Lessons from Nature’s Rhythms
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Nature reminds me that rest isn’t a luxury—it’s a vital part of life. The seasons flow effortlessly between action and stillness: spring awakens, summer thrives, autumn releases, and winter restores. Yet, many of us push through, calling ourselves high-functioning adults with squiggly brains instead of honoring our need for rest and renewal. If you’re like me, you’ve probably said something like “everything in balance,” but we don’t always make space for the recovery time post “balancing.”
Burnout doesn’t appear overnight—it builds in stages over nothing other than time and stress. At first, it’s sneaky and feels like constant fatigue or brain fog. Over time, it builds up and affects our outward mood, leading to irritability, numbness, or even physical pain. The signs of burnout are your body communicating problems or symptoms that need to be cared for before they become internal screams slowing you down consistently. I’m raising my hand as a recovering sleepy bee. Learning the way through burnout led me to respect my body’s need for rest, nourishment, and recovery to continue doing and feeling good for the ecosystems of the community I’m a part of.
Self-care is community care. When you’re burnt out, you are surviving with a half-full cup when you deserve to be a full cup.
What if we looked to nature for guidance? Trees shed their leaves in the fall, conserving energy for winter. Animals slow down, hibernate, or migrate to survive harsh conditions. We, too, thrive when we honor the natural ebb and flow of energy in our lives. What can we learn from nature about cycles of rest and renewal?
Simple Rituals for Energetic Recovery:
This month, I’m highlighting our three-sisters combo, the OG of OGs, my Charlie angles.
• Lion’s Heart: instant nervous system relief.
This was the formula I crafted when I was at my lowest. I was anxious and insecure and didn’t know how to manage my stress, so I created it during my era of re-parenting myself. Named after the Latin translation for Motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca is a potent herb that makes this remedy stand out from other nerve and stress support tinctures. This blend helped me see what my focus needed to be on. Lions Heart gave me my voice as an herbalist.
• Mind Brew: the best way to start the day is with mushrooms and herbs in my coffee.
This formula was birthed from a menu item from my café days. We’re one of the only shops on the island where you can get an espresso drink. Still, I didn't want to go the usual route of creating sugary flavored lattes—I wanted to make a blend that both tasted delicious and functioned positively in the body, so I created a powder blend that I would add to the drinks, add a little MCT oil and maple syrup (we’re very vegan then), and to the beginning of Mind Brew was born over a decade ago!
• Dream Cloud: a one-way ticket to deep restorative sleep.
As a chronic night owl, I needed to knock myself into another dimension to fall asleep. Thus, Dream Cloud was created. Everyone was telling me about the wonders of Valerian root the first time I tried it as a tea, and my body instantly reacted. It's one of the most stinky roots—and I’m just too much of a sensitive Sally to make that mistake again. I focused on listening to my body’s reaction in this formulation so that the first phase of taking a remedy does not send you running for the hills. If you didn’t know, many herbs are very bitter and, sometimes mixed with high aromatics, can cause our bodies to turn our noses and protest against taking what's good for us. Dream Cloud was a challenge to formulate in a way that wouldn't turn folks off to taking herbs, but it became the backbone of our elixirs—honey to sweeten and help make the medicine go down. This song would play repeatedly in my head for weeks until I figured out the missing ingredient.
My ride-or-dies, the formulas that took me to places I only dreamed of. My love for these blends spans what feels like centuries. My healing is deeply rooted in them; when I was in my mid-twenties, I hit a really low time, and years later, I understood it as the late stages of burnout. I learned about the nervous system and the herbs to support and revitalize myself pre-2020, so when the pandemic hit, everyone was collectively in shock—never in our lifetimes have we ever experienced stress on an utterly global level. This was when two dear friends chimed in a conversation and nudged me to break through the cocoon and let Conscious Seed become the butterfly, sharing remedies for collective nervous system healing.
Burnout doesn’t have to define you. Like the seasons, you can return to vibrancy by creating space for rest and replenishment. Let this be your permission slip to pause, reflect, and embrace the care you deserve.
What have you learned from nature about cycles of rest and renewal?
What allies help you not get swept away by overwhelm?
Burnout doesn’t appear overnight—it builds in stages over nothing other than time and stress. At first, it’s sneaky and feels like constant fatigue or brain fog. Over time, it builds up and affects our outward mood, leading to irritability, numbness, or even physical pain. The signs of burnout are your body communicating problems or symptoms that need to be cared for before they become internal screams slowing you down consistently. I’m raising my hand as a recovering sleepy bee. Learning the way through burnout led me to respect my body’s need for rest, nourishment, and recovery to continue doing and feeling good for the ecosystems of the community I’m a part of.
Self-care is community care. When you’re burnt out, you are surviving with a half-full cup when you deserve to be a full cup.
What if we looked to nature for guidance? Trees shed their leaves in the fall, conserving energy for winter. Animals slow down, hibernate, or migrate to survive harsh conditions. We, too, thrive when we honor the natural ebb and flow of energy in our lives. What can we learn from nature about cycles of rest and renewal?
Simple Rituals for Energetic Recovery:
- Nourish your adrenals: adequate minerals and taking adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms are big helpers.
- Step outside and let the sun kiss your skin—take a walk, roll the window down for a moment, and let unfiltered light onto your skin.
- Make small pauses throughout your day—tea time, a short nap, or a moment to dance.
- Prioritizing a sleep schedule.
This month, I’m highlighting our three-sisters combo, the OG of OGs, my Charlie angles.
• Lion’s Heart: instant nervous system relief.
This was the formula I crafted when I was at my lowest. I was anxious and insecure and didn’t know how to manage my stress, so I created it during my era of re-parenting myself. Named after the Latin translation for Motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca is a potent herb that makes this remedy stand out from other nerve and stress support tinctures. This blend helped me see what my focus needed to be on. Lions Heart gave me my voice as an herbalist.
• Mind Brew: the best way to start the day is with mushrooms and herbs in my coffee.
This formula was birthed from a menu item from my café days. We’re one of the only shops on the island where you can get an espresso drink. Still, I didn't want to go the usual route of creating sugary flavored lattes—I wanted to make a blend that both tasted delicious and functioned positively in the body, so I created a powder blend that I would add to the drinks, add a little MCT oil and maple syrup (we’re very vegan then), and to the beginning of Mind Brew was born over a decade ago!
• Dream Cloud: a one-way ticket to deep restorative sleep.
As a chronic night owl, I needed to knock myself into another dimension to fall asleep. Thus, Dream Cloud was created. Everyone was telling me about the wonders of Valerian root the first time I tried it as a tea, and my body instantly reacted. It's one of the most stinky roots—and I’m just too much of a sensitive Sally to make that mistake again. I focused on listening to my body’s reaction in this formulation so that the first phase of taking a remedy does not send you running for the hills. If you didn’t know, many herbs are very bitter and, sometimes mixed with high aromatics, can cause our bodies to turn our noses and protest against taking what's good for us. Dream Cloud was a challenge to formulate in a way that wouldn't turn folks off to taking herbs, but it became the backbone of our elixirs—honey to sweeten and help make the medicine go down. This song would play repeatedly in my head for weeks until I figured out the missing ingredient.
My ride-or-dies, the formulas that took me to places I only dreamed of. My love for these blends spans what feels like centuries. My healing is deeply rooted in them; when I was in my mid-twenties, I hit a really low time, and years later, I understood it as the late stages of burnout. I learned about the nervous system and the herbs to support and revitalize myself pre-2020, so when the pandemic hit, everyone was collectively in shock—never in our lifetimes have we ever experienced stress on an utterly global level. This was when two dear friends chimed in a conversation and nudged me to break through the cocoon and let Conscious Seed become the butterfly, sharing remedies for collective nervous system healing.
Burnout doesn’t have to define you. Like the seasons, you can return to vibrancy by creating space for rest and replenishment. Let this be your permission slip to pause, reflect, and embrace the care you deserve.
What have you learned from nature about cycles of rest and renewal?
What allies help you not get swept away by overwhelm?