top of page
Articles
Latest Insights + Articles
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil: The Exotic Floral Essence for Love, Relaxation, and Emotional Balance
Known for its rich floral fragrance, ylang ylang has long been associated with emotional balance, relaxation, and heartfelt connection. Ylang Ylang species: Cananga odorata (True Ylang Ylang), Cananga odorata var. genuina (Complete Ylang Ylang), Cananga odorata var. macrophylla (Large-leaf Ylang Ylang), Cananga odorata var. fruticosa (Shrub Ylang Ylang), Cananga latifolia (Broad-leaf Cananga), Cananga brandisiana (Indian Cananga), Cananga odorata forma pendula (Weeping Ylang Ylang), Cananga...
Can Essential Oils Repel Deer? My Garden Experiment with Peppermint and Lavender
A peaceful corner of my New Jersey garden, where black-eyed Susans bloom around a favorite birdbath—and where protecting plants from hungry deer has become part of every gardening season. Originally published in 2014. Updated June 2026. From The Healing Garden This article is part of The Healing Garden, an ongoing series inspired by my woodland garden in northern New Jersey. Here I share observations about medicinal plants, pollinators, wildlife, mindfulness, and the simple joy of connecting...
The DBT House™: A Practical Way to Understand and Use DBT Skills
The DBT House is a simple, body-based way to understand how DBT skills work together. By organizing skills as parts of a house—beginning with safety and regulation and building upward toward choice, perspective, and balance—this model offers a practical map for using DBT skills in everyday life.
Self-Care is Baby Care
Gentle, nurturing touch reminds us that caring for ourselves during pregnancy is one of the first ways we care for our babies. During pregnancy, people often hear, "Take care of yourself." But that advice can sound like one more thing to do on an already overwhelming list. Let's take a look at this from a different angle! Self-care while you're pregnant isn't separate from caring for your baby. Supporting Two Nervous Systems During Pregnancy Many people think pregnancy is about growing a...
Mindful Acupressure: Self-Care for Nervous System Regulation
The Conception Vessel sequence combines mindful breathing with gentle self-touch to promote relaxation and a greater sense of inner steadiness. Everyday mindfulness practices are positive self-help ways you can easily incorporate into your daily life to help soothe distress, stabilize the emotions and regulate your nervous system. This gentle self-acupressure practice follows the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai), one of the Extraordinary Vessels in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and combines...
bottom of page