Never Before...

Photo by Chara Marie www.charamarie.com

"The One World Wellness retreat has been a life changing experience for me. I booked with the intention of learning to meditate and got so much more. Kristin and Tanner are fantastic. Their incredibly positive healing energy and deep understanding of holistic wellness has enhanced my life in ways I will forever be grateful for. They were able to offer support, information, guidance and everything in between without expectations or trying to push anyone into doing anything they were not comfortable with or ready for. Not only was it a transforming experience, but also an awesome vacation because they facilitated that. The only negative thing I have to say about the entire experience is that Kristin and Tanner live in Canada, which is really far away from Utah. They are the kind of people you meet and hope to keep in your life forever. If you are ready to find yourself and get to know yourself on an entirely new level you should definitely book with One World Wellness. We might even run into each other because this is definitely not my last retreat with One World Wellness. " - Jess, Utah, USA - Back to Basics Retreat

Our epic winter/spring 2018 Mexican yoga and wellness retreat adventure has come to a close. We have learned so many volumes of things that it will likely take some time to allow it all to sink in. Overall we will simply call this venture a wild success. Just, perhaps, not in the same ways we could have EVER imagined.

Never before in a 6 month period of my life had I met so many humans on similar paths and journeys. Never before had I met so many magical people from all around the globe. Never had I been pushed so close to the edge of my own mental and physical capabilities, and all while in a leadership position. Never had I had a tooth pulled from my mouth before this Mexico trip (a 2012 root canal needed to be taken out). Never have I had a partner by my side through the wild crashing waves of it all and at the closing ceremony, we are stronger and happier as a couple and as a team than ever before.

Photo by Chara Marie www.charamarie.com

Never before had I received *and accepted with grace* so many thoughtful, loving words and gifts, tangible and intangible. Never before had I given and received so many hugs and sweet soul-witnessing smiles. Never before had I taught so many yoga classes and guided and supported so many busy minds into deeper surrender and inner peace (especially my own). Never before had I eaten so much tropical fruit (mostly mangoes, avocados and coconuts) or come into contact with so many insects and geckos...in my bedroom. Geckos poop SO much. We even found a gecko skeleton under our suitcase on moving day. Yikes.

Never before had I spoken so much broken Spanish and been able to laugh my way through it all. Never had I rented an entire retreat center that I had never laid eyes or feet upon prior to our arrival day. *HUGE lessons there*

Never before had I sat around so many beautiful circles and campfires and witnessed the releasing of old beliefs, blockages and patterns that were smothering the magic within each person (myself included).

Photo by Chara Marie www.charamarie.com

Never, EVER before have I felt so strong in my own heart and soul.

Never before had I enjoyed my time playing in the turquoise ocean waves so deeply. Never before had I spent time in the tropics with so many friends who are dear to me and who left their routines to come and play with us. To laugh and cry (and SWEAAAAAT) with us.

Never before had I offered such incredibly powerful Reiki sessions with my partner to so many willing and grateful recipients. Wow. Just wow. We will now be offering this as part of our magical, yummy menu!

Never before had we gotten to hang out with the majestic Theobroma Cacao Trees in the forests of Mexico AND share their amazingly tasty fruits with lots of grateful taste buds.

Never before had I experienced an earthquake swaying the foundation below me while lying upon the earth next to a river...during an Ayahuasca ceremony. Then all of the harmless aftershocks at the retreat center that literally shook me to the core all week and resulted in no sleep and a constant feeling of tremors day and night.

Never before did that get coupled with our next door neighbor moving in with a pack of riled up dogs who barked day and night. Which resulted in someone poisoning some of them. Which resulted in not only dead dogs but a dead cat of the retreat owner that went missing and a dead iguana rotting under our tiny casa. That week was the pinnacle of the universal testing! Finally that phase seemed to come to a close another week later with a midnight pick-axe sound below our bedroom window while the man buried yet another deceased doggy. What a mess THAT all was. (Yup, it really happened.) Hopefully NEVER again.

Never before had I given and received so many smudgings. SO MANY. Never had I seen Tanner paint perfect sacred art on a wall. Never had I watched a tarantula cross the road. Never before had I heard a daily orchestra of dozens of roosters- EVERY. Damn. Morning. Way before the sun was even thinking about rising. Never before have I felt so strongly that I never again need a pet dog. Or cat. I had about 99 of them in the neighbourhood all winter and spring. Stretch that out and it will last one a lifetime or more.

Photo by Chara Marie www.charamarie.com

Never had I hired two vegan cooks who both said “I don’t really cook. Especially vegan. But I’ll learn!” And never before had I seen such a rapid transformation of two non-cooks into magical food art wizards. Um...see for yourself. All of our kitchen helpers were superheros. There is NO way we could have done all of this without you all.

Never before now have I felt such a strong push in the direction of my deepest purpose and the blissful flapping of my wings with great anticipation of what might be coming next.

Never before have I felt like I accomplished with flying colors such a massively challenging assignment from the universe. A clear beginning and a clear end. Checkmark. Where will One World Wellness Retreats in Canada happen? We are ready for our summer assignment! Bring. It. On. WhamO! (Oh, and in English please.)

PS. Mexico we LOVE you and all of your mysterious and hilarious humor and powerful yet loving lessons! See you soon.  Until then...Adios. Also, we are so grateful to everyone who was the behind-the-scenes support team for US. Wow. What an amazing web of people we have in our lives. xoxoxo

Crystal Magic. Thanks 2015!

The autumn of 2015 was very busy and full of unexpected events for us. I have been finishing up the 90-day herbal treatment that was recommended after my live blood analysis in October. I have about 3 weeks left. It has been difficult to get through. The blood retest at 5 weeks into the treatment showed big improvements, which was encouraging. It has left me feeling overall tired and my body has been working overtime to cleanse and rebuild itself, cell by cell. I have been faced with forced resting a LOT, and not participating in many normal activities that I usually do without even thinking twice. So tired. It's been a big challenge to just REST and not DO, DO, DO.

The autumn all over the USA and Canada was unusually mild (as most of you may have noticed), which is pretty bizarre. It also meant a longer growing season and more fresh veggies at the farmers markets in Pennsylvania (and everywhere). We were so excited to find such beautiful, nourishing fall foods. We enjoyed meeting the farmers who grew the food and even went apple picking in the neighborhood at an abandoned orchard. There was such a bumper crop of apples that no one knew what to do with them all this year. Yum!

We ended up spending about 9 weeks with my dad in Pennsylvania. We reconnected with many of my friends and family members. It was a time for healing and cleansing on all levels. I learned a lot about my dad and his side of our family tree. I enjoyed the stories that answered some questions for me.  My dad passed on many gemstones and crystals to us that he had inherited from his parents. They were rock hounds and my grandfather was a lapidary and jeweler. He passed away the month before I was born, so I never met him. However, with all of the stones and stories I have inherited, I am grateful to continue working with earth's treasures like my ancestors did. I just know it's a part of what I'm here to share!

We also shared our knowledge of crystals and stones with my nephew. He and uncle Tanner built an Angelic Gateway with crystals while we were in Pennsylvania. He was so excited about this idea. As they tucked each stone into little holes in the earth, he gave them a leaf blanket and pillow and said goodnight as he patted down the soil on top. 

Shortly before the chaos and terrorism erupted in Europe and beyond, I received a very clear message during a meditation that I am to create headbands using copper and crystals to enhance the communication between humans and the higher realms. I wasted no time gathering materials and starting to create these unique beauties. You can see my work available on the etsy page (custom orders welcome!):

www.etsy.com 

shop name: OpenAriseCreations

Or on Facebook at Open Arise Creations

Since I'm on the topic of crystals...we recently acquired two amazing quartz crystal singing bowls. We were in Montana on our last night in the USA and we discovered a gorgeous shop that sends its proceeds to a project in which the shop owner works on healing rescued elephants with singing bowl sound therapy. Here is their site:

www.darirasa.com

We have been waiting for the right bowls to present themselves for quite some time- and they did. We are so excited to add the healing vibrations of these bowls to our cacao ceremonies and other events. We have really enjoyed getting to know them so far!

We have returned to Home Sweet Canada for the foreseeable future. After a journey of 30,000 kilometers of both calm and wild rides in 2015, we will be settling on lovely Vancouver Island...at least for a little while, anyway. 2016, we are excited for the wonderful experiences you will bring! In 2016, we commit to continuing to plant the seeds of LOVE around our world. It's what we do best. 

Truth Warriors are Us

I'm finally taking a sweaty moment here to start this new blog post while we are pulled over in the baking mid-day sun at a state border stop between Nayarit and Sinaloa. The guards informed us that we can't take any fruits into this state. We have been existing on a 80% fresh fruits diet for quite a few months, so to us this was very unwelcome news. So when they tried to open up our car and take it all to the trash can, we sat here instead, for at least a half hour eating mangos and bananas. We also splurged and purchased our first jumbo jackfruit this morning. I didn't even get to take a photo of it. We dug out a knife and cut it open just to try a taste before handing it over to the fruit police. They explained that there are too many pests and fungus that can be spread to all of the fruits in Sinaloa. Fair enough. I think that most people conform and hand over everything and just drive away. Not these two vegan fruit fiends! In the last week alone we have tried three new fruits: Starfruit, jackfruit, and guanabana (which I have seen all of in Asian markets in Canada but never tried). Not to mention fresh cacao fruit and seeds. Yum. The sheer acreage of plantations and the heaps of fruit on the Pacific coast has been completely mind blowing.

Thousands of forests of coconut palms. Miles of mango trees. Fields of piñas, papayas and lime trees. They are trying to feed a very hungry planet here!

So now that I wrote that all down, let me back up and recap some really beautiful and intense experiences. Some of the more intense days of this entire 5 month road trip, actually. 

Our next stop on the South Pacific coast of Mexico was Puerto Escondido. We had some cacao ceremonies booked at a healing and wellness retreat center there. We were also asked by the owner to see how his new team of volunteers was doing running the place. The long and short of it was that the team was having a tough start. This place requires a lot of time and dedication. It also requires, like everything that we do everyday, clear communication with others. 

There was a second round of intense waves slamming the whole pacific shoreline those first few days that we arrived in Puerto. It felt a bit reflective of the energy in the wellness center. People getting tossed to and fro in the waves of miscommunication.

We recognized that possibly a cacao ceremony for the team and the three guests might be a useful tool to create more openness and unity. So the eight of us convened on the beautiful rooftop palapa one afternoon and for several hours we created a sacred space of connection and communication. It was like magic. People arrived all flustered and exhausted. They left uplifted and full of gratitude. Mid-ceremony, a funny little seed blew onto the floor in front of me. It was like a disc of clear rice paper with a small heart-shaped seed in the center. It was a tiny confirmation for me from the universe that these cacao ceremonies are planting seeds of love across the planet. We are all planting seeds each moment. With every interaction. More love seeds, please. 

We really enjoyed the team at the healing center. They were from Mexico and Canada. Such awesome young people full of passion and hope. We enjoyed sunrise meditations and early morning yoga each day that week. We shared buckets of mangos from the street outside the house. We shared vegan recipes and then ate more mangos. At the Saturday market we were able to purchase our first fresh whole cacao pods! So pretty, and tasty too.

I really appreciated the conscious manner that team meetings were held at this wellness center. One person spoke at a time without interruptions. We all encouraged each other to speak the truth and to express our truest feelings. It was very tough for some of the group to share openly and to receive what others had to say. There was some major intensity but also major growth for all involved. Including us. So after a week of these morning meetings, we were dubbed the Truth Warriors by the staff. I accept that title, as one of many, and plan to continue assisting others to bring out the truth for the betterment of all of humanity. 

After a week in Puerto, we drove to Acapulco. It was a pretty neat place with lots of VW beetles and a huge mercado in the early morning as we departed after our quick one night stay. They had so many flowers at this particular mercado. Beautiful. 

We then headed to Zihuatenajo. It's a beautiful city. We googled a vegan cafe where we planned to stop and rest while we got an oil change for our Truth Mobile. It was not a cafe at all but an amazing woman in her lovely home who was a raw foods warrior. Patti invited us in and made us raw vegan pizzas made with local and organic fruits and veggies. So amazing. We got that oil change and so much more. We were invited to stay at Patti's home after we saw the sprouted cacao beans on her counter. The cacao chat began and the rest was history. She took us to see our very first cacao tree just down the block from her casa.  We held a cacao ceremony at her home and shared many special moments there. We departed early the second morning and Patti was up making us vegan raw burritos to go for our road lunch. Wow were they amazing!!! I thought mine were amazing but hers were out of this world. It continues to amaze me at how dazzling we all become when we are living our true calling! When life calls you, answer! Don't take a message or screen your calls. Don't say you'll call back when it's more convenient. Just take the call and enjoy it!

We were stopped at checkpoints several times in Michoacan.  This is the state with some of the highest level of unrest because of drug cartels. We decided to trek through despite all of the negativity that we found online. We have heard so many negative opinions of Mexico and Central America since we began announcing that we were taking this journey last fall. We have not encountered a single situation that I would call dangerous or scary for over 5 months. Michoacan was heavily militarized and there were many checkpoints where we had to get out of the car for inspection and questioning. Which usually resulted in laughter.

The best part of these stops was that the soldiers would dig through our car asking what things were and we got to give them some free healthy living lessons! It was awesome. This state was also one of the most wild, uninhabited and beautiful that we have seen. High cliffs overlooking a blue wild ocean. Thick lush jungles covering winding roads for hours shaded us from the sun. We saw dozens of giant white butterflies flapping huge floppy, white wings and giving us the feeling that they were our tiny guardian angels. Two more days to go in magical Mexico. Magical.

"The destiny of the world is in your hands."

Into the Heart of Chiapas

Our little car huffed and puffed its way out of the volcanic lake basin of Lake Atitlán, the trunk heavy with our cacao stash. 

We enjoyed a beautiful drive to Xela, also known as Quetzaltenango. It's the second largest city in Guatemala and has a lot of character. On our way, we made a stop at the gigantic market at San Francisco el Alto. It was at the top of more mountains and it is the largest open air market in Central America. We parked our car and hiked up the hill past squealing pigs and blowing chicken feathers. We pretty well got lost amongst the hundreds of vendors selling everything from food to belts and hardware to kitchen wares. It was a wild assault on our senses.We left with just a few pieces of rainbow Guatemalan fabric and some bananas. It was a fun adventure. We were certainly the only gringos, or chinos, as the Guatemalans refer to non-Guatemalans with lighter skin and hair, in the entire village. We felt like celebrities....or something. People were staring, laughing as we passed and touching our clothes and our hair. 

We couchsurfed with a really kind couple at their little homestead just outside of the city limits. They suggested that we check out Fuentes Georginas, a group of natural hot springs about an hour from their home. It turned out to be an amazing trek into the mountains on narrow winding roads that were barely wide enough for two cars. As we climbed, the view morphed into thick clouds. That's how high we were. Looking over the steep disappearance of the side of the trail, all we could see was white. We were amazed by the landscape that was a green quilt of patchwork veggie fields. Some were sewn to hillsides so steep that no machine could ever cling to the earth there. Practically straight up and down! It was hard to truly capture from a moving vehicle. There were no spots to safely pull over so we made our way to the end of the line where the hot springs were nestled in the cold and cloudy rainforest. (I didn't get any photos at the pools as I left all cameras in the car). We enjoyed a couple of hours in the hot pools and chatted with several interesting folks and then decided to trek back before dark. 

Later that evening we went into the City to Cafe Luna. We heard that they offered 8 different drinks with cacao. So we sampled a few. They were pretty good but our cacao is better. It's true. It was a very funky little place though. 

There was a very heavy rainfall the afternoon that we were up at the hot springs. When we came down, we passed by small streams that had transformed into raging rivers of garbage. Mostly plastic and styrofoam bottles and cups. There are very few official landfills and little to no garbage pickup services. This leaves the people of Guatemala the options of burning their trash or throwing it in neighborhood pits which may be located next to a river, or right in a river ravine.

After the weekend we headed for the Mexican border. We hoped that crossing with or cacao stash wouldn't be a problem. Part way there we encountered a check stop where a man wanted to search our car for fruit and veggies. I told him that all we had was one avocado for our lunch. He said ok have a nice day. We had another easy pleasant border crossing, like the previous three had been. We crossed back out from the same way we entered Guatemala, at a village called La Mesilla. A cute chocolate lab (funny, right?) hopped up in our car sniffing away for any illegal substances. The guard asked what was in the boxes and we said "oh just a little bit of Guatemalan chocolate". He said have a nice day and waved us foward.

Sampling some elotes. Roasted corn. 

Back in Chiapas! What a beautiful place. The pride of the people is very obvious. The homes, businesses and land are all kept very tidy and clean. Our drive to San Cristobal de las Casas was through winding hills and beautiful forests intertwined with fertile farmland growing mostly corn and coffee. It felt a lot like British Columbia. It also happens to be mango season and there are heaps of them in all colors and sizes along the roads at the market stands. Yum!!!

We have been enjoying our fair share at breakfast each day. 

Our friends from Chile who we met back in Yucatan are here too! We met up with them the first night and had some big hugs. Their hostel was full, so we ended up coming to a wonderful small hostel across town called Casa Vegano Sol. As the name implies, it's a vegan place run by an awesome Mexican couple with a young son. They both speak great English and we have also practiced our Español with them. They have been very helpful helping us to advertise for our upcoming cacao ceremony that will be tomorrow in the backyard. This afternoon we all cooked a vegan lunch and another couple from Argentina joined us. We had great conversations in both Spanish and English about veganism, fracking, monsanto and government. It seems that all of our countries are facing similar domestic issues. The meal was a Swiss chard salad, Chiapas style with avocado and lime dressing, Lebanese-spiced carrot purée soup and Pad Thai. Wow. It was amazing. What a team!

We have been enjoying morning yoga on the sunny rooftop patio and hours of strolling through the beautiful artistic streets with their European-Mexican feel. The people are so friendly. As we have found nearly everywhere. We have discovered many cacao and chocolate shops here and we have taste-tested at most of them. We also visited a cacao museum yesterday which was fun and informative. 

The owner of the hostel invited me to a full moon women's circle at a birthing center called Luna Maya. It was a bit outside my comfort zone because my ability to express emotions and spirituality in Español is still limited. However, I told the women that I am great at understanding Spanish, so I mostly sat and listened intently. We gathered around a lovely altar with fresh flowers, candles and fruit. We were underneath a flowering tree that rained down purple flowers throughout the ceremony. As the darkness set in, the women shared and laughed and cried and at the end I realized that it doesn't matter what country we live in or what language we speak, that humanity shares its challenges. These women discussed the same issues that women in Canada speak of. We all need the love and support of like-minded people. 

Just down the street from our hostel we visited a museum called Na-Bolom, meaning house of the jaguar in a local Mayan dialect. It is a large home that was once built to house a monestary. A European couple of anthropologists and philanthropists purchased it in the 1950's and started an organization to help preserve the indigenous way of life in the Lacandón jungle of Chiapas. It was a beautiful experience and the organization is still funding sustainable forestry and preservation of native land.  For more info visit www.na-bolom.org. It's in Spanish but may be available in English too?

Last but not even close to least will be the topic of the Zapatista revolution in Mexico. We knew very little about it when we arrived in Mexico. We attended a documentary called Zapatista: Chronicle of a Rebellion.  In a nutshell, the Zapatistas are a group comprised of mostly indigenous people of southern Mexico. On January 1, 2004, began their uprising when their army invaded all of the main cities in Chiapas to stand up against the NAFTA agreement that was to take effect that day. The indigenous people had always felt they been treated unfairly by the government and the NAFTA agreement was the straw that broke the camel's back. The people of Chiapas want to see the trade of the natural resources of Chiapas actually benefiting the people of Chiapas. They were and are seeking fair trade standards. Their intention was to bare arms but to not use them unless necessary. The Mexican army counterattacked and invaded their indigenous communities, then set up camps for nearly a decade. Many people lost their homes and were forced to flee into the mountains to refugee camps. For over a decade, the Mexican governments in power made many promises to the Zapatistas and never fulfilled them. Surprise. 

Our lovely pal, Michelle, in Chiapas with the Zapatistas in the mid-2000's. Photo courtesy of www.schoolsforchiapas.org

The Zapatistas have never surrendered and now have control over five main caracoles or villages in Chiapas where they self-govern and self-organize. They grow and sell their own products such as coffee, corn and honey, to name a few. There are numerous Zapatista shops scattered throughout San Cristobal where we purchased a few items to show our support. These people are facing the same issues that the indigenous peoples of every developed or developing country are facing. It's nothing new. However, this group has been one of the only bold enough to repeatedly resist the government structure and do their own thing. It's amazing. They now have one of the best universities in Mexico which es largely funded by global supporters of the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional) movement. Things are still not equal here in Mexico, or in most corners of the globe, but every voice counts and everyone deserves to live a just and equal life. Viva la Mexico. Viva las humanos de Paz y Amor!

How Much Food is Enough?

Food. It's a tie that binds humans. It's what brings us together daily and what many of us have undiagnosed addictions to. That's right. I said addiction. To food. Allow me to elaborate.

For us, since crossing into Mexico, it has been quite a challenge to continue with an organic vegan (or even mostly vegan) diet.  Organic food is not a commonly seen thing here. So we buy the best-looking produce that we can find at local mercados and wash it well. We peel when necessary and cook what needs cooking. We have a cleansing spray for fresh herbs and things that are eaten raw and unpeeled.

For the first couple of weeks here, I tried to just relax about what I ate and to accept what was so kindly offered to us by all of the loving hosts that we encountered. Our first night over the border, our couchsurfing host offered us quesadillas made with wheat and cheese, neither of which I have eaten much of in recent years. We graciously accepted and enjoyed them very much. Yummy!

Well now...this began a descent down a slippery slope of eating foods that my body wasn't very fond of. I noticed right away that my digestive system was a bit confused. It took me a couple of weeks to finally pull the emergency brake and get off that freight train to wheat, dairy and sugar land. What was I thinking? Somehow the romantic idea of being in a foreign country made it all ok in my mind. "I'll be fine", I told myself, "Stop worrying so much." Well for many subtle reasons (and some not so subtle) I decided to speak up and say "no, thank you/ no, gracias" when someone offered me bread, cake, or tacos, quesadillas, snacks or pretty much anything that is a traditional Mexican dish. Wheat, dairy and meat are the three main ingredients on most Mexican plates. Corn is a close fourth. I don't mind corn and it's darn tasty. Although, it's not so easily digestible and then there's the whole GMO topic to boot...UGH. I can't erase what I know, however, I can listen to the whispers and shouts that are coming from my body and spirit, and respect them. Think that wheat and sugar don't have a hold on your mind and body? Try quitting cold turkey for a few days and see what happens.

We just so happened one night last week to stumble upon the research of a man named Arnold Ehret on Google.  He lived in the late 1800's/early 1900's and basically believed that humans do not need much, if any, food to thrive. I know. It's pretty far out! However, we are a few chapters into one of his most well-known books, the Mucusless Diet Healing System, and it's extremely thought-provoking. He begins by stating that anything other than fruits and non-starchy vegetables cause a state of chaos and illness in the human body over time. He also studied the science of fasting and how well the human body heals itself of nearly all disease when left to its own accord. No food. No medicine.  No medical intervention. Only its own innate brilliance. 

Parallel to us beginning this book, I was scheduled to have two amalgam fillings removed at the dentist. I brought a canister of chlorella powder with me from Canada, knowing that it is a key food in the detoxification of heavy metals in the body and not knowing if I would find it here. In further reading, I discovered that pairing it with cilantro makes a powerful combo that is more effective in binding and flushing the metals from the body. I have put myself on a daily Rx of a green drink to help my body eject those unwanted metals. About 40 days of detox is recommended. 

A key part of toxin elimination is properly flowing digestion. Of which mine seemed to go on a separate holiday than the rest of me is on. So we embarked on a fresh juicing and whole fruits cleanse and in a few days we were both feeling a bit more like ourselves.  Detoxing can feel pretty icky at first. Tiredness, headaches, brain fog and other symptoms can show themselves first as your body begins to purge out what it doesn't need in there. It's been 5 days so far and I'm feeling much better than a week ago. I feel like I have a ways to go yet...I have moments of dreaming of nachos, or pizza or other fun snacks, but then I remember how long it can take to cleanse my body of these things and to feel like me again. It's not worth it! I personally believe that these food addictions are about 99.99% mental. We must simply realize that we value our long term well being more than the fleeting pleasures of food.  

Luckily for us, a liter of fresh juice of our choice is just 15-30 pesos ($1-3) at the mercado. So we have made a routine of a morning 5km beach walk to downtown and back for a daily juice.

We retreated from the busy city of Merida to a nearby beach community where there is Zocalo Beach Hostel (aka Hostel Progreso) full of wonderful people to stay with. We have been here just a few days, and it feels like a home away from home. The new managers are from Chile and they are lots of fun. They came here as travelers for a few days and were offered a long term position as management. So here we all are! There are lots of Canadians here too, as well as Dutch, Spanish, Americans, and more. We are all practicing our Español together over meals and card games. 

Last night, a group of 9 of us enjoyed another temezcal, or sweat lodge, in the hostel's sandy backyard. It was a great addition to our cleansing process. We sang and shared stories and sweat out the old stuff. At the end of the very intense ceremony, we all walked across the street in our bathing suits and had a night swim in the ocean. Together we marveled at the starry sky above and the magic of the dark waves surrounding us. How wonderful life is. 

Seeds of Life

Colorful Veggie Art at work

It's been a funny thing for me to work as an "employee" again, after being self-employed in one way or another for a decade. I have had to practice super-clear communication, as well as humbleness, compassion, patience and humility, amongst other things. It's been a great way to test myself. Am I walking the talk? I am doing my very best. I have struggled some days and am also excited for each new day and the fun and challenges each one brings. Personal growth happens when you least expect it. A diamond in the rough.

I have struggled to find time and inspiration (and energy!) to write a new blog post because I have been busy and tired. But...the seeds have been planted (literally and figuratively) and new life is all around us. Spring has sprung on Vancouver Island! And so I write....

Resident black bamboo by the creek on the property.

For about 10 days now, there has been a chorus of hundreds of frogs after dark in the ponds and wetlands around our home. It sounds amazing. The pink cherry blossoms are beginning to pop out around town. A bee buzzed by me while I examined our winter-flattened garden beds. It's sandal time again!!!

We began planting the seeds for our garden about a month ago. We started the ones that need a longer growing season such as tomatoes, peppers, onions, leeks, basil and other herbs. We also started a variety of Marigolds that were brought back from the flowers grown at the Taj Mahal in India. So excited to see those beauties bloom this summer!

I find that soaking most seeds overnight in a cup of water helps them to germinate quickly and helps them retain the moisture needed to sprout. 

Our tiny house is being taken over by flats of tiny green seedlings. But we are ok with the temporary guests, as we know the payback this summer and fall (and maybe even winter!!!) will be 100-fold with luscious fresh veggies. We took a full-day workshop from a local gardening guru this weekend. It was so much fun and we both feel more confident to dig into the soil in our new climate.

Speaking of fresh veggies...I recently started sprouting various seeds again. I learned how to do this from a good friend a few years back, but with our traveling bug, I had gotten out of the sprouting loop. Sprouting is a way to eat fresh, green, living veggies all year long!

Here's how we do it:

A clean glass canning jar

A piece of window screen

A strong rubber band (or one of those orange lid sealers for canning)

Purchase seeds that are specifically for sprouting. This will guarantee success (and not result in disappointment). 

Add 2-3 teaspoonfuls of seeds to the jar (different seeds make different sized sprouts). You will have to experiment with amount of seeds to the size of the jar. Add enough water to cover the seeds. Place the screen and rubber band over the top of the jar. Let the seeds soak overnight. 

Each morning and evening thereafter, rinse the seeds/sprouts with cool water and then tip the jar on its end (opening facing down). Be sure to rest it in the sink or in a dish drying rack on a slight angle so that air can get into the opening. If you lay it flat face down, it will prevent airflow and things could get funky. That's it. So simple. Let nature do its thing. 

It's up to you how long you let the sprouts get. Regardless of the size, once they have sprouted they are living and full of enzymes and nutritional goodness. If you place them in the sunlight in a window for a few hours before eating, they will become brighter green!  Add them to salads, sandwiches, wraps, or just eat them alone. Yum!

Here is a link with some more info on sprouts. In case you need more convincing...

http://sproutpeople.org/sprouts/nutrition/science/

The other craft that I have just began to learn about is wild fermentation. It was suggested to me by several friends and wellness professionals in the last year. So when two people sent me the same link to this YouTube video (posted later in this blog) in the same day, I knew it was about time I tried this at home. 

I recently purchased this locally-made Korean kimchi and it's unbelievably tasty. Sort of like sauerkraut or pickles. Vinegary and so good! So I set out to create my own version, which is substantially more affordable and even fresher!

Here's what I used:

1 small head red cabbage

1 daikon radish

1 small bok choy

1 yellow onion

2 large carrots

Few cloves of garlic

Small chunk of ginger root

Pinch of dried chili flakes

Sea salt (several teaspoons)

As you will see in the YouTube video, Sandor suggests chopping or grating all of the veggies finely. Sprinkle salt over them (to taste) and knead the mixture together to get the juices flowing. (If you want it spicy, add the chilies after the kneading. I learned the hard way. It burns.)

Pack the mixture firmly (with the juices) into a glass jar. Be sure all veggies are submerged under the salty brine. This is key for success. You will have to push them under a couple of times each day, since they will float to the top. Cover jar with a plate or something non-metal to keep out dust and flying/crawling flies etc. Wait a few days and taste test. If you prefer a more vinegary taste, wait a bit longer, tasting every now and again. That's it. So simple. Let nature do the work. 

PS. Do not overfill the jar. Leave more room than I did here. Why? I came home from work to see purple juice all around the jars on day 2. The fermentation action creates air bubbles under and around the veggies, thus forcing the water level up and over the rim. If you leave at least an inch of space it should be ok. Just remember to pack the veggies back down with a spoon (forcing some of the air pockets out) at least twice a day. :)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i77hU3zR-fQ

I'm so excited to try my first batch of kimchi! Here are some of the health benefits:

http://www.wildfermentation.com/whats-so-wild-about-fermentation/