November News
 Whew! Whenever we get around the corner of October I take a sigh of relief. This year has been beautiful in so many ways, and has truly redefined the meaning of busy. It was in the lead up to our final intensive class of the season that I realized for as much great herbal advice as I am giving to others, I wasn't following it anymore. I was spending my days growing herbs, processing herbs, nursing Elden, making healing remedies, playing dolls, answering emails, changing diapers, teaching classes, hosting classes....and then at night making whatever was easy for dinner (often with less vegetables than I'd like), taking an hour or two to catch up with my husband after the kids went to bed, going to bed to get not enough sleep, and doing it all over again the next day. Self care just wasn't making the cut. So, during our final intensive class we did a fun exercise. We had just covered the intake process for a clinical herbal consult the previous class, and we put it into action on ourselves. We sat alone with a journal and asked ourselves the questions we would ask another in a consult and answered them. Some of my answers surprised me. I always say this work isn't about knowing the answers, it's about asking good questions. I have been in chronic pain for a lot of the last decade. It's not that I haven't tried to address it, but at the end of the day it has not really been a priority. There are both benefits and drawbacks to having grit. I asked myself in my consult "What need is being met by this chronic pain?". A strange question maybe, but a powerful one. My answer was "It gives me an excuse to rest". Hmm. Okay. The next step in this exercise after spending some time asking good questions was to give ourselves recommendations. I do this for other people all the time, so the answers came easily. I also believe deep down we usually know what we need if we listen and trust ourselves. After writing down our recommendations we chose partners to debrief about the process with and to move forward with as accountability partners. This part is crucial for me, because just like a lot of my clients, I too struggle with following through on the things I know will help. I am excited to share that when my accountability partner checked in this week I was able to report that I have been drinking my daily tea blend most days (Burdock Root, Astragalus Root, Ashwagandha Root and Milky Oats), taking my heart healing tincture because at the root of most chronic ailments is some form of trauma (Motherwort, Violet, Hawthorne), eating more vegetables and strength training at least three times per week. And I began taking Magnesium again. And making other good choices. As one of my friends and clients put it best, "I can't tell if it's the herbs that are working or if they're helping me make better choices". All of this. At the end of my written recommendations for a client I usually write something to the effect of "Be patient with yourself, Healing is a journey". An often cyclical, spiraling, messy journey with no destination. A good question may be "Am I spiraling toward or away from wellness?". A New Collaboration This new publication is such a cool offering for families and children to connect with the planet, plants and cycles of the seasons. My friend Kriya Miller, cofounder of the Human Nature School with over 20 years experience in outdoor education for youth is launching Sundog Magazine in collaboration with some really talented artists, photographers and knowledgable folks in the community. I am honored and so excited to be a part of this. I will be submitting an herbal feature for each edition and the herb of the inaugural mag is Lemon Balm! Lemon Balm has been a hot herb this year and I had so much fun diving into it in this creative, playful way. I set a list of goals when I turned 30 to accomplish before 40. Having some of my writing published was one of them, so this came at a wonderful time and I'm excited for where it will lead! To subscribe and learn more check out their website here Wreath Making Workshop at the farm What do herbs for winter wellness, an organic practices vegetable farm, holiday wreaths and this centennial barn have in common? They are all part of our upcoming Wreath Making Workshop! NOVEMBER 21ST on our farm at 5022 Walton Rd Kingsley, MI 49649 Our morning class is already full, but there are still some spaces open for our afternoon workshop from 2-4pm! The cost is $75/person and includes all materials. Register here In Collaboration with Carissa Savage of Lost Lake Farm in Honor, MI, this workshop features a talk on winter wellness (specifically relating to the herbs and evergreens used in our wreaths!) followed by a hands on workshop building winter wreaths. Snacks will be provided made with veggies from Lost Lake Farm and hot tea of course by Bear Earth Herbals. Bring a friend, relative or come alone, this is a really fun way to get into the holiday spirit with others! Hoppy Holiday Markets Yet another collaboration, The Hoppy Holiday Market is back this year with two locations! This originally started as an impromptu idea with my dear old friend (from art class in middle school) Ruthann of RuthieZ Art when we both wished we had signed up for more holiday markets a few years ago, and has grown into a successful event we look forward to all year! KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING Kingsley, MI. November 7th 1-6pm (THIS SATURDAY!) Bear Earth Herbals, Ruthie Z Art, Bailey's Kombucha, Reise Baking, Calamity Jayne Pottery, Amber Coulter Creative, CraftHouse Jewelry and Textiles SILVER SPRUCE BREWING Traverse City, MI December 5th 1-6pm Bear Earth Herbals, Ruthie Z Art, The Wynter Rose, Art By Aaron Dye Glassblown jewelry and ornaments, Sugar and Shore Cookie Co., Janelle Songer Ceramics, The Wooden Rose Woodworking, Bailey's Farms and more Shop local, drink a beer, chat with local artisans, get high quality goods you and your people will love...you can't get this experience shopping on amazon. PS: If you are feeling concerned for our country's economy, resilience and rural communities...shop small and local this holiday season. You may think it is but a drop in the bucket, but coming from a small rural business owner, the ripple effects are greater than you know. OTHER FALL SHOWS AND MARKETS:
New Salve Labels Are Coming! Here's a sneak preview of our new salve labels, and a new name for our St. John's Wort Salve! This has been a project long in the making and we are finally ready to pick up the proofs and start rolling out these new labels in the coming months. Change is always a little hard to get used to, but here's what we love about the new labels:
Two salves have been renamed in this process. Part of the goal of this gentle rebrand is to make the products more able to sell themselves, as I am not available to be at all the events and markets myself anymore. While I have loved having the names of the herbs as the names of the salves...many people do not know what those herbs are used for and are overlooking what may be a really helpful remedy for them. So moving forward... St. John's Wort Salve = Oh My Nerves Lemon Balm Salve = Calm Balm Same formulas. Same quality. Nothing about the salve inside has changed, just the presentation. and...a Price Change is Coming In the 12 years of Bear Earth Herbals I have raised the prices only a couple of times. One of the pillars of this business and the other work that I do is accessibility. These are products that work for working people. And...most of the ingredients and packaging materials we use have increased by as much as 50% in the past two years. In my continued efforts to make Bear Earth Herbals sustainable, it is time for a price increase in the products. If you enjoy our products and it can be a stretch for you to afford them financially, this is your advanced notice to stock up now before the price change! Order your Winter Wellness Box Today! My mom recently reached out and asked if she could order a winter wellness box for a friend who is going through a really tough time with the sudden loss of a loved one. Absolutely! I told her all she needed to do was to purchase it online and put her friend's shipping address on the order. I will email my mom a gift certificate (see below) that she will be able to mail to her friend along with a holiday card. Sometimes it's hard to know how to help the people we love who are going through challenging times, but you can't go wrong with a box full of custom seasonal herbal remedies that feel like a healing, warm hug! **Pro tip: If there are a couple of smaller items you have thinking of ordering, tack them on to your winter wellness box order and get free shipping :) November Recipe CHAGA CHAI CHIA PUDDING A decedent, nourishing, anti-inflammatory breakfast or dessert made with our wild harvested Chaga Chai tea! Ingredients:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Let sit overnight or for at least four hours. Enjoy with your favorite toppings.
It's here!You've been asking for years (some of you) and I finally made the long promised batch of Patchouli Body Butter! I only made this small batch so if you've been waiting for it, get it while it's here. It's not available on the website yet, I am waiting on the labels, but it should be soon and I will make sure to share about it on our socials when it is. If you read this whole email, Thank You, I know how precious your time is and I appreciate you spending it reading my newsletter! If you only skimmed it, I get that too! I do hope you've had some moments to sit and enjoy this change of the seasons wherever you are. If you "need an excuse" to do so, brew up a cup of tea and sip it intentionally, outside or looking out a window. Sometimes the medicine of the tea is simply the act of drinking it. I hope this finds you well, warm and with love, Sierra and the Bear Earth Herbals crew |
Comments