Arnica Rescue

After my sister told me about arnica, and I found it in an ointment for 50% off at Saje, I knew I had to try it.  Arnica Rescue is an acute injury ointment.  It is 100% natural and contains only arnica montana flower, olive oil, and beeswax.

Arnica is a homeopathic remedy used for swelling, bruises, sprains, breaks, soft tissue, tendon, and muscular damage.  It alleviates swelling and reduces healing time.  It has been used and recommended by homeopaths for more than 200 years and is also frequently used by professional athletes.

I am currently using it on my bruised and swollen calf from white water rafting.  Using it as quickly as possible after the injury is ideal, and it has already done wonders for the swelling in my leg.  My first use for it though was much more interesting.  I have prepatellar bursitis in my knee.  This means my bursa (tiny fluid filled sac) on my knee is inflamed which causes severe pain when any pressure is applied to the area (at its worst for me, even the weight of my pants touching my knee causes pain).  The doctor didn't have any treatment options for me other than taking about 2,500 mg of ibuprofen a day and using a prescription anti-inflammatory cream.  I avoid pills and prescriptions unless really necessary, so I opted for my Arnica Rescue along with some ice.  The arnica ointment  has really worked well in relieving the inflammation as well as speeding up my healing time.

What do you use to relieve swelling?

A Fresher Night's Sleep: Mattress Cleaner

Baking soda has so many uses.  This weekend we tried out a new one to us.  Cleaning the mattress!  I have pretty bad allergies, so I am always somewhat concerned about dust especially in our bedroom (though most of the time not concerned enough to do much about it).  Our mattress is ooold.  It's the mattress I grew up sleeping on and brought along when we got married.  Since in bed is where I spend 8-10 hours a day, I decided it was high time to clean it and found a natural way to do so.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the natural mattress cleaner recipe. Thanks!

Natural Drain Cleaner Fail

My husband is a scientist which means periodically we do science experiments in our house.  Yesterday we made a volcano in our shower drain.  Why, you ask.  Because I keep reading and hearing that vinegar and baking soda are the best non toxic drain cleaner.  I pretty well shed like a dog, and my hair has the nasty tendency to clog up our shower drain.  In the past a plunger has always done the trick, but that is no longer working.  I didn't want to use Drano, and I already had baking soda and vinegar in the house.

We put:
-1/8 c baking soda
-1/8 c vinegar
down the drain and shut the plug.  We allowed that to sit for about 30 minutes.  Then we poured hot water down the drain for about 2 minutes.  That step almost killed me with guilt for the waste of water.

The results: It didn't work.  Having the shower run for a few minutes still resulted in the tub filling up.  I have heard so many people talk about this though, so I know it must work.  I am turning to you now to ask for your experiences with this.

What did I do wrong?

*Note:
I'm now using a new platform, but you can still subscribe or just check in on your own as you wish.  I'm feeling enthusiastic about this new venture, and I hope you will join me!  You can hop on over to the new site here:

Gracepoint

The Power of Tea Series: Ginger

At the beginning of March I had a killer cold.  At first I thought it was the allergy season starting, but then it got worse and worse.  I was constantly having to blow my nose but there was no relief in my congestion.  I could hardly get out of bed because of the pressure in my head.  This is when I knew it had to be more than just allergies.  I immediately began looking for a herbal tea to soothe my symptoms and help my body heal.  My choice was ginger.

Ginger Tea
-2 cups boiling water
-1 inch piece of ginger - I used fresh, but you could also use dried or powdered
-optional: honey, thought I don't find this necessary

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The effects of the ginger tea were noticeable within the hour.  Ginger helps break up the mucus and flush it out.  I could breath much better through my nose.  I was still blowing my nose a lot, but I was getting some relief from it.  It helped significantly with my congestion.  I believe it also helped my immune system fight off the infection and get healthy quicker.  I sipped on this all throughout the day even taking it with me while going out.

I used ginger tea for its power against congestion, but there are also many other benefits.  Here are some:
-treatment for motion sickness (Gravol has even made a ginger chewable pill)
-heartburn relief
-treats nausea and morning sickness
-anti-inflammatory
-painkiller
-treats menstrual cramps
-sore throat relief - I have written about this before as well in this post

Have you ever had ginger tea?

The Power of Tea Series: Cinnamon

I love tea.  It's been a sudden and powerful love that has grown quickly.  Actually I should be more specific.  I love herbal tea.  For years I never considered drinking tea nor coffee.  I still don't drink coffee.  First I drank it because it was something healthy and warm I could drink through the winter.  Now as I've gotten more into this natural lifestyle and home remedies, I have discovered the healing power of tea.  That is the inspiration for this series.

Cinnamon is such a wonderful experience for many of the senses.  Fortunately it also has many health benefits.  The first time I ever drank cinnamon tea was when I was sick with the flu.  I had read that it is helpful in alleviating nausea, and at 2 in the morning I was desperate for anything I could find in the house already.

Cinnamon Tea
-approx 4 sticks of cinnamon
-2 cups boiling water
-optional: add honey to sweeten, though I find this unnecessary

Simmer cinnamon sticks in boiling water.  Allow to steep and cool to a comfortable temperature for drinking. 

I think mason jars are perfect for making huge cups for tea.

It was very effective and quite tasty.  The smell of the cinnamon was the best part.  It had a soothing effect on my stomach and helped me be able to get back to sleep.  I was so happy with the results, I looked into cinnamon further and discovered that it has many other health benefits as well.  Here are a few:
-improves circulation
-eases cold symptoms
-eases flu symptoms and upset stomachs
-alleviates indigestion
-acts as an aid to menstrual symptoms
-even found to aid in weight loss

What are your thoughts on cinnamon tea?  What other teas would you like to see featured in this series?

One Ingredient Headache Relief

This is a remedy I have been using for a long time now, but I always seem to forget to write about it.  Today I am finally exposing one of my most used natural remedies.  Through high school and college I used to have headaches quite frequently.  Each time one struck I would take 1000 mg (2 extra strength) of Tylonel. The drug in Tylonel, acetaminophen, can cause liver damage from chronic use or large doses.  I knew this wasn't good for me, but waiting out the pain of a headache for hours wasn't very appealing either.  I wanted to find an alternative, and it was one of the first things I looked up in my book 1001 Natural Remedies by Laurel Vukovic.  Here is it.

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The simplest, most effective way I have found to relieve a headache is a lavender massage.  I dab a couple drops of lavender essential oil on my fingers and use that to massage my temples.  I close my eyes and breath deeply while doing this.  I was shocked the first time I tried it by how quickly it works!  In my experience, this remedy is nothing short of amazing.  Lavender has soothing and calming properties which make it ideal as a tonic for the nervous system.  It emotionally refreshes and relaxes while physically relieving tension and pain.  I luckily do not suffer from migraine headaches, but I have read that lavender works to treat even those as well. Note:  Most essential oils cannot be applied to the skin undiluted, lavender is an exception.

Other options for its use would be to add the lavender essential oils to a carrier oil for a larger massage, make a soothing eye pillow containing dried lavender, a tutorial for which you can find here, or add a few drops of the essential oil to a bath and soak.

Warning:  There are certain circumstances where using lavender would be inadvisable, such as being pregnant or nursing or while taking certain prescription medications.  Always check first if you have concerns.

How do you treat headaches naturally?

Natural Zit Zapper

During boxing week sales after Christmas, I had to stop in at one of my favourite stores, Saje.  A bunch of products were on for half off, so I decided to purchase and try out the "Zap" roll on acne treatment.  It is an essential oil blend of tea tree, geranium, lavender, patchouli, and a few others.  This blend is specially designed to eliminate bacteria, reduce excess oil, and promote healing for blemishes.  It is used as a spot treatment on acne.  I have been using it twice daily, and it is amazingly effective!  I recently went for 3 weeks without washing my face at all, I only used this as a spot treatment as necessary.

 

{photo source} 

I realize that most people reading this don't have access to a Saje store (since they are only in BC, Canada), though you can order online.  Another option I thought of though is to make your own!  I will admit, when I took my newly purchased Zap home and read the ingredients, I felt a little ripped off (and thankful I got it for half off).  I had lavender and tea tree essential oils at home already.

So, I recommend to any of you looking for an acne spot treatment to make your own version of this.  Simply combine tea tree and lavender essential oils, perhaps geranium or patchouli as well if you have them.  Then you can dab it on as necessary using a q-tip or some other reusable alternative I haven't thought of yet.  That is what I am planning to do when my Zap bottle runs out.

What natural treatments do you use on acne?

Natural Deodorant Stick Recipe

Switching from antiperspirant to homemade deodorant was a crunchy leap I have wanted to take for a long time, but I was too scared.  Buying natural or crystal deodorant is another option, but I find them expensive and often the ingredients are not 100% natural.  Another preference for me was that it would be in stick form.  I found this recipe on Keeper of the Home which she has altered and worked on, and thus I trusted it would turn out well.  I have finally made the leap!

Natural Deodorant Stick
-1/8 c arrowroot powder
-1/8 c baking soda
-2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
-1 heaping tbsp beeswax
-2 drops castor oil (optional - helps it to slide on better)
-8 drops tea tree essential oil
-8 drops lavender essential oil
-up to another 10 drops of another essential oil for scent purposes

1. Add all ingredients into a small pot over medium heat on the stove.
2. Stir until everything has melted into a smooth consistency.
3. Have a container ready.  We emptied mainstream deodorant containers and washed them out in a pot of boiling water.  Make sure it is turned back down the bottom.
4. Pour the melted mixture into the container until full.
5. Allow to cool and set on the counter for a couple of hours.

It is a good idea to have a "detox" period of about a week where you use no deodorant or antiperspirant after quitting the mainstream stuff and before beginning the natural replacement.  I was happy to be doing this in the winter.  When you do use it, this homemade deodorant will be softer than conventional deodorant.  Be careful not to twist it up too high when using or to put on too much.  Also, this will not prevent you from sweating, it will only prevent you from smelling bad.  I have heard that your body will adjust as time goes by.  I am still waiting to see.

I have been really impressed with the effectiveness of this deodorant.  We made one for Brad as well, and it works even on his man sweat.  Neither of us have been smelly, in fact we can smell the scents of the essential oils we each used.  Mine is lavender scented, and Brad's is the spa spirit essential oil blend from the Spa Spirit Lip Balm post.  The only downside I have come across thus far is that our white shirts end up with yellow in the arm pits, but I haven't found it to be a big deal.  I am not sure what exactly causes this though.  Is anyone out there able to educate me?

Have you tried any natural alternatives to antiperspirant?

Herbal Fire Starters

On Whole Living's website they have a list of 25 Eco-Chic Ideas for Your Home.  Most of them are really fantastic, and I encourage you to check them out.  One that caught my eye was the herbal fire starter.  I thought this would be especially relevant for a winter post because I am sure some of you heat your homes with wood fires or have them occasionally as a treat.

Herbal Fire Starters
To make:  Bundle combinations of herbs and small pine cones in newspaper.  Tie ends with twine/raffia/hemp, etc.
To use: Place one fire starter underneath the log pile with ends sticking out.  Light newspaper end on fire.

We put ours in groups of cinnamon with sage and lavender with rosemary then secured them with hemp.

Herbal fire starters are a natural alternative to lighter fluid.  They also add a wonderful aromatic aspect to the fire.  Putting the bundles together was actually a lot of fun as well.  Brad and I made most of these as a gift for an outdoorsy friend and also a few for ourselves to enjoy this summer out at our fire pit or while camping.

As a side note, I want to briefly mention that wood fires do quite significant damage to the environment.  I encourage those who enjoy the warmth and coziness of a fire to look into composite logs.  There are many options made from clean burning renewable resources.

What is an eco-chic idea you've implemented in your home?

Onion Cough Syrup

This is such a great, simple cough and cold remedy.  I first discovered it on Vintage Savoir Faire, a fantastic blog I read.  A while back Brad had a nagging cough, which was the perfect time to try it out.  Onion is a common home remedy for a variety of ailments.  Onions are high in the anti-oxidant quercetin which boosts the immune system.  Also, it is also known to be an effective expellant of phlegm.  Onion is similar in its healing power to garlic, though more gentle.

Onion Cough Syrup
-1 small onion
-sugar
-container with a lid

Peel and slice onion.  Make layers of onion and sugar inside the jar.  Cover with lid.

Allow to sit 6-8 hours.  Take a spoonful of the syrup as needed.

Brad thought it was a good remedy.  It tasted pretty bad, but not unbearable, like sweet onion.  It was easy to make and easy to take.  He said it felt very soothing when he took it, and it helped quickly with the cough.  The biggest downside was his breath afterwards, haha.  The downside from my point of view is that it takes 6-8 hours to make.  Also, I have read that sugar suppresses the immune system, and thus I wonder if it is hindering the healing process.  Perhaps honey would work in place of it.

How do you fight off a cough?

A Polite Title Regarding Diarrhea

At the risk of sharing too much information, I am still going to do this post, so be warned.  We have had a wicked bug going around the childcare centre I work at.  We've had different children and staff home sick everyday.  It got to me last Saturday (which made me mad because my weekend plans were ruined, and I couldn't even take the day off work).  I was hit with diarrhea.  In past years I would have immediately reached for the Immodium, but I decided to risk it and try some natural remedies from 1001 Natural Remedies by Laurel Vukovic.

"Eat bananas and carob
Bananas and carob are both rich in pectin, which binds loose stools.  Eat a banana mashed with a tablespoon or two or carob powder: One serving may take care of the problem, or you may need more.  This is an especially good remedy for children."

Bananas also have a high potassium content which helps to replace electrolytes that are being lost.  We didn't have carob powder, and the only bananas we had were sliced and frozen, thus I decided to have a banana smoothie.  I had about 2 bananas worth of slices with rice milk (I am lactose intolerant, so this is all I have, but it was good as well because dairy products are a bad choice when suffering from diarrhea.) and a little bit of vanilla extract.  This was quick, simple, tasty and began to ease the problem within the hour.  I was still having less severe bouts though with a lot of stomach pain.

 {photo source}

"Eat a brown apple
To help stop an attack of diarrhea, shred a peeled apple on to a plate, let it turn brown, and eat it.  Apples contain pectin, which helps bind loose stools."

Brad peeled and grated an apple for me and spread it out on a plate.  After waiting about 3 hours, it had turned brown, but not extremely.  I was surprised how long the process was taking, and this was the biggest disadvantage to this remedy.  When I am sick like this, I don't want to have to suffer through 3 or more hours first before getting something to help me into my system.  By the time I was able to eat the apple, I had already had the banana smoothie which was helping.  This did seem to continue to help though as well.

{photo source}

Other things I consumed include:
-peppermint tea to calm and relax intestinal cramping and gas - this was a miracle worker for me
-white bread sandwich for easier digestion - whole grains are so important usually, but when you're sick, don't make things harder on your digestive system
-mashed potatoes (white rice is another good option) - again low in fibre means easy digestion

Foods I avoided:
-gas producing foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage as they increase intestinal gas
-dairy products which become harder to digest as a result of less enzyme lactase
-fatty foods (even good fats) as they speed up contractions in the intestines

Overall it worked very well.  The original severity was eased fairly quickly, and by Sunday evening I was significantly better, and then well enough to go back to work on Monday.

What natural remedies do you know of for this ailment?

Easy Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I've previously spoken about what a danger household cleaning products are to our health and the environment.  You can check out this post for more information if you're interested.  Since learning all of this, I have been switching over my cleaning products.  When I ran out of toilet bowl cleaner, I looked around on the internet for a natural alternative.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the borax toilet bowl cleaner post. Thanks!

Giveaway Winner + Simple Ginger Sore Throat Relief

Today is the day!  The deadline for the giveaway was last night, and the draw has been made.  The winner of the Wife Life prize pack is... *drum roll*

Susan with her comment, "i follow you on your RSS feed."

Congratulations Susan!  You will be receiving:
-3 Lavender Love Lotion Bars (post here)
-1 container of Lemon Meringue Moisturizer (post here)
-2 tubes of Spa Spirit Lip Balm (post here) 

Thank you to everyone who entered!  I am thrilled to have so many suggestions for blog posts and am excited to cover those topics in the future.  Now on to more serious business...

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'Tis the season for colds and flus.  Brad had gotten a pretty rough sore throat.  I have find it easy to find many natural remedies for coughs, and have even written about a honey and lemon one here, but the sore throat remedies seem to be scarce.  Luckily for me I found an old post on Keeper of the Home about ginger.

Ginger Sore Throat Relief
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp olive oil

Take 1/2 tsp at a time.  Swallow slowly to coat the throat.  The ginger is for its anti-inflammatory properties and ground clove is for pain relief.

Appetizing, isn't it?

Brad took this the night we made it before bed and woke up the next morning pain-free.  I made him take it again that morning for good measure, and the sore throat never returned.  Very effective!  I have also been thinking of how to make this into more of a throat lozenge.  Should make for a good experiment another day. Before I finish up, I want to be straight with you.  This - stuff - tastes - awful.  Be prepared.

Do you have any sore throat remedies?

Natural Multi Purpose Cleaner

Way back when, some of you may remember that I made 3 cleaning products as a bridal shower gift for a friend.  I've already covered the homemade laundry soap and a natural air freshener.  Today I am talking about a multi purpose cleaner.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the natural multi-purpose cleaner recipe. Thanks!

Spa Spirit Lip Balm

Lip balm is a beauty staple.  Unfortunately it is also toxic (mainstream brands) and addictive.  I admit that I was once addicted to lip balm, and have had to take steps to breaking that addiction.  It sounds silly when talking about lip balm, but that has truly been how my experience felt.  It is now a priority of mine to keep what I put on my lips natural and safe while still using it sparingly.

After checking out EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database for this post, I found that popular brands such as Blistex, Maybelline, Softlips, and Avon (even the "natural" line) were in the top ten most toxic lip balms.  These toxins are absorbed easily through the thin skin covering the lips and also through ingestion from eating or licking the lips.  To combat this, I have chosen to make my own lip balm.  This is a slightly modified recipe for homemade lip balm originally from Eco Beauty by Lauren Cox.

Spa Spirit Lip Balm

1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp grated beeswax
1 tsp sweet almond oil
1/8 tsp vitamin E oil
3-5 drops essential oil blend of grapefruit, eucalyptus, benzoin, and peru balsam

The supplies.

Combine all ingredients into a small glass dish and place into a pan with a few inches of water (or microwave).  Heat and stir until everything is combined.  Pour into a suitable container of your choice.

Allow to cool completely.  Enjoy!
(To make 2 lip balms as shown in this picture, double the recipe.)

A friend and I made it and were both pleased after using them.  The consistency was great without being gloppy or greasy.  They are packed with moisturizing ingredients making this a perfect recipe for the winter especially.

If you're interested in learning more about cosmetics or taking action against the toxins in most beauty products, I encourage you to check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

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Don't forget about the current giveaway going on right now!  Part of the prize pack is winning 2 tubes of this lip balm.  Check out this post to enter.  Deadline is 1/15/2012.

Lemon Meringue Moisturizer

The other night we had two of our closest friends over for an evening.  The boys played video games while the girls made beauty products in the kitchen.  With winter approaching, dry skin is always an issue.  We found a recipe in Lauren Cox's EcoBeauty book for a hand cream and altered it to make our very own moisturizer.

Lemon Meringue Moisturizer

1/4 c water
1/8 tsp borax powder
5-10 drops lemon essential oil
1/2 c grapeseed oil
2 tbsp grated beeswax

1. Bring water to a boil in kettle and immediately pour over the borax in a bowl. Stir until dissolved.  Add lemon essential oil.  (This can of course be substituted for any essential oil, but then it won't be lemon meringue.) Set aside.
2. Place oil and beeswax in the top pot of a double boiler (a makeshift double boiler can be made by placing a small pot into a larger pot that is filled partway with water) over medium-high heat, and mix together until completely melted.
3. Pour the oil mixture into a blender and turn the blender on.  Add the hot water mixture in a slow, steady stream.  Blend on a high speed until well combined.  The mixture will become the consistency of a cream.

Finished product.

 The whole process was so exciting.  I couldn't believe that we really made such a completely different product from the ingredients that we started with.  I asked my husband, Brad the chemist, why this happened.  After looking into the chemical make up of the ingredients, he explained that we produced an actual chemical reaction.  Real science!

I love how thick and fluffy the cream is.  It is very moisturizing without feeling oily or greasy.  It soaks into skin quickly.  I like to use it as a hand cream, though it would work wonderfully on any dry skin areas.

If you're interested in or curious about why a person would want to make their own beauty products or be cautious about mainstream brands, I encourage you to watch this short video: The Story of Cosmetics

The Scent of Home - Air Freshener

Way back when I talk about my homemade laundry detergent, I promised 2 other homemade cleaning product recipes.  Today I am going to share with you a homemade air freshener from Keeper of the Home that I use.

First though, why would someone want to make their own air freshener?  Apparently having "fresh" air is a major first world problem, since 75% of Americans have some sort of air freshener in their home. Unfortunately all types of air fresheners (sprays, wicks, electric, etc) have a long ingredient list filled with toxic chemicals.  Just one example I found is trichlorofluoromethane.  With the help of my chemist husband, I was able to look into the safety of this chemical.  It has been assigned the exclamation point "danger" symbol because of its severe toxicity and damage to the ozone layer and environment in general.  Another harmful ingredient is called 1, 4-dichlorobenzene which has already been proven in studies to reduce lung function.  That is not exactly what I think of when I hear air freshener.

So, what can we do about it?  Make our own natural air fresheners!  Here is how.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the deodorizing bathroom spray recipe. Thanks!

Lavender Love Lotion Bars

I have purchased a few "massage bars" from Lush before, so when I learned how easy it is to make homemade lotion bars, I was excited to try it out.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits for the Lavender Love Lotion Bars recipe. Thanks!

Excuse Me, You Have Food on Your Face - Honey Face Wash

On another blog I follow, Crunchy Betty, she organized a challenge for her readers to wash their face with just honey and water at least once a day for 2 weeks. I had been having decent results with my tea tree bar soap, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to take it another step in the all natural direction.  Brad and I purchase raw honey at the farmer's market already, and we began to use that to wash our face in the mornings.

The benefits of using honey as a facial cleanser are...
-it is antibacterial and antimicrobial
-slightly drying to soak up oiliness
-incredibly moisturizing at the same time
-contains enzymes which are thought to have anti-aging properties
-it is great for any skin type - acne, aging, normal, dry, etc
-healing properties help repair blemishes and scars

I washed my face with honey daily for about 2 months.  The first few times, it seemed funny spreading this sticky stuff all over my face, but I really enjoyed the way it felt.  It even works when your honey gets a little harder.  I imagined it was adding an exfoliating aspect.  I found that the honey was really effective in reducing and healing any blemishes I had already.  The problem for me was that new ones were still popping up each day.  At the same time each month I broke out worse than I have in years, and that is when I realized that my acne must be partially hormonal.  The honey didn't seem to be strong enough to fight against those exceptionally bad break out times, and I have since stopping using it.

I would still encourage others to at least try it out.  What works for some, doesn't always work for others.  Which is shown in our situation even because Brad still continues to wash his face with honey daily.  It has been great for him.  For more information, you can check out Crunchy Betty's post about it here - Crunchy Betty's Honey Challenge.

What do you use to wash your face?  Do you have any tips for treating hormonal acne?

Yoga - Stretched and Unstressed

Over the last few years as yoga gained in popularity in the West, I have resisted.  I have awful balance, I'm not the typical body type of those I see practicing yoga or wearing yoga gear, and  I feel some unexplained moral aversion to Lululemon.  This September I found a free yoga class that practices twice a week about 10 minutes away from my house.  I didn't think I could pass up the opportunity to at least try it.  Now I have fallen in love with yoga.

The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit root "yuj", which means "to yoke" the spirit and physical body together.  From what I can tell, the yoga I am practicing is hatha yoga which traditionally is a holistic path that includes disciplines, physical postures, purification procedures, breathing, and meditation.  Yoga is really a way of life.  Our yoga instructor always talks about how there is a personal practice which takes place on the mat, then there is our interactions with those around us, and then the effects we have in the world on a global scale.

The many benefits of yoga can improve different aspects of life.  Physical benefits include improved overall health, flexibility, stamina, improved balance, increased strength, pain prevention, better breathing, improved digestion, and increased blood circulation.  Mental benefits include stress relief, mental calmness, body awareness, and increased self acceptance.  The list could go on and on.  Plus, yoga is for everyone be it men or women or from young children to the elderly.

This has been the first form of exercise I have ever actually looked forward to going to.  It has certainly made a difference in our lives.  I have begun feeling physical changes regarding strength and flexibility.  Brad has had amazing success with pain prevention for a shoulder injury the medical doctor wasn't able to do anything for.  What I really crave though before practicing yoga is the mental calmness.  I find that there are so few instances in our busy lives where we carve out time to be calm and introspective.

I think that Donna Farhi describes it beautifully in her book Yoga Mind, Body, and Spirit here:

But the slowness of this path is part of the healing.  It is part of finding one's place in the rhythm of life again.  This reunification with nature lies at the heart of the true healing power of yoga practice.  Through that practice we can become peaceful, we can experience ease with ourselves and others, and ultimately we can create a society that values such things.  Then as we advance in our yoga practice, we will realize that however far we go, we are always in the process of returning to this natural self.

Have you had any experience with yoga?  What form of exercise do you enjoy?