The holistic approach, as it applies to everything in life, integrates and celebrates all aspects of our being: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Using herbs in our lives is one of the most practical and accessible ways of accessing all the benefits that earth has to offer; we can use them to create lives that are not just healthier, but also more joyful, life-affirming and satisfying on every level. Herbs are such a precious gift and we should never lose sight of this, or indeed of our sacred responsibility not only to ourselves, but also to the earth around us and the sacred traditions that can offer us so much if we are just open to these gifts and magic. What, you may be asking, ...
I am in love with common wild plants, or weeds, partly because they can help us out in so many different ways; here are some of my favorites. Further details, with recipes, specific techniques, examples, and stories, can be found in Weedy Wisdom for the Curious Forager, along with the kind of natural philosophy that comes up when people spend time in nature, observing, and wondering. These explorations were inspired by a series of classes with a summer camp for people with varied abilities, many of whom are in wheelchairs. Because of the way these campers approached foraging, our discussions were suitable for complete beginners while at the same time going unusually deeply into the ...
As a critical care physician, I spend my days caring for sick patients. I see a lot of suffering, but I also get a lot of satisfaction from using my medical training and scientific knowledge to help people. People are needlessly suffering from skin conditions that could be treated with the use of cannabidiol, better known as CBD. Skin conditions are not as dire as some of the trauma that I see in the hospital, but their itching, pain, and embarrassment can negatively affect your life. And, it’s not just the itching and pain (both of which CBD is uniquely suited to combat). Skin conditions also cause secondary psychological trauma. If you have ever dealt with a serious outbreak of ...
Ayurveda, which means, "the science of life," is an ancient form of healing that is widely used today in various countries all over the Earth. In western medicine, you would typically go into a doctor's office, maybe spend 15 minutes with the doctor outlining your illness, and he/she would write you a prescription for medication. This has been our pattern of healing for over a hundred years. By contrast, with Ayurveda, you would go into your Ayurvedic practitioner's office, talk and answer questions for 1-2 hours about every aspect of your life, and he/she would prescribe for you many different treatments. You may be asked to bathe a certain way, do particular exercises, eat a type of ...