Holistic Healing

Partnering with Your Menstrual Cycle for Health and and Happiness

Nalini Deane Holistic Healing, Womens Wellness 0 Comment

Our Menstrual Cycle is our Tool for Life!

When we really learn about our cycle and how to work with it as an ally, life changes for the better!  We change as we go through the month, and our abilities change too.  Once we know what is happening, we start to live our lives differently, and really importantly, stop giving ourselves a hard time!  If we try mental planning on day 26 for example, we are doomed for failure – and to make matters worse, our self-esteem is knocked sideways!  Once we realise that the best mental planning times are in the first half of our cycle, we start being a bit kinder to ourselves.

The second half of the cycle is full of creativity, intuition and clarity – but it’s not the time to put that into action!  Difficult conversations are good in the first half of the month, and we feel much more social then too.  So when we really don’t feel like partying or chatting at certain times, rather than beating ourselves up, we know why we feel like that and can follow the rhythms our cycle has been trying to teach us for years!  Peace and healing are the results.  Include empowerment with that!

These are just a few examples of how working with, and not against, our cycle can really empower us.  Healing takes place as PMT, pain and stress drop away.  I speak from experience and can say honestly that working with my own cycle changed my life radically!

On this inspiring workshop, you will fall in love with your cycle as you see the absolute wisdom it contains.  Gentle yoga and nidra too to ease away tension.

If I could teach women one thing, it would be this work; our cycle is our best friend when we acknowledge it and step into how it shows us, very simply, how to live our lives.  Women were honoured many moons ago for the blood mysteries, and we are slowly waking up again to the absolute perfection of the wisdom in the cycle.

Hope you will come and join me for a life-changing workshop this Sunday!

Healing herbs, yoga and women’s wellness

Nalini Deane Healing herbs and plants workshop, Holistic Healing 0 Comment

Rhythms of Life Workshop Sunday 3rd March

Nourishing yoga especially for women.  Exploring the rhythms of women’s lives, practicing some lovely, gentle yoga and nidra, and delving a little into how nature is encoded in our bodies.  Practices that support women during menstruation, menopause, pre and post pregnancy, a softer approach that honours women’s bodies and minds. Full details and bookings here

Spring is in the air!  Gorgeously misty mornings this week with the sun breaking through and warming the bones, feels sooo good!   The birds are busy busy and huge bumblebees out and about checking out my garden….Daphne is in flower with its heady jasmine-like scent, hellibores and snowdrops everywhere and new life really stirring now.  Lighter evenings always amaze me when they start happening, despite the fact that it happens every year!  The way the seasons and the light changes always brings such delight and awe.  Means the juicer needs to come out now so I can shift the mince pies off my middle!  What is it about winter that makes carbs and cakes so attractive?!

Prairie Garden
Prairies Workshop Space

Lots happening this year, there’s a great mix including lots of women’s workshops (two dedicated to menopause), dance and of course my witchy herby workshops where you can come and learn some ‘practical magic’ about the healing properties of herbs and wild plants and make some luscious natural products for body and soul while you are at it.

New women’s wellness yoga class has just started in Horsham, Tuesdays at 5.30 too – really gentle and healing yoga and relaxation, yummy!

Full list of events can be found on my website and these are the upcoming ones.  Please always feel free to contact me if you would like to know more about an event.  Private meditation group for the teachings of Yogananda open to those of you that really want to make meditation a part of your daily life.  I will be running this at home on a monthly basis, sharing the key meditation practices that bring calm and joy into our lives.

Spring newsletter on its way once Equinox arrives, full of tips for using all those wild plants and herbs to help bring some new energy into both body and mind! Enjoy this glorious sunshine! All blessings Nalini xx

WHEN EVENT
Sunday 3rd March
10.30 – 13.30		 Feminine Essence of Yoga Workshop
Total Therapy Studios Horsham
Saturday 16th March,

and 13th April 11.00 – 13.00

 Nourish, Rest and Restore – Yoga for Women
Yogaananda Reigate
Sunday 17th March
10.30 -12.30		 Rhythms of the Heart Dancemantra
Handcross (near Horsham)
Saturday 27th April
2pm – 5pm		 Menopause – easing the journey.
Horsham
Saturday 18th May
11am – 1pm		 Dissolving in the Dance Dancemantra
Horsham
Saturday 22nd June
10am to 2pm		 Practical Magic Herbs Workshop
Sussex Praries Garden, Henfield
Saturday 13th July
2pm – 4pm		 Dare to Rest!
Horsham

Imbolc – mid point between winter and spring

Nalini Deane Holistic Healing, Seasons 0 Comment
Symbols of Hope…Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash

Imbolc, time of frosty mornings and new life stirring….

Isn’t that good news?  We are at the half-way point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, and moving in the right direction as nights already draw out.  And yet we are in the coldest days of the year too.  The earth is frozen tonight, but it hasn’t stopped those determined little beacons of light – snowdrops- from making their welcome appearance!  The earth is still resting, but she’s kind of having a little stretch and yawn as she contemplates putting in some hours to dedicate to the birth of the coming Spring!  She’s not quite ready to throw off her blanket of snow and get to it, but she’s certainly on the case on the quiet!

Life stirs beneath the surface, the heart of the earth is beginning to pulse with the promise of new life yet to come.  Those tender little snowdrops are a real symbol of hope, showing that anything is possible.  And Imbolc signifies new life beginning to stir in us too as we dream into our ideas and start seriously considering what it is we are going to sow in the spring.  Plants and herbs no doubt, and also our ideas and aspirations for new projects or new ways of being.

Moving towards Spring can be quite a challenging transition as the weather can be bitterly cold and icy winds seem to strip us clean of all that needs to be left behind.  So take things easy, there’s no rush.  Let ideas simmer gently now and let your imagination do the work.  Still a good excuse to indulge in hot chocolate!  Imbolc is also the festival of Brigid, the Celtic Goddess of the hearth, bringing a little welcome warmth into our hearts with her fiery nature.

Use our healing herbal allies to stay well – echinacea to boost the immune system, sage or thyme tea to soothe colds and coughs and fight infection.  Maybe you collected some rosehips from the wild rose in Autumn to make some super Vitamin C rich elixir?  Ah, well, don’t worry if you didn’t, just stick it in your diary for this Autumn.

Lots of great events going on this year, check in on the classes and events page for more details…there’s a lovely mix of stuff including new nourishing yoga and nidra classes, menopause workshops, lots of healing Dancemantra, and a Practical Magic herb workshop in June at the Sussex Prairie Gardens (first time at this new venue, it’s amazing!).  A second date is about to be added in September too..so if you want to come make some of that magical rosehip Vitamin C stuff, here’s your chance!  Nature has so much to offer us for natural healing without having to head off to the chemist.  Nettles will be shooting up soon, perfect for making a spring detox tea.  Well, maybe not right now but it won’t be long!

Imbolc blessings

Nalini x

 

 

 

New Year – New Beginnings..

Nalini Deane Dancemantra, Holistic Healing 0 Comment

So many blessings to you all as we ease into the New Year, may it be filled with love, peace, inspiration and growth.

I had some lovely, quiet down time between Christmas and the New Year, time to reflect, rest and rejuvenate.  I realise how deeply rest is needed.  We have such busy lives and don’t always give ourselves permission to drop the ball and sink into quietness and relaxation.  I did loads of Yoga Nidra during my quiet time and feel so much better for it.  And also see how much more productive and creative I am when I give myself the down time.  It’s easy to just keep ploughing on without stopping, but is it worthwhile?  If we don’t slow down, we tend to ‘react’ to life from habitual thinking and conditioning, rather than ‘respond’.  By slowing down, we have the possibility to see where we are putting our energy and time, if we are using them wisely, and what is really important for us.  I know for me, that when I rush through life, I make mistakes, get in a muddle and end up chasing my tail.  So my intention for the year is to slow things down a bit…and I know that by doing that, I am more likely, paradoxically, to be more productive and creative!  And feel much better too.

What are your dreams and aspirations for your life this year?  Rather than setting the usual resolutions (which is too hard a word to use and usually leads to failure), how about pondering intentions instead.  Rather than setting ourselves up for failure, can we be kinder and more gentle with ourselves?  The classic of course, after all those mince pies and goodies, is to set a resolution to lose a stone or whatever it looks like.  How often have you set a resolution only to abandon it a week or so later?  How about having the intention to eat more healthily and watch the goodies, to treat ourselves to a relaxation or yoga class weekly, instead of setting a target amount to lose?  Just an example of how we can be gentle rather than hard.  Intentions are about easing into a new way of being without bashing ourselves over the head – maybe taking a moment to light a candle as you make your intention.  Candles always help me to bring some light to what it is I am easing into, and makes it a sacred moment.

Women’s Workshop – New Year, New Beginnings

Sunday 20th January 10.30am – 1.30pm

I am holding an exquisite workshop on Sunday 20th January especially for women, as a blessing for our New Year- New Beginnings.  Why not come along and align with your intentions, supporting and nourishing each other?  It is such a healing act for women to spend time with other like-minded women in a circle of sacred sisterhood, and to honour ourselves with self-nurture and support.  I do hope you will join us for this magical event.

New classes also starting this year – Nourishing Yoga and Yoga Nidra – and dedicated Women’s Wellness Yoga monthly class for mornings of deep self-care and joyful practices!  See here for more details.  I am also planning some great workshops for women which will be coming on line soon.

Whatever your year looks like, may it include some deeply nourishing practices, some self-honouring and loads of joy and laughter!  And new things to experiment with!  I am also intending to try things outside of my comfort zone this year and see where it leads…Om Shanty!

Much love

Nalini xx

Hazy Summer Days and Skincare

Nalini Deane Holistic Healing 0 Comment

GIVE YOUR SKIN A TREAT IN THIS SUMMER HEAT!  (plus some tips for summer skincare)

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Skin-soothing and nourishing aromatherapy with gorgeous calendula oil – the ultimate oil for caring for your skin during the summer sun. Add a bespoke blend of essential oils to the mix for a wonderfully healing and relaxing session.

I make 100% natural and organic calendula oil from the ground up – from flower to infusion to bottle to box…and finally to your skin to nourish and soothe. It’s not called the Skin Magician for nothing! It is extremely beneficial to a myriad of conditions including nappy rash, eczema, sunburn, sensitive skin, hemmeroids, scars and stretch marks, as well as being a lovely face oil. Your skin will drink it in and give you a big thank you afterwards for how soft and silky it feels, skin food at its best!

If you have been on any of my herb workshops, now is the time to harvest calendula and make your oil. The more you pick the flowers, the more the plant will produce. Or you can get it from me if you are too hot and bothered to make your own! Just get in touch. This is a red hot favourite with many as it is so versatile.

Other plants are coming into their own in this heatwave too, get some mint tea in the fridge and serve it with a slice of cooling cucumber – ahhhh, refreshing!  Or you can use lemon balm or lemon verbena to cool you down.

What about our feet!  Add some mint and lavender flowers to a basin of cool water and give yourself a foot spa, sipping your cooling herbal infusion while you are at it.  Use calendula oil for dry heels too.

Treat your hair well too, pick a few stinging nettles, make a tea out of them and use as a final rinse when washing your hair – FULL of nutrients and will make your hair shine, as well as strong and healthy!  I adore nettle, so many things we can use her for, the optimum ‘weed’.   I make buckets of tea to water my plants with and they love me for it.  You can also massage your hair with a little calendula oil to combat dryness and condition it well.  Gosh, calendula really is amazing!

Bites and stings – use plantain leaves directly squashed onto a bee or wasp sting for instant relief.  Use lavender essential oil for after care and for bites.

Lavender oil is a miracle cure of acute sunburn too, you can use it directly on the skin to prevent blistering and to heal it. Use calendula oil too to nourish and soothe after treating burnt skin.

And of course, if you can take a dip in the sea, go for it!

Have a glorious summer, just loving this heat!

Much love Nalini xx

 

 

www.michellenalinideane.com for more info and bookings

Menopause Initiation of Change

Nalini Deane Holistic Healing , 0 Comment

The Initiatory Journey of Menopause – coming home to ourselves

Menopause… what does the word bring up for you?  Is it fear or fascination?  Dread or excitement?

For many women, the transition of menopause can bring up feelings of negativity and resistance, and I believe this to be mainly down to the stigma that society has placed on this perfectly normal, healthy transition in a woman’s life.  Menopause happens to every single woman and our bodies and minds are designed for it, but there is such a huge negativity around it from society and this has become engrained on most women’s psyche.  What if there was a new way to look at it, a way that leads to freedom, joy and fulfilment?  Wouldn’t that be a healthier, more healing way?

For me, menopause is for sure a change, but a change that brings many rewards and teaches us how to know ourselves a whole lot better, and a change that allows us to say yes to ourselves, possibly for the first time in our lives.  Women spend much of their lives in service to others, taking on board so many various duties and responsibilities, and find that as menopause approaches, they have less energy for it.  All perfectly normal.  In the cycle of a woman’s life, there are times to be active and out there, and times to rest and be more inwards.  For anyone who has practiced ‘menstrual cycle awareness’, they will know this to be true.  As we cycle around the month, different energies emerge and each month, there comes a time when rest and renewal are non-negotiable.  So it is with menopause…. we are in the part of the cycle of our lives when we need to down tools a bit and re-evaluate what our lives need to look like.  Change indeed is on the horizon, and oh how joyous to take quiet times, reflective time, time with other woman going through the transition, and get to know ourselves a bit better.  Cycles are part of nature too, look at the seasons and how nature has times of full blooming and times of rest and renewal.  The rest and renewal give the impetus for a fuller blooming, so is a seriously important messenger for us too.

When we understand more fully the menopause journey, much resistance falls away…. and as a result, many of the ‘symptoms’ fall away too.  Our bodies are trying to tell us something when symptoms become overwhelming and they are asking us to slow down, listen and make some changes.  This really is the most amazing time in a woman’s life if she works it well.

My training in menstruality and menopause, along with my own menopause journey, have guided me into sharing with other women the keys to coping with, and making the most of, both our monthly cycle and menopause.

Come along and learn more at a new monthly support group for women in peri-menopause or menopause, or indeed for any woman that wants to know herself better and prepare well for the journey.  There is nothing like a supportive group of women all on the same track to inspire, heal and bring joy and laughter to the experience.  Held on one in four Wednesday evenings, you will gain support, understanding, tools and techniques, and enjoy a session of lovely, deep relaxation at the end to send you off home relaxed and at ease.  Relaxation is one of the key ingredients for the menopause or menstrual journey.  Click here for more details or to book or feel free to contact me for more info.

All blessings Nalini x

Magic of Healing Herbs and Plants

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Delighted to say that we had our first workshop last Saturday at Sedgwick Park House in Horsham and had a glorious time and glorious weather!  It was such fun to forage in Clare’s stunning gardens finding the plants we needed to make some great products with natural ingredients.  Everyone made an infused oil, some with St John’s Wort which is a great anti-inflammatory oil, others with lavender which is a multi-tasking oil good for all sorts of things.  We also made herbal tinctures, a healing balsam for cuts and wounds and a wonderfully nutritious face cream that smells like heaven!

Transforming calendula into an oil that is great for all skin problems, gentle enough to use for nappy rash too.

The gardens are so gorgeous as part of them are left to nature and are a little wild, just how I like them!  Easy to find what we needed in those parts of the garden for all our luscious products.  There are more cultivated gardens and some natural lakes and ancient woodland too – magical!   A great group attended and we have had some really positive feedback!  Seems everyone had a really enjoyable day and are inspired to get to it at home with their own products.

Next one is coming up on 30th September and we will be making some new products on this one using different plants.  I am over the moon to be able to be doing these workshops here in the UK.  After running them in Italy from my own garden there, I wasn’t sure they would continue here.  And then I met Clare!  Bless her for being so open to sharing her healing and magical space, and for coming on board with me to do these educational and fascinating workshops!  We had great fun working together and are looking forward to continuing doing stuff together.

If you have never been to Sedgwick Park House, put it on your to do list, it is so lovely there!

Well, I am off this Saturday after a full on day last Saturday, and about to go outside and pick my calendula flowers ready for infusing.  A cup of tea first though!

Love Nalini x

My garden isn’t quite as impressive as Clare’s but it is proof that even the most modest garden can be host to the plants used for making products.  Mine is full of wild flowers and herbs and all carefully guarded by Mr Tao Bennett, the cutie in black and white!