Desert Moon Rising

Life Coaching & Conscious Living

November 12, 2013
by Pam Bell
Comments Off on The Many Health Benefits of Ginger!

The Many Health Benefits of Ginger!

The Many Health Benefits of Ginger!

In my book, ginger is a magical root in fact, I am certain it is the root of the Gods! It is never far from my table, my herbal medicine chest or my skincare. And, this time of year is the perfect time to integrate ginger into your daily regime. Ginger is so easy to come by and provides health benefits beyond measure…from a tonic to improve circulation, build your immune system and warm your body, to a medicine that helps ease nausea, improve digestion and fight off colds. The many uses of ginger are so beneficial to the our overall health and wellbeing that it’s hard for me to realize so many people still view it as an exotic (a.k.a. foreign) root with which they know not what to do.

Recently I was on a spiritual retreat in Portugal and in a communal living situation for 10 days. One cold and rainy afternoon I made a pot of lemon/ginger/honey tea. I offered it around to help people warm their insides and the raves were unanimously favorable. People just couldn’t believe I used “real” ginger! They assumed it was an herbal tea and had never thought of using raw ginger in this way. For the rest of the retreat I couldn’t keep the tea pot full! On another recent occasion I was drinking the same lemon/ginger/honey/tea that I brought with me in a work setting and I offered it around when one person inquired as to whether I was feeling ok. I said, “Yes,. I am great! Why do you ask?” And she stated that she mainly used ginger in this way when she was feeling ill.

We all have our own healing remedies past down from family or ones that we’ve adopted because they work best for us. On the other hand, it’s also great to learn about new remedies, potions and possibilities of using a product in a new and beneficial way. For some, they view ginger strictly as a culinary additive to spice up their food. For others they view it mainly as a medicinal herb. But to me, it is all of this and much, much more!

With winter and cold season just around the corner, I though this a good time to encourage and inspire you to incorporate ginger into your daily regime add a little spice to your life.

Be Warm. Be Healthy. Be Happy!

My favorite uses of ginger are below along with a list of 22 most beneficial uses.

Lemon/Ginger/Honey Tea:

  • 2-3 inches of ginger sliced thin in the round (like coins.) No need to peel
  • 1 Lemon
  • 2-3 table spoons of honey

This couldn’t be easier! In large teapot or mason jar, put sliced ginger, juice of one lemon and honey. Cover with boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes. Make extra to keep in your fridge. This is good hot or cold and internal warming benefits will be the same.

Asian Greens with Garlic & Ginger:

  • 1 Lb. of dark leafy greens (kale, chard, spinach, beet greens, etc.) or a combination
  • 2-3 table spoons each of chopped garlic & ginger (I like a lot of both of these so try this recipe but if too much for you, adapt to your taste.)
  • Sesame oil
  • 1-2 tables spoons of Soy Sauce

Wash and chop greens
Warm sesame oil in wok style pan
Toss in garlic, ginger and greens all at once. The moisture from the greens will help steam the ginger and garlic and integrate the flavor throughout without the garlic and ginger burning.
Add soy sauce
Cook until greens are al dente…..over cooking will make greens mushy and reduce their nutritional value.

Ginger Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce:
I use to work at one of the most exotic Asian/Pacific restaurants of it’s time in San Francisco called China Moon Cafe. If you ever had the good fortune to eat there, I know you would totally agree when I say it was the most exquisite combination of flavors imaginable…..where East meets West and beyond. Truly a magical culinary journey. One of the things on the menu was Ginger Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce and I promise, when you try this your palate will swoon.

  • Buy Ginger Ice Cream (now available in most top grade grocery stores.)
  • Buy or make your own Chocolate Sauce. Semi-sweet chocolate is best.
  • Feast and Enjoy!

Ginger Sugar Scrub for Face and Body:

(All Credit for this wonderful homemade body care goes to: http://foodformyfamily.com)

  • Use this to exfoliate every other week or so in the winter on your face and body as a way to rejuvenate the skin and shed dead skin cells. It’s like a homemade facial.
  • Why ginger? Ginger is great for sensitive skin, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent to decrease redness and help with skin disorders. It also works to energize skin, making your skin tighter and more youthful, and I’ve heard it’s been used on other problem areas too.
  • The coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so this will be a bit thicker when mixed with the other oil, which I appreciate. It’s soft enough to scoop out, but it’s not runny. You could always use all cold-pressed oils if you want a thinner scrub consistency.
  • It may seem counter-intuitive, but oil will not cause your face to be greasy. On the contrary, healthy oils will dissolve the dirty oils that collect on your face, leaving you with clean, clear and moisturized skin naturally.
  •  1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup cold-pressed oil (tea seed, jojoba, sunflower, or almond oil)
  • 3/4 cup granulated or turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 1-4 drops essential oil (I used lemongrass)

In a small saucepan over low heat heat the coconut oil and ginger pieces. Continue heating for 5-10 minutes until ginger scent and juice has transferred into the oil. Remove from heat and press through a fine mesh sieve or through a coffee filter.

While the oil is still warm, mix together with cold-pressed oil. Stir to combine and allow to come to room temperature. Stir in sugar and salt. Scent with essential oils as desired. Pack into a container.

To Use: Massage into damp skin and allow to sit 2-4 minutes. Using a washcloth covered in warm water, steam over face or stand in a steamy shower for a minute. Using the wet washcloth, wipe excess from skin. Rinse and repeat until oil is washed away.

Makes approximately 8 ounces sugar body scrub.

And, for everything you’ve always wanted to know about Ginger but were afraid to ask – go here!

22 Health Benefits of Ginger Root & Ginger Tea
http://bembu.com/ginger-benefits

Ginger – the root of the Gods!

 

October 8, 2013
by Pam Bell
Comments Off on To Risk or Not to Risk? That is the Question

To Risk or Not to Risk? That is the Question

To Risk or Not to Risk? That is the Question

A client recently asked that I write a column about “Taking Risks”, saying that she could use some encouragement and inspiration in that direction. Taking a risk, or even the proposition of it, is a scary topic for many people and resides somewhere up there in the “least favorite” category along with death and public speaking. Given the fact that people fear it so greatly, I thought this a good opportunity to paint a different perspective on what risk-taking can do for you and how it can take you to places you never dreamed possible.

First, let’s look at the driving force behind the fear. What is it about taking a risk that people are so afraid of? There is a change generally required. There is the unknown and what that might bring. “Will I be rejected? or Will I fail?” are common questions people ask along with,”Do I have what it really takes?”

The truth surrounding these fears however, is that we have never known nor will we ever know, the exact results our actions will bring until our actions are actually taken. Look back over your life at the hundreds of risks you’ve taken and the thousands of choices you have made. None of them guaranteed an outcome in advance. Some choices brought you the results you wanted. Some did not. Whatever the case, I bet you learned a lot more about yourself from those choices that didn’t go your way then those that did. Right?

I am currently reading this wonderful and thought provoking book titled, “The Way of Transition” by William Bridges. In it, he speaks of change and most prominently, transition. He mentions how change doesn’t always require a transition (you get a new boss but there is no upset or riff because of it) but, a change always proceeds a transition (you get a new boss and your world is turned upside down because of it, forcing you to make some difficult choices). He also speaks of the three stages of transition which are met on either side by an ending and a new beginning. The middle ground, and the area that most of us have the greatest difficulty with, is known as the neutral zone. In this zone we are neither here nor there. We are just coming to terms with the “letting go” process (the ending) but we still have no idea what is next (the new beginning.) In this middle ground we are in limbo and airing our laundry, a.k.a. human frailties, for all the world to see. What I love about this whole process is that the place where we are our most creative, vulnerable and open, where the answer to “what is next?” will emerge, takes form in this uncomfortable land of nowhereville.

This is an incredibly valuable and fertile time! You might kick and scream and twist yourself into a pretzel looking for something to hang onto but, no matter how hard you resist, you have to go through this stage to get to the next. There is no short cut. No way to buy or cry yourself out of this one. What comes out of this vulnerable and uncomfortable place is generally a work of art, a creative idea, an awakening that propels you to a higher place. A place that is much more suited to who you are or who you need to become at this stage in your life.

I view taking risks the same way. Yes, there is the unknown but remember, we can never know the end result in advance and we’re kidding ourselves if we think we can. Ask yourself, “What do I have to lose?” So it doesn’t go the way you expect. So what? So you get rejected. So what? Who hasn’t been rejected? So you fail. So what? What did you learn from it and how might you do it differently next time? These are all growth promoting opportunities and let’s face it, wouldn’t things get a little boring if life went our way all of the time? It’s unnatural and would offer little perspective from which to appreciate the “wins.”

The bigger questions to ask yourself are these, “Who will I be if I don’t take the risk and how will I feel about myself?” If it’s something you’re really wanting, something that’s gnawing at you from the inside out, you don’t really have a choice. Choosing not to move forward is saying “No” to Life. It is saying “No” to the creative and brilliant person inside of you. It is saying “No” to what is required to keep you moving forward on your developmental or spiritual journey.

What does taking a risk really take? It takes courage. And what is courageous about any act of man if one is not afraid? Courage is taking action in the face of fear, not in the absence of it.

“So long as you haven’t experienced this: to die and so to grow,
you are only a troubled guest on the dark earth.” ——–Goethe

Some chances come once in a Lifetime!

October 8, 2013
by Pam Bell
Comments Off on Visually Stunning – Meditation Break: Time-lapse Video of SF Bay

Visually Stunning – Meditation Break: Time-lapse Video of SF Bay

Visually Stunning – Meditation Break: Time-lapse Video of SF Bay

This is one of the most beautiful time-lapse videos I’ve seen. It truly resides in the “otherworldly” category and can be used as a peaceful and daily “meditation break” – just let your body and mind become one with the fog as it swirls and swoons and slips softly into the San Francisco Bay. Sunset to sunset – a 24 hour period like you’ve never experienced before. A definite – MUST SEE!

Be sure to watch on full screen.

Enjoy!

 

September 18, 2013
by Pam Bell
Comments Off on Coaching & Design Classes – Fall 2013

Coaching & Design Classes – Fall 2013

I have some inspiring class offerings this Fall that you won’t want to miss!

Some of the classes are Life Coaching classes designed to help you dig deeper and explore wildly the transitions you are currently facing….or need to face, as well as helping you to get very clear about the words you use to describe who you are, what you (or your business) is doing, and what your ultimate vision really is. It’s amazing how many people (and businesses) fumble when speaking about their vision and leave the listener completely in the dark. These classes will help shed light on your path and demystify your objectives to both yourself and others. Look for these classes below under: Life Coaching

Other classes I’m teaching are by way of Design. As you may or may not know, I have been working with florals and other natural elements for over 20 years! Weddings, Holiday’s, Themed Events, you name it, I’ve probably done it. Working with nature has brought me so much JOY in my life that I have decided to teach others how to do the same. I just can’t keep all this fun to myself any longer! Therefore, this season I’m offering a few design classes at Dragonfly Farm up here in Sonoma County. Dragonfly Farm is a six-acre organic flower farm. They grow most of what they use for their weekly accounts and speciality arrangements as well as design some of the most beautiful wedding flowers on the planet! They do that and so much more! The Farm is open to the public for strolling and picnicking and they also offer wreath making classes over the holiday period. Look for these classes below under: Design

Life Coaching Classes: these classes are offered through Healdsburg Community Center and registration is through them as well. To sign up for these classes click above or call: 707-431-3300.

Reinventing Yourself: 50 and Up!
Sat. Nov. 9th, 10-3PM & Sat. Jan. 25th, 10-3PM. Cost: $75

Life transitions offer opportunities for us to reevaluate and reinvent. The years from 50 onward often find people in transition from what was their primary career to wondering what is next. Many people seek to move into more meaningful employment, volunteer work or ways to foster new interests and build new skills, while others are forced into looking for new ways to earn a living.

This day-course will help you to explore:
Where you are right now and where you want to go.

  • What skills and assets you have that are universally transferable.
  • Your core Values and how they influence your decisions.
  • How to set new priorities based on your current situation.
  • Your “ideal” lifestyle.
  • How to “let go” of that which no longer serves you.

 

Honing Your Marketing Message: How to Talk About What You Do
Sat. Nov. 16th, 10-3PM & Sat. Feb. 8th, 10-3PM. Cost: $75

Communication is one of the fundamental ways we engage others curiosity. If we are unsure of what we’re doing or selling or wanting from others, unsure of how our business, service or skills fit into the Marketplace, your potential customers will be unsure too! Far too often peoples’ marketing message doesn’t meet their intent and how they talk about their business, service or skill-set is confusing. This class will help you create a new unified message and build continuity throughout your marketing or job-search campaign.

This day-course will help you to:
Get clear about what it is you’re offering.

  • Get clear about what it is you’re wanting.
  • Use engaging words and phrases that speak to your specialty.
  • Develop a convincing pitch for any conversation.
  • Become a better communicator.

 

Let Your Future Self Be Your Guide
Sat. Jan. 11th, 10-2PM & Sat. Feb. 22nd, 10-2PM. Cost: $65

How many times in life have you wished you had a “wise elder” or better support group to help you navigate your challenges? Someone you could go to for advice, to help you stay true to yourself, to remind you to never sweat the small stuff? Someone who was more loyal to you then your own dog? Well, now you can! By being introduced to your Future Self and understanding how to work with this deep intuitive guide, you will never be alone again.

Knowing and working with your Future Self will help you to:

  •  Recognize and affirm your highest good.
  • Be more confident in your decisions.
  • Stay connected to the endearing parts of you.
  • Be more playful.
  • Be more trusting.
  • Live more freely.

All Coaching classes will consist of lecture, discussion and meditation. This is an interactive class requiring group participation.
*Please bring a journal
**There will be a 30 min. lunch break. Please bring a sack lunch.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Design Classes: All design classes are held at Dragonfly Farm at  425 Westside Road, Healdsburg, California
To Register go to: http://www.dragonflyhealdsburg.com/class-schedule.html 

Accent Arrangements & Small Containers. Wednesday, Oct. 16th, 5:30-7:30, Cost: $75
In this class you will learn how to beautify your home using accent arrangements and how to design in small but unusual containers. You really can have flowers in every room of your house without breaking the bank!
**Bring 3-5 small vases, bowls, bottles, etc. from your home. All other supplies and flowers/greenery are provided.

Centerpieces & Large Containers. Wednesday, November 13th, 5:30-7:30, Cost: $75
In this class you will learn how to use various shapes and sizes of vessels for centerpieces as well as how to work in some of the larger containers you have around your house…a.k.a. vases, pitchers, wine buckets, etc.
**Bring a selection of 2-3 larger containers from your home for you to choose from. All other supplies and flowers/greenery are provided.

Decorating your Holiday Table with Glamour: All that Glitters is not necessarily Gold. 
Monday, December 9th, 5:30-7:30, Cost: $95
In this class you will learn how to decorate with “over-the-top style” and have it still look good! Go ahead…..you know you want to!

Decorating your Holiday Table with Simplicity: Texture, Color, Nature, Candleware & More.
Wednesday, December 11th, 5:30-7:30PM, Cost: $75
In this class you will learn how to create a simple yet beautiful holiday table by using objects primarily found in nature. You’ll also learn how to use candleware to create a beautiful ambience within your tablescape.

All classes will include instruction, discussion and hands-on experience. Your take-away will always include something beautiful to enjoy in your home along with fresh perspective, new techniques and creative design ideas.

Please Join Me!

 

August 28, 2013
by Pam Bell
Comments Off on A Dedication to My Sister

A Dedication to My Sister

One Republic – Counting Stars

Everyone once in a while life delivers us a blow so hard it leaves us lost, breathless, speechless, unprepared, ungrounded and dismayed. Sudden death of a loved one serves up one of these blows and it hits rock hard like a slap in the face. There are many more blows however like loss of your house, your job, financial stability, not being able to find a job, difficulty getting back on your feet, realizing first hand the temporary nature of everything you know, etc. and when you thread them together into a series of difficult years….well, that’s just too much for any one person to handle! It’s just not fair, now is it?

We have all been there at one time or another and when we are, it’s difficult to know where to turn. Some people turn to God, some turn to Buddha, some turn to friends or alcohol or drugs, my sister however turns to music….or maybe even some of all of the above!

I dedicate this post to her and to everyone who is having a difficult run (I know several who are) with a song by One Republic….Counting Stars. A song my sister admittedly relates to on a visceral level.

Crank up your volume, enlarge your screen, open up your heart and dance your booty off!

Sister, this ones for you: xoxox

“…….what kills me makes me feel alive.”

http://youtu.be/mVDqFikjbRQ

p.s. there are many other great videos of this song on YouTube. Check them out!