A Rocky Mountain Plant Worth Protecting

When the long mountain winter begins to loosen its grip and the snow slowly melts back from the forest floor, the bears wake. After months of hibernation their bodies are stiff, their digestive fire is low, and their immune systems vulnerable. The early spring landscape does not yet offer berries, lush greens, or abundant forage. A deep intelligence guides the bears to seek out powerful medicine rooted in the mountain soil.

To balance Kapha is to invite lightness, movement, and renewal into the body and spirit.

Some part of me tracks them even when I am asleep. I’m awake now, but before I open my eyes, I reach for them with my senses. Sight isn’t very useful at this time. I know the state of them mostly by smell. For now, they smell earthy and a little sweet; no sourness or sharp pungency to send alarm bells racing through my blood.

The Kapha time is when the heavy, cloudy and earthy tendencies dominate our bodies and minds. It is the beginning years of life, the spring time of the year and the morning time from 6-10am.

She is a great mother. Her fire is the fierce protection of life. When threatened, she rises like a mountain of earth—vast, immovable. Her power pours outward as love, a river forever flowing. Despite her great size, she moves with the swiftness of wind when she must. Within her lives the potency of emptiness, and she is strengthened by the nourishment of all the elements.

Transformation happens long before it is visible.

Ghee is one of Ayurveda’s most treasured winter medicines because it is, quite literally, liquid sunlight transformed through plants and animals. Grass absorbs the summer rays and is eaten by the cow, who turns it into milk. Humans separate the milk into butter, and finally clarify it into a refined, golden nourishment. In the dark season, eating ghee is a way of feeding our inner radiance and weaving a thread through the seasons of Mother Nature.

Winter is a discerning ruler of life and death with a surprising alchemy. It sends us on a journey which belies refinement and valor when we travel the path wisely. The dark and cold are a sharp knife that prunes and consolidates the life-force. This may feel harsh but it can clarify what is of essence and awaken our dreams. In winter, the element of fire stoked in the hearth, kindled in our bellies, and nested in starlight becomes central and sacred.  If we weather winter well, we emerge more rooted, more resilient and more awake than when we began. 

Homemade cough drops to soothe a sore throat and cough.

To pacify Vata is to return to the earth—to warmth, rhythm, and rest.

As the day comes to a close, this evening ritual offers a chance to restore your body and prepare for deep, rejuvenating sleep. Before beginning, complete any screen-related responsibilities and do your best to remain screen-free with low, calming lighting until breakfast the following morning. Your nervous system will thank you.

Autumn is the time of rooting; drawing vital energy down and into our center as we transition to winter. It can be a vulnerable time for our bodies and minds. The coolness can feel sharp and drying. This transition kicks up wind, which can be abrupt and irritating, as well as the cold and flu season adding a little stress to our system.

This ritual is gentle and simple, but is a potent way to aligned with the rhythms of Mother Nature. Let it be slow, sensory, and full of your reverence for the earth.

Bringing Pitta into balance is about soothing the fire without extinguishing the light.

Feeling overwhelmed? Got chronic pain or digestive issues? Of course we all want a magic pill to immediately cure our ailments. And more so… we want that relief yesterday or sooner.

Yet our quick fix, symptom-chasing mindset perpetuates our wellness dilemma. We frantically chase our own tail hoping to get the finish so we may finally rest or finally grasp a taste of nourishment.

These last cold weeks of winter on the mountain bring expectation of spring, when the winter qualities of cold and dry transition to cool and wet. Ice begins to melt, releasing a slow trickling down the mountain. Mother Earth thaws to a more fluid state, reflected in muddy trails and the sap beginning to flow deep in the trees.

Simple, DIY routine to support a healthy lymphatic system and radiant skin. The quintessential ritual of self-love.

As the North Wind settles on the mountain for a deep, cold winter, we stock the fires of good health. We want to retain our body warmth as a much a possible so our body can use our energy for strong digestion, full circulation and immunity. If we are getting chilled frequently, our energy goes to just keeping us warm instead of these more optimal modes of the body. Take extra care to protect your head and feet; wrap them in wool and keep socks and hats on inside until you feel a little too warm. Focus on keeping warm by boosting digestion and circulation. Drink and eat every thing warmed up and this is the time to enjoy chilies, pepper and spices that all kindle the digestive fire.

Get out and enjoy the sun, the landscape and majesty of Colorado's beautiful mountain towns with your friends and family. Do so safely by protecting your skin and eating well. We have to be careful year-round and Summer can get us into the habit of adopting skin and diet rituals for optimum health.

For a long time I’ve been interested in having a relationship with the plants that grow in the ground. It started off as wanting to deepen my understanding in relationship to the food that we put into our bodies.