Here at Natural Medicine we really appreciate everyone in our collective. There's all sorts of folks that make it what it is - from those that don't know a lot about natural healing but are keen to learn, to absolute experts in the field. Everyone has something to offer, from enthusiasm to specialist knowledge of herbs, mushrooms, chemistry, spiritual practices, somatic arts and other natural health areas.

It's with this gratitude and appreciation that we've decided to start this new feature, where we ask Steemfolk five questions particularly related to their natural medicine journey.

This week, we're featuring @thetreeoflife. She's the brainchild goddess behind our Interview Sessions. She's a tai chi expert, a shaman in training, a beautiful, curious, fascinating and gentle soul, and we're thrilled to bring you her answers to Natural Medicine's five questions.

We hope you enjoy her thoughtful replies!

NM: Well, well, well, young lady, where have you been? We’ve missed you at Natural Medicine, our esteemed interviewer who went AWOL (except we let you) on a sabbatical from Steemit! Now, we know you did it very intentionally and purposefully, after playing a very active role with Natural Medicine for so long as an interviewer and an all round Goddess. Can you tell us what led up to that moment where you dove into real life from the Steemiverse?

TOL: Haha, sure! I'll give you the abridged version, as its been quite a journey, but about a year ago (right before I gave up Facebook for good and switched to the steemisphere) I really delved into this practice of what I can best call deep personal introspection, or peeling back of the personality onion, basically deconstruction of the personality, which includes transmutation work, relationship work, what was formerly known as shadow work (now I realize, there is no shadow, but that's a different tale), and deep shamanic training. A couple months ago it started getting deep and I found myself needing more time and space in my life for this work. I also keep a full time job and I'm the wife of an amazing human, so the energy I wasn't putting into flipping myself inside out, I really wanted to put toward showing up in those areas of my life as well. Also, putting energy toward goals we have, like our homesteading project, my yoga teaching certification, and my coaching certification. I do miss my conscious natural medicine fam so much! It's been an amazing transitional time in my life so far, and it's not yet over, but I seriously can't wait to engage in writing and sharing again with all of you.

NM: Now, I know that you’ve found the whole ‘uncoupling’ thing quite amazeballs, and I bet it’s a little hard to sum up exactly what’s been so – well, medicinal about it, but we’d love to know one or few benefits you’ve enjoyed in the last few weeks. What’s been the best thing about being offline, and how has it been therapeutic?

TOL: I've definitely noticed an ability to be more present in every moment. This of course has countless benefits… Being able to feel in the present, rather than engaging in distraction, which was my habit. Also it's given me time to just… Be well. Research. Expand into myself and outward to the realness of life. I'm both more happy and more sad, experiencing bliss and anger, but I'm in a place now where I can say, wow I'm really feeling this stuff. And it's OK. It's a very new experience for me, and I'm incredibly grateful for it.

One other thing I've noticed is that I allow myself more space and time off when I need it. I find that western culture and especially American culture is so nose to the grindstone. We run ourselves ragged and don't even realize it, never really taking time for self care, quiet, or real relaxation. There's definitely a place for work and hitting the ground running, and for that kind of grit. But I'm finding nowadays I have a lot more balance with it. Taking time for myself when I need it, taking a day off work if I'm struggling and need rest. Some of this is that I have a flexible job and decent savings, haha, so yes a little priveledge involved. But in a sense, I've also set my life up to support this. And I used to have to work 3 jobs, living paycheck to paycheck, struggling financially on the daily. Things are different now, and a lot of hard work went into the process. It's attainable, with the right mindset, aspirations, and knowledge. And a bit of courage lol!

NM: A while back you detailed your tai chi passions, as well as confessing yoga had been rocking your world too. Have you been practising either discipline? Could you tell us about something you’ve been working with in the somatic arts, a natural medicine in it’s own wonderful sphere?

TOL: Yoga and meditation are definitely my go-to somatic arts at this juncture! I do incorporate some tai chi as well as tantra as well. But yoga is really a keystone to my life at this point. Most recently I've been super turned on by inversions. I'm finding being upside down is challenging, exhilarating, and really feeds my brain on the days where I most need it. There's an energetic quality to it as well that can't be beat. It activates kundalini, it allows for some serious orbit flow, it supports the expansion and decomposition process perfectly. It offers perspective. There's something about looking at the world upside down. Haha like magic, we are transformed in this small way.

I've also been really diving in to tantra and self exploration a ton. In fact, I can not wait to write some articles on this, and I'm busy collecting info for the world in some of the best way I know how, through sexuality, sensuality, and presence. I'm so stoked about this I can't even describe. One of the biggest parts has been removing my hormonal IUD. It's been a real trip. And also exploring herbal birth control, cycle awareness, the divine feminine, and reconnecting with menstruation and the seasons of the feminine cycle. So much information here, downloads galore. This is work that is so needed in the world, and it's work any woman can incorporate into their life in a practical and transformative way. I'm close to busting at the seams on this, so watch out for that post! Lol it's going to be seriously hot and seriously consciously divine.

NM: You’ve also been making some quite big life changes in your dream to begin your own homestead in Colorado with your beloved. How are those plans going, and how do you see this journey as having an influence on your well being?

TOL: We are planning this every week, every day. All our savings goes into our Homestead fund, and this year we are particularly stoked about, because we are planning a few trips to check out the rest of the country. We are finding land in Colorado to be pretty pricy, and we both have this deep concern that Colorado feels like it's drying up. No real hard evidence to back it up, it's just our intuition. And water isn't something we really want to gamble with when it comes to living with the land. So, our first exploration will likely be to the Ozarks. We can't wait to explore the region, especially during mushroom and foraging season! We are drawn to the area for reasons we can't explain yet. So it's first on our list. Also, possibly North Carolina and West Virginia. We have family in Pennsylvania, so we are looking to be a little closer to them. We won't have the funds to fly all over the place, so finding a spot that's at least in reasonable driving distance from family has been on our radar.

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Stoked to check out the Ozarks though! We love mountain life, mushrooms, walking and exploring, and the idea that there's water there haha and our growing season would be extended a bit from what it is in Colorado.

I'm mostly just jazzed to connect with whatever land we land on. The homesteading life will not be easy, but living in a way that connects us to nature, community, and life and a non-conventional way of being in the western world is really what keeps us going.

NM: I know you as someone who works more on the spiritual side of natural medicines, and you’ve also been studying shamanism too. What revelations, insights or practices have been in the forefront of your mind of late?

I've been diving in to some earth medicines actually! Herbal birth control being one, and I recently cured an ear infection I had using tea tree oil. Haha as for the shamanic practice, the things I've found most exciting as of late have been living fully in relationship with all the things, and diving into some practices of indigenous cultures, especially the more feminine based practices. I recently had three key experiences and insights that all revolved around femininity and apples… Might sound strange, but the symbolism of Eve carrying the apple of consciousness (or sin lol) to the world is not lost on me! It's also a symbol for the human energy field, so that's been a really fascinating thing as well. Apples keep showing me my path through sexual healing in particular. Navigating this thing is a windy road, and I now sort of see Apple as a spirit guide in a sense. All things have spirit, why limit our guides to the animal kingdom?

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I've also been traveling and channeling through the heart and womb spaces a lot, especially the heart space, which I have found to be an exceptional portal to the inner world. Our power really does exist here, especially for women. And as women, when we waken to the universe and our divinity, we are able to offer space for men to do the same. We don't need to guide them, all we need is to Be, to relax into our own divinity and find that power there. We become polarized, like magnets to the divine masculine, allowing that true masculinity to rise naturally, expressively, and directly, in only the ways divine masculinity really can Be. It's so beautiful, seeing the process first hand. Feeling those energies expand into Being, and embodying them as well. Just incredible.

NM: Is there anything else you'd like to add? What are you looking forward to?

TOL: @naturalmedicine, I could seriously go on all freaking day about this stuff. My excitement level for exploration, for life, for all things spirit, for earth medicine, is hitting full throttle 😂 I can't wait to get back to the community and start writing. I really can't wait! I miss everyone, but I'd like you to know, I'm doing this work for not just myself, I am doing it for humanity as well, for all the spirits. As we expand, so does the collective, and the community will feel all the benefits of it. It's my deepest belief and my highest wish as well. I'll catch you all soon, not on the flip side, but integrated into the mesh of the present moment. I'm very much looking forward to it! And sending all the love, from the space where love only grows.

Blessing and peace my natural medicine fam!! 😍

We hope you enjoyed this interview. If you did, we've got a small favour to ask. Natural Medicine are supporting Homesteaders Co-Op in their bid to win a 20K delegation, which would really help support anyone who's interested in sustainability, ethics, spirituality, permaculture and natural medicines on the Steem Blockchain. It only takes a second to vote, and you can vote for them here. Please help support the little guy - it'll go a long way to supporting what we do together!

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