by Sophia Ruan Gushée

Breathing techniques are powerful tools to influence our mind, body, energy, emotions, moods, and detoxification.

And I love how accessible they are to diverse demographics: from children to the elderly, among all geographies, for any budget, from a still moment while waiting in line at a store to an hour-long class in a gorgeous yoga studio, from a stressful moment in an intense meeting to a relaxing evening at home. Breathing...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

Nasal cleansing is a traditional Ayurvedic therapy that dates back thousands of years. And Neti pots, one tool for nasal cleansing, has become very popular in the US, especially after being occasionally featured on the Dr. Oz Show. 

Dr Oz - record mondial folosire Neti Pot from Lacedo on Vimeo.

Neti Pot

Nasal cleaning devices come in different forms—including bulb syringes, squeeze bottles, and Neti pots (they...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

There has never been more awareness to our sensitivities: nuts, dairy, gluten, sulfites, and more.

So why not chemicals?

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a term that describes a set of physical reactions to chemicals—both natural and manmade—in our environment, including from our everyday household products. Some of these symptoms include chronic symptoms that millions of people endure. A home detox can unburden your body's chronic...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that are emitted from both natural and artificial sources. This article focuses on VOCs from man-made products that pollute your indoor air, especially the sources that are easy for you to avoid.

What are VOCs?

VOCs are released as gases from some building materials and household products at room temperature.

Examples of common sources of VOCs in an average home include:

• Nail polish and nail polish remover
• ...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

The scent of coffee invigorates me, and gets me excited for a sip.

The scent of essential oils relaxes me.

The scent of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg are ones I associate with Thanksgiving and the ensuing holiday season.

The scent of baby powder conjures images of darling, delicate baby clothes and even an image of a baby. Sometimes, I can even almost hear a baby coo.

And the lingering "baby smell" of my six-year-old daughter leads me to smell harder...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

If you're not sick or suffering from known allergies, what might a stuffy nose or runny nose be trying to tell us?

The nose can communicate many important things to our brain and body. It can signal alarm from the smell of fire or something burning; stimulate our appetite and taste buds from the smell of a delicious meal or baked goodies; and it can trigger symptoms to get us to avoid toxic chemicals or toxic food.

Symptoms from...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

I suffer from extremely distracting dry skin. If I'm not thoughtful and proactive about moisturizing my dry skin from right after I bathe or shower, then my attention becomes very distracted for the rest of the day by my cracked skin and chapped hands.

In the winter, my sleep is also interrupted by my dry itchy skin: sometimes I want to rip off the dry itchy skin on my back and the side of my ribs! Really.

With sensitive skin, I have been searching...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

How often do you think about your nose?

I rarely do. Except when I have a stuffy nose, runny nose, or sneezing fits.

What does the nose do for us? How can we connect with it? Can doing so empower us somehow?

Come on, Let's Get to Know the Nose

The nose works hard for us. By taking the time to learn more about it, we can align ourselves to work with the nose—to guide us towards safety and health, investigate odors, explore chronic...

by Sophia Ruan Gushée

In NYC, we're in the full swing of winter, which includes more prevalence of the common cold.

Symptoms of the common cold include sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, headaches, and body aches. While the common cold occurs more often in the winter and spring, people are affected all year by the common cold.

If you feel early signs of the common cold (usually a sore throat and runny nose), then take...

By Angela Cummings

Going #2 (as the kids say) is a natural, healthy occurrence for all humans (and animals), but we’re often embarrassed by the smell left behind.

We tend to reach for toxic sprays to cover-up those embarrassing smells.

However, there are nontoxic alternatives that can be used!

In this article, we’ll discuss how conventional sprays can be toxic, and how to make your own natural bathroom sprays for a nontoxic home environment.

What Are the Harmful...