Another Kind of Wealth
Flashback photo of a market in india
I took this photo about 12 years ago when Doug and I were trekking across Rajasthan INDIA. Rajasthan literally translates into "The Land of the Kings". This photo captures metaphorically and literally genuine WEALTH; Not the kind based on global statistics; not the kind that is measured in minted coins and printed dollar bills; But instead, the wealth that comes from a vibrant economy producing abundant foods, spices, and plant medicine; ultimately translating into the health and well-being of a community as a whole.
This wealth translates across the markets throughout India overflowing with bounties of medicinal and culinary spices, grains and fresh produce; the wealth in families singing, dancing and communing together; children playing on the roof tops with home-made kites; trains whizzing by with home-cooked meals; people making eye-contact and connecting with one another; people praying and practicing yoga as daily ritual; vendors grinding fresh ginger with stones and milking the neighbor’s bull to make chai tea served in handmade compostable clay cups. I vividly recall the sculpting of my compostable clay cup in real-time. When we finished drinking our tea, I asked the tea-maker where I should put my beautiful, adobe cup that he had just finished molding. With a gesture and a smile, I was asked to smash the cup onto the heaping clay rubble beside his feet; This was to be reconstituted in real-time into a future customer's clay cup - true recycling at its core. I could not bring myself to smash this beautiful artifact into bits and pieces and instead asked if I could keep it. I kept this tea cup as a reminder of the simplicity of true sustainable practices.
In India, homemade foods packed with herbal spices like turmeric (known for its immune-boosting, circulatory and anti-inflammatory benefits), ginger (an excellent digestive aid), and other healthy wellness herbs, are immersed in the daily lifestyles of the people; in their food, drink, and health and beauty products. We recall plant medicine like Tulsi (the Holy Indian Basil) abundantly growing around every home; Holy Indian Basil has been used in India for thousands of years for colds, flu-symptoms, headaches, cleansing the respiratory system of toxins, calming the nervous system and an array of other conditions. The Tulsi Holy Indian Basil plant is believed to be the mythological Hindu Goddess Tulsi re-incarnated; thus, the Tulsi plant is known as a spiritual protector. Beads are even carved from the woody stems and used in meditation. It is no coincidence, the Tulsi is the most prolific plant on our herbal medicine farm.
We surround ourselves with living plant medicine on our family farm; integrating fresh whole foods from the earth as the base of our diet; and drinking bounties of herbal teas and spices on a daily basis. In real-time, we are witnessing & experiencing the impact this lifestyle is having on our family’s health and wellness; shedding excess weight, breathing clearer; strengthening our immune systems; clearing our minds; enhancing our energy; calming our nerves; clearing our skin; increasing our metabolism; healing old and new injuries; enhancing our alkalinity; and keeping us balanced and healthy.
We pay homage to the practices of this way of life that integrates herbal nourishment and wellness into our lives; in our children's lives; and with all of you herbal crusaders out there by offering this gift of true wealth through the herbal teas and powders that we grow and hand-craft from our gardens here on Kauai. Let's all drink tea and eat herbal-infused culinary dishes to relish in the genuine wealth that life has to offer. Although no bulls or stones were used in making this blend, we welcome you to try our herbal Loquat Chai made with the exquisite herbs: Loquat, Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Turmeric, Papaya, & Stevia A great introductory herbal tea blend if you are just getting started with herbs is our Kauai Farmacy Tulsi tea. Visit our site to learn more about Tulsi’s health benefits.
A hui hou kākou - until we meet again! Aloha.
