10 air purifying house plants

If your thumb is not green and you're more of a 'fake plant' type of person, never fear! Many of the coolest and most beneficial house plants require very little attention once established. With a little knowledge of what your plant wants, you can naturally clean the stale air in your home. 

Check out the following list, 10 of my personal favorites. I own and care for all of these plants, so let me know if you have any questions!


1.) Boston Fern: Often named the "most efficient filtering plant" for its time-tested ability to expel mold and toxins from indoor air, this beautiful fern cleans out formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene and trichloroethylene.  
How to: Boston Ferns love humidity. Keep the soil moist and mist the leaves every once in a while. Position in a bright location (out of direct sunlight) and transplant when root bound.

Boston Fern

2.) Peace Lily: Number one on many lists, the easy-to-care-for lily is known to reduce harmful indoor toxins that may cause cancer. It helps in removing benzene and formaldehyde present in the house.
How to: This plant can grow in many spots where other plants have failed. Too much sun and the leaves will actually get burnt brown spots. Peace lilies will tell you when they need to be watered, so wait for the leaves to droop and water thoroughly.

Peace lily

3.) African Violet: As one of the top natural air purifiers, don't let it's delicate features and small stature fool you...this tiny plant packs a punch to air pollutants!  
How to: They need partial sun, warm temperature and well-drained soil, so water no more than once a week, tops. (To avoid spotting on the leaves, I water by simply placing a few ice cubes under the leaves to melt. They don't like having their leaves damp.)

4.) Aloe: Not only is aloe a great home remedy to have around for burns, but it removes nasty formaldehyde from your air! The bathroom is a great place for aloe to work it's magic. 
How to: As a succulent, they prefer well-drained soil. They may go dormant in winter, requiring even less water than usual. Larger aloes prefer full sun while smaller varieties prefer a bit of shade.

Small Aloe

5.) Spider Plant: This elegant plant is great at removing poisonous gases as well as other impurities like formaldehyde and xylene. Try one in the kitchen or near the fireplace, as these are the places where carbon monoxide accumulates most.
How to: Thrives in many varying sun conditions and doesn't require much attention. A healthy spider plant will sprout babies that can be easily pinched off and rooted in water. The spider plant grows rapidly, but likes to be a bit root bound.

Spider Plant (only about 1 year old in this photo!)

Baby Spider Plants rooting in water

6.) English Ivy: A great choice for people with asthma and allergic conditions, this plant has the amazing ability to remove benzene and formaldehyde and to off-gas various chemicals released by synthetic materials. WebMD noted that 60% of airborne mold in the room vanished just 6 hours after English ivy was brought in, as well as 58% if airborne feces! (Ew.)
How to: Keep in partial shade to bright light and water when dry. Be sure the roots are well-drained and mist leaves occasionally.

7.) Chinese Evergreen: An excellent air-purifier plant, Chinese evergreens filter out airborne toxins such as benzene and formaldehyde. Beautiful variegated leaves and a compact shape make this an attractive house plant.
How to: This is a great "starter plant" for those who lack green thumbs. A hearty and durable plant, it grows even better with less water and minimum light.

8.) Hoya or Hindu Rope Plant: A natural air purifier, the hoya is efficient at removing carbon dioxide. One of the more exotic plants I own, the rare, star-shaped, aromatic waxy flowers are unbelievable.
How to: Hoyas prefer bright light, well-drained soil and a temperature range between 55 and 75. Mine has done best in African Violet soil. Trailing vines may be trimmed and propagated to keep the plant full.

Hindu Rope Plant or Hoya

9.) Money Plant or Chinese Jade Plant: In the Chinese culture, Money Trees are said to bring luck, but they also bring fresh, purified air! The wide, flat leaves make this plant more efficient.
How to: Keep this plant in bright, filtered light. In the growing season, the plant’s soil should be damp, but during winter when the plant is slightly dormant, you can let the soil dry out more between watering. The leaves are critical to air cleansing and pruning encourages lots of them. 

Baby Money Tree

10.) Janet Craig Dracaena: Janet Craig sucks toxins such as benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene, toluene, and formaldehyde from the air you breathe.
How to: Dracaenas love moist, warm soil in indirect bright sunlight. The Janet Craig I have has survived much neglect, small college windows, a pestering cat and 3 moves. It's over 20 years old and 8 feet tall with lush green leaves, so I'd say it's a pretty hardy plant!

Janet Craig Dracaena

As a rule of thumb for the most possible benefit, allow one 10-12" potted houseplant per 100 square feet of living area. The more vigorous the plant, the more air it can filter. When it comes down to it, any plant is better than no plant, so if you're not sure whether or not a potential plant is going to clean your air, just rest assured that it works a lot better than the fake ones. :) 

If you ever need a little boost with your indoor air, maybe the flu is going around or you've recently painted, Purify essential oil is meant to do just that. It's made up of six essential oils that have been shown to deodorize the air, disinfectant and remove harmful airborne micro-organisms. Simply diffuse it into your home and breathe easy!

Good luck with your indoor air this winter! :)

raw breakfast "cereal"

Fall is a time for comfort food, but we still need to fuel our bodies with raw (living/uncooked) fruits and vegetables. Especially in the morning, it's important to give your body and metabolism a jump-start with a healthy breakfast. This simple raw cereal is a great way to get tons of nutrients in one hearty bowl. Eat it for an afternoon pick-me-up or savor it in the morning. 

Raw Cereal

Modify this base to accommodate what you have around and what you're craving!
1 chopped pear
1 chopped apple (I used Honey Crisp)
1T shredded coconut
1T raisins or dried cranberries
1/4c chopped or sliced raw almonds
1T sunflower seeds
Dash of cinnamon


Mix this all on a bowl, splash with almond milk if desired and enjoy your breakfast! :)

battling germs with yoga

As fall approaches, I look forward to dusting off my teapot, cozy hoodies and fluffiest slippers. I love the refreshing crisp air and the promise of bonfires, beautiful fall colors and the death/hibernation of many bugs. Ahhh! :) But one thing I do not look forward to is the inevitable influx of allergies and germs. I picture kids venturing back to school in close-quarters and wiping their grimy hands all over each other's stuff, spreading their little kid germs to their teachers, family, parents and eventually, co-workers of parents (ie. me). 

When I'm not blaming children for fall allergies and airborne germs, I'm actively studying home remedies, prevention and of course, yoga remedies. A regular yoga practice will already give you an advantage when it comes to your immune system, but if allergies already have you down, you're at a disadvantage.

“If you have allergy symptoms, your immune system is already working overtime. A stuffy nose, ears and sinuses, inflamed eyes, headaches, sore throat and difficulty breathing are all caused by the mucus-producing process of the immune system attacking innocuous invaders. Through relaxation, the nervous system can tell the immune system to settle down and stop attacking the foreign bodies, which are naturally cleared out in a non-allergic person by sneezing once or twice a day. When the immune system backs off, inflammation and mucus decrease and symptoms diminish.” - yogasite.com

These are scientific facts, people. Even if you don't want to get into the mental focus, spiritual aspect, chakra work or anything touchy-feely, it's still there and like it or not, it's effecting your entire endocrine system. So the question is: what's going on with your nervous system? Is it ignored, over-worked or rundown? Regardless of how you feel, if you're mentally run-down, your immune system is run-down, too.

In general, yoga helps to lower stress hormones that compromise the immune system, while also conditioning the lungs, respiratory tract and lymphatic system. But besides preventative practice, many yoga poses are specifically therapeutic to target certain glands, organs and bodily systems that, when stimulated, can help ease discomfort and speed recovery. I'm excited to be offering a workshop with a focus on the immune system. There's so much to learn, but when I feel like I'm coming down with a cold or am trying to get through one, I have a few powerful asanas that I focus on:

1.) Lion's Pose: Simultaneously one of the most-useful and most-intolerable yoga asanas, lion's pose is just normally one of those asanas you will prefer to practice alone.

A few brave souls, photographed practicing Lion's Pose.... ;)

I've had amazing success with lion's pose instantly relieving sore throats, but the key to this pose is making an obnoxious face that involves sticking out your tongue as far as you can, looking upward and exhaling (or roaring) loudly. Needless to say, I don't cue it often in class. Even Yoga Journal makes fun of lion's pose under the Partnering section:

But in all seriousness, this asana has significant (often instantaneous) benefits. It doesn't feel so silly to practice once you realize how well it works. Lion's Pose relaxes the muscles of the neck and jaw, easing the pain of a sore throat or swollen glands and can also help to soothe a cough. During the "lion's roar," the nasal passages drain, expelling mucus from the lungs.

Lion's Pose is my first go-to asana when my throat doesn't feel quite right. Remember Lion's Pose during the first signs of your next sore throat and be amazed at the results!

2.) Inversions: There are many types of inversions from the very gentle (Downward Facing Dog, Forward Fold) to the advanced (Headstand, Scorpion...etc). Even a restorative Child's Pose is technically an inversion, since your head is resting lower than your heart.

Any inversion is therapeutic for the lymphatic system, circulation and immune system.

Regardless of where you are in your practice or what you're comfortable with when you're ill, you can usually find some sort of helpful inversion. Any time your heart rests lower than your head, circulation of your lymphatic system is improved, which in turn helps your body defend against infections. Being upside-down also helps to prevent secondary infections by draining the lungs.

If you have sinus pain and pressure, inversions can help to drain your nasal passages, but don't push it. Stay mindful of what your body is feeling and only do what feels comfortable.

3.) Twists: I already spoke a lot about the benefits of twisting postures here, but if I've said it once, I'll say it 1,000 times: daily twisting yoga asanas are by far the best preventative measure you can take to strengthen your immune system and protect against disease.

Twisting posture ideas, from simple and gentle to deep and advanced.

70% of your immune system lies in the digestive tract, but some doctors and scientists argue that it's an even larger percentage. Each time you turn your torso and breathe deeply into a yoga twist, you are wringing out toxins and literally massaging internal organs that are imperative to a healthy digestive system and immune system. Twists are also a great way to increase blood flow, so they're naturally energizing if you're feeling sluggish and under-the-weather.

There are tons of other interesting yoga postures and practices you can benefit from when you're sick, such as including the use of a neti pot. Being in-tune with yourself will allow you to notice subtle changes in your energy level and give you a chance to fend off infection proactively. Ultimately, being sick is one of our best opportunities to learn how to truly listen to our bodies, refine our patience and reconsider our priorities.  There is never a good time to be ill, but when you're body tells you to "slow down," how do you handle it?