Tag Archives: farming

Busy as the Bees

home sweet homeAnother rainy day forces me to stay inside, make soup, bake cookies, and slow down. The month of June is flying by as we are busy as the bees out here at Starseed. Change is happening so fast these days. Old structures and habits are breaking down making room for new positive change in the world. Starseed is one of many places all across the globe that is transforming. I am really hopeful to be part of such a special project underway.

swarm10,000 new beings have made Starseed their home- Honeybees! We welcomed them last weekend and they are already making their rounds to the flower gardens. Their hive is nestled into the tree line beside our newly planted high-bush blueberries.

bee sugar

First, we added sugar water (or  you can use honey) to the hive to give the bees something to start with and draw them into their new home.

queen beeThen we took out the queen who was in her own compartment. The worker bees will eventually chew their way into her compartment and hopefully accept her as their queen.

welcome beesAll the other bees joined her in the hive by swarming and within a few hours, they all settled down. Home sweet home! I can hardly wait for honey this fall.

bees and bluesHoneybees  travel up to a few miles pollinating our flowers and food sources as they go. About 40% of our food supply relies on bees for pollination such as fruits, nuts, and some vegetables. Non-organic pesticides are killing off our bees causing “colony collapse.” Watch the film, “Queen of the Sun” for more information about the importance of honeybees for our survival. Not to mention, the divinely sweet, nutritious, medicinal, anti-microbial substance they create- Honey!

Well, now that the rain has stopped, it’s time to head back outside being busy as the bees…

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Living Based on Love

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It is incredibly rewarding to practice empowerment through self-love. When I set up my life to go well by balancing my mind, body, and spirit, everything else goes smoothly. My stress levels go down, I smile more, my digestion is powerful, my neck and shoulders relax, and I rarely get headaches.

In addition to feeling healthy, strong, and at ease, I also have more energy to give to my community. I engage in meaningful conversations, I show up to work ready to serve, and I am motivated to keep in touch with old friends.

IMG_7313Trusting my inner wisdom has brought me to another major form of self-care: Herbalism. As many of you know, local food has been a focus of mine for the last few years. I have worked on several farms learned enough skills to eventually have my own farm in the future. Still unsure exactly what kind of farm that may be and also because Western Mass is becoming saturated with small farms, I took a break from that field.

I came to Kripalu to tap into a deep vein in hope of finding some direction for my future. I found instant community, sahdna (a personal practice), and love. It’s reassuring to know that as long as I trust myself and follow my heart, I will find exactly what I am searching for.

As I enter the last few months of my time at Kripalu, I struggle to stay present. Even though I constantly remind myself how much I have to be grateful for in this community, I can’t stop thinking about the future. After weeks of being hard on myself for what I thought was living too much in the future, a friend said, “Hannah, you’re just ready to move on and follow your path.” Giving myself permission to begin again feels hopeful and true. I am ready to fly the nest and build my own nest somewhere else.

IMG_7338_2Come early March, my sweetie and I will move closer to the Pioneer Valley. I will apprentice with an Herbalist, which will tie in beautifully with my Life Coach Certification. I am also collaborating with a group of people to start a small farm half way between Kripalu and Northampton.

My dreams are coming true. I am not going to give up and let fear or discouragement rule the show. The world needs me. The world needs all of us. Let go of what is getting in your way of living your dream and don’t look back. Stay grounded. Walk and lay on the Earth to feel the pulse of our planet. We must unite as one unit of Love during this Great Shift.

Let 12.21.12 be the transition from fear based living to Love.

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