Every spiritual and wisdom tradition in history has recommended some kind of meditation. This has, unfortunately, created the impression that it is solely a religious activity. In actual fact, meditation is an activity to help calm the mind and harness its natural pristine clarity. In Kathleen McDonald’s book, How To Meditate: A Practical Guide, she explains things this way: “The mind is a Continue Reading →
The Christmas Story tells of the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Most people are familiar with gold, but what about the others? The holy oils? Both Frankincense and Myrrh are the resins – think “sap” – of their respective trees. In their raw state, these resins can be crushed or made into tinctures or oils for use in salves Continue Reading →
Skin is the largest organ of the body, keeping everything inside that is supposed to be there! It is our first line of defense against infection. It helps control our body temperature. It breathes, sweats and secretes natural oils. And it loves TLC! Here are a few suggestions to help your skin feel like a million dollars – without it costing a million! Note that Continue Reading →
Seeing as we are fast approaching the Canadian Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share a few musings that reflect the spirit of this holiday. I have a few quotes from Ivan Rados, a Vancouver-based artist and new-age writer/philosopher. I hope you enjoy them. “ Life is a beautiful adventure to in all its “unknowable knowingness”. The mind prompts us to erect Continue Reading →
Now that summer is here, we are likely to have encounters with little critters that bite. There are some general first-aid measures that can help get over the initial pain and swelling of those bites. Wasp Stings: Wasp venom is alkaline in nature, so the treatment needs an acidic substance to neutralize the poison. Vinegar (preferably cider vinegar) can Continue Reading →
Now that the weather is becoming warmer and the daylight hours longer, it’s time to look at the natural approach to “summertime issues”. Insect bites and sunburn combine to make life miserable. So what can we do about these things? Insect Bites: If the bugs will stay away, we won’t get bitten! Essential oils can be added to diffusers, sprays Continue Reading →
We have been waiting for summer to arrive, and it seems last week was our first blast of real heat and sunshine on the West Coast. It has been a long time since we’ve experienced this intensity of sunshine, so it seems timely to remind people of the dangers of certain essential oils when exposed to sunlight. Normally, we have Continue Reading →
A Colour Bathing Ritual is a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. Rituals help us do several things: create a sacred space that will assist us in building a basic structure for personal development increase an understanding of the energy flow we experience contribute to our awareness and individual power Continue Reading →
AromaGenera uses specific aromatherapy blends to help us access our unconscious and subconscious processes and information. This, in turn, influences and directs our daily activities, thoughts, emotions and drives. Inhaling these aromas with mindful attention creates a bridge between what was, what is and what can be. The treatment system was developed by British aromatherapist Valerie Ann Worwood; a brief Continue Reading →
Looking around the yard, I realized that our mild winter is causing many plants to awaken from their winter sleep. To see Snowdrops, Crocus, early Daffodils and Winter Heath either coming up or in bloom right now is truly exciting news. It got me wondering what the folklore and “readings” were for these amazing plants, so I turned to Suzy Continue Reading →