Please. The air does not need to be "freshened". just because a product exists claiming to make it so. You could instead be making your self, family, coworkers, or customers sick by adding pollutants to what was once relatively clean air.

I can't count how many "holistic" studios I've visited with scented candles burning, or these little things plugged into the wall pumping out fake scent into the air, or odor-masking spray; while headaches and anxiety symptoms crop up without apparent cause.

Fake scents are not second-hand smoke, but using them makes the same presumption: that everyone likes it, or is ok with breathing the stuff.

So before you resort to fake scents, try the following:

• Test your beliefs about what air should smell like.
• Test your beliefs about the safety of the latest air-freshening gadget or brand.
• Test your beliefs about what accessories are necessary for a great party or gathering – what alternatives are available?
• Eliminate or reduce the source of whatever odor you're trying to cover up.
• Refresh pockets of stagnant air; increase air circulation in the room or building.
• Look into using incense, essential oils, or good old-fashioned potpourri – they're usually clean, safe, beneficial, and smell amazing.
• Find simmer recipes to make wonderful aromas for stove, hot-pot, or candle-warmer (cinnamon, apple, orange, clove, vanilla, etc.)

​Thank you for not fake-scent-ing!

When you notice stress creeping in, do you stop to wonder how much of it is invited through seemingly mundane choices? If you add these blocks up, you might find yourself hitting a wall:

• Unnecessary exposure to environmental toxins
• Meals with low nutritional value
• Saying yes when we mean no
• Saying no when we mean yes
• Fighting pointless battles
• Spending time with people who don't inspire us
• Spending too much time away from nature

What choices might help us feel better?

• Cool it on the chemicals (and ask the folks in our world to help)
• Eat whole, organically produced foods whenever possible
• Mean what we say
• Say what we mean
• Breathe, and take a step back from emotional reactions
• Make time for nurturing and productive encounters
• Get outside (or at least commune with the houseplant)

Click here for some tools to help you get back to basics, so you can re-set your foundation for health and well-being; one step at a time.

These simple tips are just a starting point–
​let us know how you manage the mundane.

Here I go again with the big ideas... What is the deal with exclusivity and owning everything?  If you're wondering what spawned the creation of the new Community Forum, well, I woke up that morning with the word "crowdsourcing" firmly top-of-mind.  After a bit of muddled research, I realized that it had less to do with the development of HD, and more to do with the creation of that (elusive?) ideal of togetherness.

Community is concept, action, and identity...  Who we choose to be within a community, how we choose to participate (or not), and what our ideas are about the various communities we enter throughout our lives.  The binding factor here is choice.

It appears to me that community dies when we stop choosing it.  When we fall back into the segmented, separated ways of modern society...  I am not saying we need to always be with people - everyone knows I need a lot of "me" time to stay sane!  What I am suggesting is that when we make a point of spending time with like-minded folks; when we participate in creating something bigger than ourselves; when we share resources and laughter; we step into a state of being that is not accessible if we stay apart.