“We need the tonic of the wilderness... We can never have enough of nature.” - Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods. When you have been busy at work all week, it can be difficult to slow down. You may have been rushing around so much you no longer know how to sit still. The stress of a hectic life wears on more than our psyche. As we know, stress has a profound impact on our overall physical health, from decreasing our productivity at work to preventing us from getting a good night’s sleep - stress can...
Commonly referred to as basil, this extraordinary herb has been revered throughout the ages for its intoxicating aroma and potent medicinal benefits. You may have had the experience of rubbing just-plucked basil leaves between your fingers, inhaling its majestic panoply of intertwining scents and feeling instantly refreshed. It is no wonder that basil’s common name is derived from the Greek βασιλεύς (basileus), meaning "king." At once sweet and fresh, spicy and herbaceous, the mention alone of its name evokes precious memories of hand torn leaves destined for a fresh salad or pasta sauce, of timeless summer days and clear blue skies that seem to last forever.
