Grief Disco
Discover Grief Disco, a welcoming and uplifting space for anyone living with loss. A place to heal, connect and feel grief through music, movement and community.
Perfect For
Grief Disco is for anyone living with loss and looking for a different kind of space to hold it. It’s for people who don’t always have the words, who feel isolated in their grief, or who want to be around others who understand without needing everything explained. It’s for the heartbroken and the hopeful, for people who want somewhere gentle, human and a little unexpected to go with what they’re carrying.
You do not need to be good at dancing. You do not need to be ready to talk. You do not need to arrive in any particular state. You just need permission to come as you are.
Why You’ll Love It
Grief Disco offers something many grieving people are missing: a place to feel less alone without being forced into conversation or expected to “do grief” the right way. Through music, movement and a sense of shared understanding, it creates room for sadness, joy, memory, release and connection to exist together.
This isn’t about dancing to forget. It’s about dancing to remember, to honour and to reconnect. For some people that might look like tears on a dance floor. For others, it might be a small exhale, a moment of laughter, or the relief of being in a room where no one needs grief explained to them.
What Makes It Special
So much of grief can feel isolating. People don’t know what to say, or they say nothing. We can start to feel cut off from ourselves, from our bodies and from other people. What Grief Disco understands is that grief does not only live in words. It lives in the body too.
That’s what makes this space so powerful. It offers people a way to process loss through movement, music and presence, rather than through talking alone. There is no pressure to perform, no expectation to be upbeat and no fixed script for how you should feel. Everything is an invitation.
Grief Disco also holds something many of us forget is possible: that joy and grief can coexist. That a person can cry and dance at the same time. That love, memory, heartbreak and laughter can all be in the room together. In that sense, it doesn’t just offer support for grief. It offers a more human way of being with it.
The If Lost Take
There is something quietly radical about creating a place where grief is allowed to move.
So many of us are more familiar with the language of coping than the experience of actually feeling. We know how to keep going, keep functioning, keep answering “fine” when we are anything but. Grief Disco interrupts that. It offers something softer and, for many people, more freeing: a chance to let grief be alive in the body, not just managed in the mind.
What we love most is that this doesn’t turn grief into a problem to solve. It doesn’t rush people towards silver linings or ask them to package their pain into something neat and shareable. Instead, it makes room for what is true. Sometimes that truth is sorrow. Sometimes it is love. Sometimes it is a song that opens something you didn’t realise you were still carrying.
And sometimes healing looks less like fixing and more like finding a room where you can be fully human again.
Founders Story | Co-founded by Georgina Jones and Leah Davies
Grief Disco was born from lived experience of loss and a belief that grieving people deserve spaces that feel connecting, warm and real. Co-founders Georgina and Leah created it as a response to the loneliness that grief can bring and to the sense that many of the places available to grieving people do not always make room for the body, for joy or for community. Their approach is shaped by the understanding that no one should have to grieve alone, and that music and movement can help us find our way back to ourselves and each other.
Founder’s Go-To Wellbeing Advice
“Look for the love.
Look for the tiny moments of joy that are still here, even in the hardest seasons. Keep a playlist that helps shift your energy. Let music help you move what words can’t always reach.
And remember that grief is not something to fix or get over. It is something to feel, and you don’t have to feel it alone.”
Some Practical Details
Grief Disco is a space where people can come together around grief through music, movement and optional sharing. Some events happen in person and there are also online grief discos for people who would rather join from home. The atmosphere is invitational rather than intense: you can dance, sit, cry, talk, stay quiet, turn your camera off or simply witness. There are also small ritual elements, such as dedications and moments to remember the person or people you are dancing for.
If you are grieving and looking for support, this may be one of those rare places that helps not by asking you to explain your loss, but by giving you somewhere to bring it.
Zenaa Retreats
Discover Zenaa Retreats, a welcoming, fad-free approach to yoga and wellness retreats in the UK and abroad. Designed for real life, these nourishing escapes blend movement, rest, great food and genuine connection. Perfect for beginners, solo travellers and the yoga curious.
Perfect For
Zenaa Retreats are for the "yoga curious" including regulars, dabblers, those who prefer the back row, and complete beginners. It is designed for the "schedule-seeking, choice-conscious" crowd who value a balance of activity and downtime. Solo travellers are especially welcome and make up a large part of the community.
Why You’ll Love It
We all need a space to pause, breathe, and reconnect. In a world of high expectations, Zenaa provides a judgment-free environment to strip away the pressure and allow you to be present. It’s an opportunity to escape the daily grind, slow down through the "art of slow living," and find nourishment for the mind, body, and soul without the pressure of a detox or juice cleanse.
What Makes It Special
Zenaa stands out for its "fad-free," balanced approach to wellbeing. Unlike many retreats that focus on restriction, Zenaa celebrates food and connection. The focus is on handpicked serene venues and a non-judgmental atmosphere that welcomes all body types and abilities. It is a family-feel business (founder Katie’s mum even helps out!) that prioritises genuine connection over performance.
The If Lost Take
We’ve often written about how we can get lost in wellbeing itself and we’re very much on a mission to get you to the places that can help you find your way through it all. When we met Katie we felt like here was a retreat organiser who really understands our real-lives. The places where we get overwhelmed or stuck, burned out and disconnected. And her events aren’t about adding yet more pressure, but really meeting you where you are, with consideration and kindness too.
Founder’s Story | Katie Hodge
Founder Katie is a wellbeing advocate and planner whose passion for events and yoga creates the perfect blend for meticulously designed retreats. Her journey began ten years ago in Sydney, where she first turned to yoga to find calm for an anxious mind. What started as a personal practice evolved into a mission to bring like-minded people together to connect with nature and enjoy incredible food, the ultimate self-care experience.
After launching Katie J Yoga in 2020 she rebranded to Zenaa in 2024. Today, it is a thriving community where every detail is covered so guests feel entirely nourished and supported.
Founder’s Go-To Wellbeing Advice
“Prioritising sleep. When everything feels overwhelming or I've lost my way, coming back to a consistent and restful sleep routine is the foundation for mental clarity and emotional resilience.”
Some Practical Details
Zenaa offers luxury wellness and yoga retreats in the UK (including Devon, Bath, and the Cotswolds) and abroad (Italy, France, Portugal, and Sri Lanka). These include:
Varied Yoga: Dynamic Hatha sessions in the morning and gentle Yin or yoga nidra in the evenings.
Nourishment: Healthy, wholesome meals prepared by private chefs (always including dessert and sometimes a glass of wine).
Activities: Countryside walks, cold-water swims, creative workshops, and meditation.
Community: A warm, inclusive environment where guests often leave as close friends.
If you’re not able to attend in-person, don’t worry, there’s Zenaa Online which provides an online retreat experience. You can try out their free 7 day trial here.
Coming up:
Italy Retreat (July 2026) – A 6-night restorative escape
France Retreat (Sept/Oct 2026) – A 5-night wellness experience
Devon, UK (Oct 2026) – A weekend of nourishment and nature
Book a retreat using code IFLOST and get a special welcome gift.
Creative Frome: A Wellbeing Guide to Living More Creatively in Everyday Life
Discover how to bring more creativity into your everyday life in Frome. From Black Swan Arts to Made at Nest, explore a wellbeing guide to creative places that help you slow down, reconnect, and feel better.
There’s something about Frome that makes creativity feel like part of everyday life, not something reserved for weekends or special occasions. It’s in the windows, the workshops, and the sense that people are making things because they want to, not because they have to. And when life feels full or a little unclear, creativity offers a way back, giving us somewhere to place our attention, our hands, our thoughts.
Why creativity matters for wellbeing
Creativity isn’t just about producing something beautiful or impressive. It’s about process. It’s about making space for curiosity, for play, for noticing what draws you in.
When we engage creatively, even in small ways, we step out of constant consumption and into participation. We soften the pressure to have all the answers and instead follow something more alive: interest, instinct, experimentation. Creativity can regulate our nervous systems, reconnect us to ourselves, and remind us that we’re allowed to make things imperfectly.
In a town like Frome, that invitation is everywhere.
A wellbeing prescription for a more creative life in Frome
Start with wandering. Let yourself be led by what catches your eye, not what you think you “should” do.
Here are some of our favourite places to seek out creativity:
Black Swan Arts
Set in a beautiful old building, Black Swan Arts is a community-driven contemporary arts centre that supports local and emerging artists through exhibitions, open studios, and workshops. You might come for a specific show, or simply to wander through and notice what resonates. It’s a reminder that creativity takes many forms and that you don’t need to understand it all to be moved by it. Also check out The Write Place, a cosy place to work on that novel hidden away on the top floor.
The Silk Mill Studios and Gallery
Part gallery, part working space, The Silk Mill offers a closer look at creativity lived out by the artists who work here. There’s a sense of getting to witness the in-between stages—the sketches, the half-finished pieces, the process itself, challenging the idea that creativity needs to be polished to be worthwhile. With a rotating series of exhibitions, workshops and events there’s often something here to expand your world a little.
Ground
At the top of Catherine’s Hill, you’ll find Ground, a studio and shop created by the potter and artist Fi Underhill. Here you’ll get a sense that creativity can both be something you make and something you engage with. Take one of the gorgeous ceramic mugs home with you, so that an everyday, almost throwaway moment drinking your morning coffee becomes even better.
Made at Nest
Made at Nest is a welcoming pottery studio and coffee shop that invites you not just to buy something creative, but to try making something yourself. It offers a gentle nudge towards participation rather than perfection, and you’ll feel free to paint vases and bowls, tiny bears and exuberant elephants to your heart’s content. Oh and there’s cake.
Still Life Gin
There’s creativity in flavour too. At Still Life Gin, the process of distillation becomes its own kind of craft—thoughtful, sensory, experimental. It’s a different lens on creativity, one that invites you to taste and notice, not just look. You can also book sessions to make your own gin blend.
Seed
Seed is a thoughtfully curated shop filled with the best of British design from homewares, stationery, and objects that bring a sense of life and intention into your space. It’s a reminder that creativity can be as simple as how we care for our environment—what we surround ourselves with, what we bring in, and how we make a space feel like our own.
You don’t need to become “a creative person” to live more creatively. You just need to follow what feels interesting, even if it seems small or ordinary.
If you’re looking for more places like these—spaces that help you reconnect, explore and feel a little more like yourself—browse our guide for life. It’s filled with creative corners, thoughtful businesses and everyday places that make life feel better, one visit at a time.
Oh, and if you run a local place that you think would be perfect for our guide, apply to be part of our collection of places for happier days here.
Better Read Book Festival
Explore Better Read Book Fest, a one-day festival of books, ideas, and authors to support your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Perfect For
Better Read Book Fest is for readers interested in self-development, mental health and emotional wellbeing. It's for coaches, therapists and wellbeing practitioners. If you want to learn more about how you can support your own mental and emotional wellbeing this festival is for you.
Why You’ll Love It
Better Read Book Fest is the UK’s first literary festival dedicated entirely to wellbeing books. It's a one-day celebration of books focusing on self-development, mental health and emotional wellbeing, and their authors. The festival is taking place on Saturday 3 October in Abergavenny, south Wales.
What Makes It Special
Literary festivals may include books on mental health and self-development, and wellbeing festivals can feature wellbeing authors alongside workshops and practical experiences. But until now there hasn’t been a UK literary festival dedicated solely to books focused on personal development, mental health and emotional wellbeing, and their authors.
No workshops, no other genres, purely authors sharing their books, their experience, research and expertise with readers. These books provide validation, greater self-understanding and practical tools, empowering the reader where they’ve felt lost and alone, in an accessible form and price.
You will leave feeling inspired, informed, empowered and uplifted.
The If Lost Take
When we first heard about a festival dedicated entirely to wellbeing books, it was an instant yes. It brings together so much of what we care about: wellbeing and words, connection and community, ideas and the people who love them too.
We believe there’s something powerful about the right book finding you at the right moment. It can steady you, shift your thinking, or simply help you feel a little less alone. And already, the authors announced for this festival feel like exactly those kinds of voices.
There’s also something quietly joyful about being in a room full of people who care about these books as much as you do — who know the non-fiction bestseller list almost as well as their local takeaway menu.
We’ve interviewed Gabrielle (and speaker Suzy Reading) on the podcast, and what stands out is the warmth and intention behind this festival. It’s been thoughtfully curated with a genuine belief in bringing people together around ideas — not to prescribe what wellbeing should look like, but to help each of us explore what it means in our own lives.
Founder’s Story | Gabrielle Treanor
“Years ago when I was struggling with anxiety, people-pleasing, overthinking and overwhelm (which I later discovered was due in part to my unrecognised ADHD) it was picking a book on positive psychology off the shelf in my local bookstore, and subsequently diving headfirst into wellbeing books, that gave me a sense of agency. In these books I found explanation and understanding as well as ideas and tools to support myself.
I then embarked on a journey which ultimately led to writing my own book, The 1% Wellness Experiment (published Dec 2023), and supporting others as an ADHD coach, writer and podcaster.
My respect and appreciation for the writers who pour their knowledge, skills, experience and heart into their wellbeing books inspired me to champion and celebrate this genre by creating Better Read Book Fest.”
Some Practical Details
The festival is a day of interviews and panel discussions with the authors about their books, self-development, mental health and emotional wellbeing, and space to ask them questions. There will be the opportunity to purchase the authors’ books and have them signed by the authors. Festival merchandise will also be on sale.
Authors confirmed so far are Suzy Reading, Natalie Lue, Dr Helen Wall and Natasha Page.
The festival won't be available online but there will be interviews with the authors in a special festival season on the Pressing Pause podcast.
Venue: St Mary’s Priory Hall, Monk St, Abergavenny NP7 5ND
Date: 3rd October, 2026
IceBreakers
Part of our wellbeing guide for life, IceBreakers offers men a welcoming space to step into nature, share conversation and find connection through cold water and simple weekly rituals.
Perfect For
IceBreakers is for men of all ages and backgrounds. Some come because they’re struggling. Others come because they want more connection, more nature and a healthier rhythm to their week. You don’t need experience with cold water or wellbeing practices. You just need to show up.
Why You’ll Love It
IceBreakers is a men’s wellbeing community that meets outdoors each week for breathwork, cold water immersion and conversation. They gather in rivers, lakes and the sea to reconnect with nature, challenge themselves and support one another. It’s a simple ritual that helps men step out of their heads and back into the world.
IceBreakers isn’t about endurance. It’s about presence and connection.
What Makes It Special
Many men don’t have places where they can slow down, speak honestly or feel supported without pressure. Being outdoors, breathing together and stepping into cold water creates a powerful reset. It helps people reconnect with their bodies, their thoughts and the people around them, often leading to stronger friendships and a deeper sense of belonging.
IceBreakers isn’t a class or a programme. It’s a simple shared ritual: men meeting in nature, breathing together, stepping into cold water and supporting each other. There’s no pressure to perform, no hierarchy and no fixing, just people showing up side by side and meeting life’s challenges together.
The If Lost Take
We’ve seen first-hand what a difference an early Sunday start can make. There’s something about standing waist-deep in a river, sharing a simple “hi, how are you?” that cuts through the noise of the week.
It can become a kind of reset. A chance to let go of what’s been building, even if just for a moment. And to notice, without needing to say much, that other men are carrying things too, moving through life with their own hopes and concerns.
Turning up for the first time might feel like a big step. But Icebreakers is a genuinely welcoming group. And somehow, with each Sunday, it gets a little easier to answer the alarm, grab your dry robe, and head out the door.
You come back with flushed cheeks, and often feeling a little lighter than when you left.
Founders Story | Co-founded by Tim Bowles, Arron Collins-Thomas and Jack Horner
IceBreakers began when two friends lost people close to them to suicide and realised how few spaces existed where men could talk honestly about how they were feeling.
They hosted a small retreat and discovered that the most powerful moments came from stepping into cold water together. That shared challenge created openness, connection and real conversation.
From there, weekly gatherings began and the community grew.
Founder’s Go-To Wellbeing Advice
“Step outside.
Move your body, breathe slowly and spend time in nature, even if it’s just a short walk.
And if you can, share that moment with someone else. A conversation and fresh air can shift more than you think.”
Some Practical Details
IceBreakers core offering is a weekly outdoor gathering, usually on Sunday mornings. Each session includes breathwork, movement, optional cold water immersion and time for conversation. Some chapters also host fire circles, walks, saunas and other events that deepen connection and community.
You don’t have to be brave or “good at cold water”. Some men dip for a few seconds. Some stay waist-deep. Some just come along for the conversation.
They also organise walks, camps, saunas and get togethers beyond the cold water.
Most of what they do happens outdoors in person. However they do share stories, guidance and inspiration in their WhatsApp community, and new chapters are launching across the UK so more men can find a group near them.
They also host occasional camps and events that people can travel to.
Coming up
Alongside their weekly Sunday gatherings across the UK, IceBreakers is hosting a Spring Camp from the 24th - 26th April, 2026.
It’s a few days in nature where men step away from the noise of everyday life and reconnect through cold water, movement, fire circles and honest conversation. Think of it as a deeper version of the weekly IceBreakers experience.
A special If Lost bonus
IceBreakers are offering 10% off their upcoming Spring Camp to If Lost readers, just use code LOST10 at checkout. Details of the Spring Camp can be found here.
Burmieston Farm and Steading
An off-grid, award-winning eco steading near the Scottish Highlands. Burmieston offers screen-free stays, sauna, escape barn, retreats, local food and space to reconnect with nature and each other.
Perfect For
Burmieston is perfect for families, groups of friends, or anyone looking to come together in the middle of rural Scotland.
Why You’ll Love It
Burmieston Steading is a group accommodation space on the edge of the Scottish Highlands where nature is close, the air and water are crystal clean, and there is space to be….just be.
They offer 5 ensuite bedrooms sleeping 12-13 people with a spacious kitchen and great sitting room with a library wall and a projector. Co-owner Keesje Crawford-Avis can even cook for you! They have an Escape Barn, a sauna and rural Scotland is all around. They also sell their own lamb, wool and skins as well as jams and chutneys made from orchard produce.
What Makes It Special
They don’t have WiFi or TVs, so you can really get away from screens here if you choose to. Nature and climate change are at the core of their business. The building was renovated with many eco features (they even won the Historic Scotland RIBA award for climate change in 2018) and they run Burmieston conscious that they are part of an ecosystem. Keesje can entertain you for hours if you want to know more!
The If Lost Take
So many people live in cities and rarely have the opportunity to let their senses become alive again. It’s quiet here. It’s dark at night. The weather is always present and the beds are super comfy. Burmieston gives you the space to remember there is no wall between you and the natural world (without camping), and an opportunity to spend time with your loved ones and/or the fun ones and space to be on your own. In a moment that we are longing to be together, Burmieston is all about in-person reality.
Founders Story
Keesje and Olly Crawford-Avis: “We found Burmieston in the Guardian’s ‘Wreck of the Week’ column around 2015 and wanted to start farming on a very small scale. (Olly and I met at agricultural college a long time ago). We also wanted to share this amazing spot and we opened the renovated Steading in 2017, the weekend our second son was due. It’s a truly family affair — he’s our chief customer relations officer in charge of all things on the trampoline. We are passionate about our surroundings, about community and about food. Burmieston is the physical reality of that passion.”
Founder’s Go-To Wellbeing Advice
“Take a walk on a well worn path and look for things you have never noticed before. A plant you have always walked past, a bird song you have never noticed before. And then breathe.”
Some Practical Details
They are dog friendly but do have chickens, geese, ducks and sheep around so please keep your dog well controlled. They have their own dogs too.
The team also work with a number of wellness businesses to host their events, from meetings to retreats to catering. They focus on self catering groups at weekends and B&B for singles and couples during the week.
Coming up
They have a few weekend retreats coming up: willow basket making, a weekend of wet felting with yoga and sauna, and a weekend of drawing with a brilliant illustrator. They also have the next in their series of seasonal yoga and mindfulness day retreats. New adventures are being planned all the time. More info and book can be found here.
A special If Lost bonus
Anyone who finds them here will receive a guided walk around the smallholding. You can choose either a night walk with Keesje or an introduction to our farming set up with Olly.
Manipura House, Bath
Explore Manipura House, a mind-body wellness hub in central Bath offering massage therapy, wellbeing workshops and expert bodywork in a stunning setting.
Perfect For
Anyone interested in looking after their long term physical and mental health, supporting fitness and recovery from trauma. This is also the ideal place for anyone who understands that massage therapy is more than just a one-off treat, but an essential partner for a healthy lifestyle.
Why You’ll Love It
Manipura House is a centre that takes care of your physical and mental wellness and that’s on a mission to elevate your health and restore your energy.
Hosted in a stunning Grade II Listed building in the heart of Bath, you will find exceptional bodywork, clinical massage, therapeutic massage therapy, wellbeing workshops and accessible recovery tools plus a range of wellness services, to help transform your ability to connect mind and body.
The name Manipura refers to your solar plexus, a bundle of nerves in the abdomen that regulates the body’s stress response. As co-founder Lynsey Keyes explains: “It is the centre of our identity and energy, and the key to unlocking our personal power. By tapping into this nerve centre in a variety of ways we can build a strong, confident foundation from which to grow, empowering ourselves with knowledge and awareness of our mind and body to take charge of our own health.”
What Makes It Special
Located on a stunning street, the space hosts a range of highly trained and skilled expert bodywork therapists, who understand and work with your individual needs. It’s a one-stop health hub connecting wellness practitioners through workshops and coaching sessions as well as a curated wellbeing retail offering.
The If Lost Take
One of the hardest things to do when you’re ready to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing is finding the right practitioners to support you. Manipura House takes away the guess work. Under one roof, you’ll find the people and the space you need to help you better move through everyday life.
We’ve handpicked Manipura House for our Wellbeing Guide to Life because it perfectly reflects what we look for in a wellness space: expert-led, beautifully designed, and truly grounded in whole-person care.
Whether you’re seeking to reconnect with your body, manage stress, or explore long-term support for your physical and mental health, this is a place where expert knowledge and compassionate care come together. Expect evidence-based therapies, bespoke treatments, and a deep respect for the mind-body connection.
Founder’s Go-To Wellbeing Advice:
“Our approach to healthcare should move beyond a reactive approach, to a more sustainable and enjoyable one. A holistic approach not just in name, but in the 360 degree services we engage with.”
Some Practical Details
Therapy sessions are all in person on site. Their partner therapists may have online offerings.
Gift vouchers are available
You can book directly on the website.
11 Queen Street, Bath, BA1 1HE, United Kingdom
hello@manipurahouse.com
Tel: 0122 5984379
Distil Coworking Somerset
Discover Distil Coworking Somerset—an inspiring rural coworking space set in a restored mill with gardens, café and community. Ideal for creatives, freelancers and small business owners looking to feel more connected and work well in beautiful surroundings.
Perfect For
Creatives, freelancers, small business owners, remote workers — or anyone craving a more inspiring alternative to working from home.
Why You’ll Love It
Housed in a beautifully restored former mill, Distil Coworking Somerset offers a calm and inspiring place to work with beautifully restored wooden floors, abundant natural light and views out to a landscaped courtyard. It’s the kind of place that makes you exhale as soon as you walk through the door.
Whether you're a small business owner looking for an inspiring workspace for your team, a parent looking to be super productive around the school run or you want a change from the commute to the city — Distil Coworking Somerset is designed to make your working day better.
With plenty of free parking, choose the scenic route and work from a beautiful location in the heart of the Somerset countryside.
What Makes It Special
Set within the wider Kilver Court development, Distil offers more than just a desk. Booking a coworking space here includes access to the lush 3.5-acre gardens — perfect for stretching your legs between meetings, taking a walking call or a giving yourself a moment of pause under the trees.
You’ll also find fashion and homeware outlets like Toast and Mulberry and a newly renovated café with a wellbeing-focused menu. It’s all part of what founder Sam Cunningham envisioned when he transformed this site: “a thriving creative business ecosystem that drives growth, sparks innovation, and encourages collaboration.”
Whether you're looking for a quiet corner to enjoy a warm cup of tea, to scribble ideas in a notebook or simply to close your eyes and let the gentle rustle of leaves spark fresh inspiration, this is garden coworking.
The If Lost Take
We often think of coworking spaces as urban hubs — but Distil is part of a growing movement to bring creative, connected workspaces to rural settings. While countryside living has its charms, working from home in remote areas can sometimes deepen feelings of isolation and disconnection. Spaces like Distil shift that story — offering a place to come together, connect and work alongside fellow creatives, freelancers and entrepreneurs who also call Somerset home.
Founder’s Go-To Wellbeing Advice:
“You spend a third of your life at work — choose environments that nurture your wellbeing and people who help you thrive. The right environment can do more than just support productivity; it can restore calm, spark creativity, and invite genuine connection.”
Some Practical Details
Book a desk, meeting room or the podcasting studio. Facilities include free parking, superfast WIFI, private call booth, shower and kitchen with coffee and tea.
During every booking, receive 10% off at the café and access to the stunning Kilver Court Gardens — the perfect place to recharge during the working day.
Distil Coworking will soon have an events programme up and running, including the option of remote attendance at some events. For anyone visiting the area, they also offer day passes as well as the option of booking by the hour.
Kilver Court, Kilver Street, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5NF, United Kingdom
hello@distilcoworkingsomerset.co.uk
If Lost Reader Benefits: Use code 'InnerCircle' for 10% off your first month when signing up to a monthly membership.
If you prefer to book on a pay-as-you-go basis, use code InnerCircleHotDesk for 20% off your first day pass.
Single Parents Wellbeing
Discover an organisation in Wales run by single parents for single-parent families that aims to foster connection and belonging.
Go here if: You are seeking some wellbeing support as a single parent.
What is it: Single Parents Wellbeing is a CIC in Wales run by single parents for single-parent families. They offer a peer-led, compassionate and connected approach to being in a single-parent household, improving the mental wellbeing of single-parent families.
What do they offer: Workshops and events for single parents and their families. They also have a wealth of resources online, an active Facebook Community and training and development opportunities for their Volunteers.
What makes it different: SPW is committed to breaking down barriers. By actively employing single parents and engaging volunteers from within the community, they provide meaningful opportunities for growth, fostering a sense of purpose and belonging.
Creating a safe and connected community is at the core of what they do. Through peer-led events, socials, and workshops, SPW aims to reduce isolation and loneliness, building a single-parent family community that supports and uplifts each other.
Recognising the importance of staying connected, SPW extends its support online, reaching single parents across Wales. Their online resources provide valuable support and information to those who may not have easy access to in-person services.
Who is behind Single Parents Wellbeing: SPW began when co-founders Rachel Cule and Amy Holland started a walking group in 2017 for single mums. They found each other on an online forum, each struggling with mental health and the stigma surrounding being a single parent. Getting outside with people in similar circumstances helped their mental health and overcame anxieties about being out and about as a single parent. Following funding from the National Lottery they are now able to reach a much larger audience. SPW now works tirelessly around mental health and supporting their community.
Not in Wales no worries: They also have a huge online resource of their blogs and podcasts as well as links to useful websites and helplines which can be accessed wherever you are.
Where inspires them: Nature, every time. Getting outside for a walk, swim or run makes all the difference. Remembering also that friends always want to support you, so reaching out to a friend for a listening ear is always helpful.
Studio Pottery
Reconnect with the practice of making in this light-filled and spacious pottery workshop located in the heart of Belgravia.
Go here if: You are seeking a break from the noise of the city and are looking to connect with the practice of making.
What is it: Founded by Lucy Attwood and Gregory Tingay in 2019, Studio Pottery London is a light-filled and spacious workshop for all who are attracted to making with clay, from absolute beginners to more experienced potters.
Why you need it: Uniquely located in central London in the heart of Victoria as part of the Eccleston Yards development, the studio has been created as a place of calm and community. A carefully curated working studio and gallery space provides a perfect environment for city-dwellers to come together to learn and create.
Photo: Yiki Dong, Studio Pottery, London
What they offer: Intimate classes across the two teaching classrooms with six wheels in each as well as a dedicated area that has been carefully designed to give members premium space. The central area, with its library, kitchenette and facilities, gives opportunities for the community to socialize.
Members and students are also welcomed by a resident potter into their private studio for one-to-one throwing and mentoring sessions, while an evolving teaching team and an in-house technician — who monitor the studio kilns and glazing room — provide support for the studio community.
For inspiration, take a look at the curated windows and displays of historic and contemporary ceramics (some of which are also for sale to visitors).
We asked Directors and Co-Founders, Lucy Attwood and Gregory Tingay what makes Studio Pottery different:
“Our focus is throwing – working with clay on the wheel. The studio also provides space for hand-building. This traditional craft provides a counterbalance to the hyperactive, mechanised, and technologically saturated metropolis.
The hands-on practice of throwing opens dormant creativity and encourages therapeutic transformation. Engaging with clay, the practitioner slows down, assimilating technique and mastering knowledge through careful repetition. It is a holistic, gradual and joyous experience, connecting the potter to a living history of human making.
Our lineage flows directly from Bernard Leach and the 20th Century revival of studio pottery – enshrined in our name. At the heart of Studio Pottery London is the desire to form a community around a shared ethos and love of pottery in all its forms.”
— Gregory Tingay, Co-founder
“Pottery can be a wonderfully social activity, as well as a solitary path of meditative practice. Our studio respects both.
We provide group taster introductions, 5 week foundation courses, and run a regular schedule of ongoing mixed ability classes that you can book according to your availability.
Our expert teachers not only lead our group sessions, they offer on-one-on tuition, which is an excellent way to learn and grow in confidence on the wheel. If you would like the flexibility of coming in your own time you can become a member, enjoying exclusive access to our members area, equipped with several wheels and workspaces.
Our studio is also available for private hire, and our team has a wealth of experience arranging workshops for private functions and one-off experiences.”
— Lucy Attwood, Co-founder
Turning Earth Ceramics
"Like a gym membership for potters", discover four pioneering London studios cultivating craft both as an accessible hobby and as a viable career.
Go here if: You want to learn a new skill, make work in ceramics, be part of a community, find new ways to relax and unwind, nurture your creativity, or even develop your career.
What is it: Turning Earth's pioneering ceramics studios are for everyone, from beginners to part-time professionals, and can now be found in four London locations: Hoxton, Leyton, Tottenham and Highgate. They offer classes and open-access membership, "like a gym membership for potters".
Turning Earth Hoxton
Turning Earth Highgate
Why you need it: Turning Earth's mission is to cultivate craft both as an accessible hobby and as a viable career (they offer a full-time professional studio, In Production, in Leyton). They want to contribute towards a broad adult curriculum that will improve the quality of life in the city.
What they offer: All the ways to try making and develop skills: Tasters, 8 or 12-week beginners courses, intermediate courses, week-long courses, weekend-long courses, private workshops, and monthly membership.
For members, they also organise improvement workshops, like their very popular raku parties, and they have exclusive access to their quarterly ceramics markets.
Turning Earth Leyton
Turning Earth Tottenham
What makes it different: The community and atmosphere are unique to each of their studios. Someone might join for the craft and end up staying for the friends and a 'second home' discovered.
What else do you need to know: They are open every day till late except on Mondays. If you’re not local you can see the wide diversity of skills and techniques on their Instagram which is often updated with pots made by their members in the studio.
In their own words: Turning Earth was founded by Tallie Maughan. Their first studio, Turning Earth Hoxton, opened in December 2013. Following a model popular in the US, it was the first dedicated open-access ceramics studio in London.
“Turning Earth is indebted to the Arts and Crafts movement at the beginning of the 20th century, which suggested that there should be no separation between utility and art.
Our vision rests in the intuited feeling that we will naturally make life more beautiful when we take our aesthetic awareness, our right-brained feeling for things, as seriously as we take our rational understanding of the world.
We exist to enable people to make beautiful physical objects, and in so doing to make their lives more beautiful: more centred, more fulfilled, more present to what they truly care about.
We feel that in making this movement, we are encouraging a broader social shift towards living with care in our world.”
Our Guide to Small Businesses We Love
This Colour Friday we’re celebrating the independent shops that we love. Find the perfect Holiday Gift from one of our favourite places.
How are you supporting independents this Black Friday?
We’re joining Holly Tucker’s campaign to boycott Black Friday on 24th November and support small businesses instead. These stats are directly from the Colour Friday campaign:
£12.3 billion on Black Friday is spent with businesses like Amazon
Despite the fact that 80% of it ends up in landfill
And nearly 60% of UK small businesses fear closure in the coming year
As an antidote to this, and to help us all shop small, please support your favourite local shop or buy a longed-for Christmas gift from an independent.
Help spread the love and the colour that independents bring to our high streets, our lives and each other.
To get you started, here’s a round-up of some of our favourite UK Independents.
Present and Correct, London: A beloved stationary shop to quiet the mind and spark your creativity
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies: this store has everything the monster in you needs (and a not-so-secret cause behind it all).
Labour and Wait, London: Timeless designs having a contemporary moment, this shop will make you think differently about your dish brush.
Meticulous Ink, Bath: A tiny print studio and store that creates human-centered designs for all of us.
Find Ubiety, Bath: A haven for your wellbeing that gives back to others too
The Bristol Artisan, Bristol: A home for local craftsmanship and creativity, that embodies the city’s spirit of community and sustainability.
Folde, Shaftsbury: connecting people with nature through beautiful books, prints and gifts
Alice in Scandiland, Cornwall: Scandinavian design comes to Cornwall courtesy of award-winning style blogger Alice Collyer.
The Department of Hope, Joy and Wonder, Cheltenham: An uplifting place to browse and meet friends that spreads joy and wonder in Cheltenham and beyond
The Poetry Pharmacy: poems (and more) for all your emotional ailments and the best range of surprising and delightful gifts
Something Good, Newcastle: a sustainable living store with a plastic-free pantry and a refillery
Lifestory, Edinburgh: Scandi inspired concept store that has everything you could possibly need for gift giving this holiday season
We’ll be adding more independent shops over the coming weeks so let us know your favorites so we can include them here too.
Shop Small Special: The Bristol Artisan
A home for local craftsmanship and creativity, The Bristol Artisan embodies the spirit of community and sustainability of the city.
Go here if: you love contemporary design and craft, supporting local makers and feeling like you are truly in Bristol.
What is it: A home for local craftsmanship and creativity, The Bristol Artisan in Clifton is a charming shop that stands as a testament to the city's vibrant community of artists, designers and makers.
Why you’ll love it: Showcasing a curated collection of handmade homewares and gifts from independent makers from Bristol and across the UK, you’re sure to find something to take home. From ceramics, jewelry and original prints, to vegan beauty, living plants and dried flower bouquets, each piece tells a story of skill, passion, and dedication.
The Bristol Artisan embodies the spirit of the city. It encapsulates Bristol's ethos of creativity, community, and sustainability.
How to bring this into your life: The online shop is extensive so you can shop from home. Check out the gift guides for all seasons and occasions (we have our eye on cozy hot water bottles and the perfect ceramic ramen bowls). If you do get to visit, stop at Burra next door for coffee (Bristol’s Cafe of the Year 2022).
In their own words: “The Bristol Artisan is a curated space for contemporary handmade design and craft with a focus on homewares and gifts, supporting over 60 independent makers from Bristol and beyond.”
Shop Small Special: The Department of Hope, Joy and Wonder
An uplifting place to browse and meet friends that spreads joy and wonder in Cheltenham and beyond
Go here: for an uplifting experience, you love colour and sweary cards, or you are looking for the perfect gift, stationery or homeware for yourself or someone else (also to secretly meet friends)
What is it: Cheltenham, a town known for its history and charm, holds a hidden gem — The Department of Hope, Joy and Wonder. Nestled within the heart of Tivoli, an easy walk from the centre, since spring 2021 Catherine Colebrook’s shop has been spreading joy and wonder through its selection of homeware, gifts, and sweary cards.
Why you’ll love it: When we heard the name we just had to visit. It’s a fun place to wander from the first room which is a riot of colour to the more calming monochrome spaces beyond, but we particularly loved discovering The Secret Coffee Shed at the back. Tucked away in a courtyard it feels like the perfect hideaway for locally roasted coffee (by Gloucester-based Rave) and cake by local bakers Creme De La Em and S Bakes.
How to bring this into your life: Visit if you can and attend one of the creative workshops from modern calligraphy to paper decorations (details for which you’ll find on their Instagram). If you can’t get there, play with colour in your own home by making a rainbow of your bookshelves.
In their own words: “Catherine's aim was to create an inspiring space where you can browse and catch up with friends over a coffee. A place where people can reconnect or just come in & have a good laugh at our selection of thoroughly rude & sweary cards.”
Present and Correct
A beloved stationary shop to quiet the mind and spark your creativity
Go here if: you still enjoy the tactile experience of writing, the thrill of organizing (also we see that looming project deadline that makes you want to tidy your desk), and hold the belief that self-care can come in the form of the perfect planner.
What is it: Present and Correct is a carefully curated stationary shop founded by Neal Whittington that’s currently tucked away in North London (though there’s a summer move to a larger space in Bloomsbury on the cards).
A popular destination for stationery enthusiasts and lovers of unique office supplies, this small shop offers a variety of paper goods and office conveniences from notebooks to desk accessories that combine contemporary design with a nostalgic touch. You’ll also find vintage items sourced from overseas markets. This is not your typical high-street office supply shop.
Why you’ll love it: Present and Correct is known for its emphasis on quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail, but we also love the promises it holds. Of creativity: its notebooks and pens are the gateways to journaling, sketching, and writing that memoir in long form. Of calm: its clean and minimalist interior, and artfully arranged displays hint at some degree of control over our lives, a possible neatening of our edges. And maybe of a simpler moment: something of the analogue, of the openness of a new page, and even the joy of childhood and those new pencil cases on the first day of school.
How to bring this into your life: Although our true love is the physical store, the website offers the chance to browse and purchase from their collection of products (and they ship worldwide). We love the Finnish School chalk, Things to do Planners and Two Tone Ballpoints. And we’re huge fans – as are many – of Present and Correct’s Instagram.
In their own words: “It's a showcase for the things we have enjoyed since school….We want to spark a distant memory, make you smile or look at the most mundane in a new, and fonder, light.”
Present and Correct
At the time of writing 23 Arlington Way, London
From 20 June: see the new Bloomsbury address
Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh
Discover the well-being benefits of a world-class botanical garden beloved by locals and visitors alike
Go here if: you’re looking for a place of tranquility, an escape from the busyness of city life, and a way to be more mindful of nature
What is it: A renowned botanical garden, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is one of the world’s leading centers for plant research, conservation, and education. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden for medicinal plants, this world-class botanical institution now reaches across 70 acres and includes over 13,500 species in its living collection.
Why you’ll love it: While you wander through the Chinese Hillside, Rock Garden, or Alpine Houses, you’ll also be accessing the positive well-being benefits of such a stunning natural setting from reducing stress levels and improving mood and mental clarity, to increasing your sense of awe. To make the most of this soothing and meditative location, pay close attention to the different textures, smells, and sounds of the ever-evolving natural spaces around you.
And while here, access the other well-being Pathways: as you walk the grounds you’re body will be releasing endorphins, those feel-good hormones (mind-body connection); you can visit alone, or you could invite a friend, for the added benefits of social interaction; and follow your curiosity as you learn about the plant-life nurtured here.
We like how a place like the RBGE that could feel like just a tourist destination has woven itself into the lives of locals, who seek out moments of respite here. It’s very much become a part of the fabric of city life rather than only a momentary break from it.
How to bring this into your life: Beyond visiting the gardens, the RBGE offers a range of events like flower shows, art exhibitions in the stunning Inverleith House, and monthly behind the scenes.
It also hosts restorative programs designed to connect with well-being including Food Socials, dementia-friendly Garden socials, and skills share workshops.
For some seasonal joy, check out the winter illuminations and spring flower displays.
And if you can’t get there read The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan, the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year set in the gardens.
In their own words: “When visiting Scotland, a trip to the world-famous Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is unmissable. Experience an extravaganza of plants from around the world, learn about the Garden's rich and diverse Living Collection and discover a history dating back to the 17th century.”
Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH3 5NZ
And did we mention the garden entry is free
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Seek wonder at The Lost Gardens of Heligan and discover a land once forgotten.
“Putting Heligan in aspic for posterity wasn’t what we wanted. Instead, we’d tell the story of those who worked here and re-discover their horticultural knowledge and skills.”
Go here if: you’re looking to find magic in nature, lose yourself in awe, or take a moment to pause.
What is it: Sometimes when you expect a tourist destination, what you find is a place of true wonder. From the founder of The Eden Project (and now Gillyflower Golf Course) Sir Tim Smit, The Lost Gardens of Heligan comprises 200 acres for nature lovers to explore, with breathtaking twists and turns through a lost landscape and a lost history.
Why you’ll love it: Like a story from a fairytale, a door found in the ruins of the Heligan estate led to the discovery of a garden lain long dormant. When World War I reaped its devastation, it took many of the gardeners who had once worked the estate and eventually all that they had created here: the Victorian glasshouses broke, the ferns and camellias grew over, the plant specimens brought from around the world, became hidden by time. Now Heligan has become the site of the largest garden restoration project in Europe; since the 1990s a team has worked to restore what once was, adopting the same principles of regenerative architecture, reviving the plants and species forgotten and revealing the original gardens.
Take the trail past the living sculptures embedded in the landscape (including the much-photographed Giant’s Head and reclining Mud Lady) through the jungle hidden in a valley (you can cross it by a rope bridge and it all feels like a dinosaur might emerge at any moment) up to the pineapple pit and the working gardens. But most of all just wander – the landscape shifts as you do, and the discoveries reveal themselves, sometimes slowly.
Heligan is still actively farmed with over 300 species of mostly heritage fruits, vegetables, salad, and herb plants, that are then used in the Heligan Kitchen, and heritage breeds (it was lambing season when we visited).
What you need to know: We sought out The Thunderbox, which was not what we thought it would be – once the gardener’s lavatory — but it contains the secret of past lives. The gardeners wrote their signatures on the wall beneath the statement “Don’t come here to sleep or slumber.”: the date August, 1914. In 2013, the Imperial War Museum recognized The Thunderbox as a “Living Memorial” to the gardeners of Heligan, a testament to the people who worked on the estate before World War 1 took them.
How to bring this into your life: Beyond visiting, you can attend a Lost Supper.
In their own words: “We were fired by a magnificent obsession to bring these once glorious gardens back to life in every sense and to tell, for the first time, not tales of lords and ladies but of those “ordinary” people who had made these gardens great, before departing for the Great War.”
Typewronger Bookshop & Typewriter Repair Shop
An indie bookstore, that offers typewriters repairs, origami animals and soup on Christmas Day. Founder Tom Hodges tells us whyTypewronger is far more than just a place to buy books.
“You can’t be lonely with a book - books transport you to other worlds, other places, they make you other people. Whilst immersed in a book you can only feel what’s in the pages.”
We knew we’d discovered somewhere special on a recent trip to Edinburgh when we stumbled into Typewronger on Christmas Eve and received the warmest welcome, an origami elephant, and a recommendation to read Insomniac City (subsequently stamped with their distinctive red logo and now one of our most cherished reads). Here founder Tom Hodges tells us about what makes Typewronger so distinct:
What is it? Typewronger Books is Edinburgh's smallest indie bookshop and Scotland's only typewriter repair shop! It's home to a community of readers, writers, artists & musicians and strongly advocates the written word in our daily lives.
Why do people need it? Typewronger is far more than just a place to buy books. Regulars stop in for a chat, people have built creative connections, made friends, been inspired, switched careers, written zines & started publishing companies all as a result of hanging out in this shop.
Advice & Assistance Obtainable Immediately, and there's even a Public Typewriter for those who want to just sit down and write - and don't worry about mistakes, this is TypeWRONGer where we embrace our flaws.
What do you offer? Book signings, author events, open mic nights, a YouTube channel, we flex on the 'gram & have a 1984 electric typewriter wired directly into our Twitter (yes, it types out your Tweets!)
We send books all over the world in our characteristic wrapping with hand-typed notes of your dictation, so we're perfect if you want to send a book as a gift - just drop us an email and we'll wrangle it.
We also organise the Edinburgh Zine Fair and advise new publishers on the nitty-gritty of the trade.
What makes it different? The energy is anarchic, the books hand-picked, and we're always ready and willing to engage with you on any topic. We stamp all the books with our shop stamp and give a little origami animal with each purchase. Even though we're a tiny wee store we stay open until 9 pm, we even open on Christmas Day with soup for those with nowhere else to be, and New Years Day handing out recovery Bloody Marys.
What do people need to know? Due to Covid we have a traffic light system to limit numbers and have paused our events program. We are hoping to change both of these in the coming months as cases dwindle.
Tell us a little about your story: Typewronger started when I moved back to Edinburgh in 2017 and began selling books in the street from The Leith Walk Police Box. Every Sunday a band of friends would humph all the bookshop stuff down from my flat - books, bookcases, a carpet, an armchair - the lot! In 2018 Typewronger moved into the old gallery space beside McNaughtan's, Scotland's oldest Antiquarian bookshop. In 2019 Elsa joined the team, and the shop opened 7 days a week, and in 2021 we were joined by Viv who works the day shift on a Saturday. Since opening, we've had thousands of conversations with people from all over the world.
How can people be inspired by your space wherever they are? We send books worldwide, so you can always get a bit of Typewronger sent to your doorstep. Also, we believe in physical correspondence - if you write us a letter and include your return address we will always write back to you on one of the shop's trusty typewriters.
Where inspires you? There's a wine bar upstairs.
You can't be lonely with a book - books transport you to other worlds, other places, they make you other people. Whilst immersed in a book you can only feel what's in the pages. And the feelings can be hard, but they're cathartic, and the feelings can be good, and there's all sorts of books perfect to all sorts of moods.
Anything we're missing? It's a matter of public record that the store's founder is Tom Hanks' "hero."
Discover more places for life in our Guidebook
The Soul Spa | A conversation with founder Madeline Blackburn
How do you make time to pause? We talked to Madeline Blackburn, founder of Bath’s The Soul Spa, about how we can rethink how we treat our modern-day ailments and create better spaces to hold us on our high streets.
A center dedicated to the mind-body-soul connection, The Soul Spa was founded on a site of healing — legend has it that King Bladud was cured of leprosy from the hot springs that the building, one of the oldest in Bath, is situated on. For years people have come to this location to get well (the energy of Sulis Minerva has even been felt in its rooms).
We talk to founder Madeline Blackburn about how The Soul Spa is providing ways to treat our modern-day ailments and creating the space for people to just pause.
The Soul Spa feels like a new model for the mind/body/spiritual in our communities.
When I was thinking about how to create this space, I knew I didn’t want to be the church hall, because the environment matters so much to me. I was in a flotation tank in Colorado, and I literally sat up in the dark and the idea of “soul centers” came into my head. I went home and wrote and wrote and wrote. I noticed that there were workshops in spaces, nice retreats, and meditation and mindfulness classes. But what’s unique to The Soul Spa is that we’re in one building and have a permanent offering. Though workshops and courses might change, our practitioners and team of people are here all the time and here for you if you need them.
Often practitioners can be quite siloed but maybe, for instance, a client who comes in for psychotherapy finds it won’t work for them and that they would do better with a reiki healer. You offer a more client-led model, giving possibilities for accessing healing in different ways.
Absolutely. From a holistic physiotherapist and an astrologer to a shamanic healer and nutritionist, we try to foster a collaborative nature between us. We know what each other does. All the therapists say how refreshing it is to feel part of something, rather than just renting a room. That’s quite unique about us. Also what I understand of the human brain is where your beliefs are, if you believe in something, that’s probably going to work for you better than something that you don’t believe in. I’m here, not to make any comment or judgment about what anyone’s beliefs are, but to give them the smorgasbord of choices that will fit in with their view of the world. And then maybe even open people up to new ways that they haven’t thought of.
We don’t want to make people feel like it’s going to be work or difficult though but approach from a place of relaxation and calm, peace, and time out. We have a Quantum Field room, so people can just drop in and tune in to one of our guided meditations or bring their own.
There’s a shift in wellness now: it felt like before it was something you did over there, there was a certain audience for it and that audience looked a certain way. But with The Soul Spa and the other places we cover in this guide, we’re finding that where we locate wellness is more fluid. It’s shifting in how people are bringing it more into their everyday lives.
We’ve also noticed how people in the UK now talk about wild swimming or forest bathing, or other activities that are right there in their communities, and actively reach for something locally. It feels like people want to be doing these things and your space, and the others that we feature, give us permission to bring more of what we need into our lives.
Because you don’t do it. Most of us don’t do it at home. It’s hard to do it at your desks. Summertime yes you might sit in a park. But where is there to go in winter? I was brought up Catholic and the other week I just sat in a church for a bit, just to defrag for a few moments and calm my head down. We do need spaces that give you that permission to hang whatever is happening in life up in the cloakroom and just come and be for a bit. For The Soul Spa, I want people — whether they are shopping or a tourist or a local worker — to know there’s a space they can go for twenty minutes or half an hour where they don’t need to think about anything else.
I think we all need that space.
So many people say that they wish they had something like this in our town. Every High Street needs one.
If there was intentionality about it, the High Street would look so different, and serve us as people. What we’re really craving are these spaces that hold us differently and not on our own but together. Somehow to be around one another in positive, more human-minded ways.
I think The Soul Spa is that. I’m not a shopper but I love the energy of the High Street. That’s why it was important to be situated in a quiet place near the center of the city. I would love to think we could prove this as a model and then bring it into other places, just like how the idea of gyms developed before when they’d never existed previously.
I also like that we’d be for everyone, children and old men, fat and thin, every color and creed. Everybody. What we do here is a human thing. It’s fantastic that it appeals to people who already do yoga or meditation: they are intrinsically very interested in their health and more likely to do this, but I want other people who have never done anything like this to know it’s for then too
Why do you think wellness can be associated with being aspirational, a commodity, an appearance, and not for everybody? Is that cynicism, money, equity? Why do you think it has that weight to it?
I think it’s partly cultural because I don’t think it’s in every culture like that. There are cultures that do see it as intrinsic. But here, before the 80s, everyone was just trying to survive. My mum was born at the beginning of the war, and for her generation there was nothing. It really felt like a luxury to even consider looking after yourself. As we were growing up that was still in the mix. Then we had the 80s which just became uber materialistic and we’re still in the back end of that somehow.
It’s very natural for people to try and make themselves feel better. It’s just where you look for the thing that’s going to make you feel better that’s shifts so much. In our culture now it’s getting lots of likes, social media shaping our self-perception, and that’s not working so well.
I really think that people are going to want places like The Soul Spa more. It’s all life though. And I absolutely love life so even the bumps are kind of interesting when you can view them from that perspective.
Our model for mental wellness has been one around crisis management. For a long time, when we’ve thought about accessing therapy and medication, it’s about quickly reaching out, finding resources in the moment of high need. But what I’m seeing from you and your work at The Soul Spa is that there’s a different way of navigating our wellbeing, by developing a practice that people can build and access every day before they get to that stage. That means that when a crisis happens there’s that foundational piece, tools that people know work for them and they can use. It’s the other way around.
Most of us know now how to look after ourselves physically, and most do a bit of the right thing. We know how we should eat, and about exercise. We do all of that so that we don’t get ill and if we do, our bodies are stronger to cope with that. It’s the same thing for the mind. But I think that’s what puts so many people off, is that they think they can’t do it. Like with meditation, people often worry that they will think about what to have for tea and getting the shopping…
… they worry about getting it wrong. For many people meditation comes with the perception that their mind needs to be empty to get it right…
…and they say but my mind is too busy. But welcome to being human beings. That’s not that special, it’s not unique to them. Everybody has this experience and it’s learning that’s ok that might get someone to try it.
I come from a hypnotherapy background, and it’s all about your deep-down beliefs, where they’ve come from, and how they drive all your automatic behaviors, reactions, and thoughts. When I’m helping people relax, I’m thinking about the brain state, and about getting them into an alpha state, and potentially into the theta state because I know that in that state the rest of their body can go off the sympathetic into the parasympathetic nervous system. It can rejuvenate, it can heal. That’s the state you need to be in for your body to be well, for your mind to take a minute, to take a break.
For people who find it harder, my method is much more spoken and guided. I’ll use little hacks from hypnotherapy like a countdown or an eye-roll, or something for people to get into the alpha state a bit faster so that their neurons then fire together. The more they do that, the more they practice it, it becomes automatic, like a habit. Instead of responding when someone cuts you up on the road with adrenaline and anger, you can be more chilled out about it, understanding that maybe they are having a bad day and need a bit of love.
Just a bit of compassion
I just feel like positive things could happen if we can get more people responding like that or at least seeing or understanding why they are responding the way they do, looking at it, and being willing to shift. Instead of looking at the external world and blaming it for everything but wondering actually how can I change because I’m probably not going to change that external thing. Though in reality the more we can all change the more that can change too.
Need more mind-body connection in your life, visit our guide for more places, prompts and ideas for how and where to find it.
Let us know where you go when you are looking for more spirituality and more mind/body connection in your life.
The London Lonely Girls Club
Looking for connection in one of the world’s busiest cities? Holly Cooke talks to us about why she started The London Lonely Girls Club and how it can inspire you wherever you are.
“Stepping outside of your comfort zone, saying yes to every opportunity to meet others, being bold.”
We talk to Holly Cooke, founder of The London Lonely Girls Club about why she started these IRL meet-ups for women looking for connection and how this idea can inspire you wherever you are.
What is it? The London Lonely Girls Club is a community in London, created to help women in the city meet up, hang out, build friendships and make London life a little less lonely.
Why do people need it? As an adult, it can be really difficult to meet new people, make new friends or simply find others with similar interests or hobbies. And so The London Lonely Girls Club was created to meet this need and help women across one of the busiest cities in the world connect with each other!
What do you offer? We are both an online and physical community. We have an active Facebook group of over 10.5k women. Within this forum our members can post, engage and get to know each other at their own pace. Alongside this, we run meet-ups multiple times a month where our members can get to know each other IRL whilst visiting some of London’s loveliest places or doing fun activities together.
What makes it different? The London Lonely Girls Club was specifically created to help women connect, make friends and beat loneliness. It’s as simple as that, no strings attached!
What do people need to know? LLGC, as we call it, is an inclusive, supportive, fun community that any woman in London can engage with in their own way. Whether they’re just looking to find someone to go on weekend walks or theatre trips with, advice on the best place to get their hair done in a specific part of northwest London, or to build lifelong friendships, everyone is welcome!
What’s your story? Before founding The London Lonely Girls Club, I was a very lonely girl living in London. I’d moved to the city for work and to fulfill a lifelong dream of living in the best city in the world. But very quickly moving to a city where you know absolutely no one can be both isolating and terrifying. From this The London Lonely Girls Club was born, a community created to bring the women of this incredible city together under the flag of unity, connection, and friendship. With meet-ups each month that allow people to connect in person, rather than just via a screen.
How can people be inspired by your initiative wherever they are? Every day the members of LLGC teach me about bravery and courage, whether it is sharing their story in our group’s main feed and looking for others who share a similar struggle or journey, stepping outside their comfort zone by coming along alone to our monthly IRL meet-ups and connecting with others in person over a coffee, burger or glass of wine, or simply revealing themselves by joining a community with lonely in the name.
I think this is something that can inspire everyone, no matter where you live, how you identify, or what your social situation is. Stepping outside of your comfort zone, saying yes to every opportunity to meet others, being bold. Just one small decision of courage really can change your life, I should know, it did mine!
Where inspires you? The women of our community and the incredible city that we live in. They’re both so inclusive and diverse and vibrant and loud and unapologetic, but also kind and supportive and beautiful. It is inspiring to get to be just a small part of these things.
Anything we’re missing? If a woman in London is reading this, then we’d love to have you be part of our community! Whether you’ve lived here your whole life or you moved a day ago, feeling lonely is the worst. As humans, we’re built to be in community, surrounded by others who can lift us and love us and support us during both our triumphs and challenges and that is what The London Lonely Girls Club aims to do.
To find out more visit: Our website | The LLGC FB community | Our social media
