Author: Richard C. Trotter
April arrives with a veritable inferno of intense astrology: Mercury retrograde in fire-sign Aries starts on April 1, followed by a mega-powerful total solar eclipse in the same sign on April 8, a conjunction between notoriously challenging planets Mars and Saturn on April 10, and a once-in-14-years Jupiter-Uranus conjunction on April 20. To put it mildly, your April 2024 monthly horoscope is ablaze with the fiery energy of change and initiation—and we must expect the unexpected. The solar eclipse on April 8 falls at 19 degrees of Aries (exact at 2:21 p.m. EDT) and will be visible across a wide…
With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they’re betting you’ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping! Explore the SHOP I hate to be the bearer of bad news to all my fellow stomach sleepers, but ladies and gentlemen: We’re doing things all wrong. Any sleep pro will tell you that your stomach is the worst possible position for your body to spend its sleeping hours in,…
With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they’re betting you’ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping! Explore the SHOP Summer is coming, the sun is shining, and the great outdoors is calling your name, so head outside for a bit of shopping, brunch with friends, a stroll through the park, or any kind of workout al fresco. Soaking up some sunlight comes with multiple benefits, from…
With foam rollers, sliders, resistance bands, suspension trainers, and wearable weights (just to name a few), these days it seems like there’s an infinite number of workout tools to choose from. Nut none are arguably as versatile—and badass—as the slam ball. If you’ve seen these unassuming rubber balls at the gym, you might be thinking, what’s so special about them? It turns out: a lot. Slam balls are unique thanks to their ability to endure a ton of force. You can literally slam or throw them—against the floor or any other hard surface—with all your might, to your heart’s content,…
We know fiber is good for us, but an astounding 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men are falling short on their recommended fiber intakes, according to current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. While fiber, a type of carbohydrate that our bodies cannot fully break down found naturally in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds, is widely recognized for its ability to improve digestion, the benefits of eating more fiber are not limited to our gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Fiber impacts nutrient absorption, hormones, and serves as food for our good gut microbes, leading to a variety…
The goblet squat doesn’t just have a cool name, it is also one of the most effective ways to strengthen your legs, lift your butt, and even increase lower-body flexibility. Named because you squat while holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of you like a goblet, this move truly benefits everyone. In addition to the lower-body strengthening benefits of squats, this exercise has additional perks. “The front-racked nature of the goblet squat challenges the core to engage, providing stability and support for the spine,” says Kendall Wood, CPT, certified personal trainer and Tonal coach. “The upper back is also called…
When you’re in the midst of your 30s, experiencing gnawing lower back pain is often taken as a fact of life. Whether you bent over to pick a sock or your dog off the ground, you’re bound to wake up with aches the next day— or so the folklore goes. This tale isn’t entirely untrue. In a 2019 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, 39 percent of adults reported experiencing back pain in the previous three months. It was the most prevalent site for pain, and the number of people dealing with it only increased with age.…
Your weekly horoscope for March 31 to April 6, 2024, will bring you back into the past. April starts off with a Mercury retrograde in Aries on April 1 (lasting until April 24), which is when the planet appears to move in reverse in the sky. It’s been a while since Mercury backpedaled in Aries—in fact, since the spring of 2018. Try to think back to what you were focused on, or what was driving you nuts, during that time period: Similar topics and frustrations might pop up to be revisited. When Mercury is retrograde in fire-sign Aries, we’re tasked…
Inaruti Araní, creatrix of Modern Mystics, began working as a curandera in 2018. A few years prior, at her first Sahaja Yoga Kundalini class—a type of meditation said to activate your “rising energy” very fast—she experienced a profound radiation of light and energy in her body, which she says was the start of her spiritual awakening. Since then, she has been initiated into various African and Indigenous healing traditions and uses her gifts to support primarily BIPOC clients. This includes becoming curandera, a traditional healer or folk medicine practitioner who uses a combination of natural remedies, herbal medicines, prayers, and…
Nobody likes a tight, achy lower back. It can make it uncomfortable to walk or even sit, and it can mess with our sleep, leaving us not only in pain, but grumpy to boot. Yet according to a June 2023 analysis in The Lancet Rheumatology, a staggering 619 million people across the world experienced low back pain in 2020 (the latest date available), making it the leading cause of disability. Luckily, the solution to the problem rarely involves going under the knife. Treatment typically revolves around simple interventions, like doing some of the best back stretches. “Most cases can be…