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Vata Massage Oil Recipe (Fall and Early Winter)
Massage oil, especially when infused with herbs, can be more than just a feel-good skin moisturizer. Ayurveda teaches that fat is closely connected to love, satisfaction, and protection (Svoboda, 1999). In addition to nourishing and nurturing the skin, using herbally infused homemade massage oils produces a grounding, supportive, and protective effect on the body and…
3 Tips on Managing Vata Dosha During Autumn
Ayurveda teaches that we each have an inherent prakruti, which is our natural, unchanging nature. Our prakruti is our unique balance of vata, pitta, and kapha doshas and is unaffected by phase of life, seasons, or any other external factors. If you’re interested in finding out what your dosha is, read our article, Introduction To…
Elderberry Spice Galette Recipe
As the season shifts from high summer to early autumn, we begin to prepare for what lies ahead. Connecting back with the rhythms of the earth helps us to honor our inner worlds. The life cycle of plants, reflected in their appearance, marks the shifts in time and is an invitation into ritual to honor…
Green Pea Hummus Recipe with Fresh Mint
Many of us appreciate the satisfying and versatile nature of a good hummus. Great on sandwiches, pita bread, and crackers, hummus is also a fabulous topping on veggies, and adds an extra kick of protein to a variety of savory dishes and spreads. As a fun variation on chickpeas, this hummus recipe mixes it up…
Herbal Support for Menopause + An Herbal Formula for Dryness
While studying Ayurveda, our teacher emphasized many times that “menopause is not a disease.” Though there are often symptoms associated with the transition from the menstruating years to menopause, menopause is a natural biological process and is simply part of the normal life cycle. Some individuals are fortunate enough to experience a relatively symptom-free menopause….
3 Supportive Uses for Peppermint You Need to Know
A cheerful mint whose flavor and aroma have inspired candy canes, chewing gum, breath mints, and holiday goodies of all sorts, the uses for peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaf as a versatile herb with numerous botanical benefits and usages are many. With a long history among Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, and Japanese cultures, peppermint is…
Waning Moon Herbal Mix For Deep Nourishment
When you observe the flow of your energy cycles during any given month you may notice that your energy ebbs and flows. Sometimes you need to hang out in an eddy; other times you are flowing forward at full force. During any lunar cycle, we tend to have times of heightened creativity, activity, and extroversion…
Top Supports for Anxiety: Herbs, Lifestyle, and Traditional Wisdom
On the rare occasion when I meet someone who reports that they never get stressed or anxious, I typically raise an eyebrow. Some level of stress, worry, and even fearfulness is a natural and normal part of life. We have evolved to have a negativity bias as a means of survival, meaning we scan our…
The Three Aspects of Taste in Ayurveda
In our new Ayurveda and Digestive Health Intensive in The Herbarium, Ayurvedic practitioner and Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher Greta Kent-Stoll, delves into the foundational concepts of ayurvedic eating, such as the six tastes, and the role that each of the three doshas plays in digestive health. You will learn how to recognize vata-, pitta-, or kapha-type digestive…
How Does Scent Affect Mood?
On an intuitive and experiential level, many of us are aware of the connection between scent and mood. Though some may tune into the significance of scent more consciously than others, our sense of smell is intimately related to our emotions and even cognitive function and spatial awareness (Fifth Sense, 2021). Furthermore, appealing scents enhance…
Homemade Crackers With Scallions and Black Mustard Seeds
Until a couple of months ago, I never thought to make homemade crackers. Crackers were one of those things that I only enjoyed when store-bought. However, making crackers in your own kitchen is surprisingly easy and fun—also, you can get creative with the ingredients and you always know exactly what goes into your savory snacks….
How to Make Coffee Extract + A Dark Chocolate Delights Recipe
Aside from being one of the most popular morning wake-up beverages, the coffee bean (Coffea spp.) is a plant that offers a range of health benefits. For many coffee drinkers, sipping a morning cup of coffee is a cherished ritual—it’s not just about the caffeine pick-me-up, but also about the smell, flavor, aroma, and brewing…
To Tonify or Purify? That Is the Question
As we bid ado to the year gone by and welcome a fresh new turn of the calendar, it is not uncommon to crave practices that create a sense of clarity and renewal. After holiday feasts and merriment, you may yearn for simpler foods or wonder if it’s time for a cleanse. However, with the…
Herbal Wellness Routines On the Go For Travel and a Busy Schedule
Whether you are traveling, hosting guests, or taking a vacation or staycation, most of us experience some disruption to our daily routines during the holidays. It is quite normal for one’s wellness routines to become altered during these busy and festive times. However, in order to keep your balance and optimize your ability to enjoy…
Herbs for Health and Cheer During Winter
As we head into the darker, cooler months of winter, many of us look forward to the sights, sounds, and activities of the holidays. Some of us may pine for quiet snow days and the opportunity to turn within and reflect. Or, depending on where you live, winter may take on a slightly different flavor….
5 Autumn Spices for the Herbalist’s Kitchen
I adore autumn, and yet I find it a bittersweet time of year, being the harbinger of the cold, dark days of winter. Whether or not you welcome the transition from the heat of summer to the cool of autumn and winter, adjusting your foods, spices, and herbs to fit the season is one important…
Tincture, Decoction, Tea, or Ghee: An Ayurvedic Perspective on Herbal Preparations
We all have our preferred methods of enjoying herbs. Some love hot herbal tea, some like a cool infusion, and others reach for the convenience and potency of tinctures. Or, some may crave the unctuous, nourishing qualities of herb-infused oils and ghee. There are many reasons why one may choose one type of herbal preparation…
Cultivating Clarity With Foods and Herbs
Most of us agree that a clear, peaceful mind is desirable. There are few of us who wish for an internal state that is characterized by turbulence and discord. Of course, cultivating and maintaining inner clarity is often easier said than done. However, we can take steps to create conditions for greater clarity and harmony…
Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint Essential Oils: Boring? Or Powerful Allies?
Do you ever feel that your retailer or favorite essential oil blogger is always touting the benefits of new essential oils you have not heard of or, at least, do not own? We may or may not know much about the oil other than what the retailer or blogger claims, but the advertising makes it…
Avipattikar Churna: Herbal Support For Digestive Imbalance
With summer around the corner, some of us are thrilled by warmer temperatures and the prospect of stone fruits, berries, smoothies, and salads. However, those who run warm, e.g. pitta types, may need to take caution to tame the internal fires as external temperatures climb. This means keeping the body temperature, emotional thermometer, and digestive…
Sitopaladi Churna: Sweet Cough Powder for Respiratory Support
With spring in full swing, consider yourself fortunate if you are not affected by seasonal allergies or other respiratory issues. On the other hand, if you do experience sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and other respiratory allergy symptoms, you may find yourself looking for new methods of respiratory support. Or, perhaps you simply want to have some…
Triphala: Time-Honored Digestive Support for All Types
Most herb lovers have their shortlist of herbal essentials. These are the single herbs or formulas that you are sure to keep in stock, the ones that you always throw in the travel suitcase or day bag. If you were stranded on a desert island, which three herbs would you want to have with you?…
7 Foods and Herbs to Add to Your Diet for Postpartum Nourishment + A Nourishing Stew Recipe
The first weeks after birth are a very special chapter like no other—this period can be one of the biggest physical, emotional, and spiritual transitions someone will go through in their lifetime. Postpartum is the time to recover, for both parent and child. The baby slowly gets used to the new world and an intimate…
Rose Monograph
EXAMPLE MONOGRAPH: ROSE Common, Botanical, & Family Names Rose, hip rose, dog rose, wild dog rose, cabbage rose, red rose (Skenderi, 2003), shatapatri, gulab (Khalsa & Tierra, 2011) Rosa spp. (e.g., Rosa rugosa, Rosa damascena, Rosa canina, Rosa gallica) Rosaceae Botanical Description Roses are perennial, deciduous plants with sharply thorned stems. Some rose species are…
Agni: Understanding the Digestive Fire
Digestive fire or digestive strength is discussed with some frequency across different herbalism and wellness traditions. However, oftentimes we don’t take the time to really break down our understanding of what is meant by digestive fire. Ayurveda has a unique, well-articulated, and beautifully poetic model for understanding digestive wellness. In Ayurveda, one’s agni (digestive fire)…
Your Guide to an Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse
Spring is often linked to a sense of renewal. As the daylight hours stretch out longer, temperatures become warmer, and blossoms emerge, you may find yourself with a desire to engage in a spring cleanse or another ritual of renewal. Ayurveda offers gentle and time-tested methods for cleansing and resetting. An ayurvedic spring cleanse can…
Ayurvedic Holiday Gift Guide
The holidays can be a wonderful opportunity to show your love and thoughtfulness. Homemade gifts, party favors, and stocking stuffers are a festive way to get crafty, have a little fun in the kitchen, and apply your passion for herbalism and wellness. Making (or purchasing) ayurvedic-inspired gifts is a great way to offer something that…
Balance Your Holiday Menu With Ayurvedic Six Tastes
Ayurveda teaches that all things in nature are made up of some combination of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. This means that our bodies, the food we eat, the herbs that we benefit from, and even colors and aromas—are made of some combination of the five elements. This five-element paradigm is…
Ayurvedic Diet: Four Foods to Eat in the Fall
Again and again, I am drawn back to the wisdom of Ayurveda. This is for many reasons, one being that Ayurveda has helped me to become more aware of, and in tune with, the seasons. The transition from summer to fall marks the changeover from pitta season to vata season. Fall is the time of…
Ayurveda and Yoga: Yoga for Your Constitution
“Ayurveda is a paradigm, not a prescription” is a phrase that I commonly emphasize in my introduction to Ayurveda public lectures. Ayurveda is integrated into the medical system in India and if you work with any ayurvedic practitioner anywhere in the world, they will likely suggest herbs, dietary modifications, and other practical measures. However, Ayurveda…
