As we settle into winter it is that time to go within. An important part of winter is slowing down and that slowing down gives us the opportunity to tune in; to ourselves and each other. Even if your life is just as busy during the winter, I encourage you to make more effort to […]
Archives for Otter Notes
Connecting Health and Politics
With the news filled with political unrest and inspiring resistance, here and abroad, I wanted to take the time to talk about herbalism and health care as political action. I view any step toward taking our health care into our own hands, taking responsibility for our own health, as a political act. A political act […]
Cultivating Peace
Peace, both in our global community and in our interior world, is an important part of being in balance and being in good health. Peace is one of those concepts that is at once complex and really quite simple. I believe one of our drawbacks as human beings is over-complicating things; which means we are […]
Wildcrafting
Wildcrafting, or gathering plants from the wild, is a topic that brings up many viewpoints and emotions. In this day and age when many plants are becoming endangered it is important to be aware of the impact our plant usage is having on the wild. Particularly in times of severe drought, such as we are […]
Braiding Sweetgrass – Review
Reading this book felt like reading a prayer. This is a book to take your time with so you can savor the beautiful writing as well as take in the layers of what is being said. The subtitle of the book, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants gives you a […]
Ancestors and Community
We just passed the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice this past Halloween. The wheel of time seems to be moving quickly these days. In honor of this powerful time of year, I wanted to address honoring our ancestors and how this can be a bridge to our strengthening and building community. […]
Embracing Fall
It is fall again, the Wolf time of the year. A time to be with community and to help the community. Fall is also about abundance. The harvest is over and now it is the time to make sure everyone in the community has enough to get through the winter. So fall is also about […]
Sleep Time – Part Two
Now that I have covered some of the basics of sleep and good sleep habits, let’s get into some of the more difficult situations and the herbs that are available. The definition of insomnia, according to the Merck Manuel, is “difficulty in sleeping or disturbed sleep patterns; leaving the perception of insufficient sleep.” There […]
Sleep Time – Part One
To listen to a radio broadcast on this topic click here. Sleeping well is an integral part of our health. Sleeping well is also something a lot of people struggle with. If sleep is not your issue, hooray! Get off the computer and go outside. While there are many possible physical causes of sleep disturbances, […]
Spring is on the wind
Welcome to spring! The spring equinox, from a scientific perspective, is when the light and the dark are in perfect balance. This happens on the spring equinox and the fall equinox. Our days will continue to lengthen up until the summer solstice. Spring in the mountains, where I live, can bring sunny, short-sleeve-weather […]