Sacred Equilibrium - Embracing Health & Harmony

The ULTIMATE Guide to Embracing Your Cycle & Caring for Yourself

February 6, 2018

I know that this topic is still considered taboo in many ways, but I’ve had this blog post stirring inside of me, waiting to be written. More and more women are looking for natural ways to support their bodies, their cycle and their emotions, reduce waste and practice self care. I share this sentiment, having dealt with my own personal women’s health issues for years.

I’ve put together this guide for you, sharing what I do to honour my cycle (and really embrace it), support my body, and the practices I use to reduce waste and care for myself. Here is The ULTIMATE Guide to Embracing Your Cycle & Caring for Yourself:

Hormone Support

In the past, I’ve suffered through the terrible, painful and annoying symptoms of hormone imbalance. Irregular cycles, heavy bleeding/painful periods, Weight gain (especially in the abdomen, hips, and thighs), lacklustre acne covered skin, Mood swings, PMS, depression and fatigue.

I started cleaning up my diet, by reducing the processed foods I consumed, as well as the carbohydrates, refined sugar and bad fats. I started trading store bought pasta sauces for homemade alternatives, along with many other pre-made meal additives. I’ve never been one to buy frozen vegetables, but I made sure that I was eating a variety of fresh ones, and focused on foods that nourish and promote healthy hormone balance. If you want more info on these foods, check out this post from mindbodygreen.

We now make everything from scratch. Yes, it can be time consuming at first, and I know that to begin with, making it myself just seemed like so much effort, I almost broke and just bought the alternatives. That’s when I started making things in batches and freezing/storing it until it was needed. Eventually we ended up with a nice stockpile on hand.

I also incorporated TerraGreens into my diet, because I wanted to make sure my body was receiving adequate vitamins and minerals. I love my veggies, but I often don’t have an appetite, and while that’s something I’ve continued to work on, I found these greens to be a much loved boost, that I still take them every day. I usually pop them into a glass of water, or add it to my smoothies. It helps me with energy and clarity.

I started to use Clary Calm, doTERRA’s Monthly Blend for women, which helps support a healthy cycle. My body loved this stuff from the moment I started using it. I started seeing an improvement in my mood, my cycle started to regulate and the pain and intensity lessened over time. I used to take VERY heavy painkillers to try and manage my pain. Fast forward to now, a heat pack with Lavender Essential Oil does the trick, with the occasional need for Ice Blue (soothing blend) or Aromatouch (spa blend).

Another Blend I use daily, for grounding and balancing myself, is Balance. This blend is the first I put on in the morning. It helps me to remain calm and focused, and it’s particularly helpful for my anxiety. For me, I apply this behind my neck, my wrists and up my spine. I’ve noticed this helps with my mood swings during my cycle. I call Clary Calm and Balance my anti-bitch combo, because it pulls me back into perspective.

A few months ago, I added The Lifelong Vitality Supplements to my self care routine, and honestly I wish I had done this sooner. After just 3 days taking the supplements, I was sleeping better, had my appetite back, had plenty of energy to get through the day and felt more myself than I had in years. I’ve continued to take these supplements every single day, and I notice more results. I’m losing weight easier, my skin is clearer and my gut health is in much better shape than it was.

Speaking of gut health, mine was terrible. Eliminating foods that didn’t serve my body was the first step, but I wanted to make sure my body was getting more than that. So I started using DigestZen every day, either a drop in my water first thing in the morning, or applied in a clockwise position on my stomach with some carrier oil. Honestly, on the days where I’m suffering because I enjoyed a meal I shouldn’t have, this is my go to blend. It’s almost instant relief!

Ditching Toxic Tampons

This was a BIG one for me. Before I managed to get my cycle back in flow, I was going through boxes, and I mean boxes, of super tampons, per cycle. Unhealthy for me and the environment, this is something I sought out to find alternatives for. It wasn’t until I managed to get my body in check that it was possible for me to try a Menstrual Cup.

A menstrual cup, is a little silicone, reusable cup, that you insert, similarly to how you use tampons. There are so many benefits to using these cups, like not putting toxic chemical laden feminine hygiene products in or around my body. If you haven’t researched this, I highly encourage you to do so. There’s also the convenience of being able to wear it all day long. I clean and change first thing in the morning, and can usually go into the evening before having to change. I clean it out each time I use it, with liquid castile soap, a drop of lavender and tea tree essential oil. At the end of my cycle, I soak my cup in 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water. This cleans it well and removes any odour.

Not only have I eliminated contributing to landfill, but I have noticed some other healthy benefits, like less cramping, being more comfortable and able to still go the the gym (without feeling damn uncomfortable) and knowing that nothing is going to leak out. I used to have extreme anxiety over this.

I’ve also found that using a menstrual cup has allowed me to connect with my body and my cycle, and be truly present with it. There is so much magic, in connecting with our divine feminine, and embracing every aspect of ourselves. For years women have been made to feel ashamed of our period, when we need to be accepting of it, and learn to support ourselves. One of the benefits to using a cup, is being able to actually see and evaluate your blood. If you notice a change in colour/texture, you can do something about it. The same can’t be said for conventional methods.

I recently spoke to a group of women, who have been using a Menstrual cup for varied periods of time. While each woman is on their own journey with the cup, their feedback was similar. Many women said they have managed to regulate their cycles since using the cup, reduce pain and discomfort, feel more connected with their body and more intune with themselves. How great is that!?

Recipes for Self Care

I wouldn’t be me, if I didn’t share some recipes. These recipes in particular, are for supporting my body naturally during my cycle. Something I’ve always been passionate about, is eliminating toxic products from our home. It infuriates me that the products at the supermarket are even available to purchase. So many hormone disrupting and cancer causing chemicals on the shelves, masquerading as cleaning products, beauty products, hygiene products. It sickens me!

All Natural Feminine Hygiene Wash

This recipe is my go to, to freshen up. It’s soothing and healing, and a much better alternative to those store bought bottles of chemicals.

You will need:

2 Tablespoons Liquid Castile Soap

150mls water

3 Drops Lavender

3 Drops Geranium

3 Drops Frankincense
Bottle to store

Combine ingredients in bottle, place lid and give a shake.

Cool Your Hot Mess Roller Blend

Carry this roller with you, everywhere! If you start to feel emotional, overwhelmed, anxious, apply this to your wrists, back of neck, and soles of feet.

You will need:

10ml roller bottle

5 drops Clary Calm

5 drops Patchouli

5 Drops Balance

5 Drops Citrus Bliss

Fractionated Coconut Oil

Place oils into roller bottle and top with FCO.

Tension Relief Massage Blend

You will need:

1 oz glass bottle

4 drops of Basil

4 drops of Clary Sage

4 drops of DigestZen

4 drops of Deep Blue

Sweet Almond Oil (almost 1 oz)

Add essential oils to bottle and swirl to incorporate. Add sweet almond oil to neck of bottle. To use, apply to lower back and abdomen as needed. This blend is also great for neck tension or sore feet.

If you are interested in learning more about Essential Oils and how they can help support your health and wellness journey, contact me here. I will help you get started and provide you with unwavering support, to help you make the most of it.

Got Empty Essential Oil Bottles? Here’s What To Do With Them

January 18, 2018

There comes a time where our much loved Essential Oils run out, and we’re left with a lovely smelling, empty bottle. If you’re like me, you struggle to throw them away, because they smell so good and they have uses…right?

Of course they do!

I love re-purposing old bottles, and I’m going to share with you my favourite ways to give them life again.

Aromatic Bath Salts

Ever noticed that no matter how much you try, there is always a couple drops of oil left in the bottle when it’s “empty”. I’m a glass half full kinda person, so this doesn’t wash with me. Take a container and fill it with Epsom Salts. Place empty bottles (without lids or reducer) into the container so that the Epsom salts go into and over the bottles. Allow to sit overnight. The next day, you have beautiful bath salts AND you used up every single drop of oil. Win win!

Accessorise!

There are so many ways we can jazz up our old bottles. From spritzer tops, droppers, and roller balls. I keep a stash of these tops handy, and like to use my empty bottles to create custom blends, roll-ons, and sprays. It comes in handy when you’re out of sample bottles or you need a roller and don’t have one.

Reed Diffusers

One of my favourite ways to re-use my bottles, is by making these cute little mini reed diffusers. I have a couple the both the toilet and bathroom, and find that they work well. When the aroma fades, I just top them up again. If you have plenty of bottles, this is a good way to make a DIY reed diffuser kit up for friends or family. It’s a simple DIY that focuses on Essential Oils and not on the chemical laden alternatives.

Simply place 10 drops of your chosen Essential Oils into the bottle. I tend to leave about 10 drops in the bottle I plan on using. Then fill halfway with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Take some bamboo skewers, and cut them so they fit to the length you want. Pop them in the bottle and you’re done!

DIY Fairy Lights

Who doesn’t like fairy lights? If you have an oily space that needs jazzing up, this DIY will do the trick. Here is a quick 2 minute video that shows you exactly how to do it. This DIY is bound to get the creative juices flowing, with new ideas and ways to recycle your bottles, so write them down and play around!

I hope this inspires you to pull out those empty bottles, and get creative with ways you can utilise them in your home.

10 Natural & Simple Facial Toner Recipes

November 25, 2017

There are thousands of facial care Products out there on the market today, but more people are waking up to the chemicals and synthetics found in commercial products and looking for healthier alternative to their once loved and well used facial products. These days, there are so many recipes out there, that it can be quite a long task finding a selection of tried and tested recipes to get on the DIY bandwagon with.

When it comes to DIY, there’s two categories I’ll try any recipe in; cleaning and beauty. Over the years I’ve created so many DIY’s that I have recipes everywhere. In an attempt to collate ALL of my recipes into one place, I’m going to be posting recipes here on the blog, so you have access to lots of great recipes in one place. This is my new project over the next few months, typing up all of the recipes from my notebooks and locating all of the recipes on my computer.

For these Facial Toner recipes, the instructions are simple, with the only ingredients that change, being the Essential Oils used. This means that you can even use these recipes as a guideline and create your own signature recipe! Perfect DIY if you’re looking for stocking stuffers or last minute Christmas gifts.

How to Make

1. Place all ingredients into bottle with lid and shake well. That’s it!

2. If you prefer to use toning wipes, get yourself a packet of facial pads, put them into a glass jar (be sure it’s big enough to fit the pads flat) and pour your mixed solution over the top of the pads, seal the lid and your done.

Note: All of these Recipes use Apple Cider Vinegar. You can substitute this for Witch Hazel if you prefer it.