What a Year!

What a Year!

How on earth did I get here? To this point in my life at this time in my life?

Finally I know what I want to be when I grow up.

I came to Bulgaria to stop working and start living, quite simply because my Mum died at the age of 48 and I figured that if I was still alive at that point, I should start enjoying what time I had left… so that’s what I set out to do.

To become more self-reliant was my aim and I thought that meant growing my own food, exploring different options for power and water, getting some chickens, learning to keep bees, exchanging skills and produce with other like-minded individuals… but the universe had other ideas.

It turns out I’m pretty average (if not a bit shit) at growing my own food, preserving it, saving seeds etc. and it also came to my attention that anything I actually managed to grow (in excess of what I needed) was also being grown by everyone else successfully, so exchanges were few and far between and we ate a lot of tikva (courgettes, squashes etc) in stews, soups, chutney… ha ha you get the picture.

I loved, with a passion, keeping chickens, but the fox loved them more and I couldn’t take the heartache. I got drawn into learning about bee-keeping, only to have the thriving hives I had been promised, sold from under me.

Self-Reliance is More Than Food

Through the journey to become a Wim Hof Instructor I have discovered that self-reliance does not start and end with food, although it is of course an important element, it actually encompasses my whole life.

My state of mind, my health, my connections, my relationship with nature, feeling comfortable with myself, and my appreciation and commitment to making my time here on this earth the most rewarding for me (and this will look different for everyone).

I’m not saying every day is rosy and I wake with joy and enthusiasm each morning and shine with positivity 100% of the time – that would be fucking annoying.

I quite like the bad days, they give me contrast, allow me to scream and beat my chest (metaphorically of course… well mostly). It sometimes feels good to have a good moan about some insignificant thing, to not feel like dancing in a freezing cold shower and to soak wonderfully in a hot bubble bath instead.

Recognizing that not all days are easy and not all are hard, but that hard ones can sometimes bring greater reward. Allowing the low times to happen naturally brings about a greater appreciation for the highs – this is how I want to live.

This all kinda smacked me in the face one day.

I grew up hiking in the mountains of the Lake District in the UK but since leaving home 40 years ago I had not gone back to this, until … I started training for my level 2 Wim Hof Certification and off to the mountains I went.

I expected it to be hard, I expected it to be beautiful, but I didn’t expect it to be quite so emotional. It was like coming home, like reuniting with an old friend. I honestly didn’t know how much I’d missed it. It literally makes me cry, like every time I go into the mountains – especially if I’m alone, I feel a connection with this landscape that I cannot explain.

What this means for future adventures is that I can share this incredible connection and landscape with more of you guys and I literally cannot wait… but that is in the future…first want to tell you all about the other things I’ve achieved this year.

As you can read in my ‘Becoming a Wim Hof Instructor‘ I certified to teach this wonderful, powerful method in February this year (it feels like a lifetime ago) and so so so much has happened since then.

At the time of writing I’ve held a total of 10 official Fundamentals workshops in various locations.

As many of you will know I bought a second house in our village and built a breathwork platform up in the trees, which has proven so popular during my workshops, as it allows people to connect with nature, the breath and to not only hear, but feel the music beneath them…but I’ve also had the privilege of taking the show on the road, so to speak.

I have lead workshops in Elhovo region (Southern Bulgaria) where 12 powerful women came together to explore the deeper connection with themselves and with each other.

I have been honoured to take this also to the Rising Soul Retreat near Tryavna in the mountains on a few occasions, leading volunteers and guests alike in Tribal and Connection themed workshops and for my season finale I took a group of intrepid adventurers deep within the earth to face their fears and truly feel the power of the method.

I threw myself into this 100% as only I can do and it has proved to be a year of learning. Not just for my participants but also for me. I have learnt so much about myself and about how freekin’ capable I am and just how awesome a buzz I get from watching people transform their way of thinking and feeling in just a few hours.

Session after session I stand and tell my story and talk about the science and benefits of this powerful method, but in truth these days are not about me. They are about every single participant that turns up, opens up, connects deeper with themselves, learns, explores their own boundaries and takes home tools to continue this in their own lives.

There was Ruslan who was personally inspirational, Adriana who had more courage than she thought, Sharron who created us a new ice bath song, so many many great memories. There are way too many examples of this to mention everyone but here are just a few of the wonderful women that really stood out to me in their bravery and their accomplishments.

The first was Tina. Her illness meant that extremes of temperature could set off a series of ensuing events. We had medication on site in case this would happen, but she decided to just go with hands and feet in ice and I respected that.

She horse-stanced with everyone else and watched as one by one I lead them into the ice bath. When it came to her turn she changed her mind… “I’m going in” – I grinned and stood back and allowed her to make her choice. As she lowered into the ice and got control over her breath, she looked at me with sparkling eyes and screamed at the top of her lungs “Fuck yes! I am in control not this fucking disease!” it was such an outburst and language I didn’t expect from her that I also got emotional. Such an important mental breakthrough for her, this quite possibly could have changed her life and I was a tiny part of that.

The next was Audrey. Audrey was afraid of heights and ladders, so when she signed up for my Face Your Fears themed workshop I was quick to let her know what that would involve. We were descending a 72-step steep ladder into a deep hole, and yet she still wanted to do it.

We descended 6 steps onto the first platform. She stood, tears in her eyes, terrified that she would freeze half way. As someone who froze half way up a similar ladder on Sigiriya in Sri Lanka many years ago I completely understood her. We talked and I called another member of the group (who I knew had not one single concern about the steps) and put him behind her and myself in front. So she had a big burly bloke behind her and my arse in front of her… we took it one step at a time. I was both amazed and so so proud of her for making it to the bottom – the emotional release and relief was tangible. For someone who shakes 3 rungs up on a ladder, this was an incredible achievement. Teamwork, breath control, personal resolve and sheer determination got her down … she climbed back up (after the breathing session) alone. Her partner will be gob-smacked and she will now realize just how capable she really is.
“I am still reeling from the experience. It has taken me until now to be able to look at the photos. The day has left me with Wim Hof in my conscious awareness, which is a huge step forward to integrating into my daily life.” Audrey

Then there was Yvonne. She had lost her way a little with the loss of her husband and still raw in her grief was unsure if this was the right workshop for her. Yet she came and she threw herself into everything I asked her to do. She was amazed at the power of the breath, lay comfortably in the ice, saw faces during the grounding session and continues to this day (some 3 months later) to update me on her now regular breath and cold exposure practice. These are her words: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart I thought I had lost my way. Grief pulls you into a bottomless pit and connection is difficult. The breath work was so powerful that I felt I have found a path to help me continue the exploration of self. I needed a kick up the bum – this will help me to age disgracefully”.

These are just a few examples of how ordinary people are doing extraordinary things. Discovering their strength both physically and mentally and beginning to understand the power of the mind.

Thank you to everyone who has come to my workshops. For opening up and making yourselves vulnerable. For laughing, crying, playing, breathing and facing the ice bath both literally and figuratively, you all made my year so so successful and such a hoot.

Thank you for trusting in me and investing in you!

Jane
Freedom Beyond Fear