Results for Category: Live Well

How To Approach Headaches Naturally With Supportive Herbs And Essential Oils
You might feel pressure behind your eyes. You might feel pain across your forehead or just on one side of your head. The ache may be dull or sharp and may increase slowly or quickly. You might have blurred vision or a sensitivity to light or sound. All of these symptoms have one thing in…

How To Balance the Third Eye (or the 6th Chakra)
From the root or base to the throat chakra, each month we’ve looked at attributes of the first five chakras as well as ways to b...

Safe & Powerful Alternative “Thieves” Blends For The 1%
One of the most famous and best-known essential oil blends is the “Thieves” blend and all of its variants. This blend is named...

6 Ways to Display Dried Herbs in Your Fall Home Décor
As the fall months roll around, your herb gardens may be coming to an end. However, herbs aren’t only used for their great tastes and flavors. You can easily display dried herbs in your fall home décor! The subdued colors and great fragrances make dried herbs a wonderful addition to your fall décor. Plus, they…

Demystifying Weight-to-Volume Tinctures
Many of us begin our exploration of herbalism by making tinctures using what is often called the Folk Method. And there’s nothing wrong with this method—tinctures made this way can be absolutely effective. They are made and used by the most experienced of practitioners as well as those of us who make tinctures for home…

Tips on Balancing the Throat Chakra
As we have moved up the body and looked at the main chakras: the root, sacral, solar plexus, and heart, we now encounter the fifth...

Approaching Inflammation and Chronic Pain Through Diet and Herbs
As we discussed in Herbs and the Chronic Pain Puzzle, sometimes inflammation and chronic pain are interrelated. In this article, w...

Lemon Balm: The Immortal Life of Bees
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) goes by many names: bee balm, Melissa, heart’s delight, and sweet balm. Whatever we call it, bees adore the plant. Lemon balm has been used enthusiastically by beekeepers since ancient times. And it’s no wonder. This member of the mint family has an irresistible scent—the leaves smell both minty and lemony at…

Lavender Essential Oil: A Must-Have For Every Natural Medicine Chest
The lavender essential oil botanical family “Lamiaceae” is prolific in its production of aromatic and medicinal plants. One of its most famous members is lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia), one of the most widely researched and commonly used essential oils in our modern pharmacopeia. It is so useful, in fact, that it is often called…

How Autumn Energetics Affect Our Self-Care
Summer is officially a wrap. The barbecues and pool parties have ceased, children are back to school, and you might be reminiscing...

Herbs and the Chronic Pain Puzzle
In our series on herbalism and the problem of pain, we’ve already looked at An Herbal Perspective on Managing Pain, and at Herba...

Tips On Balancing The Heart Chakra
Our fourth or heart chakra is the middle chakra. It brings together the three lower chakras: root (survival), sacral (sexuality and creativity), and solar plexus (personal power and identity) with the three higher chakras: throat (truthful speech), third eye (intuition and knowing), and the crown (spirituality). As you might suspect, the heart chakra has much…

Get Cooking With Herbs! (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 6)
Welcome to the last week of our Family Herbal Summer Series! It has been quite an adventure so far and I am excited to share this last part of our journey. This week is all about something that most of us love dearly—tasty food! Cultures around the world enhance both the flavor and health of…

How To Use Essential Oils For Scarring
Essential oils are an excellent component in any first aid kit, as their antimicrobial qualities are well known, both traditionall...

6 Tips for Storing Dried Herbs
When putting together an herbal apothecary, dried herbs take center stage. Dried herbs are the first ingredient in so many differe...

7 Tips That Will Help You Stay Cool During Menopause
Summer can be a particularly rough time for menopausal women who experience menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to cool down if you are in this season of life. Below you’ll find several tips that can help you stay cool during menopause and an herbal hot flash…

Kid-Friendly Body Care (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 5)
It’s week five for our super fun Family Herbal Summer Series, and I am so glad your family is joining us. This week we get to incorporate all of our learning into good, squeaky-clean fun by making kid-friendly body care! Herbs are great fun to use in body care products, easily lending their beneficial properties…

Herbalism and Acute Pain
The topic of herbs and acute pain is an important one for many herbalists- family herbalists and advanced herbalists alike! After ...

Essential Oils for Insect Bites and Stings
I love this time of year—the trees, the flower, the sunshine…the bugs. While I accept that they are an important part of our e...

Tips On Balancing the Solar Plexus Chakra
Looking at the ancient Eastern chakra tradition, we’ve reviewed some of the basic information about the first or root chakra (red, earth element, sense of smell) and the second or sacral chakra (orange, water element, sense of taste) and how they correspond to parts of the body, and the importance of balance. This month we’ll…

Stocking the Family Herb Cabinet (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 4)
Welcome back to the Family Herbal Summer Series at the Herbal Academy! I am so happy you and your family are here to join us for our fourth week of camp. This week during our Family Herbal Summer Series we are going to get crafty and enjoy making some wonderful herbal preparations to stock the…

An Herbal Perspective On Managing Pain Using Herbs
How does an herbalist use herbal theory when managing pain using herbs? Most of the time, people tend to think of pain as a simple...

The Truth About Phototoxic Essential Oils & How To Use Them Safely
As you look out the window, you see that it’s another beautiful summer day! You anticipate feeling the warmth of the summer ...

Family Wildcrafting (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 3)
Welcome to week 3 of our special Family Herbal Summer Series! This week it is time to get out and explore the world of herbalism in the wild with some family wildcrafting. Many useful and wonderful herbal plants grow in the wild places of the world and herbalists often adore finding their green friends growing…

Tips on Balancing the Sacral Chakra
Last month, balancing the first or root chakra was briefly described. This month, we follow the energy upward from the root chakra to the second or sacral chakra. Understanding The Sacral Chakra The root chakra is at the base of the spine, and the sacral chakra is located about two inches below the naval. The…

Introduction to Herbs for Kids
Welcome to our very special Introduction to Herbs for Kids series! Children are often fascinated by the natural world, learning fr...

Herb Gardening With Children (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 2)
Welcome back to the Family Herbal Summer Series at the Herbal Academy! I am so happy you and your family are here to join us for o...

When Is An Herbalist Prepared To See Clients?
Some of the most common questions that we are asked here at the Academy are, “When is an herbalist prepared to see clients,” and “How will I know when I am ready to see my first client?” Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to these questions or questions like them. Because there is no formal licensure or…

First Aid Essential Oils For A Summer Travel Kit
Summer is here, which means that most of us will do at least a little bit of traveling. There’s nothing like being away from home and having some sort of an illness or wound, only to realize you don’t have natural remedies with you that you need. It’s a good idea to put together a…

Botany for Herbalists (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 1)
Welcome to our Family Herbal Summer Series for kids and parents! I am so happy you are here! This week I want to introduce you and...