Tea is, and has always been, far more than just something to quench the thirst and please the palate. For thousands of years, tea has been one of the go-to medicines for many ancient healers. Not only can different teas provide healing properties, they also provide preventative means for the body. For instance, green tea is packed full of antioxidants, which oxidize and help repair any damaged cells that could cause potential health issues.

Are your rituals honoring your body’s innate wisdom? Or are your habits overriding the body’s calls for rest?

Peppermint is in the genus Mentha which includes more than one hundred species, and is thought to be a natural hybrid of spearmint and forest mint. Its origin is believed to be in North Africa and the southern Mediterranean basin, and has been used in recipes and as a medicinal herb since 1500 B.C.E.  It found its way as far north as Scandinavia and was mentioned in the Icelandic Pharmacopoeias in the mid-13^th Century.

Extended Hand To Big Toe Pose

Benefits:

Helps teach balance.

Strengthens legs.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Foot on floor, evenly standing on all points of foot.

Knee pulled into chest if balance isn’t strong.

First two fingers looped around big toe.

Extend leg out first and then pull leg to the side for better balance.

Other arm out in “T” position for easier balance

Shoulders are back, away from ears.

Plucking dead plants out of your garden because of frost damage can put a damper in your day, especially when they started out doing well before the first frost hit. Stay positive! These things happen, but gardening is a learning experience that can teach us about hoping for the best and being prepared for the worst. Speaking of being prepared, here are 3 ways I suggest to avoid frost damage to your home garden!

Magnesium deficiency can be hard to detect. Common symptoms can easily be mistaken for a myriad of other health concerns. Responsible for more than 300 chemical reactions, magnesium is hard at work maintaining proper body function. Getting the daily recommended amount is crucial to health. Yet roughly 80% of healthy adults have a magnesium deficiency.

I’ve been following Cassie Day https://www.instagram.com/cassiedayyy/ on Instagram for awhile now and every time her name comes up on my feed I get a little pang of excitement to see what she’s posted.

Long before the compass was created by humans, people used nature to find their way around the lands and across the waters. Sailors still use a special instrument called a sextant to navigate the seas. The sextant is designed to measure the angle of the stars above the horizon to find accurate direction and position in terms of the latitude and longitude. Before the sextant was used, Vikings used Sun Stones similar to a sundial that helped them maintain a proper course.

Winter is here, and with it comes lots of temptation for sugary foods and not-so-healthy drinks. One of my favorite things to drink this time of year is hot chocolate, a staple for many people over the holidays. Unfortunately, traditional hot chocolate is often loaded with refined sugar and dairy, not to mention hydrogenated oils if you’re buying it pre-packaged.

When heaters go on, sniffles come out. Everyone's reaching for tissues and calling in sick, and as much as we all love an excuse to stay in bed and watch TV, being sick is no fun. Luckily, there are some easy routines that can help slash your risk that most people just aren't doing well. Use these tips on sleep, stress, nutrition, and activity to save your sick days...for playing hooky. (Shh, we won't tell.)

1. Eat warm foods.