Holistic living balances every aspect of your life— health, finance, relationships— to a peaceful and happy state. The great thing about living holistically is that it doesn’t have to be expensive or extreme. You can approach it incrementally, and wait until you’re comfortable with steps you’ve already taken before moving to another phase.
Is a Holistic Life for You?
There are many easy ways to make your life holistic without adding work, drama or stress. Decide which aspect of holistic living appeals most to you. Is it growing your own herbs? Do you read lawn mower reviews to find the best model for eco-friendly grass-cutting and mulching? Are you interested in composting? Or are natural indoor cleaners more important to you? Whichever one or two of these most appeal to you, start there.
Herb Garden
A basic herb garden requires only a small space. That can be a box on a windowsill or pots on a balcony if you don’t have space in a yard or on a patio. Pick a spot that’s accessible, because you’re likelier to actually take advantage of having your own herbs if they’re easy to get to. Most herbs require full sun for at least six hours a day. If mint, chervil, coriander or parsley are your favorites, though, these can grow in partial shade.
Efficient Lawn Care
If you want to make sure you’re mowing your lawn efficiently, consider these pointers:
Learn everything you can about the species of grass that comprise your lawn. You may have cool-weather or warm-weather grasses.
Adjust your mower blade at the height recommended for the species you have.
Keep your blades sharpened, to improve fuel efficiency and prolong mower engine life.
A mulching lawnmower is the ultimate recycler. The mulch is made from grass clippings directly from the mowed grass. The clippings are shredded into small pieces that easily coat the soil surface. On the surface of the soil, microorganisms swiftly break down the mulch, releasing nutrients back into the soil. Mulching eliminates the need for a bag to catch the grass clippings.
Composting
An early step in composting is learning which materials go into your composting production effort. These are divided into two categories—“green” and “brown” materials. Green materials include fresh grass clippings, fresh manure (from some animals), kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable skins and peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, weeds and green leaves. Brown items include dry leaves, shredded cornstalks;, straw and sawdust. You can choose an open bin for compost collection or an enclosed container. Both have benefits and drawbacks.
Lemons
As for natural indoor cleaners, nothing is more aromatic or more organic than lemon juice. To brighten laundry, add a half-cup of lemon juice to a load of whites. If you want an all-natural air freshener, add lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon, cloves and apple skins to a pot of water simmering on the stove. For cleaning, squeeze juice from a fresh lemon onto counter tops and refrigerator drawers and wipe down with a wet cloth containing a few drops of vinegar. You can also use a mixture of lemon, vinegar and water to remove stains from hard surfaces.
Natural, holistic living is so beneficial—for you, your family and for the environment. Discovering how simple it can be to “go green” makes everyday decisions even more rewarding.
Comments