Fullness

It is an exceedingly rare event.  For most us, maybe even our parents, and certainly our children, it will only happen this once, here, in our lifetimes.

Tonight the full moon rises on the longest day of the year.

Here in Edmonton, the "longest day" is a whopping 17 hours, 2 minutes, and 47 seconds, nearly two hours longer than Toronto!

What am I drawing from this?  Besides the spectacular cosmic display, the long warm hours for wild rose petal picking, memories of treasured childhood books read late, late into the evening by the light of the setting sun...

Hatha, ha/tha, sun/moon, balance in the pairs of opposites.

And purna, fullness, wholeness, completeness.

Potent cosmic forces reflecting the potency of the prana in our own nadis or inner channels, and all the opposing and complementary qualities of our Selves.  Or perhaps more accurately, our microcosmic experience reflecting the macrocosm.

It seems to me, this is an opportunity for meditation on the universe and my place in it.  For contemplation regarding what "balance" means and how to achieve it.  For acknowledging that there is a time to every purpose.

I'm also recognizing that my experience of life is purna/full/complete/whole only when I acknowledge the value of both lightness and darkness, good and bad (whatever those mean), activity and stillness, and the divine timing that allows it all to "Turn! Turn! Turn!".

As you draw down the moon and bask in the sun today, what are you reflecting?  What are you reflecting on?  How do you embody union/yoga?

Dozens of Uses for Wild Rose Petals

Alberta Wild Rose as part of a flower mandala

Alberta's floral emblem, the Wild Rose, is in full bloom just in time for Canada Day! 

Not only do wild roses look and smell beautiful in the bushes and ditches, along fence lines and forest edges, they are beneficial in so many ways!

I invite you to take a walk outside, and be inspired by nature's fragrant bounty.  Perhaps you'd even like to gather a few petals on the way to freshen up your cooking, cleaning and beauty routine.

Here are dozens of ideas to get your started!

Cosmetic, Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Recipe for Wild Rose Petal Jelly

Wild Rose Recipes

Wild Rose Elixir, A Favorite First Aid Remedy

Rose Recipes from the University of Alaska

Rose Water, Turkish Delight etc.

Wild Rose Water

Wild Rose Eyewash

Rose Oil, Beads, Jam, and much more

Wild Rose Petal Vinegar

Wild Rose Petal Mead

Rose Petal Vinegar and Other Recipes

Medicinal Value of Roses

Wild Rose Water Jelly

Healing with Wild Rose

Rose Petal Syrup

Rose Petal Lemonade

Wild Rose Petal Ice Cream

Wild Rose Petal Tea

Rose Cheesecake

Here are a few more ideas.  Use Wild Rose Petals to:

- flavor butter, vanilla ice cream or yogurt

- eat them in salads

- candy them with egg white and sugar for snacks or decorations on cakes and other desserts

- freeze them in ice cubes

What do you use Wild Rose Petals for?

Natural Beauty: Rosy Cheeks Facial Scrub

Wild Rose Petals, Coconut Oil, and Sandalwood Powder

Here's a variation of the Ayurvedic Sandalwood and Marigold Scrub I shared with you last summer.

What you need:

- 1 Tbsp. Virgin Coconut Oil

- 1 tsp. Sandalwood Powder

- Petals from 3 Wild Roses

What to do:

- Grind together with a mortar and pestle.

- Scrub a small amount gently onto your face.

- Rinse or wipe off with a warm, damp, cotton or silk cloth.

Store in the fridge for up to a week. 

This recipe makes enough for 4 - 6 facial scrubs or masks, enough to share with a friend!



Natural Beauty: Wild Rose Sugar Scrub

Wild Rose Sugar

What you need:

- A jar or container

- White sugar (Don't worry, its for scrubbing the surface of your skin, not eating!)

- Wild rose petals

- Oil (Coconut and sesame are my personal favorites.)

What to do:

- Fill the jar most of the way with layers of sugar and rose petals.

- Pour your oil in slowly and mix with a fork.

- Seal tightly.
- Leave overnight for the petals to break down a bit.

- Scrub onto skin in the shower, and rinse!

Voila!  Petal-fresh skin!

Wild Rose Vinegar

Wild Rose Vinegar (Day 1)

Wild Rose Vinegar is easy to make and extremely versatile!

What you need:

- A glass jar

- Clean, dry, organically grown rose petals

- Vinegar (any kind, its up to you)

What to do:

- Fill the jar with rose petals.

- Top it up with vinegar, making sure all the petals are covered.
- Let the jar sit in a cool, dark place for a few weeks, until the color from the petals has transferred to the vinegar.
- Strain and use for natural beauty, cooking and cleaning!

What to do with it:

You can use this vinegar as is in your favorite salad dressing, or dilute it 1 part Wild Rose Vinegar to 4-8 parts water for a natural cleaning spray, bug bite soother, sunburn cooler, conditioning hair rinse, softening foot soak, or facial toner.

Aromatherapy and the Chakras, June 28, 2014

Wild Alberta Roses

Join me at Yoga Within this Saturday from 1-4pm for a fragrant journey through the chakras honoring the earth element with asanas and aromatherapy!

Incense, spices, herbs and flowers have all been used since ancient times to maintain physical health, elevate the mind, and connect to divine essence. 

Uplift and ground your energy through relaxing yoga postures and your sense of smell.  Practice beautiful "scent-ering" rituals, sample an all-natural "body incense", learn how essential oils can enhance your yoga and meditation practice, and more!



Opening the Anahata Chakra





Rose, Candice's Garden Tour, Raja Yoga Summer Camp, 2013



"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

- Rumi, Sufi Mystic

The Heart Centre, or Anahata Chakra, is the main portal through which we relate to and accept ourselves and the world.  It is also considered the main knot in our energetic bodies.

Here are a few simple suggestions for opening the heart:

- Volunteer!  Karma Yoga or helping others, feels good for everyone and breaks down perceived barriers between "us" and "them".

- Sing!  Bhakti Yoga, chanting, singing, dancing, ceremony, arts, crafts and cultivating an connection with the Divine are wonderful ways to release and express pent-up emotions.

- Practice Yoga!  Hatha Yoga moves prana or energy, and shifts feelings of stagnation or contraction.  Energetic vinyasas like Surya Namaskar are great for strengthening the physical heart, and backward bends like Bhujangasana (Cobra), Dhanurasana (Bow), and Chakrasana (Wheel) are considered excellent "heart openers".

- Breathe!  Connecting with your breath is calming for the mind and the nervous system.

- Study the lives of those who live love!  Read the poems of Mirabai, Rumi, and Hafez.  Celebrate the lives of Jesus, St. Francis of Assissi, Mother Teresa, Mata Amritanandamayi, The 14th Dalai Lama and so many others who live loving-kindness or make a habit of doing small things with great love.

- Stop and smell the roses!  Roses have an exceptionally high vibrational frequency.  Even if you don't have a bottle of precious rose essential oil at home, you can visit your favorite Middle-Eastern grocer and buy some rose water to use instead of commercial facial toner, spread rose jam on your toast, and infuse dried rose petals in your tea.  Or take a trip to your local florist or greenhouse and bury your nose in the most fragrant blossom you can find!

For more inspiration about the Anahata Chakra and more suggestions for exploring your heart, check out this lovely post on the Free People blog.

Natural Beauty: Sandalwood and Marigold Scrub

Thank you Rul, for this Ayurvedic beauty recipe!

What you need:

- One fresh, organically grown Marigold flower
- 1/4 tsp. Sandalwood Powder
- 1 tsp. Virgin Coconut Oil

What to do:

- Remove the petals from the blossom and place them in the mortar.

- Add the sandalwood powder and coconut oil.

- Crush/grind together with the pestle until you have a smooth paste.

- Rub gently onto your face and body.

- Rinse off, or wipe with a wet washcloth.


Enjoy your soft, glowing skin!

Proud to Be a Canadian!



Wild Roses from my yard, the official flower of Alberta.

 Happy Canada Day! 

And welcome to the official beginning of Summer in Alberta, 2013! 

Woo Hoo!!!

I hope you've all enjoyed a beautiful long weekend full of sunshine, the great outdoors, friends, family and lots of fun!

Jai!