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Well 2012 is here… time  for a change! I no longer teach at Universal Class… but here is the good news, I will be creating more courses right here on Authentic Mama!  I plan on adding both video and audio. Before I start I would like some of your feedback. Anyone who helps me out will receive FREE access to the first course I create- a $150.00 value! Just leave your answers in the comment below and send me a personal email with your preferred contact email (link in the upper right hand corner of the blog). As soon as the course is created I will send you an email with the course log in instructions.

My course will be centered on home herbalism. My goal is to guide you so you can have the confidence to share your knowledge with your family (and community if you wish), and make medicinal plants and wild foods part of your everyday life.

In case you are wondering if one of my classes is worth your time… here is some feedback from a prior student: “What a difference Herbalist 101, and Angie Goodloe made in my life. 1 and 1/2 years ago I was sitting at my accounting desk, taking herbalist 101 tests during my lunch break. Today, I am an artist and Holistic Practitioner, with knowledge in Herbalism, Folk and Food remedies, Supplements and their benefits, (or not), Wellness Coaching, and I have taken a nutrition course as well. To top it off, I am being Yoga cetified on the 19th of this month and my artwork has started to sell very well. This, I credit to the teaching style and wonderful soul of Angie Goodloe. If I had not taken her class first, I do not think I would have continued my education like I did. Of all the classes I have taken thus far, hands down, Herbalist 101 was the best. Angie truly cares, you are not a number, she wants to hear from you always, and instills a confidence in her students. She reads everything you write in your assignments. It is this quality in her that made me continue to educate myself, confident enough to eventually quit my day job, and do this. You will benefit from just know her. Sincerely, Laura Cantrell”

If you haven’t read some of my prior students comments about my courses you can read them HERE.

I envision a world with a family herbalist in every home.

The questions:

1. What is the single biggest fear you have when it comes to engaging in hands-on work with medicinal herbs or collecting wild plants and foods and using  them for yourself, your family, and your community?

2. What is the single biggest frustration you have when it comes to learning how to practice working with medicinal plants and foods at home or with others?

3. What happened as a result of your frustration?

4. What have you tried so far that hasn’t worked (when it comes to learning about how to work with medicinal plants and wild foods- or stepping out to start practicing herbalism in your community)?

5. If you had a magic wand, what would be the ideal solution for you (when it comes to the perfect online learning to help you achieve your goals- more support or mentoring for example… or something else)?

6. What is the single biggest question you have when it comes to practicing home or community herbalism?

7. Are there specific herbal classes you would like me to create with a more narrow focus (for example, herbs for children, herbs for women -postpartum/ pregnancy, Stress/ burnout, first aid etc) Any ideas welcome!

Thank you so much for your time!

*Don’t forget to subscribe for more updates (in the box at the top of the blog with the ‘subscribe/ sign-up’ area).

This offer expires January 31st 2012

Interested in teaching your kids more about medicinal herbs?   This game will make a perfect gift for the whole family!  The Gallagher Family at learning herbs have once again made an incredible offer for the holidays.

Our family loves the Wildcraft game.

If you ever considered buying this board game for yourself or as the perfect gift,  now is the time… tons of great bonuses too- check it out!

Learn while you play with the Wildcraft board game.

Nearly 50% Off Sale!

Includes New
“Herbs for Children During Cold & Flu Season”
Video Class!

For the first time, learning herbs has created a VERY special bonus

This is a ONE TIME Holiday sale. Check it out! Learn while you play with the Wildcraft board game.

Offer ends midnight on Friday, December 2.

Valuing yourself is one of the best gifts you can give to your children.

There are many ways to boost self esteem and feel worthy, below are a few ideas that you can use together with your children to nourish self worth.

1. Celebrate what is already working for you and your family.

2. Visualize the way you want your relationship between you and your children, family, and spouse to be;  take steps to live it on a daily basis.

3. Be in touch with mind, body and soul:  Teach your children to use positive visualizations and guided imagery for learning, creativity and relaxation. Practice your spirituality.  Encourage daily physical exercise so you can be in touch with your body. Give massage therapy!

4. Encourage your children to listen to the wise voice within, and you do the same!

5. Laugh and play together!

6. Live with gratitude and take time to thank others by both giving and receiving (you are worthy of gifts too!).

7. Keep moving forward; always growing and changing toward your best authentic self.

8. Ask for support when needed.

9. Stop judging yourself, be aware that negative chattering inside the mind and find ways to overcome it.

10. Valuing the place you live also shows that you care about yourself and the world around you. Get outdoors as much as possible, slow down and appreciate the miracle of everyday life (For example:  identify a new flower in your yard, learn as much as you can about it and follow it’s cycle through the seasons, what are the birds, squirrels,  bugs and other wild animals doing during the year?) Discuss and learn with your children.

Additional Resources- wonderful books for you and your children :
I’m a Medicine Woman Too!: A Tale of Herbal Wisdom and Personal Empowerment

Spinning Inward: Using Guided Imagery with Children for Learning, Creativity & Relaxation
Sanctuaries of Childhood: Nurturing a Child’s Spiritual Life

Related articles

• A Non-Consumer Christmas: Simple Gifts for Kids and Grown-Ups (getrichslowly.org)
• Charlotte Reznick, Ph.D.: New Study on Guided Imagery for Healing Kids’ Chronic Pain (huffingtonpost.com)

LOVE  Comments! Are there things you can do to express value for your family?

Fairy tales, folketales and myths live on!

You may think with all of the modern technology available that we would not need to sit around and tell stories to our kids anymore- heck we have hand held devices, TV and computers that can do that for us right? I couldn’t disagree more! Being a storyteller is one of the best gifts you can give your child.

Stories are not just for the camp fire. I find time to sit and tell stories with my kids daily. We have made this a daily ritual, if I ‘forget’ my kids remind me that it is story time!

I like to both tell my own stories and read classics from books.  I also use stories as a learning opportunity for my kids as much as possible.

Did I  mention that the stories are nourishing for me as well?

Being a mom of two young toddlers has been rewarding in more ways than I can count. One of the things that was a big surprise to me though, was how rewarding it would be for me to read fairy tales and myths again. I used to love them as a child, but as an adult I thought they would not have that much meaning for me now, boy was I wrong!

When I began to get curious as to why I would have these huge bursts of creativity after my kids were born, I listened to the audio , The Creative Fire by Clarrisa Pinkola Estes, I discovered right away just how soul nourishing learning through stories and myth can be.

I then began to delve into every story and myth I could get my hands on. Some of the fairy tales I read as a child and some are brand new to me. For those of you with girls out there, one of my favorite fairy tale books of the moment is The Maid of the North: Feminist Folk Tales from Around the World

Fairy tales and myths have deep meaning that I believe is missing in some of the forms of entertainment in today’s society. Watching a movie  is wonderful, but it is not the same as using your own imagination. Our imagination needs the power of story both from books and through the spoken word of the storyteller.

Create your own stories! Give your children a gift they can continue to pass down to future generations…

Within the last year I have began writing my own children’s stories as well. I began to take courses at The Institute of Children’s Literature .

I will also be beginning a writing course in January over at Savvy Authors called
Write a Novel With Mythic Impact with Marcy Weydemuller

My journey through story is ongoing. I am looking forward to sharing the power of story with my children as they grow.

We can learn so much about our own journey and personal development from the archetypes in literature.

***I will be writing a lot more about myths, fairy tales and folktales in future posts, there is so much to share! I feel so strongly about the importance of these tales in everyday life, that my blog theme (the new artwork that will be added to the top of my blog ) is going to be based fairy tale artwork (I am so excited, look for the new changes in early January).

If you would like to find out more about discovering your life path through literature, below are some books to get you started:

Stories We Need to Know: Reading Your Life Path in Literature

The Heroine’s Journey

The Power of Myth

How have stories touched your life? Have you learned anything about your own journey by reading myths, folktales or fairy tales?

Related articles

• Why do the National Book Awards bar fairy tales? (salon.com)
• Why fairy tales are immortal (theglobeandmail.com)
• Elizabeth Cunningham: Fairy Tales: An Antidote to Bullying? (huffingtonpost.com)
• A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz (collectedmiscellany.com)

Whewww! It is finally here! Today is the launch day for Kids and Herbs- a naturally simple course for parents! If you have not been following Learning Herbs list get more info HERE

This is what I have been working on for the past few months- AND the reason why you have not seen many posts!

 The coolest part of this is for one week only, Kimberly and John Gallagher the creators of Wildcraft are giving away a FREE Wildcraft game with the course! The launch is at 9 am PST this morning!

We had so much fun creating this course. I have to thank John Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH from herbmentor and learning herbs for all of the work he put into this, as well as putting up with my TOTAL ignorance when it comes to technology!

If you are not a member of the learning herbs email list, and you have not heard about this course, you can check out the details HERE (plus learn how to make Elderberry syrup just in time for flu season!). If you love herbs you should definitely sign up for the learning herbs list, the offer free recepies and videos, all about herbs and health- it is an awesome resource!

Please forward to any parents you feel may be interested!

“Why is it that when I don’t know what I want, there is always someone waiting to tell me what it is? I’m just lucky I guess. ~ Anne Wilson Schaef

Do you really know what your needs are?

If you are not living authentically, you may wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and wonder who the person is that is staring back at you.

If we get used to doing what everyone else expects of us, we may loose the ability to determine what we want. We may get confused about what it is exactly that is good and right for us.  Our needs are not being met because we do not know what those needs are.

Unless you know what you want, what your values are, and what is right for you, you cannot be an honest person. You are not only being dishonest with yourself, but you are being dishonest with everyone you are trying to please. You may think you are pleasing them, but the reality is they will never get to know the real you.

People who will try to punish you for being authentic

In The Essential Laws of Fearless Living by Guy Finley he states ” Walk away from anyone who “helps” you to feel that it’s necessary for you to hurt; leave anyone who causes you pain for “your own good”.

Often we may fear being authentic about our wants, needs and values because of the reaction of others. In my view, honesty is the best policy. Real love is unconditional.

“Never accept as natural or necessary any relationship outwardly- or inwardly – with a person or psychological state that punishes you. Say “NO” and just go! A whole new independent life awaits you.” Guy Finely

Here is a great needs inventory from the Center For Nonviolent Communication

This list may help you in your path to authenticity, do you recognize any of these needs that may not be getting met in your life right now? Are you able to communicate these needs in a healthy way with others?

Here are some great products and resources:   Guy Finely Fearless Living

Sometimes I laugh when I stop and take the time to really have a look around my house. When did I vacuum last? Really, my house is not that bad (it’s livable), but I will tell you this, I will ‘let it go’ as my Grandmother would say, before I would quit writing or quit playing on the ground, in the dirt,  face to face with my kids.

I’ll throw the laundry into the closet unfolded, hide the unopened bills in a drawer that is so full it can’t even be opened, use a push broom to push all the toys into a corner in the playroom, have books laying on every surface when really they should be neatly placed on a bookshelf.

Because what really matters,  is that my kids were cherished, that I nurtured my passion and creativity, that I stopped and took the time to have that conversation with a cherished friend.  No one is going to remember or care what the house looked like 20 years from now. In 20 years, my children will be blossoming into adulthood, and I hope they will have learned more than housecleaning.

My Grandmother loved to write (and did I mention she gave birth to, and raised 10 amazing children, 9 of them girls?), one of the most cherished gifts I have ever received are the hand made books she used to craft for me. Before scrap booking, the internet, or photo-shop, she would carefully pick magazine photos and cut and paste them to hard paper~ creating wonderful stories and poems all about me, her hopes for me, and beautiful things she knew I  liked; butterflies, birds and flowers.

I loved reading my Grandmother’s writings, one stands out in particular, here in an excerpt from one of her poems titled Memories;

“But o, how it would have eased the burden she bare along life’s way,

if I’d told mother how much I love her while it was still today.” ~ 1985

The poem sparked a conversation that led me to find out about one of my families biggest ‘scandals’. My mother explained to me that Grandma had indeed not spoken to her mother for years after, and had always regretted it. I may not have know that if it were not for my Grandma’s writings.

I love that someday my kids will be able to look back at  my journals (both online and off), get a glimpse of how I was living at the time, what my passions and learning experiences were, and see how I interacted with the world. And hopefully, like Grandma’s writings they will spark many spirited conversations around the table.

” Tell us the details…  pay tribute to all the everyday and extraordinary things” ~Natalie Goldberg

I have kept many journals over the years. Unfortunately, I threw all the early ones away. I was worried about being judged if anyone ever found them, and also, there was a lot of painful things in there that had not been addressed, and I wanted it all to be forgotten.

I would give anything to be able to read those journals from my turbulent teen years. Could you imagine the insight I could have gleaned from all of that teenage angst? It is one thing to be able to look back and remember the past (we change the stories over time) but to be able to read my feelings, raw, in the moment- I wish I would have kept them. I would love to go back to that girl in the tight Levi’s jeans, give her a big hug, and tell her not to worry, tell her her butt is perfect and stop worrying about it (that in a few years J low would make her ‘bubble butt’ popular), and reassure her that she was amazing and for God’s sake don’t worry what others think. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to look back on those journals when Ella is a teen, just in case I need to be reminded?

Just when I want to give up writing- shut down the computer, run into the woods and never log on again, I am remided again of all the blessings of sharing, writing it all down.

“Sometimes when you think you are done, it is just the edge of beginning. Probably that’s why we decide we’re done. It’s getting too scary. We are touching down onto something real. It is beyond the point when you think you are done that often something strong comes out.” ~ Natalie Goldberg

Yep folks, I going to keep it up! Get used to me, I’ll be here a while.

Writing Resources:

Click here for the Way of Story Writing Course

Last week me and the kids got a touch of the flu. I have went back and forth from thinking “it’s gone, oh yay!” to “it’s back again – oh no!” This one has really lingered! We rarely get sick so this was a real surprise. Besides learning that my body is trying to tell me to slow down, I also learned another valuable lesson this past week.

I lost my voice for a few days. I have no problem being silent during certain situations- alone time, hunting or fishing, in a massage session,  in a classroom, during a ceremony for example . But to have to remain silent when you actually need to use your voice was a real learning experience!

After just a few hours of not being able to speak, one of the first things I noticed was when I am talking, I am not fully aware of other things that are going on around me. I always knew this to some extent, but we get into habits- even patterns of how we talk to certain people, sometimes we don’t have this awareness. Sure conversation is usually a friendly give and take exchange, but not being able to speak (in situations where I would normally do so) made me realize how much I tend to take the lead in conversation. Also, not necessarily words but also sounds- laughing, making funny noises to my babies, these are all sounds I make throughout the day without really being aware of how often I do them!

Just the energy of the tone of your voice for example can really change a dynamic of an interaction.  I am a very naturally talkative person. I tend to use my voice to put others at ease in certain situations. It comes naturally to me so I did not realize how often I did this. I went to the store to get some soup (because I did not feel like making any) and was not able to say anything to the cashier (not even “hi” in an upbeat tone), he treated me completely different than what I am used to! Normally, if I felt a little uncomfortable  I would try to change this energy by saying something nice. I was not able to do this so it was a little odd to just move through the line, pay for my item without saying anything.

The few days I have not been able to talk I have noticed a lot more and have been much more present. I have noticed patterns me and my husband tend to get into. Just how often I take the lead in our relationship (he tends to be the ‘quiet one’ and I am the ‘talkative one’). I have also noticed that since I am not speaking, my husband is speaking more (or am I just noticing it more?)! I have become a lot more creative with my gestures- just trying to get my point across- we have had a few laughs (well, smiles and coughs for me).

I have really been unconscious about how many times I say “no” and “stop” to my 2 1/2 year old daughter and my 11 month old son. I have had to get real creative about how I deal with the taking of toys/ not sharing, climbing on cupboards, and other things that tots do. This has been a real blessing because I did notice that I say the word “no” way too much, or even raise my voice from across the room out of laziness.

The best gift of the whole thing is being able to have even more empathy for my daughter who has a language disorder. What a wonderful gift to be able to get just a little taste of how she feels for a few days. I have felt the occasional frustration, and also have noticed how others act toward me- completely different when you don’t speak up, sometimes it’s good, other times not so much. That whole dynamic of others speaking louder, slower, etc, assuming you have a hard time understanding is very interesting. It is not a good feeling when someone (well intentioned) acts like this- it just solidifies my hope that others will treat my daughter just like everyone else, something I find myself reminding people of when they are talking about her ‘disorder’ or ‘treatment plans’ or ‘lack of words’ in  front of her as if she cannot understand.

Also, just seeing how much I actually NEED my voice. I have had to cancel 2 conference calls- really inconvenient! I have a lot to say dang it!

It is one thing to say “think before you speak” but to actually not have the ability to speak and experience this for myself really solidified this lesson for me, not only that, I saw the impact my voice has on others,  and for that I am grateful! This like many other things is best learned by experience.

Anyway, everyone should try this (if you can) for a few days. It has been a great learning experience for me! I am hoping this cold or flu- whatever it is. Will be gone soon, so I can get back to my old self- talking away (but thinking a little more before I do)!!! LOL! -not really laughing out loud, my throat is too sore- but I am in my mind:)

Anyone else ever loose your voice? Did you learn anything from it? Do you think your voice has an impact on others?

Today I ran across this quote “It is very difficult for your child’s horizons to be greater than your own.”

I came to the realization that when we limit ourselves we tend to try to place those same limits on our children.

I later ran across this article Would you like to stop worrying about what others think?

In it the author talks about limiting beliefs. Of course we do not want to limit our children! But if we limit ourselves we cannot see the unlimited potential in others. How broad is your horizon? Are you living your passion and purpose or are past beliefs holding you back?

Sometimes we go into autopilot mode and shift back to limiting ourselves by beliefs others have placed on us. I can really relate to this. When I was in second grade a teacher that I really admired told me I was ‘slow’ (turns out I have dyslexia). I excelled in reading but always had problems with spelling and math (I would reverse letters and numbers) I carried that with me for a long time and avoided all forms of writing. It wasn’t until I started following my passion that I broke through the barriers I had placed on myself and began writing (it was necessary to graduate from the program I was enrolled in!) I literally had to make myself do it! I have to admit I almost did not enroll in college because I was afraid I would be ‘called out’ or ‘discovered’ that I was dyslexic.

Now writing is a central part of my life. I use it to communicate with students, express myself through this blog, and even as a healing tool. I no longer even think about my dyslexia. In fact the dyslexia has given me a wonderful gift, I believe it has everything to do with why I am creative in other ways- other senses are amplified and I am an extreme right brain thinker. This enables me to be very creative!

The lesson I learned is don’t limit yourself! Even if you think that you may not do extremely well at something, if you feel pulled to do it, go for it! You will find a way! Others will come into help, you may find with practice you will get better, and thank God for spell check!!!!

In the process you may find you will go in a different direction, that is OK too! It is all part of the learning process. But the main thing is don’t completely avoid something out of fear and don’t accept labels that others put on you. Sometimes it may take some convincing (you have that ‘voice’, ‘gremlin’  or ‘ monkey mind’ whatever you may call it) sometimes you just have to fake it till you make it, as you see small goals getting accomplished your confidence will increase. Imagine yourself as what you want to become, I like writing and reading affirmations that I create for myself to solidify my new goal and direction (we use index cards for study tools- why not for goals too!) These are just a few things you can do to overcome those limiting beliefs that you have been placing on yourself. Remember it is only a thought and it can be changed.

Your kids will benefit as well as you pass these lessons on to them!

More resources…

Outlaw’s Counsel

Manifest Mastermind

Click here for Healing Emotional Wounds

Click here for Overcoming Self-Sabotage

Welcome Authentic Mama Deborah! I met Deborah through Authentic Family Living. It is so refreshing to hear personal stories of mamas like Deborah nurturing their creativity alongside their children- and loving life! You can read more about Deborah and her beautiful family at her personal blog The Thought Train.

Deborah’s Bio: I’m 31, married for 10 years with four children – Amber, 6…Caleb, 4…Rebecca & Logan (twins) 21 months. We live in a little town called Sugar Grove in Northwestern Pennsylvania. I homebirthed all my children (twins were a surprise at the birth), co-sleep until they’re ready to move on, cloth diaper, exclusively breastfeed, and am unschooling. My hobbies include handbuilding/sculpting pottery, needlefelting, making corn husk dolls, reading, talking, walking, and just plain having fun with friends and family.

1. What did you learn about yourself (or what has changed you) since you became a mother? Oh, so many things! I have learned that the world has a whole lot more grey than I once thought. I used to think there was one right way to do things, and sought after that one right way for a long time. But my firstborn didn’t fit the mold of what “right” parenting meant. She wanted to be held, constantly, and nursed constantly. I was sleeping with her and “spoiling” her according to some. But I felt this was “right” for us – that if you could go back to Adam and Eve, surely they also slept with their precious child and held him all the time – why wouldn’t they??? A new human being, so dependent and marvelous…why the need to ignore them and put them in a separate space? Why was this considered better parenting?

This, I think, is what brings families closer together, regardless of how you school or sleep or birth, etc. I conscientiously make decisions to be closer to my children, and respect their desires and needs, and also show them how to respect others needs and desires. People being honest about who they are and not having to apologize for it…that is authenticity to me.