Vanilla: The seed of happiness
March 20, 2008
written by david crow
One of the most enjoyable aspects of studying natural healing systems such as Ayurveda and aromatherapy is the endless variety of plants and fragrances that one meets along the path. A person could spend a lifetime studying just one of these plants (and some do), and still not know everything about it. This month we feature a common spice known to all, but one with many intriguing secrets. Read more
Six ways fragrance fosters bliss
March 20, 2008
written by kyle roderick
Sure, it’s great to smell fresh as a daisy during the day or alluring as a night-blooming flower. But what about the more practical advantages of wearing scent? Noted olfactory researcher Alan Hirsch, M.D., F.A.C.P., shares his findings on the potential for scents to promote bliss in personal and professional life. Read more
Scents of Nature
March 20, 2008
written by kyle roderick
It used to be that essential oils and natural perfumes were only available in health food stores and esoteric boutiques. With the mass interest in aromatherapy and green cosmetics, natural fragrances are increasingly available in stores and online– for many reasons.
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Rose Bliss
March 20, 2008
written by david crow
The next time you stop to smell a rose, imagine that its deep, rich floral fragrance is a gift from nature to your heart and soul. In her generosity, the earth has blessed us with over five thousand varieties of this beautiful flower. However, only a few give the world-renowned treasure sought by perfumers: the oil of rose. Read more
Neroli: Sweet Sunlight
March 20, 2008
written by david crow
Neroli is the fragrance of orange trees blossoming under the Moroccan and Tunisian sun. It is the fragrance that greets farmers as they begin another spring day of harvesting, gently plucking the tiny golden gems that shine from inside green citrus foliage. Many factors will influence the quality of the neroli oil: each blossom must be plucked when it is just starting to open; the buds must be gathered only on warm sunny days; the flowers cannot be bruised; leaflets and petioles must not be mixed in. By the end of the day, the clothing and weather-aged hands of the dark-skinned harvesters will be saturated with an intoxicating aroma desired by queens and empresses, sheiks and maharajas. Read more
Making Blissful Bath Salts
March 20, 2008
written by kyle roderick
Autumn is a good time to move out of shower mode and into gourmet bathing with bath salts that soothe and scent your mind/body. If you want to customize your bathing experience, go ahead and make your own bath salts. Besides being less expensive than buying ready-made products, making your own bath salts is easy, fun and quick to do. Homemade bath salts make affordable and memorable holiday gifts, too. Read more
Lavender Bliss
March 20, 2008
written by david crow
Lavender is one of the most well-known, versatile, and extensively used essential oils in the world. When we use this essential oil we receive the blessings of the feminine, because lavender could be described as an angel of healing from the floral realm, and an expression of the earth’s compassion.
Jasmine
March 20, 2008
written by david crow
Like scented stars appearing in the evening dusk, the night-blooming jasmine silently opens her five-petalled blossoms beneath our windows. In the dawn her sister will bloom, again filling the breeze with enchantment. Together, the jasmine sambac (night-blooming) and the jasmine grandiflorum (dawn-blooming) are among the most potent, ethereal, and intoxicating floral fragrances in the world.
Frankincense Bliss
March 20, 2008
written by david crow
Over two thousand years ago, three sages made their way across the desert, following celestial signs. Among the various gifts they carried for the newly incarnated Avatar was a collection of resinous tears, one of the most sacred substances and valued medicines of the time. Ever since then, frankincense has been remembered as a fragrance associated with the Christian holidays. Read more
The Jivamukti Method
March 18, 2008
written by nicole nichols and heather fairfield
Practices For Liberating Body and Soul
Twenty years ago Sharon Gannon and David Life developed Jivamukti Yoga, a style that would become known around the world for its mix of challenging physical asanas and scriptural study blended with music, social awareness and devotion. Driven to communicate something extraordinary about human potential, in 1984 they created the Jivamukti method. The method quickly began to take hold in New York City where they started out with a few students in a small apartment. It has grown to become one of nine internationally recognized styles of Hatha Yoga. The method is taught in Jivamukti Yoga Centers in New York and Detroit, as well as internationally in Munich, Toronto, and London, where thousands of students commit to the study of this powerful transcendental method. Read more
