On Indigenous plant knowledge, the discomfort of slowing down (a shared feeling among women in business), and rediscovering the little things that bring us joy...

My joy: my daughter brews and pours coffee for me every single morning. It teaches her about kitchen safety with dad and makes her feel proud every-single-morning.

My wandering mind brings us to returning to the land now. I mean, take your shoes off and plant your feet on the land. There is something about returning to the land that can feel both comforting and uncomfortable at the same time. We talk about slowing down, getting outside, reconnecting with nature and finding our way back to ourselves.

It sounds simple enough, right? 

But sometimes, the hardest part is getting out of our own heads. (Hello, anxiety!). We build pressure around what reconnection is supposed to look like. We think we need more time, more knowledge, a better understanding or some kind of profound moment before we can begin. We tell ourselves we will do it when life settles down, when the list gets shorter, or when we finally feel like we have earned a little rest. [Should I feel guilty now writing this at 9:26 and enjoying the heat of my fireplace that's beside my work desk]

Wandering my mind back to reconnection. But what if reconnection doesn't have to be another thing we need to get right?

Seriously. What if it begins with something as simple as stepping outside, noticing the plants growing around us, listening to the water and allowing ourselves to be present? Lately, this is something I have been rediscovering with my own family. I want to share a little of that journey because I think we could all use more reminders that we deserve deep rest, meaningful connection and a little joy along the way.

Reconnection doesn't always feel comfortable

I think we sometimes imagine that reconnecting with the land should feel natural, peaceful and effortless. We picture ourselves walking along the shoreline, surrounded by trees, feeling completely grounded. Sometimes it does feel that way. (For me, it's being on the boat in Prince Rupert, B.C.) We tell ourselves we should spend more time outside. We should know more about the plants. We should be more present with our children (shall we insert the conversation of gentle parenting, healing our own inner child and living your life as the first-time as a 34 year old parent and business owner). Before we know it, something that could bring us joy becomes another expectation we have placed on ourselves.

I have been thinking about how much pressure we can create inside our own heads.

Sometimes, we are so busy trying to become the person we think we should be that we forget to appreciate the person we already are.I am learning that reconnection doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful. It can be messy. It can be quiet. It can be like O.M.G my body needs a break and I need my children to go to bed.

Indigenous plant knowledge begins with your personal relationship.

For many Indigenous Peoples, knowledge of plants is connected to relationships with land, water, community and generations of learning. This knowledge is diverse, Nation-specific and shaped by the places, languages, experiences and responsibilities through which it is carried.

It is much more than identifying a plant or knowing what it can be used for. It can be recognizing responsibilities and learning when something is not ours to take or share. I want to be thoughtful about how I speak about Indigenous plant knowledge because I do not believe every teaching needs to become public information. Some knowledge is meant to be shared through particular protocols, and with the guidance of the people who hold it. There is value in acknowledging what we know and there is also value in recognizing what we still have to learn.

For me, walking gently with the plants is a reminder to approach the natural world with humility rather than entitlement. It means remembering that the land is not simply a backdrop for our lives, a resource to be used or an aesthetic to be photographed. Seriously, West Coast Folks. It is part of the living world with which we have relationships and responsibilities. And those relationships deserve our care and our advocacy to protect.

You don't need to know everything to begin

One of the things I want people to understand is that you do not need to be an expert in plants, gardening or traditional ecological knowledge to begin reconnecting with nature.

You can start by using most of your basic scents like touch, smell and with strong knowledge of plant medicine — eat it!

If you have children in your life, let them lead sometimes. Children can remind us how much there is to discover when we are not rushing toward the next thing.

They may stop to look at something you would have walked straight past. They may ask a question you cannot answer. They may want to stay outside a little longer simply because something has caught their attention. We do not have to know everything. We can be curious. We can ask respectful questions and ask more than one Elder, Matriarch or knowledge-keeper. We can learn from appropriate sources and from the people who have permission and willingness to share their knowledge. Reconnection is not about collecting experiences or proving how connected we are. It is about building a relationship over time and choosing to do it over and over again.

Land, water and the joy of being together

When I think about what I want my own family to experience, I think about more than teaching them facts about the natural world. I think about the freedom to explore and the memories that form without anyone planning them. All my children want and I believe what any child wants is time. How funny is that? It's simple and accessible but there is different levels of accessibility for families. Here is a little reflection moment for you to consider for yourself. (Thanks for the reminder Ali)

Rediscovering time on the land and near the water with my family has reminded me that joy does not always arrive as a big moment. These moments may not look extraordinary from the outside. They do not need to. I am sharing this because I know how easy it is to put pressure on ourselves to do more, learn more and be more. We can forget that we are human beings who need room to breathe, laugh, explore and rest. I am a 34 year old mom of two also experiencing life for the first-time.

Every human being deserves the opportunity to experience connection to land and water, in ways that are respectful of the places and communities around them. We all deserve moments of deep rest and genuine joy. And we deserve to it with our families and on our own respetive times to their plant medicine journey and also experience yourself in your own healing journey

What does walking gently with the plants look like in everyday.

Spend time near water. If you have safe and respectful access to a shoreline, river or lake, take a few moments to listen and observe. You do not need to turn the experience into anything more than time spent paying attention.

Learn before you gather. If you are curious about local plants, seek reliable, place-specific guidance. Learn about identification, ecological considerations, permissions and the difference between observing a plant and harvesting it. Never assume that traditional knowledge or cultural practices are yours to reproduce or share.

Gratitude also means knowing when to keep something private or keep it all private to yourself. You do not need to advertise you're healing your reconnection to plant medicine.

What this means to us at RavenSong

At RavenSong, storytelling is part of how we think about the products we make and the relationships we want those products to honour. A scent can bring a memory close. A familiar ritual can create a moment of quiet in a busy day. A walk along the coast can remind us that the world is much bigger than the responsibilities we carry.

But we also recognize that there is a difference between being inspired by the natural world and claiming ownership of the knowledge, stories or teachings connected to it.

As an Indigenous-owned business, we believe that authenticity requires care. It means respecting the people behind the stories, acknowledging where knowledge comes from and understanding that not everything meaningful needs to be commercialized. As Indigenous entrepreneurship continues to grow across Canada and Internationally, I believe

Our relationship with the land is not a marketing theme. It is something we continue to learn about through lived experience, relationships and the choices we make.

We can create products that invite moments of reflection while recognizing that no candle, soap or bath ritual can replace time on the land, meaningful relationships or the knowledge shared by the people who hold it. Sometimes, a product can simply be an invitation to shop Canadian, shop women-owned, shop Authentic Indigenous owned and operated.

A gentle reminder as we move through this season: We are human.

Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is stop making reconnection another expectation.

I am still learning. I am still rediscovering what this looks like for me and my family. I do not have a perfect answer, and I do not think I need one. I simply know that making room for these moments has brought a little more joy into our lives, and I wanted to share that in case someone else needed the reminder, too.

Whatever it looks like, I hope you give yourself permission to begin exactly where you are. Walk gently. Stay curious. Make room for joy.

With care and joy,

Alissa Assu
RavenSong Soap & Candle