Here's how you can harness color as a powerful mood enhancer.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” ~ Pablo Picasso When was the last time you opened a brand new box of colored pencils and thoughtfully colored…

Immerse yourself in a colorful city in your mind to rock you to sleep.

Discover how the creator of The Color Meditation Deck used color meditation to change her perspective, and how you can, too.

Explore how green, pink, blue, and purple lights can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and more.

We all have preferences for certain colors, but do colors themselves inherently influence our mood?

Do your body a great kindness by adding more colors to your diet.

The popularity of coloring books is no surprise considering the benefits—from stress-relief to mindful awareness. Color your way to peace with these 7 picks from Spirituaity & Health.

Colors have frequencies that influence mood, impact our energy field, and support us in developing different aspects of ourselves.

Use a color therapy exercise to release pent-up and unhelpful emotions.

Painting with watercolors channels the healing powers of both water and color.

Get creative in how you approach your relationships.

If positive affirmations aren’t doing the trick to lift your mood, consider working with new colors. An expert in color and interior design explains why and how.

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

Excerpted from The Tarot Coloring Book by Theresa Reed

Cauliflower packs a serious nutritional punch and, if you're looking for a gluten-free, low-carb staple, is versatile enough to become a behind-the-scenes star of your kitchen.

Feeling like you’ve been stuck in a perpetual creative slump? You’re not alone.

A useful list for inspiration and recipes to eat clean

I find myself feeling despair, grief, and fear rise as I listen to the news of shootings, racism, hate crimes, discrimination and innocent lives lost. In my silent moments I questi…

Yoga, self-care, and alternative forms of medicine cannot always fix everything.

"she will fall for miles. / land on your face, / your shoulders, / your hands"

Two people, three colors, four layers—and a lot of fun!

A year and a half ago I became obsessed with the size of landfills. (This could be the result of too much time on my hands to simply think about things, but still.) I had seen some…

Musician Miriam Jameson shares the story that inspired her new album.

In my practice, I’m witnessing a revitalized version of the Queen archetype reemerging

A new study provides insight into the captivating phenomenon of a sensory condition called synaesthesia.

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Learn to embrace your emotions and heal your past with this powerful technique from The Freemind Experience by Tom Fortes Mayer.

Each flower has a unique color and essence that vibrationally corresponds with one or more of the seven chakras in our body. Discover how to use chakra flowers for spiritual healing.

“Tomorrow morning put on dancing shoes.”

Did you know spiritual beings can readily deliver their messages to deeply embodied, clear, conscious channels?

On the full moon, create a ritual that has meaning for you.

More…

Here are 15 affirmations for powerful healing support.

Mindful eating means being intentional about what, when, and how you eat. It can become more intuitive the more you practice.

If you reframe your perspective, your entire life can change. Ask yourself these questions to make the shift today.

Don’t get lost on the path to finding your purpose. Discover your “why” in three ways.

Use breathwork and color therapy to find your center in your meditative painting practice.

Love Is a VerbTerry Spencer Hesser and Stephan MazurekDark Sky FilmsThe Muslim thinker and academic Fetullah Gulen has been a controversial figure in his homeland of Turkey for&nbs…

Rabbi Rami talks to Owsley Brown about his latest documentary Serenade for Haiti and the upcoming Festival of Faiths. A review of the film appears in the March/April issue of Spiri…

Take a look at these 4 stories for optimal brain health and how to provide nourishment, stimulation, and exercise to keep your brain healthy and strong.

A look at an innovative medical technology called photoacoustic imaging technique, a non-invasive process that uses the conversion of light and sound to create functional, molecular, and structural imaging.

Excerpted from The Golden Rule & the Games People Play by Rami Shapiro

Becoming a father who knows what’s tasty in the urban jungle

What do we do with the stories that haunt us? Natalie Goldberg shows us in this excerpt from her 2016 book The Great Spring.

Try the difficult path to enlightenment

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

Scientists have discovered ten times more memory capacity in the human brain.

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No matter the duration of your flight, it’s important to take good care of yourself. What you do—or don’t do—aboard the plane makes all the difference in the world when…

We tried talk therapy and it didn’t work. Our attempts at reconciliation always ended in recrimination and competition. The guilt of a father for deserting the family and the pain …

The Simplest, Cheapest, And Most Accurate Way To Know How Hard To Work Out

This next month can be fertile ground for renewal of spirit and for clarity of mind and heart.

Multiple, simultaneous life changes are possible.

Want to stay sharp and focused all day long? Here are a few tips.

This key tool is employed, often unwittingly, by exceptional teachers, health care practitioners, clergy, and devoted guardians or parents.

A major aspect of my practice has always been about coming home to my body. We live in a culture that doesn’t always honor the body; we tend instead to objectify it as this thing t…

Yoga offers the opportunity for pure connection. Connection to breath, to movement, to spirit. Teachers inspire by telling their students to just show up, on the mat, bringing with…

Staying hydrated, while seemingly simple, is something that lots of people struggle with. From forgetting to drink it, to a downright dislike of the taste of water, many of us live…

What does it feel like to practice self-acceptance? This type of gentleness creates a whole new environment in which we can start to flourish.

Here are five new ways to make peace with your pillow.

Canine help along the bodhisattva path

Start observing your anger to truly understand where it should be directed.

An excerpt from Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners by Naomi Shihab Nye.

Green Is the color of cool.

“By adding the word holy in front of keywords, such as in the terms Holy God, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Holy Catholic Church, Holy Communion, Holy, etc., we’ve made non-Christians weary of hearing us talk with all of this canonized holiness in our lexicon.”

For Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga Teachers

Alison Zak is an author, yoga teacher, anthropologist, and animal. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband Vishu, Meeko the dog, and Monkey the adopted budgie. In addition …

Kickstart your creative self with these positive affirmations.

Acceptance and tolerance leads to inner and outer peace—use these acceptance affirmations to cultivate more unity in your life.

Let the gravity of your star pull you into your dreams.

Get distracted easily? Us too. Try these focus affirmations to ... hey, where were we?

Research shows how first impressions can color later interactions.

“What do we do next?” is the last question to ask

A new study suggests that humans naturally choose red foods over other colors of foods.

An Interview with Mark Epstein

Explore how a CIA analyst began an interfaith quest for citizen diplomacy.

How to identify the fears blocking your relationship—and melt them away to restore wonder

The goal of The World Wisdom Bible is not to create a world religion, but to create peace, 12 coffee cups at a time

Design a space mindfully using color to emphasize the energy you want to enhance.

Pitta, you are the light of the world. You bring us color, vision, clarity, focus, enthusiasm, adventure!

The world is inflamed, and so are we. Maybe the two are connected, and maybe healing our own bodies can help heal the world.

Memories of Manhattan spur S&H Editor at Large Stephen Kiesling to reflect on the "masters of deprivation."

A clear vegetable soup with the warmth of ginger and the brightness of lemon adds punch to fresh, purifying produce.

Anxious? Approaching the problem with self-compassion and mindfulness may help. Discover more about spirituality and anxiety.

"but the color of moonrise / will visit at the same time / it did yesterday and make / constellations out of me."

The death wellness movement is about facing hard choices openly and mindfully. For author Leslie Krongold, this has been a very personal exploration.

Ilene Godofsky Moreno, author of The Colorful Kitchen and The Colorful Family Table, is a health coach, recipe developer, food photographer, and the author of t…

“Are we freer when we let go of the need to own, to control, and, sometimes, even to know, especially when the path to knowledge violates the spirit of other living things?”

“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.”

Imagine a protective sphere that keeps in positive energy, releasing what we do not need.

A unique retreat program combats increasing rates of stress, anxiety, and depression in young people.

“If days were colors / I would name this one pink, / a pale pink like the rose quartz / pendant I wear,”

Not a rosary person? No matter your beliefs, you may be surprised at the power of this famous tool.

The Way of Gratitude author and prominent Unitarian Universalist minister Galen Guengerich dives deep on faith, belonging, morality, and, of course, gratitude.

Theresa Dominguez-Weiss is a retired Family Nurse Practitioner, author, researcher, the world’s leading expert on Power Places, and a facilitator on transformational journeys to international Power Places, such as the Great Pyramid and Machu Picchu.

theresadominguezweiss.com

Travel with Theresa: theresajourneys.com

Follow Theresa on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

IBS? Leaky gut? CBD products can help with many digestive ailments.

A Celebrant looks at the present moment, liminal as it may be, and still says yes.

“There are two fires that we have to encounter daily. The first is the fire of life, which reduces us to joy by burning away all that is false and not essential. This is the fire of aliveness ...”

Menopause symptoms are a harsh reality of life. But “they should be seen not so much as the end of the reproductive years but as the beginning or rebirth of a whole new you.”

Walaa is a certified color therapist, author, and qualified interior designer mentoring women and entrepreneurs to find renewed confidence, a strong sense of purpose, and a better …

iBme offers in-depth mindfulness programming for youth and parents and professionals who support them.

A simple practice of mindfully noticing eye color can make medicine a little better.

Kelsey Brown is the is the writer and creator of http://happyolks.com, a blog dedicated to sharing the experience of creating wholesome meals and the happiness that inherently grows from it. Kelsey believes that when we make room in our lives to celebrate the good things growing, we can honor the earth, the day, and one another. When she's not making messes in the kitchen, you can find her biking, hiking, running, and more at her new home (playground) of Denver, Colorado with her partner, Shaun Boyte.

Poems for the Mind and SensesSelected by Christine San José and Bill Johnson, with illustrations by Melanie HallPoetry for children has to be the very best. It has to tickle the mi…

The Raw Truth: Recipes and Resources for the Living Foods Lifestyleby Jeremy S. SafronWith more than 200 recipes to delight the palate, enticing and colorful photos, and just the r…

by Atmic Vision The three musicians who comprise Atmic Vision have created an exotic fusion of Indian and American styles that is accessible and mesmerizing. Their Indian bamboo f…

Written by Jim Hanon and Jillian Hanon, Produced by Mart GreenEthnographic Media presents this film about a young man’s search for answers to his own identity among the South Ameri…

Tasting the Universe: A Spiritual and Scientific Exploration of SynesthesiaBy Maureen SeabergNew Page BooksImagine a world in which numbers have color, musical sounds shimmer …

Vive, Chakra SongsParkhill Records / Shabby MusicGabriel Mann and Tanya Witman have created this music to enhance relaxation and activate the energy of the chakras, using the known…

Following the Call: Wood and Clay Flute Music for Meditation and InspirationCul de Sac Mystic ProductionsAnn Licater skillfully blends intuition and her classical training to craft…

By Dawn Casey, with illustrations by Anne WilsonBarefoot Books, 2009, $19.99Both children and adults will delight in these seven stories from seven different cultures, pleasingly r…

Essays from Around the World on Enterprise Solutions to PovertyEdited by Michael Fairbanks, Malik Fal, Marcela Escobar-Rose, and Elizabeth HooperTempleton Foundation Press, 2009, $…

N. Sophia EngkvistSophia’s SongfireEngkvist’s ethereal songs are New Age in style and, with the exception of the title song, are her original writing. Accompanying Engkvist’s vocal…

Whirling DervishText and Illustrations by DemiMarshall Cavendish, 2009, $19.99Turkish and Chinese inks with gold overlay fill Demi’s joyful children’s book about the man many consi…

Rising AppalachiaWider CirclesRISING APPALACHIA A few years ago a friend emailed me the music video for Sunu by Rising Appalachia. The simple and earthy song had a playful feeling…

Foday Musa Suso and Gretchen RoweSUSO MUSICKORALATIONS IS A MEETING of two musical storytellers from distant continents. Foday Musa Suso grew up in Gambia, Africa, in a family of M…

The Art of Using the Whole VegetableBy Tara DugganTen Speed PressIn an age of nose-to-tail animal cookery, it’s only natural that an enterprising chef should turn her attentio…

Personal IntelligenceThe Power of Personality and How It Shapes Our LivesBy John D. MayerScientific American/Farrar, Straus and GirouxIt’s always exciting when an original psycholo…

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, …

Marshall StylerStyler Music, BMIMarshall Styler is known for creating deeply moving melodies for piano and instrumental keyboard accompaniments; this gentle and romantic improvisat…

Rebirth. That’s how fans worldwide of Dead Can Dance must be describing the release of DCD’s first album in 16 years, Anastasis. Indeed, “anastasis” is the Greek word for “res…

Eating WildlyForaging for Life, Love, and the Perfect MealBy Ava ChinSimon & Schuster On first glance, Ava Chin’s Eating Wildly runs the risk of feeling overly busy: part memoir, …

The Gospel According to the Other Mary: A Passion Oratorio in Two ActsJohn AdamsDeutsche GrammophonThe Passion story—the story of the arrest and execution of Jesus—is always told w…

Winds of SamsaraRicky Kej & Wouter Kellerman Revolution Studios/Kellerman MusicNonviolence and world peace are themes gently blowing through Winds of Samsara, the beautifu…

Beautiful LovePaulinho GarciaJazzmin Records and Shrinktunes MediaBeautiful Love, by Paulinho Garcia could be the perfect soundtrack for this scene in your life: enjoying a sunset …

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…

Freedom HighwayRhiannon GiddensNonesuch RecordsFreedom Highway is the new album of soulful Southern tunes by Rhiannon Giddens, who previously won a Grammy Award as a member of the …

Seed: The Untold Story Jon Betz and Taggart Siegel Collective Eye Films Documentaries about the environment and food safety are a dime a dozen, but here’s a topic that’s rarely …

Kahlil Gibran’s The ProphetDirected by Roger AllersGKIDS There are few things in life more glorious than the sound of Liam Neeson reading lines from the great poet Gibran’s The Pr…

Rabbi Rami talks to Carol S. Pearson, Ph.D. about her new book Persephone Rising: Awakening the Heroine Within. A review of her book an be found in November/December 2015 issue of …

Eve Hogan talks to Gay Hendricks about the power of creativity, the different dynamics of relationships in midlife, and his new book Conscious Loving Ever After. An excerpt from th…

It was a Saturday evening, and attending would mean spending two days in a row in church. Nevertheless, many of the congregation gathered in fellowship for a sacred ritual—the annual beer contest.

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…

As a kid, my hands and feet were a source of quiet shame for me. I was born with what adults kindly referred to as “old soul’s hands,” which in the schoolyard translated to a regul…

“Forbidden” Black Rice Rivals Blueberries in AntioxidantsBlueberries are well known for their high antioxidant levels and disease-fighting properties, but the king of berries has a…

One afternoon last summer, an official from the Department of Agriculture unexpectedly stopped by Angela Macke’s farm in Leelanau County, Michigan, to give her—believe it or not—an…

When I was a young student of religions, my first Sanskrit teacher, Nandini, with her ever-mirthful air of serenity, lured her entire class headlong into the tangled jungle of that…

As a surgeon I have used the word “cancer” — the C-word — thousands of times in my life. I have spent my entire professional life researching it, trying to find ways to resect it, …

“What’s the most soulful place in Taipei?” I asked a Taiwanese woman whose English name is Norma.“Come with me,” she said, and she led me to the much-beloved Longshan Temple in the…

Over the past 25 years, the Mankind Project and New Warrior Training Adventure have created safe “containers” for more than 43,000 men to work on self-examination and to connect wi…

Transitional Keys is a groundbreaking program that uses the elements and structure of ritual to ease people through whatever transition is occurring.

For most of us, the word “Fatima” conjures up images of three shepherd children who, while praying the rosary in a field in central Portugal on May 13, 1917, saw a vision of the Vi…

Even as the FDA harangues the food industry for using excessive levels of sodium, and your doctor tsk-tsks at your high blood pressure, bear in mind that salt keeps us alive. The h…

By Judith Blackstone, Ph.D. and Zoran Josipovic, Ph.D.As a couple, we have been attempting to create a shared understanding of the experience of the underlying oneness of God and c…

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…

Sensory gardens look, smell, feel, taste, and sound beautiful. They are designed to be therapeutic for those with special needs.Yet the greatest healing of these magical places com…

Here are three museums that take the notion seriously that who we are—spiritually, morally, ethically—is not a fixed thing. These museums plunk visitors into radical, intense, real…

Reality isn’t what it used to be.Historians disagree over precisely when it changed. Some say the year 1905. Others point to key events in 1964 and 1982. I think of it as a glacial…

“Many of the world's contemplative traditions teach that the normal mind is afflicted in various ways; that since it so readily brings us suffering and anxiety, it can't be deemed healthy.”

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?

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…

Forget feathers, bones, and beads. Most shamans dress normally and carry no magic objects. In these exercises you are asked to play. Try the trickster way of tinkering with your li…

Here’s a simple truth: Everyone is a spiritual teacher. Parents, of course, are profound spiritual teachers. So are children. So are siblings. So are priests and imams and school t…

Strengthen Your CoreI have a friend in her late 80s who has more pep in her step and sparkle in her eye than ever — and she attributes it to her thrice weekly Pilates sessions that…

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…

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.

For millennia, humans have sought physical relief, emotional healing, and even spiritual renewal by immersing themselves in water. Writer Lindsey Crittenden soaks it all in.

Leaders against plastic pollution, Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins ask cosmetics companies to rethink “microbeads.”

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

Just getting to Nicki Doane and Eddie Modestini’s yoga studio in the rain-forested heart of Maui inspires a change in attitude. Head east on Hana Highway (a twisting, rainbow-washe…

When it comes to plant-based nutrition, most people envision long rows of organic farmland with luxurious stretches of leafy lettuces, kale, and other greens. But there’s another t…

Several years ago, film student Christopher Smith saw a magazine cover that caught his eye. The auspicious image — a smiling Washingtonian named Dee Williams, relaxing in her 84-sq…

Budokon started off as a Hollywood fitness fad, but creator Cameron Shayne left the limelight to take his life arts program to a deeper level.

This simple way to use conscious, rhythmic breathing can help you savor life and live more fully.

Intuition medicine pioneer Francesca McCartney has grown from a nearly silent little girl into an outspoken proponent of a once-clandestine healing technology, making the science of energy a respectable twenty-first-century health care choice.

With one in five Americans now unaffiliated with organized religion, a new generation is on a journey to create—or discover—the next great sacred space.

Learn how to recognize your Hero, Victim, and Villain.

Celebrate the third annual Hemp History Week, June 4th - 10th, with a plethora of products that are good for you and for our planet. Eco-friendly hemp isn't only a nutritious food,…

This summer, bring a splash of color to your table.As someone who has been fascinated by and infatuated with food for as long as I can remember (and through subsequent chapters as …

[EDITOR'S NOTE: WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR THE BHAKTI TICKET GIVEAWAY, CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER!]Every summer, countless people flock to outdoor amphitheaters, campground…

Infinite bliss and enlightenment may be just a breath away. But what does that really mean?Many years ago a stage hypnotist came to my high school for a routine performance in whic…

Scientists tell us that humans and wolves began to cooperate with each other for the simple reason that they shared the same habitat and hunted the same prey. But what started as e…

An Interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.Twelve years ago, at 37, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and spokeswoman for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Cen…

Every night we lie mostly paralyzed and unconscious, snuffed out except for brief flares of Technicolor quasi-psychosis we call dreaming. Why?

BLACK PURSE FROM INNER TUBESIn Latin America, tire repair shops (take out the inner tube, patch, etc.) are ubiquitous and carry the lively name of “vulcanizadoras,” for the Greek V…

My wife, Amy, arrived with Patrick Dale Sutherland, our newly adopted 14-month-old son from Zambia, on Sunday, April 26. She had been in Zambia for 14 weeks. Zambia is a peaceful c…

A warm tropical sun caresses our bodies. Clean, cool water beckons us to go snorkeling. The British Virgin Islands overwhelm the senses with their spectacular physical beauty, espe…

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…

While some chefs belong to culinary think tanks or attend creative recipe-writing workshops in venues like Bologna or San Sebastian, most of the world’s top restaurant chefs need n…

Protect Your Brain with Things You LoveNew research links moderate consumption of wine, chocolate, and tea with improved cognitive function and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease …

"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."

An anatomist studies the maps of our human energy systems.

The first time I saw him in Guatemala, he was sitting on a chair in a native marketplace, dressed in a black suit, black shoes, and black hat. His mouth was open, shaped into a sma…

At Naropa, the arts university “dedicated to advancing contemplative education” in Boulder, Colorado, students in the Master of Divinity program are anywhere from 20-something to 6…

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…

START YOUR DAY WITH PASSIONWho wouldn’t want to enjoy premium gourmet coffee while supporting fair trade, biodiversity, bird habitat, organic agriculture, and indigenous rights? Hi…

“You may not put down your chalk. You may not return to your desk until you have correctly solved the math problem!” bellowed Sister. Once again, I was losing the math relay for my…

For at least the past 35 years, scientists have debated the health effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Does it cause cancer? Does it overexcite our wearied and worrie…

The first time I heard about Mary was through her daughter. Out of the blue, the daughter called to interview me. She searched for, “A liberal pastor that would not be bothered by …

Awakening us to our interdependency with others, Paul Kivel questions the mythology of success based on individual achievement and hard work.

Civil rights expert John A. Powell explores the delicate yet enduring cord between our spiritual practice and social justice.

Two months before my 38th birthday, I was offered the job of my lifetime: joining the marketing and management consulting staff of a large, well-regarded international consulting g…

An exercise to relax ... and connect with summertime.

“We turn to the ocean around us to restore, replenish, and purify the ocean that is within all of us,” says Dan Fryda, a.k.a. the “Jacques Cousteau of the beauty world,” and founde…

“I never could connect with poetry,” Jan said. “I’m a math teacher!” She was sitting on my living room couch surrounded by piles of poetry books. On the coffee table was a stack of…

Easy ways to benefit from nature's golden treasure.

Before chronic health issues like inflammation and fatigue take hold, look for a cure in your kitchen.

They house us, feed us, and help us breathe, yet what we tend to forget is the healing aspect of trees. Leaves, bark, and buds have long been used in rituals and medicines, and now…

Moosewood Cookbook—that cozy, hand-lettered, and charmingly illustrated collection of vegetarian recipes—is one of the 10 best-selling cookbooks of all time. But more than being a …

To these perennial questions, I offer some answers — not to close a conversation, but to broaden one. I do not claim to know anything you don’t know, but if I can help you remember…

I INVITE BEAU, now four, to lunch. I want him to meet my good friend Koho, who is visiting from Detroit. I haven’t seen Koho for several years. He is busy in his role as the guidin…

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

The cookbooks that fed a generation—and sparked a vegetarian revolution—got their start at the improbable restaurant that became a legend.

One thing I have learned in my weekly men's group is how fragile we are. Lawyer, felon, editor-in-chief, our lives go up and down. We are healthy and not, wealthy and not. Yet we s…

An Excerpt from Parenting with Presence

Every choice we make, everything we do, is either inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Try Ayurveda for inflammation.

On the front lines fighting for the dignity of an invisible workforce, Ai-jen Poo aims to rehumanize society.

Rev up your sexual vitality with cinnamon and other surprising foods.

Groups of Sadhus, Hindu holy men, their foreheads smeared with sacred ash, their necks encircled with marigold garlands as bright orange as the robes they wear, sit atop decorated …

The times, they are a'changin'—explore how psychedelic medicines have found popularity in the 21st century.

Writer Jennie Dorris thought she left the wilderness behind when she chose city life, but nature continued to guide her.

I wouldn't exactly call depression a gift, but I’ve come to accept the restless emptiness and nagging sadness as signals from my soul instead of merely the symptoms of an illness t…

With her Oakland-based nonprofit People's Grocery, Nikki Henderson is leading more than just a food revolution.

Love. It may sound corny, but it’s what drove Sandra Steingraber to spark an uprising against an industry focused on short-term economic gain at the expense of long-term environmen…

Part of the cruciferous family, radishes are in season in the early spring and early fall. Victoria Shanta Retelny, author of The Essential Guide to Healthy Healing Foods, from 201…

Its healthful benefits, from allergy aid to antioxidant superhero (plus recipes).

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

Vivian "Spiral" Hancock finds her flow in circus arts.

I was thrilled to read the National Institutes of Health study that found so many benefits to drinking coffee. What are your thoughts on this?Dr. Michael Murray: My first thought w…

An American journalist honors her mother with an altar during Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration.

Get up close and personal with kombucha, kefir, and kvass.

Pratibha Parmar’s powerful new film, Beauty in Truth, recounts the historically rich story of the first African American woman writer to win a Pulitzer Prize. Walker has publish…

In a world where Judeo-Christian faith no longer writes the rules on intimacy, who will define the new sexual ethics?

A Light at the End of the Trauma Tunnel

Get the stats, the recipes—and the all-important incentive—from these entertaining experts.

Excerpted from Ten Breaths to Happiness: Touching Life in Its Fullness, by Glen Schneider

Herbalist Kathy Abascal is on a mission to change the way we eat, with her TQI (“to quiet inflammation”) diet plan.

Does your décor reveal your secret anxieties? Never fear—holistic design expert Laura Benko is here.

Excerpted from Ten Breaths to Happiness: Touching Life in Its Fullness, by Glen Schneider

Omar stood on my doorstep, smiling and peering at me through square, outdated glasses. He placed his hand over his heart in a traditional Muslim greeting and stepped inside. His d…

[Paul pictured with his oldest son, who heads to university this fall.]

For centuries, cooks across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have heated butterfat to remove the milk solids and water, making ghee, or clarified butter. Ghee has a longer shelf l…

At the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, iced tea was the preferred drink among the attendees. Today, it accounts for 75 percent of the tea we drink in North America.The first recip…

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…

When most of us hear the word "seaweed," we think of nori, the pressed dried sheets of kelp used to wrap around sushi. But those papery sheets are just a small sampling of the abun…

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Experts and survivors agree—use rituals to ease the anguish of loss. Then practice acts of love to move forward toward a sense of peace.Near midnight on Good Friday, 1990, just hou…

A pilgrimage to the Taos Pueblo for a traditional ceremony gives author Rivvy Neshama a new understanding of Christmas.One year, after family plans fell through, John and I were de…

I hear that ghee has a higher level of bad cholesterol, but I thought it was better for you than butter. Which is healthier, ghee or butter?Dr. Michael Murray: Ghee is clarified bu…

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…

Technology tends to isolate us from others, but science points to the real value in reaching out.

Nostalgia has been found to be a valuable coping tool for dealing with loneliness, boredom, and anxiety.

A moment of gratitude from Sonia Kang to Irene Martinez

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a spa, you feel the tension begin to melt away before you even have a treatment? You're likely being cloaked in a preplanned double wh…

Why resent aging when you can celebrate the triumph of still being here?

I wonder if the information coming in through my eyes, ears, and nose is small compared to the story entering directly through my cells.

Drought tolerant, pest resistant, and homegrown—could millet be the next great sustainable grain?

Natural Healing Wisdom from the Chopra Center

Devote Yourself to Your Own Goal

The acclaimed poet reflects on prayer, desperation, and letting go of what can’t be said.

“The mandala is an archetypal image whose occurrence is attested throughout the ages. It signifies the wholeness of the Self.” —Carl G. Jung, Memories, Dreams and ReflectionsHave y…

A philosopher and a historian suggest a completely different way of experiencing art—one that could help us heal, cope with challenges, and transform our lives.

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Pass the s’mores—and make them vegan! A new brand of sleep-away camp caters to wellness-seeking adults.

You don’t have to wait for Halloween to enjoy the newest protein in town.

New research underscores just how unreliable—and malleable—our memories really are

In my year with a rabbi, I learned that kabbalah is about wrestling with the complex and paradoxical nature of life. It’s confusing, but in essence, it’s about making the mundane holy.

The Art and Science of Dancing into Nirvana

Tantra is rooted in a quest for justice as much as spirituality and sexuality.

What do the Grand Canyon, Sistine Chapel, and gazing at distant stars all have in common?They can awaken a deep appreciation for the world around us and inspire a profound sense of…

You sleep all night, only to wake up in the morning feeling fuzzy and groggy. What will help wake up your brain so that you can enjoy life every day? Two main ingredients: blood an…

The Evolution of Empathy, Altruism, and Even the Soul

Tips on fueling your mind from Dr. Drew Ramsey MD, superfood guru and author of 50 Shades of Kale

Spring reminds us of the cycles of life and spirit.

An excerpt from Step into Nature by Patrice Vecchione

Sponsored Content from Balboa Press

Which is your best learning mode?

One woman reports healthy appetite shifts and a clearer head after trying the low-carb, low-sugar regimen.

An Interview with Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara

How to make mindfulness easy and incorporate it into your life without it feeling like a chore.

San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley Middle School is an unlikely beacon of hope. Shootings and murders are common enough in the California city’s southern neighborhoods that the loca…

When you have small children, the morning centering routine has to come early. Real early.

Whether they are real—and you are Irish—or not

Excerpted from 10% Happier by Dan Harris

A place to get right and write

Modern living causes us to overlook the obvious. Here’s how not to let that happen.

While it seems you can’t walk down the street these days without running into a community garden, many low-income neighborhoods still lack access to healthy and affordable food. Th…

How One Woman Fights PTSD With Guided Imagery

Author David Whyte on words, spirituality, and his idea of a "conversation."

A combination of hatha yoga, mindfulness meditation and playful fun.

Lightworkers, according to Lightworker.com “believe that we are spirits playing a game in a human body and as such we have difficulty remembering who we are and why we are here”; s…

Before the battles begin, we start out believing that being with this person will make us happy. Ironically, that’s the critical mistake…

“Don’t let my shero cape become my veil.”

Rather than limit Jennifer, blindness opened the door to a tapestry of achievements.

On a bleak winter night in the suburbs, eight Tibetan monks wearing sandals and maroon robes shuffled out across the ecru-colored stage of the local recital hall. They paused for a…

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…

Follow these four intuition meditation scripts to enhance your intuition and clairvoyance.

Silver has numerous health benefits, including a property that suffocates bacteria.

“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

Researcher (and new S&H columnist) Emma Seppala, unpacks the latest studies on happiness and offers a new way forward in her new book The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Scie…

Which are the best foods to fight memory loss? Take this handy list on your next grocery shopping excursion.

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Antidepressants leveled out the highs and lows. So I found ways to supercharge them—to fully experience the agony and the ecstasy. And that feels better…

As the pace of life gets faster and faster, here’s how to avoid the shock.

An Interview with Tara Brach

When I studied medieval philosophy in college, I learned that a human being has a rational, animal, and vegetable soul. At the time, it was all a matter of definitions and categori…

“The blues are because you’re getting fat and maybe it’s been raining too long; you’re just sad, that’s all,” says Holly Golightly in the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” She compar…

A new moon finds its way between the sun and the Earth and when it blocks out the sun, the solar eclipse takes place.

7 affirmations for balancing the 7 chakras not only affect your body but also your reality.

It’s never too late to love.

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Sometimes an unnecessary burden can be very useful

To improve brain health, look no further than a cup of tea.

Some of our deepest wounds are from ones we loved. It’s time to take heart (and take some advice), it’s safe to start trusting love again. Here’s how.

From eye health to mood, here are five health benefits of pumpkin to love.

Put down the salt and start cooking with these spices—your blood pressure, waistline, and tastebuds will thank you.

Creating a family atmosphere, playing music help people eat better.

Here are a few different ways to approach treatment of eating disorders using Ayurveda.

New research provides a whole new understanding of the brain's amygdala—and suggests that happy people take the bad with the good.

Anything going on inside your body will eventually appear on the outside—and your fingernails are a prime place for these changes to manifest.

I hate to say it was perfect, because I’m sure it wasn’t…

Many of us have an inner artist we want to nourish, but not the budget for a painter’s studio or writer’s retreat. Here’s how to carve out a sacred space for creativity.

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

Building an altar with an intention for transformation is powerful. The altar keeps your focus on your intentions.

Rich in spiritual history, meditation candles are the perfect way to turn your home into a beautiful sanctuary.

We decided to investigate the health properties of both coffee and black tea to see how they compare in aspects beyond simply caffeine count and taste.

Our homes say a lot about who we are. The importance of home signals what we think is important in life.

“In the old days, the elders knew the stories of their sons—because they lived together,” writes Sam Keen his in beautiful new joint memoir Prodigal Father, Wayward Son: A Roadmap …

Natural quiet comes in many forms: the quiet of the solitary mountain walk, the meditation cushion, the yoga platform, the beach, the candlelit dinner, the massage table, or perhap…

We've rounded up seven surprisingly filling foods that can satiate you for hours.

How to use herbal teas to treat common health maladies and get back on the path to wellness. (An S&H classic)

Beep. Beep. Beep. Grab coffee. Dash out door. Adrenaline blaring, mind already awhirl, we launch ourselves out like cannonballs—scattershot, hurling, into the world. Now, is that a…

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Our decisions may be determined before we’re conscious of them

A life-changing adventure on what’s called Path of Love

Complete the Story of The Sword in the Storytelling Stone and Win $1000

Excerpt from The Missing Element: Inspiring Compassion for Human Condition

Here are five art-inspired techniques anyone can try.

We are all psychic, and it is through the heart chakra that we can access this information. ~ Servet Hasan

An M.D. faces the toughest test of a spiritual practice—healing herself from a terrible fall.

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

What if we were to practice radical self-acceptance?

Hill blends in first-hand, anonymous near death experience accounts as well as personal stories and empirical evidence.

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

How do herbal teas differ from tisanes? Are they really even tea?

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

Researchers have figured out a way to measure the “Sixth Sense.”

Every single specialty tea that we drink deserves a slow, measured, attentive evaluation and enjoyment.

Excerpted from The Write Prescription: Telling Your Story to Move With and Beyond Illness by Judith Hannan

Natural options from aloe vera to zinc

The heart of conscious beauty is your relationship to your ingredients and the ritualistic care with which you engage them.

With so many products to choose from, it’s hard to know what’s worth the extra money. Skincare experts weigh in on when to save and where to splurge.

Scalp-soothing, hair-hydrating serums, masks and more.

Soothing getaways for soaking

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At the New Year you’re likely to see a lot of stories about making a resolution, and how to make it stick. You may be making some grandiose proclamations yourself—only to see…

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Excerpt from Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver

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As another year comes to a close and we look forward to new beginnings, this is the perfect time to reflect on what is working in our lives and what is not.

What we did when Amazon Prime became our god

Once only the rich had shoes and chairs and excess fat

Excerpts from Joyful Living by Amy Leigh Mercree

Did you know that the seasons are governed by the five elements? As we enter fall, we are shifting from fire-dominated summer to wind-dominated autumn.

When you take control, you break fear’s spell. The concept is simple, but is difficult to accomplish because fear is the ultimate enabler. I saw that clearly when I went blind.

What is the role of imagination in matters of ultimate concern? This is one of the top issues in the spiritual life and certainly in religion: many religious and even spiritual peo…

When the road gets rocky, what do you do?

It’s time to stop swigging the sodas in favor of more healthful beverages.

The best foods for life’s challenging healing moments.

Question: I consider myself a fundamentalist Christian, and I fear Muslims coming to America. Is Islam compatible with American values?Rabbi Rami: If by “Islam” you mean fundamenta…

A Birth Mother Found, Embraces Second Chance To Be A Mother, Family Gathers For Ceremony

From Signs & Seasons: An Astrology Cookbook

How Loving God Helps Us Become Better People

Are students energized by my lessons or thinking of something else?

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The levels of two powerful neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, are altered. Here’s how.

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

Self-care is about nourishing ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Giving of yourself creates room for intimacy

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A sculptor of floral art reflects on his spiritual practice.

Sponsored Content from Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas

Reduce inflammation and increase your brain’s natural power

“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

Drawing from the wisdom of spiritual teachers, writer Emma Pearse focuses on healing herself to heal the world.

Cultivate presence by writing haiku poetry.

Mirror-touch synesthesia isn’t as unusual as you might guess.

If you’re into exploring other worlds, altering your sense of gravity, and playing in some of the biggest waves on the planet—you just may want to jump in.

Interspiritual wisdom to help you find your spiritual style, choose the grand questions that call you, and create your personal practice.

When you instinctively reach for your phone because you have a spare moment, here are 15 ways to fill that moment instead.

“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.”

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

A midlife tattoo confounds his friends and family, but for writer Steve Lewis it provides an indelible sense of place.

Lama Surya Das shares his thoughts on walking an enlightened path in the modern world.

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

A brain surgeon’s quest to hold onto joy.

Alteration of magnetic fields can change the behavior of everything from individual neurons to overall behavior. Learn how magnets and spirituality connect.

Ask a Practitioner

An excerpt from Living in Balance: A Mindful Guide for Thriving in a Complex World

Sacred spaces are reflections of us, our needs, our souls.

Play is powerful. I’ve written before about the importance of play for adults. Many of us dismiss play because we assume that once we become adults, it’s time to get serious, get t…

Last week I mentioned the power of paying attention to details. The details of our lives. The details of our surroundings. The details of our relationships. The details in the deta…

Many of us have a hard time coping with negative emotions. This makes sense. “Painful feelings like anxiety, sadness, anger and shame tap into the parts of our brain that are conne…

By Rani Findlay This week marks the new moon at harvest time, and the Hindu festival of Navaratri—a time to revel in dancing, singing, worshipping, and feasting, as a way to…

Kids are notoriously picky eaters, and when my brother and I were little ones, we were no exception. During one particularly nutritionally deficient phase, my brother refused to ea…

By Joan Phillips This week opens with a full moon on the 12th, and four days later, on the birthday of the 18th-century American educator, lexicographer, and prolific author Noah …

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan (author of the New York Times bestseller, Mudbound), is a cautionary tale set in a future devoid of separation between church and state. Our beauti…

With National Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming to a close, there has been much coverage in the media about raising awareness, early detection, and funding research for a cure. …

Our local meditation group had quite a few people for our 4-hour sitting yesterday and 8-10 people stayed afterward for tea and cheese and crackers and apples and various things pe…

Writer Kelly Wels wants to be your personal cheerleader for cloth diapering. In Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering, the cloth diapering expert breaks d…

If you didn’t know me as a person, and all you knew about me was that I was a yoga teacher and a poet, you would probably think I was pretty boring. You’d think of poems filled wit…

Each year, November is recognized as National Adoption Month. It is a time to celebrate adoption and build awareness for the children still waiting for families — all 146 million of them.

In the late fall, all I want to do is curl up with a mug of steaming chai: the aromatic beverage we Westerners have adopted from the Indian drink masala chai, which means, literall…

By Nick Meima “Sit. Feast on your life.” – Derek Walcott, from the poem “Love after Love” In my community in Colorado, the following “harvest ritual” has been practiced for many …

The holy-days are a special time for children (and adults), in part because of the promise of toys, but also in part because of the rituals we participate in at this time of year—s…

Use these practices to inspire more ease and play this season

by Elizabeth Phaire For those of us who follow the Gregorian calendar, the year is now coming to a close, and we look forward to the fresh start of a new year. In thinking about w…

By Amy Benedict We think of a pilgrimage as a journey of great spiritual or moral significance—yet our whole life’s course can be seen as a pilgrimage. A simple walk from yo…

Boarding the Azamara Quest in Barcelona, about to start a week-long Riviera cruise, I felt joy and two types of anxiety. One was luxuryphobia. The other was mortal fear.Surely, I t…

Set your soul’s calling into motion with Tara Mohr, Arianna Huffington, Danielle LaPorte, Eve Ensler, Sera Beak and more brilliant feminine leaders at Emerging Women Live, October 9-12, 2014. You can dive deep with Emerging Women Live speakers and their transformational insights right now with our free audio download Power Practices Vol 1: Women Who Are Changing the World.

It’s 2012: the end of the Mayan Calendar, the year of New Age spiritual transformation, year of the Water Dragon. I started off 2012 learning about the Divine Feminine with Shiva R…

Over the weekend, I broke down and finally purchased a juicer—after eyeing one on Amazon for almost two months—and was immediately impressed by the solid heft of the ne…

This is my arrangement of a transcription of the conversation/dharma talk with Zen priest Sokuzan Bob Brown last Sunday at our local meditation group. Bob began by describing the b…

I left off last week’s post quoting Joseph Goldstein, where he says that some people think the recognition of suffering makes for pessimism. Then he says: “Actually, it is quite th…

One of the reasons we practice yoga, in my opinion, is to become better translators.Our bodies have a complex language, and they are talking to us all the time. Our guts are receiv…

I have a confession to make. I haven’t been practicing yoga. But I HAVE been flossing. Every night. Sometimes, too, I do put on some sweet tunes and roll around on my mat for a…

Editors' Note: We're excited to welcome food writer Kelsey Brown to our newest blog, Good Food. Kelsey and her partner Shaun moved cross-country this summer and they can't wait to …

Several years ago my husband and I decided we wanted to buy a home in a really nice part of Maui. The house we chose was all glass and wood and had a beautiful ocean view. We set o…

"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…

The aspens are changing their greens for yellows here in Colorado. Golden branches hug the base of the mountains and wrap me up in emotions. I'm grateful for their reminder to chan…

Living in Ontario, I get very serious about stretching out warm weather as far as I can. I savor the tomatoes and juicy stone fruit, stay out in the sun and drink iced tea to my he…

The Latin origin of the word “companion” literally means “one who eats bread with another,” and anyone who has ever walked past a bustling restaurant on a Friday night and listened…

Samsara, a non-verbal, visually astounding documentary, is the second feature film by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, the creators of 1992’s critically acclaimed Baraka. Filmed in 25…

In feng shui, summer is connected to the “fame and reputation” aspect of your life, which is located in the back-middle section of your home or office. Discover how to enhance the potent fire energy here.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” —Hippocrates A new study has found that eating leafy green vegetables – such as spinach, kale and mustard greens – can h…

Knobby, ribbed or smooth? Pale and muted or dark jewel colors? Winter squash come in so many visual varieties, they are a feast for the eyes every time you spot one. Each has an in…

Injuries often happen in the silliest ways. We are intelligent adults; we look both ways before crossing the street, we don't run with scissors or swallow toothpaste. But we badly …

Setting New Year intentions by the moon.

We’re still in that time of year when we challenge ourselves to create new and healthier habits. The newspapers are full of specials for gym memberships and packages of yoga classe…

Dear Eve,I’ve been in a few relationships, but I’m not sure if true love was ever part of the equation. I’m single now, and I’m feeling really isolated and alone. I just hate feeli…

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…

I bent over, lifted my left leg, and tried to quickly slide my foot into the thick black rubber fin with as much grace as I could muster. My right foot toed the small sheath of my …

We all know the concept of looking at the world through “rose-colored glasses,” an accusation of being overly or unduly optimistic. But lately I’m observing that more often than n…

If truth be told, I think every person in a marriage has questioned whether they married the right person at least once along the way. Either that or we get caught in the “grass wo…

Sweating up a storm? Discover the emotional and spiritual meaning of sweating.

This documentary from 2012 follows filmmaker Suzanne Bryant as she seeks healing and transformation of spirit through the practice of yoga. Bryant, a successful young journalist li…

I’ll confess. I have my preconceived ideas about what constitutes your typical Lutheran pastor. My stereotype is not simply drawn from years of listening of Garrison Keillor talki…

Hungry for Change: A New Look at Dieting and Healthy Living Over the past several years, food documentaries have become immensely popular. Teaching us about factory farms, process…

The waves crash steadily along the jagged, obsidian-colored lava coastline, and foamy-white salt water gushes up onto the beach. Its fierceness recedes and softens as it reaches up…

You're minding your own business, not thinking at all about bouncy music, balloons or boisterous crowds. Then, out of the blue, it arrives: a party invitation. It depicts smiley fa…

It’s finally happening, have you heard the whispers? We are seeing the glimmers of the remaking of the way we do business, a way that just might ensure a just and livable future. Q…

With the near epidemic of type-2 diabetes, breast cancer and other degenerative diseases ravaging people of color as compared to non-hispanic whites, the link between health dispar…

"Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."—Hans Christian Andersen Flowers. They are the earth’s purest model of natural beauty. The…

At a family holiday dinner last week, it finally dawned on me that certain people I consider smart and beautiful consider themselves stupid and hideous.Granted, I spent most of my …

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." —Kahlil Gibran Do you remember—when you would spend time in natu…

If you’re vegan, you probably hear it all the time, “vegans don’t get enough B12!” Well, not anymore with the recent resurgence of this traditional Japanese and Chinese healing foo…

If you look up at the moon on the fourth night from now, you’ll see a beautiful crescent shape. If it’s close enough to the horizon, it’s often a sweet hazy golden color. The godde…

Last year, I lost interest in writing.That was a problem, because writing's my career. It also, for better or worse—I suspect worse—largely comprises my sense of identity.My latest…

Still wearing toxic make-up filled with talcum powder, aluminum, parabens and other carcinogens? Then watch this episode of Conscious Living® featuring the founder of all-natural Z…

Believe it or not, as a blond haired, blue-eyed gal, I was the senior editor of Chicken Soup for the African American Soul and African American Woman’s Soul. While, yes, two of the…

Growing up in a conservative Christian family, I was taught to believe that being a “true” believer—and therefore getting “in” to heaven—meant worshipping Jesus Christ as my one an…

“Know thyself”—PlatoGreat words of wisdom, applicable to practicing yogis and non-yogis alike. Yoga is primarily about self-study (Svadhyaya). We pay attention to who we are at any…

For the bulk of my life, I was chronically constipated. If I was lucky, I’d go to the bathroom once or twice per week. After wreaking havoc on my digestive system with a diet full …

In need of relaxation? On this episode of Conscious Living®, we're treating you to a day of healing at International Orange, one of the Bay Area's top urban day spas, named after t…

“We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creat…

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." ~ John Muir For those of us in the northern hemisphere, autumn is finally here—that time of year when we fee…

Great style is all about self-expression, so the easiest way to look and feel fabulous is by simply being yourself.Sometimes, being authentic is easier said than done. We’ve all fl…

What does it mean to nourish and nurture ourselves as catalysts of change?

I carefully pulled back the strings on the shiny bow of the hand-wrapped Christmas gift. I tore the wrapping paper gently from around it’s soft body. The paper crumpled easily in m…

If low self-esteem had a Constitution, its First Amendment would be: I hate myself.Its Second Amendment would be: Everyone hates me.Illogically, maddeningly, this Second Amendment …

When I was little, I believed in Santa Claus. It was part of my family’s annual Christmas ritual. Each year, the day after Thanksgiving, dad climbed into the attic and pulled down …

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

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…

Remember having to wait in line at P.E. class in middle school to be checked for scoliosis? Bending over to touch your toes while some strange doctor checked your back for any abno…

Blame it on the environment, your work, the stress, your partner, the kids, the overwhelm—yet the truth remains—your emotions are your own and for you to remain in bala…

When I was a school counselor, there was a girl in the sixth grade who was absent more than present. When she did make it to school, kids called her “Dead Girl” because of her mono…

It had been a long, intense summer. Between my husband’s immobilized shoulder and two kids out of school and ready for action, I was exhausted. Every morning left me aching for the…

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror at your body with disgust, or punished yourself for eating one too many cookies by spending hours on the treadmill, then you may recognize that …

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…

Craving a space that aligns with your spiritual needs? Follow five steps to create an intentional space that’s right for you.

Chinese New Year, celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice represents a brand new chance to start all over again.

A daily stroll is widely recognized as a useful tool for becoming healthier. It benefits your heart, your lungs, your muscles and your mood. There are also more subtle and less qua…

Vajresvari wants us to find power in being present with our joy, imbibing in delightful experiences even to the point of intoxication.

1. Khalsa, Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji,

2. The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, July 7, 1989

In our spiritual luminary series, each week we will feature someone who personifies a key spiritual value. In the first installment, we chat with yogi and activist Seane Corn, who …

A few years back, I came across an old box that held notebooks from my college courses. As I leafed through the pages, I smiled at my prolific use of the margins as a space for doo…

One tranquil morning on the beautiful island of Bali, I reclined outdoors on a spa chair at a destination resort. Perched atop a shelf of rice paddy fields, my eye caught a farmer …

Lily Diamond learned the sensorial magic of culinary creativity from her mother, whose life was cut tragically short. In her new book Kale and Caramel (Atria 2017), Diamond shares …

I recently saw a friend who had just returned home after visiting his grandmother for her 96th birthday celebration. While she was not as active as she once had been, he told me ab…

We were so excited to make signs that morning at Grandpa Paul's house in Brooklyn.His was really clever."More Braniacs, less Maniacs"My husband, daughter and I had just arrived fro…

A soon to be mother asked me what prayers she could do for the child in her womb. It brought me back to my days as a pregnant lady. There was a sensation of something incredible on…

In a public place thousands of miles from here, a stranger identified me as someone who lives in the same town as himself. I happen to hate this town, where the person behind you …

In a recent interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, actress and writer Lena Dunham shared a thought about her father’s profession as a painter. She said, “We have so many options no…

“Creativity is God’s will for us and should be practiced like any other spiritual practice – one day at a time.” – Julia CameronAs a child, being creative is a natural part of ever…

Yoga has its roots in India, but it has changed and evolved hugely since it came to North America. For some people it’s a spiritual practice, and for others it’s purely physical. T…

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…

It’s pretty easy to feel grateful when good things happen. Win the lottery or fall in love? Easy. But what if you lose your spouse, or child, or even your job, how do we find grati…

Recently I took drastic measures to shift my perspective and conjure up some new ideas, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! You see, I’ve been talking a lot lately with acti…

Photo credit: Kristan Lawson

By Friedemann SchaubIf the anxious mind is a spiraling whirlpool of what-ifs and self-doubt, then The Fear & Anxiety Solution is an anchor that helps keep the spirit moored. Au…

Home in HarmonyDesigning an Inspired LifeBy Christa O’LearyHay House, Inc.Habits determine a large chunk of our everyday activity. And becoming conscious of our habits, both the go…

Throughout human history, spiritual seekers have used sacred plants and fungi for healing, visionary encounters, and mystical experience. Though this history has been largely obfus…

One Doctor's Story

Get ready for the least-expensive, most-healing, most-enlightening 48 hours you may ever experience.

An Excerpt from 50 Shades of Kale

A team of researchers at the University of Virginia recently studied college students who were left alone in a room that was empty, except for a single button. When each student ar…

Why does overvaluing happiness backfire? We dive into the effects of longing on our everyday outlook.

Throughout human history, spiritual seekers have used sacred plants and fungi for healing, visionary encounters, and mystical experience. Though this history has been largely obfus…

12 Expert Tips for a Carefree, Stress-free Journey

Excerpted from The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook

Olive oil may be just the cure you're looking for.

Are you often accused of being a complainer? Whiner? Pessimist? An ingrate too intent on inspecting your own alleged flaws to celebrate a candy-colored sunset or your health?

More…

Consider making these swaps found by S&H for a cleaner, more eco-friendly home.

In the absence of data, we will always make up stories. It’s how we are hardwired. In fact, the need to make up a story, especially when we are hurt, is part of our most primitive survival wiring. But these stories are typically not true.

How Your Brain Thinks, Feels, and Decides

For someone who has experienced trauma, the present moment may feel like the most dangerous place in the world.

Try these picks from S&H to transform your culinary creation

10 Smart Items for the Savvy Traveler

Awaken your senses with these fine indulgences.

This season, let your gift giving be the ripple that expands into a global wave of good with these picks from S&H.

vLet these picks from S&H be conduits for creating internal energetic structuring.

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

Seven ways that each of us can take charge of our stress response, accessing a powerful tool to take charge of our health.

Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin on her new book and what makes her happy.

An excerpt from In Good Faith: Secular Parenting in a Religious World

Often considered a forgotten art, the act of letter writing can be transformative and healing—even without sending it.

We can turn to these guides for support and a little nudge when we need help finding the right direction in life.

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Quinoa, açai, and maca first scaled the heights of health-conscious glory. Now meet the latest Peruvian powerhouses.

How easy it is to completely miss the inner wisdom of our ancient wisdom traditions.

Begin to lessen the overwhelming emotional response you may be experiencing to the smallest provocation.

You wouldn’t have to say the Creed.

A preview of the Nov/Dec 2017 issue.

Gratitude for the sisterhood at a Tibetan Buddhist Nunnery

From climate change to white supremacy and the threat of nuclear war, the world’s alarming problems seem to be growing exponentially. That means we need to tackle them as teams, as…

Shake up your routine and get inspired with these five ideas.

The transformative potential of the blend of coaching, creative expression and depth work is undeniable to those who have experienced this method.

In our senior years, we may benefit from support in creating a new and clear vision for our lives.

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An invitation to mine the depths of your own truth.

Nurture your soul, your spirit, and your body so that you can connect to your authentic self.

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

An Interview with Robert Wright

Jagad Guru says that all addiction is rooted in misunderstandings about who we are and what we need to be truly happy and fulfilled.

Enjoy this bright and healthy tart for the holidays.

Here are some strategies for picking gifts that not only are relatively trigger-free, but also possess healing powers which might outlast the gifts themselves.

Why the fountain of youth isn’t actually full of water

In the second of episode of Your Creative Spirit, Flora Bowley shares how to gather inspiration through intuitive wandering.

This energy can be tapped by anyone who chooses to make an effort to tune into its subtle vibrations.

Embrace your inner mountain goat and…

This soup is a warm break from winter’s toil, and another good reason to celebrate the return of light and approach of a new year.

Adapted excerpt from Leopard Warrior by John Lockley.

Dathüns focus on how we can come into our heart, beyond the negative thoughts we may have about ourselves, and tune into what is really, fundamentally there.

In the third episode of Your Creative Spirit, Flora Bowley shares a visualization practice utilizing watercolors.

Have 10 minutes? Here are ways to make time for creativity in your daily life.

Summary of artists in the March/April 2018 issue.

S&H offers these finds as a way to pamper, entertain, and commune with your four-legged friends.

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Set the tone for your day by developing a morning routine that engages your imagination.

Become allies with your fears.

Relax, rejuvenate, and nurture your imagination between the shelves.

An interview with Sufi mystic Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.

Try this recipe for an afternoon boost of energy or a gift for one you love.

In this episode of Your Creative Spirit, Flora introduces the concept of visual riffing.

Reach out and touch your loved one, suggests a new study.

An adapted excerpt from Journey Through Trauma by Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD

“Let food be your first medicine and the kitchen your first pharmacy.” —Taittiriya Upanishad

See the world without losing your mind or your way.

Soon your garden will be turning up asparagus, chard, basil, and spring onions—perfect ingredients for this delicious soup.

4 in 10 cases of cancer can be prevented, say researchers.

In this episode, Flora Bowley shows how collaboration can bring together creativity and connection.

A note from our editor in chief, Stephen Kiesling.

There is no better time to synchronize with the rhythms of our cosmos than in late spring…

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Is there something sacred about the flavor I have in mind to make my lentils or vegetables taste that way?

The art of “synchronizing yourself to the natural flow of the energy that surrounds you”

A unique approach to capturing special moments in your life.

Contain your energy and utilize psychic protection by setting your chakras and auric boundaries.

Plus a recipe: Spring into Summer Salad with Berries, Peach and Rose

If you’d like to develop a Zen garden of your own, follow these suggestions.

Reclaim your space by taking these four distinct steps.

Your sacred space can come with you on errands, during your commute, and even on long road trips.

Understand the energy behind an aura.

Our relationship with clothing is complex and can spill over into the closet. Time for a reckoning.

Bring the sacred indoors with elements foraged from nature.

Beneficial bacteria may become the basis for an immunization.

WITH ITS HUSHED FEMALE VOCALS and lush layers of keyboard and guitar, Beach House’s atmospheric dream pop is the sort of thing hipsters might sing their babies to sleep with. But s…

Here's what a Kirlian photograph says about your aura.

Energize your altar space with the five elements.

As one grows older,there should be fewerand fewer words to say. Each one a few lettersbut taken togethermeaning something large. Sea. Sun. Shell. I gathera little pile, burying,u…

The idea came to me of doing the entire exhibition in one stroke.

Summary of artists featured in the July/August 2018 issue.

Contributors to our July/August 2018 issue: Kelly Boys, Sandra Dieckmann, Stephanie Ludwig PhD, Jan Phillips, Parker J. Palmer PhD, and Kazuaki Tanahashi

There’s a strange link between meat and your mind.

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For those of us who struggle with low self-esteem, desire can be triggering.

Books, services, education and products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Breath is Life. Try these picks from S&H to breathe with ease.

Voyage to Tahiti

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

No matter your spirituality or background, it's possible to turn every day into a living, breathing ritual. Explore how one author transformed her life by doing so.

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

Plus, a peaches 'n cream smoothie recipe.

An audio meditation for chakra alignment.

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

These journals are interactive and aim to unlock the hidden places inside of us.

Science explains why people cling to ideas, even when they have contradictory evidence.

Books, services, education and products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Support a cycle of giving by choosing from these 
socially and environmentally conscious brands.

Contributors to our September/October 2018 issue: Kevin Anderson PhD, Julia Cameron, Deborah Gordon MD, Alena Hennessy, Erik Sean Larson, Hal Robinson

Deva Premal and Miten have been making music together for almost 30 years. Their mantra-based albums are loved worldwide, and, with Nepalese flutist/vocalist Manose, they play to a…

The full moon offers a potent time to create rituals.

When someone or something shows up in our lives, throws us off track, and preoccupies our thoughts, our body may be looking to process an undigested emotion.

Excerpted from HIGH MAGICK: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row

A retired English teacher's touching, and timely, memory of his mother's kindness.

One woman's journey with Rheumatoid Arthritis has served as a spiritual blessing and teacher.

Take a dive into the wonderful world of superfoods, crystals, or both with these delicious- and beautiful- beverages.

The big advantage of thinking small.

Author and teacher Rabbi Rami Shapiro is encouraging Perennial Wisdom to lead us beyond alienation and isolation to integration and unity, based on Genesis 12:3: “You shall be a blessing to all the families of the earth.”

I am a gay Muslim man. My imam says there are no gay Muslims, meaning that a gay person cannot be Muslim. He told me I have to give up being gay or give up being Muslim. Which do I…

How to remain spiritually hale in a crumbling world and useful to a society emerging from the ashes

Like all of Dead Can Dance’s albums, this Australian world beat/neoclassical group’s latest offering is an epic and ethereal work, informed by the music and lore of many cultures a…

Books, services, education and products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Journeys That Are Truly Transformational

Try these lessons to get started on a writing process in earnest.

Can CBD oil help you get some much-needed sleep?

The cracks where the light gets in may not be immediately apparent, but they are everywhere and it would seem to be our duty, both to ourselves and one another, to find them.

The power of our minds can help us overcome fears.

Get an energy boost with these Ayurvedic holiday treats.

Certain electrical activity suppresses the obvious

People new to mourning are often surprised at how brutal the run-up to the first anniversary of the death can be.

4 ways to boost your energy levels.

Celebrate the return of light with this sunny and bright soup.

When you participate in the shared awareness of all Creation, you recognize your Oneness with all beings and with nature.

The contemplative life of women mystics.

What is your sense of purpose?

The complicated issue of identity.

Think of March as a second New Year with resolutions for healing and recovery in our lives.

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…

The author is a student of Mingyur Rinpoche and explains her experiences with the monk.

With so many CBD products on the market, knowing what to look for can feel overwhelming. S&H spoke with Christina Sasser, the CEO, founder, and chief product officer at Portland-ba…

Cooling foods help you beat inner inflammation.

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

Rethink May Day by making it an occasion for civic engagement.

The author recalls a period of loneliness long ago—a feeling that has come back, again, after decades.

Some mushrooms, such as the lion's mane mushroom, have powerful medical properties, another reason to add more of these fungi to your diet.

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

"I don't want Christians to tolerate Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists. I don't want straight people to tolerate their LGBQ neighbors. I want us all to do better than that."

In the last part of her five-part series on mushrooms, Leslie Krongold looks at mushroom ... art, including dyes made from mushrooms.

Liminal dreaming is a remarkable mind state, one you can channel for creativity or problem solving, use as a form of metacognition to explore your thought processes, or simply play with as a form of consciousness exploration.

This week discover advice for summer travelers, ways to cool the Pitta Dosha in hot months, and the fun fact that your liver can keep time. Want to know more? Read on.

Sexual energy may be an expression of the divine within each of us. That's one reason a mindful approach to sacred sexuality is so important.

Reading—it’s one of the first things we do in life, sitting on our loved ones’ laps and enjoying the soothing voice of a parent explaining the world through pictures and words. What begins as a jumble of marks, black against white, conjures colors, monsters and beasts, emotions, laughter, and tears. Eventually, the process of changing squiggles into words becomes as natural to us as breathing—and just as necessary.

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.

Gesshin Claire Greenwood shares how a Zen ritual can help us find balance in life.

A prophetic dream helped this author come to new understandings of Parkinson's, imagination, and healing.

Rabbi Rami explores the mystical teachings of Rumi with Pouria Montazeri. A native Farsi speaker, Pouria has a deep understanding of Rumi's language and culture. Drawing from Sufism, Advaita Vedanta, and other spiritual and contemplative practices, he conducts courses to guide people to the map of their hearts.

This week, the focus is the latest news in nutrition. Discover how matcha tea helps with anxiety; why “clean meat” is a label you’re likely to soon see; and how soy has gotten a thumbs-up for heart health claims. Want the details? Here we go!

"I sliced one bag open, and the veil fell into my hands. One net; a huge promise. Even then, I wondered: could this net save a life?"

“Indian spiritual tradition teaches that it is only our ignorance that makes us identify with our physical form, that temporary vehicle created out of matter which changes and perishes, rather than with our divine unchangeable content which is our true identify.”

"I leave behind dignity / so the angel inside me / stays behind me too"

Amethyst, Labradorite, Rainbow Moonstone, and White Moonstone are powerful crystals for a full moon.

It's easy to get wrapped up in numbers, but the desire for the perfect score can become an addiction. Your imperfect self, meanwhile, is waiting for validation.

Would you give the shirt off your back? This practice has brought the author joy and challenges.

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

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

A noodle bar in Japan inspires the author to think of Edward Hopper's classic painting Nighthawks.

Julie Peters explains why witchcraft appeals to so many people—and how witches can borrow respectfully from other traditions.

Racism and the harm that it brings persist, despite the best intentions of many of us. This book teaches how to use mindfulness to achieve greater racial awareness.

“Whether it be a banner, crest, logo, Totem, gargoyle, flag, shield or sign, all are symbols representing something powerful – distinguishing something from the ordinary.”

Let the light shine! That’s the message researchers are finding about the powers of light to treat medical, mental-health, and cosmetic issues. There are even new ways to use light imagery to battle autoimmune diseases. For all the illuminating news, read on.

Turn the inflammation dial down with these nutrition and lifestyle tips.

The bounty of ingredients in this quick-to-make salad are available in most supermarkets.

Fall is the perfect season to release that which no longer serves us. Try this moon ritual to help you let go and move on.

Our senses offer a direct route to tapping our creative well.

Garden City, Idaho looks pretty picturesque. Not so pretty: A candidate for the area’s city council has been spouting anti-Semitic ramblings.

Your eating choices can make a significant impact in fighting our climate crisis.

“The fact that I am not among the 16.4 million Americans who think chocolate milk comes from brown cows is sheer luck!”

Our collective purpose is to discover, surrender, and inspire.

Creating balance in your gut can help to alleviate your anxiety.

“In addition to neutralizing its noxious expressions, we need to learn more about what drives religious fanaticism and take steps to prevent it from taking root in the minds and hearts of the young.”

There’s a simple thing you can do to control systemic inflammation: focus on nutrition, with delicious foods like berries. Here’s what to choose, and what to skip.

Mark Hyman and Mia Lux are trying to make people healthier—body and soul.

Infused into oil, tea, or a salve, the herb Comfrey can heal the respiratory system, stomach, and bladder.

Louie Schwartzberg’s documentary is a dreamy, informative, and hopeful dive into the world of mushrooms and fungi

Intuitive ways of knowing go beyond conscious thinking and guide us to truths that are difficult to prove or even explain.

“When we, or someone we love, goes through a rite of passage, we need the alchemical blend of jubilation and gravitas.”

Will there ever be a U.S. President who sits outside mainstream Christianity? That might be the wrong question to ask.

Moving is exciting—and stressful. Here are ways to make your new space feel more “you.”

Learn how leverage your imagination to explore your dreams, which can act as a catalyst for expanding self-awareness.

Many Americans struggling with health, financial, and emotional problems find it challenging to feel grateful this Thanksgiving. Learn how to develop an attitude of gratitude.

Eleanor Ford, whose architect father designed hotels in Bali and Java, was a frequent traveler to Indonesia throughout her childhood. One particular grey winter in London, she and …

Common herbs parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme are packed with health benefits.

Fill your loved ones’ stockings with just the right gift to fuel their passion.

Increased literacy, critical thinking, empathy, and cultural learning are all connected to storytelling, which starts with listening.

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

What is the difference between dharma and karma? Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji explains.

Avoid overeating and drinking too much this holiday season by mindfully focusing on giving yourself pleasure rather than trying to numb the pain.

We may all go a little stir-crazy when the shorter, colder days of winter keep us stuck in the house, but at least we have baking to look forward to as a hibernation activity.

I suddenly knew I was looking at it from the wrong angle and I gave the cloth in my hand a quarter turn. Immediately I saw a beautiful and coherent golden pattern. ... In won…

And should better prayer even be a goal?

Integrative psychiatrist Judith Pentz, MD, shares six ways Ayurveda can rejuvenate mind, body, and spirit.

Sometimes we set ourselves up for failure by making promises we can’t keep or by initiating resolutions steeped in self-blame.

Prepare for success by turning your refrigerator into a lean, mean, clean machine.

“Prayer is very important when we utilize it to reach God, because it connects us to Him. It’s the way of talking to God.”

Similar to meditation, intuitive art is an approach to examine issues in a less judgment-filled way.

Boosting your emotional wellbeing doesn’t always have to feature grand gestures and sweeping changes. Here are nine small adjustments you can make in your day-to-day life.

Black Girl Magic can’t protect us from everything. Here are nine online resources to help black women keep our cool when racism rears its ugly head.

“There are plenty of good tips out there for how to manage our money, but if we’re not taking into account the emotional side of it, we’ll never be able to truly make change.”

Want to be more resilient? Start building your resilience now and benefit in hard times. Start by being mindful with your emotions and learning to focus on 'moments that glisten.'

Opening ourselves to life means becoming vulnerable, which means that at some point we will suffer loss and pain. Being achingly present to the experience helps us recover.

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.

“We tend to think of stress as something that happens outside of ourselves; something that happens to us. But science is showing that it’s not the stressors in our life, but how we perceive them that determines how much we suffer.”

We can’t second-guess every choice we make. So how do we know what it means for something to feel right?

Turmeric root is one of those rare and valuable herbs that is balancing for all of the doshas, or Ayurvedic body types, making it a beneficial addition to almost everyone’s diet.

“A closet detox is not simply decluttering—it’s emotional detox.”

Turn these delicious roasted roots into a main meal by serving on a bed of cooked grains, like quinoa, along with a few dark salad greens like baby kale or spinach.

In a sea of chocolates and roses, it can be hard to choose a Valentine’s Day gift that speaks to the unique passions of your chosen recipient.

Tuning in to your body’s cues when it comes to eating is easier said than done. But with practice and patience, intuitive eating is a great way to figure out what your body really needs.

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.

Our homes can exhibit symptoms of stuck chi, leading us to feel lethargic, indecisive, and unmotivated. Here’s how to unblock your home’s chi flow.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum talked with Portland-based artist Mary Alayne Thomas about Santa Fe, moodiness, querencia, and more.

Are you looking for more clarity, confidence, security, and balance in your life? It’s possible your root chakra could need some nourishment. Use these three soup recipes to help realign your root chakra.

This delicious dish from Jamie Oliver blends green pesto with olive tapenade , creamy mozzarella, and basil.

Fresh, crunchy, and packed with flavor, this versatile salad will wake up your taste buds.

"This is a challenging time worldwide, yet I have great faith that our spiritual communities can become true refuges of love, integrity, and compassion. We can focus on what connects all of us, with honesty at the forefront. Until recently, not many spiritually based organizations had even thought about inclusivity or multiculturalism, or even talked about racism. This has been a facet of the diamond of spiritual life left unpolished for many years."

These superfoods not only protect neurological function, they can also improve mental performance.

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.

Learn the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, what causes it, and how to take action and regain control of your life.

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“There’s always some new world on the other side of that destruction, even if we can’t imagine it yet.”

Getting out of our comfort zone is not always easy, but we may find that releasing our grip allows it to feel a little more like grace.

Eating a diet rich in greens can help you improve your blood pressure, boost your immune system, enhance your cardiovascular health, and even sharpen your mental capabilities.

“What if I look at this pandemic from the perspective of Earth? What might our 4.5 billion-year-old planet have to say to the most disruptive of her 8.7 million species right now?”

“Now that the whole world feels enveloped in a cloud of fear, we think only healthcare providers and a rare few others can be counted as courageous. Yes, they are: But so are you.”

“Eating foods that will center or calm your energy center is a great way to shift your energy from anxious and scared, to balanced and strong.”

It's okay to find the silver lining and enjoy yourself, even now.

The pandemic has put a sudden emphasis on the domestic sphere, and it can feel overwhelming.

So you need a drink? Here are eight healthful ingredients you likely already have in your home or garden that give maximum boost with minimum thinking time—no recipe required.

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.

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.

Even casual drinkers are giving up booze for a month, a year, or forever in a movement that combines mental and physical wellness. Melissa Howsam talks to two mothers of the movement.

These feel-good foods are better alternatives than inhaling a sleeve of ultraprocessed crackers.

“As I put roots into the ground, every step I take brings more roots up to accept and welcome me in—into my heritage and into the woman I am slowly becoming, even in this very moment.”

Renowned Buddhist meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg’s first book on meditation was Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, which she penned in 1995. Since then, she ha…

"With stay-home orders issued worldwide and offenders arrested for attending funerals and weddings, it's time that society learned a thing or two from introverts."

“It might be time to learn to hunker down, pace ourselves, and try to marinate in all those daily small wonders.”

Savannah Ballet Theatre’s Abby McCuen is making theater more inclusive with sensory-friendly performances.

That chronic back pain is a message from your body. Are you listening? These 5 questions will help you gain insight.

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

Macy Gray talks with S&H about creating real change with her mental health initiative.

Difficult conversations are a powerful time to learn to handle strong emotions. It's not an easy practice, but it is worth the effort.

“There are very extreme opposites in response to this pandemic, which, in a sense, are in all of us. I’m just hoping that the positive, compassionate response is the one that sings out the loudest.” —Jai Uttal

“Thirty minutes spent grounded and expressing yourself through visual arts is 30 minutes of fresh, pure creative energy flowing through your body and infusing your cells—to flush old energy out and wash in new life, giving energy on a spiritual level! … A renewal of spirit.”

Anna Keating is the co-author of The Catholic Catalogue: A Field Guide to the Daily Acts That Make Up a Catholic Life (Penguin Random House) and the co-owner of Keat…

Community Champion Sherry Cole is a tireless advocate for people without housing.

Rabbi Rami’s inbox has been filling up with questions from people troubled by and conflicted over what they have been seeing in the news. Here are some of the questions that were sent to Rabbi Rami and his responses.

Mindi Counts is a holistic medical practitioner, herbalist and acupuncturist who uses traditional Chinese medicine to support clients in living their best lives both in her clinic and internationally. Her new book, Everyday Chinese Medicine, is a wisdom guide that demystifies this 2,000-year-old healing practice. By walking the reader through the seasons, elements, and organ systems, the book is easily navigated to pinpoint your unique five element constitution and to set a plan to achieve energetic and physical balance using simple recipes, self-care practices, and time-tested herbal remedies.

Mindi works remotely with clients from all over the world, supporting them in uncovering their constitution and troubleshooting imbalance and illness. In addition to having a private practice in the foothills of Colorado, she also founded a nonprofit that takes her around the world to provide healthcare for deeply impoverished communities.

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are modern-day witches—swapping potions and rituals for age-old proven herbal medicine formulas, acupuncture, moxa burning, and more—providing healing power not only to physical beings, but also to mind and spirit.

With the interest in books about race and anti-racism surging nationwide, many S&H readers are interested in books on those topics specifically. Here are some independent book sellers you can order from who support issues such as social justice and diverse voices.

Navigate these uncertain and unsettling times with this open-eyed, open-senses meditation to ground, center, and enliven you reconnecting with the natural world.

Got questions? Rabbi Rami has answers.

Struggling with self-esteem? You're not alone.

James Hollis and Stephen Kiesling discuss Jung, accountability, and the stories we tell ourselves.

Lectio Divina is an ancient Christian practice that can give you a fresh take on any text.

Yin yoga works the connective tissue that wraps around our muscles and carries messages from the brain. By practicing yin yoga, we may be able to reprogram some of the physical patterns causing chronic pain.

“The place to start deepening my understanding of the unconditional worth of every person is within myself.”

Virtual gatherings are flourishing, but quarantining has cut physically isolated individuals off from the comfort of tender touch we crave in uncertain times. These self-soothing practices can help overcome skin hunger and the crave for human touch.

Has the pandemic triggered money worries? Track the issue to its corresponding chakra to clear your financial challenges and take simple, prescribed steps toward prosperity.

“Despite my upbringing, my education, and my experience, I still have a lot to learn about racism in America. ... There is a great deal of listening and learning to be done.”

Here are 7 simple soulful steps you can take every day to bring more light to your heart chakra.

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.

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Mary Novaria is an award-winning essayist whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, O The Oprah Magazine, and many others. She lives in Colorado with her husband an…

Like serotonin for your soul, ginger root during the pandemic can be a balm for anxiety—among its many other benefits. Mary Novaria spins a yarn about how the superfood brought her relief.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with Brooklyn-based artist Erin Robinson about the corporate world, digital art, and her evolution as an illustrator.

Meera Lee Patel’s latest journal, Create Your Own Calm, is publishing as anxiety levels across the world are rising dramatically. Patel shared her creative process and personal journaling practice with S&H.

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.

Julie Peters describes her experience with SIBO and her long journey back to health.

In recognition of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, these awareness-raising selections benefit the cause while soothing the soul.

Support the immune and digestive systems by balancing the Earth element and nourishing the spleen.

For the perfect late-summer dish, try this Lentil Pate recipe from Mindi K. Counts’ Everyday Chinese Medicine.

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.

Ben Martin is a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant®. He is also an instructor for the Celebrant Foundation and Institute, helping to train and certify Life-Cycle Celebrants to officiat…

“And thus we observe/ Seed to root to plant to flower to seed/ Earth to bloom to earth/ A soul returns.”

“A spiritual revolution is long overdue. A simple shift in awareness is all that is needed. No shots will be fired. No blood will be shed.”

Nature provides a welcome respite from the chaos of the modern world. Seeking out the solace found in the natural world can offer a path out of feeling hopeless.

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

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A conversation with sex therapist Maci Daye on the importance of bringing play, adventure, and curiosity into the bedroom and why “Great sex has more to do with the state of our mind than with the function of our body.”

Stressed? Depleted? Us too. These restorative practices are designed to help you replenish yourself.

A small way we can get out from feelings of overwhelm and helplessness is by using our dollars to support people, organizations, and values that are important to us.

The shared act of knitting with a beloved grandmother opens up space, time, and stories.

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.

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Pain from the past can build up and fester within us. These 7 steps will help you alleviate that pain and move forward to a more mindful state.

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.

Rivvy Neshama is a writer, editor, and community organizer who holds degrees in philosophy, comparative literature, social work, and education. Her writing has appeared in such pub…

Give your senses a thrill and bring the rich and cozy scents of pumpkin pie into the kitchen and onto the breakfast table.

Add this colorful and tangy kraut to your salad or stir fry and your taste buds, and gut, will be singing.

“For me, God is no longer some old fellow with a long white beard sitting in a fancy chair who grants boons to some but not to others. The Living Light Philosophy teaches that God is an infinite, divine, intelligent Energy, a consciousness that lovingly sustains all form in all universes.”

This year is bluer than most—and this may be the bluest winter on record. Fight the winter blues in five ways.

“Facing mortality is only one of the gifts I am thankful for this pandemic season. Another is lockdown.”

Deliver delight this year. Look to the Magi to inspire new gift-giving practices this holiday season.

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Banish coronavirus burnout and pandemic fatigue with these positive affirmation statements.

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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.

Hala Khouri has been a yoga teacher for over 25 years. She is a therapist and somatic experiencing practitioner. She uses her practice to address trauma, stress, and anxiety on a spiritual and physical level.

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

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.

Searching for the heart of haiku through Allan Ginsberg and Basho.

It doesn’t have to be sandals season to have twinkle toes.

A retreat, in every definition of the word, may be unattainable in your corner of the world. But retreat centers are anticipating your visit in 2021.

Cooped up inside, hiding from the sunless winter (tundra sometimes included), you may be asking yourself, “What does a girl who kayaks and bikes for sanity do in the winter?” The answer: “Lots of things.”

Incorporate Ayurvedic eating principles into your life to increase ojas and support your immune system.

In this book, the author shares an inspiring and deeply personal cancer story, as well as advice on how to work toward a cure rather than just remission.

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.

From dance parties to conversations with leading scholars, here are online ways to honor Black history and the pursuit of racial justice during Black History Month 2021.

Applying Tantric techniques can transform your sex life—and your sense of “potent aliveness.”

What does the future hold? Consult with the ancestors about what's to come through a form of divination called bone casting. What will you learn by throwing the bones?

Water is more than a resource. Water is a life-bringing entity, via aqua. Embrace old and new practices for healing planetary waters.

Pandemic pods kept you sane while keeping COVID-19 at bay. It's okay to mourn the loss of your pod as you celebrate the world moving closer to normal.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum and Portland-based artist Flora Bowley spoke about teaching, the link between creativity and intuition, and how limitations can create freedom.

“Creativity is an essential part of being human.” Artist Flora Bowley offers everyday ways to move past “creative wounds” and flex your creative muscles.

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.

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

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

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

The baths will be back! Retreat veteran Mary Bemis shares her predictions for the future of retreats.

Create a sacred space in your home. First find your major chakra, then discover the aesthetic that fits that chakra’s energy.

National Women’s History Month encourages us to celebrate, study, and observe the vital role of women in American history. Here are online events to get you started.

Your nervous system has a sweet spot. Reach the optimal state of calm arousal and call a cease-fire on the war within you.

“Regardless of what traditions you follow, the spiritual meaning of Easter is a new light after sacrifice or tribulation.”

Art and spirituality are intertwined. “Art is to spirituality what a car is to speed. It’s not the only vehicle that will get you there, but it can do the trick.”

Being present is a healing gift you can offer to anyone—loved ones and strangers alike.

Natural allergy relief, from vibrant foods to natural cough syrup made by bees, offers potent cures.

With this ritual, become an observer to your emotions surrounding loss, and release them into the universe.

A grief garden provides natural healing, connecting you with those who are no longer living.

ASMR calms and engages with materials that clink, rustle, clack, swoosh, brush, smoosh, and slurp.

“Connected to my body and to each other, aware of the distortions from my own self-prejudices, I can learn to discern the core unconditional worth of every human prior to labeling them as villain or hero.”

When there is pain in the neck or restriction in the throat chakra, it’s worth asking: What emotions are caught in our throat, unable to be spoken?

Are you feeling stiff, sluggish—as if the energy within you is in stasis? It may be time to reconnect with your intrinsic feminine magnetism.

The May full moon marks a turning point, a movement into the bright, sunshiny half of the year.

A demon is a metaphor for anything that is taking your energy, be it fear, obsession, addiction, or something else.

“The Enneagram teaches that there are nine different personality styles in the world, one of which we naturally gravitate toward and adopt in childhood to cope and feel safe.”

With its trillions of microbes working to regulate the immune system, produce vitamins and hormones, and communicate with the brain, the gut may just be the best advice-giver around, if you know how to listen.

The values of her Lakota culture inform Christinia Eala’s work helping to build sustainable reservation housing.

Stomach pain is connected to an unbalanced third chakra, located next to the stomach above the belly button.

Have you designed your relationship vision? Are you aware of your love wounds? Avoid five common relationship mistakes.

The combination of the lunar phase and the spiritual potency of salt amplify the power of this New Moon ritual.

Dr. Alejandro Mandes’ book “Embracing the New Samaria: Opening Our Eyes to Our Multiethnic Future” has one ultimate goal: unity.

Sewing can be a meditative practice. It’s all about connecting the threads.

Burial shrouds offer a better way to tend to the dead, according to one shroud-maker.

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

We are one. There is no separation.

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

Synthesizing her work as a social justice activist, anti-racism trainer, and yoga teacher, Michelle Cassandra Johnson’s latest book explicitly sets out to empower readers to prio…

After several intriguing exchanges abroad, a woman named for a fragrant plant embraces the power of flower essence therapy.

“Disruptive energies are constantly around us. The good news is our body usually does a really good job of deflecting them.”

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Read the story of a woman who died, went to heaven, returned to a broken body, and was miraculously healed.

Cilantro and fennel are among the Ayurvedic herbs that help to calm Pitta’s heat.

What kind of summer do you want to have? Explore the divine feminine within yourself, whatever your gender.

If we’re all one interconnected humanity, what’s our common root system? Do we exist in a state of universal oneness?

“We are known by a different name for each vibrational level we reach, as our lower names no longer resonate.”

Amy Engle is a freelance writer and communications specialist based in the beautiful San Luis Valley of southern Colorado. She and her husband run a centennial cattle ranch where t…

What is the secret to happiness and spiritual expansion? Follow these 9 steps to zen and develop an inner state of balance and tranquility.

To understand the spiritual meaning of lower back pain, head to the source: the sacrum, or “sacred bone.”

All the flavors will come together, like ancestral pathways.

Is your style aromatherapy, sound healing, or one of the others? This spiritual vibration test will tell you.

Playing with language can be a powerful way to reframe burdensome thoughts.

An art practice for embracing solitude.