Sharing plant wisdom with Missoula’s girls
Plant wisdom and holistic health have always been at the center of Earth Within Flowers. In our designs, we focus on weaving together stories and nurturing relationships through the magic and language of flowers. We love working with our clients on designing their dream wedding with these practices in mind.
In the past couple of years, we have brought plant and herbal wisdom into the lives of many girls in the Missoula area through our nonprofit, Earth Within Girls. During our after-school programs and caretaker/daughter retreats, we focus on hands-on, experiential teaching based on our four pillars of learning, Plant Wisdom, Self-Care, Body & Voice, and Friendship.
The impact of plant wisdom and holistic practices
Owner and Lead Designer Melissa has been using plant wisdom and holistic practices for many years. In an interview with The Changing Times, Melissa said “My connection to plants and holistic health practices has been inspired by my personal journey in healing my imbalanced hormonal cycle through plant knowledge and self-care. Plant wisdom and holistic healt practices go hand in hand.” These rituals that connect us with the earth truly bring healing and clarity into our lives.
Plant wisom and holistic practices are tools for seasonal and cyclical wellness. Our students begin to understand their whole selves and how connection to earth and it’s cycles can promote healing and continued health. All of us live on unqiue, natural cycles that can provide insight into our lives and health.
Start your own journey with plant wisdom
Many of the DIYs we make during our programs are simple and easy to make at home, so that plant wisdom is accessible to all students. Starting small also helps everyone explore the herbs and flowers that are most attuned to their bodies.
Make your own moisturizer
At-home moisturizers are much easier to make than you might think. We love whipping up something quickly when we need some extra nourishment, especially moving into the colder months.
Each of these recipes calls for a carrier oil. Depending on your skin type, different carrier oils may be more beneficial. We recommend looking into the many carrier oils and see what’s best for you.
If you want something inexpensive, many household cooking oils, like oilve oil and avocado oil, make fantastic moisturizers.
Body oil with essential oils
If you want a quick and easy moisturizer that you can make from some at-home staples, body oils using essential oils are great place to start.
In a glass jar (preferably amber) mix together three teaspoons of your carrier oil for every two drops of your preferred essential oil.
Herbal-infused body oil
Making an infused body oil is a long process but the benefits of fresh herbs in your moisturizer are so soul-healing.
You will need chopped and dried herbs, your favorite carrier oil, a glass jar, and something that you can use to strain out the herbs after the infusion is complete.
Fill a clean, dry jar 3/4 of the way with your dried herbs. Then, carefully add your add your oil. Once finished, add a lid to the jar and shake to let the oil soak up all that herbal goodness. For 3 weeks keep your jar in a cool dark place, then strain the oil into a new jar.
Nourish your skin and soul
Use your homemade mositurizer whenever you need something extra special. These recipes are easily customizable and we encourage everyone to experiment to find their special mix.
Earth Within Girls workshops
Our after-school programs are coming up and we’re so excited to meet and work with the new girls and caretakers on building wisdom and strength through the power of herbs and flowers. During the program, we invite girls to start their own journey with plant and herbal wisdom through a variety of activities, such as making herbal tea blends and participating in wildflower yoga and meditation.
This fall we are offering two six-week series: one for 6th-7th graders and one for 4th-5th graders. Full and partial scholarships are available for both of these programs. We are so excited to be working with our girls again on these holistic practices.