Low back pain often flares up during the cold winter months, and from a Qigong, Western herbal and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, this is no coincidence. Winter is the season of the Water Element, associated with the kidneys, bones, and the lower back. By nurturing your kidney energy and aligning with the natural rhythms of winter, you can prevent and alleviate low back pain while promoting overall health and vitality.

Learn The Connection Between Winter, Kidneys, and Low Back Pain

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The blessingway ceremony is the perfect opportunity for the pregnant woman to connect with their community as they prepare for birth. It is so important to honor each family as they embark on this incredible life-changing journey through pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. I encourage you to take some of these ideas and get creative to come up with your own ways to plan your blessingway.

 

A blessing way is a Navaho tradition that honors the woman’s transformation from maiden to mother. I used to shy away from the word blessing way because it has a religious affiliation. But the more blessing ways I perform, the more the word blessing feels appropriate. Our childbirth class blessing way is not religious in any way. But it is a soulful experience that couples appreciate.

 

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Pregnancy is a time of great miracle and great strain. Our muscles are pulling in new ways to support new weight, joints become strained, circulation changes, and it all adds up to a bundle of pregnancy pain and discomforts.

 

Staying active and taking care of your growing body will help to keep some of it at bay. The real key is to understand what’s at the heart of your pregnancy pain and discomfort so that you can best address both the cause and the symptoms. Your body will tell you what it needs -- you just need to listen a bit closer than before.

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At this time, 25 years ago, I was in a Zen temple meditating with the monks. I had just turned 21 years old. That is when I learned about The Bodhisattva Vow. The Bodhisattva vow is a vow taken by Buddhists to liberate all sentient beings. When I first heard about the vow, I was like, No, thank you! I'm not that much of a team player. I'll walk my own path, but I'm not about to try to liberate all sentient beings! That is way too much pressure.


As we approach the Summer Solstice, today's Apothecary Wisdom is dedicated to sharing insights about what this vow really means and what we as a collective are experiencing and what I'm processing personally. Today, I'll share insights, mindfulness actions, and self-care tips that promote emotional stability and spiritual connection to the greater cycles of nature. Continue reading

The intricacies of the human body are almost magical, with no one system or function working entirely on its own. Within a mother’s body, the processes that lead to menstruation, pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding are all interconnected. Just a handful of hormones can dictate each of these functions, with different organs and actions responding in their own way. A fascinating and, sometimes, bewildering example of this is the relationship between menstruation and breastfeeding.

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