Roux Maison - Love Your Laundry

My hair stylist, Toni, recently gave me some samples (travel sizes) of an all natural laundry detergent made here in Nashville. In fact, I think I got almost 10 samples from her. I've been making my own laundry detergent for quite some time because I am concerned about the chemical toxins in store-bought laundry detergents - but that really gets to be a pain sometimes. It was a nice surprise to see a local company making exactly what I wanted.

Needless to say, I have used up all my samples, and I am happy to report that Roux Maison is an excellent alternative to your regular clothes detergent. I found their products to be exactly as advertised: "Highly concentrated, eco friendly, fabric specific laundry detergents and stain remover for all of your laundering needs." I washed sheets, clothes, towels, you name it, and I was happy with how they all came out.

Roux Maison offers two scents in all their products - Ambrosia and Sweet Tea along with an unscented version of their detergents as well.  My favorite was Sweet Tea!

Their website has loads of information (pardon the pun), along with a list of stores that carry their products. You can also buy online. Please check them out!


The following is taken from their site. It explains why they are such a great company.

• A complete family of environmentally friendly, fabric-specific laundry detergents, each precisely tailored to conserve your various fabrics and address all of your laundering needs while keeping your home and family safe from unnecessary, harmful chemicals
• Highly concentrated products all require less water, less packaging and less energy to transport
• Hypo-allergenic and safe for sensitive skin
• All products leave no chemical residue on you or your fabrics
• Saves time and money on dry cleaning
• Two exclusive fragrances, each a custom blend of therapeutic grade, 100% essential oils
• 16 oz of detergent = 40 loads of laundry
• Fragrance-Free products do not contain any masking chemicals and are ideal for those with the most sensitive skin
• Products are all readily biodegradable
• All ingredients are classified as non-hazardous
• Neutral pH
• Vegan
• Roux Maison never conducts animal testing
• Products do not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES), Formaldehyde, Pthalates, 1,4 Dioxane, Parabens, Phosphates, Optical Brighteners, Genetically Modified (GMO) Ingredients, marine pollutants, artificial fragrances, or artificial dyes
• BPA-free bottles
• Detergents are all low sudsing and safe for septic tanks
• Each detergent is specially formulated for all types of washing machines, including High Efficiency

Juice Recipe - 80s Mauve

80's Mauve

Ingredients:

1 Sm. Eggplant

1 Radicchio

3 Plums

1 Purple Bell Pepper

1/4 Onion

1 Slice of Ginger

1 Clove Garlic

1 Handful of Sprouts (mung bean)

I call this one 80s Mauve because it comes out the exact color of my prom dress from the 80s (that also had a pouf skirt.) Enjoy!

Words of Wisdom - Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau may be best know for writing Walden (1854), but his work "Civil Disobedience" is my favorite. In "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau discusses unjust laws. Later, other leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. used it as inspiration.

Below are some random quotes from "Civil Disobedience" that are not only interesting and thought provoking, but also very applicable to issues we are dealing with today.

Quotes from "Civil Disobedience"

Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made agents of injustice.

What is the price-current of an honest man and patriot today? They hesitate and they regret and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer have to regret. At most, they give only cheap vote, and a feeble countenance and God-speed, to the right, as it goes by them.

Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority.

I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let's see who is the strongest.

There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.

Juice Recipe - Bajoran Sunrise

Here's one with more than a little kick. And if you are a Star Trek fan, I realize that the Bajoran atmosphere normally has a greenish tint, but it is during the sunrise that the casting of orange light happens in Bajor - mostly because of the interstellar presence of their 5 moons. (I totally just made that up.)

Bajoran Sunrise Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Celery

1 Sm. Bag of Carrots

1 Sm. Eggplant

1 Apple

1 Red Potato 

1 Orange Bell Pepper

1/4 Onion

1 Sm. Slice of Ginger

1 Garlic Clove

1-2 Handfuls of Mung Bean Sprouts (any sprouts will do)

Healing Truths to Consider - Part 4

The following is from a great book called Your Mind Can Heal You by Frederick Bailes. It was first published in 1941. These are definitely truths on which to meditate and fully understand.

Chapter 4

The human body is the greatest example of the working of Infinite Intelligence that the world has ever seen.

Infinite Intelligence has built a body that is planned and intended to be a thing of joy.

Having built the body in the first place, Mind knows how to repair anything that goes wrong with it.

The Healing Power is within us at this moment, ready to flow silently into motion as soon as we stop obstructing that flow by our own mental barricades.

The person who wishes to have Intelligence co-operate with him must co-operate with Intelligence.

The Intelligence the built the body has infinite knowledge of the way to heal, and infinite willingness to do so, so that we can rely implicitly upon the flow of eternal Wisdom into and through our bodies when we get out of its way and stop hindering it. 

HO'OPONOPONO - What is it?

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” 

Mahatma Gandhi

Ho'opnonpono is the Hawaiian practice of forgiveness. And it ain't easy. 

Since holding on to anger can make us sick, forgiveness is really something we do for ourselves - for our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. Ho'opnonpono is a meditation practice that takes a few minutes and really can help. But let me warn you - the first time I did it, I had no idea exactly what would be asked of me, and it felt wrong, very wrong - at least at first. Eventually I came to realize the good it was doing for me - but my first instinct was to fight it.

For instance, there is a point in the process in which you (yes you) will be saying you are sorry and you will be asking for forgiveness. This will feel WRONG! It should be the other guy apologizing - right? Ho'opnonpono requires you to ask yourself, "What is in me that is causing the event to take place, this person to act this way, this sickness to manifest?" And that is something that is very hard to think about.

You see, blaming others is a sure way to make the problem stay - or to keep coming back (in the form of other people in your life, or other diseases.) There's a letting go in this process that feels oh so foreign and yes, downright scary.

If you have wanted to forgive someone, but just nothing else has worked up to this point, try these videos. It takes a very strong person to forgive, but know that ultimately you are doing this for yourself.

Here is one that is more in-depth:

And another:

Are you GMObese?

Obesity is a big problem in the US. According to the CDC, more than a third of Americans are obese. And every year it gets worse. But there's something weird going on here. We're not just fat - we're swollen.

Today, obesity isn't just about over-eating healthy food; obesity is about the intake of very unhealthy foods. And it's not just about sweets. It's about genetically modified foods. Frankenfood is making us very unhealthy, very inflamed, and yes, very fat.

According to the Global Health Center:

      Genetically modified foods affect the human physiology. A study of people in the Philippines reported that  
      their bodies developed antibodies to Bt toxin. What this means is that, the human body processed these 
      engineered traits into their guts and reacted to them. These same consumers of the GMO corn in the 
      Philippines also developed a resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin. This antibiotic resistance is something that 
      science hadn't foreseen-which is indicative of questionable experimentation and not enough testing. And it 
      makes me wonder if there is a bigger picture at hand. Maybe to create more illness and sell you more 
      pharmaceuticals?


Our government requires little or no testing on the human hazards of GMO foods. We know that people are getting sicker and fatter, but we really have no idea how bad it really is.

When the US Supreme Court ruled that companies could legally own the patents to seeds, they really sold our bodies to entities like Monsanto and Dow Chemical.  You see, GMO production can never be trusted.  It is bad science because it is produced for profit and not for knowledge. And we are just letting them experiment on us at the expense of our health and our future. Science for profit will always be wrong because it will never take into account the well-being of people - only the profit of the corporation.

Please spread the word to your friends on facebook that we must have the right to know what is in our food. You also have my permission to copy and paste this post in your own blog or website. Please transmit this link to everyone you know and love. Tell them there are things we can do to change the situation. We can start by encouraging California to pass Prop 37.  We can start buying organic whenever we are able. We can join a local CSA so we get fresh, local food - and we get to know the farmer growing it! We can start our own garden with Heirloom Seeds. And we can keep spreading the word to everyone we know.

Here is my video:

Words of Wisdom - Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass beautifully argued that slavery hurts the slave owner as much as the slave. This is true with any kind of oppression  - those who oppress pay a terrible price for what they do to others. He also discusses the pains taken to keep him from learning how to read. The fear of an educated slave was another burden the slaveowner suffered. And it never works. The truth always finds a way.


Here are a couple of interesting quotes from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave


(Speaking of his owner, Mrs. Hughs)
Slavery proved as injurious to her as it did to me. When I went there, she was a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman, There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear. She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.


(In learning to read, and becoming aware, Douglass is forever changed - the thing that the slaveowners feared the most.)
I preferred the condition of the meanest reptile to my own. Any thing, no matter what, to get rid of thinking! It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me. There was no getting rid of it. It was pressed upon me by every object within sight or hearing, animate or inanimate. The silver trump of freedom has roused my soul to eternal wakefulness.

Forgiveness

"Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Lama Marut


The lesson of forgiveness is one of the hardest lessons I've needed to learn in my life. Like most people, I thought that it was important to keep in mind the wrongs that others had done to me. (It just seemed like the responsible thing to do.) I never forgot who was an asshole. But guess what? The real asshole was me.

Yes! I was being a total asshole to myself. Those other people didn't remember those wrongs - I did. They didn't walk around with the burden of hurting my feelings. No - I did that to myself. I burdened myself with memories of negative times and people. And holding on to all that was not doing me any good.

But when I let go - and I mean REALLY let go - great things happened. I started living the life I was supposed to live - not a life filled with bad memories. And I started breathing better. Really.


If you are burdened by not forgiving someone, here is a little way to start healing yourself:
(DO this now!)

1. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose and then slowly out through your mouth.

2. Let go. Let your mind go, let your muscles go, let your jaw go.

3. Smile.

4. Repeat as necessary.

It really is that simple.

How long has it been since you've taken a slow, deep breath like that? If it's been a while, then try to do this at least 10 times a day. One way to remind yourself is EVERY time you see the color yellow, do these steps.

And remember - forgiving someone else is really just loving yourself!

Here is a video from Marianne Williamson that helps explain the personal power of forgiveness.

Healing Truths to Consider - Part 3

The following is from a great book called Your Mind Can Heal You by Frederick Bailes. It was first published in 1941. These are definitely truths on which to meditate and fully understand.

Chapter 3

The Healing Principle, operating independently of any medication by man, exists in the universe.

That Healing Principle is the Infinite Intelligence, the Mind of God, which saturates every particle of matter in the universe.

Man's mind is one with that of the Infinite Thinker.

Man's healing comes as he becomes aware of the activity of the Infinite Thinker within him, and puts himself in line with it.

Man has the power to chose to turn his thoughts outward to his experiences of limitation or inward to the unchanging perfection at the center of his being. 

If man keeps his mind turned in to the Spiritual Center, its perfection will flow out into his body and affairs.

To Infinite Intelligence there is no "big" or "little," "hard" or "easy," "curable" or incurable."

Words of Wisdom - Machiavelli

I don't admire Niccolo Machiavelli in the way that some leaders and politicians obviously do. I do, however, appreciate the truth that Machiavelli tells us about the nature of leaders. By giving examples of his time (Renaissance Italy) we are able to see how powerful people today still operate. People like to throw around some of Machiavelli's philosophy as sound governing principle. I see the value in his writing as a lesson in actions that are most effective to manipulate the masses.

Here are some examples from Machiavelli's The Prince:

On Generosity and Miserliness

I say it would be good to be considered generous; nevertheless, generosity used in such a manner as to give you a reputation for it will harm you; because if it is employed virtuously and as one should employ it, it will not be recognized and you will not avoid the reproach of its opposite.

On Cruelty and Mercy and Whether It Is Better to Be Loved than to Be Feared or the Contrary

And men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared because love is held together by a chain of obligation which, since men are a sorry lot, is broken on every occasion in which their own self-interest is concerned; but fear is held together by a dread of punishment which will never abandon you.

How a Prince Should Keep His Word

A wise ruler, therefore, cannot and should not keep his word when such an observance of faith would be to his disadvantage and when the reasons which made him promise are removed. And if men were all good, this rule would not be good; but since men are a sorry lot and will not keep their promises to you, you likewise need not keep yours to them. A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promises.

But it is necessary to know how to disguise this nature well and to be a great hypocrite and a liar; and men are so simpleminded and so controlled by their present necessities that one who deceives will always find another who will allow himself to be deceived.

Can You Tell Me Why Freedom Is Bad?

I'm looking for someone - anyone - to tell me why my freedom should be taken away. And for those of you who say my freedom can hurt someone else, first need to think about that argument before coming to me with logical fallacies and faulty conclusions. (I could stab someone with a fork - does that mean we need to ban all forks?)


All of this fear of what people MIGHT do is an excellent way to keep people in the dark. If you're always afraid, you can be more easily manipulated to act in a certain way. It's so obvious. Isn't it? But living a life based in fear is not living a life at all. 


And for those of you who are still stuck in the fear-based lie that there are only Democrat or Republican ideas to choose from are being manipulated the most. Have you ever read Plato's Allegory of the Cave?

(The cave wall is cable news and the mainstream media. Stop watching it and look outside the damn cave.)

Now tell me why government is trying to keep you all in the cave and push others back in. Can anyone give me a good reason for this?

You're reading this on the Internet - but how long will that kind of freedom be allowed? Watch the great Wozniak explain the issues of our loss of Internet freedom. Can you give me a good reason that the Internet should no longer be free? Pay close attention to what was done to Kim Dot Com. Why are we not more outraged about this?

Why don't we have the freedom to know if our food is genetically modified? If we have the right to know how much damn salt is in something - don't we at least have the right to know if the DNA of that food has been altered? What do they want to hide? If it's so good for us, then why hide it - why not announce it on the front of the box? Don't you want to know what they're hiding?

There are many other people out there who are asking the same questions. Some are Ron Paul supporters (Watch the Video below). But they're not the only ones. People everywhere are asking the same questions I have asked here today. But the real question is: why aren't you?

And if you're waiting on a vote to decide who the president will be, (Romney or Obama) as if either one is some kind of savior who will take care of you, then you've already lost your freedom. Have fun in the cave.

Healing Truths to Consider - Part 2

The following is from a great book called Your Mind Can Heal You by Frederick Bailes. It was first published in 1941. These are definitely truths on which to meditate and fully understand.

Chapter 2

Man's body is one with the Body of God. It is a sacred temple in which Spirit dwells.

Man's subconscious, or subjective, mind is one with the Universal Subjective Mind.

It has access to limitless Intelligence and Power to heal. 

Man's conscious, or objective, mind is one with God as Spirit. It has the power to reason, weigh, and choose. 

Man is indwelt by all the Power and the Presence of God.

Juice Recipe - Ferengi Delight

This one is a weird color green - and it's fruitier than you might imagine. Quark would approve.

Ferengi Delight Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Mustard Greens
1 Red Apple
12 Strawberries
A Few Watermelon Scoops
1 Jalapeno Pepper
1/4 Onion

Juice Recipe - Vampires Don't Sparkle

This one has a great fruity taste!

Vampires Don't Sparkle

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Red Apples
2 Red Potatoes
A few scoops of Watermelon
10-12 Strawberries
1/4 Red Onion
1 Clove Garlic

Tour Medicine Box for Hank 3

Here is the latest first aid/medicine box for the Hank 3 West Coast 2012 tour that starts today.

Most of these items are oil blends or tinctures that I made myself. Some items were purchased from Whole Foods. Here is the list:

Activated Charcoal - For poison
Astragalus Pills - For immune support
Baking Soda - For indigestion
Cedarwood Oil -For breathing support, stress
Echinacea Tea - For cold and flu
Echinacea Tincture - For cold and flu
Elderberry Tea - For coughs, cold, and flu
EmergenC - For immune support
Ginger Root - Tummy aches, tooth infection
Happy Joy Juice  - For depression, insomnia
Lavender Oil - For burns, calming baths, breathing
Peppermint Tea - For breathing, indigestion
Pain Brain Oil Blend - for sore muscles and headache
Re-usable Tea bags - For loose teas
Thieves oil and Thieves oil spray -For plague, flu, and general nastiness
White Clay - For diarrhea and eliminating heavy metals
White Willow Bark Tincture - For pain
Yarrow - For bleeding

Juice Recipe - Mr. Green Jeans

2 Bunches of Mustard Greens
2 Cucumbers
2 Granny Smith Apples
3 Stalks of Celery
1 Zucchini
1/2 Bell Pepper
1 Jalapeno Pepper
1/4 Onion

Enjoy!!!

Words of Wisdom - Lao-Tzu

Lao-Tzu, a Chinese philosopher who lived aroung the time of Confucius, wrote the the Tao-te Ching. Within the chapters of this document, Lao-Tzu emphasizes the the need to minimize the power of the state. He is concerned with the freedom of the individual and the attributes of a true leader.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the Tao-Te Ching:

46

There is no greater illusion than fear,

no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself,

no greater misfortune than having an enemy.

Whoever can see through all fear

will always be safe.

53

When rich speculators prosper

while farmers lose their land;

when government officials spend money

on weapons instead of cures;

when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible

while the poor have nowhere to turn -

all this is robbery and chaos.

The more prohibitions you have,

the less virtuous people will be.

The more weapons you have,

the less secure people will be.

The more subsidies you have,

The less self-reliant people will be.

60

Governing a large country

is like frying a small fish.

You spoil it with too much poking.

67

I have just three things to teach:

simplicity, patience, compassion.

These three are your greatest treasures.

Simple in actions and in thoughts,

you return to the source of being.

Patient with both friends and enemies,

you accord with the way things are.

Compasionate toward yourself,

you reconcile all beings in the world.

75

When taxes are too high,

people go hungry.

When the government is too intrusive,

people lose their spirit.

Act for the people's benefit.

Trust them; leave them alone.

9 Things That Can Hurt Your "Reiki"

Reiki is Universal Energy. (Rei=Universal, Ki=Energy) Everyone has this universal energy flowing within them. It is divine and cannot be destroyed. The natural flow of this energy, however, can be blocked. Many things we do in modern life are enemies to natural energy flow.

Here are 9 things that can disrupt the flow of your Reiki:

1. Lack of Exercise - You have to keep moving. It is a wonderful gift to your body and your mind to stay physically active. (This is one of the hardest things for me to be vigilant about.) Yoga is one of the best ways to keep the flow going and to stay healthy. (And it's perfect for an Earth-bound Virgo like me.)

2. GMOs in Your Diet/Poor Diet - There are so many toxins in our food today - things that are actually changing our DNA and hindering our ability to function properly. If you don't know what's actually in your food, I suggest you watch a few documentaries like Food, Inc. or FRESH, or start investigation on the Internet. You will be amazed at the real truth about our food system.

3. Too Much Alcohol - This one is pretty obvious. Only you can determine what is the right amount of alcohol for you. I stick to small amounts of Sake (it's alkaline). Alcohol can cause major blocks in energy - so be careful with how much you consume. (Hangovers feel bad for a reason.)

4. Stress - This one is really the worst thing that can happen to a body, mind, and spirit. We have to recognize how dangerous stress is on all of us. And we have to make it a priority to not allow it in our lives. Period.

5. Drugs - This one might seem obvious, but I am including prescription drugs on this one too. And pot isn't on this list. (By drugs, I mean Harmful drugs.) Hard drugs like cocaine and meth are obviously bad for us, but prescription drugs have very scary side effects too and can be seriously addictive. The deaths associated with prescription drugs each year is mind-blowing. There are no deaths from pot. Ever.

6. Tobacco - I don't have to say why tobacco is bad - we all know it is.

7. Negative Habits/Negative Thinking - Our minds are so powerful. When we think negative thoughts, we make negative things happen. Negative thoughts and habits will make negative things happen to energy flow as well. (Saying negative things will also hurt your Reiki. Remember to always speak with a positive attitude.)

8. Poor Breathing - Stop right here. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose. Hold it for half a second. Now take a slow deep exhale through your mouth. Feel the difference? Didn't that feel good? Every now and then, we have to stop and take slow, deep cleansing breaths.

9. Not Enough Sleep - The greatest gift you can give yourself is sleep. Getting enough rest also reduces stress. Make sure you get the sleep you need - this will always give you more balanced energy.

Along with taking better care of yourself, one of the best ways to restore your blocked energy is to get a Reiki session. Your Reiki practitioner can help get your chakras aligned -which always aids in balancing your body's healing energy. Another thing that helps your energy is laughing! Do it often.

Juice Recipe - What the Kale?

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Kale
4 Carrots
3 Celery Stalks
1 Zucchini
1 Sweet Potato
1 Cucumber
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Bell Pepper
2 Green Onions
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper
1 Clove Garlic

(It half filled 2 large mason jars.)

Healing Truths to Consider - Part 1

The following is from a great book called Your Mind Can Heal You by Frederick Bailes. It was first published in 1941. These are definitely truths on which to meditate and truly understand.

 Chapter 1

Man lives in his inner consciousness, not in the outer world.

Superficial physical changes can be observed following changed mental states.

Scientific research verifies one’s own observations.

What the mind thinks, the body thinks; what the body thinks, it becomes.

Healthy thoughts mean healthy cells; sick thought mean sick cells.

Sickness is the outer evidence of an inner disturbance. Health is the outer evidence of an integrated mind.

All natural laws are our masters as long as we do not understand them; when we understand them, they become our servants.

7 Basic Facts of Reiki

Here are some basic facts of Reiki healing:

1.     Intelligent – The Reiki energy goes where it is needed.

2.     Natural – There are no other tools or instruments that are required other than the Reiki practitioner’s hands.

3.     Gentle – There is no massage or manipulation involved– just a placing of the hands on the body.

4.     Simple to learn – It’s probably something we all know instinctively.

5.     Lifelong – Reiki attunements last forever.

6.     Good with all religions – People of all faiths use it.

7.     Safe – No harm can come from Reiki – ever.