Welcome to Ione's Philosophical Blog
Where Skin, Soil, Nutrition, Spirituality, Science, Environment, Healing, and Human experience merge into ONE whimsical journey.
The Nature of Skin is the Nature of Soil
In order to understand my philosophical blog, I must first bore you with some details of my journey on this planet so far. My blog is a provocative, sometimes serious, sometimes silly flow of consciousness. Like most people, my life has not been a straight road. It has been a meandering path that often made no sense. Luckily, it is making more sense now. I have come full circle on a few important aspects of my life, therefore, I feel like I have the wind at my back now, instead of at my side.
Before I became a Massage Therapist & Esthetician, I was a Soil Scientist (B.S. from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo). I was passionate about organic farming and studying "living soil". I did everything from soil and plant nutrient analysis in laboratories, to living and working on organic farms and selling produce at farmer's markets.
Organic farming was hard work, in fact, I never worked so hard in my life. There was nothing more rewarding than being part of something bigger than myself; a movement that reconnected the farmer, food, consumer, and sustained the environment.
On the farm, I went to bed each night with basil and vegetables aromas still lingering on my fingers; contented from a productive day of work. I didn't drive to work, I rolled out of bed and walked out to the land. Nature was my new classroom and I felt relieved to be out of the western educational model. After many years of formal education, I was used to working hard with my brain. I quickly learned the serious physical demands of farming. My body ached with pain at night, the skin on my fingers cracked, joints swelled, and my muscles would be stiff and sore in the morning. I experienced exactly what it was like to be a 'farm worker'.
I never could have predicted the experiences I had on the farm. It changed my life forever. I miss it. But, most of all, I miss the passion I had at that time in my life. I loved reading books about farming. I loved doing something progressive and healing for the environment. I loved watching great blue herons glide in for landings on the farm. I loved working in rhythm with nature and my co-workers. I loved seeing tree frogs attached to zucchini plants. I loved eating foods right off the land with no chemical residues. I loved growing soil, not just plants.
My massage and skin care clients are always surprised to learn about my "dirt days", especially when they are getting a facial or a massage. "Soil Science??? What kind of major is that?" The truth is, I did not not grow up thinking about soil that much, I just took it for granted, like my skin. The soil sustains our very life. It is a porous, living, fertile, protective layer of the earth; it is the ecstatic skin of the earth. Our skin is a self regulatory system that protects, excretes, absorbs, controls temperature, senses pain and pleasure; it is like the brain inside out.
So, if you think about it, the soil beneath our feet and the skin on our body have much in common, they are both protective boundaries that are layered, full of microbes, mutable, and sensitive to changes in the environment. We could not live or function without either one. As you read my blog, you will better understand why I like to compare soil to human skin so much; they are both wondrous matrixes for supporting and protecting life.
For a moment in time, my life has come full circle, I am connecting an old passion with a new passion. This is why I am so excited about bringing organic skin care products into my business. When I smell the wonderful natural aromas of Eminence Organic skin care products, the scents carry me into nature, into the toiled hands of the farmer, into the rich earth, and my heart swells with joy. It is like reuniting with a timeless friend; time has passed, but we talk as if we saw each other yesterday.
I have rejoined the fight against global warming in a small way. Our planet is in trouble, it is important to support the organic farmer, choosing organic skin care products is one way to cast your vote for a greener cleaner world and healthier skin!!!
