Hello friends,
I’m dropping in here on a Sunday to ask you for a favour, a few questions I’d like to ask.
I took a few days away last week to write and restore. I’ll share more about how this turned out in next Friday’s post (spoiler: Not As Planned!), but one of the things I did during my time alone was to visit an old bath house right on the edge of the ocean in the West of Ireland. The bathhouse has been here since 1912, and has been maintained as it was then, same tiles, baths, giant taps.
The seawater is pumped directly from the ocean, heated and then flows through the taps into the baths which are filled with seaweed harvested from the shore that morning. As I lay in the steam-filled room (there are also these crazy steam boxes you sit into open you pores - a little like upright coffins with a space for your head to peep out!), I thought of how many people over more than 100 years had lain in this bath looking at the same view. I thought, too, of what
Britton had shared in my conversation with her about how the water on this coast has absorbed and retained wisdom from billions of years, all, now, being absorbed into my skin along with the alginates of the seaweed.
I’d been thinking that day about how I’d like this community and page to develop next year. Wondering what I should do next, how to find ways to make writing and working on here more and more of a cornerstone of my living. How to work in new ways, ways that are nourishing for you all, and for me … Because that is my dream, to write and share in a way that also brings abundance in all senses of that word.
And lying there in the steam I thought, well, I should just ask all of you.
What would you like?
What have you enjoyed?
What would you like more, or less of?
What would nourish you?
What ideas do you have?
I’m learning that I am seeking new, ancient, different ways to invite flow and abundance, I’m learning that I want to grow alongside people rather than beat anyone else to the top. I’m learning I might have to think of new ways to work, because the models out there just don’t really serve me (more on this when I chat to
Something tells me that a poll mightn’t quite give me the answers I need, but it is at least a starting point. Something to mull over, see what that salty water now in my veins thinks of these ideas…
I’ve created two polls here which I’d love for you to answer, but also feel free to comment or send me a DM, too, I’d be very grateful for any feedback you might have about what you enjoyed, what you’d love more of, what you’re yearning for.
Thanks friends,
Layla x
EDIT: people voting tell me you can only vote for one option, which wasn’t my intention … eek, sorry. so perhaps if you have the bandwidth / time to use poll as a thought-starter and leave a comment about which you’re drawn to if there is more than one, I’d be very grateful x
also thinking about more write-together sessions (like sitting in the dark),
maybe something around building confidence in our writing practice (I’m learning to, but I might be a step or two ahead of some and can brainstorm?)
What else springs to mind? In person events?
Thanks friends,
Layla x
PS: Here’s some upcoming events and catch-ups for you:
Join me between 9:45 & 10:45am GMT (note change of time, my son is starring the The Grinch school play at 11am, so I’ve had to make it a little earlier, good job we live close to the school!) this coming Thursday for our WATER Deep Dive journalling session. I’m feeling the need for some serious deep REST right now, so we’ll do a nice juicy meditation to kick us off. Link for the Zoom is at the end of this post.
You can join us still for the last of the Sitting in the Dark sessions this coming Friday 6-7am GMT. Link is recurring, but I’ll resend on Wednesday evening, along with the WATER Deep Dive session reminder & link.
And finally, here’s the recording of our latest LIVE with the All Fours ladies chatting about mid life and RAGE.
Hi Layla
I really liked your recent post about the Irish bath house. I would like to read more of that sort of thing plus your outdoor Irish environment ie the coast and swimming. Family life, the seasons, big feelings like grieving plus light hearted chat. I like the topics of the recordings with your Substack friends but don’t get round to listening to them as I find over half an hour too long to fit in between other activities across the day. Hope this is constructive feedback. Xx
Hi Layla, your time at the baths sounds so lovely and restful! So needed this time of year!
Unfortunately the poll won’t let us choose multiple options. I love all the topics you mentioned and would so enjoy exploring them further with you. I found the elements sessions both informative and inspiring, and they have lingered with me.
In terms of format, I love all the options you mentioned other than the self- guided workshops. This is purely because self-guided things tend to get added to my to do list and not done, whereas I’m better at prioritising live and group events. I also very much love being in spaces with others who write, as it’s a privilege I haven’t found in normal life yet.
Hope that helps! Thanks so much for this space, it’s one of my favourite substack places ❤️