In leafy Warrandyte, north-east of Melbourne, Tiana welcomed us into a restorative space where she studies and rejuvenates. Drawn to her warmth, generous spirit and ability to dissect life, edition 4 is inspired by Tiana’s field of study in Chinese medicine, her ability to make connections and find beauty in everyday things.
Imagery by Ro Noonan
On her daily rituals…
I like my daily rituals to be fluid and to adapt to my daily needs and feeling in my body. Often, it includes drinking chinese herbs in the morning and evening, brushing my hair, applying some face oil and if appropriate, some sort of movement. This might be qigong, walking, pilates or yoga.
Rituals for creativity & inspiration…
I find inspiration in enriching conversations, incidental learning, other people’s lives and their creative worlds. Visiting someone’s studio, an art gallery and op shopping inspire me too. I find creativity in stillness, boredom and quiet.
Rituals to rejuvenate…
I rejuvenate by swimming in the ocean, I love going to Warrandyte and swimming in the river there too, getting some acupuncture treatment, reading some fiction, a lengthy chat with a dear friend, listening to an album, qigong, rubbing my feet and making things with my hands — lately its been knitting and i’ve been working with clay a bit too.
Rituals for productivity & organisation…
I enjoy working in a peaceful and intentional space. I use oil burner blends to help reinvigorate the atmosphere and inspire clear-thinking. When feeling particularly stale, I needle Shenting / DU 24. This is an acupuncture point located on the midpoint of the hairline. Stimulating this point benefits the brain and calms the mind. I will pair this with a grounding point like SP3 on my feet to anchor my qi. In saying this, I can get caught up in perfecting my space before feeling “ready” to be productive. Sometimes I find I’m most productive when I just get up and do whatever I need to do. I also like hand writing lists to help me prioritise what’s most important.
On her favourite healing remedies…
I lean on tools that help me feel back into my body. Movement is important, qigong and yoga help me feel my blood and qi flow through my body again. Touch is also helpful, when I don’t have access to an acupuncture needle I will press into acupuncture points and use massage instead. My healing remedies will change according to the ailment — sometimes it’s just a really good yarn!
About some of the herbs we used at the shoot...
The herbs we used are part of a formula that help relieve period pain. The herbs work synergistically to move stagnated qi, blood and fluids in the body. For me, these herbs have eliminated PMS symptoms and blood clots in my menses, as well as reducing my period pain.
The formulae includes the following herbs:
Chai Hu, Zhu Fu Ling, Gui Zhi, Ze Xie, Chen Pi, Ban Xia, Yi Mu Cao, Zhi Shi, Huang Qin, Hou Po, Chao Gan Cao.
On her favourite memory…
There’s many, but one is driving around Gozo with my 75 year old aunty and uncle. We stopped and jumped off every cliff diving spot, and every body of water on the island.
Where she draws inspiration from…
I draw my inspiration from people, in particular their resilience to life. People who allow themselves to be vulnerable — despite the discomfort — are deeply inspiring to me.