Fancy a little Forest Bathing?
“Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Hello, i have a question for you….. when was the last time you noticed how you breathe?
Breathing is a subconscious action that is influenced by how we are feeling. If we feel stressed, anxious, scared or panicked, our breathing becomes short, shallow, and fast. This can cause anxiety in itself, a dry mouth and tension within the rest of the body, you begin to sound like a fast train coming as your diaphragm becomes tight . If we allow our breath to become deeper, slower then our diaphragm loosens allowing our lungs to move properly, taking in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. Our anxiety begins to lessen and our body feels less tense. Finally, we are able to breathe normally.
For some, this shallow breath is normal, they have forgotten how to breathe deeper, this can lead onto health problems so it is vital to learn how to breath again. Here is a breathing exercise to try
Square Breathing Exercise:
Inhale slowly for 4 seconds (if you cant manage 4 seconds then do it for as long as you can)
Hold your breath for 4 seconds
Exhale slowly for 4 seconds
Repeat 4 times - or for as long as you need to feel re-centred and relaxed.
As you breathe in, visualise the colour green ( for calm) and on the out-breath, visualise the colour blue (for peace)
Breathe deeply with our “under the weather” essential oil blend & aromastone diffuser gift box
Fancy a little Forest Bathing? Forest bathing (or Shinrin-yoku) was developed in Japan as a preventative medicine to help with healing. The idea is very simple, you spend time in a woods or forest and walk in a relaxed, mindful way. This clears your mind, maybe take deep breaths and even hug a tree to feel the lifeforce energy. Close your eyes and feel the texture of the bark, what does it smell like. How does the light change on the leaves? What can you hear? Use all your senses to truly feel alive. Taking time to be present is very relaxing, you will feel calmer, much more grounded. Take as long as you need (2 hours is recommended) and as often as you need. Turn your mobile to silent
There have been studies on the benefits of Forest Bathing, scientific research has found that trees give off organic compounds that support our natural killer cell that are part of our immune systems way of fighting cancer. Other benefits include
reduce blood pressure
improve wellbeing, makes us feel happier
boosted immunity, accelerate recovery from illness
faster recover from illness
reduce stress hormone production
Interested? The National Trust has a helpful guide to places to visit and also tips to enjoy Forest bathing.
Fancy a little Forest Bathing to relax and restore your wellbeing?
Mothers Day 27th March 2022
The perfect time to celebrate all maternal figures in our lives. From our mum, nan, gran, sister, stepmum, fostermum, they deserve a big thank you for being our support. As a mum myself, I know what a special job it is, if motherhood can be classed as a job. I think it’s a gift. I am so proud to be a mum to my daughter, she is wonderful.
This Mothers Day, we have lots of wonderful gifts, gift boxes and hampers for you to treat your Mum to this year. We design and create each product ourselves in the little workshop. Each candle, room spray, massage oil, essential oil blend and reed diffuser is made with a lot of care and love. We can add your personal message and gift wrap for you too!
“a mothers love does not set with the sun, it blankets you through the night”
Our news:
4th & 5th March is National Unplug Day - we know we spend too long on our phones, tablets and computers. Turn your phone off for a day ( if you have to leave it on, just promise yourself to only check for important messages and not just scrolling twitter!!). Instead spend time talking (& listening) to each other, maybe dust off the board games or go for a walk. We will be silent from sundown to sundown, i’m looking forward to it to be honest.
8th March is International Women’s Day - a day to celebrate every woman in the world and show our support to all women and girls. The theme this year is Equality for a Sustainable Global World.
19th March to 21st March - The Online Spring Market in association with AndSoToShop who promotes and supports small businesses in the UK. So please make a note, we will be there too! More details will follow very soon
21st March is the Spring Solstice - we turn our faces to the sun again and the days begin to get longer. Please try and leave tidying your garden until the daytime temperature is consistently above 50F for at least 7 days., In the leaf litter, seadheads on plants, tucked away under leaves will be insects and caterpillars, who have slept through winter waiting to emerge. Lets not tidy them away before they have a chance to live, let the garden be for a little while and you will be rewarded with butterflies, bees and ladybirds to name a few.
“say hello to spring” collection
Celebrate the arrival of spring with our Mini Soy Candle Gift Box
Patchouli, Rose Geranium, Pink Grapefruit and Lavender organic essential oils in a vegan non toxic base oil
Spring deserves a beautiful candle, sprinkled with rose petals to say hello to the most optimistic season
And finally…….
If you are feeling a little low, tired after the winter, thats okay it will pass. Turn your face to sun, the promise of better times ahead will lighten your mood, and “put a spring in your step”. We will be here again in April to celebrate Spring properly, it would be lovely if you would join us too. Love and Light xx
“Take a deep breath. · Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more ”
