Brothers

Theodore with Sebastian just a few hours after Sebs birth

Sheer bliss

Summer fun

Theodore and Seb in our new home, Oslo

Sky High

High temperatures in children and babies is a scarey thing and for the last two nights we have been up with our 8 month old Sebastian while he has run a fever of 38.8 C and has been miserable with teething and a chesty cough/cold. But reading this blog post from "Taking Time" i am reminded that what i do with my children when they get sick and run a fever is just the right thing. Here are some of the things she suggests (but of course it is also important to check it out with your doctor if you are worried or unsure)

What I do when a fever comes to visit

• Most importantly, I let the fever run its course (with lots of observation)
• I am not worried by high fevers. eg. 104 F / 40C
• If the fever starts to spike very quickly I give the homeopathic remedy Belladonna. It levels the fever out within minutes. (See here for another great article on how to treat your childs flu with homeopathic remedies)
• I give lots of liquids; herbal teas, lemon juice in water and just plain water.
• I give massages with a few drops of lavender oil in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. (massage helps stimulate the lymph system which helps the body rid itself of toxins).
• I give lovely homemade broths: Vegetable, Chicken (made into a chicken soup with barley or wholegrain noodles) Fish (made into miso soup).
• Herbal baths with Yarrow infusions and Lavender essential oils
• LOTS of vitamin C, zinc and Echinacea (echinacea helps the production of white blood cells)
• I use this cold and flu tea here
• I do loads of immune boosting here
• I think sleep and cuddles, both for grown ups and children, are very important in any healing process.
• Finally, I DO NOT panic and trust the body.

Superb advise! We have been using belladonna which is such a superb homeopathic remedy, luke warm herbal teas like chamomile* and massaging lavender and eucalyptus in a carrier oil into his body or soaking cloths in water infused with these oils and wiping his forehead, hands and feet with it, as well as using the amazing chest rub called Sniffles baby chest balm from Erbaviva  "To calm and ease your babies coughs and colds" available from many places including amazon. Its tough to wait it out and trust that the body can handle it but it is good advise.

We also went out and got Echinacea drops, *Yarrow (Ryllik) tea and Alpenkraft herbal tea which has some wonderful herbs in to help with colds and flu ( including Ribwort Plantain/Smalkjempe, Licourice Root/Lakrisrot, Thyme/Timian and Fennel/Fennikel)

Helt Rå is one year old

(Helt Rå cafè, Elias Smithsvei 7, Sandvika) 

Helt Rå Cafe Sandvika celebrates its one year birthday on friday 21st October at 20.00

with dance, drumming, delicious raw food, snacks, light meals and cakes. As well as healthy drinks and super food shots you will also be able to buy organic wine and beer. 

You are encouraged to bring your own drum. 

The main raw food tallerken will be an exciting plate of Asian inspired raw food with raw chocolate to follow costing 150kr (registration not nescessary)

Free entrance and welcome drink.

Click here to read more.

http://siljesreise.com/helt-ra-rawfood-spisested-i-oslo

Go and join the party!

There is also a Salsa & Raw food event on friday 28th october at 19.00

Helt Rå cafè, Tollbugata 31, Oslo sentrum

Fredag 28. oktober kl 19

My Heart Wanders

What would happen one day if you decided to follow your heart? 

Where would it take you?

My husband says right now it would take him to a tropical island with Theodore, Sebastian and i. But even though right now i don't know where it would lead me i know i'd like the unexpected journey, the joy of following ones bliss and intuitive nudgings and going without hesitation wherever i felt drawn to. It takes courage to leap into the dark and a certain amount of what the heck attitude to be true to those inner desires and intuitive nudges or slaps around the face, but how many of us allow ourselves to really listen and to act on them.

In her book "My Heart Wanders" stylist, photographer and author Pia Jane Bijkerk takes us on her journey as she leaves her comfortable life in Sydney to follow, unconditionally, her instincts. Setting up home first in Paris, then on a houseboat in Amsterdam, Pia observes the serendipitous moments that present themselves when letting go and following one's dreams. With beautiful photographs from her travels in France, Amsterdam, Belgium, Italy and Sydney, My Heart Wanders is a reflective, inspirational, tender memoir that speaks to 'the wandering heart' in all of us. It's a celebration of taking risks, letting go and making a home wherever you are. Take a look at her book here and on Amazon here. Pia also has a beautiful blog which you can see here.

Inspirational

The powerful and the empowered

"Pregnant Woman" 

by Alex Florschutz

www.alexflorschutzart.co.uk and www.florschutz.com

Our wise and ancient birthing traditions 

By Veronika Sophia Robinson The Mother Magazine Friday October 14, 2011 

When it comes to defining joyous birth, it’s important to understand the role of power.

I believe the difference between an interfered-with birth, and a joyous ‘hands-off’ birth, is fear. Fear can come from a deep primal urge in the old brain, or from our centre of logic (the neocortex or new brain) ~ a place where we try to make sense of the unexplainable. Our ego freaks out when it can’t control the information. Taming our powerful ego empowers us.

In the dominant cultural model of birth, the leading actor is The Powerful One who ‘delivers’ our baby. In the sub-culture of joyous, autonomous birth, the leading role is played by The Empowered One. Indeed, there is no place for The Powerful One in this culture.

Never will you find such different characters. In fact, they are so diametrically opposed, that you would never find them both in the same room ~ much less on the same birthing stage. The only connection might be if, through the performance of The Powerful One, a woman becomes transformed, at a later time, into The Empowered One.

Their props, their scripts, their guiding drive are contradictory.

The Powerful One becomes so through domination. He conquers the other characters by taking charge of the stage and wielding tools which say “I am in charge”. He is defined by his use of three specific tools. They are light, language and observation. Whether he is conscious of this or not, is irrelevant, because as soon as they are introduced into the delivery room, his status is confirmed.

Light is the enemy of every birthing woman. It stimulates her ‘new brain’ and changes the course of labour. Her mammalian instincts wish to seek out the dark, but The Powerful One shines a laser beam on her, freezing her in time like a startled rabbit in headlights.

He controls her by his use of language which actives her neocortex (new brain). While this is engaged and stimulated she is incapable of slipping into her old brain ~ the very place she needs to be in order to birth instinctively.

The Powerful One stands guard over the woman whose baby he’s delivering. If he can’t be there, he sends others to guard her. Their eyes ensure that she can’t escape. She is watched. Her every movement observed. She is ‘held in place’ by their paranoia. Privacy is the number one need of every birthing woman. The Powerful One ignores and denies this, keeping a woman prisoner in her ‘new brain’ so she can’t birth without his ‘help’.

Light, language and observation ~ the three deadly enemies of joyous birth.

And what of The Empowered One? What would she make of these tools? She’s a wise woman who, like the three wise monkeys, has her own mantra:

See no light

Hear no talk

Allow no eyes

The Empowered One is a woman who honours the ancient tradition of birthing. She creates a birthing nest of dimmed light, if not complete darkness. The external language of choice is non-vaginal touch, or music and gentle singing, as she slips into her birthing zone. If she chooses to have her lover or anyone else with her she lets them know beforehand that eye contact is another form of power, of control. The support she seeks is of skin contact, and being held from behind. Beware of any man or midwife who demands or encourages you to look into their eyes while you’re birthing. Contrary to our culture’s childbirth classes, they are stealing your inner power. Remember, our eyes are the mirror of our soul. When we’re birthing, our soul needs to rise ‘upwards’ and greet the new soul who is coming Earthside, not to be distracted by someone else’s needs.

The Empowered one is clear to her supporter that all the power she needs for birthing is within her, and that ‘coaching’ of any description defies what is innate within her. The instinct to give birth is always heard by those with ears to hear. Sadly, joyous birth is inaudible to The Powerful One.

It has been said that ‘when the power of love overcomes the love of power, there shall be peace.’ It has also been said that ‘peace on earth begins with birth’. True power and true peace are internal and can never be found outside of ourselves. The Empowered One is a woman whose power is always internal. Instinct is beyond anyone’s control. It can’t be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen. Perhaps that’s why it terrifies the medical world so much?

The Powerful One requires tools and gimmicks and fear to ‘create’ his power ~ something which is always external, and therefore, transient.

The power of love which is alive in The Empowered One can teach us more about birth that any medical text book. Love and fear can’t co-exist. They are opposites. In a study of 500 tribal cultures, the researchers found no evidence of any pain or death in childbirth. Prematurity and stillbirth were extremely rare, as was malpresentation. We’ve been inculturated with the idea that birth is painful, dangerous and deadly. I agree. It is painful, dangerous and deadly IF, and only if, we allow The Powerful One into our birthing space; if we give away our crucial mammalian need for privacy.

If you’re seeking a joyous birth, look no further than you and your baby for all the power, love and support you need.

"The Symbol of the Goddess 1"

by Alexandra Florschutz

Far-Far

A beautiful oriental tile place called Far Far has just opened its showroom in Oslo. They import their handmade cement tiles directly from Morocco and you can find them at Biermannsgate 6 in Sagene,Oslo and also here on facebook. There are so many that i would like for our house, but i also think that the individual tiles would make great presents.

The blog is back

Golly four months have zipped by and there seems to have been hardly a minute to write this blog. The reason being that with two children at home demanding lots of attention, packing up the rented house, moving into the new house, unpacking, painting etc and a whole heap of lovely travelling to celebrate birthdays, weddings and time with family there has been no time. I've also been tackling my health/hypothyroid thing naturally, which is a blog in itself. But now that things are finally a little more settled and my eldest son has started going to the Steiner Barnhage down the road i feel there may be more moments to be able to keep up with the blog too, i hope so at least.

There is a wonderful blog called The Daily Good and today they posted an article by Valerie Williams from Yes Magazine called "National Treasures" Feb 14, 2011. It's about a wonderful  program called Project Arrowhead that aims to help disabled, troubled and at risk children (and horses) by working with wild horses, learning about nature, gardening and Native American traditions on the Sunshine Acres farm in Northern Maryland. It's run by Jean Albert Renaud ( or Jar as he is known) the world renowned horseman, activist and motown musician. He says that “It’s about trust, trusting me and trusting the horse. Here they are, faced with this eleven-hundred-pound animal. It’s like a metaphor for their lives, taking on the enormity of their lives. ‘Who can I trust? Where do I start?’"


Ultimately he feels that “we need the tonic of wilderness. Wild horses merit protection as a matter of ecological right, as anyone knows who has stood awed at the indomitable spirit and sheer energy of a mustang living free.” 


I believe that is true of us all that we need more wildness in our lives, being in a natural environment i.e outdoors in nature, connecting to the earth and the elements. We need it to be balanced, healthy and happy individuals. But we also need connection to each other and Jar shows these children how to start relating again to themselves and to others.

You can access the full article here www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=21