Stress

Ride A Horse, Reap The Benefits

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?

Herpes Outbreak Prevention: Diet is Essential

You may have read my recent article about how to topically treat cold sores (oral/herpes simplex 1), which offers five helpful topical remedies for quick and effective healing. In that article, I promised to write a follow-up article about herpes/cold sore prevention, which is of equal if not more importance. While it is great to have remedies on hand when these outbreaks occur, how much better would it be to avoid them altogether?

Balance Your Vata This Autumn

In many parts of the country, this year’s transition to fall isn’t being marked with the changing colors of leaves. With hurricane season taking a devastatingly fierce toll in the south and southeast and a heat wave and wildfires spreading across the west and northwest, I’m not feeling the signature crispness and anticipation of autumn just yet.

Cold Water Therapy: Myth or Magic?

If you follow popular health living blogs, like those by Ben Greenfield or Rich Roll, you’ve likely heard of Wim Hof, better known as the Iceman. A self-named Dutch daredevil, Wim holds 26 world records, including one for the longest ice bath. While Wim’s methods are extreme, not all of his ideas are on the fringes of what we might call healthy. 

Be More Productive With A Stop-Doing List

How many times have you aimed to be a productive do-it-all in the morning, only to end up as a barely-done-anything drained person at the end of the day? Sure, we all have our bad and unproductive days every now and then, but if this is happening to you way too often, then it’s time to make a stop-doing list instead of your normal to-do list, to raise productivity levels.

Ask A Practitioner: What Is Leaky Gut?

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!

Ayurvedic Healing: An Introduction To Marma

Healing the Physical & Subtle Bodies

Healing happens on many levels both gross and subtle. We hold the power to heal our bodies with the foods we eat, heal our thoughts with our contemplative practices, and heal our relationships with awareness and conscious action. Medicine comes through many streams, nourishing the journey we walk to live a balanced and healthy life. In Ancient India, the Rishis or seers of the time recognized the range of remedies that support our human experience, and ultimately our path home.

Witchin’ In The Kitchen Part 2: Delicious Ideas For Botanical Medicines

Kitchen Witchin’ Part 1 shared valuable medicinal uses for kitchen herbs and spices that many folks have on hand. For part 2, let’s continue unleashing that inner witch by bringing some botanicals out of the medicine cabinet and into the kitchen!

The Benefits of Therapy Animals

If you’ve recently spent any times traveling on planes and through airports, you might have seen dogs lying at their owner’s feet, secured with little more than a leash and a vest reading “Therapy Animal.” Therapy Animals have become popular in recent years: pigs at the San Francisco International Airport

The Calming Effects of Kava

I decided to spend my time off this summer in a full-immersion Spanish program. I really want to up my Spanish game, but spending my days inundated with a language I only feebly comprehend has done no favors for my chronic insomnia and persistent anxiety.