Category: Men

WILD PLANTS USED FOR MAKING SUN TEA

9/13/2012

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
High in vitamin C, Beta-carotene and amino acids. One of the most protein-rich plants, also contains calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. A spring tonic can be made from stinging nettle that cleanses the kidney and bladder and is good for strengthening hair, nails and skin. Traditionally it was used externally to treat arthritis by whipping or rubbing whole plants on affected areas

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What's In Your Soap

9/12/2012

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Triclosan
Carcinogenic ingredients are no joke and triclosan is no exception. This antibacterial compound chemical is commonly found in cleansers and deodorants and has been has been linked to cancer, developmental defects and is even very toxic to inhale. To keep triclosan out of your home as well as out of your body Use only plant-based organic sand home-made soaps. Ancient Blends Naturals offers you five scent-sational, natural soap choices...made from scratch and infuse it with natural oils, essence and vitamins. http://www.cowrieshell.com/shop.html

Ancient Blends Homemade Soaps: Oatmeal, Lavender, Orange, Lemongrass, Mint and 'NEW' Shea Honey

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Fall Is 'Sacred' Body Butter Season..!!!

9/11/2012

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Embracing and Honoring the Fall Season...
Fall is the time when we naturally start to reflect inwards, as the summer falls behind us we look back at the events that manifested in our lives during the year. It is a time where we begin to reap the harvest we had started in the spring and put away for the winter. This is true in our personal and professional life. Let us honor the return of the mystical Fall season. Pampering ourselves is a perfect way to honor the upcoming cold weather seasons. I invite you to lavish in this aromatic, gingery experience either alone, as part of your spa experience with friends or with your significant other.
This is the ultimate indulgence in luxurious, bath and body products specially formulated using only the best ingredients. My Ancient Blends 'Sacred' body butter reduces the loss of skin moisture and it's perfect for rejuvenating sun kissed skin.
This a body care product that can be used as a moisturizer, a massage cream and as a natural body gloss to visually enhance your skin's natural glow. It is best applied regularly to your damp skin after bathing or showering. This body butter is a blend of cocoa butter and shea butter, naturally scented with a combination of sage, rosemary, lemongrass and lavender pure essential oils and other fruit oils which include avocado oil, aloe vera oil, olive oil, clove oil, jojoba oil, anise spice and vegetable glycerin which lends added moisture. Due to the balance of natural plant based oils and pure quality butters, the result is a magical butter possessing the most effective moisturizer and natural fragrant balance. These butters make wonderful gifts also.

Mom used to say, 'Prevention is better than cure'...it took many years before I fully understood what my mom meant when she would said that phrase to my siblings and I when we were children. She was really saying, "start buttering up before yah start cracking up!"

Since I do use the high vibrational essence of plants to scent all of my hair and body products, the outcome is a product line that not only is physically beneficial, but one that is spiritually and emotionally balancing for you, the consumer. Experience a jar of Ancient Blends 'Sacred' body butter and the other fragrances this season and enhance your spiritual connection to inner health and well-being.

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Lavender Love

9/9/2012

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Of all the amazing plants in the herbal kingdom, only a few hold such a great place of reverence in our gardens as lavender. It's graceful beauty, spicy-peppery aroma, and potent healing properties have made this herb one of my favorites and quite a staple in our homes; especially in the kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Lavender has to be the most widely known and most used of the essential oils. It’s flowerly, light aroma is so pleasant and uplifting. Lavender is also a cool color, not so much in popularity but in tone. The ying-yang balance of lavender points to the feminine side, being very supporting of our ability to turn inward and increase our awareness. Take a look at the spiritual qualities lavender is known for... spiritual healing, tranquility, higher consciousness, releasing energy blockages, easing tension, promoting a sense of calm and is also highly recommended for purification. Lavender essential oils are harvested from the flowers of the lavender plant. You can use lavender in a bath, diffuser, or mist.

Benefits of Lavender Oil for Hair
Of course, for me lavender essential oil as well as the lavender flowers play a major role in my Ancient Blends hair and body care product line (see ancient-blends-sacred-hair-and-scalp). Lavender oil is among the most commonly used aromatherapy oils, which is extremely effective in treating hair loss. Regular usage is helpful in controlling thinning hair and improving hair growth. Alopecia areata, a condition where you lose excessive hair, especially in patches has been known to be treated with lavender essential oil. As a natural hair expert, I recommend daily scalp massaging with warmed lavender oil in olive oil, which will definitely ensure significant hair re-growth in a few months. You can use lavender oil for hair growth and get rid of problems like itchy scalp and dandruff as well. It is a powerful antiseptic and it is very useful for disinfecting the scalp, treating dry scalp, lice, lice eggs or nits. It also fights fungi, viruses and other microbes.

Also, a relaxing head massage with lavender oil is also helpful in curing insomnia and improving sleep quality. One of the lavender oil benefits is that it relaxes you and helps you get rid of anxiety and depression. The calming and soothing effect of this essential oil is beneficial for relieving stress. This in turn helps control hair loss, as insomnia, stress, depression are among the common and probable causes of this problem. Sufficient sleep and mental peace ensures that hair loss is in control. It also increases blood circulation under the roots of the hair follicles. Aside from all of this, you can regularly use one of the following hair masks for improving the texture of your hair and controlling hair loss problem.

Ways to Use Lavender Oil for Hair
You can use lavender oil in combination with other essential oils that are beneficial for hair growth to make an effective hair mask. Here are some that I for you try...

For Hair Growth...
You need to take 10 drops of lavender oil, 10 drops of rosemary oil, 5 drops of basil oil and 4 oz. of jojoba oil. Mix all these oils well and store them in a dark bottle. Use it regularly for scalp and hair massage. This is very effective in smoothing your hair and boosting hair growth Make sure that you shake the bottle well, before each use.

For Dry Scalp...
Take ¼th cup of oatmeal and soak it in water for 20 minutes. Take 7 drops of lavender oil and 5 drops of rosemary oil and mix all these ingredients properly and then apply the paste on your scalp. You can wash off this mask after an hour with warm water. This mask is good solution for getting rid of itching and dry scalp.

While using lavender oil for hair growth or other problems, you will start noticing its benefits within a few weeks or months. You need to keep using it regularly as the results will not be seen immediately. So include this essential oil in your hair care routine and take the first step towards healthy hair. Always use precautions when working with any essential oil. Avoid your eye area and other sensitive parts of your body.

You may use lavender essential oil for calming and rest, promoting peaceful sleep and a feeling of happiness. Lavender may help alleviate migraine headaches.
There are many levels of quality to be aware of when shopping for any essential oil. The trick is to preserve the delicate life of the plant, the essential oils. One of the best methods to extract the powerful healing properties of lavender is the method “steam distilled” to ensure high concentrations of the essential oils of lavender or Lavandula officinalis.

Lavender and Love
Lavender does have special magical properties... it has been used for centuries in the area of love, used to scent love letters, also used as a perfume to attract the opposite sex. Back in the Renaissance days lavender would be combined with rosemary and used to secure the chastity of a woman.

Feng Shui and Lavender
Feng Shui focuses mainly on the flow of energy, whether we are talking about the architecture or how our home is decorated. It is advised to use lavender or any purple color sparingly. In Feng Shui and health it is thought that the color purple could trigger blood disease, but it is fine as an accent. The lighter purple shades like lavender is popular for meditation rooms.

Crown Chakra and Lavender
The color purple is associated with the crown chakra, the energy center associated with higher purpose and spiritual connectivity. The crown chakra, also known as our 7th chakra is located at the very top of our head and the vibration of the crown is the highest vibration in our physical body. I recommend anointing your crown chakra with lavender essential oil before mediating.

Lavender Amethyst

When we look into the world of gemstones and crystals a popular crystal is Amethyst (one of my favorites), which is available in pink or lavender, and is a very powerful healing crystal.

Amethysts are recommended to those who deal with stress a lot, such as people with an excessive work ethic who are unable to enjoy relaxation. This quality is also believed useful when treating insomnia too. Amethysts also help those who are prone to depression and an overall melancholy feeling. Many also believe that amethysts are useful for those working to transcend chemical dependence. The stones may work as talismans to provide inner strength when battling dependency. Amethyst is believed to target the pituitary gland, which directs the endocrine system, the pineal gland, where altered states of consciousness and psychic skills are thought to be triggered, and the entire cerebral cortex in the brain. It is therefore felt to be a tonic for headaches, mental illness, anxiety, concussions, and depression.

Amethysts are also used for natural healing. It is a stone steeped in ancient magic and is as popular today as it was two thousand years ago. If placed under a pillow or worn to bed, it supposedly drives off insomnia and nightmares. It also produces a restful sleep with pleasant, healing, and prophetic dreams. It will also make sure that you don't oversleep. It is a spiritual stone, with no negative side effects or associations with violence, anger or passion. It is a stone of peace. It calms fears, raises hopes, lifts the spirits, and promotes thoughts of the spiritual reality behind our lives. It wards off guilt and self deception, curbs overindulgence, and bestows good judgment. It calms emotional storms and in situations of potential danger, it will come to your aid. It also lends courage and is a powerful amulet for travelers. When worn, it protects against thieves, harm, sickness, and danger.

Amethyst is cleansing, physically and psychologically. It helps to promotes internal balance and harmony and brings about stability to the individual. Amethysts are capable of raising ones spirits, promoting self assurance and confidence. They brighten the outlook on life and enhances our sense of humor. The virtues of amethyst include beauty, calm, fulfillment, humility, a loving demeanor, perfection, piety, sincerity, spiritual balance, tranquility and wisdom.

Amethyst should be worn during contemplation or placed on simple meditation altars. It is worn during psychic acts and since it is a stone of wisdom, it allows the information received through the psychic mind to be appropriately utilized. The stone also helps sharpen the conscious mind and enhances the mental powers. It is used to improve memory and keeps thoughts in line with life goals. It is a stone of pure, true, emotional love. It is often exchanged between two lovers to strengthen their commitment. It is also one of the few stones specifically prescribed for men to use for attracting women. It supposedly draws “good women” to love him. This stone is also used by those involved in lawsuits to ensure that right is done. It has been long thought to bring success to businesses.

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Autumn Season Detox

9/7/2012

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Beginning on September 22 or 23, the autumn equinox announces a time of change, in weather, daylight, and temperatures. Physically, you will need to take special care of the most two vital organs of this season, your lungs and your large intestines.

Our lungs—along with our bronchial tubes, throat, sinuses, and our nose—are a major detoxification pathway. They act as the go-between for the internal and outer environment, inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide through their pulmonary capillaries. Each cell performs as a mini lung by taking in oxygen from the bloodstream and eliminating carbon dioxide, which is then carried back to the lungs. That’s why it’s so essential for our lungs to have good-quality air that is clean, moist, warm, and rich in oxygen.

Equally important to our health and detox process are our large intestines, which also need our special attention during this season. When our system becomes backed up with toxins, a mucus buildup along the lining of the intestinal wall occurs. The waste lodged in our colons ultimately affect every part of our body and the result is constipation. One of the first places this intestinal problem appears is our skin in the form of rashes, blotchy skin, acne, and eczema. And because constipation can cause fecal matter to stay lodged in your system for weeks or even years, this motionless waste develops a hard, stubborn buildup along the walls of our bowels and creates a dangerous playground for unwanted bacteria.

Autumn healing teas, herbs, and spices like Fenugreek tea is my autumn beverage of choice due to its effectiveness as a lubricant and its ability to soften and dissolve mucus in the lungs and moisten the intestinal tract to prevent constipation.

Autumn spices including warming cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and anise, which are not only deliciously aromatic but help to prevent indigestion, gas, and cold hands and feet. Anise is a lung remedy as well, known to help bronchial disorders and asthma. Our autumn tea, herbs, and spices all help to support intestinal and respiratory function and alleviate dampness.

Call Me To Schedule Your Autumn Dextox Consultation
http://www.cowrieshell.com/contact.html

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2012 West Indian Labor Day Carnival, Bklyn, NY

9/3/2012

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The West Indian Labor Day Parade 2012...A Brooklyn tradition. The first time I ever saw this parade was in 1976 after arriving in this country from Barbados in June of that same year. It has really change a lot since then. Back then, there were no police barricades and it was more family friendly...it still remains the largest, most amazingly creative, super festive party in the country... (Photo By: Mirielle Liong)

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