This newsletter was first sent to subscribers on Friday 4th September 2026. It goes out the first Friday of each Month, so next one will be sent 2nd October. If you'd like to subscribe and get it first, you can sign up here:

Hello you, Hello September...

Feeling rested or frankly shattered?

The start of Autumn and ending of Summer can be really divisive.

There are those who return rested and ready, and those for whom it’s been like running a marathon: juggling demands of children and young adults, the yearning to enjoy the bright long days, all whilst working. 

Me? I'm a bit of both. With lots launching this month, I had more lots of back office stuff to set up which definitely tussled with my desire to walk, read and adventure. 

This month, you can read of the August hill that was one too many & took me to my limit. Followed on with some thoughts and tips about rest and resilience for the autumn.

There’s something in it for everyone whether you’re rested, shattered or somewhere in between. Let’s see if we can stay tuned into the adjustments that support our bodies and minds to flow.

In Nature’s Notes, there’s an acknowledgement that we don’t all experience Nature in the same way. I’ve returned to the Enneagram to explore how these differences show up. 

Check out the Complete Guide to Self-Regulation that I've created for you. See what resonates & get ideas for restoration and growth. 

It’s a reminder that we don’t all experience life, work, situations through the same lens & to check in with oneself, and each other. Not leap to assumptions. Or get cross that someone doesn't get it like you. 

Let's celebrate our differences to #BeBetterTogether

I always love to hear from you. Whatever this stirs up, or if you feel drawn to come down to Poole, hit reply or drop me an email: felicity@bendtheriver.org

3 Ways to join me in September & Move Together with Nature

The Momentum is Building!

• The first walk of the Dorset River Stour, Source 2 Sea goes live on 11 September 2026. Delighted that 8 people have signed up! Registration closes on Monday 7th September, so if you fancy joining us at the Source of the River Stour, don't delay. Booking link on the website. Your first walk is free, after that there is a small fee or step into one of the volunteer roles.  Max group of 15. Choose your date and stage or come along to all of them.

• The 1:1 90min guided walk exploring the 5 Invitations. Register to receive your invite for the next block of invites for The Experiment. Dates and session bookings are only visible to those who have registered. October & November date invites will be ready by 11 September. Register to receive yours. 

• The UnFurling, the peer supervisory style circle hosted by Ashley Crocker and I has generated some fabulous interest. One thing is clear though, our planned date of 24 Sept doesn't work for 90% of those interested. So the first gathering will now be 26 November with some tit bits to bridge the gap Sept- Nov. It's now a 4 session space for coaches, therapists, counsellors, consultants, space-holders for others, to come along and evolve relationships.. with themselves, with nature, with their work. It's for deepening presence and practice. It starts with a conversation...respond to this email or request a chat here 

Check out these August LinkedIn posts to get a flavour of the work. 

• The Landscape Overview: The offers within Move Together with Nature

• The UnFurling: The same relationship pathway with 5 Iterations

• Source 2 Sea: 5 things you can expect on a walk

• The Experiment: What's it like to walk with me?

   

Message Me felicity@bendtheriver.org

One Hill too Many challenged my Physical Limits

I could feel the fluttering in my body and the rising panic as I pushed my pannier laden bike up another stunning Heidi country hill in Switzerland.

In the midday heat, I knew I should have drunk more, restored my glucose & rested earlier but couldn’t find the right spot to stop. So I’d kept going, with a combination of cycling and pushing, waiting for that right spot.

The right spot came too late, by which time I was hyperventilating with heaving sobs as we reached it. Sheer relief to sit in the shade, take on water, sugar and to give attention to connecting to my calm.

And yes, this is what I do for joy.

So what went wrong? A miscalculation of the hills, the heat, the bike weight, my strength, the distance… leading to the 'less than optimal' schedule of refuel and rest.

Key Insight 1: It’s always too late when you realise you need a break.

Key Insight 2: It’s waaaay too hard to think clearly about what is needed when we're on the edge of losing it, so we (and definitely I) tend to plough on regardless.

I took the time to recover, and we adjusted our day. After mostly a cycle downhill, a train could cut off the last 400m of climbs. Sweet relief to see the landscape whizz by (in air-conditioned bliss) as we made our way up to our hotel at the top of the pass.

And then we got back on the bike the next day and the day after.

I believe it’s healthy to keep testing what the body is capable of…

AND

To adjust plans when you meet limits…

AND

To learn and tweak for next time…

Back in my own home, post trip, I can see the simiilarities with how I work, and how many of my clients work.

Pushing on, keeping going towards the end destination, ignoring the signs for refuel and rest, and taking the body beyond optimal functioning.

It’s why I’ve chosen Rest and Resilience for the key theme today.

Reflective Q's for you:

• What's your pattern when you get going? 

• What thought do you put into your rest stops and breaks? 

• What helps you restart? 

Rest for Resilience

I think most of us are aware these days of the importance of getting sufficient rest, but have you made the connection with your resilience?

After my August Swiss cycle experience it seemed a fitting choice to share a little bit more about why REST is so important.

Also, before September whisks us away with its tempo, it’s a good time to put in place a few good practices.

Claire Dale and Patricia Peyton, Physical Intelligence.

REST is one of the key ingredients that is listed in the Physical Intelligence book under the section Resilience. It sits alongside Optimism; Letting Go; Finding your Support; Nutrition and Fitness; Rehearse and Perform.

• Relaxation blocks the harmful effects of stress chemicals adrenalin and cortisol through the release of the balancing chemical, acetylcholine.

• Relaxation is for everyday not just holidays

• Diarising RESToration is essential for resilience. Rest before you feel you need it.

• Prepare and practice REST = Retreat + Eat + Sleep + Treat

REST stands for

• Retreat - Even the more social amongst us need alone time. Schedule a nap, swim, stretch, walk.

• Eat- nutritious dense foods and drink water and herbal teas (now is not the time for stimulating caffeine and sugar highs)

• Sleep - regular routines at bedtime help

• Treat - avoid the sugar and alcohol (they do more damage than good) and build a repertoire of beneficial treats: a good book, healthy eating, a massage, a chat with a friend, a walk, a dance and so on.

If you know that September is a month in which you can get carried away, and end up with nothing into October, November, let alone December, then look ahead for the month and identify 3 changes you can commit to that will support how you Rest and Relax.

Plan them in. Choose to take care of yourself.

If you do happen to leave it to late, and you’re feeling like I was on that Swiss hill, then a breathing practice is the quickest and most proven way to lower the stress reaction in your body. A longer out breath than in breath helps.

Bringing attention to your breath builds upon that. On your breath out, count to ten. A longer out breath stimulates the para sympathetic nervous system and will release the balancing chemical acetylcholine.

Nature's Notes: Self-Regulation

When someone joins me for a walk, whether it’s group or individual, I’m really curious to see what they notice, what grabs their attention, what doesn’t and what this potentially tells me about their lens on life.

To support connection, and reassurance in the early stages of a walk, I encourage going a little bit deeper through their preferred lens. Over time, I then invite stepping into seeing and experimenting with an alternative lens. This helps shift perspective and extend the possibilities they can see. And importantly, increase our bandwidth to meet others where they are at.

Here’s an example of what that can look like…

I have a friend who loves walking along the beach. She is drawn to look at the horizon, the shapes and forms of the sea, sky and land; the colours; the movement. She share with me that she gets frustrated with her husband - he doesn’t see it, or appreciate what she does. He’s stopped and is looking at the minutiae of the shells and sand.

• For her, we’d start with horizon scanning, feeling into the whole experience and then zoom in towards the detail.

• For him, we’d start small and in the detail, gradually opening out the lens to one of width.

This respects their own perspectives, whilst extending their capacity, capability and understanding of the alternative perspectives.

This got me thinking about how each personality type in the Enneagram (read here for more about that) might seek to experience Nature.

So I took the time to create a guide for you (with the help of AI). 

Self-Regulation and Integration Guide

Download the full guide, aligned to the iEQ9 language to identify comfort zones, release and growth pathways by type. 

You’ll see I prompted for both the comfort zone activities you’ll gravitate towards, and those that support you with release and growth.

Important note: They are not the same.

The Complete Enneagram Self-Regulation and Integration Guide is attached. I’d love to know what resonates for you.

As someone who associates strongly with Type 5: The Quiet Specialist. This rang true “Default Comfort Zone (Outdoors & Nature): Low-energy, highly observant, solitary excursions in quiet, low-density areas”

That is me down to a T. Very happy walking solo in the quiet.

As did the section on Stretch & Growth Practices (Expanding Beyond Ego):

• Movement: High-sensory, full-body activation (e.g., cold plunges, heavy kettlebell lifting, bouldering) that forces immediate physical presence and halts mental abstraction.

• Co-Regulation: Parallel, active engagement—working on a physical project or hiking side-by-side with a friend without the demand for continuous verbal processing.

• Nature: Elemental, high-contrast environments (e.g., crashing ocean surf, windy alpine peaks) that demand direct sensory presence over intellectual mapping.

 I definitely got a full on, all consuming sensory experience on that bike ride! And maybe that’s why I gravitate to my weekly sea swims and learning to lift weights. 

 Reflection Q's for your Self-Awareness

• What do you gravitate towards? What’s your comfort zone activity?

• Having read the guide, what ideas do you have for release and restoration? For stretch and growth?

• What surprised you about the guide? If there’s one person it’s helpful to share it with, who comes to mind?

Reflection Q's for your Relationship Growth

• What grabs your attention when you spend time outside?

• What do you notice that you hear, see, feel more acutely than others?

• How do you choose to tune into what others see?

3 Thoughts for coaches:

1. The Enneagram insights are a great reminder that not everyone experiences a walk or Nature in the same way.

2. Where someone starts and their natural preference, may not be most in their service to interrupt habitual patterns. Use the guide to consider how you match their preference and also add in difference.

3. This is not ‘diagnosing’ someone’s type. Eg they notice these things in nature so they must resonate predominantly with a type 5. Listen deeply, follow and lead. 

    

Sending you joy from one of my favourite Swiss Walks. 

Thank you for joining me. See you next on Friday 2nd October.

All the best, Felicity x

Move Together with Nature

This newsletter was first sent to subscribers on Friday 4th September 2026. If you'd like to subscribe & get it direct to your inbox, you can sign up here: