My first introduction to yoga was as an elective tenth-grade PE class. While it may have been limited in education, it was an excellent beginner course that opened my eyes to a yoga revelation that has stuck with me since. One of the homework assignments was to scrape the tongue in the morning before brushing. Scrape the tongue? As odd as it sounded, in Ayurveda this is practiced on a daily basis. And by taking one look at your tongue in the AM, it is easy to see why.

Often regarded as a wet, polluted mess, the oceans have earned something of a bad rap over the years, but people forget just how much they can offer in the arena of health. Here are five benefits of living by the ocean.

Time for some hearty vegetable soup! Its thick and creamy consistency provides a comforting antidote to those first chilly days as we move into fall. Simple and easy, you only need one pot to cook enough soup for the whole family and you can even make the most of extra veggies or herbs that you have laying around the house! The  wonderful mix of both richly developed and subtle flavors is what sets this dish apart.

*Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Large Carrots

1 Celery Stalk

1 Small Onion

1 Medium Zucchini

The question of the connection between mental and physical health has been asked repetitively for centuries, and it has only been in the last several decades that Western medicine has caught up to holistic practices and began to acknowledge an interdependent relationship between the two. Mental and emotional patterns create biochemical pathways in the body, and it follows that just as the mind affects the body, so too the body can affect the mind.

Even though fall can bring on colder weather, there are actually many vegetables you can still plant in your garden this season. Wondering what to plant in your garden this fall? I’ve got 8 plants for your autumn garden that are sure to make your fall harvest as amazing as the color-changing leaves!

1. Carrots

This essential oil has a very interesting back story. There are a few different versions of course, but that happens when a story is carried on for almost 10 centuries.

I’ve grown up around plenty of pets my entire life. In fact, my mom has always been a part of animal rescue efforts. Needless to say, I know a thing or two about your average cat and dog. However, until recently, I was completely unaware that there are numerous proven health benefits that can come from caring for a furry friend or two. So, next time your kid starts begging you for either a kitten or puppy, take a moment to think it over before you simply shut them down (and inevitably crush their dreams).

In some states, it’s illegal. In other states, it’s as common as turning on the faucet. What is it I’m talking about? Harvesting rainwater. Deterring the flow of rain runoff into a giant barrel can have its perks when it comes to saving water. But is it eco-friendly? The outlawing of rainwater collection would leave one to believe it is not. I imagine hoarding water that would naturally provide a source of water for plants would not be beneficial. Yet, what if that same rainwater were instead collected from roof runoff?

Looking to better your kitchen garden’s produce? Try rotating your crops season to season, year to year…

A rookie but oft-repeated mistake that many kitchen garden enthusiasts make is planting the same crops, in the same patch, over and over again –wondering why the tomatoes weren’t as nice as before and why the pumpkin patch refuses to yield The Great Pumpkin like it once did.

Your connection to Earth, to being grounded, feeling cared for and protected is in your hands – literally. It’s in the food you eat. The more whole foods you consume, the more peaceful you become. The body utilizes everything it needs – everything else, whether it be too much of something or a foreign ingredient, is removed. This takes energy - you are energy. So the question becomes: what do you want to do with your energy?