Introducing The Element Sessions

a year long series of slow, seasonal conversations & connection

Life moves fast. This year in particular has, so far, hurtled by. This summer has felt a little like a train that’s rocketed through the station, and here I am, running down the platform yelling WAAAIIIIIIT !

And I don’t want it to move so fast. I don’t want to regret not having enjoyed those summer evenings, or not having taken the time to muck around with the kids. I don’t want to just skip along over the surface of things. I want to find the time to allow things to soak in. I don’t mean that I want to be always moving at a snail’s pace, I don’t mean I don’t sometimes want my days to be busy and full. But I do mean I want to find ways to really be in the moment, to mark things, note things, stick some pins in the map.

So, for myself as much as for anyone else if I’m honest, I’ve created a series called The Element Sessions.

The Five Elements (Water, Fire, Metal, Wood & Earth) are all energetic expressions of pure life force. We have all of these five elements within us, and they also vibrate throughout the natural world, they are what makes up life. Each element, also, is at its strongest at a particular time of the year - Earth in Late Summer, Metal in Autumn, Water in Winter, Wood in Spring and Fire in the Summer.

When I’m not writing or mothering I work as a Five Element acupuncturist, and so I’ve been drawn to creating a series of slow, seasonal explorations of each of these elements for quite some time. There is great power in exploring each of these aspects of ourselves in the time of year it is at its height.

I’m thinking of these sessions as small pitstops in our year.

𖥸 Ways to pause, take a breath, take a look around.

𖥸 See what is working for us, reflect on what is not.

𖥸 Be curious about what is challenging for us, absorb what has been good.

Here’s how it is going to work:

Each season (so roughly every two months) we will spend two weeks exploring an element. We will do this through:

𖥸 A podcast conversation I have with a guest about what that element means to them (available to all subscribers free & paid)

𖥸 A deep-dive guide to that element (for paid subscribers)

𖥸 A live call (recording available) on which we will do a nourishing seasonal check in, share where we are all at and work through some journalling prompts (for paid subscribers)

If you would like to join me for these slow, seasonal pitstops, simply subscribe or upgrade to paid membership below :

If you’re interested in joining, but would like to try out a session first, feel free to send me a message via email or DM and I’ll share access to the first sessions on Earth as a taster gift.

The first few dates for your diary are below. Each element will follow a similar flow - M E T A L will begin in late October, W A T E R in early December etc.

Next Friday 13th September | First podcast conversation, with Five Element Acupuncture master practitioner Gerad Kite. (free to all subscribers)

This was such a rich and varied conversation that dipped into Daoist philosophy, the mind / body connection, how the Five Elements can guide our lives, what it means to be human - honestly, chatting with Gerad even changed how I wanted to frame these element sessions it was so perspective shifting. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Here is a little snippet of our conversation:

Tuesday 17 September | Deep-dive newsletter into the Earth Element, complete with journalling prompts. (paid subscribers only)

Friday 20 September | Podcast conversation with mother, writer and grower

Kerri ní Dochartaigh

(free to all subscribers)

Tuesday 24 September | Live call (recording available) | E A R T H - reflections on transitions, gathering, harvesting, gratitude & safety.
10-11am UTC + 1:00 (paid subscribers only)

Friday 27 September | Surprise guest post - details to follow!

I look forward to finding ways to hit pause together for a few hours each season, and also to getting to know some of you more over the coming months.

Layla x