Community Herbalist Sarah Preston Encourages Self-Love and Gratitude
Mar 31, 2021 09:31AM ● By Gisele Rinaldi Siebold
Caring
for Self and Home Motivates and Inspires Us
Allowing
peace to enter our bodies, psyches and spaces brings benefits that ripple into
our daily routines. Sarah Preston, community herbalist and owner of Herbs from
the Labyrinth and retail shop, Radiance, located in downtown Lancaster,
understands the importance of caring for self and home. She’s been making herbal
body-care products, remedies and home-care products for more than 20 years.
In
addition to all of her herbal concoctions, Radiance carries a wide range of
items to support physical and spiritual wellness for self and home. Fair
Trade and handmade items crafted by local artisans and artists from around the
world, organic clothing, wearable art, books, essential oils, flower essences
and Preston’s herbal products are all delightfully arranged and displayed,
inviting shoppers to leisurely peruse in person. For those who enjoy shopping
from the comfort of home, Radiance also has an online store; curb-side pickup
or shipping is available.
“We are
all under more stress than our psyches and bodies want us to be; we’ve
experienced group trauma by experiencing the effects of COVID-19,” notes
Preston. “Our lack of self-care will affect our long-term health if we don’t
take care of ourselves now. Our self-care rituals not only help us to relieve
our own stress, but also help the other members of our households,” she
believes.
Preston’s
self-care products include the Luscious Line—face cream, night serum and
cleansing cream; yarrow mist; Moondance and Exotica bath oils; Moontime massage
oil; Iris body silk powder; and breast and belly balm for pregnancy and
post-partum care. Loose herbal teas, dried herbs, elderberry syrup and Dragon’s
Breath Fire Cider formulated by Preston support body, mind, and spirit.
A kitchen
gadgetry section consisting of a coffee press, compost keepers, tea balls, tea
infusers, glass and metal straws, mortar and pestles, reusable produce bags and
tote bags, bamboo utensils and more facilitates sustainability at home and on
the go.
“Clearing
the home space and keeping it clean, fresh and free from clutter rejuvenates
our bodies and our psyches,” notes Preston. Preston’s Antiseptic Room and
Surface Spray freshens and cleans rooms and surfaces, both at home or in the
office. Holy Ganga Water, collected from the headwaters of the Sacred Ganges
River, can be sprayed to purify spaces for ceremony, ritual cleansing or
protection. Florida Water is a floral and citrus water used to purify energy
and welcome the essence of the heavens.
Other
items that contribute positive energy to spaces include clean burning candles,
chakra candles and pillars; Himalayan salt lamps and fire bowls; Palo Santo
spray, a Peruvian wood used to purify energy and create sacred spaces; Shaman’s
Dawn spiritual protection sprays; sage smudge sticks; sage spray and more.
From head
to toe and in between, organic clothing and wearable art simplify clothing
choices and provide the ease of dressing in layers as spring emerges. Go-to
pieces that illuminate a feel-good, lovely look bring comfort to daily life and
inspire a feeling of not only surviving the days and nights, but thriving at
work and play, and enjoying a restful night’s sleep.
“By
getting outside every day, regardless of our age, we ensure that we have enough
physical activity to help our bodies sleep well naturally. Something else we
can do for ourselves is simple meditation for five minutes a day, even for
little kids, because five minutes a day improves our lives,” affirms Preston.
“Calming
meditation along with a daily gratitude ritual for the simplest necessities and
pleasures are acts of self-love. With a calm spirit, we radiate love and kindness
to our environments and those around us, and we welcome a grace-filled life,”
she shares.
Radiance
is located at 13 W. Grant Ave., in Lancaster. To schedule an herbal
consultation, call (717) 290-1517. For more info, visit HerbsFromTheLabyrinth.com.
