nature

Do you love nature? Don't let winter keep you indoors! Here are 10 ways to enjoy winter—and get outdoors in it.

There are 5 Elements in Chinese Medicine: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal.  These Elements follow the seasons of the year, the time of day, the life cycle, and the creative process of life.  The 5 Element system is a system of checks and balances.  It is based on the idea that all things in nature will eventually balance themselves.  For example, the season of Summer will eventually yield to Fall, the longer days will turn into longer nights, and the excitement of new ideas will eventually turn into precious personal wisdom.

Basmati.com sits down with Herbalist Dara Saville about love of nature, natural healing, and herbalism.

I was three years old the first time I sat upon a horse and five years old when I was given a pony of my own. Rosa, a miniature pony/Shetland cross was eager to please as I learned to brush her mane, curry her soft sides, and pick her hooves. I loved caring for her, and especially loved getting to ride her in the riding arena or along the dirt track at our farm. It turns out that I wasn’t just having a good time, but actually receiving benefits that have likely lasted into adulthood. Have you ever wondered why anyone would sit upon a horse?

If you’ve ever found yourself watching Tiny House Nation with a trace of envy, you may be wondering if tiny house living is right for your family. Although tiny houses may seem like practical dwellings for only singles or couples, there are growing numbers of families living in tiny houses with children. Ours is one of them.

Join Basmati.com every week for a Q&A session with one of Basmati’s practitioners, Melissa Hill (FDN-P)! We know that there is a lot of confusing information out there, which can make applying health advice overwhelming.  Sometimes, it’s best to ask a practitioner directly, so each week we’ll cover a common health question!

Swimmer’s Ear, also known as Otitis externa, is pretty common during the summer months simply because more people are in and around water. Swimmer’s ear is actually an infection that occurs in the outer ear canal running from your eardrum to the outside of your head. The infection is typically brought on when water enters the ear and becomes trapped inside of the ear canal.

Whichever you focus on—either the arising, awakening, and creation of the new, or the havoc, eruption, insanity, and destruction of the old—is the reality you will experience. 

While an illusory world based on the beliefs of separation is coming to the surface to be disintegrated by the collective expansion of heart-intuited awareness, the collapse of these outdated systems will not go down smoothly. The good news is that you may experience that havoc, or not. 

Sandalwood refers to wood from trees in the genus Santalum. Sandalwood trees grow in India, Asia, and places like Hawaii. There are many types of wood that have desirable fragrances such as cedar and cherry trees but the scent of those trees fades pretty quickly compared to the sandalwood. The sweet, warm, woody, and soft scent of sandalwood stays strong for decades. Sandalwood’s sweet aroma has been around and highly valued for many centuries.

Water permeates all facets (and faucets – pun intended) of our lives: from what we drink, to how we bathe, to where we gather to swim, kayak, ride boats, and even travel. We’ve all heard familiar phrases like “drink half your body weight in ounces per day,” and “eight cups of water per day is the minimum of what you need,” but few of us ever bother to take a look at our water.

Yes, it can be found in a well, reservoir, tap, or bottle, but few of us are familiar with the actual source: springs.