Four Seasons Harmony with Whitney Erwin, MSc, MEd, LMT

08/10/2023

In the garden with stunning passionflower, an herbal medicine powerhouse! 💜🌿 What makes this plant so unique?

"Several of passionflower’s herbal indications include relieving insomnia, anxiety, pain, irritability with difficulty falling asleep, palpitations, lowering blood pressure, nervous restlessness, tenseness, seizures and stress.

Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, is a native plant in North, Central and South America. Along with all medicinal native plants, passionflower has been safely applied for thousands of years amongst Indigenous people. For example, the Cherokee include passionflower roots in various medicinal preparations as a dermatological aid, gastrointestinal balance, ear medicine, liver support and pediatric aid. The Houma traditionally apply an infusion of the roots as a blood tonic.

Throughout the entirety of my clinical healthcare practice, I have heavily recommended passionflower as a stand-alone herb as well as blended into custom formulas. I continue to see a huge need for this beauty’s healing gifts to restore health, balance and well-being.

There is a significant growing body of research on passionflower’s support for anxiety symptoms, including pre-surgery anxiety, since it is gentle without interacting with general anesthesia. When combined with St. John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, the duo assists in relieving depression with anxiety.

I often recommend passionflower during intense times because she is incredibly safe. She embodies cooling, relaxing, astringent and pungent energetics. The flower essence can be applied toward feeling a deep sense of safety, support in the path toward self-realization and releasing muscular tension. Additionally, passionflower is indicated for helping with drug withdrawal symptoms.

The fruit is a delicious edible and can be eaten raw, crushed into juice or prepared in other lovely ways. The young shoots and leaves are also edible, such as combined with other greens in a salad or cooked in a vegetable sauté.

I hope you enjoy radiant passionflower’s many gifts! In health, peace and gratitude,
~Whitney"

🌿💐💜💐🌿

www.FourSeasonsHarmony.com

08/08/2023

We absolutely love this message. ❤️

~source unknown~

08/07/2023

“Recently, I stumbled upon a slip of paper from a journaling prompt on higher emotional states in an 'Art of Being a Woman' yoga class series studying the third chakra in 2014.

This is part of what came through then…✨

Love
Peace
Acceptance
Forgiveness
Nonjudgmental
Trust
Faith
Discernment
Serenity
Contentment
Neutrality
Joy
Compassion
Gratitude
Self-Esteem
Optimism

I’ve cherished keeping this list handy in my car when traveling out in the world away from my home sanctuary. It serves as a helpful reminder of important personal values, and a quick guide on how to consider navigating my response to any situation by cultivating one or more of these states of consciousness.

Countless sacrifices have been made to protect and nurture each of these qualities. They reflect what is true and meaningful about the life I seek to create and deeply love.

While this list is almost ten years old, I feel the timeless nature of its meaning shine through as if it was just created yesterday, and choose to keep striving to embody these values in my present day-to-day life.

Do you resonate with any of these words as well? Would you add anything to this list?

Sharing these words through the digital ethers with loving intention. I hope that each of you are doing well. ~Whitney” ✨

🏞️🌿🩵🌿🏞️

08/01/2023

Savoring the beauty of summer days in the Appalachian mountains~ 🌲🩵🍃

07/28/2023

"In my element harvesting fresh herbs and flowers at a friend’s local biodynamic farm. After hours of working in the hot sun, I feel connected, smiling, content and sweaty! 🌿

Echinacea, chamomile, peppermint and raspberry leaf are several pictured star herbal medicine staples in the Four Seasons Harmony apothecary.

I’m continually thankful for the enduring, passionate, priceless and caring work of organic farmers who contribute such a significant role toward positive healthcare outcomes, quality of life and well-being. Wow, does it ever take a village to thrive in holistic health!

In health, love and peace,
Whitney"

🍃🌻🦋🌿🩵🌿🦋🌻🍃

07/23/2023

Grateful for soaking in abundant summer joy, beauty, inspiration and wonder amongst gorgeous blooming lotuses and water lilies~

✨🪷💗🪷✨

07/23/2023

Magical moments exploring a beautiful Lotus and Water Lily Festival! 🪷 I love the classic symbolism of the lotus flower very much. 💗✨ Out of mud and messiness, the lotus plant grows with sunlight to transform into exceptionally gorgeous flowers to radiantly share with the world. I feel that this is such a poignant symbol of the human experience and potential that we have to rise through murky challenges into exquisite divine expressions.

This featured pink lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, also called Indian Lotus or Sacred Lotus, is one of over 150 species of lotus worldwide. In addition to being a stunning ornamental plant, lotuses have been renowned for millennia to give incredible health benefits through food, herbal and traditional medicine, such as longevity, eliminating body toxins and strengthening intuition.

Nelumbo nucifera is rich in minerals, saccharides, tannins and the alkaloid asparagine. This beauty is applied in herbal medicine as a brain and reproductive tonic, with rejuvenating, nutritive, astringent, hemostatic, digestive and nervine healing gifts.

In love, peace and gratitude,
~Whitney

Music: Haseya (feat. Peia) by Ajeet 🎶

✨🪷💗🪷✨

07/19/2023

🏞️💚💦 Staying Cool in the Summer Heat 💦💚🏞️
Please enjoy these tried and true holistic summer balancing lifestyle and nutritional tips to stay cool, healthy and happy throughout this high fire element season!

* Apply self-massage, or abhyanga, before taking a shower or bath with a cooling oil such as coconut or sunflower to calm the nervous system and cool the body
* On hot days, resting, a short nap and/or yoga nidra can be restorative
* Cultivate calm inner awareness
* Dress in light, breathable clothing and cooling colors such as blue, green, white and lavender
* Avoid exercising between 10 am-2 pm, a high pitta time of day
* Favor the essential oils of Lavender, Jasmine, Vetiver and Rose Geranium in aromatherapy applications
* Wash, dry and massage feet with oil at bedtime
* Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses outdoors to shelter from the sun, especially midday

Fruits to favor:
* Apples
* Avocados
* Berries
* Cherries
* Coconut
* Cranberries
* Grapes
* Limes
* Mangoes
* Melons
* Pears
* Pineapples
* Plums
* Pomegranates
* Prunes

Vegetables to favor:
* Artichokes
* Asparagus
* Beet Greens
* Broccoli
* Brussel Sprouts
* Cabbage
* Cauliflower
* Celery
* Chard
* Collard Greens
* Cucumbers
* Green Beans
* Kale
* Lettuce
* Okra
* Potatoes
* Watercress
* Zucchini

Legumes to favor:
* Adzuki Beans
* Black Beans
* Garbanzo Beans
* Mung Beans
* Split Peas

Oils to favor:
* Avocado Oil
* Coconut Oil
* Olive Oil
* Sunflower Oil

Spices to favor:
* Bala
* Basil
* Brahmi
* Cardamom
* Chrysanthemum
* Cilantro
* Coriander
* Dill
* Fennel
* Lemongrass
* Lemon Verbena
* Peppermint
* Rhodiola
* Saffron
* Spearmint

Best wishes, dear ones~

🌿💦💚💦🌿

07/19/2023

"Dandelions, clover, plantain, chickweed and lamb’s quarters are super accumulators of nutrients that fertilize, protect and condition the soil, while attracting beneficial insects!" -Organic Gardening

Dandelions, clover, plantain, chickweed and lamb’s quarters are super accumulators of nutrients that fertilize, protect and condition the soil, while attracting beneficial insects! Weeds are nature’s way of healing itself when the soil has been laid bare. They protect, fertilize and condition th...

07/14/2023

Our beautiful original logo! The art work was designed in 2015 by our friend Daniel Birdhead Remmenga, thereafter infused with graphic design by Carly Chisholm .designs. How do you experience this creation?

At Four Seasons Harmony Holistic Health, Healing & Ayurveda, we support optimal holistic health and wellness with inclusive, heart-centered, reciprocity with nature, fair trade and grass roots educational values.

Swipe to also see one an all-time favorite piece that Daniel’s created! He is extraordinarily gifted! You can experience more of his work if you're ever visiting lovely Santa Fe, NM.

07/13/2023

07/10/2023

Sending fresh flowers from our hearts to yours! A special thank you to anyone who’s attended a free health class, workshop, consult or custom program. Your support means so much! Wishing you and your families vibrant health and happiness~

🌿💐💗💐🌿

07/04/2023

“The forest beckoned
I answered her call
Walked into the domain of wise masters and ancient ones
In gratitude accompanied with sacred plants to show my respect
I left agendas, expectations, and assumptions
Not knowing what would happen, if anything
But I needed to find out if there was more meaning out of this day, out of this life
To discover
The realms of the forest didn't disappoint
As they never have
And I suspect never will
Over time I'm renewed with faith
That the forest will take care of my unspoken needs
Knowing exactly what to whisper, bestow, renew, and share
If I can first be still enough to gently listen
As she knows
Much more than it appears
Embodying the Divine Mother
Ever so exquisitely
Holding all that I am
Even the places that feel broken
With utmost care, love, presence, and truth
I no longer feel lost
I find gracious refuge
The rules of the world stopped making sense
Disconnection crept in
I sought to return to and fortify the magnitude of living from my heart
The external fluctuations of mind and society were trying to bury this wisdom
Dismissing the divine feminine
Pressuring to conform
But my soul won't have it
She seeks harmony in mind, body, heart and soul, always
Living from this place feels infinitely more real and aligned
The forest's hard drive intelligence in infinite seeds stands the test of time
The peace and serenity of wilderness speaks volumes without words
The land gives and gives while man takes and takes
Nevertheless she will always prevail
Teachings of Indigenous elders share much
Their words beat alongside my heart
The tears that needed to release fall to the forest floor
I don't hold back
I let them flow without abandon
Being with all feelings
Knowing that pain is also a gateway to joy
The heaviness I came in with starts to dissolve
I notice feeling intimately connected
With the oneness of everything
A universal prayer naturally arises to protect this inner knowing
To stay in this state of consciousness
Through the days to come, no matter what
Yet I can trust that the wisdom of the forest will be there if I forget again
To lean into her arms
And remember
What love is”
~Whitney

🌲🦋🤎🌀🍃

07/03/2023

What gorgeous, inspirational, nature art! 🩵

Amazing Artwork.

07/03/2023

We are happily overflowing in delicious, fresh, local blueberries from Hickory Hill Farm! If you live in the Shenandoah Valley, this beautiful family farm is a treasure to visit for pick-your-own blueberries. Or, simply conveniently stock up at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market when in town. Cheers to no-spray, healthy and farm fresh local foods!

06/19/2023

A very Happy Juneteenth to you and yours~ "To protect one individual is to protect society." ~Zambian proverb ♥️🌹 We love these wise words so much.

"Today, I've been taking time to pause, contemplate, and remember the significance of Juneteenth. While I may never see racism fully healed in my lifetime, I still fervently believe in the importance of anti-racism work to give future generations the chance to grow up in a more inclusive, just, unified and freer world. Racism goes against everything I stand for and creates division, injustice and suffering—quite the opposite of all spiritual ideals.

If I say that I believe in truth, liberty and justice for all, I recognize that standing by these words means that my actions need to reflect those beliefs, too.

We’re constantly co-creating with the ever-changing dynamics of culture. The future has yet to be written. I hope we collectively learn from past mistakes to never repeat them again and live in greater peace.” ~Whitney

In oneness, love and humility~

🍃🌹🖤🌹🍃

06/19/2023

"Hi friends! I’m so excited to offer a live Birth Circle event this week at Brookhaven Midwifery & Birth Center that will give you an opportunity to meet, connect and receive nourishment in a group of conscious women.

This will be a beautiful evening to come together over organic tea, cookies and snacks designed to support optimal prenatal health, fertility and breastfeeding. 💗

To reserve your spot and learn more details, please visit http://www.fourseasonsharmony.com.

I’d love to see you at this special community event! Any questions, please let me know." ~Whitney

✨🪷💗🪷✨

06/19/2023

Warm wishes for a Happy Father’s Day! Sending love and appreciation to all of the fathers for your care, nurturing, dedication and hard work that contributes to healthy families and communities. You’re so vital—thank you for everything you do! 💙

06/15/2023

“My angels~ ❤️ When someone gets to know me, it doesn't take long to also know my beloved grandmother through the cherished stories that I share. She was 86 years old in this picture with my amazing mother and still going strong!

We were incredibly close throughout my entire life, and our bond remains tight. My grandmother was a best friend, artist, family art teacher, dancer, lover of life, vivid storyteller, strong woman, family rock, travel bed partner, radiant inside and out as well as so much more. I miss her SO much, and occasionally still experience hard moments when I would give anything to touch, talk and be with her.

One of her beautiful qualities that I deeply appreciate was her level of honesty. She said what she meant, didn't answer if she couldn't do it truthfully and kept her promises. This lady didn't miss remembering to celebrate my birthday and major holidays together, ever!

Being the last person by her side while applying reiki, healing oils, aromatherapy and touch as she transitioned from this earthly realm remains one of the most humbling and profound moments of my life. I traveled to other realms for several weeks afterward and learned a lot from this experience. 🙏

Engaging in maternal lineage healing work has been an important theme for a long time. I continue to explore many dimensions of this humbling, rewarding, ongoing and fascinating journey, both personally and professionally. The steadfast, unconditional love that has been bestowed upon me for many past generations through today is no doubt one of the best gifts. I'm very, very grateful.” ~Whitney

Much love, dear ones~ ❤️🌹

06/14/2023

“Please feel welcome to join me for a live BIRTH CIRCLE on June 20th! 💗 Over lactation cookies and tea, which are ideal to start in pregnancy, we'll discuss all things birth-related.

This special event is designed for pregnant and postnatal mothers at any stage of your journey, including extra support for loss.

We’ll gather for a deeply supportive, nourishing, in-person evening at Brookhaven Midwifery & Birth Center, a beautiful, child-friendly location. All are welcome!

I’ll be holding healing space to facilitate group sharing, with plenty of time for everyone present to share and listen to each other. You’ll receive safe, gentle, perinatal knowledge and handouts, including tips on nutrition, herbal medicine, recipes, community resources and more.

Please reserve your spot at http://www.fourseasonsharmony.com/classesandprograms.

I hope to see you at this special community event that we're really excited to hold again.” ~Whitney

✨🪷💗🪷✨

06/13/2023

06/12/2023

Sweet memories from last year's Birth Circle! 💞

06/09/2023

“When we engage in essential selfless work within ourselves to heal, change, strengthen, empower and walk courageously through whatever life brings, amazing reverberating effects also happen.

Along the way, you’ll simultaneously heal your families and communities, because that’s how healing works. The traditional timeless Indigenous and Ayurvedic teachings say that you’ll positively shift seven generations back as well as forward.” ~Whitney 🤎🍃✨

06/08/2023

The importance of receiving support on your healing journey~ ❤️

“You can try to learn a new musical instrument without a music teacher. You can try to learn a new sport without a coach. You can try to learn a new foreign language without any live teaching instruction. But it might be really, really hard to do this on your own.

Seeking to embody sustainable personal health and healing is similar. Learning how to ask for and receive support can be challenging to do, yet it's very important. If you seek long lasting healing and transformation, having consistent, loving support throughout this process can make all of the difference in the world to accelerate and ground your success.

I never went through healing without support...can't even imagine it. Although it felt like moving mountains to embody healing in a way that was rarely modeled in the larger culture with effective natural and holistic options, I found experts to help me do just that.

The conscious and purposeful decision to heal brought me into connection with the right teachers in the right timing to keep going, stay aligned and manifest true meaningful change. Now, the invaluable pathways that they modeled include the wisdom, care, knowledge and tools that I love to reciprocate with other women.

Do you feel the call for healing? Are you perhaps also struggling to do all of the healing on your own without enough guidance and direction?

Please feel welcome to learn more and schedule a complimentary Breakthrough Session at http://www.fourseasonsharmony.com/classesandprograms

Your Breakthrough Session will be a confidential time to chat one-on-one about your health and wellness goals. Together, we will:
✨ Clarify what you want in holistic health and hormonal balance
✨ Explore the challenges you're facing and why
✨ Identify a clear path forward
✨ Create space for healing

This time will also be a live experience of what it looks and feels like to have a powerful conversation with a practitioner in a way that has integrity, no rushed appointment scheduling, listens deeply to you, and is based on building trust and truly honoring what's right for you.

Sending my love,
~Whitney” ❤️🌹

📸: simona

06/06/2023

Relishing in the magic of springtime and gorgeous wild edibles~ 💜🌿

“I love that violet flowers and leaves are both edible and medicinal.

Native common blue violets such as these along with blue and white violets from ~550 species in temperate climates worldwide are gentle food herbs safe to eat in large quantities, although yellow violets are not.

A few of violet’s shining medicinal actions include being a lymphatic stimulant, respiratory remedy, blood cleanser, anti-inflammatory and cancer treatment. Violet leaves are high in fiber, vitamins C and A, and rutin. 🌱

*Safety and contraindications: very safe and can easily combine with pharmaceuticals. Contraindicated in internal use for individuals with the rare hereditary disease G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency because it can aggravate hemolytic anemia.” ~Whitney

💐🌿💜🌿💐

06/05/2023

A live "How Food Can Be Your Medicine" class is coming up next week! 🧡 We're so excited to offer this popular event again. This is the last one scheduled for 2023!

Register at ➾http://www.fourseasonsharmony.com/classesandprograms

06/05/2023

Happy Monday, dear hearts! Wishing you a beautiful and healthy week ahead~

✨🦋🌿🦋✨
________________

~Photo by Kelvin Hudson in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil

06/04/2023

Feeling blown away by the endlessly inspiring creative beauty of flowers out on botanical walks this Saturday.

🍃🌸🌼🌹🌺🌻🍃

05/31/2023

We’re elated to announce that our BIRTH CIRCLE registration is officially open!

Please reserve your spot and learn all the details at http://www.fourseasonsharmony.com/classesandprograms.

If you have any questions about this upcoming special Four Seasons Harmony event, please let us know. We’d love to see you there!

✨🪷💗🪷✨

🎨: Graphic design by our beloved Carly Chisholm Designs



Holistic Chamber of Commerce

05/29/2023

Happy Memorial Day~ ❤️ "Remembering this veteran so very close to my heart on the eve of his birthday, the original Memorial Day. I was given more love by my beloved grandparents in this lifetime than it feels the entire universe could hold. This gave me the most amazing sense of freedom growing up. Their voices, laps, arms and eyes of truth remain timeless. I continue to think of them every single day…

The grit, courage, sacrifice, devotion, humility and steadfast love both my grandfathers and other veterans gave is hard to quantify. We honor our heroes, but not the horrible acts that created the circumstances that necessitated defending life, family and freedom. I have to wonder that whenever we remember veterans, what did they sacrifice so much for if the ones they left home to protect could not enjoy a life of freedom, choice, joy, peace and promise?

My grandmother, Momo, said that one of the happiest times of their lives was the year after my grandfather, Popo, returned from WWII. Along with two children, they lived in a tiny apartment without enough money to 'throw two sticks together' though were ecstatic to be reunited.

When Popo was flown into visit the WWII memorial in DC, he shared that it was one of the most joyous days of his life (after living a very happy one). Many veterans don't receive the support they need to heal from grief and trauma, and this helped me to understand that linear time doesn't factor into the need to release old wounds, even for a brave, strong, loving, kind, smiling man with family, friends and colleagues that loved him hard. His truly photographic memory couldn't forget those moments even when he desperately wanted to…🙏

After he passed at 91, Momo slept next to a framed picture of him visiting the WWII memorial on her bed stand every night for the following 5 years. I was often moved to tears watching her tend to this photo and gazing at it just before she fell asleep.

Thank you so much, veterans, for your selfless service." ~Whitney

05/27/2023

Congratulations to our dear friend who also became family over twenty years of close connection, Dr. Dove! You’ve worked so hard and earned this glorious moment of celebration. We love you! 🎊❤️💫
________________

05/27/2023

“Cooking special nourishing and healing postpartum foods for a beautiful new mother in her sacred window brings me such joy, like this freshly made sampler with lactation cookies and herbs! ✨

The first forty-two days after birth are an essential time for the mother to receive lots of support. It’s so important to gently rekindle her digestive fire, promote optimal breast milk quality and flow, bond with her baby, rest, transition to a new phase of family life and more.

The sacred window is also called the fourth trimester. Ayurvedic physicians say that by taking comprehensive needed care during this postpartum time, the mother’s health will be positively impacted for the next forty-two years.

I believe in coming together in loving, nurturing community to protect new mothers with all of my heart and soul. Amazing benefits happen to entire families and communities when mothers receive deep postpartum care.” ~Whitney 🧡

Best wishes for a lovely holiday weekend, everyone!

✨🌿🌼🍲🌼🌿✨

05/25/2023

Save the date for another live BIRTH CIRCLE on June 20th! 💗 Over lactation cookies and tea, we'll discuss all things birth-related.

This special event is designed for pregnant and postnatal mothers at any stage of your journey, including extra support for loss.

We’ll gather for a deeply supportive, nourishing, in-person evening at a beautiful, child-friendly location. All are welcome!

“I’ll be holding healing space to facilitate group sharing, with plenty of time for everyone present to share and listen to each other. You’ll receive safe, gentle, perinatal knowledge and handouts, including tips on nutrition, herbal medicine, recipes, community resources and more.” ~Whitney

⇒ Date: Tuesday, June 20th, at 6:00 pm

⇒ Location: Brookhaven Midwifery & Natural Birth Center

⇒ Address: 1461 Brookhaven Dr, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

We hope you will join us for this special Four Seasons Harmony community event that we're really excited to hold again.

✨🪷💗🪷✨

05/22/2023

Wild places and flowers bring out deep inner connection, oneness and nurturing.

“I cherish living close to the land and the important values that are nourished in the process. Feeling thankful for nature’s abundant medicinal gifts that center, inspire and ground me every day.” ~Whitney

🌿💐💜💐🌿

📷: Mirage Photography

05/22/2023

Enjoying more nourishing heart medicine on a nature walk today~ 🌹❤️🥀
________________

05/19/2023

Much love, strength, and positivity your way~ 🌼🤎💫

05/18/2023

Sharing Mother's Day JOY and LOVE in the Virginia countryside with music, dancing, and gorgeous spring nature time from our hearts to yours! 💗✨

05/18/2023

🌹“Today’s revitalizing, glorious and relaxing nature time included filling up with the timeless nourishing heart medicine of roses. I adore this very ancient, healing, powerful and multidimensional plant, and regularly apply various forms in herbal medicine to take care of my body, mind and spirit.

Many dozens of different beautiful rose species from the Four Seasons Harmony apothecary are frequently blended into my handmade custom herbal formulas, carefully chosen for each person’s unique health and wellness needs.” ~Whitney 🌹🤍🌼

05/14/2023

Happy Mother’s Day! Sending love to all~ 🌹
________________

05/13/2023

Allowing the depth of inner vulnerability to fully express~ ✨”One day while making pottery together in a studio, a professional cellist friend and I talked about a classical piece that she was working on with her symphony. She shared how there was an area of the song that was impossible to play without crying because it moved her so poignantly.

I can also relate to sensitive experiences while playing the violin. ‘Four Seasons’ by Vivaldi is probably the most notable beloved piece of music that I just needed to stop while playing, only because the profundity of its beauty moved me to weep.

After my friend brought this experience up to her director, she was reassured that it was a positive quality to be so sensitive as a musician. This was actually seen and celebrated as a beneficial attribute of embodying extraordinary talent. Allowing herself to be vulnerable was the very gift that allowed her to execute a vast range of expressions in music, and exquisitely touch people’s souls with her unique artistry.

It was a pivotal point in my journey to surrender to being okay with feeling SO deeply as a woman, artist, herbalist, bodyworker, teacher, musician and human being walking this epic journey. Sometimes my vulnerable, raw feelings still catch me off guard…to realize that I really am that sensitive.

But even after going through deep personal healing experiences and professional training, I notice that I continue to feel very, very deeply…my sensitive and empathic nature has not diminished. The difference now is that I don’t view this as a negative thing to be ignored, undervalued or repressed. I allow, embrace and welcome my vulnerability, in all of its many nuances, as an ally toward living a fulfilling, happy and purposeful life.

What would it be like to allow a deeper level of genuine felt expression in our world, and perhaps also in yourself? How would we grow further into our higher selves if vulnerability was welcomed as a gateway to embodying an enriching, meaningful and authentic life?

I hope each of you are doing well. 💖

Much love,
~Whitney”