Each season has its own share of skin, beauty and health woes. As we all know!  Whether you are going abroad or staying at home, these are the natural products and plant based holistic remedies for summer health & beauty. Things to take with you to get you through the summer.

Think of it as your go-to summer first aid kit (or something like that!). But after suffering with sunburn along my hairline, and a few bug bites of my own this month I thought some natural & holistic plant remedies for summer would be useful.

The very early days of Spring are the first time we see wild herbal plants after the Winter. Nettle, cleavers, chickweed and dandelions are some of the earliest wild plants you can find growing, These herbs also happen to be some of the most beneficial for Spring health and wellbeing.

As we step into Spring after the cold and dark days of Winter. Days which were hard on both our minds and bodies, it is a perfect time to refresh and renew.

We all know and understand that the weather changes as we move through each of the four seasons, but we don’t always stop to think about how those changes affect us. Both physical and mental health, as well as our emotional and spiritual well-being.

Often, without realising it, our habits, and the activities we choose to do, will change with the seasons, sometimes for the better, sometimes to the detriment of our health and well-being.

One of the many joys and benefits of Seasonal living is that it encourages and helps us to embrace every season. To adapt and change our routines and habits to reflect what is happening in the world around us, and to remain flexible and adaptable.

Not to mention the benefits it brings to our bodies and minds when we are able to adapt to the natural ebb and flow of our energy and what our bodies are capable of in each season.

Seasonal living is a constant practice of adjusting our daily routines and habits in accordance with the changing seasons and natural rhythms of the earth. This approach to living recognises that our bodies and minds are interconnected with the natural world, and that we can better optimise our health and wellbeing by aligning ourselves with the patterns of nature.

One of the key areas where seasonal living can have a profound impact on our overall health and wellbeing is our circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is the internal 24-hour clock that governs our sleep-wake cycle, a process that is controled by the release of hormones that tell our body either ‘it’s time to wake up’ or ‘it’s time to sleep’, and it is influenced by a variety of factors including light exposure, meal timing, and physical activity to name a few.

As we step into May the plant world around us is bursting into life, the hedgerows are full of Hawthorn blossoms, and this means the seasons Elder flower blossom isn’t far behind.

This is one of my favourite times of year, and elderflowers gentle healing and energy is one of my favourites to work with, and is always highly anticipated …

In this post I've included tips on elderflower foraging, its properties for health and healing AND a simple recipe for making elderflower cordial.

Humans are not built to produce the same amount of output every day, day after day, like a production line machine. We cannot produce both quantity an𝘥 quality work at this rate either…

and yet, we seem to be permanantly fixated on how ‘productive’ we have been.

This toxic form of productivity has to stop. Do we even know what true productivity means anymore?

The key is finding the balance between action and rest. Being able to see rest as an equal partner to action. A balance on the opposite side of a continuous cycle.

As we move from Winter to Spring it is time to reawaken our minds and bodies from Winter slumber.

Energetically this is a shift from the cold hard earth of Winter to the light and airy Spring. The earth is warming and re-awakening as the sun returns, and we too must slowly revive our bodies and adjust to the changes in momentum.

The Energy of Spring

Spring is the energy of Air, the archetype of the Maiden; young, new, the birth of new life.

All of that, the light energy after the heavy and darkness of winter, can feel very heady and exciting. Spring is a season, four reigniting passions, projects, and hobbies set of lain dormant over the winter, all the last year.

The change in season will usually also mean a change in pace. As we move from winter to Spring that is a quickening of energy and socialising, as well as a need to reawaken the digestion and systems of the body.

Our digestion and metabolism tend to slow down over winter with the colder weather, and types of foods we tend to eat through winter to sustain our body and stay warm.

However, there are many foods, edible wild plants, and herbal remedies that can be used to easily + gently cleanse your body as well as stimulate and awaken the metabolism, liver, digestion and energy.

The movement of the seasons is a never-ending cycle. Although in reality there is no place that we can firmly point to as the beginning of the seasonal cycle, spring is often seen as the first season in the sequence. This comes from the fact that earlier calendars began the year in the spring.

Spring is traditionally associated with new beginnings, sowing, childhood, and young things in general. Spring is a time of potential, a time for planning and planting, and a time for making wishes about what you want the future to hold…

I’ve learnt a lot in my eight years of transitioning into and living a slower and seasonal lifestyle. But after finishing this year exhausted, depleted and struggling with multiple injuries I have realised two things:

Although I’d been making sure to schedule in regular self care I hadn’t actually given myself any real holiday or time off all year!

The way I was planning and trying to work just wasn’t in alignment with my slower and more intentional way of life.

Although seasonal living doesn’t mean doing less, it does mean slowing down and following natures cues to live + be in a cyclical process that supports wellbeing, as well as many physical and mental health benefits…

But what if there WAS a way to set goals, plan + make my dreams happen in a more intentional and sustainable way?

What if I could prioritise health, wellbeing and happiness AND achieve my goals for the year?

These were the questions I asked myself in December last year.

A Seasonal + Intentional Planning System…

Humans are creatures of habit.

We like our routines and the predictability of how we do things. even when those things aren't conducive to making us healthy and happy.

It isn’t always easy to see where we are holding ourselves back, or where our daily habits may be letting us down.

So that no matter how hard we try to improve our health or how we feel mentally + emotionally, we can’t quite get there.

The problem is our habits and actions we take aren’t always the right ones. Mindless action is only of benefit to you if that action takes you in the right direction!

Intention is a powerful thing.

When we are present, and do things with intention, make choices with intention we not only take action, but it is action in the direction of where we truly want to go.

Winter can be tough.

When you suffer from long term or ongoing illness winter can feel extra hard on your mind and body. Aches and pains become more pronounced, the cold can be an extra layer of exhaustion, and the lack of daylight has a tendency to affect our mood and immunity…

It’s so important at any time of year to have a routine that helps you not only feel and stay healthy, but also gets you excited to start the day & means that you approach every day with the best mindset, energy, and intention possible.

That doesn’t have to be the same routine all year round though. Your routine should shift and change to naturally align with the changing seasons and the changes these being about in your body, health, and wellbeing needs.

Did you know there are different kinds of rest?!

Yep, that's right. There are in fact eight different types of rest! Which do you need most right now?

When we think of rest we often only think of being sedentary eg. sitting/laying on the sofa, or passive rest eg. sleeping/taking a nap where the whole body and senses are resting and inactive.

But our body as a whole system is so much more than this. Our 'body' and our well-being are dependent on these eight forms of rest to ensure our sustainable health + wellbeing.

Winter solstice falls on the 21 December each year. It is the day with the shortest hours of daylight (in the Northern Hemisphere), and the longest amount of darkness.

In the Pagan Wheel of the Year this is the celebration of Yule. A time of reflection, birthing new beginnings, and celebrating the return of the light. Winter Solstice is a time of hope.

Although winter can be a hard time of year, Winter solstice is a beautiful celebration offering hope for the coming spring and the return of the light.

In this post I will share some of my favourite nature filled and slow, seasonal ways to celebrate this winter solstice.

Rosehips are abundant at this time of year, their ruby red skins a welcome burst of red brightness as we head into autumn.

Once we’ve had the first frost they are perfect for picking. The birds and wild animals like eating these sweet berries too, so don't forget to be mindful of leaving plenty for them too...

Rosehips are full of vitamin C as well as bioflavonoids, vitamin E, and a few other compounds that are good for you. The rosehip benefits are many and varied.

Healing Rosehip Benefits

The contents of rosehips mean they have a lot of healing properties for you any your body, especially during the autumn and winters seasons.

For more on Autumn health + wellbeing read my last blog post.

As with everything in nature Mother Nature is very clever, and everything has its season for a reason. The things that grow naturally in each season of the year contain all of the vitamins and essential nutrients your body needs at that time to be health and strong! Including rosehips.