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Juice feasting is so awesome! It can perform miracles and heal many long standing ailments. I have witnessed this for myself. When my Dad was alive he would go on extended juice fasts and shed lots of weight; then his body would use all the juicy nutrition to do some deep house cleaning, like eating up moles that he had for years. Another woman I know, who did tons of juice feasting, turned back the clock and reversed most of her grey hair! Every time I saw her she would look more youthful and beautiful. The key, though, is not just to cleanse, but to change our lifestyle. If we go back to eating processed junk foods the amazing results from juicing will not stick around for long.

Me and David drinking juice and enjoying the sun

Juice 1:
Cabbage
Apple
Cucumber
Bell pepper
Chard

Juice 2:
Beet greens
Celery
Apple
Carrot
Broccoli Raab
Zucchini

Juice 3:
Orange
Pear

Teas:
Nettle
Shatavari, burdock, rhodiola, dandelion root, yellow dock root, coconut flakes, goji, vanilla, schizandra, cats claw, astragalus

Today I stayed in my robe for most of the day while enjoying the warm sunshine. That is, until we took a trip to Whole Foods to stock up on more fruits and veggies. I was slightly tempted to buy myself a raw treat (mmmmmm, coconut macaroons!), but I resisted. My tummy looks a little flatter and already my poop is looking and smelling like detox poop. I apologize if that is TMI, but hey, you can tell a lot about what’s going on in your body if you observe your poop.

Spring is the perfect time for a cleanse! Today, in honor of the spring equinox, I started a 10 day juice feast. In order to keep myself on track I decided to blog about it too It has been a while since I have done a cleanse and I am super duper excited! Every time I have done one I have felt clear headed, blissful, productive, and beautiful by the end. Last night it rained and rained and rained at our place. As I listened to the rain outside my window I smiled and thought how symbolic it was for me because I am about to be flooding my body with healing juice. Just as a good rain helps to beautify and enliven the earth, a good juice feast will help beautify my body and enliven my soul!

My juicy lunch

Juice 1:
Celery
Cucumber
Apple
Carrot

Juice 2:
Apple
Parsnip
Celery
Cucumber
Cilantro

Juice 3:
Apple
Celery
Cucumber
Lemon
Zuchinni

Teas:
Nettle Infusion
Burdock, Shatavari, pau d’arco, fo-ti, goji, vanilla, coconut flakes, schizandra berry

It rained so much last night that it created a strong waterfall in our spillway! Symbolic of my flowing, flushing, and cleansing juice feast

Today I took it easy. We went on lots of nature walks and I took two baths, one with David and one with all three of us (quite a feat in our small tub). I put sea salt and frankincense oil in my first bath to help with my detox. I also took a short nap. I am pacing myself. I have already had mild cravings, sniffles, and felt a bit shaky at one point today. Right now I feel energetic! Tonight I plan on doing some light yoga and maybe watching a netflix with Bryan
Talk to you tomorrow!

Alright, so it’s not really cold outside. Spring is basically here in Texas. Elm and redbud trees are budding, the ground is covered with filaree, dandelion, henbit and periwinkle flowers, and our peach, pear, apricot trees and blueberry bushes are blossoming!! We have been doing a massive amount of seed planting lately, preparing for our paradise garden. Hence the absence of a post last week. Although this winter has been mild, we still had a few cold days and below freezing nights. We used this unique opportunity to rewild ourselves and rewild our child.

Many of you may remember from this post that we keep our son naked most of the time. Even in the winter he is happily running around in his birthday suit. Although we do put more clothing on him when it is cold outside, and especially when he expresses a desire to be warm, I would estimate he has been naked about 80% of the time this winter. Because we didn’t over dress him and because we allowed him to experience the elements uncensored, he is now completely comfortable playing outside naked in 40 to 50 degree weather! I think this is amazing because he didn’t start out this way. The first time a cold front came through David ran inside as fast as he could! I know there are babies who can withstand much colder temperatures though, even playing naked in the snow! Who knows, maybe David (and I) will get there some day too.

David playing outside naked in 50 degree weather

Don’t get me wrong! I am in no way a subscriber to the eagle dad method, where you force your child to run in the snow for his “own good.” I feel children (and adults) should only do what they are ready and willing to do. This is the only way true learning takes place. For example, in The Continuum Concept, Jean Liedloff explains how the Yequana people, from birth, train their babies and toddlers to navigate dangerous waters, all the while respecting their children’s will and comfort. “The yequana take advantage of the babies predisposition to this sort of performance and, keeping his rules and respecting his go ahead signals, dip him into more and more challenging waters. A daily bath is routine from birth, but every infant is also dipped into fast rivers; first only his feet, then his legs, then his entire body. The water goes from swift to swifter and on to plunging rapids and falls, and the time of exposure lengthens too, as the baby’s response reveals growing confidence. Before he can walk or even think, a Yequana baby is well on his way toward expertise on judging the force, direction, and depth of water by sight. His people are among the finest white-water canoeists in the world.” I also read somewhere a while back that in South America, mothers will prepare their babies for consuming their normal spicy cuisine by adding just a tiny amount of spice to their baby food, increasing it little by little until the child is ready for the kind of intense spiciness the adults can handle.

How we “trained” David to handle cold weather was first to keep him naked inside where we kept our home warm. Then we would leave our front door open when we went outside, allowing David to stay inside or follow us at will. At first he would choose to stay inside and watch us through the window as we played or hung laundry up on our clothes line. Little by little, because of his desire to be with us, he would step one foot out the door, then another. Soon he was hanging out on our front porch. And eventually playing barefoot and bare bottomed in our yard. In the beginning we witnessed him squeezing his muscles and grunting a lot. We realized he was learning how to warm himself up from the inside. Sometimes we would carry him outside for short bursts of time, like when we would take our compost out or check our mail. He was naked, but also snuggled next to us in our arms or in a sling and never seemed to mind. Last year, during his first winter, it was colder, and that is when we began to prepare him to handle cold weather. I would keep him naked or only lightly clothed next to me in the moby wrap. My body temperature would warm him up and keep his temperature regulated without over heating.

Me and David outside during his first winter. Here he is wearing a hat and light shirt and no pants

So why in the world do I do this? What is so special about being cold hardy? You may be wondering. Well, first of all, there is a reason nature provides us with cold weather. She is an intelligent one you know. Exposure to the cold, if done right, has the ability to strengthen our immune system, keep our skin and hair young and healthy, improve circulation, relieve depression, and increase fertility (come to think of it, David was conceived in the winter ). As mammals, our bodies have the ability to regulate their own temperatures, but only if we allow them to. In 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive, Cody Lundin explains that “repeated exposure to cold increases the amount of mitochondria within your cell!… The more mitochondria you have, the more heat can be produced.” In essence, activating our self regulating potential is important if you desire to be self sufficient and sovereign. Plus, it is excellent for our health! And you know I am all for that!

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Last night I had a dream about love. I don’t recall all the scenes, but I do remember as I was waking up a male voice spoke to me and summed up what my dream meant. “In order to receive pure love you must give pure love.” In other words, if I give love which is tainted with selfish motives and desires, that is the only kind of love I can receive in return. An image of my 15 month old son came to mind, demonstrating the pure love he gives and the innocent wide eyed, non-judgmental way he lives. This was a perfect reminder for me on Valentines Day morning that Pure Love is the essence of who we are, if we become like little children again. As it says in the Bible, Pure Love “suffereth long, and is kind; envieth not; vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Pure Love never faileth.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–8) That just about describes my son, except for maybe the patient part

My lover and I in 2009. This is one of the more recent photos of us together because…

We have been using our camera to take pictures of this little cutie! (Me wearing 11 month old David at the Farmer’s Market)

Can a woman love more than one man? I am living proof that she can! (Bryan wearing 15 month old David as we take a walk on our land)

In honor of Valentines Day I decided to share my favorite Aphrodisiac Hot Chocolate drink with you. Can you believe I used to be one of those girls who didn’t like chocolate? When I did eat it I would prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate because it had less chocolaty flavor. That is, until I tried RAW chocolate! My body could tell the difference and I would eat straight cacao beans with pleasure. It doesn’t get any darker than that! After being introduced to raw chocolate I basically lived off of it for two years! After that my chocolate nutrition quota was filled. Now I only have raw chocolate on special occasions… holidays, birthdays, raw parties, and times when I require an extra emotional or mental boost. Eating raw chocolate is also a great way to get me in the mood… for fun! (what did you think?) This is why my man gives me Sacred Heart Chocolates, the best raw chocolate bars I’ve had, for all special occasions, like today! He knows he will be rewarded with a huge smile and a kiss! This morning I woke up to a box of raw chocolates and a love poem he had written for me! He is the sweetest!

Anyway, back to the Aphrodisiac Hot Chocolate Recipe. It contains 15 sexy ingredients…

1. Burdock ~ A largely ignored aphrodisiac. Burdock root deeply strengthens the kidneys and reproductive organs. It also purifies the blood and liver. This is one of my favorite daily herbs. It’s great for both men and women.

2. Ashwagandha ~ In Ayurveda ashwagandha is used to treat infertility in men. It is shown to improve the quality of semen. It is also a powerful adaptogen, regulating bodily functions, and restoring overall vitality, endurance, and strength. Ashwagandha helps calm anxiety and relieve stress. In some people this is all it takes to improve sexual desire.

3. Shatavari ~ Considered the most important herb for women in ayurvedic medicine. It increases milk production, boosts female sex drive and is an excellent overall tonic for a woman’s body. Shataviari is to women what ashwagandha is to men.

4. Rhodiola ~ Increases physical and mental performance. It opens the lungs and helps one breathe deeply.

5. Cinnamon ~ Its intoxicating smell has a long been regarded as an aphrodisiac. In the book of Proverbs, cinnamon, together with myrrh and aloe, was used to “perfume the lovers’ bed”. Sounds good to me!

6. Ginger ~ Great aphrodisiac because of it’s ability to increase circulation in our bodies.

7. Rose ~ A common symbol of love and romance. It is also my favorite flower

8. Jasmine ~ One of the most significant sensual aphrodisiac scents used in perfumes and incense.

9. Vanilla bean ~ A well known aphrodisiac with a delicious, calming, and exotic smell.

10. Yohimbe ~ Widely used in Central Africa for sexual potency. It increases blood flow to the genital area. Be careful! A little goes a long way!

11. Almonds ~ Poets and scribes have regarded almonds as a fertility symbol with the power to arouse passion in females.

12. Maca ~ A common aphrodisiac and stamina builder in Peru.

13. Cacao ~ The star of our show today and one of the most well-known aphrodisiacs. Cacao contains phenylethylamine and serotonin, two chemicals produced in the body when feeling joyful, loving, and passionate. It is also high in minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.

14. Reishi ~ A powerful Shen tonic, meaning it calms our minds and nervous system and brings up awareness of our feelings and spiritual self. Bringing spirituality into love making is vital for true fulfillment.

15. Honey ~ Honey is known as the nectar of Aphrodite. It is sticky, creamy, runny, and deliciously sweet! Supposedly, the word honeymoon came from ancient times when newlyweds would drink honey wine for the first 30 days after marriage.

Alright, are you excited yet!? Here it is…

Making the tea, which in and of itself is a fantastic recipe!

Aphrodisiac Hot Chocolate
1/2 cup burdock root
1/4 cup ashwagandha root
1/4 cup shatavari root
1/4 cup rhodiola
2 cinnamon sticks
1 inch piece fresh ginger
Big pinch rose flowers
Big pinch jasmine flowers
Pinch yohimbe bark
1 vanilla bean, chopped
I cup almonds
2 tsp. maca
4-6 tbsp. ground cacao nibs or cacao powder
1-2 droppers full of reishi extract
1/4 – 1/2 cup raw honey
Pinch high quality salt

In big pot add 10 cups spring water along with herbs (burdock, ashwagandha, shatavari, rhodiola, cinnamon, ginger, rose, jasmine, yohimbe and vanilla). Let boil for at least 20 minutes. Strain liquid and place into a Vitamix blender. Add almonds and blend on high for one or two minutes. Strain liquid and place back into blender. Add maca, cacao, reishi, honey and salt and blend until smooth. Enjoy with your lover!

Happy Valentines Day!

Since last year was my first year being a mom, I wasn’t able to plant the massive award winning garden I desired. However, we did do some planting and now we are enjoying the fruits of our labor. We have an adorable little winter garden which is supplying us with arugula, radish, mustard, and kale. I love being able to go outside with my blender in the morning and pick the greens for my breakfast green smoothie.

My winter garden

This year we are gearing up to plant THE BEST GARDEN EVER!! We just purchased all our seeds, soil blocker, and mycogrow today! After a few of our friends named their Space Of Love (Garden of Eden, New Earth Center and Hackberry Farm), we decided to call our domain PARADISE GARDENS. This year our place is definitely going to live up to its name! We have already planted blueberry bushes, fig trees, raspberries, boysenberries, strawberries, mint, akebia, kiwi, emerald carpet raspberry, goji berry bushes, goumi, paw paw, aronia, elderberry and a kousa dogwood tree. If being surrounded by beauty, delicious smells, and healthy food is not enough to motivate you to start planning your garden, I have a list of ten reasons you absolutely must plant a garden this year. Seriously, you have no choice. It’s mandatory!

10 Reasons You Absolutely MUST Plant A Garden This Year:

1. Your garden produce will have more nutrition than anything you can buy in any store. Even processed food from your own garden will have more nutrition than fresh produce from the grocery store. I betcha didn’t know that!

2. You will get produce that is fresher, riper, and tastier than anything in the store. Eating will become an orgasmic experience again!

3. If you do it right, you will save money. Produce from the store can be very expensive. Think of all the trips to Hawaii you could take if you didn’t have to pay for groceries!

4. All your food will be unsprayed and have nothing toxic on it. Even certified organic foods often have (natural but still toxic) pesticides on them. For example, my son David got a rash from eating unwashed organic tomatoes from the store, but has no reaction to unsprayed tomatoes from our friend’s farm.

5. It gives you a reason to spend more time outside, getting exercise, breathing fresh air, and enjoying the beauty of the earth and plants.

6. You’ll have a greater variety of produce. You can grow varieties that can’t be found in any store. Eating will become more interesting and fun!

7. You’ll reduce your impact on our planet. Fewer fossil fuels will be used, less wild land will need to be cleared for farms, fewer toxic chemicals will be sprayed into the environment and so on. Then Mother Earth will thank you by creating more magic and manifestation in your life! For example, cute little birds will land on your head when you reach out to them (happened to me twice ) They know who they can trust!

8. Money, Money, Money! If you sell your surplus, it can become a source of extra income. For example, this guy doesn’t even need a job. All he does is garden and sell his extra produce to neighbors and restaurants. And he only has 1/5 of an acre!

9. Gardening teaches children where food comes from. It also teaches them (and us) the law of the harvest (you reap what you sow). Plus, if you learn to forage wild foods you can learn the higher law – reaping where you didn’t sow.

10. You can help your friends and family become healthier. If you give them fresh home grown vegetables, they’ll feel obligated to eat them. (That’s right! I’ll be giving you vegetables from my garden this year. You know who you are.)

Bonus Reason (from my husband): It gives you extra incentive to keep bees. As if you needed another reason to keep bees.

The best type of gardening, in my opinion, is Forest Gardening, which is basically creating a forest type eco-system with useful and edible trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables. By creating a forest garden you create a self-sustaining paradise. In a forest garden you don’t have to till the soil, plant year after year, or even water after a while. If you desire to look into this awesome style of gardening check out my fav books on the subject…

• Gaia’s Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture
• Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature to Grow Edible Crops
• Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener’s Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles
• Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden
• Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
• The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times
• Edible Forest Gardens (2 volume set)

In any case, make sure you leave room for wild food in your garden because…

Shepherd’s purse makes an awesome snack

David picking shepherds purse

David eating shepherds purse

Curly dock

Plus filaree flowers

Equal yumminess!
(curly dock wraps with raw macadamia nut “cheese,” decorated with filaree flowers)

Enjoy your life!

Here is part two of our interview with Courtney Clay on Ecstatic Parenting. We are going to cover some awesome topics today such as discipline, schooling, unassisted birth, and health care! If you have yet to read part one click here first. Enjoy!

Courtney, our honored guest

RG: What are your views on discipline or training?

CC: I view my relationship with my son as a partnership. The key, for me, in maintaining harmony in our relationship is clear communication, and seeing him as my ally. I try my best to understand him, and his reasons for doing what he does… not just so I can know, but also (and especially!) so I can help him consciously understand his reasons! I try my best to determine the cause of his actions, rather than scolding (or praising) the visible effects of that invisible cause. For example, if he is acting out in some way, I will see if I can determine what he wants to communicate to me, and shift my focus to what that might be, rather than being resistant/offended/righteous about a certain behavior and letting it distract my focus from what’s really going on with him. I might not figure it out right away, but just being open to finding out shifts my energy into more peacefulness and compassion. I still communicate to him about the behavior itself (why I don’t like it, and what I will do if he does it again… like remove the thing involved, take him somewhere else, etc), but I try not dwell on it.

So often, acting out is related to tiredness, hunger, pain, boredom (lack of the stimulation of the learning opportunities someone requires at that time), or loneliness… remember that this is true for children AND adults!! If I have a feeling about why he is acting out, I will ask him about it, to assist him in becoming aware of his own feelings and motivations, so he learns to understand himself. Then our communication turns into a mutual seeking of understanding. My son is still a toddler, and since becoming a toddler, I have noticed that often, the strength and “bigness” of his emotions scares him! Often, when he has an emotional outburst, he will immediately ask to nurse… like he lost control and scared himself, and needs comfort! So my number one priority in those situations is to help him understand himself, and for ME to be calm and compassionate so he can see that I’M not scared or provoked by his outburst, so he doesn’t have to be, either. Not to say that I always feel calm or compassionate in those situations… that is certainly not always the case! But that is another opportunity for deepening our connection. When I am able to come to a calmer place, I also share with him what I was/am feeling (having it be about me, not blaming my feelings on him), so he can see that I, also, navigate through really big emotions… so it’s another connection point between us. Love, understanding, communication… that’s what it’s all about!

Courtney spinning Cedar

RG: What are your views on child education?

CC: I believe that all humans are born already equipped with a deep, all-consuming, biological drive to understand and develop proficiency in the place in which they find themselves, and this drive begins in full force at the moment or birth (or the moment of conception, really). Babies and young children practice unrelentingly, and eventually master, basic physical movement and methods of communication with those around them. As toddlers, they unrelentingly imitate those around them, feeling deeply that the way those around them are acting, and the things they are doing, indicate the most important things about this place they were born into — therefore, the things they MUST explore thoroughly for themselves. If they are prevented from following this drive, they throw fits, because this drive to become proficient is SO strong. If they are told that they should be doing something other than what they feel deeply driven to do (which is what school curriculums do), it will not make sense to them, because they are already equipped with a mechanism within that shows them exactly what they REALLY need to be doing to develop proficiency as quickly as possible. There is a method of childhood “education” that supports this view of human nature, called child-led learning, self-directed learning, or unschooling. An accurate way to perceive unschooling is learning by living, rather than school’s effects of separating everyday life from “things you will need to know, someday, for some reason, although most of us still aren’t sure why”. Public schools SEEM to teach about so many subjects… yet, how many of us learned the most basic things about life in school? How many of us learned in school about optimal nourishment, food preparation, how to grow food for ourselves, tree and rock climbing, thermoregulation (body temperature regulation, which is essential for survival outside of the climate-controlled boxes we live in), how to purify water for drinking, how to make basic things like clothing or simple furniture… and those are just basic things every human should know (and used to know, in the not-too-distant past), to keep ourselves healthy and comfortable in any situation. These are the skills that used to be passed down in families… practical skills. The main purpose of modern schooling seems to be all about learning how to follow orders, conform to a schedule, and learn skills that will make us useful as another cog in the wheel of an unsustainable societal structure (so we can “get a job”).

I have never been to school (besides 4 years of community college, where I studied only exactly what I wanted to learn). When I was young, my parents decided to keep me out of school, since neither of them perceived much benefit from their own schooling experience, and felt there was something much more ideal they could do for their children. For most of my childhood, my sisters, my friends and I were immersed in imaginative, creative play, with a wide variety of “practical life skills” woven into our play. I learned to read at a young age, because I had early interest in reading. My two younger sisters’ interest in reading came much later (when they were 9-10), but when they got into it, they skipped all the “children’s books” and went right for grown-up books like The Bible and A Wrinkle In Time (each of which were one of my sisters’ “first books”!). They have both been avid readers ever since.

Learning and observing all the time

As a child and teenager, I learned from living… I still learn from living, and I always will. The best thing my parents assisted me in learning was how to learn. If one understands how to learn, how to access the information and resources they require to follow their interests on a subject, anything is possible! The way my parents “taught” me how to learn, was when expressed interest in something, my parents involved me in finding out resources and answers, so I observed them doing that. I have taught myself so many things. It was usually a combination of personal experimentation and seeking help from those with extensive experience who were willing to help me. I never had schoolteachers, but I have had so many inspiring, memorable teachers in my life. I also learned a lot from the environment I grew up in… my parents ran their own home business during my childhood, so I learned how to be an entrepreneur. I have owned 3 of my own successful businesses so far. My sister now makes her living as a highly sought-after music teacher (piano & violin) in California. My other sister is an accomplished ballerina and a talented graphic designer.

From an unschooling perspective, “school-age” begins at birth. With my son, since the day he was born, I have paid attention to his cues about what he is most ready for and interested in exploring, and I help facilitate his learning. Obviously, sometimes, there are things he is interested in that he is not ready for (like playing with sharp knives). But learning that he is not ready for something (and the reason for it) is part of learning about it! I try to ensure that if I do prevent him from doing something he wants to do, I have a really good reason for it, and I communicate that reason, and then do the best I can to give him a similar option that works (like using a duller knife to practice cutting vegetables himself).

Self-directed learning (unschooling) just makes sense, when human nature is deeply considered. Babies naturally have an internal motivation to learn to sit up, crawl, walk, run, talk, and have conversations. We don’t have to convince them that they need to learn those things… it is obvious. The best thing we can do is support them and encourage their efforts, and help them out when they ask for it. Along that train of thought, would it not be the same for more “advanced” skills like reading, writing, calculating numbers, learning about computers, how to repair things and make things, etc? Of course it is!! Children/teenagers/adults, just like babies, naturally have a keen observation of the world around them that tells them exactly what they need to know at all times. If a child identifies a good reason in his environment that makes him really want to know how to read, he will be motivated by an unstoppable force, with single-pointed focus… and when that motivation is present, I have seen (and experienced myself, as a child/teenager/adult) children learn a subject 10-20+ times faster than a child who is told they should learn something by someone else, yet they themselves do not fully understand the practical and meaningful application in their own life of learning that thing. There is no separation between learning and life. Learning IS life.

Cedar learning how to make food by watching/helping Courtney

RG: You had an unassisted home birth. Will you talk about this a little and share what effect you think this had on Cedar?

CC: Yes! You can read the full story of my pregnancy and birth on my blog, here:

http://chocotrixie.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-blissful-pregnancy-cedars-glorious.html

Giving birth to my first child, in my home, with only my husband and my mom present, was definitely the most intense experience of my life so far! He was born 28 hours after my first gentle contractions began. My husband caught him, and I heard the voice and looked into the eyes of my perfect little creation. I was ecstatic beyond words, I felt triumphant beyond comprehension, and caught a momentary glimpse of the vastness of my power. I have been very different since then.

All throughout my pregnancy, I felt deeply called to give birth in the most sacred, intimate way possible… for me, that was about being in my comfortable sacred space, surrounded only by my husband and my mother. I knew it had the potential to be a profoundly spiritual experience, if I could create the conditions that would nurture and support that state in coming forth. I did, and it was crazy intense.

I think the effect it had on Cedar was one of empowerment and triumph… we did it together, the only two people who could have done it for us! I breathed into it, dove into the all-consuming intensity, even when I really thought I couldn’t do it. As my son was born, my perception of myself was reborn.

I also think it created an immediate powerful, intimate bond for us as a new family. Cedar, Isaac & I have a closeness, a resonance, that I rarely observe in families I see, especially families who choose more mainstream child-raising methods. I feel so grateful to experience this level of intimacy, harmony, and unspoken knowingness (which often feels very telepathic) within my amazing small family!

Courtney, Isaac, and Cedar sun gazing at White Rock Lake

RG: I know Cedar has rarely been sick in his 2 years of life, but what do you do to help him heal quickly when he does feel less than ideal?

CC: Cedar has had only a few mild “bugs” in his life so far, and they always came at times when we were under some form of stress (often the good kind, excitement-stress!) and around lots of people… like both times we attended the Rethinking Everything conference, where we sleep at a hotel for 5 nights and participate in group activities and sessions for many days, and are around hundreds of people! Both times when we got home, he had a mild cold for a few days… I just saw it as his immune system having been suddenly bombarded with a huge amount of new information, and he was taking some “down time” to integrate all of it! He has never had an ear infection, a fever, or any childhood illnesses (even though he is not vaccinated).

In the instances where he is having some “down time” in this way, I take extra care to ensure his environment is calming and more quiet than usual, and we usually spend a few days by ourselves around our house and outside on our land. I usually will evaluate my own life at this time, to determine if there is any imbalance that is trying to get my attention through Cedar’s condition (which always ends up being the case!). I make sure I am extra available for him (attention and nursing), and that I am nurturing myself plenty, as well. When he was younger and mostly nursing (not eating much food), I would eat extra medicinal mushrooms, vitamin C, and other immune system supporting herbs, and cut back on expansive/stimulating foods, and foods that require lots of digestive energy… then he would benefit through my breastmilk. Now that he’s eating more, I just add more of those things into his food. Mostly I just focus on relaxing more, clearing any unnecessary activities out of my schedule, and being really present with myself and him.

Courtney comforting Cedar

RG: Cedar has never been to a doctor or pediatrician in his life. Please share how you feel about children and medical care.

CC: A decade ago, I took responsibility for my own health. I decided that if I wanted to experience a particular level of health, it was up to me, and I learned that my state of health is directly related to my lifestyle and emotional state. Even when I was a child, my sisters and I rarely saw doctors. We were all born at home. Being my parents’ firstborn back in 1981, they knew very little at that time about the harmful effects of vaccinations, so when they took me in for a routine vaccination when I was just over a year old, I pulled the needle out of my butt. That was the last vaccination I ever had, as that incident caused my parents to rethink the vaccination issue and do some research… so my younger sisters never got any!

In my experience of reality, there has never been a reason to go to a doctor, outside of real emergencies. I didn’t see a doctor or midwife during my whole pregnancy, and haven’t since, either. I know enough about natural foods, herbs, and caring for my body, to at least have an idea of what to do in any situation… and I feel confident with acting on what I know. Even if I don’t know everything I might need to know, I feel confident than my intuition will serve me well, and that I probably already have more of a clue than most doctors.

Most people go see doctors because they don’t know how to care for their own bodies, and/or they don’t trust themselves. I’m not talking about broken legs or uncontrollable bleeding… but minor things like colds, flus and ear infections. Those things are so easy to resolve with awareness, knowledge of how our bodies work, knowledge of natural foods and herbs, confidence in our ability to care for ourselves, patience, faith, and the ability to look honestly at where we are off balance in our life. I empower all of us to claim these qualities as our own!

RG: Are there any additional words of wisdom you would like to share on parenting and nourishing our children?

CC: If you have interest in learning how to use superfoods, wild foods & nutrient-dense raw foods, I will be publishing my first book in September 2012! Recipes for Ecstasy: 55 Delicious & Deeply Nutritious Culinary Creations using Superfoods, Raw Food & Wild Food.

My increase in appetite since giving birth has inspired the creation of an astonishing amount of delicious recipes! Follow my blog to stay tuned:

http://chocotrixie.blogspot.com

Also, visit my blog if you are interested in my further musings on subjects related to conscious parenting, and let me know what you think!
~Courtney Clay

Courtney and Cedar on their five acres of land

Good work Courtney! As usual, You ROCK!

I have a very special treat for you today! I decided to interview one of my best friends, Courtney Clay, on her views on parenting. The way she interacts with her son Cedar is both Radical and Refreshing and very different from the way people in our society normally raise their children. At times, on my blog, I post things which are bold, opinionated, and tend to “stir the pot” a little, like this post did. My reasoning for doing this is not to be judgmental, critical, or contradictory to someone’s viewpoint or way of life, but only to present a different, more empowered way of being and looking at our world.

What both Courtney and I love best is being in community, sharing, talking, dancing, playing, eating amazing food, and appreciating everyone’s uniqueness without judgment or pretense. This is not to say our ego never takes over in our interaction with others, but when it does we regret it. In our hearts we realize everyone is awesome and cosmic, a spiritual brother or sister who has so much worth and so much to teach us. So, my dear friends, as you read the interview below, please take what resonates with you and discard what doesn’t. All we ask is that you follow the spirit, your own internal guidance system. The more we listen to it and follow its promptings, the stronger it becomes.

And now, without further adieu, I introduce to you Courtney Clay…

RG: Your son, Cedar, has been slightly advanced to very advanced in almost every milestone so far in his development, from physical coordination to talking. How much of this do you attribute to the way you nourish him?

CC: I feel his nourishment has enhanced and accelerated his development in all areas. A lot of children these days who grow up on processed food have a variety of challenges… the main ones I’ve noticed (common in many young children I have observed) are regular runny noses, colds and ear infections multiple times each year, digestive issues, tooth decay, stunted growth, requiring a lot of sleep (longer naps and more night sleep than Cedar requires to be fully rested), and a general sluggishness, moodiness, and/or rebelliousness… all of which are absent in Cedar. When a child doesn’t have to deal with all those things, they have far more energy to grow, explore, and become proficient in their world. That’s my perception on how my son’s health has affected his development.

Also realize that what our culture views as “developmentally advanced” is only advanced compared to the norm in our culture, where low-grade, chronic sickness IS the norm. In many indigenous cultures, whose diets are nutrient-dense, and who live close to the earth and live in family/community, the development of their children is quite a bit more accelerated than even what our culture views as advanced!

RG: What foods are you currently giving to Cedar (or what are his favorite foods)? And which foods do you feel are the most important for children to consume for optimum development?

CC: The qualities of food I emphasize in Cedar’s (and my own) diet, which I see as my responsibility to provide for him, creatively encourage him to eat, and be an example of enjoying them, are:

1. Nutrient-dense … grown in richly mineralized soil, and varieties that are wild/heirloom/minimally-hybridized.

2. Fresh … for fruits and veggies, this means they were picked as soon as possible before eating; NOT the 1-2 week-old “fresh” produce from the store! (although we do buy organic produce from the store sometimes, for variety’s sake) For nuts/seeds, it means they have been cold-stored to keep the oils from going rancid.

3. Minimally-processed … we do mildly “process” some things, via our blender, food processor, dehydrator, and buying high-quality packaged superfoods… but all of these are a HUGE upgrade to the way “processed foods” and fast foods are processed!

Courtney, Cedar, David and I picking up fresh produce at the Saturday morning farmer’s market

I feel best about him eating the freshest, most nutrient-dense raw foods I can possibly access. His diet currently includes:

• Wild-harvested local spring water
• Nutrient-dense fat & protein sources … he really goes for the fatty stuff, as a rapidly growing child should! He loves avocados, macadamia nuts, chia seeds in the form of homemade chia crackers, coconut, fresh pecans from our trees, raw egg yolks, pumpkin seeds, cashews, crunchy chlorella tabs, dulse, nori, and superfood treats I make with lots of hemp seeds and algae.
• Wild foraged foods … he can identify a dozen or more wild foods on his own, and eats them regularly! His favorites are wood sorrel leaves and flowers, wild arugula flowers, and various wild berries and fruits.
• Fermented foods … he loves my homemade pickles, kombucha, water kefir, beet kvass, and lacto-fermented sodas.
• Mineral-rich herbal tea infusions … his favorites are nettle and oatstraw.
• Mineral-rich fruits … he loves berries, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, and many wild fruits including wild persimmons, juniper berries, hackberries, gum bully berries, wild pears, and dewberries.
• Fresh veggies … he doesn’t eat many leafy greens at this point, but he loves celery, wild wood sorrel, and enjoys leafy greens or any other veggie as part of the delicious salads we make.

By the way, he is still breastfeeding many times daily (and a couple times during the night) at this point (he is 28 months), which I know adds so much to his health! He also enjoys raiding my supplement cabinet. I only eat food-source and superfood supplements, so he’s welcome to anything we have. He loves to chew up probiotic and enzyme capsules, DHA (golden algae source) capsules, take droppers of marine phytoplankton, drink angstrom minerals, and he sometimes even eats reishi mushroom capsules!

I feel medicinal mushrooms are some of the best food-herbs for children to consume. They are non-toxic in any amount, and are immune-system tonics/modulators. So I regularly make a few recipes that contain mushrooms for him, like our Super Blueberry Popsicles: blend blueberries, a little water, a bit of honey or raw coconut sugar, medicinal mushroom powders (usually reishi and/or chaga), high-vitamin-C berry powders (like camu, acerola or amla), and maybe wild blue-green algae and/or a super supplement like Bone Renewal from The Synergy Company (which contains food-source calcium, magnesium, silica, vitamins D3, K1, K2, and herbal synergists… great for growing bodies!!) … blend, then add to popsicle moulds! The blueberries really balance out the bitter and tart flavors of the mushrooms and vitamin C.

Young Cedar eating a blueberry popsicle

My diet is really similar to Cedar’s, except I eat a larger percentage of herbs, vegetables, seaweed, and raw chocolate

All that said, it is essential to note that I do not view the structure above as a dietary regimen; it is not a fixed idea of what the perfect diet is. I am constantly evolving, and if I were to identify my Self with a specific way of doing things, I would be disempowered… the picture I painted above is only a snapshot of what I am currently inspired to provide for my son and am drawn to for myself. It is my current perception of my healthiest choices in the realm of food at this point in time. I am not recommending that you do all/any of those things… I do recommend that you continually explore new ways of nourishing yourself, broaden your culinary horizons, and always seek higher levels of health and happiness. Pay attention to what resonates with you, inspires you, gets you feeling excited, and DO THAT! Also pay attention to what you might be doing currently that is holding you back, and consider letting it go. Whether your inspiration is ignited by something I am doing, or something someone else is doing, or a vision that comes to you in a dream… whatever, it doesn’t matter. Do what makes YOU feel ecstatic!

RG: How important do you feel being in nature is for children?

CC: Essential for optimal health and happiness. Think of it this way: What IS nature, anyway? Nature is all that exists naturally on the planet we were born onto. Our bodies are living organisms made completely of earth substance; our bodies are intelligent, self-sustaining and self-repairing ecosystems in themselves. Our bodies are designed to exist within and interact with the greater ecosystem around us, which is also intelligent, self-sustaining and self-repairing.

In our modern societies, we have tried so hard to distance ourselves from the natural world. We have tried to control nature; to subdue it. We have created artificial ecosystems that are NOT intelligent, self-sustaining and self-repairing: they require constant maintenance from us, and are always in danger of falling apart. That in itself is fine, it could be a fun game… except that we have become dependent on these systems. Most people, these days, would be terrified if they had to live outside of their climate-controlled boxes, away from the stimulating/sedating processed food they are used to, and suddenly completely responsible for providing for themselves all of their basic needs like shelter, food and water. Any other animal on earth (except maybe our domesticated pets) would be instinctively confident and resourceful in this situation. Most people in our society would not be able to survive on our very own planet, if these man-made, fragile structures fell apart even temporarily!

So nature is our natural home. We are one of many living organisms that are part of the natural world, and we are interdependent. Modern man has become arrogant, to our great detriment. Indigenous people who have lived out their whole lives intimately connected with nature would not even consider doing anything which would cause harm to the ecosystem in which they live, because they recognize this larger ecosystem as their body’s life-support system! When we look at it this way, it can seem like the greatest form of insanity possible.

Cedar climbing trees and enjoying the natural world around him!

The earlier we can begin to discover our place in the natural world, the more deeply we can develop a meaningful connection with all life, and maybe discover a greater sense of purpose in our life.

The benefits I have noticed from children being in regular contact with the natural world: They are calmer, and more alert, focused, and engaged with what’s going on around them. There is constant movement in the natural world, a constant rhythm, and interesting changes and cycles. The terrain is more varied and more challenging, so they have an opportunity to develop much greater physical proficiency (which automatically develops mental proficiency) by navigating hills, rocks, mud, sand, trees, spiky plants, weather extremes (which fine-tune our body’s adaptability and immune system) etc. The air is fresh and full of oxygen, which balances their energy and mood and sharpens their minds. They have the opportunity to observe where their nourishment really comes from: food and water originate in the natural world, not in a store. They can discover the joy of interacting with a variety of different life forms, like animals, insects and birds. They are exposed to sunlight, which is essential for healthy growth, bone development, happiness, contentment, deep sleep, and hormone regulation. Children are naturally more active when they’re outdoors, because there’s so much more space, and so much to explore. It’s a way for them to channel their high energy in a constructive way. Nature makes toys, too! Sticks, rocks, and balls (fruits/nuts from plants and trees) of all shapes and sizes!

RG: You like to sleep outside with Cedar whenever the weather permits. What positive effect do you feel this has on him?

CC: Every time I sleep outside, I notice how much more interesting the sky is than my bedroom ceiling I love breathing fresh air all night long (we open our bedroom windows every night anyway, even in winter, but actually being outside makes such a difference!), hearing the crickets sing at night and the birds sing at sunrise, and waking up to a beautiful and ever-changing panorama of sky! One time, we slept outside for a few nights, in a straw-bale circle we made (our usual outdoor sleeping spot), and there was a cricket that would hang out on one of the straw bales and start singing to us as soon as we laid down, for a few nights in a row! Our most recent night outdoors, which was a couple weeks ago, Cedar & I slept so deeply and when he woke up in the morning, he was so calm, gazing at the sky, and talking to me about the interesting cloud formations that were floating by. There is something so magical and grounding about sleeping outside, and I so deeply enjoy sharing this experience with my son!

Cedar napping outside

RG: What are your views on children watching television, especially under 3 years of age?

CC: I don’t believe that television, computers and video games are inherently harmful, yet for the Space of Love I am inspired to create with my family, these things play a small (computers) to nonexistant (television) role. My opinion on television is that it offers little value for a child’s early development. I feel that it can be somewhat confusing, distracting, and useless for young children, who are still constructing their basic worldview… especially most of the “programming” available on TV these days. I have never owned a TV in my life… when I moved out of my parents’ house, that was the end of it for me. I enjoyed a few TV shows as a child and teenager, but I don’t miss it at all, and I very much enjoy the silence and simplicity that remains in its place. The occasional YouTube clip gives me all the satisfaction I desire of that kind! Sometimes Cedar and I watch videos on the computer together… he loves the videos you make, Debbie! He says, “let’s watch a Debbie video!” In the past week, we also watched a clip about a little girl who is friends with many wild animals (Tippi… she’s amazing!!), and some little boys playing djembe drums and didgeridoos. So if we watch anything, it’s for a few minutes at a time while we’re together, and we usually spend hours daily outside and playing in other interactive ways… compared to many children these days, who only spend a few minutes (or no time!) outside, and many hours in front of the television daily.

The harm that I see associated with television and other media is in the way so many modern children use them: to fill an emotional hole caused by an unsatisfying life with too much artificial stimulation and materialism, and not enough natural stimulation like close relationships, imaginative play, and nature. To me, that’s very different than if a child (especially an older child) has a strong interest in a subject, and their interest leads them to immerse themselves temporarily in internet research, a specific game, or a related television program. The effect that an external thing (like television) has on us is greatly determined by the inner intention that is motivating us to interact with it!

So I don’t have any rules, I just follow my inspiration on which way to go, and pay attention to my feelings, and if I feel depressed or uninspired about a situation I’m in that involves media (or anything else), my inspiration is urging me to head in a different direction.

~Courtney Clay
http://www.chocotrixie.blogspot.com

David and Cedar lovin’ up on Courtney

We are not finished! I asked my friend six more loaded questions and she gave me six more brilliant answers! Click here for part two of this interview!

Have an ecstatic day!

I realize I have been posting a lot about the law of attraction, goal setting, and synchronicity lately, the reason being it is a new year and I am stoked about creating and conjuring awesome things in my life! One of the top tools in my “manifestation handbag,” besides mind movies, affirmations, clearing space, and blissful living, is vision boards.

Picture of my vision board

Pictures are powerful. Creative expression is powerful. Combine the two and you have the perfect right brained activity to activate magic in your life! For example, a couple of months before David was born I created a vision board. On it I put a picture of a red car. I really desired a new eco-friendly car. Ours was 10 years old and frequently needed maintenance. Not to mention it was super loud when we drove on the freeway! A couple of weeks after making my vision board our car window broke. Remember, everything that happens, whether it is perceived as “good” or “bad,” is a blessing. Since fixing the window would cost more than our car was worth investing in, this incident convinced my practical husband (we balance each other out quite nicely) to trade it in for a new car. Yeah!! We decided on a RED 2008 Honda Civic with great gas milage (eco-friendlyish) and 4 doors (instead of 2). Just in time for baby’s arrival!

Would all this have happened if I didn’t set my intention and create my vision board? Probably not. The way it works is by placing your vision board in a location where you will see it often, your subconscious mind will absorb the images within it. Then when opportunities arise in your life to achieve the things depicted on your vision board, your subconscious mind will guide you to make the right choices and enable you to achieve these things. By making my vision board I saw a picture of a red car several times a day and envisioned myself owning one. Sure enough, within a month I did!

So how do you make a vision board and start living your dreams? It is as easy as one, two, three…

1. Collect and save your favorite magazines

2. Cut and paste pictures from these magazines onto a big posterboard. Make sure to choose pictures which invoke happy feelings and are representative of your goals and desires

3. Look at your vision board every day and watch miracles happen! Oh, and be sure to give thanks to God, to whom we owe gratitude for every living breath we take, for everything you receive.

Me and my car on a windy day

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” ~Matthew 7: 7-11

I am a big proponent of taking care of my teeth naturally and holistically. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The last time I went to a dentist was about 4 years ago when I removed my amalgam filling. After being disillusioned by at least three incompetent dentists, I realized I required to take responsibility for the health and longevity of my own teeth. One dentist, in realizing I had a slight jaw misalignment, actually suggested he break my jaw and put a metal post in it to fix it. What?! Are you serious?! He was. He had this insane procedure done on himself. Poor man! As for me, I will stick with my slight overbite thank you very much!

What are the main reasons people go to the dentist? One, to check for cavities. Two, to fix misalignments. And three, to get a semi-annual cleaning. Proper nutrition can prevent and even reverse cavities and teeth misalignment (especially in children). In his well researched book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Weston Price, a dentist, found nutrition had a direct impact on dental health and jaw bone structure. In an effort to find out why so many “civilized” people had dental problems, he studied several tribes of indigenous people. When these tribes consumed their natural diet they NEVER had any issues with their teeth or need for dental care! Once fed a western diet, the dental health of these same indigenous people, and especially their offspring, rapidly deteriorated. The hundreds of photos in this book are worth a thousand words!

As for the semi-annual cleaning. I have the perfect alternative solution for you! This tooth powder recipe, which I found on herbmentor.com, is the best way to clean teeth I know of. As most of you may already be aware of, conventional toothpaste is chock full of harmful ingredients. Sodium fluoride (used in rat poison), blue dye, sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, and hydrated silica just to name a few. Even organic healthier toothpaste versions have ingredients which can be too harsh and abrasive or can coat our enamel, therefore never allowing our teeth to be fully clean. So obviously a professional cleaning would be useful for those who use toothpaste. This tooth powder, on the other hand, leaves my teeth feeling as clean and fresh as a visit to the dentist. I like it even better than tooth soap, which is also a great alternative to toothpaste. In addition, the kaolin clay in this recipe is reported (by a dentist) to feel and look exactly the same as the expensive tooth polishing agent in her office. Hmmmmmm….

Tooth Powder:
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup kaolin clay
30 drops spearmint oil
1 tbsp. ground dried sage (helps whiten teeth)

Mix ingredients well and store in airtight container. To use, dab a small amount of tooth powder on wet toothbrush and brush as usual.

Oh, and remember to floss!

After writing my Power of Synchronicity post several weeks ago I recieved lots of positive feedback from my readers. Apparently y’all love hearing magical fairy tale stories. You know, the kind where you actually do get what you desire, kiss the prince, and live happily ever after. Let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like experiencing synchronicity. Like the time I decided I desired to take piano lessons and a couple weeks later found a business card for a local piano teacher in a raw food recipe book I checked out from the library. After throwing this business card away, I met the exact same piano teacher in one of my yoga classes who spontaneously asked me if I was interested in taking piano lessons. How did she know? After handing me her card I recognized it right away! Needless to say, I signed up with her and she turned out to be the most awesome piano teacher ever! That reminds me, I require to start my lessons back up again.

Me lying on a hammock near our hotel in Hawaii

A few months ago, one of my friends put a hammock up outside on her land. It is tied between two pecan trees. I would go over there and enjoy a large part of my visit swinging in her hammock with David. What BLISS! How amazing it is to sway back and forth and look up at the clear blue sky and her beautiful pecan trees. David would nurse and nap and I would meditate. I made up my mind. I had to have one of these for myself! Soon after I wrote out a desire list and posted it on my fridge. At the top of my list I put my desire for a hammock. Mentally, I was trying to figure out how to make it happen. We didn’t have the right tree spacing to tie a hammock to, which I really desired, so in my mind I thought I would have to get a hammock with a stand. And because of our budget at the time I knew we would have to wait until spring to purchase one. I was bummed. This is the scary part of our fairy tale, when you don’t quite know if the heroine is going to have her happy ending. But, as fairy tales go, I was bound to come out strong.

My friend Courtney read my desire for a hammock just like hers. She likes to read everything I write down on my fridge, calendar, and notepads. I think my list making and note taking obsession amuses her. Anyway, she had received her hammock as a gift several years ago when she lived in Hawaii with her former partner. Her partner had received one as a gift as well. She called him and asked if he still had it. He did and it had never been opened! She picked it up from him and surprised me with it for David’s early birthday present!! I admit, I went a little insane…. squealing with delight, jumping up and down, and giving her several hugs in a row. In addition to bringing me a hammock, she brought a wood post so that I could tie one end to one of my trees and the other end to this post (remember how I preferred a tree hammock)! The post needed to be cemented into the ground and, synchonictically, our garage had a couple bags of pre-mixed cement, which I guess the previous tenant had left. So we were able to put it up right then and there! Within only a week or two of writing my desire down, it manifested! I was so happy! The next morning we went outside and enjoyed most of our day on our very own hammock! And we lived Happily Ever After!

David taking a nap in our hammock

The End