A rebirth, a return and a retreat....
Will you join me to celebrate the spring solstice, and return to your trees?
Hello, dear friends of Substack!
You may have noticed the change of name on here, and a new profile pic for me. It’s been on the cards for a while, and I am sure that I will be sharing more about the inspiration behind it in the weeks and months to come, both directly and indirectly. The last couple of months have shifted, well, everything for me, and a focus on recovery and time in nature makes more sense than rock n roll sobriety.
I am delighted with the new name. You can see a story about the phrase, and how much it means to me, here.
I’ve had a good day today, and I hope you have too.
A good day for me these days involves a lot less than it did a few months ago. A good day used to mean I got lots and lots done, my brain was busy, I was creative and active and added a lot of steps to my Garmin count.
Today, I haven’t even reached my 10,000 steps goal (but I will before bedtime, I’m almost there!). But I walked in nature this morning, listening to the songs of the birds in the trees, the burbling, gushing and roar of the streams, tributaries and baby waterfalls from the mountain to the river, and the crunch and squelch of the gravel and mud under my feet. I walked until I got to 'my tree’, where I sat for a while, pondering the misty view, and the day ahead of me. I was looking forward to going swimming with my friend Maggie, but the morning was for writing. I returned home, wet, chilly, and in need of a coffee, but happy, soothed and inspired.
Then I got to work. After returning to my tree for inspiration, I knew, after a couple of weeks of pondering, what this publication had to be called. You can find out a little more about the meaning behind the name change here.
I’ve also launched a paid subscription layer to the site. While I (currently at least) don’t intend to paywall my writing or comments, I did want to add more ways that we can get to know one another on a deeper level here. And so I have added paid and founding levels of membership
Paid subscribers, both monthly and annual, will receive
monthly meditations and guided nature connection practices held in community on Zoom
weekly voice notes with inspiration and insights into recovery and nature connection
a 15% discount on my online and in person events (Yoga and meditation classes, workshops, retreats etc)
my deepest love and gratitude. By supporting me here on Substack, you are supporting me as I grow as a writer and teacher, and allowing me to restore my own wellbeing as I navigate the many challenges of being the neurodivergent single mother of a neurodivergent teenage boy
Founding members will receive all the above, and will also be invited to join me for 4 annual online retreats, taking place on the Winter and summer equinoxes and solstices. These will be delivered live on zoom, and will include a mixture of meditation, yoga, nature connection and self exploration through writing prompts.
Launch offer
I’m very excited by this subscription package, and have already started planning our Spring retreat, which will take place on Wednesday March 20, from 12-3pm UK time. Most of it will be recorded (I won’t record the discussions, only the parts that I am delivering, so that people can feel free to share freely), so if you can’t make it live, you can always create your own retreat at a time when you can fully enjoy it.
I am a trained Yoga teacher, embodied meditation teacher, nature connection guide, and coach, and this retreat will offer you a perfect opportunity to nourish and soothe yourself as you prepare to open up to the new possibilities of Spring. I’m excited and can’t wait to share this with you.
And in the spirit of giving and abundance that spring brings us, I am offering you a 20% discount on a founding, monthly or annual subscription, not just for this year, but for the lifetime of your subscription!
This offer is available to all until March 3rd, at the end of the weekend, when I’ll be returning to my trees after a weekend in London with my son, his girlfriend, and my brother and his husband. We’re going to see Hadestown, which includes, coincidentally, a lot about Persephone, the Goddess of the Underworld whose return to the surface, and to her mother, heralds the arrival of spring.
I hope you will be able to join me for this retreat. I will send out more information closer to the time about what you will need to bring etc, but until then, I wish you love, and that you are able to make time in your life to return to your trees, whatever that means to you.
With love and connection
Esther