Results for Category: Live Well
Herbs Work As Our Companions and Allies
As herbalists, it’s important for us to learn about plants through hands-on experience, and we are richly rewarded for the time we invest in learning to live side-by-side with our herbs. As we grow them in our gardens and help the continuation of their species, they nurture our health in return. Because of the nature […]
Introduction To Herbs For Kids: Keep It Simple
Make A Special Friend Do you want to become really good friends with herbs? One simple way to do this is by spending special time ...
Basic Essential Oils for Daily Living
This post is the first in a weekly, multi-part series on using essential oils. Here we will start with some basic essential oils. ...
Herbs Work For Our Highest Good: Tonics, Adaptogens, and Alteratives
One of the views that sets herbalism apart as a philosophy of the human body is the way herbs teach us to see our relationship with wellness. Rather than seeing the body as irreparably broken when chronic illness unfolds, herbs teach us to see the body as having come out of balance within itself. Balance […]
Introduction To Herbs For Kids: A Kid’s Herbal Pharmacy
An Overview of Simple Herbal Preparations Using our gentle herbal friends is simply a lovely part of life. Herbs can be used to keep you healthy and make you strong. They can also be used to help you feel better when you are sick. Creating herbal remedies is a way to show gratitude for the herbs […]
Spring Reads for Children
Reading with children is a wonderful way to feed their imaginations and open their eyes to new ideas. Reading about the natural wo...
How to Make Your Own Soap + Herbal Recipes
One of my favorite ways to utilize herbs and essential oils is by adding them to my handmade soap. Soapmaking is a great skill to ...
Introduction to Herbs for Kids: Meet My Friend, Herb! Part 2
Meet My Friend, Herb! Part Two Welcome! Thank you for joining us on our herbal adventure! In our last Introduction to Herbs for Kids lesson, we started learning about herbalism by answering questions such as “What is an herb?” and “How can I use herbs?” This week we are going to talk about a very […]
Soothing Oatmeal Bath Recipe
My son and I suffer from eczema, and during the coldest parts of winter our eczema tends to flare up more often than usual. It can get pretty itchy and all I want is some relief! During these times, I love to make us a soothing oatmeal bath. It’s super simple to make, and you’re […]
Can You Be Green and Glamorous? Part II
Editorial Note: This is the second part of a two-part post focusing on the use of cosmetics and personal care products. This post ...
Introduction to Herbs for Kids: Meet My Friend, Herb!
Meet My Friend, Herb! Part One Hi Kids! I am so glad you are joining us! We are about to go on an adventure. An adventure into th...
9 Herbal Remedies for a Toothache
If you’ve been plagued with a sore tooth or swollen gums, you know that the pain it can cause is often completely unbearable. Toothache or not, life goes on, making pain relief a necessity. While over-the-counter painkillers are the most popular form of pain relief for many, there are a variety of herbal remedies for […]
Natural Homemade Lip Balm for Kids
Do you remember Lip Smackers? I can remember a time in my life as a kid that I had a necklace full of lip balms of every different flavor and color of the rainbow. It was the cool thing to have all your favorites on hand and my mom, always wanting to substitute real gifts […]
Love It Up With Herbal Aphrodisiacs
In herbalism, aphrodisiac herbs aren’t just a means to an end! Aphrodisiac herbs nourish the nervous, heart, and reproductive sy...
Every Herbalist Should Set Goals
We look out our windows at the bare trees and snow-covered ground, and it is evident that winter is upon us. We’re only a little...
5 Herbs that Attract Beneficial Insects to the Garden
If you’ve been interested in organic gardening but are wondering what to do about pests, consider planting herbs! Many herbs encourage biodiversity and attract the beneficial insects that keep pest populations down. Herbs reduce pests by encouraging biodiversity In nature, herbs perform a wide range of functions. They provide nectar for pollinators, repel pests with […]
5 Natural Ways to Relieve Stress During the Holiday Season
Thanksgiving is over, and we are now officially in the middle of the holiday season. With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, work, family, and keeping the whole family healthy through the cold and flu season, stress can really take a toll on our bodies. Without proper relief, stress can build up until it […]
Bee Warm: Wintering Honey Bees
This time of year, I get a lot of questions about wintering honey bees. Most people are under the misconception that bees hibernat...
A Child’s Winter Herb Garden
One of the things we all miss most once the snows fall in our home town is the bounty of the herb garden. The herbs grow sort of g...
Green Travel Tips for Happy Vacationing
For me, travel can be a double-edged sword—relaxing and blissful yet stressful and anxiety-inducing. With that in mind, I used a recent vacation as an experiment in being green and staying sane while traveling. Planning ahead may sound obvious, but simple things are often overlooked in the face of excitement and spontaneity. Feeling unprepared can […]
7 Tips from Nature for Keeping Healthy this Fall
Ayurveda: the science of life. Not everyone is familiar with the term, but that doesn’t discredit the physical and mental benefits that can accompany Ayurvedic practices. Ayurveda is an ancient holistic science — dating back at least 5,000 years — that focuses on finding harmony with one’s environment. It’s not hard to find the goodness […]
A Closer Look at Essential Oils and Safety
Last week, the FDA sent warning letters to two very well-known essential oil companies. Here we would like to take a moment to tak...
Taking Time for Self-Care
Our world is moving quickly. Many of us have very little down time and lots of pressure to constantly perform at a high level. We ...
What do you know about the Practice of Herbalism?
Herbalism is so much more than taking herbs to address symptoms. Part of becoming an herbalist is shedding this simplistic mindset, and coming to view health through a holistic lens, in which the body, mind, and spirit are integrated. By having a clear understanding of regulations as well as her rights, studying herbal safety, and […]
What do you know about Weeds?
Humans have cursed, pulled, cut, fought, mowed, poisoned, and — yes — even waxed poetic about weeds for centuries. It seems there are almost as many definitions for a weed as there are actual weeds! Ralph Waldo Emerson questioned, “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Most herbalists would […]
What do you know about Herbal History?
Herbalism is a practice found in every culture around the world, and in some continents up to 80% of people still used herbalism a...
An Ayurvedic Approach to Staying Balanced in Autumn
Fall is such an exciting time of year in New England. Unlike many parts of the world, we get to experience a transitional season, ...
What do you know about Tree Medicine?
Trees are a critical member of ecosystems, providing habitat, stabilizing soil, moderating climate, and filtering air. They produce our most basic need — oxygen — and also provide shade, lumber, and food in the form of nuts, berries, and sap. Most often, we appreciate trees for their beauty, shade on a hot summer’s day, or […]
How Much Do You Know About Popular Herbs?
Almost everyone has heard of them, the popular herbs promoted in mainstream press and hyped by marketers. But every “herb du jour” has a fascinating story that just may surprise you! If you’re interested in learning more than just hype, rooting and sprouting herbalists herbalists can start their journey in the Online Introductory Herbal Course, […]
Goldenrod vs. Ragweed: They’re NOT the Same Plant!
Many of us who suffer from hay fever—allergic rhinitis—typically associate this annoying affliction with the spring. And yet, ...
