I wrote this in the pool
Finding clarity in rhythm, silly season hypocrisy, and a mindful gift idea
My hand glides through the water. I’m lost in a world of bubbles and breath. The warm water on my skin feels euphoric as I drop deep into flow state. Rhythmic movement is the fast track to clarity. Here’s what I thought about during my morning laps...
Last month was all about deep rest and taking it when I needed it. Mid-afternoon yoga nidra. The odd movie session with the kids. Slow yoga flows. Sesame-oil self massage. A long exhale after the excitement of years of nomadic living.
Then something shifted. Just before that last new moon. Lately, I’ve been drawn to movement and rhythm, like I’m being called back into my body to actually process. I’m grieving buslife. Adjusting to big lifestyle changes. I feel lonely as we slowly build new community here. The visions I held so tenderly for the past few years are being revised in real time… no longer a distant dream, they now have reality to wrestle with. And there’s probably a whole bunch of other stuff I’ve neglected to tend to.
So while I am indeed in paradise, I’m using this time to dig deep. Drawing upon years of study and practice to move through what’s needed, to process emotions, to listen for what I need in each moment, and to take it one breath at a time.
It’s looked like high-energy dance parties, alone or with the kids, stomping, shaking, twirling. It’s looked like late-night sobbing under the stars as the ocean holds me so tenderly (figuratively… I’m not night-swimming, eek). It’s looked like writing, sometimes one word, sometimes pages. Yoga asana has been fast, fiery flows one day, intense yin holds the next.
And I feel a quiet rage bubbling as we enter the silly season. Seemingly sillier than ever. Black Friday sales clogging our inboxes as we lust over shopping carts full of things we “need” but definitely don’t need.
Too many gifts, not enough presence.
And then there’s the humbling contradiction that I’ve spent the past few weeks intensely marketing my children’s book as a Christmas gift. Not because I want to feed the consumer machine, but because I genuinely love the idea of spreading love, kindness and gratitude, especially at this time of year.
Somehow selling my art feels somewhat immune to the madness. Nevertheless, it's on my mind. How do we mindfully navigate this time of year without becoming total party-poopers, while still honouring the values we live by the other ten months?
If my books call to you, and you feel they would add to your festive cheer, not make you collapse in despair, i invite you to take a look at I am Little Yogi and My First Gratitude Journal.
This year I've put together two bundles: one is a hybrid physical/digital gift pack and the other is digital delivery only. Get them here. Use the code WILDLOVE for $5 off.
(The Christmas order cutoff for physical books is this weekend. Be sure to get your order in if you want them in time to go under the tree.)
So while I've been busy making, mumming, marketing, and feeling my big feelings, I haven't been able to pour as much heart into my Cultivate Wild Paradise series as usual. The topic we'll be working through next is flowing down the river of (our) life, and it is only fitting that I honour my own flow and give myself some extra time to do it justice.
Take this as an opportunity to get up to speed. Over the past few months we've woven our way through topics of presence, breath, joy, grounding, and laying our foundations to flourish. Access the archive here.
Upgrade for guided nature meditations, foundational yoga poses, and wild reflections for integration into your day-to-day life.
Meanwhile, I'm craving adventure. It's been too long between hikes, so my focus over the coming weeks is to reconnect with my rhythm in the wild. Getting outside of my idyllic bubble and exploring some of this rugged Tasmanian wilderness.
Thanks for joining me on my swim today. That was cathartic. I hope you ask for what you need today, and that what you need arrives with ease.
Stay curious and kind,
Simone
I’m here to rewild the human spirit—gently restoring joy, presence and a deeper connection to nature in ways that feel easy to weave into life as it is.
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Love the little yogi series, will be sharing with friends with littles 💕
Simone, this whole piece feels like being invited into the warm, honest middle of someone’s inner tide pool — the churn, the clarity, the contradiction, the sweetness.
I really felt the part about rhythm calling you back into your body. Travel does that to me too — the slow seasons, the uprooted ones, the rebuilding ones — each phase has its own movement pattern you can’t negotiate with. You just have to meet it.
And yes to the tension of “silly season.” I’ve been feeling that same quiet resistance — wanting to keep things intentional but also wanting to celebrate what’s real and handmade and full of heart. Your kids’ book absolutely falls into that category.
Wishing you spaciousness, wild trails, and whatever rhythm wants to carry you next.
💛 Kelly