The Gift of Rumi

Why do you stay in prisonWhen the door is so wide open?Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking.Live in silence.Flow down and down in everwidening rings of being. ~Rumi Recently, I watched Rumi: Poetry of the Heart, a short documentary in which teachers, historians, and American translators shared some important events from the poet’s personal life. Continue reading “The Gift of Rumi”

Aspects of Autumn

If I were a bird, I would fly about the Earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot Fall hasn’t always been my favorite season.  As a kid, I loved Summer, when school was out, more than any other.  (Maybe that’s true for everyone?) As I got older, vibrant colors & cooler temperatures started having aContinue reading “Aspects of Autumn”

Down by the Creek

I have always been irresistibly drawn to water, particularly creeks, streams, and brooks.  While road tripping, I’ve stopped to photograph them more than any other feature in Nature.  Their beauty can be breathtaking, nestled beside a mountain, surrounded by trees and wildflowers.  And the sound of the water running over the stones in the creekContinue reading “Down by the Creek”

Essential Oils: A Primer

If you’re like me, you’ve been using essential oils for as long as you can remember without a clear understanding of how they work.  Over the years, I’ve read a little about them here and there and been inspired to try them for various issues.  The more I’ve used them and learned about them, theContinue reading “Essential Oils: A Primer”

5 Extraordinary Benefits of Going for a Walk

For years, I’ve read about the many advantages of walking, and I’m sure you have, too.  Among its plethora of benefits, it improves endurance, helps with hydration, burns calories, increases longevity, and reduces the risk of many chronic illnesses.  It’s a great activity to continue into advanced age, or to incorporate into any work-out routine. Continue reading “5 Extraordinary Benefits of Going for a Walk”

What Do You Mean “Holistic?”

If you are a tag reader like I am, you may have noticed all my posts include the word holistic. You may understand the concept, but my idea of it encompasses more than what’s normally considered.  For that reason, I’d like to take the opportunity to explain.  First, I want to share a definition fromContinue reading “What Do You Mean “Holistic?””

5 Reasons to Become a Master Gardener

Back in the fall, I took an online Master Gardener class through the Cooperative Extension of the University of Arizona.  (I think I mentioned it to some of you.)  My goal was to learn to grow flowers and veggies here in Northern Arizona.  For years I’ve tried and failed in this lovely high desert environmentContinue reading “5 Reasons to Become a Master Gardener”

Need a Reason to Get Away? Here You Go!

Do you remember vacations as a kid?  I can recall living for vacations.  My family would always go to the Gulf of Mexico and stay in a motel on Florida’s Panhandle.  We traveled to Flarda, as it’s pronounced in the South, to swim, lie in the sun, play in the surf, and deep sea fish. Continue reading “Need a Reason to Get Away? Here You Go!”

Healing Made Simple

I recently listened to a podcast in which Dr. Zach Bush, an MD specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care, was interviewed.  The subject was healing the mind, body, & spirit, and Dr. Bush, who is also well-versed on the role of soil and water ecosystems in human genomics, addressed it with his typicalContinue reading “Healing Made Simple”

8 Quick Morning Practices to Supercharge You for the Day Ahead

I remember well the morning rituals of my days working in an office. Jump out of bed, no time for breakfast, shower & dress, and rush to work, often arriving flustered & grumpy, feelings which could linger for hours.  At the time, it felt as though there was nothing I could do about it, asContinue reading “8 Quick Morning Practices to Supercharge You for the Day Ahead”