Results for Category: We’ve Come To Know
Relieving Stress through Yoga – 9 Useful Tips
For me, setting aside every task and “to-do” I have for the day to take a yoga-break is indispensable. Sometimes, I wonder what is so magical about this activity that makes it the best part of my nerve-racking day. When yoga was developed several thousand years ago, few people had the answer to what makes…
Health Benefits of Popular Autumn Spices
Soon the air will turn crisp and the leaves will begin to change colors. And along with these wonders of fall come the smells of a...
Basic Botany: Describing Leaves
There’s a lot going on in a leaf. Thousands of chemical reactions occur in each one as part of photosynthesis – the proces...
Botanical Families: How Herbs Are Related
The number of distinct botanical species recorded in the world is impressive. 500 species of conifers, 12,000 species of ferns, 14,000 species of mosses, and a staggering 300,000 different species of flowering plants. Most of our herbs are flowering plants, but how can we make sense of such an overwhelming diversity? Within that giant group…
Prepare for Fall with an Herbal Transition Kit
Late August is a time of transition, as summer is drawing to a close and a new school year begins. We know that many herbs are important allies during transitions, easing the stress and helping us settle into new routines. Creating an Herbal Transition Kit With that in mind, we can assemble an herbal transition…
How to Plan a Seed Swap in Your Neighborhood
Seed swaps are an excellent way of sharing your plant knowledge—and your seeds—with your local community. What’s more, seed ...
Local Herbs for the Home Apothecary
With so much interest in the local foods movement and how it benefits the environment, our local economies, and food security in o...
Herbal Support for Back to School
The hot, lazy days of summer are swiftly flowing by and many students are already getting ready to go back to school. As with any big transition, this time of year can bring forth challenges for students big and small. Herbal support may be useful in lending a helping hand during this exciting time and ease…
Creating Your Organized Apothecary
Building a home apothecary is an exciting part of learning herbalism. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from having everything on hand and ready so that you can mix up the perfect herbal tea blend or formula at a moment’s notice. But as your home apothecary grows from a few herbs to a…
Art of the Alcohol-Free Apothecary
Extracting herbs in alcohol is a quick and simple way to preserve their benefits for later use, so it’s no wonder that the littl...
Herbal Comfort for Aches and Pains
New Warnings on OTC Pain Relievers Over the counter NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like naproxen (Aleve), and ibu...
Learning Botanical Names
If you have spent time reading about or studying herbs, chances are you have come across botanical names. Usually in italics, botanical names are found in herb profiles, scientific studies, and even in everyday places, such as the back of your favorite herbal tea blend. If you are a HANE student, you may have seen botanical…
The Herb Safety Continuum Scale: A Guide to Herbal Safety Use
Herbal safety is an important consideration when it comes to determining which herbs to use, and it’s important to thoroughly research the safety concerns of an herb or any contraindications in reputable herbal sources. You can use the herbal safety continuum scale to help determine and visualize where an herb lies on the safety spectrum….
One Herb at a Time: 7 Ways to Inspire Your Herbal Studies
When you begin your herbal studies, the sheer number of herbs you encounter can be intimidating. While it’s useful to learn...
Stress Management for Parents: 3 Ways To Deeply Care For Yourself
“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to ...
Can Reiki Support Us? An Alternative Approach in America
The United States has become a place where people are quick to pop a pill for everything that ails them. There seems to be a pill for every imaginable (and unimaginable) ailment or ache. According to a recent Mayo Clinic study, more than 70 percent of Americans take some sort of prescription drug, with 20…
Must Haves for Your Family First Aid Kit
Every parent knows the drill – you are out on a hike or playing at the park when your child takes a tumble and is injured. Caught unprepared, you may have no easy way to clean up and comfort your child. A travel-size family first aid kit can come to the rescue when dealing with…
The Grass Isn’t Greener: Inviting Bees Into Your Yard
For bees and beekeepers, the sight of closely-cropped lawns bordered with rows of non-blooming shrubbery will never garner any vot...
What is a Materia Medica?
Every field of study employs its own language, words, and phrases that become an integral part of engaging with the discipline....
The Limits of Herbalism
Herbs have limits, too. For all the amazing ways that herbs can enrich our lives and help us heal, there are still things for which they should not be relied upon. But that’s not all – there are also legal considerations and limits that herbalists need to know. By approaching herbs with awareness of our limits…
Herbal Allies for Families During Allergy Season
Springtime brings the waking of green things from the Earth. The air is fresh and wild, and we feel called to the out-of-doors, to nature. Yet for some of us warmer weather is also the harbinger of, well, misery. If you suffer from seasonal allergies or someone in your family does, you know that the…
The Importance of Finding an Herb Mentor
Community is an important aspect of herbalism. Herbalism is all about relationships, after all – the relationships we have w...
Herbs Work in All Seasons
Herbs work in all seasons – both in the seasons of nature and in the seasons of our lives. There to support us in the unique...
Herbs Work for Families
Herbs work as part of many different lifestyles, and family life is no different – herbs are the perfect complement to family life. They enrich our lives in a multitude of ways. Not only are herbs are a healthy choice for all ages, but they connect us to the natural world, give us seasonal traditions to share…
Herbs Work as a Foundation
One of the most beautiful roles we fill as herbalists is that of teachers. In a way, it really doesn’t matter what path we take as an herbalist – we are always teaching. We may feel that we are the only real student we know, especially if we are self-taught or lifelong learners of the…
Seasonal Allergy Support With DIY Aromatherapy Shower Tablets
Spring is finally here and it is so beautiful! Gardens are waking up and bees are searching out all the flowers that have suddenly...
Herbs Work as a Lifestyle
Herbs work, but they work best if we do a little work, too! In order for us to receive the most benefit from the herbs we use, we ...
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…
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…
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. To...
