Showing Up Anyway
July has been full on! There is something about summer that tricks us into trying to do absolutely everything at once, it’s messy and exhausting. I am starting August a little frazzled and ready for a rest. but sitting here very quietly on a Sunday morning I am reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the process.
July was fully of half-finished projects, heatwaves and so many moments spent learning step-by-step. Throughout everything I have been holding on to the notions that the plants with the strongest roots hold the most water. This is an idea I have been carrying to explain the internal work I practice and now teach to develop the patterns of resilience that sustain us when things are difficult. So we can keep showing up as the best version of ourselves no matter what.
Here are a few things July taught me about building roots:
Selfie the day after passing my yoga teaching assessment, looking relieved and happy.
Finding resilience on and off the matt
In July, I stepped out of my comfort zone and launched a second yoga class: a limited summer series that ran during the time I would usually be volunteering with Girlguiding who have gone on summer holidays.
Drawing from my observations in the allotment, I built these classes around developing strong roots, physically and metaphorically. In the heatwave you can easily distinguish the plants with the strongest root systems as they hold water longer and survive much longer. Off the matt, resilience works the same way. Building internal strength supports us when times are hard and when we aren’t sure of what’s going to come next.
I also had my teaching assessed as part of my BWY 500-hour diploma. I not only passed but my tutor commented on how wonderful my group of students are.
What’s next? I am continuing both my Tuesday and Wednesday classes in September. Full details and public booking will launch later in August. If you would like first access to these details please make sure you sign-up to my newsletter via the Contact form.
The messy Beauty of the Unfinished Kitchen
Perhaps the biggest things happening this month has been the kitchen renovation, which has thrown my whole house into chaos. For weeks, dust, dirt and interruptions to power have made the simple task of cooking a meal almost impossible.
This is a daddy-daughter project working under the direction of my 81 year old father who is a retired kitchen fitter and house renovator. Doing it ourselves is very slow. We have needed to overcome several challenges including ordering the wrong hob and an accident which destroyed one of the base units and needing to find a replacement.
If I had hired a contractor, the work would all be done by now however, but they also would have delivered a very generic plan. It would have been easier, but it wouldn’t be as satisfying. Working more slowly has allowed Dad & I to change our minds as we go, changing the plan so that the result fits much better into the space. Living with the chaos has lead to an outcome which is more thoughtfully created and is ultimately going to be better to live with.
Showing up alone and finding connection
Watching live theatre is one of my favourite things to do and I have consciously been prioritising this activity this month. I’ve seen several shows which have each offered me something unique:
STEWART LEE vs THE MAN-WULF
Rather than waiting for someone else to be available, I bought tickets and went alone to this one ma show at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury. Before the show, I sat on the terrace with my book and ended up in a brilliant conversation with another solo theatregoer. It was a good reminder: when you show up for things you care about, you often find people who care about them too. (Side note: Theatre Severn is a vital local asset, and I hope its independent character is protected in coming council reviews.)
The Handlebards outdoor theatre performance setup at Hawkstone Park Follies.
The Handlebards
A book club friend recommended this show, an outdoor touring group cycling between venues with sustainable productions. I decided to invite a relatively new friend who I knew loved Shakespeare. I have a bad habit of assuming people will not want to do things with me, so I was genuinely delighted when they said yes. We saw As You Like It at Hawkstone Park Follies. Using bicycle pumps as swords and swapping roles mid-scene, they made Shakespeare approachable, physical, and joyful. Taking that small risk to reach out and invite someone to join me made the whole experience even more special.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
I took my mum, who’s a big fan, to see that at The Lowry in Salford. Ralf Little and the full cast were brilliant at delivering a tense spy drama. However, the venue experience was disappointing. My mum has mobility issues, but the lifts were blocked by another event and there was no step-free route to our seats. Declaring an access requirement involved an extra £15 processing fee which we chose not to pay it for a single visit, however the barrier was frustrating. It stood in sharp contrast to Theatre Severn, where accessible support is straightforward and welcoming. Showing up in life requires confidence, but spaces must also be designed to let people in without extra friction.
What the garden has given me
On the allotment, the drought made things tricky. I filled empty spaces by ordering plug plants from Rocket Gardens, expecting 25 and unexpectedly receiving 83!! Keeping all these young plants alive in extreme heat took constant hand-watering. Some lettuces died, and the strawberries shrivelled. I still harvested herbs, beetroot and courgettes. I have big hopes for tomatoes and sweetcorn in August; these crops are looking handsome. The allotment did not give me the flawless summer harvest I pictured, but it gave me plenty and so much potential for the months to come.
Showing up anyway
July hasn’t been perfect. There have been plenty of ups and downs with challenges through the kitchen renovation and crops that haven’t made it through the drought in the garden.
A life well lived isn’t about getting everything right first time. I think it’s much more about being brave enough to try something anyway. Developing the confidence to learn in public and sometime to fail in public too.
August can be slower, this is fine too.
