As an herbalist (or any wildcrafter) , it is important to understand the role of the plants in their ecosystem. Knowing if they are native or non-native can tell us a lot and help us to approach it them from many different levels of respect.

the rhythms of light outside of our body have a strong effect on our metabolism and other regulatory functions in our body. Want to get healthy? Get on track with them.

Holly, being that go-to winter holiday decoration, must have some reason besides the nice color of the red berries, or that the evergreen species stands out strong throughout the winter. However, there’s more to the plant than just decoration. It has medicinal and energetic value as well.

It’s here folks, vata season. Just in time for holiday season, and as some of you know, vata season + holiday season = the perfect storm for a mental breakdown, explosion, or some other debilitating experience.

In Ayurveda, vata is made up of the air and ether elements. When in balance it helps one to be more creative, to move around easily and allow change, it can be inspiring and spiritual.

When out of balance, it can increase the effects of anxiety, ungroundedness, overwhelm, the inability to focus on one thing. One will tend to skip sitting down for meals and just grab some snacks to get by, or get so wrapped up in thoughts or nervousness that they forget to eat.

Sound familiar?