Essential Oil Recipes for the Gentleman

Hello natural beauties! It’s not only presumptuous, but very outdated to suggest that a particular oil or scent is more suited to a woman or a man. I have male friends who love geranium and woman clients who don’t like lavender. It comes down to (as always) preference, and that’s why there are so many perfumes and colognes in the world. There must be an infinite number of scent combinations possible with and infinite number of personal preferences …

 

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Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here: suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils:

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

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When I’m talking about essential oils, it’s not just about the scent but the therapeutic properties too. In my previous post “Electrifying Essential Oil Body Blends – for the Ladies” I create some wonderful oil blends specifically for women. In this article I will do the same for men. Hope you enjoy it.

 

smooth skin

 

Face Moisturiser and After Shave

The last thing you need after shaving with a razor is an alcohol filled splash. You have just taken off the hair and at least a layer of skin, so it’s best to go with soft creams and oils. Even if you don’t shave, using oils on your face with enhance the appearance of your skin, keep it hydrated and make you smell gorgeous. Some people even use oil in place of shaving cream, and it can work well. Oil will then be left on your skin and in your pores and extra moisturising may not even be necessary.

“Shaken, Not Stirred”

This blend is for the face and even one teaspoon will last a few days. In a little dish add one teaspoon of oil (apricot kernel oil, rosehip oil, camelia oil, almond oil) and then add a total of 3 drops:

Lemongrass                  1 drop

Cedarwood Atlas          1 drop

Lavender                       1 drop

Dip your fingers in to mix the formula, then use a few drops, rub between fingers and apply to your face. Less is best to start with then use more as required


“Resistance is Futile”

A blend to tap into your positive powers and smell divine at the same time. In one teaspoon of oil add a total of 3 drops::

Sandalwood   1 drop

Orange           2 drops


“Recovery”

A blend to help your skin after drinking or lack of sleep. In one teaspoon of oil adda total of 3 drops::

Bergamot      2 drops

Patchouli       1 drop


 

Body Oil and Natural Scent

There are lots of men who are into natural products and it’s easy to create natural scent. Similar to how the face moisturiser is made, you can also make oils for your body and use these like a cream -all over your body, or simply use a bit on your arms, chest and neck in place of cologne. Here are a few recipes designed for the body:

 

treat your body well!

“I’m Pumped”

An after gym oil for all over your body. You don’t need to use much, just smooth the oil between your palms first. The more hair you have the more oil you will have to use because the hair follicle will absorb a lot!

In 4 teaspoons of oil (this time use a heavier oil like sunflower, almond, grapeseed or even olive) add a total of 10 drops:

Rosemary    3 drops

Lemon         6 drops

Marjoram     1 drop


“I’m Getting My Suave On”

For a night out….

In 4 teaspoons of oil (this time use a heavier oil like sunflower, almond, grapeseed or even olive) add a total of 10 drops:

Grapefruit                   8 drops

Cedarwood Virginian  1 drop

Ylang Ylang                1 drop


“Sun’s Out Guns Out”

To make your skin look, feel and smell amazing!

In 4 teaspoons of oil (this time use a heavier oil like sunflower, almond, grapeseed or even olive) add a total of 10 drops:

Australian sandalwood   5 drops

Petitgrain                       3 drops

Palmarosa                     2 drops

 

Natural scents for everyone!

 

Natural scents are wonderful for everyone! A man’s skin will benefit from the therapeutic properties of essential oils: skin renewal and hydration, easing muscle tension, easing stress, keeping the mind alert and general well-being.

And always consider the meta physical properties too: awakening the soul, stimulating happiness, connecting to the universe and your purpose in life.

Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention.

 

copyright suzannerbanks 2013

Essential Oil Recipes to PARTY With!

Sydney Mardi Gras

Sydney Mardi Gras

It’s late summer in Sydney and it’s party time in the Gay and Lesbian Community. Mardi Gras is a queer cultural festival filled with music, art and parties. Here are a few recipes intended to help you get your party vibe going, and to stay on the dance floor as long as possible.

“Here We Are Again”

This is my magic formula for and outdoor dance-off – dedicated to the Sydney Harbour Party which was held this weekend. It rained. We danced in the rain with our friends. Life is grand!

To make a nourishing body oil blend – in 3 teaspoons of oil add

Ylang Ylang           2 drops

Bergamot              3 drops

Cedarwood Atlas  2 drops

The Harbour Party - Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

The Harbour Party – Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

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“3am Eternal”

To be prepared for an all-nighter, smooth this formula all over your body to give you a great scent and energy to continue!

To make a nourishing body oil blend  – in 3 teaspoons of oil add

Petitgrain       3 drops

Patchouli       2 drops

Nutmeg         2 drops

dance floor at Sydney Mardi Gras 2007

dance floor at Sydney Mardi Gras 2007

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“I’m a Free Agent”

When you decide to leave the party Gods in charge, and you go solo – opening to chance meetings and serendipitous events.

Sandalwood Australian – smooth a few drops of this stunning oil on your wrists, your heart, and your third eye to be at one with your party universe.

feel free to be you - on your own

feel free to be you – on your own

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“Dance Dance Dance”

This is a warming blend for your muscles. When you want to dance, help out your body with this powerful blend.

To make a nourishing body oil blend – in 3 teaspoons of oil add

Rosemary         2 drops

Ginger              1 drop

Lemon             4 drops

Dance!

Dance!

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“Buzz!”

To wake yourself up, clear your mind, and get ready to party – do a steam inhalation with an essential oil.

To a bowl of steaming water add

Peppermint       2 drops

stand over the bowl and inhale the steam and oil with a towel over your head. This is a very quick way to use essential oil and is also great for colds, sinus congestion and headaches.

Steam inhalation with oils

Steam inhalation with oils

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“OMG I’m so Tired”

When you need a recovery blend for your body try this.

To make a nourishing body oil blend -in 3 teaspoons of oil add

Lavender           2 drops

Pink Grapefruit  6 drops

oh yeah I'm tired

oh yeah I’m tired

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“What time is Beer-o’clock?”

To get yourself out of the house for a recovery drink with your friends, try adding a few drops of oil into the bottom of the shower (covering the drain with your foot or a cloth), and breathe deeply.

Awaken your mind  – Basil  3 drops

Move your body –     Lemongrass 3 drops

mmmmm beer

mmmmm beer

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When it’s party time essential oils can always help. They can get you vibed up, give you stamina, make you smell great and even help you recover!

Essential oils are powerful!

Remember to treat your self first and everyone will benefit.

Oil Blends for ELLEN!

The fabulous Ellen

The fabulous Ellen

 

I’m watching Ellen. She’s talking about multi-tasking while watching TV. So I thought I’d write this article about Ellen, while I’m watching her show. I’m going to create some beautiful oil blends for Ellen and energetically send them through the ether. When you are doing a few things at once maybe these blends could help you too.

She’s dancing now.

“Dance-a-rama”

A sparkly oil blend to garner some energy to dance.

In 3 teaspoons of oil add the following:

Lemongrass          1

Pink Grapefruit      5

Cinnamon             1

Massage into your body, Ellen, to get your dancing vibe going.

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Now she’s got a guest who is about 10 years old, and he’s not really paying attention to her.

“Back to Me”

A formulation to be the star of your show at all times.

Jasmine in jojoba    a few drops on your wrists, and any other pulse points you fancy. Jasmine is a sexy, gorgeous oil and even if no one else notices, you will be the star of your own show.

be the star of your life

be the star of your life

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And now Dennis Quaid is on and Ellen’s telling him what to do via his in ear microphones. He’s funny and a great sport. I always feel really bad for the person who gets punked!

“Resistance is Futile”

Here’s an oil blend for Ellen to vapourise in the guests dressing room so they will be entranced and do whatever she says.

In an oil burner with water add

Frankincense     10 drops

Bergamot           8 drops

Black pepper      5 drops

Nutmeg              3 drops

Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid

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And now Ellen is talking with a double lung transplant survivor. They have already danced.

“I’m in the Slipstream of Thankfulness”

This blend is to deeply connect with your spirit, and always be thankful for life, and keep a circle of philanthropy ever-moving. Thanks Ellen, you really are fabulous and very kind to people. And the guest is starting a foundation to help other transplant patients! Awesome.

In a 50ml mist bottle with water add

Cardamom       5 drops

Orange            15 drops

Sandalwood     5 drops

Mist all around to connect with the oneness of the universe.

our little spot in the big universe

our little spot in the big universe

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Snooki and JWoww. Ok. I know they were in that show Jersey Shore but that’s all I know. Ellen is giving them gifts (as usual) and chatting about their lives. Here is a blend for Ellen to maintain her mental alertness towards the end of her show.

“Focus Focus Focus”

On a tissue, or makeup pad add the following drops and have a huge sniff when you start to vague out.

Rosemary    2 drops

Lemon         2 drops

Basil            2 drops

Snooki & JWoww

Snooki & JWoww

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So there you have it. Real time recipes for Ellen DeGeneres. Why not try them out?

Thanks Ellen, great show.

 

What Do I Mean when I Say “Use Your Intention”?

Hello natural scent lovers far and wide!

Often when we are magnetically drawn to essential oils it’s because we may need a little bit of help.  We may need some inspiration and happiness, less stress, less muscle ache, clarity, cleansing, new beginnings and whatever else you can think of. So when we reach for the little bottle of oil we may not be feeling 100%, and that’s ok.

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Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here: suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils:

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

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There is a fine line between treating ourselves when we are down, and using good intention for the result. For example:

You’ve been feeling a bit weird lately – unfulfilled, no energy, no inspiration to go on. You finally get the energy to open a bottle of essential oil and you intuitively take orange and geranium. These little powerhouse oils will help you see the lighter side of life, perhaps even be a generator of happiness and allow you some space to reevaluate. So when you make your oil blend, whether it be for your body, or a mist to spritz all over your energetic field, it’s important to bring in your GOOD intention for the blend.

Body oils make lovely legs

 

This doesn’t have to take a long time nor does it have to be complicated.   You could simply say to yourself “fulfilment”. When you have your word or phrase for the oil formula, allow it to amplify for a few seconds and gather some energy of it’s own. Breathe. Bring in the POSITIVE vibes, and now CREATE.

This could take 10 seconds. It could take a minute. You may even decide to mediate with the bottle of oils in your hands. Any way you choose to do it, the most important thing is to DO IT!

The classic alchemist “The Magician” from the Rider-Waite Tarot deck

Why?

Because you are more powerful than you realise. You are the alchemist of your own life and you can start to reveal this amazing talent a little bit everyday. By placing your intention (energy) into your oils and your formula, you are communicating with the universe and stating what you desire. The alternative would be to take the bottle of oil, dwell in your negativity, create your oil blend, and hope for the best. The oils will still be beautiful, enchanting and active, but you will have better results when you add your awareness and mindfulness.

look within – not without

 

Always treat yourself rather than trying to make a “spell” for someone else. If you are faced with the negative energy of someone in your environment it is critical that you make your intention positive.

For example; you have a really unhappy person at work who sits next to you. Yesterday all they did was whinge and complain and you don’t really want to hear anymore today.

Choose your oils – this could be fennel, ylang ylang and bergamot. Add your intention “today will fly by at work in a peaceful and happy way”. Get that vibe going, breathe a few times then add one drop of each onto your wrists as your personal perfume for the day.

DON’T make your intention “keep that negative, whiney bitch away from me today I’m sick of her”.

may all your vortexes be charged with positive energy

Do you see the difference? Each time you feel yourself being pulled into the negativity of your colleague, take a whiff of your personal perfume on your wrists, breathe and walk away, or pick up the phone, or rush to the toilet.

Go ahead! Start blending with your intention!

Remember to treat yourself first, and then everyone will benefit.

Remember to add your intention to create a meaningful formula.

 

Lavender is the “Little Black Dress” of the Oil Wardrobe

absolutely stunning lavender fields via reddit.com

absolutely stunning lavender fields via reddit.com

Lavender is the “Little Black Dress” of the oil wardrobe. The L.B.D. It is. Let me explain.

The other night I was going to a 20’s Prohibition themed 40th birthday party and didn’t really have time to get an outfit together – or really had no idea what to wear. My friend said “oh come on all you have to do is wear a little black dress and stick a flower in your hair”.

Right. Of course. And then the fact that I didn’t own a L.B.D became the issue. Off I went to the new year sales and after hours of trying on dresses I found my L.B.D. It wasn’t what I had imagined so now I realise it may be necessary to own a few. So anyway the L.B.D. is the item in your wardrobe you can take anywhere. You can wear it out to dinner, to the opera/symphony/theatre, to a party, to an intimate evening at home, to lunch and pretty much anywhere. It’s how you accessorise that counts. You can dress it up or dress it down, and mould it into something new every time you wear it. In fact it could just be a little black slip and still work.

the L.B.D via groominglady.com

the L.B.D via groominglady.com

Lavender is the same. It is a MUST have oil for any collection! Even if you aren’t into aromatherapy in a big way, it’s a must have for any household due it’s amazing first aid properties. Burns, cuts and abrasions, panic attacks, stress, headaches and anything else you can think of. It’s the fortifying oil, the oil of bringing energy together.

Lavender has cell regenerating properties too so it’s great in skincare and haircare, helping scars heal and helping sunburn. Here’s a few body oil blend recipes for lavender:

“I’ll Have a Sour Plum Margarita Thanks”

Take lavender to a cocktail bar – in 3 teaspoons of carrier oil add

Lavender      2 drops

Ylang Ylang  3 drops

Orange         3 drops

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“I have No Idea What She is Singing”

Take lavender to the dress circle at the opera – in 3 teaspoons of carrier oil add

Lavender        3 drops

Frankincense  3 drops

Patchouli        1 drop

Nutmeg          1 drop

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“Behind Closed Doors”

Take lavender into the bedroom – in 3 teaspoons of carrier oil add

Lavender                 1 drop

Jasmine in jojoba     12 drops

Sandalwood             1 drop

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dance floor at Sydney Mardi Gras 2007

dance floor at Sydney Mardi Gras 2007

“I like the Extended Dance Mix Better than the Radio Edit”

Take lavender to the dance floor – in 3 teaspoons of carrier oil add

Lavender                 1 drop

Cedarwood Atlas     2 drops

Bergamot                4 drops

Cinnamon                1 drop

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“I’ll Save Room for Dessert”

Take Lavender to a dinner party – in 3 teaspoons of carrier oil add

Lavender                                 3 drops

Fennel                                     1 drop

Roman Chamomile in jojoba    8 drops

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“What’s the Wi-Fi Password?”

Take Lavender into a business meeting – in 3 teaspoons of carrier oil add

Lavender             2 drops

Neroli in jojoba    12 drops

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lavender

lavender

Lavender is a fantastic, versatile herb that should never be overlooked. It is powerful!

I hope you have fun with these recipes and please feel free to tell me about your experience of lavender in the comments section.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Oils for Meditation

aaahhh meditation!

Meditation is a wonderful thing, and doesn’t really need any added help. It’s about being, not doing. It’s about connecting and detaching. So do we need essential oils to help our meditation practice? Probably not, but sometimes it adds anchoring to the ritual and helps some relax into the process. When you vapourise oils in a classic “oil burner” with a candle, the flame acts as an agent of transformation.

I love this oil burner from pagethirtythree.com

My choices for meditation oils are:

Lavender – I use lavender for everything! It is as warming as it is cooling, It is calming and nurturing, It is centering and grounding, and brings together your energy. It is a well-known oil for relaxation due to its high ‘linalool” content. A few deep breaths of lavender at the start of your meditation will help you zone in to yourself quite quickly. My motto is “If in doubt, use lavender”.

Frankincense – oh ye olde magic of frankincense! It starts out as a resin from the tree and is then steam distilled to make the oil. It is the oil of breathing deeply and has its roots in spiritual and religious practices. By breathing deeply and expanding your lungs, more oxygen can flow into your body. The combination of increased oxygen and the natural feeling of relaxation when you take a deep breath, adds up to a very peaceful vibration. It is in this state we can connect with our higher selves, and essentially “God”. It is almost used in churches as a scent to induce a type of hypnotic trance.
For a quite peaceful meditation use frankincense oil.

Rose – the ‘queen’ of oils, it is an oil of self nurturing and self-love. Rose can be used for everything from heat exhaustion to cuts and wounds. The scent is divine and when you are in the presence of pure rose oil you wont be able to escape is enveloping nature. I think of rose crystal quartz when I use this oil too, the love crystal. Shakti Gawain talks about “pink bubbles of love” in her revolutionary book from 1978 “Creative Visualization”. Pink, oil of rose, and rose quartz go hand in hand – I often surround myself with the energy of rose quartz, and rose oil, when I feel I need a bit of help and kindness. Use rose oil in your meditation to give yourself a feeling of security, softness and love so you can open to the messages of the universe.

unpolished rose quartz borrowed from angelreikihealing.com

So many oils can be used for the practice of meditation just be guided by your intuition and your personal fragrance preferences. You don’t even need to vapourise the oils you could just put a drop on your upper lip (patch test for sensitivity first).

Some more relaxing oils for meditation are:

orange, bergamot, petitgrain, lemon balm, neroli,

Some expansive oils:

pine, cypress, fir, tea tree, basil

The most important thing is to set some time aside to meditate – and that can be so hard in our busy daily lives! The oil is the icing on the cake.

Meditate, and the whole world will benefit.

Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love

Love

“Slipped, tripped and fell in love”, sings the beautiful Ann Peebles on her 1971 hit. You can listen to Ann’s soulful voice here.

Anne Peebles

Anne Peebles

But this isn’t really about Ann Peebles. It’s about love. Everyone wants to know about love potions, essential oils for love and how to get someone’s attention with scent.

Essential oil blending can be a fun way to experiment with natural perfumes and put you in the driver’s seat of your life. So does a love potion really work? Sure, of course it does but there’s a subtle trick.

The best way to make a love potion work is to create it for yourself. Have you heard of the exercise to write down all the qualities of what you want in a partner? When you’ve made your list, your job now, is to embody those qualities, to attract someone of the same vibration. What I’m saying is contrary to what you’d expect a spell to do. When you make a spell or practice other magic like that, you are engaging intention and alchemy to manipulate others. When making an aromatherapy love potion, even if it is your intention to attract another, the energy of the potion will be different. When you create it for yourself, you empower yourself, you don’t disempower someone else. You are supporting and nurturing your self, and sending your intention out into the ether with a positive spin.

Essential oils are carriers of the truth, they cannot lie. When you mix the essence of yourself with the essence of a flower or plant you will concoct a synergistic formula based in love and truth. Wait and see what happens.

Here are a some recipes to invite love and passion into your life:

1) “Law of Attraction”

To attract a life partner try a body oil blend using 3 teaspoons of carrier oil. Then add

Sandalwood  2 drops

Rosewood      2 drops

Orange           3 drops

Coat your body in this luscious formula before you go out to a social event.

2) “Mesmerise”

To attract a fun, intimate connection with another, try anointing your wrists, heart chakra and throat chakra in a combo of these oils:

Patchouli     1 drop

Jasmine       3 drops (this is assuming your jasmine oil is in a 3% blend with jojoba. If you have pure jasmine just use one drop).

Mandarin     1 drop

Just place each drop into a saucer or little ramekin, stir with your little finger and anoint yourself. MMMMMMMMMM. Delicious!

3) “Barry White is in the House”

If you are having a get together at your house, vapourise these oils in a classic oil burner with a candle:

Bergamot    5 drops

Palmarosa   5 drops

Ylang Ylang 5 drops

Don’t be scared to use any oil, just add your heartfelt intention when you blend, and all will be revealed to you.

Remember to treat yourself first, and everyone else will benefit.

The Loveliness of Lemons

Hello natural beauties!

I love lemons because they are an adaptable fruit. Seemingly originating from Asia around the start of the common era, they were probably used in some form or another before then. Anyway they’ve been around for ages (literally) and my friend connects them to his medieval past life. Once he came to my house with a gift of oranges and I returned his gift with some organic lemons off Mum’s lemon tree (see pic). He said “oooooo that’s so medieval”.

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Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here: suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils:

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

***********************************************************************************************

 

Mum’s lemon tree with the washing hanging on it

 

Lemon juice can be used in all types of cooking; on salads, in baking, jams and marmalades, as a drink and whenever you can think of lemon flavour.

You can use the juice as a bleach to remove stains from clothing, as a cleaner mixed with bi-carb soda, as a disinfectant on kitchen benches and the list goes on.

When Martha Stewart was on Oprah she lamented the one thing she missed in the big house, was lemons, as she drinks black tea with lemon everyday. I’ll never forget that, it stuck in my mind. She would be ingesting some of the juice which is alkalising, and some of the essential oil which can act as a digestive aid as well as adding flavour. Just like Bergamot is used as a flavour agent Earl Grey tea.

Sunny lemons

Obviously lemon essential oil comes from the rind, and is a sparkly, light fantastically scented oil. I call it a happiness oil. How can you not smile when you take a huge whiff of the oil. It can make your mouth water too.

Lemon essential oil can be used for muscle fatigue among many things. I remember when studying, a massage therapist told me she used lemon juice in olive oil for sore muscles. You’d smell like a salad dressing but I love the simplicity of it. Thousands of years ago basic remedies like this were the only things available for sickness.

Lemon essential oil is an uplifting oil with a sweet innocence about it, but don’t be fooled – it has a solid place in modern aromatherapy.

lemon

Some aromatherapists and scientific data claim lemon oil is good for:

  • stimulating the action of white blood cells
  • killing bacteria in the gut
  • soothing and lessening varicose veins
  • tonifying the circulatory system and aiding high blood pressure
  • helping the body shed excess fluids
  • decreasing cellulite
  • improving concentration
  • easing rheumatic pain & gout pain
  • stopping the flow of blood with cuts and abrasions

…… and the list continues.

All hail the lemon as a stalwart of modern living!

Lemon essential oil is like a treat for our crazy world. Enjoy the simple things in life with this gift from nature.