Sarah Bowen shares ways humans can rebalance their relationship with the rest of the animal kingdom.

The Evolution of Empathy, Altruism, and Even the Soul

“As I walked, something walked with me. Not in the sand—but to my right, in the water, just beyond the breaking of the waves.”

If you consider yourself a spiritual animal lover, dive into these five book titles suggested by our animal chaplain.

Animals of all kinds, especially the ones sharing our home, can be our spiritual guides and healers if we pay attention.

The world often seems like a bleak place for animal rights. Here are some of the good things happening to our more-than-human neighbors on this planet.

Authenticity, a minimal amount of emotional work, and the ability to gain trust are just some of the reasons empaths value their relationships with animals and with nature.

Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen chatted with ChatGPT, an online artificial intelligence chatbot, about animal ethics.

An excerpt from Totem Animals, Plain & Simple by Celia M. Gunn

"Let’s bring to light the stunning diversity of life on Earth. Welcome to Animal Pride.”

A Plea for the AnimalsThe Moral, Philosophical, and Evolutionary Imperative to Treat All Beings with CompassionBy Matthieu RicardShambhala PublicationsAccording to a statistic cite…

Renowned psychotherapist and shamanic healer Dr. Steven Farmer offers concrete ways to work with spirit animals to assist you in healing anxiety.

Explore what the animals of Norse mythology have to teach us about the gods, the modern world, and the ancient world.

Interspecies healing practices include prayer circles and shawls.

Explore one yoga instructor and anthropologist’s suggestions for breath practices that connect us with animal wisdom.

Need a wisdom teacher? Look no further than the animal world’s bees, snakes, and more.

Not only do animals live, they have lives—with “undiluted purity and clarity…”

This week in research, a good reason to try jogging. Also, optimism has been linked to better sleep. And finally, people are getting serious about figuring out what the heck an emotional support animal really is. Read on for more.

Sarah Bowen explores the intersection of animals and spirituality in Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Trying to Heal the Planet.

While animals are good inspiration for self-care ideas, droids are excellent for helping maintain motivation.

Do you ever look an animal in the eye and see someone you know? National Geographic fellow Joel Sartore develops this deep connection with his photographs of endangered species (se…

Thingifying animals is a thing (Sure! I'll be your guinea pig!)—and words matter. Here are tips for kinder and more mindful, animal-inclusive speech from the world’s wisdom traditions.

“I got my first dog at 76. Childless, this experience had eluded me, and seven-week-old Rocky change my life.”

The author was inspired by the removal of words from the dictionary to make more room for technology.

When it comes to roadkill it can be easy to act as if you have no responsibility.

Our resident animal chaplain offers her musings on an eclectic nativity scene.

Our animal chaplain gives the scoop on the most ethical, mindful ways to snap pics of our beloved animal friends.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with New Hampshire-based artist Kim Ferreira about foxes and racoons, happy paintings, phonographs, and more.

FOR MANY YEARS, the so-called “52-hertz whale” has been one of the more mysterious and captivating beasts in creation. So called because the sounds it emits are at a frequency diff…

Our resident animal chaplain shows us the significance of blessing animals—and one another.

Critter lover and Spiritual Rebel author Sarah Bowen shares five cherished texts about animals.

Robo-dog? Sounds straight out of a sci-fi movie. Technology has come a long way since the 1997 release of the Tamagotchi. Still, today robopets continue to bring comfort and cure loneliness.

Studies suggest animals engage in their own kind of spiritual practices. Discover animal-inspired prayer through a sacred writing practice.

Praying to dog? Studies have shown prayer has a positive impact on mental and physical health and healing—regardless of who or what you pray to.

Within that which you fear, there is spiritual potential. Reclaim your monsters and awaken to the presence of God in Godzilla.

In creating cultivated backyards, we are removing habitats for wild animals. Here are several sustainable gardening tips that keep the wellbeing of all creatures in mind.

The guidance Tyler Knott Gregson offers in his new book, Miracle in the Mundane, is for tapping into our creativity, purpose, and joy; because, "from time to time in this crazy and chaotic spin we call life, we need to pause, reflect, and truly begin again."

Therapeutic horseback riding helps veterans with PSTD

“I’m in awe of the way coyotes practice mindfulness in their day-to-day lives. They display a calm awareness of everything that’s going on around them and give complete attention to what they’re experiencing on a moment-to-moment basis.”

My four-legged roommates Buba-ji and Deacon are not happy with me today. They were intent on munching on a mouse when I swooped in to stop the slaughter. As they meow and run frant…

Read how a rescued rooster is tackling climate change and spreading kindness, plus a practice for exploring purpose in your life.

Creating the change you want to see in the world requires first welcoming all of your emotions, even the difficult ones, and then moving forward with clarity.

Find solace in an animal rosary practice that invokes blessings on our furry, finned, and feathered companions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an unlikely hero has emerged: pets. “In addition to helping us navigate an increasingly frightening and lonely world, our pets can also help us manage the interpersonal relationships inside our own walls.”

“Our pet companions negotiate everything about our vital relationship with them through energetics. But how can we receive and interpret our pet companion’s various messages?”

Practicing interspecies mindfulness can help us increase the ability to live in a state of non-anxious presence. Have you tried meditating with your pup?

What spiritual lessons can we glean from pollinators? Our resident animal chaplain offers wisdom from honeybees.

Ticks are animals, just like us. Is it possible to stay safe while keeping ticks in our circle of compassion?

Hope isn’t simply an emotion, nor is it faith. A conversation with Dr. Jane Goodall provides some insight.

Healing the planet, grieving an animal loss, and more from Sacred Sendoffs with animal chaplain Sarah Bowen.

In honor of the Feast of St. Francis, our animal chaplain offers an alternative animal blessing—and suggests that you utilize it, too.

Pet loss can be as impactful as losing a human companion. Utilize these four affirmations to support yourself through the grieving process.

Speciesism is a complex issue. Explore why understanding this paradigm matters, and learn new ways of building mindful relationships with the animal beings in your life.

Now that summer is in full swing, it’s important to consider your bear neighbors. Our animal chaplain shares her experience with a black bear, and some tips on how to handle bear encounters of many kinds.

What is one to do with rats in the house? Explore our animal chaplain’s ideas on how to ethically rat-proof your home.

We spoke with Shachi Kale about healing with art, wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita, and the female journey.

While wasp stings can certainly be random and unfortunate, they can also teach us about ourselves and our perspective on life. What is the spiritual meaning of a wasp sting?

Feeling the loss of a beloved animal companion and conflicted about their passing? Eight animal chaplains offer their wisdom.

Our animal chaplain spoke with a cognitive ethologist to get the best information possible on how to love and communicate with our canine companions.

It’s often said that “grief is love with nowhere to go.” Ignore voices telling you to move on, and instead find a place to put all the love you once showered on your pet when they were alive.

Five years ago, adventurous moviegoers were enchanted with Turkish director Ceyda Torun’s documentary about Istanbul’s street cats, Kedi, a small indie hit on the festival circui…

Apifera Farm is a healing place for animals and elders. In addition to visits with Harry, seniors can meet geese and goats and even groom the horses, providing the element of touch, the rhythm of repetition, and the curative fresh air of the farm.

Time with our feline friends can be deeply nourishing. Explore how one program is connecting shelter cats with incarcerated individuals to promote interspecies healing.

Before you decide to buy your family that cute Easter bunny as a pet, take a look at alternatives that might be better for rabbit welfare.

The loss of a pet can be profoundly impactful, leaving us to make hard choices about their body. Explore our animal chaplain’s advice for what happens after our animal companions pass.

Familiar with forest bathing? Try this meditative practice with your pup for an added benefit.

Pelican DreamsDirected by Judy IrvingIn 2005, in The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, filmmaker Judy Irving detailed the odd relationship between a group of feral parrots and an une…

Rewilding Our HeartsBuilding Pathways of Compassion and CoexistenceBy Marc BekoffNew World LibraryI saw Jane Goodall give a talk in person once. When she took questions at the…

An ancient web of wetlands across the upper Midwest, essential to migratory birds and the health of waterways, are draining at an alarming rate.

Six questions for professional animal communicator Maia Kincaid.

Tapping into the wisdom of “prey” species.

Low self-esteem is hard to lift. Unlike high self-esteem, which is primed to respond rapidly to even slight praise—You love my new haircut? Me too!—low self-esteem is notoriously s…

Excerpted from Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh by Matthew Fox

Excerpt from Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver

​Walk in the Church of the Woods

Because no species is prepared to deal with an absence of environmental unpredictability

“My trigger that tells me I’m tuned in to an animal is the fact that my eyes fill up with tears.”

Here we are, profoundly amazed to find ourselves on a planet speeding 67 thousand miles per hour through vast regions of cold space, impossibly removed from any other known place o…

One author offers her thoughts on taking a 5-week, $500 vacation from anxiety.

In need of more quiet time? Concerned about noise pollution? Practice mauna.

Dragons are spiritual beings with potent lessons to offer—explore the seven lessons in power they can share with you.

Our resident animal chaplain explores the complexities of mortality as it regards our animal companions—and ourselves.

Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen follows up on the impact of the death of LA's mountain lion P-22, and shares about the power of Indigenous thought on ecology.

Anyone still suffering nightmares because of a childhood viewing of Bambi may wish to prepare themselves for EO, veteran Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski’s tale of a donkey who ex…

There is a lot to learn from the moon and the animal kingdom when it comes to sleeping better. Try these easy steps to get a better, more natural night of rest.

Fur stoles, coats, and muffs that have grown out of fashion can be used to help care for wildlife. Explore how.

Explore Rev. Sarah Bowen's top four books for animal-loving kids, and enjoy a bonus interview with animal advocate Camille Licate.

Recognizing the sentience of nonhumans obligates you to engage with life in a manner that, at minimum, seeks to avoid unnecessary suffering.

What might we gain from considering ourselves in the same way, affected by both our earthly presence and the influence of the moon?

Our animal chaplain shares inspiration for sustaining canine advocacy from a mother-daughter team in India.

“That's so meta.” ... From self-reflective to the Buddhist mettā (cultivating benevolence), “we can practice wild lovingkindness to extend beyond one being, beyond humanity.” Here, 5 mettā moment starters, plus a practice for reflecting on your wild connections.

Time to adopt a furry friend? Your four-legged friend’s company helps relieve touch deprivation and feelings of isolation.

Discover 4 ways to celebrate the first-ever Guinea Pig Awareness Week. Start by learning what every human needs to know about interacting with these four-pawed friends.

BugsDirected by Andreas JohnsenRosforth FilmsOpening with a culinary feast involving bowls of soldier fly larvae, locust tabbouleh, and dung beetle stew, Andreas Johnsen’s fascinat…

Two Dogs and a ParrotWhat Our Animal Friends Can Teach Us About LifeBy Joan ChittisterBlueBridgeWhy do we love pets? Because, through them, we “cling to nature in a world made of g…

“Magic happens betweens humans and animals, but there is a special magic with these animals.”

Rabbi Rami once again talks to Matthieu Ricard: Buddhist monk, photographer, author, humanitarian and French translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Ricard is the “happiness ma…

Learning from the spiritual lives of animals.

Harvard-trained brain surgeon Allan Hamilton, MD, offers eight top lessons from his Zen Lab: working with horses.

A glimpse at what it's like spiritually supporting animals (and the humans who love them!) through life’s heartbreaks and joys.

A new way to pray that combines an ancient tool and a modern perspective.

Sometimes you just need an Egyptian vulture named Bob to lead you in the right direction.

You have to train a dog to be vicious. For humans, all it takes is religion, politics, or social media. Dogs are the ultimate Zen practitioners.

This holiday season is for the birds.

Acknowledging other animals’ capacity for still minds might be a helpful tool for quieting our own.

Sarah Bowen provides some creaturely resolutions and insights for the New Year.

In their emotionally connected presence, pets can be a powerful ally for optimal mental health.

Could you teach a peace-loving and exquisitely sensitive animal to carry you across a battlefield into enemy fire? What would that teach you?

And what to do about it if you can’t.

Connect with your dog on a deeper level with these suggestions.

Tap into the Sabbath practices of a hibernating bear. Unplug, rest ... and just be.

It’s like astrology but add some fur and feathers. Discover your animal sign and how this animal counterpart has influenced your most essential qualities in life.

Giant squirrels, giant lessons? Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen explores what squirrels can show us about mindfulness.

The surprising history of the yummy treat, plus tips on sweet ingredients that do good

Wizard of Paws' Derrick Campana “is proving a healthy and happy life is possible through creatively engineered orthotics and custom prosthetics.” And, beyond bionics, here are three ways we can support injured and suffering animals.

Rosemary has long signified deep friendship and lasting memories. This ritual for grief, built around rosemary, creates time and space for grieving and allows others to join and share the healing process.

“One reason people are leaving traditional Bible-based religions is that they are told they have to read the Bible literally rather than metaphorically.” So what happened to the poop on Noah's ark?

Parent to a nervous cat? Body-Mind-Spirit connection isn't just for the humans—help your cat cultivate its inner peace through music.

The symbolic meanings of animals often vary from culture to culture. Different animals and their symbolism can serve as a great comfort and reminder that you are not alone, even in grief.

“Subscribe to plants, animals, stars, / music, the baby who can’t walk yet”

Canine wellness expert Amanda Ree dishes ayurvedic wisdom via dog dosha quizzes, balancing your furry friend's dosha and customizing it to meet your BFF's unique needs.

More…

If you're looking for ways to naturally sleep better at night, where better to look than in nature?

Maggie the Wunderdog was shot, attacked, and left for dead, but, thanks to a rescuer, survived, is thriving—and is loving. Here are four lessons on forgiveness rescue dogs like Maggie teach us.

Astrology for cats? Finally decode their quirky behavior by getting to know their place on the zodiac.

How can we live in sacred relationship with the more-than-human world?

A simple yoga flow can alleviate your tight psoas, which could be causing you lower back pain, digestive and fertility issues, chronic stress, and more.

Do no harm: Three surprising insights and reflections on the practice of ahimsa from the fungi on the forest floor, plus five practices for tapping in.

Munching through the Halloween and Christmas holidays alone, Americans consume over a billion dollars of chocolate each year. Turn your sweet tooth into a delectable sacred practice with a side of mindful advocacy.

“I realized that avoiding death, so common in American culture, would not stop it. Instead, taking the time to thoughtfully and actively participate in her transition helped me join her in that state of grace she taught me so much about.”

“The following are messages I received during my investigations of the Neolithic to Bronze Age at ancient monuments. They explore how to enhance our humanity, recover lost skills, and deepen our connection to the archaic whisper.”

Got questions? Rabbi Rami has answers.

Keep your four-legged family members from developing digestive issues by following these holistic and spiritual pet tips from animal chaplain Sarah Bowen.

Craftivism is a way to be a changemaker while also being creative with your hands. Here are five ways to craft real change right now.

On the heels of her new book, How We Show Up, community activist, advocate, and author Mia Birdsong gives advice for creating and maintaining deep communal relationships and a sense of belonging.

How greening your space, petting your animal bestie, and taking a break to walk can fight Zoom fatigue and improve your work-from-home routine.

Got a stressed-out cat? Here is everything you need to know about reiki for cats—from what it is and how it can help your cat to remote reiki, plus four tips to soothe your stressed feline friend.

More…

Who mows the grass, weeds the garden, and provides the milk, yogurt, and cheese at Frey Vineyards? Our magnanimous goat herd, of course! And they are as adorable as they are industrious.

Carol Novello is the founder of Mutual Rescue™ and author of “Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too.” Mutual Rescue is a national initiative that highligh…

Most humans have burdened sexuality with lots of baggage. Here’s what we did before we could tell stories about our most intimate acts.

Teaching mindfulness to kids has been said to improve their wellbeing, boost performance in the classroom, increase emotional intelligence, and reduce stress and “negative” behavior.

If you are a bibliobibuli, try these practices to joyously continue your exploration of books.

This year, turn to the first known resolution makers—the ancient Babylonians—for inspiration.

Halloween and the season of black cats is a good time to examine our misplaced beliefs and return our relationship with cats to a sacred sphere.

Dr. Andreas Michalsen, author of The Fasting Fix, uses fasting to treat a number of diseases from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension to cardiovascular disease, early stages of dementia, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel disease.

These seven spiritual leaders represent a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and traditions. They are creating change on the ground, touching lives, and helping to define the future of spirituality.

“There is nothing as warm and wonderful as winter. Good books. A friendly dog. Homemade soup. How could I not love the idea of the coming season?”

With an assist from Google Translate, S&H editor Ben Nussbaum and Spanish artist Carmen García Gordillo discussed dreams, snakes, yoga, and much more.

Reverend Aline Silva is a Baptist pastor and preacher, and a member of the queer community. She has a profound passion for an intersectional approach to community outreach, which is a central focus in her work with CreatureKind, and a firm belief in the power of radical love.

It’s holiday season. Take advent beyond the four walls of your own home.

A puppyhood coach and pack therapist explains how to ease the transition from fall to winter for your canine companions, including the pandemic puppy in your household.

Nature has the capacity to hold all of our grief and sorrow. Being in nature reminds us that cycles of renewal are part of our reality.

Everyone knows the importance that bacteria plays in gut health, but what about fungus? Understanding how to balance your mycobiome, or the ecosystem of fungus that lives in the gut, is crucial for maintaining good health.

During this time of self-quarantine, stay connected with your sensual side with tantric touching.

Joaquin Phoenix very publicly pointed the spotlight on inter-species entitlement. Here's why, and how to do something about shifting our perceptions.

Though lifestyle and genetics play a role in our overall health, when it comes to our precious eyes, seeing clearly is important and it turns out that certain foods can support and improve your eyes’ overall health.

A journey toward accepting—and even embracing—anger.

The letter from the editor kicks off each issue and helps set the tone for the magazine. Over the next few issues, members of the S&H team will be writing the letter. In this issue, our Creative Director Sandra Salamony explores the world of the birds and the bees.

Eating with mindfulness and awareness may be one of the clearest pathways to understanding the soul/mind/body connection and can help strengthen our bond to the rest of the natural world.

“The problem isn’t that the Vatican needs money to maintain its operations, but that it is getting millions of dollars from a fund officially designated for helping people. This isn’t new, but it seems all the more egregious when religion preys on those who pray.”

Don’t run away. Engaging with dreams—even nightmares—can teach us a lot about our emotional selves.

“We are born to be at worst brutal, at least single-mindedly hardwired to survive at all costs. Concern for fellow creatures, sympathy, good deeds: These are all extras, luxuries we learn—with luck.”

As our air becomes more polluted, healthy breathing habits are becoming even harder to establish.

“In the new year, many of us will be contemplating changing a behavior or an aspect of our lives. Some will dream of it, while the brave ones will get ready to take action. There is a reason you feel that spark. Life is finite. Don’t squander it. Here are four tips to help you be brave, conquer your fears, and pursue the spark.”

Kelly McGonigal says to use the latest research on movement to bring more delight into your life.

In winter, our digestive fire is low, so we should be eating warm, cooked foods. Yes—that means stop eating salads!

Early exposure to dogs is linked to a decreased risk in schizophrenia.

Both co-authors and a couple, Clark Strand and Perdita Finn sit down with S&H to explore how the rosary can help recover a relationship to the Sacred Feminine—even if you’re not religious.

What does justice look like? Racial justice, planetary ethics, and the welfare of other species are inextricably entangled.

Springtime practices for decreasing health risks and increasing spiritual connections.

Celebrate an animal-friendly Easter by resurrecting the Earth.

Relying on your dependable strength allows you to live a happier and fuller life—take it from a 78-year-old expert on living better.

Frey Vineyards has joined the Zoom revolution—leading monthly online tastings to share fun and informative conversations with wine drinkers from around the country.

“Retreat centers are ready to invite guests back onto their properties, but what that means may be vastly different in 2021 and beyond, even after the pandemic is under control.”

Gratitude is powerful. Building your sense of thankfulness the Buddhist way.

Explore how to heal a relationship with your sacred womb—a place of death, life, and possibilities.

Gregory Lamping has been a psychiatric nurse for over thirty years. He’s also a colored pencil artist specializing in drawing animals, both wild and domestic.

Buddhist minister, activist, and yoga instructor Lama Rod Owens shares his thoughts on the importance of remembering Black history and honoring lineage and how a benefactor practice can begin the process of liberation within the body.

Are you feeling alone, facing difficult times, and in need of guidance? Discover how to contact your spirit guide through meditation.

First, we learn how to control the stress in our daily lives.

“If you are someone who doesn’t feel randomly and spontaneously turned on all the time, there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s totally normal to go through periods where you don’t feel like having sex.”

Gathering mushrooms adds a new dimension to walks in nature. Learn more about how to start your own mushroom habit.

In the Soto Zen tradition, emphasis is placed on ethical or mindful acts in everyday practice. This Earth Day practice held at Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center in Northern California is offered to benefit all beings.

In our special section we explore CBD from a variety of angles. Dive in to get up to speed on this huge trend.

"Keeping the acequia clear and flowing is a useful metaphor for interdependence and cooperation. Keeping the acequia clear—both the actual acequia and the acequia of humanity—bears learning how to do well."

Dr. Deborah Gordon dives into the controversies and misperceptions surrounding supplements.

Seeing the world can help you see yourself in a new light.

Our first Science & Spirit column explores 'shrooms, magnetoreception, and why time flies.

Sponsored Content from Four Winds Society An excerpt from Grow a New Body, by Alberto Villoldo, PhD The right side of the neocortex, the higher brain, operates on stories and myt…

Alternating between strikingly shot footage of ivory hunters in the New Siberian Islands north of Russia, looking for woolly mammoth tusks, and a gathering of young scientists in B…

Twenty years ago, Anne Foerst, the theologian at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab, introduced us to Kismet, the first emotionally responsive robot. Now, Marilyn Schlitz, Dean of Transpersonal Psychology at Sofia University, introduces us to Sophia, an android programmed for unconditional love, empathy, and compassion.

Our ancestors feasted and fasted, cycling their protein consumption. So should we.

It’s the best possible time to be alive, when almost everything you thought you knew is wrong!” That line, from Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, helped us find fellow seekers for the launch…

The forest engages all of your senses—your mind stills, and you reconnect to your soul.

How you can create some new traditions to celebrate the winter solstice.

Journeys That Are Truly Transformational

Emma Seppälä PhD is author of The Happiness Track, founder of FulfillmentDaily.com, and Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

Flipping through The Whole-Body Microbiome, we learned this.

Natural ways to deal with anything this big holiday dishes up.

Humans needs to unite with like-minded and like-hearted people and organizations to actively take part in nurturing our communities and helping them grow.

We drill down on probiotics for the mouth

We asked our readers to scout the spiritual landscape for emerging leaders who will help set our course for the decades to come. Your response was wildly enthusiastic, passionate, heartfelt, and all over the map (and the globe). Wow! What constitutes a spiritual path is becoming ever more diverse—and ever more likely to be led by women. In future issues, you’ll hear from more of your choices. We chose 10 (nine plus a wonderful collaboration of old and new) who represent your votes as well as our hopes for the spiritual future.

“Apifera Farm is not so much a place as it is my intention to the world,” says Katherine Dunn, an artist who has been featured in S&H and a farmer who is now devoted to incorporati…

If we are relentless and impeccable about stalking ourselves, a result is that we leave the world and other people alone.

Many of us are concerned with keeping our land, water, and air safe for both animals and humans. This week, there was a lot in the world of research that focused on the topic of pollution and its threats to our health. For ways to protect yourself and your family, read on.

Rabbi Rami speaks with internationally acclaimed yoga teacher and public speaker Seane Corn, about her very first book, Revolution of the Soul. Full transcript of discussion included.

“It’s raining and I let myself sit and look / a long time. At water returning, or rather,”

S&H Staff Writer Julie Peters and author Cheryl Leutjen explore ways to connect with and honor the natural environment while managing the stress of living in what sometimes feels like environmental apocalypse.

New research shows that urban gardeners can help boost dwindling populations of Monarch butterflies by planting milkweed.

Shannon Kaiser thought she was traveling the world to check off items on her bucket list, but what she found was a sense of belonging.

We all have a tendency to divide things into categories: “us” and “them,” “right” and “wrong,” “worthy” and “unworthy.”

"Let's find our creative flow as a part of nature, with food. "

Try this ritual to invite connection with and guidance from your ancestors.

Is fake meat the work of Lucifer? Hmm, probably not a spiritual emergency.

“A true celebration is never passive. Celebrations aren’t about being amused or entertained. A true celebration is an active response to the wonders and blessings of life.”

The mystic Osho talks about “happiness” and “misery,” and turns the conventional wisdom about these seemingly polar opposites on its head.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum talked with Minneapolis-based artist Jennifer Davis about pink, whimsy, flow, and more.

Dive in to our special section on 100+ books we love.

“This is what is wrong with religion: it walks into the future with its eyes firmly set on the past.”

A reminder from a great blue heron: Cultivating neutrality begins with acceptance of what is.

Sharks are facing extinction. S&H’s resident surfer, Kalia Kelmenson, explains why that matters.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum chatted with Deedee about her spiritual journey and how it intersects with her art, simplicity, and why images of mothers are so important to her.

The suffering of grief can begin to heal by accepting support and practicing self-care.

Sarah Bowen’s spiritual work as an animal chaplain and multifaith educator includes supporting all sentient beings, regardless of species.

“Are cats on their own spiritual paths to enlightenment?” Here are four divine signs your feline is sending you.

Collagen is either a must for smooth skin and supple joints—or an unproven supplement that will waste your money. We went in search of answers.

Self-criticism is often an attempt to preempt criticism from others. Self-compassion can help you be more motivated by a desire for growth.

Lisa Mosconi, PhD, explores women's health in her new book, The XX Brain. She sheds light on how women can keep their brains healthy and prevent Alzheimer's, and what exactly those hormonal changes really mean.

Cats are spiritual—or at least they can help us be spiritual. Here are five lessons your spiritual cat wants to teach you.

“Do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?” —Rumi

“These age-old gestures that have shaped us as humans—ritual, ceremony, sharing dreams and stories, gathering around the fire, talking with beings other than humans—these are not written in stone and belonging to the stone ages. They are born from a knowing that the world is alive and are brought to life through the natural reciprocity that comes with this knowing.”

Quarantine is causing abrupt changes in our body time clocks that may hinder digestion, immune system function, energy, and mood. Here’s how to create a healthy schedule.

Keep your immune system strong—now more than ever!

Julie Peters talks with Indigenous dance artist Olivia C. Davies about dance as a healing practice.

There’s a saying that asking people to change their diet is like asking them to change their religion. What we eat and how we eat might be our most personal choices.

The news that a tiger in the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19 is raising questions about interspecies transmission and how to keep our pets healthy.

A few years ago, when I was teaching an undergraduate seminar at Stanford on the psychology of happiness, I had the students put away their books and push their chairs to the side …

Growing up in the rather conservative city of Ottawa, Canada, I never felt that I fit in, but I found a niche at fifteen when I discovered alcohol, boys, and dance clubs. My favori…

The old people came literally to love the soil, and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the ear…

It is odd for someone who is city bred and lactose intolerant to be fascinated by a pastoral tradition that involves mountains, animals, milk, yogurt, and cheese, but there you hav…

Recently I was listening to my friend Satish Kumar being interviewed on the BBC. Satish is a former Jain monk who defined his life by walking for world peace. With no financial res…

Consider two recent images: One image is of our president, tautly engaged and oddly displaced, as he watches half a world away while his orders to kill Osama Bin Laden are carried …

For us today, as for ancient man, the four classic elements ― earth, wind, water, and fire ― are at the root of many religious beliefs and ways of life. For the Thule Inuit people …

In Newsweek last December, science writer Sharon Begley pulled together research showing that lab animals and pets are getting fatter, just like people: “In Macaques, living in res…

The Shift is About to Hit the FanBy Tom ShadyacFilm director Tom Shadyac had it all — a successful film career (Ace Ventura; Liar, Liar; Bruce Almighty), a series of California man…

At first, being vegetarian was great, and when I say great at first, I’m really referring to the time between making the conscious decision to forever swear off meat and the 22 hou…

No place is more central to our acts of celebration than the dining room table. As you look forward to the sanctity and promised revelry of the upcoming holidays, allow yourself to…

At his wit’s end because of his severe reactions to eating wheat, William Davis, MD decided to become the guinea pig in a simple experiment. The question was whether his body would…

Your host Rabbi Rami talks to the "happiest man on Earth" Matthieu Ricard about his new book Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World. A review of the boo…

Seasons Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud Music Box Films Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud specialize in enchanting, nonnarrative nature documentaries that portray …

Water in Plain SightHope for a Thirsty WorldBy Judith D. SchwartzSt. Martin’s PressFollowing environmental news is mostly an exercise in confronting anxiety, helplessness, and desp…

Symphony of the SoilDirected by Deborah Koons GarciaIn theory, director Deborah Koons Garcia’s exploration of the wide, varied, and wonderful world of soil offers a great concept: …

Plains Indian Stories of CreationBy Paul Goble, with Foreword by Joe Medicine CrowWorld Wisdom, 2009, $17.95Joe Medicine Crow tells how he would follow his grandfather everywhere, …

DIRECTED BY THOMAS WIEWANDT It took four years for filmmaker Thomas Wiewandt to bring his mesmerizing Desert Dreams to the screen. It took decades longer to develop the transcende…

The Evolution of CompassionBy Stephen LevineWeiser Books, an imprint of Red Wheel/WeiserStephen Levine’s Becoming Kuan Yin tells of Miao Shan, the daughter of a spiteful Chine…

Directed by Jeff OrlowskiChasingIce.comNever has so much beauty held this much danger: visually, Chasing Ice is a staggeringly gorgeous film that depicts the tangible physical effe…

The right podcast can turn a lengthy commute, a slow line, or a long, solitary walk into something you hope will never end. Our favorites illuminate, inform, and inspire us.  …

One Man’s Search for Natural Silence in a Noisy WorldBy Gordon Hempton and John GrossmanFree Press, $26.00“One Square Inch of Silence is more than a book; it is a place in the Hoh …

An Excerpt from Soul Vows

Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler

I’m very concerned about animal cruelty in our society. From the dinner table to the clothing industry to cosmetics and pharmaceutical testing—it’s everywhere. I’d like to pu…

More than two decades after his tales of trauma and redemption catapulted him to literary success, the best-selling author is still inspired by the human struggle—and the power of …

Chances are, you’ve heard reports linking cell phones to brain cancer—then a second later, you might have pulled your iPhone out of your pocket to answer a call. Nonetheless, a sli…

Director of Certification and Sustainability, GreenFaith

Executive Director, Africa Yoga Project

Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert

Last month, my sixteen-year-old daughter and I attended the first meeting of the International Women’s Earth and Climate Initiative in Suffern, New York. One hundred women from 35 …

Becoming Kuan Yin: The Evolution of CompassionBy Stephen Levine (Weiser Books) Stephen Levine’s Becoming Kuan Yin tells of Miao Shan, the daughter of a spiteful Chinese king. When…

An interview with PETA President Ingrid Newkirk

In the California desert, a vipassana pioneer prepares for the next stage of her remarkable life.

A six-year Japanese program preserves thousands of Shinto shrines and woodlands.

Pet-loss support groups can help the healing process when we lose our most constant companions.

Light pollution harms the environment, wildlife, and even human health.

Amazon environmentalists warn that hydroelectric dams could devastate the world's biggest watershed.

Traveling through West Virginia, Michael Hendryx passes through two worlds. One has forested hills, trees cresting up and over the mountains, the hum of endless streams lending the…

Study after study confirms that altruism not only makes us happier but actually improves our health. Yet we see a stranger’s struggle and still pass by.

New research shows how fat tissue reduces your brain function.

Try flower essences to gently catalyze mental, emotional, and even spiritual transformation.

Wine lovers will certainly recognize terroir as the enigmatic French term for soil, topography, climate, and other natural (and supernatural) traits of a particular vineyard. In fa…

In periods of drought, mildew-causing humidity, and other adverse growing conditions, the pinot noir vines at Robert Sinskey Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley undergo a subtle …

Once upon a time, I slept with astonishing soundness.

A former monk shares the benefits of the spiritual practice of silence after a year of solitary prayer and contemplation.

When Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle in 1906, readers were exposed to the horrible abuse of those who worked in the meat-packing industry. The book changed how the country thought …

A dear friend of mine recently succumbed to emphysema. Before he became ill, he’d been a scholar and a poet and a social activist. He’d had a passion for beauty in all its myriad f…

My grandson Blake and I were lounging in thick grass, eating the yellow petals of dandelions, and I said, “When you eat this, the nutrients and minerals in its cells become part of…

The value of birds in pest control can be distilled to a dollar figure. All they need is a bed and some bugs to reduce the need for pesticides and to increase yields of fruit, vegetables, coffee, and tea.

After heartbreak, writer Rebecca Green finds healing—and her spirit animal—in a place she never expected.

I was fortunate to grow up in a family where sensitivity to nature was nurtured. We lived on a farm with daily interactions with the natural world. I got to know nature as somethin…

Superfood or diet villain? Researchers weigh in on the pros and cons of soy.

A Somali gynecologist, lawyer, and farmer, Dr. Hawa Abdi began sheltering refugees on the 1,300 acres of farmland surrounding her Mogadishu hospital more than 20 years ago, helping…

Despite the challenges aging brings, Ronnie Chittam continues to be invigorated and renewed by the land she cares for and the friends who come to cherish the sacred retreat she has created.

The health of the planet may be linked to humanity’s psychological health. Embracing an encouraging worldview of beauty and creativity can enrich our spirits, revitalize our lives, and maybe even save civilization.

Joan Borysenko, a Harvard-trained scientist who explored the wonders of the mind-body-spirit connection, discusses the link between our physical health and that of the planet.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award-winning author, poet, and teacher. In this column, he answers reader-submitted questions pertaining to faith, morality, religious traditions, and oth…

I had an unusually enjoyable afternoon recently, lying on the floor in front of my massive classical Greek dictionary and a copy of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, where he makes a…

Let’s face it. The biggest unknown in a parent’s life is her child. These beings come into the world without papers. We have no idea who they are, where they came from, what they a…

Shiri Joshua, M.A., is a psychotherapist, “animal whisperer,” and director of the Shiri Joshua Centre for Human & Animal Healing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Each month she hold…

Bhakti-hop innovator MC Yogi travels to India for an unwitting spiritual chiropractic adjustment—and artistic inspiration for his newest musical offering.

Two decades being expelled as a priest of the Dominican Order, Matthew Fox has continued to challenge the doctrines of the Catholic Church with books including last year’s The Pope…

Unleashing the power of their faith on tough environmental problems, today’s “ecovangelists” ask: Can religion save the planet, or will the planet save religion?

The Greeks built temples and altars to gods and goddesses that today we might sense deep within our world or even within ourselves. One that particularly appeals to me is Artemis, …

Nearly broke and pessimistic about the world, journalist Jane Ganahl heart and mind were opened by one abandoned cat.

Former priest Matthew Fox speaks with Rabbi Rami Shapiro about his work, and his new book, modern spirituality, and intergenerational wisdom.

Through the World Wildlife Fund’s Sacred Earth program, Dekila Chungyalpa works with her own Buddhist faith and Christians, Muslims, and others to protect the Earth.

Richard Wrangham knows something about how human diets evolved. He’s a Harvard professor of anthropology, the curator of primate behavior biology at the Peabody Museum, director of…

DARK CHOCOLATE PROTECTS THE HEARTIt takes surprisingly little dark chocolate to protect the heart against the risk of heart disease — 6.7 grams of this sweet indulgence a day to be…

Too much protein eaten along with fat may lead to insulin resistance, reports an animal study from Duke University Medical Center, providing a clue as to why the blood chemistry of…

Like most great scientific breakthroughs, the discovery of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) was a complete accident. What may end up being the most important neuroscientific di…

"Pastures ranged over the rolling hills. Tall oak and beech woods lined both sides of the valley, and when sunlight suffused through them, they seemed as enchanted to Lisa as when she and her sister had played there as children."

A Burned-out M.D. turns to her community she asked what they wanted in a health-care clinic, then built it — and was transformed. Here’s what the future of medicine could loo…

One Man’s Adventure Planning His Own Natural BurialOld Arctic Inuit hunters could supposedly sit for days, harpoon poised and ready to strike, just staring at a hole on an otherwis…

Ninety percent of the cells in what we think of as our body are nonhuman. Our nonhuman components fuel our cells, digest our food, synthesize vitamins, maintain our immune defenses…

A cold slice of juicy watermelon has long been a healthy summer staple, boasting ample amounts of nutrients, such as potassium, beta carotene, and lycopene. Now another nutrient in…

Going to Israel isn’t like visiting any other country. The idea that you are literally walking in the footsteps of the patriarchs, matriarchs, kings, judges, disciples, prophets, s…

In 1965, a marine biologist named Roger Payne found himself relaxing on the stern deck of a sailboat on the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Headphones snugly in place, he recorded th…

If you’re unnerved by the idea that a typical package of hamburger might contain flesh from hundreds, if not thousands, of cows, you may be surprised to know the oil in your fish o…

Eight years ago, Smithsonian magazine sent me to Wyoming to write about a Northern Arapaho man named Stanford Addison, who had a growing reputation as a horse trainer. He was noted…

“We the people” are conditioned to focus on the positive and not dwell too long on the negative. We share our triumphs but keep our tragedies to ourselves. When we experience emoti…

About 18 months ago, an extraordinary woman came to my home on the Rogue River in southern Oregon. At age 83, Agnes Baker Pilgrim is the oldest living Takelma Indian and chair of t…

Have we found the basis for empathy and altruism? Like most great scientific breakthroughs, the discovery of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) was a complete accident. What may…

Seekers in the West hunger to learn from indigenous spiritual teachers, but what are the politics and ethics of taking on and changing the traditions of others?

An Invocation"Rise and place your hands on your heart. Bow your head to your heart and in doing so, bow your mind, bow your intelligence, bow your ego, to the presence of the Livin…

Outside the main entrance to the 80-acre campus of Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Colorado, the air is filled with the sweet serenade of chirping bobwhites and…

At the age of 43, Elisabet Sahtouris, an evolution biologist with a doctorate in brain science, quit her job at PBS, sold her car, house, and stuff, and moved to a tiny island in t…

As I sit cross-legged ― or as it is known in yoga, Sukhasana ― I make prayer ties for the vision quest in which I will participate this summer. I will venture into the woods and fi…

“What’s most simple to say is that, for our hearts to be wise and free, we have to attend to the mandala of our being—which includes body, emotions, mental states, and thought structure—and their relations with one another.”

Dr. Neal Barnard on beating food cravings, the myth of moderation, and the health-changing power of a plant-based diet.

The author of Comfortably Unaware and Food Choice and Sustainability on why eating humane and local isn’t enough, and why there’s no such thing as a “sustainable” meat.

When it comes to my relationship with the Earth, I sometimes ask, “Should I save it or savor it?” There’s no doubt that Earth is in need of saving, and I know I have a role to play…

It turns out that boredom is the soil where creativity thrives.

Are you an HSP—a highly sensitive person? Explore these tips to help you manage your walk through life without getting overstimulated.

Because no one in their right mind really wants meat from factory farms

As she struggles to accept the sounds of violence between predator and prey, writer Tai Moses learns to hear beauty in the darkness.

You might expect an organized birdwatching trip to begin serenely in the predawn dark and quiet. But birdwatchers at the Crane Trust start their journey in a brightly lit room, bei…

(Aren’t the Bad Guys Winning?)

From the archive: Selected stories from the past 20 years.

Tea as a universal meditation

A new study from Stony Brook University in New York suggests that you can protect your brain from neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by sleeping on your side.

From a radical new understanding of depression, a neuroscientist explains how to make our lives happier and holier.

Mindful tips from the author of Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi

Our editors sit down for an interview with renowned English primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall.

Globalization and economic growth are causing an unprecedented surge in poaching activities worldwide. Can policy changes and grassroots efforts help save threatened species?

Embrace the core of a bodhisattva experience: spreading joy both inside and out.

Many new studies suggest that mindful walking is good, not only for mental health, but also to relieve stress. Moreover mindfulness, in general, is shown to improve chronic inflamm…

An artist shares how his practice of creating beautiful morning altars blossomed.

Scientists agree that climate change is real, that it is caused by human activities, and that it is accelerated by the burning of fossil fuels. In the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, it wa…

Excerpt from Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect with Totems in Your Ecosystem

Even if she’s all in your head, she has something important to say

Although seeing the world “natural” might put your mind at ease, natural flavors are more like natural disasters.

Akiane grew up in a non-religious household, but by the age of four started having visions and vivid impressions from invisible realms. She began using any medium available, from c…

Most leaders can’t clearly answer the question, Why am I here? How can we be inspiring if we don’t even know why we are here, or what we are supposed to be doing, or what we stand for?

It is 7:30 a.m. on a sunny spring day. Bodhi the dog is walking with me along Bandon Beach, one of Oregon’s most beautiful coastlines. It is pristine. The air is filled with that w…

Is it time we admit our collective addiction to caffeine? Explore how caffeine affects us and why it became so wildly popular.

How an unlikely, spontaneous decision improved my life

Energy from one heart can make a real connection with another…and spread love in surprising ways.

You have spent your career successfully managing stock portfolios worth hundreds of millions of dollars during periods of extreme market highs and terrible crashes. During this mul…

What to eat amid the sounds of caterpillars munching?

And in those wondrous moments we realize there's more to life than we can possibly imagine.

Ready to take the leap? Suzy Amis Cameron shares her favorite resources for embracing a plant-based diet.

1. What are some of the most inspiring cultural shifts you have seen since Diet for a New America was published?People are growing increasingly aware that what we do to the earth, …

Fixing your digestion can make you feel a lot less anxious.

Is cuddling going to regulate your gut bacteria? New research suggests yes.

An Interview with Robert Wright

Being an empath is all about ‘feeling’ the emotions of others. Sometimes we need extra tools to help us stay grounded and connected.

More…

Could your self-hatred be a coping strategy you never let go?

Columnist Paul Sutherland offers a new path that embraces inclusivity and truth.

If we crack the “Aging Code,” we’re all in the shark tank.

We have no wisdom traditions nearly as old as we are, and maybe that’s because we’ve buried something important.

How might you create holidays around the ones that mean the most?

A working model from the Peruvian Amazon

The “dismal science” of economics looks at reducing cruelty.

When we find each other stranded, the exercise of compassion demands that we interrupt our lives to return each other to our own true nature

The simple step is to understand the basic patterns driving our evolution

An excerpt from In Good Faith: Secular Parenting in a Religious World

Rabbi Rami answers your spiritual questions.

Here are 108 suggestions for your own personalized 108-day mindfulness practice.

A new study reveals that the community’s strength and resilience are tied to the people’s spiritual openness, community engagement, and connection to the land.

I was moved by our conversation last night. I understand how you feel the presence of suffering always in the background, juxtaposed against the peaceful times and moments of abund…

Try these three steps to get you healthy, grounded, and empowered to create a compassion revolution and save the world.

Clarify your values and align them with how you live your life.

Something really wild has been happening to me lately. I find myself falling in love with every animal I see. Seriously, I am talking about all creatures great and small. But reall…

Tap in to the power of nature, with these selctions from S&H. Click on any book title for our complete review.Happy Belly: A Woman’s Guide to Feeling Vibrant, Light, and Balanc…

As a vegan, there’s nothing worse than showing up to holiday dinner hungry and discovering that there is nothing for you to eat.

‘Tis the season for drinking too much eggnog, eating too much, and pulling out old family hangover cures.We’ve just moved past the Winter Solstice, the darkest time of the sun cycl…

Those of us who struggle with low self-esteem might not like ourselves very much. But, because we're alive, we like other people and other stuff. As scathingly as we might view our…

If you’re interested in cleansing your body, mind, aura, or just your physical space, try these 10 tips for smudging sage.

“A leader’s job is not to do the work for others; it’s to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done, and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.” ~Si…

When anyone asks what I've been doing lately, I almost always say: "Nothing."Of course, that's not literally true. Yesterday, I wrote two articles, drew a picture of a girl wearing…

Person A tells Person B: "You're beautiful.""I am not," Person B retorts."I love you," Person A sighs."Why?" wails Person B.Loving people who have low self-esteem means constantly …

I recently did a 21-day sugar detox and although I expected it to be interesting, amazing and at times even harrowing, I never expected it to be the topic of a blog about spiritual…

Earth Day 2012 was just a few weeks ago, and I’ve been thinking about what that means to us now, as yogis and as human beings.Humans are a funny species: We love to shout “Save the…

When my animals ask for food, I usually stop what I am doing and take care of their needs. All of which causes me to wonder, why? Then I know the answer—gratitude.

As human animals, we are affected by the weather. We like to think we’re not—our capitalist society expects us to be exactly the same amount of productive no matter what’s going o…

I used to think having a home practice meant I had to get up at 4 a.m. to chant mantras, meditate, and practice asana for two hours. I am not a morning person. Also I love going …

Like Pi Patel, the brave young protagonist of Yann Martel’s Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi, Ang Lee attempted what was thought to be impossible when he decided to bring this…

Everyone, at some time or another, has felt a personal connection to the moon. Most of us forget about it most of the time, but everyone I know has, at some point, looked out a win…

“What’s wrong with the world, and what can we do about it?” These are the two seemingly vague and yet deeply complex questions that director Tom Shadyac sought to answer when he se…

Yes, I’m one of those crazy dog lovers. My husband and I have a household of older and special-needs dogs, all rescued from neglect and abuse.

"Treat the Earth well: It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Childre…

[I can't remember who asked me to write this, or if it was ever published, but I wanted to get it out there. It is long, it is Jewish, and some of it might not make sense to those …

For the last few weeks my thoughts, prayers, and gratitude have been with those attending the United Nations events in Brazil. Imagine: the warm, balmy streets of Rio, filled with …

Have you ever been hurt by an unapologetic person? Most of us have. When this happens, it hurts, but we intuitively know the importance of forgiving the person anyway—for our…

These pieces were hand-selected by S&H Art Director Sandra Salamony to appear in a special artist edition of Spirituality & Health magazine (March/April 2014). Here, each artist shares their creative process behind their work.

Discover foundational principles that will help you understand your body and establish healthy patterns.

Matangi tells a secret—that there’s a hidden joy, even power, in being an outcast.

Nise da Silveira was a Brazilian psychiatrist who revolutionized the way mental patients were treated in the 1940s and ’50s. This elegantly made biopic shows her struggles against …

How We Became Deficient in the Most Abundant Fat on the Planet

An excerpt from Overcoming Destructive Anger by Bernard Golden, PhD.

By changing your diet, you can change the world—at any age—according to Carol J. Adams, Patti Breitman, Virginia Messina, authors of Never Too Late to Go Vegan.

One Doctor's Story

When I was a veterinary student, I was taught that vaccinations are a cornerstone of healthy pets. As I went on to practice, however, I saw severe acute vaccine reactions, as well …

One day, I showed up to my yoga mat with a broken heart. I’d just gone through a wrenching breakup, and it hurt. My body felt heavy and stiff. I tried to flip over from Downward Do…

It’s been a hot summer. I showed up to my yoga studio the other day, and noticed that the air purifying machine was blinking and beeping, which made me think of my kitchen lights, …

"How old are you?" she asked.I told her."What? No way," she chirped. "You look ten years younger than that."Okay, I thought. What's she trying to pull?Having low self-esteem makes …

Can we try directing our love toward’s everyone, just for one day?

Last week at the Fancy Food Show, an annual marketplace where over 1,000 food and drink purveyors showcase their wares, I tasted buttered coffee, beet ketchup, bay-leaf bitters, ci…

Thinking is obviously an important tool. Humans have the powerful ability to think about the past and the future, make narratives about our lives that help us navigate new situatio…

Award-winning author and 1,000 Goddesses founder Mare Cromwell on working for change against bigotry, intolerance, and inequality—and how we can awaken healing Goddess energy into our everyday lives.

One day recently, as we sat outside a bakery where the season's first pumpkin pies had just gone on display, my friend T told me that she hates Thanksgiving.She said she hates it b…

The sooner we come to terms with the fact that we are living in a toxic environment, the better. Once one becomes conscious of something, then they can make the necessary steps to …

Fallen out of alignment with your natural self? Find out how to spiritually connect with nature.

Telling yourself, once or twenty thousand times, "I'm smart; I'm beautiful; everyone loves me" won't make it true (or untrue) but, more crucially, won't make you start believing it…

Before you turn up your nose at fermented food, just remember this: If you’ve ever had pickles with your sandwich, or sauerkraut on your hot dog, or kefir, or yogurt, or kimchi, or…

Here are a few small ways to practice personal nonviolence.

Anxiety is a crisis of confidence.

How much REM and non-REM sleep we get appears to be controlled by a pair of genes.

If the relentless bad news is leaving you feeling down, there are alternatives.

New research could lead to better treatment of anxiety and depression.

“Don’t you want your son to live?” The nurse asked. Yes, of course. And that was why I felt I had to leave . . .

Why today’s most radical practice may be gratitude

“A fantastic way to harness and empower your own heart frequencies and create happiness . . .”

I was at the airport, traveling to New York, waiting to go through security with my passport out, when I noticed for the first time that most pages have quotes on them. And two of …

Contributors to our September/October 2018 issue: Amber Bodily, Mirabai Bush, Ram Dass, Katherine Dunn, Stephanie Ludwig PhD, Zainab Salbi

More…

Author Sera Beak talks to Rami about soul loss and her latest book.

I didn’t expect the Navy would change its meal system for me.

Crafting A Binding Contract With The Sacred

Beneficial bacteria may become the basis for an immunization.

Rabbi Rami answers your spiritual questions.

Easy ways to be eco-friendly while having fun this season.

Sometimes fear, anger, or sadness are appropriate responses to the complexities of life.

We can reconnect to ourselves, gaining a deeper, fuller understanding of who we are, by reconnecting to nature.

Healthier soils “draw down” more carbon and help save the Earth

Rabbi Rami answers your spiritual questions.

Men produce reproductive hormones as they age. Why not women?

Your cancer is uniquely yours. Get to know it—so you can help deprive it of exactly what it needs to survive.

Step Out of Your Self On These Worldwide Voluntours.

How to help generate positive economic and environmental benefits for local communities

“We all want our future self to be happy, so we ask: ‘What can I do to relieve this person’s suffering?’

A Year, a Mountain, and Five Young Women

It’s not easy to make friends as adults, and becomes more difficult as we get older. At the same time, according to the psychologist F. Diane Barth, women rely on other women for s…

Brett Morgen’s thoroughly absorbing documentary about the life and career of world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall is founded on a treasure trove of footage—countless…

Psychological projections serve an important role for self-growth and awareness. So why not strive to be a source of projection for generations to come?

If we are relentless and impeccable about stalking ourselves, a result is that we leave the world and other people alone.

Anneli Rufus is a frequent contributor to Spirituality & Health. Her books Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto and the Nautilus Award-winning Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On examined our lives as individuals in a crowded world. Rufus’ upcoming work, Unworthy: How to Stop Hating Yourself, will be released by Tarcher Penguin in the spring and continues this path, addressing self-esteem. It serves as the catalyst for this blog and asks: Why do we feel the way we do about ourselves? - See more posts here.

By Wendy Macdonald Water is life: elemental, essential, mysterious, sacred. One has only to experience a blooming desert, a sprouting seed, a clean body, or the sense of well-bein…

If you’ve ever wondered and searched with the greater population of the world for the true meaning of happiness, you’ve probably heard, at some point, that it’s some form of seva, …

As we pass the Solstice, the darkest night of the year, we are also entering into a New Moon cycle, which comes to a head on Christmas Day this Sunday.It’s dark out there. We’ve go…

Use these practices to inspire more ease and play this season

Perhaps the most challenging campaign for a spiritual activist is the one for the health and well-being of our own inner environment. It’s a gritty grassroots endeavor that goes …

Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler

Phil Klein, owner of Whiskers Holistic Petcare in New York, shares his holistic pet care tips.

Here’s how to get to a magical place called the “Maginal Zone.”

Eating wheat is healthy—but not in the ways we typically eat it today. The solution will likely improve your health dramatically.

In 1949, a stocky Italian air force lieutenant named Raimondo Bucher decided to try a potentially deadly stunt in a lake on the island of Capri. Bucher would sail out to the center…

Create a twilight garden for a tranquil, outdoor meditative space.

Writer Jane Ganahl wonders: How do you know when you’ve crossed the line from activist—to fanatic?

My junior year of college I was driving back from a ski trip during a Vermont snowstorm when I shifted gears and lost control. We swerved across several highway lanes into a ditch,…

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” —Aldo Leopold

Sponsored Content from Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas

Walking can be a path to a better understanding and appreciation of each other.

Here are some good starter questions to help you identify a responsible grower and make sure you’re only buying the freshest local produce.

In the late 1980s, after about seven years of developing my own approach to psychotherapy, I was looking for a different way to re-imagine psychology, one that would have depth and…

Because the health of our gut is closely tied to many other bodily functions, prebiotics and probiotics together are important for battling inflammation and lowering overall disease risk.

According to the experts, meditation lessens the extremities of negative thoughts, changes patterns of belief and facilitates learning how to forgive yourself.

Helping your body detoxify through effective measures is a practice that can be traced back hundreds of years.

Using apple cider vinegar instead of chemical-laden cleaning, beauty, and health products is a way to boost your own mind-body-spirit wellness.

Here are a few of the many ways to say grace.

To learn to be wise again we have to find a way to bring a safe feeling back into our lives.

Let your values influence how your spend your money

A longtime altar maker shares his practice

If you’re easily overwhelmed, try these techniques to get centered.

To lower your exposure to endocrine disruptors, avoid these 12 chemical compounds

Personal affirmations are positive statements made aloud with the intent of manifesting good energy. Try these 14 gratitude affirmations for health and joy.

Tips for achieving relaxed productivity—and why you can't afford to ignore them.

People who struggle to deal with uncertainty may in fact may have an unusually large striatum.

Many of us on the conscious path may look at massive problems in the world and feel helpless. How can I, one person, positively impact the planet: the dying oceans, world hunger, r…

Matthew Stillman, author of Genesis Deflowered and former producer at the Food Network, didn’t set out to process hundreds of pounds of tallow (aka beef fat) in his kitchen in Harl…

Question: I have friends who keep gold coins and have food stored up—just in case. I used to laugh. But not anymore. Brexit didn’t make sense. Then India ran out of cash. Now…

The remarkable shift of awareness and presence that comes when food is not central to your daily routine.

Sponsored Content from The Celebrant Foundation & Institute

Adapted excerpt from Awake at the Bedside

What if we put two geniuses in Schrödinger’s cat box?

Natural options from aloe vera to zinc

Clean eating can be more than a health practice; it can be a spiritual practice.

Sponsored Content from Kevin Perez

Excerpted from The Art of Balanced Living by Dr. Shaun Matthews

We live in stories—all of us, all of the time. This is a story about breaking through writer’s block and the start of a focused, passionate, and productive period

Confused about oracle cards? Oracle experts explain what they're all about.

The key to staying spiritually connected in the midst of a busy schedule, says actress and activist Torrey DeVitto, is embracing simplicity and constant exploration.

More…

Ready for spring? Bring the blooms inside your home (and heart) with these plant-inspired picks.

SARAH BOWEN CREDITS her first pet, a cat named Him, with putting her on the path to becoming an animal chaplain responsible for improving human-animal interaction. As a prea…

THE SNOW LEOPARD is one of the most elusive creatures on the face of the earth, so naturally a documentary about attempts to photograph one in the wild will, by necessity, wind up …

People expressed improved relaxation & stress reduction after watching bears at an Alaskan preserve.

Honoring your pet with friends helps healing begin.

Movement practices like animal flow, primal play, and yoga asanas teach us to be fully human.

Do antique stores unsettle you? Do you have a great sense of direction? An intuition quiz can tell you what these and other findings say about your intuitive style.

Alyson Charles, renowned shaman and spiritual teacher, is the author of, ANIMAL POWER: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul (Chronicle Books, 2022). She’s based i…

Supporter power animals offer potent energetic medicine, wisdom, and teachings. Your core power animal is with you every day for your entire lifetime.

Drop into another’s dream to explore natural spirituality in action.

Release winter energy and ignite spring fire with a ritual for the full Pink Moon.

Wearing a "cone of mindfulness" can help protect our spiritual and mental wellbeing during trying times.

With inspiration from a sociological program in Japan, explore new, more intentional ways of tuning into sound.

Avoid holiday faux paws with earth- and animal-friendly presents.

The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, yet in many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from habitat loss and pesticide use.

How do we choose on behalf of another being and make sound decisions when we’re emotionally bereft?

Seeing a spiritual sky is about “imaginative ego-transcendence.”

For one, it’s possible to be slow and fast at the same time.

Life begins in water. Access the deep wisdom of this element within you.

Practice interspecies ethics with humane bug catchers and mousetraps, underhood repellers, and more.

Creation stands in desperate need.

Embrace darkness as a source of deep wisdom.

Interested in modern Druid practices? Druidry begins with three paths that connect nature, creativity, and the divine.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with artist Jess Polanshek about drawing porcupines, working at an art supply store, and embracing layers.

What does it take to write an engaging column?

Willa Blythe Baker sits down to discuss her somatic mindfulness journey.

Depending on your comfort level, you can try these cuddling techniques with a partner, friend, family member, or even your pet.

Occurring near the winter solstice, the Cold Moon invites you to take a closer look at what lies beneath the seemingly cold and frozen surface. Discover the spiritual meaning of the Cold Moon.

Enlightened dog training offers a peaceful approach to communicating with canines.

Self-care tools for people who advocate for the more-than-human world.

Groundhog behavior offers insight on restorative Z’s for busy humans.

Ignite spiritual fire and attract joy with this revamped spin on an age-old practice.

"Admiration is a powerful resource because when we admire someone or something, we are, if open, introduced to where those qualities live in us."

How does one keep the practice of hoodoo accessible, simple, yet powerful? Hoodoo practitioner and author Sherry Shone shares.

Ancient Northern European spiritual practices are accessible to people of all lineages. Explore how to connect with Norse paganism as a beginner.

"At this time of transition from one astrological cycle to the next—from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius—we, humanity, are at a critical point in our evolutionary journey."

Why do so many ordinary people regularly participate in painful religious rites? Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas explores the answer.

Sophie Strand, author of The Flowering Wand, shows how acknowledging our nonhuman neighbors can be a form of prayer.

“Both psychological work and what we call spiritual work are seeking ways to deal with suffering, and really learning how to love without holding back, how to let go of the armoring.”

Diane Patterson’s sixth studio album, Satchel of Songs, was released on International Women’s Day (March 8). Patterson told S&H, “I see International Women’s Day as part of the sac…

Unblock enormous amounts of positive energy with a simple journey from past to future.

Feeling out of touch with your environment? Experiment with ecosomatic listening to communicate with nature—and nature just may communicate back.

Explore what it means to be a heretic, how to measure the health of your soul, and the importance of Paganism for our time.

We spoke with Lucy Campbell about Northern influences, diversity, and her possible future as a tattoo artist.

Traditional therapy invokes authority, judgement, and hierarchy, although new ideas are percolating. Julie Peters dives into a different approach.

By contemplating the heartwood at the center of trees, we can gain a greater respect for the impermanence of life.

Wanda was born in Poland in 1971 and is currently based out of the Princeton, New Jersey area. She’s been married to Piotr (Peter) for over 28 years and has a 27 year old daughter…

Explore the ancient art of dream incubation and solve any problem or challenge in your life (or work) through the power of dreaming.

To align with the spiritual meaning of the full Hunter’s Moon this October, complete your internal harvest.

Defining yourself as someone with sleep problems can compound them. It’s time to wake up to winding down.

“All of your biological subengines are interdependent; eating patterns affect sleeping patterns, sleeping and exercise patterns affect alertness and metabolic health, and so on.”

Kids can experience psychological distress for up to three years after losing a pet. Animal Chaplain Sarah Bowen, author of Sacred Sendoffs, has six tips to help you companion your kids, grandkids, or friends of any age through animal loss.

Discover the risks and lost opportunities of the so-called perfect lawn.

When you need to change a behavior or need community assistance, self-care is not the answer.

Dig deep into “dogness” by asking what would happen to dogs if humans were no longer around.

Dive into a contemplation of the definition of “pleasure,” and learn how melancholy can have similar effects.

Amelia Jones (they/them/their) is a Soul Escort, carefully guiding people back to their power. They are descended from chemists, healers, artists, farmers, and people who have had …

Step one: Discover how to write affirmations that work for you. Step two: Combine your affirmations practice with the lunar cycle.

Whether you encounter a fox in person or in dreams, this intelligent animal spirit can help you identify boundaries and navigate your path.

Place blindness is a form of apathy that sets in when we don’t spend enough time outdoors. Overcome place blindness “to feel alive, to feel good.”

Understanding the gifts and lessons of each aspect of the Triple Goddess can create wholeness and unity within us, no matter our chronological age.

Tap into the spiritual meaning of the Strawberry Moon. Enjoy the ripening, birth, and bloom of June.

Tina Stümpfig is a psychologist and experienced Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner, working with people and animals. She is the author of Jin Shin Healing Touch: Quick Help for Common Ai…

Pets give us so much love. Return it with healing touch techniques that increase energy flow and wellbeing.

“Every time I have gathered in community ritual or personal ceremony, I have experienced a healing.”

Do you know how to trust your inner wisdom? These six steps show you how.

“Lab-grown meat” may not sound particularly appetizing, but Meat the Future, directed by Liz Marshall and narrated by the legendary Jane Goodall, seeks to help us understand the vi…

Instead of traveling to distant spiritual sites, what we if we found such sanctuaries in our own selves?

How can plant sacred medicine bring us back to a place of rootedness?

Ecosomatics is a new movement that recognizes how the experience we have of our own bodies is tied to the environment around us.

Use these 22 affirmations to develop and strengthen your shamanic journeying practice.

Honor the pagan festival of Imbolc with a simple ritual designed to release the heaviness of winter and invite in the healing fire of springtime.

Looking to travel to holy sites? Explore sacred travel etiquette and learn how to make the best of your experience.

It's important for animal advocates of all kinds to take care of themselves. Discover some top tips on how to steward trauma instead of letting it consume you.

Spirituality informs science, and science strengthens spirituality—explore a lifelong peace activist's thoughts on the intersection of the two.

Explore how what we eat and how we feel are connected, and discover new tips for supporting your relationship with food.

S+H lead digital editor Brenna Lilly spoke to artist Pete Sandker about walks in the woods, childhood inspiration, and the following call of art. Find Pete’s art throughout the issue.

Evolutionary Neuroscientist Peggy La Cerra tells us why it’s time to take a deep dive into the ultimate story: Reality.

Archaeologist Brady Kiesling explains how Greeks dealt with bribed gods using perhaps the world’s first double-blind experiment.

Freedom is what makes America America. As we approach our nation’s 250th birthday, we should take a respectful look at where this ideal of freedom came from.

Our animal chaplain mourns the death of a famous mountain lion, and shares lessons from the feline's passing.

If you feel spiritually ungrounded and disconnected, try these affirmations to connect to the spiritual beings that have your best interests in mind.

Rabbi Rami explores what the next 25 years have in store for Spirituality & Health and American spirituality as a whole.

Katherine Dunn is an artist/writer who lives on Apifera Farm, a non-profit animal sanctuary where she takes in elderly and needy animals—donkeys, equines, goats, cats, dogs, pigs, …

Take your outdoor self-care to the next level this spring. Explore how creating a forest apothecary garden can help manage anxiety.

The Empress tarot card holds rich symbolism and is connected to two important goddesses. Learn what lessons we can glean from this powerfully feminine tarot card.

Spiritual practice in need of an infusion of life? Try reading—and writing—nature poetry.

The animal companions of three Hindu goddesses teach us valuable lessons about strength, abundance, and wisdom.

The November full moon is the perfect time to wrap up projects and turn inward for the winter. Explore the spiritual meaning of the Beaver Moon.

Frigga is one of the most beloved goddesses in the Norse tradition. Learn how working with Frigga can bring healing and empowerment—especially for matriarchs and mothers.

Unity and healing are at the center of Chief Dr. Robert Joseph's teachings. We spoke to him about universal values, his own elders, and Indigenous languages as "languages of the land."

Explore more compassionate ways to eat and be this Thanksgiving—starting with what’s on your plate.

What lessons can be learned from a dying rescue duck? An animal caretaker offers her wisdom.

How can we help ocean life, both practically and spiritually? Our resident animal chaplain shares her (and her father’s) wisdom.

More…

Did you pull the High Priestess card? Learn the meaning of this major arcana card and how it can help us heal the “witch wound.”

The goddess Brigid—widely celebrated on February 1st—and the Star tarot card have much in common. Explore how these two figures represent resilience after collapse.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with Diana Sudyka about taxidermy, clayboard, and combining words and images. Look for her art throughout the January/February 2023 issue.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro answers pressing questions on America, immortality, and enlightenment as a goal.

Animal trainer Ren Hurst lost everything when she discovered a new way of being with animals. What she gained made the loss worthwhile.

Clark Strand walks the path toward a new appreciation of the night.

Our animal chaplain share what it's like to choose compassion for the smallest of beings, even when it's difficult.

Utama, which has been chosen as Bolivia’s Academy Awards submis-sion, opens with a striking image of a man walking towards a setting sun across a landscape of cracked and scorched …

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with Maine-based artist Katherine Dunn about hauling animals across the country—and much more. Look for her art throughout the issue.

Nightmares don’t have to lead to sleepless nights and fear. Instead, learn to interpret your nightmares to promote healing in your life.

Dr. Steven Farmer is a licensed psychotherapist, shamanic practitioner, trauma recovery specialist, hypnotherapist, and author of several best-selling books and oracle cards, inclu…

These ten ways of supporting the cardiovascular system may surprise you. Which one will you try?

The director of the International Yoga Festival offers wisdom on the power of yoga to help heal our broken world.

Jill Roshini is an expert in Divine Feminine energy and recently completed a comprehensive program featuring an evolutionary way to communicate and connect with animals and nature.…

Our animal chaplain shares some potent spiritual lessons from a little black cat.

Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen offers practices inspired by the Year of the Dragon to help you connect to Dragon’s bold, confident, and charitable nature.

Healer and author Dina Saalisi shares the power of connecting to the rhythms of life and the Wheel of the Year.

When we allow ourselves to rest, we can better understand the workings of the world around us. Learn how our animal chaplain integrated healing messages from a vacation massage.

How do you relate to your wildness? The Chariot tarot card can teach us how to honor the wild parts of ourselves and release grasping onto maladaptive ways of being.

The story of this ancient Mesopotamian goddess can teach us important wisdom about the inevitability of death and the changing of the seasons.

“Our human emotional system, at times, is wired to lead us to embrace the three poisons without thinking of the consequences.”

Anthropophonies—soundscapes made by humans—might be making you sick.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro answers questions from S&H readers. “I’m engaged to a man I met in Bible study. He asked me to be his helpmeet the way Eve was Adam’s helpmeet (Genesis 2:18) ... What do you think he means?”

The ability to program empathy into AI could reap wellness benefits for humans and even the robots themselves.

Repel mosquitos, chill out, and get a good night’s sleep with catnip.

All the flavors will come together, like ancestral pathways.

Try this mini-ritual for midsummer, when nature teaches us to rest and be patient.

“Just because your religion betrayed you does not mean that Spirit has abandoned you.”

Slowing down can allow our habitats to renew and our fellow earthlings to thrive.

Our bodies have been under siege, and not just due to COVID. Dr. Emeran Mayer explains that it’s because we have disrupted our gut microbiomes.

Try these 11 affirmations for overcoming loneliness and bringing peace and spirituality to your solitude.

We are one. There is no separation.

When was the last time you did something because it was fun? It may be time to embrace your inner child.

A community of Christians once flourished in the Egyptian desert.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro answers questions from S&H readers. “My priest confided in me that despite her best sermonic efforts, racism still infects our overwhelmingly white church. What else might she do?”

American novelist, poet, and artist, Tao Lin, explores nuclear radiation, religion, change and recovery, Çatalhöyük, Daoism, and more in his autobiographical novel, Leave Society.

Bathwater is an excellent conductor for the energy magnified by a variety of quartz crystals.

“If we can suspend our Western beliefs for a moment ... then we can learn what Tibetan Buddhists, Pagans, and shamans knew centuries ago: Treasure is buried everywhere.”

Thinking of botanical entities as relatives, what might we learn from connecting to our earth-tethered kin?

Bless you, and you, and you. Be inspired by the Jedi and dive into blessings.

Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About ItBy Brian D. McLarenST. MARTIN’S ESSENTIALS Brian McLaren was a pastor for 24 years. He recalls onc…

How do we protect our immune systems? During the COVID pandemic, we’ve been washing our hands, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated. But our bodies have been under siege for much longer.

The use of essential oils for yoga can assist in setting intentions for your practice and further connecting mind and body. Learn which oils are best for your needs.

Our roadside oracle answers your questions on the gender of God, the potential of hell, and how to find the right spiritual teacher.

Elderhood comes with powers and freedoms unheard of in youth. Learn how to challenge invisible woman syndrome and step into your power as an older woman.

Sadness, while deeply uncomfortable, has a purpose and lesson to teach us. What medicine can your sadness offer you?

A depth psychologist explores the healing power of living an imagination-centered life. What will you discover within the Imagination Matrix?

One essential practice in nature spirituality is connection with nature spirits through an animist perspective. Explore how you can connect with nature spirits, regardless of your spiritual tradition.

Celebrate the autumnal equinox—also known as Mabon—by honoring the divine feminine in your life and feasting on two warming autumnal recipes.

Buddhism offers deep wisdom to help us practice compassion every day, both towards ourselves and others. Try these five tools to develop greater compassion.

Astronomer and physicist Professor Marcelo Gleiser shares about collective change in the face of a climate crisis, and how science can connect us more deeply with Nature.

Interested in nature spirituality but not sure where to start? An herbalist and druid offers three ways to connect to your local landscape.

Elderhood is not relegated to those who are over a certain age—the elder lives within us all. Dive into these three mysteries that teach us how to become true elders at any age.

Explore these laid-back vacation destinations all across Australia. Where will you relax next?

What would you carry in your spiritual minimalist backpack? Rabbi Rami Shapiro considers his own religious necessities after his recent conversation with Light Watkins for the S+H podcast.

Research has shown that certain environmental factors can significantly affect heart health. Thankfully, technology has come to the rescue in this regard. Heartify provides users with accurate information about the condition of their hearts daily.

If you feel caught in a fear loop, work with these five Buddhist methods to ground yourself.

Mark Nepo discusses liberal arts, opening hearts, and what liberation can look like.

The ancient Indian concept of ahimsa is central to many of the region’s religions. The core idea of ahimsa is that all living things are connected by a spiritual energy. As such, t…

For the past 15 years, I’ve helped clients shift into a place of being where they connect with their own healing power, Divine wisdom, and creative genius. It can be a dramatic and instantaneous shift, which I first encountered by accident, head-on…

When S+H was conceived, evolutionary neuroscientist Peggy La Cerra, PhD, awakened to a new understanding of the nature of the mind created by evolution. It’s not widely taught, but the science seems pretty obvious.

Litha, a pagan summer holiday, marks the longest day of the year. Explore more about the spiritual meaning of Litha and what it represents.

What signs are being sent your way by the Universe? Take this quiz to find out.

Theologian Anne Foerst suggests that the young man who stole your identity set out to find himself on a quest for freedom.

As we greet the midway point between spring and summer, celebrating the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane is a joyous way to invite pleasure and connection into our lives.

It's time to look to the natural world for guidance on the conversation around motherhood.