Whether you live in a mountain cabin or a city loft, plant spirits present themselves to us everywhere. Since its first printing in 1995, Plant Spirit Medicine has passed hand-to-hand among countless readers drawn to indigenous spirituality and all things alive and green. In this updated edition, Eliot Cowan invites us to discover the healing power of plants-not merely their physical medicinal properties, but the deeper wisdom and gifts that they offer. Enriched by many new insights, this guide unfolds as a series of chapters on how plant spirit medicine helped Cowan resolve specific challenges in his own healing journey and in his work with others. In the telling, we learn how plant spirits can directly communicate with and aid all of us, including: Plant spirit medicine's five-element view of healing * Ways to assess our own states of health and balance * Receiving guidance from plants, including those found within herbal preparations * New passages on community and sacred plants such as peyote, marijuana, and tobacco * Additional interviews with plant shamans across diverse traditions, and more

'Root to Stem is a seasonal and holistic approach to health that puts plants, herbs and nature at the heart of how we live and eat. It is a new kind of guide that links individual health to our communities and the planet's health to sustain us all.' This perfect companion to the seasons, this book will show you how to take greater control over your own health and well-being, treat everyday ailments, and ensure the sustainability of the planet through discovering how to forage, grow, or shop for plant- and herb-based foods and products. Including: Detox in the spring with sorrel, cleavers and nettles. Harvest summer lime leaf shoots to soothe digestive upsets and feed gut microbes. Bake a Lammas loaf to celebrate the autumnal equinox. Boost your winter immunity with red berries, purple potatoes and rosehips. Root-to-stem eating encourages you to use every edible part of plant, including the leaves, skin, seeds and stalks. Travelling through the four seasons, expert medical herbalist Alex Laird shares the natural ingredients that are available on your doorstep, simple delicious recipes and easy-to-make herbal remedies.

As people moved into cities and suburbs and embraced modern medicine and industrialized food, they lost their connection to nature, in particular to the plants with which humanity coevolved. These plants are essential components of our physiologies--tangible reminders of cross-kingdom signaling--and key not only to vibrant physical health and prevention of illness but also to soothing and awakening the troubled spirit. Blending traditional herbal medicine with history, mythology, clinical practice, and recent findings in physiology and biochemistry, herbalist Guido Mase explores the three classes of plants necessary for the healthy functioning of our bodies and minds--aromatics, bitters, and tonics. He explains how bitter plants ignite digestion, balance blood sugar, buffer toxicity, and improve metabolism; how tonic plants normalize the functions of our cells and nourish the immune system; and how aromatic plants relax tense organs, nerves, and muscles and stimulate sluggish systems, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. He reveals how wild plants regulate our heart variability rate and adjust the way DNA is read by our cells, controlling the self-destructive tendencies that lead to chronic inflammation or cancer. Offering examples of ancient and modern uses of wild plants in each of the 3 classes--from aromatic peppermint to bitter dandelion to tonic chocolate--Mase provides easy recipes to integrate them into meals as seasonings and as central ingredients in soups, stocks, salads, and grain dishes as well as including formulas for teas, spirits, and tinctures. Providing a framework for safe and effective use as well as new insights to enrich the practice of advanced herbalists, he shows how healing "wild plant deficiency syndrome"--that is, adding wild plants back into our diets--is vital not only to our health but also to our spiritual development.

As people increasingly seek alternatives to modern medicine, interest is growing in the ancient system of Tibetan medicine, which has been practised for over 2,500 years. Known as 'gSo-ba-Rig-pa', or 'the science of healing', it is based on Buddhist philosophical principles, astrology and the close relationship between body and mind. This concise introduction presents all the essential information on Tibetan medicine. It covers the basic theoretical principles, practice and history of this traditional system, as well as methods of diagnosis and treatments such as urine analysis, golden needle therapy and cupping. It includes a chapter on case histories and provides information on what to expect from a practising physician based on compassion. With a comprehensive resources section, this book provides everything there is to know about Tibetan medicine at an introductory level. This book will be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about Tibetan medicine, as well as anyone looking to find out more about Tibetan thought, Tibetan Buddhism, traditional medicine, comparative religion or Eastern spirituality.

Ayurveda is the world's oldest system of natural medicine, originating in India thousands of years ago. Yoga, now practiced by tens of millions of Americans, is derived from it. This unique book reveals the ancient yet ultramodern Ayurvedic perspective on depression. Filled with time-tested techniques to untangle the root of depression, it offers a holistic approach that includes wisdom on yoga, breathing techniques, meditation, nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and spirituality.

Nancy Liebler, PhD (Bloomfield Hills, MI), is a clinical psychologist, professor, and lecturer. Liebler is on the board of the David Lynch Foundation and has spearheaded conferences for Stress-Free Schools. Sandra Moss, MSPH (Ann Arbor, MI), is an Ayurvedic practitioner in private practice. An active researcher and writer, Moss lectures and consults throughout the country.

Live greener and find magic in the world around you with this comprehensive sourcebook to living the hearth witch way. Featuring homemade recipes, instructions for making everything from wine to soaps, and a variety of potions and spells, The Hearth Witch's Compendium helps you incorporate spiritual practice into everyday life. The contemporary hearth witch inherits the mantle of the village wise woman; she is part shaman, part seer, part herbalist, part spiritual healer, and entirely witch. Anna Franklin guides you through each project, from growing your own herbs and making remedies for simple ailments to creating natural household products and mixing oils. By following the hearth witch life, you'll save money, reduce waste and exposure to potentially toxic chemicals, and have a lot of fun along the way.