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Kingfisher

7/31/2022

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I took a wrong turning down to the river last night.
Got lost.
It was stuffy.
I got it in my head that I hadn’t locked the car. Kept visualising it on the side of the road, open to anyone who walked by and tried the door. I hoped they wouldn’t take the letter I hadn’t got round to replying to yet.
The path I was on was taking me further away from the river.
Eventually I found a gap in the hedge. I slipped through to another field. 
Still no river in sight. 
I headed in the general direction to another hedge. Slipped over a ditch to another field. Literally. Slid down the ditch on my bum, getting my leggings muddy.
I had no idea where I was but I’d come so far that the only option was to carry on.
I picked up my pace.
I told myself that OK, the car was unlocked. But what’s the chance a thief will drive down that very quiet road and try the door? Very low chance.
I reasoned that I was allowed a shorter swim. Ten minutes max.
Another field and at last. The river!
I got to the bank and paused. There was movement in the sky. I suppose because I’ve never been so close to one before, it looked larger than any of the others I’d seen - a kingfisher! I watched it fly past. The glistening orange and blue. A glimpse into another world. Another time.
I sensed something else move. Another one! TWO kingfishers in one sitting! My grin is wide still now, as I write this!
And what’s extra magic is that I sort of knew I’d see a kingfisher. I thought, it HAS to happen, there HAS to be something magic about this evening, it can’t be ALL stress.
Because it can’t. No feeling can last forever. They run out of steam.
There’s magic out there waiting for you, if you keep your eyes peeled, glimpses into other worlds. 
My swim was short but great. Then I pegged it up the hill to the car.
It was locked.
-
The image is by Jackie Morris from the book Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane (now also a play) about words that have been removed from a children’s dictionary.
Have you spotted any glimpses into other worlds lately?
Sending love to you,
Ruth Nadia x
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Festival Times

7/29/2022

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What are your top festival survival tips?

The first ever festival I went to was Glastonbury in 1997. So so muddy. I was 16. And green. On the first night my tent got slashed and my wallet, which was in my jeans pocket, was stolen. Not the best start to a festival! I resorted to helping random people sell cider. Just to have some cider. And money. I can still remember shouting: "CIDER! 3 for a FiVER!" The rest of the night is a bit of a blur to be honest...

Ever since then, I've always slept with my wallet in my sleeping bag. Top tip.

And of course, in those days I would have said to bring enough booze. And some wellies. Learnt a lot that first Glastonbury...

These days at a festival I'm the calm in the storm. I'm usually massaging, providing a place for people to be quiet and to be cared for before they skip off into the chaos again.

My festival tips now are a bit dull - I got a new sleeping mat last year which helps at night. And earplugs are my friends.
My top tip would be to seek out the sauna. There's almost always a sauna at a festival. Such a good reset. Get clean and fresh and make friends all at the same time.

This summer, August 25 - 28 I will be at Shambala with Katie Challis, offering massage and reiki. Are any of you going to be there? Come say hello if so.

Wishing you the best festival times and for those of you who aren't into them, enjoy your lovely bed. Yum.

If you have a festival survival tip that might be useful to others, please share it in the comments.

Sending love, however and wherever you are,
Ruth Nadia x

Ps. Did you spot the mystery hand in the photo? For some reason it really tickles me.
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Tree love

7/4/2022

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The first time I hugged a tree was at a rave in the Hollies in Leeds when I was about 21. My friend George showed me what to do. We slipped off from the banging techno beats and hugged trees. It felt AMAZING! Yes ok I was probably high on something or other but the tree felt. Wow.

Since then, it was something I did occasionally. In private. It always felt ace.

In 2020 I started a morning routine that included setting a 5 min timer and hugging a tree every single day, soaking up that tree energy. Yum!

I was called a hippy at school but now I think, So what if I'm a tree hugger?? It feels gooood!
If I'm out in public or working away I'll often just lean on a tree. To be subtle. My belly misses out but my back gets the love.

Lately I realised that the harder I squeeze the tree, the bigger hug I get myself. It's just hit me that hugging a tree is sort of me giving myself a hug, but from something massive and rooted into the earth. What a gift!

Sometimes when I'm out and about, if things feel a bit intense or I'm having a difficult discussion, I'll just lean on a tree for a moment or too. It supercharges me.

I guess it's that thing I keep realising again and again that I was saying to my friend last night after we had a bit of conflict - it could have been avoided if I'd stopped when things started feeling 'off' and just PAUSED.

The morning tree hug is my pause. 5 minutes every day. My work is to remember to pause in the rest of the day...

Tree hugs aren't for everyone, I remember encouraging a friend to give it a go on a walk years ago and she was visibly disgusted.

So then what do you do instead to pause and recharge? Is it art or meditating or exercise? I'd love to hear different ideas.

Sending love to you all wherever and however you are. I hope you find some pause today.
​
Ruth Nadia x
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    Here are the musings of Ruth Nadia - life, massage, happiness and more.

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