Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2024 i The Green Parent

I’m so pleased to speak to you from the pages of our Abundance special edition. It’s been a joyful issue to put together, with a focus on generosity and love. As I write this, the natural world feels abundant; hedges are full of shiny blackberries, the apple trees in our local orchard groaning with fruit, my Dad sending us home with punnets of figs, and elderberries starting to ripen. My daughter and I are especially excited about the elder – we’ve just run out of syrup from last year and are looking forward to cooking up a new batch, making enough for family and friends too. I’ve been researching growth vs. scarcity mindsets and how to support our children to feel abundant. An abundance mindset is about seeing the world…

the Green Parent ONLINE read • connect • share • watch • comment • subscribe We've got a sparkly new website! 1 Expert Guidance: Gain access to a treasure trove of advice and guidance from parenting experts. Whether you're dealing with sleepless nights, picky eating, or home education worries, our expert resources are tailored to support you through every stage of your parenting journey. 2 Community Support: This is a safe space to share stories, ask questions, and get support. There’s no judgment. You'll find comfort in knowing that you're not alone in this wild and wonderful adventure. We're here to cheer you on every step of the way. ‘You'll find comfort in knowing that you're not alone in this wild and wonderful adventure. We're here to cheer you on…

LETS LEARN ABOUT.. National Manatee Month These gentle sea creatures sleep for up to 12 hours a day suspended in the sea, or lying on the ocean floor. They are strong swimmers and can reach speeds of 15 miles per hour. To find out more, including ideas for conservation, go to ypte.org.uk KIND GESTURES Celebrate World Kindness Day on 13 November with these ideas: SEND A LETTER: Write a letter to someone you love. Explain why you appreciate them, get clear on exactly what they do that you love. PAINT STONES: Gather stones and decorate them with positive messages like: You rock! And, I love your smile! Leave them in the park, at bus stops and other places to bring a little cheer. Family Foraging James Wood is the founder…

inspire READERS' STORIES “I was brought up in Romania in a religious family. In about 2014, living in Britain, I had a breakdown and was suffering from depression. But my sister introduced me to Reiki, which I started practicing and became a Reiki Master. Through Reiki, I was introduced to breathwork. Breathwork tranformed the heavy emotions; trauma and so on, into something else. Nothing is created, everything is transformed. I had my first child in 2020. I had my Reiki to rely on, and was doing breathwork as a client, so held space for both techniques. While I was pregnant, I did breathwork more frequently. I was dealing with my own emotions as well as the emotions of the baby. I’m very aware of myself and can even differentiate between my…

MOVING INTO MOTHERHOOD Desiree Cameron shares 3 ways to mark the transition into parenthood 1. Trust in Your Unique Journey Never compare yourself to someone else. Trust in your own abilities as a new parent. No matter what book you read or YouTube channel you watch, remember that your parenting style is unique to your child. Do what feels right, follow your intuition, and believe in yourself. 2. Build a Supportive Community Parenting is not easy, and it shouldn't be done alone! Surround yourself with a supportive community. 3. Check in with Yourself Regularly assess how you’re feeling about this new transition. Reflect on your emotions and physical state. Do you need more support? Boosting mental health is crucial before taking on the responsibility of caring for a new human.…

become a storyteller! Kate Shelley is the founder of Tales Toolkit (talestoolkit.com), an organisation bringing storytelling to young children. Here she shares 3 ways to get started telling stories 1 Anything Can Be in a Story. Create characters anywhere and everywhere. Pop googly eyes on a banana. Children love it when you create magic from the everyday. Do voices, get your characters talking to each other, and don’t feel selfconscious. It doesn’t have to be perfect! 2 Create the Right Environment. Give your child time and space to come up with their own ideas. You can run with them and add to them, but try not to dominate. You will naturally want to make the story ‘work,’ to make it make sense. Resist this urge! 3 Have Fun, Be Playful…

SLOW IT DOWN Laura Froyen is a mama to two and founder of The Balanced Parent podcast. Here she shares how abundance can impact your daily life with your children. Time is one of the easiest and most important ways to practice abundance. If you can cultivate a sense of expansion around time, parenting can become so much easier. In practice this means reminding yourself that there is time; that this is not an emergency. So, when you see your kids about to squabble over a toy, can you move slowly and with intention, confident that there is enough time to coach them through solving this problem? When it's time to leave the house, can you start early enough so that there is a sense of calm and peace rather than…

Autumn Equinox - September 22nd Recommended read -Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert Activity - Art, Literacy, Maths Celebrating the Autumn Equinox as the season shifts from summer to autumn is a great way to bring a closer connection to nature into your home. You could create a nature table with all of your autumnal treasures, this is a great way to help your children connect with the changing of the seasons. Go on a leaf hunt, how many different colours and shapes can you find? Can you put them into any groups? Perhaps you can create a leaf art picture like in the Leaf Man book? Badger Day - October 6th Recommended read - Tidy by Emily Gravett Activity - Science enquiry, Art, Literacy, Environmental Awareness Watch the Secret life…

As parents, our deepest desire is to see our children flourish, happy and confident in who they are. We want them to navigate life with a sense of selfacceptance and assurance that they are enough. However, the journey to instilling this profound belief in our children is not a straightforward path paved with lessons and instructions. Rather, it is a journey of modelling, reflection, and an honest examination of our own self-acceptance and our real goals. The reality is, many of us adults struggle with feelings of inadequacy. We grapple with the relentless pursuit of being the best – the best parent, partner, employee, or individual. Even if you don’t strive to be the best, you surely want to be content with who you are? And many of us are…

Hand in Hand parenting teaches 5 'listening tools' - each involves an element of listening. 1 Special Time (child-led 1-1 time to build connection) 2 Staylistening (listening to a child's emotions with warmth and empathy to allow for emotional release and healing) 3 Playlistening (play that promotes laughter where the child has the upper-hand - can be used for building connection but also to address particular emotional struggles, can also be used to set limits) 4 Setting Limits (stopping tricky behaviour with warmth and connection, to allow for the underlying feelings driving the behaviour to be released) 5 Listening Partnerships for Parents (a support tool for parents to get the necessary emotional support for the hard work of parenting)…

Autumn is a time of transition. Many trees and shrubs are quietly undressing in preparation for the winter. There is a subtle browning of the earth. Temperatures, which, just a few weeks ago were raging with the intense heat of summer, are beginning to hint at the telltale crispness of autumn. And there is the wind: slowly gathering strength, carrying the tides of winter on its breath. The qualities of Autumn are dry, rough, windy, erratic, cool, subtle, and clear. These are all qualities shared by vata dosha and because like increases like, autumn is considered a vata season. This same principle illustrates why taking a few simple steps to balance vata during this season can be tremendously beneficial. The Autumn brings with it a predominance of air element, and…

Number of people who took part in Buy Nothing Month. Get involved at keepbritaintidy.org YOUR WEALTH CORNER Ashlina Kaposta is a mum and podcaster on living simply. Find her at ashlinakaposta.com In Feng Shui, your home is divided into nine energy sectors (commonly called the ‘bagua’); each area of the bagua is associated with different aspects of your life. The Wealth Corner, also known as the Prosperity or Money Corner, is located in the southeast area of your home or a specific room. Activating this corner can help enhance your financial prosperity, but it's more than just stacking up dollar bills; it's about inviting abundance in all aspects of life and making sure the energy of harmony flows throughout your home. The Wealth Corner is associated with the Wood element.…

CERAMIC Ceramic Gravity Fed Water Vessel and Filter £555 endlessrhythm.org The basic idea of mechanical filtration is to physically remove sediment, dirt or any particles in the water using a barrier. This could be anything from a basic mesh that filters out large debris to a ceramic filter which filters out pathogenic organisms. Ceramics have traditionally been used to house water for centuries, keeping it cool and dark. This is a simple and effective solution to water filtration, gravity draws the water through a fine-porous filter. The filter will need to be cleaned every few months and replaced after around 3 years. CHARCOAL Black+Blum Eau Carafe £36.95 black-blum.com Absorption in water filters is most commonly carried out by carbon, which is highly effective at capturing water-borne contaminants. Carbon has a…

When Apple Day was conceived over 30 years ago, by charity Common Ground, the aim was to create a new autumn holiday, a celebration of the diversity of fruit in the UK. It was held in 1990 in the old Apple Market in Covent Garden, bringing fruit back to the market, after 16 years of absence. Sellers offering a wide variety of apples and trees rubbed shoulders with juice producers, and writers and illustrators of books about apples. Thousands of people came, and since then the celebration of the apple has spread to many villages and city markets. These events have boosted local pride and deepened interest in local distinctiveness. Each year, at these celebrations, alongside tasting, juicing, baking, pruning and grafting, an imaginative array of games and creative activities…

WATCHING No Fit State Circus (nofitstate.org) – they brought the show Sabotage to Brighton this month and it was properly mind blowing. MAKING Rose tincture using the velvety soft pink and red roses from my garden. This is a heart healer for times of grief and loss. READING Kids Thrive at Every Size by Jill Castle – it’s a valuable look at the eight pillars kids need for a healthy, happy life. WRITING About my daily life, home educating my daughter and trying to be more present. Sign up for regular emails over at thegreenparent.co.uk.…

inspire INTERVIEW Warm, deeply wise and with a sparkling, impish nature, Candace Savage is the the grandmother of dreams. Luckily for the world, her love of nature and insight into our relationships with the wild is captured in her award-winning books, which include A Geography of Blood and her newest publication which is aimed at children, How To Know a Crow. Charmingly illustrated by Rachel Hudson, the absorbing book follows the life story of a young crow, Okie, with incredible facts about these members of the corvid family, and ideas for crow-based activities. Warning: these magnificent black birds might become your family’s new obsession. “Being in nature is essential – it supports a sense of wellbeing and excitement about being alive” “I live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which is a small city…

‘A child can’t walk far without stopping to pick up a treasure of nature!’ With just a little bit of creativity and a little persuasion, a walk can turn into a treasure hunt. A child can’t walk far without stopping to pick up a treasure of nature! Bring along a basket or bag and collect some of those amazing nature treasures you find as you mosey along. You may find a feather, a pine cone, an interesting rock, a shell, a funky twig or a pretty rock. I promise you that the walk will not be an aerobic one because you’ll be stopping much too often. But it will warm your heart in another way as you see all the treasures you would have missed if walking only for exercise.…

Throughout the day leading up to labour I noticed pressure in new areas that I hadn't felt before. Before it had been more at the front of my pelvis but now I really felt the pressure underneath when we were out for a walk that day, almost like I just couldn’t squeeze my legs together because there was something in the way, that type of pressure. My husband also said he thought that my bump looked a lot lower but honestly, I couldn't really see a difference! I first noticed signs of labour around 10pm that evening. I began to get mild back pain, at first I thought I had walked a bit too far that afternoon. It came and went very slowly, the sensation was so mild I didn’t…

KEEP HYDRATED Your body needs extra hydration while breastfeeding and for the health and development of your baby. Exercise and sweat reduce your water content, so it is important to remember to drink lots of water! Drinking water before, during and after your run will also help regulate your body temperature. It is much easier to overheat when you are pregnant. SUPPORTIVE GARMENTS FOR PREGNANT RUNNERS As your body changes and grows, you may find that you need additional support in certain areas. A supportive sports bra will help reduce the stress on your growing chest. You will likely need stronger support than your usual sports bra. There are also nursing sports bras on the market that you can continue to use after the baby is born. You may find…

Gruffalo and Friends Starter Pack, £69.99 voxblock.co.uk This complete starter kit includes Voxblock player, three audiobooks, protective bumper and charging cable. With no app, no download, and no setup required, it's ready to play and go - anywhere, and everywhere. Plenty more stories available to choose from too! Wooden Activity Centre £30.99 bigjigstoys.co.uk This FSC certified rolling activity sorter has 4 sides packed with a wooden shape sorter, wooden flip book, wooden cogs and more. Little hands can touch, pull, twist, turn, and flip all the different wooden elements. Helps to develop their dexterity and fine motor skills as they explore each side. Hornbill Sensory Toy £28 pureearthcollection.com Made from 100% organic and natural fabrics inside and out, this wonderful sensory toy contains a recycled rattle inside. It’s suitable from birth. With every…

1. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN! On long journeys, we share music with each other and listen to hours of music. Listen to different genres, different styles and music from all over the world. 2. PLAY AND EXPLORE! We often feel there is one way to learn an instrument but from my experience, I learned through exploring and play, even when I was a teen. I let my students in school and children at home have a lot of time to explore instrument and express themselves creatively and it really makes a difference. 3. WATCH LIVE MUSIC! Buskers on the street! Concerts! Playing live at home and doing little performances to each other. Sharing music in different places as a service - for example visiting a hospice and singing to people because…

Flow, Spin, Grow: Looking for Patterns In Nature by Patchen Barss and Todd Stewart, which encourages children to look for repeating patterns in the most unexpected places! Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang helps students use pattern, symmetry and numbers to problem solve using the natural world. Also check out his newest book, Math Potato. Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature by Sarah Campbell is an excellent resource for introducing repeating patterns and fractals in nature. See also Growing Patterns.…

child ASK THE EXPERT Forcing someone to be generous just makes him resentful. Worse yet, it internalizes the sense that he must be a very bad boy indeed if he doesn’t want to share like a ‘good boy’. (For an insightful description of how being guilt-tripped into generosity can undermine self esteem, check out how young Laura is taught to share - and feel bad about herself - in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.) Nancy Eisenberg, a leading researcher on children’s social development, says that children become more generous by having the experience of giving to others and learning how good that feels. There is a catch, though, says Eisenberg. The experience must be voluntarily chosen by the child. If we force children to share, they walk away feeling resentful, not…

Wheels: The Big Fun Book of Vehicles Tom Schamp £19.99 Prestel This book has been a big hit. Ewan has enjoyed dipping in and out and has asked a lot of questions. His favourite is the Trojan Horse, this book has been a great jumping-offpoint for learning about so many things! Would suit children aged five and over; older children will enjoy reading the snippets of information themselves whilst younger ones will be full of questions. Sarah B Say My Name Joanna Ho and Khoa Le £12.99 HarperCollins It’s a beautiful book and the explanation of the names and meanings tells a story that is important to hear. It made us talk about different languages and alphabets which was great, we tried to write our names in different languages so…

Three Teas for Better Sleep Dozy Girl A naturally caffeine-free blend, perfect for getting cosy before bedtime, with its comforting combination of lavender, chamomile and rose £7.15 birdandblendtea.com Sing me to Sleep Tea Let Nature sing you a gentle lullaby with this soothing night-time blend of valerian root, lavender flowers, hop flowers and chamomile flowers. £12.99 chucklinggoat.co.uk Night-time Berry A restorative blend of organic berries, calming chamomile, valerian and echinacea. Naturally caffeine free, it’s made with ethically sourced, organically grown ingredients. £4.99 pukkaherbs.com…

Your diet is a powerful way to soothe vata this Autumn. You may find yourself naturally wanting to increase your intake of food, but be careful to follow the lead of your appetite and digestion. This is also a great time of year to do a monodiet type of Ayurvedic cleanse. Consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner if you want to try this. Vata requires adequate nourishment, so it is best to avoid fasting. Types of Food to Favour in Autumn Substantive, oily, nourishing foods that are high in protein, high in fat, brought to life with warming, stimulating spices, and served hot, will go a long way toward maintaining your internal reserves of moisture and keeping you grounded through the vata season. • You'll also want to favour the sweet,…

Sambucol Immuno Forte Effervescent Packed with black elderberries as well as vitamin C and zinc to help strengthen the immune system. Ideal for those who want a product to take on-the-go. £9.99, sambucol.co.uk Floradix Liquid Iron Contains herbal extracts and fruit juice concentrates Iron, vitamin B2, B6, B12 and C contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue £12.95, floradix.co.uk Eucalyptus Salve This skin-softening salve can be used to clear the head with the purifying scent of pine and eucalyptus essential oils. Made with 100% organic ingredients. £16 nealsyardremedies.com Fire Cider A fiery apple cider vinegar blended with horseradish, garlic, onion, fresh turmeric, fresh ginger, honey and cayenne pepper. Plus live apple cider vinegar containing 48 wild apple varieties. £11.70 willysacv.com Badger Balm Aromatic Chest Rub Contains eucalyptus, rosemary, ravensara…

Save the Squash You’ve carved your pumpkin and have a pile of leftovers. What to do? ROAST AND EAT THE SEEDS. After removing the seeds from your pumpkin, rinse them, drizzle with oil and season with your favourite spices, then roast for a healthy snack or a crunchy topping for soups and salads. USE THE CARVED BITS. Just place any scraps of pumpkin into a baking dish, season and roast them. Add to pasta, risotto, stir-fry, or whatever you’re having for dinner! FEED THE ANIMALS. The carved pumpkin, once it’s served as a scary lantern can be fed to chickens, made into a bird feeder (turn upside down and fill the base with seeds) and finally composted. SPICE UP YOUR WEEK It’s National Curry Week (nationalcurryweek.co.uk) from 7-13 October. Here…

WIN Win a Realm of Middle-earth Yoga mat inspired by The Lord of The Rings™ These beautiful yoga mats will inspire you to your practice. Made with biodegradable materials, they are longer, wider and thicker than standard. They feature a non-slip surface and are great for sweaty practices. Made by Middle-earth Yoga, these are the only officially licensed The Hobbit inspired yoga mats. For your chance to win visit: link.thegreenparent.co.uk/middleearth Closing date: 15th November 2024 Eco Warrior is giving away their NEW Baby & Child Hair & Body Bars to 10 lucky readers! You may have seen the Eco Warrior range amid your supermarket shop. These two new bars now make the range suitable for the entire family! These 2-in-1 bars are gentle, pH-balanced, and suitable for the most delicate…

We’re an unschooling family, living in a little rural hamlet in Warwickshire. My husband works mainly from home in the sports industry. I’m a full time mum living life alongside my three wildlings; my STEM-mad, historian and outdoorsy wild nine-year old son, my sport-obsessed, natureloving, comedian seven-year-old son and my trampolining-pro one-year-old daughter, and our dear, elderly dog Coco. We’re in our fifth year of home education, but have been natural unschoolers for their entire childhoods. I just hadn’t realised it for the first few years! My eldest went to school for almost five months, despite my mother-instinct telling me not to send him. His short time at school was rife with separation anxiety (he was the child being prised off me; screaming and crying most mornings), boredom and an…

DESIREE CAMERON Mother of two, full-spectrum doula, certified lactation consultant, herbalist, and sex coach, Desiree is the founder of Birthing Abundantly Maternal Services, advocating for BIPOC birthers, focusing on high-risk pregnancies and NICU families. “Abundance is about fully trusting in yourself and embracing the unique qualities that make you who you are. Every day, we have the opportunity to move closer to the beauty within us. I make the conscious choice each day to wallk this earth unapologetically, and recognise that abundance is something I can cultivate from within.” Read more on page 20. RUKMINI IYER The bestselling author of the Roasting Tin series, Rukmini has led the one-pan revolution. She grew up with three food cultures, Bengali and South Indian from her parents and classic British 80’s waffles and…

WATCH FOR WAXCAPS Take part in a Citizen Science project searching for waxcaps in your local grassland. These exciting, brightly coloured (and often shiny) fungi are an indicator of rare, speciesrich grassland. Plantlife use the information to pinpoint where fragments of ancient meadows survive, so they can be protected in the future. Visit any grassy area between September and late November, which is when waxcaps are at their best. The easiest way to search an area for fungi is to walk in a zig-zag pattern at a slow pace. Share what you spot at plantlife.org.uk/waxcapwatch Celebrate Wild Foods Day! On 28 October take a trip into the woods to forage for some tasty snacks. BEECH MASTS Scrape offthe outer brown skin to reveal the triangular seed. Can be used in…

inspire READERS' STORIES “After 13 years as a primary school teacher, the stresses put upon teachers were making me tired. More than that though, the pressures I saw on children made me question my ideas of how education should look. It made me sad that the children’s natural curiosities were dampened and although I’d only just returned from maternity leave, I wanted to explore a new, slower, child centred route for my then 9 month old daughter. I first heard of hygge when I bought a book called The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking. The book itself is really beautiful and a part of hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is finding happiness in small pleasures. Hygge translates to English to something like cosiness. It’s about moments of happiness; taking time away…

NitNOT Limited NitNOT is the only 100% effective certified eco friendly head lice treatment. The NitNOT Comb has 2 high precision combs for all hair types & removes the smallest & most stubborn nits. Ideal for checking their hair when the dreaded nit letter arrives from school. Remember NitNOT in your back to school shopping list. www.nitnot.com Derma Warrior Gentle, fragrance-free skincare perfect for families, including little ones. Formulated with natural oils and butters, we believe in safe, effective care that nurtures and protects without harsh chemicals. Our family-friendly products make natural skincare simple and stress-free. Code: GP10% dermawarrior.com Middle-earth Yoga Take your yoga practice on an epic journey! Tolkien lovers are inspired to their practice with these beautiful The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbitinspired mats. These non-slip…

Beautiful, fulfilling, empowering… and really, really hard were some of the responses to the question How would you describe being a mum? With a survey showing that almost two-thirds of mothers have been driven to exhaustion under the pressure of being a ‘supermum’, experts are worried that the weight of expectation is getting too much. Eager to help mums feel better, Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris – a mum-of-three, former paediatric intensive care nurse turned preand post-natal health expert, and founder of the FIT MAMA app – has collaborated with other parenting experts to offer her top tips for helping mums to feel their best again: Ask for help Easy to say but harder to do, Mari-Carmen knows first-hand the struggle – but also the benefits – of seeking support. Feelings of guilt,…

Peter Rabbit Lotto Game £12 orchardtoys.com Fill your wheelbarrow in this fun matching and memory game. Join Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck, Mrs. Tiggywinkle and Benjamin Bunny in this fun first board game. Chunky, wipe-clean cards ideal for little hands. Perfect for children aged three upwards. Little Mime Card Game £9 djeco.com This first mime game encourages co-operation as players work together to try and figure out what animal another player is pretending to be. The compact design makes it easy to travel with, and encourages vocabulary and recognition skills. Ultimate Connect Set €32.99 moesplay.com/en The set consists of 60 pieces in 5 different colours. Children can create anything their imagination allows, whether just starting out or more experienced in construction. Great for hand eye coordination, problem-solving and stimulating creativity and imagination. Moon…

toddler Parenting is an incredible journey filled with love and joy, but it is also the hardest and most challenging thing in the world, especially during a child's meltdown. We have all been there, wanting to be the best parent we can be, but getting so triggered that we end up behaving in a way we wish we hadn’t. The truth of the matter is that when we are exhausted and overwhelmed and get triggered, our body’s stress response takes over and the higher centres of our brain that can calm us down go offline. In these moments, we need to use body based practices, not mental ones, to stay regulated and help our child. Below are seven neuroscience-backed (and parent-tested!) tips to help you navigate these difficult moments effectively.…

child Homeschooling my daughter, Marthy was a key turning point in my decision to launch Camp Curiosity. I have a teaching background and have always had more than a keen interest in the benefits of outdoor learning. We are a very outdoorsy family and have raised Marthy with a love of nature and a sense of adventure, so when we found ourselves 'locked down' with the task of homeschooling her I jumped at the chance to spend as much time as we possibly could outside. It was a revelation! Every subject/theme/topic that we wanted to learn could be taught outside I discovered, in our garden or the local woods. I watched in awe as Marthy blossomed and the 'running my own business' acorn took root and became a sapling. I…

Julie and Heather are the mums behind thehappysleeper.com and believe that food and gift giving are important ways to encourage a generous spirit: Come bearing gifts: if you don’t already do this, create a family habit of bringing a small offering when you visit family and friends. It can be food, drink, a drawing or any small token of kindness. If it’s a present occasion, like someone’s birthday, engage your child in brainstorming what type of gift the person would really like. And also, cook together: planning, cooking and serving meals inherently provides an experience of thoughtfulness and caring. Talk about what foods the person you’re feeding is particularly fond of and involve your child as much as possible in helping. Even if he just feels like he’s helping (even if…

If you’ve got teenagers you may feel dubious that the person who refuses to get out of bed most days might actually want to offer their time for others (for free!). If your child hasn’t thought about volunteering they might be interested to hear about the benefits that it could bring to their well being, self worth, future prospects and general life outlook. There are multitudes of teenagers currently involved in some form of social action - some through traditional routes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or as part of a school programme. Many others have sought out opportunities for themselves having felt compelled to make a difference. Whether your teen is educated at home, unschooled or attending school there are a wealth of things out there for…

CHILL OUT Try one of these 3 calming practices for Stress Awareness Day on 6th November. DRAW CALMING CIRCLES Take a piece of paper and fill it with a circle. Add more circles. Try not to let your pencil leave the page. Colour, creativity and movement can help you feel relaxed by giving you an outlet and focus for your emotions. FIND GREEN SPACE Try a local park, woodland, nature reserve or garden. Once you’re there, stop and take a deep breath. Spending time in green spaces has been found to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. CONNECT WITH YOUR SENSES Look around you and notice five things you can see. Name four things you can touch or feel around you. Name three things you can hear, two things you can…

1 Practice a daily routine. One of the most effective ways to support vata is by establishing a daily routine. Try to do the same things (wake up, exercise, eat meals, go to bed, etc.) at roughly the same times each day. Set the tone for your day by rising early, taking full advantage of the silence, stillness, and peace that are intrinsic to the early morning hours. 2 Massage yourself. Then, you can calm your nervous system, awaken your tissues, and ground your energy by massaging your skin with warm, organic sesame oil or with a herbal oil. Follow this practice with a warm, relaxing shower, leaving a coat of oil on the skin to absorb throughout the day. Steam baths and humidifiers can help preserve internal moisture as…

Abundant Gardening Meet Niva and Yotam Kay the owners of Pākaraka Permaculture, which is a leading example of organic regenerative small-scale market gardening. Consistently growing over 10,000 kg of food a season on 1/4 acre of land while improving both soil and ecosystem this is an incredibly abundant plot. They achieve this by using no-dig methods, which helps to build organic matter and remineralise the soil with natural macro and micronutrients. “We believe the future of fresh food is local, small-scale and diverse as part of mitigating the current social and ecological crises. We love sharing what we do! We offer a range of workshops, talks and online courses on gardening, fermentation and permaculture. We pride ourselves on making sustainability feel accessible!” Niva and Yotam are the authors of two…

home TAKE ACTION Hedgerows are something that I feel really passionately about. My house is surrounded by arable land bordered by smatterings of hedgerows. In Spring the blossom should be absolutely humming with life from bees and other insects. Then in summer the dense hedgerow provides cover to precious birds, many of which are now on the red list. And shelter for hedgehogs too, of course. As the wheel of the year turns, there’s an abundance of berries, which provide such a vital source of sustenance throughout autumn and going into winter for the birds and other creatures. We see the migrant birds arrive, the fieldfare and redwing. Other birds feast on the winter berries too, blackbirds, thrushes, starlings, finches, and even waxwings. I love seeing the flushes of red along…

Libra SEP 23 – OCT 23 With a solar eclipse in your sign October marks a turning point as a chapter in your life draws to a close. Now is the time to take charge of your direction and stop waiting for permission to step into your power. Once you’ve decided what you want and where you want to be going you’ll be able to turn your attention to the material side of life and November will help you to turn a corner so that you can live more abundantly. Scorpio OCT 24 - NOV 21 With a solar eclipse in your zone of endings October is a month in which it becomes imperative to bring something to a close so that you can move on. If there’s a negative…