Hi Friends,
I have been busy in my free time (mostly standing/swaying at the bench with our daughter contact napping in the carrier) re-creating my website & wall calendar for 2027! I'm happy to say it's all complete & pre-sales are open now. The photographic theme is inspired by nature's pollinators, the quotes & affirmations are new, plus a few design tweaks. I will place the order at the end of next week, so if you'd like to secure one, or a few as gifts - grab them now. Available for pick up in Yeppoon or postage Aus wide.

$29 for 1 // $50 for 2 // $70 for 3

In other news, Evelyn is 4 months old on Friday & it's both bizarre & miraculous how quickly she grows. I am especially amazed at watching her nervous system develop in her sleep where she can go from laughter, smiling, to worry & crying, her body twitches, tightens & softens as she processes in her sleep... & I am in awe at the human body once again.

I have also been thinking about Yin Yang theory/5 element theory in regards to her. i.e when she is at complete exhaustion & so desperately needs to drop into deep yin she has a spike of adrenaline & kicks off into peak yang.

Yin Yang Theory 101:

1. When one reaches it's peak it will transform into the other. You could also see the example of a fever when the heat reaches it's peak & then the body goes into exhaustion, sweating, cooling, shivering to swing back into balance.
2. They are opposites. if yang is hot, active, daytime, outwards, expressive (distressed, screaming, tightening, hot, resisting sleep). Yin is cool, inward, quiet, night time (finally allowing sleep to take you/her into deep rest).
3. One cannot exist without the other. think of the symbol with small amounts of yin in the yang & vice versa. i.e when we talk of Blood & Qi in Chinese medicine - the Blood is yin & needs yang to move it around the body.
4. Yin & Yang are mutually consuming. Say when yin is in excess in the body (overweight, heavy limbs, foggy mind, exhaustion) yang is deficient & cannot create energy needed. or if yang is excess (feeling hot, signs of inflammation, very thirsty, red face, yellow urine) often the yin will dry out & you can get dry symptoms (stools/constipation, mouth, eyes, skin ect).

Also here pondering Evelyn's connection to the seasonal shifts & wondering if the ancient Daoists observed this in humanity from early on in babies or if it's just a coincidence. Say, now that it is spring she is waking up earlier at dawn/with the sun (farewell sleep ins!) - quite possibly just where she is at developmentally, but still curious to think about. Speaking of the changing seasons, here are a few tips on staying well this Spring:

SPRINGTIME WELLNESS

from the wisdom of Chinese medicine

1. Earth is still cold, air is warming - wear shoes & socks for a while longer yet!
2. Wind can be up - take a scarf or neck warmer with you to protect you from getting sick.
3. Eat your greens! Liver & Gallbladder connect to this season & appreciate lots of greens (especially brassicas - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage ect) to detox. Get into your herbs & put lemon on everything (sour is the flavour!). As always, eat what is in season locally to you.
4. Get moving! Liver Qi can get stagnant in the body causing all sorts of irritability, stress (big sighs!), frustration, anger & so on. Moving your body is a good place to start - brisk walks, yoga flows, weights or pilates - whatever is FUN for you! Acupuncture is great way to move the stagnations as well.
5. Processing the emotions that arise is important too, whether that is a long chat with a friend, some somatic release work, saying no/setting boundaries or getting in touch with a professional.
6. The days are longer & you can now wake earlier with the sun & go to bed later at night. 7-9 hours sleep is still ideal for most people. Women usually need longer then men!