Category: Wellbeing

Mindfulness, Trees

April overwhelm, mindful moments & tree flowers

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

How are you this spring morning?

I love this time of year, the blue sky and warm afternoons. The vivid green of new leaves and the excitable bird song that fills the morning air. There is an aliveness that I feel seeping back to me from the earth around.

And yet, alongside the joys of spring, other experiences can arise, too. Fluctuating energy levels, feelings of restlessness, overwhelm, and anxiety can all increase as our bodies adjust to longer days and increased light levels.

In today’s post, I wanted to celebrate the beauty of this month and share some of my favourite ways to bring mindfulness into busy days.

This season brings so many invitations to leave the busy realms of our minds for a few moments and come back to the present moment, where life is unfurling.

Here is what we’ve been noticing this month:

Tree flowers

Over the past few years, we have really enjoyed noticing the different flowers that grow on trees in the spring. They tend to open just before or alongside the leaves. This is a wonderful month to see some growing. Here are a few that we have spotted in the last few days…

Goat willow catkins opening
Sycamore leaves & flowers
Ash flowers before leaves
Larch ‘roses’

I must also take a moment to celebrate the blossom that is continuing to bring me so much joy as streets and parks transform. From cherry blossom to blackthorn, white to every shade of pink. I know no better way to welcome spring than to spend a few moments standing beneath a blossom tree, absorbing its beauty, and noticing the life that buzzes around them.

Cherry blossom
Blackthorn blossom
I adore the pink buds of apple blossom

Getting outdoors

Whether it be the woods, a park, or beside a river, this season is filled with magic and change around every corner. We can spot something new on every visit. The vibrant green of new leaves that draws our eyes skyward never fails to make my heart feel uplifted.

April is the month that bluebells transform ancient woodlands into places of (even more) wonder. Birds, including swallows and cuckoos, are arriving back to the UK after their winter migration.

Tree Guides for Overwhelm

Both Birch and Willow have been capturing my attention this week and are wonderful allies for soothing busy minds. Spending time around any trees can significantly improve our wellbeing. Here are some of my favourites to visit during times of overwhelm:

Willow – beside the water, Willows always offer us a place to soften beneath their branches. Their gentle yet supportive energy can guide us in slowing down, releasing tension, and creating more space in our busy lives.

Birch – these pioneer trees are wonderful guides for courage and new beginnings when we are required to step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown.

Hawthorn – these special trees are known for nurturing the heart and nervous system and are particular favourites to visit during times of worry and overwhelm.

Oak – these iconic trees offer a deep sense of strength and grounding and are wonderful to visit whenever we feel on shaky ground or are doubting our abilities.

Wild Fen updates

We are looking forward to returning to Nottingham Pagan Market for Beltane in a couple of weeks’ time.

You can find out where we will be next at the bottom of our about page.

We are currently working on some beautiful new Wild Jewellery pieces, inspired by our favourite spring trees.

Here is a sneak peak of a fascinating piece of birch burl that we found 2 years ago, and now feels like just the right time to share its magic. You will be the first to see the finished pieces in a few weeks’ time…

Wishing you all some mindful moments over the coming week,

Nic x

Trees, Wellbeing

Tree Guides for Embracing Change

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

In my last post, I shared how observing changes in the natural world has helped me to embrace change a little easier in my own life. In today’s post, I wanted to share some of my favourite trees for supporting us during times of change or uncertainty.

What if I don’t know the species of tree?

I would like to start by saying, if you are not sure how to differentiate a Beech from a Birch tree, please do not worry! You do not need to be an expert to connect with the supportive energy of a tree. There are some brilliant resources out there to help you begin to tell different species apart including this free guide from the Woodland Trust. They also have a brilliant A-Z of trees that is well worth a browse.

Remember, learning about something is a wonderful way to connect with it. Begin with trees you have noticed before. Approach them with the willingness to get to know more about them. Greet them. See what stands out to you about them. What colour and texture is their bark? What shape and size are their leaves? Do you notice anything else growing on them – cones, fruit, nuts or flowers? Are there any feelings or words that come to mind as you spend time near this tree?

Greeting a huge beech tree

Tree Guides for Embracing Change

Here are some of my favourite trees to connect with during times of change and uncertainty. You can read more about each tree by clicking on its name:

  • Beech – A nurturing tree often thought of as the ‘Mother of the Woods.’ Beech trees go through a vivid transformation each year and can show us how to embrace change whilst nurturing ourselves and others.
  • Birch – Birch trees are often the first to move into land that has been cleared and can transform a piece of open land into a woodland. They are wonderful guides when we are beginning something new, especially when courage is required!
  • Blackthorn – These small but determined trees can guide us in strengthening our boundaries or when we are facing a challenging situation.
  • Elder – These trees grow fast and are one of the first to reawaken at the end of the Winter. They are wonderful guides for times when we may be desiring change but are feeling stuck or unmotivated.
  • Hawthorn – Hawthorn offers us medicine for the heart space. Connect with them when the fear of change takes over or when we are feeling lost or defeated after a life change that didn’t go our way.
  • Hazel – A flexible, energetic tree that can guide us in thinking creatively to overcome challenges.
  • Oak – A symbol of strength and stability. These vast, slow growing trees can be very supportive if we are feeling ungrounded or like things are moving too fast.
  • Rowan – If we are unsure of our direction, Rowan energy can help us connect with our intuition and inner guidance.
  • Willow – The energy of Willow trees is one of flow. Associated with water, they offer us space beneath their sprawling branches to rest and release the old.
  • Yew – Yew trees are our oldest living trees in the UK, with some thought to be around 3000 years old! They are a symbol of rebirth, regeneration and adaptability. Yew trees are wonderful during times of uncertainty or where we may be lacking perspective on a situation.

How to connect with a tree

  • The most simple way to connect with any tree is to spend time with them. See what you notice in their company, what you notice about them and also what arises within you.
  • Visit some known trees at different times of the year and notice how they change. Do they feel any different as you greet them in different seasons?
  • Gather fallen leaves, sticks or cones to display in your sacred space.
  • Some of the trees listed above have some wonderful medicinal properties that you may wish to learn more about. At this time of year, elderberries are ripe and make delicious syrups. Hawthorn and sloe berries from the Blackthorn tree are also wonderful to explore.*
  • We craft tree energy pendants from the windfallen wood of many trees. For the times we can’t be in the woodland, the woodland could still be with us.
Beech tree in late Summer
Beech tree in late Winter

I would love to hear how you found this post, and whether you would like to see more like this in the future. Stay tuned for my next post where I shall be sharing some grounding tools with you.

Wishing you a bright week,

Nic x

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* A note in regards to foraging, please do ensure you are able to identify anything you gather with 100% certainty. If you have any doubt, always cross check the identification. The Yew tree is one example of a tree that is toxic to us. Plant medicine can be potent so it is well worth having a look at any known contraindications for the plant that you are foraging.

I encourage everyone to forage with a deep respect to the tree/plant and the ecosystem it is part of. The Autumn berries in particular are a precious food source for many species of wildlife who depend on them so gather with care from areas of abundance.

Wellbeing

Embracing change naturally

Wild Fen

Hello wild soul,

I am enjoying seeing trees that just a few months ago were full of blossom, now hang heavy with fruit. And I think of them, in a few months from now, standing bare in the midst of Winter’s depth.

It has got me thinking about how present change is in the natural world, and yet, how often the fear and avoidance of change shows up in our human lives over and over.

The abundant apple tree, blossom & fruit

See, our brains like certainty. Did you know that just the thought of uncertainty in the future has been shown to trigger a threat response in us? The brain often prefers a negative yet predictable outcome to an uncertain one. So it is easy to see how we may come to fear change and learn to avoid uncertainty in an attempt keep ourselves safe.

Whilst from an evolutionary perspective, certainty can be linked with safety, avoiding the unknown can limit situations and opportunities that may bring us great joy, growth, and success in our lives too.

The good news is that whilst our minds tend to prefer certainty, they are also flexible and can learn to embrace change too.

If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.” – Eckhart Tolle

I have found that observing the changes that occur in the natural world is a wonderful guide in embracing and navigating change and uncertainty in my own life.

In today’s post, I wanted to share some of my favourite ways to connect with the natural world and feel more aligned with the cyclic nature of the Earth, so let’s dive in!

  • Be in nature often. Take in your surroundings, noticing any ways they may be changing. Notice colours, textures, sounds, temperature & light.
  • Gather some natural treasure (cones, leaves, acorns, feathers, flowers etc.) and make a space to display them. Update them often as the seasons change.
  • Plant some seeds or bulbs and enjoy seeing them sprout, grow, bloom, seed and wither through the year.
  • Take a few moments at sunrise and sunset to look out on the day.
  • Keep a journal, and notice how outer changes impact on you. Your energy, mood, habits and rituals may all shift with the day, season or moon cycle. Choose a ‘key word’ to describe how the Earth’s energy feels to you in this moment. Now pick one to describe your own energy.
Being in nature in all seasons

Further reading

If you enjoyed this post, you may like to check out our ‘Cycles of the Moon’ post and ‘The Wheel of the Year‘ post for more on cyclic living. And if you are feeling Autumn approaching, check out one of my favourite rituals for this time of year; ‘Creating a Space’.

Keep your eye out for my next post too, where I shall be sharing my favourite trees to connect with to support us during times of change.

Wishing you all some bank holiday magic,

Nic x

Foraging, Wellbeing

A Wild Brew

Wild Fen

A practice I find incredibly grounding at this time of year is to get outdoors and gently gather some beautiful fresh Spring plants for a brew.

There are so many medicinal plants growing in abundance at this time of year that are perfectly aligned to help nourish and cleanse the body after Winter. Many even make their way into our gardens if we let them!

Continue reading “A Wild Brew” →
Wellbeing, Wheel of the Year

Mindful Spring Practices

Wild Fen

I don’t know about you, but I can find myself feeling pretty restless at this time of year. The transition away from Winter can be a long one. The promise of Spring feels so sweet when it arrives. Those first warm rays on the skin and the sound of bird song lift my heart so much. And just as I am about to lean right in to the new season, Winter announces she isn’t quite done as she delivers one last blast…

I have noticed over the past few years that my mind can become restless at this time of year. My mood and energy feel as mixed as the weather. One foot planted amongst the hopeful wildflowers of Spring, the other hanging back in the heavy malaise of Winter’s end.

Continue reading “Mindful Spring Practices” →
Botanicals, Mindfulness

Guided Smoulder Stick Mindfulness Practice

Wild Fen

Hello lovely souls, below is a guided practice you may wish to use alongside your Smoulder Stick. Find a comfortable space where you can sit and relax for a while, have a candle and lighter available and a heat proof dish for your stick. Enhance this practice with any of your favourite music, oils, blankets etc. You can use this guide whether you choose to light your stick or not.

Continue reading “Guided Smoulder Stick Mindfulness Practice” →
Wellbeing

Lessons from a Primrose

Wild Fen

After a shaky few days, taking my morning cup of tea out in the garden this morning felt like an act of restoration. Walking barefoot across the lawn, moving from the shade into the sun I came to sit down in front of a small patch of Primroses. I noticed that the petals of most of the flowers were wilting now, nibbled (not by me) and turning brown in patches as they were reaching the end of their blooming period here in the UK.

Continue reading “Lessons from a Primrose” →
Wellbeing

Earthing

Wild Fen

Earthing or grounding refers to making bodily contact with the earth through walking bare foot or sitting on the ground.

A recent review highlights the impact of earthing on our health concluding that ‘bodily contact with the Earth’s natural electrical charge stabilizes the physiology at the deepest levels, reduces inflammation, pain and stress, improves blood flow, energy and sleep and generates greater wellbeing.’

Continue reading “Earthing” →