In spring, nature moves us from the dormancy of winter into a time of cleansing, awakening, and growth. Roused by rain, seeds ensconced in the earth begin to sprout little, skyward-reaching, green arms. What better way to usher in the season than by supporting regeneration in your own body? Infrared light can gently rejuvenate the body and prepare it for the impending energy of summer.
Iodine. It’s a component of thyroid hormone, critical for fetal and childhood growth and development. It also regulates metabolism, digestion, heart function, reproduction and many other aspects of adult health. Hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) will result if someone is deficient in iodine, and can also result from other issues. Most of us in the West have enough iodine, though studies have found that a significant number of pregnant or lactating women in the U.S.
Cancer is a horrific disease that continues to kill over 595,000 people each year. While there’s no cure for it yet, there are plenty of natural and dietary options that can help reduce your risk of being diagnosed. There’s no singular way to prevent cancer, but changing your habits can help.
When you think of a powerful being, do you think of yourself?
Why or why not is that, do you suppose?
Often times, when we ruminate on personal power, we may think of an archetypical superhero dressed up in their costume, ready to save the day.
Or perhaps we envision a famous celebrity, who seemingly has the world at their fingertips. It seems that our society has bred us to look externally at other people and things to feel a sense of power.
When folks think of medicinal plants, they usually picture herbs, flowers, and such. But don’t forget about trees! Many tree species are great medicine; an entire book could be written on them. I’ll take it easy on you and cover just 5 really good ones here. Most likely one or more of these can be found near you.
I spent four months in a yogic immersion course in India. We chanted mantras for an hour every evening and then twice per month we chanted the entire Bhagavad Gita—which took 6 hours to complete. There were well over 100 people chanting together at any given time, and during the final month of the course we had the entire village assembled, chanting together for 8+ hours per day. I’ll tell you: the result of all this chanting was transformative to say the least.
Cypress essential oil is distilled mainly from the leaves and twigs of Cupressus sempervirens, the cypress tree. If you’ve seen the pointy evergreen trees in Van Gogh paintings, then you know what cypress looks like. The scent is warm, woody, green, and balsamic with some spiciness and sharpness. The leaves themselves have a wide variety of traditional medicinal uses, from the respiratory tract to the reproductive system.
Phytoestrogens are not actually estrogen, in contrast to a common belief. They are chemicals found in many plants that, when eaten in our food, may provide health-promoting effects. This is in contrast to xenoestrogens—plastics, industrial chemicals, herbicides, pesticides and others—that are hormone disruptors even in small amounts.
Teas might feel more like a winter drink—something to cozy up with on a cold night, or wake up to on a crisp morning—but they’re just as good in spring as in winter, and sometimes even more beneficial. After several months of less sunshine, less time spent outdoors, and too many tuber and starch-heavy meals, our bodies are likely craving bitter tonics to cleanse ourselves and aid in digestion. Spring teas are often the perfect choice for this, and they offer a wide variety of benefits outside of simply being tasty and comforting.
