Living Off The Grid: My Encounters With Nature

Living off the grid provided me with several encounters with nature in many forms – whether it was the weather, creature critters or the growing forest. Some of my favorite encounters were with animals and I love them all. I was far enough out in the woods that spotting wildlife was as easy as finding a game on ESPN. I have so many experiences but today I will share with you a few of my favorites.

The Big Bear

The Dark Truth About Palm Oil And 3 Healthy Alternatives

Palm oil is currently the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. It can be found in shampoos, cosmetics, foods, household cleaning items, health items, and many other kinds of products purchased today. Seems like an innocent oil, right? Well, I’m here to tell you the dark truth of palm oil, as well as give you three better alternatives you can use to replace it.

Finding Calm Through Belly Breathing

One of my yoga teachers says we don’t notice the breath until we’re out of it.

By the time I started a yoga teacher training in 2011, I was out of it, both figuratively and literally: my breath was labored, shallow, strained. I was a first-year 4th grade teacher, and my heart was always racing, whether I was standing in front of my classroom, lying in bed, or brushing my teeth. I was clearly overwhelmed, my body was rebelling, and I couldn’t find the off switch. I was sure my short, panicky breaths were announcing my anxiety to the world.

Organic Home Gardening Series: 10 Ways to Improve Garden Soil

I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. Having healthy soil is essential to a successful garden. It is always wise to regularly test the pH levels and check which nutrients you be missing in your soil. This can be done by utilizing a soil-testing kit. If your soil does require a health-adjustment, rest assured there are many organic, natural ways to better your gardening soil.  Here are 10 ways to help you improve your garden’s soil.

For the Love of Ghee: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know

Ghee - an Ayurvedic secret that's out, just not entirely. If you have never reaped the delicious, deeply nutritious benefits of ghee (also known as clarified butter), you haven't fully lived – and you haven't fully yogified. For once you taste, feel, know the incredible service ghee can do for you and your body, mind and spirit, you will fall in ever-lasting love. It's everything you ever wanted to know about ghee, just for the health of it.

Mother Earth’s Medicine Cabinet: 5 Ways To Naturally Boost Your Energy

We all have those days when finding energy throughout the day is as hard to find as a needle in a haystack. You know -- those mornings when you just can’t seem to get yourself up and motivated. Stop reaching for the caffeine and sugary snacks; they’re not what your body really needs. Take a look at these five ways to naturally boost your energy.

Plant Some Natural Bug Repellants In Your Garden

 

Love plants but hate bugs? Try planting these garden-friendly, bug-deterring plants to make your green patch healthy, blooming and bad-bug free...

Tips for Managing your Kid’s Back-to-School Stress

It’s back-to-school time of year, folks! You can see parents fairly skipping round the stores. The pressure is ON! With reports of parents spending upwards of $700 for supplies alone, it’s easy to feel you SHOULD be spending that much. And then there are all the new outfits…

With such excitement in the air we assume our children feel equally enthusiastic about the upcoming months. The truth is, if you have an anxious child, all this is adding to her/his concerns. The pressure IS on. On them.

5 Ways To Squeeze In "Me" Time

Jobs, family, relationships, and social functions often tend to take precedence over our own needs. It is easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day demands of life. Whether we feel a sense of obligation or not, the day can slip away without time to ourselves. It's those days that leave us open to stress, anxiety, and a loss of sense of self. That is why it is important to squeeze a little bit of “me time” into our daily routine. Whether it be five minutes or five hours, the following five are ways you can break away and take precedence over your day.