Something beautiful happens to the soul when we care for the physical body
I was stroking my belly in excitement as I was leaving the hospital. I just had my routine pregnancy appointment when I found out it was a girl and I was in euphoria. My husband was squeezing my hand and as we were walking back to the car, we were chatting about how to tell our little boy about this news.
It was late February 2020. I accidentally overhead people in the street talking about Covid. At that time the virus just started causing a panic in Europe. Being in a blissful bubble of excitement I wasn’t worried about it too much. I found comfort in the knowledge that the virus wasn’t in Ireland yet and it was hard to imagine that it would ever appear in Cavan, in a small town like Ballyjamesduff. A panic in Ireland started a few weeks later and the chaos was amplifying, together with my growing belly.
There was turmoil in my head, the pregnancy hormones were buzzing and the emotional rollercoaster was overwhelming at times. I wasn’t sure if the insomnia was from the pregnancy or from the worry. The biggest ones were my husband’s underlying lung conditions and keeping all the loved ones safe and healthy. I couldn’t help my mind projecting the darkest scenarios.
My husband missed all the pregnancy scans. As a 40 year old mother to be I was nervous before the scans and I wish he could have been there with me but I knew the Covid rules were there to keep us all safe. I was on a mission to keep us all healthy. I was extremely nervous every time I had to leave the house and was obsessively disinfecting every single thing that was entering the house.
It felt like the Earth knew we needed as much light as possible and blessed us with a luscious warm summer abundant with sunshine and the most beautiful shades of greenery. I was walking barefoot on the grass every single day to bring myself back to balance. By doing this, I was temporarily finding stable ground. And when things felt too much, I was going deeper into nature to lose myself in the soothing sounds of the Earth. My head cleared every time I was sitting at Nadreegeel Lough and watching otters play. The water was usually still and calm, unlike the turmoil in the world. I felt lucky living in the countryside and having nature’s treasures at the doorstep.
The due date was approaching and I arrived at a maternity hospital in the heart of Dublin City Centre on a hot August day, where I became a mother for the second time.
The c-section procedure went straightforward but I never felt so alone when my husband had to leave an hour after our new little girl’s arrival.
I thought I’d have remembered from before how intense the first few days after childbirth are. Maybe it seemed harder this time because I had to do it all alone.
As I was recovering, familiar waves of incredible joy and happiness were flooding my heart, the most beautiful emotions that should be shared with the closest person, but it was not possible due to Covid restrictions. I felt so alone.
My hospital bed was beside a street facing window that was always open because of the heat and the noise of the busy traffic and a nearby construction site was flooding the room. At times I felt disconnected and overwhelmed by that city noise.
I rarely had time for the usual daily 5 min skincare routine while caring for my newborn in the hospital. But I kept a jar of Sana Naturals Heavenly Balm close to me at all times and it saved me.
Every time I opened it and breathed in deeply, the sublime scent transported me to the fragrant orange groves and lavender fields. When the delicious uplifting aroma of organic orange spiced up with exotic ylang ylang and calming lavender hit my senses, it was like a soothing balm for my spirit.
I was reconnecting again. It felt like going back to my origins, like coming back home. My body and senses remembered. This delightful skin salve was a saviour for my spirit during that challenging time. It was like a gentle hug for the soul.
There were times I preferred to have my baby still safe in my tummy. Some of my close friends were affected by Covid really badly. There were health complications, there were tragedies, there were deaths. And although physical health complications are less frequent now, there are mental health issues our society struggles with, as a direct result of what people have gone through.
I believe that mental well-being and mental health issues can be eased by reconnection with nature and focusing on self-care. As the founder of Sana Naturals skincare, I promote simplicity and living close to nature in everyday life. These values are reflected in Sana Naturals minimalist skincare collection that supports body wellness and inspires reconnection to the Earth.
A mindful skincare ritual can be a powerful tool to uplift the spirits in a beautifully caring and nourishing way. Because something beautiful happens to the soul when we care for the physical body.
As Covid has had a huge detrimental impact on the mental wellbeing in our society, Sana Naturals is partnering with Mental Health Ireland to promote mental health awareness. To mark Mental Health Day that falls on 10th of October, 10% of sales on www.sananaturals.ie between 7th & 13th October 2021 will be donated to Mental Health Ireland. Their aim is to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for all individuals and communities and to support people with mental health challenges in their recovery.
Sana Naturals gentle yet powerful formulas support the skin's healthy balance and boost its natural glow, while supporting body wellness. Being 100% natural, the products work in harmony with your skin and health, and the unique luxe blends of aromatherapy help uplift the mood and calm nerves.
When you purchase Sana Naturals products on www.sananaturals.ie, you help maximise the donations. And the more we spread the message about this initiative, the more we help bring a little extra well-being to our community.