Lighting the candle and stick of jasmine incense, I arrange the multi-colored stones into a pattern to reflect the harmony and depth I seek. In the corners of the table, set aside just for such a daily ritual, I place one pinecone, one feather, one small bowl of water and one tea light—each representing one of the four directions and corresponding elements. In the center, the original candle burns, standing in as me—the light of consciousness aware of this life.

You may have read my recent article about how to topically treat cold sores (oral/herpes simplex 1), which offers five helpful topical remedies for quick and effective healing. In that article, I promised to write a follow-up article about herpes/cold sore prevention, which is of equal if not more importance. While it is great to have remedies on hand when these outbreaks occur, how much better would it be to avoid them altogether?

Fall is approaching. Here in Durango, Colorado, and the surrounding mountains, the leaves are already changing and the nights are chilly.  On one hand, fall is my favorite season.

Basmati.com sits down with Janet Michalk to talk about holistic healing, releasing negative blocks, and more!

The morning glory belongs to the family Convolvulaceae and is native to the tropical regions of America. It was a sacred plant to the Mayan, Aztec, and other native tribes who used the seeds in ceremonies because of its hallucinogenic properties. They believed that the plant had a spirit that could allow men to speak with the gods. There has been found a recipe written by shamans that specifically had to be prepared by a virgin.

It is widely accepted that diet greatly influences one’s overall health and well-being. While the specifics of which diet is best for which population is constantly studied and debated, fresh vegetables and fruits as well as other unprocessed foods are generally seen as being on the healthier side of the spectrum.

So you might be wondering what lemon snow exactly is…I remember making it in my first grade class. One of my classmates brought in a recipe for “lemon snow” and the teacher thought it would be cool to make it. It was essentially a lemon popsicle in a paper cup, made with milk, lemon juice, and sugar. So strange…it was probably some ancient Scandinavian recipe from my classmate’s family lineage. I just remember it tasting so good and being possibly the most lemony and zesty thing I’ve ever had.

Whiteheads, blackheads, acne, clogged pores, buildup—so many skin woes can be attributed to poor skin hygiene, further aggravated by a humid climate, poor lifestyle, and sometimes faulty genes. While the "gene" bit cannot be changed (nor should breakouts make you move cities), a better lifestyle and a good skincare routine can fix what is broken. A very important part of "good" skincare is the C of CTM—which at night translates to removing makeup.

Noose Pose/ Pasasana

Benefits:

Stretches legs and hips.

Opens chest and shoulders.

Can also improve posture.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Start squatting, turn upper body one way and hook elbow around opposite knee. Twist hooked arm around legs and grab opposite arm behind back.

Press feet firmly into ground and activate feet.

Keep belly engaged.

Push outwards through chest to open chest and deepen stretch.

Keep shoulders down and away from ears.

What all can the humble marigold do? It can repel bugs in your garden, make a crunchy addition to your salads and cookies, and offer a whole bunch of medicinal and health benefits as well. Intrigued? The concept of marigold as a medicinal plant is not new, considering it has been used in apothecaries for over 1000 years already.