A gentle guide to navigating overwhelm, tending to your inner fire, and honouring your winter rhythm
As the lights go up, calendars fill, and the familiar swirl of December begins, many of us start to feel the pressure of the “shoulds.”
I should go to that party.
I should buy more gifts.
I should feel festive by now.
I should do it all…
But here’s the quiet truth:
There is nothing festive about burning out.
If you spotted the recent BBC News piece on the vagus nerve, you might have seen a little glimpse of my work — candlelight, humming, soft rocking, and a room full of people gently returning to themselves.
The feature reflects what I see so often in my classes:
so many of us are exhausted, overstimulated, burnt out, and longing for a way to truly switch off.
Earlier this month, I did something I don’t often do — I went on retreat for myself.
As a space holder and therapist, it felt deeply nourishing to be held for a change. To be guided. To soften.
My sister came with me — a rare treat in itself. I’d been drawn to one of my own Yoga Therapy teachers’ retreats: an elder and mentor whose wild garden has been lovingly transformed into a sanctuary for women. Think: goddess altar, Kirtan by candlelight, and a Yoga Nidra space so cosy it felt like a cosmic nap for the soul. ✨
Read MoreAutumn is one of nature’s quickest-changing seasons. The light fades faster, the winds rise, and the plant world lets go. What feels golden and abundant at the start of the season becomes bare and skeletal by the end.
Ayurveda calls this Vata season — with its dry, cool, mobile qualities. Vata energy can leave us feeling scattered, anxious, restless or depleted. The antidote is to gently bring ourselves back to earth: warmth, nourishment, rhythm, and rest.
Read More
