Fascia is often referred to as the glue that holds us together, but few of us know what it is and why it matters. This article discusses the ways in which we can stretch our fascia to loosen tight muscles (believe it or not, tight hamstrings can actually be caused by a forward head lean) for both sports performance as well as a high quality of daily life.
Our band of elemental warriors is starting to form, as previously you learned all about Vata. A combination of Space & Air, Vata is the energy that stirs up limitless potential, big thinking, and a colorful future. Though amazing initiators, Vatas sure do need help in plucking an idea down from the cosmos and putting it into action.
I recently returned from a writing residency in Slovenia, the small country that sits east of Italy and lays wedged between Austria to the north and Croatia in the south. Few people are aware of its existence, and prior to spending several weeks there, I considered myself to be fairly unaware of it, too. Unfortunately, Slovenia deserves a lot more credit than it gets, specifically for its greenness—think low pollution levels, preservation of natural resources, encouragement of biodiversity, and more.
Superfoods are ubiquitous within the health food world, but it’s often difficult to discern the difference between kale or blueberries and hemp seeds or cacao nibs when we’re talking about nutrition. The easy answer?
If you who have, or are, an 80s baby… you likely remember a little show called Captain Planet. In the opening theme song, the Planeteers combine their elemental powers—earth, fire, wind, water, heart—to summon our green and blue superhero. Captain Planet, an “elemental warrior” as the show description lovingly refers to him, harnesses their forces in a quest to save the world.
I love to think that this popular activist show took a cue from Ayurveda itself.
Stroll through any health food store and you’re guaranteed to see more than just sprouted broccoli.
Nomophobia: The fear of being away from, or completely without your smartphone. Sound familiar? I winced when I first heard this term in a discussion about smartphone addiction because of how strongly I can identify with this. While ‘nomophobia’ has yet to work its way into official scientific vernacular, awareness of this issue has fast-tracked this term into everyday usage.
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are powerful little legumes with high amounts of fiber, vitamins A and E, manganese, and folate. They originated in the Middle East and were cultivated for thousands of years, with evidence of their origin dating back to 3000 B.C.. This study, published in 2016, suggests that chickpeas can play a role in weight management and both glucose and insulin regulation.
Grounding, also known as earthing, is a relatively new idea in the modern world, precisely because it didn’t exist in the past: we were already walking around in our bare feet, whether inside or outside, and the need to reduce electromagnetic currents wasn’t an issue since electronics like cellphones and laptops didn’t exist. Today, however, it isn’t uncommon to find grounding or earthing mats, mattresses, flip flops, sneakers, and even body bands that claim to equalize our bodies to the same energy as the earth.
I recently wrote on citrus essential oils, my favorite oils for scent. Now, we’ll move on to conifer essential oils, another group I love. These are uplifting and motivating, and they blend beautifully with citrus oils for both scent and energetics.