Nurtured by Nature

Today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Meridyth Driskill.  This is a conversation that truly everyone needs to hear, you might at first think Trauma doesn’t apply to you, but think again, this may be the piece of the puzzle we’ve all been missing. 

In this thought-provoking conversation, Meredith & I discuss the fascinating topic of Trauma at the intersection of the climate crisis & eco-activism; we explore nervous system regulation & the impact of fight/flight/freeze. Learning to understand this natural reflex, your body’s innate safety system, will affect not just you but also the people around you & society as a whole & has huge consequences for how effective we can be at facilitating the changes that will create a happier, healthier society where nature is truly nurtured.

Meredith has so much wisdom to share, critically reminding us that what is “common” isn’t automatically “normal”. She encourages us to seek new levels of tolerance & kindness towards ourselves, replacing our harsh inner judgement with curiosity & our criticism with compassion and regularly returns to the idea that whilst it may be simple it is not always easy to embody. 

This was such an incredible topic that Meredith & I will be sharing another conversation very soon.

Learn more about Meridyth:
A card-carrying member of the trauma club turned purpose-driven healer, I discovered my life's mission through the crucible of my own pain. After a radical personal transformation, I devoted 7 years to delving into the intricacies of the subconscious mind, energy dynamics, emotions, the body-mind connection, & the profound impact of trauma.

Certified in Reiki, somatics, parts work, Somatic Activated Healing™, Human Design, & trauma releasing bodywork, I've cultivated a unique approach that merges ancient wisdom with modern healing modalities. My transformative journey laid the foundation for a powerful process I share with my clients, rooted in three pillars: Safety, Connection, and Fulfillment.

At the core of my practice is nervous system work; an essential compass guiding individuals toward healing. Through a blend of emotional de-repression, boundary reclamation, & fostering authentic expression, my clients experience profound shifts in their lives.

I truly believe that every woman on this planet has magic & medicine to share with the world, & that the world will be a better place when we can fully own our power. When powerful women heal their wounds, I believe every human on earth can be fed, clothed, & hugged. We have the power to end generational trauma & create a new reality. 

Website: https://www.easywonderfullife.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meridythdriskill

Other Useful Links:
Dr Gabor Maté - When the Body Says No.

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Today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland. Having dedicated her life to exploring how eco-activism can be weaved into artistic practice in an effort to facilitate societal change. She draws on myth, indigenous wisdom & collaborations with science through a lens of current events, utilising story-telling, song & poetry to convey powerful messages that speak straight to our souls. 

We discuss the impact of eco-anxiety, low grade fear & complex PTSD that is affecting so many of us who are deeply connected to the environment, & how importantly we need not be blinded by the popular climate doomerism, because when we look beyond this narrative we discover millions of people around the world already doing amazing things. 

Elizabeth poignantly encourages us to not falter or give-up, but to remember that the story is still being written, the ending is not yet determined, that we all have the ability to engage in “Active Hope” & come together with collective strength to reframe how we vision ourselves into the world & forge new ways that nurture the earth.

Learn more about Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a writer, theatre maker & arts educator whose career over the last forty years has evolved at the intersection of arts &activism. She has long had a passion for communicating with the animate world that began in childhood high up in the arms of an old weeping willow.

Fast forward sixty years. Elizabeth is offered a writing residency at the Joggins Fossil Institute, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the mighty Bay of Fundy. She jumps at the chance to connect/converse with 300 million-year-old-rock, to go to Stone as supplicant, to fully engage with sea & sand & sky & winged helpers to deepen her connection to the living world.

What emerged was a narrative of the odyssey in poetic form, "Daring to Hope at the Cliff's Edge: Pangea's Dream Remembered". Music journalist, Nick Starring says of the this work: 

“Lyrical, bewildering, heartening, a& unsettling, this work sees an individual voice reckoning with the overwhelming complexity of our present moment.”

Elizabeth lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her composer husband, Beverly Glenn-Copeland.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Onlythroughart
Website: http://www.elizabethcopeland.ca/

Purchase 'Daring to Hope...': https://chapelstreeteditions.com/book-catagories/poetry/daring-to-hope-at-the-cliffs-edge/

Rock Poem: https://nsadvocate.org/2021/06/26/rock-a-poem-by-elizabeth-glenn-copeland/

Listen to Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwmuje1H7edkx3vK

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Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Welcome to episode 34 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Meghan, a herbalist based in Yorkshire in the UK.

In this inspiring conversation Meghan shares how her fascination with herbal medicine began when trying to find a solution for her own long term health issues. She reminds us that symptoms are simply messages from our body, an opportunity for us to listen and pay attention, and not something to be feared. Having studied both western herbal medicine and Ayurveda her nurturing approach to embracing herbal wisdom in your life, encourages us to trace the messages back, and what you will normally discover is one of just a handful of core imbalances that can then be addressed. 

We delve into the amazing benefits of utilising herbs and she reminds us that our relationship with herbs should be approached in a similar way to a relationship with other people, moving beyond simply what someone can do for us to understanding the intricate levels of their unique personality. Through it all Meghan offers the most important guidance that now more than ever we need to foster our skills of discernment to make healthier choices for both ourselves and are natural world, to which we are inextricably linked.

 Learn more about Meghan

Meghan Rhodes is a qualified herbalist who has helped over 90 people start living herbalism, making healthier, safer solutions for themselves and their families a reality. As the founder of the Heritage School of Herbal Medicine, she has written 10 course books, authored the books Easy Herbal Remedies for Infants and Slow-Infused Self-Care, and developed a unique four season sense-based herbalism course and journey, Awaken Herbal Wisdom.

Meghan’s practice of herbalism is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet.

Meghan is a member of both the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy and the Ayurvedic Professionals Association.

Awaken Herbal Wisdom - Meghan's intensive herbalism course - enrolling annually - Find our more and get on the waiting list here: https://bit.ly/43qbNxg or DM Meghan the word ACCESS for the link.
Exploring one of the seven tastes - Exclusive access - https://bit.ly/43hBEsF
Website: https://www.heritageschoolofherbalmedicine.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heritageschoolofherbalmedicine/

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Phiomène. We discuss her passion for cultivating a more mindful & sustainable lifestyle. She shares how her journey has been inspired by her love of creativity & her insights on embracing the seasons to shape our lives, creating awareness for the wisdom they bring, including her love of slowing down & cozying up in winter. 

Our conversation meanders through a shared vision for supporting women & our communities to consider ways of growing in a new direction, redefining our current paradigm. From looking at where we source our food to the  wisdom the journey of homeschooling her children has given her, we consider the role of education & the space for co-creation that is available when we give value to everyone's voices. 

Philomène shares a gentle reminder that it’s ok: we don’t have to be perfect or do everything & in each small step we take, the seeds of the next step germinate if we have the courage to slow down & be patient with ourselves & others. 

Learn more about Philomène:

Philomène is a passionate advocate for slow living, gracefully navigating the intricate tapestry of family, career & the pursuit of a healthy, eco-conscious lifestyle.

Currently calling a quaintly renovated farm in rural Brittany home, Philomène's journey has woven through the vibrant cities of Bristol & London in the UK, the artistic landscape of Paris in France, & the eclectic charm of Berkeley in California.

Drawn from profound inspiration gathered along her diverse path, Philomène is on a dedicated mission to live & consume more mindfully, actively working to minimize her environmental footprint.

Committed to the philosophy of sharing knowledge & fostering support, Philomène has established a membership platform to empower women in transforming their daily lives & perspectives. Her vision is to guide members in leading lives that are not just sustainable but also joyously creative, where thriving & wholeness take center stage.

When not tending her garden, doing pottery, knitting, or concocting culinary delights, Philomène dedicates her time to homeschooling her 2 children. Education, curiosity, & creativity form the core of the values she instills in her sons. She firmly believes in nurturing strong bonds with nature, hopeful that these mindful children of today will blossom into responsible nature-loving adults, committed to caring for our precious planet.

Get the Beautiful Free Gift: Easy Nature-Based Activities to do with Kids Booklet: https://creativitytochangeeverything.com/easynaturebasedactivities

Website: https://creativitytochangeeverything.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thrivingtogetherwomenscircle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativitytochangeeverything/

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

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Welcome to episode 32 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Claire from the Irish Forest Garden. Claire is an incredible force for nature, having been friends with Mary Reynolds, the inspirational Chelsea award winning landscape designer for many years. In 2014 Claire and her family worked with Mary to bring the Forest Garden from her book the Garden Awakening to life on a small disused 1/8 acre paddock. This was the start of their incredible journey embracing their responsibility to become true guardians of the earth, no longer fighting against nature but working in harmony to nurture all creatures both rooted and un-rooted. As both Mary, Claire and her family’s vision has evolved so too has their approach and most recently they have expanded beyond the forest garden to embrace ARKing and offering up even more land to nurturing the native flora and fauna.

During this magical and laughter filled conversation, Claire takes us along on their journey from the challenges of starting at below zero in a nature depleted couch-grass filled landscape to the highs of seeing their hard work literally bare fruit and witnessing the myriad of creatures that have benefitted during their beautiful journey of co-creation with the earth. We share our mutual hopes as we acknowledge the changes that have occurred in our lifetime and how discussions around nature are seeping into the reality of more people. Claire imparts two profoundly simple but empowering pieces of wisdom for us all to embrace: Before doing something, always pause and ask Why? And Just Do It, no matter how small the action may feel, just make the decision at the start of this new year to just do something and take that first step to becoming part of the solution, you will surprised at how quickly nature steps into the spaces we make for her. 

Learn more about Claire
I’m Claire Leadbitter and I’m sharing about our Forest Garden and ARK designs here in Wexford, Ireland which were inspired by Mary Reynolds and her books The Garden Awakening and We Are the ARK.  

Trying for a gentle, organic approach to living with the land under our care, to feed ourselves and creating as much habitat as possible for native flora and fauna.

Website: www.irishforestgarden.ie
Instagram: www.instagram.com/irishforestgarden

Other Useful Links:

Mary Reynolds - https://marymary.ie/
We Are The Ark - https://wearetheark.org/

Books
The Garden Awakening: Designs to nurture our land and ourselves - Mary Reynolds
We Are the ARK: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature Through Acts of Restorative Kindness - Mary Reynolds

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

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Welcome to episode 31 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Lucy, the founder of the medicine woman gathering and a musician based in East Devon in the UK. 

We are living in a time that is calling woman to reconnect with themselves and the natural world and come together through sisterhood, community and ceremony to re-establish the balance of reciprocity and communion with the land and each other. 

Having always felt a connection with the natural world and found inspiration from Mother Earth in her singing and song writing, Lucy shares what inspired her to create a gathering that honours the idea that we are all medicine woman. Based near Glastonbury the gathering is a place where the ancient Celtic wisdom of this sacred land weaves with modern ideas and creates space for us to move into right relationship with the earth and honour our calling as her protectors.

The medicine woman gathering is now in it’s second year and will be held in July 2024 so there is still time for you to get involved.  It is a place where woman and children come together to witness each other and open a beautiful portal of energy for transformation. From the sharing of ancient skills to a concert by the voices of the wild feminine, this years event will create a powerful container to honour the collective grief of our world and offer strength to the wild woman to gently awaken and return to their roots, reconnected to their innate wisdom.   

Learn more about Lucy

Lucy Wylde, Founder of Medicine Woman has a multitude of assets that she is bringing forth to be more in service to this world. Lucy has spent the last 3 years dedicated to sisterhood, the arts and nature. Supporting women through her work to come home to themselves, fully in their sovereignty through what she has learnt through her own life workings. 

Growing up in East Devon, Lucy has always felt a deep connection to nature and the beauty and reciprocity that comes when we tune into our Mother Earth. Nature and the animal kingdom were Lucy’s ally’s through a traumatic upbringing. 

Bridging a world of modern and ancient teachings, Lucy is here to guide the way that can bring us back into balance through deep connection to ourselves, each other and all that surrounds us. 

Website: www.medicinewomangathering.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Medicine.woman.gathering

Want to attend the event in 2024 use the special discount code for our listeners: NURTURE20

Which will gift you 20% off their full ticket price.

Find Lucy’s Music:

Spotify: Lucy Wylde

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/lucywyldemusic

Youtube: youtube.com/lucywylde

Other Useful Links:

Robin Wall Kimmerer - Braiding Sweetgrass 

Sharon Blackie - The Enchanted Life

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

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Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay

Welcome to episode 30 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm taking some time to offer up my gratitude to you my beautiful community and to reflect on our amazing journey a year into our Nurtured By Nature story and to remember some of the incredible wisdom that we have shared with all the amazing guests who have offered us their stories so far.

Whilst reminiscing on some of my favourite moments, I’m reminded of some of the common threads that have woven their way into many of our conversations: 

The importance of community and what we can achieve when we come together (of course that includes not just our human world but our non-human communities too). 

The fact that we aren’t powerless, that as consumers we have incredible power to support those businesses that are holding nature at the centre of their business decisions, that we don’t have to wait for the legislation from governments to make the change, in fact my conversation with Jessica Brennan was a wonderful example of how the legislation often follows the change rather than proceeding it. 

And perhaps most importantly to embrace the power of love for healing ourselves and our world, and remembering to give ourselves and those around us the benefit of grace, knowing that most people want to help and do good, but that no-one is perfect and we are all clumsily simply doing the best we can to make the world a little better, day by day.

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

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I'm delighted to be joined by Lucy the founder of Hedgewitch Essentials.  Whilst we often think about what we put in our bodies, how often do we think about the scents & smells we are exposed to? Lucy shares her passion for the science of smell, the therapeutic properties of essential oils & how this lead to the formation of her own products for both horses & humans. We also delve into the challenges of running a small business, delivering quality essential oil based products that preserve their true therapeutic properties.  

We share how embracing self-selection & the use of essential oils, empowered our horses, giving us a new way to communicate & transformed our relationships, whilst also helping them resolve both emotional & physical symptoms. 

Having overcome some incredible challenges, not least a severe brain injury, Lucy reminds us to have hope, look for the silver lining & the opportunities that may arise. 

Learn more about Lucy
Lucy always had a strong connection with the land being a farmer’s daughter. With a B.Sc. Hons in Agriculture, she began her working life as an agronomist, advising farmers on their crops & soil management. She later combined a love of writing with farming, becoming an agricultural journalist & magazine editor.

Her connection with horses also began at a young age & it was the feeling of helplessness when knowing they were ‘not quite right’ – that led her to alternative therapies, & in particular animal aromatherapy – which has since become known as animal pharmacognosy. 

After a severe traumatic brain injury in 2017, life changed considerably for Lucy but it allowed her to follow her dreams & become an equine pharmacognosy practitioner with Caroline Ingraham. The training involved learning about the pharmacology & biochemistry of essential oils & it was this that sparked the founding of Hedgewitch Essentials Ltd, with her partner Mike.

Hedgewitch recognised that the therapeutic properties of species-appropriate essential oils could be enormously beneficial to the wider population of horses. It was a tough decision because the first rule when offering essential oils to horses to self-medicate is to allow them the freedom to move away – to give them a choice. 

With the use of essential oils growing in horse care products, Lucy wanted to create a natural range, based on the oils horses would select themselves for certain conditions. Importantly, she wanted to make sure that these were pedantically & sustainably sourced because the quality of the oils is paramount when using them therapeutically – both for the health of the horse & to be effective. 

Website: https://www.hedgewitchessentials.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hedgewitchessentials/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hedgewitchessentials/

Other Links:
Caroline Ingraham: https://www.carolineingraham.com/

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

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Welcome to episode 28 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Lucy Ní hAodhagáin / O'Hagan the founder of Wild Awake Ireland. 

Lucy is quite simply one of the most kind hearted, intriguing and inspiring people I have had the pleasure to meet. During our conversation she shares her journey which is beautifully woven with her love of nature. A relationship that began from a need for sanctuary from the challenges of life and has blossomed into a life where she consciously awakens a deeper relationship with the world rooted in reciprocity, reverence and responsibility in both her own life but also the experiences of the many people she works with and guides to their own remembering. 

Our conversation gently meanders through her wisdom of ancestral skills, ceremonial rites of passage and wildlife tracking and the richness these threads can bring to the tapestry of life. We also hold space for the grief and pain so many of us are experiencing in this time and celebrate the importance of looking to the richness and resilience to be found in the edges, so we can move away from polarisation towards embracing the incredible diversity of voices in  our own communities and in the natural world. 

Lucy offers up the sacred invitation to deeply listen, and witness each others stories, to find the courage to sit with the questions and challenges of our time and dream into the new world that we believe is possible, whilst remembering to trust that most people have good intentions and truly want to do something to help. 

Learn more about Lucy

Lucy Ní hAodhagáin / O'Hagan (They/She) is the founder and director of Wild Awake Ireland, a project which seeks to rekindle ancestral life ways for cultural and ecological resilience across the island of Ireland. 

Lucy is passionate about supporting people to re-establish connection with themselves, their communities and to nature, of which we are a part. Lucy is particularly interested in rewilding and rekindling the knowledge and skills we once knew so intimately, which connect us to place.

Lucy's interests range from ethnobotany to wildlife tracking, ancestral skills to restoring rites of passage. All while leaning into the ways in which we can collectively decolonise our relationship to the land and ourselves and be in reciprocity with life. Lucy is happiest when outside, following the trails of deer across the landscape and nibbling on what nature has to offer. 

Website: https://www.wildawake.ie/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildawakeireland/

Other Useful Links:

Lynx Vilden - https://www.lynxvilden.com/
John Rhyder - Wood Craft School - https://www.woodcraftschool.co.uk/
Rupert Marquez - Hand On The Earth - https://www.handontheearth.org/

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

Connect with us & join the conversation on social media:
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Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay

Welcome to episode 27 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast. Today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by the fabulous Jackie Winters of the British Academy of Crystal Healing. During this inspiring episode, Jackie shares how her own health challenges with severe Asthma, lead to her delving into the fascinating world of frequencies & how crystals are able to support the restoration of harmony in the natural frequencies of our bodies. 

Wisdom from a neolithic rock in the Spanish mountains leads us to consider the use of language in reconnecting with ancient wisdom & through taking in the lay of the land, we explore how lay lines, nodes & sacred sites recognised by our ancestors provide us places to reconnect to reenergise ourselves. Jackie shares surprising examples of how harnessing this energy can have profound benefits for ourselves & also in helping to heal the land, environment & our own communities.

At a time when we are bombarded by negative stories about the natural world, which are inducing many heavy emotions in all of us, we discuss the importance of intention & needing awareness of the emotions we are holding & carrying into our actions, as these unintended frequencies leave their own imprint on the land & our environment. With compassion & the support of crystals we can learn to return to & hold the frequency of love in our hearts, which can allow us to be of even greater service in being the change we want to see in this world. 

Learn more about Jackie Winters FM BACH
Jackie is an FHT Accredited Course Provider and the founder of the British Academy of Crystal Healing (est. 2004). With 5-star ratings from numerous students, the academy is renowned as a leading authority in crystal healing and energy medicine. Jackie is also author of Messages from Mother Earth Divination Cards Volume 1 & 2 and has a successful free podcast that attracts regular listeners from the UK and around the world.

The Academy warmly welcomes students globally, offering online tutor-led sessions. Jackie’s 40 years of research into energy medicine and crystal healing are evident in her inexhaustible knowledge. As a Shaman at heart, she provides retreats and guidance on Shamanic lifestyle, with a remarkable connection to the mineral kingdom and energy wisdom.

Website: https://www.britishacademyofcrystalhealing.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britishacademyofcrystalhealing/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.britishacademyofcrystalhealing.co.uk

Crystal Lightworkers Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crystal-lightworkers-podcast-to-aid-spirituality-and/id1605621976

Podcast:https://www.britishacadem

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

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