Today’s art is brought to you by my newly harvested oyster mushrooms.
Elephants show us how there’s so MUSHROOM for improvement in how we function as a society. Elephants teach us that you can be big and powerful and also be gentle, empathic, and compassionate. By communicating through infrasonic vibrations, the wise matriarch keeps the herd cohesive and focused on working towards a common goal. They are loyal to each other, and because of this trust and love, they cooperate well as a team. The matriarch leads in a way that is protective, nurturing, and inclusive. Elephants are the strongest land mammal on earth. And they only eat plants. The matriarch elephant exemplifies what solid leadership looks like in how they serve, uphold, unite, and protect their entire community.
Day 1, after soaking the substrate overnight in water.
Day 7. Spraying them with water twice a day (and playing them classical music to support their growth!)
Day 10. Harvest time!
Tending to these mushrooms twice a day despite the chaos of everything happening in the world was also a way to check in with myself:
-Am I breathing deeply?
-Am I well hydrated?
-Feeding my body nutrient-rich foods?
-Balancing light with darkness (deep sleep)?
-Grounding and connecting with nature?
I never expected that growing mushrooms would also serve as a mode of self-care. Watching these double in size daily was a tangible reminder that what we feed, grows.
Hope you’re tending and taking care of yourself in deep, nourishing ways. Take an epsom salt bath. Walk barefoot and co-regulate your nervous system with the earth’s. Sing. Spend time in nature. Self-massage. Diffuse essential oils. Dance. Cold plunges/showers. Deeply nourish your body vessel with nutrient-dense food, herbs, nervines and adaptogens. Deep abdominal breathing. Play and laugh. Write in a journal. Make art.
Sending you all light and love.