Your body cannot lie! | Fiona Carson | Can You Hear Me?

Everything is energy and it is time we started listening to it!

In today's episode of 'Can you hear me?' Kelly is joined by Fiona Carson, complementary therapist and healer with over 20 years of experience in holistic health.

Fiona shares with Kelly her remarkable journey from drama school dreams and a decade in the music industry to discovering the profound power of shiatsu, kinesiology and vibrational sound healing. Guided early on by her mother, a gifted healer and spiritual teacher, Fiona found her true calling by following what her whole body was telling her.

From tuning forks that cleared a month long allergic reaction overnight, to kinesiology sessions that get right to the root of what the body truly needs, Fiona's work is as fascinating as it is transformative.

*"Mums are always right! You will never be really happy until you are doing something to help other people."* Fiona Carson!

Find out more at fionacarson.com or follow Fiona on Instagram at fcarson

#tuningforks #thebodyknowsthescore #listen #energy #body

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Who is Kelly Saward?

Kelly has been presenting radio shows for a while, and has often been asked if these shows can be heard again many months after the show has aired, listeners wanting to listen again. She heard what was being asked and now brings to you …

'Conversations with Kelly'

Can you hear me?

She wants to hear you, and shares here what's been heard so far. We all have a story, we all have something of value to share, we just need a safe space, the right ears, and a deep trust in what is felt. I'm beginning to understand the rest speaks for itself.

I invite you to listen in, get in touch, and if you'd like … be curious to live the question!

Do you want to be heard?

Do you need an interviewer or host, just get in touch.

#FionaCarson #CanYouHearMe #ConversationsWithKelly #KellySaward #HolisticHealing #Kinesiology #Shiatsu #TuningForks #VibrationHealing #SoundHealing #ComplementaryTherapy #EnergyHealing #ChineseMedicine #FiveElements #Qigong #NaturalHealth #Wellbeing #BodyMind #HealingJourney #TrustYourBody

Kelly Saward in Conversation with ...

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

This morning I am joined by Faith from Waysing. Good morning, Faith. Hello Kelly. It's lovely to have you with me via Zoom. So you're tuning in from near Reading, I assume. Yeah, yeah, from Near Reading and Barcha. Lovely. And how are you this morning?

SPEAKER_00 0:17

I'm really good and thank you very much for inviting me on your show. I'm really excited to be here.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

I'm really excited to speak to you because I've had the pleasure of going to Wazing. Some of our listeners may have not, but they're going to find out all about it here today at Marlowe FM. So, first of all, Faith, tell me a little bit about you. What is your involvement in Waising and how did you come to find the work that you do now?

SPEAKER_00 0:42

So I look after marketing and PR at Wazing. I've been at Wazing for about four years now. And I just love it. It's the best job in the world. It's just such an incredible place to work and such a special space. And I think that's what everybody feels when they come and come and visit Wazing. There's there's not really anywhere quite like it. Hopefully you felt like that when you came to visit us too. But you know, we've got an incredible team and the ethos and everything that we do is you know the reason why I love my job so much.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Yeah, absolutely. I um I love love Waising and I just think it's it's such an amazing space, it really is. Um tell me a little bit about the ethos behind Wazing.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

So we're we're very much about kind of nature immersion for wellness, so spending time in nature for its you know physical and mental well-being properties, and you know, we're all about social connection and having meaningful sort of interactions and being really present and connected in the moment. So, you know, it's a really special and beautiful space, and it's a place where people come to celebrate and connect and to grow and to heal in the heart of nature, and you know, we're we're very much for decoupling from tech and in connecting kind of with the environment and the people around us.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

It's just amazing, isn't it? Just to know that there are spaces like that for people to have access to because it's just so important to disconnect from you know all of the external noise that we've got and just be really present. And what a beautiful place to do it because it's set in a really large space, isn't it? Waising. How big is the span of the space that you've got there?

SPEAKER_00 2:37

It's it's about 4,000 acres, um, and there's just so much going on. So um people often know us as being a wedding venue, and we have very beautiful weddings throughout the year um at Wazing Park, but we also um have Wazing Wellbeing with um so many different offerings and so many different opportunities for people to come and work on their on their physical and mental well-being. Um, there's there's an organic farm as well, so we produce organic beef and various different crops. We've got a marina, which is a narrow boat marina, um, and we've recently in the last couple of years been venturing into music. So we've got our concert venue, the mount, which is all about kind of immersive musical experiences in nature. Um, so we've had some great artists at the mount over the last couple of years. We've had Paolina Tini, Jack Johnson, um Jungles, Sigar Ross, Ben Howard's, Gabriels, and and lots of others. Um, and we've got festivals going on this year as well with Solstice, Equinox, and Wellred. So there's a little bit of something for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

Yeah, I know, and I can't wait to dive a bit deeper out of that. I'll certainly be visiting myself. But tell me a bit about how long has Wazing has actually been, you know, wazing with all the other wonderful things that are happening, you know, like the farm and the how it's built into this well-being sort of sanctuary, essentially, where people can come together, sort of building that sort of community present feel. How long has that been there prior to the music venues and that side of it?

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Um, it's it's been in the Mount family since 1759. Um so um our current custodian is Joshua Dugdell, who is very much the visionary for everything that's going on at Ways in at the moment. But his his family purchased the estate back in 1759 originally um as a farming estate, and then it's evolved over the years um into the wedding venue and more recently into wellness. So yeah, it's been around for quite a time.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

So it's got a long, wonderful history, and I suppose is that still woven through everything that happens? Are there still people through that family that are still very much a part of the ethos and the structure and what happens?

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Yes, very very much so. Our custodians are very hands-on um and involved with absolutely everything that we do, and they're the visionaries, you know. Um, Josh is the visionary for Solstice and Ethanops Festivals and the Mount, and um his wife die. Um, she's the curator of the Wellbread Festival, so and and very much at the heart of all the all the wellness offering. So yeah, they're they're very much involved. And and without them, Waising wouldn't be what it is. You know, it's their vision and um their nurturing of the team that make it what it is.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

That's so lovely, isn't it? So can you tell me a little bit about the actual how how wellness started to creep in? I mean, we all know how important well-being is for us and to be present and to have these moments, but what was the very first step to taking wazing into that space where other people could also come and enjoy it?

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Um I think it's it's been a very sort of gradual evolvement. I think wellness has just been intrinsically part of the fabric of wheezing. I I don't think it's necessarily something that we've introduced. You know, there's there's a lot of places that kind of dabble in wellness and you know, invite people in to do various bits and bobs, and it's not really part of their whole ethos and culture. Whereas Wazing it's it's at the forefront and heart of everything we do. It's it's just intrinsic within the estate and within the team. So um it's been a great um evolvement, and we've kind of we've got various different facilities, and I suppose the the main kind of jewel in the crown for our wellness offering is the wild swim. Um, so we've got a beautiful woodland wild swimming lake, um, and that was kind of I guess the the starting point for a lot of what we do. And we've got a Scandinavian sauna down there, and so people come and swim and have a sauna and just relax, rejuvenate, um, and yeah, just kind of be part of that community. Um yeah, so it's kind of started from there, and people can join and um come do a membership for wild swim, or they can private hire the lake, or if you just want to try it, if you've never done wild swimming before, which was me before I started raising, I'd I'd never experienced you know a lot of these things, and that's what raising's all about. You know, you don't have to be really far down your wellness and well-being journey. We we want everybody to come in and just give it a try, give it a go, um, experience new things. Um, and so yeah, we we have things like full moon saunas down at the lake, um Saturday swims. So if you want to just come along, have a little swim, try the sauna, just meet people, it's a really kind of uh small, welcoming, um, and really friendly community. So um, yeah, like come and come and give it a try because it's it honestly makes you feel so much better after you've done it as well, you know, from kind of going in the water and doing the while swimming and um then going into the sauna and reheating it's kind of that cold water immersion and then into the heat. It just you feel so energized afterwards. And um, we do ice baths as well if you're feeling particularly daring. So um, and a lot of people that come feel that it's better to do it in the winter actually than the summer months, um, just because the kind of the cold blast from that cold kind of icy water through into the sauna in the heat, it's the two extremes kind of it makes you feel all the more exil exhilarated and kind of it really helps with your mental clarity as well. It is not just the physical, it really helps your mind and just kind of opportunity to reset your nervous system.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

And yeah, it's yeah, it sounds amazing. I mean, I think um from what you were saying, I mean it's just lovely how it's come together because there's always obviously been this energy and this sort of structure there, hasn't it? And just gradually, I suppose that offering has just opened up more and more to the community where the awareness of it's grown and more people are coming together. And I mean, I have done an ice bath before, it was quite quite challenging. Um, but it's you're right, the clarity that you can get from these practices and things that don't involve you know technology or constant distraction to bring you back into your body and to be present, and how wonderful to have these spaces to do it. I mean, I've I felt the the energy around the space at Waising, and I I the first time I visited was when um Xavier Rudd was there. I know we've got one of his tracks lined up next, but um, and it was I just decided on the morning actually, a friend of mine told me about it and said, Oh, Xavier Rudd's uh there for the solstice and I celebrate around the moon and things myself anyway. And it was just it yeah, just even walking through the way that it's set up. It there's a real feel about the space that's there, I thought, when I came.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Yeah, definitely. I think I think when people come, they're actually quite surprised at at how different they feel. You know, the the idea is you know, leave all your worries at the door, you know, put your mobile phone away, don't worry about all of that stuff, the school runs, work, whatever it is, stress, um, whatever you've got going on, you know, just come and reset and relax and you know, just take a moment to just breathe and be mindful and be present and be connected and kind of really enriched by the nature around. You know, this can't speak kind of highly enough of the you know the therapeutic properties of nature and and how important it is that we spend time out there. And I think I think we did all learn that from COVID as well, kind of you know, not being able to do anything except go for walks. And I think people really kind of found that that was so helpful during that period, and I think now um people are building it into their daily lives and routines because it is so important, and I think you know, the other side of what we do is about the social connection as well. So it's it's about bringing people together in the community and and lots of different communities as well, because of the variety of things that we do. We have so many different walks of life um come into the estate and cultures, and you know, it's such a kind of eclectic, dynamic space, you know, where everybody's welcome that I think you know people definitely feel rejuvenated and feel good when they come.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

And I think that what you've just said there, I think is just so important that everybody's welcome because so many more people now I think are opening up to the fundamentals of what real true meaning and connection is, and having you know things like this to access, however experienced you are, or wherever you are in your life, or however old you are, or whatever you're going through, you can turn up in and have these experiences and they become your own, but yet you're surrounded by other people, so you feel connected wherever you're at in life. And I think it's it's a really powerful thing to experience and to do more of for sure.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Definitely, definitely. I think you know, inviting in all of our local community, but communicate communities from all around the world. Um, you know, we we our dear friends from um the Brazilian rainforest, the Ianwa, the indigenous people, you know, they come all the way from Brazil to be part of raising, and you know, we're very, very happy and honoured to have them as you know, we've they were you you might have seen them actually when you came to see. Yeah. So we you know, we've got you know the international communities coming, and it's just wonderful to see everybody together and really connecting.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Yeah, I know. In fact, it was I went on my own as well, and I didn't feel on my own either. I think what you're saying there about community and that feel, just walking up that path and arriving by myself quite quickly. I felt part of something, part of the energy of the space, and um yeah, it's quite magical. I'm looking forward to hearing about the festivals actually, which we will come on to after our next track. And first up, I am going to play Savior Rudd, Follow the Sun, because that well, that and Spirit Bird are one of my favourites. But tell me why Follow the Sun for you, Faith. Why did you choose that one?

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Um, it's my favourite um Xavier Rudd song, but also it's just you know the lyrics and and literally the title of the song Follow the Sun. It's all about it's just so relevant for the Solstice Festival, and I just think it's a really beautiful celebration of summer and nature, and and he's just incredible. He's just an absolutely amazing artist.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

I know, I mean, watching the amount of musical instruments and the talent, I just it was just mind-blowing to be honest with you. Um, but we do need to keep our face to the sun. So we'll play this next track and then I will bring you back in to talk all about the upcoming festivals, which I can't wait to hear about. And if you've just tuned in, you're listening to me, Kelly Sayward on Marlowe FM, and I am joined by the lovely faith from Wazing. We've been talking all about how magical it is there, really, and all the wonderful well-being things that are coming into play for people to explore, enjoy, and experience and be part of something, as well as all the other offerings that are happening there. And if you've missed it, you can listen again at marlofm.co.uk and just select today's date. But we are about to talk about the lovely festivals that are coming up. And with Xavier Rudd just playing there, Follow the Sun. He was a feature a couple of years back at the Summer Solstice Festival, and that event is happening again this year. Faith, good morning. Do tell us about summer solstice at Waising this year and what's in store and how it's looked previously, and anyone that hasn't been, just so they can get a flavour of what that looks like.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Um so solstice is happening on the 20th to the 22nd of June this year. Um, and solstice really connects everybody in a global moment, and that's what the festival's all about, really. It's about celebrating the energy of summer, it's about immersing in nature, and it's about connecting with each other. So we've got a kind of full program for three days. So on the Friday, um, we've got music from Nubian Twist, which is kind of a really big band sound. They've got influences from jazz and hip hop and soul and reggae, so really looking forward to that. And then we've got a DJ set with Avery, who is the curator of Medicine Festival that we have at um Raising, and he's an incredible DJ, so um that will be brilliant. And then the kind of real highlights of the Friday evening is the fireside sessions. Um, it's an experience like no other, really. Um, so it takes place in the Sacred Glade, which is a very spiritual, mindful space, and the space is held by our team of firekeepers, um, and they bring kind of ceremony and ritual um into the space and they they hold the fire for us. Um, and the sacred glade, the trees are lit up, it's in the heart of the ancient woodland, and everybody sits around this glorious fire and listens to the artists. So this year we're incredibly fortunate to have Anushka Shankar, who is just an incredible sitar player. Um, she's won you know Grammy Awards and just amazing. So she's um leading us through those kind of fireside sessions, and then from there you can either go to sleep for a couple of hours or you can stay up. Um, and it we move into the sunrise ceremony. So there's a procession from the sacred glade um up to the top of the hill where we watch the sunrise as part of the sunrise ceremony, and the ceremony is led by um Chris Park, who's uh druid and a beekeeper and an all-around beautiful soul, and he kind of leads us through this beautiful ceremony to welcome the sun, and everybody um watches the sun come up over the horizon, and it's it's a really kind of mindful, calm, beautiful experience. And then what once the sun has actually risen, it kind of turns into this euphoric moment, and you know, everybody's um happy and laughing and dancing, and it's just a really special part that really celebrates the actual kind of solar happenings. Um, so yeah, I'm I'm really excited about this the fireside sessions and the sunrise ceremony, and then on the Saturday, um, more amazing music. So we've got the turbines who are incredibly vibrant, they do an amazing live show, and their their ethos is all about one people and one planet. We've got KOG on afterwards, um, and they're from Ghana, and they've got kind of amazing raps and some really, really wicked dance moves, so they'll bring a lot of energy. And then um, taking us into the rest of the evening is James Blake, who um is doing an amazing solo piano set. So it'll be just him, the piano in the woodland. You know, I think it's gonna fill the whole festival site with just beautiful music, beautiful voice, beautiful notes. Um, so it's gonna be a really extra special performance. Um, and then we haven't, I'm not allowed to announce it yet, but we haven't um announced our headliner for Sunday yet. So I'm really, really super excited about that, too. So there's just gonna be so much going on, and then for like the rest of the weekend as well, there's lots and lots of wellness um activities happening. So there's the opportunity to swim in the wild swim lake, have a sauna. We're also doing um nature meditations, which is an opportunity to go with our well-being team into the ancient woodlands and do some forest bathing. So it's all about kind of resetting the nervous system and reducing stress and fatigue and immersing in nature and heightening our senses to everything going on in the woodland. Um yeah, loads of talks and workshops. Um, we've got the Museum of Consciousness coming as well to take us on a sound journey. Uh, we've got movement medicine with Mira Khanna, who um is she kind of blends music, dance, and meditation as well for a really kind of spiritual experience. Um, and then we've got things for the for the kids as well. So we've got a kids zone, and um, we're offering things like parachute games and circus skills, making ships out of hay bells and brew part sessions and all sorts. So it's really family friendly too.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

It sounds I mean, it sounds absolutely amazing. Even when you were talking there, my whole body went and had that sort of tingly feeling, and I just think how powerful to be able to experience. Well, I'm definitely coming at the solstice anyway, and um, yeah, I just can't wait. And I think what an amazing event. And we haven't touched on this actually, Faith, and it'll probably be quite useful for us to do so at this point. But um, you know, your website is absolutely beautiful, even the opening page is just tricky, you just feel free looking at it, you know, with that Waising 1759, and then just the trees and the greenery. But where exactly is Wazing based? Because obviously we're Marlo, you're not too far from here, just sort of near Reading Newbury, aren't you? But tell us exactly where Wazing is for anyone listening in.

SPEAKER_00 20:29

Um, we're we're near Aldermast, just kind of in Aldermaston, um, which isn't far from Reading. Um, we're sort of in the middle of Reading, Newbury and Basingstoke.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Okay, so if anyone is listening and would like to know about it, um the website is just www.waising.co.uk, and from there you can get more information on all the lovely things that Faith has shared, including the immersive experiences, the upcoming festivals, and anything at all, you can you can find it there. But you've got um, I mean, solstice is such a magical time of year, and as you were just saying, there about when the sun comes up, and you know, people feel that freedom just to move and to dance and feel alive, and you feel the sunshine, don't you? It's such a a powerful moment, and just to have that community togetherness in such a lovely space, it's just something else, really.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Yeah, and that and that's kind of what we really want to achieve from the festival. You know, it's more than just a music and wellness festival, it's about connecting, and you know, you saying about your experience um when you came previously on when you came on your own, and you know, you felt comfortable and walking around, and you know, it it's for people, like minded people to meet each other, to have meaningful connections, spend time in nature, and um, yeah, to bring those the community together.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

Yeah, and it really felt like that. I met two lovely girls in the The queue for some amazing food, actually, and one of the food trucks there. And um, I think that's what it is when you're sort of around like-minded people and you're drawn into these spaces and how Wazing is, you know, opening up something that's always been there, but for other people to feel and experience it, you you can just have those authentic conversations around you know, feelings and positivity and experience and things outside of what we have so much fed into us that can impact on our well-being, I think. So it's sort of doing the reverse of what we have a lot to deal with, don't we, day to day? And it's really, really important to be so present.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

Yeah, it is, and I think it's about kind of opening your mind a little bit, you know. I think when I when I started at Waising, I you know, I arrived with my eyes wide shut, really. I wasn't aware of so many different things that are available, you know, the things that I've read over the years, the things that I've experienced, you know, doing sound baths and breath work and wild swimming and sauna and all of these things, the things that I hadn't done previously, and if I'm perfectly honest, probably wasn't considering either. And I think that's that's what's so special about raising. It's kind of a safe place. And I think if you if you arrive with an open mind and a willingness to just try, or just it as a starting point, just to observe and witness and think and feel, I think you know, you can really make positive changes to your own life and you know connect with others and you know enhance your experience on earth.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

How lovely for you, though, I think, as well. You know, you've probably got a history in sort of marketing background. Am I right in saying that?

SPEAKER_00 23:48

Is that something you've always I agree, yeah. Yeah, not not for places like raising, actually. No, kind of work in all different kinds of sectors and businesses and things, but um, I feel like I found my place at raising.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

I know, and I think just your own job um and the work that you do must be so much more fulfilling in that in that space, in that energy, because I I love that about being even in here, just being able to talk to people and connect and understand more and about people's stories and journeys. I just find it fascinating. And having this conversation with you, Faith, actually, was my show is the Nature Nurture Show because I'm a mindfulness and meditation teacher outside of here, and just to be able to see and feel the understanding and the spaces for people to have this connection, it just enhances your whole like your work experience and everything, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Yeah, and I think you know, marketing can be very commercial and you know, business oriented and all of those things. And raising's just the opposite of that. It's about helping people and helping each other and helping the environment too. And um, it's just far more meaningful, I think, to work on on things like that that are just so important socially, environmentally, impact on each other and the planet. You know, it's much more meaningful to be able to represent um such a special place.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

I know. I mean, I went to a retreat day on Sunday actually, and someone there leading part of it said, Um, if you're feeling off, I think you need to ask yourself, have you stopped singing, have you stopped dancing, and have you stopped sharing stories? And I thought it was such a powerful thing, you know, all things that help us connect to our body, to other people. And we'll come on actually to the last part of our conversation this morning about well-read, because again, that's sharing stories and well-being. Before we do so, I think it'd be a great time for us to play James Blake because he's headlining, isn't he? At the Solstice. He is. And retrograde, this track is. I have had a listen, I love it. Um, is this one of your favourites of his?

SPEAKER_00 25:59

It is, yeah. I just think you know, it's a brilliant song, and I think he's such an amazing artist, and he's a real kind of champion of independent venues, which we are. Um, so yeah, I think you know, I'm so excited about his performance on at Solstice. So yeah, looking good to it.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

We'll play this one next. Faith, we've been having a wonderful chat this morning here about Wazing and all the lovely, lovely things that take place there. And people can listen again about Solstice and the lovely immersive experiences and just connection that's available for people to experience. But we're going to now move on in the last part of our conversation about a brand new festival at Wazing that you're bringing in. Wellreed. Tell us a little bit about Wellread.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

Yeah, we're we're so excited about this. So it's our brand new literary festival, um, and it's essentially a festival which is a fusion of literature and wellness. So it's been really beautifully curated by our custodian Die Dugdell with an absolutely amazing lineup of authors and speakers and musicians and lots of different workshops that are going on, and the idea is to really celebrate creativity and nature. So it's um taking place in Ways and Woodland, um, which is so beautiful during May. It's like all of the purple rhododendrons are just out in full bloom in the ancient woodlands and stunning. And so visitors can come and they can choose to stay over, so we'll have a campsite, or they can just come for the day, whichever they prefer. Um, so it's happening on the May Day Bank holiday, which is also in half term. So if you're looking for things to you know to do with the family, then Wellred's a great place. And we've got you know lots of children's activities actually. I just mentioned that briefly, but we're we're partnering with um an outdoor adventure company for children called Mud and Guts. And so you can book your children in for two or three hours and they can go off into the woodland and learn about bushcraft and nature education, play all sorts of different games, um, learn about animal tracking, build dens, all of those kind of fun outdoorsy things. So while the children are off doing that in the woodlands, then you know the parents and the adults um can go to all of the different uh speakers and panels and and you know, listen to the authors and find out you know what's going on in the rest of the festival. So we've got um Hugh Fernley Whittingstool coming, who everyone knows and loves from his river cottage TV series and books. Um but he's also very well known for campaigning um against the war on plastics. And um, you know, his latest book is about how to eat 30 plants a week, and so he's gonna be doing a panel um at Well Reads, um, which is the Sunday Papers review um with you know various other speakers, and he's also going to be doing a section on is it okay to eat fish? So, with everything that's going on with the oceans and the pollution, and he's gonna be talking about whether it's okay and justifiable to still be eating seafood and fish. Um, we've also got Claire Balding, National Treasurer and Broadcaster. So she was coming along. Um, she's got her current countryside radio series, Ramblings, and you know, everybody knows her for sports commentary and um commenting on some of the royal occasions, but she'll be coming along um as a guest speaker on the panel and doing an interview. We've also got Melissa Hemsley, so she's an amazing chef and author of six cookbooks, including um Eat Green and Eat Happy. So she's a real kind of sustainability champion and a real food activist, and she's gonna be doing a piece on body ecology. So we often all worry about ecology in terms of the soil, the sea, the air. Um, but she's going to be talking about our own body ecology and you know, what are the right foods to be putting into our own internal systems, you know, for maximum um health and wellness. And we've also got we've got Satish Kumar as well, who's a very, very dear friend of Ways in. He's has an extraordinary life. He's a peace pilgrim, he's a former monk, he's kind of a lifelong activist, and he's coming to introduce his new film, which is Radical Love. So we've got all these kind of amazing authors and speakers, um, and then we've got various wellness activities going on throughout the weekend as well. So something a little bit different is we've got a sweat lodge, so people can come and be involved with the workshop of actually building the sweat lodge and then participate in it. Um, we've got our wild swim and sauna. Um, we've got kind of woodland meditations, so going off and exploring the ancient woodlands, doing some forest bathing. Um, and we've got some exciting workshops as well. So one of those is um called Finding the Wild Inside, which is a creative writing workshop, which I'm quite excited about. I think you know it's uh an opportunity to learn how to tell your story and how to express yourself using nature.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 31:19

And then another another really, really exciting thing is that Tom Middleton's going to be there. Do you know Tom Middleton?

SPEAKER_01 31:27

I'm I'm better with faces. Tell me about Tom.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

He's a sound and sensory designer, um, and he uses sound to aid sleep and cognitive performance. So he kind of does these really amazing um sound and sensory sets and sort of takes you on a journey. So on the Sunday evening, he's doing um a set called Forest Nocturne, where he's going to be doing music um for deep rest and sleep. And at the same time, we've got Rebecca Dennis, who's an amazing um wellness guru and a breath work practitioner, and she's going to be doing breath work, so we all have the music and the sound journey and the breath work so that we all go off feeling nice and peaceful and relaxed and go off and reset into a really kind of deep sleep after you know a brilliant day at the festival. And then he's also doing the following day, he's doing a forest family dance, so he's doing music, but it's for the children as well, like all the family. So, um, yeah, just so much going on. It's it's really exciting.

SPEAKER_01 32:32

I can I can feel the excitement from you for it. I mean, it sounds absolutely amazing, and I think what a thing to bring together for families and people. I mean, writing is such an amazing thing for people to be able to do to express how they feel, to understand what's going on for them. And I just think combining that with all the practices you've got, it'll probably spark that creativity in so many people and encourage them to share their stories because that's what keeps the movement going, isn't it? You know, we share a little part of us and people feel less alone, and yeah, it's it's just amazing. I mean, I love I love writing. I um sort of rope my way through anxiety essentially, which led me to writing poems in my own book and things, and I just think there's so much power, but combined with all the things that you're sharing at the festival, I think I mean, people are just gonna, you know, heart wide open. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 33:32

Yeah, I hope that's that's how they feel when they come. You know, that's definitely our sort of mission, and I think what we try to do at Raising as well is to try and you know show people new things or new ways of of thinking, and so that they can obviously enjoy it while they're at the festival, but then go home and build things and practices and ideas into their daily lives and kind of make it more of a way of life, you know, it's not something to kind of dip into and out of, you know, if you're gonna get the real benefit of all of these things, it's about how can how can I make just one change in my daily life that's gonna make me feel better or sleep better or think better, you know. And I think if we can help give people those tools and or just even to start thinking about, you know, what's maybe not working in my life, what could I fix, you know, what could I work on, how could I do that, you know, what practices are there out there, you know, meditations, um, you know, an obvious kind of starting point, you know, how how can you bring it into your daily life and and really make a positive change and kind of keep it going and um yeah, that's what we're kind of all about, really.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Uh it's I honestly could talk to you about this all day, it's just been so inspiring. I I just love everything that Wazing stands for, and I'm just so grateful for you, Faith, coming on here and just sharing a bit about that with everybody that's listening. And I just hope um other people come along and experience something at Wazing. And like you said, it's just I mean, five minutes in our day can make a huge difference. I always do a mindful minute meditation at 1111 on my show, so I'll be doing that after the news because I think we underestimate the value of these tiny things, and it doesn't have to be the sitting still, does it? I mean, it could be movement and music and sound, whatever connects you back to your body and yourself and the earth. And yeah, thank you so so much for for sharing all about Wazing. Have you got anything you want to leave our listeners with before I play you out with Spirit Bird?

SPEAKER_00 35:39

Uh just just well, a very big thank you to you for inviting me onto your show, and also just you know, a a very uh you know, warm welcome to Wazing to anybody that wants to come. You know, the invitation is there. You know, we'd love to see as many of you as possible at Wazing this year. And um yeah. It's uh it's been great talking to you.