This conversation with Stephanie from Atempause is part of a series of interviews with women who, like me, feel particularly connected to nature. I will talk to different women and find out more about them and their approach to nature.

These are exactly the stories I will pass on to you here so that you too can discover the most diverse insights and approaches to nature.

In the spaces between our breath lie the pauses of everyday life - Stephanie Mika-Wikenhauser

Tell us something about yourself:

My name is Stephanie and I come from southern Germany near Lake Constance. I like to call myself a "modern witch" because I'm not just interested in herbs, but also in healing stones and flower essences. Herbs are a very big topic for me and I'm currently training to be a naturopath. I work independently and also spend two afternoons in a pharmacy. That's my "trained" profession, but even during my training I noticed that I wasn't drawn to chemical medicine preparations, but more to naturopathic products and homeopathy. I then worked for a few years in a naturopathic drugstore in Switzerland, where I learned a lot and was able to gain experience. Today, in my self-employed work, I give Reiki, offer energetic massages, and Bach flower and healing stone consultations. Online, I lead women's circles and online workshops, which I really enjoy.

Where does your love for nature come from?

I have always been a child of nature, grew up in the country and still live here. As a child, we were almost always outside. I got my love of herbs from my grandmother, with whom I spent a lot of time in the herbal gardens. She collected nettles, wormwood, marigold and much more and made her own teas from them. She also had her own herbal pharmacy and that always helped a lot. I forgot about that a little when I was a teenager and it wasn't until I started working in the pharmacy that my awareness of herbs and nature came to the fore again.

It was also exciting to find out what these herbs, which I only knew in dried form, looked like when fresh and, above all, where they grew. I then did a herbal training course and it was then that I realized that this was really my thing.

It was also beautiful to see how nature develops from the beginning of the year to the end. Every year you discover new leaves and plants.

Do you have a favorite plant? If you could choose to be a plant, which one would it be?

I have the feeling that the wild rose suits me well. It is not immediately recognizable as a rose. As a flower essence, it is often used for people who lack a little zest for life. Who have lost sight of their goal and don't really know where they are going. I think I can convey this quite well and help them rediscover the beauty of life. Some clients also say quite openly that they are glad they came to me because I have helped them rediscover their love for the little things and regain their zest for life.

Do you have a favorite place in nature?

I have a few favorite places in nature. One of my favorite places is a hill in the area, where we celebrated our wedding and the champagne reception. It's a beautiful place up on the mountain with a fireplace. If the weather is good, you can even see the Alps.

There is a great tree that supports me. But there is no one favorite place - there are four or five places where I can always recharge my batteries and gain new energy.

Is SUSTAINABILITY important to you? If so, where do you live it?

It is definitely an issue, even if it is sometimes a little difficult to implement. I try to save plastic. I make my own cosmetics and mix my own face cream. I no longer use conventional shampoo, but use solid shampoo - I also make my own soap and deodorant.

Once you have found your way around in one area and tried things out, you can move on to another. I also try to look for natural materials when it comes to clothing. I make sure to buy cotton or bamboo clothes.

It's important to start somewhere and do your best there. I also take my own container with me when I go shopping and make sure not to use plastic bags.

Which 3 adjectives best describe you?

Nature lover

A bit crazy

Joyful

Which area of ​​your calling is closest to your heart?

One of my heart projects will be implemented in August. I have planned a herbal weekend with a friend.

It is important to me in everything I do, whether energetic or physical, whether online or offline, to guide women back to their intuition. You don't always have to follow exact rules, you can also listen to your gut feeling and listen to yourself to find out what suits me or why this or that plant caught my eye. Women should develop a greater sense of this and create their own "medicine" or care. We ourselves should get to know our bodies better again and trust our own instincts and perceptions more. Reconnecting with the body more and "feeling" the soul better again - that is what is important to me to convey.

What is your tip for a “breather break” in between?

If you are from my area, I would like to invite you to visit me! I had the idea for the "breathing break" years ago. "The spaces between your breath are the breaks in everyday life." Just stand up straight and breathe consciously into your stomach. Deeply down, this relaxes the autonomic nervous system and calms your thoughts and nerves. If you are excited or in a tense situation, deep abdominal breathing is a good way to relax. It is also good if you go outside or at least stand by the window and breathe consciously.

Another opportunity to take a breather is to treat yourself to a massage or some advice.

You have a few terms on your Instagram profile that you use to describe yourself. Please tell us what these terms mean to you:

1. Herbal Witch

The term witch comes from the women who worked with herbs. The word witch comes from the term Hagezussen - the Hage were the bushes that grew around the city walls. The witches dared to go behind these hedges and collected their herbs there and made their medicine. For me, that is a very positive term.

2. Gynaecology

Because I have been working on myself, my body and my cycle, the subject has always fascinated me. I will soon be training to be a therapeutic massage therapist for women, which I have come to really appreciate. Working on my own body and getting to know it better is very important to me and I would like to pass it on to all women.

3. Moon Lover

It started with the lunar days when I went to the hairdresser. After that I devoted myself to the full moon and new moon energies and now I am generally very concerned with the moon and its effects on the body and soul. The moon has a particularly big influence on us women.

4. Healing stones

They are also one of my favorite areas. I came across them in the naturopathic pharmacy in Switzerland, as we sold them there. I started carrying them around with me and seeing what effect they had on me and what they did to me. It was very exciting what happened and what effect the stones had on our bodies. As an experiment, I put a moonstone on my stomach during my cycle and that took away the pain. That was a great experience for me and they have fascinated me ever since. That is also a very big part of my work.

Each stone helps with different issues, but it is also a good idea to simply let your intuition guide you and simply pick up the stone that appeals to you the most.

Thank you very much, dear Stephanie, for this wonderful interview and for giving me the opportunity to "drop by" and have this conversation about nature and your approach to it.

If you want to know more about Stephanie and what else she does, check out her homepage or her Instagram profile .

You can find more interviews about great women and their approach to nature here:

Karin from Naturspirit
Stephanie from Atempause
Susanne from Naturzauberwerke
Tina from the herbalist
Melanie from Mint
Anja from Daisy & Sunshine
Andrea from Fermentista
Andrea from Yoga Cuisine
Marlies von Quendelgrün
Christine from Textpoterie
Doris from Made with Love
Alex from Die Kräutermadame
Bianca from Naturespiritauraspray
Gerda from Green Power