I’ve written before about the potential dangers of essential oils when it comes to pets. Recently a flurry of posts has appeared online about beloved pet cats becoming critically ill when exposed to essential oils through home diffusers. These heartbreaking stories serve … Read More

In Ayurveda, along with sleep and balanced sexuality, food is one of the three sub-pillars (upastambhas) of health — and the most important. Undigested food becomes toxicity in our body, called ama or aam in Sanskrit. Ama is a causative factor in physical and even … Read More

We often forget or don’t know that some stimulating substances like chocolate and coffee, which are ubiquitous in our lives today, were used sparingly in the cultures from which they came. Cacao was incredibly sacred to the Maya and Aztec people, so much so that … Read More

“Darkness is the garment of Light no less than the body is the garment of the soul.” — Daily Kabbalah: Wisdom from the Tree of Life, translated by Gershon Winkler

It is barely evening, still just late afternoon, and already I am pulling the living … Read More

There is a unique energy — a nexus of power — in the intersection of food and medicine. When we learn to make use of the power of food and herbs to heal and support the body we celebrate and utilize the potent medicine found … Read More

One of my favorite things about living Ayurveda is how the strategies for finding harmony with nature change throughout the year. I used to blindly follow the same protocols for food, work, and exercise all year, but with Ayurveda’s seasonal guidelines, I enjoy the variety … Read More

The cornerstone of good food preservation is attention to the Now. Preserving is about using what’s at hand, not wishing for otherwise, and not clinging so tightly to something we’re afraid to lose. Preservation isn’t about madly saving everything. It’s about staying in the moment … Read More

Summer is the season of the three Rs — rest, relaxation, and recreation — with plenty of outdoor activities for taking full advantage of the longer days while they last. All that fun in the sun can take a toll, if we’re not careful (and … Read More

Like many common culinary herbs, cilantro has been used for thousands of years as a digestive aid. This herb has also been shown to help the body process and utilize cholesterol, most likely due to its effects on the liver: cilantro … Read More

Bee balm (Mondarda fistulosa) is rarely found on the commercial herb market, but it’s a darling of backyard herbalists because it’s gorgeous, grows abundantly, and often provides more potent and easy-to-harvest medicine than its more famous relatives oregano and thyme. Prized for its antimicrobial properties, … Read More