Fire Cider: Make it Yourself

This is one of my favorite herbal remedies.  I have been making this for about 15 years, and sharing the remedy with others for about 10 in my herb school.
Enjoy and stay well

Make your own Fire Cider!
Fire Cider(also known as cyclone cider or vinegar of the 4 thieves) is a popular kitchen remedy amongst many folk herbalists, especially in the Northern parts of North America. What is it? Its an herbal vinegar extraction that relies on a few main ingredients: Garlic, Ginger, Chili Peppers and Horseradish.YIKES! Garlic from Mrs M Grieve's A Modern Herbal says: “It formed the principal ingredient in the 'Four Thieves' Vinegar,' which was adapted so successfully at Marseilles for protection against the plague when it prevailed there in 1722. This originated, it is said, with four thieves who confessed, that whilst protected by the liberal use of aromatic vinegar during the plague, they plundered the dead bodies of its victims with complete security”

Fire Cider Remedies is a stimulant, purgative, antimicrobial, and more. It is sweet, sour, spicy and pungent. It tastes so good, many people keep it out and even add it to some of their food dishes. You can use it on cold mornings to wake up and get your circulation going. You can use it to help resolve colds and flu. Sometimes people add other herbs in the mix, sometimes not. It is a lovely addition to your herbal first aid cabinet.
The basic recipe:
Assemble Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Local Honey, Organic Garlic, Organic Ginger, Organic Horseradish, Organic Chili Peppers(or garden chili peppers), a knife, clippers, and quart sized mason jar
Chop up all ingredients and fill you a mason jar with equal parts peeled garlic, ginger, horseradish and chile peppers. If you are sensitive to chile peppers, you may want to add less. Fill the mason jar with Apple Cider Vinegar, covering the plant material. Screw the top on. The extraction process takes about a month, shake often.
After a month, strain out plant matter and add ½ cup of honey to the remaining liquid. Bottle and store. Dosage varies, from 1-2 tspns as needed. Some amendments include: burying it for a month(adding a little earth magic), adding beets, or nettles, chickweed, cleavers, or other nutritive weeds, adding maple syrup instead of honey....etc. Make up your own recipe!!! http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/9d/d9/f4/9dd9f4da4aaa0e838b7c79a510434ebe.jpg

Mineral Rich Bone Broth Recipes

Feeling Bad?  Recovering from an illness?  Worried about malabsorbtion, low level of Mg or Ca or Iron in the body?  Bone broth should be part of your road to recovery.  Read about it here

http://nourishedkitchen.com/bone-broth/

http://balancedbites.com/2011/04/easy-recipe-mineral-rich-bone-broth.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful

Mental Health and Herbalism

I just finished a class in Mental Health and Herbalism and it gave me a lot of time to reflect on so many subtle and powerful forms of healing.  

One definition of Mental Health: the psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment

Many holistic forms of medicine consider mental health to be an essential part of healing and that many physical manifestations of illness are rooted in emotional holds. In Holistic Medicines, you may choose to use herbs to treat mental illness but do not forget the wide array of therapies to use with your teas and tinctures.

Treatments to Consider Integrating into your Mental Health Protocols:

Flower Essences

Platicas/Story Medicine: learning to Listen or finding someone to listen with an open heart and open mind

Aromatherapy for the spirit

Cleansing with Smoke and water/Limpias(Barridas)/Sound: herbs, resins, smudging, tuning forks, bowls, bells, herbal baths

Ritual and Ceremony, Chanting, Prayer and Song

Bodywork/Massage-Touch

Herbal Teas

Family and Community Support

Nature Therapy

Magick and Divination

Earth treatments

Temazkals/Sweat Lodges

Energy Work

Divination

Constitution and time of year play a big part.  The treatment must fit the client

Always go back to the original insult or injury to the body.  Find the beginning of the story.  Start the treatment there

The Elements of Ritual: Intention is key.  Create sacred space and teach your clients how to http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tib/ritual.htm

1)Clearing space, this may be done with smoke or sound,  or something to clean the area(brooms)usually widdershiins

2)Protecting the area you are working with a circle.  Drawing the area.  Sometimes these areas become permanent

3) Asking for other energies to be present with you, lighting a candle to signal this(ancestors, spirit guides, earth energies)

4)  Pray or perform ceremonies of healing in this space

5) Seal the intent.  Sometimes this is done with something that can be carried around afterwards

6) Release the energies

7) Close the circle

This sort of creation of sacred space is important for both you and your clients/loved ones.  What your put energy towards becomes your reality.  Words and intent are part of this

Herbs for the Spirit: May be used in drop dosage

any herb can be used to affect the spirit and mental health in drop dosage some common examples include:

Mimosa Albizia : He Huan Ha Collective Happiness Flower, regulating to life force

Pasque Flower  Anemone : Let things move thru you like the wind, and ground you from wind and make decisions

Lemon Balm Melissa: Bee Happy and Alive, headaches, glandular support, elevate

Vervain Verbena Bendability and shifting.  Movement from one place to another in the psyche.  You can do it, if you want to

Chasteberry Vitex: Take away the haunting addiction,calm the frantic desire

Wood Betony Stachys: Bring to center and clear the head for dreams

Rose Rosa: Open and soften the heart

Aromatherapy for the Spirit

Vetivert-grounding and opening

Lavender-panic attacks and anxiety

Mint-Invigorating and clears the head

Cedarwood-Grounds and centers and slows

Orange-Lifts the spirit

Rose-Again softens the heart

Flower Essences for the Spirit

http://www.fesflowers.com/FES_Quintessentials1.htm

http://www.fesflowers.com/healing_herbs1.htm

http://www.fesflowers.com/pdf/Choosing_Flower_Essences.pdf

Flower Essence Test http://spiritteaching.com/flower%20essences%20common%20uses.html

Some ways of assessing the correct remedy for yourself or a client:

Muscle Testing

Pulse Reading

Marma

Hara

Cranial Sacral

Things to remember:

• Spend time creating the proper Space for healing, especially when dealing with mental health issues
• Protect yourself by be present and grounded. techniques include wearing a white or light colored head covering
• Drugs: When to Say When. Sometimes Drugs can save people's lives. Dont suggest or act in ways that could create a life threatening situation. I am very much a believer in natural therapies and seen them do amazing things. Some people have gotten off of meds and led much healthier lives BUT I lost one of my close friends many years agowhen she tried to stop taking her medication. She ended up taking her life while in a bad epsiode. For her I will always remember that there is a time and a place for medications. With all of that said Walk in Beauty and may you find peace

Mother's Milk

I love making this drink for women who just gave birth, are breastfeeding and need extra energy and sustenance.  Its also great after a long illness.

1 cup of the juice of 1 young coconut
1-2 medjool dates
cacao nibs--a sprinkle
1 cup soaked cashews and/or almonds/hazelnuts
1 cup of strong tea of nettles and or raspberry leaves/or oatgrass
1 handful of fresh berries--your choice
1 teaspoon of powdered reishi mushroom
1/2 a teaspoon of maca if appropriate for your constitution

Blend until frothy
Drink as a shake

Herbalismo!

Check it out!  An herb festival outside of Austin this Fall
https://herbalismo.org
Dear Medicinal Plant Lovers,

It is with great joy that we invite you to participate in Herbalismo! We hope that this historic event will bring together practitioners and students of many herbal traditions in our region to celebrate plants and healing in the Deep South. Well respected Herbal Elders like Rosemary Gladstar, Paul Bergner, Matthew Wood, Margi Flint, and Will Morris are joining us in the festivities and offering their own special and unique teachings and support. A large percentage of our Teachers will be bioregional—some you may have heard of, others have been hiding in nooks and crannies—and we are drawing them out of their cabins, their books, their swamps, and backwoods hideaways to join with us in this inagural conference.

Herbalismo! is a celebration of our local traditions and together we will honor and learn from practitioners who have cherished and kept the fires of ancient knowledge burning in our modern world. Sacred ceremonies are planned with the lovely Maria Elena Martinez, who will also lead the building of an altar for Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos. Another dear friend and herbalist, Filiberto Delgado will be building a traditional sweat lodge. The festival explores all the different ways we can honor plants and the people who love and use them for healing.

Classes are diverse, ranging from traditional herbs and midwifery from parteras, Native Hill Country wild plant walks from local experts, permaculture in herbalism, and beginning medicine making to advanced clinical study. We have guests coming from all over the South to share their own special ways of connecting to the Earth and to plants and to dance with us to the drumbeat of the Earth and her cycles. If there’s one thing that we’re known for in Austin, it’s how to have great festivals!

Herbalismo! promises enriching opportunities for learning from teachers to whom we rarely have access, covering topics that are relevant to our modern health challenges. We welcome you to join us as the light wanes and the shadows darken.

We are Gathering.

Specialty Bodywork

This information is to help offer a better understanding of types of Ayurvedic and other Specialty Bodywork Treatments offered by Nicole Telkes.  

I offer the following Treatments but have also had training in Zen Shiatsu, Mayan Abdominal Massage and Structural Massage.  This information is for clients to understand the techniques that are applied during their treatments.  Clients may have a sense of the type of treatment they would like to experience, but Nicole will guide you through your choices to make the best one for your situation.  You can go here to see rates for specialty massage offerings shown below.

The goal of Ayurvedic bodywork is to balance the Doshas, or Ayurvedic Body Constitution.  The doshas can be assessed by looking at both the Prakruti and Vikruti.  One assessment looks at your base constitution, determined at birth and the other at your current state of imbalance.  After assessing this, along with whatever symptoms you are coming to the session with, a holistic treatment plan is offered.  I do an assessment blending Ayurvedic Concepts, Greek, Chinese, and even Physiomedicalism to come up with a good treatment strategy for you.  Take the Dosha Quiz here or here 

In my practice, I offer an eclectic approach to Ayurvedic Bodywork.  I specialize in North American Herbalism, so though I have been trained in the traditional Ayurvedic offerings, many times I incorporate native herbs and bioregional plants that I have picked myself and made into preparations.  I do love the traditional Ayurvedic Hands On Treatments because there are so many unique and wonderful ways to apply herbal therapeutics within session.

As a bodyworker and massage therapist I offer the following treatments:
These treatments can be gotten on their own but for maximum effectiveness and results, they should be part of a larger treatment plan.  Incorporated into some of these treatments may be some basic massage, tuning forks, aromatherapy, sound therapy, meditation, chakra balancing, and even tarot with followup herbal and dietary guidelines.

• Clients may receive Guidelines for Home Pancha Karmas/Cleansing. More Here 

• Marma Massage-1 hr: 

Marma is a Sanskrit word meaning hidden , or secret. By definition, a marma point is a juncture on the body where two or more types of tissue meet, such as muscles, veins, ligaments, bones or joints. Yet marma points are much more than a casual connection of tissue and fluids; they are intersections of the vital life force and prana, or breath.The idea behind massaging the marma points is to cleanse blocked energy, also called chi, by either arousing or calming the doshas. Like a television with three channels, each marma point has three receptors that align with the three doshas. During a marma-point massage, the points are stroked in a deliberate sequence using specific essential oils.  More here
Benefits of marma massage;

• all the benefit of abhyanga massage
• strengthens the organ systems and tissues
• regenerates tissue
• relieves physical and mental blockages of energy
• helps remove excess ama (toxins)
• prevents aging
• improves lymph
• increases the protection from vata disorders
• nourishes the body
• encourages good sleep
• improves physical stability
• balances the dosha
• helps easy flow of energy through the energy channels. 
• helps to release blocked energy helping prevent disease. 

• Marma massage with Udvartana 1 hr

This herbal massage treatment includes a full body  massage and full body exfoliation using herbal powders, and salts or sugars and oils to exfoliate and deeply cleanse the skin. The herbal powder/scrub is applied all over the body with therapeutic oils using specific massage movements.

Benefits;
• ideal Cellulite busting treatment
• helps remove lymphatic toxins from the body
• helps remove excess subcutaneous fat (liquefying & burning it up)
• exfoliating & deep cleansing to the skin
• ideal weight management treatment 
• increases basal metabolic rate
• deep cleansing & softening to the skin 
• helps with blemished & oily skin
• helps rid the ama (toxins) from the body
• helps improve muscle & skin tone
• has also all the benefits of abhyanga massage 
• it tones up the skin and muscles after child birth or weight loss
• eases joint pain

• Marma Massage with Pinda Sveda - Herbal Boluses 1 hr 

(Pinda means herbal bolus…….Sveda means steaming)

This deeply invigorating thermal massage is performed using small muslin bags filled with ayurvedic herbs. These herbal muslin bags are heated and are used to foment the body to produce sweat. The fomentation helps absorb the herbs into the body through the pores in the skin. The body is massage, pummelled and kneaded with the herbal linen bags to clear the body and the mind

This invigorating massage is helpful for the following problems;

• tension & stress
• deeply cleansing and hydrating the skin
• detoxifying
• cellulite
• glowing complexion to the skin
• pain relief including muscular
• chronic pain
• lower back pain
• sciatica
• neck pain
• joint and arthritis-related problems
• reduced local swelling and muscle/joint stiffness
• aches and pains
• sports injuries
• relieving stress
• revitalises the body
• energising the body
• helping mobility
• restoring appetite

• Abdominal Massage (30 minutes)

Drawing from Ayurveda, Zen Shiatsu and Mayan Abdominal Massage. A powerful non invasive abdominal massage to improve tone and purify the area. This is the ideal treatment for weight loss and digestive problems, pregnancy, and after birthing.  Herbal Steams may also be a part of this work.

Benefits;
• detoxifying
• ideal for post pregnancy toning
• weight loss management
• bloating
• irritable bowel syndrome
• constipation
• heartburn
• indigestion
• low digestive fire (low appetite)
• IBS, crohn’s, colitis
• skin toning

• Natural Facials Incorporating Marmas( 30 minutes or 1 hr)

During this anti-aging facial the face, neck and shoulders are massaged with ayurvedic oils to suit your skin type using specialised techniques. The facial gives the skin a smooth texture and appearance, together with a healthy glow. This is a natural and effective method of reducing wrinkles.  Types of Products and Formulas used on the skin reflect the doshas and any individual situations that need addressing.

Technical details:

During the treatment marma points are gently massaged which are energy centres in the body. Marma points are connected with each other by energy channels (nadis). Under normal circumstances, energy should flow uninterrupted through the energy channels (nadis) while passing through the marma points. Energy tends to get blocked in marma points due to external influences like stress, tension and lack of rest etc. Blockages of these points will also result in early aging. So one of the aims of the traditional ayurvedic facelift massage is to keep these energy centres and channels free of such blockages so that there is uninterrupted energy flow through them.

There are 37 marma major points in the head and neck area and 98% are vata reducing points. Excess vata will produce wrinkles so by massaging the area with specialist techniques, vata is reduced therefore wrinkles are reduced. Vata dosha is dominant in old age this means that there is vata dosha excess during this period of life.

Ayurveda says, ‘that as long as one is able to pacify vata dosha, one can prolong life and keep old age at bay’.

So with this facial the therapist concentrates on all vata dominant points of the head and face region to pacify the vata dosha.

Benefits;
• it relaxes the face muscles
• it stimulates the microcirculation and lymph flow,
• it promotes the regeneration of healthy younger looking skin,
• it also activates the natural metabolism of the skin tissue and improves muscle tone, thereby improving the skin’s natural capacity to retain moisture
• to help uninterrupted energy flow through energy channels
• anti aging

• Foot Treatments(30 minutes or 1 hr)

Foot treatments include a herbal Foot bath with fresh and dried herbs, a foot scrub with handmade all natural ingredients, massage, and hot towels.

This traditional Indian foot massage treatment is extremely soothing and relaxing, awakening the vital energy areas in your soles including feet, calves, knees and shins. It is a rejuvenating experience that releases deeply felt tension and leaves you relaxed and balanced. Marma points (energy points) are massaged during this treatment intensifying the healing process of the body. Ideal for stress related problems!  

Benefits:
• reduces stress & anxiety
• nervous conditions
• helps with insomnia 
• detoxifying
• helps reduce oedema
• helps reduce inflammation 
• helps with arthritis & rheumatism
• improves varicose veins
• helps hypertension

• Karana Purana - Ear Therapy (15 minutes)

Warm therapeutic oil is poured into the ears to lubricate the delicate filaments of the ear canal. It helps dislodge impurities and sharpen hearing. This relaxing therapy helps many ear related conditions it especially ideal for neck and jaw tension, ringing in the ears, itching and dryness in the ears and much more. Our senses are connected to the five elements (space, air, fire, water, earth). Hearing is connected to space and air so it is an area where these elements or vata collects. Hence the treatment is very effective in reducing vata in the body. 
This ear therapy can help the following conditions;

• brings healing energy to the reflexology points on the ears
• alleviates restlessness and nervousness
• brings better sleep and helps with insomnia
• Increases mental clarity
• reduces jaw and neck tension
• calms vertigo
• helps with balance problems
• vata related problems (vata headaches etc)
• reduces ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• helps with congestion 
• helps with excess ear wax
• ear ache
• deafness
• excess dryness in ear nose and throat
• palpitations
• neck pain

Kati Basti (30minutes)Head Massage--Usually incorporated with a Shirodhara Treatment Experience the classic Indian Head Massage as it has been practiced in India for thousands of years. Using treatment oils to nourish the skin and hair, this therapy involves massage of the head, face, neck, shoulders, upper back and arms. Massaging the scalp stimulates the flow of blood to the hair follicles, improving the supply of nutrients needed for healthy hair growth which can in turn help slow down the balding process. Indian head massage can help stress-linked problems like headaches and eyestrain and other ailments. Further benefits; • helps with stress related ailments • balances the central nervous system • promotes mental clarity • improving concentration • restores joint mobility • improves blood and lymph circulation  • ideal for office workers prone to tension • helps reduce vata dosha • works over the chakras and marma points of the upper body Shiro Dhara 30minutes (within another treatment usually like head massage-kati basti/ karuna purana, or other) A stream of soothing therapeutic warm oil is poured rhythmically across the forehead, this settles the mind and profoundly relaxes the central nervous system. It helps soothe and rejuvenate the mind & nervous system instilling a sense of deep meditation and relaxation. This ancient treatment can help; • relieve stress/stress related conditions & anxiety • improve Insomnia • calm an agitated mind • alleviate mental exhaustion • rejuvenate the face and soften worry lines • regulate mood and depression disorders • release stored emotions • improve concentration, intelligence, self esteem and confidence • stimulate cognitive memory • strengthen the immune system • regulate the endocrine system • stimulate the secretion of serotonin & melatonin • benefit nervous system diseases, nerve disorders, paralysis etc • benefit many diseases connected with the head, neck, eyes, ears, nose and throat • regulate the hormonal system by working on the chakras • invigorate the physical system and mind • sharpen the sensory organs • cool the body and relieve pain. • encourage endorphin production in the body • relieve fatigue, anger, chronic headaches & burning sensation in the head & neck • Improve digestion and constipation • sharpen the sense organs • hypertension, ulcerations & inflammation in upper body • premature greying or loss of hair • excessive sweating • excessive sleep • lethargy • remove build up of mucus in the body • weak digestion & low appetite • anorexia • high cholesterol • diabetes • balance the 3 doshas by working on the marma points • awaken the third eye  • increase spiritual awareness & intuition Basti Therapy - Warm, Medicated Oil Pours that Bathe An Area 20-30minutes

(Basti means a bladder or something that holds)

Basti treatments involve applying warm therapeutic oils to a specific contained area (using a freshly made dough ring) on the body and allowing it to penetrate. This bathing therapy creates very deep, penetrating heat that allows the healing qualities of the oil to profoundly infiltrate the surrounding tissues, nourishing and strengthening the muscles, bones, ligament, tendons and nerves etc. The basti therapy works also over chakras and marma points releasing blocked energy and rejuvenating the area.

Lower Back Warm Oil Bath

This basti assists with ailments such as;

• lower back ache
• osteo arthritis & osteoporosis
• nerve related conditions
• sciatica
• prolapsed disc
• chronic & acute pain
• paralysis of lower regions of the body
• lumbar spondylyosis
• degenerative spine changes compressed discs,
• hip pain & abdominal pain
• vata related problems (lower back is seat of vata)

Neck Warm Oil Pour

This basti assists with ailments such as;

• neck, upper back, shoulder aches and pains
• chronic pain in neck region, frozen shoulder
• cervical spondylosis
• osteoarthritis & osteoporosis
• cervical nerve conditions
• stress related conditions
• blocked energy between shoulder blades
• blocked emotions of the throat
• helping emotions be expressed

Heart and Lung Warm Oil Pour
This basti helps nourish, strengthen and balance the heart functions and rejuvenates the heart area. It also helps to nourish the lungs, clearing channels in the lungs and heart and prevents them drying out.

It also assists with ailments such as;
• nervousness, anxiety, fear & grief
• palpitations
• high blood pressure
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• multiple sclerosis
• heart conditions
• respiratory problems (asthma, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, wheezing etc)
• extreme vata problems
• emotions of deep seated anger and sadness
• helping emotions be expressed

Abdominal Warm Oil Pour

• bloating
• constipation
• detoxifying
• IBS
• indigestion
• weight loss
(usually done with abdominal massage)

Knee Warm Oil Pours(can be done on ankles, wrists elbows etc)

This basti assists with ailments such as;

• arthritis
• knee pain
• osteo arthritis
• osteoporosis
• rheumatism

How to Choose Quality Herbal Products

By Nicole Telkes, Practicing Herbalist about.me/herbcrafter

Director of the Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine Austin Texas

 Buying herbs can be tricky: Herbs are regulated through the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).  Just because the industry is regulated, doesn’t mean that everything on the shelf is of the highest quality or even what it says it is.  In general it’s good to ask a lot of questions when it comes to purchasing supplements.  Many formulas on the market are “kitchen sink” style, where everything natural that could possibly work is thrown in hopes that something may work.  Buying herbs from trained herbalists is very different from buying herbs from the herb industry.  The amount of energy and love that goes into making fresh, hand-picked extracts is immeasurable and cannot even be compared with large herb companies (oftentimes now subsidiaries of pharmaceutical companies).  Whenever possible, support small herb companies, local herbalists and local herb growers.  The herbs you obtain from smaller suppliers will most likely be fresher, more potent, more sustainably harvested and include weedy, local herbs that are not often found in the market or large health food stores.  Just because something is “natural” does not make it safer or better.  Herbalists are able to distinguish when and what herbs may work better for an individual and amend recipes to an individual’s unique situation.  Take care to purchase Organically Grown herbs, or those grown in pesticide-free gardens.  Make sure that any herbs that you buy that are “wildcrafted”(taken from the wild) are picked under strict conservation guidelines.  Over harvesting of many popular market herbs have led to them being placed in “At Risk” or “Threatened” status by United Plant Savers, a group dedicated to the conservation of medicinal plants .    It is very important to know where your plants came from and use as many weedy alternatives to exotic plants that are brought into the country.  Many times herbs coming from overseas are irradiated upon entering the country.   A great website that gives information on additives and preservatives, and levels of toxicity for is the Environmental Working Group at www.ewg.org

Dried Plants:  Look for vibrancy in the plant matter, good color, and strong smells.  Old herbs look and smell worn out.  Sometimes if they are dried at the wrong temp(too high) they will be a little brown.

Tinctures: Should smell more like the herb then the menstruum it is preserved in.  Dark colors and deep and pungent in smell.  The color will vary between green, brown and black.  Different plants need different percentages of alcohol to extract.  Make sure the plant was extracted properly based on its constituents.

Oils and Salves: Should also vary in color and smell.  Salves should vary from green to brown in coloration.  Sediment ensures there were actual infused plants in the blend.