I have worked in the natural health and spa industry for over 20 years as a Beauty Therapist. I have grown herbs, created medicines, beauty products, worked as a raw food chef and a vegetarian cook in natural food restaurants. I have studied Ayurveda extensively and learned about herbs and natural medicine from indigenous healers. I learned my art the traditional way, as an apprentice with elders.
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In Taoism, all problems, including mental, are seen as an imbalance in chi, or life force energy. Most people are suffering from one form of imbalance or another and, without proper knowledge of the Tao, they swing from extreme to extreme and spend much of their time unconsciously trying to “fix” the “problem” without knowing what the “problem” is.
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What exactly is nature? This is a question without a clear or simple answer. In Western society, humans have removed themselves from the natural world to a great degree. What exactly is “the natural world”? It seems that the natural world is that aspect of the earth that remains unadulterated by humans. Aristotle would argue this definition.
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As the planet changes my knowledge of the use of plants and foods for health must change as well. Living deep in the forest in the middle of an island in the middle of the ocean, I pictured myself relatively safe from environmental threats. The recent nuclear disaster in Japan changed that belief and I have had to rethink much of how I live my life.
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Throughout a woman’s life she will face many challenges with hormonal fluctuations. These fluctuations are natural and normal and something that all women experience. When looking specifically at peri-menopause and menopause, one must understand first that this time of life is a natural and normal part of life for women however, severe symptoms are not.
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‘Olena (Curcuma domestica), also known a turmeric is a magical medicine rich with mana. ‘Olena is an extremely powerful tool for La’au . It is used extensively in Hawaiian medicine as well as in many other herbal medicine traditions. Widely used in Ayurveda, India, this 5,000 year old medicine is thought to be so vital to good health that there are very few Ayurveda formulas that do not contain it.
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