Thoughts of yoga often invoke extreme flexibility, contorted limbs, yoga pants, messy buns and mala beads. The practice itself is much deeper, much richer, and can be a tool for living a more mindful life; a life where you never need to touch your toes but only the depth of your own heart. Yoga is… Read more »
Natural Options
Outdoor Medicine
- By Shari Jainuddin, NMD, BCB
- September/October 2024
Let’s zoom out for a moment, look down at Earth, and consider how we have survived and evolved to live on this incredible planet. The air we breathe and ground we walk upon are part of that equation. However, in recent history, we have insulated ourselves from these elements through our built environment and rubber-soled… Read more »
Nourishing Our Minds through Food
- By Bryan Paul Blackwell, CHHC
- September/October 2024
Understanding the phrase, “Our gut is our second brain,” empowers us to take control of our health. The food we eat directly influences our gut health, which in turn affects our brain function. Thus, a healthy gut leads to a healthy mind, while an unhealthy gut can contribute to mental and cognitive disorders.1 We know… Read more »
What Are You Masking?
- By Judy Nemer Sklar
- September/October 2024
There is a saying that you have three faces. The first face is the face you show to the world. The second is the face you show to your close friends and family. The third face is the face you do not show and is the most authentic reflection of who you are. Not everyone… Read more »
Quality Pillow Time
- By Candice Nicole
- September/October 2024
Many of us still are not getting enough sleep. Phones and other electronics, binge watching the latest streaming service series, or our never-ending work and family obligations can put quality pillow time on the back burner. Let this article be a friendly reminder of how crucial sleep is for maintaining health. Sleep, diet and exercise… Read more »
Harvest Strength and Peace
- By Jennifer Yockey
- September/October 2024
As the air begins to cool and sun’s intensity subsides, autumn invites us to shift our energy inward, reflecting the natural world’s preparation for the cooler months ahead. In our modern, fast-paced lives, it’s easy to miss these subtle cues for renewal and introspection. However, by embracing yogic principles and practices, we can align ourselves… Read more »
Water, Oxygen, Minerals and Antioxidants
- By Candice Nicole
- July/August 2024
It’s your birthday. Here it comes…”How old are you?” Mmm, does it really matter? After all, age is just a number. What really matters is your body’s state of health which will determine how you age and what your future birthdays will look like. Some age-related changes are benign, such as graying hair or fine… Read more »
Beating the Heat: Staying Active and Mindful with Yoga This Summer
- By Jennifer Yockey
- July/August 2024
As the summer heat bears down upon us, it can be tempting to retreat into the comfort of air-conditioned spaces and put our active lifestyles on hold. However, this is precisely the time when we need the benefits of movement, breathwork and mindfulness the most. Yoga helps us cultivate a deep sense of mindfulness… Read more »
Albert Einstein understood the power of energy. In his life-changing career as a theoretical physicist, he would prove that energy is in constant motion, is never destroyed (only changes form) and connects everything. When it comes to our well-being, he famously stated, “Future medicine will be the medicine of frequencies.” Energy medicine. Humans are made… Read more »
Many families in the eastern Coachella Valley, particularly in cities like Mecca and Coachella, face daunting challenges in providing nutritious meals for their children. The rising cost of food has exacerbated these difficulties, leaving many households struggling to afford healthy groceries. This situation is particularly critical in a region where poverty rates are high, and… Read more »
Embracing the Beauty of Aging
- By Stacey Michele Blackwell, CHC
- July/August 2024
As a health coach deeply immersed in the intricacies of natural health, I’ve often pondered society’s fixation on youthful appearances. From a tender age, my perception of aging has always diverged from the mainstream. I remember being 8 or 9, captivated by the older individuals around me. Their wrinkles and lines were not signs of… Read more »
There is no disputing that many of our traits and propensities in life originate from the integration of our ancestral past. The stirring of our ancestral inheritance speaks to us daily if we are willing to listen. The voices of family values, generational traumas and the choices of our ancestors affect us psychologically and influence… Read more »
Nature’s Medicine All Around Us
- By Shari Jainuddin, NMD, BCB
- May/June 2024
Welcome back to Nature’s Medicine All Around Us. In this edition, we’ll look at one of the most revered plants of our region, agave. Also known as century plant or American aloe, the agave has been used by people of what is now Mexico and Southern United States for thousands of years and played a… Read more »
Liver Health 101
- By Delaney Quick, ND
- May/June 2024
The liver may just be our most under-appreciated organ. It is commonly known as the star of detoxification, but what about its role in metabolism, digestion, nutrient storage, protein synthesis, immune function, hormone regulation and blood filtration? Protecting, supporting and regenerating your liver can positively impact your health in holistic ways as it works behind… Read more »
Cancer: The Sneaky Disease
- By Bryan Paul Blackwell, CHC
- May/June 2024
Too often we hear the words, “I’ve been diagnosed with cancer.” We increasingly hear about new research, new clinical trials and different types of chemotherapy or radiation. These words are heard more and more today than just 30 years ago. Some statistics show that in the 1960s, cancer rates were one in 80. Today, those… Read more »
Deceased Pet Dreams Are Awakened Love
- By Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
- May/June 2024
Spring is a season of reawakening and renewal in the never-ending circle of life fueled by love. How does this renewal of life work in the dream realm? Let’s consider the unconditional love we receive from our pets. It can be a love like no other, and as French poet Anatole France famously said, “Until… Read more »
Our emotions can rule our lives. Imagine wearing a backpack full of rocks. Each rock has an emotion written on it that ranges in size and significance. This “mental satchel” may carry resentment, anger, anxiety, fear, despair or embarrassment – emotions that create stress and tension and can manifest in the physical body as headaches,… Read more »
Nature’s Medicine All Around Us
- By Shari Jainuddin, NMD, BCB
- March/April 2024
For the fourth article in this series, I’ll discuss a plant with a striking red bloom, Calliandra californica (aka Baja Fairy Duster, Fairy Duster, Zapotillo, Powder Puff). Despite its name, it is not native to the state of California, but Baja California of Northern Mexico. Over 150 species in the Calliandra genus are found in… Read more »
Stress and Its Impact on Cancer Outcomes
- By Annissa Ceja, ND
- March/April 2024
In the serene confines of the Aegean Sea lies the island of Ikaria, where residents embrace a lifestyle that keeps them vibrant well into their golden years. This special place is one of only five known blue zones where people live approximately a decade longer than the average and have lower rates of chronic disease,… Read more »
So Much More in ’24
- By Reverend Dale Olansky
- January/February 2024
The start of a new year is the ideal time to ask ourselves what we want to change about ourselves or our lives. There is something about a new year that gives us that extra motivation to start fresh and change our lives so we can experience something better. The usual resolutions are weight loss,… Read more »