Desert Flower

I love so many things about the desert. The sky is incredible if you have ever caught a brazen sunset or admired the beauty of gazing at the sparkling celestial night. There is so much healing to be had from the empowering Sun, which I love upon my face to the mystic exotic landscape of plants including cacti, succulents, or a rare, budding, desert flower. The desert regions are rich with indigenous culture which through art and ceremony connect the past to the present.

“If you sing of beauty though alone in the heart of the desert you will have an audience”

— Kahil Gibran

Agave

The most common desert plant agave, is used to to make tequila. Agave is a family of succulents distantly related to the lily family, but not related to any cactus. Also called a maguey. The plants grow in the southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America. Agave is poisonous when raw, but has a sweet, mild flavour when baked or made into a syrup. The juice of the blue agave, cultivated primarily in the state of Jalisco, is used to make tequila; other agave species are used to make mezcal, bacanora, sotol, and pulque. There are more than 300 agave species. An agave plant takes eight to 12 years to mature. The plant has a bulbous body called a pina. The thick, spiny blue-green leaves extend six-eight feet at all angles like spears. Mexican law (see normas) state a product must contains at least 51% blue agave sugars to be called tequila. Because of the shape of the agave leaves are similar to the outstretched fingers of a human hand, prehispanic Mexican Indians called the plant "metal" or "metal" which means "hand."

Essential oils

Some other plants from arid regions to note which I daily use in the form of essential oils for self care include:

• Juniper Berry - Acts as a cleansing and detox agent. May benefit problematic skin. Supports healthy kidney function. Helps relieve tension and stress.

• Lavender - Eases muscle tension. Helps skin recover quickly. Used for its calming qualities.

• Melaleuca - Renowned for it's rejuvenating effect on the skin. Promotes healthy immune function. Protects against environmental threats.

• Rosemary - Supports healthy digestion. soothes muscles aches and pains. Helps reduce nervous tension and fatigue.

• Cypress - Assists with clear breathing. Soothes tension. Supports localized blood flow. Beneficial for oily skin.

If you would like to learn more about the therapeutic benefits of essential oils please private message me or request info here...http://elegantsavage.us10.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=9f46478e61d16e521c349dd18&id=aaec29a2b0

DIY Recipe

My own collection of succulents 

Earthships

are 100% sustainable homes that are both cheap to build because they are made out of recycled materials. They can provide free food! Each Earthship is outfitted with a greenhouse that grow crops year-round, no matter the climate. This means you can feed yourself with only the plants growing inside of your house. The entire roof of the Earthship funnels rain water to a cistern, which then pumps it to sinks and showers when required. “Grey water” is used to water the plants. What is super cool about an Earthship is their ability to sustain comfortable temperatures year round. Check out more details here: http://www.highexistence.com/10-reasons-why-earthships-are-fing-awesome/

Indigenous Culture:

The desert regions throughout the world are rich with indigenous culture and tribes that are still alive and well today. Thanks to these people traditions of ceremony, storytelling, medicine, agriculture,  and the arts have been practiced, passed down, and preserved through the ages. There are many lessons rooted in history and ancient wisdom here to be honored and considered sacred. The Zuni tribe in the New Mexico region of the US have lived in the American Southwest for thousands of years. Their cultural and religious traditions are rooted, in large part, in the people's deep and close ties to the mountains, forests, and deserts of this ancient Zuni homeland. Primarily being farmers, the Zuni raise maize and wheat and engage in Jewelry making. It has become an important additional source of income for the people.

One way the Zuni people express these cultural traditions is through their art. Check out this ceremonial dance:

Sungazing

Sungazing is an ancient practice also known as sun eating. It is a strict regimen of gradually allowing sunlight into your eyes at specific periods of the day. The goal when implementing the practice is to look into the sun at periods of the lowest ultraviolet-index which occur at sunrise and sunset each day. In essence, sun gazing provides beneficial stimulation to the body. The process itself negates the body’s innate need for food and retrains it to run on the energy of the sun. As such, the process helps increase energy, clarity of thinking, and overall health. NASA research suggested that the process could make an individual maintain a level of health that was far better in comparison to other individuals of the same age.

The process has also been shown as an effective treatment for specific conditions. Melanoma, non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, and a number of other cancers benefit from the treatment. Likewise, the increased vitamin D gained from the process is a known healing agent.