Jun 6, 2020 (10-11 AM): Herbal Anti-Inflammatories for Asthma + Allergies

Anti-inflamatorios Herbales para el Asma + Alergias / Herbal Anti-Inflammatories for Asthma + Allergies

 Jun 6, 2020 10:00 AM Pacific Time

Link to workshop video/ Enlace al video del taller

¡Nuestros pulmones! Según la medicina tradicional china, la tristeza se encuentra en el cofre. Tomar una respiración profunda. Esa tensión que puede sentir puede estar asociada con las emociones de tristeza, miedo y estrés. Esto resuena con nosotros en este momento en el tiempo de Covid, cuando las personas con problemas de salud respiratoria tienen un mayor riesgo de infección. ¿Qué podemos hacer para reducir las vías respiratorias inflamadas y respirar un poco más fácilmente? Las plantas como la flor de saúco, ortiga, llantén, malva, cáscara de cítricos + corazón de piña son un lugar poderoso para comenzar. Únase a nosotros en un taller de bienestar en el que compartiremos el conocimiento tradicional de las hierbas utilizadas para la salud pulmonar y hagamos nuestro propio “Respira Tranquila” Melita (medicina a base de hierbas y miel).

Suministros Recomendados: Un frasco, Miel cruda + local, flores de saúco, cáscara de naranja orgánica

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Our lungs! According to Traditional Chinese Medicine grief is housed in the chest. Take a deep breath. That tightness you might feel can be associated with the emotions of sadness, fear and stress. This resonates with us right now in the time of Covid when those with compromised respiratory health are at heightened risk of infection. What can we do to reduce inflamed respiratory passages and breath a little easier? Plants like elderflower, nettle, plantain, marshmallow, citrus peel + pineapple are a powerful place to start. Join us for a wellness workshop in which we share traditional knowledge of herbs used for lung health and make our own “Breath Easy” melita (an herbal medicine made with honey).

Recommended Supplies: 16 oz jar, raw + local honey, elderflowers, organic orange peel

Join Zoom Meeting

Please DONATE what you can to sustain our programs! All zoom conferences are free to community members.

Online https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88166454443?pwd=TTNST1lmM1QxQlJpZm1mY1pBM1NEdz09

By Phone: (669) 900 6833 US

Meeting ID: 881 6645 4443

Password: 027071

¡Sí se puede! Hand Sanitizer

Mutual aid = Make your own + some for your neighbors!

It’s simple….keeping your hands clean is one of the most effective remedies to avoid exposure to viruses. This recipe was passed onto us by The Herbalista and is approved by the World Health Organization.

 RECIPE for 8 oz (240 mL) 

  • 180 mL Isopropyl Alcohol (99.8%) *If alcohol is only 60% or 70%, leave out the water portion
  • 26 mL Water Portion  (Distilled Water, Rosemary Hydrosol, Aloe Juice, etc.)
  • 10 mL Hydrogen Peroxide (3%)
  • 3 mL Glycerine
  • 40 drops Essential Oil (optional)                  

PREP: After blending ingredients and pouring into bottles, quarantine them for 72 hours, to give time to destroy any spores that might be present in the bottles.

USE: Apply a dime sized amount of hand rub and rub thoroughly over all surfaces until dry.

CONTRA: For external use only!

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May 16, 2020 (10 – 11am): Fire Cider for Herbal Immunity

Sidra de Fuego para Inmunidad a Base de Hierbas / Fire Cider for Herbal Immunity

May 16, 2020 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

¿Qué hierbas y alimentos utiliza para defenderse de la infección viral y promover la salud respiratoria? Fire Cider es una medicina herbal que realmente representa el poder de las personas para tomar la salud en sus propias manos. Sus poderosos ingredientes antivirales, que incluyen ajo, cebolla, jengibre y vinagre de manzana, son fáciles de obtener en estos tiempos en estantes de las tiendas de abarrotes y se han utilizado en nuestras cocinas durante miles de años para combatir las infecciones. Pregúntale a tu abuela … ella sabe todo sobre esto!

Suministros opcionales: un frasco, ajo, cebolla, jengibre, curcuma, limon, chile jalapeno o serrano, pimienta de cayena, vinagre de manzana, miel (local, cruda)

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What herbs and foods do you use to fend off viral infection and promote respiratory health? Fire Cider is an herbal medicine that truly represents the power of the people to take health into their own hands. It’s powerfully anti-viral ingredients that include garlic, onion, ginger, and apple cider vinegar are easy to source in these times of thinly stocked grocery store shelves and have been used in our kitchens for thousands of years to fight infection. Ask you grandma…she knows all about this!

Optional supplies: a jar, garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, lemon, cayenne, apple cider vinegar, honey (local, raw)

Join Zoom Meeting

Please DONATE what you can to sustain our programs! All zoom conferences are free to community members.

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77625745712?pwd=WlYxM04zV2FKZXJaOWJqOG0wYmdWZz09

By phone: (669) 900 6833 US

Meeting ID: 776 2574 5712

Password: 187617

May 2, 2020 (10 – 11am): Non-Toxic Plant-Based Cleaning Supplies

¡Sí se puede! Suministros de Limpieza Ecológicos 

Yes you can! Non-Toxic Plant-Based Cleaning Supplies

May 2, 2020 10:00 AM Pacific Time

Nuestra salud mental y física está relacionada con nuestras prácticas de limpieza en el hogar y el lugar de trabajo. Todos los días podemos usar ingredientes accesibles, no tóxicos, y a base de plantas, como limones, vinagre y aceites esenciales para mantener nuestros espacios limpios y seguros. Únase a nosotros para intercambiar remedios y para una preparación en vivo de algunos suministros de limpieza efectivos, fáciles de hacer y de uso agradable.

Suministros opcionales: botella de spray reciclada (limpia), bicarbonato de sodio, jabón de castilla, peróxido de hidrógeno, limones, aceites esenciales

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Our mental and physical health is connected to our cleaning practices in the home and workplace. Everyday we can use accessible, non-toxic, plant-based ingredients such as lemons, vinegar and essential oils to keep our spaces clean and safe. Join us to exchange remedies and for a live preparation of some effective, easy-to-make and enjoyable-to-use cleaning supplies.

Optional supplies: recycled/clean spray bottle, baking soda, castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, lemons, essential oils

Join Zoom Meeting

Please DONATE what you can to sustain our programs! All zoom conferences are free to community members.

Online: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/620186297?pwd=Rmo4S2Z2THRhQjJyRHNKN1p0dUVhdz09

By phone: (669) 900 6833

Meeting ID: 620 186 297

Password: 217296

Plant-Based Cleaning with ALMAS

We are so excited to partner with ALMAS Alianza de Mujeres Activas y Solidarias (Women’s Action and Solidarity Alliance) of The Graton Day Labor Center in the creation of a non-toxic, plant based cleaning guide.

The synthetic chemicals, specifically those included in product fragrance, are unregulated, not required to be listed on product labels, and many suspected to be harmful to our health.  Diethyl phthalate (pronounced tha-late), or DEP, is one ingredient widely used in fragrances to make the scent linger. The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has listed DEP as a Category 1 priority substance, based on evidence that it can interfere with hormone function, cause obesity and insulin resistance in men, and cause liver and kidney failure.  In addition, DEP is considered a Priority and Toxic Pollutant under the U.S. Clean Water Act, based on evidence that it can be toxic to wildlife and the environment.

Here are a few simple recipes that help us break free from dependence on products that endanger our health.  !Sí se puede! Essential oils and other non-toxic plant based cleaning supplies are not only safe and effective but can be therapeutic.  Mixing lavender, citrus or pine essential oils into simple formulas using castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, lemon, vinegar and baking soda can calm the nerves, uplift the mood, and promote respiratory health.

Disinfectant Spray:

  • ½ cup Hydrogen Peroxide (3%)
  • 1 cup water
  • 20-40 drops essential oil (optional)
  • Sprig of Rosemary (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a dark colored spray bottle (the dark color plastic or glass preserves the Hydrogen Peroxide). Spray on surface and wipe with a clean cloth. Store in a dark cool place. If using essential oils on the surface of a tub, rinse before bathing as some essential oils can irritate sensitive skin. Do not use on dark stone or hardwood surfaces as it may cause discoloration.

All-purpose Cleaner:

  • 32 oz spray bottle
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 4 teaspoon Castile soap
  • 4 cups water
  • 20 drops essential oil (optional)
  • Sprig of Rosemary (optional)
  • Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle. Apply to surface and wipe with a clean cloth. In cleaning hardwood or stone surfaces, leave out the vinegar.

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Health Equity

A Just Recovery for Sonoma County Farmworkers?

By Martin J. Bennett

Last year the trade publication Wine Enthusiast recognized Sonoma County as the ‘Wine Region of the Year,’ and the Sonoma County Winegrowers Association announced that 99 percent of the county vineyards achieved their ‘sustainability’ certification. But the county’s farmworkers­­­­­–who produce the wealth of the wine country–are mostly invisible to the public. Winegrowers and the media rarely recognize the actual value of their labor, and their contribution to the local economy is seldom acknowledged.

Most county farmworkers do not earn a living wage or receive employer-provided health insurance, lack access to affordable housing, and confront dangerous health and safety conditions on the job. A just, equitable and, sustainable recovery from the 2017 and 2019 wildfires must include new public policy and grower initiatives to improve the economic security and general health of farmworkers (…)

2019 Wellness Workshop Topics

SeptemberSoothing Pain, Inflammation + Irritation with Herbs + Healthy foods
OctoberDeep Adrenal Support for Physical + Emotional Resiliency
NovemberHerbal Care for Cold, Flu + Winter Blues

Community Gardens

The Botanical Bus community gardens, located at clinic sites, connect people to the nourishment of seeds and soil. We come together in the garden to cultivate plants used in the hands-on preparation of herbal medicine. 

In response to COVID-19, The Botanical Bus: Bilingual Mobile Herb Clinic and Daily Acts have come together to distribute 1,500 mutual aid garden kits to Indigenous and Latine residents of Sonoma County who are experiencing food insecurity. We have partnered with United Farm Workers, Graton Day Labor Center, La Luz Center, La Plaza, CAP Sonoma and Sonoma Valley Community Health to take action at their resource distribution sites.

We believe the COVID-19 gardening movement is rooted in a deep human instinct to cultivate resiliency through connecting to the earth. As we touch soil, tend plants and grow food we reclaim our power to nourish ourselves and our communities.

“Mother earth feeds us with her fruits and vegetables and heals us with her plants.  It is impossible to live without them.” –Maria de Lourdes Pérez Centurión (Promatora, The Botanical Bus: Bilingual Mobile Herb Clinic) 

The ready-to-go garden kits contain essentials for growing food and medicine, including: culturally relevant plant starts; vegetable and flower seeds; organic potting soil; fabric pot planters; medicinal teas and bilingual educational gardening resources.

Thank you to our donors: West Marin Compost; Mercy Wellness; Sonoma County Climate Activist Network; Shone Farm; Petaluma Bounty; Mary Foley; The California School of Herbal Studies; Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, Left Coast Wholesale, Traditional Medicinals, and Tadin.

Join us by donating your time as a volunteer or by making a fiscal contribution to our work. ¡Sí se puede!

Wellness Workshops

The Botanical Bus Wellness Workshops, offered online, at family service centers, and as part of our clinics, empower indigenous knowledge of herbal medicine through the exchange of remedies, recipes and medicine made in community. Wellness topics, determined by community needs assessment, include: Diabetes Prevention and Care for Campesinxs; Meditation for Stress Management; Art Therapy Printmaking with Plants; and Building Your Immune System with Herbal Medicine.  Please see our schedule for upcoming wellness workshop dates and locations.