A Journey into Herbal & Natural Healing

“Just as there is an art to serving tea, flower arranging, and calligraphy, there is an art to burning incense. A sixteenth-century Zen priest is credited with describing the ten virtues of incense burning:

1. Incense burning opens the mind to divinity.
2. Incense burning purifies the mind and body.
3. Incense burning divests the mind of worldly impurities.
4. Incense burning wakes up the mind and keeps one alert.
5. Incense burning encourages the mind in solitude.
6. Incense burning brings peace to a busy mind.
7. One cannot burn too much incense.
8. Even a little incense is enough.
9. The age of the incense does not affect its efficacy.
10. Habitual use of incense causes no harm.”

~ 3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery by Seppo Ed Farrey with Myochi Nancy O’Hara

• History, materials, types, traditions, and uses of incense
• An indepth look at Japanese incense including how to make incense
• Natural incense, resins, herbs, oils & incense making kits

Here are some links to organic resources on the internet. It’s a starting point for more information and associations on organic farming and sustainable agriculture.

• ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
  Managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service. It provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
• Organic Consumers Association
  Our website, publications, research, and campaign staff provide an important service for hundreds of thousands of consumers and community activists every month. Our media team provides background information, interviews, and story ideas to television and radio producers and journalists on a daily basis - from national television networks to the alternative press.
• The Organic Center
  To generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society.
• Eatwild: The Clearinghouse for Information about Pasture-Based Farming
  Eatwild.com features comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate information about grass-fed and organic beef, pork, lamb, bison, dairy products, and poultry. It also features the country’s most extensive list of suppliers of pasture-raised products.
• Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA)
  A resource for organic dairy farmers, organic milk producers
  and consumers interested in organic dairy farming and products. Among the information offered: organic dairy news, northeast events, farmer classifieds, business directory, guidance on transitioning to organic, grazing management and soil health.
• NorthEast Organic Network (NEON)
  An innovative consortium of farmers, researchers, extension educators and grassroots nonprofits working together to improve organic farmers’ access to research and technical support.
• The Organic Trade Association (OTA)
  OTA is a membership-based association that encompasses all sectors of the organic industry, from farm to retail. OTA represents the industry’s interests to regulators, policymakers, the media and the public.
• Save Our Seed 
  A free certified organic seed sourcing service.
• Organic Farming Research Foundation
  To sponsor research related to organic farming;
  To disseminate research results to organic farmers and to growers interested in adopting organic production systems; and
  To educate the public and decision-makers about organic farming issues.
• USDA National Organic Program
  The National Organic Program (NOP) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. The NOP also accredits the certifying agents (foreign and domestic) who inspect organic production and handling operations to certify that they meet USDA standards.
• Organic Trade Association
  OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.
• Rodale Institute / New Farm

Many people contemplate becoming a vegetarian at one point or another. Some consider a meatless diet because they feel sorry for the animals. Others think a vegetarian way of eating will improve their health.

However, out of those well-intentioned people very few actually follow through and change their way of eating. The idea of completely giving up meat forms a big stumbling block for most.

For some reason, when it comes to vegetarian cooking, most people only see the “extremist” approach: either give up meat completely or you might as well include the meat in every meal. This “all or nothing” thinking becomes a mental barrier that keeps a lot of people from eating more vegetarian meals.

How about finding a happy medium? Drastic changes to one’s diet never last. Do not beat yourself up for eating meat. There is no need to give it up completely. Just try eating a little less of it, that’s all.

Start right now by making one meatless dinner every week. Keep everything else the same. Eating just one vegetarian dinner every week is definitely doable and easy. It will be just a nice change instead of deprivation!

If you think going meatless one day a week would not make a big difference, consider these simple numbers: if everyone ate vegetarian meals just one day a week, it would save one out of seven animals. Out of 92 million animals that are consumed in the United States alone every year, over 13 million animals would be spared. This is a huge impact!

In addition to doing good for our planet, you’ll enjoy great health benefits by including more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, nutrients, anti-oxidants and fiber - all the things that are good for us. They can help with weight loss and prevent diseases. Numerous studies show that diets high in fruits and vegetables reduce the risks of deadly diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke.

Also, by trying out new dishes, you will break your food routine and discover new tasty recipes and food combinations. It’s really nice to eat something different once in a while instead of being stuck in a food rut.

This simple shift of mindset from “all or nothing” to a happy middle ground will do wonders. Vegetarian eating does not need to be a full-time commitment, sacrifice and strive for unattainable perfection. Just do what you can to eat a little less meat, have fun trying new vegetarian meals and enjoy the benefits.

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About The Author

Melanie Mendelson is the author of “Vegetarian Main Dishes - Yummy Recipes That Even Meat Eaters Will Love”.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melanie_Mendelson