The Healing Power of Self-Care and Love Newsletter 2021, Issue #1
I Bow To Her Majesty The Green.
~ Written by Amar Fuller
Many years ago while driving in the car, I heard something on the radio I will never forget. It was on a talk show with a panel of obese women. Two ideas came across to me while listening. The first one was, you can completely stuff deep within you and seemingly forget extremely traumatic events. Secondly, you must love yourself just the way you are. I remember quite clearly my reaction. “No way! How could a person possibly love themselves when they are so fat? And if a woman suffered from severe sexual trauma, how could she forget about it?”
It very well may have been over thirty years ago when I had those thoughts… and guess what? I could have been one of the women on that panel. I was overweight as a girl and sexually abused when I was fourteen years old. During that car ride while listening to that program, I had absolutely no recollection of my deeply distressing childhood experience. However, I was very blessed with the presence of two Native elders, Shaman, wise, medicine women who allowed me the opportunity of studying with them. What I received from Grandmother Lillian Pitawanakwat and Grandmother Leona Jacobs was a foundation of real love, compassion, and confidence with a new lease on life.
When the Grandmothers were with us, what was so appealing and extremely healing for me was how much we sat outside on the ground. Its cover was a carpet of soft emeralds. It gave a majestic feel to the rustic ways we approached our activities and ceremonies. I have always loved the color green. Before I knew it was my birthstone, my father always told me my favorite rings in the most expensive jewelry stores along 5th Avenue in New York were embedded with emeralds. Now I have come to learn the amazing properties of these gem stones:
Emerald is a stone of the heart chakra. Emerald is the perfect stone to carry if you are working with opening your heart to unconditional love and compassion.
During that pivotal point of my life transition, the Grandmothers taught us about Cedar and its powerful medicine. I witnessed profound healing take place for many people who received the sacred Cedar Bath Ceremony that they gifted us. When I am walking and come upon a green cedar bough, with gratitude, I will take a snip and rub it between my fingers and inhale the divine healing fragrance. The aroma fills me with memories of that healing experience and all the love that these Grandmothers imparted to so many of us. I say Megwetch (thank you) to these Elders and for the sacred plant medicine and all the healing I’ve received. I bow to the inherent divinity of the natural world and the majestic splendor of green.
And while the Cedar Bath Ceremony is one to be led by those who carry that tradition, there are many ways we can each use green for healing. As you probably know, ingesting green foods and juices is a highly effective way to experience wellness in the body. In recent months, I’ve taken great joy in watching my youngest Granddaughter, Akashi, enthusiastically drink up whole cups of fresh green juice as all my other Grandchildren did before her. It’s as if her body knows how healthful it is, packed full of green chlorophyll energy that she needs to be strong in mind and body. In the mornings, we take in our non-caffeinated, energy boost from wheatgrass shots, what we call our “green latte”, as we make a toast, “Cheers to good health!”
If you would like to cultivate more healing, green energy in your life, here are a few ideas to help you get started:
Walk barefoot through the grass or in the woods (or even close your eyes and imagine it if you are, like me, in the snow-covered season)
Drink fresh-pressed, organic, green juice
Wear a green gemstone on your body or place one at your desk or workspace.
And of course, thoughtfully snip a small bit of cedar and rub it between your fingers to take in the healing aroma.
And you, too, may be inspired to bow to the inherent divinity of the natural world and the majestic splendor of green.
Recipe Corner
Mocha Magic Cheesecake
Getting healthier doesn’t mean your culinary options need to be boring! Enjoy this Amar original “cheesecake”!
And just in time... self-love and Valentine's Day go hand in hand. Celebrate yourself with this amazing dessert!
Health & Wellness Insights
Make Your Own Loving Affirmation!
1) Take a quiet moment to reflect on a negative thought you have about yourself that you want to let go of. For example, I don't take good care of myself or I make bad food choices.
2) Compose your affirmation, being sure to use words that are positive and affirming. For example, I take loving, good care of myself! or I make good food choices that support my well-being.
3) Make an affirmation sign, or many signs, and post them around your home in places you’ll see often.
4) Read your affirmation many times each day. Speak it aloud when you can, and practice saying it with conviction.
This is a powerful practice when done with sincerity. It begins with shifting our negative self-talk. As our ideas about ourselves begin to change, we notice that our circumstances begin to reflect that inner change. Be curious and see what happens. It’s a loving Valentines Day gift to give yourself!
Check out what our friends are offering in the world of health
Written by Emily Maiella
I am a naturopathic physician and medical director of the Windhorse Naturopathic Clinic in Brattleboro. With gentle and genuine curiosity, I help patients uncover the sources of illness. Everyday, I continue to be inspired by the philosophy of naturopathic medicine and the effectiveness of the treatments used to assist the body in returning to health.
Today, I would like to share a particular use of colon hydrotherapy, which I believe to be under appreciated. If you are reading Graced By Green, you may already know, or have experienced a colon hydrotherapy treatment. Colon hydrotherapy is an ancient form of cleansing the colon with water, with the intention of removing waste from the large intestine. By gently introducing purified water into the colon, fecal material is softened and loosened, resulting in evacuation through natural peristalsis. This process is repeated many times during a session. At the end of the session, some patients chose to receive a colonic “implant” with wheatgrass juice*, organic coffee, or probiotics, for reseeding.
Our bodies are exposed to toxins every day. These toxins can be as seemingly innocent as the byproducts of digestion or excess hormones created by our body. And of course, there are the ever present environmental exposures which we are continuously filtering.
Colon hydrotherapy works brilliantly as a physical cleanse. However, I’d like to share how it works for cleansing toxic emotions. Research by the late Dr. Candace Pert, formerly at the NIH and Georgetown Medical Center, and author of Molecules of Emotion, shows how emotions and memories are stored in your cells and tissues.
Your glands, organs, tissues, and cells act as storage places for emotions and memories. Dr. Pert famously stated, “your body is your subconscious mind.” Her research shows that when you experience a feeling, or an emotion, this feeling/experience turns into into a peptide, which is subsequently released into the body. This peptide is like a messenger which lands on a peptide receptor on an organ, tissue, skin, muscle, or gland. With the new peptide attached to a peptide receptor, that body tissue has become a storage unit for that experience. Memories are stored (and accessed) anywhere within this peptide/receptor network. And if they go unexpressed, the memories can become lodged.
Colon hydrotherapy is a catalyst for a deeply healing catharsis of the mind and body. The colon hydrotherapy session can be used as a time to be mindfully aware of your emotions. And emotions DO come to the surface during hydrotherapy because, during a treatment, all sorts of new and interesting body sensations arise. These body sensations may give rise to emotions, as physical sensations are often connected to particular memories. When these emotions are expressed and tenderly acknowledged, they can be released. When you are able to connect physically and emotionally during the treatment, there is greater potential for a strong, mind-body-spirit healing. After a treatment, I recommend rest and journaling in the evening, you can even try journaling with your non-dominant hand to awaken a more creative point-of-reference in your consciousness.
If you are interested in learning more about colon hydrotherapy, you can read more about it on the Windhorse website. If you decide to schedule an appointment for colon hydrotherapy, let the staff know that you read about it in the Graced by Green newsletter, and you’ll receive 15% off!