As we venture out of July and into the last full month of Summer, our secret valley has grown into a lush, green oasis. The emerald lakes on our doorstep have been busier than ever with swimmers and walkers and we have spent a gorgeous week welcoming guests here at our Retreat for some transformational sessions.
The moon has moved into it's Waning Gibbous phase which means it is shrinking and getting smaller. This can be a good time to REFLECT and DECLUTTER - let go of things that no longer serve you!
SoulNatural - the SoulSimple Guide to the Natural World:
Just as our ancestors used the Elder for bringing luck and warding off evil spirits, we too have been finding MAGIC in the hedgerows!
On our journey to discover this amazing plant we have come across some beautiful poetry and art that we wanted to share with you...this verse is taken from Cicely Mary Barker’s magical book 'Flower Fairies'
When the days have grown in length,
When the sun has greater power,
Shining in his noonday strength;
When the Elder Tree’s in flower;
When each shady kind of place
By the stream and up the lane,
Shows its mass of creamy lace –
Summer’s really come again!
When you start to look around you, it is amazing what we can be inspired by! The simplest things that we might usually walk past and miss suddenly become mysterious and wonderful. As we turn our focus onto a different plant for the month of August, we hope we have encouraged you, next time you are outside, to perhaps take a closer look at the hedgerow and see what you might find in there...
SoulWoman and SoulTouch: An introduction to Sacred Self Care and Heartfelt Healing:
After taking time last week to explore the importance of exercise when practicing Sacred Self Care for our bodies and mind, this week we delve into ways to keep your soul and spirit healthy. In order to fully embrace it, Sacred Self Care needs to work on all levels and this is a part of ourselves which is often neglected. A really powerful place to start is taking more time to just be by ourselves. By doing this, we can encourage a quieter mind and the beginning of thoughts focussed on our emotions and feelings. Think about your body, about all the amazing things it can do for you! Even now, just sitting here, your heart is beating (up to 100,000 times every day!), your eyes are seeing, your nose is smelling and your ears are hearing...take a huge breath in...be thankful for all that you are and all that you have.
It can also be helpful to have an area, however small, where you can spend these peaceful moments. Choose your space and take some time to clean and de-clutter, perhaps open a window if you have one nearby to blow some fresh, clean air in. Light a candle or a stick of incense with your favourite scent and add plants or crystals, whatever makes you feel uplifted.
As you start to build Sacred Self Care into your life, it will become more ingrained in you to spend time on the things that you once took for granted. It is so easy to spend our lives going through the motions and always focussing on the next day or thing we have to do. It takes real discipline to just slow down and BE in the moment. Once you start to make it a habit, you will be surprised at how much you were missing! And above all, always take time to THANK YOURSELF for the incredible being that you are. You are unique, important and wonderful.
SoulSource: Lifelong Healing:
As we have learnt over the last month, the crown of our heads is the most incredible part of our bodies and it is important not to neglect this energy centre.
As well as working on balancing our seventh chakra with yoga and meditation, we can also use self massage to stimulate and increase blood circulation in our crowns. A scalp massage can also receive tension and the headaches associated with them.
For a very simple massage, place both your hands on either side of your head and move your fingers in a circular motion moving gently from the front to the back of the head. Remember that the crown is it a sensitive area so not too much pressure is needed. Nurturing your crown can become part of your Sacred Self Care rituals
When it comes to understanding the intricacies of our bodies, it is easy to become overwhelmed and know where to start. That is why we believe in breaking down different elements and looking at them closely and individually and then, working them alongside other aspects to start grow your general sense of wellbeing. This is the structure we will be following throughout our blogs and we hope is helpful and enriching to read. If there are particular areas you would like to know more about, tell us in the comments! We'd love to hear from you!
SoulScapes: Emergent Art:
In our last blog of July, we thought it would be really special to finish our Emergent Art series with some images of Herewood's work! As a founder of Emergent Art, he is passionate about this way of painting and delving into your emotions and environment to help inspire you. You can't help but be moved by his enthusiasm!
If you would like book one of our amazing Creative Retreats here at SoulSimple where you explore your inner artist, please email us on retreats@soulsimple.co.uk
Until next time!
Vittoria and the SoulSimple Family x
