Brenda Stansfield is a licensed massage therapist, certified clincial aromatherapist and the creator of the Clear My Head product line, sold in spas nationally at www.clearmyhead.com. She belives aromatherapy should be simple and easy to incorporate into a hectic lifestyle.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It protects you from infection, excretes waste products and excess salt from your body, regulates your temperature, synthesizes vitamin D and provides the sense of touch. Products that come into contact with skin are easily absorbed into your blood stream. Something to be mindful of when choosing personal products. Read your ingredient labels. Many contain toxins or synthetic ingredients that may block the solubility of necessary nutrients or vitamins essential for good health and well being. A prime example of an oil which destroys fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K & F as it metabolizes is baby oil (mineral oil). Most of us are aware of the carcinogenic risks of parabens and are actively avoiding those ingredients. However, natural skin care is easy and affordable and quite effective with some tried and true aromatherapy blends.

Aromatherapy is based upon the absorption of essential oils through the skin. When choosing your carrier oils for use in aromatherapy care, it is important to choose plant based, cold pressed oils for this reason. These oils (grapeseed, jojoba, almond etc.) also have the natural antioxidant vitamin E which may help rejuvenate your skin . Incorporating essential oils and cold pressed carrier oils are effective and natural ways to heal common ailment and improve the general condition of your skin.

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A Quick Tip Sheet For Three Common Ailments

1. Oil Blend For Shingles:

Excess oil, shingles, diaper rash and other conditions which cause redness and itching can often be alleviated with lavender and tea tree. Both will work well on bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral systemic conditions. Although both lavender and tea tree are safe to use at full strength, it is recommended to dilute in oil, lotion or witch hazel for large areas of application. If in a day or two there isn't significant change and reduction of itching (especially indicated for shingles) add a few drops of frankincense to your blend.

• 1 ounce cold pressed carrier lotion or oil
• 4 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil
• 3 drops frankincense essential oil

1. Apply twice daily.

2. Cold Sore Remedy:

A common, but embarrassing, problem for many people is an eruption of a cold sore (Herpes Simplex Virus). These are easily controlled at the first sign of outbreak, usually a tingling sensation, with this formula:

• 8 drops tea tree essential oil
• 15 drops rose geranium essential oil
• 7 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops Roman OR German chamomile essential oil
• 6 drops melissa (lemon balm) essential oil

1. Apply at first sensation of outbreak at full strength or combine 4 drops blend in 1 teaspoon jojoba oils and apply directly to area. Keep moist with jojoba oil or a beeswax lip balm to avoid cracking.

3. Facial Toner For Acne Prone Skin:

Skin Care Basics: Many essential oils have the wonderful benefit of skin rejuvenating properties. Applying lavender to a wound not only disinfects the cut but also speeds the repair process of the epithelial tissue. Teens and adults who suffer from acne can help prevent breakouts with a simple solution of distilled water, witch hazel and essential oils of cedarwood, rosemary, lavender and German chamomile. Try the following treatment for a month and notice the difference it can make:

• 2 ounces witch hazel
• 1 ounce distilled water
• 6 drops lavender essential oil
• 3 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops German chamomile essential oil

1. Pour in a glass bottle, shake before each use.

2. Apply with cotton ball two to three times daily.

The main objective of any skin care routine is to stimulate and detoxify your pores. In order to maintain an appearance of youth and health, it is important to not only treat the surface area, but to penetrate the subcutaneous tissues - lucky for us, essential oils do that easily.

I prefer blending small quantities of skin care products as you need them. Once a blend is created, the process of deterioration can occur if stored incorrectly. Although it won't happen overnight, some carrier oils, such as grapeseed and sweet almond, have relatively short shelf lives (12 to 18 months). If you do decide to create blends in bulk, add 1/4 teaspoon benzoin oil to each cup of carrier oil, along with a teaspoon of vitamin E oil to help maintain it's freshness naturally.

Skin care doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Research your skin type and the essential oils best suited for you. Choose oils for your blends based upon your needs and your preferences. Experiment and have fun. Life is beautiful and so are you!

Desiree Bell is inspired by botanicals and natural materials. She is a vegetarian who has a certificate in herbal studies and a certificate from Australasian College of Health Sciences in Aromatherapy. When she isn't in her suburban garden, hiking or crafting, she is teaching pre-k with an emphasis on nature and gardening. For more ideas on Simple Living With Nature you can visit her blogs at www.beyondagarden.blogspot.com and www.kidsnaturespot.blogspot.com.

The ginger root (Zingiber officinale) is actually a rhizome. The word ginger is derived from the Sanskrit word for ginger, sringa-vera, meaning “antler shaped.” It has buds on the top of each of its stubby fingers and grows a mass of thin, tangled roots below. The roots are scraped off before the ginger arrives at the market.

Ginger is 80 percent water, 2.3 percent water, 1 percent fat, 2.5 percent fibrous material, 1.2 percent minerals, and vitamins of B and C. Medicinally, it is used for the circulatory and digestive systems, coughs, colds, aches and pains.

There are two groups of compounds in the rhizome. The essential oil is the liquid found in tiny vessels just under the corky skin, which is collected by distillation. The other compound is located in the cells dotted around the fleshy interior of the rhizome in between the starch cells. It is extracted with alcohol or a solvent.

Ginger does best in a hot, moist climate, with a little shade at noon and well-drained soil. It is grown as a crop in countries such as India, Australia, Jamaica, China and Nigeria. Many years ago I read in the book Herbal Treasures (Storey Publishing, LLC, 1990), by Phyllis Shaudys, how to grow a ginger root inside the house using a rhizome from the market.

Cut a piece of ginger root from the rhizome. Make sure the piece you cut to plant has at least one bud on it. Fill a clay pot with potting soil and bury the ginger root cut side down, bud up, 1 inch below the surface. Place in a sunny, warm window, water well, then keep moist. It takes about a month for the first sprout to appear.

To harvest, pull the plant from its pot 8 to 12 months after planting, cut off leaf stalks, and remove fibrous roots. Cut off as much ginger as you can use and replant the rest. Many winters I have grown a nice looking ginger plants. Try it!

Fresh ginger produces a warm, spicy and refreshing aroma. Its taste is pungent, aromatic, lemony, and slightly bitter. Dried ginger is less lemony and more warm, woody and pungent. Besides fresh and dried, it is used pickled, preserved and crystallized in cooking. Here is a tasty and healthy Indian Lemonade-Ginger Ale recipe I found in a vegetarian magazine many years ago.

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Indian Lemonade-Ginger Ale
Makes 8 cups

• 8 cups sparkling water (club soda)
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups maple syrup
• ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher or punch bowl.

2. Serve at room temperature or chilled.  

Thanksgiving will be here soon so I have included a recipe from the book, The Ginger Book (Avery, 1996), by Stephen Fulder, Ph.D., for Ginger Pumpkin Pie. This book was also used as a reference for some of this article.

Ginger Pumpkin Pie
Makes 16 servings

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ¾ ounce piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ½ cups pureed boiled pumpkin
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 7 tablespoons butter or vegetable shortening
• 3 eggs, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch diameter flan tins.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon , and cloves. Add the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk and butter or shortening: beat briefly. Add the eggs and beat again.

3. Pour the batter into the flan tins and place the tins in the oven. Bake until the pies are firm, about 45 minutes. Let cool before serving.

If you bake this pie let me know how it turned out. I have not made it yet.

Happy Thanksgiving….

As I’m sitting at my desk right now, I’m in a lot of pain. My thighs, hamstrings, glutes and feet are in the glorious throes of post-workout agony. 

After a couple month-long hiatus from high-impact workouts, like laps on the track, my chiropractor gave me the all-clear to start running again. But she followed it up with a word of advice—drink cherry juice concentrate. 

Apparently, the micro-nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties in cherries can reduce muscle soreness as well as promote joint function. And because I know how hard it is to start running after a long break, especially thanks to aching muscles, I made sure to pick up Lakewood’s Pure Black Cherry juice on my way home.

www.lakewoodjuices.com

So now in addition to the turmeric supplement I take daily for my lower back issues, I also drink cherry juice before my workout and then add it to a fruit smoothie, or other fruit juice, afterward. The cherry juice is not made from concentrate and is made without any water, so I like to dilute it a little to make it last longer.  

With cherries, turmeric and lots of ice, my painful muscles recover a lot quicker and I’m slowly starting to enjoy running for the first time.

Photo by dklimke/Courtesy Flickr
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For more muscle recovery and pain relief tips check out these past articles:   

• Body Care for Active People by Laurel Vukovic
• The Best Herbs for Pain Relief by Gina Mohammed, Ph.D.

To learn more about cherries’ many wonders, check out: 

• Berries for Better Health by Kris Wetherbee
• Great Fresh Juice On the Go by Allison Martin
• Meet the Superfruits by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa

What do you do to relieve post-workout pain? Have cherries helped you before? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Marguerite Dunne is a city girl and traveler. Visit her website at www.herbs-on-hudson.com or listen to her radio show, The Urban Herbalist, on www.wtbq.com. Marguerite was also the third place winner in The Herb Companion's essay contest, "Looking Forward to Herbs."

When the herb spirit is alive, roots mature, vines unfold and souls blossom, reaching out with a fragrance of subtle energy. The herb spirit increases with each herb gardening task: planting, tilling, pruning, gathering, infusing, decocting, tincturing, compounding, dyeing and the wistful sundown delight of simply watching the garden grow.

For a millennium, the herb spirit has grown as gatherers have bundled, blended and applied precious herbs. Father Time's laws have never ordered Mother Nature's gardens and so her gardens have continued to grow. Every herbalist carries this intense energy of the vine, which reaches and pushes upward. And when each garden wall is scaled, the vine simply develops, adjusts and flourishes.

Photo by angavallen/Courtesy Flickr
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How did our holistic health garden grow? Expo East, an extended vine of the herb spirit, is an annual event in Boston where health food companies can display their wares for the benefit of  storeowners  So in September, several hundred health food industry vendors carried their boxes and set up their displays. Meanwhile, curious independent store owners and chain-store buyers busily sampled new flavors, dabbed crèmes, collected cute samples and carried out stacks of scientific reports. The “old-timers” wanted to show off their newest merchandise while the “newcomers “ proceeded with caution, ever vigilant for the show’s discount specials. The “old, old-timers” mused pensively about the olden days (the late 1960s) when we still sold bunches of wild-crafted herbs from the backs of battered station wagons and traded addresses for where to get authentic brown rice and good local clover honey. I miss the days when our herb-talk was a secret code among friends, who took the time to put their hands in the dirt, do some digging and do some thinking too.

Lo and behold, I found some wonderful, recycled hippies who've kept the faith and turned our evergreen idealism into the kind of small town companies we admire.  Bob MacLeod and SteveByckiewicz  (“two vegetarians”) started Kiss My Face about 25 years ago. I like their products because they feel great and they don't leave any sticky residue from overly processed extracts. Their product line started with a big bar of olive oil soap, but many face moisturizers, shaving creams, shimmers and cosmetics later, they’ve got a charming website (www.kissmyface.com) and the goodwill of customers in 19 countries.

Photo by Timothy Valentine/Courtesy Flickr
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I chatted with their VP of kissing and telling, Lewis Goldstein, whose “business card” is a coconut-pineapple SPF 15 lip balm. Who says corporate can’t be fun? We wound our way around the conventional business max topics: the roller coaster economy, quick-fix supplements wrapped up in chocolate and educating the next generation. But what made me smile the most was Lewis describing his mother's experimentations with natural remedies.  Growing up, he knew that there were herbal health alternatives for conventional medical and cosmetic trades.  We reminisced about making soups and brewing teas.  We talked about teaching children the right food choices and the early encounters Lewis’s mother had when questioning doctors.  It’s nice to know that there are still good folks out there and that the herb spirit is very much alive.

Now it’s late fall and my herb drying rack is loaded with peppermint, lemon balm, oregano and catnip. I’ve already made my last batches of this healing salve with my freshly picked comfrey and calendula, maybe I’ll run some over to Bob, Steve and Lewis.

Photo by tristrambrelstaff/Courtesy Flickr
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Marguerite’s Comfrey Salve
Makes twenty, 1-ounce jars

This salve is great for cuts, scrapes, bruises and soothing irritated skin.

• 20 comfrey leaves
• 10 calendula flower heads
• 2 cups olive oil
• ½ cup grape seed oil
• 1 cup lanolin
• ¼ cup of beeswax
• Lavender oil

1. Slow-boil all ingredients in a crockpot for about 4 hours. Periodically, wipe the water off the lid.

2. Strain through cheesecloth into a spouted measuring cup and pour quickly into individual 1-ounce jars.

3. As soon as the liquid salve is poured, add 10 drops of the lavender oil to each jar. The lavender oil is added at the end so it won't evaporate if boiled.    

Michele Tune (a.k.a. Raw Juice Girl) is a freelance writer and blogger. She has lost over 100 pounds and found great healing from natural remedies, raw foods and juices. Read about her journey at www.healingwithjuices.com.

In response from Natural Alternatives: Dry Eye Syndrome Treatment. 

Dry, itching, throbbing, bloodshot eyes are no fun! And, if it’s your job to stare at a computer screen all day, every day, then your eyes are continuously being aggravated—that’s not healthy.

If you aren’t familiar with natural remedies, you may feel your only options for relief are over-the-counter, chemical-laden eye solutions. Sure, some of them may soothe your eye woes for a short time but how many of them are going to target the root cause and truly help you improve the health of your eyes?

If you’re experiencing these irritating eye problems, your eyes need to be lubricated and nurtured—you can do this with natural remedies, both from within and externally.

But first, what actually causes dry eyes to begin with? There are a variety of reasons eyes dry out.

Here are a few:

• Allergies
• Aging
• Menopause or other hormonal imbalances
• Staring at computer screens for too long

 
Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography/Courtesy Flickr
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Treating Dry Eyes from Within

You may have one or more nutritional deficiencies. For ultimate eye health, you need to take in plenty of vitamins A, B, C, and E. Also be sure to eat foods rich in zinc and selenium (or take quality supplements). And as K.C. mentioned in her recent post on dry eye syndrome, Omegas are fabulous for eye health.

Raw fruits and vegetables are crucial for overall health—including our eyes. You can pack in a ton of extra veggies and fruits by drinking fresh juices and smoothies. For instance, toss a handful or two of baby spinach leaves into your banana (or other fruit) smoothie and the fruit’s sweetness actually dominates the flavor, so it’s a nice way to sneak in those greens you may not otherwise eat.

Some people have noticed improvements to their eye health and vision from juice fasting as well.

Natural Remedy Recipes (for External Use)

Although it’s important to fill our bodies with the proper nutrition that promotes strong, moist, healthy eyes from within, it’s also nice to have safe, go-to natural remedies that can relieve our aching eyes while we wait for the internal methods to kick in. Following are a couple of inexpensive, organic recipes—and they’re both so soothing!

Organic Chamomile Eye Wash

• 2 chamomile tea bags (or spoonful of dried chamomile flower)
• Warm water
• A cup or bowl
• Sieve (if you’re using loose-leaf herb)

1. Add chamomile bag or loose herb to a cup or bowl.

2. Pour warm water on top of it.

3. Let them steep for up to 15 minutes.

4. Remove the tea bags (or strain loose herb with sieve).

5. Find a relaxing position (lay down or lean back in a chair).

6. Close your eyes and cover each one with a tea bag.

7. Leave the tea bags on for up to 10 minutes.

Note: If you’re using loose-leaf chamomile herb, you can put the moistened mixture you’ve strained into cheesecloth (or an empty tea bag you can purchase online or at your health food store) and follow the same steps above.
You can also cup some of the chamomile tea into your hand (or draw it up into a dropper) and wash your eyes out with it. It’s warm, soothing, healing, and safe.

Cold Cucumber Compress

• 2 cold cucumber slices

1. Find a comfortable position.

2. Put a cold cucumber over (closed) eyes.

3. Leave them on for up to 10 minutes.

Tip: Slice an organic cucumber ahead of time and lay the slices flat (not touching) in small plastic bags or reusable containers and freeze. When you need a quick “cold cucumber compress,” you can just grab two slices from the freezer and let them thaw a little. After all, you want relief—not frozen eyeballs!
I have personally followed all of the tips mentioned here for the past several years. The result? I no longer have to wear eye glasses.

References:
Balch, Phyllis A., CNC, Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-to-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies, New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2002
Balch, Phyllis A., CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing (Third Edition), New York: Avery Publishing, 2000.
National Institute of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Selenium 
National Institute of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Zinc 

Brenda Stansfield is a licensed massage therapist, certified clincial aromatherapist and the creator of the Clear My Head product line, sold in spas nationally at www.clearmyhead.com. She belives aromatherapy should be simple and easy to incorporate into a hectic lifestyle.

This weekend my sister welcomed another grandchild to her family. It’s been a long time since I held my own newborn son in my arms, but as I looked at the pictures of the newest addition to our family online, I began to think…"Is there anything more precious than a newborn baby?" "Is there anything more confusing to new parents?"
This time of wonder and discovery is the perfect time for parents to unlock the benefits of aromatherapy and infant massage. By incorporating touch with botanicals, you increase the bond between parent and child while simultaneously creating a healthy, relaxing environment for bot.

Aromatherapy can be safe for infants and children as long as a few guidelines are observed: 

• Never apply oils full strength to the baby’s skin. Since babies have a smaller amount of resistive tissue, adult doses can be considered toxic. Be sure to dilute essential oils for babies and toddlers to ½ amount of the adult dose. This would be ¼ drop for every 3 drops in a standard blend. Since it is impossible to measure a ¼ of a drop, it is advisable to decrease the essential oil and increase the carrier oil or lotion. Remember, no where in aromatherapy is the ‘less is more’ approach more appropriate than here.

Safe essential oil choices for babies: lavender, chamomile and rose

Children are naturals with aromatherapy. The sweet and floral scents calm them almost instantaneously. Older children who no longer will tolerate a back rub from mom or dad will most assuredly indulge in a foot massage (especially after sports). All ages welcome the addition of essential oils in their bath tubs. Be sure to dilute these oils in an appropriate carrier oil according the recommendations below. Allow some flexibility to adjust the amounts if the child’s body size and weight is above or below average percentile for the child’s age. Your pediatrician can help you with this information.

Children: Factor age vs. body weight
5-8 years: 1/6th to 1/3rd the adult recommendation
8-12 years: 1/3th to ½ the adult recommendation
12-15 years: ½ to 2/3rd the adult recommendation

Safe essential oil choices for children: lavender, tea tree, German or Roman chamomile, tangerine, spearmint, rose, lemon, ravensara, eucalyptus and rosemary

• Avoid the following oils for use with all children unless instructed by a reliable text or a certified aromatherapist. All ‘spice oils’ such as clove, cinnamon, cassia, nutmeg, ginger and black pepper. Other oils which should not be used with children are pennyroyal, hyssops, rue and yarrow.

• Avoid citrus oils if your children are playing out of doors since they may increase photosensitivity.

• Use cold pressed, natural oils. Stay away from  petroleum-, chemical- or mineral-based oils (such as baby oil). These oils interfere with the solubility of vitamins and minerals within the essential oils. An easy rule for oils is if you can eat it, you can use it. (Olive oil and grapeseed are wonderful.)

Photo by ::paqman::/Courtesy Flickr
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As a licensed massage therapist and a certified infant massage instructor and practitioner, I recommend infant massage for building a bond with your baby. Infant massage is a path that will lead to a lifetime of good communication and closeness. Numerous studies show impressive benefits, such as significant neurological development and absorption of nutrients. Also, parents raise their confidence and sensitivity to meeting their babies’ needs, allowing them to respond appropriately to baby’s cues.  The special time spent together can help promote longer and deeper sleep patterns, help relieve colic or gas and helps babies and children develop a positive body image.  Your touch will help baby relax and release accumulated tension by decreasing the production of stress hormones.

How to give a rewarding infant massage (for you and baby):

• Make eye contact with baby. Watch baby’s expressions and note how your touch affects your child. Smile, sing and whisper to baby as you touch.

• Ask permission of your baby to touch each part. This simple act of respect also encourages verbalization and word associations for your baby and brings the art of a lifetime of communication into play.

• Use a gentle, but firm pressure when massaging. A confident touch is conveyed and baby’s sense of safety and love is reinforced.

Ready to begin?  Enjoy the following formulas for baby.

To promote sleep patterns in well babies:

• 1 ½ ounce grapeseed essential oil
• 1 drop lavender essential oil
• 1 drop German chamomile essential oil

1. Mix ingredients together.

2. Use mix during massage OR use 1 teaspoon in your baby’s bath at night time when you want your child to fall asleep faster.

To allieviate gas and upset tummies:

• 1 drop fennel essential oil
• 3 ounces grapeseed essential oil

1. Mix ingredients together.

2. Apply mix to abdomen only. Use plain grapeseed for the remainder of a full body massage.

To open nasal passages: 

Put a drop of eucalyptus oil on a night light or into a humidifier as baby sleeps. Never apply this oil directly to baby. An aromatic bath for baby can be made by substituting one drop eucalyptus or ravensara for the fennel in the above formula. Use 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the bath.  Hold baby securely when bathing with oils.

So if you are lucky enough to be welcoming  a new addition to your immediate or extended family, pass along this information.  Family bonds begin early and the skills and communications in those formative years can be key to a confident child.  Babies grow up too quickly, take the time now to be as present as possible.  Learn and grow with your baby – and may you be ‘forever young’.

Marguerite Dunne is a city girl and traveler. Visit her website at www.herbs-on-hudson.com or listen to her radio show, The Urban Herbalist, on www.wtbq.com. Marguerite was also the third place winner in The Herb Companion's essay contest, "Looking Forward to Herbs."

My Jewish friends have always found it odd that I'm such a fan of Yom Kippur. I like the idea of taking one day a year for thinking about your mistakes and making yourself a better person. When I was still teaching, I used the occasion to assign this essay thesis statement: If you could take back one thing you did as a child, what would it be? 

The stories were often painful to read. One story was written by an angry, adolescent young boy from the inner city. He wrote about the time he was 11 years old, hanging out with his pals in the garage, and playing with his father's guns. They were each taking turns handling the gun. When it was his turn, he accidently shot his friend, nearly killing him and taking out one of his friend’s eyes.

He never alluded to this tragedy before, masking the emotion he felt. The part that was so painful for him was that he'd never been given the canvas, the paper or the platform to express his feelings and tell his tale.

People are faced with great challenges, and somehow people have to deal with them daily. Reading these painful essays reminded me of how regenerative Mother Nature can be, and how lucky we are to have her abundance to help overcome tough situations.

Although it would trivialize my former student’s situation to imply that a few herbs could take away the pain of his life situation, I do believe that some of nature’s healing plants can help put our bodies and spirits at ease.

Here are some herbal remedies that have specific healing properties for dealing with overcoming sorrow, anger and depression.

There’s nothing like a sip of skullcap tea. Also try a medium green leaf tea, which helps relax nervous tension and is a favorite at the end of a trying day.

Verbena officinalis

Vervain (don't forget to add the honey to this one!) is more “full-bodied” and can help overcome a deeper depression. The secret is in the consistency; you can’t have a “one cup here and a one cup there" approach. Instead, use 2 to 3 cups daily for a couple of weeks, depending on how overwhelming the sorrow is and how many toxins one loads up with. Vervain also acts as a hepatic remedy and helps with inflammation of the gallbladder. In Chinese Medicine, anger is held in the gallbladder.

Next, I suggest picking up a paintbrush, grabbing a pen, or finding a guitar and discovering new ways to express your emotions and overcome terrible situations. Bodies and minds can mend; nature and art can lead the way.