Ah, the glorious days of late summer! We hope you have invested reasonable time into your tan lines, relaxing at our countless beaches and lakes and taking advantage of the season’s bounty of summer berries, tomatoes and squash.
As always, August’s care package includes a variety of resources to help you stay grounded and regulated, some holistic perspectives on rest and self-care, a diverse selection of music and film to enrich your mind with the goings on elsewhere in the world, seasonally relevant recipes and strategies to beat the heat and protect your lungs and a hidden gem in our Inner Harbour sharing the history of this land and it’s peoples.
We hope you are experiencing a little more ease and space this summer, so you can enjoy the warmth of the season and perhaps venture out for a vacation, or a staycation for the remaining weeks of summer. And also an opportunity to reflect and be grateful of the lessons learned enduring over a year of pandemic life, that maybe we have been able to reprioritize and consider what is truly important in our lives. We encourage you to continue supporting the brave folks at Fairy Creek as well as the Indian Residential School Survivors Society as we continue to find unmarked graves across the country.
And of course, a reminder that fall and the impending school year is just around the corner, that we should continue to be cautious, take the time to recharge and restore yourselves if possible and to hold in your mind that the sacrifices and precautions we’ve taken are for the collective good. We thank each and every one of you for holding the line, wearing a mask, participating in mutual aid and community care as well as continuing to support Heart & Hands by getting poked!
Stay hydrated, dip your toes in the ocean, stain your fingertips by picking blackberries and keep helping others in your community <3
- Learn more about the land that we occupy. Explore Songhees shares a variety of cultural experiences on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen people including a “safe-distance” walking tour departing from Ship Point at 12 noon and 1pm every Saturday and Sunday.
- Rest in the River, by Thich Naht Hanh
- Sylvia Boorstein’s Lovingkindness Meditation
“Feel yourself sitting here. Feel yourself surrounded by all these people. Feel yourself, I hope, happy and content.” Spend two minutes on a lovingkindness meditation with Spirit Rock teacher Sylvia Boorstein. - “Self-Care as Generational Healing”, from the On Being Podcast, Krista Tippet interviews Alex Elle.
Alex Elle complicates the idea of self-care, opening it up as community-care, as a way towards generational healing. And she’s revivifying the meaning of meeting one’s “inner child” for a new generation. - Sadly with our current climate change conditions, wildfires have become a seasonal occurrence on Vancouver Island. So in preparation, here is some Acupressure for chest clearing & lung support
- And a replay of Summer Strategies to Beat the Heat, from our former Medical Herbalist, Jenny McCartney.
Take advantage of all of the delicious seasonal fruits that keep you hydrated and cool. - Op-Docs is the New York Times’ award-winning series of short documentaries by independent filmmakers. From emerging directors to Oscar winners, Op-Docs brings you the very best nonfiction filmmaking from around the world. Christina recommends, “The Death Cleaner”, “Tiger and Ox” and “57 Days”
- Tiny Desk Concerts that amplify Black voices:
Moses Sumney: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Chika: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Esperanza Spalding: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Summer Walker: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
H.E.R.: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Leon Bridges: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Tank And The Bangas: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Smashed cucumbers
A classic Chinese and Taiwanese favorite, a flavorful, refreshing and slightly spicy use of our summer bounty. Japanese cucumbers can be found at Fujiya Japanese Market (3624 Shelbourne St.) or Saturdays at Moss St Market, locally grown by Umi Nami Farm. English cukes are also pretty good if you cannot find Japanese cukes. - Mango sticky rice
Vegan, gluten-free, simple and low cost. Ataulfo mangos are the tastiest for this recipe :)
