Showing posts with label earth lodge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earth lodge. Show all posts

Monday, September 26, 2011

We've Moved!

Earth Lodge has a totally new and re-designed site, complete with its very own news blog page. Improvements are still being made, but it's almost finished, and the blog is live.


Check us out at:

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Bleeding Heart, No More Drama

Bleeding Heart stops the drama. It stops the pain, it stops the fear. It takes you into your heart center to see right where changes really need to be made. Do you have a hard time saying no? Hard time saying yes? This will help you either way. Stops you from making yourdelf a victim or a martyr and lets the truth flow straight from source to you, to the world. Let the sun shine in! Bleeding heart stops the cycles of pain and sadness, helps you release traumas and hurts, and opens up the pathways to bigger and greater love. 


Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Tasty Toning Tea from the Wood

This year I have been really enjoying the wild harvests of my yard -- stinging nettles cooked up like spinach, chive pancakes, daylily flower pods, and garlic mustard pestos. To accompany my foraged finds, I have been drinking Eastern White Pine tea, simply taking a handful of needles still attached to small branches which are freshly fallen to the ground and steeping them in boiling water for 15 minutes with a dash of honey or agave. The tea is delicious, nutritious, and not at all like pine-sol, I promise!
White Pine Bark is an old and trusted remedy for colds and flu. It loosens and expels phlegm from the respiratory tract, easing bronchitis and lung congestion, and its warming qualities stimulate circulation, which may ward off colds and flu before they settle in. The high content of nature's most powerful antioxidants (proanthocyanidins/PCSs/OPCs) in White Pine Bark have made it the focus of much attention in the area of combating free radicals, arteriosclerosis and strokes.

White Pine Bark is an excellent expectorant and is used to loosen and expel phlegm and mucous excretions from the respiratory system. The inner bark has been a longtime standard herbal remedy for coughs, whooping cough, croup, bronchitis, laryngitis and chest congestion due to colds.

As a warming and aromatic stimulant, White Pine Bark is said to increase circulation and further help to overcome or prevent the onset of colds and flu by raising circulatory action.
White Pine Bark contains the second highest source (the first is Grapeseed) of nature's most potent antioxidants, tannin compounds, called proanthocyanidins (also called OPCs for oligomeric procyanidins or PCOs for procyanidolic oligomers) that provide a high degree of antioxidant capacity, which fight free radical damage in the body. These compounds allow the body's cells to absorb vitamin C, which is helpful in protecting cells from the free radicals that can bind to and destroy cellular compounds. These qualities may be helpful in building the immune system and fighting invasive material and other infections. They are classified as flavonols, and the way in which these versatile healing compounds are distinct from flavonoids is their simple chemical structure, which allows them to be readily absorbed into the bloodstream. They work actively against fat-soluble and water-soluble oxidants, thus protecting the cells from damage, and their antioxidant activity is thought to have great potential in combating cellular damage caused by foreign infectious attack.
White Pine Bark's OPCs, which may also be derived from Grapeseed, Red Wine, Hops, Pomegranate and various other fruits, nuts and beans are believed to contribute to a lowered incidence of arteriosclerosis and coronary heart problems. White Pine Bark is also a source of resveratrol, which is thought to raise the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs or “good” cholesterol) in the blood, while decreasing the low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, or “bad” cholesterol) and thereby possibly helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It is also said to prevent fat in the bloodstream from sticking together and clogging the arteries, which is thought to promote better circulation of blood throughout the body, especially to the heart.
The inner bark of White Pine Bark (cambium) is the source of resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin, which is produced in plants that is reputed to have antifungal properties.

According to recent research (2008) from Peninsula Medical School, England, the resveratrol found in Pine Bark, Grape Skin and Red Wine can protect against cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high production of glucose in diabetes, claiming resveratrol's antioxidant effects are well documented. But the new research establishes the link between high levels of glucose, its damaging effect on cell structure and the ability of resveratrol to protect against and mend that damage. Moreover, resveratrol could be used to block the damaging effect of glucose, which, in turn, might fight the often life threatening complications that accompany diabetes. It could well be the basis of effective diet-based therapies for the prevention of vascular damage caused by hyperglycemia in the future.

White Pine Bark is considered a diuretic, and as such, encourages the flow of urine, which is said to be very helpful in cases of urinary tract infections and kidney problems.

Please note: Pregnant Women should probably avoid or limit their intake of White Pine, just to be safe.

(White Pine information found on herbalextractsplus.com)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Horses Never Forget Human Friends

This great article by Jennifer Viegas was originally posted on Discovery.com.


Human friends may come and go, but a horse could be one of your most loyal, long-term buddies if you treat it right, suggests a new study.


Horses also understand words better than expected, according to the research, and possess "excellent memories," allowing horses to not only recall their human friends after periods of separation, but also to remember complex, problem-solving strategies for ten years or more.

The bond with humans likely is an extension of horse behavior in the wild, since horses value their own horse relatives and friends, and are also open to new, non-threatening acquaintances.

"Horses maintain long-term bonds with several members of their family group, but they also interact temporarily with members of other groups when forming herds," explained Carol Sankey, who led the research, and her team.

"Equid social relationships are long-lasting and, in some cases, lifelong," added the scientists, whose paper has been accepted for publication in the journal Animal Behavior.

Ethologist Sankey of the University of Rennes and her colleagues studied 20 Anglo-Arabian and three French Saddlebred horses stabled in Chamberet, France. The scientists tested how well the horses remembered a female trainer and her instructions after she and the horses had been separated up to eight months.

The training program for the horses consisted of 41 steps associated with basic grooming and medical care. For example, the horses had to remain immobile in response to the verbal command "reste!" which is French for "stay." The horses also had to lift their feet, tolerate a thermometer inserted into the rectum and more. When a horse did as it was instructed, the trainer rewarded it with food pellets.


With tasty rewards, the horses "displayed more 'positive' behaviors toward the experimenter, such as sniffing and licking," the researchers wrote. Horses do this as a sign of affiliation with each other, so they weren't necessarily just seeking more food.

The scientists added, "Horses trained without reinforcement expressed four to six times more 'negative' behaviors, such as biting, kicking and 'falling down' on the experimenter."

Nevertheless, after the eight months of separation, the horses trained with food rewards gravitated towards the same experimenter. The horses also seemed to accept new people more readily, indicating they had developed a "positive memory of humans" in general.

"From our results, it appears that horses are no different than humans (in terms of positive reinforcement teachings)," according to the researchers. "They behave, learn and memorize better when learning is associated with a positive situation."

While people often train dogs in this way, also using verbal commands, Sankey and her team point out that "the majority of horse-riding training is based on tactile sensations -- pressure from bits, movements of riders' legs, weight change in the saddle."

Since "horses are able to learn and memorize human words" and can hear the human voice better than even dogs can, due to their particular range of hearing, the scientists predict trainers could have success if they incorporate more vocal commands into their horse training programs.

Jill Starr is president and founder of Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, a non-profit that provides refuge, training and adoption placement for otherwise slaughter-bound wild mustangs and domestic horses.

Starr told Discovery News that she's observed horses responding well to verbal commands, such as "trot," but she still feels "horses and people get along better if the person doesn't chatter, since this causes the individual to have greater awareness of body language that is more familiar to horses."

She, however, agrees that horses are loyal, intelligent and have very long-lasting memories -- of both good and bad experiences.

Starr said, "Horses can be very forgiving, but they never forget."

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

March Classes & Healing Services at Earth Lodge

March Classes : Mark Your Calenders!


Shamanic Journey Circle, Thursday, 3/11
Reiki Share, Friday, 3/12, 3/26
Drum Circle, Wednesday, 3/17
Dream Circle, Monday, 3/22
Usui & Karuna Reiki Certifications, Call to Schedule
Course in Miracles Circle, Call to Schedule

For more information about our classes see our full March schedule at www.earthlodgeherbals.com/classes.htm


Earth Lodge Services
Make an appointment for healing!

We offer many wonderful healing therapies and services at Earth Lodge. Our therapists are all certified with 100s of logged table hours between them. We enjoy working with all ages and species: We all can use a little boost from time to time, don’t be afraid to treat yourself or ask for help.

Call (860) 237-8801 or email info@earthlodgeherbals.com
To schedule an appointment and put yourself on the road to health today!

Reiki: 45 minutes, $65
Shamanic Healing: 1-2 hours, $120
Polarity Therapy: Initial visit, $90. Follow-up: $75
Animal Reiki: Cat/Dog, $45 Large Animal, $80 (House-call $125)
Tarot Reading: $30
Palm Reading: $80
Home & Property Clearings: $150 Followups $50
Lymphatic Drainage: $90
Immunity Boost Treatment: $30
Channeled Readings & Advice (online only): $20-$80

For more information about any of our treatments visit our website or give us a call.

If you need help and are in financial distress, please don’t let that stop you from calling us: we are often willing to barter our services on a need basis.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Many Benefits of Drumming: Circle Meets Tonight!

Tonight is our monthly drumming circle from 6-7PM, free for all ages. We drum in the Native American heartbeat style. Rattles and chanters are welcome, too. Drumming is a wonderfully healing and therapeutic activity that gets us in tune with our own hearts and minds, and allows us to release the stresses of the day, week, and month. Drumming helps us relax and enter meditative states (read more about that below), and tends to also increase feelings of ease and joy for those who attend the circle. Children of all ages and attention spans are welcome, making this a community-minded event that re-awakens our memories of being one-family, one-village, one-and-all. We have plenty of extra drums and rattles, so don't feel like you can't come if you don't have one :)

Below, I have compiled a list of many more benefits of drumming: even if you can't make it to our circle, just see how a little drumming at home could increase your well-being:

Blood samples from participants of an hour-long drumming session revealed a reversal of the hormonal stress response and an increase in natural killer cell activity (Bittman, Berk, Felten, Westengard, Simonton, Pappas, Ninehouser, 2001, Alternative Therapies, vol. 7, no. 1).

Stanford University School of Medicine conducted a study with 30 depressed people over 80 years of age and found that participants in a weekly music therapy group were less anxious, less distressed and had higher self-esteem (Friedman, Healing Power of the Drum, 1994).

Subjects who participated in a clinical trial using the HealthRhythms cancer protocol showed an increase in natural killer cell activity and an enhanced immune system. While this does not indicate a cure for cancer, such results may be of benefit for those facing this disease. (Bittman, Berk, Felten, Westengard, Simonton, Pappas, Ninehouser, 2001, Alternative Therapies, vol. 7, no. 1).

According to Clair, Bernstein and Johnson (1995), Alzheimer’s patients who drum can connect better with loved ones. The predictability of rhythm may provide the framework for repetitive responses that make few cognitive demands on people with dementia.

Rhythmic cues can help retrain the brain after a stroke or other neurological impairment, according to Michael Thaurt, director of Colorado State University’s Center of Biomedical Research in Music. Researchers have also discovered that hearing slow, steady rhythms, such as drumbeats, helps Parkinson patients move more steadily (Friedman, Healing Power of the Drum, 1994).

AND From "The Healing Power of the Drum" by Robert Lawrence Friedman, who quotes Layne Redmond, author of "When the Drummers Were Women."

"One of the most powerful aspects of drumming and the reason that people have done it since the beginning of being human is that is changes people's consciousness. Through rhythmic repetition of ritual sounds, the body, brain and the nervous system are energized and transformed. When a group of people play a rhythm for an extended period of time, their brain waves become entrained to the rhythm and they have a shared brain wave state. The longer the drumming goes on, the more powerful the entrainment becomes. It's really the oldest holy communion. All of the oldest known religious rites used drumming as part of the shared religious experience.

It is interesting to look at these ancient drumming practices from the perspective of the latest scientific research into the functioning of the brain. Using electroencephalographs, scientists can measure the number of energy waves per second pulsing through the brain. A system of classifying states of consciousness according to the frequencies of these waves was created.

Normal outwardly focused attention generates beta waves which vibrate from 14 to 40 cycles per second. When awareness shifts to an internal focus, our brain slows down into the more rhythmical waves of alpha, vibrating at 7-14 waves per second. Alpha is defined by relaxation and centering. Dropping down to 4-7 cycles per second the brain enters the theta state in which there is an interfacing of conscious and unconscious processes, producing hypnologic dream-like imagery at the threshold of sleep. Theta is the course of sudden mystical insights and creative solutions to complex situations and is marked by physical and emotional healing. People with a preponderance of theta brainwaves are also able to learn and process much more information than normal. Without some form of intensive training it is hard to stay awake in theta--one slips quickly down into delta. This is the slowest brainwave frequency, 1-5 cycles per second, the state of unconsciousness or deep sleep.
The brain is divided into two hemispheres that are basically split in their control of the thinking process. The right brain functions as the creative, visual, aural and emotional center. The left brain is the rational, logical, analytical and verbal administrator. Generally, either the right or left brain dominates in cycles lasting from 30 minutes to 3 hours. While one hemisphere is dominant, the memories, skills, and information of the other hemisphere are far less available, residing in a subconscious or unconscious realm. Not only do the right and left brain operate in different modes, they also usually operate in different brain wave rhythms. The right brain may be generating alpha waves while the left brain is in the beta state. Or both can be generating the same type of brain waves, but remain out of sync with each other. But in states of intense creativity, deep meditation or under the influence of rhythmic sound, both hemispheres may becomes entrained to the same rhythm. This state of unified whole brain functioning is called hemispheric synchronization or the awakened mind.

As the two hemispheres begin to resonate to a single rhythm, a sense of clarity and heightened awareness arises. The individual is able to draw on both the left and the right hemispheres simultaneously. The mind becomes sharper, more lucid, synthesizing much more rapidly than normal, and emotions are easier to understand and transform. The conscious and unconscious levels of the mind interface and integrate more easily. Insight quickens and creative intuition flourishes, giving one the ability to visualize and bring into manifestation ideas more easily. An expanded, more complete and integrated state of consciousness comes into existence. Scientists believe that hemispheric synchronization may be the neurological basis of transcendent states of consciousness.

Research has shown that rhythmic music is one of the most effective ways to induce brainwave synchronization. Musical comprehension is a joint function of left and right brains and rhythmic sound can drive the brain waves into alpha or theta states. Many ancient religious practices seem to have originated in attempts to induce the transcendental experiences of hemispheric synchronization. Traditional drumming rituals appear to be efficient techniques for entraining the right and left brains, leading to emotionally and physically healing experiences."
Drum on!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Winter Schedule at Earth Lodge

No classes and events at Earth Lodge for the month of January will be meeting.

Maya, our vice president, is expecting her new baby mid-month, and Sandra and the rest of the Earth Lodge staffers will be busy lending a helping hand, in addition to tending the animals and Earth Lodge throughout the cold and snow.


Events will resume in February:


Shamanic Journey Circle
The second Thursday of each month from 6-8 PM (2/11)
$15

Reiki Share
(2/12, 2/26)
This community-inspired Reiki Share meets every other Friday from 11am-1pm and is open to all Reiki practitioners, whether you are a Master or just beginning. $10 Donation for use of the space, which is regularly cleared, empowered and blessed by the healers at Earth Lodge.

Drum Circle
3rd Wednesday of each month, 6 Pm (2/17)
(FREE)

Animal Healing Clinic
3rd Saturday of each monthly, 2-4 pm. (2/20)
The time for each session will be a minimum of 10 minutes. Sessions are $10, as these are introductory demonstration sessions by Sandra, Maya and Lisa.

Dream Circle
4th Monday of each month, 6 PM (2/22)
(FREE)

Course in Miracles Circle -- FREE DEMONSTRATIONS
Sandra is conducting free sessions to demonstrate the planned Course in Miracles Circle - contact us to set up your 2-hour demo.

Please see our full class schedule for more details.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

November Events at Earth Lodge

UPCOMING CLASSES, CLINICS & EVENTS:



Shamanic Journey Circle

Immunity Booster Clinics

Course in Miracles

Animal Healing Clinic

Reiki Share

Dream Circle

Native American Drumming Circle

Reiki Certifications & Classes





Shamanic Journey Circle

This circle meets on the second Thursday of each month from 6-8 PM
(10/8) and is led by Maya and Sandra.

Commune with your guardian spirits and power animals,
journey to power places of wisdom and healing, and experience new levels of Spirit.
Shamanic journeys are meditative visualizations, or miniature vision quests,
that allow you to access divine wisdom through your subconscious mind.
At each open circle we drum, journey twice, and share our experiences.
Led by shamanic healer and author Maya Cointreau.
Bring a drum or rattle, pen and paper, something to lie on and an eye mask.
Beginners welcome. $15




Immunity Booster Clinics

Saturday, November 14, 1-3 pm AND

Saturday, December 5, 1-3 pm

These clinics will use the immune booster protocol of Polarity Therapy
to strengthen the body's defenses
against foreign invaders and infections. As the cold and flu
season is upon us, keeping the immune system functioning
at optimum capacity, will keep us healthy and vibrant all year
long. The immune system functioning properly also regulates
our ph and blood sugars, thus keeping the lympathic system
doing it's job in waste removal and the endrocrine system secreting
the hormones neede to regulate sleep, metabolism,blood pressure,
digestion and body temperature. Each session will be done sitting in a chair and can take any where
from ten to fifteen minutes. $25 walk-ins welcome, first come, first serve.



Course in Miracles Circle -- FREE DEMONSTRATIONS

Sandra is conducting free sessions to demonstrate the planned Course in Miracles Circle - contact us to set up your demo.
It will be a two hour session and will include a guided meditation lead by
Sandra that will be very relaxing and will provide insight on the step by step experiential life-changing
Course in Miracles. The meditation will be followed by discussion. Sandra has been through the course three times,
and has spent at least 1000 hours on the Course.

Once we have an full group for the Circle, we will agree on a schedule to meet: The future class times for the Circle will be set by the demonstration participants who want to move forward with the Course.
These first sessions will be free demonstrations. Once the circle officially begins,
there will be a $10 fee per class session.
No materials are needed.


Reiki Share

(11/13,11/27,12/11)

This community-inspired Reiki Share meets every other Friday from 11am-1pm
and is open to all Reiki practitioners, whether you are a Master or just beginning.
Everyone who comes gives and receives, building their Reiki as well as new friendships.
The share often begins with 2-4 people working on a person on the table for 10 minutes,
then sharing views of what they felt. Then we move on to the next person,
until all at each table have experienced the healing for 10 minutes.
We find the sharing of perceptions provides useful learning
and affirmation on our intuitive physical and ethereal scanning.
Earth Lodge has a table for our use, but as the group grows,
we may need some to bring their tables. For those with tables,
if you could have it in your car, just in case it needed, it would be helpful.
$10 Donation for use of the space, which is regularly cleared,
empowered and blessed by the healers at Earth Lodge.








Drum Circle (FREE)

3rd Wednesday of each month, 6 PM

(11/18,12/16)

Bring a drum or a set of rattles if you have one. All Ages. Heartbeat native american style drumming.



Animal Healing Clinic

3rd Saturday of each monthly, 2-4 pm.

(11/21,12/19)
People may bring one dog on a leash or one cat or small animal in a crate.
Large Animals must remain in trailers unless otherwise noted.
The time for each session will be a minimum of 10 minutes.
The sessions will each be $10, as these are introductory demonstration sessions by Sandra, Maya and Lisa.




Dream Circle (FREE)

4th Monday of each month, 6 PM

(11/23,12/28)

Each participant will bring one dream to share and discuss.
It can be an old dream, if current dreaming is minimum.
In time, dreaming will increase, as one looks forward to the monthly circle and becomes more involved with their dream circle.
Experience with dream circles shows that dreaming becomes richer, more intuitive, more prophetic, and provides more messages from Source,
one’s higher self, and the subconscious. Each participant assesses their own dream’s meanings, with suggestive ideas from the Circle.
Sandra and Maya will lead the circle.




Usui and Karuna Reiki Training & Certifications: I, II, III/Master


Available by appointment. All classes taught by Usui Reiki Master Maya Cointreau or Karuna/Usui Reiki Master Sandra Cointreau


Usui REIKI I: Level One teaches and attunes you to do hands-on healing work. introducing one to the basics of Reiki Healing and all the benefits that can be realized you are a Reiki Practitioner after this first class. Receive four attunements and your first sacred symbol. Experience a guided meditation to your Reiki Healing Guides, and exchange Reiki treatments also. Cost: $150

Usui REIKI II: Level Two teaches you to do distance/absent healing and karmic work. You will receive distance healing attunements and other sacred symbols, and instruction on how to use them. Cost: $150

Usui REIKI III/Master: Level III/Master brings in the final master symbol and attunement, as well as sacred symbols from other Reiki traditions, and teaches you how to pass on Reiki attunements. Cost: $350


Karuna Reiki I: Karuna Reiki is the next step up from being an Usui Reiki Master,
bringing in significantly stronger symbols and healing methods inspired by the
Reiki Masters of Japan and further improved over many years here in America by the International Reiki
Center to raise the vibration of one's healing potential. Students must be certified Usui Reiki Masters with at least 6 months
practice following certification. Registered Karuna Reiki® brings in healing energies that are noticeably stronger and more able to heal a
wide range of challenges. The Level I Practitioner brings in use of 4 new symbols. $300


Karuna Reiki II: Only for Registered Karuna Reiki I® Practioners. Level II brings in use of 4 new symbols. $300.


Karuna Reiki Master: Receive Karuna Reiki Master training. Prerequisite: Karuna Reiki II. Registered Karuna Reiki Master students will be required to sign a code of ethics,
developed by the International Reiki Center and will receive a training manual developed by the Center.
Special training will also be provided on animal healing; and an Earth Lodge Animal Healing Level I Practitioner certificate will be
awarded. $450.



 


Directions:


Earth Lodge is very easy to find:

Yellow house with white trim and columns, at intersection of Route 67 and Route 317…also called Church Street at this location, as it is between the three churches of the Roxbury village. House is in center of Roxbury’s historic district. 12 Church Street, Roxbury, CT, 06783

Alternative route access from different directions:

to Rt. 317 through Rt. 64 and Rt. 6 in Woodbury, or

to Rt. 67 through Rt. 172 in South Britain, or

to Rt. 67 through Rt. 133 in Bridgewater, or

to Rt. 67 through 199 in Washington, or

to Rt. 67 through Rt. 7 or Rt. 202 in New Milford.

Please Note: We are not a commercial retail location, and are only "open" by appointment or for scheduled classes, services and events.