Welcome to the Grounded Path, your source for inspiring articles on self-reliance.
This is a gateway to comprehensive articles covering topics such as live blood analysis, soil microbiome, human microbiome, regenerative gardening, and kitchen alchemy including fermentation, preservation, and herbal medicine.
The Grounded Path is part of the larger Living Ground Project, a thriving site in southern Ecuador where these practices come to life through hands-on work, vibrant gardens, and a growing community. Alongside the blog, I also offer in-depth online courses on these subjects and have published five books including Wild Plants, Live Blood Analysis for the Layperson, The Soil Microbiome, The Human Microbiome, and The Immune Garden. Each book provides practical guidance for cultivating resilience, health, and harmony with the earth.
Living Ground Recent Posts
Still Becoming Living Ground
Sometimes I stop and honestly ask myself what I am doing. Not in a dramatic way. Just a real, quiet question that comes up when I…
The Life You Have and the Life You Want
Author note:I am at the seaside…a space that always conjours a deep need to write, reflect and share…. I have been watching change move through my…
Listening to What Is Already Speaking
I am at the seaside…which always provides me with an instinctual thrust to muse and write….to reflect and respond…. There is a steady learning that comes…
Goji, Coffee Berry and Clove Bud
Morning and Evening Elixirs For Blood, Liver, Brain and Microbial Balance When I started to really understand microbiology, I quietly moved most of the strong germ…
Life as a Teacher
As a little human at 10, I learned that to be seen I had to play my part. My job was to be good, to excel,…
What Weeders Know
When a garden begins to mature, the whole feeling of the place changes. Perennials settle in and claim their spots. Annuals slip between them, filling the…
Healing Diabetes Naturally: A Rising Need in Ecuador
Diabetes is no longer a rare condition. It is now one of the most common health struggles in Ecuador and across the world. Around 589 million…
Becoming Living Ground Part One
The Beginning of Living Ground Sometimes you do not set out to build a project. Sometimes a project builds you. Living Ground did not begin with…
Becoming Living Ground Part Two
There is a quiet movement happening now. You might have felt it too. It is a movement to withdraw, silently. Something deep inside you knows that…
A Pilgrimage Rooted in Soil
Pilgrimage usually brings to mind sacred paths across continents, places where saints left traces of miracles behind them. My pilgrimage has stayed closer to the ground….
Bougainvillea: Thorny Climber, Healing Medicine
Bougainvillea grows where it pleases. It climbs, weaves, and stretches upward toward the sun, wrapping itself around trees, fences, and walls in search of light. Its…
Weekends at Living Ground
At our Gratitude Café, we are bringing life back to the table, from the soil to the plate. Each week we prepare something special from our…
The Living Ground Project is a visionary initiative dedicated to fostering self-reliance and sustainable living through hands-on education and community empowerment. Our mission is to create a thriving, living example of holistic sustainability, from nurturing healthy soil to cultivating diverse foods and medicines, and transforming these into nourishing, delicious products. We aim to be a comprehensive educational center, teaching both locals and visitors the skills needed for self-sufficiency, while also providing opportunities for eco-tourism and cultural exchange. The project encompasses a natural health food store, café, and apothecary, showcasing the practical applications of our sustainable practices. By offering rare and unusual plants and seeds, we promote biodiversity and encourage others to explore unique cultivation methods. Our vision extends to developing a product line of essential oils and producing microbe-rich inoculants, emphasizing the importance of soil health and natural farming methods. We offer land consulting services to help others regenerate their soils and transition away from chemical dependency. Additionally, we host health and healing retreats, workshops, and educational programs focused on human health, particularly the human microbiome, aiming to reduce dependency on pharmaceuticals. Central to our vision is the creation of meaningful local employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, demonstrating that self-reliance and community support can go hand in hand. Through these diverse efforts, the Living Ground Project aspires to be a beacon of sustainable living, inspiring individuals and communities worldwide to embrace self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and collaborative growth
