Ashley Sapir Lathrop

I am an herbalist, health coach, educator and writer.

Dandelions

Prep Your Body for Spring

March can be a tease of a month. So many of us are more than ready for winter to be over and craving opportunities for more physical movement and fresh food. I like to think of this month as a preparatory time for the increased activity of spring. If we practice some simple care now, then we’ll be set to hit the ground running when the season of bliss comes to stay. Here are 3 simple kitchen-based practices to prep you for spring.

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Imbolc ~ New Beginnings

A beautiful way to connect our physical bodies, minds and spirits, and deepen awareness is through ritual. Ritualizing important moments and holidays can be done in small ways or big ways, in solitude or with community. I draw power in knowing that by speaking my thanks, say to the chickens for beginning to lay eggs again, I have acknowledged the importance of each moment. Below is a way that you might celebrate Imbolc. Take what resonates and add your own magic, and please do share with an e-mail back to me if you feel moved. I love to think of us all, separated by time, space and place, connecting in this way. Stay with me to the end of this page to get some juicy updates from the herbal community.

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apothecary

Herbs to Support Grounded (Earthy) Growth

This weekend’s solar eclipse and new moon provide yet another opportunity for washing away what no longer serves us and fertilizes the ground for new growth.  What does that growth look like for you? With the eclipse in Capricorn there is a lot of earth energy available to us, and it seems that will be a theme for the year ahead. Whether growth means taking the leap on starting the business of your dreams, going on an adventure, or committing to feeding yourself better and moving more, the planets are behind you! Let’s talk about some herbs to support grounded growth.

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The Gift of Spring Greens

Spring is a season of expansion as we stretch out of hibernation and back into the activity that warmer temperatures bring. This is mirrored by the trees and flowers with unfurling leaves and bright blossoms. Some of us feel moved to cleanse our spaces of cobwebs and clutter that have accumulated over the winter months. It feels good to open our windows and let the fresh air in and allow any stagnancy to move out. This energy is also what moves many to want to give their bodies a “spring cleanse”. This is where the wild green plants step in to assist us in gently encouraging our liver and other organs of detoxification to do their thing. They are doing it anyway, we are just offering support by eating the way our ancestors did. The world around has changed but the wild green plants offer their medicine as they always have.

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Herbs to Support “Change Making”

February begins today and with that I believe there is an “exhale” for many of us. January is often a month fueled by intention and a commitment to new beginnings that can be exhausting.   It’s clear to me now that the intensity of January 2018 was to a higher degree due to the power of the moon. Not only did we have a blue moon, which means two full moons in one month, but the moons were closer to the earth than usual, making them “Super Moons”. As if that wasn’t enough, yesterday’s full moon was also a lunar eclipse, which turned the moon red for a little while. January’s moons held a lot of POWER.

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Loving Hands

Solstice & Gratitude

Winter can be hard, the holidays can be hard as well. It is at this time that I try to remember to practice gratitude. Many studies show that people who practice gratitude live longer, happier lives. The thing about practicing gratitude is that it is magnetic. Once you start looking for things to appreciate and be thankful for your mind can become quite addicted to the practice. Before long new neural pathways are formed and you have a whole highway of positive roads being built in your brain.

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Join the seasonal newsletter to get recipes, insights and inspiration delivered to your inbox on each of the holidays that mark the  wheel of the year. You'll receive ritual practices to deepen your connection to nature and the energetics of each season as well as functional lifestyle tips for empowered health.