"Reckoning is taking account. Reckoning is that long difficult stare back at your mistakes your transgressions your delusions and sometimes your dark teacher.......
The price of the examined life is a certain amount of sorrow."
Steve Almond
“In life we don’t get what we ask for. We get what we believe. And what we believe about ourselves shows up in our energy. It’s how we walk into a room. It’s how we communicate, through body language, I don’t deserve to be here. It’s wether we sit up straight or hide out in the back of a meeting. At times my own energy has been saying “ I’m cool with the bare minimum. Don’t give me more.” Without knowing it I stunted my growth because I was scared to be magnificent and doubtful that I was. If you’d asked me at 22 whether I thought I was worthy, I would have answered loud and proud: yes. But it’s possible to declare “A woman’s worth” and yet not fully know your own. It’s possible to say you want a grand life but then continue to play small.
-alicia keys
Notes On Stinging Nettles
By Ana
Today’s plant ally is one of my all time faves- STINGING NETTLES
I’m specifically talking about the leaves of the stinging nettle plant.
Stinging nettle is a power house of nutrients.
Nettles has high amounts of chlorophyll, which is the blood of plants. The blood of plants can actually help build and improve the quality of our own red blood cells
Its also dense with Vitamin K. Vitamin K is really important in for the absorption of Vitamin D. It also regulates Calcium, ensuring that it remain in our bone tissue, rather than being displaced and deposited in blood and organs where it doesn’t belong. Displaced calcium can cause issues like kidney stones calcification of blood vessels.
Nettles also has an abundance of other Vitamins, including C, D and E
It also has a high amount of minerals, which we tend to lack to to topsoil erosion. Minerals in nettles includes zinc, iron, chromium and magnesium.
*Side note, most people have sub-optimal amounts of magnesium which is super important for so many different functions in the body. This is one of the most important minerals for physical and emotional well-being
So… nettles can really help support the body’s overall immune functions. If you look at the characteristics of the plant, it’s very strong and grounded. This is what it does for your immune system
Because it’s an immune booster, it’s also an anti-fatigue remedy- dispelling sluggishness.
Nettles is an amazing support for our Endocrine system, assisting in the support and balance of our hormones. It’s especially supportive for our pancreas, helping with blood sugar, and our thyroid.
Nettles is ant viral and bacterial and assists in removing toxins out of the body. One thing to note, I feel it’s important to not do intense detox protocols if your body is unable to excrete toxins. In my opinion, it’s important to do low and slow detox support. Nettles is great for this as it helps heal the gut and support the liver.
Nettles supports respiratory functions and can be helpful for people with allergies, acting as a natural anti- histamine and anti-inflammatory
Nettles grows abundantly in many places around the world. If you’re not afraid of harvesting them and possibly getting stung, it’s always best to have fresh nettles.
I actually got a treatment once with stinging nettles, where she was gently hit up against my back. Yes, it stung, and the sting lasted for about 24 hours, but honestly I thought it felt good. It actually felt like my bones were being massaged. Because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, stinging nettles can help people with arthritic pain.
If you don’t want to harvest your own nettles, or can’t find it, you can also buy the pre-harvested dried herb. One of my favorite sources is Frontier Herbs.
My favorite way to take nettles is through a strong infusion- basically brewing it like ’tea’. I often use my French press for this. You can also put the herb in a jar, pour boiling water over it, filing the jar, and letting it sit for 20 minutes to an hour.
You can also purchase the powder and add to smoothies, and you can add the freshly harvested leaves to soups!
"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everyone else means to fight the hardest battle which any human can fight.... it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
~E.E. Cummings
“The path to self awareness is not a straight line. It’s a zigzag. We move in and out of awareness: one step forward, three steps to the left, a baby step back, another leap forward. A lightbulb moment might shine brightly one day, but then flicker the next. It takes work to hold tightly to a certain consciousness, to live in its wisdom. Every day, I have to intentionally maintain an awareness of my value. I know I’m worthy. But you don’t cross over into LAND OF SELF WORTH and just become a permanent resident. You have to keep your passport current. You have to work to preserve your status.”
-Alicia Keys