Do you practice meditation? Is it something you’d love to master? Or maybe it’s something you keep returning to, feeling like sometimes you’ve “got it”… only to feel back at square one again a few days later. Perhaps you meditate every single day, whether it feels easy or not. I’ve had a meditation practice for years now, but honestly, at the beginning of my journey it was not a kind thing I did for myself. It became another way to judge myself. Another thing I felt I was failing at. At the time, I was moving through an incredibly painful period in my life after the end of my first marriage and the breakdown of a close friendship. It was what eventually led me to leave the Midlands and move to Wales around 16 years ago. The whole experience left me with crippling anxiety that took a long time to move through, and during that year I tried every meditation and personal development technique I could find. My mind raced constantly. And every time I sat down to meditate and couldn’t “clear my mind,” I felt even more broken. Eventually I realised that what my body actually needed was gentleness. Gentle yoga helped my tense muscles soften. Time in nature became my meditation space. I was helping a lady poo pick horse fields early in the mornings, caring for my aunt’s chickens, my mum’s alpacas and Shetland ponies. I was safe with my family in Wales and slowly healing. What hindered my healing was trying to rush it. Over time things began to shift. I volunteered at the local community woodland and eventually met James, my husband. Around this time I also received an accidental ADHD diagnosis while working at a university as a Mental Health Mentor. I didn’t pay much attention to it initially, but it started turning the cogs around my own inner struggles and why traditional meditation had felt so difficult for me. I was now training to become a counsellor and doing a huge amount of supported inner work myself — which is an essential part of the training. You cannot ask someone else to bare their soul if you’ve never learned to do the same yourself.

🌿 I am honestly SO excited about this Magic of Nettles mini-course 🍃 The deeper I go into creating it, the more I’m falling in love with nettles all over again. Not just as food or medicine… but as a plant that nourishes entire ecosystems, supports our bodies so deeply, and reconnects us with the old ways of seasonal living 🌱 Every time I add a new lesson, recipe, or reflection, I keep thinking: “I can’t wait for everyone to unlock this magic for themselves.” And honestly… who knew one humble “weed” could hold SO much wisdom?! So let’s have a little fun 👇 Drop a GIF in the comments that expresses how excited you are to unlock the course 😂🌿✨ AND while you’re here:🍃 like people’s comments🍃 reply to each other🍃 cheer one another on because every interaction helps each other move closer to Level 3 and unlock the course together 🌱 I genuinely love seeing this community come alive like this 💚

Yesterday we spoke about the nervous system and how our ancient hunter gatherer bodies were designed for short bursts of stress followed by rest, safety, and connection. And this got me thinking about the quiet role plants have always played in helping humans return to calm. Long before pharmacies and modern medicine, people sat around fires drinking infusions of flowers, leaves, berries, and roots — not simply as “treatments”, but as rituals of comfort, regulation, and care. There’s something deeply healing about the process itself. The kettle boiling.The scent rising from the cup.The act of slowing down long enough to tend to yourself. Your nervous system notices all of it . Here are 10 beautiful plants traditionally used to gently support the nervous system through teas and infusions: 🌼 Chamomile – perhaps the most well known calming herb. Traditionally used to ease tension, soothe digestion, and support sleep. 🍋 Lemon Balm – a gentle nervine from the mint family often used to reduce stress, calm overwhelm, and lift the mood. 🌳 Linden (Lime Blossom) – soft, comforting flowers traditionally used for anxiety, tension, and restlessness before sleep. 🌿 Hops – often associated with sleep support and helping calm a busy, overstimulated mind. 🌹 Rose – emotionally soothing and heart-opening. Rose tea can feel comforting during grief, stress, hormonal shifts, or emotional exhaustion. 💗 Red Clover – traditionally used to support women’s health and hormonal balance, especially during times of transition. 🍃 Milky Oats / Oatstraw – nourishing for those who feel frazzled, burnt out, emotionally depleted, or “wired but tired.” 💜 Lavender – calming, aromatic, and often supportive for anxiety, tension, and sleep. 🌱 Passionflower – traditionally used for an overactive mind, anxious thoughts, and difficulty winding down. 🍒 Hawthorn – best known for supporting the heart and circulation, but also deeply grounding and calming for many people under stress. Some herbalists use it to support emotional regulation and nervous system resilience.