Guest Post- Getting Down and Dirty

I want to thank Yancy from A Green Spell for writing this article on getting ourselves back to our natural state. Yancy is a fascinating lady who lives a vegetarian lifestyle and a dedicated yoga student. She also owns 5 Seeds Natural Beauty and makes some wonderful all natural products.

One of the things that troubles me most about our modern society is our lack of willingness to get in touch with the natural states of our bodies and the natural rhythms of life. I often find that people are horrified or simply disgusted by the most natural parts of life, and yet don’t have any problems eating food made from chemicals, lathering up with soaps full of hormone disruptors, or dumping poisons into their yards to make the grass greener.


After more than a year of blogging about my personal adventures in getting back to nature, I have heard from a whole lot of people who want to try similar changes, but who are afraid or anxious. Some find it disgusting, while others are afraid of being judged by friends and family.


But when it comes right down to it, I think people should pick a project that scares them a little and dive right in. There are three things that I often encourage people to try. Not all of them will work for everyone’s preference or lifestyle, but it’s worth it to pick one item off the list and see what happens.

Shampoo and shower less often.

I listed this first because I personally think this is the easiest of the three – though many may find this the most difficult! But here’s the deal: Our bodies are infinitely intelligent, and are built to maintain themselves without a lot of interference. The more we interfere with bathing, soaps, hair sprays, shampoos, etc., the more we cause our bodies to react in order to get back in balance.
Showering and shampooing strip our natural oils, causing the sebaceous glands to produce more. This is why many people believe that showering less will make your hair or face oilier – when in fact, just the opposite is true. It will appear oilier temporarily, until the body processes the new routine, and stops producing excess oil.

Showering less helps your skin and hair stay healthier, saves you time and money, and is an earth-friendly practice. If you find yourself comfortable with this challenge, you may even want to try reevaluating your body care products. You can read more about skipping showers and natural body care at my blog, 5 Seed.

Compost.

Composting your food waste is actually much easier than you might think. And even people who live in apartments can compost. If you have the space, you can create a simple compost heap in a multitude of ways, or use a bin (many are available on Craigslist). If you want your compost to develop a little more quickly, then worm bins are the way to go. They can be stored in your kitchen, garage, or laundry room without taking up a lot of room.
For most people, composting will significantly reduce garbage output. It’s a great way to keep food waste out of the landfill where it doesn’t decompose naturally (or quickly, for that matter). Further, it is surprisingly fun to witness the transformation of food into compost (and a great educational project for kids, as well).
If you are doing everything correctly, compost piles don’t stink up your yard, and worm bins will be odor-free, except for an occasional mild stinky whiff when you open the bin. There are hundreds of blogs and websites out there that can help you find a system that works for you. And let me tell you from personal experience that it is incredibly rewarding to spread your own compost over your garden beds!

Try eco-friendly feminine hygiene products.

This is the last suggestion I make to people as I’ve found that many women are horrified by the thought of using cloth pads or menstrual cups. I hear them say that it’s either too disgusting to get that “up close and personal” with our monthly blood, or it’s simply unhygienic.
To tackle the former argument, I’m not sure what the fuss is all about. Most of us don’t cringe in horror when we cut our fingers. Blood is blood. And I’m of the mind that the blood that comes from our own bodies, the blood that represents our power to create life, should be something that we respect and understand. I know there are people who truly revile blood of any kind, and I understand that. But if you are just a little squeamish about it, try these products just to see what it’s like. It’s not nearly as gross as it might seem. In fact, many people who use menstrual cups or cloth pads report having a better relationship with their body, and a better sense of their menstrual cycles.

As for the latter argument, the answer is simple: False. If you properly care for menstrual cups and cloth pads, there is nothing to fear as far as germs go. Check out Lunapads for more information on these products, menstrualcups.org for tips and support, and look for cloth pads on Etsy, where you can support small businesses.

Are you prepared to try one of these challenges? Can you redefine your relationship with the natural cycles of our bodies and the world around us? Are you ready to question what’s really “dirty,” “gross,” or “disgusting?” Take a look at the list again and pick the one that scares you the least. You don’t have to tell anyone what you’re doing. Just dive right in and let yourself get down and dirty.

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