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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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Stand By Me With Your Aromas
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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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It's the final countdown before my trip to Hungary

It's the final countdown before my trip to Hungary, and I went to check out the fields that we gently harvested with my friends already two consecutive years since they had acquired ownership of this amazing wilderness. Going to this land is like going home. I have much to tell about this land, the incredible time we always spent there together, the unbelievable adventures and challenges my friends have been through... and ultimately, the powerful essential oil from this wild harvested Cretan Thyme (Thymus capitatus) we were gifted in exchange of our time, persistence, faith, work, courage, stamina, and passionate love for this magic we call healing nature! 🌿💝
If you are relatively new in my IG life, and would like to read more on my aromatic adventures with thyme, check out my article on the journal: https://essentialreflections.com/take-your-thyme-be-strong-courageous/
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#essentialreflections #crete #thyme #inspiration #nature #aromatherapy #medicinalherbs #plantmedicine #herbal #essentialoils #artisandistillery #hydrosol #hydrolat #aromatics #alchemist #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #naturalcosmetics #lifechanging #awareness #awakening #personaldevelopment #selfcare #consciousness #reatreats #aromaticretreats

The last five years I've been travelling with my h

The last five years I've been travelling with my hydrosols, to share a bit of botanical sunshine and vibrant Cretan energies with the world out there. Except that I've not travelled for almost 2 years now... As I am preparing for my trip to my birth place and home-in-the-heart Hungary, taking off in a few days, I am more than excited to pack some of my classics like Greek Sage (Salvia pomifera) Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), as well as magic waters from my latest winter adventures distilling Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), Grapefruit (Citrus x. paradisi) and some co-distilled ones.

🌿 May the blessings of the waters accompany me on this journey! I keep receiving incredible support and love, that I really feel I need right now. Thank you Universe being on my side in my mission that is not so easy-going and comfortable at this time. 🙏💗 One of the most transformative experiences in life is definitely traveling! 😉

🦋 Any trips that have majorly changed your life? 🧚‍♀️
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#essentialreflections #crete #inspiration #nature #aromatherapy #medicinalherbs #plantmedicine #herbal #herbalism #selfdevelopment #personaldevelopment #hydrosol #hydrolat #aromatics #alchemist #artisandistillery #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #naturalcosmetics #lifechanging #awareness #awakening #consciousness #selfcare #reatreats

As we say, time will tell. I am so incredibly grat

As we say, time will tell. I am so incredibly grateful for the sort of relationships that are encouraging and inspiring in nature, and just as importantly empowering by allowing each other to grow together. Once being his aromatherapy student who then geographically fell far from the tree from continental Hungary to Mediterranean Greece on Crete, we stayed connected with my teacher and editor-in-chief Gergely Hollodi who kept challenged and sparked my flames along the journey. Ever since he first asked for my contribution to @aromatika_magazin 7 years ago, I have maintained to stay true to his trust, to the scale of my dedicated assignment, and to offer something meaningful to the world that is reflecting through my heart values.

Being a contributing columnist for so long, rewarded me with the honorary title of Cretan correspondent, and a passionate voluntary co-ordinator for the editorial board. Gifts and undertakings that come with the true innate desire in helping the world to be a better place by reaching out to the ones who have ears.

The amazing wisdom of aromatic and medicinal plants who show up, whisper, sing, dance and sometimes loudly shouting for us! 💝🌿 If you are one of those who wish to listen, learn and get inspired, go ahead and get a copy of Aromatika Magazine's 2021 Summer edition! Amazing publication, beautifully edited along with talking visuals on 102 pages, meticulously crafted articles from highly knowledgable colleagues from all over the world.

Check out the content here or link in bio https://www.aromatikamagazine.com/product-page/aromatika-magazine-8-2-1-2021-summer
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #inspiration #aromatherapy #soulmedicine #essentialoils #hydrosol #hydrolat #aromatics #aromaticplants #aromaticjourneys #aromaticstudies #storytelling #aromatika #traditionalmedicine #plantmedicine #plantmessages #herbal #botanical #perfume #holisticliving #holistichealing #holistichealth #holistic #awareness #awakening #personaldevelopment #selfcare

One of those happy 'lab' moments! Separating the e

One of those happy 'lab' moments! Separating the essential oil from the hydrolat after the distillation of Greek sage (Salvia pomifera).

🌿 Both of them are so precious to me, and I am on a mission that this understanding of what is what from various processes is becoming more common knowledge type of information. Just like we know that milk and creme come from the same place, even though they used differently! 😉🙏
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #inspiration #aromatherapy #soulmedicine #essentialoils #hydrosol #hydrolat #medicinalplants #womenempowerment #healthyfood #health #aromatics #aromaticplants #aromaticjourneys #aromaticstudies #storytelling #artisandistillery #alchemist #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #naturalcosmetics #lifechanging #awareness #awakening #consciousness

What makes my world go round? It's what makes my h

What makes my world go round? It's what makes my heart go on beating. Countless of things, people, plants, animals, being alive and experiencing life in its multifaceted way, cheerful or painful, it's all part of the game.

🌿 Being a modern alchemist is a profound way of connecting deeply with infinite possibilities. In a way, it is like baking your own bread - for many, it's totally unimaginable, for others, it's a choice of creating your own food, taking time for what is essential, knowing what's been incorporated in it, and allowing the processes to take you on new roads, and transform life in its entirety. Yes, it's a lot of work, but hey babes, nobody said it's gonna be easy... but worth every single moment!

🌿 Perhaps more than ever, we now understand, that life is a constant change. That who understands the hanky-panky roles of the two swirling dancers: reality and illusion has to have acceptance and humility for the wisdom carried in the experience. 🌿
Happy weekend Earthlings! Thank you for joining in this existence. 🙏🌱💗
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #inspiration #sage #artisandistillery #alchemist #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #aromatherapy #essentialoils #hydrolat #aromatic #change #personaldevelopment #mentoring #alchemy #magic #retreats #aromaticjourneys #selfcare #awareness #awakening #consciousness #healing #heartbased

Finally got to prune the fresh lower growth of the

Finally got to prune the fresh lower growth of the lemon trees. There is always a procrastination with this I must admit, as it means trying to schedule in distilling the leaves.

🌿 Since I had an unusual bad dream last night, and what came up is beautifully summed up by the Petitgrain description of Robbi Zeck's Blossoming Heart affirmations, I thought to share this with you: "Your memories create the blueprint of your individual expression. Petitgrain opens the memory gaining entrance to the place within consciousness where far memories reside. Surrender to the awareness that is beyond conscious thought. Let this frontier bring new insights to illuminate your path through life."

🌿 Working with dreams is quite a job itself, where past - present - future and parallel realities are rich ingredients just as botanicals are in blending with an endless process of creation.

🌿 Wishing you all have a fresh, bright and brave new day, every day! 💝☀️
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #lifechanging #aromaticjourneys #aromatherapy #hydrosol #essentialoils #herbalism #selfdevelopment #artisandistillery #alchemist #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #lemon #petitgrain #awareness #awakening #personaldevelopment #consciousness #plantmedicine #plantmessages #aromaticmedicine

Just submitted my next article to @aromatika_magaz

Just submitted my next article to @aromatika_magazin, in a somewhat unusual (though very life-like) form and I hope whoever will get a copy and read it, will enjoy some light, cheerful and inspiring couple of pages from me this time again on living, breathing, working and dreaming with aromatic and medicinal plants.

🌿 With a few lines from there, let me quote my notes written exactly a year ago: "Aloe vera was one of the plants that I have always had in my gardens. Somehow, they never managed to blossom, even though many of them have passed the 3 years that is what I learnt is usually needed for blossoming. They are very adaptive plants to various circumstances, but perhaps the many moves I have made during the past 7 years on Crete somehow confused them. Maybe they would surprise me one day!..."

🌿 Et Voilà! A year later, here we go, another wish come true: two of my aloe plants are jewelled with these fluorescent orange crowns now! How amazingly outstanding, isn't it? And remember two things: Ask and it is given... (at some point), and always, be careful what you wish for... 😉🌿
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #naturephotography #aloe #aloevera #aromaticjourneys #aromatherapy #herbalism #herbal #holistic #aromaticstudies #plantmedicine #natural #selfcare #skincare #wellbeing #botanical #lifechanging #lifetransformation #holisticliving #aromaticretreats #awareness #awakening #consciousness

A few days ago when I was called to harvest that b

A few days ago when I was called to harvest that beautiful wild variety of Sage (Salvia pomifera) that happily lives on the land of my friend Manolis, I was not really ready for a distillation. Yet, I said yes and everything worked out perfectly. I distilled the freshly cut plants that filled my place with this amazing medicinal scent for days, beyond the actual day itself. I look at each of my distillations as an alchemical process, and every single time is incredible sacred and special.

This time, a Dragonfly showed up on the scene, sadly as the last stage of its precious life, landing on the hot water tank... As Dragonflies start their life in water, that felt so symbolic for the cyclic nature of life and death. As animal totems, they carry the energy of transformation and change, and bring an invitation to express authenticity in a light and joyful way. When adapting to/for changes comes inherently in a flow. 🌿 Sage with Dragonfly, so much wisdom together! If you missed my earlier adventures with Sage, you might read further on my journal: https://essentialreflections.com/greek-sage-the-wisdom-of-clarity/

If you want guidance on Dragonfly or other animal spirits, chech out @spiritanimal.info for amazing insights 🦋
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#essentialreflections #crete #sage #salvia #nature #lifechanging #aromaticjourneys #aromatherapy #herbalism #selfdevelopment #artisandistillery #alchemist #hydrolat #holistichealth #holistic #botanical #perfume #medicinewoman #meditation #awareness #awakening #personaldevelopment #selfcare #empowerment

A symbolic capture with gift of Cretan nature. As

A symbolic capture with gift of Cretan nature. As I looked around on my friend Manolis' farm after completion harvesting these amazing Sage (Salvia pomifera) plants for distilling, my eyes stopped moving around as in a movie when the camera comes to notice something unusual. It felt grotesque, funny and also sentimental to pause with a bag of memories that the 'Copenhagen by Night' shopping bag evoked. A memorable gift from my trip to Denmark a few years ago finds its place in my rural life of Crete. A life that I find hard to dismiss, a life that I tend to call holistic, and a life that embraces the fundamentals of the microcosmos and macrocosmos in its rich analogies. May we all have a weekend of appreciation! 🙏
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#essentialreflections #crete #nature #naturephotography #lifestyle #sage #salvia #plantmessages #plantwisdom #plantmedicine #herbal #herbalism #botanical #holistic #holistichealing #holisticliving #artisandistillery #alchemist #aromatherapy #aromatic #aromaticstudies #scent #aromaticjourneys #privateretreats #awareness #awakening #wisdom #personaldevelopment #selfcare

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