Adytum Sanctuary

Leaving a Nourishing Legacy

Leaving a Nourishing Legacy

By Katherine A. Carroll, NTP, Owner & Hostess of Adytum Sanctuary

The best thing right now we can do for ourselves and our family is to work on our edible legacy by investing in building the soil of our land and the “soil” of our gut microbiome where about 70-80% of our immune system either thrives or struggles to survive. This may very well be far more meaningful to future generations than leaving money in the bank as our legacy inheritance.

Food security is an increasing concern and will not cease to be as Bayer and others like them along with Big Ag destroy soil and our microbiome in the name of “feeding the World.” Participating with the National Health Federation (NHF) these last nearly-nine years, shaping global food policy at Codex Alimentarius (“Food Code” in Latin), and having an insider’s role in determining Global pesticide residues, GMOs, food additives and contaminants and more, it is imperative each of us takes food security, integrity, and body sovereignty seriously. Industry influence and greed are rampant at Codex. They don’t care about your health. We must control our own health and the food that goes into our sacred body. Because my parents pioneered crop dusting in Cuba and other places, it is my privilege to work from the local level stewarding this organic land here and the Global level at Codex Alimentarius to counter the harm done from pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals.

In 2013 I wrote for Health Freedom News, “… In the past people said the pen was mightier than the sword. In the future, it will be the chip that is mightier than the sword. The economy, not weaponry, is the new criterion for a superpower…In the future, it is clear that a superpower can maintain its status only through economic might [versus weaponry as in the past], and that in turns stems from science and technology.” Michio Kaku, Physics of the Future.

Kaku alludes to a new warfare in his fine book, Physics of the Future. Truly the last terrain conquered will be through science and technology. Historically warfare has captured land and resources. The new warfare seeks to conquer the territory of the human soil: our gut microbiome which influences our mind.

Like Lawrence of Arabia, who revolutionized modern warfare by avoiding annihilation of the enemy but leaving a ragged, demoralized band of soldiers in his wake that would never achieve the hero’s welcome but who were still of some use, so the U.N., operating through Codex Alimentarius in the Global theater of war, seeks to infiltrate and attack the sanctity of the human being with contaminants, additives, toxins, and to incapacitate or destroy us from within.

Understand the gut-brain connection and simultaneous attacks on the body and mind through glyphosate, fluoride, lead, 5G, and countless other dangerous synergistic interactions leading to debilitation and increased ability for outside control. You can read more here: https://thenhf.com/2020/02/09/conquering-the-last-frontier-the-terrain-of-the-human-soil-and-codex-alimentarius/

Currently, grocery stores shelves in quarantined cities in China due to the corona virus are emptying. Already living in what I call “stacked housing,” these people are vulnerable. In the past, many left rural areas heading to the City, like a moth to the flame, in hopes of abundance. Like hitting the jackpot on a first-time slot play, it may raise the bottom line for a time, but the flip side of wealth concentration by City-dwelling is extreme vulnerability. It’s not a gamble I’m willing to take.

Neither was Burnt Ridge Nursery owner, Michael Dolan who left the City for the country year ago to grow his own organic food. We had the intense privilege and pleasure of sitting in Michael’s office for nearly two hours absorbing what amounted to a college lecture. We were taken through a variety of topics pertinent to maximizing the significant investment that we continued to make in hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts, hard cider and dessert apples (one with the highest antioxidant level available!), aronia berries, and much more that were loaded in the back of our truck ready to plant on our organic acreage at Adytum Sanctuary.

A Portion of our $1000 Soil Investment

By the time our frigid walk over his nursery land was completed, I had a new vision for increasing yields per acre by planting chestnuts between our fir trees which are currently in the Washington State Timber Program. Michael had brought chestnut varieties over in years past from Europe. Exotic names such as Marron De Val De Susa (Castanea sativa) were further elaborated by explaining their origins in a valley between France and Italian Alps that was covered with these particularly good chestnuts. I could almost see it as he spoke and wished I could know them intimately as Michael did; each tree like a family member coming to live on his land and sharing lifetimes – and soon ours too.

Chestnuts height and fast-growth can keep ahead of our current 6’ fir-forest crown that is forming. At $8 a pound, it is a lucrative investment opening options beyond personal consumption, particularly with most chestnuts still being imported into America. My plant-addiction didn’t stop there, however. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I said, “Who needs chocolate and diamonds when there are persimmons, paw paws, mulberries, and fuzzy kiwi to be had?” Truly, I want some of everything here to use and to share!

We Enjoyed a Private Tour in Dormant February

Later, after seeing this Farm Tour on Michael’s website, I didn’t realize that we basically received an off-season private tour! I wrote Michael an email of great gratitude. Botany in general is a lost and dying art. Adytum guests are curious and often ask what a tree, shrub, or herb here is called. We are committed to teaching as much as providing food for ourselves, our family and guests, and the food bank as it spills over into abundance. I want to empower others to produce their own food, to control it- even if it is just in a windowsill. I hate what is happening at the U.N. level with food and nutritional supplements. We need so many more who steward the land with respect and reap the rewards of true “health insurance” through food we grow. Even simple bamboo is massively nourishing and healing as I wrote last year in Health Freedom News: https://thenhf.com/2019/06/06/bamboozled-by-bamboo/

As we face nutritional supplements being denied access or stripped of potency, and healing herbs being sequestered for Big Pharma for their use, we must teach others to use food, properly grown, to sustain their lives and health. And of course, we must keep fighting harmonization globally and the attacks against our personal sovereignty. I feel quite strongly about the latter particularly.

As I said above, the best thing right now we can do for ourselves and our family is to work on our edible legacy by investing in building the soil of our land and the “soil” of our gut microbiome. It is imperative each of us takes food integrity and body sovereignty seriously and focus on leaving a nourishing legacy for our loved ones.

The Destination That Became a Staycation by Katherine A. Carroll

Blog, Health

Adytum Sanctuary and Lake Mayfield and Vineyard Beyond

August 30, 2010, Adytum Sanctuary’s first guests walked in— literally. I wasn’t accustomed to someone walking into my private home and it took me aback. It was the transition night that turned Adytum Sanctuary into a public space. I admit, it took some getting used to. The fact these two men were the equivalent of big handsome, movie star-type hunks from Hollywood and Venice Beach, California didn’t ease my anxiety…. I was intimidated on all levels. Over 4000 guests and eight years later, I’m cured needless to say, and I absolutely love my path in life and my incredible international guests.

Later, when leaving, the men said, “You’ll never be a destination location Kat. You’re going to need a stable of activities, something to draw.” And the suggestions were made for zip lines from the ancient, towering Fir, an obstacle course, a forest Frisbee golf course. I took notes. The target market, everything. Who was I to say?

Walking from the Back of the 16 Acres Toward the Lake Mayfield at Adytum

It didn’t take long to note the Frisbee golf discs sat largely unused. The zip-line was out due to insurance. And even though we worked so hard on the 16 acres, cutting new trails, putting seats at vista areas, their suggestion just never “took.”

Instead, reviews on social media began using the forbidden word “destination” without any promotion or prompting.

“WOW! The Adytum is a destination unto itself. If you’ve never stayed here, what are you waiting for?!! It’s the loveliest & most tranquil place I’ve ever stayed at.”

Extravagant privacy on top of it all. Guests rarely run into anyone, apart from the German Shepherd and feline hosts, unless they seek out company for a walk or a question.

Bali on NHF Business. Such a LONG flight…I needed a Staycation.

Instead of sequestering secretly and privately away at Adytum Sanctuary, most destination spots are overrun with tourists, are overpriced, and generally already Instagrammed to death so the first blush of meeting is far from a virginal encounter. I travel a lot, domestically and internationally. As most know, the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rainier and other destination locations are lovely, but the crush of humanity and the resultant commercialism detracts from their simple, powerful message.

So staycations came along to counter this trend. A staycation has been defined as a period of time when we stay home and enjoy leisure activities within driving distance. Overnight accommodations aren’t required.

We can all understand the need for recharging and refreshing without the drama of delayed flights, cancelled (always claimed “on accident” of course) hotel reservations, congested traffic, long lines, travel sicknesses, etc. and think we’d have been better off using that precious vacation time on something that truly met our needs. Even our annual trip to Whistler, B.C. to enjoy the timeshare we’ve loved for years lost its appeal after enduring Seattle traffic between Adytum and then-Club Intrawest, not to mention getting stopped at the Canadian border in long lines and sometimes-searches. Plus our new 4K TV was far better than even their upgrade. Everything was better at Adytum from the food onward. And I’m not a fan of meeting huge black bears on my bike rides nor riding at altitude for that matter. We have treat mountain biking right here, even on our 16 acres. After a while, we started staying home. The real test was “can I stop working here and really relax?”

I haven’t fully mastered it, I admit. But others have and in the best way possible. That’s when it struck me. You see, a staycation is actually better enjoyed and more fully when it is NOT your home you are staying at. What’s been needed is a destination that is still relatively secret…. As a recent guest echoed, and we have heard it all before, “I think I’ll just keep Adytum Sanctuary all to myself.” Couple that resolve with, “Adytum is a destination unto itself” and you have a formula for a truly great staycation:

Sunset over Lake Mayfield; View from The Orion Suite Courtyard

ADYTUM SANCTUARY: THE DESTINATION THAT BECAME A STAYCATION.

And here, you have built-in tour guides. Not physically but at least in common sense advice and experience. We have explored the world-renowned great mountains: Rainier and St. Helens and everything in between. We know when to go (of course with climate change this is becoming trickier) and where to eat, what to see and do. One day we will write our own guidebook. But for now, we are too busy maintaining our destination resort that has morphed into the ultimate staycation.

When a car pulls up Friday at 4 p.m. for check-in and doesn’t move until check-out several days later, you know you’ve really created something special. The “vortex effect” is obvious. I have to confess, when I lived in Olympia, Washington, the capitol city, for over twenty years I had only been one time to Lake Mayfield. Had I not been invited specifically, I’d not have even known it was here. Like everyone else, I was heading to the “real” destination: Mt. Rainier. Highway 12 was just a channel to that end and Mossyrock? Who cared? I didn’t until someone told me I’d put Mossyrock on the map after Adytum became a success. Now that’s something to consider!

Over the years, by either reading reviews of others’ experiences here (and some of the best remain on Airbnb but you are too smart to book there directly- ka ching, ka ching…) or by simply following their own inner wisdom, guests have learned to stop. To park the car. To truly relax here in the majestic rugged beauty and exquisite serenity; to reconnect with all that really matters in life in the beauty and peace and extravagant privacy that is Adytum Sanctuary.

I have witnessed the Friday faces, full of stress and later juxtaposed against a complete change in countenance when the same guests leave, full in spirit again. Whether they take day trips or just remain, whether they enjoy the two apartment/house-sized suites, fully private from the main house and others, have sunshine or rain, the impact Adytum has is always the same.

Adytum Sanctuary is a healer and nurturer in her own right and not merely a staycation or destination location.

Beyond Beautiful Paradise at Mt. Rainier; 1 Hour from Adytum Sanctuary

We invite you to consider using Adytum Sanctuary as your home base next time. The two major mountains are about an hour away and some of our favorite hikes, Covell Creek and Angel Falls; only 45 minutes away. Our best-kept secret, kayaking in a particular spot on the Tilton River alongside 2’ long rainbow trout with waterfalls, eagles, and more is 5 minutes away. We have everything you need…. just bring a transport and this remarkable experience, literally at your door, is yours.

What Greatness Is Waiting To Emerge in You? by Katherine Carroll

Blog, Health

I am back from National Health Federation travels, my other work as Executive Director, from much warmer Southern California on health-freedom business. Back to Adytum Sanctuary, my favorite place on Earth…. even more than my beloved Mt. Rainier. I woke to images of beauty here that touch my Spirit softly with their “Welcome Home!” As cold as it is, it is so good to be here again inside the enchantment and loveliness.

This late February day dawned beautifully, near-cloudless blue sky, and with startling clarity, the Lake Mayfield deep, brilliant blue. The quality of light on the Lake so intense I wish I were a painter. No “breath of the Dragon” mists rising off its depths this fine morning. Rising Sun made its way across Adytum’s tree plantation and lapped around the edges of cottages across the Lake, bringing life and a welcome from the recent intense snow that blanketed the hills and valley below.

Winter is such a gift to us. It is a time to pull in, to feed the interior for the time of great growth and outward work again. If we allow ourselves to be more languid, we will naturally follow the cycles of nature and respect that there is a time for everything under the Sun. And this season is for rest and the resultant rejuvenation.

Winter invites creativity and relieves of the endless list of outside chores, gardening, bringing in harvests. It summons rest and contemplation, hours to sit and think by the window or the fire. Time to read and contemplate the thoughts of others, finding the mirror of our own soul in their words. Time to hear our own voice again….

The Dragon and gargoyles of Adytum sleep on, dreaming of Spring that is even now, after a hard Winter, revealing herself in the promise in the buds. The tulips I planted in memory of my Mother’s passing in September of 2018 thrust through still half-frozen soil, a reminder of our great will and purpose. What began as a blade of green will soon nod their heads in unison, full of life and color, around Easter time. So much beauty from so little…. a hard, bare lump of bulb.

Grapes in the vineyard and the hope of wine rest this new year, asleep yet in what, for all intents and purposes, appears to be utterly dead wood. But the harvest will assuredly come this September. Hundreds of pounds of organic grapes from what seems lifeless and still now.

What greatness will emerge from us at the end of this time of restoration? The New Year is still young. “Everything is gestation, then birthing,” Rainier Maria Rilke wrote in Letters to a Young Poet. Winter is the essence of the gestation that can lead to the birth of greatness if it is managed with focus and intention.

Back in the 1600s, Queen Christina of Sweden noted that “it is necessary to try to surpass oneself always; this occupation ought to last as long as life. …” One of the best ways to achieve exponential growth is through deep rest, relaxation, meditation, and the planning that emerges will be focused and intentional indeed.

When the cold of Winter strikes, many not only dream of heading to the Sun but join the thousands at the airports around the World, heading off on vacation. I’m reading a book, one of many, called How to be a Better Tourist by Johan Idema who notes that the tsunami of tourists has descended on villages, holy sites, and destinations so greatly as to crush the inhabitants that live there, to do them harm. At the end of these “vacations” it is said, we need one to recover. This kind of experience isn’t good for anyone.

The solution is a “staycation” or something quite close. Over my eight years of inn-keeping at Adytum Sanctuary in the exquisite Pacific Northwest, I have observed and heard from hundreds of guests, “We had planned to go to Mt. Rainier today, St. Helens tomorrow, and then continue on to Portland the next day. But we are just going to stay here. We’re exhausted!” This is as close to a “staycation” as you can get, here at the Sanctuary.

People often ask if Adytum Sanctuary is seasonal, if we close in the Winter. Of course not! Life goes on, birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations…. People “meeting in the middle” which is what Adytum is: halfway between Portland and Seattle. Mothers come to have a break from mothering, sisters come to reconnect, wedding guests and family reunion guests come to create some silence and distance, in a happy way, between being with family or friends too many hours on end.

They come and find a vortex here at Adytum where, once entered, it is very hard to extricate oneself. And that is the entrance to rejuvenation, to reconnecting with all that really matters in life, in the beauty and peace that is Adytum Sanctuary.

And out of this great peace and serenity, greatness will come. We have added value to ourselves, to our relationships, and emerge stronger, more capable and surer, more relaxed and confident than when Winter began. More focused on our mission, our destiny, and determined to use our time wisely. Winter can do all this and more.

Adytum Sanctuary’s Winter Wonderland By Katherine A. Carroll

Blog, Health

Lovely snow-clad Adytum, a treasure in all seasons.

Adytum Sanctuary has enjoyed the pristine elegance of many snowfalls at the end of 2016 and continuing into February 2017. Whether snuggling by the fire with your lover, watching eagles hunting over Lake Mayfield, ending the night under billions of stars in true dark-sky in the salt-water hot tub is your desire, then winter at Adytum is a necessary ritual in your life as it is for many others.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q1H7bzt9N4&feature=em-upload_owner

Recently Adytum hosted Tom Wiseman, snowboarding instructor at White Pass Ski Resort, 66 miles away. Besides having an excellent groomed cross country trail we’ve explored, Tom offered some insider secrets for enjoying a mountain that underwent expansion in 2010 to include two more chair lifts and expand the Lodge. Adytum Sanctuary is known for its extravagant privacy….Tom tells you where to find it on the mountain. White Pass, like nearby Lake Mayfield, is greatly underutilized. Four-wheel drive is a must in snow conditions on our hill. View interview on Adytum’s YouTube channel.

Before Tom left, to return to Adytum again in a short time as he teaches this winter, I shared with him a “best-kept” secret about the Tilton River and finding an extravagant privacy there as well. More on that as kayaking season begins.

Guests Use Only- Hybrid Charging Station at Adytum Sanctuary

For those with electric and/or hybrid cars, Adytum Sanctuary has three charging stations for guest use. As always we are seeking to meet your every need and more. As far as we know, there are no other charging stations anywhere nearby except perhaps the Chehalis Outlet Mall area.

Guests with Tesla Cars will find easy charging at Adytum Sanctuary

Adytum has fulfilled requirements by Airbnb to qualify for business traveler status. We have desks, free wireless, and whatever you need to keep working on the road if you are here on business. Having used Airbnb around the World on my own Codex/NHF travels I appreciate a well-lit workspace with room for my computer, books, files, and complete with charging stations too. Remember that I cannot extend Adytum’s returning-guest discount (20% off the third consecutive night) unless reservations are made directly through the www.adytumsanctuary.com website.

Star of the North has a few changes in an added library and leather recliner to enjoy reading or watching TV. Also, lovely new linens make the bed more sumptuous. The fig tree has grown high enough to enjoy fruit from the private deck as well as grape kiwi which bore well on the deck railing for the first time last Summer.

The stillness of winter, exquisite beauty of snowfall, surely inspires creativity here. Lavishing loving care and injecting creative changes into the Orion Suite and the Star of the North, keeping them alive, fresh, and evolving is part of the joy of inn keeping. As I’ve shared many times on my Kat Carroll (https://www.facebook.com/katacarroll) and my Adytum Retreat and Spa (https://www.facebook.com/AdytumRetreat/) Facebook pages when I post pictures and reviews, “I love my “work” at Adytum serving now thousands of guests since our 2007 opening.”

August already has several bookings. Remember that July is the height of the wildflower season at Mt. Rainier, listed as one of the top 50 sites in the World. So please create time and space for planning your Summer escape and get a weekend or two set aside at the height of the season. September and October are equally stunning at Adytum as well with our large collection of Japanese Maples in their brilliance then. Remember, returning guests, if you see large blocks of time blocked off please call me to determine availability. I am still traveling internationally/nationally quite a bit, particularly with my new position with the National Health Federation as Executive Director. If you’ve enjoyed Adytum before, we can discuss your reservation when I too am on travel.

Remember it is vitally important to balance to reconnect with all that really matters in life in the beauty and peace that is….Adytum Sanctuary.

Mt. Rainier… An Easy Favorite by Katherine Carroll

Blog, Health

Mt. Rainier has captured the hearts and souls of hundreds of thousands. And most certainly, she has captured my heart completely. Every season Adytum Sanctuary hosts domestic and international guests who take a day trip to the incomparable Mt. Rainier. I’ve traveled much around the World and seen many great treasures like the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and Yosemite, and Sequoia and still, whether cities or countryside, Mt. Rainier holds the most special place in my experience.

Just a short drive from Adytum brings you into a whole other realm where, at Paradise and the Visitor Center, every language is spoken, every race of man represented…well nearly. It is a microcosm of heaven, of true Paradise and the #1 wildflower spot on the Planet.

Mt. St. Helens offers a great experience as well. Most of our Adytum Sanctuary guests see them both during their visit, but never on the same day. There is far too much to see and do around each mountain to combine the experiences. Come, be transformed….Some things in life leave us never the same again. This is one of those things.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1YHdzmI0Ic&utm_source=VisitRainier+-+All+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f5a3a5f00a-November_ENewsletter10_24_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_32f86760c1-f5a3a5f00a-172575701