Aromatic Rituals: Caring for our Heart during Leo Season
You may be familiar with the proverb, “home is where the heart is,” first coined by the roman philosopher, Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.). Beyond the physical space, the notion of home speaks to the space where we may find respite and solace by turning inwards and dropping into our heart to find belonging and…
Adrenal Fatigue PART III: Promoting Resilience — Essential Oils for HPA Axis Support
HPA axis dysregulation is fundamentally caused by stress, which can take many forms: Psychosocial stress (relationships, finances, housing insecurity, discrimination, etc.) Inflammation (diet, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, infection, insulin resistance) High or low blood sugar Insufficient sleep (sleep apnea, poor sleep habits) Interventions should first and foremost target these root causes of stress in order…
Adrenal Fatigue PART II: Cortisol and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis – A Dip Into Physiology
“Adrenal fatigue” proponents are right about one thing: the stress of life can definitely be too much for the body to handle. It’s just not the adrenals that are the problem. Changes in cortisol production aren’t caused by a deficiency in the adrenal glands, but by regulatory mechanisms of the nervous system that protect against…
Aromatherapy for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Chances are, if you are reading this, you are either pregnant or know someone who is or will be. Congratulations! Pregnancy is a particularly beautiful time for a family, but it is not always the most comfortable time for the pregnant parent. Plant extracts, in the form of whole herbs, herbal infusions, essential oils, and…
Adrenal Fatigue: Mythology, Physiology, and Resilience PART 1
Adrenal fatigue is seriously relatable. You’re overworked and wiped out, craving sweets and salty fats, stressed, depressed, sex drive on the fritz. Sound familiar? “Adrenal fatigue” is the notion that the adrenal glands get “overworked” from chronic stress and fail to produce essential hormones like cortisol. It’s a handy explanation for something a lot of…
Cleansing, Mindfulness and Tending to the Garden of your Skin
Our skin is certainly not inert yet we often relate to it as if it was. From the way we are taught about our skin at school, to the way we are encouraged to care for it, it is obvious that our relationship with our skin has become very mechanical. No attention is given to…