Do you trust yourself to take your own hand and find the light in the darkness?  I didn't.  For the better part of the last two years, I was the last person who's judgement I trusted.  I looked here and there for advice and methods to get me through the discomfort and self loathing that consumed me.  I was so closed off that I wasn't even conscious of the extreme self loathing, and it came forth in behaviors that I couldn't explain.  

I felt if the tools I possessed worked, I wouldn't find myself in such a place as I was in - mentally, emotionally, and physically.  It seemed if I could find a tried, step by step concrete way, I could do the thing and have the power, as Emerson said.  At the very least, I could fake it until I make it.  I faked the shit out of it while my soul screeched to be heard.

From these two states, two things will happen.  I will become open to the lesson.  The lesson I need to move into the next immediate layer of my personal development.  Or, I will reach my goal.  I will succeed.  

If I go by what Mandela says, I've been learning these last few years.  For a bit, I was sad about wasted time and energy.  My negative self talk overtook dealing with the realization that I had been filling holes with elements that were not my own in avoidance of accepting that I already possessed what I needed.  This avoidance created the necessity of the lesson that scrambling for answers provided.  I felt empty and scared, looking for validation.  To acknowledge that I had the answers was a huge responsibility.  First, it was the fact that it was time to apply what I know and to do so with a different sort of discipline than I was using to keep digging.  Then, there was my identity.  My entire egoic identity has been aligned to needing to pursue healing and truth.  Who am I when I start applying it and it works?  What do I become then?  Our egos, always in search of homeostasis, hate the unknown.  It can be a scary place.  Will I even like that version of myself?

I did not believe in my ability to be my own best teacher.  It felt like if I was, I'd have already drawn the conclusions I needed to be in a better state of being.  My self worth has been so low that I based every accomplishment upon whether or not someone else authenticated it for me.  What I felt about it was pushed aside until someone could say "good job".  I didn't matter to myself.  It was only what I could prove myself to be to others.  And, the part of this acknowledgment that remains a current struggle is, what does it matter how good I feel I've done, am, or worthy of receiving, if I am experiencing it alone?  Obviously, the seeds for understanding the concept have been planted.  I haven't found the Miracle Grow.  Right now, all the being with myself is feeling boring because I have experienced loneliness my entire life.  The thing is... being lonely, being alone, and being with yourself are three different things.  They can exist separately.  I have never been comfortable being with myself.

I am feeling able to release the guilt I have felt letting go of these prescriptive methods/practices that did not flow for me, and at times felt negating to the truths that were intimate with me.  I have not failed.  I am learning a more meaningful way to view spiritual practice.  I am discovering and honoring the processes that have worked for me for a long time.  I am giving credence to the fact that instead of labeling my practice as "not enough," I need to be willing to take my practice deeper, especially if it has supported me.  I should trust my knowingness to be the proof that I need.  My connection and true passion for a practice is all I need.  I don't require a more financially secure and public person's backing to prove to me that their way is the way, unless I want to duplicate them.  To be them.

We've all heard it said that there is nothing new under the sun.  If truth is truth, then this statement without a doubt is true.  In that sense, no understanding of truth is original understanding.  None of us are unique in the ability to comprehend and obtain truth.  Our individuality comes in our expression of our understanding of truth. 

explore these truths to the highest levels possible for them in this life.  As memes have made certain ideas cliche, I point out yet another that is meaningful.  You can only lead another as far as you have led yourself.

As someone on a spiritual or yogic path, don't glue yourself to one teacher even if your goal is to master a certain branch of yoga, or type of spiritual practice.  Be present with multiple teachers so that ultimately, the exploration is your own unclouded by dogma and strong opinions.  You are your best teacher.  Anyone, any text, or any experience contributing to your learning them becomes a resource.  The only way to true understanding is the journey through yourself.  Otherwise, you're repeating a script and keeping your contribution to truth small if not hidden all together -- from yourself and the world.

I am not small.  You are not small.  We are manifestations of supreme energy with the free will to be the conductors of it.  Our ability to tap into truth comes with trusting ourselves to know it without external validation.  We must see our own capacities and accept responsibility for ourselves.

I am not chasing any more programs that box me in to rote expression.  The only practices I need are tools that help me access my own creativity and capability to live and share truth as I understand it.  There are many teachers.  There is only one set of truths, simple and Divine.

No, I'm talking my basic personhood.  I've taken detours and received certifications, a Master's Degree, and pursued side interests in hopes of making money that would allow my husband to not have to work so hard and free him to be with us more, but nothing that I felt spoke to the real me or allowed me to be fully myself in this world.  When the girls were born, I took their education upon my shoulders because I felt there was no other good option here at home.  To provide them with what I felt they deserved and to fulfill my responsibility to them in bringing them into the world, I gladly took on the traditional role of wife, mother, and homeschooler.  While my husband took on the pressure of providing for us solely on his income, he was still free to pursue his goals in art and music.  

Is being an adult claiming responsibility?  As a kid, I had always been told this.  Adulthood is about sacrifice and responsibility.  I don't know though.  It may just be my family's makeup, but I can't remember many adults around me that would have said they were leading a life that made them happy or that made them feel fulfilled.  I saw sorrow, depression, heartache, and anger written on the faces of many of the adults who loved me so very much.  It covered my world.  Am I selfish in thinking it doesn't have to be that way?      

My main goal is to show my daughters that the world is wide open for us.  There is no role we can't accept or value we have to feel pressured to espouse.  It is about following our heart and going forward from a place of love and respect for others.  All else is a coin toss, and the odds of us winning are perfect as we are infinitely supported by the very stardust we were created from.

An independent, strong minded woman makes people nervous.  A woman that seeks her own fulfillment so that her light can shine as brightly as possible in this world, can expect to be seen as scandalous.  She may not fit in any box set out by society.  She may take risks others see as unnecessary.  It may be hard for those who feel the need to fit her into a category to be with her as she steps into this empowered place.  The fact is, she isn't going to care.  What she knows is that if you love her and want her, you will walk by her through all of it.  If you cannot, it is okay.  Both you and she will be okay.

It isn't about living in the shadows of another.  In this mountain culture I've grown up in, the matriarchy is a hidden power.  There isn't a person on this planet any stronger than an Appalachian woman.  They've held families together for generations of rises and falls.  Through all of this, she quietly worried that her best wasn't enough and it would all fall through her fingers.  While all of her family knew it was really her that bound them all together, her effort wasn't pronounced except maybe at her funeral.

I pray that my daughters don't take a lifetime to learn that they can speak up about what they need and not feel guilty for needing it.  I want them to know that if their current situation is not making their heart sing that patience, a fearless heart, hard work, and their empowered voice will change that.  They aren't obligated to anyone but those who they choose to be obligated to and those who call them mother.  I want them to be brave.  I want them to know they are worthy of the type of love that wants the essence of them so hard, their every breath is like a song, and that when they give that kind of love, they should expect it returned to them.

Our lives matter right now.  I've decided for the sake of myself and my daughters not to wait for mine to begin anymore.  I'm surrounding myself with the people who feed my spirit and want to know me for me.  I'm talking consistently with those who already have shown me that they do.  I've went out on a limb and decided to return to the game plan of my youth modified for what I know now.  I'm excited.  One day, I will be able to type here that I am healthy, happy, and fulfilled most every day.  It's coming.  

There, at the top of the world, as I took deep breaths crouched over that ageless rock, the coin was tossed.  The butterflies in my stomach set free for a time and I felt whole again in the silence.  One day, my Ivy will know what she's capable of because her mother did her best to show her.  It might not come easy to either of us, but she will know. 

I’d like to share some thoughts on an aspect of our lives that does not get nearly the attention and respect it deserves.  As women, we have a unique ability that has been so demeaned by modern culture that we have no idea how to approach it in a positive way.  Our menstrual cycle is that ability, that “superpower” that we carry.  Think about how powerful it is, considering that without it there would be no humans on earth!  Our cycle carries a regenerative, life-giving force, and yet we have been told nothing positive about it. We’re encouraged to suppress it, medicate it, tolerate it, and ideally act as if it is not even happening, as if it were a weakness, and we would be better off without it!  

What if, instead, there were a model for menstruation that was based on positive associations and images?  Instead of being a joke, a burden, or an embarrassment, what if your monthly cycle could be a personal rhythm, a meaningful experience, or even a blessing?

It’s hard to imagine, given the fact that modern culture so thoroughly demeans and dismisses this aspect of our lives. Really, though, distancing ourselves from our own experience, and trying to ignore something so central to our lives, is what causes much of our distress.  We are literally fighting ourselves each month!  When we think about it, it’s obvious that this is not empowering, or healthy.  There are a few simple ideas, shared by many cultures throughout the world, that present the menstrual cycle in a very different light, and can help you have a much easier time each month. Believe it or not, you could even begin to look forward to your period!

• You can learn to anticipate your needs and optimize your time, so that you approach different projects when you have the most energy for them. 

• You can learn to take loving care of yourself, with “time out” when you need it most! 

• You can also learn to interpret your menstrual challenges in a more holistic way - looking for ways to balance your energy and expectations, instead of blaming yourself for not being able to do it all, all the time! 

It’s really about getting back to the basics: learning what our cycles were designed to do, and how we can support them so that we can feel our best.  This is a rhythm, after all, that operates at the center of our bodies and lives for several decades.  Our cycles affect everything we do, so wouldn't it be wonderful to learn how to live in harmony with them?  We ourselves, and everyone around us as well, would benefit from that! 

I’d like to share, today, how using the seasons or the moon as a model for our own rhythms makes it easy to visualize an entirely different way of approaching the changes that we go through from week to week.  In Part 2 (to be published in June), I’ll go into further detail about the premenstrual and menstrual times of the month, which tend to pose the most difficulty for most of us. 

                                 ________________________ 

I have found that observing the similarities between the menstrual cycle and the rhythms of nature changes everything.  The moon and seasons have phases that are easy for us to visualize and relate to. Looking at the rhythm of the moon, or the seasons of the year, we can easily see how the light grows and brightens, expands into fullness, and then decreases and wanes again. 

Once you begin to interpret your own experiences similarly, in terms of “seasons” or “phases” that have a natural, predictable rhythm throughout the month, your own month makes much more sense. You’ll have a reliable pattern to follow and will finally be able to work with your cycle instead of against it!  You’ll begin to develop a personal practice that takes advantage of your own optimal times for different types of activities.  You’ll anticipate your needs and make plans for self care.  Your month will become immeasurably easier and you’ll probably end up wondering why you did not learn this long ago!

Let’s take a closer look:

This model shows the 28-day cycle of the moon’s phases, as the moonlight grows brighter until it reaches full moon, and then returns to darkness again before the new cycle begins.  The wonderful thing is, you can place any other cycle onto this same model and see the same pattern of expansion and contraction. This is how everything in nature works, from the inhale and exhale of a single breath, to the circling of the largest galaxies. Everything has a pulse or a rhythm of movement.

When we place the four seasons of the year onto this model, we easily see that summer is similar to full moon, while winter, at the opposite end of the cycle, resembles the dark of the moon.  Springtime is similar to the growing light after new moon, and Autumn corresponds with the waning light that occurs after full moon, as the light descends toward darkness and the completion of the cycle.

It is a predictable rhythm of expansion and contraction, and it has much to teach us about ourselves, as well!  This pattern of growing outward and returning inward offers a balance of energies, and it also allows for different types of expression, and different perspectives.  If things stayed the same all the time, nothing new would ever happen!  So, when we apply our own menstrual cycle to this model, we can see how it reflects the fact that we go through profound rhythmic changes each month. Remembering how our cycles resemble the wise design of other rhythms of nature can help us appreciate our own different types of expression, and different needs.

It’s easy to see, when looking at the model of the moon and seasons, that full moon is very different than dark moon, and summer is very different than winter.  In a similar way, something very different is going on within us, depending on whether we are ovulating or menstruating!  Why would we expect ourselves to act or feel the same from week to week, when we are in a completely different personal “season?”

Our menstrual time is like our own winter or dark moon, when we retreat more into ourselves.  Our ovulation is like our own personal summer, or full moon, when we are more radiant and social, and our energy is expansive and focused outward. (These are generalizations, I realize, but most women will find that they have a personal rhythm that is somewhat similar to this model. The thing is, when we approach our cycle with curiosity and interest, we can discover what our own rhythms actually are!)  For half of our cycle, our energy is building toward ovulation, and most of us will tend to feel more social and capable at this time. These are the qualities that are rewarded in modern culture!  But for the other half of the cycle, our outer focus tends to wane as our attention naturally turns back toward ourselves, toward our own feelings and needs.  This tends to be a more introspective time, a time to re-balance, to catch up with ourselves, to notice what is not working so well, and to correct anything that needs our attention before it gets worse! 

This knowledge of the value of our cycles is a “wisdom teaching” that women have shared with each other in various ways for thousands of years. But as modern culture has divorced itself from nature, these wise traditions have also lost favor and been forgotten.  The expectation for women to be agreeable, available and productive at all times, entirely negates our own need for self-care, rest, creativity, and time alone. We need some deep introspective time, from which renewal and inner guidance can emerge, for the good of our entire family and community.  We need time for balance and self care. We can’t be focused on others all the time.

I love to think of trees as such a great example of this cycle of self care!  Most trees lose their leaves or become dormant in some way in winter.  They are not in full bloom all the time!  They withdraw underground and descend into their roots.  Does this mean that they are lazy, unreliable, or selfish?  Of course not!  They withdraw into their roots to gather strength from the nourishing soil, so they can emerge fully in the coming season of flower and fruit and have energy for the year to come.  Anything else would be a recipe for burnout!

It is easy to see the value of this rhythm in the lifecycle of trees, but can be harder to see in ourselves!  But we, too, can take time for ourselves and give ourselves the time to recharge.  Our cycles are actually designed to help us do this; to create these healing practices in our own lives.

I look forward to sharing more with you in Part 2 of this guest post to be published next month, about specific tools, perspectives and practices that you can begin to incorporate into your life.  Many blessings to you until next time!

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My Foundation Class, Welcome Your Rhythm, begins on June 22, for 5 weeks, by phone. If you and a friend wish to enroll together, you may each receive a $30 discount.  Please let me know your names and I’ll send you each a discount code to use when you enroll! This is a great way to take the class, since you’ll be able to compare notes about your experiences. www.WelcomeRhythm.eventbrite.com

The first four women to enroll will also receive a complimentary Cycle Comfort Coaching Session with me, which can be used either before or during our 5-week course!  You can discuss any aspect of your cycle, or work on creating more healthy habits in general.

Every day by default is Earth Day here at the Confluence, so we didn't do anything out of the ordinary to celebrate.  For me, today has been one of those weirdly productive days.  Those are few and far between.  School went beautifully - even math!  I cooked three meals.  Dishes are washed and kitchen is swept.  I've done a load of laundry and changed the bed linens.  I've fed the chickens and goats.  I bathed all three little gals and myself.  I submitted a manuscript.  And... we dug another lasagna bed.

When you are homesteading (sort of) and the partner isn't home long enough to mow grass on most weeks, you become industrious.  The goal is to grow most of our vegetables ourselves.  Organic produce is hard to come by in these parts, and that is what we desire.  I love growing things and always have.  So, I came up with a plan to do it myself with the simple garden tools we had on hand.  Lasagna beds cost nothing.

Step One - Be ready to work and don't be a whiner.  Oh, and grab your tools.

We found this shovel in the hills.  I have no clue what type it is, but it makes the work simple and easy on the back.  

Step Two - Get down and dirty... remove the sod layer and set it aside to use later.  I remove it in rectangles.  You'll end up with this.

Step Three - Make a trench.  You can make a deep or shallow one.  I have beds where I have done both.  The deeper ones will require more filling and I save those for when I have cardboard to use.  I'm starting to believe all that isn't necessary though, so this one ended up 5 inches deep all around.  I make the trench by loosening the dirt with the hoe and shoveling it out.  Put the dirt aside.  This is your topsoil and you will use it later.

Step Four - Fill your trench with organic debris.  I gathered mine from the forest floor.  It's sticks and leaves mostly.  The girls wanted to put in some goat poop, so I said "have at it."  Deladis added a rotting plum too.  Whatever.  As long as it will contribute to rich, healthy soil.  One of the buckets you see next to the bed is composted chicken manure.  We will use that in a later step.  Yes, sometimes good food requires playing in poop.

Step Five - Top the debris with the sod.  Turn the clumps grass side down to kill out the weeds and grass.

Step Six - Mix your manure and topsoil on top of this and spread evenly.  Use the hoe to break up clumps.  Surround your bed with some kind of barrier to set it apart from the yard.  Voila!  You're done.  

Let the bed rest a day or so and then plant it.  I plant veggies much closer together in these beds than a traditional garden and still get good yield.  This bed took about two hours to make.  We'll see how well it does.  The point is that it is doable for a lone mother with littles around all the time.  The girls loved helping.  Gweneth thought the wind was going to blow her away, but she hung tight.  The goats ate the buds off of all my irises too.  It's a give and take.  Good luck if you give it a try! 

I have always loved eating.  Food excites me.  In college, my sister and I would pool our resources and feed our little families elaborate creations that costed very little, but tasted very good.  I taught myself to cook.  In my early married days I stumbled through the kitchen, and threw out many a pan of gravy.  When becoming a mother, food became very important to me in a different way.  The quality of the food, where it came from, and how it was prepared grew more significant to me because I wasn't only feeding myself anymore, but I was feeding growing children.  Having chosen to exclusively breastfeed them, and knowing the satisfaction of that and the good health it brought them, I had to carry that over to their relationship with food.  I suddenly understood why my grandmothers would beg us to eat, eat more, and get so happy when we did.

The food I ate hasn't always worked in favor for my health and my body.  Most of my life I've shuffled between being somewhat overweight or very overweight.  When I dieted, I starved, exercised hard, and binged on cheat days.  I lost weight, but it didn't last.  Eventually I would cave, being tired of struggling with what I could and wanted to eat.  

When I gave birth to my first daughter, I knew I wanted her to maintain her confidence and a positive body image.  I wanted to give her the blessing of healthy eating.  I just didn't know how to be the example of that for her.  I wasn't comfortable in my own body.  I've always been athletic, active, and fit at all weights.  What was on the outside and how sluggish and sick I felt so often didn't reflect the person I knew I was.  I didn't feel attractive at all and I wasn't sure what I should try next to change that.

I tried being a vegetarian along with my husband for five years.  Breastfeeding made me crave meat so voraciously, I had to eat it.  I tried limiting portions and felt hungry all the time.  I stopped drinking pop.  I didn't buy as many sweets.  I ate food from health food stores.  While I would drop some weight with these changes, it wasn't significant and didn't help me to feel any better.

When I gave birth to my second daughter, I weighed around 240lbs.  My daughter was 11lbs. at birth.  I had some complications with giving birth, and looking back, I do believe my eating habits and our collective weights had a large role to play in that outcome.  It was after her birth that I knew I had to take control of this.  I had to find my happy place with food.  There couldn't be any more diets.  My practices around food had to be a way of life.  It had to be compatible with feeding my family - growing children and working husband.  I had to learn how to be nurtured by food and how to prepare food for good health.

At this time, I was fortunate enough to be walking with a mama friend who introduced me to the book Nourishing Traditions and the work of theWeston A. Price Foundation with Sally Fallon.

This step coupled with my adopting a whole, traditional foods lifestyle for our family has brought me to a place of the best health I've experienced in my life.  I'm stronger.  I'm fitter.   I've learned to eat for my metabolism and genetic predispositions.  I get sick much less often.  I also maintain a normal weight with little effort beyond living a healthy lifestyle.  Food doesn't bring burden upon me anymore.  I don't count calories or fat.  I eat what my family eats.  Food isn't a crutch, but a joy.  I'll never be able to unlearn this stuff and because of that, I don't know (outside of abnormal circumstances) that I'll ever find myself eating theStandard American Diet (SAD) again.

Principles for the Beginning:

• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.  Plan your meals around as many whole fresh foods you can manage.  Buy organic fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables when possible.  Frequent your local farmers' market for a local alternative for produce and many specialty items - think farm fresh eggs.
• Drop all foods containing refined granulated sugar and high fructose corn syrup (read labels).  This means no soda pop.  It'll be ok.  I promise.  You'll be thankful once the withdrawal is over.
• Do not eat baked goods made with white flour or highly processed "healthier" versions made with whole grains.  Instead replace them with soaked, sprouted, or fermented whole and ancient grains.  Food for Life - Ezekiel Bread is my favorite ready made brand.  
• FAT is GOOD for you!  There is no need to purchase "low fat" food items.  Our body thrives from healthy fats found in raw/fermented dairy, cream butter, nuts, coconut oil, animal fats, and olive oil.  Instead of buying low fat foods, replace margarine, canola and other fattening vegetable oils with healthy fats and cooking oils. 
• Find some exercise/movement that makes you happy.  My personal choice is yoga which I have written about before.  Do this activity as often as you can.

If you can tackle these five things, you are well on your way to healthier living.  It isn't easy.  I caught a lot of flack for my choices at first, but I stand by my convictions and the results I have seen.  I'm comfortable in my imperfect body because it is healthy and most of the time it serves me very well.  It isn't about weight any longer, but it has become about whether or not I'm optimally utilizing the body I have for max benefit.  It is a temple after all.  I'm also confident about the food I'm feeding my family.  It won't be long until you too will be eating pizza for dinner and calling it healthy - because it is!