Here we are at peak summertime surrounded by nature’s vitality, be that in our gardens or the wild open spaces that surround us. It’s a season of abundance and growth, whereby all those seeds that we’ve nurtured these past months have truly come to fruition, both in our gardens and internally, in our lives. Beautiful.
Before starting to write this blog, I decided to pause and think about what summertime means to me personally. My mind immediately took me back to the summers that I spent with my grandmother on the Norfolk coast. Hazy sunshine-filled days walking along the cliffs or spent scouring the rock-pools for crabs. Ice-creams and sandcastles a plenty. It may be a season of abundance, but it’s also a time for taking a well-needed break; taking a moment to enjoy everything this vibrant season has to offer. In no time at all, school’s will be out, exams will be over, and a holiday might be booked. If none of those things are happening or possible, maybe take a day (or two) for you and step out into the wild.
As for anybody who has a vegetable garden or grows herbs or flowers knows, it’s peak harvest time. Humans are deeply connected to nature and her cyclical rhythms, so it’s also a time when we can reap the benefits of our own personal endeavours. The society we live in is so fast paced that we often focus on constant movement and growth and forget to pause to acknowledge everything we’ve learned and accomplished.
So, take a moment to ask yourself some of these questions:
- What aspects of your life have you given a great deal of energy to so far this year?
- Have you worked hard on your career, your studies, your home, or any creative endeavours?
- Have you nourished relationships with yourself, friends, partner or family?
- What insights have you gained; what have you learned; how have you changed?
It can be all too easy sometimes to focus upon aspects that you feel are lacking, where you feel like you ‘could’ have done more, or ‘should’ have done differently. Acknowledge these thoughts but try to focus upon re-framing them into celebrating what you’ve achieved, despite difficulty. Acknowledge these difficulties. Be compassionate and gentle to yourself, always.
“Live in the sunshine.
Swim in the sea.
Drink the wild air.”
– Emerson
“Live in the sunshine.
Swim in the sea.
Drink the wild air.”
– Emerson
Herbal tip for hay fever
A chamomile compress works wonders for soothing swollen, irritated eyes. Simply make up a chamomile infusion (as you would a loose-leaf tea) and after 15 minutes, pop it all in a jar and place in the fridge to cool. Once it’s suitably cold, put a spoonful of the flowers into 2 pieces of muslin and place over each eye. This is hard to do whilst standing up, so I also suggest you lie back and relax for a minimum of five long minutes. And don’t forget to drink the calming, cooling infusion.
Words by Heather.
Connecting people.
Connecting people to nature.