Every single morning for the past nearly 11 years I have treated myself to one of Ayurveda's oldest secrets for health and longevity. With herbs and warm oil in hand I rub my entire body down with a gentle massage which has helped me to retain elastic skin and a vibrant body. Abhyanga is the Ayurvedic term given to describe warm oil self-massage (often with herbs) and it is simply heavenly.
Some of us wake up in the morning, ready to go for runs, hit the gym, or do an early morning exercise routine. For others, the afternoons are when we get in some physical activity. Many of us spend a great deal of time on trying to stay physically healthy. While physical fitness should be a priority, staying mentally healthy is equally as important.
I have a confession: I like bird watching. Actually, I love bird watching. You might be picturing images from the popular movie with actors Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson titled The Big Day, but in fact birding is enjoyed by people of all ages and genders. I was eleven years old when I first became interested in birding, and started by placing a suet feeder, meant for woodpeckers, on a tree that I could see from my family’s kitchen window. The first few days brought nothing more than an inquisitive squirrel.
The yogis and rishis of old sat in lotus, immersed in Samadhi, listening to the sounds of the ether and bringing through timeless information from the cosmos. How did they reach this state of peaceful bliss and cosmic consciousness? This article points you in the direction of the mystical kundalini energy referenced in the practice of yoga as well as introduces you to the all-important Vagus nerve, and how these two are related.
Millet is a prehistoric grain native to western Asia. By approximately 3000 B.C.E. the grain had found its way to China where it became one of the five sacred grains. Of the many varieties of the genus the common millet arrived in Europe about 200 B.C.E. where it got its name, which meant “cereal” in Old English.
There are a multitude of herbs that have reportedly numerous healing properties and can be effective for treatment in a wide array of conditions. Ashwagandha is one of these herbs. Ayurvedic practitioners in India have been utilizing this ancient herb for many issues, especially for conditions that have root in the brain, including memory, cognitive functions in general, the regulation of neurotransmitters and insomnia.
Often times when we think of medicinal plants we see flowers, stalks, and stems, but the medicine goes much deeper with some. Today’s walk through Mother Earth’s Medicine Cabinet will take you deep into the ground to have a look at some plant roots that heal.
Sometimes the most courageous act can be to drop the mind and just be.
When our minds are losing ground in a whirlwind of potential mumbo jumbos and we don't know which way to get pulled away in, there is this sense of being in mid-air. Untethered to our bodies, there is this anxious feeling that we must pick a direction to trail after or we will be left behind by whatever stresses need to be chased somewhere.
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is right around the corner. The weather’s getting better, plants are sprouting, and gardens are being planted. That’s right, it’s time to get outside! I’m lucky enough to live in Colorado, where hiking trails are literally right outside my front door.
I first came across Shilajit on a raw foods website back when I owned a raw chocolate company and I was researching other superfoods to add into our ever changing concoctions of healing delights.