Top 680 results for “animals”

Family Heirloom painting
How I Became an Animal Chaplain

Sarah Bowen shares ways humans can rebalance their relationship with the rest of the animal kingdom.

Humanity in Animals

The Evolution of Empathy, Altruism, and Even the Soul

seal lions in australia
Enriched by Animals

“As I walked, something walked with me. Not in the sand—but to my right, in the water, just beyond the breaking of the waves.”

5 Spiritual Books About Animals

If you consider yourself a spiritual animal lover, dive into these five book titles suggested by our animal chaplain.

A cat in the grass animals and spirituality
Learning Spirituality from Animals

Animals of all kinds, especially the ones sharing our home, can be our spiritual guides and healers if we pay attention.

Good News for Animals

The world often seems like a bleak place for animal rights. Here are some of the good things happening to our more-than-human neighbors on this planet.

How to Work with Your Totem Animal

An excerpt from Totem Animals, Plain & Simple by Celia M. Gunn

Empaths & Animals: A Special Relationship

Authenticity, a minimal amount of emotional work, and the ability to gain trust are just some of the reasons empaths value their relationships with animals and with nature.

Asking AI About Animals and Emerging Forms of Intelligence

Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen chatted with ChatGPT, an online artificial intelligence chatbot, about animal ethics.

LGBTQ+ Animal Pride

"Let’s bring to light the stunning diversity of life on Earth. Welcome to Animal Pride.”

Book Review: A Plea for the Animals

A Plea for the AnimalsThe Moral, Philosophical, and Evolutionary Imperative to Treat All Beings with CompassionBy Matthieu RicardShambhala PublicationsAccording to a statistic cite…

How Do We Pray for Animals?

Interspecies healing practices include prayer circles and shawls.

Lessons From the Animals of Norse Mythology

Explore what the animals of Norse mythology have to teach us about the gods, the modern world, and the ancient world.

How Working With Spirit Animals Calms Anxiety

Renowned psychotherapist and shamanic healer Dr. Steven Farmer offers concrete ways to work with spirit animals to assist you in healing anxiety.

Do Animals Have More Soul Than We Do?

Not only do animals live, they have lives—with “undiluted purity and clarity…”

Beyond Owls and Elephants: More Wise Animals

Need a wisdom teacher? Look no further than the animal world’s bees, snakes, and more.

2 Yogic Breath Practices Inspired By Animals

Explore one yoga instructor and anthropologist’s suggestions for breath practices that connect us with animal wisdom.

Science & Spirit: Jogging Fights Genetics, Optimistic Sleep, Emotional Support Animals

This week in research, a good reason to try jogging. Also, optimism has been linked to better sleep. And finally, people are getting serious about figuring out what the heck an emotional support animal really is. Read on for more.

Animal Chaplain Sarah Bowen on Respecting and Revering All the Animals

Sarah Bowen explores the intersection of animals and spirituality in Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Trying to Heal the Planet.

Self-Care Tips from Slow Animals and Helpful Droids

While animals are good inspiration for self-care ideas, droids are excellent for helping maintain motivation.

Video: Look at these Animals in the Eye

Do you ever look an animal in the eye and see someone you know? National Geographic fellow Joel Sartore develops this deep connection with his photographs of endangered species (se…

Faux Paws: Common Sayings Animal Lovers Should Avoid

Thingifying animals is a thing (Sure! I'll be your guinea pig!)—and words matter. Here are tips for kinder and more mindful, animal-inclusive speech from the world’s wisdom traditions.

After the Removal of 30 Types of Plants and Animals from the Junior Dictionary

The author was inspired by the removal of words from the dictionary to make more room for technology.

Roadside Blessings: Conscious Driving Practices for Animal Lovers

When it comes to roadkill it can be easy to act as if you have no responsibility.

Rocking Rocky: Finding a Peak Experience

“I got my first dog at 76. Childless, this experience had eluded me, and seven-week-old Rocky change my life.”

Featured Artist: Kim Ferreira

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with New Hampshire-based artist Kim Ferreira about foxes and racoons, happy paintings, phonographs, and more.

Film Review: The Loneliest Whale

FOR MANY YEARS, the so-called “52-hertz whale” has been one of the more mysterious and captivating beasts in creation. So called because the sounds it emits are at a frequency diff…

About That Walrus in My Creche Set …

Our resident animal chaplain offers her musings on an eclectic nativity scene.

How to Mindfully Photograph Animal Roommates

Our animal chaplain gives the scoop on the most ethical, mindful ways to snap pics of our beloved animal friends.

Coping with Grief from Pet Loss

Animal chaplain Rev. Sarah Bowen explores different “flavors” of grief associated with the passing of a beloved animal companion and shares useful resources for healing.

Animal Divina

Critter lover and Spiritual Rebel author Sarah Bowen shares five cherished texts about animals.

Is It Time for a Robopet?

Robo-dog? Sounds straight out of a sci-fi movie. Technology has come a long way since the 1997 release of the Tamagotchi. Still, today robopets continue to bring comfort and cure loneliness.

Journaling Animalia

Studies suggest animals engage in their own kind of spiritual practices. Discover animal-inspired prayer through a sacred writing practice.

Animal Blessings

Our resident animal chaplain shows us the significance of blessing animals—and one another.

Book Review: Rewilding Our Hearts

Rewilding Our HeartsBuilding Pathways of Compassion and CoexistenceBy Marc BekoffNew World LibraryI saw Jane Goodall give a talk in person once. When she took questions at the…

Film Review: Pelican Dreams

Pelican DreamsDirected by Judy IrvingIn 2005, in The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, filmmaker Judy Irving detailed the odd relationship between a group of feral parrots and an une…

What's It Really Like to Be ... an Animal Psychic?

Six questions for professional animal communicator Maia Kincaid.

Wetlands Under Threat

An ancient web of wetlands across the upper Midwest, essential to migratory birds and the health of waterways, are draining at an alarming rate.

A Brain Surgeon’s Guide to Horse Sense

Tapping into the wisdom of “prey” species.

The Black Jaguar and Humanity’s Evolution

Excerpted from Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh by Matthew Fox

The Christmas Bird

Excerpt from Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver

Turn Everything Into a Self-Esteem Game-Changer

Low self-esteem is hard to lift. Unlike high self-esteem, which is primed to respond rapidly to even slight praise—You love my new haircut? Me too!—low self-esteem is notoriously s…

The Commons: Quest for the Sacred

​Walk in the Church of the Woods

How Horses Can Heal Humans

Therapeutic horseback riding helps veterans with PSTD

Poem: disney princess

The guidance Tyler Knott Gregson offers in his new book, Miracle in the Mundane, is for tapping into our creativity, purpose, and joy; because, "from time to time in this crazy and chaotic spin we call life, we need to pause, reflect, and truly begin again."

May the Fork Be With You

My four-legged roommates Buba-ji and Deacon are not happy with me today. They were intent on munching on a mouse when I swooped in to stop the slaughter. As they meow and run frant…

Following the Spiritual Path of the Coyote

“I’m in awe of the way coyotes practice mindfulness in their day-to-day lives. They display a calm awareness of everything that’s going on around them and give complete attention to what they’re experiencing on a moment-to-moment basis.”

6 Sustainable Gardening Tips for Animal Lovers

In creating cultivated backyards, we are removing habitats for wild animals. Here are several sustainable gardening tips that keep the wellbeing of all creatures in mind.

How to Communicate With Pets on an Energetic Level

“Our pet companions negotiate everything about our vital relationship with them through energetics. But how can we receive and interpret our pet companion’s various messages?”

Roosters Rule: Finding Purpose Through Animal Rescue

Read how a rescued rooster is tackling climate change and spreading kindness, plus a practice for exploring purpose in your life.

The WTF Prayer

Creating the change you want to see in the world requires first welcoming all of your emotions, even the difficult ones, and then moving forward with clarity.

Praying the Animal Rosary

Find solace in an animal rosary practice that invokes blessings on our furry, finned, and feathered companions.

Pets, Their People, and Coping With the Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an unlikely hero has emerged: pets. “In addition to helping us navigate an increasingly frightening and lonely world, our pets can also help us manage the interpersonal relationships inside our own walls.”

Walking the Divine Fido

Praying to dog? Studies have shown prayer has a positive impact on mental and physical health and healing—regardless of who or what you pray to.

Is Godzilla Your Power Animal?

Within that which you fear, there is spiritual potential. Reclaim your monsters and awaken to the presence of God in Godzilla.

Harry the Llama and Katherine Dunn

Apifera Farm is a healing place for animals and elders. In addition to visits with Harry, seniors can meet geese and goats and even groom the horses, providing the element of touch, the rhythm of repetition, and the curative fresh air of the farm.

Surviving the Pain of Pet Loss

It’s often said that “grief is love with nowhere to go.” Ignore voices telling you to move on, and instead find a place to put all the love you once showered on your pet when they were alive.

Film Review: Stray

Five years ago, adventurous moviegoers were enchanted with Turkish director Ceyda Torun’s documentary about Istanbul’s street cats, Kedi, a small indie hit on the festival circui…

Is Hope Real?

Hope isn’t simply an emotion, nor is it faith. A conversation with Dr. Jane Goodall provides some insight.

Podcast: Animal Chaplain Sarah Bowen, Sacred Sendoffs

Healing the planet, grieving an animal loss, and more from Sacred Sendoffs with animal chaplain Sarah Bowen.

An Ethical Obligation to Ticks?

Ticks are animals, just like us. Is it possible to stay safe while keeping ticks in our circle of compassion?

Bee-ing Here Now: Lessons From Honey Bees

What spiritual lessons can we glean from pollinators? Our resident animal chaplain offers wisdom from honeybees.

An Easy Meditation Practice for You and Your Dog

Practicing interspecies mindfulness can help us increase the ability to live in a state of non-anxious presence. Have you tried meditating with your pup?

How to Forest Bathe With Your Dog

Familiar with forest bathing? Try this meditative practice with your pup for an added benefit.

Helping At-Risk Cats—and Incarcerated People

Time with our feline friends can be deeply nourishing. Explore how one program is connecting shelter cats with incarcerated individuals to promote interspecies healing.

Attending to Your Pet’s Body After Death

The loss of a pet can be profoundly impactful, leaving us to make hard choices about their body. Explore our animal chaplain’s advice for what happens after our animal companions pass.

A Rabbit for Easter?

Before you decide to buy your family that cute Easter bunny as a pet, take a look at alternatives that might be better for rabbit welfare.

Featured Artist: Shachi Kale

We spoke with Shachi Kale about healing with art, wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita, and the female journey.

What to Do About Bears

Now that summer is in full swing, it’s important to consider your bear neighbors. Our animal chaplain shares her experience with a black bear, and some tips on how to handle bear encounters of many kinds.

What Is Speciesism (and Why Does It Matter)?

Speciesism is a complex issue. Explore why understanding this paradigm matters, and learn new ways of building mindful relationships with the animal beings in your life.

4 Affirmations for Surviving Pet Loss

Pet loss can be as impactful as losing a human companion. Utilize these four affirmations to support yourself through the grieving process.

An Animal Blessing for All Creatures

In honor of the Feast of St. Francis, our animal chaplain offers an alternative animal blessing—and suggests that you utilize it, too.

Oh, Rats: An Animal Chaplain's Suggestions for Unwanted Houseguests

What is one to do with rats in the house? Explore our animal chaplain’s ideas on how to ethically rat-proof your home.

The Spiritual Meaning of Wasp Stings

While wasp stings can certainly be random and unfortunate, they can also teach us about ourselves and our perspective on life. What is the spiritual meaning of a wasp sting?

A Guide to Overcoming Guilt About Animal Loss

Feeling the loss of a beloved animal companion and conflicted about their passing? Eight animal chaplains offer their wisdom.

Dogs Demystified

Our animal chaplain spoke with a cognitive ethologist to get the best information possible on how to love and communicate with our canine companions.

The Future of Wildlife Encounters

Our animal chaplain explores the latest in technological help for lions, tigers, and bears—oh my!

Pets and Incense: What You Need to Know

Enjoy using incense in your spiritual routine? Consider the effects it might have on your canine or feline companions.

3 Animal Holidays Your Dog Wishes You Knew About

Looking for creative ways to promote animal well-being year-round? Here are three holidays your dog might like to tell you about if they had a calendar.

Is Your Dental Floss Animal-Safe?

Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen shares how your dental care routine might not be animal-safe, and offers more earth-friendly solutions.

Cats and the Enneagram

Our animal chaplain explores feline personalities and how to support cat well-being from the lens of the Enneagram.

Book Review: Two Dogs and a Parrot

Two Dogs and a ParrotWhat Our Animal Friends Can Teach Us About LifeBy Joan ChittisterBlueBridgeWhy do we love pets? Because, through them, we “cling to nature in a world made of g…

Film Review: Bugs

BugsDirected by Andreas JohnsenRosforth FilmsOpening with a culinary feast involving bowls of soldier fly larvae, locust tabbouleh, and dung beetle stew, Andreas Johnsen’s fascinat…

Animal Farm as Written by Gandhi

“Magic happens betweens humans and animals, but there is a special magic with these animals.”

What Would You Do for Your Bored Rhinoceros?

Because no species is prepared to deal with an absence of environmental unpredictability

How Do I Survive the Pain?

“My trigger that tells me I’m tuned in to an animal is the fact that my eyes fill up with tears.”

Finding Refuge From Anxiety

One author offers her thoughts on taking a 5-week, $500 vacation from anxiety.

The Commons: A Miracle That Should Unite Us All

Here we are, profoundly amazed to find ourselves on a planet speeding 67 thousand miles per hour through vast regions of cold space, impossibly removed from any other known place o…

Wild Lovingkindness: Creating Mettā Connections

“That's so meta.” ... From self-reflective to the Buddhist mettā (cultivating benevolence), “we can practice wild lovingkindness to extend beyond one being, beyond humanity.” Here, 5 mettā moment starters, plus a practice for reflecting on your wild connections.

How Pets Alleviate Touch Deprivation

Time to adopt a furry friend? Your four-legged friend’s company helps relieve touch deprivation and feelings of isolation.

For the Love of Guinea Pigs

Discover 4 ways to celebrate the first-ever Guinea Pig Awareness Week. Start by learning what every human needs to know about interacting with these four-pawed friends.

Becoming Moon-imals

What might we gain from considering ourselves in the same way, affected by both our earthly presence and the influence of the moon?

Spirituality and Sentience

Recognizing the sentience of nonhumans obligates you to engage with life in a manner that, at minimum, seeks to avoid unnecessary suffering.

Practicing Mauna

In need of more quiet time? Concerned about noise pollution? Practice mauna.

Aging With Cats and Dogs

Our resident animal chaplain explores the complexities of mortality as it regards our animal companions—and ourselves.

7 Gifts of Personal Power From Dragons

Dragons are spiritual beings with potent lessons to offer—explore the seven lessons in power they can share with you.

Film Review: EO

Anyone still suffering nightmares because of a childhood viewing of Bambi may wish to prepare themselves for EO, veteran Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski’s tale of a donkey who ex…

Radical Relationality

Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen follows up on the impact of the death of LA's mountain lion P-22, and shares about the power of Indigenous thought on ecology.

An Animal-Friendly Summer Reading List for Kids

Explore Rev. Sarah Bowen's top four books for animal-loving kids, and enjoy a bonus interview with animal advocate Camille Licate.

What Do I Do With Mom’s Old Furs?

Fur stoles, coats, and muffs that have grown out of fashion can be used to help care for wildlife. Explore how.

Good Night, Moon

There is a lot to learn from the moon and the animal kingdom when it comes to sleeping better. Try these easy steps to get a better, more natural night of rest.

Helping Street Dogs

Our animal chaplain shares inspiration for sustaining canine advocacy from a mother-daughter team in India.

4 Practices to Evoke the Courageous Spirit of a Lion

The lion is a powerful symbol and ally for inner courage and self-expression. One Vedic teacher offers four steps to embody this animal teacher.

Flower Essences for Animal Healing

Flower essences operate on a subtle, energetic level as “vibrational medicine.” Can this gentle modality help our animal companions?

Book Review: Animal Wisdom

Learning from the spiritual lives of animals.

Compassion for All with Matthieu Ricard

Rabbi Rami once again talks to Matthieu Ricard: Buddhist monk, photographer, author, humanitarian and French translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Ricard is the “happiness ma…

10 Ways Pets Improve Mental Health

In their emotionally connected presence, pets can be a powerful ally for optimal mental health.

Why You Really Should Protect Your Sleep

And what to do about it if you can’t.

Peace Lessons From A War Horse

Could you teach a peace-loving and exquisitely sensitive animal to carry you across a battlefield into enemy fire? What would that teach you?

5 Ways to Bond With Your Pooch

Connect with your dog on a deeper level with these suggestions.

Poem: Shadow

“Subscribe to plants, animals, stars, / music, the baby who can’t walk yet”

A Ritual for Honoring the Loss of a Human or Animal Companion

Rosemary has long signified deep friendship and lasting memories. This ritual for grief, built around rosemary, creates time and space for grieving and allows others to join and share the healing process.

Where Did All the Poop on Noah’s Ark Go?

“One reason people are leaving traditional Bible-based religions is that they are told they have to read the Bible literally rather than metaphorically.” So what happened to the poop on Noah's ark?

Wizard of Paws’ Derrick Campana on Saving Our Pets

Wizard of Paws' Derrick Campana “is proving a healthy and happy life is possible through creatively engineered orthotics and custom prosthetics.” And, beyond bionics, here are three ways we can support injured and suffering animals.

The Spiritual Side of S’mores

The surprising history of the yummy treat, plus tips on sweet ingredients that do good

What’s Your Doggie’s Dosha?

Canine wellness expert Amanda Ree dishes ayurvedic wisdom via dog dosha quizzes, balancing your furry friend's dosha and customizing it to meet your BFF's unique needs.

Pets Wisdom

More…

4 Animal-Inspired Tips for Better Sleep

If you're looking for ways to naturally sleep better at night, where better to look than in nature?

4 Lessons on Forgiveness From a Rescue Dog

Maggie the Wunderdog was shot, attacked, and left for dead, but, thanks to a rescuer, survived, is thriving—and is loving. Here are four lessons on forgiveness rescue dogs like Maggie teach us.

Animal Mystics

How can we live in sacred relationship with the more-than-human world?

Catstrology: What the Stars Can Teach You About Your Feline Friends

Astrology for cats? Finally decode their quirky behavior by getting to know their place on the zodiac.

Visits From a Mystical Messenger

The symbolic meanings of animals often vary from culture to culture. Different animals and their symbolism can serve as a great comfort and reminder that you are not alone, even in grief.

A Playlist For Nervous Cats

Parent to a nervous cat? Body-Mind-Spirit connection isn't just for the humans—help your cat cultivate its inner peace through music.

What’s Your Animal Sign?

It’s like astrology but add some fur and feathers. Discover your animal sign and how this animal counterpart has influenced your most essential qualities in life.

Be Squirrely

Giant squirrels, giant lessons? Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen explores what squirrels can show us about mindfulness.

Delightful and Bear-able Sabbath Practices

Tap into the Sabbath practices of a hibernating bear. Unplug, rest ... and just be.

Spirituality and Dogs

You have to train a dog to be vicious. For humans, all it takes is religion, politics, or social media. Dogs are the ultimate Zen practitioners.

An Animal Rosary

A new way to pray that combines an ancient tool and a modern perspective.

Noah Time Like Today

Sometimes you just need an Egyptian vulture named Bob to lead you in the right direction.

Contemplating the Festively Feathered

This holiday season is for the birds.

How Macaques, Birds, and Cats Can Improve Your Meditation

Acknowledging other animals’ capacity for still minds might be a helpful tool for quieting our own.

It’s Time for Shedding

Sarah Bowen provides some creaturely resolutions and insights for the New Year.

A Day in the Life of an Animal Chaplain

A glimpse at what it's like spiritually supporting animals (and the humans who love them!) through life’s heartbreaks and joys.

The Enlightenment Lab

Harvard-trained brain surgeon Allan Hamilton, MD, offers eight top lessons from his Zen Lab: working with horses.

I Am

The Shift is About to Hit the FanBy Tom ShadyacFilm director Tom Shadyac had it all — a successful film career (Ace Ventura; Liar, Liar; Bruce Almighty), a series of California man…

One Square Inch of Silence

One Man’s Search for Natural Silence in a Noisy WorldBy Gordon Hempton and John GrossmanFree Press, $26.00“One Square Inch of Silence is more than a book; it is a place in the Hoh …

Podcasts for On-the-Go Inspiration

The right podcast can turn a lengthy commute, a slow line, or a long, solitary walk into something you hope will never end. Our favorites illuminate, inform, and inspire us.  …

Chasing Ice

Directed by Jeff OrlowskiChasingIce.comNever has so much beauty held this much danger: visually, Chasing Ice is a staggeringly gorgeous film that depicts the tangible physical effe…

Becoming Kuan Yin

The Evolution of CompassionBy Stephen LevineWeiser Books, an imprint of Red Wheel/WeiserStephen Levine’s Becoming Kuan Yin tells of Miao Shan, the daughter of a spiteful Chine…

Film Review: Desert Dreams, Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert

DIRECTED BY THOMAS WIEWANDT It took four years for filmmaker Thomas Wiewandt to bring his mesmerizing Desert Dreams to the screen. It took decades longer to develop the transcende…

The Earth Made New

Plains Indian Stories of CreationBy Paul Goble, with Foreword by Joe Medicine CrowWorld Wisdom, 2009, $17.95Joe Medicine Crow tells how he would follow his grandfather everywhere, …

Film Review: Symphony of the Soil

Symphony of the SoilDirected by Deborah Koons GarciaIn theory, director Deborah Koons Garcia’s exploration of the wide, varied, and wonderful world of soil offers a great concept: …

Book Review: Water in Plain Sight

Water in Plain SightHope for a Thirsty WorldBy Judith D. SchwartzSt. Martin’s PressFollowing environmental news is mostly an exercise in confronting anxiety, helplessness, and desp…

Film Review: Seasons

Seasons Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud Music Box Films Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud specialize in enchanting, nonnarrative nature documentaries that portray …

Altruism with Matthieu Ricard

Your host Rabbi Rami talks to the "happiest man on Earth" Matthieu Ricard about his new book Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World. A review of the boo…

Wheat Belly

At his wit’s end because of his severe reactions to eating wheat, William Davis, MD decided to become the guinea pig in a simple experiment. The question was whether his body would…

Your Soul Needs Playtime

A few years ago, when I was teaching an undergraduate seminar at Stanford on the psychology of happiness, I had the students put away their books and push their chairs to the side …

Living Ultra-Light

Growing up in the rather conservative city of Ottawa, Canada, I never felt that I fit in, but I found a niche at fifteen when I discovered alcohol, boys, and dance clubs. My favori…

Barefoot Healing

The old people came literally to love the soil, and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the ear…

Transformative Travel: Following the Sheep

It is odd for someone who is city bred and lactose intolerant to be fascinated by a pastoral tradition that involves mountains, animals, milk, yogurt, and cheese, but there you hav…

Being a Spiritual Person

Recently I was listening to my friend Satish Kumar being interviewed on the BBC. Satish is a former Jain monk who defined his life by walking for world peace. With no financial res…

Do Eyeshades Protect Against Obesity and Cancer?

In Newsweek last December, science writer Sharon Begley pulled together research showing that lab animals and pets are getting fatter, just like people: “In Macaques, living in res…

Sensing the Yin & Yang of Food

No place is more central to our acts of celebration than the dining room table. As you look forward to the sanctity and promised revelry of the upcoming holidays, allow yourself to…

Four Awakenings to Compassion

In 1965, a marine biologist named Roger Payne found himself relaxing on the stern deck of a sailboat on the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Headphones snugly in place, he recorded th…

Getting the Truth from Fish Oil Producers

If you’re unnerved by the idea that a typical package of hamburger might contain flesh from hundreds, if not thousands, of cows, you may be surprised to know the oil in your fish o…

The Heart's Original Position

Eight years ago, Smithsonian magazine sent me to Wyoming to write about a Northern Arapaho man named Stanford Addison, who had a growing reputation as a horse trainer. He was noted…

12 Rituals to Reopen Your Life

“We the people” are conditioned to focus on the positive and not dwell too long on the negative. We share our triumphs but keep our tragedies to ourselves. When we experience emoti…

The Ceremony at the Heart of "Salmon Nation"

About 18 months ago, an extraordinary woman came to my home on the Rogue River in southern Oregon. At age 83, Agnes Baker Pilgrim is the oldest living Takelma Indian and chair of t…

Neurons of Compassion

Have we found the basis for empathy and altruism? Like most great scientific breakthroughs, the discovery of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) was a complete accident. What may…

Should Non-Natives Practice Indigenous Religions?

Seekers in the West hunger to learn from indigenous spiritual teachers, but what are the politics and ethics of taking on and changing the traditions of others?

Empowered by the Sacred

An Invocation"Rise and place your hands on your heart. Bow your head to your heart and in doing so, bow your mind, bow your intelligence, bow your ego, to the presence of the Livin…

The Soundtrack of Healing

Outside the main entrance to the 80-acre campus of Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Colorado, the air is filled with the sweet serenade of chirping bobwhites and…

Cooperative Evolution: Why the Human Species Will Finally Grow Up

At the age of 43, Elisabet Sahtouris, an evolution biologist with a doctorate in brain science, quit her job at PBS, sold her car, house, and stuff, and moved to a tiny island in t…

Preparing for a Vision Quest

As I sit cross-legged ― or as it is known in yoga, Sukhasana ― I make prayer ties for the vision quest in which I will participate this summer. I will venture into the woods and fi…

Deepening an Emotional Attachment to Nature

I was fortunate to grow up in a family where sensitivity to nature was nurtured. We lived on a farm with daily interactions with the natural world. I got to know nature as somethin…

Rabbi Rami's Guide to Life's 5 Biggest Questions

Let’s face it. The biggest unknown in a parent’s life is her child. These beings come into the world without papers. We have no idea who they are, where they came from, what they a…

Care of the Soul: Mega-Soul

I had an unusually enjoyable afternoon recently, lying on the floor in front of my massive classical Greek dictionary and a copy of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, where he makes a…

The Spiritual Traveler: Why Does God Hate Me?

Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award-winning author, poet, and teacher. In this column, he answers reader-submitted questions pertaining to faith, morality, religious traditions, and oth…

Joan Borysenko on the Great Soul Wound

Joan Borysenko, a Harvard-trained scientist who explored the wonders of the mind-body-spirit connection, discusses the link between our physical health and that of the planet.

6 Traits for a Sustainable You

The health of the planet may be linked to humanity’s psychological health. Embracing an encouraging worldview of beauty and creativity can enrich our spirits, revitalize our lives, and maybe even save civilization.

My Forested Eden

Despite the challenges aging brings, Ronnie Chittam continues to be invigorated and renewed by the land she cares for and the friends who come to cherish the sacred retreat she has created.

HAWA ABDI: Waiting for the Rain

A Somali gynecologist, lawyer, and farmer, Dr. Hawa Abdi began sheltering refugees on the 1,300 acres of farmland surrounding her Mogadishu hospital more than 20 years ago, helping…

Soy Vey! Is It Time to Toss Your Tofu?

Superfood or diet villain? Researchers weigh in on the pros and cons of soy.

Petal Power: Healing with Flower Essences

Try flower essences to gently catalyze mental, emotional, and even spiritual transformation.

The Skeptic Visits a Shaman

After heartbreak, writer Rebecca Green finds healing—and her spirit animal—in a place she never expected.

Putting Birds to Work

The value of birds in pest control can be distilled to a dollar figure. All they need is a bed and some bugs to reduce the need for pesticides and to increase yields of fruit, vegetables, coffee, and tea.

Five Compelling Reasons to Support and Commit to Organic Farmers

My grandson Blake and I were lounging in thick grass, eating the yellow petals of dandelions, and I said, “When you eat this, the nutrients and minerals in its cells become part of…

The Gift of Breath

A dear friend of mine recently succumbed to emphysema. Before he became ill, he’d been a scholar and a poet and a social activist. He’d had a passion for beauty in all its myriad f…

Mindful, Responsible Meat for the Table

When Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle in 1906, readers were exposed to the horrible abuse of those who worked in the meat-packing industry. The book changed how the country thought …

The Splendid Spiritual Practice of Silence

A former monk shares the benefits of the spiritual practice of silence after a year of solitary prayer and contemplation.

An Insomniac Learns to Let Go

Once upon a time, I slept with astonishing soundness.

Tough Times for Organic Plants Help Us Live Longer

In periods of drought, mildew-causing humidity, and other adverse growing conditions, the pinot noir vines at Robert Sinskey Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley undergo a subtle …

If It’s Not Organic, It’s Not Really Bordeaux

Wine lovers will certainly recognize terroir as the enigmatic French term for soil, topography, climate, and other natural (and supernatural) traits of a particular vineyard. In fa…

Dark Chocolate Protects the Heart

DARK CHOCOLATE PROTECTS THE HEARTIt takes surprisingly little dark chocolate to protect the heart against the risk of heart disease — 6.7 grams of this sweet indulgence a day to be…

What’s Holy in the Holy Land?

Going to Israel isn’t like visiting any other country. The idea that you are literally walking in the footsteps of the patriarchs, matriarchs, kings, judges, disciples, prophets, s…

Is Watermelon a Natural Viagra?

A cold slice of juicy watermelon has long been a healthy summer staple, boasting ample amounts of nutrients, such as potassium, beta carotene, and lycopene. Now another nutrient in…

DNA: The Things We Carry

Ninety percent of the cells in what we think of as our body are nonhuman. Our nonhuman components fuel our cells, digest our food, synthesize vitamins, maintain our immune defenses…

Going Out Green

One Man’s Adventure Planning His Own Natural BurialOld Arctic Inuit hunters could supposedly sit for days, harpoon poised and ready to strike, just staring at a hole on an otherwis…

The Clinic of Your Dreams

A Burned-out M.D. turns to her community she asked what they wanted in a health-care clinic, then built it — and was transformed. Here’s what the future of medicine could loo…

Rituals for Wastelands

"Pastures ranged over the rolling hills. Tall oak and beech woods lined both sides of the valley, and when sunlight suffused through them, they seemed as enchanted to Lisa as when she and her sister had played there as children."

Neurons of Compassion: Have we found the basis for empathy and altruism?

Like most great scientific breakthroughs, the discovery of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) was a complete accident. What may end up being the most important neuroscientific di…

Can Too Much Meat Lead to Diabetes?

Too much protein eaten along with fat may lead to insulin resistance, reports an animal study from Duke University Medical Center, providing a clue as to why the blood chemistry of…

Create an Animal Healing Circle in Your Community

Shiri Joshua, M.A., is a psychotherapist, “animal whisperer,” and director of the Shiri Joshua Centre for Human & Animal Healing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Each month she hold…

Why Raw-Foodies Get Such Poor Miles per Meal

Richard Wrangham knows something about how human diets evolved. He’s a Harvard professor of anthropology, the curator of primate behavior biology at the Peabody Museum, director of…

The Greening of Buddhism

Through the World Wildlife Fund’s Sacred Earth program, Dekila Chungyalpa works with her own Buddhist faith and Christians, Muslims, and others to protect the Earth.

Essential Conversations with Rabbi Rami: 21st Century Spirituality

Former priest Matthew Fox speaks with Rabbi Rami Shapiro about his work, and his new book, modern spirituality, and intergenerational wisdom.

A Purr for Help: How A Rescued Cat Opened My Heart

Nearly broke and pessimistic about the world, journalist Jane Ganahl heart and mind were opened by one abandoned cat.

Ancient Goddess Archetype: Are You a Modern-Day Artemis?

The Greeks built temples and altars to gods and goddesses that today we might sense deep within our world or even within ourselves. One that particularly appeals to me is Artemis, …

Can Religion Save the Planet?

Unleashing the power of their faith on tough environmental problems, today’s “ecovangelists” ask: Can religion save the planet, or will the planet save religion?

Former Priest Matthew Fox on 21st Century Spirituality

Two decades being expelled as a priest of the Dominican Order, Matthew Fox has continued to challenge the doctrines of the Catholic Church with books including last year’s The Pope…

Pilgrimage to India with MC Yogi

Bhakti-hop innovator MC Yogi travels to India for an unwitting spiritual chiropractic adjustment—and artistic inspiration for his newest musical offering.

The Real Suffering of That Free-Range Chicken

An interview with PETA President Ingrid Newkirk

How to Get More Energy, Improve Memory, and Increase Concentration

New research shows how fat tissue reduces your brain function.

Lend a Hand: How Helping Others Makes You Healthier

Study after study confirms that altruism not only makes us happier but actually improves our health. Yet we see a stranger’s struggle and still pass by.

Mountaintop Mining: Crisis in Appalachia

Traveling through West Virginia, Michael Hendryx passes through two worlds. One has forested hills, trees cresting up and over the mountains, the hum of endless streams lending the…

A River Ran Through It

Amazon environmentalists warn that hydroelectric dams could devastate the world's biggest watershed.

Let There Be dark

Light pollution harms the environment, wildlife, and even human health.

Support for the Bereaved Animal Lover

Pet-loss support groups can help the healing process when we lose our most constant companions.

When Pines Are Divine

A six-year Japanese program preserves thousands of Shinto shrines and woodlands.

91-Year-Old Meditation Master Ruth Denison

In the California desert, a vipassana pioneer prepares for the next stage of her remarkable life.

Take Sweet Care of Yourself

An Excerpt from Soul Vows

Becoming Ourselves: A great read can help us discover our highest self

Becoming Kuan Yin: The Evolution of CompassionBy Stephen Levine (Weiser Books) Stephen Levine’s Becoming Kuan Yin tells of Miao Shan, the daughter of a spiteful Chinese king. When…

International Women's Earth & Climate Initiative

Last month, my sixteen-year-old daughter and I attended the first meeting of the International Women’s Earth and Climate Initiative in Suffern, New York. One hundred women from 35 …

Film Review: Desert Dreams

Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert

Spiritual Heroes 2013: Q&A with Paige Elenson

Executive Director, Africa Yoga Project

Spiritual Heroes 2013: Q&A with Stacey Kennealy

Director of Certification and Sustainability, GreenFaith

Cell Phone Safety: Electromagnetic fields are a cause for concern

Chances are, you’ve heard reports linking cell phones to brain cancer—then a second later, you might have pulled your iPhone out of your pocket to answer a call. Nonetheless, a sli…

Author Interview: Wally Lamb

More than two decades after his tales of trauma and redemption catapulted him to literary success, the best-selling author is still inspired by the human struggle—and the power of …

The Heart of Money: “Can I Become a Vegan Investor?”

I’m very concerned about animal cruelty in our society. From the dinner table to the clothing industry to cosmetics and pharmaceutical testing—it’s everywhere. I’d like to pu…

Up All Night

As she struggles to accept the sounds of violence between predator and prey, writer Tai Moses learns to hear beauty in the darkness.

The Value of Wildlife

Globalization and economic growth are causing an unprecedented surge in poaching activities worldwide. Can policy changes and grassroots efforts help save threatened species?

5 Questions for Jane Goodall

Our editors sit down for an interview with renowned English primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall.

Seven Keys to Conscious Parenting

Mindful tips from the author of Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi

The Creation of I

From a radical new understanding of depression, a neuroscientist explains how to make our lives happier and holier.

To Avoid Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s, Sleep on Your Side

A new study from Stony Brook University in New York suggests that you can protect your brain from neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by sleeping on your side.

Joining the World’s Most-Shared Meditation

From the archive: Selected stories from the past 20 years.

Tea as a universal meditation

The Practical Balance of Crane Conservation

You might expect an organized birdwatching trip to begin serenely in the predawn dark and quiet. But birdwatchers at the Crane Trust start their journey in a brightly lit room, bei…

How Can People Be Deeply Spiritual and Emotionally Immature?

“What’s most simple to say is that, for our hearts to be wise and free, we have to attend to the mandala of our being—which includes body, emotions, mental states, and thought structure—and their relations with one another.”

The Food Fight We Might All Agree On

Because no one in their right mind really wants meat from factory farms

Heightened Sensitivity

Are you an HSP—a highly sensitive person? Explore these tips to help you manage your walk through life without getting overstimulated.

Are You Sufficiently Bored?

It turns out that boredom is the soil where creativity thrives.

Caring for the Earth as a Spiritual Practice

When it comes to my relationship with the Earth, I sometimes ask, “Should I save it or savor it?” There’s no doubt that Earth is in need of saving, and I know I have a role to play…

Richard Oppenlander: The Myth of Moderation

The author of Comfortably Unaware and Food Choice and Sustainability on why eating humane and local isn’t enough, and why there’s no such thing as a “sustainable” meat.

Unconventional Medicine

Dr. Neal Barnard on beating food cravings, the myth of moderation, and the health-changing power of a plant-based diet.

Close to the Ground: A Drop in the Bucket

It is 7:30 a.m. on a sunny spring day. Bodhi the dog is walking with me along Bandon Beach, one of Oregon’s most beautiful coastlines. It is pristine. The air is filled with that w…

5 Questions for John Robbins

1. What are some of the most inspiring cultural shifts you have seen since Diet for a New America was published?People are growing increasingly aware that what we do to the earth, …

Veg Out

Ready to take the leap? Suzy Amis Cameron shares her favorite resources for embracing a plant-based diet.

Grace Happens

And in those wondrous moments we realize there's more to life than we can possibly imagine.

Playing with Food

What to eat amid the sounds of caterpillars munching?

The Heart of Money: The Practice of Making Good Decisions

You have spent your career successfully managing stock portfolios worth hundreds of millions of dollars during periods of extreme market highs and terrible crashes. During this mul…

A Boy, His Dog, and Their Heart-to-Heart Connection

Energy from one heart can make a real connection with another…and spread love in surprising ways.

My Vow of Nonviolence

How an unlikely, spontaneous decision improved my life

Caffeine: The Addiction We Share … and Don’t Talk About

Is it time we admit our collective addiction to caffeine? Explore how caffeine affects us and why it became so wildly popular.

The Do No Harm Diet

Embrace the core of a bodhisattva experience: spreading joy both inside and out.

How to Inspire

Most leaders can’t clearly answer the question, Why am I here? How can we be inspiring if we don’t even know why we are here, or what we are supposed to be doing, or what we stand for?

My Practice: Child Painting Prodigy Explains how She Channels Paintings

Akiane grew up in a non-religious household, but by the age of four started having visions and vivid impressions from invisible realms. She began using any medium available, from c…

The Horrifying Truth Behind Natural Flavors

Although seeing the world “natural” might put your mind at ease, natural flavors are more like natural disasters.

Why We Should Listen to Mary

Even if she’s all in your head, she has something important to say

Plant Totems

Excerpt from Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect with Totems in Your Ecosystem

Indigenous Wisdom Illuminates the Path to a Sustainable Future

Scientists agree that climate change is real, that it is caused by human activities, and that it is accelerated by the burning of fossil fuels. In the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, it wa…

My Practice: Morning Altars

An artist shares how his practice of creating beautiful morning altars blossomed.

7 Affirmations for Daily Walking Meditations

Many new studies suggest that mindful walking is good, not only for mental health, but also to relieve stress. Moreover mindfulness, in general, is shown to improve chronic inflamm…

14 Gratitude Affirmations for Health

Personal affirmations are positive statements made aloud with the intent of manifesting good energy. Try these 14 gratitude affirmations for health and joy.

The 12 Toxic Hormone Disruptors You Probably Have In Your Home

To lower your exposure to endocrine disruptors, avoid these 12 chemical compounds

10 Instant Ways to Calm Yourself Down

If you’re easily overwhelmed, try these techniques to get centered.

Your Assignment: Build Your Own Morning Altars

A longtime altar maker shares his practice

The Heart of Money: Wrestling with a Question of Inheritance

Let your values influence how your spend your money

Psychology Of A Sage: Activating Higher Functional States

To learn to be wise again we have to find a way to bring a safe feeling back into our lives.

5 Ways to Say Grace

Here are a few of the many ways to say grace.

Apple Cider Vinegar: The Benefits and How to Use It

Using apple cider vinegar instead of chemical-laden cleaning, beauty, and health products is a way to boost your own mind-body-spirit wellness.

Is Detoxing Actually Healthy?

Helping your body detoxify through effective measures is a practice that can be traced back hundreds of years.

Stop Self Criticizing, Start Meditating

According to the experts, meditation lessens the extremities of negative thoughts, changes patterns of belief and facilitates learning how to forgive yourself.

7 Reasons Why You Need Prebiotics

Because the health of our gut is closely tied to many other bodily functions, prebiotics and probiotics together are important for battling inflammation and lowering overall disease risk.

Care of the Soul: Care of the Soul, 25 Years Later

In the late 1980s, after about seven years of developing my own approach to psychotherapy, I was looking for a different way to re-imagine psychology, one that would have depth and…

10 Questions You Should Be Asking at the Farmers Market

Here are some good starter questions to help you identify a responsible grower and make sure you’re only buying the freshest local produce.

Building Relationships One Step at a Time

Walking can be a path to a better understanding and appreciation of each other.

The New Physics of Immortality

What if we put two geniuses in Schrödinger’s cat box?

Get Unstuck

We live in stories—all of us, all of the time. This is a story about breaking through writer’s block and the start of a focused, passionate, and productive period

Astrology: Having Mother Nature on Your Side

Excerpted from The Art of Balanced Living by Dr. Shaun Matthews

Kanida Chey: Returning to Simpler Cooking

Sponsored Content from Kevin Perez

Nourishing Self and Others

Clean eating can be more than a health practice; it can be a spiritual practice.

10 Best Sun-Care Products

Natural options from aloe vera to zinc

Three Surprising Ways to Feel Less Busy

Tips for achieving relaxed productivity—and why you can't afford to ignore them.

Creating Your Dharma Vision Through Contemplation

Adapted excerpt from Awake at the Bedside

Managing Fear in Times of Uncertainty

Sponsored Content from The Celebrant Foundation & Institute

Hanblechia: Relearning My Relationship To Food Through Fasting

The remarkable shift of awareness and presence that comes when food is not central to your daily routine.

The Heart of Money: Becoming Prepared

Question: I have friends who keep gold coins and have food stored up—just in case. I used to laugh. But not anymore. Brexit didn’t make sense. Then India ran out of cash. Now…

Healing the Whole Body by Using the Whole Body: The Return of Tallow

Matthew Stillman, author of Genesis Deflowered and former producer at the Food Network, didn’t set out to process hundreds of pounds of tallow (aka beef fat) in his kitchen in Harl…

Conscious Eating: A Solution to Personal and Planetary Health

Many of us on the conscious path may look at massive problems in the world and feel helpless. How can I, one person, positively impact the planet: the dying oceans, world hunger, r…

Why We Fear the Future

People who struggle to deal with uncertainty may in fact may have an unusually large striatum.

Why, When & How to Eat Wheat

Eating wheat is healthy—but not in the ways we typically eat it today. The solution will likely improve your health dramatically.

You Are What You Eat: Yoga of Synthesis #3

Sponsored Content from Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas

Working Farms for Foodies

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” —Aldo Leopold

The Happiness Track: A Crash Course in Enlightenment

My junior year of college I was driving back from a ski trip during a Vermont snowstorm when I shifted gears and lost control. We swerved across several highway lanes into a ditch,…

True Believer

Writer Jane Ganahl wonders: How do you know when you’ve crossed the line from activist—to fanatic?

Blossoming After Dark

Create a twilight garden for a tranquil, outdoor meditative space.

Mastering the “Master Switch”

In 1949, a stocky Italian air force lieutenant named Raimondo Bucher decided to try a potentially deadly stunt in a lake on the island of Capri. Bucher would sail out to the center…

How to Become a Stalker of Your Own Mind

If we are relentless and impeccable about stalking ourselves, a result is that we leave the world and other people alone.

When It's Time for a Soul Vacation

Here’s how to get to a magical place called the “Maginal Zone.”

Holistic Pet Care

Phil Klein, owner of Whiskers Holistic Petcare in New York, shares his holistic pet care tips.

Rabbi Rami: "Does what I eat really matter?"

Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler

How to Campaign for Yourself: The Importance of Saving YOUR Environment

Perhaps the most challenging campaign for a spiritual activist is the one for the health and well-being of our own inner environment. It’s a gritty grassroots endeavor that goes …

Celebrating Winter: Retreat and Renew

Use these practices to inspire more ease and play this season

Taking out the Trash: Goodbye 2011

As we pass the Solstice, the darkest night of the year, we are also entering into a New Moon cycle, which comes to a head on Christmas Day this Sunday.It’s dark out there. We’ve go…

The True Key to Happiness: Peeing in the Pool

If you’ve ever wondered and searched with the greater population of the world for the true meaning of happiness, you’ve probably heard, at some point, that it’s some form of seva, …

A Ritual to Honor Water

By Wendy Macdonald Water is life: elemental, essential, mysterious, sacred. One has only to experience a blooming desert, a sprouting seed, a clean body, or the sense of well-bein…

6 Gifts that People With Low Self-Esteem Should Give Themselves

Anneli Rufus is a frequent contributor to Spirituality & Health. Her books Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto and the Nautilus Award-winning Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On examined our lives as individuals in a crowded world. Rufus’ upcoming work, Unworthy: How to Stop Hating Yourself, will be released by Tarcher Penguin in the spring and continues this path, addressing self-esteem. It serves as the catalyst for this blog and asks: Why do we feel the way we do about ourselves? - See more posts here.

Happy (Belated) Earth Day! I Got You Some Trash.

Earth Day 2012 was just a few weeks ago, and I’ve been thinking about what that means to us now, as yogis and as human beings.Humans are a funny species: We love to shout “Save the…

Rio+20: Meeting Global Challenges with Hope and Heart

For the last few weeks my thoughts, prayers, and gratitude have been with those attending the United Nations events in Brazil. Imagine: the warm, balmy streets of Rio, filled with …

Letter to a New Rabbi

[I can't remember who asked me to write this, or if it was ever published, but I wanted to get it out there. It is long, it is Jewish, and some of it might not make sense to those …

Timeless Respect: Honoring the Rights of Future Generations

"Treat the Earth well: It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Childre…

3 Ways to Celebrate Your Canine Companions

Yes, I’m one of those crazy dog lovers. My husband and I have a household of older and special-needs dogs, all rescued from neglect and abuse.

"I AM": Discovering the True Nature of Humanity

“What’s wrong with the world, and what can we do about it?” These are the two seemingly vague and yet deeply complex questions that director Tom Shadyac sought to answer when he se…

Waxing and Waning: Yoga for the Moon

Everyone, at some time or another, has felt a personal connection to the moon. Most of us forget about it most of the time, but everyone I know has, at some point, looked out a win…

"Life of Pi": A Journey of Spirit and Survival

Like Pi Patel, the brave young protagonist of Yann Martel’s Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi, Ang Lee attempted what was thought to be impossible when he decided to bring this…

How to Develop a Home Yoga Practice

I used to think having a home practice meant I had to get up at 4 a.m. to chant mantras, meditate, and practice asana for two hours. I am not a morning person. Also I love going …

Cool It Practice: Balancing Yin and Yang in Good Measure

As human animals, we are affected by the weather. We like to think we’re not—our capitalist society expects us to be exactly the same amount of productive no matter what’s going o…

Do Your Pets Get More Attention Than Your Partner?

When my animals ask for food, I usually stop what I am doing and take care of their needs. All of which causes me to wonder, why? Then I know the answer—gratitude.

Pets as Gateway Love

Something really wild has been happening to me lately. I find myself falling in love with every animal I see. Seriously, I am talking about all creatures great and small. But reall…

Divinity at the Dinner Table

I recently did a 21-day sugar detox and although I expected it to be interesting, amazing and at times even harrowing, I never expected it to be the topic of a blog about spiritual…

How Can I Love You When You Don't Love Yourself?

Person A tells Person B: "You're beautiful.""I am not," Person B retorts."I love you," Person A sighs."Why?" wails Person B.Loving people who have low self-esteem means constantly …

What Do We Really Mean When We Say We're Doing Nothing?

When anyone asks what I've been doing lately, I almost always say: "Nothing."Of course, that's not literally true. Yesterday, I wrote two articles, drew a picture of a girl wearing…

When Farming Meets Technology: Sharing Survival Gardening Tips by Cell Phone

“A leader’s job is not to do the work for others; it’s to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done, and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.” ~Si…

How to Cleanse Energy by Burning Sage

If you’re interested in cleansing your body, mind, aura, or just your physical space, try these 10 tips for smudging sage.

The Benefits of Being a Big Frog in a Small Pond

Those of us who struggle with low self-esteem might not like ourselves very much. But, because we're alive, we like other people and other stuff. As scathingly as we might view our…

Feeding the New Year

‘Tis the season for drinking too much eggnog, eating too much, and pulling out old family hangover cures.We’ve just moved past the Winter Solstice, the darkest time of the sun cycl…

11 Tasty Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

As a vegan, there’s nothing worse than showing up to holiday dinner hungry and discovering that there is nothing for you to eat.

New Books: Animal Wisdom, The Grace in Aging, Happy Belly, and more.

Tap in to the power of nature, with these selctions from S&H. Click on any book title for our complete review.Happy Belly: A Woman’s Guide to Feeling Vibrant, Light, and Balanc…

Summer System Overload

It’s been a hot summer. I showed up to my yoga studio the other day, and noticed that the air purifying machine was blinking and beeping, which made me think of my kitchen lights, …

5 Reasons You Should Be Eating Fermented Foods

Before you turn up your nose at fermented food, just remember this: If you’ve ever had pickles with your sandwich, or sauerkraut on your hot dog, or kefir, or yogurt, or kimchi, or…

How to Become Your Own Hero

Telling yourself, once or twenty thousand times, "I'm smart; I'm beautiful; everyone loves me" won't make it true (or untrue) but, more crucially, won't make you start believing it…

7 Suggestions for How to Spiritually Connect With Nature

Fallen out of alignment with your natural self? Find out how to spiritually connect with nature.

14 Ways to Effectively Shield Yourself from Toxins in the Environment

The sooner we come to terms with the fact that we are living in a toxic environment, the better. Once one becomes conscious of something, then they can make the necessary steps to …

Giving Thanks for Giving Thanks

One day recently, as we sat outside a bakery where the season's first pumpkin pies had just gone on display, my friend T told me that she hates Thanksgiving.She said she hates it b…

Goddess Rising: Awakening the Divine Feminine

Award-winning author and 1,000 Goddesses founder Mare Cromwell on working for change against bigotry, intolerance, and inequality—and how we can awaken healing Goddess energy into our everyday lives.

Breaking Your Addiction to Thinking

Thinking is obviously an important tool. Humans have the powerful ability to think about the past and the future, make narratives about our lives that help us navigate new situatio…

The Food and Drink Industry Plays With Our Heads, Because It Can

Last week at the Fancy Food Show, an annual marketplace where over 1,000 food and drink purveyors showcase their wares, I tasted buttered coffee, beet ketchup, bay-leaf bitters, ci…

You Are My Valentine. And You, and You …

Can we try directing our love toward’s everyone, just for one day?

Are You Afraid to Accept Praise?

"How old are you?" she asked.I told her."What? No way," she chirped. "You look ten years younger than that."Okay, I thought. What's she trying to pull?Having low self-esteem makes …

Magic Words: ‘I’m Sorry’

Have you ever been hurt by an unapologetic person? Most of us have. When this happens, it hurts, but we intuitively know the importance of forgiving the person anyway—for our…

Boost Your Confidence with a Power Pose

One day, I showed up to my yoga mat with a broken heart. I’d just gone through a wrenching breakup, and it hurt. My body felt heavy and stiff. I tried to flip over from Downward Do…

A Holistic Approach to Vaccination for Dogs

When I was a veterinary student, I was taught that vaccinations are a cornerstone of healthy pets. As I went on to practice, however, I saw severe acute vaccine reactions, as well …

Why Go Paleo?

One Doctor's Story

Going Vegan After 50

By changing your diet, you can change the world—at any age—according to Carol J. Adams, Patti Breitman, Virginia Messina, authors of Never Too Late to Go Vegan.

Receiving Compassion and Generating Your Compassionate Self

An excerpt from Overcoming Destructive Anger by Bernard Golden, PhD.

The Omega-3 Paradox

How We Became Deficient in the Most Abundant Fat on the Planet

Film Review: Nise: The Heart of Madness

Nise da Silveira was a Brazilian psychiatrist who revolutionized the way mental patients were treated in the 1940s and ’50s. This elegantly made biopic shows her struggles against …

The Goddess Matangi and the Joy of Being an Outcast

Matangi tells a secret—that there’s a hidden joy, even power, in being an outcast.

Learn to Speak the Language of the Body

Discover foundational principles that will help you understand your body and establish healthy patterns.

20 Artists Share Their Vision

These pieces were hand-selected by S&H Art Director Sandra Salamony to appear in a special artist edition of Spirituality & Health magazine (March/April 2014). Here, each artist shares their creative process behind their work.

Why It’s Better to Eat a Cow than a Hen or a Sow

The “dismal science” of economics looks at reducing cruelty.

A Look at What Really Matters

Clarify your values and align them with how you live your life.

The Empowered Empath

Try these three steps to get you healthy, grounded, and empowered to create a compassion revolution and save the world.

Our Walk in the World: Distributing the Weight

I was moved by our conversation last night. I understand how you feel the presence of suffering always in the background, juxtaposed against the peaceful times and moments of abund…

Deep Ties to the Earth: How One Northern Cree Tribe Finds Peace of Mind

A new study reveals that the community’s strength and resilience are tied to the people’s spiritual openness, community engagement, and connection to the land.

108 Day Mindfulness Practice

Here are 108 suggestions for your own personalized 108-day mindfulness practice.

Rabbi Rami: Should I Feel Guilty about Being Happy?

Rabbi Rami answers your spiritual questions.

Why and How to Let Go of Fear

The simple step is to understand the basic patterns driving our evolution

Our Walk in the World: Making Our Way

When we find each other stranded, the exercise of compassion demands that we interrupt our lives to return each other to our own true nature

How to Feed the Brain in Your Belly

Fixing your digestion can make you feel a lot less anxious.

When Worship's a Trigger: 4 Ways to Make Spirituality a Safe Space

How might you create holidays around the ones that mean the most?

Entrepreneurs of Civilization

We have no wisdom traditions nearly as old as we are, and maybe that’s because we’ve buried something important.

Why Immortality Is the Great White Hope

If we crack the “Aging Code,” we’re all in the shark tank.

The Heart of Money: ​ The “Fine Print” Commandments We Give Ourselves

Columnist Paul Sutherland offers a new path that embraces inclusivity and truth.

Write Your Self-Hatred a Thank-You Letter

Could your self-hatred be a coping strategy you never let go?

Coping Tips for Empaths

Being an empath is all about ‘feeling’ the emotions of others. Sometimes we need extra tools to help us stay grounded and connected.

Is Buddhism True?

An Interview with Robert Wright

Another Reason to Snuggle

Is cuddling going to regulate your gut bacteria? New research suggests yes.

Rabbi Rami:​ Am I Morally Bound to Chastise Meat Eaters?

Rabbi Rami answers your spiritual questions.

Time to Update Your Projections

Psychological projections serve an important role for self-growth and awareness. So why not strive to be a source of projection for generations to come?

Film Review: Jane

Brett Morgen’s thoroughly absorbing documentary about the life and career of world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall is founded on a treasure trove of footage—countless…

Book Review: I Know How You Feel

It’s not easy to make friends as adults, and becomes more difficult as we get older. At the same time, according to the psychologist F. Diane Barth, women rely on other women for s…

The Commons: How to Spend a Gap Year

A Year, a Mountain, and Five Young Women

3 Best Practices for Future Happiness

“We all want our future self to be happy, so we ask: ‘What can I do to relieve this person’s suffering?’

​Transform the Way You Travel

How to help generate positive economic and environmental benefits for local communities

Volunteer Vacations

Step Out of Your Self On These Worldwide Voluntours.

How Not To Feed Your Cancer

Your cancer is uniquely yours. Get to know it—so you can help deprive it of exactly what it needs to survive.

A Paleo Guide to Hormone Replacement

Men produce reproductive hormones as they age. Why not women?

Rabbi Rami: Should I Thank Siri or Alexa?

Rabbi Rami answers your spiritual questions.

Use Your Lawn to Fight Climate Change

Healthier soils “draw down” more carbon and help save the Earth

Seeing Ourselves Through Nature

We can reconnect to ourselves, gaining a deeper, fuller understanding of who we are, by reconnecting to nature.

Learning from Our Worst Selves: Feeding the Shadow Wolf

Sometimes fear, anger, or sadness are appropriate responses to the complexities of life.

3 Earth-Friendly Swaps for Summer

Easy ways to be eco-friendly while having fun this season.

8 Little Ways to Practice Nonviolence

Here are a few small ways to practice personal nonviolence.

Vaccinate Against Stress

Beneficial bacteria may become the basis for an immunization.

Why Greeks Built Their Temples

Crafting A Binding Contract With The Sacred

Being "The Vegan" Aboard an Aircraft Carrier

I didn’t expect the Navy would change its meal system for me.

Soul Talk with Sera Beak

Author Sera Beak talks to Rami about soul loss and her latest book.

Joyful Eating

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Contributors - September / October

Contributors to our September/October 2018 issue: Amber Bodily, Mirabai Bush, Ram Dass, Katherine Dunn, Stephanie Ludwig PhD, Zainab Salbi

Our Walk in the World: Bending or Loving the World

I was at the airport, traveling to New York, waiting to go through security with my passport out, when I noticed for the first time that most pages have quotes on them. And two of …

How to Experience Canine Flow

“A fantastic way to harness and empower your own heart frequencies and create happiness . . .”

Hanging on to a World of Grace

Why today’s most radical practice may be gratitude

The Awakening of a Healer

“Don’t you want your son to live?” The nurse asked. Yes, of course. And that was why I felt I had to leave . . .

A Root Cause of Pessimism, Revealed

New research could lead to better treatment of anxiety and depression.

News That Uplifts

If the relentless bad news is leaving you feeling down, there are alternatives.

Genes Control Our Dreaming

How much REM and non-REM sleep we get appears to be controlled by a pair of genes.

From the Editor: November/December

It’s the best possible time to be alive, when almost everything you thought you knew is wrong!” That line, from Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, helped us find fellow seekers for the launch…

How to Become a Stalker of Your Own Mind

If we are relentless and impeccable about stalking ourselves, a result is that we leave the world and other people alone.

Be The Change Award: Katherine Dunn & Apifera Farm

“Apifera Farm is not so much a place as it is my intention to the world,” says Katherine Dunn, an artist who has been featured in S&H and a farmer who is now devoted to incorporati…

10 Spiritual Leaders

We asked our readers to scout the spiritual landscape for emerging leaders who will help set our course for the decades to come. Your response was wildly enthusiastic, passionate, heartfelt, and all over the map (and the globe). Wow! What constitutes a spiritual path is becoming ever more diverse—and ever more likely to be led by women. In future issues, you’ll hear from more of your choices. We chose 10 (nine plus a wonderful collaboration of old and new) who represent your votes as well as our hopes for the spiritual future.

Open Wide and Say Probiotic!

We drill down on probiotics for the mouth

Become Your Community's Ritual Maker

Humans needs to unite with like-minded and like-hearted people and organizations to actively take part in nurturing our communities and helping them grow.

3 Herbal Remedies for Thanksgiving Troubles

Natural ways to deal with anything this big holiday dishes up.

Uh-oh! Our Good Gut Bugs May Be Going Extinct!

Flipping through The Whole-Body Microbiome, we learned this.

The Happiness Track: Religious Experiences Really Do Unite Us

Emma Seppälä PhD is author of The Happiness Track, founder of FulfillmentDaily.com, and Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

If You Want To... Immerse Yourself In Another Culture

Journeys That Are Truly Transformational

Meaningful Rituals for Winter Solstice

How you can create some new traditions to celebrate the winter solstice.

5 Reasons You Need to Start Hiking in 2019

The forest engages all of your senses—your mind stills, and you reconnect to your soul.

The Key to a Blissful Life

First, we learn how to control the stress in our daily lives.

The New Science of Periodic Protein Deprivation

Our ancestors feasted and fasted, cycling their protein consumption. So should we.

Making Friends with Robots

Twenty years ago, Anne Foerst, the theologian at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab, introduced us to Kismet, the first emotionally responsive robot. Now, Marilyn Schlitz, Dean of Transpersonal Psychology at Sofia University, introduces us to Sophia, an android programmed for unconditional love, empathy, and compassion.

Film Review: Genesis 2.0

Alternating between strikingly shot footage of ivory hunters in the New Siberian Islands north of Russia, looking for woolly mammoth tusks, and a gathering of young scientists in B…

New Mythology for a New World

Sponsored Content from Four Winds Society An excerpt from Grow a New Body, by Alberto Villoldo, PhD The right side of the neocortex, the higher brain, operates on stories and myt…

Science & Spirit: 'Shrooms, Stonehenge, and Time

Our first Science & Spirit column explores 'shrooms, magnetoreception, and why time flies.

Can Travel Help Us Stop Hating Ourselves?

Seeing the world can help you see yourself in a new light.

10 Concerns about Supplements

Dr. Deborah Gordon dives into the controversies and misperceptions surrounding supplements.

Carrying the Water

"Keeping the acequia clear and flowing is a useful metaphor for interdependence and cooperation. Keeping the acequia clear—both the actual acequia and the acequia of humanity—bears learning how to do well."

Explore CBD

In our special section we explore CBD from a variety of angles. Dive in to get up to speed on this huge trend.

Honoring our Interdependence

In the Soto Zen tradition, emphasis is placed on ethical or mindful acts in everyday practice. This Earth Day practice held at Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center in Northern California is offered to benefit all beings.

Mushrooms: A Great Way to Get More from a Nature Walk

Gathering mushrooms adds a new dimension to walks in nature. Learn more about how to start your own mushroom habit.

What’s Your Desire Pattern?

“If you are someone who doesn’t feel randomly and spontaneously turned on all the time, there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s totally normal to go through periods where you don’t feel like having sex.”

​Luciferian Meats: We Answer to a Lower Authority*

Is fake meat the work of Lucifer? Hmm, probably not a spiritual emergency.

Featured Artist Deedee Cheriel

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum chatted with Deedee about her spiritual journey and how it intersects with her art, simplicity, and why images of mothers are so important to her.

Reimagining Sharks

Sharks are facing extinction. S&H’s resident surfer, Kalia Kelmenson, explains why that matters.

It Is What It Is: How to Return to Neutrality

A reminder from a great blue heron: Cultivating neutrality begins with acceptance of what is.

God Hates Dogs?

“This is what is wrong with religion: it walks into the future with its eyes firmly set on the past.”

100+ Books We Love

Dive in to our special section on 100+ books we love.

Featured Artist: Jennifer Davis

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum talked with Minneapolis-based artist Jennifer Davis about pink, whimsy, flow, and more.

Why Is It So Difficult to Be Happy?

The mystic Osho talks about “happiness” and “misery,” and turns the conventional wisdom about these seemingly polar opposites on its head.

You’re in Charge of Celebrations

“A true celebration is never passive. Celebrations aren’t about being amused or entertained. A true celebration is an active response to the wonders and blessings of life.”

Science & Spirit: Protect Yourself From Pollution

Many of us are concerned with keeping our land, water, and air safe for both animals and humans. This week, there was a lot in the world of research that focused on the topic of pollution and its threats to our health. For ways to protect yourself and your family, read on.

A Ritual to Reconnect With Your Ancestors

Try this ritual to invite connection with and guidance from your ancestors.

Cultivating Fluency in the Language of Nature

"Let's find our creative flow as a part of nature, with food. "

Overcoming Polarization

We all have a tendency to divide things into categories: “us” and “them,” “right” and “wrong,” “worthy” and “unworthy.”

7 Ways Solo Travel Helps You Uncover Joy

Shannon Kaiser thought she was traveling the world to check off items on her bucket list, but what she found was a sense of belonging.

Plant a Butterfly Garden, Save the World

New research shows that urban gardeners can help boost dwindling populations of Monarch butterflies by planting milkweed.

Love Earth Now

S&H Staff Writer Julie Peters and author Cheryl Leutjen explore ways to connect with and honor the natural environment while managing the stress of living in what sometimes feels like environmental apocalypse.

Poem: A Participation of Waters

“It’s raining and I let myself sit and look / a long time. At water returning, or rather,”

Podcast: Yoga Expert Seane Corn

Rabbi Rami speaks with internationally acclaimed yoga teacher and public speaker Seane Corn, about her very first book, Revolution of the Soul. Full transcript of discussion included.

Charitable Giving: Do You Know How Your Donation is Being Used?

“The problem isn’t that the Vatican needs money to maintain its operations, but that it is getting millions of dollars from a fund officially designated for helping people. This isn’t new, but it seems all the more egregious when religion preys on those who pray.”

The Way of the Rose

Both co-authors and a couple, Clark Strand and Perdita Finn sit down with S&H to explore how the rosary can help recover a relationship to the Sacred Feminine—even if you’re not religious.

Pet Dogs Lessen Risk of Schizophrenia

Early exposure to dogs is linked to a decreased risk in schizophrenia.

How to Care for Your Body in a Cold, Dark Season

In winter, our digestive fire is low, so we should be eating warm, cooked foods. Yes—that means stop eating salads!

Moving Towards Joy

Kelly McGonigal says to use the latest research on movement to bring more delight into your life.

Why Change Is Difficult for Us (and Ways to Overcome It)

“In the new year, many of us will be contemplating changing a behavior or an aspect of our lives. Some will dream of it, while the brave ones will get ready to take action. There is a reason you feel that spark. Life is finite. Don’t squander it. Here are four tips to help you be brave, conquer your fears, and pursue the spark.”

The Air We Share

As our air becomes more polluted, healthy breathing habits are becoming even harder to establish.

6 Ways to Cultivate Kindness

“We are born to be at worst brutal, at least single-mindedly hardwired to survive at all costs. Concern for fellow creatures, sympathy, good deeds: These are all extras, luxuries we learn—with luck.”

Befriending Nightmares

Don’t run away. Engaging with dreams—even nightmares—can teach us a lot about our emotional selves.

Understanding the Fungus in Your Gut

Everyone knows the importance that bacteria plays in gut health, but what about fungus? Understanding how to balance your mycobiome, or the ecosystem of fungus that lives in the gut, is crucial for maintaining good health.

Eat With Grace to Deepen Your Connection With Others and the Earth

Eating with mindfulness and awareness may be one of the clearest pathways to understanding the soul/mind/body connection and can help strengthen our bond to the rest of the natural world.

From the Editor

The letter from the editor kicks off each issue and helps set the tone for the magazine. Over the next few issues, members of the S&H team will be writing the letter. In this issue, our Creative Director Sandra Salamony explores the world of the birds and the bees.

The Spiritual Flame of Rage

A journey toward accepting—and even embracing—anger.

10 Best Foods For Eye Health

Though lifestyle and genetics play a role in our overall health, when it comes to our precious eyes, seeing clearly is important and it turns out that certain foods can support and improve your eyes’ overall health.

#MooToo: Why We Should Rethink Drinking Cow’s Milk

Joaquin Phoenix very publicly pointed the spotlight on inter-species entitlement. Here's why, and how to do something about shifting our perceptions.

Tantric Touch During Times of Terror

During this time of self-quarantine, stay connected with your sensual side with tantric touching.

Pets and Coronavirus: What We Need to Know

The news that a tiger in the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19 is raising questions about interspecies transmission and how to keep our pets healthy.

The Brainbow Blueprint for Mental Health

There’s a saying that asking people to change their diet is like asking them to change their religion. What we eat and how we eat might be our most personal choices.

Dancing, Healing

Julie Peters talks with Indigenous dance artist Olivia C. Davies about dance as a healing practice.

27 Ways to Keep Your Immune System Humming

Keep your immune system strong—now more than ever!

Your Circadian Rhythm in Quarantine

Quarantine is causing abrupt changes in our body time clocks that may hinder digestion, immune system function, energy, and mood. Here’s how to create a healthy schedule.

Gathering Around the Fire: Reclaiming Ancestral Gestures

“These age-old gestures that have shaped us as humans—ritual, ceremony, sharing dreams and stories, gathering around the fire, talking with beings other than humans—these are not written in stone and belonging to the stone ages. They are born from a knowing that the world is alive and are brought to life through the natural reciprocity that comes with this knowing.”

Life in and After the Pandemic: Grieving What Was and Welcoming What Will Be

“Do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?” —Rumi

5 Spiritual Lessons We Learn From Cats

Cats are spiritual—or at least they can help us be spiritual. Here are five lessons your spiritual cat wants to teach you.

The XX Brain: Inside a Woman's Brain

Lisa Mosconi, PhD, explores women's health in her new book, The XX Brain. She sheds light on how women can keep their brains healthy and prevent Alzheimer's, and what exactly those hormonal changes really mean.

Let Your Body Lead You Through Grief

The suffering of grief can begin to heal by accepting support and practicing self-care.

3 Ways to Find Your Way Back to Self-Compassion

Self-criticism is often an attempt to preempt criticism from others. Self-compassion can help you be more motivated by a desire for growth.

Collagen: A Deeper Look

Collagen is either a must for smooth skin and supple joints—or an unproven supplement that will waste your money. We went in search of answers.

Is Your Feline Sending Divine Signs?

“Are cats on their own spiritual paths to enlightenment?” Here are four divine signs your feline is sending you.

Podcast: Animal Chaplain Sarah Bowen

Sarah Bowen’s spiritual work as an animal chaplain and multifaith educator includes supporting all sentient beings, regardless of species.

Ahimsa: How to Practice Nonviolence in Nature

Do no harm: Three surprising insights and reflections on the practice of ahimsa from the fungi on the forest floor, plus five practices for tapping in.

Reiki for Stressed-Out Cats

Got a stressed-out cat? Here is everything you need to know about reiki for cats—from what it is and how it can help your cat to remote reiki, plus four tips to soothe your stressed feline friend.

3 Nature-Based Practices for Battling Zoom Fatigue

How greening your space, petting your animal bestie, and taking a break to walk can fight Zoom fatigue and improve your work-from-home routine.

How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community

On the heels of her new book, How We Show Up, community activist, advocate, and author Mia Birdsong gives advice for creating and maintaining deep communal relationships and a sense of belonging.

5 Ways to Get Involved in Craftivism

Craftivism is a way to be a changemaker while also being creative with your hands. Here are five ways to craft real change right now.

Dos and Don'ts of Holistic Digestion for Your Animal Companion

Keep your four-legged family members from developing digestive issues by following these holistic and spiritual pet tips from animal chaplain Sarah Bowen.

“I Just Can’t Talk”

Got questions? Rabbi Rami has answers.

Ancient Monuments and Messages from the Neolithic

“The following are messages I received during my investigations of the Neolithic to Bronze Age at ancient monuments. They explore how to enhance our humanity, recover lost skills, and deepen our connection to the archaic whisper.

Laced With Grace

“I realized that avoiding death, so common in American culture, would not stop it. Instead, taking the time to thoughtfully and actively participate in her transition helped me join her in that state of grace she taught me so much about.”

Cultivate Your Spiritual Sweet Tooth

Munching through the Halloween and Christmas holidays alone, Americans consume over a billion dollars of chocolate each year. Turn your sweet tooth into a delectable sacred practice with a side of mindful advocacy.

Solutions for Tight Psoas Muscles

A simple yoga flow can alleviate your tight psoas, which could be causing you lower back pain, digestive and fertility issues, chronic stress, and more.

Black Cats: Reclaiming the Sacred Feline

Halloween and the season of black cats is a good time to examine our misplaced beliefs and return our relationship with cats to a sacred sphere.

Turn to Nature With Your Grief

Nature has the capacity to hold all of our grief and sorrow. Being in nature reminds us that cycles of renewal are part of our reality.

Winter Is Coming: Prepare Your Pandemic Pup

A puppyhood coach and pack therapist explains how to ease the transition from fall to winter for your canine companions, including the pandemic puppy in your household.

Reinventing the Season of Advent

It’s holiday season. Take advent beyond the four walls of your own home.

Working Toward Loving Conditions for All Beings

Reverend Aline Silva is a Baptist pastor and preacher, and a member of the queer community. She has a profound passion for an intersectional approach to community outreach, which is a central focus in her work with CreatureKind, and a firm belief in the power of radical love.

Featured Artist: Carmen García Gordillo

With an assist from Google Translate, S&H editor Ben Nussbaum and Spanish artist Carmen García Gordillo discussed dreams, snakes, yoga, and much more.

Winter Homes

“There is nothing as warm and wonderful as winter. Good books. A friendly dog. Homemade soup. How could I not love the idea of the coming season?”

Spiritual Radicals: A New Spirituality

These seven spiritual leaders represent a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and traditions. They are creating change on the ground, touching lives, and helping to define the future of spirituality.

Is Now the Best Time to Fast? The Doctor Says Yes

Dr. Andreas Michalsen, author of The Fasting Fix, uses fasting to treat a number of diseases from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension to cardiovascular disease, early stages of dementia, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel disease.

Visioning a Re-NEW-able Year

This year, turn to the first known resolution makers—the ancient Babylonians—for inspiration.

3 Must-Try Practices for Book Lovers

If you are a bibliobibuli, try these practices to joyously continue your exploration of books.

5 Tips for Teaching Mindfulness to Kids

Teaching mindfulness to kids has been said to improve their wellbeing, boost performance in the classroom, increase emotional intelligence, and reduce stress and “negative” behavior.

Carol Novello

Carol Novello is the founder of Mutual Rescue™ and author of “Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too.” Mutual Rescue is a national initiative that highligh…

Goats and Grapes at Frey Vineyards

Who mows the grass, weeds the garden, and provides the milk, yogurt, and cheese at Frey Vineyards? Our magnanimous goat herd, of course! And they are as adorable as they are industrious.

How to Meet Your Spirit Guide

Are you feeling alone, facing difficult times, and in need of guidance? Discover how to contact your spirit guide through meditation.

The Dharma of Trauma

Buddhist minister, activist, and yoga instructor Lama Rod Owens shares his thoughts on the importance of remembering Black history and honoring lineage and how a benefactor practice can begin the process of liberation within the body.

Gregory Lamping

Gregory Lamping has been a psychiatric nurse for over thirty years. He’s also a colored pencil artist specializing in drawing animals, both wild and domestic.

Wounds and the Womb

Explore how to heal a relationship with your sacred womb—a place of death, life, and possibilities.

Seven Buddhist Lessons in Gratitude

Gratitude is powerful. Building your sense of thankfulness the Buddhist way.

Peering Into the Future of Retreats

“Retreat centers are ready to invite guests back onto their properties, but what that means may be vastly different in 2021 and beyond, even after the pandemic is under control.”

Seeking Unity

What does justice look like? Racial justice, planetary ethics, and the welfare of other species are inextricably entangled.

When it’s Okay to Drink Wine in a Zoom Meeting: Online Tastings With Frey Vineyards

Frey Vineyards has joined the Zoom revolution—leading monthly online tastings to share fun and informative conversations with wine drinkers from around the country.

A Dependable Strength Sticks With You Over the Years

Relying on your dependable strength allows you to live a happier and fuller life—take it from a 78-year-old expert on living better.

Easter for Earth Lovers

Celebrate an animal-friendly Easter by resurrecting the Earth.

3 Compelling Reasons to Rethink How You Use Eggs

Springtime practices for decreasing health risks and increasing spiritual connections.

Dr. Emeran Mayer on The Gut-Immune Connection

Our bodies have been under siege, and not just due to COVID. Dr. Emeran Mayer explains that it’s because we have disrupted our gut microbiomes.

8 Essential Oils for Yoga

The use of essential oils for yoga can assist in setting intentions for your practice and further connecting mind and body. Learn which oils are best for your needs.

Book Review: The Gut-Immune Connection

How do we protect our immune systems? During the COVID pandemic, we’ve been washing our hands, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated. But our bodies have been under siege for much longer.

Book Review: Faith After Doubt

Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About ItBy Brian D. McLarenST. MARTIN’S ESSENTIALS Brian McLaren was a pastor for 24 years. He recalls onc…

May the Force Be With You!

Bless you, and you, and you. Be inspired by the Jedi and dive into blessings.

Iwígara: Embracing the Spirituality of Plants

Thinking of botanical entities as relatives, what might we learn from connecting to our earth-tethered kin?

The Untapped Potential of Dreams, Signs, and Synchronicities in the Western World

“If we can suspend our Western beliefs for a moment ... then we can learn what Tibetan Buddhists, Pagans, and shamans knew centuries ago: Treasure is buried everywhere.”

Bathing With Quartz Crystals

Bathwater is an excellent conductor for the energy magnified by a variety of quartz crystals.

Leave Society With Tao Lin

American novelist, poet, and artist, Tao Lin, explores nuclear radiation, religion, change and recovery, Çatalhöyük, Daoism, and more in his autobiographical novel, Leave Society.

The Likeness of God: Brown and Black

Rabbi Rami Shapiro answers questions from S&H readers. “My priest confided in me that despite her best sermonic efforts, racism still infects our overwhelmingly white church. What else might she do?”

Wisdom of the Desert Dwellers

A community of Christians once flourished in the Egyptian desert.

Toolbox: Child-like Play

When was the last time you did something because it was fun? It may be time to embrace your inner child.

From Separation to Connection

We are one. There is no separation.

11 Affirmations for When You’re Feeling Lonely and Isolated

Try these 11 affirmations for overcoming loneliness and bringing peace and spirituality to your solitude.

The Spiritual Meaning of Slow Travel

Slowing down can allow our habitats to renew and our fellow earthlings to thrive.

Queer Spirituality

“Just because your religion betrayed you does not mean that Spirit has abandoned you.”

The Spiritual Meaning of Midsummer

Try this mini-ritual for midsummer, when nature teaches us to rest and be patient.

Recasting: Grandma’s Irish Stew Goes Vegan

All the flavors will come together, like ancestral pathways.

Benefits of Catnip … For Humans Too!

Repel mosquitos, chill out, and get a good night’s sleep with catnip.

A Coequal Helpmeet

Rabbi Rami Shapiro answers questions from S&H readers. “I’m engaged to a man I met in Bible study. He asked me to be his helpmeet the way Eve was Adam’s helpmeet (Genesis 2:18) ... What do you think he means?”

Sick Sounds

Anthropophonies—soundscapes made by humans—might be making you sick.

Dancing to Songs Stuck in Your Head

“Our human emotional system, at times, is wired to lead us to embrace the three poisons without thinking of the consequences.”

Empathy and Artificial Intelligence

The ability to program empathy into AI could reap wellness benefits for humans and even the robots themselves.

Sustainable Activism for Animal Lovers

Self-care tools for people who advocate for the more-than-human world.

Helping the Pollinators at Frey Vineyards

The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, yet in many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from habitat loss and pesticide use.

Mindful Decisions for Critically Ill Pets

How do we choose on behalf of another being and make sound decisions when we’re emotionally bereft?

Seeing a Spiritual Sky

Seeing a spiritual sky is about “imaginative ego-transcendence.”

Mindful Lessons From Hummingbirds

For one, its possible to be slow and fast at the same time.

Elemental Wisdom, Part 1—Water

Life begins in water. Access the deep wisdom of this element within you.

A Spiritual Approach to Pest Management

Practice interspecies ethics with humane bug catchers and mousetraps, underhood repellers, and more.

Lessons From the Tarot: The Death Card on a New Moon

Embrace darkness as a source of deep wisdom.

Druidry for Beginners

Interested in modern Druid practices? Druidry begins with three paths that connect nature, creativity, and the divine.

Last-Minute Gifts for Animal Lovers

Avoid holiday faux paws with earth- and animal-friendly presents.

From the Editor: Engaging Columns

What does it take to write an engaging column?

How to Embody Kindness

Willa Blythe Baker sits down to discuss her somatic mindfulness journey.

5 Cuddling Techniques to Ease Stress

Depending on your comfort level, you can try these cuddling techniques with a partner, friend, family member, or even your pet.

Spiritual Meaning of the Cold Moon

Occurring near the winter solstice, the Cold Moon invites you to take a closer look at what lies beneath the seemingly cold and frozen surface. Discover the spiritual meaning of the Cold Moon.

Enlightened Dog Training Tips

Enlightened dog training offers a peaceful approach to communicating with canines.

Staying Spiritually Connected on a Busy Schedule

The key to staying spiritually connected in the midst of a busy schedule, says actress and activist Torrey DeVitto, is embracing simplicity and constant exploration.

Groundhog Wisdom for Sleep

Groundhog behavior offers insight on restorative Z’s for busy humans.

Spiritual Fire: A Candle-Burning Ritual for Happiness

Ignite spiritual fire and attract joy with this revamped spin on an age-old practice.

Featured Artist: Jess Polanshek

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with artist Jess Polanshek about drawing porcupines, working at an art supply store, and embracing layers.

Oracle Cards: No Wrong Answers

Confused about oracle cards? Oracle experts explain what they're all about.

Toolbox: Plant Magic

Ready for spring? Bring the blooms inside your home (and heart) with these plant-inspired picks.

Book Review: Sacred Sendoffs

SARAH BOWEN CREDITS her first pet, a cat named Him, with putting her on the path to becoming an animal chaplain responsible for improving human-animal interaction. As a prea…

Film Review: The Velvet Queen

THE SNOW LEOPARD is one of the most elusive creatures on the face of the earth, so naturally a documentary about attempts to photograph one in the wild will, by necessity, wind up …

Can Watching Bear Cams Improve Wellbeing?

People expressed improved relaxation & stress reduction after watching bears at an Alaskan preserve.

How to Give a Furry Wake

Honoring your pet with friends helps healing begin.

Animal Movement Practices

Movement practices like animal flow, primal play, and yoga asanas teach us to be fully human.

Take This Fun Intuition Quiz to Determine Your Intuitive Style

Do antique stores unsettle you? Do you have a great sense of direction? An intuition quiz can tell you what these and other findings say about your intuitive style.

Alyson Charles

Alyson Charles, renowned shaman and spiritual teacher, is the author of, ANIMAL POWER: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul (Chronicle Books, 2022). She’s based i…

How to Identify and Work With Your Power Animal

Supporter power animals offer potent energetic medicine, wisdom, and teachings. Your core power animal is with you every day for your entire lifetime.

Spiritual Dreamwork: A Case Study

Drop into another’s dream to explore natural spirituality in action.

Ritual for the Full Pink Moon

Release winter energy and ignite spring fire with a ritual for the full Pink Moon.

“Dog Mind” and the Cone of Mindfulness

Wearing a "cone of mindfulness" can help protect our spiritual and mental wellbeing during trying times.

100 Sounds and a Culture of Listening

With inspiration from a sociological program in Japan, explore new, more intentional ways of tuning into sound.

Music Review: Satchel of Songs

Diane Patterson’s sixth studio album, Satchel of Songs, was released on International Women’s Day (March 8). Patterson told S&H, “I see International Women’s Day as part of the sac…

Balance Is as Close as Your Body’s Rhythm

“All of your biological subengines are interdependent; eating patterns affect sleeping patterns, sleeping and exercise patterns affect alertness and metabolic health, and so on.”

Missing Fido or Fluffy? Tips for Helping Kids Survive Pet Loss

Kids can experience psychological distress for up to three years after losing a pet. Animal Chaplain Sarah Bowen, author of Sacred Sendoffs, has six tips to help you companion your kids, grandkids, or friends of any age through animal loss.

Just Say No Mow

Discover the risks and lost opportunities of the so-called perfect lawn.

When Self-Care Is Not the Answer

When you need to change a behavior or need community assistance, self-care is not the answer.

The Future of Dogs

Dig deep into “dogness” by asking what would happen to dogs if humans were no longer around.

What Is Pleasure?

Dive into a contemplation of the definition of “pleasure,” and learn how melancholy can have similar effects.

Amelia Jones

Amelia Jones (they/them/their) is a Soul Escort, carefully guiding people back to their power. They are descended from chemists, healers, artists, farmers, and people who have had …

Capturing Lunar Energy Through Affirmations

Step one: Discover how to write affirmations that work for you. Step two: Combine your affirmations practice with the lunar cycle.

Like a Fox: Tapping Into Our Intuitive Cunning

Whether you encounter a fox in person or in dreams, this intelligent animal spirit can help you identify boundaries and navigate your path.

How to Avoid Place Blindness

Place blindness is a form of apathy that sets in when we don’t spend enough time outdoors. Overcome place blindness “to feel alive, to feel good.”

Finding Sleep

Defining yourself as someone with sleep problems can compound them. It’s time to wake up to winding down.

Spiritual Meaning of the June Strawberry Moon

Tap into the spiritual meaning of the Strawberry Moon. Enjoy the ripening, birth, and bloom of June.

Tina Stümpfig

Tina Stümpfig is a psychologist and experienced Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner, working with people and animals. She is the author of Jin Shin Healing Touch: Quick Help for Common Ai…

Jin Shin for Cats and Dogs

Pets give us so much love. Return it with healing touch techniques that increase energy flow and wellbeing.

A Ritual-Full Life

“Every time I have gathered in community ritual or personal ceremony, I have experienced a healing.”

6 Ways to Shift From Believing to Knowing

Do you know how to trust your inner wisdom? These six steps show you how.

Film Review: Meat the Future

“Lab-grown meat” may not sound particularly appetizing, but Meat the Future, directed by Liz Marshall and narrated by the legendary Jane Goodall, seeks to help us understand the vi…

Holy Habitats

Instead of traveling to distant spiritual sites, what we if we found such sanctuaries in our own selves?

Mother Aya

How can plant sacred medicine bring us back to a place of rootedness?

What Is Ecosomatics (and How to Practice It)

Ecosomatics is a new movement that recognizes how the experience we have of our own bodies is tied to the environment around us.

How To Embody the Triple Goddess Archetype

Understanding the gifts and lessons of each aspect of the Triple Goddess can create wholeness and unity within us, no matter our chronological age.

Sherry Shone on the Practice of Hoodoo for Everyone

How does one keep the practice of hoodoo accessible, simple, yet powerful? Hoodoo practitioner and author Sherry Shone shares.

Modern Norse Pagan Practices for Beginners

Ancient Northern European spiritual practices are accessible to people of all lineages. Explore how to connect with Norse paganism as a beginner.

Nuclear Power: Unknown Hazards and Unknown Help

"At this time of transition from one astrological cycle to the next—from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius—we, humanity, are at a critical point in our evolutionary journey."

Lessons From Extreme Rituals: An Interview With Dimitris Xygalatas, PhD

Why do so many ordinary people regularly participate in painful religious rites? Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas explores the answer.

Gather Council: An Ecological Prayer

Sophie Strand, author of The Flowering Wand, shows how acknowledging our nonhuman neighbors can be a form of prayer.

re/VIEW: Tara Brach

“Both psychological work and what we call spiritual work are seeking ways to deal with suffering, and really learning how to love without holding back, how to let go of the armoring.”

To Admire

"Admiration is a powerful resource because when we admire someone or something, we are, if open, introduced to where those qualities live in us."

Be a Heretic

Explore what it means to be a heretic, how to measure the health of your soul, and the importance of Paganism for our time.

Featured Artist: Lucy Campbell

We spoke with Lucy Campbell about Northern influences, diversity, and her possible future as a tattoo artist.

Can Trees Help Us Face Mortality?

By contemplating the heartwood at the center of trees, we can gain a greater respect for the impermanence of life.

Wanda Bogacka-Plucinski

Wanda was born in Poland in 1971 and is currently based out of the Princeton, New Jersey area. She’s been married to Piotr (Peter) for over 28 years and has a 27 year old daughter…

The Spiritual Meaning of the Full Hunter’s Moon

To align with the spiritual meaning of the full Hunter’s Moon this October, complete your internal harvest.

How to Communicate With Nature Through Ecosomatic Listening

Feeling out of touch with your environment? Experiment with ecosomatic listening to communicate with nature—and nature just may communicate back.

3 Simple Steps for Problem-Solving While Sleeping

Explore the ancient art of dream incubation and solve any problem or challenge in your life (or work) through the power of dreaming.

A Great Ancestor in the Making

Unblock enormous amounts of positive energy with a simple journey from past to future.

Decolonizing Therapy

Traditional therapy invokes authority, judgement, and hierarchy, although new ideas are percolating. Julie Peters dives into a different approach.

Featured Artist: Katherine Dunn

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with Maine-based artist Katherine Dunn about hauling animals across the country—and much more. Look for her art throughout the issue.

Katherine Dunn

Katherine Dunn is an artist/writer who lives on Apifera Farm, a non-profit animal sanctuary where she takes in elderly and needy animals—donkeys, equines, goats, cats, dogs, pigs, …

The Blessings of Being an Animal Caretaker

What lessons can be learned from a dying rescue duck? An animal caretaker offers her wisdom.

The Spiritual Meaning of November’s Beaver Moon

The November full moon is the perfect time to wrap up projects and turn inward for the winter. Explore the spiritual meaning of the Beaver Moon.

Working With the Norse Goddess Frigga for Empowerment

Frigga is one of the most beloved goddesses in the Norse tradition. Learn how working with Frigga can bring healing and empowerment—especially for matriarchs and mothers.

Chief Dr. Robert Joseph Offers a Path to Reconciliation

Unity and healing are at the center of Chief Dr. Robert Joseph's teachings. We spoke to him about universal values, his own elders, and Indigenous languages as "languages of the land."

Ultra Gratitude: A Thanksgiving Practice for Animal Lovers

Explore more compassionate ways to eat and be this Thanksgiving—starting with what’s on your plate.

A Centering Prayer for Cephalopods and Marine Mammals

How can we help ocean life, both practically and spiritually? Our resident animal chaplain shares her (and her father’s) wisdom.

The Spiritual Meaning of the High Priestess Tarot Card

Did you pull the High Priestess card? Learn the meaning of this major arcana card and how it can help us heal the “witch wound.”

What Goddess Vahanas Teach Us About Personal Power

The animal companions of three Hindu goddesses teach us valuable lessons about strength, abundance, and wisdom.

Featured Artist: Diana Sudyka

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with Diana Sudyka about taxidermy, clayboard, and combining words and images. Look for her art throughout the January/February 2023 issue.

Roadside Assistance: Becoming Enlightened

Rabbi Rami Shapiro answers pressing questions on America, immortality, and enlightenment as a goal.

The Hidden Cost of Domestication

Animal trainer Ren Hurst lost everything when she discovered a new way of being with animals. What she gained made the loss worthwhile.

Wake Up to the Dark

Clark Strand walks the path toward a new appreciation of the night.

Funeral for a Mouse

Our animal chaplain shares what it's like to choose compassion for the smallest of beings, even when it's difficult.

Film Review: Utama

Utama, which has been chosen as Bolivia’s Academy Awards submis-sion, opens with a striking image of a man walking towards a setting sun across a landscape of cracked and scorched …

A Guide to Interpreting Nightmares to Receive Healing

Nightmares don’t have to lead to sleepless nights and fear. Instead, learn to interpret your nightmares to promote healing in your life.

An Imbolc Fire Ritual

Honor the pagan festival of Imbolc with a simple ritual designed to release the heaviness of winter and invite in the healing fire of springtime.

The Goddess Brigid and the Star Tarot Card

The goddess Brigid—widely celebrated on February 1st—and the Star tarot card have much in common. Explore how these two figures represent resilience after collapse.

22 Affirmations for Shamanic Journeying

Use these 22 affirmations to develop and strengthen your shamanic journeying practice.

Sacred Space Crashing

Looking to travel to holy sites? Explore sacred travel etiquette and learn how to make the best of your experience.

Trauma Stewardship Tips for Animal Lovers

It's important for animal advocates of all kinds to take care of themselves. Discover some top tips on how to steward trauma instead of letting it consume you.

Why Spirituality and Science Need Each Other

Spirituality informs science, and science strengthens spirituality—explore a lifelong peace activist's thoughts on the intersection of the two.

How Food and Mood Are Connected

Explore how what we eat and how we feel are connected, and discover new tips for supporting your relationship with food.

Featured Artist: Pete Sandker

S+H lead digital editor Brenna Lilly spoke to artist Pete Sandker about walks in the woods, childhood inspiration, and the following call of art. Find Pete’s art throughout the issue.

Naked Truth and the Storytelling Animal

Evolutionary Neuroscientist Peggy La Cerra tells us why it’s time to take a deep dive into the ultimate story: Reality.

The Ancient Science of Honest Prophesy

Archaeologist Brady Kiesling explains how Greeks dealt with bribed gods using perhaps the world’s first double-blind experiment.

The Source of The Declaration of Independence

Freedom is what makes America America. As we approach our nation’s 250th birthday, we should take a respectful look at where this ideal of freedom came from.

Ode to a Hollywood Mountain Lion

Our animal chaplain mourns the death of a famous mountain lion, and shares lessons from the feline's passing.

15 Affirmations to Commune With Your Helping Spirits

If you feel spiritually ungrounded and disconnected, try these affirmations to connect to the spiritual beings that have your best interests in mind.

What's Next for Spirituality & Health?

Rabbi Rami explores what the next 25 years have in store for Spirituality & Health and American spirituality as a whole.

Creating a Forest Apothecary Garden to Manage Anxiety

Take your outdoor self-care to the next level this spring. Explore how creating a forest apothecary garden can help manage anxiety.

The Spiritual Meaning of the Empress Tarot Card

The Empress tarot card holds rich symbolism and is connected to two important goddesses. Learn what lessons we can glean from this powerfully feminine tarot card.

Nature Poetry as Spiritual Practice

Spiritual practice in need of an infusion of life? Try reading—and writing—nature poetry.

How Environmental Changes Contribute to the Spread of Disease

Research has shown that certain environmental factors can significantly affect heart health. Thankfully, technology has come to the rescue in this regard. Heartify provides users with accurate information about the condition of their hearts daily.

Roadside Assistance: “I'm a Girl, Gramma, I Don't Want a Boy God.”

Our roadside oracle answers your questions on the gender of God, the potential of hell, and how to find the right spiritual teacher.

Hacker Spirituality

Theologian Anne Foerst suggests that the young man who stole your identity set out to find himself on a quest for freedom.

Visionary Virgins & Miraculous Mothers

It's time to look to the natural world for guidance on the conversation around motherhood.

The Spiritual Meaning of Beltane

As we greet the midway point between spring and summer, celebrating the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane is a joyous way to invite pleasure and connection into our lives.

Quiz: What Is the Universe Telling You?

What signs are being sent your way by the Universe? Take this quiz to find out.

The Spiritual Meaning of Litha

Litha, a pagan summer holiday, marks the longest day of the year. Explore more about the spiritual meaning of Litha and what it represents.

The Simple Thermodynamics of Enlightenment

When S+H was conceived, evolutionary neuroscientist Peggy La Cerra, PhD, awakened to a new understanding of the nature of the mind created by evolution. It’s not widely taught, but the science seems pretty obvious.

It's Not Just a Metaphor

For the past 15 years, I’ve helped clients shift into a place of being where they connect with their own healing power, Divine wisdom, and creative genius. It can be a dramatic and instantaneous shift, which I first encountered by accident, head-on…

Film Review: The Land of Ahimsa

The ancient Indian concept of ahimsa is central to many of the region’s religions. The core idea of ahimsa is that all living things are connected by a spiritual energy. As such, t…

The Arts of Liberation

Mark Nepo discusses liberal arts, opening hearts, and what liberation can look like.

Overcoming Fear—the Buddhist Way

If you feel caught in a fear loop, work with these five Buddhist methods to ground yourself.

Spiritual Minimalism: Being All, While Schlepping Less

What would you carry in your spiritual minimalist backpack? Rabbi Rami Shapiro considers his own religious necessities after his recent conversation with Light Watkins for the S+H podcast.

What Are Australia's Most Soothing Holiday Destinations?

Explore these laid-back vacation destinations all across Australia. Where will you relax next?

3 Ways to Connect to Your Landscape

Interested in nature spirituality but not sure where to start? An herbalist and druid offers three ways to connect to your local landscape.

Astronomer Marcelo Gleiser on Creating a Better Future for Humanity

Astronomer and physicist Professor Marcelo Gleiser shares about collective change in the face of a climate crisis, and how science can connect us more deeply with Nature.

Mabon and the Divine Feminine

Celebrate the autumnal equinox—also known as Mabon—by honoring the divine feminine in your life and feasting on two warming autumnal recipes.

How to Connect With Nature Spirits Through Animism

One essential practice in nature spirituality is connection with nature spirits through an animist perspective. Explore how you can connect with nature spirits, regardless of your spiritual tradition.

How to Turn Invisible Woman Syndrome Into Your Superpower

Elderhood comes with powers and freedoms unheard of in youth. Learn how to challenge invisible woman syndrome and step into your power as an older woman.

How to Practice Compassion—the Buddhist Way

Buddhism offers deep wisdom to help us practice compassion every day, both towards ourselves and others. Try these five tools to develop greater compassion.

Why You Should Live an Imagination-Centered Life

A depth psychologist explores the healing power of living an imagination-centered life. What will you discover within the Imagination Matrix?

Finding Purpose: 3 Great Mysteries of Becoming a True Elder

Elderhood is not relegated to those who are over a certain age—the elder lives within us all. Dive into these three mysteries that teach us how to become true elders at any age.

Sadness Medicine: Discover the Purpose of Your Sadness

Sadness, while deeply uncomfortable, has a purpose and lesson to teach us. What medicine can your sadness offer you?

Dr. Steven Farmer

Dr. Steven Farmer is a licensed psychotherapist, shamanic practitioner, trauma recovery specialist, hypnotherapist, and author of several best-selling books and oracle cards, inclu…

10 Unexpected Forms of Cardiovascular Exercise

These ten ways of supporting the cardiovascular system may surprise you. Which one will you try?

Yoga—a Panacea for All That Ails Our World

The director of the International Yoga Festival offers wisdom on the power of yoga to help heal our broken world.

Jill Roshini

Jill Roshini is an expert in Divine Feminine energy and recently completed a comprehensive program featuring an evolutionary way to communicate and connect with animals and nature.…

Spiritual Wisdom from Cats

Our animal chaplain shares some potent spiritual lessons from a little black cat.

Dragon-Inspired Practices for Embracing Power and Generosity

Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen offers practices inspired by the Year of the Dragon to help you connect to Dragon’s bold, confident, and charitable nature.

A Guide to Living by the Wheel of the Year

Healer and author Dina Saalisi shares the power of connecting to the rhythms of life and the Wheel of the Year.

4 Lessons from a Massage

When we allow ourselves to rest, we can better understand the workings of the world around us. Learn how our animal chaplain integrated healing messages from a vacation massage.

The Spiritual Meaning of the Chariot Tarot Card

How do you relate to your wildness? The Chariot tarot card can teach us how to honor the wild parts of ourselves and release grasping onto maladaptive ways of being.

Lessons from Inanna, the Goddess of the Underworld Journey

The story of this ancient Mesopotamian goddess can teach us important wisdom about the inevitability of death and the changing of the seasons.

How the Universe Operates Like an Algorithm

Instead of viewing the universe as a confusing, scary place, try seeing the universe like a social media algorithm.

The Spirituality of Gardening

By changing how we garden to encompass spiritual principles, we can drastically change our gardening experience for the better.

How to Practice Seasonal Intuitive Eating

All of our ancient ancestors ate intuitively with the seasons. Learn how to tap into these methods for greater health and well-being

How Thinking About Food Theologically Leads to Better Health

If we go back to the beginning, we see that in order for food to fuel our bodies the way God intended, we have a responsibility to uphold.

Are Dog Parks Nature’s Newest Spiritual Space?

Science and mindfulness meet in canine-filled green public locales.

3 Crystals to Clear Negativity

Working with crystals is a wonderful way to protect your energy and clear away negativity from your surroundings. 

Talking with My Daughter About God: A Seeker’s Tale

“My 44-year-old daughter recently said she didn’t believe in God. But rather than closing a door, she was inviting a story. She knew I had one—and wanted to hear it.”

The Spiritual Meaning of Thumb Pain

Though we often forget their importance, our thumbs help us accomplish innumerable tasks and represent our actions in the world. Explore what your thumb pain might mean spiritually.

Lemon Balm Plant Medicine for an Unsettled Spirit

Plant medicine can help soothe a troubled spirit, and lemon balm is a particularly potent ally for anxiety.

Navigating November: 8 Self-Care Tips for Early Winter

Late fall and early winter encourage us to slow down in spite of the busyness of the holidays. Explore these eight tips to align yourself with the wisdom of November.

Play Your Anxiety Away

A family medicine physician provides a powerful remedy for anxiety that can bring you in touch with your inner child.

Enlightened Perspectives: Deva Premal & Miten: How Mantra Heals

Discover how Deva Premal and Miten blend love, music, and spirituality, sharing the healing power of mantras from Costa Rica to their global community.