healing

Ticks might seem like fairly innocuous, if annoying, insects, but these arachnids often carry dangerous diseases that can lead to chronic illness.

There is a theme running through my latest writings of tapping into life-force, the Cosmic kundalini energy within our beings to a greater degree. As energies are amping up on the planet and the process of evolution is taking each one of us deeper into the core of the Self we are being asked to harness our life-force and make the most out of our time here. Red coral is a gem that is here to help out.

Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris and A. douglasiana) has a magical feel to it: The silvery green leaves that shine in the moonlight; the distinctive scent used for dream time. Then there’s the botanical name “Artemesia,” for Artemis with her silver bow and arrow, goddess of the hunt associated with the moon and things wild. Mugwort seems to put one into a different space.

Come spring, pollen is in the air and allergies may start bugging you. Even though allergy symptoms are unpleasant, who wants to take a bunch of pills, eye drops, and nasal sprays to get rid of them? Here are a few holistic ways to treat seasonal allergies instead. 

I love love love citrus oils! They make me salivate whether it’s lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, or whichever. They’re also some of the best mood-supporting oils and are awesome for many other reasons.

First, some safety considerations with citrus oils:

When PMS comes around to visit, most women grab ibuprofen to relieve menstrual cramps, headaches, and other nasty side effects that occur near their menstrual cycle. While these over-the-counter pharmaceuticals can alleviate the pain, they often come with less-than-pleasant side effects, particularly when used long term.

Wandering the streets of India, I notice the smell of cardamom fills the air, especially when approaching a sweets shop. I had never been immersed in its heady fragrance before my sojourns to India, but now it is one of my favorite scents and flavors. Perhaps it is because in all of its uniqueness, cardamom encourages a sense of self-responsibility, an owning of what is.

As the political climate has become more desperate over the past few years, and social media has become a powerful force in all of our lives, it’s no wonder many people are left feeling confused, empty, disconnected, and lost. To avoid these feelings, we often turn to reckless or careless behavio or just plain old denial. Unfortunately, none of these strategies is effective, and we are left feeling just as bad, or worse, about the whole situation.

When I was 16, I started going to a small Buddhist temple in the city I was raised in. Across the street from the city bus stop that I was deposited at around 3:30 every week day, this small zen center had guided practice for about an hour and a half. I was young and only attended temple occasionally, but my interest in meditation was piqued. A book by thich nhat hanh taught me basic technique and practice. And then I forgot. I never finished that book and I stopped going to temple altogether.