Wellness and Wilderness

24/11/2024

The past few weeks there's not been much room in my life for much more than mushrooms!
(lucky Im not a copy writer eh!? )

A mushroom friend of mine here in the mountains, described the English as a nation of funghiphobes...

I think I'd probably agree...
so prove me wrong,

Would you eat any of these?
main pic is winter chanterelles picked yesterday

in the comments theres a few more of what I've been picking on an almost daily basis for 5 or more weeks ...

Which would or wouldnt you dare to try.

18/11/2024

So..
What did you get up to this weekend?

Me?
Only one of the most transformational times of my life...

Its been a full on full moon

Partying with the spirits
Harnessing my power

Burning and Releasing

Rising to Challanges
Dealing with adversity with grace

I've not had to pay to go on an expensive retreat
Or work with a shaman on a plant medicine jounrey
Or dive deep into therapy

not that Im knocking any of those things.
sometimes they are needed

This weekend however has been far more impactful
because Itve done it on my own.

Ive dug deep to find the answers .
Finally, fully embracing and embodying the words from one of my fave films that i shared last week.

"You've always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself"

I thought I HAD learnt that already.
I mean look at all that i have done.

but somewhere during perimenopause that faith in myself got lost.
The power I held was given away.

If you're feeling lost in the fog of midlife challenges or menopause
like I have been for the past few years.

If you need a gentle nudge to get back on the right road to reclaiming your power,

If any of what i have said resonates with you on a deeper level.

get in touch.

Im gona be relaunching my Reimagining Midlife
group programme in the new year.
and I would love you to he a part of it.

06/11/2024

I Really should check this page more often!

Natural beauty expert Janey Lee Grace spotlights the female entrepreneurs shaping sustainable beauty.

06/11/2024

WTF America
Really
In 2016 I sat in my car and cried.
Today Ive gone back to bed for a bit.
So I can just lie here and look at all this beauty and lighta
To try to keep my vibration high and try not to cry..

I really thought we would he waking up to hope for a hrighter global future today.

If anypne feels the need to run away to the mountains and scream you know where to find me .

31/10/2024

💜Getting proper witchy up the mountain....
💚My first attempt at making Mullein torches
for tonight Samhain fire and feast

I use Mullein medicinally
its great for chest congestion, COPD ashma etc...

My 95 year old superwoman of an ex MIL drinks infusions daily and swears by it
for good health and ling life

and traditionally it has a whole heap of other uses but I've never tried this before

gona burn them round the fire tonight to ward of evil spirits and for protection

hope they work!
step by step info in the comments

28/10/2024

as the nights draw in and the days get colder, you might want to wrap your self up in some totally lush , ethically sourced cashmere.....
my friend me has an amazing offer on her already far too cheap 100% cashmerere ponchos atm
similar (but smaller ) ones sell on ETSY for 175£
these are a total bargin
Ive got a red one on the way and I cant wait :-)

Cashmere is a superfine, soft fibre combed from the undercoats of cashmere goats who roam free across the Himalaya Hills. Artisans in Nepal have been producing the finest-grade cashmere products for thousands of years and I am delighted to be working with a small supplier based in Kathmandu to bring...

23/10/2024

Can you guess two of things that bring me joy and help my mental health?

They are also two things i can say with confidence that I'm pretty good at.

One Im very qualified in
and have been doing for over 23 years professionally.
and has helped me fund my passion for rhe other....

One I've learnt intuitively and have been improving for the past 10 or so years

They are very very different things
but have a surprising number of crossovers
in some of the skills and attributes needed to do them well.

Theres a clue in this pic....

tho one requires this kinda look
the other definitely doesn't!

wednesday
maverick

28/05/2024

My life is so not like most people's,
that its really hard to describe what being me, living here is like.

You either need to come volunteer or come and stay on a wellbeing /glamping break here to find out

or this lil vid from Erica who volunteered here last year gives a bit of a taste of volunteering /living here.

Am I as crazy as many people think?
Or living the dream?

What do you reckon.?

PS I've only just opened for bookings this year
so still got some availability between mid June and Mid Sept if this tickles your fancy.

PPS I love the title tag line of this Vidio (how working on the land relexed me like nothing else).
it's true
this place has been such a huge part of my healing and recovery and nervous system reset,
and I love to share it with others

Get in touch if you need some of that.

link to vid in comments

23/05/2024

Ive been delving deep into learning about trauma over the past few years,

I started dipping my toes in the water, way before Covid hit,
but when the whole world went into trauma I definitely ramped things up.

Finally having the time to try and process some of my own past stuff, was the first stage.
Leading the Self care & Wellbeing sessions for Illuminate Charity was the second, vitally important step.

The sessions allowed me to really combine all my years of training in seemingly random holistic disaplines, and were so helpful both to me and the beneficiaries .

Im not a certified trauma therapist but have done so much learning about
trauma therapy,
trauma release,
somatic work,
nervous system regulation,
vegus nerve work,
calming breath work,
slow movement,
safe touch, and so much more

Ive woven it all in to all the work that I do.

I now realise that once again without even realising it, I was sub consciously changing the way I work and adapting my sessions to be more trauma conscious without even realising that is what I was doing.

Its only now, writing it all down that i can see the thread that has run through my life and work since everyone in the world's world turned upside down in 2020.

Ive learned so much in the past few years,
but this week I've been glued to a free online summit, that has totally blown my mind,
its helped me see just how much everything, including all the other work i do around nutrition and self care IS a big part of the trauma-healing picture.

We are not an isolated nervous system or a heart or brain seperate from all other bits of the body,
we are a holistic whole,
so to truly treat anything, but particularly trauma response which really integrates all parts, we need to work on all parts

The Healing Hearts Healing Bodies Summit lead by Dr. Aimee Apigian, has helped me to see this and so much more.
ITs helped me make sense of my life
my intense dissociation and how its manifests in so many different aspects of my life.
I can honestly say this week has been more helpful and insightful than so much of the very expensive therapy I've done.

its the last day today,
but you could still sign up and get some amazing interviews for free.
(linking comments)
or if you're keen as mustard like me you can sign up to get vidios and transcripts to keep and watch again,

I dont get anything for this,
I'm not on an affiliate link, i just think this info needs sharing and the more people that understand the better for everyone.

16/04/2024

IT's so good to be back

This accidental screen shot is def not my fave pic of me,

but it captures the moment nicely, I was so ridiculously nervous,

despite it being something I have done for years,

imposter syndrome was rearing its ugly head again.

Yesterday i taught my first Yoga class in over a year,

Im really glad to be back supporting folks in Cambridge via the City Council's Active You classe timetable.

Im lucky to be able to teach from where ever i maybe,

Yesterday I taught from the side of the sunny mountain.

Next week Ill be back in the much less gorgous and green location of my front room in Cambridge...

If your local to cambridge and fancy joining let me know and ill send you the link.

If your not Im going to start a couple other low cost classes again too,

I miss it too much not to.

And It gives me the accountabilty i need to make sure i do more regular practice for myself.

Which I have really really needed recently with all the personal life stress weve been dealing with.

(if you've seen my previous post you'll know what im talking about)

Theres no point in me sheduling things that no one can come to,

so do let me know

IF you feel the need to de stress or move a bit more,

what would tickle your fancy?

Yoga? Pilates? Stretch and Strengthen?

when could you fit something in

Lunchtime? morning? evening?

.

06/04/2024

Natural beauty expert Janey Lee Grace spotlights the female entrepreneurs shaping sustainable beauty.

25/01/2024

🌟Did you know....

I'm in an award-winning film....⁉️

Indeed, not only am I your go to Wellness Wonder Woman for all things Wellness and wonderful.

🌟I'm also a star.😂

okay that definitely makes it sound a lot grander than it is

but that's what you got to do on the socials right?

Truth...

this is a short documentary

but it great and it has won awards

and

I am one of two main (only) characters

(three if you count the bus)

This past year has involved pushing myself out of my comfort zone much much more than I really wanted to.

if you've been following my story you'll know why

but public speaking

in Spanish

in front of packed auditoriums when we presented the documentary has been right up there at the top of the discomfort list

it's also one of the things I'm most proud of doing this past year.

We are showing it again tonight in the University of Leon auditoriums

as part of their cultural program

with a Q and A session afterwards.

so if you're in the area come and say

hi I'll be smiling on the outside

but shaking like a leaf on the inside

and trying not to muddle my words

What have you done lately to push out of your comfort zone?

and I'm really looking forward to the documentary part 2 which me and my kids will definitely be the stars of!

21/12/2023

I had even packed Xmas tree....
but things don't always go to plan...

After weeks of meticulous planning and
overcoming of all the many many problems this trip entailed,
I Was due to be arriving back in the UK today.

🌟 to celebrate my birthday today, and the winter soltice 🌟
🎄 to spend Xmas with family for the first time in years 🎄
💜 to gladly say goodbye to the most testing year that has been 2023 💜

But after weeks of stress organising the journey with so so many complications along the way,

I had very unexpected last minute car problems which couldn't be sorted.
So I'm back home with all the dogs for my soltice birthday Xmas and new year here with all the dogs my friend and my neighboors with their army of kids .

So its not all bad, its jst not what I had spent weeks planning.

This month has been a hard lesson in taking my own medicine more.

I've had to dig deeper to find the grattitude
But it's definitely been there throughout

I've had to dig deeper to feel the love
But it's definitely been there throughout

As regular readers of my posts will know.
my life recently has been the epitome of
" things don't always go to plan"

but that's ok. hey...
I get to spend this time at one of my favorite places with all the dogs and cats and my friends dogs and cats and my lovely neighboors and all their hordes of kids
and the sun will be shining alot
and there's snow up at the ski station close by if we fancy a white Christmas too.

today I'm going to to go swimming do yoga paint my nails and cuddle the hounds ....

Happy solstice to everyone
Happy birthday to me.
And as my mum would say
" it's not only the darkest day Fay
your birthday signifies the return of the light "