Mother Nature

I began smoking at far too young of an age, though any age is too young to start such a habit. Eventually, I decided to quit. There are so many doctors out there who are quick to put you on prescription medications and nicotine substitutes in order to help you quit smoking. However, this method really just amounts to replacing one bad habit with another. It is very important that if you DO replace a habit to make it be a good habit that takes the place of the bad. Of course, each person is different, so different methods work for different people.

 An elixir may sound like something concocted in a magical realm of some fantasy movie or video game BUT they truly exist and provide healing. Elixirs are actually some of the sweetest medicines provided by Mother Nature and concocted by healers all over the world. These clear, sweet, and aromatic drinks are considered Hydroalcoholic, meaning they contain both water and alcohol.

Soap is incredibly amazing and useful. There are many ways to make your own homemade soaps and shampoos, but do you know there are plants out there that do most of the work for you? Some people prefer to make or buy lye to make their soaps, but working with lye in its pure form can be dangerous if not handled properly.

But, fear not: I am not simply referring to the flowers out there that add scents to the soaps. Instead, I am talking about raw fresh soap straight out of nature. In this article, I will teach you about a few plants that can be used to scrub up with.

 Almost every house has a kitchen cabinet or a rack designated just for their cooking spices. Did you know that a majority of those spices contain beneficial healing and medicinal properties? Many spices can be used for both healing and preventing ailments.

Topping off your bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon in the early morning sure is pleasurable to the palette, but it is also great for aiding in proper brain function. There are so many edible medicines –  whether they’re used to heal, cure or to simply prevent health issues that taste delicious.

Pickling a portion of your garden’s fruits and vegetables allows you to bring farm fresh food to the table ALL year . Pickling for preservation may be one of the oldest methods of preserving food, as it traces back to the B.C. time period.

The Ancient Aztecs used the Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia spp.) as food and medicine. I know it doesn’t look like something you’d want to grab – or even eat – but it’s packed full of powerful properties.

Tea is, and has always been, far more than just something to quench the thirst and please the palate. For thousands of years, tea has been one of the go-to medicines for many ancient healers. Not only can different teas provide healing properties, they also provide preventative means for the body. For instance, green tea is packed full of antioxidants, which oxidize and help repair any damaged cells that could cause potential health issues.

Long before the compass was created by humans, people used nature to find their way around the lands and across the waters. Sailors still use a special instrument called a sextant to navigate the seas. The sextant is designed to measure the angle of the stars above the horizon to find accurate direction and position in terms of the latitude and longitude. Before the sextant was used, Vikings used Sun Stones similar to a sundial that helped them maintain a proper course.

When cold and flu season strikes Chicken Noodle Soup is usually on the menu. If you look at some of the good old-fashioned, and even more modern versions, you will see these 4 herbs. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme are all very well-known herbs used for holistic and ancient healing. Each of the herbs contains healing benefits on top of great taste. If you don’t already have these 4 herbs in your arsenal – whether it is the kitchen cabinet or the medicine cabinet – I suggest you add them! These aromatic herbs are wonderful for aromatherapy too.

Healing our spirit is just as important as healing physically and mentally. Our spirit can get injured, sick, and tired just like our body and mind can. It is important to know what you can do to help heal yourself in all aspects.

The Indigenous and Native peoples of North America, as well as other those from other regions around the world, used what is referred to as The Four Sacred Medicines. These medicines consist of Tobacco, Sage, Cedar, and Sweet Grass. All of these plants are considered to be spirit medicine.