of my love of nature and all critters, so this little cartoon fit me perfect! I had to share. 

Please comment your favorite thing about Spring! It's on the way!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

Forest Bathing...

 Sometimes all you need is a walk in the woods to clear your mind and renew your spirit. Yesterday was one of those days. 

The forest is literally busting with newness this time of year, with lots of native plants and wildflowers just waiting for discovery. These "Jack-in-the-pulpits" are always super cool to find and, yesterday, I found several, including a five leaved plant that hasn't produced a "jack" yet
I can't wait to see if one pops up! But the best find yesterday was this very elusive "Hooded Warbler" --- I've been hearing it singing for a couple of weeks, but have not been able to actually see it, until yesterday, which was bitter/sweet, because I had a very difficult "Mother's Day" this year, with everything going on in my family. This beautiful bird seemed to say "just keep on singing, everything will be alright"

And I was even lucky enough to get a pretty decent photo of it, too!

And then I got to witness a pair of Carolina Wrens building a nest in my hanging "Angel Wing Begonia" that is in a macrame' hanger my dad made years ago

I thought it was pretty funny watching the pair pick out nesting materials...while one of them [assuming the female] made some very elaborate choices, the other one [assuming the male] would just fly down and grab whatever he could, not thinking twice about it. They were so much fun to watch!

I can't wait to see the little family! 

Happy Monday!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

Living in Wildness...

 
It's that magical time of year! Time when all of the Spring Wildflowers start waking up from their Winter naps. Yesterday we found this gorgeous "Yellowroot", sprouting up along the banks of the Davidson River in Pisgah National Forest. Besides being beautiful, it's medicinal properties are amazing! "Yellowroot is an anti-inflammatory and a natural antibiotic. This plant can help in the treatment of sinus infections, bladder issues, cold/flu symptoms, sore throat, laryngitis, mouth sores, colitis, gastritis, congestion of the chest, and even earaches. Yellowroot is also uterine tonic and a digestive aid. It is an excellent liver stimulant and is useful in soothing the mucus membranes. Its’ cooling astringent qualities allow it to reduce any phlegm. Its versatility allows it to be used in a variety of different ways. Some of which include, as a mouthwash, tea, tinctures, eyewashes, salves, douches, and even ear drops. Can also be used to treat female health conditions including PMS and yeast infections. It has also been found that it can be helpful in lowering blood pressure."
And even though the water is still freezing cold, it warmed my soul, just standing in it and seeing all of the beautiful rocks and clean, clear water. Made me feel so grateful. As I was walking around, my eye caught something and, upon looking a little closer, it was a beautiful little Eastern Garter Snake! My first Snake medicine encounter of the year!! I was so happy!

You can be in the worst funk ever and spend just an hour in nature and your whole outlook will change! Try it! It's so healing and good for your heart and soul! 

Happy Spring!!!!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” ~ Margaret Atwood

Your Life's Work!

 
My version of "Legs Up the Wall" Yoga Pose!

So this year I'll be 61 years old! I've been thinking a lot about "what" my life's work actually is? Sometimes I think was it my job when I was working at a Life Insurance Company for 20+ years, a group of Financial Advisors for 5+ years, a CPA for several years, or is it what I did outside of my "job" that would be considered my "life's work". But, in reality, I think my "life's work" has nothing to actually do with work itself. It's the "time" I spend working on myself and doing what I love to do that has become my "life's work". And then I read an article from a website I follow "Daily Om" and this is what it said about your "life's work" and I thought, YES, that's exactly it!!!

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"Sometimes it takes us the better part of a lifetime to discover our life's work, even though we may have been doing it our whole lives without necessarily realizing it. Our life's work is not always what we do to make money, although we often think it should be, and sometimes this way of thinking prevents us from seeing clearly what it is. It may be the work of having children, caring for them, and running a household. The way we know our life's work is by how we feel when we are doing it.

When we are doing our life's work, we feel an uncanny sense of ease and alignment. This doesn't mean that the work is always easy, and it doesn't mean that it's the only work we have to do; it just means that there is a conviction deep inside us that tells us we are in tune with our innermost self. When we are engaged in our life's work, our bodies feel more alive, because our energy is devoted to a cause that, in turn, feeds us. We may be tired after engaging in our life's work, but we are almost never depleted. We feel grounded in the world, knowing that we belong here and have something important to offer. 

When we are deeply unhappy, depressed, or subject to one illness after another, this may be due to a sense of disconnection from our life's work. At times like these, finding the work we are meant to do is an essential act of healing. Most of us remember a time when we felt fully engaged in some act of work, service or creativity, and it is here that we may rediscover the work we are meant to do now. On the other hand, it may be time to explore what inspires us through volunteering, taking a class, going back to school, or just doing whatever it is we long to try. We all have callings, and when we find them, we owe it to ourselves to nurture and protect them, because while they may or may not be our livelihood, they are the keys to our wellbeing."

So now I truly believe my "life's work" is discovery! Being a steward of our land, it has been very important to me to learn as much as I can about "who" lives here and "what" grows here. It is truly fascinating to find rare plants, lichens, wildflowers and mushrooms that might only grow in the Appalachians! My motto now is "never stop learning" And today I did some forest yoga, while talking to my "tree therapist"...that tree knows a lot about me!

I hope you have discovered your "life's worth", but, if not, there is plenty of time...just think about it! In the meantime, enjoy this adorable little Bobcat that visited one of our ponds!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"Your most important work in this lifetime may not be your job. It's a conviction within your soul, recognizable if you allow it to shine." --- the Daily Om

Earthing, Grounding, Meditation...

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 Sometimes, even in the forest, there can be background noises to interfere with your practice. Whether it’s forest bathing, earthing, grounding, or just trying to have some solitude. I have found starting off with a mantra and a mala 📿 can help curb those background sounds and keep you focused. And I always make sure I have one of my wooden malas with me in the woods. Nature can heal us of so many things. Get out there! 🤗💕🌳

love and peace always ~ Kathy

Today's mantra: I am alive in stillness...I let things come and go

Earthing, Grounding, Shinrin-Yoku

 Is there some snow melt in my future? I hope so!!! Time for some much needed shinrin-yoku [forest bathing] today! I need some Sunshine!!! How about you? 

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 Happy February! love and peace always ~ Kathy

Shin-rin Yoku [Forest Bathing]

Perfect timing for today! Sometimes I feel like I'm literally on a roller-coaster ride! I LOVE getting the daily emails from "Daily OM" --- so many of them are just spot on with what I'm going through or experiencing! This is an excerpt from today: 

"Slowing down and listening to your own natural rhythm can quickly connect you to the Universe."

Nature's natural rhythms orchestrate when day turns to night, when flowers must bloom, and provides the cue for when it is time for red and brown leaves to fall from trees. As human beings, our own inner rhythm is attuned to this universal sense of timing. Guided by the rising and setting of the sun, changes in temperature, and our own internal rhythm, we know when it is time to sleep, eat, or be active. While our minds and spirits are free to focus on other pursuits, our breath and our heartbeat are always there to remind us of life's pulsing rhythm that moves within and around us.

Moving to this rhythm, we know when it is time to stop working and when to rest. Pushing our bodies to work beyond their natural rhythm diminishes our ability to renew and recharge. A feeling much like jet lag lets us know when we've overridden our own natural rhythm. When we feel the frantic calls of all we want to accomplish impelling us to move faster than is natural for us, we may want to breathe deeply instead and look at nature moving to its own organic timing: birds flying south, leaves shedding, or snow falling. A walk in nature can also let us re-attune to her organic rhythm, while allowing us to move back in time with our own. When we move to our natural rhythm, we can achieve all we need to do with less effort.

We may even notice that our soul moves to its own internal, natural rhythm...especially when it comes to our personal evolution. Comparing ourselves to others is unnecessary. Our best guide is to move to our own internal timing, while keeping time with the rhythm of nature."

Reminded me of my daily "shinrin-yoku" [forest bathing]

Hope you are having an amazing Autumn!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

Body Image

This was the perfect card for me today! I'm so sore from helping my friend move stuff yesterday and load things in and out of my car. I woke up thinking "really --- I am so out of shape"! When I think about the word "body", that John Mayer song "Your body is a wonderland" pops into my head and I think hmmmm...maybe sometimes my body "IS" a wonderland, but most of the time I feel like it's just an abandoned amusement park! I have finally given up on body image and trying to look and be perfect, but, in doing that, I have also just let things go. I'm starting to feel the aches and pains of age, the wrinkled skin that is not as forgiving as it used to be and extra weight that really needs to come off! So what do I do? It's always a give and take! I'm going to have to think hard on this one today and come up with a plan to make my body better! And I'm starting with Yoga! A have a few class passes left for the awesome studio we have in town "Brevard Yoga" and I think I will use those up and then get some more! And the weather is finally getting nicer too, so I can start my daily forest bathing [Shinrin-Yoku] again this week! 

Okay, that was easy! Now to just hold my feet to the fire and do it! I can and I will! Now I'm off to do a newborn photo-shoot! So much fun! 

love and peace always ~ Kathy

Life is short --- enjoy it! 

Into the forest I go...

...to lose my mind and find my soul! Even though I actually LIVE in the forest, I sometimes have to make myself go outside! I don't know if it stems from being a Louisiana native and hardly ever doing anything outside, because it was just too hot and humid, or if I just get busy doing busy work and the day gets away from me [probably just a combination of both]. But this year [2019], I am determined to go outside every single day, even if it's just for 30 minutes! I went out yesterday and it was awesome! It's just so calming and peaceful. I just sat on the ground at one point and took my shoes off. I let the coolness of the moist [I know, I just used that "M" word] leaves caress my feet and toes and it was so wonderful. I watched two Squirrels chase each other round and round a tree, I heard birds singing and the sound of dry leaves rubbing against each other, trying to make their way to the ground like the others.

Happy Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas everybody! I decided today was the perfect day to start up my daily Shinrin-Yoku [forest bathing] again! Even though most of the forest is gray and brown, 

there are still bits and pieces of green and signs of life! And the best thing is that it makes me feel so much better every time I do it! While I was out in the woods, I looked down at my feet and realized how long it had been since I had taken a walk through the forest...I could tell by the number of colored strings [from long hours sitting at my sewing machine] and fuzz on my shoes --- signs of being inside way too much! So today, I'm starting over again...not only for me, but for Wayne and for my overall well-being. The birds beckoned me on, even though they were tucked away in the high branches of the trees...I could still hear their songs and their gratitude for the seeds and nuts we provide for them all Winter. 

The forest floor was littered with lots of "Christmas Fern" --- namely due to them being the last ferns that are still green when Winter arrives...and that the shape of the fronds resemble Santa in his sleigh [not so sure about that, but it's what I've been told]

The pond is rimmed with ice that resembles feathers

And lots of Rattlesnake Plantain is hiding under the leaves

There are also several logs still covered with Turkey tail Mushrooms

And the forest floor is littered with Cranefly and Putty Root Orchid leaves that will shoot out blooms next Summer!

But towards the end of my walk, I asked God to show me a sign that everything will work out for the best and that life is good and that there is nothing I can do or say to change things that happen...just then, I looked down and saw part of a Turkey Tail mushroom that had, somehow, gotten broken off a log. When I picked it up in my hand, I saw an Angel...that's when I knew it was the sign I needed to see today

And then, when I walked up to the front door, I saw someone else that needs, and deserves, my undivided attention

Not to mention

Ahhhh --- Life is good when you see the good in life! 

Merry Christmas!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world" ~ Dr. Seuss

Shinrin-Yoku [Forest Bathing]

So how many of you have heard of this?  I read an article about it a little over a year ago and purchased a little booklet on how to go about it...I've found that I really didn't need the booklet, nature was my teacher, all along!  My last post was about not being able to find any good blogs or articles geared towards us [insert throat clearing] maturing ladies!  I mean, how many of us are going to start doing CrossFit or Kick-Boxing?  Really?  Not me!  But, I do know the benefits of some type of daily exercise --- how good it is for us...as well as Vitamin D!  So, "forest bathing" --- what the Japanese call "Shinrin-Yoku" is not new...it's been around forever!  It's basically just the daily practice, or at least weekly, or how ever often you can get into the woods, of "bathing" in nature...letting the sights and sounds of the forest take over and you just sit and listen and take it in.  And I just read this article today about "How Being In The Forest Actually Boosts Immunity, According to Science" --- I mean, SCIENCE!!  Who argues with Science!

" When you breathe in the woods, you are inhaling a cocktail of bioactive substances released by plants. One of these groups of substances is called terpenes. They're usually emitted from leaves, pine needles, tree trunks, and the thick bark of some trees. We absorb these gaseous terpenes partially through our skin, but especially through the lungs. Terpenes also flow out of bushes, herbs, and shrubs among the understory, along with mushrooms, mosses, and ferns, too. Even thin layers of foliage on the forest floor emit them. So, safe to say, if you're outside and can see any sort of tree material, you're getting a dose of terpenes."

--- and it's so true!  The above photo was me today, sitting in the forest, next to my little pond, having my coffee and soaking up the sunshine.  It's hard to stay mad, sad, or disgruntled, when you can listen to the birds singing and the breeze blowing and watch the squirrels foraging for acorns, or whatever else they are looking for this time of year.  

"Forest bathing has also been found to enhance something called natural killer cells, another defense against diseases like cancer. Those who spend merely one day in the forest will have more natural killer cells in their blood for seven days thereafter. Those who are in the woods for two or three days have elevated levels for another 30 days. It's incredible to think that we get these long-lasting health benefits simply by existing in the woods. We don't have to go on a trail run or rigorous hike (though those things are great too); just breathing and being in communion with trees is enough."

And, if you're lucky, you might even find a little pond full of frog eggs...like mine is, right now!

And this time of year, you are bound to find some wildflowers popping up

So get out there!  Take in some nature, breath in some fresh air and listen to the birds singing!  You'll be glad you did!  And please, share your experience with me!  I would love to hear about it!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." ~ Proverb

Life in the forest...

For those that do not know, we had to send our little Lita to Rainbow's bridge last Friday...I'm comforted in knowing she will see Ozzy again and that he's been waiting for her ~ bitter/sweet

My last journal drawing was a tribute to her:

And today I did some "Shinrin-Yoku" [forest bathing] --- what a wonderful day!

Looks like Autumn is on its way!

So much love in the forest!

Squirrel Dinning Table!

love and peace always ~ Kathy

"Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule." ~ Frederick W. Robertson