Author: Amy
As a yoga instructor, one of the things that I have struggled with is modifying in front of other people. Most of the time, I can remind myself that people aren't watching me because they are watching themselves. However, I was taking a class at a studio where I work recently, and some people did look at me for help. There is nothing wrong with that! I look at other people for help too. When I modified, though, I wondered what they thought when they looked at me. Did they think that I was modifying because I simply couldn't do what was being asked? Were they less likely to want to take my class because they saw me modify?
I suppose they could have thought those things, but moving my body at yoga (or dance, HIIT, hiking, etc.) is not about me proving myself to other people. It's simply about me moving. In a group setting, though, I am contributing to the energy in the room just like everyone else. It would be disingenuous for me to tell anyone to focus on themselves like no one else is around. Instead, I want to shift my thoughts in class to how I can positively contribute to the energy in the room while still honoring what's best for me, mind and body. If other people see me modify a pose, they may learn a new modification that they didn't previously have in their practice but it very much aligns with what they need. Maybe the class was very difficult, but no one wanted to be the first to take a break and look like they couldn't handle the level of intensity. Regardless of the reason, I know that people do avoid modifications sometimes. So, when I modify in a class, I am giving people around me permission to modify too. This is especially true when I'm the first one to do it. This shift in thinking has been huge for me! I still falter, of course, and let my ego get the best of me, but I'm not aspiring to perfection in any category. I started thinking about how I could take this off of my mat. In what other aspects of my life am I performative or resisting help and rest? I decided that social media was an easy place to start. I realized that there were days that I was posting things just to be visible and not because I had anything to really tell people about. I also noticed that I would reach for my phone to capture things and think about posting them rather than just capturing them for myself or to show someone specific. I'm now going much longer without posting anything and that's feeling really nice for me right now. There are undoubtedly so many more aspects of my life that I could say less and do less. Ultimately, I'm making these modifications in an effort to heal my relationship with what other people think of me. I'm always going to care what people think! We are pack animals, and there is a level of caring that is vital to our survival and helps us to grow. When I care so much that I get in my head and prevent myself from doing what's best for me, I know it's time to reevaluate this relationship with caring.
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As we approach the spring equinox this year, we encourage you to save your eggshells!
As you use your eggs in the coming weeks, place the discarded shells back into the carton and place it aside somewhere dry after you've gone through them all. On March 20th, the spring equinox, remove your (hopefully dry) eggshells and use a marker to write your manifestations on them. Best practice is to write them in a positive way. Example: "Clear skin" is a preferable manifestation than "no more blemishes" in that it focuses on what we want, rather than what we don't want. The universe loves when we are specific! With that said, don't get stuck on the details if you find it overwhelming or aren't sure exactly what you want yet. You can want a new home without knowing exactly what home you want. After you're satisfied with the number of eggshells you have written on, dig small holes in your garden, planter box, or anywhere you hope plants will grow and place your shells in the holes. You can go ahead and place plants over them if you're ready, or you can simply cover them back up with soil. Ideally, you will plant over the shells later, but if life gets in the way, you have still nourished your soil. Eggshells contain calicum and act as a natural fertilizer. This is strengthened as you act with intention placing them in the ground. Spring is all about beginnings and recycling the previous seasons into new growth. Making use of something like eggshells, is the perfect embodiment of this energy. There are limitless opportunities for manifestation throughout the year, but there is something special about manifesting in the spring and feeling in tune with all of nature. You may know what is in your teas, but have you wondered why it's all there? When curating blends, we consider many factors. Our two main interests; however, are magick properties and historical benefits of each herb.
In our earlier posts (here and here), we discussed the magick properties of our blends. We’d like to share the historical benefits of our ingredients! Before we do that, we want to discuss common actions of herbs. These terms may be familiar or they may be completely alien to you! We will break it down by body system. In Ayruveda, (and elsehwere) there is a saying “as above so below”. Our very nature reflects that of nature all around us. For this reason, herbs should be viewed as a whole system rather than a single action to treat a single symptom. Contrary to Western medicine views, herbs are to be used in support with other means of healing, not as a pill to mask those symptoms. In later posts, we will discuss the key actions of each herb; however, we encourage you to do your own research and view the whole nature of an herb to see if that herb compliments your own nature. Digestion Carminatives help relieve gas and cramps. Choleretics stimulate bile secretion by the liver. Antiseptics protect against infections. Astringents tighten the inner lining of the intestines. Hepatics prevent liver damage. Bitters help stimulate digestive juices within the stomach and intestines. Laxatives stimulate bowel movements. Stomachics protect the stomach. Cholagogues help move bile into the intestines. Demulcents help soothe the digestive system and can reduce acidity. Antidiarrheals alleviates diarrhea. Antiemetics relieves nausea and vomiting. Aperitives stimulates/promotes appetite. Digestives aids digestive system. Diuretics increases urine production. Laxatives encourages peristalsis and bowel movements. Vermifuges kill or expel parasites. Stomachics tone the stomach, balance activity, and improve appetite. Parasiticides kill parasites. Lipolytics break down fats. Hepatics benefit the liver. Nervous System Nervines support and strengthen the nervous system. Tonics nourish nerves and help to restore the nervous system. Sedatives reduce nervous activity. Stimulants increase nervous activity. Relaxants help to relax the nervous system. Antidepressant: alleviates low mood, depression, and/or anxiety. Anxiolytic: reduces symptoms and feelings of anxiety. Calmative: calms. Immune System Immune modulators help the immune system to ward off infections. Anthelmintics and antiparasitics expel parasites. Antibacterials and antobiotics: kills bacteria or prevents growth. Anticatarrhals remove mucus from the body and all bodily organs. Antifungals prevent and treat fungal infections, halt fungal growth. Antihistamines prevent or reduce allergic (inflammatory) reactions. Anti-infectious fights or prevents infections. Anti-inflammatories prevent or alleviate inflammation. Antimicrobials kill and prevent growth of microbes. Antioxidants help slow/prevent cell damage from oxidation. Antiphlogistics reduce fever and/or inflammation. Antipyretics reduce fever. Antiseptics prevent the growth of microbes. Antitumors inhibit the growth of a tumor. Antitussives prevent or alleviate cough. Antivirals prevent growth of or alleviates viral infections. Bactericidals kill bacteria. Decongestants alleviate congestion in nasal passages/airways. Delobstruents remove obstruction. Demulcents soothe/relieve irritation. Depuratives and detoxicants purify and detoxify. Diaphoretics promote sweating (and therefore help manage fever). Disinfectants kill bacteria. Expectorants help lungs and bring up mucus, making coughs productive. Febrifuges reduce fever. Immunomodulators help to activate, boost, or restore normal immune function. Mucolytics loosen and clear mucus from airways. Thermogenics produce heat. Tonics restore health in general or have affinity for a particular organ. Insecticides repel and/or kill insects. Endocrine System Adaptogens support and balance the endocrine system by supporting adrenal functions. Abortifacies cause abortion. Anaphrodisiacs reduce/suppress libido. Aphrodisiacs stimulate libido. Emmenagogues promote circulation to the pelvis/uterus and stimulate menstruation. Galactagogues promote milk flow. Uterines improve the function of the uterus. Skin Analgesics relieve pain. Antineuralgics relieve pain derived from the nerves. Antipruritics relieve itching. Antiseborrheics alleviate/prevent seborrhea (excess sebum). Astringents contract/tone mucus membranes of skin. Cicatrisants prompt healing by stimulating scar tissue formation. Cytophylactics promotes growth of new cells. Cooling promotes cooling sensation on skin. Anaesthetics numb or create a loss of sensation. Emollients soften and soothe skin. Hypotonics calm and soothe. Rubefacients promote blood flow to skin, causing reddening. Anti-itch prevents or reduces allergic (inflammatory) reactions. Sudorifics promote sweating. Vulneraries promote wound healing. Circulatory system Antianemics increase the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. Anticoagulants thin blood, reducing coagulation. Cephalics promote blood flow to the head. Circulatories aid the circulatory system. Circulatory stimulants boost circulation. Hemostatics and styptics stop bleeding. Vasoconstrictors constrict blood vessels. Vasodilators dilate blood vessels. Hypertensives increase blood pressure. Hypotensives decrease blood pressure. Musculoskeletal system Anti-arthritics relieve arthritic symptoms. Antirheumatics alleviate symptoms of rheumatism and prevent it. Antispasmodics and muscle relaxants relax muscle spasms. The products offered and information stated on this website are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. You should consult your physician before treating yourself with teas and/or herbs, mixing them with any medications or taking them instead of prescribed medication. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, consult with your physician for diagnosis or treatment. Use teas and herbs as per instructions and always watch for any allergic reactions. The information provided by Curiositea Wellness is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of the benefits of teas and tisanes. The information contained on www.Curiositea Wellness.com should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation or advice of your doctor or other health care provider. Information obtained on our site is not exhaustive and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions or their treatment. Individuals who are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant or who are nursing should not use herbs without the approval of their practitioners. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help. Some ingredients used in our blends were not produced in an allergy-free environment, therefore we can not guarantee that there are no traces of peanuts, celery, wheat, mustard or any other allergen. Any magick results have to come from within. Curiositea Wellness sells teas that align with or strengthen your intentions, but is not responsible for any results or lack thereof. It's no secret that you need water to make tea. Like most people, you probably try to assure that they have good water quality, but have you tried making your tea with moon water?
Moon water is water that has been left out to be charged by the moon. To make it, you fill a clear class jar with water and tighten the lid. You then leave the jar out overnight in a place where it can receive direct moonlight. Typically that is easiest outdoors, but when temperatures reach freezing you can also leave it in a window indoors. In the morning, try to retrieve the water early, before it gets much sun exposure. Moon water can be collected during any phase of the moon, but it is most common to collect it during the new or full moon. Each of these phases offer different benefits, and are best used for different purposes. New Moon New moon water is a powerful aid in setting intentions. It can be used to strengthen those intentions when you are manifesting, starting a new project, doing shadow work, or looking for a fresh start in some aspect of your life. Waxing Moon Moon water collected during the waxing moon can help to re-energize you when you are losing momentum. It supports growth, planning, and movement. Full Moon The full moon creates the most light for you water to absorb. It is powerful and cleansing. Full moon water can be used to help bring things to fruition and aid in the success of endeavors you have been working on for some time already. Waning Moon Water charged by the waning moon helps us to release what does not serve us. This water can be used to help us cleanse, banish, and reflect. Taking time for this release helps us to make space for the new moon and new manifestations. You have the chance to collect this moon water every month (unless there's an eclipse) and making tea with it is a simple way to move through your day with more intention. If you are visiting us in person, we always have new and full moon water available. Simply ask us to make your tea with it! The universe is full of patterns and cycles. As we enter a new year, we enter a new cycle. Some of us start off this new cycle with reflections, goals, resolutions, and intentions. If one of your intentions for the year is to be more meditative, intuitive, or more in touch with our own bodies. We all have personal cycles and rhythms within us that help us know when to rest, sleep, and move. These rhythms are influenced by energies all around us (yin and yang, divine masculine and feminine, high and low, etc.) and we have the opportunity daily to become more aware of them.
Today, specifically, we want to cover the four phases associated with the moon and divine femininity. This month we are releasing our Lunar Remedies: teas that align with each phase of the cycle. Even if you are a person without a menstrual cycle, aligning with this energy can be investigation into yourself and how you are affected by the moon. You can begin your cycle with the new moon rather than when you menstruate. Phase 1: Menstrual (New Moon) The most well known phase of the cycle for its obvious arrival, this is a good time for rest and reflection. Allow yourself to be free of high energy expectations of yourself, and embrace stillness without feeling guilty or self critical. Try using the time you might use for a hard workout or demanding task on meditation, writing in a journal, and gentle self care. Tea: Flower Power - Raspberry leaf, hibiscus, calendula, jasmine, nettle, rose Phase 2: Follicular (1st quarter moon) This is the phase in which we begin to transition out of rest and act upon our reflections during the previous phase. This phase has us ready to brainstorm, make decisions, plan, and move. It is possible that you will feel more confident during this phase. Allow yourself to try new things and take a few risks. Tea: Rain Dance - Hibiscus, orange, chaste tree berry, fennel Phase 3: Ovulation (Full moon) Do you ever wake up feeling like hot stuff? You might be in the ovulation phase of your cycle! This is a time for celebrating, socializing, collaborating, and empathizing. If there is a week for getting in a hard work out and accomplishing goals, it's this one. Remember to move about this week in gratitude, whatever you choose to do. Tea: Mother Earth - Cacao, shatavari, maca Phase 4: Luteal (3rd quarter moon) This fourth phase gives us time to reflect upon the previous weeks and get organized. Now is when we narrow down interests while we have greater access to our intuition. Allow this depth of knowledge and understanding to guide your manifestations. Even if you sometimes have trouble knowing what you really want, trust yourself. Tea: Sacred Space - Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, burdock root, ashwagandha In the coming weeks we will release these teas as a set, along with a quick summary of this information to help guide you through your phases and through the use of your teas. Third Eye
Located on the forehead, between the eyes is our third eye chakra. This chakra aligns with our intuition, mental strength, vision, and awareness. When this chakra is balanced you will be in touch with your intuition, have a clear head, and feel capable of thinking through plans and making decisions. When out of balance, you may feel indecisive, fearful, out of touch with your own thoughts and feelings, or experience nightmares. Below are associations with this chakra that may help you to find balance. Tea: Daydreamer Crystals: sodalite, labradorite, moonstone Affirmations: I am insightful. I follow my intuition. I trust my decisions. Essential Oils: Lemon, clary sage, peppermint Color: Indigo Crown At the top of the head, in the space where the soul and physical bodies blend, you will find the crown chakra. This chakra is associated with wisdom, spirituality, and our connections to the universe. When balanced, we will feel present, peaceful, patient, and able to understand our own feelings and motivations. When out of balance we may experience cynicism, confusion, close mindedness, and a lack of connection to our own thoughts and feelings. Below are associations with this chakra. Tea: Sweet Slumber Crystals: amathyst, howlite, selenite Affirmations: I am a divine being. I am at one with all things. I am at peace. Essential Oils: Frankincense, lavender, jasmine Color: Purple Our chakras may be in and out of balance at any point during our lifetime depending on what is going on, health, hormones, relationships, etc. Know that balancing them simply starts with an awareness of where the problems are. If you know, for example, that you are not in touch with your intuition, you will find that you need to do more to align with your third eye. With time this awareness will become more natural. For now, if you are new to working with your chakras, you may start by reading those chakra's affirmations and seeing how much you feel that they ring true for you. If you can't internalize an affirmation as true, that chakra may be blocked. Another thing to try is taking a quiz online. There are endless options for these quizes, but start simple. Continuing up the body and through the primary chakras, today we will look a little harder at the solar plexus, heart, and throat chakras. If you missed our social media posts about these, you can always go back or find the same information here. Solar Plexus Located just above the belly button, the solar plexus chakra (Manipura) is associated with personal power, decision making, and identity. When this chakra is open and balanced, you will be energetic, productive, confident, and able to power through difficult tasks and days. When this chakra is closed or out of balance, you may find that you are often tired, indecisive, or unable to will yourself to do things. When overactive, you might be competitive, overly active, or or stubborn. Below are some associations with this chakra. Tea: Crystal Claritea Crystals: Tiger's eye, topaz, citrine, amber Affirmations: I am motivated. I am not afraid to take time for myself. I can move past limitations. Essential Oils: Lemon, frankincense, fennel, lemongrass Color: Yellow Heart Appropriately located in the heart space, the heart chakra (anahata) relates to matters such as love, forgiveness, and compassion. When this chakra is open and balanced, you will feel compassion toward others, you will be able to forgive easily, and express your true feelings. When this chakra is closed, though, you may find yourself unable to forgive and hold grudges, afraid of being expressive, and overly demanding. When overactive, this chakra may lead us to smother others with our love, having high expectations, or experiencing jealousy. Listed below are some of the chakra's associations and tools that you can use to balance your root chakra. Tea: Moonbeam Crystals: Malachite, emerald, green jade, amazonite Affirmations: I am worthy of love. I honor my connections to others. I nurture my inner child. Essential Oils: Jasmine, eucalyptus, spearmint, ylang ylang Color: Green Throat Found in the throat, the throat chakra (vishuddha) is linked to all things communication, honesty, and expression. When this chakra is open and balanced, we will find ourselves able to clearly communicate our thoughts, give voice to our creative outlets, and present ourselves authentically without fear. When this chakra is closed or out of balance these topics may come with resistance. We are likely to fear being honest and letting people get to know us and have difficulty setting boundaries. When overactive, we may find ourselves speaking too much and listening too little, engaging in gossip or harmful speech patterns, and bulldozing others when they try to communicate with us. Listed below are some of this chakra's associations and tools that you can use to balance your root chakra. Tea: Cosmic Chai Crystals: Turquoise, apatite, blue howlite Affirmations: I speak confidently. I am an active listener. I live an honest life. Essential Oils: Grapefruit, ylang ylang, ginger, blue tansy Color: Blue If you have been following along with us on Instagram, you know that we have been focusing on the chakras. The last two weeks we have covered the root and sacral chakras, providing information on which teas are balancing for those chakras and creating guided meditations. We wanted to provide a little bit more information about these chakras and resources for balancing them. If you haven't been following along on social media, though, we will still be giving you a brief introduction to the chakras in this blog post! If you wish to access the guided meditations, find us on Instagram @curiositeawellness. What are chakras? The chakras are the 7 main energy centers of the body. These centers have different themes, and by balancing them we balance our minds and bodies, even when our lives are out of balance. When talking about balancing the chakras we often use terms like open, closed, or overactive. A chakra that is closed typically indicates fear or discomfort associated with that aspect of life and may stunt growth in that area. When that chakra is open, that aspect of your life is healthy or showing growth. An overactive chakra can indicate insecurity in that area and lead to overcompensation. We will dive into the chakras two at a time. Read about them here every other week! The chakras are as follows: Root (muladhara) Sacral (swadhisthana) Solar plexus (manipura) Heart (anahata) Throat (vishuddha) Third eye (ajna) Crown (sahasrara) Root Chakra Located at the base of the spine, the root chakra (muladhara) is your foundational chakra. It relates to your feelings of groundedness, mental health, and sense of self. When this chakra is open and balanced, you will feel secure, confident, energetic, and safe. When this chakra is closed, you may experience low self esteem, anxiety, and physical or financial insecurity. If this chakra is overactive, you may behave in a way that is egotistical, greedy, and aggressive. Listed below are some of the chakra's associations and tools that you can use to balance your root chakra. Tea: Night Sky Chai Crystals: Red jasper, hematite, smoky quartz, bloodstone, obsidian Affirmations: I am centered. I am safe in my body. I am at peace in the material world. I am confident and grounded. Essential Oils: Cedarwood, Frankinsense, Patchouli, Sandalwood Color: Red Sacral Chakra The sacral chakra (Svadhisthana) is located below the belly button. This chakra is linked to sexual and creative energy. It's also connected to how you experience emotions and the emotions of other people. When this chakra is open and balanced, you will feel generous, imaginative, and in control of your emotions. When this chakra is closed it can lead to a lack of creativity, sexual desire, and emotional instability. If overactive, you may experience hypersensitivity, struggle with addiction, or mood swings. Below are associations and tools to assist in balancing the sacral chakra. Tea: Stargazer Crystals: Sunstone, orange calcite, tigers eye, citrine, peach moonstone Affirmations: I am creative. I feel comfortable in my body. I feel safe to express myself and my sexuality. I feel in touch with myself. Essential oils: ylang ylang, rose, sweet orange, tangerine Color: Orange While we have provided some associations for balancing these chakras, know that you can look outside of this list and within yourself for answers. If you want to activate and balance your sacral chakra, for example, feel open to eating orange foods, visualizing yourself in a safe emotional space , moving your hips, or anything else that feels creative and engaging to you. Our final chakra post will include a link to a chakra quiz that we recommend to give you more insight into your own chakras. For now, we encourage you to take notice of these aspects of your own life and take initiative with your own healing journey. It is always changing! Back in December of 2020, we wrote out the magickal descriptions of our original 4 teas and explained that spelling of magic. If you are new here, we highly recommend going back and reading that post! If you have been here for a while, thanks for staying! We have had a productive 6 months of blending and we are excited to release more of our blends soon. We approach each tea with an intention, and let it name itself. So far this has worked out for us, because when we go into writing the magickal descriptions we are always pleased with how the properties come together and enhance the name.
We hope that the descriptions of our newest teas resonate with you as much as they do with us! Stargazer Rooibos- Strength, patience, and wisdom Star Anise- Love, luck, protection from bad dreams, and psychic awareness, ruled by air Allspice- Luck, healing, strengthening, ruled by fire If you have ever looked to the stars for advice, you know that life is all about timing. With a rooibos base, Stargazer will help you find the patience you need to work hard and, sometimes, wait things out. The added protection from bad dreams (maybe bad daydreams, too) helps to limit doubt and distractions. Allspice is known to strengthen the magickal properties of anything that it is paired with, and it adds a little luck for safe measure. Crystal Claritea Green tea- Used for passion, healing, cleansing. Lemongrass- Good for cleansing and removing obstacles. Ruled by Mercury and air. Ginger- Spiritual and medicinal links to health and optimism. Ruled by fire, and mars. Crystal Claritea is a spiritual cleanser. Green tea kicks things off by allowing space to heal and cleanse. Ruled by Mercury, the planet over communication, lemongrass continues the cleanse and promotes forgiveness. With two forms of ginger, crystalized and ground, this tea then fills the space once held by negativity and replaces it with fire and optimism. Night Sky Chai Rooibos- Used to bring forth strength, patience, and wisdom. Cinnamon- Both a fire and air element. Used for money, patience, and love. Cardamom-Ruled by venus and water. Aids in intimacy, love, and insight. Clove- Earth element. Used to banish evil, attract friendship, and bring prosperity. Ginger-Ruled by Mars and fire. Used for health and optimism. Black pepper- Ruled by fire and mars. Used for fearlessness and motivation. Like our original Cosmic Chai, this tea contains elements of fire, water, air, and earth, making it a very balancing tea. With rooibos instead of black tea, though, this blend has a more grounding effect. While still motivating with it’s black pepper, the patience derived from the rooibos and cinnamon shines through here. The presence of ginger and cardamom allows for optimism and joy to be felt. With cloves for prosperity, this tea is a balancing motivator for shadow work and other study. The well known spice routes are believed to have been formed as early as 2000 BC, but spices were being traded much earlier in the Neolithic era, around 10,000 BC. Many spices commonly used today have varied greatly in value throughout history and some have even been used as currency. Nutmeg was once worth more than gold when measured by weight. While spices may not be standard currency today, we still place a high premium on some of our spices. Saffron Saffron, when measured by weight, is the most expensive spice in the world. Just one pound of saffron can cost upwards of $10,000 USD! The spice has to be harvested by hand by removing the stigmas from the crocus flower, which only blooms twice a year. To make matters more difficult, each flower only has a couple of stigmas on it. This means that one pound of saffron requires around 100,000 flowers. Vanilla The world's second most expensive spice is the vanilla bean. Prices can vary wildly depending on the origin of the vanilla. It is not uncommon to purchase Madagascar vanilla or Tahitian vanilla for $200 per pound. The vanilla pods have a long harvesting process. Just being laid out to try can take 2-6 months. The high price of vanilla was exacerbated in recent years as two major contributing countries had a poor growing season in the same year. Cardamom Ranking at number 3 in the world's most expensive spices is cardamom. With 2 varieties, the pods can be purchased for $30 per pound ($90 if they are organic). Like vanilla and saffron, cardamom requires careful attention to ensure that it is harvested at the correct stage of maturity. The least expensive spices in the world are currently cinnamon, black pepper, and cumin. It is noteworthy, though, that there was a time when black pepper was one of the spices used as currency. Shifts in growing seasons and world relationships will undoubtedly continue to alter the value or our beloved spices. |
Amy & RaynaWho wrote what post? Who knows! Archives
June 2023
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