Becoming Grounded

Last week Thursday was my last foraging class; or, as our leader likes to call it, “wild weedy walk.” I almost didn’t go, because it had been a really stressful and hectic week.

I really don’t do well if I don’t have my down time. I’ve heard that if being with other people drains you, you are an introvert; if it energizes you, you are an extrovert. I’m definitely an introvert!

To give you an idea of my week: Saturday I went to my sister’s baby shower in the morning, then covered a local food event in the evening; Sunday I spent the whole day with my family at a harvest festival. In addition to working 8-5 each day with a half hour commute each way, Monday my car battery died so DH had to come and replace it and then I had to do a project for my blog with a deadline looming; Tuesday I had to go pick up my raw milk, finish my blog post, and wrap up in time for a Twitter party I had to attend; Wednesday I had a local organizing meeting for an environmental campaign I was asked to be involved in; and on Thursday I just wanted to pick up my CSA share and go home. But I stayed for the class, and I’m glad I did.

LIsa, our leader, had just returned from an herbal conference in New Mexico and talked about how she had had injured her back, and how she felt it was an experience she had to have in order to sort some things through. She had to think about “unpacking her load.” I could totally relate! I reflected on how the week had been crazy, and how I needed to rethink what I was able to realistically take on. Learn how to say no to some projects.

As we walked around the farm property, we saw some of our friends from the spring, such as nettle and yarrow, which was nice as it made autumn feel like a beginning again.

There were three new people who joined our group, farmers who had driven a long way to attend the class. It was funny because as Lisa pointed out how certain plants could be used for medicinal purposes, they would often exclaim “I’ve been trying to kill that on my farm for years!”

Learning more about weeds, and the nourishment and healing they can provide, has been such a grounding experience. The land we walk on, the air we breathe, the beauty in nature; all of it is real and solid, even though I often don’t take the time to observe it.

We end the class with a warming tea with lots of spices in it, as it has been quite chilly. Lisa also made us a vegetable soup with mushroom powder, beans, burdock root and a few other things. It was delicious, and for some reason, when I eat that sort of food, it satisfies me completely without needing to consume a lot of it.

I am sad that our season of exploring the farm has come to an end, but looking forward to Lisa’s fall herbal CSA so I can continue to learn more about the healing properties of herbs and plants.

View more photos of the Wild Weedy Walk, below:

I’m curious to know: In your busy everyday life, how do you strive for balance? By replying you will be entered to win one of two prizes! First Prize: $150 to a Local Spa, plus $50 Gift Certificate to the Cerra Boutique.Second Prize: One of Five $100 Gift Certificates to the Cerra Boutique.

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