Green Options

Earthbody is an eco spa in San Francisco that believes their path is to provide truly holistic therapy in balance with the Earth for the benefit of the body. “Rooted in contemplative practice and inspired by ancient healing traditions, we offer restorative bodywork, organic skincare, and herbal rituals through ecologically responsible principles.”

Earthbody’s guiding principles are simple:

“The body cycles through a daily process of balance and imbalance. Tuning into where we store tension can be the beginning of awakening to our full potential. We work structurally to release habitual patterns deep in the body…EarthBody Therapists have a background in Eastern and Western philosophies namely Thai, Shiatsu, Deep Tissue, Myofascial release, Trigger Point, and BodyMind Centering principles.”

Earthbody spa cares deeply about the body and the planet, believing that we can nurture both simultaneously.

My dear friend Cindy has been telling me about this friend of hers who helped create an organization called, Suppers for Sobriety. Her name is Cindy also.  Cindy number 1 (my friend) gently and persistently reminded me about Suppers for Sobriety for over a year. Cindy 1 is not an alcoholic, but in case you haven’t figured it out yet, the reason she pestered me for over a year about Suppers for Sobriety is because she knows I have been a recovering alcoholic for many years (19 as of August to be precise) and she also knows I’m a foodie.

I met Cindy 2 at Cindy 1’s wedding this summer - finally. She apparently had heard about me too. She was very enthusiastic about Suppers for Sobriety of course and pitched hard to get me to attend a dinner.

This past Sunday I and the Cindys went to a monthly dinner held at the other founder’s home in Princeton, New Jersey.

What exactly is Suppers for Sobriety?

When I decided to move to Southern California, well-meaning friends worried about my fair complexion. “I’ll just be known as ‘the girl with the hat,’” I replied breezily, while thinking to myself “…and the long sleeves, and the bandana around my neck.” And while I’ve been very successful at keeping my skin protected from the sun, I never imagined how freaking dry it is out here. Really dry. Desert dry.

I’m happy to report I’ve found a new oil that helps soothe and heal my dry and irritated skin: organic neem oil. Of course, it’s not new to everyone in India, where it’s been used in the Ayurvedic tradition for thousands of years. All parts of the neem tree (seeds, leaves, flowers, and bark) are used for preparing many different medical preparations, including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and sedative.