Shannon Dunn

Birth Bag Essentials for the Conscious-Minded Mama

There's so much talk about what to put in your birth bag, but for conscious-minded, spiritual mamas, the contents can be a little different to the usual nightie and nipple cream. First time around, I had one CD on loop (bad idea unless you want to be driven crazy while in labour), nappies and an outfit for the baby... and not much else. More than five years and some self-growth later, my labour and post-birth kit looks, well, very different. Here's an overview of some of my top-of-list birth bag essentials. * Note you'll also need the usual nappi[...]

Empowerment

How to Manifest

Whether you want to be financially abundant, the best tennis player in the world, or even overcome illness, it requires taking time, every day, to dream with your heart, think with your head about the possibilities and put things in action to get there. Most importantly, it takes being thankful. Grateful to your core. A no-strings-attached kind of thankfulness, one that fills your heart until it feels like it could burst. The gratitude that puts a spring in your step and almost brings you to your knees. Without it, all the other stuff doesn't matter. It's the kin[...]

Holistic Beauty

A Guide to Toxins in Fragrances (& Alternatives)

Smelling good can lift our mood and capture the attention of the opposite sex, yet, there's often much more lurking in your favourite bottle of fragrance than flowers and frankincense. Choosing a scent that invokes emotion but also good health has never been more important. The desire to smell attractive, or to make our living environments smell like freshly-picked daisies, is nothing new, with natural perfumery as old as civilisation itself. But with the chemical revolution of the 1700s came the introduction of artificial fragrances: scents that mimic[...]

Wholefood

Gluten Intolerance + A Guide to Grains

A diet rich in whole grains may boost digestive health, promote vibrant skin, while giving the body essential nutrients to function optimally. But knowing your wheat from your buckwheat is a must before loading up your plate. As diet fads come and go, grains have received a bad rap, with some dieticians and enthusiastic health bloggers suggesting to stay far away from the grains and fruits of cereal grasses in order to foster better health. However, health experts who sing the dietary praises of the ancient foods say, eaten in their whole state, grains are esse[...]

Holistic Beauty

Beautiful Skin from Within – A How-to

natural beauty, fermented foods, shannon dunn, beautiful skin

While creams, gels and lotions may be labeled with promises of skin-youthing miracles, they can’t match the power of internal nutrition. Fermented foods are gaining widespread attention for their beautifying properties and preparing them is simple. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest anti-ageing hype, from vitamin-infused elixirs to laser resurfacing. However, tackling wrinkles, sagging and sunspots from the outside is only temporary fix and does little to reach the cause of our skin’s woes once we hit the age where gravity takes hold. A[...]