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It was quiet here for a long time, in response to the sudden slowness of the world. Within there was time to rediscover some things, sort through others, and slow down certain. I’ve listed a few of these good things for you:
1) It feels like there are more and more newsletters on the communication horizon. But there are only very few that I read repeatedly and almost collect because they give so much added value (they are all German, but maybe translatable?): The newsletter from Feng Shui consultant Susanne Berkenkopf is one of them. She is a coach for people & spaces and also does Chinese astrology and she writes in such a stimulating and sensitive way about the broader relationships between building, living, and life, inside and outside. /// The second newsletter that I recommend to all my women friends is by Dr. Dorothee Struck, a gynecologist from Kiel. She regularly provides good-humored information on specific topics related to women’s health – whether on wanting to have children, hormone-free contraception, pelvic floor, or thrombosis, and she always has great book tips or other recommendations. She also offers great webinars! /// The third newsletter is by Pilates and Yoga teacher Eva Schwaighofer, who also blogs on Individualisten (the tip for her also very great Instagram channel came from my friend Veronika), and in her newsletter she shares incentives on Movement in Everyday Life, for example for the mobility of the feet or the pelvic floor.
2) Beautiful you. I have written about it here, that I love Gua Sha. Some time at the beginning of this year, I discovered this course from Angela Chambers and was immediately blown away by her deeply relaxing presence, her soothing voice, and her combination of essential oils and TCM. Since then, I’ve been doing her facial massage almost every night. There is also a version within the course without a stone, which I find even more intense. Just warm fingers on the well-oiled face, along the energy channels and acupressure points, feeling like a blessing! The self-massage is so sooting, after that, I feel like I have been put back together every time. And our ancestors already knew that our hands have healing powers.
3) Speaking of the healing powers of self-massage – which is also an integral part of Ayurveda, that I have cherished since my Ayurveda Cure. I recently rediscovered the short form as an aromatic foot massage and I practice it with vetiver oil every evening, even if it’s only two minutes. Vetiver is a deeply calming (some say sedating) oil that is very grounding and soothing. It is often used in sleep blends as it relaxes the nervous system and brings you into the “here-and-now”.
/// For the massage put a little body oil (almond oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil …) in the palm of your hand and add 1 drop of good quality essential vetiver oil (attention, vetiver is very potent, one drop is enough. As it is very viscous, I recommend using a screw-on pipette for easier application). Apply the blend on your (cleansed) feet and alternately massage the soles and tops of your feet very slowly and with pressure. There is often a lot of tension around the ankle and on the upper forefoot towards the toes. Massage as long as it feels good. Finish the massage on the acupressure point KD1, named “bubbling spring”, on the sole (beware, not during pregnancy). Just hold the point lightly for about 30 seconds or make circular movements. KD1 has a very relaxing and regulating effect, it calms and clears the mind, provides emotional balance (also good for headaches or dizziness).
If I want to go to bed quickly, I just apply the oil blend on my feet and then hold this point for 30 seconds at a time. ///
Extra tip for hot summer nights: take one drop of peppermint instead of vetiver for a cooling and refreshing effect on feet.
5) The best ice cubes ever. Filling the molds is a little tricky, but the result is super good. No more Negroni, mint water, or cold brew without these giant ice cream balls. Even when the really hot summer weather might be already over, there is still a chance for a few late summer days when an ice cube in a drink will make a difference. (Psst: And, in three and a half months it will be Christmas).
4) This Instagram account. Wow. Just wow.
6) There are fresh tea herbs that can be bought in the supermarket, and there is Cedronella, easy to keep on the balcony in summer and as a potted plant indoors in winter. And simply the very-very-best herbal tea. Right after anise hyssop and Australian lemon leaf.
7) That salsa! So easy and quick, so good. So summer. Even in late summer.
8) My new discovery: the Wonderfood Natto. Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans and is a rare natural source of the vitamin K2-MK7 (which we need to incorporate calcium in the body). It is said to be one of the most stinky ferments there is. I think it’s smelly, but mixed with a little mustard and soy sauce (that’s how I learned it from a professional) it’s pretty delicious. Also this way the bizarre threads that it creates become a little less, too. And to be honest, after some time, it gets a bit addicting. I order it online and then freeze it in portions.
9) I love to read “The Best American Food Writing” every year. This year especially, because the awesome Samin Nosrat (the woman behind the great book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and the Netflix series of the same name) has edited great writing on the current issues of the time. I got goosebumps reading the detailed story about the US multi-almond farmer who supplies a large part of the world market with his Californian almonds and taps the groundwater of neighboring federal states to irrigate his fields. And not only that.
10) The hymen does not exist. This is the title of a German book that just came out and which is amazing. Incredibly beautifully illustrated, designed, printed in single-tone colors, thread-knotted. And a heartfelt recommendation, not only because my sister is the co-editor and my father sends all the booklets by hand (after he has enclosed the folded poster). But because this booklet is a must-read for every woman and every man, education at its best or, as the Maroverlag writes: “a wild, beautiful and evil illustrated pamphlet to abolish a myth”. Yes!
11) And a bonus heart tip that is the perfect match: Period panties by ooia. The panties are functional, elegant, and comfortable. I have different ones and I love them! An integrated membrane system with merino wool and bacteria-inhibiting silver chloride ensure that nothing leaks and everything stays dry and comfortable. And on their Instagram channel, the founders not only provide information but also give a regular look behind the scenes of this great women startup.
Disclaimer: Some links are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy something through it, I’ll get a mini commission and I’ll probably use it to buy a new cookbook in the bookstore around the corner.