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Rise & Wild |

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Email: rach@riseandwild.com

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There are moments in life where we can feel so incredibly connected. Sat on the floor meditating (as I had been here), and writing, moving, resting, belly laughing, making love, cooking food, and always whilst playing with animals! Watching the morning sun rise, birds singing, leaves falling, traffic beginning to roar. It might happen deep in conversation, with someone we love and sometimes in passing with somebody we’ve just met. Maybe it’s whilst eating pizza, sharing slices, or messaging a friend who replies “I was literally just thinking about you”. Sometimes it rolls in quietly, and others might arrive in times of grief or sadness. ‘Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine’. Mary Oliver’s poems and all that they ignite. Art. TV series that awaken something within. Watching fire and candle light flicker. Does any of this ring true for you? What about the buzz from the double shot of coffee kicking in ~ woah, that feeling… here I am. Living, feeling, being in the world. Present whilst walking through forests and jumping into lakes. Smiling at somebody who smiles back straight away, singing along at music gigs, and sharing cups of tea.

There are moments in life where we can feel so incredibly connected. Sat on the floor meditating (as I had been here), and writing, moving, resting, belly laughing, making love, cooking food, and always whilst playing with animals! Watching the morning sun rise, birds singing, leaves falling, traffic beginning to roar. It might happen deep in conversation, with someone we love and sometimes in passing with somebody we’ve just met. Maybe it’s whilst eating pizza, sharing slices, or messaging a friend who replies “I was literally just thinking about you”. Sometimes it rolls in quietly, and others might arrive in times of grief or sadness. ‘Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine’. Mary Oliver’s poems and all that they ignite. Art. TV series that awaken something within. Watching fire and candle light flicker. Does any of this ring true for you? What about the buzz from the double shot of coffee kicking in ~ woah, that feeling… here I am. Living, feeling, being in the world. Present whilst walking through forests and jumping into lakes. Smiling at somebody who smiles back straight away, singing along at music gigs, and sharing cups of tea.

Sharing places like these as autumn draws in. Natural or low light, plant life and where space allows, the crackle of fire. In woodland cabins and community centres and church halls and living rooms and nature reserves and gardens and on the hill and all the other places where we meet. You’re welcome here, exactly as you are 🧡

Sharing places like these as autumn draws in. Natural or low light, plant life and where space allows, the crackle of fire. In woodland cabins and community centres and church halls and living rooms and nature reserves and gardens and on the hill and all the other places where we meet. You’re welcome here, exactly as you are 🧡

To know the forest, or a woodland, is to know love. To feel the soft, spongy blanket of earth beneath bare feet and to meet moss like it’s the greatest treasure you’ll ever come across. Love soars… To be with the birds, hearing them up high in the trees and to feel their wildness within the depth of our own animalness. It is here where we return, welcomed, embraced, encouraged in the arms of trees. Our bodies breathe a little more deeply, freely. Eyes - however tired - sparkling with the light. And there’s a heartbeat, tell me you’ve felt it too, the bdum bdum that’s beating throughout our bodies, in rhythm with the heart and soul of this shared & sacred place 🤎

To know the forest, or a woodland, is to know love. To feel the soft, spongy blanket of earth beneath bare feet and to meet moss like it’s the greatest treasure you’ll ever come across. Love soars… To be with the birds, hearing them up high in the trees and to feel their wildness within the depth of our own animalness. It is here where we return, welcomed, embraced, encouraged in the arms of trees. Our bodies breathe a little more deeply, freely. Eyes - however tired - sparkling with the light. And there’s a heartbeat, tell me you’ve felt it too, the bdum bdum that’s beating throughout our bodies, in rhythm with the heart and soul of this shared & sacred place 🤎

🧡 Captured in the moment with the beat of a drum and our soles bare, moving with the land. Reawakening to the sensitivity and resiliency and lifefullness of our bodies. To be here, with nature reserves and woodlands, coastlines & community centres, you and me and the creatures, trees & other wildlings, guiding practices and space for expression, reconnection, giggles and wiggles and soulful experience. Here, with the handbuilt, earth-made roundhouse, returning to our embodied nature.

It hasn’t always been this way. For a long time in my earlier years I was out of tune with my body, just the thought of moving, dancing - feeling - in public filled me with dread. My friends would rock to a live band with confidence & rhythm whilst I found it excruciating. It’s taken years for me to unravel from self-consciousness & stories spun untrue in my mind and from within our society. When I began to remember how (and learn and practice and allow) felt-sense to guide me, I began to experience a freedom and a way of life that I have been dancing more & more toward ever since.

🧡 Captured in the moment with the beat of a drum and our soles bare, moving with the land. Reawakening to the sensitivity and resiliency and lifefullness of our bodies. To be here, with nature reserves and woodlands, coastlines & community centres, you and me and the creatures, trees & other wildlings, guiding practices and space for expression, reconnection, giggles and wiggles and soulful experience. Here, with the handbuilt, earth-made roundhouse, returning to our embodied nature.

It hasn’t always been this way. For a long time in my earlier years I was out of tune with my body, just the thought of moving, dancing - feeling - in public filled me with dread. My friends would rock to a live band with confidence & rhythm whilst I found it excruciating. It’s taken years for me to unravel from self-consciousness & stories spun untrue in my mind and from within our society. When I began to remember how (and learn and practice and allow) felt-sense to guide me, I began to experience a freedom and a way of life that I have been dancing more & more toward ever since.

Our weekend retreat in Ashbourne ~ October 2024 🍂 Creating space for people to feel truly nourished, with yoga classes, walks, nature-based practices, embodied movement, the greatest feasts and free time to read, swim, be… We laughed so, so much and tears flowed at times. Connections were made, stories told, friendships evolving, bodies listened to. One morning, leaving my little cottage early to prepare for our first practice of the day, 3 of the group were up watching the sun rise in their dressing gowns, brews in hand. My heart flooded with love, the whole weekend. To be this way, for people to have an opportunity to receive what they need. To slow down, be fed, listened to, nurtured. To have quiet time alone and to be surrounded by laughter and kindness at times. I am so, so grateful to everybody who joined us for making it the weekend that it was, and to Charis and Josh @feastable.uk for all they are and all they do feeding bellies, hearts & minds. Love you incredible beings… here’s to the next one (coming Spring 2025 ☺️)

Our weekend retreat in Ashbourne ~ October 2024 🍂 Creating space for people to feel truly nourished, with yoga classes, walks, nature-based practices, embodied movement, the greatest feasts and free time to read, swim, be… We laughed so, so much and tears flowed at times. Connections were made, stories told, friendships evolving, bodies listened to. One morning, leaving my little cottage early to prepare for our first practice of the day, 3 of the group were up watching the sun rise in their dressing gowns, brews in hand. My heart flooded with love, the whole weekend. To be this way, for people to have an opportunity to receive what they need. To slow down, be fed, listened to, nurtured. To have quiet time alone and to be surrounded by laughter and kindness at times. I am so, so grateful to everybody who joined us for making it the weekend that it was, and to Charis and Josh @feastable.uk for all they are and all they do feeding bellies, hearts & minds. Love you incredible beings… here’s to the next one (coming Spring 2025 ☺️)

Joy. The kind that encompasses us entirely, bringing us into pockets of presence where nothing else exists other than here, now. Here, with the mushrooms. With a brew at our favourite cafe… phone off, people watching. Reading something inspiring. Swimming in sparkling, clear natural waters. Peacefulness. The sun rising. Watching the sun set on a hill with a cold can of something. A song that stirs the soul. Dancing. Moving with the land. Driving, windows down. The slow exhale in a yoga class. Belly laughing with somebody you love. Are we choosing this every day? Alongside work, family life and doing the dishes. What if there was joy to find in doing the dishes? In the activism to make things easier for those who are suffering. Joy in being. Not constantly high on life (let’s be realistic), nor avoiding difficult feelings with pursuits of happiness or escape, but for there to be glimmers throughout our days. Is the coffee being savoured? Are we present on our morning walks? Is the work, in some part, fulfilling? Do we remember the feeling that lives within our bones?

Joy. The kind that encompasses us entirely, bringing us into pockets of presence where nothing else exists other than here, now. Here, with the mushrooms. With a brew at our favourite cafe… phone off, people watching. Reading something inspiring. Swimming in sparkling, clear natural waters. Peacefulness. The sun rising. Watching the sun set on a hill with a cold can of something. A song that stirs the soul. Dancing. Moving with the land. Driving, windows down. The slow exhale in a yoga class. Belly laughing with somebody you love. Are we choosing this every day? Alongside work, family life and doing the dishes. What if there was joy to find in doing the dishes? In the activism to make things easier for those who are suffering. Joy in being. Not constantly high on life (let’s be realistic), nor avoiding difficult feelings with pursuits of happiness or escape, but for there to be glimmers throughout our days. Is the coffee being savoured? Are we present on our morning walks? Is the work, in some part, fulfilling? Do we remember the feeling that lives within our bones?

Gathering around fire and beneath trees 🌍
In community spaces, indoor places, woodlands, parks, towns, online and on retreat in the mountains. Lay on the earth, sharing meals on big tables, climbing trees, navigating screens, walking beneath moonlight, swimming in wild waters and picnics with old, stone walls. Here we are, coming back together, changing the pace, sharing and connecting with something more than the majority of us encounter day to day. Remembering. Deepening our practice, our presence. Laughing, crying sometimes, moving, resting, rewilding our lives, enchanting our evenings and weekends and middle of the week days and all the pockets of time in-between. Unravelling, channelling and coming back together with the world.

Gathering around fire and beneath trees 🌍
In community spaces, indoor places, woodlands, parks, towns, online and on retreat in the mountains. Lay on the earth, sharing meals on big tables, climbing trees, navigating screens, walking beneath moonlight, swimming in wild waters and picnics with old, stone walls. Here we are, coming back together, changing the pace, sharing and connecting with something more than the majority of us encounter day to day. Remembering. Deepening our practice, our presence. Laughing, crying sometimes, moving, resting, rewilding our lives, enchanting our evenings and weekends and middle of the week days and all the pockets of time in-between. Unravelling, channelling and coming back together with the world.

Welcoming Change ~ Here’s to the warmer months we’ve had 🧘🏽‍♀️🌲 our practices outdoors, in nature reserves and woodlands, parks, cabins, roundhouses and gardens. Being barefoot with the land, listening to bird song and watching ducks grow from ducklings; beetles move and mate and wildflowers come and go. Mesmerised by the way the light changes, week to week, moment by moment. Our bodies have been tanned and chilled, strengthened and supported. Now we welcome the changing season 🍂 with some classes & programmes continuing outdoors until December, others taking shelter in the cabin, fire lit and cosy. Walks are offered year round, retreats are sprinkled through the year and many practices remain indoors throughout the seasons, with connection to nature at the beating heart of them. If you would like to find out about seasonal yoga classes, deeper nature workshops and trainings, winter walks, peaks of health and my wider health & wellbeing work, please join my mailing list ~ share your email at the bottom of my website www.riseandwild.com (link in bio) 🧡

Welcoming Change ~ Here’s to the warmer months we’ve had 🧘🏽‍♀️🌲 our practices outdoors, in nature reserves and woodlands, parks, cabins, roundhouses and gardens. Being barefoot with the land, listening to bird song and watching ducks grow from ducklings; beetles move and mate and wildflowers come and go. Mesmerised by the way the light changes, week to week, moment by moment. Our bodies have been tanned and chilled, strengthened and supported. Now we welcome the changing season 🍂 with some classes & programmes continuing outdoors until December, others taking shelter in the cabin, fire lit and cosy. Walks are offered year round, retreats are sprinkled through the year and many practices remain indoors throughout the seasons, with connection to nature at the beating heart of them. If you would like to find out about seasonal yoga classes, deeper nature workshops and trainings, winter walks, peaks of health and my wider health & wellbeing work, please join my mailing list ~ share your email at the bottom of my website www.riseandwild.com (link in bio) 🧡

Outdoor wellbeing with the Green Angels, guiding wildful, mindful nature workshops, forest meditations and yoga at their nature reserves. Bringing generations of folk… children, grown ups, elders and families together with workshop leaders, creators, woodworkers, face painters, holistic practitioners, cake-bakers volunteers & conservation leaders. Sharing the story of place and all that wildlife-rich space enables 🐍 Community, connection and collaboration at play day-to-day. The Green Angels have become family over the years and it’s a joy to collaborate with them, delivering wellbeing with nature programmes, talks, guiding weekly opportunities for people to connect and practice slow, mindful living and being part of their community open days.

Outdoor wellbeing with the Green Angels, guiding wildful, mindful nature workshops, forest meditations and yoga at their nature reserves. Bringing generations of folk… children, grown ups, elders and families together with workshop leaders, creators, woodworkers, face painters, holistic practitioners, cake-bakers volunteers & conservation leaders. Sharing the story of place and all that wildlife-rich space enables 🐍 Community, connection and collaboration at play day-to-day. The Green Angels have become family over the years and it’s a joy to collaborate with them, delivering wellbeing with nature programmes, talks, guiding weekly opportunities for people to connect and practice slow, mindful living and being part of their community open days.

Into the woods and onto the ground and up with the canopy 🌲 Admiring fungi, feeling the cool earth and relearning how to climb. Arms open, in conversation with one another & the trees with time to be, to wander, to sit and listen. To experience a different pace, where wonder reignites our interrelatedness. You. Me. Nature. Same same. Experience and research + age-old wisdom that we retain in our DNA shows that time with trees can magnify our positive emotions and reduce stress hormones. Our blood pressure & heart rate lowers and our immunity improves from walking in the woods. I often say it’s magic, this, and it really is. But more & more I say it’s mandatory and we are remembering that it’s medicinal. Not just for us (humans) but the whole, our ecosystem, to come back home and heal & thrive and play together.

Into the woods and onto the ground and up with the canopy 🌲 Admiring fungi, feeling the cool earth and relearning how to climb. Arms open, in conversation with one another & the trees with time to be, to wander, to sit and listen. To experience a different pace, where wonder reignites our interrelatedness. You. Me. Nature. Same same. Experience and research + age-old wisdom that we retain in our DNA shows that time with trees can magnify our positive emotions and reduce stress hormones. Our blood pressure & heart rate lowers and our immunity improves from walking in the woods. I often say it’s magic, this, and it really is. But more & more I say it’s mandatory and we are remembering that it’s medicinal. Not just for us (humans) but the whole, our ecosystem, to come back home and heal & thrive and play together.

As she left my class this morning, Leslie said to me “Rachel. Your classes are medicine. It’s so much more y’know.... It’s a mind, body experience. I am so glad that I found you.” Stood there, watching her with kindness and intent in her eyes, my own welled up. Listening, receiving, smiling. What a gift it is to be sharing the wisdom and the qualities of a practice that I’ve devoted so much of my life to exploring. Practicing yoga. Practicing being here in this body. Aware. Present. Calm. Sometimes anxious. Back to calm. Other times overwhelmed, joyful, soft, slow, angry, shallow breathing. Belly breathing. Mmm. Belly breathing! Practicing balance. Pranayama. Meditation. Practicing peacefulness, stillness, surrender and sacrifice. Practicing beyond asana (the postures). Deepening my understanding of what it means to be human, to have this body and to be influenced, ohoho so influenced, by the world and the people and the creatures and landscapes we share our lives with. It’s a practice, yoga. It’s a showing up. Choosing and practicing to live well. Sometimes we nail it and sometimes we fail and sometimes we forget and not often enough do we celebrate the medicine that is at our finger tips. Here I am, with you, learning and guiding & reminding one another as we go 🌍

As she left my class this morning, Leslie said to me “Rachel. Your classes are medicine. It’s so much more y’know.... It’s a mind, body experience. I am so glad that I found you.” Stood there, watching her with kindness and intent in her eyes, my own welled up. Listening, receiving, smiling. What a gift it is to be sharing the wisdom and the qualities of a practice that I’ve devoted so much of my life to exploring. Practicing yoga. Practicing being here in this body. Aware. Present. Calm. Sometimes anxious. Back to calm. Other times overwhelmed, joyful, soft, slow, angry, shallow breathing. Belly breathing. Mmm. Belly breathing! Practicing balance. Pranayama. Meditation. Practicing peacefulness, stillness, surrender and sacrifice. Practicing beyond asana (the postures). Deepening my understanding of what it means to be human, to have this body and to be influenced, ohoho so influenced, by the world and the people and the creatures and landscapes we share our lives with. It’s a practice, yoga. It’s a showing up. Choosing and practicing to live well. Sometimes we nail it and sometimes we fail and sometimes we forget and not often enough do we celebrate the medicine that is at our finger tips. Here I am, with you, learning and guiding & reminding one another as we go 🌍

Introducing *Peaks of Health*, a new project I’m delivering with the Peak District National Park 🪨 Guiding inclusive health walks and nature-based wellbeing interventions, alongside training and resources for organisations & community groups that support people with mental or physical health challenges. Peaks of Health is about increasing access, breaking down barriers and enabling more people to venture into the National Park to access the health and wellbeing benefits of being here, being outdoors, connecting, and walking or cycling. I love this place, and I care so deeply about this work. If you support a group that might benefit from joining us, or you’d like to find out more, get in touch x

Introducing *Peaks of Health*, a new project I’m delivering with the Peak District National Park 🪨 Guiding inclusive health walks and nature-based wellbeing interventions, alongside training and resources for organisations & community groups that support people with mental or physical health challenges. Peaks of Health is about increasing access, breaking down barriers and enabling more people to venture into the National Park to access the health and wellbeing benefits of being here, being outdoors, connecting, and walking or cycling. I love this place, and I care so deeply about this work. If you support a group that might benefit from joining us, or you’d like to find out more, get in touch x

Finding wonder in the spaces in-between.
In the small places, the unexpected, the catch you by surprise on an idle afternoon. You know the ones. Something, a glimpse, and a rush of sensation floods the body, speaks to the heart and captures our eyes. It’s how I felt here, walking with a friend through the forest, deep in conversation. Until we both paused. We left the path in silence and looked. We wondered and we ooooohhhhed and ahhhhed. Ahhhhh. Look! The wall sang to me with her jagged teeth and stones lay by hands however long ago. Miranda was smiling, practically grinning, reaching out to touch the flowers in all their lifefullness and glory. Photographing them like loved ones. It was so lovely to witness her there in the moment, breathing it all in. Being there with the hawkweed. The cow parsley. The insects and the grasses and man, those stones. That moment. May our lives sparkle with those moments, those pockets of noticing how beautiful and bizarre and unique this life really is ✨

Finding wonder in the spaces in-between.
In the small places, the unexpected, the catch you by surprise on an idle afternoon. You know the ones. Something, a glimpse, and a rush of sensation floods the body, speaks to the heart and captures our eyes. It’s how I felt here, walking with a friend through the forest, deep in conversation. Until we both paused. We left the path in silence and looked. We wondered and we ooooohhhhed and ahhhhed. Ahhhhh. Look! The wall sang to me with her jagged teeth and stones lay by hands however long ago. Miranda was smiling, practically grinning, reaching out to touch the flowers in all their lifefullness and glory. Photographing them like loved ones. It was so lovely to witness her there in the moment, breathing it all in. Being there with the hawkweed. The cow parsley. The insects and the grasses and man, those stones. That moment. May our lives sparkle with those moments, those pockets of noticing how beautiful and bizarre and unique this life really is ✨

Over the years, so many people have said to me, “I can’t practice yoga because I’m not flexible enough”. I hear it all the time, along with “I wouldn’t be able to do it because I can’t get down onto the ground, or I’m not quick/strong/fit/calm enough. I don’t have anybody to come with, I’m not confident enough or I can’t afford it”. I really hear those realities and feel strongly about how many practices there are out there that reinforce similar beliefs & barriers. Not every yoga class can be for everybody, and I’m very open about the sessions I teach that are only accessible, for example by car (the woodland ones). My most accessible class is the chair-based one, bringing folk together for a 45-minute seated practice, a natter and for those who fancy it, a brew afterwards. The practice I teach has the same theme & movement patterns as my other classes that week, the only difference is that it’s seated. I love the process of creating something that can be expressed in different ways, that speak to different people & their individuality. As I grow as a teacher, my class plans are becoming more & more fluid, responding to the people who attend in those moments. I try to create an environment where everybody feels involved and comfortable, especially if they’re doing something different to the person next to them. That’s not to say I won’t encourage you, at times, to explore your comfort zones. And sometimes I get it wrong, and sometimes I forget and often we figure it out together. I learn so much from you, with you. Liz has been joining my weekly chair-based yoga classes, the first time she’s ever felt she could practice yoga, and she recently said “I had no idea what I’ve been missing out on all this time.” The classes are offered on a pay-what-you-can scale from £0 - £8, people who don’t have a lot financially come for free and people who have enough pay what they can (I offer this for all my classes). If you ever want to talk about what’s involved, or share experiences where yoga really hasn’t been accessible for you, or to come and try a class for free, message me 🤍 photo taken after a class & shared with their permission.

Over the years, so many people have said to me, “I can’t practice yoga because I’m not flexible enough”. I hear it all the time, along with “I wouldn’t be able to do it because I can’t get down onto the ground, or I’m not quick/strong/fit/calm enough. I don’t have anybody to come with, I’m not confident enough or I can’t afford it”. I really hear those realities and feel strongly about how many practices there are out there that reinforce similar beliefs & barriers. Not every yoga class can be for everybody, and I’m very open about the sessions I teach that are only accessible, for example by car (the woodland ones). My most accessible class is the chair-based one, bringing folk together for a 45-minute seated practice, a natter and for those who fancy it, a brew afterwards. The practice I teach has the same theme & movement patterns as my other classes that week, the only difference is that it’s seated. I love the process of creating something that can be expressed in different ways, that speak to different people & their individuality. As I grow as a teacher, my class plans are becoming more & more fluid, responding to the people who attend in those moments. I try to create an environment where everybody feels involved and comfortable, especially if they’re doing something different to the person next to them. That’s not to say I won’t encourage you, at times, to explore your comfort zones. And sometimes I get it wrong, and sometimes I forget and often we figure it out together. I learn so much from you, with you. Liz has been joining my weekly chair-based yoga classes, the first time she’s ever felt she could practice yoga, and she recently said “I had no idea what I’ve been missing out on all this time.” The classes are offered on a pay-what-you-can scale from £0 - £8, people who don’t have a lot financially come for free and people who have enough pay what they can (I offer this for all my classes). If you ever want to talk about what’s involved, or share experiences where yoga really hasn’t been accessible for you, or to come and try a class for free, message me 🤍 photo taken after a class & shared with their permission.

~ Life in the water 🐟

So many people ask me “why are we drawn to water?” Why do we feel at peace being by and in bodies of water? Is it something to do with our body being made up of the stuff? That it’s where we came from, before our bodies met land? Studies show that (for those who feel safe) the benefits of being outdoors increase where water is present, and I feel that in my own experience. Almost as though there’s a magnet in my bones that really feels this deep draw. Sometimes I get in the van and can’t help but drive to the coast, and there’s that feeling, like a bodily sigh, when I arrive. A homecoming. I had a brew @themonoclecafe the other day & Ash and Jim were beaming telling me about their recent adventure to Pembrokeshire swimming in the sea. “It felt incredible!” It does feel incredible! Yes! My body responded with that same knowing. My best friend has been pregnant recently and she has taken herself to lakes and pools to swim and be, to feel the water holding her body & baby with a lightness that we don’t experience on land. Each week, I swim in the lake I’m in here, sharing the evening with a small group of folk who join me for an outdoor yoga practice, and I watch their eyes light up and their faces beam with joy. There are so many stories of awe and wonder I could share, my own and other folks, of our connection to the lakes, the rivers and seas.

Gratitude for my friend and incredibly talented photographer @folkandtale who captured this moment when she joined us at our Wild Retreat Day last year 🤍

~ Life in the water 🐟

So many people ask me “why are we drawn to water?” Why do we feel at peace being by and in bodies of water? Is it something to do with our body being made up of the stuff? That it’s where we came from, before our bodies met land? Studies show that (for those who feel safe) the benefits of being outdoors increase where water is present, and I feel that in my own experience. Almost as though there’s a magnet in my bones that really feels this deep draw. Sometimes I get in the van and can’t help but drive to the coast, and there’s that feeling, like a bodily sigh, when I arrive. A homecoming. I had a brew @themonoclecafe the other day & Ash and Jim were beaming telling me about their recent adventure to Pembrokeshire swimming in the sea. “It felt incredible!” It does feel incredible! Yes! My body responded with that same knowing. My best friend has been pregnant recently and she has taken herself to lakes and pools to swim and be, to feel the water holding her body & baby with a lightness that we don’t experience on land. Each week, I swim in the lake I’m in here, sharing the evening with a small group of folk who join me for an outdoor yoga practice, and I watch their eyes light up and their faces beam with joy. There are so many stories of awe and wonder I could share, my own and other folks, of our connection to the lakes, the rivers and seas.

Gratitude for my friend and incredibly talented photographer @folkandtale who captured this moment when she joined us at our Wild Retreat Day last year 🤍

This year I’ve been working with the Our Dee Estuary project, a Heritage Lottery funded programme led by Cheshire Wildlife Trust designed to inspire coastal communities about the natural heritage of the Dee Estuary. They approached me to design and deliver Coastal Connection training days for community facilitators & organisations who create opportunities for social connection to improve wellbeing. We created experiential days for each group, to learn about the process of deepening our relationship with nature (our own and that which we are part of), and to put it into practice... To connect, explore, share barriers and find solutions within the work that they do and want to do. Each day unfolded differently, responding to the needs of the group and the lay of the land, sharing facilitation skills, mindfulness practices, nature knowledge and conservation toolkits, with opportunities to slow down, respond, listen and to truly connect. I design and deliver these days but the people who come along (fully funded, free places 🙏🏼) really make them what they are. It’s been a real joy collaborating with Hannah and supporting the team with the incredible work they are enabling @ourdeeestuary @cheshirewildlifetrust.

This year I’ve been working with the Our Dee Estuary project, a Heritage Lottery funded programme led by Cheshire Wildlife Trust designed to inspire coastal communities about the natural heritage of the Dee Estuary. They approached me to design and deliver Coastal Connection training days for community facilitators & organisations who create opportunities for social connection to improve wellbeing. We created experiential days for each group, to learn about the process of deepening our relationship with nature (our own and that which we are part of), and to put it into practice... To connect, explore, share barriers and find solutions within the work that they do and want to do. Each day unfolded differently, responding to the needs of the group and the lay of the land, sharing facilitation skills, mindfulness practices, nature knowledge and conservation toolkits, with opportunities to slow down, respond, listen and to truly connect. I design and deliver these days but the people who come along (fully funded, free places 🙏🏼) really make them what they are. It’s been a real joy collaborating with Hannah and supporting the team with the incredible work they are enabling @ourdeeestuary @cheshirewildlifetrust.

~ Navigating space, that which is within and that which I am in. Letting what wants to come through, move through. Less and less of the over-thinking mind and more and more of an integrated, feeling, sensing and whole body. Head included! These bones and cells and spirit and earth, colliding, oxygenising, slow dancing with life.

~ Navigating space, that which is within and that which I am in. Letting what wants to come through, move through. Less and less of the over-thinking mind and more and more of an integrated, feeling, sensing and whole body. Head included! These bones and cells and spirit and earth, colliding, oxygenising, slow dancing with life.

When Same But Different asked to interview me for #RarityLife (a publication for people affected by rare disease, disability and cancer & their communities, with content that is truly inclusive), I was honoured and so excited to meet with them. We had a humbling conversation about wholeness, about unifying our collective experiences and celebrating and sharing differences. Sally and the team transformed my words and gestures, passions & frustrations into a 4-page article. It captures a little of my journey and my care for being an inclusive yoga teacher who advocates for accessible, welcoming practices, celebrating & honouring all bodies. If you would like to read the article, please comment below and I’ll share the link with you 🤍

P.S. Whilst my first yoga teachers were in the Iyengar discipline (over 10 years ago) this is no longer my area of study. I teach a much gentler, grounding practice anchored in yoga philosophy & nature’s way.

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When Same But Different asked to interview me for #RarityLife (a publication for people affected by rare disease, disability and cancer & their communities, with content that is truly inclusive), I was honoured and so excited to meet with them. We had a humbling conversation about wholeness, about unifying our collective experiences and celebrating and sharing differences. Sally and the team transformed my words and gestures, passions & frustrations into a 4-page article. It captures a little of my journey and my care for being an inclusive yoga teacher who advocates for accessible, welcoming practices, celebrating & honouring all bodies. If you would like to read the article, please comment below and I’ll share the link with you 🤍

P.S. Whilst my first yoga teachers were in the Iyengar discipline (over 10 years ago) this is no longer my area of study. I teach a much gentler, grounding practice anchored in yoga philosophy & nature’s way.

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To be here, in the moment and with the morning 🌳 Chai playing in the river whilst we hang and play and swing with the trees. Listening to the water ripple & gurgle, and singing to the birds who gather on branches to watch a moment of peacefulness unfurl. To be here, now.

To be here, in the moment and with the morning 🌳 Chai playing in the river whilst we hang and play and swing with the trees. Listening to the water ripple & gurgle, and singing to the birds who gather on branches to watch a moment of peacefulness unfurl. To be here, now.

Early morning swims in icy Scottish lochs, skipping along coastlines in Pembrokeshire, Wales, jumping off the pier into clear blue, Cornish waters… Being daft with my best mate whenever we get the chance, and sharing so many moments with others, human, beast and being. The joy that arises, and opportunities to face our fears (I’ll never forget the moment @b3ckydav1es grabbed my hand and jumped with me when I thought I couldn’t). The way the water always calms anxiety & often brings belly wobbling laughter. The cold. The warmth. The feeling during and then after! The many experiences of easing in - safety first - with a tribe of folk around, together, some of whom it’s their first time in natural waters ~ the gift of witnessing their courage and eyes that say “I did it”. Listening to our bodies. Weekly evening swims after teaching yoga in the woods with our wild tribe (everybody welcome). All the photographs and times and memories I haven’t shared here, and all that are to come. Here’s to the water 🤍

Thank you Anna @folkandtale for capturing the serenity in the second photograph at one of our Wild Retreat days 🐟

Early morning swims in icy Scottish lochs, skipping along coastlines in Pembrokeshire, Wales, jumping off the pier into clear blue, Cornish waters… Being daft with my best mate whenever we get the chance, and sharing so many moments with others, human, beast and being. The joy that arises, and opportunities to face our fears (I’ll never forget the moment @b3ckydav1es grabbed my hand and jumped with me when I thought I couldn’t). The way the water always calms anxiety & often brings belly wobbling laughter. The cold. The warmth. The feeling during and then after! The many experiences of easing in - safety first - with a tribe of folk around, together, some of whom it’s their first time in natural waters ~ the gift of witnessing their courage and eyes that say “I did it”. Listening to our bodies. Weekly evening swims after teaching yoga in the woods with our wild tribe (everybody welcome). All the photographs and times and memories I haven’t shared here, and all that are to come. Here’s to the water 🤍

Thank you Anna @folkandtale for capturing the serenity in the second photograph at one of our Wild Retreat days 🐟

Watching life unfold 🌱🐸 Bearing witness to creation, coming into being, and these early stages of movement & transformation. Frantic, eager, tiny, alive… never will it not be incredible, to see and to be part of this life on earth. The vibration of life moving through all of us.

Watching life unfold 🌱🐸 Bearing witness to creation, coming into being, and these early stages of movement & transformation. Frantic, eager, tiny, alive… never will it not be incredible, to see and to be part of this life on earth. The vibration of life moving through all of us.

Waking up to pine trees and the sea loch from a little cottage in the middle of wild lands on the Cowal peninsula (a few weekends ago). Cooking meals together, all of us involved and dancing around the kitchen navigating who, what, where, how long, and the sensational heat of an aga. Jumping in the loch’s icy cold water and running back up the hill feeling alive, awake & grateful, dogs in tow. Watching little birds and red squirrels, listening to peacefulness, and finding endless wonder in the enormity of the landscape. Offline, swapping screens for board games, and better connected than ever 🌲

Waking up to pine trees and the sea loch from a little cottage in the middle of wild lands on the Cowal peninsula (a few weekends ago). Cooking meals together, all of us involved and dancing around the kitchen navigating who, what, where, how long, and the sensational heat of an aga. Jumping in the loch’s icy cold water and running back up the hill feeling alive, awake & grateful, dogs in tow. Watching little birds and red squirrels, listening to peacefulness, and finding endless wonder in the enormity of the landscape. Offline, swapping screens for board games, and better connected than ever 🌲

Standing with trees 🌲 Encouraging curiosity, child-like wonder and compassionate action. I recently read a definition of a tree hugger as “someone who is regarded as foolish or annoying because of being too concerned about protecting trees, animals, and other parts of the natural world from pollution and other threats”. I mean, what do I even say to that? Too concerned 😅 with caring about the environment, the living world, that which we are part of. Our home. Other living beings homes. I’ve said before how sometimes, when I’m guiding practices in woodlands, folks will avoid getting too close, joking about not wanting to be a tree hugger… it demonstrates the power of language and shame that’s been cultivated in our society. Hug the trees. Hug one another! This age of disconnect and name-calling and branding people as being too sensitive & overly emotional, it’s time for a different story to unfold. One of remembering, whilst acknowledging our impact and our responsibility now as guardians (note: we chose that role, the trees would be just fine without us). Living in a way that nurtures our relationships 🌎 rather than utilising nature as a resource or trying to bypass it entirely.

Standing with trees 🌲 Encouraging curiosity, child-like wonder and compassionate action. I recently read a definition of a tree hugger as “someone who is regarded as foolish or annoying because of being too concerned about protecting trees, animals, and other parts of the natural world from pollution and other threats”. I mean, what do I even say to that? Too concerned 😅 with caring about the environment, the living world, that which we are part of. Our home. Other living beings homes. I’ve said before how sometimes, when I’m guiding practices in woodlands, folks will avoid getting too close, joking about not wanting to be a tree hugger… it demonstrates the power of language and shame that’s been cultivated in our society. Hug the trees. Hug one another! This age of disconnect and name-calling and branding people as being too sensitive & overly emotional, it’s time for a different story to unfold. One of remembering, whilst acknowledging our impact and our responsibility now as guardians (note: we chose that role, the trees would be just fine without us). Living in a way that nurtures our relationships 🌎 rather than utilising nature as a resource or trying to bypass it entirely.

I’m two months into a (six month) continuing education training & mentoring programme for yoga teachers. It’s creaking my experience of this practice open wider each week, with curiosity and confusion and play and deepening presence. Connection. Awareness. This dance, which is at times slow, and sometimes sultry, and occasionally like being back in the mosh pit of my teenage years! The dance with existence. Studying ancient philosophy and more modern texts in a way that invites us to experience it in body as well as mind. Embodying philosophy in our asana & pranayama & chanting practices and beyond, in life off the mat, in the forest and cafes and conversations and moments of stillness and stress and sat in traffic. Noticing life moving through. Cultivating creativity and diving into the psychology of teaching. Feeling really thankful to be here with a bunch of souls joining from all over Europe studying, making sense, getting lost & finding our way. The journey continues with this beautiful training container (and life), a classroom without walls… Earthing, undoing, being and belonging. Thank you @paulaandreewitch (and @hollysaxton_, who guided me to this place) for sharing your teachings.

I’m two months into a (six month) continuing education training & mentoring programme for yoga teachers. It’s creaking my experience of this practice open wider each week, with curiosity and confusion and play and deepening presence. Connection. Awareness. This dance, which is at times slow, and sometimes sultry, and occasionally like being back in the mosh pit of my teenage years! The dance with existence. Studying ancient philosophy and more modern texts in a way that invites us to experience it in body as well as mind. Embodying philosophy in our asana & pranayama & chanting practices and beyond, in life off the mat, in the forest and cafes and conversations and moments of stillness and stress and sat in traffic. Noticing life moving through. Cultivating creativity and diving into the psychology of teaching. Feeling really thankful to be here with a bunch of souls joining from all over Europe studying, making sense, getting lost & finding our way. The journey continues with this beautiful training container (and life), a classroom without walls… Earthing, undoing, being and belonging. Thank you @paulaandreewitch (and @hollysaxton_, who guided me to this place) for sharing your teachings.

To be here, experiencing the seasons change. Feeling Spring arrive and watching the way that light grows ✨ The way the blossoms unfold day by day, inviting us to notice and encouraging bees to do their thing. Walking through fields and exclaiming “the grass has grown greener!” Hearing birds sing dawn awake… and the way our hearts feel listening to them. Wiggling with worms, planting seeds in the earth, watching moons rise and sunlight dance & closing our eyes and being here, experiencing it all 🌀Being part of it all, life moving through.

To be here, experiencing the seasons change. Feeling Spring arrive and watching the way that light grows ✨ The way the blossoms unfold day by day, inviting us to notice and encouraging bees to do their thing. Walking through fields and exclaiming “the grass has grown greener!” Hearing birds sing dawn awake… and the way our hearts feel listening to them. Wiggling with worms, planting seeds in the earth, watching moons rise and sunlight dance & closing our eyes and being here, experiencing it all 🌀Being part of it all, life moving through.

What’s the point of practicing? When you go to a class, what are you doing? Are you present or making shapes based on looking at what your teacher is demonstrating? What are you learning? With what are you uniting?

The other day I went to what was called PiYo… a Pilates-Yoga class. I should have known better. It wasn’t Yoga and it wasn’t Pilates. It was a fitness class, moving quickly and following the instructor with very little time to really experience what was going on other than trying to catch my breath. As somebody with hyper-mobility, my limbs were flailing everywhere and I felt so out of sync. A creeping thought of “I’m not good enough” tried to make its way in. The instructor was lovely and it was a great workout for some of the people there. But yoga isn’t a work out. It’s more of a work-in-and-then-beyond. It’s a remembering, a spiritual practice. We don’t need PiYo, we don’t need calorie burning Power Yoga, or any of the other gimmicks and we certainly don’t need “Goat Yoga” (yep it’s a thing and no, just no).

More than ever we need heart-led and earth-felt practices, ones that ripple out and remind people what we’re doing here. That requires a regular practice and taking what we experience on the mat, off the mat and into our lives. And let’s be clear, you don’t really even need a mat. In spring, get out on the grass and into the sand and stand upon stone. Stand with stone. Yoga can change our lives. Deepening our relationship with nature will change our lives. If there’s no connection between the parts of you and the parts of life that remind us that we are whole and one and everything and nothing. What’s the point? It’s time to come home to what deep deep down we already know. Yoga asana is one part of yoga, just as going for a walk is one element of connecting with nature. They’re a vehicle. But where is it taking you? Honour a practice that works like a map, to guide you and support you, to lift you up and ground you down and to find your way when you get lost. The layers are infinite. You are infinite 🌀

What’s the point of practicing? When you go to a class, what are you doing? Are you present or making shapes based on looking at what your teacher is demonstrating? What are you learning? With what are you uniting?

The other day I went to what was called PiYo… a Pilates-Yoga class. I should have known better. It wasn’t Yoga and it wasn’t Pilates. It was a fitness class, moving quickly and following the instructor with very little time to really experience what was going on other than trying to catch my breath. As somebody with hyper-mobility, my limbs were flailing everywhere and I felt so out of sync. A creeping thought of “I’m not good enough” tried to make its way in. The instructor was lovely and it was a great workout for some of the people there. But yoga isn’t a work out. It’s more of a work-in-and-then-beyond. It’s a remembering, a spiritual practice. We don’t need PiYo, we don’t need calorie burning Power Yoga, or any of the other gimmicks and we certainly don’t need “Goat Yoga” (yep it’s a thing and no, just no).

More than ever we need heart-led and earth-felt practices, ones that ripple out and remind people what we’re doing here. That requires a regular practice and taking what we experience on the mat, off the mat and into our lives. And let’s be clear, you don’t really even need a mat. In spring, get out on the grass and into the sand and stand upon stone. Stand with stone. Yoga can change our lives. Deepening our relationship with nature will change our lives. If there’s no connection between the parts of you and the parts of life that remind us that we are whole and one and everything and nothing. What’s the point? It’s time to come home to what deep deep down we already know. Yoga asana is one part of yoga, just as going for a walk is one element of connecting with nature. They’re a vehicle. But where is it taking you? Honour a practice that works like a map, to guide you and support you, to lift you up and ground you down and to find your way when you get lost. The layers are infinite. You are infinite 🌀

Walking along the Middlewood Way and the reflections of the trees & the sky playing with the surface and the depths of plants in the water stopped me in my tracks. I stood for a while, watching. Nature has a knack for that, doesn’t she… The way she invites us back to her. To notice the beauty and the not so, the nonuniform and the way that they play with our senses. The colour, the stillness, the way that the light falls and illuminates. The invitation to pause and wonder and remember how incredibly crazy & beautiful and unique it is to be here, to exist as part of all this.

Walking along the Middlewood Way and the reflections of the trees & the sky playing with the surface and the depths of plants in the water stopped me in my tracks. I stood for a while, watching. Nature has a knack for that, doesn’t she… The way she invites us back to her. To notice the beauty and the not so, the nonuniform and the way that they play with our senses. The colour, the stillness, the way that the light falls and illuminates. The invitation to pause and wonder and remember how incredibly crazy & beautiful and unique it is to be here, to exist as part of all this.

On Sunday 24 March, 10am - 1pm, I’m holding a morning for practice. Space to be, to move and rest our bodies. To connect with other people, learn about ancient philosophy and a more naturefull way of living. Wildful, mindful living. It’s a beautiful, welcoming space at the heart of Macclesfield with plants and brews and sweet treats from our neighbours at Monocle. It’s a yoga & nature-centred workshop (indoors) that’s for every-body, with invitational, gentle and playful practices. Follow the link in my bio then > Workshops or visit www.riseandwild.com/workshops to find out more & save your place.

Tickets are £38 with a couple of *pay what you can* places available, if paying another way/amount please get in touch 🤍🌿

@silkhousetherapy_wellbeing
@themonoclecafe

On Sunday 24 March, 10am - 1pm, I’m holding a morning for practice. Space to be, to move and rest our bodies. To connect with other people, learn about ancient philosophy and a more naturefull way of living. Wildful, mindful living. It’s a beautiful, welcoming space at the heart of Macclesfield with plants and brews and sweet treats from our neighbours at Monocle. It’s a yoga & nature-centred workshop (indoors) that’s for every-body, with invitational, gentle and playful practices. Follow the link in my bio then > Workshops or visit www.riseandwild.com/workshops to find out more & save your place.

Tickets are £38 with a couple of *pay what you can* places available, if paying another way/amount please get in touch 🤍🌿

@silkhousetherapy_wellbeing
@themonoclecafe

It never grows old, watching grown ups get outdoors and begin to play, explore and meet the natural environment in ways some haven’t since childhood. “Go on, give it a hug, it feels good”, I hear somebody say. He wasn’t so sure but gave it a go and within moments closed his eyes, softening into the embrace. “Ey, there’s something about this”.

I turn around and spot a colourful scarf in the branches of another tree, a soul almost camouflaged, and she’s smiling. Hands are reaching out to touch new buds and catkins, and many pairs of eyes tell me that they feel at peace here. “Imagine all they (the trees) have lived through”, one person wonders. “And why don’t we do this more often?”

It never grows old, watching grown ups get outdoors and begin to play, explore and meet the natural environment in ways some haven’t since childhood. “Go on, give it a hug, it feels good”, I hear somebody say. He wasn’t so sure but gave it a go and within moments closed his eyes, softening into the embrace. “Ey, there’s something about this”.

I turn around and spot a colourful scarf in the branches of another tree, a soul almost camouflaged, and she’s smiling. Hands are reaching out to touch new buds and catkins, and many pairs of eyes tell me that they feel at peace here. “Imagine all they (the trees) have lived through”, one person wonders. “And why don’t we do this more often?”

~ 🍂🐺🌳 our wildish nature, an invitation.

Gather with me on a Sunday morning, at a calm and kind & welcoming place. An invitation to reconnect with the living, breathing being that you are. What does that really even mean? We’ll explore through movement, play, restoration and contemplation, tapping into the ancient awareness of our earthly, wildish nature.

Practice yoga, with no rush after a guided class to reenter the rest of the day (hello longer relaxation ☺️). Chant with me and our small group, or listen and feel into the vibration. Learn about and embody maintainable practices as we explore how they might support our day to day lives & our wellbeing. The kettle is boiling and the cakes are baked with love (thank you @themonoclecafe ☕️). This 3 hour Rise and Wild workshop is a treat and a remedy for our otherwise demanding and often daily grind lives. A morning, a moment, to gather and pause and process and remember. To gather. To connect. To be, here.

Meet me in the big room, with the plants and gentle invitations. If the cost is out of reach, please message me for a *pay what you can place.

10am - 1pm
Sunday 24 March
Macclesfield @silkhousetherapy_wellbeing
£38

www.riseandwild.com/workshops
Link in bio ~ follow the “workshops” tab
🤎

~ 🍂🐺🌳 our wildish nature, an invitation.

Gather with me on a Sunday morning, at a calm and kind & welcoming place. An invitation to reconnect with the living, breathing being that you are. What does that really even mean? We’ll explore through movement, play, restoration and contemplation, tapping into the ancient awareness of our earthly, wildish nature.

Practice yoga, with no rush after a guided class to reenter the rest of the day (hello longer relaxation ☺️). Chant with me and our small group, or listen and feel into the vibration. Learn about and embody maintainable practices as we explore how they might support our day to day lives & our wellbeing. The kettle is boiling and the cakes are baked with love (thank you @themonoclecafe ☕️). This 3 hour Rise and Wild workshop is a treat and a remedy for our otherwise demanding and often daily grind lives. A morning, a moment, to gather and pause and process and remember. To gather. To connect. To be, here.

Meet me in the big room, with the plants and gentle invitations. If the cost is out of reach, please message me for a *pay what you can place.

10am - 1pm
Sunday 24 March
Macclesfield @silkhousetherapy_wellbeing
£38

www.riseandwild.com/workshops
Link in bio ~ follow the “workshops” tab
🤎

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