30 days for $30
Promotions

ARTICLES

Brouse through our article archive to read about Sattva in the press and articles written by Sattva's Owner/Director, Jean Munoz Keese.

Recipe for Pampering: DIY spa treats for babies and bumps
Sacramento Parent Magazine | April 2010 | By: Jean Munoz Keese | sacramentoparent.com

SacParentMagTruly Gentle Baby Shampoo
Product tests released in March 2009 uncovered two known carcinogens in dozens of bath products for children, including Sesame Street character brands and Johnson & Johnson’s “pure and gentle” baby shampoo. (It’s enough to make a new mom cry.) Luckily, making your own all-natural, toxin-free shampoo is easy.

Here’s what you’ll need (available at most health food stores):

  • 1 cup Castile soap
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ tsp Vitamin E oil
  • 12-15 drops essential oil (optional) – lavender is soothing

Combine ingredients in a bottle, shake well to mix, and enjoy baby’s bath time (no more tears).

Rejuvenating Baby Bump Oil
Now that you are expecting, expect to pamper yourself a bit more—naturally. This rejuvenating oil can be applied generously to a growing belly to soothe, relax and prevent stretch marks! Get that new daddy involved in this project.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 4 oz. fresh dried Shatavari root (or another female rejuvenating herb)
  • 16 oz. pure vegetable oil (olive or almond oil work well)
  • 12-15 drops essential oil (optional—lavender, lemon or rose are nice)

Heat gently and uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring frequently. Mixture should simmer on low heat, but not come to a boil to avoid burning. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely. Strain through cheesecloth and bottle. Let cool before putting the lid on. It’s important to use clean jars that are completely dry. Should last 6-12 months... just right!

Herbal Booty Balm: A diaper rash cream safe enough to eat?
Sacramento Parent Magazine | April 2010 | By: Jean Munoz Keese | sacramentoparent.com

SacParentMagOkay, so we don’t recommend eating any kind of skin cream, but you get the idea… The products we put on babies’ sensitive skin should be safe enough to eat. So it’s a major bummer to find out that even commonly used diaper creams contain chemicals you might not really want to put on your baby’s bum. (You definitely don't want to eat them!) These chemical baddies (like BHA) are banned in other countries, according to theEnvironmental Working Group’s Skin Deep safety guide.

The good news is you can make your own all-natural salve for your angel's sensitive bum! This simple recipe is also a great soother for sunburn, insect bites, cuts, and bruises:

Herbal Booty Balm

  • 4 oz. fresh dried *herbs (calendula, chamomile, comfrey, marshmallow root)
  • 16 oz. pure vegetable oil (olive or almond oil are excellent choices)
  • 1½ oz. shaved beeswax
  • 12-15 drops essential oil (optional)—lavender, rose and chamomile work well

Heat gently, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring frequently. Mixture should simmer on low heat, but not come to a boil. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely. Strain through cheesecloth and add beeswax to the oil and heat until wax melts. Pour into a jar and let cool before putting lid on. It’s important to use clean jars that are completely dry. Should last 6-12 months.

Diaper Rash Prevention Tip: Naked Time!

Let baby sun her naked bum for 10 minutes a day (11am to 1pm is sun-safest). It’s healing, easy and free—and she will LOVE it!

Don’t you love that feeling of turning to your aloe plant to heal a scrape, cut or sunburn? Get deeper in touch with that inner Earth Mama when you get to know these other natural healers—safe and gentle enough for baby, effective enough for you. You might even consider adding them to your garden this spring. (A safety note: please check with your health care provider before taking medicinal anything, particularly if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.)

Calendula: A beautiful flowering herb commonly used externally as an ointment or for burns, bruises and injuries, it also has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Calendula is great for sunburn, diaper rash, insect bites, or healing chapped skin.

Chamomile: This flowering plant (from the daisy family) has been used for centuries in Europe, in teas, tinctures, creams and compresses. It has anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic properties, and is commonly used to ease digestive ailments and relieve insomnia. NOTE: chamomile should not be taken during pregnancy or breast-feeding, or by those allergic to plants in the daisy family.

Comfrey: This herb relieves pain and inflammation caused by injuries and degeneration. It’s best known for topically treating burns, skin ulcerations, lacerations, abrasions, insect bites, eczema, or any skin problem.

Marshmallow Root: Often used for herbal cough relief, this herb also soothes inflamed skin and is used in ointments for boils and abscesses.

Spring into Balance: All-natural remedies for easing allergies

Sacramento Parent Magazine | March 2010 | By: Jean Munoz Keese | sacramentoparent.com

SacParentMagAs Mother Nature transforms winter into spring, flowers bloom and rivers run. For many of us, this transition also brings watery eyes and runny noses. Not fun—for kids or grown-ups. But help may be as close as your kitchen cabinet.

Ayurveda (yoga’s sister science) teaches us that allergies can be linked to poor digestion. Here are three simple ways to cultivate strong digestion and calm allergies:

1. Serve the largest meal between 10am – 2pm. This is when digestion is strongest. Also avoid eating heavy meals and snacks late at night.

2. Serve food and beverages warm. Meals that are room temperature or warmer are easier to digest.

3. Eat real foods that are in season. Whole foods are more easily digested than highly processed foods. Nature offers us what we need to stay in balance, so eat what you find in abundance at your local farmers’ market: lettuce, corn, asparagus, berries, honey, and so much more.

Herbs & Honey Ease Allergies Too

Consuming local honey has become a popular way to help the body cope with allergens. It is also a yummy way to deliver herbal remedies to your kids, who might otherwise resist.

Ginger improves digestion and helps eliminate mucous. Add this delicious root to warm water with honey twice a day.

Famous for its antibiotic qualities, turmeric is a wonder herb which supports the respiratory and digestive systems. It’s also a natural anti-inflammatory. Try 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric with honey as often as needed.

Other herbs and spices that support digestion include: coriander, fenugreek, fennel, cumin, black mustard seed, and hing. Add them to your cooking this spring.

Honey Ginger Recipe

Kids and adults alike will enjoy this delicious treat before meals to help stimulate digestion:

  • Put peeled ginger root through a juicer.
  • Measure the amount of juice extracted, and add twice as much raw honey as ginger juice.
  • Stir the mixture well and refrigerate.
  • Take 1 tsp before meals. Keep for up to one week

Skin Deep: The ugly truth about beauty products

Sacramento Parent Magazine | February 2010 | By: Jean Munoz Keese | sacramentoparent.com

Eat, Rest, Love: Healthy habits mean higher marks and happier families

Sacramento Parent Magazine | January 2010 | By: Jean Munoz Keese

Resolutions Get Real: Big changes begin with life's little pleasures

Sacramento Parent Magazine | December 2009 | By: Jean Munoz Keese

Yoga studio ready to bring more peace to the masses

Placer Herald | November 2009 | By:Laura Gibbs

Get Centered: Five yoga and Pilates exercises to transform your core and leave you strong and refreshed

Sacramento Parent Magazine| March 2009| By: Jean Munoz Keese

Many cyclists keep back pain at bay by embracing the power of Pilates and yoga

Sacramento Bee | February 2009 | By: Blair Anthony Robertson

Beauty, energy does not come in a pink can

Placer Herald | August 2007 | By: Jean Munoz

Breathing for Two: Welcome to prenatal yoga 101

Sacramento Parent Magazine | March 2007 | By: Jean Munoz

Teen Pilates builds core strength, inside and out

Placer Herald | March 2007 | By: Jean Munoz

Increase your odds of making real change this year

Placer Herald | December 2006 | By: Jean Munoz

Turn fall into fitness time for good health

Placer Herald | October 2006 | By: Jean Munoz

Healthy lunches; healthy kids in war on obesity

Placer Herald | September 2006 | By: Jean Munoz

Sattva Yoga sets pace

Placer Herald | May 2005 | By: Keith Reid