This life's work of mine as a branding photographer connects me with so many incredible souls who I feel so inspired by.

We spend time getting to know each other while planning each brand shoot and this connection deepens while we shoot. It is always a deep joy for me to connect people and share some of their magic. And today's chat with Izzy, founder of Nourish and Flow is full of that. We talk about wellness, seasons changing, heath and wellness and more!

So Izzy, it is great to chat with you today, could you introduce yourself and share some insight into the work that you do?

Hi Rebecca! I’m Izzy and I work with women as a naturopathic health and transformation coach. I help women overcome mindset blockages and health conditions by encouraging them to tap into their own self-healing.

As a naturopath I have a very strong connection to the understanding that, given the right conditions, the body wants and can heal. It is very empowering work and I adore watching the transformation happen. I use whole foods nutrition, yoga & breathwork and herbs as my main modalities.

I work mostly with women in their 40’s who are experiencing shifts hormonally and energetically. I help elevate them in their health empowerment. We are inundated with mixed messages on health and wellness aren’t we? “Do I need to be meditating every day? Do I need to be a vegan to be healthy? Is it really awful to say I enjoy chocolate and red wine?!”. My approach is completely woman-focused as opposed to symptom-focused. I am looking at the whole picture of what makes up the beautiful complexities of the individual and tailoring a coaching experience from here.

Throughout our coaching journey I invite my women to get into their flow and take the time to find out what really works for them. It is a truly holistic experience where, yes, we get clarity on nutrition and exercise goals, but we place equal value on work, purpose, mindset, boundaries and connection to nature. Nature is my biggest anchor. Gently guiding women back to ancestral wisdom, and living in alignment with the seasons is often where we have the biggest breakthroughs and transformations.

I think it is fair to say that your connection to nature and self is at the root of your work. How do you help guide women back to source when they have become disconnected from it all?

We are fortunate to live in a time where women have choices regarding their health. There are more holistic practitioners and offerings than ever before. As a result of the pandemic, many people are rightly shifting their focus to prioritise their health and wellbeing. So on the surface of things, women are in good times!

But I often see a different picture where women just feel overwhelmed and confused by seemingly endless solutions to their health and wellness problems. My intention with coaching women is to, as you say, guide them back to source, because this is where I feel the answers lie. Practically that looks like eating whole foods that are local and seasonal so we develop a true attachment to our environment and listen to what our bodies need in each season. Other ways are exposure to morning light, blocking blue light, grounding, deep and intentional breathing, moving stagnant energy out of the body through ecstatic dance, creating or honouring rituals to root
us to seasonal changes, seed cycling and following the moon cycles are all beautiful ways to help us get reconnected again. And I also adore using herbs. I make teas and infusions for emotional balance. When I do this, I feel deeply connected to the women of past generations who, lets not forget, often became the medicine women in their tribes after menopause - a highly respected and revered position in community. My dream is we rediscover the value, the potential and the wisdom of women beyond menopause - it has to happen.

I know you're always expanding your knowledge to bring healing to the world. What do you think has been your most transformational piece of learning on your journey so far?

We are discovering new things all the time. About the human body and about how our innate intelligence is more moulded to nature than we have ever understood. Because we live in a time of science and research, we feel we have to ‘prove’ something nature or health-related in order to validate it.

I sit somewhere between this understanding and being in trust of what is. For me, my learnings on the microbiome were a pivotal point where things started to makes sense. I started diving deeper into my own curiosity on the health of the human alongside the health of the planet and began to get my biggest moments of clarity. I feel we can draw comparisons of the microbiome with the earth’s soil. This is the foundation from where everything grows - both health if cared and well nourished or dis-ease if abused.

With the ever turning wheel of the year, we find ourselves at Samhain, summer's end. With the clocks going back, our access to natural light in this modern world can become disrupted and impact on our health. I'd love to know your top tips to navigate this season in both a nature and a health aligned way?

Yes! You might have already gathered that I am a big fan of being in nature as much as possible. And exposing ourselves to natural light is never more important than as we merge into the darker months. This is when we are typically using artificial light more.

Blue light - that which comes from non-native radiation eg from screens, TV’s, street lights, LED lights, car headlights etc are slow health destroyers which confuse our circadian rhythm and inhibit of production of melatonin which we need for healthy sleep. We are also learning more about the negative effect blue light has on our mitochondria. There are a few hacks that can help with using light for productivity in a more conscious and natural way. E..g Getting up to watch the sunrise without glasses or contact lenses to establish healthy hormone and vit D levels. Using blue blocking glasses. Or choosing filament bulbs over LED’s, and lighting candles and fires in the evening.

But in our quest for maximising productivity all year round we find ourselves disconnecting from the intentions of the seasons. In the darker months we are meant to hibernate, stay in, hunker down, pull our reserves and tap into a more introspective energy as opposed to the big expansive energy of the summer for example. Our ancestors would have gathered around warming soups and stews, shared their harvest and conserved their energies. This would also have been a time for story-telling. Perhaps releasing what no longer served them and setting intentions for the months head. There are some wonderful lessons we can learn from our ancestors in how to live in alignment not only for our connection to the natural world but also to stay healthy all year round.

What is on the horizon for you for the rest of the year and into 2023? And how can folk work with you?

I am head-down right now creating some self-directed coaching courses on gut health, hormone balance and mindset up-levelling. I hope to have these ready by the end of the year. These are aimed at those who prefer to dive deep into naturopathic healing whilst working at their own pace. I’m also opening up more group coaching programmes and expanding my 1:1 Empowered Health signature programme. I have exciting talks and collaborations in the planning.

2023 is going to be all about the herbs as I train as a naturopathic herbalist and immerse myself more in plant medicine. Exciting times ahead 🙂

How can folk find out more about you?
Website: www.nourishflow.com
Insta: @izzy_nourishandflow
Email: info@nourishflow.com

Izzy and I spent a half day co-creating these branding images and energy in motion videos. If you'd like to find out more about how we can work together, fill in the contact form here.