tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90377704161178950182024-03-13T14:22:03.094-04:00Pretty Medicine Celebrating and exploring the healing gifts of nature in my neck of the woods on the East End of Long Island, N.Y.Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-16563011918296522012023-08-14T19:51:00.006-04:002023-08-14T20:04:33.365-04:00Fire and Water<p style="text-align: center;"> In Chinese medicine we often see shock trauma as a separation of the elements of Fire and Water. During this distancing, the two elements we are often left feeling lost, dissociated and disconnected from our authentic selves. The ideal outcome in such an instance is to have immediate support and resources to be able to come back into regulation and for Fire and Water to become more integrated so that they may fall into their natural rhythm. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOMUqbYbobv58efp9IILpW8X1WPxPw0FKJXqAt7H-Vu35dvvyTchzI4VgEuTZISOTIDP_6li8k7bbzsIzKaLmDxmL8ECJGTgoRDkaY2qF_pGUaxK1Z2rK5WqUnj6YD91LVWIMU6CyjdUh4yNebHOaI1Uj519JUsQjT_Y_-O8Ruj_g7iqu5e3VuQ2j79k1v" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOMUqbYbobv58efp9IILpW8X1WPxPw0FKJXqAt7H-Vu35dvvyTchzI4VgEuTZISOTIDP_6li8k7bbzsIzKaLmDxmL8ECJGTgoRDkaY2qF_pGUaxK1Z2rK5WqUnj6YD91LVWIMU6CyjdUh4yNebHOaI1Uj519JUsQjT_Y_-O8Ruj_g7iqu5e3VuQ2j79k1v=w448-h640" width="448" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">When this rhythm is re-established in the body, we are more inclined to find relationships with the other elements of Earth, Metal and Wood. </p><p style="text-align: center;">The five elements create an intricate and meaningful web of ebbs and flows of energy through the organs, meridians and inner channels. There are multiple layers of information that are all reliant on the smooth flow of consistent Qi and Blood. When shock energy meets our physiology, these micro currents and reserves can be disrupted and injured. Staying cognisant of these possible disruptions is important because if we are aware that we are in a state of disregualtion, then we can lean into repair and resourcing to come back into more balance and ultimately health.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibs8w6fghQkut9zREgeWyDZlLAX_qKNzRmD6ekmtgRipTth-GD68QjL8-35Z2z1C56vWWmVTYL62sYhmdxVBDe797sdwdh2bAC9lc-GvNFL88Jcqap8IuTLbWV4NjniiPde3N9M2ZY_NRsPv1EFO-FDlB5BNk-mJp7LXNkxY2YiexjhRtw6ZJ2rxvf4TVg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5760" data-original-width="3840" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibs8w6fghQkut9zREgeWyDZlLAX_qKNzRmD6ekmtgRipTth-GD68QjL8-35Z2z1C56vWWmVTYL62sYhmdxVBDe797sdwdh2bAC9lc-GvNFL88Jcqap8IuTLbWV4NjniiPde3N9M2ZY_NRsPv1EFO-FDlB5BNk-mJp7LXNkxY2YiexjhRtw6ZJ2rxvf4TVg=w427-h640" width="427" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">As our planet alternates between the surprising excesses and deficiencies of both Fire and Water, it feels as though the shock of the pandemic coupled with changing weather patterns are weighing on our physiologies. Sometimes I see these stresses as subtle and sometimes they are more profound and obvious. We have all experienced so much in such a short period of time. I have noticed that the allostatic load of so many changes are creating profound shifts in myself and the people that I support in my practice. We are all navigating the new terrains that the pandemic and weather changes have imprinted upon us. Many of us are living each day with some level of hyper-vigilance as we take in the ongoing reports of pockets of transitions around the planet.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh88CKngJGyO7wjMZBGXKzQImFZklJ_TN-igM9yzR1cfKoZQ9YWfqHaMSUwlVKrrXeLR_U_SY-1MRs-x4PpcVRrg4JnhToeIA4_SEjvs7zrdLPk91qzJqSRciNbFQFaUw1QV_o2DSxlAD4NjHx0AUrZ9s349yrQnGO5-pz0ZdOa52hLQF8XvU1Plxhyuujn" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5760" data-original-width="3840" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh88CKngJGyO7wjMZBGXKzQImFZklJ_TN-igM9yzR1cfKoZQ9YWfqHaMSUwlVKrrXeLR_U_SY-1MRs-x4PpcVRrg4JnhToeIA4_SEjvs7zrdLPk91qzJqSRciNbFQFaUw1QV_o2DSxlAD4NjHx0AUrZ9s349yrQnGO5-pz0ZdOa52hLQF8XvU1Plxhyuujn=w427-h640" width="427" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">I wonder what might unfold if we were able to lean into more awareness of Fire and Water within our own bodies and see what the possibilities might be as we fine tune our capacities to self regulate, and therefore find our internal compasses that illuminate our paths back to safety, balance and coherence. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj06Y6QYnpQpBQYQoa-T9TyjAG8GRW--p46D5MZlgFu46UVn5w6C6_7acncdFcLDJDJqcrYFr2dtZ22rre_HL7_f2z6SYMcxD5NCU1myUApaDu9c_8cyaQ-GSQwUFwoqIizJQs-vNriWLdvjqgeaUonhKyL0nVwKI0WPlaZgKPWH2_j0jn6OuLTPRh66mPS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3345" data-original-width="3524" height="607" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj06Y6QYnpQpBQYQoa-T9TyjAG8GRW--p46D5MZlgFu46UVn5w6C6_7acncdFcLDJDJqcrYFr2dtZ22rre_HL7_f2z6SYMcxD5NCU1myUApaDu9c_8cyaQ-GSQwUFwoqIizJQs-vNriWLdvjqgeaUonhKyL0nVwKI0WPlaZgKPWH2_j0jn6OuLTPRh66mPS=w640-h607" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"> In these moments of transition, I am acutely aware of the delicate and profound relationship between Fire and Water in my immediate world. </span><span style="text-align: center;">I have been keen on photographing different colours of reds, blues and of water. I feel the juxtaposition of the heavy humid days on my skin and bright hot sunlight. Early morning outings have felt like adventurous walks through watery waves of sagging clouds and dripping damp leaves.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">I am including images that I have taken in the past few months, during hot and steamy days, between dramatic rain storms filled with lightning and ground shaking thunder and news of seismic changes in the natural world. I want to witness it all, take it in and be present for the profound changes. It is not always easy to experience these shifts but my intention is to move through it all, while keeping the engagement of </span><span style="text-align: center;">Fire and Water in check within my own nervous </span>system.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-27170614278314159302022-07-02T21:04:00.009-04:002022-07-03T15:37:54.663-04:00The Magnificent Great Crested Fly Catchers (Myiarchus crinitus)<p style="text-align: center;"> The elusive fly catchers are feverishly feeding the chicks that reside in an older blue wooden bird house. The handmade structure is covered by a mature hydrangea and is tucked away in under a tall magnolia tree. Over the years there have been various residents who made this little wooden sanctuary their home, but this year, it has been a treat to see the flycatchers come and go, perch on the magnolia branches and bring back dragonflies, crickets and other insects for their clutch. The male and female work with incredible precision, elegance and have a remarkable cadence. I love their distinct calls and their chartreuse feathers. I also love that they can catch such large flying insects and bring them back to the nest in their beaks with such speed and accuracy. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXzufkAPiRb6Seh_We9bDpddXe2VytQgBQWa5XIaJ6SZj1HpWrG2NMJtcJ1FF3-UUP4c8ano1boOeZowV61ggPvodAxX5edFUGBskx-OapmPpp24emtz6WidXJgCMei_5RYnqz-0gRhDIwNhC9Cpe6l0hiZr1OKX3Aeq913VyGJiX9J61EPDAIut-gmw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3378" data-original-width="3177" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXzufkAPiRb6Seh_We9bDpddXe2VytQgBQWa5XIaJ6SZj1HpWrG2NMJtcJ1FF3-UUP4c8ano1boOeZowV61ggPvodAxX5edFUGBskx-OapmPpp24emtz6WidXJgCMei_5RYnqz-0gRhDIwNhC9Cpe6l0hiZr1OKX3Aeq913VyGJiX9J61EPDAIut-gmw=w603-h640" width="603" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The female flies away just as the male arrives with the transparent wings peeking out of its beak. They also eat wasps, spiders, seeds and berries. The garden is filled with all of their delights.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_3BmSj7xCOaibjdQDtUCa8ZHh2a4R2uWNj8nksQzTTZ9agdW6ICWPTpNrAjF_2D1R7zFqptFS_Ven-a72dWFF3aGqO_idC2U-ZiU6PPttqXNabe7Hd2Y4J8vlhRHKFtc01Lv1Hg2CwMQrPyuYXmgwjKJEGcZOVw6fMdq-fH1qJPFxl-6bOSjAacnVZQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3049" data-original-width="4301" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_3BmSj7xCOaibjdQDtUCa8ZHh2a4R2uWNj8nksQzTTZ9agdW6ICWPTpNrAjF_2D1R7zFqptFS_Ven-a72dWFF3aGqO_idC2U-ZiU6PPttqXNabe7Hd2Y4J8vlhRHKFtc01Lv1Hg2CwMQrPyuYXmgwjKJEGcZOVw6fMdq-fH1qJPFxl-6bOSjAacnVZQ=w640-h454" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"> The colors of their feathers range from light and dark grey to subtle shades of dark and olive yellow. When they fly, they reveal a very beautiful belly that is round and fluffy. The colors of the feathers are almost tropical yet they camouflage so beautifully in this wooded environment. The first time that I saw one here, it was perched on the holly eating berries. I was curious as to its size and its song. It bounced up and down as it ate the berries and protectively gathered its bounty and flew away.</div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs2YtCsLDKwsRucp7OwQY060X8sz02uKq6jTsITNvFVMvaJCuy8PxAFWEmDHhlRMiGK6ufYbFq8CKMcc7aYDdgj1emul_NaPdVJrAw6vDsXPwOSW2qer0uK2t6zCjCcGI59hhU3aKqvoKNhlpcipCQmerpeSev9Fhf5A_4QXQlORVMMWlG6Iax7XKlaw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="2668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs2YtCsLDKwsRucp7OwQY060X8sz02uKq6jTsITNvFVMvaJCuy8PxAFWEmDHhlRMiGK6ufYbFq8CKMcc7aYDdgj1emul_NaPdVJrAw6vDsXPwOSW2qer0uK2t6zCjCcGI59hhU3aKqvoKNhlpcipCQmerpeSev9Fhf5A_4QXQlORVMMWlG6Iax7XKlaw=w613-h640" width="613" /></a></span></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">They are not typical back yard birds. They generally live near open fields and woodlands and migrate from the south, as far away as the Yucatan in Mexico. They are often found in nests off the ground, in forests and near water. They may also build a nest in a hollowed out or fallen tree near moist earth. </div></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmDS1qUINA2KuGXVSAXa8bOoZx8GaY31YymjjpRZYWpYVtRoijOel8_eTqn0iGw5Iczl8ZV2BOGx3PiKbuxVNyv4sFRAIdTbW-_mrPO9DspH23s6dKOBnlmXBGZ492voxttpvaHYELilPpTRXmnq8oKQZUBbOZaBgsQOnYhTgszCo6stufxTqsVvEZJw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="2970" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmDS1qUINA2KuGXVSAXa8bOoZx8GaY31YymjjpRZYWpYVtRoijOel8_eTqn0iGw5Iczl8ZV2BOGx3PiKbuxVNyv4sFRAIdTbW-_mrPO9DspH23s6dKOBnlmXBGZ492voxttpvaHYELilPpTRXmnq8oKQZUBbOZaBgsQOnYhTgszCo6stufxTqsVvEZJw=w547-h640" width="547" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The chicks must be ready to fledge very soon. I am imagining that they are well fed and just about ready to greet the garden and the deep shades of the nearby woods. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4bbaFKiCv3kF9GJnJOK7Ux6hjWSMu0USL3eU_yUacifImKls-ntNmvE0iDnpqJO16EHnDde7nZc_-msTROofNw0PSlonxF92TAc9jZVmz33hVdN_Vi5DTVHoXYy1ix7taKtKVzqIPth4hkTvCHvC89n7VXEieQ26STjM6yKrpaHBrwl0JdmxvZwhTkg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3133" data-original-width="3083" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4bbaFKiCv3kF9GJnJOK7Ux6hjWSMu0USL3eU_yUacifImKls-ntNmvE0iDnpqJO16EHnDde7nZc_-msTROofNw0PSlonxF92TAc9jZVmz33hVdN_Vi5DTVHoXYy1ix7taKtKVzqIPth4hkTvCHvC89n7VXEieQ26STjM6yKrpaHBrwl0JdmxvZwhTkg=w629-h640" width="629" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">They have been safely hidden for weeks now and as they enter the bigger world, they will blend beautifully with the safety and background of the yellow, green and brown tones of the oak forest. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-13168461920978848282022-05-29T20:31:00.002-04:002022-05-29T20:34:38.462-04:00The Return of the Hummingbirds<p> As the hummingbirds return, the flowers are blooming and expanding with gentleness. This gorgeous male arrived several weeks ago, gracing the garden with his presence. He is always fickle, but curious.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_ZJMbXXATe3Vn-6_bpioc90qS_hmzg-Dl6LM5J2FlstBOAz5nbbYTPVY0GgKukM6P2AVN10D7dIaTKNaJ9n6D9ZJsqfpYqhFfN-99tvYRwbO3y8Xj1jC90P8vU5UPopUgNlJqOQ2lQvGoGmIDf-hu9l0NnSEfb_2vQEIY2ObJjqhviQkLFH6jYx_KA/s979/hummingbirdandraspberriesFLATTENED.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="979" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_ZJMbXXATe3Vn-6_bpioc90qS_hmzg-Dl6LM5J2FlstBOAz5nbbYTPVY0GgKukM6P2AVN10D7dIaTKNaJ9n6D9ZJsqfpYqhFfN-99tvYRwbO3y8Xj1jC90P8vU5UPopUgNlJqOQ2lQvGoGmIDf-hu9l0NnSEfb_2vQEIY2ObJjqhviQkLFH6jYx_KA/w640-h628/hummingbirdandraspberriesFLATTENED.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p> In this photograph the male (affectionately named Estebanito) is pollinating the raspberries and contributing to the fruits of the season. So grateful for his elusive and colourful presence. The fly catchers are nesting, the cat birds are singing during healing sessions and the fig trees are swelling with green goodness. </p><p> During these very turbulent and painful times, there are small whispers of regulation and beauty nearby. I do believe that we need to embrace the tiniest kind gestures of sweetness and connection. We have so much healing ahead of us. There is a profound need for a strengthened web of support and goodness. It is my hope that Chinese medicine will deepen the mending of the chaos and inter-generational trauma. In my small corner of the world, we pray that ripples of clarity, integration, regulation and sweetness travel far and wide. I hope that each and every action towards personal and collective healing may count towards the greater good during these unprecedented times.</p><p> Wishing everyone a peaceful and very gentle Summer. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuf51o8V0tgcQu_5r8TX8RrTxDv3YC8i8eI7fSlHNxYzcLxTrG-XJMuD7aOfKCA3FicvQe7rFAPHaxCUErCwagmFzjBNqq3vHWmWTYV2Ps7s_oBzgAqx9sabB2xz_U4UzZgHtSVDrwSICgj4nd2rQtS0exI7sSZcshW4pdBCA6vgGT_RvEiy2ZRr35Lw/s1280/rubyfeathersFLATTENED.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuf51o8V0tgcQu_5r8TX8RrTxDv3YC8i8eI7fSlHNxYzcLxTrG-XJMuD7aOfKCA3FicvQe7rFAPHaxCUErCwagmFzjBNqq3vHWmWTYV2Ps7s_oBzgAqx9sabB2xz_U4UzZgHtSVDrwSICgj4nd2rQtS0exI7sSZcshW4pdBCA6vgGT_RvEiy2ZRr35Lw/w426-h640/rubyfeathersFLATTENED.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-25442170259341831232022-03-20T20:04:00.002-04:002022-03-20T20:05:59.886-04:00The Return of the Bluebirds<p> With the recent cold spell, the bluebirds retuned. It has been a while since they have been here in the garden. They came for fresh water in the early morning hours of the deep freeze. They appeared each morning for several days in a row at first light. Both males and females arrived, shy and quick. They move in a blink of an eye and fly together in small groups. When one arrives, we can be sure that several will follow. When these images were taken, they were here for several hours. It was such a thrill to see them travel together and be here for an extended period of time. Please enjoy these special photographs. It is such a rare and special gift to have them here.</p><p> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lapttkaduU8/YeT84kG89XI/AAAAAAAAEl8/pXYtR8cIuHwPRDHmRpSSF5WTm9yXDRfDQCNcBGAsYHQ/turntowardsthesunflattened.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lapttkaduU8/YeT84kG89XI/AAAAAAAAEl8/pXYtR8cIuHwPRDHmRpSSF5WTm9yXDRfDQCNcBGAsYHQ/w557-h640/turntowardsthesunflattened.jpeg" width="557" /></a></p>They have the most incredible blue feathers that glow in the early morning light. Their feathers are also very beautifully photographed under a grey sky. It felt like a magical presencet. All of these photographs were taken through a window so some of the details were lost but the proximity allowed for me to get some very sweet images of these amazing birds.<div><br /><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-12t5s0uLdRg/YeT9J9x-sBI/AAAAAAAAEmI/ll99upMYNRA_Acq5NpCJrN8YnV7doQsewCNcBGAsYHQ/sparkleintheeyebestflattened.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="428" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-12t5s0uLdRg/YeT9J9x-sBI/AAAAAAAAEmI/ll99upMYNRA_Acq5NpCJrN8YnV7doQsewCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/sparkleintheeyebestflattened.jpeg" width="640" /></a><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Each and every time that I see them, I am so grateful. They make me feel so happy and full of grace as I witness the sparkle in the flicker of their feathers. It really feels like a blessing from another realm. Each time they come into my path I learn a little more about </span>them. How they like to drink, the relationships that they have with other birds and how curious they are when we lock eyes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3VIbm6Ra-Y8/YeT8xOT8R8I/AAAAAAAAElw/aUbp0EVaANMkB-HqBwIGtArRehATzV1cACNcBGAsYHQ/intoearlylightbluebirdflattened.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="829" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3VIbm6Ra-Y8/YeT8xOT8R8I/AAAAAAAAElw/aUbp0EVaANMkB-HqBwIGtArRehATzV1cACNcBGAsYHQ/w413-h640/intoearlylightbluebirdflattened.jpeg" width="413" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As warmer weather arrives and more of nature's gifts emerge, I welcome more visits from bluebirds and the arrival of the hummingbirds. Wishing everyone a gentle and colourful Spring.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3VIbm6Ra-Y8/YeT8xOT8R8I/AAAAAAAAElw/aUbp0EVaANMkB-HqBwIGtArRehATzV1cACNcBGAsYHQ/intoearlylightbluebirdflattened.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5jXqiVEejVY/YeT66vMlSKI/AAAAAAAAElg/aX5MtPUF8agZrY-1RBUxzPJBEBBMuVA6gCNcBGAsYHQ/sideviewbluebirdonoakleafflattened.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1110" height="553" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5jXqiVEejVY/YeT66vMlSKI/AAAAAAAAElg/aX5MtPUF8agZrY-1RBUxzPJBEBBMuVA6gCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h553/sideviewbluebirdonoakleafflattened.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><p></p></div></div></div>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-63903181183879167312022-01-01T17:11:00.004-05:002022-01-01T22:40:12.342-05:00Honouring Moments of Pause Slowly, very slowly, I am emerging from a pause. I took time this year to deepen study in Chinese medicine, mind my private practice, read, watch, internalize and observe the changes. There are days that have felt like moments and others like eternities. While I have not written much for the blog, I did continue to take photographs and quell my curiosity of the natural world with my camera. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V80cEY6FMCo/YdC--yYs1uI/AAAAAAAAElA/Ww3zMzAIHakDu0QOqlT3veJOqzeoJ-YagCNcBGAsYHQ/2021recap2flattenes.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="1280" height="284" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V80cEY6FMCo/YdC--yYs1uI/AAAAAAAAElA/Ww3zMzAIHakDu0QOqlT3veJOqzeoJ-YagCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h284/2021recap2flattenes.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> I am including a few collages with some of my favourite images that tell a story about this past year. There are so many images to share as I edit and reconfigure my writings. It occurred to me this past week that so much of my time during the past two years was invested in cultivating safety for myself and for my work. When we feel safe, we can then down regulate, be curious and find breath. There have been days where the breath has been short, shallow and brief. The work has been to find the depth of the breaths where the air can sometimes feel trapped or held. It is during these levels of activation, I have felt the importance and necessity of honouring moments of pause. Taking photographs, especially of my hummingbirds, asks for stillness and focus on slow exhales. I never use a tripod so it is always an act of meditation to keep a still hand.</div><div> There were moments with peeper frogs, a luna moth, mimosa flowers, and countless hours with a new generation of hummingbird visitors. As the world has turned in so many directions I am eternally grateful for the presence of the small details of shimmering beauty that reside in the woods, the air and the earth.<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uRmzfhTugCY/YdC-5yk9jVI/AAAAAAAAEk8/Jnr0xci_P2AYZms9ShebWybdpfe5ZVP3QCNcBGAsYHQ/2021recapflattened.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="1280" height="284" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uRmzfhTugCY/YdC-5yk9jVI/AAAAAAAAEk8/Jnr0xci_P2AYZms9ShebWybdpfe5ZVP3QCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h284/2021recapflattened.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div> It is my hope that some of these images will spark curiosity and deep refreshing breaths as we enter the new year. One of my favorite images was taken this autumn of a passion flower vine that grew with such vitality that it climbed up the side of my home and drooped over a doorway. It gave the garden the feeling of something very romantic and old. The vines were curled, woven, knotted, stuck and integrated with the shingles and rooftop. Each time that I walked out the door, I was reminded to stay the course, and to follow the inspirations that offer glimmers of beauty and passion. This vine has been growing for over a decade. Inside in the winter and outside in the summer. It continues to gently bloom, offering magical green and purple flowers despite the wobble of the world. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jxMSM0bZF9s/YdC-aQzLXUI/AAAAAAAAEkw/BqwchWWLJcMxzDRiIo2qmrGYDYSjDkQdACNcBGAsYHQ/hangingpassionflowerflattened.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="901" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jxMSM0bZF9s/YdC-aQzLXUI/AAAAAAAAEkw/BqwchWWLJcMxzDRiIo2qmrGYDYSjDkQdACNcBGAsYHQ/w451-h640/hangingpassionflowerflattened.jpeg" width="451" /></a></div><br /> As I write this post, the owls are singing in the woods. I hear them morning and night, just when the light has a certain dusky tone. I am so deeply grateful for their presence. They remind me that the cycles of nature continue and that we too are part of a circular process of healing and rebirth. They also offer the reminder of a place that still holds a little bit of wildness and raw woodsy beauty. Wishing everyone a new year filed with creativity, curiosity, patience and kindness. </div></div>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-46824009981607303392021-02-10T14:16:00.013-05:002021-02-10T14:30:33.511-05:00Food is Medicine<p style="text-align: center;"> During the course of the pandemic, warm meals, carefully crafted fresh dishes, and layered soups have been creating much comfort and joy. Some days, a bowl of hot homemade vegetable soup has made a world of difference during these chaotic days. Sharing a freshly made dish with a neighbour, a friend or patient from my practice has also made me feel like I am participating in the solution. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7ehHd0Vz2o0/YCQz5bf56nI/AAAAAAAAEg4/hwWElnMDxqI4qY4AWAILBvsDBY7-Re2pACLcBGAsYHQ/squashsoupflattened.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1904" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7ehHd0Vz2o0/YCQz5bf56nI/AAAAAAAAEg4/hwWElnMDxqI4qY4AWAILBvsDBY7-Re2pACLcBGAsYHQ/w595-h640/squashsoupflattened.JPG" width="595" /></a></div><br />We can offer comfort and support through the love that we place in kitchen. I have found that cooking has been one of the most meaningful expressions of love and connection during these challenging times. I am deeply grateful for the beautiful vegetables and care that the farmers have given to their crops this past year. Sang Lee, Amber Waves and Balsam Farms are a my favourites. <p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xEfFWR_kg6E/YCQ0RdHzYaI/AAAAAAAAEhA/KoHWz-cxk8EAKBqgc5yvUETQ5CHB-CwywCLcBGAsYHQ/triosquashflattened.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1690" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xEfFWR_kg6E/YCQ0RdHzYaI/AAAAAAAAEhA/KoHWz-cxk8EAKBqgc5yvUETQ5CHB-CwywCLcBGAsYHQ/w528-h640/triosquashflattened.JPG" width="528" /></a></div><br />When I have had extra soup, I have packaged it and given it to friends and neighbours when they least expected the gifts. It fills my heart with goodness to share now more than ever. While we may not be able to share a meal in our homes, we can certainly share love in this gentle and nourishing exchange. <p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BecCQM_ObcI/YCQqdUBBZeI/AAAAAAAAEgU/BsFd_HyNx68AeSzlQS54mjPsVM350QmGwCLcBGAsYHQ/beetsinpinkandwhiteflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="2048" height="627" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BecCQM_ObcI/YCQqdUBBZeI/AAAAAAAAEgU/BsFd_HyNx68AeSzlQS54mjPsVM350QmGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h627/beetsinpinkandwhiteflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">I began a new feed on Instagram, the title of the feed is @pure_soups. In this feed, I share images of the flowers that sit on the table while eating, the herbs, the soups, the ingredients, and the intentions behind the soups. I have also included thoughts on the nutritional values of different foods through the five elements and the lens of Chinese medicine. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_d408_1OYuQ/YCQqY26-UpI/AAAAAAAAEgQ/ANb8y7-jjhwCizFFaSYxNpD1oxSw2-wBgCLcBGAsYHQ/pumpkinsoupflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="2048" height="622" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_d408_1OYuQ/YCQqY26-UpI/AAAAAAAAEgQ/ANb8y7-jjhwCizFFaSYxNpD1oxSw2-wBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h622/pumpkinsoupflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">I have enjoyed photographing the images of the ingredients, the color, the textures and the toppings that I have placed on the soups. At this time, I am finishing the squash and root vegetables from the winter shares of Amber Waves and Sang Lee Farms. </p><p style="text-align: center;">The sweet potato soup has been the most frequency made soup. Enriched by garlic, onion, sesame oil, vegetable broth, hours of slow roasting and cooking, topped with beautiful elements from the last herbs in the garden.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uwx-AzGVY2M/YCQqSbc5VqI/AAAAAAAAEgM/-y1FbjqLmxc3LCeFfKZoF5WsrrhkHvSOACLcBGAsYHQ/beansoupflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1902" data-original-width="2048" height="595" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uwx-AzGVY2M/YCQqSbc5VqI/AAAAAAAAEgM/-y1FbjqLmxc3LCeFfKZoF5WsrrhkHvSOACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h595/beansoupflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">One of my favourite ingredients has been Japanese pickled plums. I chop them finely and add them to the toppings of many soups. The sour and sweet taste offers a nice opposition to the sweet earthiness of the pureed root soups. The plums are astringent and offset the sweetness creating more of a balance in the soup.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As the days are growing longer and we gear up for warmer weather, I will be posted more of my recipes and my photography. My hope is that my posts inspire new explorations in the kitchen. Tonifying the middle Jiao is an important way to keep our immunity strong and resilient, especially during the colder days. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6_5VBSsZrK0/YCQzPb9gzrI/AAAAAAAAEgs/MNyLtOuN0a4ky-UdxuTb8JDaQFgOY0aTwCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_0443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1935" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6_5VBSsZrK0/YCQzPb9gzrI/AAAAAAAAEgs/MNyLtOuN0a4ky-UdxuTb8JDaQFgOY0aTwCLcBGAsYHQ/w605-h640/IMG_0443.jpg" width="605" /></a></div><br />As I am writing this post, I know that the farmers are enjoying the last days of rest before preparation for the next planting season. My seeds are being sorted and my new gardens designed in my dreams. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-61903786182461574972020-09-18T13:12:00.005-04:002020-09-18T13:19:06.851-04:00Autumn Hummingbird Medicine<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> This beauty is about to leave for warmer days and colorful flowers. It is always heartbreaking to feel them leave the garden. It has been a wonderful Summer of curiosity and observation. </div><div style="text-align: center;">This is one of my favorite images to date. </div><div style="text-align: center;">The sky has been hazy and turned soft pastel colours as the particles from the wildfires of the West coast are flying over our lands. The soft halo behind our elegant female hummingbird reminds me of a Byzantine painting of a female Saint. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CfOi7hUZr1E/X2ToERZCAWI/AAAAAAAAEe4/cgJ2MVMFmy4YlywG96NhCMw_CQC7FPuTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/halofloraflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2041" data-original-width="2048" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CfOi7hUZr1E/X2ToERZCAWI/AAAAAAAAEe4/cgJ2MVMFmy4YlywG96NhCMw_CQC7FPuTgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/halofloraflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just before the hummingbirds leave, they are very generous with their presence and they spend extra time feeding for their journeys South. She has been here a lot the past few days and I can feel her getting ready to fly away. To see the hummingbirds every day for many months, it is bittersweet to feel the intensity of their feeding, knowing that in a blink of an eye she may disappear. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last salvia are still in bloom, as well as the last cardinal vines. Little pops of color in an otherwise fading garden. The night air is cooler now and one can feel the activity of the Atlantic Ocean churning the winds and summoning crisper weather. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-45186130910198935582020-08-03T20:36:00.034-04:002020-08-05T08:02:23.631-04:00Owl Medicine<div style="text-align: center;">Yesterday, during the early moments of blue grey daylight I heard the young owls cry from the branches of a cedar tree just outside the window. These are the owlets that I have photographed and been listening to for several weeks. One of my wonderful neighbors invited me to see them in her back yard. It has taken me a while to understand their behavior, and there is so much to learn that it may take me a very long time to completely absorb their elusive habits. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7PyzrQ0OPlM/Xyip4y9TlHI/AAAAAAAAEcs/WbE3BpdpJTkQYat4pPrFB_tokoe2vymQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/onabranchmamaflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7PyzrQ0OPlM/Xyip4y9TlHI/AAAAAAAAEcs/WbE3BpdpJTkQYat4pPrFB_tokoe2vymQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/onabranchmamaflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In years past, I have only ever heard them, never saw them in the wild. It has been a wonderful and incredible experience. The first time that I saw them, they were together on a branch at the edge of the woods. They were so well camouflaged that it took my eyes a moment to refocus. </div><div style="text-align: center;">In the blink of an eye, they were gone. Their wide and impressive wingspan took me by surprise. They are magnificent. They are elegant and have the capacity to vanish into a tree canopy as if they are performing magic. </div><div style="text-align: center;">They have been coming out of the woods at dusk and visible at first light with the little ones. The first good image that I took was when it appeared on a branch from what seems like thin air. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1wZ462YC9E/XyiqbUnHiDI/AAAAAAAAEdA/szi_ip2z2VoJGbcnr4Uxi4s86IVBt4N3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/connectionflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1505" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1wZ462YC9E/XyiqbUnHiDI/AAAAAAAAEdA/szi_ip2z2VoJGbcnr4Uxi4s86IVBt4N3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/connectionflattened.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It took my breath away, its yellow eyes and strong body. It sat on a branch and stared directly at us. My friend sat next to me, and I said to her, </div><div style="text-align: center;">"I can't believe what we are seeing right now."</div><div style="text-align: center;">My friend is much better at staying still than I am and we both has a silent giggle under our breath. I was so excited that I could hardly stand it, as my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Holding a heavy camera with a long lens was very difficult, the excitement made my arms and hands shaky. I was in complete awe. It was love at first sight. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkfkdvVolI8/XyiqRMVbHaI/AAAAAAAAEc4/lR3GfijyOxExLolQcJSvDczxqmZW7A-_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/sideviewflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1829" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkfkdvVolI8/XyiqRMVbHaI/AAAAAAAAEc4/lR3GfijyOxExLolQcJSvDczxqmZW7A-_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/sideviewflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Since that encounter, I have seen them a few times and when my hopes were the highest, they hid from me, or flew over my head in the depth of the dark woods. I have been learning a lot about these Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus). The greatest lesson that they have taught me is how to see in the dark. This is a literal lesson, although it might also be interpreted as a shamanic teaching, I am learning how to see the unseen. They blend into their environment so well that one has to really adjust to a new way of seeing the woods. </div><div style="text-align: center;">The second lesson that they have taught me is how to hear differently. I have learned what their wake up call is like and how they communicate with one another. One night, I was in the woods and I heard the owlets waking up and talking with one another, it was as if they were checking in with one another to say hello and also search out one of the parents. We believe that there are four owls.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ySNUvYD4zsI/XyirB2dAaCI/AAAAAAAAEdY/zKz8rXe5niQjdVfE9qKQslBFl2OAMRj6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/lookingawayflattened2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ySNUvYD4zsI/XyirB2dAaCI/AAAAAAAAEdY/zKz8rXe5niQjdVfE9qKQslBFl2OAMRj6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/lookingawayflattened2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly, they have taught me how to be more curious. To learn more about owls all over the world and to read about the history of owls from different resources. The owl below is young, it bobbed and danced while looking at me. The feathers are more fluffy and soft than the adults.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7cq2yFJuYRY/Xyiq5mfGJpI/AAAAAAAAEdQ/EV7eG1IA82AAZa4GmIi49Yhu-VsNZ3ZhACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/straightonflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1387" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7cq2yFJuYRY/Xyiq5mfGJpI/AAAAAAAAEdQ/EV7eG1IA82AAZa4GmIi49Yhu-VsNZ3ZhACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/straightonflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The author Desmon Morris has written a book, the title is <u>Owl</u>. </div><div style="text-align: center;">In the introduction to his book he writes:</div><div style="text-align: center;">"When we examine the history of our relationship with owls we find that they have, indeed, frequently been a symbol of both wisdom and evil. Wise or wicked, wicked or wise, the image of the owl keeps altering. For several thouand years these two iconic values have kept swapping and changing. Another of the contradictory qualities of the much misunderstood owl."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oSscWCRfS5c/Xyir5XPe--I/AAAAAAAAEds/_pfThp6A4Ukm6WXw3I4LX5XjTRFyFPpHACLcBGAsYHQ/s1474/earlymorningflattened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="1229" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oSscWCRfS5c/Xyir5XPe--I/AAAAAAAAEds/_pfThp6A4Ukm6WXw3I4LX5XjTRFyFPpHACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/earlymorningflattened.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">According to Morris, there are fossil remains of owls that have existed for at far back as 60 million years. When I did a little research of my own, I found images of ancient fossils and cave paintings in Europe. </div><div style="text-align: center;">When I look at the images that I have taken, I can hardly believe that they incredible creatures have been on the planet for so many millions of years. It is like having an encounter with a modern day dinosaur, literally from my back door and I did not have to travel half way across the world to see them in all of their glory!</div><div style="text-align: center;">These elusive creatures have been with us, woven into our psyche and our cultures for so many centuries.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The owl graced Grecian coins, were made into gold beads by the Mochica in Northern Peru and revered for their magical and healing powers by many cultures all over the world. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b-o1WmXCDPs/Xyi2coEBRsI/AAAAAAAAEd8/J3cPZYBLFZAJXDncAzi8sT5HDROPtFnVACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EYESCLOSEDOWLFLATTENED.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1287" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b-o1WmXCDPs/Xyi2coEBRsI/AAAAAAAAEd8/J3cPZYBLFZAJXDncAzi8sT5HDROPtFnVACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/EYESCLOSEDOWLFLATTENED.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The goddess Lakshmi is often depicted riding on the back of a white owl when she enters the earth plane to visit the poor and bless them with her presence. The owl accompanies her in the dark as it knows how to travel well at night with its extraordinary night vision. In Minorca owls are painted on ceramics for good luck. Amulets of owls are also worn for protection. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JdPtp5BSUCk/Xyiryin6h-I/AAAAAAAAEdo/1lOr17EnyRg75gKbJb7vJgNHzDhKBXuKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1313/image0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1313" data-original-width="1313" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JdPtp5BSUCk/Xyiryin6h-I/AAAAAAAAEdo/1lOr17EnyRg75gKbJb7vJgNHzDhKBXuKACLcBGAsYHQ/w410-h410/image0.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">There are so many interesting facts about owls in cultures from all over the world that it could take a lifetime to read about how we as humans have lived with these magical beings. Desmond Morris did a beautiful job exploring their vast and meaningful relationships with humans throughout the centuries. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Last week, I saw one of the owls fly through the back of the property. It took my breath away, again, as it was almost dusk, the crows were making a lot of noise chasing it away and it flew so fast, it was a brief but amazing sight. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope that this is just the beginning of my time with the owls. I love them so much, their yellow and black eyes, intense stare, silent flight and curious calls. They are mysterious and generous. My neighbour has been gifted many feathers from them and they love her sanctuary where they sleep, drink water and rest in the safety of her magical realm. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Hopefully they will visit me again soon and I will have another story and new images to share with everyone. They are year round residents and hopefully that have found their forever home here in the woods of Springs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-35772781333698042792020-04-18T18:36:00.003-04:002020-04-18T18:41:44.701-04:00Magic of the Day<div style="text-align: center;">
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"If you've never been thrilled to the very edge of your soul by a flower in bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom."<br />
~Terri Guillemets~</div>
Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-36703744969251306982020-04-14T18:01:00.003-04:002020-04-14T18:08:23.613-04:00Nourishing the Middle Jiao and Gu Qi During Times of Transition. <div style="text-align: center;">
As we begin to understand more and more about our current pandemic, I feel more equipped to write about how we can take care of ourselves during these challenging times. I study as much as I can now and I am learning from the doctors who are sharing their hands on experiences in China. Having access to this information has been incredible. I spend a lot of time processing what I am reading and hearing so that I may translate this information into meaningful and life affirming content for my patients, family and friends.<br />
The current consensus is that this is a pathogen that moves through several energetic layers, from a Chinese medical perspective, and presents as a damp condition. Knowing that dampness is a key part of the presentation of the virus once it enters the lungs, it feels important to support our systems with exercise, regular meals and quality foods.<br />
During this transition I have been advising everyone to lean into preparing their own meals, especially soups. The possibilities are limitless. I prefer to slowly make them in layers.<br />
To begin, we start with the broth as a base and then add greens, other vegetables and toppings.<br />
Soups warm and nourish the middle Jiao. This is the energy center of the core that includes the Chinese Spleen and Stomach. The energy that is created by the transformation and transportation function of the Spleen is called Gu Qi.<br />
For many reasons, cultivation of Gu Qi encourages the manifestation of Righteous Qi, as part of a continuation of Qi through various organ systems.<br />
If we are eating appropriately and at regular times, the Spleen will be happy.<br />
It will then be able to nourish Blood and ultimately many other functions of the body that enhance a healthy Wei Qi or Immunity. When the Spleen is regulated we are less likely to create excessive phlegm. The lungs are particularly susceptible to dampness excess, especially for those of us who live near the ocean.<br />
Having a healthy Spleen supports stability, nourishment of the mind, the heart and appropriate timing in the acts of giving and receiving.<br />
Here are just a few ideas for creating nourishment during these swirly days. I hope that they inspire anyone who reads this entry to explore one's own capacity to create warmth and goodness in one's life right now.<br />
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The soup above, began with a chicken broth, and vegetable broth. Black rice, sea lettuce flakes, scallion, ginger and goji berries were added for releasing the exterior and building Blood.<br />
After drinking this elixir I felt my skin open and the heat move Qi at the surface.<br />
This was wonderful for a cold Spring day.<br />
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The ingredients photographed below include: goji berries, shiitake mushrooms, cranberries, lemon peel, and violet flowers. I cut the ingredients finely for the carrot, ginger soup. Additional ingredients include celery, onion, carrots, small golden potatoes, spinach flakes, sauerkraut, coconut milk, paprika, chipotle powder, garlic, topped with dandelion and parsley.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VoUU7ArKM0c/XpYLpDd7moI/AAAAAAAAEag/zpbPF_4fJlIQ3vpepwEyNqqn_4MbcoDYQCK4BGAYYCw/s640/choppiingboardflattened.jpeg" width="498" /><br />
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Below is a detail of the violet flowers sitting on dollops of coconut milk. Given the contrast of the opposing orange and purple, the beauty warranted its own special image. When soups are beautiful, they evoke a sense of curiosity and joy. Theses are important elements of digestion.<br />
The ancients say that digestion begins with our eyes.<br />
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Below is another detail which includes, shiitake mushrooms. I soaked these in warm water twice and used the mushroom infusion as an addition to the soup. It adds an earthy flavor that gives it an added layer of musky beauty.<br />
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Below is the soup in its entirely.<br />
The colors orange and yellow, belong to the Earth Element. I made this soup today after a cold and wild rain. It feels appropriate to have a warmer soup because of yesterdays wind and dampness. The gusts were so high that it felt like a hurricane. When we have this kind of unstable weather, the Earth Element enjoys special attention.<br />
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Lastly, this Spring green soup was made from asparagus, kale, parsley, cilantro, garlic, vegetable broth, sauerkraut, topped with lemon peel, carrot slices, asparagus shoots, goji berries and shavings of a savory Dutch gouda.<br />
Sauerkraut is sour. The energetics of sour foods condition/tonify the Wood element in Spring. It is a small added ingredient to the soups that adds flavor and energetic support to awaken the detoxifying function of the Liver.<br />
The green soup was pureed after the greens were sauteed in sesame oil. This oil is warming in nature but gives the fresh greens a nutty and earthy element. I like adding sesame oil to soups because it can soften the clawing nature of leafy greens.<br />
Parsley and cilantro are excellent for detoxification and supporting the Liver in Chinese medicine.<br />
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It is important to remember that if we have histories of trauma, we may rush through meals, override that para-sympathetic function of digestion and forgot to taste the sweetness of life. Some of us may actually be holding the freeze response in the viscera. Paying special attention to this aspect of our physiology is a meaningful part of our unwinding and healing.</div>
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I find that after a nourishing meal, sitting for a bit with a hot water bottle over the stomach is wonderful for allowing the process of digestion to continue. We want to hear the peristalsis, this often means that we are digesting well and that the function of the Chinese Stomach is online. </div>
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Hot herbal tea, a drop of peppermint oil on Acupuncture points Pericardium 6, slowing down for a little bit before resuming activity allows the Middle Jiao to reorganize and for our bodies to absorb the goodness of the meal that we just enjoyed. </div>
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When we have appropriate time for digesting food, we are also digesting information in our lives that may be asking for time and integration. In Chinese medicine 'Yi' also known as 'thought', is stored in the Spleen. When we slow down to truly digest our food, we may also be digesting past or present thoughts, and appropriately allowing assimilation not only on a nutritive level but also on the physiological, psychological and energetic level of the Chinese Earth element. </div>
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<br />Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-78074071153360271332020-04-09T11:40:00.003-04:002020-04-09T11:40:36.753-04:00Because the World Needs More Egrets<div style="text-align: center;">
There are spacious days right now, ones filled with study, silence, beauty and observation of the natural world. I have seen nature come closer, to create more intimate opportunities for connection.</div>
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So many new birds are arriving, </div>
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This beauty was photographed in the bright Spring light. Egrets are shy and in my experience difficult to photograph. They do not like people getting too close to them, they are elusive in that they appear to be still and willing, and in a blink of an eye they are gone. </div>
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I love their layered feathers, large transparent wings and long necks. They always feel elegant to me. Graceful extensions of the skies. On warmer days, the skies are teaming with new life and I often wonder what they see looking down on us during this unprecedented time. </div>
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On a walk yesterday a heron flew over the middle of Springs Fireplace road. It followed the yellow lines and swooped down so close to me, I felt as though I could almost reach for its amazing wings. It was the closest that I have ever been to this magnificent bird. </div>
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Watching egrets and herons are once of my favorite activities. During this pause, the greatest luxury and gift is the extra moments with nature and being the observer during different times of the day. </div>
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The day began overcast and damp, followed by late afternoon sunshine and more rain tomorrow. To be able to pay such close attention to the subtle changes of the skies, the water and the new plant growth feels like a very special privilege. </div>
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One that I treasure so close to my heart. </div>
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-73593532893965815092020-03-22T19:06:00.000-04:002020-03-22T19:09:20.126-04:00Magnolia Medicine.<div style="text-align: center;">
This past week I had the wonderful opportunities to attend webinars by Dr. John Chen. He is a brilliant teacher, Western pharmacist and Chinese doctor. I listened for hours and feel compelled to share a bit about current affairs regarding the pandemic through the lens of practitioners of Chinese medicine in the United States. </div>
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I was fascinated to hear how hospitals in the city Wuhan and others in Hubei provence treated patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 cases. Because there were thousands upon thousands of cases, Dr. Chen shared the protocols health care providers used under these circumstances. He generously provided herbal formulas from different pathogenic stages of the disease from a Chinese medical perspective.<br />
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As practitioners in the United States we are unable to access some of the herbs used in the various patterns that were described in his presentation. These herbs are either not approved for use, or they are in short supply due to the epidemic. Dr. Chen was very helpful in pointing out where we could help patients in preventative medicine and post infection care. What a gift to hear a Chinese doctor be a liaison and a beacon of information during these challenging time. </div>
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Where I see my role as a practitioner is supporting the defensive stage. In other words, helping people stay healthy and strengthen immune systems. Each patient is unique so one formula or remedy will not apply to everyone, especially for patients who have underlying autoimmune issues, and pre-existing conditions.<br />
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Many people have written to me asking what remedies to take now, how to stay safe and healthy. I will do my absolute best to offer resources with dietary information, theory and support in these weeks ahead. As many of you now know, I am not treating in person but I am scheduling half hour and hour long sessions on the phone and on Zoom. This is a more organized way to work for my patient's safety. </div>
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I will use my blog as a platform to share many wonderful resources that I have at this time. I hope that this message finds everyone safe and well in these changing time. </div>
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Thank you Dr. Chen for sharing your wisdom, generosity and research experience with all of us. </div>
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Magnolia flowers photographed today.<br />
Springs, East Hampton. </div>
Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-37225671358393620662020-03-21T20:06:00.002-04:002020-03-21T20:06:16.836-04:00Magic of the Day. Springs, East Hampton.<div style="text-align: center;">
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-53908370186480952012020-03-18T14:41:00.001-04:002020-03-18T14:55:25.982-04:00The Art of Self Regulation in Turbulent Times. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In my healing work, the color yellow often shows up when there is an integration of new information and organization in the physiology. It is a color that also resonates with the Earth element in Chinese medicine. As we are approaching warmer days and more greenery, the first daffodil blooms are a welcome sight. Spring will arrive with buoyant and generous warm days and we will witness the return of the hummingbirds, the dolphins and the whales. </div>
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Knowing that we are part of the natural rhythms of the seasons is important to revisit as we are being asked to separate, confine, go in and in many cases isolate. The natural flow of Spring which is expansive, is also moving, flowing upwards and fed by the sap of the new growth. </div>
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At a deeper level, we are collectively being asked to mind our capacity to self regulate in a very unsteady time. This can feel confusing and challenging in our bodies. </div>
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How does one even begin when we are feeling waves of sympathetic charge, fear and stress?</div>
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I have been gathering the most effective tools that I have learned and used in my own healing and regulation work and I am offering them here through my blog with hopes that perhaps they may be of service to anyone who may read these forthcoming posts. </div>
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Over the course of the past seven years, I have been studying the role of the nervous system in healing the physiology. Through the lens of Chinese medicine we might call this process the regulation of Qi and Blood. How our system pendulates between different energy states often determines how we maintain our health.</div>
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Firstly, we need to establish safety. My mantra is always 'safety first'. Once we establish this felt sense, our systems can begin to down regulate into a more spacious and gentle place. Secondly, we find the most spacious place in our bodies that offer a felt sense of ease. It is from the ease that we can build towards more safety in the rest of our system. It is like a ripple effect.</div>
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Sometimes staying in this spaciousness is all we need to begin a natural flow of self regulation. </div>
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I often include resources like scent, sound, weight on the body in the form of heavy blankets, support under the joints and behind the head. Sometimes a meditation recording, music or just the sound of the birds through an open window can inspire and guide our systems into our own personal rhythm. For those of you who already work with me in my private practice, this will be a review but also a reminder of how to allow a dropping into oneself and back into the spine and softening of the joints. </div>
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Exercise, copious fresh air, good sleep, sunshine, hydration, herbal teas, and foods that are very simple and clean. The past two weeks have personally been the beginning of a cleanse marked by clear vegetable broths and greens like parsley and cilantro. These soups are easy to digest and move with the continuum of the softening of the Liver in Chinese medicine. The Liver and Gallbladder are governed by the Wood Element in Spring. </div>
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Lastly, holding on to gratitude and compassion are essential. </div>
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One of my dear and brilliant mentors Dr. Mario Martinez recently wrote a beautiful article that I will share here that reminds us to stay within these frequencies during adversity. </div>
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<a href="https://medium.com/@themindbodycode/panic-is-the-corona-viruss-best-friend-a49587956a79">https://medium.com/@themindbodycode/panic-is-the-corona-viruss-best-friend-a49587956a79</a></div>
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I am also offering this gorgeous read during our collective rest and reorganization:</div>
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<u>Teachings on Love</u> </div>
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by Thich Nhat Hanh</div>
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This book is a tender reminder to stay gentle. When I read these words, not only do I hear his soft voice of kindness and goodness but I am also reminded to forgive, love and hold compassion and gratitude for myself first. Our healing of the collective essence, the earth and our future depends upon our capacity to heal ourselves with honesty and integrity. I believe this from the bottom of my heart. </div>
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Because many of you who I work with are staying close to home to stay safe, in New York City, out of state, or out of the country, I am now offering half hour and hour long phone sessions and video conferencing sessions through the Zoom format. Please feel free to contact me to set up a time for a session. </div>
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Stay posted as I add Spring recipes for Immunity, or in Chinese medicine what we call Wei Qi and for the nourishment of Kidney Qi. During adversity we need to attend to our Essence and be very kind with our thoughts and to our bodies. </div>
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Wishing everyone gentleness and sending support during these changing times, </div>
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with love, </div>
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Maria</div>
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<br />Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-41926843409760532252020-03-13T19:09:00.002-04:002020-03-13T21:11:02.594-04:00Transition into Early Spring and the Dao. Many Paths, One Center.<div style="text-align: center;">
When we are in the midst of seasonal transition, I always love to revisit the Daoist translations and the work of Dennis Willmont. His work is rich and meaningful on so many levels. I look for the pearls, something to hold onto, even if it is for just a few savored hours of study and exploration. He has merged what feels like lifetimes of academic research into just one book and he has written so many! Thank you Dennis.</div>
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This particular excerpt caught my eye today, it is from the Embracing Dao section of the book title <u>Many Paths, One Center, A Comprehensive Study of the Diodejing. (Volume 4 in the Daodejing Series)</u></div>
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"The idea of PROTECTION works on the PREVENTION level of HEALING where an alliance with the Principles of Dao is fundamental. Such an alliance is also fundamental in having FAITH in the ORDER OF THE UNIVERSE as the External provider of VIRTUE/EMPOWERMENT.</div>
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One who sincerely embodies VIRTUE is like a NEWBORN. Poisonous insects (that is, hornets and scorpions) and snakes do not sting it, fierce beasts do not prey upon it, and birds of prey do not spring upon it. -Daodejing 55."</div>
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"Now it is heard that he who is proficient in living LIFE meets with no wild buffalo or tigers in his tracks, and comes out of the MILITARY without SUFFERING from SHIELDS and WEAPONS. For him the buffalo finds no place for his horn, the Tiger finds no place to claw, and WEAPONS find no place to slay. What is the reason for this? Because he has no place for DEATH in him. -Daodejing 50."</div>
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The understanding that I take away from this translation is to seek and mind the middle path. By walking alongside this construct, we are less likely to swing too far into one direction or to become injured. </div>
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As Spring arrives, I have been taking pictures of the new flowers, making collages and reading. I observe the middle path of the natural rhythms and remain the constant and curious observer. </div>
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Befriending this hibiscus flower again in bloom has brought me so much joy this week. The color, the vibrancy and grace, the study of the anatomy, and to be held in its pink embrace.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eF_rhB_1BkA/XmwKozdxcEI/AAAAAAAAEXI/cJDPIJxLiuo-U4Tv5w5JXZpvrHUY1cEggCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/hibiscusinbloomflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eF_rhB_1BkA/XmwKozdxcEI/AAAAAAAAEXI/cJDPIJxLiuo-U4Tv5w5JXZpvrHUY1cEggCK4BGAYYCw/s640/hibiscusinbloomflattened.jpg" width="467" /></a></div>
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These collages include my botanical illustrations, a dragon that I painted many years ago, my needlepoint and favorite reproductions from my grandmothers books. They are happy floral images and I wanted to include as many beautiful images in this post as possible. </div>
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<u><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNx8SWMfFzQ/XmwKt3k_JHI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/_7_fTSV_9fYbOs2A4r6-oAA95NJ3tXqbwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/collage2flattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNx8SWMfFzQ/XmwKt3k_JHI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/_7_fTSV_9fYbOs2A4r6-oAA95NJ3tXqbwCK4BGAYYCw/s640/collage2flattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></u></div>
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The middle lower center image is one of my sun prints, the bird image in the lower right hand square is by Tanya Wolfkamp, the needlepoint from a series that I completed this past Winter. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ikw--juSnk/XmwK4TQfpOI/AAAAAAAAEXY/sH60WPBrimMZPjxXR9ph5LKKciThA0hCACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/helioboreflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ikw--juSnk/XmwK4TQfpOI/AAAAAAAAEXY/sH60WPBrimMZPjxXR9ph5LKKciThA0hCACK4BGAYYCw/s320/helioboreflattened.jpg" width="256" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZ6H6-jPEFg/XmwSdmad0uI/AAAAAAAAEXo/WeCm4BKK_OUe1lbKAWhiUsVgoIvfSmP_wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/bluebirdmedicineflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZ6H6-jPEFg/XmwSdmad0uI/AAAAAAAAEXo/WeCm4BKK_OUe1lbKAWhiUsVgoIvfSmP_wCK4BGAYYCw/s320/bluebirdmedicineflattened.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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The Hellebore above was taken in the afternoon light this week, here in East Hampton. This is the best light of the year because the leaves have not yet emerged but the sun is stronger and crisp. The bluebird was an extraordinary gift yesterday that made my heart sing. </div>
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Wishing everyone the gifts of the middle path as we transition into Spring in these changing times. </div>
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-65480258000850357742020-02-21T16:34:00.001-05:002020-02-22T09:14:34.974-05:00Hawk Medicine on Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton, New York.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These two beauties were together today. What a healing. And a gift. </div>
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Something here about Yin and Yang, and finding balance on the branch of a maple tree. The hawk on the right was sharing its beautiful feathers as the wind blew across its chest. </div>
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Magic like this feels rare and very special. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ8gb-EnMVo/XlBM7vJgUwI/AAAAAAAAEW0/woAc5A04kx4l-CNFDvzKIx4qn8PrfmHvwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/togethertwohawksflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ8gb-EnMVo/XlBM7vJgUwI/AAAAAAAAEW0/woAc5A04kx4l-CNFDvzKIx4qn8PrfmHvwCK4BGAYYCw/s640/togethertwohawksflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Taken in the afternoon light of Springs, East Hampton.</div>
<span id="goog_1113735945"></span><span id="goog_1113735946"></span>Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-90314745424512473532020-02-14T18:55:00.000-05:002020-02-14T18:55:47.546-05:00Four Harbors Audubon Society Show<div style="text-align: center;">
Tomorrow, Saturday the 15th is the opening reception for the Four Harbors Audubon Show. It will be filled with beautiful artwork by artists of Long Island. The show is at the Bates House in Setauket and the hours are from 1-3 pm. The show will be up until the 20 th. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zril-m_qPUg/XkcxiXg3UDI/AAAAAAAAEWg/2jw6TRY2SFgVgeuJ93Jz0liasDtknDC3ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/flattenedAmerican%2BBald%2BEagle%2B%2528Haliaeetus%2Bleucocephalus%2529%2B024%2Bcopy2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zril-m_qPUg/XkcxiXg3UDI/AAAAAAAAEWg/2jw6TRY2SFgVgeuJ93Jz0liasDtknDC3ACK4BGAYYCw/s640/flattenedAmerican%2BBald%2BEagle%2B%2528Haliaeetus%2Bleucocephalus%2529%2B024%2Bcopy2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This year, I am showing this image of one of my Bald Eagles and it printed beautifully. I am pleased with the outcome of the image. I highly recommend the show as so much love and passion shines through the work. Today I got a sneak peak as I dropped off my piece. It is inspiring to see how so many creative eyes capture the beauty of nature. </div>
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The site of the Bates House is also magical. </div>
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Thank you Patricia Paladines for curating such a lovely event!</div>
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Happy Valentines Day!</div>
Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-3670631219524424162020-01-07T17:34:00.000-05:002020-01-08T16:44:52.700-05:00Beannacht by John O'Donahue<div style="text-align: center;">
Today was a magical day. I was reunited with an eagle. It has been a while since there was an intimate exchange with these beloved beauties. I was happy all day to have had this special connection again, it felt like being reconnected with an old friend. </div>
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Another old friend, even though we never met in person is </div>
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the theologian and scholar John O'Donahue. I have recently been reading every book, and poem, carefully and with great care. Savoring his words like dark salty chocolate that has a lingering rich and generous flavor. </div>
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It was fitting to see this beauty this morning and to come home to settle in with a Celtic poem by </div>
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John O'Donohue. His writings on nature make my heart melt and this is welcome on the eve of gale force winds and January snow. </div>
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This poem is one of my favorites. From his book <u>Anam Cara</u>. </div>
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Please enjoy, and wishing everyone a fruitful year filled with much beauty and grace.<u></u></div>
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<u>Beannacht</u></div>
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On the day when </div>
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the weight deadens </div>
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on your shoulders</div>
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and you stumble,<br />
may the clay dance </div>
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to balance you.</div>
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And when your eyes</div>
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freeze behind</div>
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the grey window</div>
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and the ghost of loss</div>
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gets in to you, </div>
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may a flock of colors, </div>
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indigo, red, green</div>
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and azure blue</div>
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come to awaken in you </div>
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a meadow of delight. </div>
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When the canvas frays</div>
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in the curach of thought</div>
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and a stain of ocean</div>
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blackens beneath you,</div>
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may there come across the waters</div>
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a path of yellow moonlight</div>
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to bring you safely home. </div>
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May the nourishment of the earth be yours, </div>
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may the clarity of the light be yours, </div>
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may the fluency of the ocean be yours, </div>
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may the protection of the ancestors be yours. </div>
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An so may a slow</div>
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wind work these words</div>
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of love around you, </div>
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an invisible cloak </div>
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to mind your life. </div>
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-41717790965136547252019-11-25T19:35:00.002-05:002019-11-25T19:36:45.810-05:00The Hummingbird Series<div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes in a blink of an eye, a spark of inspiration may arise and it has in the past few days. I have created a few new images that birthed a series of hummingbirds and local flowers. </div>
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They are floral collages that highlight the magic of the hummingbirds that have come to the garden over the years.</div>
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Here is one image, of Guapo the hummingbird. Bless his heart.</div>
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I am look forward to sharing more of them in the future. </div>
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In the meanwhile...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N3M2cxU2zmM/XdxyqatWIEI/AAAAAAAAEVM/SHvEMW-LRNYsAWTJ-W58YMENoUb43O89wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/thegardenhummingbirdflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N3M2cxU2zmM/XdxyqatWIEI/AAAAAAAAEVM/SHvEMW-LRNYsAWTJ-W58YMENoUb43O89wCK4BGAYYCw/s640/thegardenhummingbirdflattened.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
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Wishing everyone a generous and safe Thanksgiving. </div>
Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-77347059488357305412019-11-07T21:19:00.001-05:002019-11-07T22:21:54.046-05:00Hawk Messengers <div style="text-align: center;">
This beauty appeared in a series of images that I just found today. I am currently editing photographs for a collection of aviary delights and this beauty caught my eye. </div>
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The bright sky, the red of the tail feathers and the transparency of the wings made me very happy. </div>
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The hawks have been circling the property and their call has been filling my heart. </div>
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While many of the migrating birds are now gone, the hawks and the owls remain. </div>
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Just last night I heard the owls in the tress outside and I wished that they would allow me a sneak peak of them perched in the trees. While the owls have been here for years, I have never been able to photograph them as they come out at night. For now, I must be satisfied with my glorious hawks and be grateful that they fly low enough for me to capture these kinds of magnificent details. </div>
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Hawks always feel like messengers for me, it is as though they are trying to convey an important piece of information from the heavens.</div>
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-20733269079325561732019-11-07T15:10:00.004-05:002019-11-07T22:22:55.551-05:00Praying Mantis Medicine and Autumn Sweetness. <div style="text-align: center;">
It is Autumn now and for several months, the mantis have been revealing themselves to me. At first, on my back door. They hid behind the vines of the passionflowers and they seemed to blend in to an environment that kept them safe.<br />
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They had an eye on the house, the garden and on my every move. </div>
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As I got close to them, they would turn their triangular heads, look at me, and seemingly study my every move. They peered through the windows and when I knocked on the glass doors they would move their heads in inquisitive ways.<br />
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At one point I felt as though I was under their mindful watch. </div>
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I write 'they' because there were two. At first I thought the couple may have been mating. And then it appeared as though there was only one. So I expected that the female had devoured the male in her mating ritual and that she was preparing to lay eggs. </div>
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My hypothesis was thrown to the wind yesterday when I found two mantis inside my house. No nest, larvae or babies were ever found.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y07ri4XlIfs/XcR51TR7oMI/AAAAAAAAEUI/aUcr8oi6qAAWQI-9T2oNGvKMzVfRIULPQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/mantisinoctoberflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y07ri4XlIfs/XcR51TR7oMI/AAAAAAAAEUI/aUcr8oi6qAAWQI-9T2oNGvKMzVfRIULPQCK4BGAYYCw/s640/mantisinoctoberflattened.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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So both mantis were delicately taken outside and released, but my curiosity could not fathom why two were inside my house and how on earth they managed to camouflage themselves so well. </div>
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A few images were captured, but they are very difficult to photograph. </div>
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I had the felt sense yesterday that they were protecting the land, keeping an eye on the hummingbird garden and gifting their presence to us. </div>
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They say that they symbolize stillness, mindfulness, protection and good fortune. </div>
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If this is all true, then I have been blessed twice and I am deeply grateful.</div>
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Wishing everyone golden sunsets and autumnal sweetness.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMeXn2u0qro/XcR6QdMRs4I/AAAAAAAAEUg/q_o3NVQ0fhEQkPk8NI2nmfPfVe_BiUBcgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/autumncollageflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMeXn2u0qro/XcR6QdMRs4I/AAAAAAAAEUg/q_o3NVQ0fhEQkPk8NI2nmfPfVe_BiUBcgCK4BGAYYCw/s640/autumncollageflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Best wishes,<br />
Maria</div>
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-50374606608260073232019-10-04T15:09:00.000-04:002019-10-04T15:10:10.076-04:00Autumn Beauties from the South Fork.<div style="text-align: center;">
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-53504772778892507472019-09-02T20:51:00.001-04:002019-09-02T21:25:18.513-04:00The Art of Allowing, Transition. <div style="text-align: center;">
As the season is transitioning, the light is softening into a gold elixir hazy dream experience, and the leaves are turning new and vibrant colors. The holly tree that produced small green berries in the summer heat, is offering red skins that deepen in color with each passing day. As lovely as these gem like berries are to witness, I see the small birds of the garden seeking them out for food as the days grow shorter. The bush is shaking quickly as the berries are being plucked by the titmouse. A part of me wants to say;</div>
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'Stop! Please wait...'<br />
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Moments like this make the transition time bittersweet. </div>
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I sometimes notice a little bit of deeper resistance in my own physiology as these changing season times emerge. I feel like these moments arise with a little bit of melancholy. The brief sadness is not because there is anything specific to be sad about, rather it is a passing of time kind of sadness.</div>
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Already the hummingbirds are actively feeding to prepare for their journeys to warmer climates. </div>
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The farmer's markets are coming to an end and the acorns are falling. </div>
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The first acorns fell last week, and my internal response was mixed. Delight for cooler weather and new colors but morose because the colored leaves will follow. </div>
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Today my felt sense was to lean into the transition with a more open heart and allow the details of change to be noticed rather than turning away from them with tension. </div>
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I am sharing pictures that I have taken in the past few weeks that have captured the delicate changes in colors, textures and intensities of the natural world.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yE_WxLKVPes/XW24jKzWJxI/AAAAAAAAERc/Fww8jQuVSsQNUJWTGyRolk9IbY973-z9ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/autumnbouquetandhummungbirdflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yE_WxLKVPes/XW24jKzWJxI/AAAAAAAAERc/Fww8jQuVSsQNUJWTGyRolk9IbY973-z9ACK4BGAYYCw/s640/autumnbouquetandhummungbirdflattened.jpg" width="584" /></a><br />
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I decided that this week ahead, will be marked by more attention, more observation and more beauty. Rather than bemoaning the drying flowers, I will stay with them and capture their elegant decay and their wilting forms. </div>
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What I am hearing is 'be kind with the process and let it happen, rest with it, sit with the shift and just be the observer of what is happening in this very moment.'</div>
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As I write this piece, there is a hawk crying overhead and hummingbirds and wasps are competing for nectar before the days draws to the close. They pull me into their natural rhythms and beg of me to give them a few minutes of my time. </div>
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In Chinese medicine, this is the time of letting go, of allowing and keeping an eye on the health of our lungs and immunity. As cooler nights emerge, wrap in a little more warmth and stay gentle in the period of closing in...</div>
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-33177091765720540532019-08-30T22:03:00.002-04:002019-08-30T22:03:57.183-04:00Magic of the Day.<div style="text-align: center;">
In the garden today. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFLMl6vk13Q/XWnVA4H3czI/AAAAAAAAEQ8/BUPoEElZJ9wze9THFDqtqswJTQbyPg8MwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/totheflowerflattened.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFLMl6vk13Q/XWnVA4H3czI/AAAAAAAAEQ8/BUPoEElZJ9wze9THFDqtqswJTQbyPg8MwCK4BGAYYCw/s640/totheflowerflattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What a gorgeous dance of three hummingbird graces in the morning light. </div>
Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9037770416117895018.post-72510715188672056372019-08-20T23:10:00.000-04:002019-08-20T23:12:58.089-04:00This Little Beauty, Rabbit Medicine. <div style="text-align: center;">
This little beauty has been relishing in the garden delights of the multitude of ferns. I had wondered why the ferns were not reaching their full shady summer potential. The fronds have remained short and have not grown past a certain height. Where did the refined and elegant fiddleheads, apexes, pinnae, and blades of the green beauties go?</div>
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I adore the pre-historic perfection of the alternating leaflets. They remind of my grandmother Isabelle every year. I imagine that her compassionate heart would have delighted in the twitching nose, the shaking whiskers, the glossy eyes, the audacity, and the sweetness of the furry culprit. </div>
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We would have made an elaborate story of 'how the bunny ate the garden'... it would have been a full blown illustrated and magnificent creation of botanical wonder. </div>
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I caught a glimpse of these shenanigans out of the corner of my eye earlier in the season. </div>
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Now my empty fern bed has explained the largesse of the adult rabbit that my newly adopted canine wonder has been chasing recklessly in the night. </div>
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Rabbit medicine is quick, graceful, quiet and kind. </div>
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This little sweet one has been prancing across the yard, the ferns and under the steps all summer. </div>
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As menacing as his presence has been, we are grateful for his gentle energy. </div>
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The light is now changing, and softening. The waters are warm and delicious. </div>
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The seaweeds are pulling into themselves, the ospreys are competing for large prey, and the monarchs are making their way towards Mexico. </div>
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The end of the hot summer days and nights are near and we are delighting in the rthymic waves of sound that the cicadas sing in the cedar trees. </div>
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Maria Bowling DACM, L.Ac., SEP, Diplomate of Oriental Medicinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17274820618158208439noreply@blogger.com0