Welcome to It's My Nature's online E-mail newsletter. Our goal is to provide you with interesting, useful information about herbs and aromatherapy. We will share ways to relieve the stress of daily life and bring a little natural comfort into your life and the lives of those you love.

Spring has arrived and it's time to get ready for the active summer months ahead. We want you to be cool, calm and collected so this month we are focusing on meditation. It is a great way to calm the mind and body. Stress just flies out the window. It has been said that 20 minutes in a quiet room alone can give you the same benefits as a good night's sleep. Try it, you may be surprised at how easy and effective it can be.

Certain herbs and essential oils have a direct effect on calming the mind. These herbs and quiet time can provide you with peace, tranquility and even inspiration. If you are a writer, student, stressed out mom, or just stressed out, read on.

Our website is continually being updated so please remember to BOOKMARK it
and visit often. http://itsmynature.net

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Monthly Tip:
Don't forget Mother's Day is coming up May 13th. It will be here before you know it! When ordering online, purchase your gifts early to allow for shipping time. Here at It's My Nature, we pride ourselves on our quick order processing. We try to ship every order within 24 hours.
For a variety of Mother's Day Gift ideas, visit our Mother, Sister & Daughter's page at: http://itsmynature.net/html/Holiday.html

The women in your life will be glad you did!

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Herb & Essential Oil of the Month
Featured Herb Sage (Salvia officinalis) DALMATIA

Named 2001's Herb of the Year by the International Herb Society.

Sage is a member of the Mint family. It is most commonly known as a culinary herb, but it also has great medicinal importance. The purifying power of sage has been known for centuries among people of diverse and distant cultures. It is often used to cleanse and purify rooms to create a sacred space for prayer, meditation and rituals.

Using a smudge stick is part of many American Indian traditions. Smudging is a ritual way to cleanse a person, place or an object of negative energies, spirits or influences. You might want to smudge when:

* You've been feeling depressed, angry, resentful.
* You've had an argument with someone.
* You're going to have a special ritual or ceremony.
* As part of a general spiritual housecleaning.
* To clear your crystals of any negative energy.

The ancient Greeks and Romans first used sage as a meat preservative. They also believed it could enhance memory. The generic name for sage, Salvia, comes from the Latin word meaning "to heal". It was used for digestive disorders, kidney disease, menstrual complaints and as a general nerve tonic.

Modern herbalists recommend sage externally for wounds and insect bites, as a gargle for bleeding gums, sore throat, laryngitis, tonsillitis, and in an infusion to reduce perspiration, terminate milk production, and treat dizziness, depression, menstrual irregularity and intestinal upsets.

Like rosemary, sage contains powerful antioxidants which slow spoilage. Mix it generously into hamburger meat, tuna, pasta and potato salads to prevent food poisoning on your next picnic. And like most culinary spices, sage helps relax the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract (making it an antispasmodic), and therefore, excellent for poor digestion.

Sage contains astringent tannins, which account for its traditional use in treating canker sores, bleeding gums and sore throat. In Germany, where herbal healing is more mainstream than it is in the United States, physicians recommend a hot sage gargle for sore throat and tonsillitis.

Sage is a digestive tonic and stimulant with a well deserved reputation as a nerve tonic in Chinese medicine. Sage is also good for reducing sweating, hot flashes and other symptoms of estrogen deficiency. It helps the body adapt to the hormonal changes involved in menopause.

Caution: Sage oil is not recommended for use by those with Epilepsy because it can cause seizures. It also causes breast milk to dry up, which can cause problems for nursing mothers.

Dried Sage Uses:
Tea - Make an infusion to settle the stomach. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. This may also be used as a gargle. Sage tastes warm, pleasantly aromatic, and somewhat pungent.

Hair - An infusion makes a great hair rinse for dark hair. Helps promote shine & growth.

Bath - Great for muscular aches and pains, asthma and nervous tension. Make an infusion and add to bath water.

Garden First Aid - Rub fresh leaves on stings and bites. Or crush some fresh leaves into cuts and scrapes on the way to thoroughly washing and bandaging them.

Culinary - Use fresh or dried herb on most any meat. Great addition to bland soups, sauces and gravies.

We have two sizes of dried sage available.
Our small zipbag (approx. 2 cups) is $5.00. 1 lb Sage is $9.50
http://itsmynature.net/html/Herbs.html

Clary Sage - Pure Essential Oil (Salvia sclarea)

Clary Sage is most commonly used in Aromatherapy rather than the garden sage because it has a lower toxicity level. With a sweet, nutty-herbaceous scent, it is nice alone and it also blends well with lavender, geranium, sandalwood, bergamot and other citrus oils.

Clary's main effects are psychological. This oil generates energy and inspires both mind and spirit as it gently awakens the subconscious, bringing strength, harmony and purpose. It opens the path to the unknown, unusual, creative and intuitive.
Inhaling Clary Sage in times of great mental or emotional stress brings immediate relief.

As a medicinal remedy, clary was used long before its psychological effects were known. It relaxes and its tension reduction extends from the psychological to the physical. Great used as a bath or massage oil for menstrual cramps, delayed or irregular menstruation and premenstrual syndrome.

Properties Include:

Antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, digestive, euphoric, among others.

Skin Care
Acne, boils, dandruff, hair loss, oily skin and hair, inflamed conditions and wrinkles.

Circulation, Muscles and Joints
High blood pressure, muscular aches and pains.

Respiratory System
Asthma, throat infections, whooping cough.

Digestive System
Cramp, dyspepsia, flatulence.

Nervous System
Depression, frigidity, impotence, migraine, nervous tension and stress related disorders.

Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil when using on skin.

Clary Sage should NEVER be used by those with Epilepsy.

We have two sizes of Clary Sage Essential Oil available.
Our small 1/8oz vial is $12.00. 1oz Size is $43.00
http://itsmynature.net/html/EssentialOils.html

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Recipes

Sage Aftershave

Infuse 1/2 oz Sage & Rosemary herbs combined in
1 cup Apple cider vinegar for a week.
Strain, add equal quantity of Witch Hazel extract.

Relaxing Bath

Transform an ordinary bath into a magical experience with just a few drops of precious essential oils.

1 drop of Rose
1 drop of Patchouli
2 drops of Clary Sage

All Purpose House Cleaner

Take a handful of lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme and stuff into a widemouth jar 3/4 full. Fill the jar to the top with white vinegar and let infuse in the sun for 2 to 3 weeks. Strain through cheesecloth.
Put the scented vinegar into a spray bottle for easy use. You can also add baking soda for scrubbing action.

Dream Pillow
1 cup dried crushed Mugwort
1 cup Lavender Flowers
1 cup Dried Rose petals

Mix together, stuff in a pouch of some kind. Tuck inside your pillow case. Sweet Dreams.... Please note, this dreams mixture will affect everyone in the room. Even when tucked inside a pillow case!

We make 100% cotton, 10" x 12" dream pillows filled with a delightful blend of Chamomile, Hops, Lavender, Spearmint, Mugwort, Roses and special essential oils. On Sale For A Limited Time Only!!! Check out the Ad close to the end of this newsletter for details.
http://www.itsmynature.net/html/DreamPillow.html

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When a man knows the solitude of silence, and feels the joy of quietness, he is then free from fear and sin and he is the joy of life itself.

The Dhammapada

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Ease The Stress

April Is National Stress Awareness Month

Last month we discussed breathing and how deep breathing can help relieve stress and make you feel better instantly. Now we will take this one step further and look at meditation and the positive benefits it can have. Meditation has been around for thousands of years and is rooted in the traditions of the world's great religions. Meditation can help you attain peace of mind. Inner peace is not something for the past or the future. It is available and present now. Meditation can also ease physical complaints such as PMS, tension headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure, insomnia and much more.

There are many different ways to meditate. Focusing on the breath is one of the most common and fundamental techniques for reaching the meditative state. Our breath is a deep rhythm of the body that connects us intimately with the world around us. And the breath always occurs in the present moment which is where you are trying to stay.

Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and regularly and just observe your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Give your full attention to the breath as it comes in, and full attention to the breath as it goes out. Whenever you find your attention wandering away from your breath, gently pull it back to the rising and falling of the breath.

Inhale through your nose slowly and deeply, feeling the lower chest and abdomen inflate like a balloon. Hold for five seconds. Exhale deeply, deflating the lower chest and abdomen like a balloon. Hold for five seconds. Do this three or four times, then allow your breathing to return to a normal rhythm.

You will begin to feel a change come over your entire body. Gradually you will become less aware of your breathing, but not captured in your stream of thoughts. You will become more centered inward. You will just "be there." Try to meditate a minimum of 10 minutes a day and work your way up to an hour. If you only have time to squeeze in 10 minutes a day, do it. You will still notice a difference in the way you feel.

There are many techniques used to reach the meditative state. A few of the most popular ones include repeating a mantra over and over in your mind, staring at a candle flame, visualizing positive images and so on.

So give meditation a try for awhile. Experiment and find the method that works best for you. You will find that it calms and centers your mind, increases energy and just makes you feel better. Once you develop the habit and start reaping the benefits, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it!

There is a vast amount of information online regarding meditation. A great FAQ page is located at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/meditation/faq

To subscribe to a "Meditation Tip of the Day" page for a daily inspiring message check out: http://www.deeshan.com

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Tea of the Month - NEW Rooibos Red
High In Anti-oxidants and nutrients. No Calories, Caffeine or Additives. Rooibos (pronounced roybus) is not actually a tea at all but is made from the leaves of the Aspalathus Linearis plant which grows in South Africa's Cederberg Mountain range. It is naturally caffeine free and contains Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Fluoride and a powerful anti-oxidant known as super oxide dismutase.

Rooibos is processed much like black tea and its flavor is similar to black tea with slightly citric, rosy overtones. However, unlike black tea, Rooibos contains no caffeine and is low in tannins.

The therapeutic value of Rooibos tea has been recognized for centuries in South Africa and both indigenous peoples and colonial settlers drank it to treat allergies, nervousness, indigestion, and minor skin problems. Current studies validate some of these uses. Of greatest interest is the herb's high antioxidant content and related potential to prevent mutations that may lead to cancer.

Our 12 oz. glass jar is $7.95. Makes 50-60 cups.
Save $1.00 by ordering in a ziplock bag.
http://itsmynature.net/html/TeaCorner.html

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Continuing In The Theme Of Meditation:

Great Meditation Aids
Frankinscense Incense - Easy to use. Fill the entire room up with mind altering frankinscense. A traditional scent used since Biblical Times. $2.00 pack
http://itsmynature.net/html/Incense.html

Dreams Herbal Bath Blend - The Bath is a great place for quiet, calm and relaxation. Light a few candles, soak in this awesome dream herbal bath and calm the mind, the body and get in touch with your soul. Great skin soothing properties as well. Also great as simmering herbs in a simmering pot. $8.00 12 oz Jar
http://itsmynature.net/html/Bath.html

Copper Cobra Diffuser - This Mystical Diffuser uses tea lights to warm the crystal Geode and evaporate your essential oils. Sitting on an agate slab, this diffuser really makes a statement and is a great conversation piece. $18.00 each
http://itsmynature.net/html/Diffuser.html

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Ordering Information
Phone orders -Call Toll Free 1-888-997-5057 PST
Or order online on our secure shopping website: http://www.itsmynature.net
Orders are processed and shipped quickly from Oregon via US Mail & UPS Ground.
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Copyright 2001, It's My Nature

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