I'm a big believer in New Year's resolutions. I like to reflect on the closing year - to celebrate the successes, and better understand the things that didn't go as well as I had hoped. What do I want to achieve in the coming year, and what can I do differently to make those dreams a reality? How often do we notice that when [...]
As the long, hot, damp days of summer come to a close, we can see the shifting of light in the sky and the newly-crisp winds stirring the season’s first fallen leaves. As we move from a more yang time of year - characterized by many hours of bright sunlight and increased physical activity - to that which is more yin in nature, our energy [...]
As the warmer weather draws us outdoors, we can’t help but notice the vast array of colors, textures, fragrances and forms of the summer garden. But much more than just providing beauty and pleasure for our senses, these wonders of nature also have powerful medicinal properties, some of which have been used for healing for thousands of years. The Chinese Materia Medica (compendium of [...]
If you're like most people these days, you lead a full and hectic life. And if you're like many others, you feel completely overwhelmed and don't allow yourself enough down-time to balance the continual activity. If we look closely, we might find underneath this behavior lies the belief that it’s all somehow temporary; that if we work hard enough now, we’ll eventually reach a plateau [...]
At last, winter is over! Time to dust off the hiking shoes and get outside! But before we embark upon our outdoor activities, we should exercise caution. Maryland has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the country. And spring can be a particularly dangerous time for insect-born illnesses such as Lyme, as ticks become active when the temperatures rise above 45 degrees [...]