Time to To Connect, Ground, and Inspire!

September. Can you feel it? Can you feel the changing air? Can you smell the ripened fruits? How many new colors do you see when you take a walk or look out your window?

Can you taste the richness of the fruits and veggies that ripen over the active time of the summer? Do you hear the birds calling as the squirrels hop through fallen leaves as they gather food for the winter?

September is a time to let go and release that which is no longer serving you.

Just as the leaves start to fall off the trees, what habits or patterns can we let go of as we prepare to root down and nourish ourselves through the winter? What do you need to feel fed and supported? What in your life has become mundane or boring? Are there habits you have formed that you know are no longer serving you? What day to day activities have you been ignoring and what needs your attention?

Often times the women I work with come in feeling so depleted, stuck, and frustrated with how they feel.

They have already done so much work with the foods they eat, exercise, meditation, etc.. but they still can’t seem to feel better or they can’t lose the weight they have been carrying. Yes, there are physiological factors at play but, if we don’t look at the mental load of what we as women are carrying, working with diet and functional nutrition- even though we are working from the root cause- it is still going to be more of a bandaid as opposed to a resolution. To truly heal we must pay close attention to healing the body, the mind, and this spirit. We can’t just look at one aspect, we must cultivate and nourish all three.

Today is the Fall equinox and there is no better time to take a few moments to drop in…

Take five minutes to active your senses and open the body, mind, spirit connection by following the meditation below:

Find a quiet space outside. This can be on a park bench, in your backyard, under a tree, or next to a lake, ocean, or river. Anywhere-- as long as you are outside or near a window.

What are five things you see?

What are four things you hear right now?

What are 3 things you can smell?

What are two things you can touch?

What is one thing you can taste and what does it taste like?

Taking a moment to activate your senses is profound and powerful tool to help you drop into your body, reset your adrenals and wake your system up to the natural world around you which in my humble opinion is one of the most important therapeutic tools you can work with.

Fire Cider Recipe:

September is the time to build strength in your immune system. We are heading into the Fall/Winter seasons where colds and flu bugs have a tendency to run rampant. And let’s be honest-- the flu season gets scarier and scarier each year and as a mama of two little boys there is nothing more important to me than protecting their sweet little bodies.

My favorite way to nourish, protect and strengthen the body is with Fire Cider. Fire Cider is powerful medicine that can be used through the Fall and Winter to ward off illness throughout the season. It’s a sweet and spicy tonic made with vinegar ( I make a mild version for my kids and a Spicy one for James and I), white onion, horseradish root, hot peppers, garlic, ginger root, echinacea, turmeric and honey.

Not only is making your own fire cider easy, it’s also incredibly empowering! One of the number one questions I get from women is “how can I integrate herbs more into my life and kitchen” and brewing up a batch of this immune boosting tonic is a wonderful place to start!

Recipe:

(This recipe is adapted from the original Fire Cider formula crafter by Rosemary Gladstarr!)

1 cup grated or finely chopped white onion

½ cup grated or finely chopped horseradish root (¼ cup if making for kids)

¼ cup (or more if you love garlic) chopped garlic

¼ cup grated ginger

1-2 chopped hot peppers (omit if making for kids)

¼ cup chopped turmeric

⅛ cup chopped echinacea root

Honey to taste (you don’t want the fire cider too sweet but sweet enough that you get a sweet/spicy taste and sweeter if making for kids)

Instructions:

Purchase 1 half-gallon mason or canning Jar
Add all chopped herbs into jar and cover with organic raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (Bragg is a great choice) and make sure the herbs are covered by 3-4 inches of vinegar. Cover with a tight fitting lid
Place the jar in a warm place that you can see and give a gentle shake every day.
After four weeks strain the herbs and save the liquid
Gently heat ⅛-¼ cup of honey and add warmed honey to the liquid
Bottle and store in a cool pantry for up to 5 months.

Suggested use:

Take as a daily tonic 1-2 TBSP/day or if you feel something coming on take 2-4 TBSP/day!

September Fire Cider Recipe & Sense Ritual