My journey has not been about giving things up; it's been a journey of having more…more love, more energy, more connection, more happiness.
Five years ago I was doing it all! Working part-time as a counsellor in a Hospice, running my own business, studying for a post-graduate diploma, raising three children, running my home, getting married, running long distances and of course ‘doing’ self-care ….having a bath, having therapy, going to yoga, going swimming, nights out with friends. I'm doing great! Right?
Actually, something was going badly wrong. I became exhausted, had terrible brain fog, was unable to process information, my short term memory was badly affected and I struggled with the concentration to drive. Standing for 5 minutes could make me feel I was going to faint. I had a numbness in my face, pain in my neck and shoulders and I struggled to manage emotions like an exhausted toddler. After much investigation I was diagnosed with ME/CFS.
As I learned what it would take for me to heal I learned more and more about our planet and her healing too. I am now living a gentler life; gentler on me and the planet.
The Gentle Co was been born out of the place I am at, the place that the planet is at.
My Gentle Life
Connecting with Nature
Whether it’s a micro-moment watching bees and birds in the garden, a paddle in the icy river, or a week away spending dawn and dusk with beavers I never feel as connected and part of something as I do when I’m spending time in nature.
Slowing Down
In a world that values busyness and doing and where we can constantly be plugged into activity, I have learned how to rest, how to idle, how to stop.
Straightening up
Somewhere inside myself I knew I wasn’t living true to my values. But now I’ve straightened up, got clear and am able to live from a grounded authentic place.
Consuming less
Asking ‘Do I need this?‘ Every time! Working with my family to celebrate every occasion with more being and less having.
Growing and sharing
Growing food and sharing it with my friends and neighbours. I want this aspect to get much much bigger - community gardens, community fridges - more sharing, less waste, more community.
Holistic practices
Engaging in gentle holistic practices such as yoga, meditation/mindfulness, connection with nature, singing, body tapping, dance and movement
And now… I’m deep into my journey of living a gentle, sustainable, and authentic life. Healing from ME was an embodied process for me, one that needed me to think in new ways and develop aspects of myself I’d long forgotten. I hadn’t the energy to keep running through all the science around the illness so simplified it to my own gentle guiding principles: returning to nature, building connection, and utilising tools like restorative yoga to live my life in a gentle way. As my journey continues, I allow the many challenges I’ve been through in life to shape who I am and my ability to understand and help others find their own path to a better life.