Hello April
- Jen Blaxall.
- Mar 28
- 5 min read
During March, we walked at Minstead and visited Arthur Conan Doyle's grave to enjoy the country lanes and wildflower footpaths. We also walked at Milkham and enjoyed some warmer weather while listening to the birds and spotting signs of spring as the trees are budding and the first flowers are blooming.
During April, I will be offering walks at Ibsley Common. This walk is steeped in history and folktales, with wartime evidence being consumed by nature. It offers vast views across the forest from the high heathland, but still plenty of trees from the wooded footpaths.
At the end of the month, I will offer the first evening pub walk of the year. We will walk through an ancient, true English bluebell woodland, then stop for a drink at the pub before returning to the car park for sunset.
The evening bluebell pub walk is for Nature and Nurture subscription members only, but if you would like to join us, the subscription costs only £5 per month and, in return, you will receive the opportunity to join a free monthly New Forest guided walk and 20% off all other events. A great way of being part of a community and improving your well-being.
In April, New Forest ponies will start foaling, and it's also the season for ground nesting, so be vigilant with your dogs while outdoors. Cuckoos will make their return, and birds in woodlands and gardens will begin to fledge. Ponds are teeming with tadpoles, and badger and fox cubs will courageously emerge from their dens. There's an abundance of nature to appreciate and admire in April. Join us for some of it on the guided walks.
During March, I completed a week of offering the third class of the year of "illuminating the human potential" where we focused on our deep connection with nature, and why we need it to regulate our health, our emotions and our spiritual journey.
Aprils class will be all about intuition -
How many times have you ignored your gut… and later wished you hadn’t?
Or trusted a feeling - and later wondered “Was that intuition… or anxiety?”
Most people think intuition is mysterious. In reality, it’s something your brain and body are doing all the time, you just haven’t been taught how to read the signals.
In this workshop we’ll explore:
What intuition actually is
Why anxiety can feel exactly like instinct
How past relationships and trauma can distort your “gut feeling”
Simple ways to recalibrate your inner compass
When to trust your instinct - and when to question it
You’ll also take part in interactive exercises that reveal how fast thinking, overthinking, and fear compete inside your mind.
Because the truth is:
Your intuition speaks first. Anxiety just speaks louder.
If you want to understand the difference - this class is for you. I will put the link below for you to join me either in Andover, Chichester or the New Forest.
As April comes to a close, I will host a day dedicated to deeply connecting with the season and the land in celebration of Beltane. Our morning at Ibsley Village Hall will focus on achieving balance through meditation, crafting, and setting intentions. I will also share the deeper meaning and folklore of Beltane. Afterwards, we will take a walk in nature to solidify our connection to the landscape and the season.
You will leave feeling inspired, grounded and rebalanced.
Just click on the image for more details of the event - Breathing in Beltane.
March has been an energetically challenging month for many, impacting not only personal lives but also due to global events. There's an unconscious anxiety, even if you limit your exposure to news or articles, as there's a collective awareness of the increased fear of war and uncertainty. It's crucial to take time for self-care by tuning into your nervous system, as we, as humans, often carry burdens that aren't ours. This has been particularly evident in my therapy sessions, especially in nature therapy, where people struggle to find the "off button" to calm their nervous systems and yearn for something that demands nothing—something familiar and safe.
I offer something uniquely different from a traditional counselling session. I recognise a simple walk in nature has a space to talk about anything you desire. I am not there to fix you, have an opinion, or give you the answers. My job is to provide you with a space of safety, to walk alongside you, and to gently guide you towards the answers to your own questions. I am simply there to remind you of what you already know.
There is no judgement
No opinion
Just gently handing you back your power and reminding you of your strengths.
This unique therapy set amidst the beauty of nature is frequently profound, enlightening, and deeply healing.
Here's what participants said -
I had an acute anxiety crisis during the first part of 2024. I have been privileged to experience the Forest with Jen alongside me as a compassionate guide; she has also given me some healing sessions. Jen is supporting me so that I can gently heal myself. I hold immense gratitude for Jen's work with me; it is truly life changing. I am gradually becoming calmer and I am also learning so much about myself, my relationships and my place in the natural world.
Jen has been a huge part of my journey recovering from addiction. Along with my recovery programme I have been seeing Jen regularly for healing. She is so in tune she realises I don't always need an hour on the therapy table to heal so often it has been 20 minutes then a cup of tea and some talk therapy or even a walk in the woods where we will sit for 10 minutes to have time to connect to that healing energy of nature. She is a wonder! And always knows what I need on a day. She has given me the inner calm and strength to strive for freedom of addiction and made me look at the world through eyes of hope and inspiration for the future. Thank you Jen for giving me my power back!
Jen is an amazing, kind, warm, grounded, intuitive, knowledgeable and wise woman. This is such necessary work right now, Jen and her deep and authentic presence and connection to nature provide such a haven. I am a sensitive person and feel safe and very at ease with Jen; she has really done the work and is not afraid of depth
I have been to lots of different therapists to try and deal with my grief, but three years on from losing my son, I was still feeling the pain and unable to move beyond my deep sense of loss - And then I met Jen. She made me understand that loss of a loved one doesn't leave, it just changes shape. She made me understand it was natural to feel angry, guilty, fearful and pain and walked alongside me until the grief changed shape enough to become memories that made me smile - rather than break my heart - Something, no other therapist could do.
Sending you all love, Jen x
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