Here is a handy and comprehensive resource for those who view their home as a sanctuary a place of healing energy and a sacred space of beauty. Annie B. Hall is the executive producer of care2.com’s Healthy Living Channel and she edits six newsletters that are sent to 1.8 million subscribers. No wonder she has such a firm grasp on the spiritual practice of nurturing in the context of where we live.

Bond believes that we can avoid a lot of trouble by just following this advice: Simply choose the least toxic, most natural alternative every time you buy anything. The structure of this user-friendly volume takes us through our homes room by room: dining; living and family rooms; the kitchen; the bathroom; the bedroom; clothes, closets and laundry room, the home office; and the basement.

Other chapters on earth, water, fire and air amplify the text with pertinent material on the elements in our living space. Make sure to look over the Healthy Home Checklist and Questionnaire. Here is a sampler of the many tips offered by Bond:

• Avoid scented or aromatherapy candles; buy unscented ones made without petroleum and with wire-free wicks
• One of the best ways to remove candle wax from hard surfaces is to melt it with a hair dryer
• Do not burn trash in your back yard since it leaves behind prodigious quantities of dioxins and related compounds
• Buy a new pillow every six months since dust and dust mites live in pillows
• Microwave old books for 30-60 seconds if you have a problem with silverfish
• Harmonize your space with crystals on tables as butterflies of light