It's hard to believe that improving the Mother Earth's depleted soils can (and arguably should) start with a luxurious, fragrant foot bath, but there it is. To be more particular, it is a Magnesium foot bath: Magnesium Sulfate (yes, common garden-variety epsom salt) together with a few drops of STUNNING hand-distilled Juniper essential oil from friends in Crete - more about THAT another day in another @naturalmedicine post.
I use a whole handful of Magnesium Sulfate for my half-filled basin of hot water and positively HOARD the water when I'm done - yup - complete with dead skin cells etc. Why? I'm soooo mindful that ALL our health stems from soil. Good soil. Without it our food is depleted and reduced in nutrients, our health suffers and we are simply not able to participate, contribute, thrive nor, ultimately, to survive.
The magnesium depletion in Mother Earth's soils has reached crisis levels. Here's just an OLD example of how much magnesium has declined in our food sources: "Mg contents in wheat dropped an average of 19.6%, from a mean range of 115–126 mg per 100 g dry weight (DW) before 1968 to 91–101 mg per 100 g DW after 1968" I took that from a VERY sobering article on Magnesium in Soils from Science Direct; you can source the article Here. Bear in mind this depletion level was measured OVER 50 YEARS AGO.
What causes Magnesium depletion in soil? unbalanced crop fertilization (read Big Corporate Farming), water run off due to deforestation, and acidic soils (read reliance on chemical fertilizers instead of returning compost to the soil, which encourages healthy microbes and a balanced pH).
What is the primary role of Magnesium in plants? It is CRITICAL for photosynthesis, which is the main engine driver for everything going on in the plant. Reduced photosynthesis can be observed by yellowed leaves (officially called 'chlorosis'), leaf fall, stunted growth and poor fruiting yields. Some plants, like tomatoes, are more susceptible than others. These tomato leaves show a typical magnesium deficiency:
Image credit: University of Maine
And the fruits and vegetables consequently produced are, in turn, also depleted in magnesium levels.
Magnesium in our human body is one of the critical nutrients - it drives everything from heart function to our brain chemistry, balances emotions, controls sleep, muscle function and helps regulate the body's natural detox mechanisms. Magnesium depletion in our soils is already impacting ALL OF US in our natural health. Yes, I can (and do) soak regularly in Magnesium Sulfate and use my Pure Thai Naturals Magnesium Chloride Spray. But it doesn't solve Mother Earth's depletion.
So my #earthdeed, most mornings, is to take last night's magnesium water and mindfully give it back to the earth. I sprinkle it EVERYwhere in my garden. Onto my pot plants, in the herb garden, most anywhere there is something other than a weed. It's incredibly important to DILUTE the magnesium water first. It IS a salt and in too high a concentration, your plants will suffer.
So I fill my half-full magnesium water tub right up to the top with clean water, and I make sure to water with clean water first. I give the thirsty plants 10 mins to soak up and drink their fill first. And then I wander around like a benevolent princess with my little watering can, sprinkling that important magnesium goodness everywhere. Obviously rotate the areas of your garden where you sprinkle in, so that the salts don't build up out of balance in any one little patch of soil.
At the same time, I try to send a little GREEN BAREFOOT MORNING MEDITATION ENERGY to Mother Earth, sending gratitude and light and healing, along with my sorrowful apology for times I am less than supportive of Her.
So I really have 3 #earthdeeds: (1) taking better care of my eco-warrior-woman self enables me to be effective, (2) returning the magnesium water-wealth to the soil and (3) spending those moments in energy meditation to help restore an etheric imbalance we have collectively created.
BlissednBlessed in my Thai Natural World.
@earthtribe would love you to post about YOUR #earthdeeds and is actively supporting authors and content creators. Find them in the discord and #BeTheChange
Contributing to the @earthtribe. Cos it MATTERS.
This was such an informative and inspiring post. I love that you promote self care as well as giving back to the plants that we use. Thanks so much for sharing this magnesium info. I am learning so much from the naturalmedicine and homesteading communities! I’m going to be well equipped when it’s time to start gardening and growing our foods!
Lovely to hear that you have plans to grow your own food! 🌱 Happy to share as I learn...
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This is such an excellent post, I love how you are promoting earth care and self care as one and the same, which it is are we are nature and we really need to be looking at all the ways we can really give back whilst also looking after ourselves xxx
We ARE ONE with Mother Earth... this is real & not some fanciful philosophical notion; when we care for Her we DO care for ourselves!
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Awesome #EarthDeed! I am so proud to see you reporting on this, many people do not think about the little things, but the little things matter the most. Outstanding post, I love the three fold approach too. Blessings!
I think perhaps far more people actually DO little #earthdeeds most days without defining them that way... our challenge is to bring people to recognize & share them mindfully to encourage others and build a groundswell of earth activists, bit by bit, around the globe, every day. Challenge accepted!! 💚
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Thank you for the curation support @filipino 😊
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