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Transformative journeys on Crete island

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I hope you enjoy my Essential Reflections taking you on my Aromatic Journeys just as much as I enjoy offering them to the world. Please do spread the love by sharing my site with friends and family who might need a little wisdom or inspiration. If you want to join me for an imaginary cup of tea, and support my passionate work, Buy Me a Coffee is a smart little app, that will connect us and process donations. Every little contribution is kindly appreciated, Thank you!

About the author

Ildiko Berecz is an intuitive mentor, coach and holistic therapist who is passionate about sharing her inspiring personal stories from behind the mountains of Crete island, while being on the road, searching and experiencing, capturing, collecting, distilling, making herbal preparations, blending botanical perfume and more. She offers her insights of authentic approach and humble practices for better understanding and appreciation of nature, herbal remedies and awareness of trustworthy natural applications in our self-development and everyday life practices. More about Ildiko’s extensive life-changing work at ildikoberecz.com

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Photography & text ©️ Ildiko Berecz of Essential Reflections, unless stated otherwise. Please do not use the pictures without prior written permission. If you wish to republish any of my reflections, get in touch, and/or link back respectfully to the original post. Content on this website is based on personal experience and provided for informational or educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for advice from a physician or healthcare professional.

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Back to Crete, and in spite of the dry season, man

Back to Crete, and in spite of the dry season, many of the plants in my garden are still gorgeous, thanks to caring hands of @sommerbabbettmathilde while I was away. A huge smiling welcome from these amazing sunflowers that I planted from seeds just a little over 2 months ago! 🌻

Coming back from Hungary, I thought it is is just interesting to note that sunflower seeds oil as a vegetable oil is the traditional cooking oil in my home country, although not as extensively as Greeks use olive oil here, and perhaps does not come with a history of thousands of years. 🌻

And I wonder, what is the most typical plant that has been processed/pressed for its fatty oil that is used in cooking, cosmetics and healing in your respective countries? 🌿
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#essentialreflections #sunflower #plants #vegetableoils #seeds #plantbased #holistic #arimatherapy #herbalism #herbalwisdom #healthydiet #foodisourmedicine #mindfulness #awareness #awakening #plantmedicine #garden #herbalgarden #aromaticplants #lifetransformation

I was born into a town called Miskolc, that had be

I was born into a town called Miskolc, that had become the center of heavy industries at the 70's in my childhood. Based on that. People came to town, childbirth boosts were promoted by the government and young couples were on a waiting list for years to have an opportunity to move into their first homes. We lived on top of a 10-storey beton building in a block of flats of a housing estate. The establishment had a capacity of around 30.000 people if I am correct. That seemed to be a huge community at the time, and we also had playgrounds between the blocks. Yet, it was a beton jungle in the middle of the most magnificent landscape not far away from the nearby forests of the Western Carpathians, called Bükk.

The once flourishing industry is now past and the huge factory bases where my father used to work are all abandoned, rusty and hollow. Each era has its focuses, challenges and solutions that we people create. Oh, what topic this is... Anyhow, I just wanted to share a fairly new creation closeby the old industrial plot, that is now made into a beautiful Fairyland. Here we had a walk with my parents, taking in the opening energies that nature, plants and their symbiotic animals offer. Have a beautiful weekend and walk in beauty wherever you are! 🌿
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#essentialreflections #nature #plants #lifechanging #naturephotography #flowers #lifetransformation #awareness #awakening #mindfulness #mentalawareness #aromaticplants #aromaticstudies #aromatherapy

Look at that biodiversity! @szomodilevendulas in H

Look at that biodiversity! @szomodilevendulas in Hungary started their farm by planting their first lavender babies 8 years ago (the same year when I moved from Hungary to Crete). Still operating as a second job - certainly first in the heart -, and you only get to understand what it means in the workload when you're there... 🌿

I may have no words today to make it into an essay, but let just the plants speak for us and for themselves! Several special varieties of lavender, each distilled and labelled distinguished for their own unique fragrance and properties. Also, Sage (Salvia officinalis), Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea), Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), Helichrysum, different types of Oregano, and much more. And believe me, you will keep hearing more of these guys from Hungary! 🌿

Check out their website for wonderful organic essential oils and hydrolats at https://szomódi levendulás.hu 🌿 Larger than retail bottles are also offered from certain aromatics.
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#essentialreflections #szomodilevendulas #lavender #levendula #aromatherapy #essentialoils #hydrolat #hydrosol #organic #knowyourfarmer #biodiversity followyourheart #aromaticstudies #fieldtrips #personaldevelopment #holistic #herbalmedicine #artisandistillery #smallbusiness #holistichealth #relaxation #meditation #awareness #awakening

A dreamy day yesterday... More than a dream come t

A dreamy day yesterday... More than a dream come true! An hour's drive from Budapest, Northwest Hungary I was visiting an extraordinary grower and fellow distiller @szomodilevendulas and enjoying his company and generous hospitality. Here... bathing in Lavandula angustifolia, to be more correct, a special variety they call Hungarian Selection, that is one of the many beautiful types they organically cultivate on their magnificent land. I plant to share more later, meanwhile, have a relaxing weekend everyone!
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PS: Our free Introduction to Hydrosols class at @aromaticstudies with founder, educator, and artisan distiller Jade Shutes is available and wholeheartedly recommended to those who would like to learn more and get inspired through our guidance and experiences on how hydrosols (hydrolats or aromatic waters) are made, their uniqueness, properties and incredible various ways of use. Check out link in bio.
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#essentialreflections #lavender #szomodilevendulas #aromatherapy #aromaticstudies #essentialoils #illóolaj #hydrolat #hydrosol #destillery #nature #botanical #aromatic #medicinalherbs #aromaticjourney #knowyourfarmer #holistichealth #holistic #heartbased #smallbusiness #botanicalskincare #relaxation #meditation #awareness #consciousness

Still wandering around in Hungary, and still wonde

Still wandering around in Hungary, and still wondering about being constantly surrounded by our magic plant Yarrow, literally everywhere. This little loving spirit of Achillea millefolium smiled at me by the roadside today as I was on a bike ride near my parents house. 😍 So I thought WE say hello to you today! 🌿💝 Much love from 🇭🇺
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#essentialreflections #crete #hungary #nature #yarrow #naturephotography #aromaticjourneys #aromaticstudies #aromatherapy #herbalism #herbal #holistic #botanical #herbalwisdom #essentialoils #hydrosol #hydrolat #medicinalplants #personaldevelopment #holisticlife #holistichealing #womenempowerment #womenshealth #endometriosis #selfcare #hormonalbalance #naturalhealing

Practicing multidimensional living brings with it

Practicing multidimensional living brings with it a certain way of free-flow handling (often juggling too) of timeline that normally is a tool for us to adjust to each other.

When it's going well, we feel the state of flow, and events, places, people, and of course plants and animals... 😉 occur harmonised for the highest good of all.

That's some how I ended up distilling my wild harvested beautiful yarrow (Achillea millefolium) flowers with Gergely Hollodi @aromabotanica - founder and editor-in-chief of @aromatika_magazin - last Sunday. This morning I felt it deserves a few more shots to share with my Insta community! Thank you all for being here and following along! May you be inspired on your Path to walk that road in joy, enthusiasm and beautiful connections! 💕 🙏
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #yarrow #aromaticjourneys #aromatherapy #aromaticstudies #herbalism #selfdevelopment #artisandistillery #alchemist #distillation #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #endometriosis #naturalhealing #followyourheart #emotionalsupport #storytelling #intuitiveguidance #awareness #awakening #consciousness

Life in Pink! Happy weekend everyone! Just popping

Life in Pink! Happy weekend everyone! Just popping in to share a few pics due to beauty and some synchronicities.

Just before I was leaving my parents house yesterday, a gentle summer rain was served by the Gods as a refreshment as well as a natural photo filter that boosted colours and plants. My first opportunity to enjoy and admire as the Persian Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) fills the air with its amazing pink coloured flowers!

Two hours later, and 200 km further away I arrive in a green suburban area of Budapest where I was invited for a special aromatic evening... was I welcomed cheerfully by another amazing Persian Silk tree (actually two) there?! - and I must add, never in my life I've ever seen this plant in Hungary before!

I love Mimosas 💗 I've done some beautiful tinctures of Sweet Mimosa (Vachellia farnesiana) on Crete, and beyond her special perfume, she is also a gentle tonic to the nervous system. I encouraged my lovely new (perhaps 1000-years old) aromatic soul sister Diana to start working with the delicious Pink Healer. What a blessed encounter we all had that night! Still soaked in this gentle energy of sisterhood and sharing love and wisdom from past, present and future. More on that perhaps later... 🙏
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#essentialreflections #crete mimosa #silktree #pink #nature #botany #botanical #lifechanging #coaching #greenlife #lifestyle #aromaticjourneys #plantwisdom #authenticity #passion #followyourheart #raiseyourvibration #awareness #awakening #divinefeminine #personaldevelopment #herbalism #aromatherapy #soulmedicine

Guess what happened to this amazing yarrow I rescu

Guess what happened to this amazing yarrow I rescued by a spontaneous harvest before my uncle went scything with his tractor on his abundante land...?

I am in love with this amazing distillate! 💙 Colour of the day: chamazulene blue! 💙

How lucky, being on the road in Hungary, and creating this amazing flow, distilling with my teacher, colleague and friend Gergely Hollódy, editor-in-chief at @aromatika_magazin
🙏 Bless! Bliss! Blue! 🙏
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#essentialreflections #yarrow #flowers #blue #crete #nature #lifechanging #aromaticjourneys #aromatherapy #herbalism #distillation #artisandistillery #aromaticwater #hydrolat #hydrosol #essentialoils #yoga #flow #wellbeing #wellness #aroma #awareness #awakening #consciousness #selfcare #gratitude #love #followyourheart

It's just truly touching that I 'accidentally' had

It's just truly touching that I 'accidentally' had this very special chance to harvest some Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) yesterday near my birth place in Hungary. I happened to visit my uncle, who showed me around his most beautiful land with a long history of wild herbs. He is not exactly into my field of interest, but neither is very far from it. Amongst the gifts of the day was spending precious time with my beautiful cousin, picking Yarrow together, and discovering how much we are clearly from the same tribe, beyond family... Connecting with Yarrow, re-connecting with ourselves and each other. To be continued... 💝
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #lifechanging #coaching #yarrow #aromaticjourneys #aromatherapy #herbalism #artisandistillery #alchemist #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #herbalwisdom #personaldevelopment #mentoring #alchemy #endometriosis #naturalhealing #selfcare #gratitude #retreat #awareness #awakening #consciousness

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