They are the lungs of the earth.

The Health Benefits of Trees

They prevent $7 billion in health costs every year by filtering air pollution—not to mention their psychological effects. New research says the closer you can live to trees, the better off you are.

Treehotel, Harads, Sweden Matt Cowan/Reuters

John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman stomped through the Midwestern winter snow with bare feet. His cloak was a lightly modified coffee sack with holes for his head and arms that—all of this according to a posthumous 1871 profile in Harper's—he deemed "as good clothing as any man need wear." He ate from buckets of pig slop, and when people welcomed Appleseed into their log homes, he would lie on the floor and deliver "news right fresh from heaven." He claimed to have frequent conversations with angels, two of whom promised to marry him upon his death if he agreed to abstain from marriage during his Earthly existence, which he did manage.
But Appleseed was also wholly obsessed with planting trees for the benefit of future generations, so his legacy as an American folk hero is due.
It is becoming increasingly clear that trees help people live longer, healthier, happier lives—to the tune of $6.8 billion in averted health costs annually in the U.S., according to research published this week. And we're only beginning to understand the nature and magnitude of their tree-benevolence.

"Trees in urban areas are substantially more important than rural trees."

In the current journal Environmental Pollution, forester Dave Nowak and colleagues found that trees prevented 850 human deaths and 670,000 cases of acute respiratory symptoms in 2010 alone. That was related to 17 tonnes of air pollution removed by trees and forests, which physically intercept particulate matter and absorb gasses through their leaves.
As you might recall from the June 1862 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Henry David Thoreau wrote, "I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least—and it is commonly more than that—sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements."

To be in the flow,

is to know,

is to glow,

is to grow.

If you look back and my previous blog posts you will see that there is a pattern here.

I've been on the road now for the past 25 days.  In some ways it feels like a lifetime.  So much has happen in this short time frame. Lots of friends and adventure.

I continue to grow more grateful each day.

This year my journey is different in that the time frame is tightened up in order to get back to the healing waters in Ojai.

Lots going on there and a very precious time to help create.

This year I am focusing on my three amazing places.  Bolinas, Mendocino, and Mount Shasta.

My first stop in Bolinas was epic.   I planned my arrival around low tide.  This way I could enjoy the healing hotspring on the beach.  Literally 20 feet away from waters edge, the ebb and flow.

It filled my heart to see an abundace of starfish this year after a die off the past several years.

This sacred hot water only reveals itself for several hours a day during low tide.  There is a cave in the back corner there, which is filled with sea anemones, crustaceans, and starfish.  It is amazing.  5 or 6 people can fit back in the cave while others enjoy the pool outside.  Back in the cave is the main source and the water is hot.

After a bit of time soaking in the hotsprings a jump in the cold Ocean water is invigorating.

Moving on up the coast.  This was a spectacular driftwood hunting stop I made.  As always I am looking for unusual pieces of driftwood for my art.

Bamb !  Ocean Plants.  Seaweed.

Life sustaining nourishment for us, same as the planet.

After a couple hours heading up the coast, past San Fransisco, I arrive at one of my many destination.

A large part of this northern journey I make each year, is to gather some of the best food on the planet and become one with the mighty Ocean.  

I spend a couple of weeks gathering and drying out seaweed for the year.  This is some of the best food on the planet and contains all the nutrients are body needs to sustain our temple.

This year I tried line drying the seaweed a bit, but decided its more simple to set out on tarps and let it dry that way.

As always my trip along the coast was amazing.  I made regular stops and new ones.  I spent time with my west coast family who mean so much to me.  Its was the first time I made the journey up the coast without Dakota, the Wolf. At times was difficult, but he is always with me in spirit.  I felt his strong energy often especially as I recognized those familiar places he would rest and play.  His physical presence was missed.  If I could give anyone a bit of advice on their four legged friends, I would say hug them often and appreciate them always.  They have been sent to you for a reason.  Its not by accident they are there with you.  They teach us a lot about ourselves and how to live in the moment. (LOVE)

  
 Now I am on my way to the Mecca.  Mount Shasta.  Here I will gather plant medicine, climb the mountain, and jump into the freezing cold spring water.  I will also be visiting Dakota's resting place.

Its great to be alive !

Love

JaySun

Ecotopia

A good man is a bad mans teacher.

A bad man is a good mans job,

No matter how intelligent the bad man is.

This is a secret of the universe.

     Lao Tzu



Greeting friends and family.

I continue to become a vessel of the light and feel Dakota's presence is strong within me.

Its been some time since my last post. My life has been evolving and I have been growing.

Recently I am spending lots of time up in mountains, .

The mountains are in Southern California, Ojai.

I have been visiting this land since 2006.  I would often journey here,to the healing natural land, as a getaway from the matrix. (LA)

It is a real sanctuary for me to connect with the source and be within.

The land has been named Ecotopia.   Many acres of forest, water ways, and canyon valleys.  It is a magical place that is still untamed and has the natural flow.

I am grateful to be one of the land stewards that help co-create and care for this sacred space.

This place pulled me into a new life flow, the next path I will walk for a bit on my journey in life.

Creating an infrastructure for the land has been my job in the last 3 months.  Building garden beds, trails, steps, seating areas, and many other needed structures for a functioning, Community Supported Agriculture / Sanctuary, for beings to connect to nature. (themselves)

I am very grateful to receive this wonderful gift, this magical space, as the next chapter in my evolution.

Thank you creator, great spirit of the light.



As always a picture is worth a thousand words.

We are learning and creating a land based on permacultural principles.

Part of our job is to created beautiful art spaces throughout the land with natural material.  My new great friend Jacob created the wonderful piece behind me.  The more finished piece I post toward the end.

This is a Shrine I started to create outside my van where I regularly park. 

Another piece by Jacob

My regular spot under a beautiful Oak Tree and Sycamore.

One of many sulfur hotsprings near by.

A bridge that takes you across the Matilija creek to a magical trail.  I spent some time re-assembling this giant tinker toy after it had been taken down.

Crowded rows of Sunflowers growing on the land with Squash at the base.

A great place to rest by the creek.

A mandala created by Jacob.

An outdoor shower area I created.  I searched out for the stones around the area, placed them, then installed the post with shower head.  This was a fun piece. 

More stone work I did in the shower pathway.

 More stone work I did.

 One of the many healing sulfur hotspring in the area.

Night fire during a celebration.

 One of the many panorama canyon views surrounding the land.

An old and glorious Magnolia tree established in the area over a couple hundred year ago.  Canopy almost covers half a block.

In coming to a close with this post I would like to express my gratitude for the experiences I am having in life.  I am so grateful for the love I shared with Dakota and the human I became with him. 

I am so grateful to continue my journey in Ojai on this sacred land.  I will say, it is not easy.  I have learned a lot about staying strong in this type of environment, that is super sunny dry and has less oxygen.  Its one thing to come up and visit for a day or two, its a totally different thing to be here everyday and do hard work while there.  It is very revealing in how to keep our temple fit and how it is very similar with other life forms. There really is no difference.  Its kinda like learning about how to take care of a garden, which is the best teacher of learning to take care of ourselves.

Lots to be grateful for.  I am really grateful for my new family at Ecotopia.  Its been really beneficial for me to commit myself with others in reaching a common direction.  Coming together with all our strengths and weaknesses to create a whole.  One thing I've become very aware of is, when there are multiple people, there are many multiple right answers for things.  One persons wisdom is another persons learning experience.  They both need to come together.  The only time a problem creeps in, is when ego is calling the shots. : (   When ego takes a back seat then the solutions present themselves. : )

Thank you Julian, Jacob, Anomika, David, and Gunnar.

At the moment I am up in northern California harvesting seaweed for the year.  I will then be heading over to the Mountain (Mekka) ( Mount Shasta) for a needed rest.  I plan on doing several post over the next couple weeks.

I am grateful for all of you and sending good vibes your way.  

 

 Love JaySun 

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. Lao Tzu
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/laotzu132303.html

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. Lao Tzu
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/laotzu132303.html

Exploring Mount Shasta with a great friend. I am grateful.

Its been a few months since Dakota's Transition.  Life continues with and without him.  I feel a very strong connection to him even now.  In many ways, more than ever, he is a part of me.  Change is inevitable and in my new situation I am making the transition.  There are still moments when I am shocked he is no longer here with me physically.   After that initial shock, a feeling of Saoy comes over me, that vibrates every cell in my body.  Saoy is a word I just made up to describe a feeling of Sadness and Joy I experience wrapped into one.  Its like you cannot have the joy with having the sadness.  Or they are one in the same feeling.
The sadness is temporary, the joy is external.
Anyway life is not the same, nor will it ever be, but life is wonderful and beautiful.

I have much love in my life from many wonderful people.   I love all and everything for the most part on this beautiful planet.  The love is my strength.  The more I can love the stronger I get.  There are several  special people in my life who I consider my great friends and give me strength.  One such person is a friend I met on Venice beach, back in 2005, after Dakota and her god companion Mecca, started playing together on the beach.

This post is about the great time I experienced on Mount Shasta, with my great friend Jenny.

Shortly after Dakota's transition Jenny decided to visit with me here on Mount Shasta, and share the wonderful magic of the mountain and celebrate Dakotas transition.

It was another very powerful gift given to me at the moment to help me deal with Dakota leaving.


I picked here up at a two lane, tiny little airport, in Redding California.  We headed back  towards the mountain, and after grabbing a few supplies in Shasta city and going to the farmers market, we made are way to Panther Meadows campground on the mountain.



It was really great to be able to plan and prepare for an awesome camping trip with such a good friend.  I've enjoyed the company of many great people on my adventures outdoors, but only had a few times to be the host for an outdoor adventure.  It helped immensely in taking my mind off Dakota.
I even prepared/setup the first camp site for us the day before her arrival.  It was complete with a full stack of fire wood,  tent, and amenities to make are camping experience great.  It was a wonderful site with a spectacular view tucked away in a small cozy red fir mountain grove.

From that point on the magic began.

Our first camp site was at panther meadows around 8000ft.  Fortunately, and Unfortunately, we will still had cell phone service. The setting was beautiful and cozy in this surreall mountain setting.

 

Jenny capturing a spectacular view from one of the many different locations we explored around the mountain.

Me getting ready to hike Panther Meadows. 

Heart Lake.  A small high elevation lake located up from Castle Lake.
Both of these lakes are magical mountain lakes.  We were taken by the beauty and the serenity of it all. 

This is a must if you make it to these parts.

Our next campsite.  I believe we broke down and set up camp 4 times.  Each place was wonderful and revealed certain beauty of the land.  Its really nice to have two people to do this.  There are several chores each time we move camp.  Packing, loading, gathering cutting firewood, tent, supplies, etc...  Jenny and I got into a groove that worked well together. Its always nice to have things set and ready to enjoy the time.    I really love the chores though in the outdoor setting.
 

Jenny at Heart Lake

A view, from towards the top of Squaw Meadows.  The meadows on the mountain are magical energy vortexes that spring with life.  This is were water bubbles up out of the mountain and creates many small veins of water spreading down the mountain side.  Refereed to as a meadow.  Where this happens grasses grow, herbs, mushrooms, creatures, trees,  all spring to life.  This is were you will find medicine in many ways.

McCloud river.

This is when we just walked up to the most spectacular McCloud water falls.  This might be the most sacred place I've ever experienced, besides in the womb.  No picture could ever capture the beauty and magic going on at this location.

Jenny taking a moment to absorb the light.  If we always follow the light we will always be safe.

There were many stunning sunrises and sunsets.

We were blessed to experience this adventure during the Full Moon.  In fact, it was a Blood Full Moon.  The energy was vibrant and lit up the land night.

  

3rd campsite near Castle Lake.

Two rainbow trout fresh from the river.  We were blessed as we were walking back from McCloud Falls.  A camper had caught these that morning and gave them to us.  We gave thanks for the beautiful fish and stuffed them with veggies, butter, and spices.  We wrapped them in foil and grill them over the fire.  Every meal we had was awesome, as I like to cook and prepare nutrient packed meals, but this one was sacred and  nourishing in a much deeper way.  Thank you my friend the fishing camper.

Lake to the Gods, Castle Lake

Now here is a happy camper.

Grasshopper.  

Jenny taking a moment to meditate.

Sacred Headwaters on Mount Shasta.  This is the start of the Sacramento River.  This Mountain is the start of many sacred water ways that run throughout the land like the blood in our bodies.  Nourishing and bringing life to everything around.  Here at these headwaters is where life begins.  Its were we vibrate with  the source.  There is a constant flow of other human beings coming to nourish there body, mind, and spirit.  It is the original church.  The place were people gather to wash themselves clean inside and out.  To become better at being spiritual beings having a human experience.

On the Mountain during the blood Moon Ceremony.  It was spectacular.  Hundreds of people gathered near the top of the mountain to celebrate the blood moon.  There was dancing around fires, drumming, singing, as we watched the sky turn dark and light back up again.  The white moon turned blood red and back again to the beaming shine white, it was.  

  

I am grateful.  Grateful for Mount Shasta, and all mountains on this planet.  I am grateful for the adventure I experienced with a good friend.  Together we shared life.  The closer I get with others, and the more I love,  the more I understand why I am here.
To love.    

Thank You Jenny !
I love you.