What do Jesus, Muhammad, and the Buddha all have in common? They each turned to a particular ancient wellness practice during the most transformative and trying periods of their lives. If you were raised Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Rastafarian, or Mormon, you’re probably familiar ...
Have you ever wondered what a shaman’s responsibilities are? We often think of them as healers of the sick, but it turns out this is only half of the picture. The word for this sacred profession actually comes from the Turkic dialect, originating in a remote region of Siberia thought by many to be the ...
One of my shaman teachers from the Amazon, Roman Hanis, has a saying that goes like this,“The goal is to become more child-like, and less child-ish.” As often happens with spiritual mentors, they say something that makes total sense in the moment, but the full lesson doesn’t reveal itself ...
Over the past decade of studying different ancient medicine traditions, I’ve been amazed at how many similarities exist between them. Whether we’re talking about Amazonian Shamanism, Ayurvedic medicine, or the ancient healing traditions of China, the principles that these schools of knowledge are ...
When I hear the word “herbalism”, images of candlelit apothecaries, exquisite antique bottles of tincture, and the age old mortar and pestle come to mind. Even today, this isn’t too far from the mark – a resurgence of the age-old practice is in full swing and the craft has not changed ...
In this line of work, I am in constant contact with folks who are either trying to recover from an illness or who have broken through and regained their health. I’ve noticed that many of these people mention spiritual “openings” that came to them in their darkest moments – an unexpected gift from ...
When I open the medicine cabinet in our bathroom, what I see is mesmerizing. About 7.5 of the 8 shelves in there are jam packed with mysterious creams, tonics, and scrubs that my wife Michelle swears by as part of her beauty regimen. On the remaining half shelf that has been assigned to me (nomadic ...
We are back in the States after a long and fruitful medicine expedition across Central America and I’m excited to share some of the footage we’ve brought home with us. Below is a segment from our interview with acclaimed ethnobotanist, David Winston, that focuses on how to match the right herbs ...
I’m writing you from the little town of Quesada, Costa Rica. We’re just finishing the filming of our new series, “Secrets of the Ancient Healers”, which I’ll be sharing with you in a few months. More on that later – on to today’s piece! It seems ironic to be ...
I’m writing you from the remote village of San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala. “Why?”, you ask? As you know, we spend a lot of time exploring the traditional herbs of North and South America, but how about the fertile land bridge that connects these two gigantic continents? Don’t let ...
Change is coming and there’s nothing we can do about it. It may be a year from now, maybe a day – but most likely, it’s already begun. Though we crave predictability and would like to wake up each morning and know every curveball that life might throw us, the game doesn’t work that way. Nor should...
Some of the most powerful lessons can find us when we least expect them. A few days ago, I was standing amidst hundreds of people in a long line that stretched around a Buddhist temple outside of San Francisco. It was a Sunday, and we were all there to hear the teachings of a renowned spiritual master, but ...