Bloem Botanicals

How to fast track your way to wellness. It's super simple in many cases. First, we need to define wellness. I'm not of the opinion it's the perfect state of 20 year old health for eternity... and I hope you're not either! Wellness is in fact subjective (like success), and that means you get to DECIDE what it means to you. So what could that look like? Painless? Or the capacity to manage pain? Perfectly rested or more rested than not? Let yourself drift off for a moment and ...try to imagine yourself in your ideal state of wellness. There's always going to be highs and lows; energy and fatigue, immunity and illness. So what does wellness look like through all of that? How are you managing those rhythms? Once you have an idea in your mind of how you'd like to feel, move, work, play and engage with others, you've got a great start. Then, rest in where you are right now, in whatever state that is and give yourself some love. Yes, cliché, but loving where we're at is the most powerful step. Appreciating our bodies and minds in the all their complex wonder and beauty. Marvelling at how many microbes live on and in us, keeping us alive. Our lymphatic system, our mind, our constantly firing neurones! What if we loved ourselves, our pains and pleasures, illnesses and recoveries and everything else? What if that was the place we started from? What would happen if we looked at disease as simply dis/ease and worked to find balance within that? What if we saw illness, pain or discomfort as a calling to address something unresolved? Or an opportunity to tune back in? Or as a path of strength and resilience? If you could sum up wellness, what would it look like for you? For me it's compassion, it's listening deeply to my body and mind and following through. It's saying no. It's asking for help. It's laughing so hard I can't breathe. It's loving my body as a map of a life well lived, in all it's glory and pains and aging discomforts. Wellness for me is a coming back to myself, to my centre, over and over again.

Warming and a little spicy. Just how I like it. "This tastes like hot chocolate that's actually good for you!" Her face was awash in pleasant surprise.. and she didn't mean 'good for you' as in it tastes like dirt and vinegar, I swear! ... I made a very similar blend for a custom order this winter and the response was so overwhelmingly possitive that I decided to add it to the roster. Also because so many people who received this blend were contacting me, asking for more, lol. I've made one batch of this blend and have about 20 bags left. I might just sell these and then hold off on the cocoa blends until the fall when the cold weather rushes back in, but if you'd like to see more before then, let me know. I guess I should tell you what this blend is! If you've tried our Golden Electuary, then you know this spice blend well. Our organic cocoa is lovingly blended with turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and touch of cayenne. All super anti-inflammatory herbs that also aid in digestion and promote calm. It's sweetened with a little organic cane sugar but you can add honey or sugar to taste! Both this blend and the Rose Cocoa are light on sugar. I prefer to go easy on the sweetness! I also use only organic or wildcrafted spices and herbs in all my products! No glyphosate or any other synthetic chemicals sprayed on these lovelies :) Sip the warmth and rest easy.

The Great Reveal. As the snow begins to melt and the green grass peeks through, the water begins to gush and the little trickle become steady stream carrying all sorts of mysteries. I walk through the slushy yard, eager to see new life pushing up from the cold earth. Searching through growing patches of open land, I see the remnants of autumn. A hat peeks through the mud, a lost shovel reveals itself. A single shoe, bits of Christmas paper, piles of leaves I meant to bring ...to garden... the bright, lifting warmth of early spring brings the weight of guilt and tasks unfinished. I stop and take a deep breath. I look at my gravel driveway, slowly washing out into yard. Squeals of laughter catch my ear and I turn my gaze in time to see my children running with glee across the open grass, clothes left in a soggy pile. Ahh.. yes.. these are just signs of life well lived. I shake my head at the guilt I felt a moment before, I pick up the vaguely familiar jacket still partially frozen under my feet and walk on. The great reveal. As always, it comes after a wintering and brings to light those things that need exposing. Those things that need loving attention and compassion.

I'm preparing for a shift. Overhauling the systems in place for new ones as I find my feet in a new biz and in a new time. New lockdowns come in on Thursday with stay-home orders in Ontario.. and my heart sinks a little. And so I take a deep breath, walk outside and lift my face to the biting wind. I let its iciness fill my lungs and remind me of how good it feels to be alive. I walk across the yard and open the door, pull on my apron, turn on the music and begin pulling jar...s. Today I strained various oils of various colours, smelling so different and distinctly their own. I poured them all together, added golden beeswax and warmed it slowly as I watched the kids play outside my window, obvious to changes coming. Jars filled with more Kalmeren Salve and another task is completed. February brings some changes to the biz that I'm excited to share and some new products you've been asking for. Changes all around, and although some are feeling scary, others are wonderful. And so we roll yet again and find our way, find our footing in it all and breathing deep that icy wind.

I woke up in the dead of the night last night with swirls of information rushing through my mind. My brain was trying to process all the things I've been taking in and the only time to do that was while I was sleeping. Unfortunately, I woke up in the middle of it. I felt confused and disoriented. I began to recognize the claws of panic, like a monster creeping under the sheets to grab me by the throat. It feels a little like drowning, but where the water is warm so I don't ...necessarily recognize the danger, I don't notice the undertow. It nips and grabs and begins to pull, I get dragged under and try to swim away but I'm not sure which way is up. I grasp at other thoughts. I breathe slowly and try to calm my breath and racing heart when everything is telling me I'm in danger. After a few deep breaths I'm awake enough to realize where this is coming from. I've been absorbing lengthy discussions on both sides of several arguments around health, immunology and the current state of things. I've also been doing research into wholistic dental practices while also studying for an exam and trying to rebuild my food habits. I've been deep diving into microbiome and glyphosate again and feeling fearful about the ever growing sterility of mankind (50% of males are now sterile!). Deep breaths. Slow breaths. I sat up and took some Deep Sleep as it's full of calming herbs including Valerian that slows down the mind chatter. I think about my toes, I wiggle them. I think about my knees and flex my muscles. I think about my hands and try to make them tingle with just my thoughts. Ahh, there it comes. I'm near the shore again.. I'm climbing back into my body, back into the present moment. I'm back in warm safe bed and drift to thoughts of the garden in spring.

Building habits. My sister in law was recently telling me about building new habits on existing ones. Like doing stretches while the coffee is brewing or mediating while brushing one's teeth. Now this sounds like an achievable way of building new habits! As you may know, I'm doing a little dietary refresh this week. Since putting the garden to rest I've spent less time outside and have fallen into the delicious habit of living off my fresh baked sourdough bread and ridiculou...s amounts of black tea. My rosacea was flaring, my stress levels were up and my nerves were getting seriously frayed. And so, healthy habit refresh begins, and I'm trying to link these actions with existing routines where I can. - Liver Support Tonic first thing with a glass of water and in every glass throughout the day. - Do a few stretches before changing out of my pj's - Make vegetable juice while the kids are eating their breakfast. - When making the kids oatmeal, keep some to side for a savoury meal (top with egg, fried greens, spouts, kimchi, etc) - Drink a cup of marshmallow tea when I'd normally be reaching for a snack - Go outside for 20 minutes before I clean the house - Eat what I want at mealtime but add a whole lot of veg or greens to it. - Do a little HIT exercise with the kiddos for 5min before bringing them to bed - Make a cup of warming ginger/turmeric/cinnamon tea to bring with me to bed. Any other ideas? What healthy habits are you trying to build into your life?

One can learn about the power of plants for a lifetime and still fee like a novice, even when studying only the plants in one's backyard. I'm lucky to have learned from many teachers over the years via courses, books, herb walks and discussions over tea, and so many of them stress this one point; that all we need to do is learn a handful of plants. That's it. There's no need to learn about hundreds. Many herbalists and traditional healers knew 20-40 plants deeply, studying th...eir effects throughout the season, getting to know how they change and when each part is best harvested for each ailment. Some medicines are best gathered at their most potent, others after their strength has lessened. Some plants need to be harvested in only their first year, and some only in their second. Burdock has components that fit into both of those categories! Some need to grow for 5 or more years before their roots are worth digging. The plants I use are those that you most likely already know, maybe from childhood or from your own garden. Yarrow, plantain, lemon balm, valerian, burdock, dandelion, mugwort, lavender, willow, violet... the list goes on, but not very far. If you follow these plants through the seasons, you'll also find that there's something available throughout the year for just about everything. Making herbal products from primarily local, seasonal, fresh plants is limiting for sure. This means that if I can only gather enough violet for 20 bottles of elixir, then that's all I'll have until the following spring. But if you want more violet for her ability to push mucus from the lungs and soothe a sore throat, mullein will be coming up after violet as well as fresh spruce tips. If you want violet for her ability to soothe the grief stricken heart, rose will be emerging from her thorny slumber to hold you in deep embrace. There is always something. Worry not, nature has us covered. #herbalknowing #localherbs #seasonal #workingwiththeseasons #naturalmedicine #natureprovides #bioregional #local #backyardherbs #herbalwisdom #useingwhatwehave #goldenrod #herbaloils #bodyoiling #grehhighlands #beavervalley #georgianbay

The sauna. Dave lights the sauna in the afternoon and stands, tending to the fire while chopping wood. The day carries on with more trips to the smoking stove eager for a few more logs. I rarely tend to the fire myself, lighting it is not something that comes to my mind as it does to him, having grown up with one. I met my in laws in the sauna. It was a warm afternoon in the rocky landscape of northern Ontario. Let me begin by saying Fins do not wear bathings suits in the s...auna. Or towels. There were aunts and uncles, cousins and siblings. I went in with all the ladies, having just been introduced. Did I mention that I have a proclivity for overheating and claustrophobia? It took ten minutes before my now sister-in-law noticed my panic and lead me outside where we both jumped into the pond. Ahhh. Then I realized there was no ladder. The only way to get out of the water was to heave a leg up and hoist myself onto the dock like a splayed whale. Did I mention all the men were sitting in lawn chairs at the edge of that very pond? Well, in my embarrassment I hurried to a hammock and lay there until the the great switch of the sexes began. I stood in the little change room of that sauna, pulling up my underwear, with my bottom facing the inner sauna door when said door flew open and the men dashed out right past my bum (my underwear were still at my knees). I froze while a multitude of genitalia flew past my face until a couple of them stoped to chat to me. "How was your sauna?". I looked up to see his face. "Ummm, fine thanks." Enter some chuckles and a smile from my now husband who knew my facial expressions well enough at that point. And now here are, some twelve years later and our family runs in robes through the snow and the trees to our own sauna. We all climb in naked as the day we were born with friends and family alike who care to join us. I'm glad my children are growing up this way, with this tradition deeply rooted. And I still chuckle a little every time I go in. #meetthefamily #saunalife #familytraditions #winteractivites #familygathering #livinginthewoods #saunatime #finnishtradition #marriedtoafin #sweatitout

New Years resolutions are garbage. But join me for this one, lol. I'm recommitting this week to healthy practices that leave me feeling balanced, practices that I've slid from over the past several months. I'm not recommitting because it's a new year or even a new month. I'm recommitting because I've realized I need to. Tomorrow just happens to be January 1st and tonight happens to our family's annual cheese fondue party... so... healthy practices be damned today. I tell you..., I did take a whole lot of digestive bitters before, during and after that fondue though. And now I'm sitting here with only mild digestive pains, feeling it was totally worth it. There's no 'always' in health. It's not possible. What there is, is a series of small decisions that leads up to health. When I'm on my A-game, I'm taking the vitamins, eating the best foods, drinking lots of water and herbal infusions, and doing all the good stuff. During that time, I'm also going out for the occasional greasy meal or eat an entire bag of chips in bed. And that's OK. It's about what the majority of those decisions are and what they add up to. It's about recognizing when healthy habits are slipping and deciding to recommit, without judgement. I took a meditation class a few years ago and I remember the teacher telling us that it wasn't about keeping your mind clear, rather, it was about the practice of noticing those wandering thoughts and bringing your mind back to the moment. Meditation is the actual practice of bringing the mind back. This struck me so deeply! It's not about perfection. It's not about judgement either. And I think health is the same thing. It's not about being in perfect health all the time, it's about noticing the slip and brining one's self back compassionately. If you want to join me, do it. I'll be posting for at least a week about what I'm doing to come back into balance. I'll be sharing my own journey, but don't let that direct yours. Maybe you want to reduce processed foods or increase your water. Maybe you want to add a quick workout or walk every day. Tell me what YOU want to begin including in your daily/weekly regime!! I'll share my fav things in a post tomorrow :) Happy New Years everyone!