The month of May is traditionally known as The Flower Month; roses bounce in the breeze, whilst we jump between puddles from the spring showers. During my early morning dog walks, I have witnessed the soft morning sun as the mists rise up off the fields, and heard the dawn chorus welcome a new day into life. It has been a busy month for me in my Doula practice, and these quiet starts have allowed me to harness my energies for the fun packed days ahead.
In today’s blog, I wanted to sit down and reflect with you before we move into the summer month of June, and share my thoughts and ideas about what has been going on during my month of May.
The theme 'Nourishment’ has been in my mind and my heart this month. It is a word that we commonly associate with the food that we take into our bodies, but it is also the food we take into our souls.
One of my favourite parts of the week is when my kitchen gets messy; everything is out on the counter tops, the oven is on, and the tunes get cranked up on my speakers. Taylor and Beyonce have definitely been part of the kitchen crew this month! These food-prep sessions are creative times when I can spend time paying special attention to the food I prepare for my new mummies and their babies. During May, I was inspired to get the cookbooks out for the babes that are weaning at the moment, and making sure that they are munching on foods that will help their development. But snacking is a vital part of the day for Mum too! It’s very normal to feel like you are grazing all the time when the little ones are taking up so much of your brain space, which is why I delight in being able to make sure that your kitchen is stocked up on all the food that will help support you physically and mentally, as snacking really does help give us a little boost when it all gets overwhelming.
I know that there have been times in my life when I was so tired all I wanted to eat was toast loaded with Marmite, or a plain jacket potato, but when I look back on those moments I am always grateful that my family made sure that there was a rainbow of fruit and veggies in my fridge when I needed it the most. Yes, I still ate the toast and slumped into the sofa, but I was also able to pop a healthy frozen meal into the oven when I was ready. The fact that I can now do that for other people is such a great feeling!
The encouragement that I share with my clients is to make sure they are looking after their own health and wellness so that they can look after their families to the best of their ability; if your tank is empty, how can you fill someone else's? And with my own advice ringing in my ears, I took myself away to the Dartmoor National Park for a yoga weekend with Lauren, from @blackdogliving.
Devon is a very special county for me; my soul breathes easy as my feet tread the soil of this beautiful place. For my four days, I stayed at Bala Brook, a very special retreat venue that offers space for forest bathing, wildflower walks and space to simply ‘be’. At its essence, it was the perfect place to experience an immersive weekend that was centred around reconnection to the mind, body and soul through breath work, sound meditations and Yoga Nidra.
Yoga has always played a large part in my life; both when I have relied on it heavily to get me through hard times of stress, and as I recovered from cancer, but it has also been there in times of happiness and laughter. I have come to love the way my body sinks into heart-openers that allow my breath to go deep into my belly without fear or vulnerability. Restorative poses help me to reconnect and find my centre again, and because I started to mix my practice with strength training, I now enjoy standing strong through my Warrior flows. Being guided through the weekend by Lauren and her team was an utter dream, as they allowed me to connect with my wilder side; the part of me that (all too easily) gets put in a box when the weekly schedules come out in my planner.
I was also nourished through the food that was prepared by Alice Rollinson from @wildgoosegourmets, who filled our tummies with vegetarian meals packed full of flavour and colour! Although I was on retreat, I could not help but be inspired for my food-prep times that are coming up in the next month! With cooked eggs with greens on a bed of tomatoes for brunch, and plentiful amounts of healthy snacks, and spring salads with edible flowers, I was in culinary heaven. (Although, the mugwort tea may be missed on my next visit!)
I was also treated to Ayurvedic Massage; a healing practice that my body melts into. With the Creative Healing Massage Course that I am hosting for Doulas at the end of next month, it was certainly well timed. (I can’t wait to share more of that with you later!) Massage is, quite simply, a personalised treatment where your therapist can minister to you and help ease your body to let go of the tension that you hold in a way that you simply can’t on your own. To be cared for like that through my retreat time was precious, and I was able to fully relax and take advantage of the time taken to nourish my mind, my body and my soul.
Personally, I find the manic pace that we live in leaves me feeling jangled and out of kilter, as if I am a spinning top that is about to topple. Time away from my phone, the pressures of being a wife, a mother, and all the other hats that I wear during the weeks and months, allowed me to step lightly into the time that is before me.
After my time away, I am taking back memories that will be with me for years to come; conversations shared, laughter bubbling up near the streams, walking through bluebell woods and hearing the birds sing overhead.
As the busy nature of our daily lives take over, it is vital to make the time for those early dog walks through the morning mists, and to embrace the chatter of nature around us. It is essential that we take nourishment for ourselves, so that we can give back to those around us.
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