OCTOBER
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
Dear reader,
This month has been an intentional reset. As someone with a deep need for solitude and stillness, who’s been on fast-forward for the better part of this year, October for me, has been about finding space for the parts of myself that need unhurried attention, to feel, to allow, to transmute and create room for new ideas and intentions.
There is a small surrender I’ve been practicing, learning to stay inside the question, to listen. To let ache do its work, to let it breathe me open and allow the quiet collapse of control. The attention is a kind of devotion, a recognition that to live is to become undone again, and again, held by my own willingness. What a beautiful mercy it is to be this porous, to trade certainty with curiosity and to honour that which true strength is built from, sensitivity.
Within this space of listening, I’ve noticed the palpable importance of connecting to a sense of why, in every corner I can. Why do I move towards certain things and away from others? If there’s a goal, why do I want to reach it? Why do I value it? There may not be immediate answers, but the compass this reflection creates beneath our actions is where presence can light the kindling of a life that feels true to us.
I see the importance of this mirrored in clinic often. The work of a naturopath is to walk alongside clients, educate and empower while they do the work on moving towards a goal or an optimal way of living for them, the relationship is very much a two-way street. It is centred on long-term shifts rather than quick-fixes. Connecting to your why as a client is essential in this process. It relaxes the perfection, rigidity, or control to get from A to B and instead guides into shifting, pouring attention into some areas and softening in others, to move towards what matters most to you. When life inevitably gets busy (stress, holidays, unexpected changes) your why becomes an anchor. It allows you to dance with your current reality, using the tools you’ve gained to stay oriented towards your goal.
For someone wanting to support their hormones, for example, connecting to their why is vital. Hormonal balance isn’t achieved through one supplement, one diet, or one month of change, it’s a continual dialogue between body, environment, emotion, and rhythm. When you anchor into why you want to support your hormones, perhaps to feel calmer, to understand your cyclical nature, to reconnect with your body’s cues, or to improve fertility, it transforms the process from frustration to reverence.
Without that connection, it’s easy to slip into control: chasing numbers, micromanaging symptoms, or expecting immediate results. But when you understand why your body is asking for support, you begin to see each shift, symptom, or mood as communication rather than failure. It becomes a practice of deep listening, of responding with curiosity instead of criticism.
The same is true for clients who want to lose weight, clear their skin, restore energy, improve their mental health and so on.
Reflecting on the words of recently passed humanitarian and primatologist, Jane Goodall: “Only when head and heart work in harmony can we attain our true human potential.” You can think your way through most things, but for sustainable transformation, you must also feel your way through. To feel requires connection, perhaps that’s the heart of the why.
For Your Senses
A collection of sounds for your auditory pleasure, perhaps while journalling with the prompts below.
In remembrance of Jane Goodall, a pioneering primatologist and conservationist, renowned for her groundbreaking study of wild chimpanzees and lifelong advocacy for animal welfare and environmental protection. She recently passed and in this conversation she shares so many nuggets of wisdom, interviewed by the ever inspiring Krista Tippett. This conversation feels like you’re sitting at the table with a cup of tea, with two very inspiring women. Enjoy.
Journal Prompts:
An invitation to be with yourself and get curious about your ‘why’, perhaps with a cup of tea in hand, some incense burning and a playlist.
When dreaming up the life I’m creating for myself, what are the underlying pillars or values?
Why are those values important to me?
When I pause and listen deeply, what feels most alive in me right now, and what feels neglected or numb?
If I viewed my healing or growth as a conversation rather than a checklist, what would my body be saying right now?
What question am I being asked to sit with right now, even if I don’t yet know the answer?
How do my current lifestyle choices (sleep, nutrition, movement, stress management, connection) reflect my deeper values?
With love,
Ebany x