Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?
Life has a rather wonderful way of reminding us that sometimes, the plans we make for ourselves need to take a back seat while we navigate the plans life has made for us.
So, if you’ve been wondering where my Root & Rise Rambles have been hiding, they’ve been tucked away somewhere amongst the endless boxes, house moving chaos, work commitments and the general business of living!
But today, I’m taking a different approach.
I’ve cancelled a couple of appointments to prioritise me. My wellbeing, my health and my need to take a breath.
And do you know what? It feels like exactly the right thing to do.
Related Ramble: Blog Post 7: The Art of Pausing
When the body finally gets a chance to speak
Having finally sold the old house (hurrah!), I’m gradually working my way through the many, many boxes that have followed us to Hunningham Hill Farm.
As I unpack, sort, donate and let go of things that have been stored away for years, I’m beginning to feel something else shifting too.
It’s as though my body is finding the space to release some of the things I’ve been carrying physically and emotionally over the last couple of years.
The trouble is, that process isn’t always comfortable. I’m working through daily hip, head and back pain, alongside an ongoing ear infection. Some days, my body is making its feelings very clear indeed!
It’s a reminder that whilst we might be incredibly good at keeping everything going, our bodies have their own way of asking us to slow down.
And it brings me back to the very reason I started Root & Rise.
The moment everything changed
September 2024 was one of the darkest moments of my life. Mark died suddenly and unexpectedly, and in the aftermath of losing him, I was woken up to something I had perhaps spent far too much of my life forgetting.
This isn’t an audition for anything.
We don’t have to prove ourselves by how much we can achieve, how many plates we can keep spinning, or how well we can hold everything together when life feels impossibly heavy. We are already enough.
That realisation became a huge part of my journey towards creating Root & Rise. I wanted to create a space where women could step away from the demands of everyday life, reconnect with themselves and remember that their wellbeing matters too.
I know what it’s like to keep going when your heart is breaking. I know what it’s like to be the person everyone relies on, whilst quietly wondering how much longer you can keep doing it all. I know how easy it is to put yourself at the bottom of the list.
But what if we started changing that? What if taking care of ourselves wasn’t something we squeezed in when everything else was done, but something we recognised as an essential part of living?
The fascinating connection between body and mind
Have you ever noticed how your body seems to respond to what’s happening in your life?
Perhaps your shoulders creep towards your ears when you’re stressed. Maybe your jaw clenches when you’re trying to hold back your words. Or your stomach ties itself in knots when you’re worrying about something.
There is a fascinating relationship between our physical bodies and our emotional experiences. You may have heard of the concept of metaphysical causes of dis-ease, which explores the possible emotional or symbolic connections people make with physical symptoms.
For example, someone might describe a difficult situation by saying, “I feel as though everyone is getting under my skin.” If that person is also experiencing a persistent skin condition, it’s understandable that they might explore whether there is an emotional connection worth reflecting on.
Now, it’s important to recognise that physical symptoms can have many causes, and emotional experiences don’t explain every illness or condition. Skin conditions, headaches and muscle pain deserve appropriate medical assessment and treatment. But that doesn’t mean we should overlook the role stress, emotions and our experiences can play in how we feel.
The body may be giving us an invitation to look a little deeper. Not to blame ourselves for being unwell, but to become curious about what we might need.
That could look like more rest. It could mean putting in stronger boundaries. Is there a conversation we’ve been avoiding? We simply may even require a little time where nobody needs anything from us.
This is where I believe holistic wellbeing has such a valuable role to play. Massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and other nurturing practices can offer us an opportunity to pause, relax and reconnect with our bodies.
Not to claim that they magically fix everything, but what they can do is give us permission to stop for a moment and listen.
A little farm update
Of course, life at Hunningham Hill Farm continues to provide its own little moments of joy, chaos and occasional poultry-related drama!
Our poorly hen, Graycie, has made a lovely recovery from her impacted crop. Having lost seven hens since moving, being able to nurse her back to health and see her reunited with her three sisters, Melissa, Chausseur and Artemisia, has been a real joy.
Queen Poppy is also looking absolutely fabulous these days. Since being relocated next to the main coop, and with her autumn feather moult finally coming to an end, she’s looking rather more like royalty again!
And then we have the hatchlings. Our two little Wyandotte girls, Clover and Sorrell, along with our Silver Campine cockerel, Hengist, are currently residing in the dining room.
All three are thriving and have graduated from needing their heat pad to keep warm.
Hengist has even started practising his crow.
Well, I say crow. His first attempt sounded rather more like a party blower than a proud cockerel announcing the dawn!
There is something wonderfully grounding about watching these little lives grow, recover and find their place in the world.
Maybe it’s because they remind me that growth doesn’t have to be rushed. Instead, it could be that we simply need the right environment, a little nurturing and the space to become what we’re meant to be.
A day to remember: The Turning
Last Friday, we welcomed a beautiful circle of women to Hunningham Hill Farm for our Samhain-inspired day retreat, The Turning, and honestly, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.
Hill mist and sunshine, the changing colours of autumn, and that wonderful feeling of being somewhere between seasons. Nature seemed to know exactly what we were creating.
Imagine a circle of women who have all made the conscious decision to simply be for the day, without any expectations, demands, or a need to be anything other than themselves.
I handwrote a personal message for each woman, thanking her for choosing to prioritise her own wellbeing and reminding her to show up as her true self, unapologetically.
How often do we give ourselves permission to do that? We spend so much of our lives worrying about what other people think, making ourselves smaller, smoothing over our edges and apologising for things that perhaps don’t need an apology at all.
Goodness, we are rather good at it here in Britain, aren’t we?
We’re forever saying sorry for perceived errors, sometimes simply to avoid embarrassment or make someone else feel more comfortable.
What happens when we begin to let go of that? When we stop apologising for taking up space, expressing our feelings or simply being who we are?
We begin to discover a little more freedom.
Freedom to speak honestly, express ourselves and to show up as the woman we really are, rather than the version we think everyone else would prefer.
Our day was filled with beautiful opportunities to explore exactly that. I thoroughly enjoyed joining Karen for her Shamanic journey, before delivering my Aromatherapy workshop, where each woman was invited to explore the scents of autumn and create her own bespoke, nourishing blend.
Related Ramble: Blog Post 2: Follow Your Nose: The Healing Power of Aromatherapy.
There was something so lovely about watching each participant discover which oils spoke to her, creating something entirely personal to take home.
We wandered around the lovingly named Bottom Field and Dog Field, allowing ourselves to slow down and reconnect with the land beneath our feet.
Nature has such a wonderful way of grounding us, doesn’t it?
Whether it’s the gentle rustle of autumn leaves, the mist rolling across the fields or simply the feeling of fresh air on our faces, it reminds us that we don’t always need to do anything other than simply be present.
Then came our hawthorn tea, a heart-opening experience, followed by journaling. A chance to reflect on what we were ready to release, what we wanted to welcome in and what we wanted to leave behind as we moved into the darker months.
Each woman then chose what she wanted to write on her piece of fire kindling. Words, thoughts, feelings or something that had been quietly sitting with her for far too long.
As the day drew to a close, we gathered around the fire and danced.
Women moving freely, laughing, expressing themselves and celebrating the simple joy of being alive.
It was a beautiful reminder of why I created Root & Rise in the first place. A space where women can step away from the noise of everyday life, reconnect with themselves and remember that they are allowed to take up space in this world.
All we need is a little time, a circle of supportive women and the permission to simply be.
For me, that is what our wonderful retreat was all about.
Your invitation to pause
Before you rush off to the next thing on your never-ending to-do list, I’d love you to take five minutes for yourself. Make yourself a cuppa. Find somewhere comfortable to sit. Let your shoulders drop.
And ask yourself this:
What have I been carrying lately that my body might be asking me to put down?
You don’t need to have an answer to that question straight away, and nor do you need to fix anything today.
Just give yourself permission to notice.
Because if there’s one thing Mark’s passing taught me, it’s that life is not something we should spend waiting for the right moment to begin living.
We don’t need to earn our rest or to justify our boundaries.
We certainly don’t need to wait until we’re running on empty before we give ourselves a little care.
At Root & Rise, my hope is that every woman who walks through my door feels that she can finally exhale. That she feels seen, heard and cared for.
I want her to leave the treatment I was able to provide her with a little more space to be herself.
Because, lovely lady, you are not here to audition for your own life.
You’re here to live it.
With love and a little farmyard chaos,
Nicole
(A little thank you to Robin for stepping in and keeping the Root & Rise Rambles going last week when I needed to take a step back. It’s lovely to have someone in my corner who understands that self-care means letting someone else take the reins when you can’t!)
Related Post: Robin’s First Ramble
