New Sounds ~ Are We Listening?

Playing for Change ~ Band on Tour

They may be coming to a city near you. Support 'em. Make your own music!
~ anais

Take a Break ~ Mudra for Wisdom

Mudra hand gestures or poses are often used in yoga practice, meditation, and for healing purposes. One I am familiar with and use all the time is Gyan Mudra, shown in the photo left. Click here for more information about Gyan Muddra.

Here is the one to take a break for, the Mudra for Wisdom. Simple hand position with deep breathing. Both can have a dramatically positive effect during a trying time, or at any time.

More Remedies For What Ails Us . . .

This week a friend and I went to visit Tom Tracey of Swan Valley Herbs, in Bigfork, Montana. Tom is a master herbalist with a lot of experience. His store is a thing of beauty! He and his crew harvest much of their stock locally. I love it! I cleaned up my basement yesterday and found a copy of his Herb Reference Guide from 1989.

We went to talk with Tom to get his ideas for keeping our immune systems up and running in best form. Tom's approach is pretty common sense. Cleanse the body using heat (saunas, baths) and take an appropriate herb, homeopathic remedy or other healing/balancing substance. Add to that, what you eat, water you drink, rest and exercise. Makes sense.

Winter seems to have come early here in Montana . . . along with quite a few other places in the U.S. Change of weather always affects our immune systems. There are homeopathic remedies for symptoms created by seasonal weather changes. It's a test, and an opportunity. How will our system respond? It's a good time to keenly observe, and take steps to take care. We can re-train our bodies to adapt to change. As a homeopath, and working with myself and my family, I have seen success in remedy administration over time, bringing the recipient to the point of being less susceptible, or entirely immune, to conditions that previously had caused a dis-ease condition.

I came away from Tom's shop with some ready-made tincture, and some herbs to make my own. It's fun to make your own tinctures—and quite simple to do. Tom recommends using Everclear (grain alcohol). Use glycerine or apple cider vinegar for non-alcohol preparations. Do an internet search for more details . . . or talk to your herbalist or buy a book.

The tincture Tom calls "Lomatium Compound" contains Lomatium Root, Osha Root, Cedar Leaf, Yarrow and Usnea. I also purchased some dried elderberries (locally wildcrafted) and a couple bags of the Lomatium Compound dry. I've started my tinctures which should be ready to strain and bottle by the next full moon.

Tom doesn't have a website but if you would like to contact his shop, call 406.837.5747.

I urge everyone to look up their own local herbalist, hopefully, one who takes the time and effort to wildcraft their own herbs. Knowing and trusting your health care provider is as important as anything else. Who's your farmer, who's your banker, and where's your money applies at all levels.

~ Anais

Playing For Change ~ Episode 17

Watching the Weather?

George Ure of urbansurvival.com pointed to these news pieces:

Western MT Cold Breaks Records
MontanaNewsStation.com (11 Oct 09)

Cold Temperatures Threaten Seed Potato Crop
Missoulian (12 Oct 09)

It doesn't take a newspaper article to tell us what we're feeling. And it doesn't take a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows. Change! Things are changing. Food and energy. It's only October. Keep your eyes open. It's keenly observe time.

Capitalism ~ Who Needs It?

Last night I went to see Michael Moore's film "Capitalism: A Love Story." It's one of those good/bad ones. Good, thanks for pointing it out on the big screen, but BAD . . . an extremely bad story. We all know it. Those of us in America, we're living it. What are we going to do about it? What can we do about it . . . in each of our places? We should get together and figure it out.

I work with Catherine Austin Fitts and Solari. Catherine has been talking about this story long before bailouts and other recent events that are making us wonder where IS the money, among other questions? Catherine was Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, appointed in 1989 by then President GHW Bush. You can read her story, Dillon Read and the Aristocracy of Stock Profits here. It's another good/bad story. Catherine writes very well; engaging and real.

So I recommend seeing the movie, and I recommend you read Catherine's story and visit her blog daily: http://solari.com/blog—she connects dots that we may not otherwise see.

~Anais

Playing For Change ~ Episode 16

Support the music. Buy their CD—I did—it's great! Click here.