Blog Posts by Intent.com

By The Chopra Well

The latest episode of SUPER BRAIN on The Chopra Well YouTube channel features a conversation between Deepak Chopra and neuroscientist Rudy Tanzi on love and the brain. If you're alive and breathing, chances are you have experienced love in your life. Maybe you are in love as we speak. One of the most prevalent and least understood of human emotions, love has intrigued poets, philosophers, scientists, artists, and historians alike for centuries. At this point in our development we know more than ever about the chemistry of attachment and the psychology of affection. But are we any closer to understanding why we love certain people over others, how this experience affects us, and what it all means in the grand scheme? Let's take a look. (Note: We'll be limiting this article to an exploration of romantic love.)

There is something perversely unpredictable about love. If you have ever experienced love at first sight, unrequited love, heartbreak,

Here is a surprising fact: Ginger powder, a common staple in most kitchen cabinets, can help you have healthier hair! Considered one of the most powerful herbs in Ayurveda, ginger is known to have stimulating and anti-inflammatory properties that increase circulation and help your hair grow faster. For those with thinning hair issues, ginger helps send nutrients in the blood to the hair follicles and can even act as a fertilizer to help give hair a growth spurt.

If you take a look at the ingredients in many popular natural shampoos, you'll likely see ginger oil as an ingredient. But as long as you have ginger powder at home, you can simply add it to a carrier (like coconut oil or honey) to make a paste that will enhance hair growth, revitalize your hair, and give your hair an added shine and luster. For an extra-special concoction, try adding other essential oils like lavender, jojoba, or rosemary oil.

To learn more about gingRick Wellmaner and hair health, we spoke to Rick Wellman,

creative commonsBy The Chopra Well

Here's the latest from 30 DAYS OF INTENT on The Chopra Well YouTube channel! Iman and Natalie, accompanied by YouTube star Hannah Hart, visit Laurel Lewis for a lesson in death and dying. Laurel is a registered nurse who specializes in end-of-life care, and she is best known for her "Death and Dying Dinners." We interviewed Laurel on the importance of contemplating death as a way of living life more fully.

The Chopra Well: Hi, Laurel! Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. First off, can contemplating our own death aid in a spiritual journey?

Laurel Lewis: Contemplating one's own death is a spiritual practice. It can certainly be the focal point of any meditation or journal writing. A Buddhist would say that we should examine it with every breath. That may be much for the beginner. How about we start with twice a day, upon waking and just prior to falling asleep.

The idea is to become more conscious of how you are spending your time, who

By Michelle Cowden

Nick Harris1Sometimes it's hard for me to imagine that buying organic products actually makes a difference in the health of the planet at large. I am one of 7 billion people on earth… Can one person really make a meaningful impact on the health and wellbeing of our entire planet?

It's easy to get disheartened when confronted with the overwhelming and often depressing statistics we have about climate change, obesity, and food shortage today. But when I begin to doubt, I remind myself that if everyone made the choice to be that one person who buys organic, collectively we could make a serious impact in sustaining the planet.

I choose to buy organic because I believe that one person can make a difference. When I buy organic, I increase the demand for sustainable farming methods, and over time if there's enough demand the industry will have to change to meet the needs of consumers.

If you find yourself feeling doubtful or disheartened, remember these three major ways

By Michelle Cowden

sweet summer strawberryFor years I have lectured and written about the benefits of eating organic, but a new study I read about on Discovery News seemed to contradict my philosophy that eating organic is better for you. This study made headlines by stating that eating organic does not provide any additional health benefits to eating conventional foods. I beg to differ.

If you think about it, we are exposed to a host of pesticides and chemicals on a daily basis that we have no control over - from the air that we breathe to the artificial lights we have in our homes and offices. What we do have control over is what we put on our skin and in our mouths. Granted, it is much more expensive to buy organic, and even I can't always afford it. But contrary to what this single, limited study suggests, eating organic provides numerous benefits.

Organic produce and meats, logically speaking, are better for your health. If the vegetables, fruits and meats you're eating have not been

By Monique Minahan

teapotsAs we step further into Fall and the weather continues to cool down, warming foods and drinks become extra delicious and comforting. Think hot chocolate after a morning ski or an apres-surf cup of coffee or tea.

Tea is one of my favorite drinks any time of year. A wonderful tiny tea shop opened up near me last year (The Robin's Nest) and quickly became my favorite place to splurge. A geisha teapot for grandma, a tin of Rooibos chai for me, and a chat with the lovely owner, Robin.

Tea has been used through time in a variety of ways. It can be used for everything from bath soaks to soothing puffy eyes to making potpourri and soap. Numerous health benefits are attributed to drinking tea as well, with antioxidants being high on the list.

Green tea, for instance, contains vitamins B, C, and E. The tannins in green tea are said to have antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Black tea is made from the same plant as green tea, but aged leaves are

78/365, flyBy The Chopra Well

In the latest episodes of The Chopra Well's 30 DAYS OF INTENT, Iman and Natalie experience therapy sessions with counselor Alyssa Nobriga, focusing on the difficult path to self-love and acceptance. Iman bravely recognizes the role he played in a recent traumatic breakup, saying, "It's hard to forgive myself." Natalie criticizes herself for missing several key passes, which, she says, ultimately marked the end of her professional soccer career.

Both struggle with self-acceptance in the face of these regrets, a feeling to which many can probably relate. Does self-love mean loving all of it - the faults and failures, too? To echo Natalie's words in the previous episode, "How do you love the parts of yourself that are most misbehaving?" Better just to love our friends, our family, anybody else, than to spend too much time trying to fall in love with the one person we know best… Right?

"You can't love anyone else until you learn to love yourself."

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By The Chopra Well

Can yoga stand in as an alternative to violence and addiction?

The latest episode of URBAN YOGIS on The Chopra Well features the story of a healer and recovering addict who discovered the path to recovery through yoga, meditation, and martial arts. Abdi was fifteen when he moved to New York City from Iran, and the city immediately overwhelmed him. The stress of life as an immigrant, on top of the struggles of being a teenager, eventually led Abdi to drugs and violence. He remembers thinking at one point that his lifestyle would either land him dead or in prison, but as it turned out, there was another path in store for him.

Many people refer to a single point of awakening at which recovery and transformation begin. It may be a near-death experience, a rite of passage, or even a poignant word from a friend that makes us pause and re-evaluate. For Abdi, the back-to-back deaths of several of his friends forced him to step back and take stock of the