Reconnect with Your Elements Every Season

No matter where you are in the world, the seasons invite us to connect with our inner elements—Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Ether—and cultivate balance, clarity, and wellbeing. Whether you’re playing in the rain in Costa Rica or basking in the summer sunshine, these simple practices can support your mind, body, and spirit.

Spring / Early Rainy Season (Renewal & Growth)

• Focus: Earth & Water

• Practice: Plant seeds and intentions, whether in a garden or a pot, and reflect on the growth you wish to see in your life. Speak words of affirmations into your drinking water  herbal teas.  As you drink them imagine literally drinking in your intentions and feeling them come to fruition.

• DIY: Create a mini altar with stones, leaves, photos, art, feathers and flowers to celebrate new beginnings.

  

Summer / Dry Season (Vitality & Expansion)

• Focus: Fire & Air

• Practice: Soak in sunlight, practice receiving the morning sun: stand in the direction of the sun, raise your arms over head towards the sun and imagine welcoming sun rays into your mouth and swallow them. Imagine the sunlight revitalizing you from the inside out. This practice is called 1000 pearls of sun. Close your eyes and  allow yourself to receive the energy of the sun for a few moments.

•  DIY: Make a sun-infused herbal oil or tea blend to energize your body and senses.

My favorites in Costa Rica are Ylang Ylang solar oil infusion. In four season climates, calendula flower solar infusions are amazing!

Autumn / Early Wet Season (Reflection & Balance)

• Focus: Water & Ether

• Practice: Journal or meditate near water, taking stock of emotions and releasing what no longer serves you. Take silent walks in nature, observing the changes around you. Incorporate cat cow and spinal twists into your movement practice.

• DIY: Brew seasonal teas from local plants, slow-cook nourishing meals, or try mindful cooking rituals. A favorite practice is to make a fire cider with different warming and immune boosting herbs like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, burdock, horse radish, chiles, elderberries.

Winter / Rainy Season or Cooler Months

• Focus: Earth & Fire

• Practice: Ground yourself with restorative yoga, and warm herbal drinks like ginger, cinnamon and lime. Light candles for meditation and reflection, connecting with your inner fire and resilience. Practice cultivating your inner fire with breathing practices like breath of fire.

• DIY: Start to incorporate the remedies you made in the season prior like fire cider in the morning to stimulate digestion. Continue to journal setting intentions during the new moon, noting what you're grateful for and what you are releasing for the full moon. Use your herbal oils for evening herbal self-massage

Bringing it All Together

• Use the seasons as reminders to honor each element in your life.

• Incorporate small rituals or DIY practices wherever you are, connecting to the natural rhythm of your surroundings.

• Engage in community experiences to deepen your practice, whether online or in-person.

Invitation: Explore these practices with us through our offerings this season:

• Awaken the Elements Within: 7-week free online course. Explore Qi-gong’s spin on the 5 elements. Sign up today!

• Silent Retreat in January: Deep reflection and reconnection. Take advantage of our

• Early Bird Special!

• Holistic Eco-Living Apprenticeship and Core Team Opportunities:  Hands-on learning in permaculture, herbalism, and community stewardship.

  Stay a season with us and co-create a vibe that attracts tribe! Email to learn more

Amanda Luna, Amanda is the co-founder of Ecomaste, a passionate herbalist, and a 

Holistic Wellbeing Guide. She intertwines her love for the natural world through various forms of herbalism, mindfulness and movement medicine like qi-gong, yoga, dance and art.

With a mission to support love, harmony, and wholeness for people, beings, and lands, Amanda strives to rebuild regenerative relationships with the Earth and guide others towards balance and holistic wellness through her compassionate and intuitive approach.

Click below to Learn more about Amanda Luna & her ongoing & upcoming offerings:

Aluna Living

A Global Mandate for Peace:

 Why the World Peace Treaty Gathering in Ireland Matters Now More Than Ever

This July, something extraordinary is happening in Ireland. From the sacred lands of Palenque to the green hills of Dripsey Castle, a prophetic call is echoing across the globe—a call for unity, healing, and a return to our sacred responsibilities as Earth stewards.

Two powerful events—the Full Moon Eighth Fire Ceremony (July 10th) and the

 World Peace Gathering (July 18–20)—will bring together Indigenous leaders, elders, artists, and peacebuilders from around the world. Their purpose? To fulfill a sacred World Peace Mandate and ignite a living treaty between peoples, cultures, and the Earth herself.

 Why This Gathering Matters

In 2023, at a spiritual convergence in Palenque, Mexico, a mandate was given to the Irish people by the Council of the Condor, Eagle, Quetzal, and Hummingbird—symbols of wisdom, vision, unity, and love. This wasn’t just a ceremonial gesture. It was a living, breathing call for Ireland to rise as Bridge Builders—linking Europe with the Americas, the Global South, and the ancestral memory of peace we all carry in our bones.

This summer, that vision begins to manifest.

Ireland’s history—marked by colonization, famine, resistance, and profound generosity—resonates deeply with the struggles and values of Indigenous Peoples worldwide. As Chief Phil Lane Jr. reminds us:

“The Irish are not colonizers but victims themselves… They do not make war on other nations… They send peacekeepers. They are proud of their neutrality. They recognize that unity is more powerful than separation.”

🌕 Ceremony, Spirit, and Sacred Action

Full Moon Eighth Fire Ceremony — July 10th

In alignment with the Global 8th Fire Circle, this ceremony invites local and international participants to gather around fire in sacred unity, adding Irish ashes to the global flame. It’s a ceremonial act of environmental healing, ancestral remembrance, and global kinship.

World Peace Gathering — July 18–20 at Dripsey Castle

A hybrid event with over 500 attendees, this gathering will feature:

• Indigenous elders and spiritual leaders from Turtle Island, the Andes, the Aymara and Maya Nations, Greenland, the South Pacific, and more.

• Irish artists, poets, and storytellers offering cultural medicine.

• Collaborative dialogue and ceremony between the Irish and global delegates to activate the World Peace Treaty.

It is a threshold moment—a chance to shift from war, extraction, and division toward unity, kinship, and regeneration.

🌎 The World Peace Treaty Is a Living Promise

This is not just an agreement on paper. The World Peace Treaty is a sacred covenant—a renewal of our roles as caretakers of Earth and one another.

True peace does not come from policies or handshakes—it emerges from within, from how we treat our communities, the land, the water, the ancestors, and ourselves.

If we want true change, we must embody it.

 How You Can Participate

Even if you cannot be in Ireland physically, you are part of this treaty.

• Create a ceremony in our own community during these potent times. Invite friends, family and gather for world peace on the 10th, 18-20th. Connect to the energy of peace and unity and to our brothers and sisters that are gathering in Ireland with this prayer. 

• Pray, sing, reflect, and remember—we are one human family.

• Support Indigenous-led initiatives like Four Worlds International Institute and Kindred Spirits Ireland.

• Talk about it. Share this story. Help others see that peace isn’t just possible—it’s already rising.

 We Are All Indigenous to Mother Earth

As Chief Phil Lane Jr. so beautifully states:

“These traits are not just unique to First Nations or the Irish—they are in all of us. We are all Indigenous to Mother Earth… We are all sisters and brothers. We are all One Human Family.”

Let this summer in Ireland be a spark that sets your soul alight. Let it remind you that peace is not a dream of the past, but a reality we must plant, protect, and embody—together.

🕊️ Will you answer the call?

These gatherings are more than events—they are thresholds.

They are a call to remember who we are, to rise in unity, and to plant the seeds of a peaceful, thriving future. We welcome all kindred spirits, of all nations, who feel the call of this sacred moment.

Together, we become the Bridge Builders our ancestors dreamed of.

🔗 Learn more / RSVP / Donate / Get Involved

https://kindredspirits.earth/world-peace-gathering-2025/

https://mcusercontent.com/18513a22108989dad7e255cfd/files/686c2064-ec31-3ba3-faa5-979f9f46c566/Meet_the_Delegates.pdf

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m3M09BSs2JDb-8aCyDABKF8c-OOSk1DkkNHvuzJNlq8/mobilebasic

The Sacred Power of Seeds: Why Saving, Sharing, and Protecting Them Matters More Than Ever

“Seed is not just the source of life. It is the very foundation of our being.” – Dr. Vandana Shiva

Every seed holds a story — a memory of the past, a map for the future. Inside each one lives the resilience of nature, the prayers of our ancestors, and the nourishment of generations yet to come. And yet, this ancient birthright — the ability to grow and share our own food — is under threat.

This is a call to remember, to act, and to honor the life-giving magic of seeds.

Why Save Seeds?

Saving seeds is an act of resilience, protection, and love. Here's why it's so vital:

• Preserve Biodiversity: Each region has seeds adapted to its unique climate, pests, and soil. Saving local seeds protects this diversity from extinction.

• Protect Food Sovereignty: When we save seeds, we preserve our right to grow food free from corporate or governmental control.

• Regenerate Culture & Ancestral Memory: Seeds are cultural carriers. They remember songs, seasons, ceremonies, and tastes that reconnect us to lineage.

• Ensure Resilience: Heirloom and criollo seeds are often more resilient to droughts, diseases, and changing climate than hybrid or GMO seeds.

 Where to Get & Support Ethical Seed Sources

🇺🇸 In the United States:

Support seed networks that protect heirloom, open-pollinated, and culturally significant varieties:

• Seed Savers Exchange – One of the largest public seed banks in the U.S., dedicated to preserving heritage seeds.

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – Offers 100% non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds from around the world.

• Native Seeds/SEARCH – Conserves seeds and agricultural knowledge from Indigenous communities in the Southwest.

• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – Specializes in varieties adapted to the Southeastern U.S., community-owned and operated.

These groups support seed freedom, regional adaptation, and regenerative agriculture.

 What’s Happening in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is home to countless criollo seeds — native, regionally adapted, and full of nutritional and ecological value. But many are at risk due to legislation and loss of traditional practices.

A proposed law — Bill No. 21.087 — claims to “modernize seed production.” But in reality, it could criminalize the use and sharing of native and ancestral seeds.

Here's what’s at stake:

🚫 Local seeds could be banned if they’re not registered with government systems.

🏢 Corporations could patent seeds, making farmers dependent on purchased, commercialized varieties.

💸 Traditional farmers could be fined for saving or exchanging seeds — a practice as old as agriculture itself.

🌱 Criollo (native) seeds may disappear, leading to a loss of biodiversity, food sovereignty, and cultural memory.

“Whoever controls the seeds, controls the food. And whoever controls the food, controls the people.” -- Dr. Vandana Shiva 

Support & connect with:

• Red de Guardianes de Semillas de Costa Rica – A grassroots network preserving native and criollo seeds through festivals, community gardens, and exchanges.

• Festival de Semillas  – An annual gathering (now in its 9th year!) community connection, educational talks about seed preservation and best practices, seed sharing, and sovereignty.

• Proyecto Semilla Criolla – Community-driven effort to cultivate, document, and educate about native seed saving practices.

  
  

You can often find seed exchanges at local ferias (markets), eco-communities, or permaculture centers — especially in regions like Pérez Zeledón, Talamanca, and the Nicoya Peninsula.

What You Can Do to Keep Seeds Sovereign

Here’s how we reclaim our power and protect our future:

1. Save Your Own Seeds – Learn the basics. Start with easy crops like tomatoes, beans, or lettuce.

2. Share & Exchange Locally – Host or attend seed swaps. Exchange with friends and neighbors.

3. Support Seed Libraries & Seed Festivals – Attend events like the Festival de la Semilla Criolla or local seed-saving workshops.

4. Say No to GMOs & Patented Seeds – Only buy open-pollinated, heirloom, or native varieties.

5. Teach the Next Generation – Pass down this sacred skill to children, schools, and community gardens.

6. Advocate for Seed Rights – Stay informed and speak out against laws that criminalize saving or sharing seeds.

7. Grow Biodiversity – Cultivate unusual, native, or endangered plants to keep their lineage alive.

A Living Act of Resistance & Love

Saving seeds is a radical act of care. It says: “I trust in life. I remember where I came from. I will not allow this sacred cycle to be broken.”

As we hold these seeds, we are also holding stories, freedom, and futures. Let us tend them with reverence, and let them remind us — that we are not separate from nature, but part of its great unfolding.

🌱Join the Movement:

• 🎉 Come to the Festival de Semillas June 14th at Tinamaste Feria

• 📖 Read more about seed sovereignty here

• 🌬️ Support your Wellbeing and Take our 5-Element Quiz to reconnect with your own natural rhythms

🌀 Join our 7-Week Free Zoom Series: Awaken the Elements Within — returning to harmony through breath, movement & earth-based wisdom

 👉 Sign up here