INSPIRA

Home for wisdom seekers, self-healers and living inspired.

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                                 Healing Plants for Women

For as long as humans have walked the earth, we have used plants to balance and heal. Women have mostly been the keepers of wisdom around plants and their healing power. Many of us have lost connection with this art in our modern lives, but reconnecting to this natural and innate healing art can be a powerful tool for healing and reclaiming our natural feminine role as healers.

The following list are a few of my favorite plants and herbs to support a woman’s health and wellbeing…

Ashwaganda

This powerful adaptogenic root is most commonly used in the Indian healing system of Ayurveda. It is often referred to as Indian Ginseng for its powerful healing properties and strong regenerative nature. What to use it for? Enhance sexual potency and reproductive function, balance hormones, support immune system, deal with stress, clear mind and slow brain cell degeneration, stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol, anti-inflammatory. My favorite way to take it: I love to put it in smoothies. It can have a slightly smokey or bitter taste, but the flavor combined with ginger and turmeric is delicious, as well as a powerful combo.

Shatavari

Shatavari is a powerful herb for the female reproductive system and for balancing hormones through all the stages of a woman’s life. What to use it for? Supports female reproductive system, fertility, menopause, breast milk production, immune function, digestive health, and grounding. My favorite way to take it: I take Shatavari as a capsule which also contains Ashwaganda, but I also love to put these two reproductive supporting herbs in my smoothies.

Maca

Maca is a root most commonly found in Peru. It is often called Peruvian Ginseng, as it holds many similar properties to the powerful healing root. It has been used since ancient times by the Incan people. Maca is high in iron, potassium, iodine, magnesium, calcium and fiber, so due to its high nutritional content it is often referred to as a superfood. What to use it for? Enhance sexual potency and reproductive function, boost energy and stamina, increase sexual desire. My favorite way to take it: I love to make hot frothy latte-like drinks with maca. It has a naturally sweet and creamy taste, so mixed with some milk or nut milk, turmeric, and ginger it makes for a sweet and rejuvenating treat.

Turmeric

Turmeric is potent root with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It is a great support to your body in the healing and prevention of any disease as it lowers inflammation. What to use it for? Inflammation, digestive issues, reproductive issues, arthritis, muscle soreness, and much more. My favorite way to take it: I like to make Golden Milk, a frothy golden latte-like drink with turmeric, milk and chai spices. You can find the recipe for this magical and delicious drink in the recipe section. Turmeric is also great added to your morning smoothie.

Cramp Bark

Cramp bark is a plant that grows in North America, and was a common remedy used by Native Americans. As its name suggests, it’s the perfect plant to help with any pain or cramps that come with your menstrual cycle. What to use it for? Menstrual cramps, muscle spasms, bloating or water retention. My favorite way to take it: I like to take cramp bark in tincture. Super convenient to take with you anywhere.

Raspberry Leaf

Raspberry leaves are very high in a combination of nutrients (magnesium, potassium, iron, b-vitamins, vitamin C) which make it an ideal plant to support women at all ages and stages of life. It carries nutrients which we need in every stage for different reasons. Women experience relief of PMS symptoms, as well as relief from pain associated with reproductive issues, from taking raspberry leaf. Many women also use it in pregnancy, but with any plant or herb I recommend talking to your doctor or midwife about anything you take during pregnancy. What to use it for? Menstrual cramps, fertility issues, immune support, general women’s health support. My favorite way to take it: I love raspberry leaf tea. You can make it into an iced tea in the Summer, and drink it hot in the Winter. I usually mix the dried leaves with some other dried herbs as the flavor is very nice and earthy, but I prefer it mixed with some nettle, peppermint, or rose.

Rose

Rose can be healing for the body, but the way I use it most is for emotional health and healing. Rose is very uplifting, and it is the perfect scent, taste and tonic for moments when you feel depressed, anxious or self-doubting. What to use it for? Lifting your mood, enhancing a sense of self-love, bringing a feeling of warmth and vitality. Also very good for your skin, so use rose water, oil, or petals to enhance your natural beauty and radiance. My favorite way to take it: I love to take rose in tea, as well as adding it to my Golden Milk, hot bath, or sprinkling dried petals on cookies or desserts.

Cacao

Many of us know and love Cacao as chocolate is all around us. You may notice that as a woman you crave chocolate at different times in your cycle. This is good to notice as it can tell you something about your hormones and what you may need more or less of. Cacao is revered as a sacred healing plant in many indigenous traditions, and can offer physical and emotional healing when taken the with care and intention. What to use it for? Enhances energy levels, balances hormones, carries many antioxidants, holds many important nutrients for our hard-working women’s bodies. My favorite way to take it: Cacao is incredibly healing, but not just any chocolate will give you these benefits. Many bars of chocolate contain too much refined sugar for your body to actually receive the helpful effects of the cacao. I like to use organic cacao powder in drinks and smoothies, and to eat chocolate made from unprocessed cacao beans. I also LOVE to eat the beans by themselves for maximum healing goodness.

There are many herbs and plants that can help you heal as a woman, and these are just a few to get you started. If you feel called to this form of medicine, I encourage you to research the herbs and plants that can support you with exactly what you're healing at this time. You can also seek out an herbalist, Ayurvedic healer, or Chinese Medicine healer for support in finding just the right herbs for you.

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Why I teach yoga and meditation on tour. . .

Music is my healer, my teacher, my spirit’s home. Music takes me away from this world and into another. I feel vast, open, and empty, and at the same time so full when I sing. 

I’ve always felt deeply moved by music, but when I started to meditate more everything changed. Music stopped being something I listened to, and it became something I experienced with all of myself. The more sensitive I am, the more the music affects me. So I meditate everyday, and I touch that place of silence in myself. It’s what allows me to experience the essence of music, and life, more deeply. Slowly that place has become my home. If I don’t meditate for a day, don't take that time to come home in myself, I miss it as if it were my partner, missing the way it holds me.

I’ve started teaching more yoga and meditation on tour because I realize that I can’t separate these two precious healers in my life. They go hand in hand. I’ve discovered how meaningful it is to share these practices that let me feel like myself, unshakable, grounded and vast. And it’s been a real opening for me to watch what happens. When we start to play music after a workshop, we’ve all just come from the same depth of silence. We go on a journey together, a journey of healing our bodies, minds and inner experience. Then we can really let go into the music, let it carry us into other realms, but still stay rooted.

It’s a wild blessing to me that people want to go on that journey with me, and every time it’s a new experience. But I have to say there’s no place like it. So if you just have 3 minutes, have a look at the meditations here on the blog, or find a class nearby and give yourself that space. And if you have a week, come join me for a retreat. Whatever it looks like, that time to breathe and be with yourself is so key. You’re a universe, an endlessly expanding, never-ending, and bottomless mystery. Take a moment to simply enjoy your own vastness. Then turn on your favorite song and soak it up. . .

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A fresh batch of Hibiscus Lavender Lip Balm

and listening to your body.

Many people with autoimmune conditions, hormone imbalances and other mysterious ongoing health issues would give anything to just be normal. I was diagnosed with a hormone imbalance and autoimmune disorder when I was eleven, so I’ve had a bit of time to get used to the idea. 

For many years I longed to have normal health, to be less sensitive and not to have to think about what I eat or be so cautious with how and when I put out my energy. 

But today I feel very grateful for my unique body and the way it tells me what it needs. I make my own cosmetics because my body is sensitive, and I want to be able to eat anything I put on my skin. I’m thoughtful about my food because my body tells me when something isn't right for me, and I want to listen. It’s my greatest teacher. As we all know, teachers don’t always make it easy, but we have so much to learn from their wisdom.

If you’re struggling with your health, don't fight your body. Don't resist your symptoms and fight for perfect health. Let your body speak to you about what is happening, and really listen. 

We can let this moment be an opportunity to become more sensitive, more subtle and more intuitive about how to move through our lives. Slowly, gently, and in tune with our deepest needs.

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Meditation to Localize Yourself & Know Who You Are

This meditation lets you feel very stable in yourself. It allows you to sense your self and be present in your own deepest identity.

Part One: Bring your hands into Venus Lock (fingers interlaced with thumbs parallel to one another) right above your navel. The pinky fingers are at the level of your navel and your thumbs are about the level of your diaphragm. Begin to pump your navel in and out in a steady rhythm. 11 mins.

Part two: Hold the same posture and continue pumping, but now chant the mantra "Har" each time your navel comes in. You can use the recording "Tantric Har" by Simran Kaur Khalsa for this. 11 mins.

Part 3: For the final part of the meditation lift your hands above your head with your fingers interlaced. All of the fingers are interlacing except the two pointer fingers which point straight up to the sky. Keep your arms straight, lifting as you continue chanting "Har" and moving the navel with the chant. 3 mins.

To end: Inhale deeply and stretch up, hold the breath and squeeze, exhale and relax.

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Heal with the Moon & Stay Balanced

Full & New Moon Meditation

We are the moon, we are the stars. When the moon moves, the oceans and rivers move, we move. How could we feel disconnected from the natural world when every movement in the universe impacts each of us each so profoundly. On some level, we feel it. 

The moon is one of the easiest connections to notice, as we feel its impact on our moods, our flows, our ways of feeling and being. Tonight as I sit under this big full moon I am inspired to share with you the meditation that keeps me in ease with the moon as she waxes and wanes, pulling us with her. 

I love this meditation. It uses Chandra Mudra, the mudra of the moon, together with a chant to bring balance and subtlety to our lunar connection. I teach this meditation a lot, anytime I’m teaching near a new or full moon or on the 11th day of the moon. A lot of people wrote to me this month asking for the instructions so they could practice it with this full moon, so here they are! I do it the day before, the day of, and the day after the new and full moon each month. It’s one of the most balancing tools I use. 

Often we tend to get a bit off when the moon is in some of it’s most powerful phases. We get spaced out or our emotions can get too watery. This meditation will balance the lunar, letting you enjoy the spaciousness of your mind and the profound healing moment that is presented to us with the moon being at it’s fullest or darkest moment. You can also do this practice for 40 days if you feel like your relationship with the lunar flow could use some healing overall. If you feel overly sensitive, or overly emotional, you might give this practice a try every day for a while. Otherwise, we can all soak up it’s awesomeness around the new and full moon. 

How to Practice the Meditation

• Come sitting with your spine straight either with your legs crossed or in a chair

• Interlace your fingers on the inside of your hands with thumb tips touching (like the church and steeple nursery rhyme, have a look at the photo above for an example)

• Close your eyes and look down at the center of your chin. The lineage say this is like looking at the dark side of the moon. Let yourself sink into that darkness of your own inner moon.

The Mantra

• Chant the following mantra 3-5 times on each breath in a monotone

“ek ong kar • sat gur prasaad • sat gur prasaad • ek ong kar”

tip: it helps if you recite the mantra pretty quickly and not too loud so you can get all the repetitions in.

Here’s the link to Guru Dev Singh, master of the healing art of Sat Nam Rasayan, teaching the meditation as part of a livestream. . . 

http://livestream.com/gurudev/events/4392514

                   ≈ Enjoy this magnificent mama moon ≈

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Our soundtrack as we drove through the Canadian Rockies. I swear the mountains were dancing <3

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Mystery & Healing 

When I was younger I went to a few doctors a month, always trying out something new, trying to discover how to heal. My parents and I both felt some comfort in the many questions the various healers asked, even if they never lead to feeling better. Then there came a point where I was done trying to understand it. I gave the power back to my own wisdom, my own questions, and to the people who honored my mystery. 

To me the mysteries of our lives are what take us deeper. They let us feel that there is something that will always be incomprehensible in life, and that’s what makes it beautiful. Whether it’s illness, depression, confusion or the many ways life surprises us, there’s an opening to mystery, to something beyond. 

So today I’m not going to try to answer questions or get to the bottom of my healing. I’m in the mystery, and going deeper every moment. Let’s see what we experience, shall we?

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3 Bathtub Recipes to Soak Up Your Healing

The bathtub is my personal favorite and totally miraculous self-healing tool. It’s deeply relaxing, it’s the best way to fully soak up the healing power of many plants, and it’s incredible for reducing chronic pain. I travel a lot, so bringing a little pouch of my favorite bathtub recipe gives me a way to feel relaxed and at home anywhere.

So, I’d like to share some of my favorite bathtub recipes for the many colors and fragrances your healing may be asking for.

Happy Thoughts & Self-Love

This bath is perfect for you if you struggle with negativity directed towards yourself, if you carry a lot of stress and anxiety, or if you’re just feeling like bringing more gentle healing and self love into the moment.

1-2 Cups Himalayan Pink Salt

A few drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (for dissolving negativity, depression & anxiety, allowing in deep relaxation)

A few drops pure rose Essential Oil (bringing self-love, nurturing and a gentle sweet healing vibe)

A handful of dried rose petals

Fill the tub all the way up and let yourself dissolve into that yummy sweetness of self-care and inner nurturing.

Inspiring Sensual Bath

This bath is the best for waking up your inner Aphrodite, inviting in the sensual and primal woman within. It can also be a great bath to soak with your partner if you're willing to share the tub. Sweet & relaxing, yet exciting and inspiring.

1-2 Cups Epsom Salt or Sea Salt

A few drops of pure rose essential oil

A few drops of patchouli essential oil

A few drops of sandalwood essential oil

Fill the tub all the way up with comfortably hot water for a full body soak and gentle detox.

Super Ginger Detox

This is a great soak if you feel like you may be getting a cold or virus, or if you are just craving a super deep release. It’s the deepest sweat, and brings some incredibly deep healing. Just make sure you drink plenty of water and listen to your body to make sure the detox is just right for you.

1-2 Cups Epsom Salt or Sea Salt

1 Cup Fresh Grated Ginger or 1/2 Cup Powdered Ginger or 5 Ginger Tea Bags

A few drops of clove oil

Fill the tub with water as hot as possible for your body up to the level of your belly button. Soak until the water is room temp if the heat isn’t too much. Listen to your body, and if possible build up to the full soak time.

I hope you enjoy, relax & soak up the healing!

I’d love to hear your favorite bathtub recipes as well if you’d like to leave a note Xo

Photo Source: Florall

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Brand new creations carrying the full moon essence. Rose + sandalwood all organic homemade goodness. Your body is your temple. 

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5 Powerful Plants and How They Can Help You Heal

1. Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric is incredible in its capacity to heal. Books have been written about its many healing properties. One of my favorite benefits is how wonderful turmeric is for achy muscles or joints as it is highly anti-inflammatory. This makes it super helpful after a workout, after yoga or if you have an autoimmune condition, chronic fatigue, or anything else that gets you achy and sore. Being someone with an autoimmune disorder, this plant is one of my absolute favorites for self-healing. Turmeric is also found to decrease cancer risk, support the body’s detoxification, help cognitive functioning, blood sugar balance, kidney function, arthritis, digestion and regulation of blood fat levels. Although it doesn’t hurt to eat lots of this yummy root, research has shown that even the smallest amount of turmeric can have a healing impact. Every little bit counts.

My favorite way to take it: I love to use fresh turmeric root in the blender with some vanilla, maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt. Whip it up into frothy goodness and enjoy! (this is EVEN better with fresh homemade coconut milk)

2. Lavender (Lavandula)

Lavender is magic for two things that often go hand in hand: your inner calm and relaxation, and the beauty and health of your skin. Lavender is great in teas or food as a way to help you feel relaxed, have deeper more balanced sleep, and to help calm nervousness or anxiety. It is also a great helper for healing any skin upset. A little lavender oil on the scalp will clear up dandruff, and the right mix with some base oil is great for any breakouts. Lavender is also known to relieve pain, help with headaches, disinfect, enhance blood circulation and support respiratory function.

My favorite way to take it: A nice cup of warm tea is my favorite way to take lavender internally. It has such a soothing and calming effect, and helps with tension headaches and sleep. I also love to use a lavender spray hydrosol on my skin as a toner. This herb is as delicious for your health as it is to smell!

3. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Calendula is miraculous for those moments when you really need some support speeding up your body’s own healing capacity. It’s very powerful for healing any issues with your skin, cuts or scrapes. It is also great for oral health, getting a nice vibrant glow to your skin, boosting your vision, lowering inflammation and reducing menstrual cramps. It’s even a great anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral.

My favorite way to take it: Personally I love to use this healing beauty in a skin cream. My skin soaks it up and I love it’s gentle, yet powerful, way of helping my skin heal whether from a cut or scrape, or just staying healthy and happy day to day.

4. Maca (lepidium meyenii)

Maca is a magnificent superfood which supports your feeling of wellbeing, vibrance and energy. It’s a natural aphrodisiac, and it supports fertility in both women and men. Maca is a superfood grown in South America, mostly in Peru, which holds many healing properties for hormonal balance, sexual health and an increased vitality for life. Nutritionally mama has lots to offer, as it is rich in B, C and E vitamins, as well as calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids. It doesn’t get much better than this magic root for hormonal balance and a juicy happy romantic life!

My favorite way to take it: This is a tough one, as there are so many ways I like to sneak maca into my day. At the moment my favorite way is in bliss balls. I saw an herbalist who suggested I mix my maca with cacao and a nut butter and make little dessert-like balls. I also add some vanilla, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Yummy and oh so healing.

5. Rose (Rosa Damascena)

Rose is a gentle and loving flower, and with it comes a sense of being uplifted and connected to self-love and nurturing. This beautiful flower also brings the love into our lives with its aphrodisiac quality. It’s a gentle yet very effective plant to use to support your skin’s health, especially if you have more delicate skin. It’s astringent nature allows it to bring freshness to your skin while also being very soft and nurturing to the skin. The rose hip, or the fruit of the plant, is packed with vitamin C and other nutrients, making it a very supportive addition to your tea or snack. 

My favorite way to take it: I love to put rose in my before-bed drink, and also in my bliss balls. It’s perfect in the turmeric latte recipe above, or in the bliss balls with maca. Make sure that the rose you have is pure and is meant to eat. As rose can be expensive, some rose oil that is used for external use isn’t pure rose, so it isn’t meant for eating. I also LOVE rose mixed with a light base oil as a moisturizing face oil. It is so gentle and I really resonate with it’s property of bringing a feeling of self-love, acceptance and nurturance. 

I hope you enjoyed this little intro to 5 of my favorite healing plants. There is so much more to now about each one, and about the thousands of other healing plants out there ready to help you heal. Wishing you a joy full, fun and peaceful healing journey, from your roots to your petals!

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“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you Don't go back to sleep! You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep! People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch, The door is round and open Don't go back to sleep!”

-RUMI

Photo from a dreamy life in Bali last winter...

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What lights up your night sky? 

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Listen up, your heart is calling.

I find inspiration to be the most powerful healer of all. For years I’ve been riding the wave of healing, sometimes feeling so powerful, creative and filled with energy. Sometimes feeling completely bedridden. Part of me always feels powerless when I’m in those more challenging moments, but another voice in me knows that those are often the moments when I learn the most important lessons. 

I was amazed when I finished University that I was able to tour pretty much non-stop for almost four years. I was inspired by my work, making music to heal, uplift and give people a sense of peace through sound. That inspiration I felt carried me to travel so much, to push my body beyond what it would have been up for otherwise. I didn’t know that my body would be up for it, but it was. Year after year my body allowed me to do what I love. 

Just a couple of months ago my body asked for something different. I’ve spent the past few weeks really listening to that and taking care of myself, and I've been amazed by how deep the healing is. It’s not just physical, it’s about my heart and my soul’s calling. My body just happens to be my own way of getting my own attention. In the beautiful deep summer living in the shadow of a powerful mountain I felt inspired to spend more time with nature, letting the plants play a role in my healing. Doctors have a fancy word for why I’m not feeling well, but I know that my soul has much deeper reasons for putting me through this. I also know that it has the answers to my healing, and the lessons that my healing has to teach. 

It’s been about ten years since my last really low moment with my health, so it’s been humbling to be back to a dip. At the same time, I know this is the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. I feel open. I feel ready for the shift that I know this is asking for. Mostly, I feel ready and inspired not to heal alone.  Your challenge may also be your health, or maybe there’s another way your inner being is embodying its request for healing. Whatever that voice is, let’s take the time to listen. I’m inspired to heal with you, and to say, let’s not rush our healing. Let’s dive in deep and let life teach us. I’ll listen and hear what my heart, my soul, my body are saying to me. Will you listen with me?

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Rise up my sisters, rise up, we are the water, the sacred cup. 

It’s in your hands that all life grows.

Lyrics from Haseya, my new album