587-581-5081 Marikarhall@icloud.com
Rest as medicine for a new world!

Rest as medicine for a new world!

” Rest is not only an act of self-care but of reclamation, rememberance and resistance.”

I began writing this at 31 weeks into my second pregnancy and it has taken me over a year to finish it. It is on a topic that has been on my mind for a long time, especially since experiencing pregnancy and being a mom and it is around our ideas of Rest. What does it mean to truly rest and why is it so hard for so many of us to do? Why do so many suffer from chronic fatigue? Why do most of my patients, especially the mamas come to me exhausted, stressed and still pushing themselves? Why is it that when someone is sick or injured they go back to work the minute they can. If anything I would have hoped Covid would have taught us to slow down and really wait till we are better before we go back to work, but alas it seems that now we just work from our homes and continue to push ourselves.

Ever since having my daughter four year ago I have felt tired on some level or another, there were moments before that, of course, while busy trying to study and work or when ill or injured but nothing quite like trying to be a working mother. Add another pregnancy and a second job and it was hard to function without multiple naps. I certainly am better at allowing myself to rest these days, as I know how trying to rush back to things leads to more illness and exhaustion, and yet I still feel that pressure from somewhere deep inside myself, a seed planted, a family icon calling to me that I should be doing more, I should be better by now, I should be able to get up and go like I used to.

As I see it there are many factors that affect this, One of the most insidious of these runs back to the origins of North American colonization, that of the Protestant Ethic. An idea that the work we did was what made us worthy under the eyes of God and the harder we worked the more “holy” we were. This can easily be seen playing out in the “American Dream” and the idea that we can create anything from our hardwork, no matter who we were born to or our status in society. This powerful messaging has been carried forth by our culture and our families. My Father’s family who came to North America very early on has this story woven into our DNA, I saw it in the way my grandfather, father and uncle worked so hard, and how they indulged in booze, food and marijuana to make them feel better in their lives and I have seen it in myself, how i push myself to achieve more or take on more things than I can handle.

This history of hard work and no rest that is woven into our culture has caused many to feel like failures, sinking into some form of addiction to numb the voice of disapproval or manifesting some illness that will not allow them to work hard anymore. The body or mind demanding the rest that is so desperately needed. This has been a recurring theme for myself and many I know, taking on too much and then either becoming ill, getting injured or having to cancel a commitment that you made because it is all too much. The sense of failure leads many to some form of addiction or self-beratement that pulls us further down the spiral of having to work harder.

Then there is the need to survive in this reality we have created, rising food costs and rent, mortgages and childcare. I recently discovered that Canada has one of the highest housing to income costs in the world. In the face of the cost of living I understand why people don’t rest when they need to and yet as a society and a country that is evidently one of the best to live in in the world we don’t take very good care of our people.

But there is another way, a way our ancient ancestors knew and a way that many are starting to find and that is to move more slowly, to recognize these stories within ourselves and our culture and resist them, to allow ourselves to fully rest when we need to. At one point in time the Estimated Due Date (EDD) for a woman was known as the Estimated Date of Confinement (EDC) and it was not the date when baby was expected to arrive but the period of time she would remove herself from the world to care for herself, to nap and walk in nature, to eat many small nourishing meals, to nest and move into the deeper delta waves of the brain that are needed to birth and care for an infant. It was also common practice that a mother and babe would be left alone in the quiet and dark of their birthing space for weeks to allow for the full healing of the mother’s body and the gentle welcoming of the baby into the world. At birth we are blown open and our babies are just entering into a whole new world, still half in the realms of spirit they need time to settle into their bodies and become aware of the world around them. It is up to us to reclaim this practice of rest and care and support each other in it.

So what can we do? Firstly, we can honour our need to rest and when our bodies feel exhausted we can lie down or take a nap. Set boundaries around your time and capacity so you can nourish yourself first in order to give back to the world. Secondly, we can look to our friends and family and recognize when they are in need of an extra hand. When visiting a new mom bring her food and offer to do some laundry or wash some dishes. When a friend is ill or had surgery check in and see if you could pick up their groceries or medications or bring them some soup you lovingly made or bought. Offer to watch your friends kids for an hour or two and let them go and do whatever it is they most desire to do; nap, watch a movie, get a massage,….. It is only through caring for ourselves and then those we love that this will ripple out into our communities and eventually out into society at large.

Spring Equinox, Finding Balance and Supporting the Liver

Spring Equinox, Finding Balance and Supporting the Liver

We find ourselves once again at the turning of the wheel, where light balances dark and we are called to see what it in and out of balance in our lives. The equinoxes are my favourite times of year, heralding a great change from yin to yang and yang to yin. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are blessed to be moving into spring and here on the West coast the world is singing with fertility and life. when I go on my morning walks, the birds are singing their merry tunes and the daffodils are waving hello, the cherry blossoms wave in the wind releasing their intoxicating scent. We are reminded that are that died away in the fall has given rise to this new life and so I hope for you that what you released in the fall has given rise to new and fresh dreams within you. 

For those of you who wish to take a little quite time and reflect at this powerful time. Find a quiet space and time, take a few deep breaths, light a candle and call on your guides and take some time to consider these questions:

  1. What has happened in your life since the fall equinox?
  2. What was revealed to you in that time?
  3. What feels out of balance in your life?
  4. How would you like to bring new balance to your life until the next equinox?

In Chinese Medicine we have fully entered into the season of wood. Wood is ruled by the Liver and the gallbladder and helps us to dream, plan and take action in our lives just like the little sprouts that are pushing up towards the sun. Wood is resilient when it is flexible, breakable when it is too rigid. It harnesses the deep nourishment of the stillness of winter and the water element to help guide its dreams and create change with loving kindness. You may find that if you wood element is excessive, you become dictatorial, forcing life to happen and raging when it doesn’t go the way you want it to causing your body to tighten and ache from the tension and if it is deficient, you may lack the drive to dream or plan, be stuck in a depression and feel lost in the world. 

    In order to support your wood element, I offer you hear some tips and tricks;

    • begin each morning with a room temperature glass of water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed in to awaken your liver and continue it’s digestive processes
    • try not to eat any fat or protein rich foods until afternoon, instead eating fruits and salads (ensuring these are room temperature or even warm if its still cold where you are)
    • start to add in fresh spring greens; nettles (here is one of my favourite nettle recipes), dandelion, arugula, chickweed, wild mustard and other bitter foods
    • move your body daily (go for a walk, dance, do some yoga, or qi gong….) Here is one of my favourite qi gong sequences for the wood element.
    • take time to dream, plan, and create; make art, draw, do a vision board
    • apply some bergamot essential oil to the following acu points: Liver 3 and Gallbladder 13
    •                     

    For those of you who would like to go on a little journey to tap into the energies of spring and the medicine it has for you. Check out this Drum Journey I recorded last year. 

    I wish for you a spring filled with renewal, dreaming, planting and creation.

    Many Blessings to you and yours

    Lessons from the Dark

    Lessons from the Dark

    It has been a while since I have written I have been enjoying a much needed break from all the extras in life. After the wild ride 2020 has offered us up, I have been spending time with my family, friends and clients and in quiet contemplation and reflection as i truly believe this time of year is meant for. 

    This time to nourish myself and take care of my body has offered a great many lessons, including some deep transformations of family patterns and bodily manifestations of these patterns, which only seemed fitting after teaching a course on Ancestral healing and medicine. I am still working at it as we all are but I can feel the shifts with the eclipses and solstices.

    I know from speaking to many of you,  that either you or those you know are also experiencing such things. It may show up in an emotional pattern, a dis-ease, a traumatic accident. All of these things are coming up to help us shed the last vestiges of Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn which as an earth sign is focused on the physical, our structures and habits and patterns. Each awakening of a pain, illness or broken bone is an opportunity for us to learn and shift. Bones and teeth particularly hold our oldest patterns from our ancestors and even our past lives. So though I know it can be hard and painful and seem so bleak when we initially discover experience these pains and traumas, remember that it is always darkest before the light and with some quiet reflection and the desire to learn from our situations we can begin to shine our own light on the darkness and discover the medicine that resides there. 

    So I invite you all to sit a little in the dark and get curious see what is there for you and with love and compassion begin to light your inner light on the situation asking what you need to learn from this and what support you need. If you are having trouble awakening your own light, you can try lighting a candle and asking the spirit of fire to enter into you heart and burn away the fear, and hucha there and once it is gone ask the fire to help grow your inner light, a bright clear light that is part of who you are as a person and what the world needs right now. 

    And of course if you need more support I am always here for a session to help you find out what it is the dark is trying to tell you and how you can awaken this light to help transform these pains into crystals. 

    With so much love and Gratitude,

    Immune-Boosting, Earth-Nourishing Chai

    Immune-Boosting, Earth-Nourishing Chai

    Once the signs of autumn roll in I immediately start craving chai. It has been a favourite drink of mine for a long time but especially after living in India and daily finding the Chai wallah on the closest street and sipping on the warm, sweetly spiced beverage. Here is my version that I make at home. You can adjust i based on your preferences either doing a base of black tea if you want a little kick or some medicinal mushrooms if you want something more rejuvenating (chaga and reishi are my favourite) or a simple herbal base like red rooibos. You can also adjust the spices to your liking making it more heating and spicy with chilies, ginger, black pepper and clove or more neutral and sweet with cardamom and cinnamon. You can sweeten it with honey, maple syrup, sugar, xylitol or stevia and add any animal or alternative milk based on your preference. 

    Immune-boosting, earth-nourishing Chai

    Ingredients
    • Base- two bags black tea, two tablespoons medicinal mushrooms or other adaptogenic herbs or one tablespoon red rooibos
    • 3 cups Milk- Goat, cow, sheep, almond, cashew, oat,…
    • 3 cups water
    • thumb sized piece of ginger – peeled and sliced
    • one tablespoon spice mix (cinnamon, clove, chilli, cardamom, black pepper, fennel, fenugreek, allspice, nutmeg,….)
    • sweetener- honey, maple syrup, cane sugar, xylitol, stevia
    Instructions
    1. Pour water and milk into a pot and put on medium high
    2. Peel and slice ginger and add to water
    3. Collect what spices you like and grind in a mortar and pestle (I usually make lots and keep extra in a jar)
    4. Add spices to the pot
    5. If using medicinal mushrooms or other herbs add now
    6. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 10- 20 mins
    7. Add black tea or rooibos
    8. allow to steep for 5 mins
    9. strain into a cup and add sweetener as desired
    10. Enjoy!!

    Summer Solstice Eclipse Ritual

    Summer Solstice Eclipse Ritual

    This weekend is the summer solstice, solar eclipse and New Moon in Cancer, Cancer and the moon are kindred energies they come from the same deep and holy place, enabling us to feel the feels and wrap ourselves up in the caring and compassion of our hearts. They bring us closer to the motherly energies we all possess and ask us to love ourselves completely and honour our own sacred lives, as well as all life. In Chinese Medicine, the heart is the empress. It oversees the work of all our other organs and houses our shen, the light of spirit that animates us, allowing us to know our true selves. The heart-mind speaks to us through our feelings and helps guide us on the truest path of spirit. The peak time of the heart is in the heat of the summer, a time of connection, play, laughter and energy. Just as the fire element drives the heart, we are driven by our inner fire that asks us to step out and dance amongst the other flames, to connect and create sparks of joy and love. Fire, like all elements is in a constant flux and keeping it from being extinguished or burning up is a practice we all take on each day of our lives.

    Through observing nature, ancient Taoist Sages recognized that the simple ways that fire was strengthened and weakened. In moderation, heat strengthens fire and cold soothes it, in excess heat may cause fire to burn up all the body fluids, while cold will freeze the body and no fire can start. The spirit of wood with its direction and healthy anger can reignite and replenish our fires and the soothing nature of water can calm an abundant fire. They also recognized that when we go through a traumatic experience, our inner shen will return to Shen and leave our hearts and bodies empty. In my shamanic training we referred to this as a susto and can result in delusion, anxiety, depression, confusion, despair, fear, panic, numbness or pain in an area of the body, sleeplessness, palpitations, difficulty breathing, digestive concerns, the list goes on. Depending on where the trauma happened and our natural areas of weakness. Sometimes these sensations can come up without an obvious experience of trauma  but from something witnessed, heard or felt that links to our ancestoral or past life traumas. 

    The solstice was a fire festival for most of our ancestors, being the longest day and shortest night of the year they would stay up with bonfires through the night asking for the blessings of the sun on their growing crops, relationships, babes and lives. Fire is a powerful transmuter of energy, burning away what no longer serves us and carrying our prayers out into the universe. 

     

    Here is a simple ritual for you to work with on this summer solstice, eclipse, new moon:

    If you have access to a place where you can safely have a fire that is ideal and you will need a piece of twine or cord, some tobacco, cornmeal or another offering and some twigs, If you don’t you can use a candle and very thin thread and paper along with an offering.

    1. Begin in the dark, sit comfortably and take three deep breaths centering yourself into your body
    2. Call in great spirit and your guides, allies, ancestors and angels to support you and hold you in your work
    3. Take some time to breath in the dark and find that place deep inside you that feels dark and unwanted
    4. invite it to be seen and share its medicine with you. 
    5. pick up your piece of twine or thread and begin to tie knots in it as each aspect of your shadow comes up. 
    6. Once you feel completed, light your fire and offer it some tobacco, cornmeal or other offering to thank the spirit of fire for its support
    7. Now place your twine in the fire and watch it burn away taking several deep breaths feeling it release from your mind and body
    8. Now pick up your sticks and begin to embrace the positive or opposite aspects of what you just released. Fill the sticks with it. If you are using a candle write it down on paper
    9. Once complete add those sticks to the fire or paper to the candle. Again take several breaths, breathing these qualities into your body.
    10. add more of your offering to the fire. Thanking the fire, guides, spirit, etc for there support and release them. 
    11. Sit and enjoy the light of the fire/candle on this the shortest night of the year. 

    Please let me know how it went and if you have any questions please reach out. 

    Dreaming a New World into Being

    Dreaming a New World into Being

    Dear Ones,

    These are extraordinary times we are living in and they call for us to gather up all our strength and tools to navigate them. In shamanic traditions it is believed we are constantly dreaming our world into being and advances in the world of quantum physics we are beginning to see how true it is. So I challenge you at this time to begin to allow yourself to dream. Think on all the things in your life that aren’t working for you and begin to paint a picture of how they can improve, think on all the things you love in your life and how you want them amplified, expand your thought to your family, friends, community, city, country and out across the whole world.

    Here is mine:

    I want to live in a world that is ridiculously accepting, generous and loving.

    Where children can feel safe to play in their communities

    Where everyone can feel safe to be who they are

    Where people touch, hug, kiss and express their love, joy and gratitude for each other

    Where everyone’s perspective is welcome

    Where we know ourselves as the stewards of mother earth and care for all her children

    Where we use only what we need and share what we have

    Where people are connected to their dreams, their spirit guides, their ancestors and their higher selves

    Where life is regarded as a true miracle and death is regarded as the next step in a well lived life

    Where ritual marks each day and the initiations we pass through are honoured and celebrated, allowing for time and space to mourn and grieve

    Where we care more about the quality of the food we eat and where it comes from than our latest new gadget

    Where integrative and traditional medicines are valued just as highly as modern medicine

    Where companies give back to the communities they work in, take from and are responsible for the full life cycle of the things they create

    Where our elders are seen as the bearers of great wisdom and the passers down of memory

    Where each choice we make takes into consideration the next seven generations

    Where every person has enough food, water, clothing, a warm, cozy, safe home, access to the tools needed to practice their passions, hobbies, work and art

     

    I’d love to hear your dream! Please share in the comments or email me at marikarhall@icloud.com

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