When the Summer ends on the West Coast of Scotland, over just a few weeks we loose many hours of sunlight. I have always loved the longer and darker nights, but I know that many struggle through this change. This week I want to share some of the ways in which I love to embrace this beautiful time of transition. Crafty Hobbies Although creativity is a lifeline of mine throughout the year, I have much more time and space available for it during the colder and darker months. There are less demands on my time, the plants are sleeping and need less care, so I can re-center, incubate and create many new projects. Night time has always been inspiring for my art and comes back regularly in what I create, so it feels quite natural for me to be even more creative as the nights grow longer and darker. When Autumn sets in, it is a very fertile time which I relish and appreciate deeply. Whatever we enjoy making and experimenting with, Autumn is a perfect time to explore our talents and creativity! ...

  I cherish so many things through every season. When the first signs of Autumn appear, I feel a quiet sense of alignment, everything seems to settle and open all at once, the rush and stimulation of Summer slows down. I welcome those changes which suit my energy better, invite me to rest more, to quietly create and honour my natural pace. Today I want to share some of the simple pleasures I enjoy in early Autumn. Best of Both Many traits of Summer remain: a few days ago I noticed a vibrant carpet of yellow wild flowers in the field next to me. This week the sun shone hot enough to sit outside in my shorts and tee shirt and feel really toasty. Some of my garden flowers are getting a second flowering. Interestingly coloured leaves are scattered amongst the grass. A few mushrooms have appeared in the moss garden under the golden pine tree. The birch tree next to it is shedding tiny copper leaves like confetti. The rosehips are blushing and the crab apples are swelling. I love this mi...

Self-care rituals are a beautiful way to be here for ourselves no matter what might be going on in our lives. I find that having a well established self-care bubble to rely on is a foundation for balance, inner peace, relaxed productivity and discerning availability. Whenever I feel overwhelmed and stressed, it’s a friendly sign to prioritise a few of my self-care rituals. Self-Care Rituals I love rituals because they can make the most tedious thing enjoyable. Every day I need a lot of things to keep my body going, and I don’t always want to do all this self-care. It takes a lot of time, dedication and perseverance, and often feels like it takes me away from other things I prefer. Sometimes I feel much too ill to want to take care of myself. But I try and make that effort, knowing that I accumulate those minutes of self-care over the long-term, with the results that I can have a much better quality of life. Rituals are habits that we can tailor to our preferences, and the results are s...