All year we’ve been talking about ways to support Mental Health by opening to the tools of Nature as Medicine.
Today, as we round out this special focus on Mental Health Awareness let’s take a few moments to review what we’ve learned and reflect on what we plan to incorporate into our lives still, again or perhaps for the first time; identifying our go-tos for supporting mental health.
In January, Maina Campos, Holistic Health Practitioner, Wellness Alchemist & Mentor, shared with us the top oils for empowering mental health. Here are some takeaways from this impactful event:
Any tools we use in support of our health and wellness can be considered medicine. Plants as medicine, nature as medicine, food as medicine.
Our strongest sense is the sense of smell, and essential oils can help us tap into our body circuitry.
Wild Orange is the oil of playfulness and abundance. It's uplifting and empowering.
Lavender essential oil helps us activate our parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging rest and relaxation.
Frankincense oil is a grounding oil that can aid us in accessing higher levels of consciousness, and moving through feelings of anxiety and depression.
In March, Marjorie Ville, Holistic Wellness Practitioner and Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, shared with us a few special Bach Flowers for balancing emotions. Here’s what we gained from this powerful discussion:
Bach Flower Remedies gently restore the balance between mind and body by encouraging healing from any interference in our natural emotional equilibrium.
"The action of these remedies is to raise our vibrations and open our channels for the reception of our Spiritual Self" - Dr. Bach.
Bach Flowers are safe and natural. They work support our holistic selves through the door of the emotional body and act like the vibration of a song which is aligned to support our desired direction.
And earlier this month, Angelique Santana, Executive Chef, Speaker, Author, Coach and Founder of Eat With Angelique, shared with us some guidelines for nurturing our relationship with food. Here’s what we learned about letting food be our medicine...
The foods that are best for mental health belong to a whole-food, plant-forward diet.
The vast availability of food options can lead to choice overload, and we can overcome the overwhelm by resting to restore our willpower and decision-making abilities, taking our time, and asking for help when we need it.
Using food as medicine is more than just choosing the right foods to eat - it's also engaging in movement and social activities that support our overall health and wellbeing.
The natural healing powers of food, for the body, mind and soul and how our relationships with it have the potential for serving us greatly along our healthy lifestyles path.
Identify one to three go-to tools and resources that are easy for you to turn toward. Perhaps starting with one or two tools from the lists above. Make them a part of your daily or weekly ritual for supporting your personalized Participatory Lifestyle Medicine. Find that something in your PLM container doesn’t feel so easy to turn toward anymore. No worries! Practice allowing that to be, while leaning toward something that you’re able to approach with more ease.
These practices are about supporting the self. Not being strong armed us through a storm of “shoulds”!
Sometimes it can be tough to know when to push and when to allow. You’re not alone in experiencing this. Reach out with questions and as a general, rule of thumb: if we are able to push from the driving force of understanding and love – activate. If that push is otherwise driven by criticism and fear – pause, ground, allow the self to turn toward something that may be opened to with even the slightest amount of ease.
If you didn’t have a chance to register for the Empowering Health Connection Events mentioned above earlier in the year but interested to learn more – for a limited time these events are available to be viewed by all. Click the links below and enjoy actively engaging material in support of your mental health.
In truth – we are holistic beings. Mental, Emotional, Physical, Spiritual and Wisdom aspects of self are dynamically intertwined. Though each require a certain level of time, attention, and focus, it is also true that when we care for one, we care for the whole.
Happy Practicing.
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