The Weird Way I Got Inspired Again

+ this week’s class: movement medicine (24 mins)

I went on a family holiday with my partner last week. Four days in Saltburn, a small coastal town in the north east of England (nothing to do with the movie of the same name. No weird bathtub moments happened, to my knowledge…).

Saltburn, north east England, giving her best come hither look.

It was my first trip away with the family, and it’s a chaotic group. Four dogs (two of which are problematic around children), one excitable toddler, one very grumpy 5-month old, one pregnant woman, and a couple (me and my man) who don’t particularly enjoy kids (unless they’re cooked well… I’ll see myself out).

Oh, and it was basically 1000° and I’m a northern redhead.

It was a sweaty, noisy, chaotic bedlam.

But something utterly and fabulously magical happened to my inspiration meter. Being by the sea, I couldn’t help myself: I swam every morning before it got too hot.

Glassy ocean, sandy beach, sun rising, and the place was almost empty except for the gulls and terns.

(And I must mention: the courage to wear a bikini in public with my ‘imperfect’ bikini body unlocked an entirely new level (surprisingly, no one pointed and laughed, stared, or otherwise negatively commented. Yes, I’ve struggled with self-image issues my entire life)).

There’s magic in those moments, floating in the freezing ocean at dawn. That final bodily acceptance of the cold that comes after the primal need to speak the most visceral expletives dies down. The full immersion in… what? Planetary sustenance? Elemental plasma? That briny cocktail that feels as if we’re home again, womb-held, back into our original support tank that heals all wounds.

Photo by Eelco Böhtlingk on Unsplash

Since then, I’ve bought a new Finisterre wetsuit (which is exciting me more than necessary), a new changing robe, and I’m more excited than ever about my financial plan to get my own car again (roof bars essential, obviously, because what’s the point if I can’t take my 9’2” longboard!?).

(You can support my mission by upgrading to the paid Joyful membership. Learn how this will better your life as well as mine here).

After a decade of building and rebuilding my business, being more skint than I care to admit, leaving and healing from a challenging relationship or two, it feels like it’s my time again.

A few dips in the North Sea have reminded me: the ocean is my muse. It always has been — I’ve surfed since my late teens, I studied Marine Geography, worked on tall ships… I've just been too lost in the details of adulthood and the banality of life and money and ‘success’ to really remember.

Maybe for you it’s something different — maybe it’s dusting off an old guitar, or saying yes to a class you’ve been eyeing. What is your version of my ‘North Sea dip’ that’s out there waiting for you?

This is a reminder to drop the things for a bit, be brave enough to wear a swimsuit in public (or whatever your crux might be), and go and find the magic that you remember lit you up back then.

My 42-year-old brother has a new collection of fourteen fishtanks in his house (yes, 14). One of my besties is learning to kayak and sail and free dive after years of focusing on ‘life’. Another has rediscovered her love for crafting and vintage clothing…

There’s magic here, my friend. Explore and do and don’t overthink it; the inspiration you’re craving is a felt experience, it’ll come when you’re least expecting it.

If you’re looking for a little of that North Sea inspo yourself today, if you need some movement to get you out of your slump, if you want to wake up your bones and be reminded that it’s actually quite pleasant, this being-alive thing, this week’s class recommendation is for you:

Oceanside Honey Flow (24 mins)

This is a vinyasa class that will help you get unstuck, feel energised, and come back to a baseline of goodness. Whether you’re a yoga newbie or a seasoned pro, there’s something for everyone in this session.

If you’re part of the paid Joyful tier, you can practice with this class right now inside The Yoga Revolution library. It’s there for you whenever you need a movement session that leaves you feeling reset, recharged, and inspired — that same feeling I get from getting in the ocean.

Not a paid member yet?

Joyful is the only newsletter that teaches burned-out and overwhelmed women how to feel genuinely better through easy-going nervous system regulation.

And inside the full tier, classes like this one don’t just give you ‘something to try’, they give you the exact tools to turn joy into your default setting.

Life won’t hand you calm, and ease, and joy. You claim it. And Joyful is here to show you how.

If you’re craving the kind of inspiration I talk about, Joyful is here to remind you how to find it — on the mat, in your nervous system, and in your everyday life.

Your turn:

What’s your version of my North Sea dip? Share in the comments — I always read every one.