Wake up your Wild

‘The intersection of the Venn diagram is very small, good luck with that!’, my husband commented as he bobbed about in the water amongst the water lilies.

We were swimming in the lake at Barefoot & Bower. The sky was a deep blue, framed by tall, lush trees and at the centre was the lake.

I felt completely in the moment and at peace in the water. At ease enough to share the idea that had just flown into my brain and been received in my body with a deep guttural YES.

I wanted to hold an event where people came to wild swim and write from their wild voices. I explained that the two activities would support and complement each other so beautifully. I wasn’t put off.

Wild Voice writing is a practice where I (as the facilitator) help you to drop into your body through a meditative visualisation. This enables you to feel deeply relaxed, quieten all the competing voices in your brain and be able to hear your inner voice. You can write from a place where you are the true you. That part of you that is wild, the real deal, not curbed by societal conditioning or controlled by your ego in its effort to keep you safe. This is the part of you that is hard to hear, it whispers so quietly and tugs at your sleeve so gently. It is usually drowned out by the noise in our brains that are, so busy making sure we are liked, right and safe. 

A wild voice writing session is an opportunity to connect with your deepest thoughts, desires and dreams. To bring them into the light.

I will give you with a series of writing prompts, after each one, whilst keeping the connection with your wld voice, you write - fast. Whatever drops into your consciousness, the words travelling down your arm, into your pen and on to the paper - no thinking needed!

You will be invited to read what you have written to yourself without any judgment or editing. It’s all valid for you.

There will then be an invitation to share in the group. You don’t have to share or you can share just a part of your writing or all of it. People find the act of reading their words aloud and have others receive them very powerful. It suddenly gives your words life, they are real. Even more empowering is hearing how other people relate to your words and how they make them feel. I have heard many people’s wild voices know that each and every one is unique, beautiful and resonant.

There is never a bad wild voice, just like there is never a bad swim.

Before swimming I always have a feeling of trepidation. It’s true that there is less trepidation in the summer than there is in the winter. Nevertheless the water temperature always feels cold or relatively cold. I don’t like being cold. I’ve often been heard saying ‘This is ridiculous, why am I doing this?’ The answer is always the same - I am honouring the commitment I have made to myself and my friends. 

However, only a few minutes in the water outweighs all the trepidation, all the time, faff and bother - the journey to the water, the cost, changing, dead leaves, mud and grass in the utility. 

Wild swimming gives me an amazing feeling - a mix of deep relaxation, being at peace with myself and the world, joy and achievement. Gazing out from the level of the water, being in a world I am not often privy too, being in nature. Then there is always the glorious deep belly laughs and giggling. 

Nowadays I get a niggle, an undeniable itch that suggests to me that a swim would be a really good idea. It’s a reset button.

The first touch of water on skin is always sharp, bringing me straight into my body. Breathing slowly, exhaling into the cold as it creeps up my body until submerging, feet are off the floor and I am swimming.The initial shock is quickly followed by joy and delight. Time holds still, it doesn’t matter whether it's two minutes or twenty the effect is the same. Enough is enough, warming up, sharing the joy and soaking up the surroundings with a warm drink is wonderful too.

If you’d like to experience these two practices together, I invite you to join me at ‘Wake up your Wild’ on 11th April at Barefoot & Bower. Please find out more by clicking the button below.