Nat at Studio Eight Wells CIC

22/10/2025

Monthly rest practice - 9th November 10:30-12:30
Breath, 5 postures, blankets, pillows, bolsters. Meditation & sound (and a hot cup of something) perhaps a little discussion around why it’s so hard to rest.

The reason… it’s a long one ❤️

The Science of Stress & Why Rest Matters

1. Stress and the Nervous System
* The body’s stress response is controlled by the autonomic nervous system — mainly the sympathetic (“fight, flight, or freeze”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) branches.
* When we experience chronic stress, the sympathetic system stays overactive. Our heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension remain high, while digestion, repair, and sleep quality decline.
* Over time, this can rewire the brain’s stress circuits, making it harder to switch off — which is why rest can start to feel uncomfortable or even “unsafe” for some people.

2. The Immune System Connection
* Prolonged stress increases cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone. While helpful in short bursts, high cortisol over time suppresses immune function, making us more prone to infections, inflammation, and slower healing.
* Research shows that people with chronic stress have lower levels of protective antibodies and higher markers of inflammation — both linked to fatigue and burnout.
* Restful states, in contrast, trigger the parasympathetic response, reducing inflammation and boosting immune resilience.

3. Why Rest Feels Hard
* In modern life, our culture often celebrates “doing” over “being.” The nervous system adapts to this constant stimulation — we become addicted to busyness.
* For many, slowing down can initially trigger unease, guilt, or even anxiety, because the body has forgotten how to rest safely.
* Learning to rest isn’t laziness; it’s nervous system re-education. You’re teaching your body how to feel safe again in stillness.

4. The Power or Rest Practices
* Practices like deep breathing, meditation, yoga nidra, gentle movement, or guided rest activate the vagus nerve — a key player in the parasympathetic system — lowering heart rate and calming the mind.
* Regular rest improves focus, mood, digestion, and even cellular repair. Studies show that deep rest states can help the brain clear out toxins (via the glymphatic system) and enhance learning and memory.
* Rest helps you shift from survival mode to thriving mode.

* It’s not indulgent — it’s science-backed self-care for your body and mind.
* You’ll learn to reset your nervous system, reduce inflammation, and improve immune strength.
* It’s a chance to unlearn the rush, reconnect to your body, and create real, sustainable calm.
* Rest isn’t the reward at the end of doing — it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible.

16/10/2025

After spending some much needed time discussing our iks around the yoga world and how we can do our bit in making the changes necessary to be as inclusive and accessible as possible, I’m gonna throw some ideas at the wall and see what sticks. I’ll be adding in 2 monthly practices (probably from next month- ya know got a few things to sort this month!) One will be a 2 hour ‘big practice’ where we bring out all the props and look at making shapes work for us and our bodies, giving us the knowledge and autonomy to walk into any yoga class and be like- ‘I’m just gonna do it like this thanks’ 💅 there will be a space for lots of discussions and some of the philosophical side of yoga which is really bloody important. And the second will be a 2 hour ‘rest practice’ where we will give ourselves permission to rest, learn how to be still and have all of the discussion around why we feel we can’t and why it’s so damn hard to!
I will pick a weekend and then it will be the same weekend every month as far as possible to allow some sort of routine and planning for people who want to come along. What do you think ❤️☺️

13/10/2025

Since having the chalk board freshly done- I still haven’t added the time table 😵‍💫😬 but here’s what’s on this week and if you can be arsed to read all the way through you will see a little update on the therapy rooms ✌️
This weeks classes (see our page for contact details of the practitioners)

Monday
10am NO YOGA (I’m not here and there’s no one to cover 🙏)
17:45 hatha
18:45 yin
19:45 men’s mobility all with the very lovely Robyn (thank you for stepping in)

Tuesday
9:30, 17:45 & 18:50 Pilates with Gitte

Wednesday
07:45 yoga with Shari-Marie

12pm - 4pm mindfulness and meditation with Clare who is working on bringing some creative festive fun over the next little while 🙏

7pm sound bath with Jessika

Thursday
9:30 Pilates with Gitte
17:45 pre natal yoga with Yoga with Em
18:45 beginner yoga with Ania

Friday
9:30 restorative yoga
10:30 vin/yin with me (after 3 days of teacher training so be prepared for some new inspiration 😂😂😅)

News on the therapy rooms:
1- yes we are getting an infra red sauna installed it will be ready for the 1st November
2- We will have another physio hopefully working with diagnostics 🙏
3- we also have Lunaria holistic therapies and her treatments are so beautifully created you are in for a treat with Amy- can’t wait to share more
4- obvs I’ll be there offering holistic massage etc
5- GItte will be offering equipped Pilates from the studio 🙌🏼🙌🏼 over the next few weeks we will be moving in her reformer and a few other interesting contraptions and she will be offering small group and 1-1 sessions

Phew- thanks for reading

What an exciting end to the year ❤️❤️

Go gently into the week
Love Nat x

10/10/2025

Almost missed world mental health day. I do have a good reason.
Today, of all days, I laid my auntie to rest. My heart is heavy, my brain is fried, and honestly — I’m at my absolute max of what I can handle. And yet, here I am — a wellness practitioner — trying to remember to take my own advice. 😅
The truth is: just because this is what I do doesn’t make me immune to bad days. I don’t float around on a yoga mat made of good vibes and essential oils 24/7. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I crumble, and sometimes the only wellness practice I can manage is not screaming at the door handle when it catches my cardigan sleeve (really fu***ng annoying)
If you’re struggling — please know this: you’re not broken, you’re human. We all hit our limits. We all fall apart sometimes. And that’s okay.
Take a breath. Take a nap. Take your time.
And if all else fails… take a snack. 🫶🏽
Sending love to everyone doing their best to just be today. That’s enough. 💚 ❤️

04/10/2025

Opening up 4 slots on 31st October for your Samhain ritual massage.
I will send out a consultation form a few days before to save time and then plan your massage, meditation and tea around what you need. But we will be making the most of the veil between worlds being thin and handing over all the s**t we don’t need to carry.
I think these will go quickly.
Message me directly to book.
We start with 30 min massage and then 20 minute personalised meditation with appropriate goddess to guide and sound healing. Then a herbal tea over a discussion after.
Can’t wait to see you 🖤

04/10/2025

This is the up to date hire cost for the studio and treatment rooms (from November)

Please note- this is not for negotiation.
Our prices are incredibly fair for the value you will get with the space and the equipment within it.

I am happy to support new businesses with a reduction in rent for a short period of time but that is discussed between us at the time of enquiry.

As a not for profit organisation it is important that we have a regular source of income to support the running costs (which go far beyond the rent) to ensure we are able to gain funding for the services we wish to offer for free and not compromise the quality of the space, equipment and the practitioners running the sessions who are highly skilled and experienced in their area.

This price list should answer most of your questions…. There is always an anomaly which we can figure out, but this is a good place to start for your point of reference.

The treatment rooms will not be rented out by the hour because I haven’t got the capacity to manage that 😂

Thank you for your continued support.

Nat x

25/09/2025

👀👀👀

23/09/2025

//Grief// Almost time to return to reality.
To be honest reality hasn’t left. It followed me here, but at least a change of scenery was a pleasant distraction 🙏 Very grateful to have this time with my children and with my mum. Finding comfort in the closeness. When we get home I’m sure life will carry on and we’ll slowly adjust to not having her around. Get caught up in being busy.
I realise- Time doesn’t actually heal. Time puts distance between them being here and then not. Time fills the space with other things to focus on. But time doesn’t erase the space they leave behind. Grief- the price you pay for love.

09/09/2025

Must have been a full moon recently 😂 as I have managed to set up a booking link for holistic massage.

At the moment they are at a discounted rate until I qualify in December 🥰 (I can’t believe it’s nearly been a year - 1 it’s flown by and 2 the experience has been something else)

You have the option of 30, 60 or 90 min (90 min comes with 30 mins of sound healing 🧑‍🍳😘) and this is all about you. A massage taking into consideration how you are at that exact moment in time and what you need.

You can find the next available times and dates here 👇

Holistic Therapy

06/09/2025

*trigger warning//GRIEF//
18 months ago I spoke about grief after losing my wonderful Nan, at the age of 91. I stated I wasn’t an expert thankfully, having not experienced loss everso much. Sadly I’m becoming more of an expert and here’s what I’m learning: It’s s**t.
It isn’t linear.
It isn’t simple.
And the way people grieve is very different and that can be triggering as.

In the last 18 months, I’ve lost two people from my family, the most recent being on Thursday, so this post is pretty raw, (and it may jump all over the place because I don’t have my glasses on and there’s a lot of snot 🙄)

One was old, one not very old.
One we had some warning for—time, however cruel, gave us a window to say goodbye, hold hands, cry, talk, and share the words that matter. Come together as a family.

The other was sudden.
A phone call.
A moment that split everything into before and after.
No warning.
No goodbye.
Just GONE.

The grief hits differently with both.

With one, it’s layered: in sadness and peace, gratitude even, for being able to say the things that needed saying.

With the other—it’s raw, violent, chaotic.
The kind of grief that keeps you up at night because you didn’t get to say “I love you”.
The kind that leaves you replaying moments and re-reading old messages just to feel close again.

I’ve been staring into space a lot, in the mess of it all. Playing our songs.
Reflections, guilt, regrets… but also the warmth of memories, the strength of love, sometimes laughter shines through the heaviness.

And in all of it—here’s what I keep coming back to:
Why do we wait?
Why do we wait until death is near or already here to say the important things?
To forgive.
To connect.
To tell people how much they mean to us.
To spend time and just be with them.

We live like we have time.
And then we don’t.

So here’s what I’m learning, slowly and painfully:
Be more present.
Make the call.
Send the message.
Apologise first.
Love loud.
Say what you need to say—while you still can. Don’t think you have time.

Because the only thing harder than losing someone you love is losing them with words still stuck in your chest.

Cont 👇

23/08/2025

Link to support the studio ✨🙏

Projects we are hoping to fund:

Decent sustainable heating for the studio to be able to be a community ‘warm space’ this winter.

Classes and sessions to support:

People with invisible illnesses
People struggling with stress, anxiety and depression
Carers
Peri/menopause
Men’s wellbeing
New mums
Low income households
Outreach to the surrounding area.

No contribution is too small.

Thank you ❤️🙏
Nat x

To make holistic health and wellbeing accessible to as many people as possible by removing the financial barrier to such services.

22/08/2025

📣📣WE ARE OFFICIALLY A COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY📣📣 finally after many months of mostly me procrastinating and then fudging the paper work up because it has to be so specific and I am not huge on attention to detail 😅😵‍💫 it’s finally been approved. (It’s been months tbh and that’s due to my lack of time and focus) but we got there in the end! And it was the news I needed today. So there’s a few tears of relief, joy and anxiety and all the emotions in between. It means I can finally get my head into the applications for funding, fund raising and everything I’ve been waiting to do to secure the future of this little holistic healing community. There will be a donation page for anyone who wants to support - all money will go back into the studio, equipment, events, wonderful practitioners. I cannot wait to run with this now. It’s come at the exact right time 🙏❤️