Herbalism. Natural Living. Holistic Health.
Adaptogens refer to a group of herbs, roots, and mushrooms which have been used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to promote wellness. The term adaptogen indicates their primary usage -- they help the body adapt to psychological, physical, and environmental stress through a nonspecific resistance. In general, adaptogens are known to... Continue Reading →
For my next several posts, I will be focusing on herbs to help manage stress and anxiety. The plant world is full of surprisingly effective remedies that do not come with the same risks and side-effects of typical anti-anxiety medications. I've found several that seem to work well, and I'm hoping others can benefit from... Continue Reading →
I've been experimenting with different recipes for homemade natural body products, and I've concocted a body butter recipe that I'm especially proud of. I gave away jars of it to friends and family, and within weeks, they were returning the jars and asking for more! It smells wonderful, has a lovely whipped texture similar to... Continue Reading →
Ugh..Waaahh!! I woke up today with a raging sinus headache and the beginnings of what will likely become a congested cough and general miserable condition over the next few days. I headed to the kitchen for some elderberry syrup that I made a few weeks ago...and realize sadly that it's almost gone. Waaahh! When I... Continue Reading →
Here I sit on this lovely fall afternoon, sipping tea made from the petals of my very own calendula plants. Calendula officinalis, also known as pot marigold, is a member of the Asteraceae/Compositae family which includes daisies and ragweed. Calendula is native to the Mediterranean region, but grows worldwide...and very easily might I add! The... Continue Reading →
In a previous post, I had written about starting my herbal garden, and I was very excited about my calendula and lavender seedlings. I haven't followed up on that post, but I'm happy to report that in real life, progress has been made! Well, not so much for the lavender...I started with about 108 seeds... Continue Reading →
It's been a while...I don't have any excuses, I've just been busy living, researching and doing. My focus has been elsewhere, although I'm keeping track of all of it for this blog. Someday, really...I promise... Anyway, on to the ashwagandha. While exploring options for natural remedies for stress and anxiety, I came across something called... Continue Reading →
I can't begin to describe how happy I am that spring is finally here. For me, it is really a time of planting seeds now that will bloom later...literally and metaphorically. This winter has not been unproductive, I've done a bit of self reflection and reshaped my goals to better align with who I am and... Continue Reading →
Pathways and Potions 