Life lately

Hello friends,

I hope this finds you well and you are enjoying the slide into hotter summer days. Staying cool where you need to and resting when you can.

This is a little update post because there has been so much going on in real life, a pause in large parts of my work, alongside a very intentional step back from social media (goodbye Instagram from my phone). If you find me scrolling these days, it’s my Substack feed of inspiring and beautiful nature, poetry, writing and art (or my camera roll).

In early April I experienced a miscarriage. A much-longed for second pregnancy ending at 10 weeks shook the foundations of our family and set off a cascade of consequences both physical and emotional. (It was part of the context for writing this post.)

I want to write more about our experience of miscarriage soon, but to say that I’m grateful for the support of friends, family, colleagues and students would be a profound understatement.

Work has been necessarily taken a back seat during this time, compounded by the fact that we’ve had a 7-week run of various illnesses and the like (including a tummy bug, colds, ear infections, a suspected concussion, fevers, and a truly painful plantar fasciitis flare up). My daughter was only able to attend 50% of her childcare due to illness, and it felt as if we were stuck on a constant merry-go-round of interruptions, illnesses and bad timing. Thankfully we are mostly through the other side, and I’m looking forward to a summer of recovery, rest and resourcing.

This week, my mother left us after arriving within a week of my miscarriage to spend time together and help us navigate a truly shitty period. I’m so appreciative of her support, and for the duration of her stay I decided to take a step back from work that wasn’t urgent or essential, including working on my book (the subject matter, naturally, has felt a little too close to home).

Now that my mum has gone, and we are all (currently) well, it means we’ve had the first week of full childcare days in nearly two months, and I am finally getting some space and time back in my weeks to turn my attention to work and writing.

Because I know my lovely coach Alice will be reading this (Hi!), I feel I should also add that even though I’ve had to take a step back from work in the past couple of months, I have still achieved a remarkable amount, and that is largely due to the wonderful community and relationships I’ve cultivated. A big thank you to everyone who has sent a kind message or email, checked in, been patient, or booked a course during this time. Your support means the world, and is so very validating that I’m doing work that is right for me. That it is needed, valued and cherished.

I can feel something slowing unwinding in me as I move forward with my beautiful family, returning to the rhythms of the weeks of just us, my time when my daughter is at childcare being spent in a combination of tending my home, garden, allotment. Tending myself, journaling, reading, writing, resting. Small actions that add up to a big impact. Like making sure I keep all the plants watered during the heat, checking on the new flowers as they bloom. Playing music that grounds and centers me, and trying to journal most days. Making a smoothie in the mornings to have as a snack later in the day, prioritising an afternoon rest after resetting the kitchen and making a plan for dinner.

Nothing big or revolutionary, but small, kind, simple actions that combine to create an environment where rebuilding and recovery can happen.

Work-wise, I’ve spent this week slowly reintroducing myself to what needs to be done, getting on top of admin tasks and trying to respond to emails. Getting a sense of the lay of land, both internally and externally. Internally, I’m trying to gauge where my capacity is at the moment, figuring out what I have energy and bandwidth for, being particularly conscious that I could easily become overwhelmed and depleted again all too quickly if I overcommit and try to do too much.

Externally I’m questioning how to balance work with the people and groups that are stakeholders in my time: students, colleagues and collaborators, alongside the personal stakeholders in family, friends and community. It feels so wonderful to feel my world unfurling and opening once more, after contracting into the hunkered-down, survival mode of the past couple of months.

I was asked to participate in the wonderful Mothers Grow series, which was a delightful way to stretch my writing muscles again (I’ll be sure to share the interview when Leah has posted it). I posted a little update on Instagram earlier in the week (deleting it off my phone again after posting!), and knew I wanted to write a longer form update for Substack too.

I have a workshop and practice to record, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to return to working and writing on my book soon too.

My much beloved Monday Perinatal Yoga Lunch Club is returning this coming Monday 1 June, 12:00-12:45 BST. Live via zoom or recorded if you can’t make it live. I have missed the space and practice SO much, and am really looking forward to returning. If you are interested in joining, it costs £20 for a month’s worth of classes and recordings. There are also free, no-questions-asked spots available.

Book your spot here

And booking is open for my Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training Pilot Program, beginning in August 2026 (live on zoom/recorded). You can read more about the program at the bottom of this post (getting the course up on my website might be one of the things on my to-do list). Payment plans and bursary spaces are available. If you are interested, pop me an email harriet@nourishyogatraining.com. Amazingly, the course is already half-full!

The feeling of ease and good things on the horizon, both in work and life, has me breathing an exhale of relief and hope. The world may be on fire, but our family and my work is my oasis.

With love,

Harriet