@eco-alex

The Pay It Forward Community Support Initiative (CSI) WEEK 5:

The Community Support Initiative is the new name for this project. What do you think? I much prefer to think of you as our community and not a minnow! If you've been posting using the ecotrain tag and have very few rewards you will highly likely have received a nice upvote from the @ecotrain voting bot from me! I'm happy to say that I have found some really great posts from many of our community to support. That is what makes the @ecotrain voting bot great, I Pay It Forward every day from the rewards of this post and donations. Speaking of which, a big thank you to @sashagenji for her very kind donation to the CSI (OOh that sounds cool abbreviated!), I am still paying it forward and will be busy this week finding more great people to support.

o I would like to Congratulate all of you who are creating great posts and encourage you to keep going! My best advice to you all is to write because you enjoy writing and let it work for you,

The @ecotrain's Question of the Week Tie-up Post: Do you appreciate others to be open with their emotions?

I should have known three weeks ago when we started this QOTW on emotions that it would be a journey of discovery and deep ponderance! As ever, the @ecotrain have been soul searching and really thinking about this final question on emotions. This week you will find a bounty of different perspectives and many really honest answers.. which we always appreciate!

Do you desire to find a better balance between being emotionally available or being guarded in your relationships with others? If so then please do read a few of these posts because they really are full of great wisdom and different perspectives. I really hope you enjoy reading, and hope to hear a few words from you in the comments just to let us know you stopped by. Chit Chat is half the fun on Steemit!

@riverflows

🐠 Activating Our Inner Fish - Free Diving in Amed 🐟

How long can you hold your breath for? A minute?

Before doing our free diving course in Amed there's no way we could hold our breath for that long underwater. At the end of it, we both could dive to 15 metres! After a lifetime on the ocean, I can't believe I hadn't accessed this part of my bodies capabilities until now. It was the first time that for a few blessed moments, I could feel my inner fish kick in. A whole new world opened up to me beneath the seas surface, even if I was only going to go under for a minute at a time, I was still experiencing the ocean on a whole new level - or a whole new DEPTH!

🌋 Mt Agung Letting Off Steem .. I mean steam! ⛰

Full moon, erupting volcanoes, arak mohitos and free diving? Have I gone to heaven?

Doing the first day of a Level One free diving course with this is the background is pretty amazing!

Jamie loves volcanoes and talks about them quite a lot. I do the wife thing and nod but dont listen. Last week he was saying about volcanoes near us in Victoria. I was like yeah great honey but they havent erupted for 10 thousand years so I'm not interested.

Being 15 km from an erupting volcano, however, is fascinating. To say the least.

@mountainjewel

High Tunnel Time | Step 1: Clearing Land

Greetings Earthlings, today I want to share with you a little update from our homestead, Mountain Jewel.

Earlier this year we shared with you about Getting a High Tunnel Grant through the USDA which basically means you can get a High Tunnel for Free! Ini and I got this grant and, as it's due at the end of July, we're getting our butts into gear putting it up.

The High Tunnel has been delivered to the land by some gracious neighbors (we didn't have a long enough trailer for the very long poles and what a blessing they did!.)

Surprises On the Homestead: WILD Goldenseal!! (DTube Vlog)

Whaaaaat!! How did we miss this?

For the last 3 years, I have walked thousands of times by these plants- our kitchen and main path is a mere 15 ft away! How have we not noticed them??

Today while I was washing recently dug potatoes to fry up for lunch, I spotted something red that looked a lot like Goldenseal...

WATCH ON DTUBE

@rainbowrachel

The Importance of Self Love

Hello gorgeous human! Sending you some of my love and light, and hoping you're having a great day!

In one of my recent posts I talked about getting massages here in Thailand, and how getting a massage is one way that I often show myself self-love. This got me to thinking about all the many ways a person can show themselves more love, and just how important it is to individual health, and health on a global level! So, I felt compelled to write more about it...

For me, getting a massage is a great way to show myself self-love. But in many other parts of the world, massages are not so easy to aquire, and not so abundant. In America, a typical massage costs about $50-$100, or maybe $30-$40 if you get a coupon or discount code through Groupon or something. But still, this is much more expensive than here in Thailand. And sadly, most government health insurance policies do not include alternative medicine in their plans (massage, acupuncture,...) so it is rare to get financial support in that way.

Conscious Relationship Check-ins: conscious communication in your love life

Hello beautiful being of light! Welcome, welcome ✨ ✨

I have recently realized that a lack of clear communication was to blame for almost all of the problems in my relationships -- romantic, friendly, familial, and work relationships.

Over the past year or so, I have been very actively working to improve my communication skills, and in my last post I shared 6 tips for helping to create more conscious communication in your life to help you grow in your relationships.
For this post, I would share a set of 8 questions that I use specifically in my romantic relationship to help create more conscious and clear communication, so that we can continue to grow and deepen our understanding of each other.

@vegan.niinja

How to reach pure health - My intentions

Hi lovely friends! Today just a short hello from me, I have been thinking about how I would formulate my intentions for this new phase in my life, and if I can write them down for you, so here they are!

This is what I feel I need for a happy healthy lifestyle. I would love to know yours! Write me a comment below!

• Do more of what you love
• Make love often (yes great sex!)
• Enjoy a green smoothie every day
• Listen to your body (when you practice this, you will sense what your body needs, children are master in this if you let them decide what to eat as long as it is not processed and unhealthy)
• Move your body (dance, run, workout or whatever brings you joy)
• Eat at least 80% healthy plantbased whole foods
• Live as much as possible in the moment, you will feel more relaxed and focused

Gratitude & feeling my life changing

Hi dear friends! Today I am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and bliss, the universe is listening to my prayers for a change in my life. I am ready to do what is necessary in order to follow and fulfill my dreams. Are you ready to take the steps that are required to really live the life you wish to live?

I have been waiting, or perhaps I just didn't believe that I can do all this what I am doing right now. I have started to react to what I always wanted to do, and feel more alive than ever. I love to be in this state of rapid self-developing. There are moments where I am excited and feeling limitless and just want to dance and run and focus on the doing. And then I have other moments of total peace inside me, and I feel that I simply rest in the moment. My life gets a lot easier when I am present and just stay in this moment. My mind is clear, my vision is clear, and my heart is pure.

@misslasvegas

People may surprise you when you least expect it - this just happened to me!

I have a problem with people in authority. There: I SAID IT! I think most people here share this with me or we wouldn't all be here. When I see the people in government on TV (in those rare moments when I watch TV, because we don't have TV) I cringe at their attempts to make it look like they actually care. Every now and then there is a politician that actually manages to do this believable. But most of the time: Nope... nothing. Whenever there is police on the road, or worse: a check-point for some reason (usually motor tax in this country), I get nervous, even if I have all my paper work in order. It could just be one or two cops on the road, not intimidating at all and yet I feel like it is this: However, lately I don't have all my paper work in order...Hassle with the car...

@nainaztengra

Today is Full Moon - A time to Break Free

A Full Moon is a period when we feel a sudden splurge in the energy levels, if you observe your behavior patterns you will notice that there are some days of the month where you just don't seem to have control over your emotions and if you observe those days they will be the time of Full Moon.

The frequencies of the moon is directly connected with our Mental body.
Mental Body, it means it is connected with our feelings, thoughts, emotions, desires. The moon frequencies have the ability to surface up the imprints from our sub-conscious mind to our conscious mind which then directly impacts our mind and one feels heightened activity in the brain.

So let's see astrologically what this period of Full Moon brings to us. This period is going to be a period of Break Free.

This period is also going to bring some seriousness since the Moon conjuncts Saturn. There can be some drama happening at home front and need to be careful with the usage of words. Challenging situations can emerge. The best thing to be done is lie low, set boundaries, get on to the Let Go attitude and avoid taking rash decisions.

A Day spent in the Mountains of Oman

It was a perfect weekend, while the temperatures in the city are soaring to almost 50 degrees, this weekend getaway seemed like heaven. At the top of the mountains the temperature was around 25 degrees and the icing on the cake was the rains which is a scarcity in this country. It was a wonderful weekend spent with my husband and some friends. At the top of the mountain was a small resort and they had pods right at the edge of the cliffs giving a spectacular view of the villages down the mountains. The resort had nothing much except for a good view and the swimming pool and ofcourse the good climate, but that's what you need for a relaxed weekend....

Our drive through the mountains was rugged and adventurous. The road was rough but good fun.

@solarsupermama

Openness, Honesty, and Divorce

Well, I haven't really talked about this yet. It has been a work in progress, and the progress has been zig zag and diagonal all over the place, but today I learned some things that made me ready to talk about it.

A little personal history. I have 4 children from 3 different guys. I married the father of the first one. That marriage ended abruptly - crash and burn style after about 3 years. A few months after we separated, I got pregnant in a rebound fling type deal. I hadn't been pregnant long when I started dating the guy who, in the end, took on the role of father to my second child. We were together for seven years, though we never married. That relationship ended even worse. We will call it nuclear explosion style.

Vision Board Extravaganza

I don't even remember the first vision board I did. Maybe in my early 20's? Of course I was doing collages in Sunday School and art class from a young age, but there wasn't that kind of intention with it I suppose. I have, however, always done them in collage fashion, which is fun but kind of a pain. That's probably why I haven't done one in a while. Also, there aren't very many magazines here, and the only ones I have are my kids', and they're either Nat Geo kids or Highlights, so not the best vision board material.

For starters, I wanna be a unicorn for a day, which I probably could have found in one of the kids' magazines.

@thelaundrylady

Abundant Peach Harvest - Four Year Old Trees

Peaches are the most delicious fruit I grow in my food forest. The amazing flavor of sun ripened peaches is so delectable and juicy. Once you start to devour them, their sweet juice will drip from your chin and there is nothing you can do to stop it. This is how my husband and I celebrate the arrival of Summer. Peaches purchased in stores are picked too early. Of course this has to be the case as they are shipped from distant places and need time for their customers to show up. However, harvesting early means the fruit is extra firm and on the sour side. So basically, the majority of store bought peaces are not as flavorful as they could be. This means they will never have the flavor of a fully mature, tree ripened peach. The only way to experience this is to grow your own peach trees, or know someone that does.

Sunflowers - Yellow Around the Homestead

Summer is officially here. My food forest is in full swing now. Everything is growing so fast. We have been harvesting potatoes, tomatoes, ground cherries, blueberries, peaches, squashes, zucchinis, a few peppers and some herbs. It is a busy time on the homestead. @knowledge-seeker has been hosting a Homestead Photography contest. This week's theme is Yellow Around The Homestead. You can find out more information about the contest with the link. This is my entry to the contest this week.

Veggies with Yellow Flowers
During the Summer, I have lots of yellow flowers & veggies around the homestead. Squash flowers and squash are yellow. Tomato flowers & some varieties of tomatoes are yellow. Cucumber flowers are yellow. Melon flowers are yellow. Tomatillo flowers are yellow. Ground cherries are yellow. Even my favorite marigold & calendula are yellow. (I know what you are thinking. If it continues like this, it is going to be a boring post. I promise it gets better)

@omdemian

@hopehuggs

7 Ways That Kids Help You To Remember to Live (Part 1)

At some point in our lives, a lot of us forget what it is like to see the world through the eyes of a child, and this I feel makes us lose out on some of the simple pleasures that life has to offer us.

So let's take a look at some of the things that children do that can actually help us lighten our days and relieve us of some of our burdens, even if it is just for a couple of moments.

(1) They Have No fear (Sometimes)

Where and when does fear come into play? My kids have a fear of spiders already, that came from neither me or their Dad. I often get called out to remove one from their bicycles, or if one decides to have a go on their trampoline, no matter how small or big it is.

@artemislives

Finger Root - for Northen Thai Fish Curries and "Strong Man Energy", Among Other Things.

The old Thai uncle who cleared our 100 year old Thai garden of several snake nests recently took a bit of a ground zero approach. Everything was removed except trees, known edibles, kitchen herbs, flowers for the Buddha and medicinal plants. It was a bit of a shock at first, but what an adventure it is to wander around now, in between monsoonal deluges, and find all kind of herbal and culinary surprises suddenly revealed and thriving now the undergrowth competition is gone.

Our garden was planted almost 100 years ago by the parents of our now 71 year old Thai landlady. It is like a Thai version of the Garden of Eden (only probably not quite as pretty) and everything has a use. A true Thai farmers' kitchen garden from the days when travelling to Chiang Mai was a full day's walk each way, and people had to grow everything they needed.

And so I was intrigued and have been watching "this" poke its head up above the soil and grow rapidly.

Why I am NOT a Bandaid Mom - and what I do here in hot, sweaty, bacteria-infested Asia instead

My daughter had a bicycle accident while I was napping on the sofa, and did her best to clean it and dress it without disturbing me. (Damn I love that girl!!) When I woke and she very tearfully showed me her bloodied and already nasty looking oozing knee, the careful plastic waterproof dressing was ripped off within a minute (after a serious tearful mama cuddle and much sympathy and praise for being so brave and self-reliant).

Getting a band-aid from me is HARD WORK. I admit. (Mental note to self: clean medicine box and toss that old nasty plastic stuff AWAY!)

@trucklife-family

Maintaining and Taking Control of One's Health - Gratitude and Positivity Challenge Day 7

I am away from my mountain oasis and I am currently staying just outside Galway City. Everywhere you look, everywhere you turn there are products being promoted to improve your health, opinions about what is healthy and what is not. Everyday people are bombarded by advertising about this wonder drug or supplement that will gain you better health. So many questions, so many health professionals that are recommended for us to visit, that we can consult with, to advise us and tell us how to remain healthy.

Health is indeed big business, so much money has been invested into the health industry.

Poetry, My Words are My Power and My Healing

Writing poetry has always been my greatest way of expressing myself. There have been times in my life when I could not vocalize how I was feeling but in poetry I found my voice. I found something that gave me power, that was a window into my soul, into the darkest parts of my being. My life was made easier and with it I discovered a way to heal myself.

Before coming onto Steemit, I had stopped writing poetry, in my twenties I was busy finding myself, partying and travelling. I had forgotten what is was to write, to express myself so freely and openly. And then I became a mother when I turned 30 and my life was full, I dedicated my hours to my children and my nomadic life. I wrote on and off but I never made the time to actually sit down, to sit with myself and write from my heart. It was always more in passing, a quick poem here and there in a notebook that I always seemed to lose and then forget about.

@holisticmom

Little Things Can Bring About BIG Changes

Greetings beautiful Steemians. Raising awareness about environmental issues and making positive changes is something very dear to my heart.

I've recently been involved in the environmental exhibition on the island where I live. On Sunday June 24th we held an event to raise awareness about ocean pollution and offer solutions to the public. The day began at 11am but we have been preparing for this for a number of weeks. My friend is excellent at crafts so she made a frame of a Pilot Whale from wicker. The idea was to use plastic found around the island from the trash walks to decorate the whale.

@zen-art

My gratitude list - so much things to love

Human beings (me included) are often ungrateful for so many things in their lives. We strive for perfection and are constantly wanting faster, upgraded, more more more. This is not a bad thing. Our strive for perfection will always be present and serve as a push into a direction of better and easier lives. There is nothing wrong with wanting better, on the contrary, you should never be satisfied. Proud yes, satisfied no. You can always do and be more.

Do MORE be MORE & experience MORE.

On that road to greatness, do not forget to show your appreciation for all the lovely things you have had a pleasure of experiencing in your life. There is so much to be grateful for. Every day is a blessing and every situation brings something to love.

Everything is connected

Imagine a world where you are never alone and everything is connected with your being. Imagine a place where your body is made of stardust and your thoughts are sending tiny little electrical signals which vibration gently corresponds to frequencies of everything in nature. Imagine a world where your surroundings have an answer to your every question. Wouldn't all that be lovely? Here is a secret, you already live in that world.

When you become aware of your connection with everything in the Universe, something in you changes, something snaps and transforms. You become more attuned to energies that were once only a distant wishful thinking. Greed, corruption, violence, deception are products that lack of understanding of that connection produced.

@thegreens

Steemit Action Summer Holiday Program (SASH-Program) - Engaging Young people in Community Service

Steemit Action Summer Holiday Program (SASH-Program) "using steem power (SP/SBD) to educate and engage young people in community service"

What is Community Service?
Community service is work done by a person or group of people that benefits others. It is often done near the area where the volunteers live, so that their community reaps the benefits of their work. Volunteers do not get paid to perform community service, though sometimes food and small gifts, like a t-shirt, are given to them.

What is SASH Program?
The Steemit Action Summer Holiday Program (SASH-Program) is a community service program that strives to use the power of steem to educate, inspire and engage young people of the North West Region of Cameroon to in community service during this 2018 summer holiday.

@celestialcow

Can a Candle Kill You?

I'm not talking about burning a candle whilst meditating, accidently falling asleep and burning yourself and your whole house down. But actually just breathing in the fumes of the candle, what the hell are they, have you ever wondered?

I've not been using candles for a long while, I was surprised when my family brought me vegan candles. I thought it was very thoughtful of them to do that, as they are not vegan and well it was something I just hadn't considered.

Fast forward a couple of months and I visit one of my friend's in Berlin, the guy I convinced should go vegan and he says that since then he has been pretty much vegan accept he accidentally brought mayonnaise. Well anyway this guy is obsessed with burning candles and even incense sticks. I had to put the incense sticks out because those standard ones you find everywhere, god knows what they put in them but they give me an awful headache. But the candles well they were atmospheric and harmless, well at least that's what I thought.

@stortebeker

Walk With Me – Exploring the Surroundings on a Rainy Day

Just as quickly as the multitudes of volunteers appeared, they vanished again once their time with us was over. Of course there were lots of emotional good-byes, and even a few tears were shed. It's amazing how close you can get in such a short time, but then again there is a similar mind-set that brought us together in the first place. Anyway, as Sunday rolled around there were only Anna and I remaining, feeling a bit lost in the kitchen, which had been such a bustling hub of volunteers just a day before.

Week of Volunteers – Getting Started on the Tires (finally!)

Things are coming along nicely at the Doighouse Earthship Build. Not that we've received the official Go Ahead from the authorities, but seeing that they are just about to do so, we want to have all our ducks in a row (or tires in this case). This week we also received a good number of volunteers, so we could tie up all our loose ends, and once we're given the green light we can focus 100% on the build.

A Multitude of Volunteers

Up until last week it was only myself and Christian, another guy helping out Tony and Susan, but suddenly the population of volunteers tripled. Jo-Ann, a friend of Susan's, arrived with her daughter Riley from North Vancouver. Also from Vancouver came Napo, who is originally from El Salvador, and a day later Anna arrived from England. Although none of these interested helpers is staying for much longer than a week, the many hands are much appreciated in finishing the numerous ongoing projects. At the same time the animated conversations over morning coffee are adding heaps to the delights of the project!

@senorcoconut

Happiness is in a Pile Of Rocks...

Who knew a pile of Rocks could make someone so happy?!?

A while back I wrote something about Building a Driveway by Hand.

It definitely worked as a road to get into that side of the property but it was bumpy and anyone with a truck that has a long wheel base couldn't make it up without bottoming out. The incline was a bit much but it was the place we picked for a road because we didn't have to cut a tree down untill our little moving truck came along. Even then, the tree we cut down was at the most 8 inches wide.