Two days ago Mike and I were driven to South Carolina by our golden town-mate/friend in order to view and purchase a car. Don't panic, it was very cheap and in good condition and big enough to hold most if not everything we own. It's a Mercedes Benz station wagon from 1984. It is older than I am, and somehow that's comforting. The couple we purchased it from used it to transport their babies who liked to eat cheez-its and drink chocolate milk in the backseat. We took it to a party the other night with Mike's brother, his lady friend, and our mf'n shipmates. Two of our group sat looking out of the backwindow from the third-row fold-out seat.
We picked up peaches from the farm along the way back from the deep-south of Charlotte. They're ripening up quick to this stage of peach ambrosia where every bite is followed by several seconds of sucking in order not to make a huge sticky drool pile. I enjoy mine bent over the kitchen sink checking out the trees along the river and the ridge beyond them. Summer is inexplicably good and hot. I can't believe it. Today I drank more ginger-garlic-turmeric-clove tea, and Jesus H, if it doesn't get the blood moving.
Drifting along toward Hindu spiritualism and along the path of stretching one's muscles, moving them, allowing them to flow so that your spirit can flow more smoothly and undisturbed... I can think of nothing more important than freeing your spirit to move more toward growth and love. The unbound heart is the most powerful tool in the struggle against destruction of our world, and it's in that vein that I find myself seriously attempting to heal my body, to bring it in line with the cosmic constant within which it is. One interesting path I've encountered on this waltz through so many traditions is an ayurvedic principle regarding the three main body constitutions. Most people fit within one, two and sometimes all three of the constitutions, or doshas. I most particularly have a kapha constitution, the type most closely related to water and earth. This puts me in the position of being generally cold, or with sluggish circulation. The water slows digestive fire, and tends to bloat the organs at times. Water and earth constribute to a deep receptiveness, a calm and patience, and also an ability to sink into deep fear. So these are interesting things to learn, and they affect how I consider what steps I need to take for better health. For this particular dosha, it's wise to restrict dairy consumption, to limit sugar only to not super sweet fruits (no bananas, but peaches, plums, cherries, etc), and to consume lots of pungent herbs and spices. In general, spices are helpful to digestion, and they move the blood around which can become stagnant and somewhat toxic/acidic like water in a pond. This brings me back around to the ginger-garlic-clove-turmeric tea. The kapha dosha is the only one of the three that needs stimulation in some respect, even to the extent that caffeine and coffee are considered occasionally healthful for this type. I'd consider the best sort of stimulation to be physical, whether stretching, working or riding a bike, swimming, whatever. However, foods that heat you up are also very stimulating and, as I said, purifying to the blood without adding more toxins (as with coffee). Our livers, as kapha type individuals, need attention and love. Mine, in particular, calls to me with yellow. I am highly attracted to yellow, it feeds my spirit. I feel calmer, kinder, more receptive, vulnerable and open, grateful, and free when encountering any shade that falls within the carrot-lemon spectrum. It was suggested by a clairvoyent in Guatemala and the psychic from Berkeley that radiant yellow is the color I should go toward. I find it interesting as someone so highly interested in plants that I should grow toward the color of the sun, just like so many others on this planet.
So my mind is working more in a healing capacity of late. I can't think of anything quite so satisfying to my spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual selves than figuring how best these all live together within us. When one is ignored, neglected or abused, we suffer, and it's as simple as can be. Heal yourself, and you're free. Live freely, and your health spreads.
with love,
abby
We picked up peaches from the farm along the way back from the deep-south of Charlotte. They're ripening up quick to this stage of peach ambrosia where every bite is followed by several seconds of sucking in order not to make a huge sticky drool pile. I enjoy mine bent over the kitchen sink checking out the trees along the river and the ridge beyond them. Summer is inexplicably good and hot. I can't believe it. Today I drank more ginger-garlic-turmeric-clove tea, and Jesus H, if it doesn't get the blood moving.
Drifting along toward Hindu spiritualism and along the path of stretching one's muscles, moving them, allowing them to flow so that your spirit can flow more smoothly and undisturbed... I can think of nothing more important than freeing your spirit to move more toward growth and love. The unbound heart is the most powerful tool in the struggle against destruction of our world, and it's in that vein that I find myself seriously attempting to heal my body, to bring it in line with the cosmic constant within which it is. One interesting path I've encountered on this waltz through so many traditions is an ayurvedic principle regarding the three main body constitutions. Most people fit within one, two and sometimes all three of the constitutions, or doshas. I most particularly have a kapha constitution, the type most closely related to water and earth. This puts me in the position of being generally cold, or with sluggish circulation. The water slows digestive fire, and tends to bloat the organs at times. Water and earth constribute to a deep receptiveness, a calm and patience, and also an ability to sink into deep fear. So these are interesting things to learn, and they affect how I consider what steps I need to take for better health. For this particular dosha, it's wise to restrict dairy consumption, to limit sugar only to not super sweet fruits (no bananas, but peaches, plums, cherries, etc), and to consume lots of pungent herbs and spices. In general, spices are helpful to digestion, and they move the blood around which can become stagnant and somewhat toxic/acidic like water in a pond. This brings me back around to the ginger-garlic-clove-turmeric tea. The kapha dosha is the only one of the three that needs stimulation in some respect, even to the extent that caffeine and coffee are considered occasionally healthful for this type. I'd consider the best sort of stimulation to be physical, whether stretching, working or riding a bike, swimming, whatever. However, foods that heat you up are also very stimulating and, as I said, purifying to the blood without adding more toxins (as with coffee). Our livers, as kapha type individuals, need attention and love. Mine, in particular, calls to me with yellow. I am highly attracted to yellow, it feeds my spirit. I feel calmer, kinder, more receptive, vulnerable and open, grateful, and free when encountering any shade that falls within the carrot-lemon spectrum. It was suggested by a clairvoyent in Guatemala and the psychic from Berkeley that radiant yellow is the color I should go toward. I find it interesting as someone so highly interested in plants that I should grow toward the color of the sun, just like so many others on this planet.
So my mind is working more in a healing capacity of late. I can't think of anything quite so satisfying to my spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual selves than figuring how best these all live together within us. When one is ignored, neglected or abused, we suffer, and it's as simple as can be. Heal yourself, and you're free. Live freely, and your health spreads.
with love,
abby
