October Arts Alive Party & Sales for Survivors Fundraiser - You're Invited!!

 

   

 

JOIN US SATURDAY OCTOBER 1ST FROM 6 TO 9 FOR ART,

	Beyond the Window

JAZZ AND DELICIOUS TREATS!

 

We're hosting the imaginative art of local favorites Bob & Donna Sellers, with the sultry vocals and acoustic jazz guitar of Blue Lotus Jazz.  We'll be serving organic Mulled Apple Cider made with our Fireside Mulling Spices and spiked with a kiss of brandy, organic fruit and a cheese spread made with our classic beloved Simon & Garfunkle artisan spice blend, and of course delicious herbal tea.

PLUS, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
We're donating 10% of our sales all day today to the Breast & GYN Health Project for their annual Sales for Survivors fund raising initiative.  
This support ensures that women who are facing a cancer concern or diagnosis receive the support and education they need.  Thanks for shopping with us today to help women in our community and the important efforts
of the Project!  

The Other Table

Old Town Trick or Treat, Saturday October 29th

This afternoon Old Town will be inundated with thousands of costumed children as they cavort from shop to shop in search of sweet treats from 2 to 4pm.  We'll be passing out goodies to all the children, and anyone in a costume! 

Halloween has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain (or "Summer's End" and the beginning of the Celtic New Year) and the Christian holy days of All Saints' Day (currently November 1st, followed by All Souls' Day on November 2nd).

Be creative, have fun, and enjoy the thinning of the veil!

Sunday October 30th: Plant Walk at Elk Head Trail in Trinidad with Julie Caldwell

(1:30 to 3:30pm, rain or shine)

Join Julie for a casual stroll along Elk Head Trail to meet the vast array of medicinal plants that grow along this gorgeous path. We'll discuss their medicinal properties and explore how each plant contributes to the entire trail eco-system.

 Coming in November. . . 

 

November 5th: Finding Balance: Herbal Allies for Stress and Mental Wellbeing with Kate Maxey (10am to 12:30pm)

In today's world of go-go-go and chronic stressors we all need a little support to maintain a sense of calm. In this class we will discuss the plants that help us to relax the nervous system and tonify the stress response as well as lifestyle changes that support a more balanced way of being. We will also talk about ways in which stress affects not only our mental health but our physical health as well, with special emphasis on the immune system and endocrine system.

 

Kate has been studying and utilizing herbal medicine for 15 years. She studied with the Northwest School of Botanical Studies and has worked at Humboldt Herbals for nearly a decade. She has recently graduated from Humboldt State University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and sees the importance of bridging the fields of Herbal Medicine and Mental Health together.

 

 

November 12th: Aromatherapy: The Essentials with Jessica Shepherd (10am to 12:30pm)

Enhance   your health with aromatherapy and revive your soul with scent! In this class we will discuss brief history, distillation methods, proper dilution & safety guidelines, blending techniques, and some of the various ways essential oils can be utilized to support mind/body health. We'll also discuss the healing properties of select essential oils, and you'll create your very own custom aroma blend in class to take home!

 

Jessica has been studying the healing arts and working with plant medicine since 1999.  A graduate of Dandelion Herbal Center and an Aromatherapist internationally certified through the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, Jessica is a passionate Botanical Perfumer and artisan crafter of herbal products for body and soul. 

 

 

November 19th: Cooking with Medicinal Herbs with Candice Brunlinger (10am to 12:30pm)

This class will be all about eating your herbs. We will discuss various ways of incorporating herbs into your cooking and the therapeutic uses of common spices. 

Tips will be shared on how to conveniently use herbal broths, syrups, vinegar, oil and honey infusions in everyday cooking and ideas on healthy h erbal snacks such as gummies, crackers and nut butter balls. You will get the chance to try samples in class and go home with handouts and many recipes to inspire you herbally in the kitchen.
   

A Weekend of Ceremonial Plant Medicine & Craft with Darcey Blue 

Saturday November 19th and Sunday November 20th

Saturday: Creating Ceremony & Rituals with Plant Allies   2:30 pm - 6:30 pm in the Humboldt Herbals Community Classroom (219 D Street - next door to Humboldt Herbals)

Sunday: Healing Fire Ceremony & Prayer Offering Ceremony to the Waters   12pm- 4 pm at Moonstone Beach in Trinidad

Cost: Both days $100, Single Day $60
Call Humboldt Herbals at (707) 442-3541 to reserve your place 

 

Saturday: 

Learn the intuitive art of dreaming ceremony and ritual using plants as allies in the process.  The Plant spirits are eager to help us in our lives in both mundane and ceremonial ways. We will learn about plant helpers for ritual cleansing, healing, intention setting, medicine bundles, & prayer offerings/earth mandalas. We will also learn and share ways to connect with the plants as spiritual helpers through shamanic journey, heart based perception, soul engagement with nature & dreamwork  You will have a chance to both make plant potions and practice techniques learned in class together, and will take home recipes, a materia medica of plants and their spiritual indications, and your own healing medicine bundle.  

Please bring to class a 12 x 12 square of beautiful cloth, fabric, leather, for your medicine bundle, and one special stone.  It is best if you ask the stones on the land where you live for one which would like to work with you, (as opposed to purchasing one, but if you feel particularly called to one to buy, it is fine, it just needs to speak to your heart & soul.)

Sunday:  

Join together in community at the ocean for an afternoon of ceremony facilitated by Darcey Blue.  We will come together as a community to build a prayer offering to the waters of the world, and a healing bundle for personal transformation to be offered to our ceremonial fire.  The power of prayer is well known as an agent for change and healing, and in community that power is exponential.  We come together to set intention of healing for the world waters, the mother ocean, the rivers running free, the glaciers ancient rhythm, the groundwaters wholeness, the cleansing rains.  We will also gather round the ceremonial fire to release and transform ourselves as agents of change and healing for the world and our communities.  
This is a medicine fire and sacred space,  please come dressed for the weather first, and in your ceremonial dress to be present to spirit.  Drums, rattles, flutes, & voices are encouraged!
Each person will have the chance to release a burnable non toxic item to the fire during our ceremony.  You may wish to craft something that represents what you are transforming/releasing, or bring an object you own that you are ready to release/transform. (only non toxic burnable items -i.e. no plastic, batteries etc)

About Darcey Blue ~ 

DEVOTEE OF SACRED WILDNESS ~ SHAMANIC HERBALIST

" I want to leave the bounds of the indoors and take you out to smell wild minerals of the wet dirt, to fill your mouth with the spice of tree resin, to drum your heart into a rhythm that allows YOU to hear, feel, see, sense, experience the magic and sacredness of the natural world.  I want to show you how to see with more than your eyes, see with your body, your heart, your sensual nature.  I want to feed the senses and bodies of my clients with the holiness of the plant medicine- not just the extracts that help them feel better, but with the place where the earth wisdom, sacred space, and plant spirit touches the spark of life within each heart and body."

I am Darcey Blue - Herbalist, Devotee of Wildness, and Shamana Flora. The Plants are my greatest allies and teachers, the Earth my sanctuary, and Sacred Wildness my purpose.
I am a shamanic herbalist and wild crafter of plant medicines, I am a Lover to the Earth and wild earth mama. People call me a plant whisperer.  I call myself a devotee of all that is sacred on this wild beautiful earth.

I am here to guide you to the healing wisdom and medicine that the plants and wild, sacred nature hold for you.  The wisdom of spirit that is within each of us.

I work with those who are eager to learn from the plants a healing way as old as time itself, and who are ready to take responsibility for and transform their relationship to self, body, spirit, nature, and the Earth.

I was trained as a Clinical Herbalist & Nutritionist at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism under Paul Bergner, and studied under Rosemary Gladstar and Charlie Kane. I have been using and learning from the plants, both wild and cultivated since childhood, and it is my deep love of the wild Earth that fuels my passion for healing and teaching about plants, wilderness, spirit, nourishment and healing.

I was called to the shamanic path by an old Juniper tree in 2003 and have been talking with plants ever since. I have studied shamanic lifeways and practices for over 10 years in the US and in in Peru.   I facilitate workshops and retreats in shamanic work with plant medicine and plant spirits and work with private clients using sacred botanical medicine, ceremony, nature connection and shamanic practice.

My own journey in life has been catalyzed by cultivating the ever deepening relationship with the wildness in the world, and the wildness within my own body and spirit- through the plants, the land spirits, and solitary time in wild natural places- sitting with plants, wildcrafting plants, and journeying with spirit and self awareness.

   

Check Out These Classes Being Offered in Our Community Classroom!

The Power of Breath: Shamanic Breath Workshop

Sunday Oct 23, 3-5 pm

Shamanic breathing has been found to facilitate profound emotional releases, remove limiting beliefs/past conditionings, open new channels of awareness and clear toxicity from the body. This multidimensional experience incorporates sacred herbs, organic essential oils, conscious breathwork, vibrational sound, soulful music, energy healing, indigenous tools, and crystal therapy to facilitate a personal Sacred Journey into one's soul.

Cost: $50 (sorry no credit cards)

Please send an email to oursacredbreath@gmail.com to register or for additional information.

Vitality Yoga with Jamie Starheart Kessloff

 

• Practice mindful eating and limit distractions (studying, watching TV, driving, walking, etc.) Sit calmly while eating and eat slowly, chewing well. Remember to "drink your food and chew your liquids". This means you chew solid food until it becomes liquid (about 20+ chews) and chew or squish your liquids in your mouth before swallowing so your saliva and digestive enzymes can mix with your food to support digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

• Take food combining concepts into account. There are varying thoughts and theories on food combining so I recommend looking into the different approaches and experimenting to see what works well for you. How do you feel after combining different food groups, like perhaps fish and fruit? Pay attention to what your body is telling you and trust that over what the new dietary trend is. I personally believe that there is not a one diet or theory which applies to everyone. What works for some may not work for others and only you can determine that by listening to your body and how you feel after eating.

• Prepare fresh foods and eat seasonally whenever possible to follow our body's natural rhythms. Our modern day food storage is very new compared to the evolution of humans so our digestive functions have not fully evolved to support our meals of convenience and freezer foods. If we return to eating fresh seasonal produce, local when possible, and eating according to the seasons we can return our body to its natural rhythms. (i.e. cleansing greens in spring, refreshing and light foods in summer, fall harvest foods in autumn, heavy and warming soups, stews and meats in winter, etc.)

• Do not eat too late at night to avoid being full when you go to sleep. Our digestive organs detox throughout the night while we are in a deep sleep. If we do not have regular eating and sleep cycles, we prevent those organs from being able to cleanse themselves which can cause various imbalances including digestive, blood sugar and hormonal while affecting energy levels, mental clarity, food cravings, weight management and more.

• Incorporate digestive herbs and spices into food or take digestive bitters 15-20 minutes before or after meals to stimulate digestion and appetite, enhance assimilation and absorption of nutrients and reduce various digestive symptoms.

• Limit cold or frozen foods and drinks with weak or incomplete digestion and with colder weather. Avoid drinking ice beverages with meals as the cold temperature slows down digestive functions. Limit beverages to 8 ounces or less as the liquid can dilute digestive fluids and interfere with breaking down food and assimilation of nutrients. If you do drink water with meals try adding a little fresh squeezed lemon or a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar if you don't mind the flavor, both of which stimulate and aid with digestion.

• Limit or avoid foods which cause inflammation in the body or symptoms of food sensitivity. Every person is different so try not to get caught up in the dietary trends and hypes. Do food journaling and write down or keep track of all the food and drinks you consume and note how you feel after meals and throughout the day, how your energy levels are, how your mood is, your sleeping patterns and your bowel movements. Note any food cravings a swell as it is interesting to see how our food craving are triggered by the foods we eat. Try eliminating common trigger foods for a couple of weeks (wheat, sugar, dairy, eggs, soy, etc.) and reintroduce them into your diet to see if any of these particular foods trigger inflammation or symptoms.

• Keep in mind conditions like Candida, Leaky Gut and food allergies/sensitivities will need more than herbal support for complete healing. Integrating dietary and lifestyle changes, even if only temporarily, will significantly speed the healing, address the cause of symptoms and bring the body into balance. This may include elimination diets, increasing fermented foods, using gelatin and collagen for healing, probiotics and enzymes, etc.

• Warming Carminatives:  Asafoetida, Basil, Black Pepper, Cayenne and other Chili Peppers, Cinnamon, Cloves, Garlic, Ginger, Marjoram, Mustard Seeds, Nutmeg, Onion, Oregano, Paprika, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Tulsi Basil, Turmeric

 

• Neutral - Cooling Carminatives:  Anise, Cardamom, Cilantro, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Lemon, Lime, Peppermint, Spearmint

• Moisture Increasing: The demulcent herbs mentioned above fit into this category and help by providing moisture throughout the intestines so food and waste can move more easily. Moisture enhancing laxative herbs and foods include: Aloe Vera Juice, Fennel, Flax, Licorice, Marshmallow, Slippery Elm, Seaweeds, Magnesium/Salts, Ghee in warm milk, and diet rich in healthy fats (butter, oils, omega rich fish, etc.)

 

• Bulk Increasing: These herbs and foods use fiber to help with water regulation in the bowels and help bulk up the stool for nice firm, healthy movements. It is important to drink plenty of water as the fiber can cause blockages. Bulk increasing laxatives include: Fruit (especially dried fruit and Prunes), Chia, Flax, Psyllium, Triphala and a fiber-rich diet.

 

• Peristalsis Enhancing: These herbs stimulate the contracting and squeezing motions of the colon to move stool through the bowels and aid with elimination. Use Caution as some of these herbs, like cascara sagrada, can create a dependency so start with the more mild and gentle herbs. If you need something stronger then work with them for short periods of time, usually 3 days, followed by 3-5 days off. Some of these herbs can cause painful cramping so use them along with carminative herbs. Examples of peristalsis enhancing herbs include Aloe powder or food grade Aloe Juice (moderate), Cascara sagrada (strong), Senna (moderate), Yellow Dock (most gentle), etc.