Stress, broadly defined, is a biological term for the consequences of the failure of a human or animal to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether real or imagined.

The majority of the time, the effects of stress aren't all that severe. Indeed, stress is a natural part of everyday life. A little bit of stress has actually been shown to be valuable - it inspires us to work hard and efficiently and to get things done.

Stress can come from a variety of sources. Many times we don't have control over the stressful events in our lives. At other times, we bring stress upon ourselves through bad choices.

Stress is most commonly perceived as an effect of "negative" events or situations, such as a death in the family or the loss of a job, or simply a difficult professional or family situation. However, many "normal" life events, even the seemingly "positive" ones, such as a new job, buying a house, or even getting married, can cause stress. Why? Because each of these examples and similar life-changing events are just that: they change your life, often in very significant ways.

With any change, whether it be positive or negative, there comes stress. The only real way to avoid stress all together is to remain in a state of constancy, changeless, forever. However, as we all know, this is not only difficult, it is completely impossible. Just in the process of living, there is bound to be stress at some level, and if you are working to improve your life, there will be more stress. Given this, then, the most important thing is how one deals with stress, no matter what the cause of it is.

Stress can be managed in many ways, including exercise, good diet, and meditation. Herbal remedies can also offer a very powerful way to help to manage stress, and most carry with them no negative side effects or risk of dependency. One of the best tools we've found for helping to manage normal, everyday stress is kava kava*.

In many societies in Oceania, kava has been used for thousands of years as a traditional social beverage and in many types of rituals from religious to political*.

If you are feeling particularly stressed out, a cup of kava can help you to let go of the physical and mental stress which has accumulated throughout the day, which can provide you with some well-deserved rest!* That said, what are you waiting for?

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to cure, treat, diagnose, or prevent any disease.