For many people, the start of summer means camping and everything that comes along with dirtbaggin’ it for the weekend: tents, campfires, starry nights, and camping food. Unfortunately, as much as fresh air, long hikes, and spending your days outside in nature are great for your health, camping food isn’t.

The lily is a member of the family Liliaceae, which contains about 359 genuses with up to 100 species, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The plant is native to the northern hemisphere that includes North America, Europe, and Asia. Approximately 5000 years ago a tablet found in Sumeria depicted a Persian city surrounded by a field of lilies.

As turbulence shook and rattled the cabin I chanted the Mahamrityunjaya mantra silently to myself to offer protection, to myself and to the entire plane. I had done the same thing in buses and car rides in India, when the terrain was so uncertain, when the cliffs were only inches away and I had no other way to comfort myself. We had chanted this mantra weekly during my time at the ashram and I had felt its power.

If you want to achieve vibrant health and lasting wellness in the new age, you’ve got to be willing to get a little bit old school. And not just to the 20th century. I’m talking about reflecting back at least 5,000 years ago to India… to the birth of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is one of the oldest systems of health and healing on record and is just as relevant today as it was dozens of centuries ago. Arguably more so, as our inner and outer worlds have become more hectic and demanding than ever.

Sound familiar?

Summer has officially arrived and so have her flowers. It’s time for the second round of dandelion blooms, which brings a great opportunity to make some mead for your next summertime get together! Next time you see the dandelions popping up in your yard, remember how useful the little plant is, run out and pick that fantastic yellow flower knowing that soon you will turn it into a delicious and fun drink that tastes like liquid sunshine!

Having a fear of flying isn’t fun. I can tell you this firsthand as it’s something I’ve struggled with for the past 12 years. I don’t know exactly when or why I started to panic during takeoff or turbulence, my hands gripping the armrests, my palms sweaty.

Summer is the time of fun in the sun. Why not get outdoors and make the most of those sunny skies? Here are 10 ways to enjoy summer by heading outdoors. 

An “infused oil” is a vegetable oil in which herbs, spices, or plant resins have been infused.  They’re fun to make and immensely useful.  First, let’s look at uses, then how to make an oil, and finally, I’ll share some of my favorite oils.

31 million Americans suffer from chronic back pain, and according to one recent study, up to 80 percent of Americans will experience an episode of low back pain during their lifetime. Many chronic back pain sufferers undergo extensive therapy, even surgery, to find relief.

The Karmic Tools Weekly Forecast covers the current planetary transits which affect people in different ways and to various degrees of intensity.  Take notice when it is a Personal planet (Sun / Moon / Mercury / Venus / Mars) interacting with a Social (Jupiter/Saturn) or Collective planet (Uranus / Neptune/Pluto).  And pay extremely close attention when it is a Social planet interacting with a Collective planet because that means something *big* is brewing that will move large groups of people along their evolutionary paths. Tun