Spring is in the air!!! I didn’t realize how much my body was craving the sun and warmth till I got a little taste of it this past week and I felt like a new person.
That burst of energy we feel when the weather warms and the sun starts to come out and the flowers start to bloom is NO COINCIDENCE — just as nature starts to awaken from hibernation, so do we.
Winter is a time for rest and reflection, and Spring is a time for growth and renewal. I am sharing my Spring Intentions below, but before getting into that first up on the menu — my top 10 favorite things from February.
My Top 10 February Favs
Somatic Movement
If you haven’t yet listened to my podcast episode with SkinbyGill — I recommend you listen! We talk a lot about the nervous system and tips to tap into our rest and digest state, and one of the things I learned from her was somatic movement.
Somatic movement is a form of movement that allows the body to tap into its parasympathetic state — or “rest&digest”. It is small movements meant to release tension and trauma in the body, enhance relaxation and reduce mind and body stress. It is an extremely beneficial tool for regulating our nervous systems. It also can help with mobility, flexibility, balance, coordination, and becoming more in tune with our bodies as a whole.
Gill recommended me to the Workout Witch — so I just started doing one of her programs and I am really excited to be consistent with it.
Me Morning
I have been talking about slow mornings for years now…and they really have become one of the most important parts of my day. How I start my day sets the theme for how my day is going to go. I used to wake up in a panic every morning, stressed checking my phone and email first thing, going straight into work. It really affected my health and so I took a step back and reevaluated how i started my mornings.
I now give myself extra time to just move slow in the mornings. The silence and peace of tuning into my mind before the noise of the day — doing something for me. Even just 10 minutes makes a difference.
Oil to Milk Cleansing Balm (discount glowwithella)
I am in love with this stuff. I use it sometimes as a makeup remover (and then do a double cleanse), or sometimes as a face wash. It makes my skin feel SO clean and refreshed, but also so incredibly hydrated. It is skin barrier safe and also made with clean, holistic and organic ingredients.
This is the scent of my dreams. When this candle shows up the entire box smells heavenly. I get so many compliments on how my house smells when people come over and this candle is lit. It is not overpowering, it is so refreshing and clean and just so good. I am extremely sensitive to scents and artificial candles and this one is so clean and does not bother me at all, its therapeutic. It is a special occasion candle forsure because I try to savor every last bit.
Loose Leaf Tea
I drink loose leaf tea pretty much every single night it has become a staple in my wind down routine — but I also love sipping it throughout the day. Loose leaf is my favorite because there is just less waste involved, plus I don’t need to worry about the tea bags being microplastics. I tend to like extra strong tea so I like that I can control how much goes in lol. I drink spearmint/peppermint tea almost daily. And then a few of my favorite blends are — (you can use discount ‘glowwithella’ for all of these):
Methyl Blue
One of the first signals when I can tell my body is not responding well to something or is struggling is I get bad brain fog. It is something I deal with a lot less now that I have really worked on my health, but occasionally I still get it especially when I am sleep deprived or over-stressed. Other than going back to the basics there are a few tools I have in my toolbox for brain fog and one of them is methyl blue.
I talk more in depth on it here….but it really has helped me with mental clarity and energy, especially following my concussion. It is important you always do your own research before taking anything new, especially if you are on other medications.
I take Fractal Forest’s methyl blue (glowwithella works as a discount) and I just want to give them a shoutout as a whole because all of their products are just fabulous. I am on a kick with their stuff right now. They have shilajit drops which make it SO easy to just add to water to mineralize (gives me so much energy and clarity without caffeine), moss drops for adrenal health and hydration, and specific blends like flow state and go state — go which I take when I need an extra boost of energy and focus, flow when I want a clam sustained clarity. It is quality botanical medicine made with love, care and quality ingredients.
528 HZ
I have been really interested in healing frequencies in general lately. 528 has always been my go to — I first started using it when I was traveling to help me relax and sleep on the plane. But that is just the start to healing frequencies — they are honestly so fascinating. Per Gill’s recommendation, I recently just got an Ora sound machine which emits certain frequencies, and it comes with this guide as well:
I find it so cool that this gentle spa-like music can have so many incredible benefits. So lately I have been trying to incorporate different ones all throughout my day, and it’s felt very peaceful.
Another
recommendation (she’s very influential lol). I got this after hearing her talk about it on my podcast and I had been wanting a new toner, and I have really loved it. I don’t wash my face in the morning so I go straight to this toner & moisturizer or whatever I use during the day and then I wash my face and use the toner again at night, and it has really helped my skin feel super clean without stripping or drying it out. It is a hydrating toner which I love.You’ve heard me talk before about Honeybee Hippie (you can use discount glowwithella) — a small mother/family owned business using the best organic, natural, grass-fed and pasture raised ingredients- free from chemicals, pesticides and unnecessary processing. She recently partnered with a doctor in Chinese medicine & herbology to formulate herbal infused castor oil packs. I have been primarily using the digestion ease, I will either put a little bit in my belly button or use the pack, every so often, and I love the way it makes me feel. Always do your own research before starting anything new, but if you do feel castor oil is right for you be really careful about starting small because it can be super intense! I’ve definitely overdone it before so I like doing small amounts every so often when I feel like I need some extra support.
Being Whimsical
Okay this is going to lead into my Spring intentions because this is one of my FAVORITE ones but I happened upon a Tiktok (linked here) — and it is a thread about little whimsical habits girls do every single day, and it just brought me so much joy. It really made me want to be more free and well….whimsical lol.
I have been thinking A LOT about feminine energy…and how we live in such a masculine structured world that doesn’t allow us to thrive in our femininity. I have always struggled with this. I have always been a super structured, hustle, over-thinking, productivity equals success minded person and lately I have wanted to release that more and more. I have started to by intentionally being more slow, finding beauty in the mundane and being more grateful and present, and my next step in embracing that feminine energy is being more whimsical with my free will. Because it makes life more fun.
Spring Intentions
Being outside as much as possible. The thing about living in a cold place is that the warm weather is SO MUCH MORE APPRECIATED. I no longer take it for granted, so when the sun is out I want to go outside. On walks. On runs. Brunch on a patio. Picnic in the grass. Coffee on the porch. I wanna bask in the sun and I want to be one with nature (…as much as that is possible in the city…)
More plants. I want to bring more plants into my apartment! I want to fill it with gorgeous plants, flowers — and really take care of them. Right now I have no plants and I miss them. Plants indoors bring a sense of calmness and relaxation, and they can even help keep air quality indoors better. I also think taking care of plants is such a slow and peaceful ritual that aligns with my want for moving more slow and being more connected with nature.
these flowers just bring me so much joy — so much light to my space Walking walking walking. I LOVE this thread on the benefits of walking. It truly is my favorite form of meditation. It is a cure all. I always feel better after a good walk. I have been obsessed with living in a walkable city, and I want to take advantage of that as much as possible.
A clean space for a clean mind. Ok we all have that one chair in our room that is never actually sat on because it piles up with clothes and towels and random shit that we don’t want to put away because we will use it again but we also don’t wanna throw in the hamper because it’s not ready for that. Ya that cluttered chair, or desk top, or dresser space becomes my brain when I let that build up. I am a naturally pretty organized and cleanly person, but I definitely let little messes build up when I am feeling overwhelmed, which just makes me feel more overwhelmed. I really want to practice making a habit of consistently keeping things clean. Doing all the dishes before I go to bed so I wake up to a clean kitchen. Cleaning as I go when I am cooking a big meal. This practice also just helps me to slow down. It is usually when I am in a rush or stressed out when those messes build up.
More laughs. The best mood booster is hanging out with people that give me energy, make me laugh and are a joy to be around. It is truly healing. As a kid we hangout with our friends and family all the time, as adults that gets more rare. I really want to prioritize spending time with the people I love, as much as possible.
Getting out of my comfort zone. This can be through a lot of different things. Cooking something I have never cooked before. Signing up for a pottery class. Going on a run. Taking myself out to dinner. I want to do more things that allow me to grow. To learn. To expand and connect!
More creating, less consuming. We live in a world of distraction and consumption — TV, social media, buy this buy that, cultivating feelings of we never have enough and we never are enough. I think in doses TV and social media are okay, but they are overpowering and addicting. I have fallen into their trap multiple times. It drains the soul. I want to do more things that fill my cup. Allow me to thrive in my creativity and make me operate from a state of abundance versus scarcity. I want to spend more time learning new skills or doing things that spark creativity and passion when I get those feelings of needing to consume. Paint, write, read, knit, crochet, draw, doodle, frolick. I want those to become my go-to hobbies in times of boredom.
Be more whimsical. I want to embrace playfulness, curiosity and lightheartedness more often. Let myself be creative, spontaneous and open to joy versus strict and structured. See the world with more wonder — not in a rose colored glasses unrealistic sort of way — but just adding a touch of magic into every day things. It can be simple. Finding delight in the small things, allowing myself to dream and just not taking life too seriously.
More color. I saw this video — and it made me think about how much I truly value color and character in my every day. Culture. There is of course beauty in innovation, but there is something romantic, nostalgic and beautiful about past designs and colors. There was so much life and character. Not everything was colorless, sharp edged and minimalistic. I think there is going to be a revolution in style when it comes to modern day minimalism, I already see a push of people appreciating the attention to detail and artistry in past every day life. So one of my intentions is letting that start with me. Collecting vintage items, thrifting more often, decreasing modern day consumption, making my own things, and adding more color and character in my every day. Noticing the art in everything.
Slow living. The theme that encapsulates all my intentions. Living more slow. Leaning into life. Being present. Being grateful. Being kind and loving.
Ok I am SO excited for March. So ready for Spring. I love you all!!! Talk to you soon.
XO - Ella
Hey! Love your newsletter so much :) I was wondering if by any chance you knew any good UK suppliers for adaptogen tinctures and supplements?
Forgot to say check out Brit Piper on TT, she’s has a book coming out on somatic experiencing 💌