Finding Peacefulness in Nature

“I love the outdoors. It gives me a peacefulness.”

Tania finding peacefulness in nature

This is the transcript from Season 2, Episode 7 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Tania Bertram.

Finding Peacefulness in Nature

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. I’m your host, Kathryn Walton. This is series two and in each episode you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

As humans, we understand the world through our senses. Your senses provide you with opportunities to interact with your environment and with other people – a way of communicating and connecting, a bit like an interface to use “computer speak”. Your senses receive and then send information to your brain about where you are in space and time.

Signals are received by your senses from all around you. They’re sent through your nervous system where they’re processed and interpreted, and like all good communication, your brain then sends messages back through your body directing your next actions.

Most of the time your senses are working without you even realising. There are sights and sounds and smells that you’re not conscious of even though they’re there most of the time. Sometimes your brain will alert you to something like a dreadful smell, which is your natural protective mechanism kicking into gear, telling you to stay away because there’s something rotten, there’s something dangerous, something that could hurt you nearby.You might have also noticed the waft of a delicious veggie curry coming down the hallway at work, alerting you to the fact that it’s lunchtime and you really do feel quite hungry and need to eat.

Sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches are all around you. It would be pretty overwhelming if you were conscious of all of them all of the time so how amazing is it that humans have developed a really clever filtering system so that you can be automatically alerted to danger as needed without having to waste your precious energy on, well, on things that you don’t need to be constantly conscious of.

But as always, there is a downside to this filtering mechanism. In an effort to optimise energy and attention towards danger and risk, you are probably missing out on some of the good stuff in life too.

When you intentionally engage your senses in the world around you, you open up windows of opportunity to experience peace and calm. There are infinite ways that you can do this in nature, and the most simple way is to step outside and look around you. Notice what your eyes are seeing. Notice the textures and the colours around you. Notice the sounds. Breathe in and notice the aromas. Stop, pause, take in the moment. Even for just a moment.

Our guest today speaks about her experience of doing this in a very special nature space where she lives. In fact, it was the very same space where we recorded this conversation. Tania Bertram loves the outdoors and has built a lifestyle around those aspects of nature that she loves the most and that bring her a sense of peace and calm in the midst of life’s stresses. Tania was one of our Outdoors is my Therapy Ambassadors when we launched in 2020, and she’s previously shared a story on my blog about her travels around Australia with two young children.

After you’ve listened to this episode, you might like to click on the link in the show notes to have a read of her story and be inspired. But for now, meet my friend Tania.

Hello Tania. Welcome to the podcast.

Tania: Thank you Kathryn. Nice to be here.

Kathryn: I’d love to hear from you what inspires you about the outdoors?

Tania: I love the outdoors. It gives me a peacefulness. Uh, I love looking at all the, the animals. listening to the birds. Walking down this morning I had a 360 degree hearing of birds. Looking at the trees, the colours, the bark, so much, um, so much interest in the bark itself. It’s just amazing. So it makes me stop and pause and have a look around, take in the moment.

Kathryn: Tania, do you have a favourite space in nature?

Tania: My favourite space recently is just sitting by the creek with the, the grass around me, the trees above me, uh, nature all around. So I’d say anywhere that’s, just outside and quiet. Really, really does. It does feel good.

Kathryn: And you’re really lucky where you live. You’ve got a beautiful creek and the 360 degree views and, and have that 360 degree sound of the birds as well.

Tania: It is, it’s an ideal spot. I’m so glad we found it. It was. It was just at a right time that, um, we could come down here and, and really appreciate it. And I do appreciate it. I, I come and camp, by myself and just look at the stars at night and listen to the wildlife around me. It, it is such a special place, very fortunate.

Kathryn: And we’re very fortunate today to be sharing it with you as well, sitting down by the creek while we’re recording this episode. So thank you very much for your generosity in, in sharing such a beautiful space with us, Tania.

Tania: Oh, it, it is been a pleasure having you. This perfect space has made even better with your company. Thank you.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning into The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the outdoors is my therapy community, check the show notes for all the links.

You can listen to the episode “Finding Peacefulness in Nature” here:

LINKS

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Read Tania’s blog post “Family Adventures: Tania’s Story of Travel Around Australia”

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Discovering mountain biking as life’s ultimate parallel universe in her middle age, Daisy Spoke aka Kathryn Walton logoKathryn Walton shares information and reflections in Daisy Spoke that connect, inspire and self-empower women to make healthy choices for themselves. She integrates her love of physical exercise, family, nature, gardening and creative arts with her professional background in mental health social work to facilitate change with individuals, groups and communities of women who are committed to living life to the full.

The Complex Simplicity of Nature

“Find those snippets of your day where you can cultivate simplicity”

Jessica Carey at Girraween

This is the transcript from Season 2, Episode 6 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Jessica Carey.

The Complex Simplicity of Nature

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. I’m your host, Kathryn Walton. This is series two and in each episode you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

As humans living in the modern age, we are pretty used to being surrounded by buildings with roofs to shelter us from all weather – sun, rain, snow, hail, whatever. The walls of our buildings protect us from the wind, and I guess we’ve kind of learned to feel safe when we’re inside. We snuggle up into our cozy beds at nighttime, often with the windows closed to the natural world outside and having climate controlled conditions inside.

We have heating and cooling, lots of straight, smooth edges, evenly textured surfaces, and we’re surrounded by fabricated comforts and equipment. For many of us, we leave our homes in the morning and jump straight into a car or a train or a bus, and we aim to get the closest park possible or get off at the closest station possible to our school or our work.

So really, we separate ourselves from the very environment that both challenges and sustains us, and that has done so throughout human history. Without a doubt we’ve made incredible advances in technology that aid survival of the individual and survival of our whole human species. But in doing so, we also risk separating ourselves from those aspects of nature that support and nurture our very being.

The industrial age has gifted us with countless benefits, yet we’ve made many sacrifices as well. The human body, the human brain, and nervous system adapted to live in the natural world over tens or even hundreds of thousands of years.

Over the past 200 years, we’ve radically changed our living environment, but our bodies and brains need much longer than that to adapt to the changes that we’ve created in our surroundings.

Now, the natural environment, it’s not all about the tranquility, the peace, and the quiet. There’s much more to it than that. It’s also about the challenges, the risks, and the opportunities to stretch our skills and abilities, and our knowledge and understanding of the complexities of the systems in nature.

It’s also about our ability to tap into the simplicity of nature when we need it. The complex simplicity of nature. It may be an oxymoron, but as you’ll hear from today’s guest, it’s a reflection of human nature as well, and you too can find snippets of your day where you can connect with the complex simplicity of nature.

Jessica Carey is an all round inspiring soul with an infectious smile and laugh. She’s a deep thinker and a passionate nature lover. Jessica was one of our Outdoors is my Therapy Ambassadors when we first launched the initiative back in 2020, and you may have already heard her in Episode 30, Navigating Off Track, when we went a little bit cross country on a bushwalk together.

Jessica has also been a guest on my other podcast Speak Out Loud, Season 2, Episode 12, where she talked about movement and mindset, and particularly about the seasons and the cycles in nature, and how you can build your resilience to manage change. There’s a link to these episodes in the show notes, and I’m sure you’ll love to have a listen in to both of them.

But for now, meet my friend Jessica.

Welcome back to the podcast, Jessica.

Jessica: Thank you, Kathryn. It’s great to be here.

Kathryn: Jessica, what inspires you about nature?

Jessica: Well, that’s quite a loaded question, but what inspires me? Well, for me, nature is where we come from. So on a really big scale, it’s like when you turn and look at the trees or the sky, the grass, laying in the grass, the creek that we are beautifully sitting beside today, or whether it’s a beach or a mountaintop, it, um, I believe it reminds us where we come from and who we are. Uh, it may sound simple, but nature can be complicated and it can come with force or it can be, in a flow state, but it’s complex simplicity. And I think that’s a bit like human nature.

Kathryn: And that reminds me of, you know, some of those really hectic, chaotic days when things just seem really chaotic. How nice it is to just go outside and be with the simplicity of nature.

Jessica: Absolutely. And I think if you can find those snippets of your day where you can cultivate simplicity, and if that’s through watching a sunset or finding a mountain top, or putting your feet in the earth to ground, I think, they’re the moments we can cultivate to support chaos so we can become a more whole human.

Kathryn: Jessica, do you have a favourite space in the outdoors?

Jessica: Oh, a favourite one that’s pretty difficult. Uh, I like many spaces for many different reasons. For me, it depends on how I feel or if I need to let go or what I want to experience, but, mountains are my calling. I, I really appreciate valleys and wide open spaces. If I want to go to the top of a mountain, it’s about the journey there. But the top is, um, the pinnacle of being able to see things from a higher perspective, but then sometimes I let go in the ocean and being able to let go and cleanse and support myself in that. And I’m really wanting to go to the desert, to the red earth this year that’s been calling me at the moment, so I’m not sure what that’s gonna cultivate. But yeah, I believe there’s a different season and cycle that nature supports us in, in all aspects of our life.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning into The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the outdoors is my therapy community. Check the show notes for all the links.

You can listen to the episode “The Complex Simplicity of Nature” here:

You can listen to Jessica in Episode 30 “Navigating Off Track” here:

You can listen to “Movement and Mindset with Jessica Carey” in Season 2, Episode 12 of the Speak Out Loud podcast here.

LINKS

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Contact Jessica Carey

“Movement and Mindset with Jessica Carey” – Transcript from the podcast “Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs” Season 2: Episode 12 (Published 4th April 2022)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Unpredictable, Surprising Nature

“There’s always something different to discover”
Jolene Nelson Girraween National Park
This is the transcript from Season 2, Episode 5 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Jolene Nelson.

Unpredictable, Surprising Nature

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. I’m your host, Kathryn Walton. This is series two and each episode you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

Do you love routine, predictability and consistency? You know, the same, same of life, so that you know exactly what to expect each moment? Or do you thrive with change, with surprises and unpredictability and believe that variety is the spice of life? Humans are wired to appreciate predictability as well as unpredictability.

You will notice that for yourself and other people you know that we each have a preference for one or the other in various situations. You can also see elements of predictability and unpredictability in the natural world around you.

Predictability can be calming and reassuring. It can ease the mind, and it allows us to simplify life. We put things in categories or boxes, and we know what to expect. We’re prepared for how things will be, and we kind of know what to do.

But unpredictability makes you step outside your usual patterns and routines, and it shakes up your thinking. It makes you question your expectations and your reactions. Change is a pretty normal part of life and you can resist it or you can respond with curiosity and open-mindedness. You can see change as an opportunity to learn and to discover something new about yourself or the world, to see things in a new light, to expand the boundaries of your mind and your senses, to more fully experience a sense of aliveness, of awe and wonder.

I can see both predictability and unpredictability in nature. There are patterns and cycles, routines, shapes, textures and colours that are quite predictable and consistent, like the tides and the ocean waves that ebb and flow, the sun that rises in the east and it sets in the west, and the seasons that cycle through the year, and different species of plants and animals grow in predictable ways as well.

On the other hand, nature also has unpredictable elements that can be unsettling, like lightning or a wintry blizzard. Or these unpredictable elements can be surprises that delight you. For example, the rapid regrowth after a bushfire, an unexpected field of wildflowers in bloom, a bee busily inspecting the blossoms in your veggie garden, the swirling clouds or a thick fog that’s constantly changing, morphing into different shapes and then suddenly disappearing as if by magic. And what about the sparkling rocks on the edge of a pond? Unpredictability is part of nature’s survival mechanism because you get to outsmart your predators and you take a risk to be or to do something differently which could improve your chances of survival, but you won’t know until you try.

Humans are wired to be sometimes predictable, sometimes unpredictable, just like other things in nature. My challenge to you is to notice the elements of predictability and unpredictability in nature and celebrate the wonder of nature being the same yet different. Celebrate the diversity of our world. Get up close. Be curious and be surprised each time you go outside.

Today’s guest loves the unpredictable nature of nature. Jolene Nelson has worked for many years in the outdoors, and she loves to spend her recreational time outside too. In today’s episode, Jo shares what inspires her about the outdoors, and she tells us about some of her favourite places. Meet my friend Jo.

Jo, what inspires you about the outdoors?

Jolene: I guess the number one inspiration for me about the outdoors is that it’s so unpredictable. You just don’t know what you’re going to see, what you’re gonna smell, what you’re gonna experience. Um, yeah, there’s always something different every time you go for a walk or a swim or whatever. yeah, that, that for me, I like, you know, I kind of like things that change. Yeah, the unpredictable nature of it.

Kathryn: What’s your favourite place in the outdoors?

Jolene: Anywhere where there’s water and rocks. Okay. That’s very general. I know. I do love the ocean. I, I think I must be a water sign because as soon as I get there, I just feel absolute calm. But in saying that, there’s a lot of wild places inland. Girraween yeah, no doubt is, is very much part of me. I’ve been there working in that area for 25 years, so anywhere in Girraween. It soothes my soul, but definitely beside any water course and where there’s some big rocks, you know, and there might be some wombats close by that I can’t see cuz they’re underground obviously. And wildflowers. I love the wildflowers in Girraween. Got 750 different species. So it’s that, you know, there’s always something different to discover.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning into The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the outdoors is my therapy community. Check the show notes for all the links.

You can listen to the episode “Unpredictable, Surprising Nature” here:

LINKS

Read more about Girraween National Park

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Nature’s Little Treasures

“The more you look, the more you notice.”

krista bjornThis is the transcript from Season 2, Episode 4 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Krista Bjorn.

Nature’s Little Treasures

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. I’m your host, Kathryn Walton. This is series two and each episode you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

Intentionally spending time in the outdoors each day can add amazing value to your life, including your mental health. And whilst nature is not a cure for all sorts of health issues, we do often neglect the fact that spending time in nature or connecting with nature in other ways can help us to feel better.

Why is it that we rush through the day sometimes without even a thought about the natural world around us? And how can we move from knowing that we’ll feel better if we get outside for a walk or a stretch to actually doing it? Sometimes it takes a bit of time and energy investment, but I’m here to remind you, and I’m here to remind me as well, that you open yourself up to multiple health benefits when you choose to invest and connect with nature in ways that bring you joy. The research backs up what you and I already know you stand to have improved attention, reduced stress levels, increased energy and vitality, a boosted mood and improved sleep.

Nature connection also promotes recovery from stress, and it can buffer stress in ways such as lowering your heart rate and your cortisol levels, and improving your immune functioning, and unlike a lot of things, nature is reasonably accessible for many people. And what I mean by this is that yes, you can be physically active in the outdoors and that’s great if you can be, but you can also connect with nature when you sit or lie down with a view of the outdoors.
When you have natural objects in your home or your bedroom or maybe your hospital room such as pot plants or seashells, even pets, and when you take the time to look through photos, watch videos, or view artworks that represent nature.

So if you live in a place where it’s not safe to be outside or you’re not able to go out, or maybe you are feeling unwell, there are many opportunities for you to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits, and even brief contact with nature can make a difference to your mood.

Today’s conversation is with my friend Krista Bjorn, who shares why nature is so important to her. Krista has a particular love of herbs and other plants that are beneficial for healing and nutrition, as well as adding beauty to the spaces around her. She shares her favourite place in the world and has some really practical advice about how nature can support you during stressful times and when you’re not feeling well enough to venture outside as well. We talk about how Krista learned to notice the little treasures in nature and how that led her to capture them through photography and to share them with the world.
Meet my friend Krista.

Hi Krista, and welcome to the podcast.

Krista: Hi Kathryn. Thank you so much.

Kathryn: Krista, what inspires you about the outdoors?

Krista: Oh, it is life to me, . Every day I wake up and the first thing I do is look outside at our trees and the bush and the meadows and the paddocks, and I just sit and watch the light come over the land. And I love, especially just knowing that no matter what’s happening in the world, our little piece of land is peaceful and quiet and beautiful, and that no matter what, how hard a day I have, I’m coming home at the end of the day and seeing the sunset and the incredible light and shadows of the trees, it just makes everything peaceful and happy again.

Kathryn: What’s your favourite part of your garden?

Krista: Oh, I really, really love the herbs and things that I have in my garden. So many of them are really precious to me because just looking at them brings so many memories, um, of, uh, harvesting the different berries, the roots, the leaves, the flowers for different things. And, sitting on the back veranda with friends as we pick off the tiny little flowers or scrub the roots and chop them up and get them ready for different remedies and things like that. And so when I see them, I don’t just see plants. I, I don’t just see the beauty of it, but I see, I see the healing that it can bring, to our bodies and our minds and our spirits. And so when I see them, it gives me a sense of purpose and excitement and, hope for the future, I guess. Just knowing that whether, I’ve got a headache or something, there’s something in the garden that will help us feel better.

Kathryn: Can you tell us a little bit more about how you are using those herbs and sharing them with the community?

Krista: Oh, yes. Well, I write books with all sorts of different recipes in them for people who like to make things on their own, and then I teach workshops where I show people how to actually make things from scratch. So when they show up at a workshop, I’ve got all these bowls and jars full of, dried fruits and berries and leaves and um, chopped up roots and spices that just smell amazing. So we’ll just sit there for a few hours and mix and blend and bubble and brew and make all these amazing concoctions that they can then take home.

And then there are people who don’t want to do any of the work, , and they just love, um, love to take the medicines like elderberry cordial or elderflower tea or borage infused wine or whatever it is. And so a lot of people will just contact me and just say, “Krista, can I put an order in for elderberry cordial? My kids are heading back to school and I just wanna help their immunity be as strong as possible” – that kind of thing. And so, then I’ll make up batches for them, and do that sort of thing.

Kathryn: You’ve also done a bit of travelling around the world, so you’ve seen a lot of places, you’ve lived a lot of places. What’s your favourite spot in the outdoors?

Krista: Oh, goodness. Yes. I was a food and travel writer for quite a few years, and um, I think one of my very, very favourite places on the planet is Albania because I went there not knowing anything about it at all, and it was so spectacularly beautiful with incredible mountains and, uh, crystal clear rivers and lakes and so much wilderness and these hillsides just covered with millions of wildflowers. And I just loved it there. At the time that I went, which was probably 10, 15 years ago now, um, it, it was not as advanced technologically and so it was really wild. And the places that you could go, you wouldn’t see any towns, any villages, any people, anything, um, at all. And I just loved it. I loved being out there with my friends and, um, going down side roads and ending up in crazy places and everything was beautiful.

Kathryn: That sounds just so, so beautiful.

Krista: Yes, it really was. It was like something out of a fairytale. I loved it.

Kathryn: Is there anything else that you’d like to share with us about your love of the outdoors? Krista?

Krista: Oh, I just, I love nature so much. No matter what I’m going through in my life, whether it’s stressful or, I dunno, things with covid or politics or all the things that conspire to, upset our equilibrium or make us anxious or distract our thoughts, getting out into nature. Every single time it calms me. It centers me, it settles me. It, um, it focuses me on the present and, allows me to calm and focus my thoughts so that I can do the work that I’m meant to do instead of getting distracted by the, the worries and anxieties and problems of things that I have no control over whatsoever.

Kathryn: Krista, I’m wondering if you’ve got any words for advice for people who maybe aren’t very mobile, or maybe not well enough to step outside and go for a walk outside. How can they connect with nature?

Krista: Yeah. I actually have a lot of experience with this because I’ve had some pretty epic, um, health issues and there were times that I could not get out of bed, let alone go for a walk in the woods and. So in those moments, I have really beautiful picture books of wonderful gardens and, places like Venice or Copenhagen or, just different places around the world that I can, even when I’m dreadfully ill, I can sit up in my bed and open these books and be transported to gorgeous places with incredible light and beauty and wonder and magic. Other times I will rent, or borrow DVDs from the library. I really love, um, Monty Don’s Gardens, when he travelled through France and Italy and other places. Again, those transport me and even if you aren’t mobile, even if, um, you’re going through a really hard time, we can often sit or stand or look out the window. And there’s always an option and that’s what I like to look for. A friend of mine said to me once, “Keep calm and look for options.” And that’s what I like to do.

Kathryn: One thing that I often talk with people about is finding the little treasures in nature. And Krista, I think that you are just like the queen of finding the little treasures in nature through your photography, through your Instagram account. Could you tell us a little bit about your photography?

Krista: Oh, absolutely. I didn’t start out as a photographer, but about 15 years ago, I was healing from a really traumatic situation in my life. And a friend of mine encouraged me to post one photo a day of something that brought me joy. And she said, because if you can find even one thing a day, it will motivate you to keep living, to keep healing, to keep growing, and to keep hoping that things will get better. And she was right and it brought me so much joy to, either go outside or go into my kitchen or even, um, just in my bed, look around my bedroom and look at something that made me happy. And I started noticing so many amazing things. If you just sit on the ground and just limit your vision to the things that are around you, all of a sudden you’re discovering these incredible seed pods and grasses and interesting looking sticks or a really gorgeous rock with interesting markings on it. And all of a sudden your, I guess your big picture view is, um, brought down to something really amazing. And it’s almost like a meditation that it, um, focuses your mind. It calms and settles your mind. And so that’s just how I started. I just started taking photos of things that brought me joy and through that practice, through that daily daily habit, I got better and better. And now I think my eye just naturally gravitates to beautiful things. And whether it’s a flicker of light or, um, I don’t know, or a flower or, um, even an interesting crack in the pavement that looks like, I don’t know, an animal or something. Um, the more you look, the more you notice.

Kathryn: One thing that I really love that you take photos of is droplets of water. And that I think really meant a lot to me because coming through the drought that we had that just seemed like forever

Krista: Yeah.

Kathryn: And you would share photos of your garden and when you watered the garden and, and you’d take photos of the droplets, or if we had one of those rare showers of rain or there was some dew on the leaves or on the flowers, and I, I think, you know, there’s a whole world in that one droplet of water that you can capture.

Krista: Absolutely. Oh, the drought was so painful for me as well as it was for all of us. And there were days that I would, get up and look outside and just cry because it was so desolate and thankfully I was able to get some water out of our bore and my friend calls them Krista’s Green Stripes , because I would set up one drip hose on the grass and that’s all I watered the whole time was just one stripe of grass so that we could go stand out barefoot on one stripe of green grass and that I could go out there and see droplets of water, um, when I would turn the little spray on for a little bit, and just to see that life, that water, that incredible light, when the sun comes up and shines through the droplets of water on the grass, it gave me courage to keep going.

Kathryn: Thank you, Krista for sharing so many stories from your life, connecting with nature, connecting with the outdoors, I think you’ve just shared so many little treasures with us today that will be inspiring for other people to take on board and give them, you know, a little lift on their own healing journey or on their own journey towards thriving in life. So thank you so much for that.

Krista: Oh my absolute pleasure. I loved it. Thank you.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning into The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the outdoors is my therapy community. Check the show notes for all the links.

You can listen to the episode “Nature’s Little Treasures” here:

LINKS

Krista’s website

Follow Krista on Instagram  @ramblingtart

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

The Million Star Motel

Throw your swag down and be captivated as you gaze up at the twinkling roof of The Million Star Motel

Marco Gliori

This is the transcript from Season 2, Episode 3 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Marco Gliori.

The Million Star Motel

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast. I’m your host Kathryn Walton. This is Series 2 and each week you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

Kathryn: Do you ever go outside at nighttime and look up at the stars? Can you see the stars where you live? Or is there too much light from the city life? And when you do look up at the night sky, what do you think about? How do you feel? I live in the bush quite a long way from town and city lights, and unless the moon is full or there’s cloud in the sky, I get a pretty good view of the night sky some of our visitors have marveled at just how many stars they can see when they come to visit us. So many more than what they can see from their city homes. So I feel incredibly grateful for where I live and for myself, I have a mixture of feelings when I look up at the stars. Definitely a bit of fear and curiosity all at the same time. I mean, how does the world even keep spinning around? How long have the stars and the planets, how long have they been there and really are they stars that I’m seeing? Are they planets or are they something else? What’s their history and what’s the future of everything I can see when I look up at the night sky? So a bit of fear and a bit of curiosity, but I also feel very grounded looking up at the night sky. It reminds me a bit of the final scenes in the Men in Black movies where the camera zooms out revealing worlds within worlds. And as Will Smith’s character, Jay says they need to know that the world is bigger than them. So looking up at the night sky, it often puts my problems in perspective. Something that felt so huge and consuming becomes a mere speck in the scheme of things, considering the size and the age of the world that we live in, it helps me to take things a little bit more lightly than I otherwise would. Watching the orange glow of the sun setting and then spending some time outside in the dark away from artificial lighting and devices that emit blue light, that also helps your brain and your body to wind down after a day of activity. So you begin to feel tired and your body and your brain is getting ready for sleep. A lot of people do report that their sleep and their energy levels improve significantly during camping holidays, and this exposure to those natural rhythms of light and dark is one of the main reasons. So here’s a tip for an all natural strategy to improve your sleep. Get outside first thing in the morning for at least a few minutes of natural sunlight. That helps to set your body clock and then as the evening approaches, watch the sun setting and spend a bit more time outside after that, looking up at the stars and the moon. But that’s enough from me for today. Today on the podcast, you are going to hear from my friend Marco Gliori, who has an absolute gift for words. Marco lives in the rural Southern Downs Region of Southern Queensland like myself. Today, he shares some of his bush verse with us, “The Million Stars Motel” and what inspired him to write this poem. Marco also chats about his favourite ways to connect with nature. So meet my friend Marco.

Marco: When the road is long and dusty and the sunset’s far off gaze, steers the weary workers home again, Then I, like all the strays, Look out on the far horizon for the travelers next motel, Some with carpet soft as spinifex, And bright pink doors as well. Rated by the stars I find them, But the slickest I must tell, Is my swag beneath the heavens, In the Million Star Motel. In the Million Star Motel, My room will always be reserved, When the neon lights that beckon, Flash like miracles preserved. Nothing fancy in the bathroom, Precious little but the view, By the incandescent campfire, Sip the billy’s bubbling brew, Shelve your finest crystal glasses, mate, They cannot cast a spell, Like the sparkle from the ceiling, In the Million Star Motel. Cabins creak upon the railway, And their rhythm shunts my mood, Trucks are hurtling down the highway, Laden down with frozen food, Foreign cars are blinding kangaroos, While searching for respite, Warm and cozy, Somewhere civilized to spend another night. I’d like to wave them over, But they’d think like bloody hell, Some are fearful of the bedmates, In the Million Star Motel. Frogs that grunt and gloat about you, Fish tails slapping by the moon, Thumping wallabies now scratching, For the green pick coming soon. Things that sting you, Bugs that bite you, Fearsome howling on the rise, Stuff that tunes your basic instincts, Prehistoric lullabies. And then when deep sleep caresses you, Your heart can’t help but swell, As the roof illuminates you, In the Million Star Motel. And tomorrow when I wake refreshed, To trek another mile, Pray contentment fills my fuel tank, And the sun reflects my smile, And a cool breeze breeds momentum, As I tell another friend, I’ve found a fine establishment, I’m pleased to recommend. Where ideals can mold a future, And your mind clears like a bell, As you buzz into reception, At the Million Star Motel. Plant the seeds of resurrection folks, What a sweet concept to sell, Healing pleasures, Free to dreamers, In the Million Star Motel.

Kathryn: I love it Marco. What inspired you to write that poem?

Marco: Two things. First of all, my dad. he’d been in a very stressful situation. For many years, he isolated himself. This is a man suffering deep emotional turmoil and never had any mates to talk to about it. He isolated himself from his family and he became very stressful to live with, but I remember looking out into the backyard of our little house in the avenue where we lived and I saw him standing in the backyard with his Roll Your Own cigarette in his mouth, just looking up at the stars and talking to himself. And I don’t know what he was thinking, but I often thought back on the times, the most treasured times we had were, uh, by a campfire at Leslie Dam fishing, um, around the barbecue sitting in the backyard when we could actually get him to laugh and celebrate life and realise that all his family loved him and all the help that he needed, uh, to find some sanity was right there. And he just didn’t seem to take those opportunities and died very young at the age of 52. So I made sure that I planned it in myself, that expectation that I would never not do something that I would give up a job at the drop of a hat if I had to. I would walk off the edge of a commitment and go and find a beach or a bit of bush somewhere, or a mate at a pub, or a friend with a cup of tea on a verandah and I would find someone to talk to. Uh, and that’s what my father gave me. I saw that I never seen anyone as lonely, but I often thought about that, how he was looking up at the stars and, and dreaming about all his opportunities and, and what he’d given away by coming out as the only one of his family to do so from Italy and he never spoke to us about it. So we still have all these unanswered questions. Many years later, and, uh, just before I wrote this poem, I’m watching a television program. It was a travel program and one of the presenters was walking through a very poor part of India, down dirt roads. And, uh, it was a, it was a village made up of mud brick and sandstone houses with no windows and shops and little hotels. And she paused talking to this one bloke because he was perched in the doorway waiting to invite people into what looked like just a mud brick type of house. And she says, “Is this a motel?” And he said, “Yes, this is a very good motel.” “Is it a really good motel? I don’t see much to do in there.” He said, “Well, you have your one star motel. You look around, he says, this is the Million Star Motel.” And it was just such a beautiful way to look at something very basic, but that’s all you needed, he was saying, to have a good time. And no, I never forget that.

Kathryn: What’s your favourite way to connect with nature?

Marco: Just put on your shoes and walk out there. And I say shoes because there’s too many prickles to go bare feet. Otherwise I would, but when I’m on the beach, yeah, bare feet up and down the beach. Always. When I go to the Sunshine Coast, I always walk up Mount Coolum or find a mountain walk to go to. Here, Girraween, Main Range National Park. Uh, Leslie Dam, sometimes I’ll just go there and walk up and down the stairs and, and round the dam itself and, uh, to get some exercise. But I think just walking with, uh, no sound bites and I can I say Kathryn, I was out at Winton recently doing a lot of walking and when Julie and I walk, we don’t walk together. Uh, unless we’re doing a mountain walk, but out at Winton, she was always walking around with a headset in and what she was listening to was your podcast. So, uh,

Kathryn: [laughing]

Marco: When I’d, uh, when I started listening to them, I was telling Julie about you and the podcast. She says, “I know I’ve got all her podcasts. What do you think I was listening to at Winton when I was walking around the streets out there?” And I’d go bush, but I, I, I love the highway. Um, Yeah, I love the highways and, and the bush and the road less traveled. So once I’ve done a walk somewhere once or twice, I’m looking for something different. So I’m reintroducing myself and my daughters to all the Main Range walks up there and the Great Divide and, uh, uh, which we all did as kids. We all did them in, in our early adulthood. And for me, it’s lovely to get back up there now. Place is looking great.

Kathryn: And things always change don’t they, out there? Different seasons, different climatic conditions, different times of the day. Yeah, just always so different. Always something new to see.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning in to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the Outdoors is my Therapy community, check the show notes for all the links.

You can listen to the episode “The Million Star Motel” here:

You can also hear Marco Gliori sharing inspiration about building community through the arts and environment on the Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength podcast here:

Nature: The Best Health Tonic You Can Have

Having that connection with the natural environment it’s the best health tonic that you can have.

Julia Keogh best health tonic

This is the transcript from the Season 2, Episode 2 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Julia Keogh.

The Best Health Tonic

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast. I’m your host Kathryn Walton. This is Series 2 and each week you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

Kathryn: Movement, physical activity and exercise make up one of the foundation stones for your mental health and your wellbeing. Being physically active helps you strengthen the other foundation stones that contribute to health, such as sleep, nutrition, mental fitness and connection. The research is clear that you reduce your risk of a whole range of chronic diseases, including depression and anxiety, when you live an active lifestyle. By being physically active or exercising in the outdoors, you boost your body’s internal sleep system and your powers of concentration and your thinking, and you can also ground yourself in nature by connecting with the land and the plants and the animals that live there. Today, you’ll hear from my friend Julia Keogh, who shares with us that the outdoors inspires her to keep moving because however you look at it, the outdoor world is ever changing. It’s always moving. And she says, having that connection with the natural environment is the best health tonic you can have. And listen out for the delightful bird song that you can hear in the background of this episode. Meet my friend, Julia.

Kathryn: I’m sat here in a beautiful garden with my friend, Julia. Julia, what inspires you about the outdoors?

Julia: Hello, Kathryn. Well, welcome to my overgrown garden. What inspires me about the outdoors? Can I give our listeners just a bit of a visual? Is that okay?

Kathryn: That sounds perfect.

Julia: Ok great. So we’re sitting at the front of our little property in Warwick. So my parents bought out here about 55 years ago. And they, one of the first things that they did, they planted these beautiful Jacaranda trees that we’re sitting under the shade of at the moment. And while Kathryn and I have been talking, she’s been watching the different birds that come around. We have so many varieties of different birds out here. We’ve got butterflies galore. We’ve got bugs aplenty. We’ve just had 38 mm of rain over the past 24 hours. It is absolutely feeling so incredibly beautiful and alive. So what inspires me about the outdoors is it’s ever changing, but always moving. And that I think is something that I really need to keep on reminding myself about every day to just keep on moving.

Kathryn: While you were talking Julia, there was this tiny, tiny little bird, which is now in that little Jacaranda behind you flitting around.

Julia: A little tiny wren?

Kathryn: A little wren oh just gorgeous. And so tiny and really could just blend into the background unlike the six king parrots that were perched above you just a little while ago.

Julia: Or the noisy Willy Wagtails that, that love coming in and having a chat. So, this is my favourite place. I love waking up here every morning. So this is my routine. We have a number of farm animals, but we also have a number of pet animals. So we have Maremmas and cats. And so we go through the daily, you know, wake up and feed routine but the first thing that I do of a morning is I walk outside without any shoes on to feel the grass under my feet because as you and I know coming out of 10 years worth of drought and having only dirt to walk on, being able to walk out into lush springy grass is my absolute favourite thing to do every single morning barefoot. It doesn’t matter whether if, and it’s even better if it’s been raining or there’s a heavy dew.

Kathryn: Just blissful

Julia: It is, isn’t it. And it’s such, it’s such an incredibly powerful grounding technique to use as well. And and I find just, just doing that, and feeding my magpies. So for anyone who’s listening, I do understand that there’s certain things that you can feed magpies and things that you can’t. So I’m continuing to feed magpies that used to come and visit my dad, who actually passed away a couple of years ago. So I’m still hand feeding the families of those magpies that Dad originally befriended years and years ago. And having that connection with the natural environment it’s the best health tonic that you can have.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning in to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the Outdoors is my Therapy community, check the show notes for all the links.

LINKS
Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book 

You can listen to the episode “Nature: The Best Health Tonic You Can Have” here:

 

Awe in Nature

There is infinite awe to be experienced in nature and the wide open spaces of the outdoors.

Helen Lewis, Picots Farm

Season 2 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast

The Outdoors is my Therapy podcast is back for Season 2 and in each episode you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

This is the transcript from the latest episode with my friend Helen Lewis from Picots Farm on the Southern Downs in southern Queensland.

Awe in Nature with Helen Lewis

Kathryn: How many times have you experienced a sense of awe in nature? You know that feeling of immense respect combined with curiosity and wonder when you’ve noticed something in nature. Perhaps it’s something that you’ve seen or you’ve heard, or you’ve touched, or you’ve smelt, or perhaps you’ve tasted it. And how often have you kept that feeling close to your heart as you’ve gone about the rest of your day or cherished the memory of it in the years afterwards? Experiencing awe in nature can connect you to the greater world around you. Some people speak of awe as a spiritual experience that helps them to transcend challenges in life and raise their sense of wellbeing. There are many factors that contribute to that experience of awe, and each of us will find different things awe-inspiring: sunrises and sunsets, bird song, the desert sands, the touch of the breeze, waves in the ocean, microscopic creatures, gigantic animals, ancient trees, birth, death, dew drops and more. The close association between mental health and that experience of awe has been documented in many scientific studies and incredibly, when you experience awe, changes take place in your brain and your behaviours change too. You feel calmer and you feel more connected to the good stuff in life. When it comes to awe, Julia Baird, an Australian bestselling author wrote a book called Phosphorescence with the subtitle On Awe Wonder and Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark. In her book, Julia writes of awe “…[that] it seems increasingly vital that we deliberately seek such experiences whenever we can. The good news is that they are very often all around us in every corner of nature.” And by the way, Julia has a TEDx talk on the same topic, which I’ll link in the show notes. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from my friend Helen Lewis, as she speaks about awe as well. Helen lives on a farm near Warwick in southern Queensland where her lifestyle is intimately connected with the outdoors. You’ll hear Helen share her sense of awe and her wonder about the natural world around her, the changes that she sees day to day and season to season, and the special spaces and the experiences that inspire her. Meet my friend Helen.
Helen, what inspires you about nature?

Helen: Well, being on the farm, I think I’m in awe of nature. I think it’s just quite incredible how it functions and the growth. I definitely think, coming out of the drought and the enormous response we got so quickly, was very telling, of yes, our management, but also just how, um, how quickly nature wants to regrow and rejuvenate itself, I guess, and, and um, responds to the right conditions. I guess one of the things I love is in summer when we’ve got dewy mornings and going out really early and just seeing all the spiders webs and just the intricacy. And we were actually had a spider build a, um, web on our veranda and between the posts and put so much effort into it. And then we had a huge amounts of wind and rain and just gone in an instant and then sure enough, next day, she’s back at it, doing it again. And look just the amount of time and effort that they put into those spider webs and just seeing the spiders webs with dew, you know that things are functioning if we’ve got so many spiders webs and took a photo of there’s just like hundreds of them within an acre, you know, like just everywhere on all the grass and everything. And it’s just magic.

Kathryn: Do you have a favorite place or space in nature?

Helen: Yes, I do. Down on the um, on Greymare Creek on our place, um, there’s all these old river gums and the green grass, and old logs. And, even when it’s dry, it’s just this lovely place with a lovely, feeling. And then when it’s got water in it it’s even obviously more majestic, but, yeah, I love, I love going down there and, just having a look and just seeing these old trees, and the bark on the trees and the patterns of the bark and, uh, and just the location of the trees. They’re very grand in the landscape. It’s a beautiful spot.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning in to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the Outdoors is my Therapy community, check the show notes for all the links.

LINKS
Contact Helen Lewis at Picots Farm

The power of feeling small: how awe and wonder sustain us | Julia Baird | TEDxSydney

Phosphorescence: On Awe Wonder and Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark by Julia Baird

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book 

You can listen to the “Awe in Nature” episode here:

Listen to Helen Lewis talk about decision-making tools in the Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength podcast:

The She Hive Ladies Shed with Glenda Riley

THE SHE HIVE LADIES SHED, STANTHORPE

Transcript from the podcast “Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs”

SEASON 2: EPISODE 2

GUEST: Glenda Riley, She Hive Ladies Shed; Photographer

PUBLISHED: 14th February 2022

Storm King Dam

[00:00:00] Glenda: We were watching traffic and there was just this constant stream of traffic coming out to have a look at the dam, which mostly, oh yeah well, it’s just a dam full of water, but it was a reassurance I think, from a lot of local people, they were coming out. Oh, thank goodness the dam’s full. And they were just coming out to be reassured that that difficult part of our lives is, was behind them.

[00:00:31] Kathryn: Today’s guest on the podcast is Glenda Riley who joined me to share information about the She Hive which is based in Stanthorpe. The She Hive is a solution focused, inclusive social group for women that empowers its members to share their skills, knowledge, and their presence with each other. Glenda believes that the powerful energy that’s brought to the group each week comes from the group’s philosophy: I believe you. I see you. I have a voice. And Glenda also spoke to me about the need to not assume that we know what somebody else needs, but to always ask them “What can I do to help? What would be most helpful?”

Hello, Glenda. Welcome to the podcast.

[00:01:17] Glenda: Hi Kathryn. It’s lovely to be with you today.

[00:01:20] Kathryn: Glenda, I’d love to hear from you. What’s your connection with the Southern Downs?

[00:01:25] Glenda: Well, I’ve been a resident here for eight years, a regular visitor for over 20 years. But what drew me to the region is that it’s very similar in climate, agriculture, tourism where I grew up in Victoria. So it’s been a bit like coming home.

[00:01:40] Kathryn: And we’re here today at the She Hive.

[00:01:43] Glenda: Yes, you are. Welcome to the She Hive and all that it is.

[00:01:47] Kathryn: It’s wonderful to finally come here and be in the She Hive and see where you and the other women come and gather together. Can you share with our listeners the story of how the She Hive began and what inspired the name She Hive?

[00:02:03] Glenda: Wonderful questions, Kathryn. This came out of the bushfire and drought response of 2019 and 2020. We all know what happened here in Stanthorpe in September 2019. But before that we’d been dealing with drought for a couple of years and it was starting to really take its toll. There were job losses, there were families being split because dad was going away for holidays, for work and things like that. And we just decided, we were doing water. We were offered to distribute water. It was just a group of us doing it to start with. We were all country girls that wanted to do something, and this is how it started. But then of course the fires came through, and it just changed to a water crisis response. So for nine months we actually distributed millions and millions of litres of drinking water. And then we got a contract with Carlton United Breweries at Yatala to bring non-potable water at 40,000 litres at a time up into the Southern Downs out to different graziers, orchardists and local nurseries just to help them keep their doors open, keep food on the table and give them a little bit of hope. But we had rain in February 2020, and that sort of seemed to fill the dams and fill the water tanks. So the pressure was off a little bit, but we were still distributing water and other food and clothing and things like that cause we were getting the overflow from the bushfire response down in New South Wales. So it came to June in 2020 and we said I think we’ve done enough with that. We weren’t needing that, people weren’t needing that response, needing that support as such, but right through it, what we found with our volunteers were telling me and others that we were identifying the women, at home, be that in town or on the farm or wherever, they were the ones that was making the sacrifice.
They were looking after hubby. They were looking after the kids. They were looking after the farm. Like if hubby had gone away for work, just to get money onto the, into the home. And they were suffering. It was really, really tough. They’d come in to get their water and they’d often stand and talk for another 20 minutes, half an hour. So with the research I’d been doing and listening and observing what was going on, and with a couple of the other ladies that were volunteers, we decided to push ahead and research a women’s shed because mental health was becoming a very strong focus on what to underpin, how we were going to rebuild the community and you know, just make us, to heal us, I suppose, is another way of putting it. So with research and then with the help with Southern Downs Regional Council we managed to get a lease here at Storm King Dam, the Fred Rogers Recreation Camp. So we’ve got eight acres here that we have to play with. So it’s been an amazing 12 months so we opened our doors just 12 months ago to the women’s shed concept here.
Because I’m a great believer in community, a great believer in people taking ownership of what they’re doing, we ran a competition for a name. I mean, I had my ideas, but, one of our members our current secretary, in fact, she came up with the idea of the She Hive and we just loved that idea because it’s so symbolic and the fact that it’s about bees, you know, they’re a colony, they look after themselves, they’re a collective, they work to create and to survive. And I thought, well, then, that’s really like us. And then of course, the honeycomb is, of course, that connection to each other and to the community. So this is how it came about. But 12 months down the track, yes, we’re doing well.

[00:05:34] Kathryn: That’s a fabulous story. And, one that I hadn’t heard before, so I’m really thrilled to hear about that.

[00:05:40] Glenda: It’s just been supporting, you know, like it’s open to anybody.

[00:05:44] Kathryn: And that’s what I was going to ask you. Who is the She Hive for?

[00:05:48] Glenda: Anyone of the female gender that comes around you know, that either lives here, or bringing the visitors here, they’re more than welcome to come along. So anyone in the Southern Downs, Granite Belt, anywhere. I mean, we’re happy to see people from over the border, now that that situation has calmed down a bit. So you know, we’re looking at that when we have open days or a big workshop, we’ll be expanding that out to other things, but, you know, it’s small steps still.

[00:06:13] Kathryn: Absolutely. What sorts of activities are being offered with the She Hive?

[00:06:19] Glenda: Well, on a weekly basis, there’s always, as you can see we’ve got our tea room and that here, there’s always coffee and a chat, always. Regardless. And then to that we’re adding things like doing a bit of craft while we’re here. We don’t believe in sitting in the room, just doing craft. We’ve expanded our things. We might have a discussion about what’s going on. We might have a book discussion or some of us would go to a movie and we’ll talk about the movie. Things like that. So there’s always something. So we’re looking at different things. Looking at different art techniques. Education wise and sort of, as part of our philosophy is knowledge. So that’s things like fire safety coming up this year. Things of interest. I sit and listen to what the girls are saying, and I observe how they’re reacting to what we’re doing, and then we bend and we adapt to what their needs are because we’re listening to what they need and want.

[00:07:10] Kathryn: How often are the women meeting together?

[00:07:13] Glenda: Currently we’re meeting weekly on a Thursday. It was only for a couple of hours, but so that’s extended out for about four hours now, four or five hours for those.

[00:07:22] Kathryn: It’s a popular place to be.

[00:07:24] Glenda: Yeah, it is. And they can come along and they’re safe here and they can then be themselves. So it’s really important. We are looking at with the amount of planning we’ve got going on, what we’ve got planned. We may end up going to two days a week at some point during the year and with weekend workshops now, and again as well, just depending on what’s happening.

[00:07:42] Kathryn: What kind of financial costs are involved for the women who are involved or would like to get involved?

[00:07:49] Glenda: Well, as a charity, we’ve kept our costs right down because that was one of the things we identified in the early days was that not everyone can afford to go out and spend 10, $15 on a cup of coffee and a sandwich, which is what it is the average these days. So they couldn’t afford that. They were missing out on that social interaction with their friends. Our weekly cost is a dollar and annual membership fees, $10. And this year we’re doing a Christmas Club, which will be about $4 a week and that is going towards an end of year outing. And because a few of us have said “Oh, we’d love to do the steam train to Wallangarra.” So that’s what we’ve elected to do at the end of the year. So for a weekly contribution of $5 such if you want to join that Christmas club, so at the minimum it’s a dollar. You’ll have the benefit of new friends, catching up, learning something new, and being with other women and going on outings. So we think that’s pretty good value.

[00:08:48] Kathryn: What a fabulous thing to do. And that’s connecting with one of the other wonderful resources in the local community, the steam train.

[00:08:56] Glenda: Yeah we’re looking forward to that.

[00:08:57] Kathryn: How is the She Hive organised as a group? Is there a leadership team or a committee?

[00:09:03] Glenda: Well, because we were doing water, we incorporated as a not-for-profit charity and we’re also registered with the Australian charities, not-for-profit commission. We’re fully compliant in that regard legally and that sort of thing. Our official name, our legal name is Granite Belt Community Assist Group. So we have the She Hive as one section, and then we have water oddly enough. We still have our water.

[00:09:28] Kathryn: You never know when you might need that again.

[00:09:30] Glenda: No we don’t. You don’t. And benevolence on there. So we do a certain amount of benevolence each year. Only a small amount, just enough to keep things going and keep us registered as a charity. So we support, I think last year we supported the local cancer support group and this year we’re going to be doing the same so, that’ll be a big thing in October. So we’re looking forward to a bit of fun. So we’re going to expand what we were doing on that.

[00:09:54] Kathryn: How many women are coming along to the She Hive meetings Glenda, or are involved? I’m sure there are some involved on the fringes as well.

[00:10:04] Glenda: We’ve got a core group, probably between 10 and 12 that are regular members, and then we’ve got another probably 10 to 15 that come when they can. And that’s the other thing we don’t expect people to come every week.

[00:10:15] Kathryn: Why do you think the She Hive has been so successful? What needs do you think are being met there?

[00:10:21] Glenda: There’s no one thing that I can really pin down for that but I think offering solutions to mental wellbeing in a non-confrontational, safe and inclusive environment. I think that’s probably the main thing. However, we offer a variety of activities and outings. We don’t sit in a room doing craft every week. We’re out and about doing things where we get involved with each other. We get involved with the community. We’re getting involved with other local businesses by supporting them, you know, with our outings and things like that. But we hear about mental health programs that always ask about “Are you okay? Feeling depressed, tired, stressed?” I see them all as negative questions. I much prefer to ask the positive question of our team, of our members. “Are you going home invigorated and happy? Are you coping with what’s happening at home? Are you getting out and about and meeting your new friends outside She Hive activities? Are you feeling better in your life itself?” And to me if they’re answering yes, to that same question, to me, that’s a win. That is an absolute win.

[00:11:26] Kathryn: And framing it in that positive way, also gives people a little bit of a beacon to work towards. Rather than “Am I stressed?”, the focus then is on the stress. By flipping it around and reframing it, it’s on the, “What makes me feel good? What makes me feel invigorated?” And there’s that action towards that.

[00:11:48] Glenda: Yes. And even my own experience with mental health. And that was the one lesson I learned out of that. But the other thing that I really learned out of my own experiences, and it really underpins what we do and that is “We believe in you. We support you. We see you. And everyone has a voice.” And that to me is the core, absolute core foundation of what it is we do.

[00:12:10] Kathryn: That’s fabulous. I love that.

[00:12:12] Glenda: So no one is different. No one is treated any differently. We’re all the same. We all come together on a level playing field. But, you know, we’re sensitive to people’s needs and we work around that as much as we can.

[00:12:24] Kathryn: That sounds beautiful. Using one of your positive frames, Glenda, what are your hopes for She Hive into the future?

[00:12:32] Glenda: Continuing what we’re doing, building on our business model and making sure that the women of the region and our visitors are getting the best experience possible they can with what we’re doing. We try to keep things simple. We don’t over-complicate things. And I think sometimes if you’re struggling a little bit mentally, or your physical health is not as good, you don’t need anything complicated. You just need to come along, sit and even just sitting, listening to the others talking. I mean, quite often we can have five, or six conversations going at once and just being with others can be very healing.

[00:13:05] Kathryn: Where can people find out more about the She Hive and what’s the next step if someone’s listening and they’re thinking that they might like to get involved with the She Hive?

[00:13:18] Glenda: Well we’ve got our social media presence. We’ve got a website. And my phone number is there for everyone to pick up the phone and send a message or have a call. But we also encourage anyone that wants to they’re welcome to come along to one or two sessions. The way things are, at the moment, we’re having coffee in the park on a weekly basis.
That’s a little bit more laid back, not as structured. You can just roll up with a cup of coffee in your hand, sit and have a yarn for a while, especially if you don’t know the people, you can just stop and chat and have a few minutes and just eases people into meeting others and, and getting to know people, because I think we can all be a little bit intimidated by walking into an environment where you don’t know anyone. So we offer that.

[00:14:01] Kathryn: That sounds really terrific. And we’ll be sure to include those contact details and the web link in show notes. And it sounds like you’re really aware how important it is to be connected to other people in your community, whatever feels right for you. And that could mean being connected by being really involved in the structure of a club or a group like She Hive, but it can also mean those informal connections. You know, if you happen to see someone at the park, who’s having a picnic there that, you know, being able to stop and say good day and stop for a cuppa with them.

[00:14:38] Glenda: It’s just trying to find that balance between what everyone wants, like it was last week, someone new to the region and wanted to catch up and I thought, well, you know, how nice. It’s just the way things are at the moment I thought the weather’s nice. Let’s just have a coffee in the park. So I said, well, we’re doing it next week. Okay.

[00:14:55] Kathryn: We’ve talked a little bit about the She Hive. I’m aware that you also have some other roles in the community though. Glenda in late 2021, the community hosted a photo exhibition called Hope and Growth. And that was a collaboration with the Southern Downs, Regional Council and federal and state funding as part of the bushfire recovery journey for the region. And that’s when I first met you, was at one of the exhibition openings in Stanthorpe. And I got to see some of your photos and there were other people had exhibited their photos and poetry there as well. I’m wondering, how did you come to be involved with that photo exhibition?

[00:15:39] Glenda: I’m a little bit like a magpie when it comes to taking photos. So I guess I’ll take anything and everything, but I happened to be in town that day of the fires came through cause I was, we were setting up to distribute water the next day. And of course, I always travel with my camera but when I realised this fire was not going to be insignificant, it was going to cause a great deal of issues, I stepped into my photo journalism role that I’ve done in the past and just got a few photos and that sort of thing. When I was contacted to share them, I thought “Yes, I think this story needs to be told just how it was.” Even just so I think I said to you at the time, I said, just looking at it now in print, it’s just reminded me of just how hard that was and how difficult that was for people at that time and how scary it was watching the fire go up Mount Banca there, just on sunset and coming down, trying to jump the creek. That was pretty scary.

[00:16:34] Kathryn: So looking back, reflecting back on those times that were quite scary at the time, how was it helpful to take the photos, and to look back at the photos when it came time for the photo exhibition?

[00:16:52] Glenda: It didn’t disturb me as such but it was a chance to reflect. It gave me a chance to reflect on what I was doing then, to what I’m doing now and how that’s changed me. I’m not sure whether that’s for the best yet, but, yeah, no it’s how it’s changed. And I think it’s important that as a photographer, where as anyone or as a writer or a photographer that we record our history. And when I was putting them, collating them to pass them on for printing, I’ve realised that this is part of history here. This is part of this region’s history that is being recorded.

[00:17:30] Kathryn: Part of the community identity and the recovery is also part of the identity of the community isn’t it? And when you look outside today, and it’s not that long ago, that Storm King Dam was empty and water was being trucked to Stanthorpe and to see it full now and to look out and see a paddock of grass and the seedy grass heads waving in the breeze is, it’s an incredible contrast from drought to bush fire to the more lush times that we’re having this season.

[00:18:03] Glenda: Well, it is, well, when we first started coming out here, and we first set up, we’d sit in the office and we’d look down across the dam and there were two fence posts there and I kept thinking “Why don’t they just pull them out?” They became like our yard stick every time it rained. “Ooh, it’s come up a bit more. Oh no, it’s gone down again.” So it became a bit of a yard stick there for a couple of months until we had the good rains in March 23 last year when it filled overnight. It was amazing. And I kept a promise to myself too, and then that next day I said I would go swimming right at the beginning. I said “When that dam fills, I am going swimming.”

[00:18:37] Kathryn: And did you?

[00:18:38] Glenda: Did how I certainly did.

[00:18:39] Kathryn: What a wonderful way to celebrate having water!

[00:18:42] Glenda: Yeah. So I was right in.

[00:18:44] Kathryn: Did you take any photos of the full dam?

[00:18:47] Glenda: Yes I did. I was there that day. I was on under contract with the Courier Mail to take a photo of the full dam so that’s why I was out there. And they said their journalists had been out and they’d taken a photo and they asked me could I get to that same place. So I went yeah, I’ll do my best, but I was out in the water up to my neck.

[00:19:04] Kathryn: Oh, wow. You had to go for a swim for the job.

[00:19:07] Glenda: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. So it was a pleasure to do it too. And it was just lovely.

[00:19:13] Kathryn: Recording those images after the dam filled or as it was filling, that’s an important part of history as well. Isn’t it? And in beautiful contrast to a couple of years ago with the fires?

[00:19:26] Glenda: Well, it is, and I mean, it was interesting when we were here, we were watching traffic and there was just this constant stream of traffic coming out to have a look at the dam, which mostly, oh yeah well, it’s just a dam full of water, but it was a reassurance I think, from a lot of local people, they were coming out. “Oh, thank goodness the dam’s full.” And they were just coming out to be reassured that that difficult part of our lives is, was behind them.

[00:19:51] Kathryn: And there’s always change. And when you’re in that place of that difficult time, it can feel like there’s no hope, that it’s not going to get better. And so reminding ourselves, even if it’s to go back and look at those images that you’ve looked at in the past and seeing how far we’ve come, I imagine can be really useful for a lot of people.

[00:20:13] Glenda: It is and it’s quite healing. It’s a very positive way of looking back. And, you know, we build, we talk about resilience and strength and things like that. But at the end of the day, we all, we all do our bit. I had someone ask me some time ago. I can’t recall who that was now, but they said “Do you consider yourself a hero?” And I went “No, I don’t.” I said who I would call the heroes is every person in this community who has survived, changed, survived, and adapted to our changing needs and wants over the last year. I said] they’re the heroes, not me.

[00:20:53] Kathryn: I think the key word there is being able to adapt.

[00:20:57] Glenda: Yeah, it’s accepting the fact you can’t there’s certain things you can’t change. You can only work with what you’ve got in front of you and to me that’s where the real heroes are.

[00:21:05] Kathryn: That’s fabulous. Thank you, Glenda. It’s been a wonderful privilege to come out and see the She Hive and see the dam that’s so full and to spend a little bit of time with you.

[00:21:17] Glenda: You’re welcome, Kathryn. And it’s an absolute pleasure.

[00:21:20] Kathryn: Thanks for listening to the Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength podcast with me, Kathryn Walton. I hope this episode inspires you to get involved and get connected with your community. You can find the transcript and any links mentioned in this episode in the show notes, and please share the podcast with your friends.
We acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Series 2 of this podcast has been jointly funded under the Commonwealth and State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

How to listen to a podcast

Two questions I’m often asked these days are “What’s a podcast?” and “How do you listen to a podcast?” I love these questions because they give me the opportunity to open up the world of podcasts to other people.

When podcasts first became a ‘thing’ I had no idea what they were. I took little interest in them because they sounded very ‘technical’ and that meant a bit ….. scary! My daughter at university mentioned something about podcasts and I just let it drop into the ‘too hard basket’.

At some point the lack of selection of radio shows and lack of availability of radio stations on my rural jaunts led me to delve into the possibility of podcasts.

What is a podcast?

It was explained to me that listening to a podcast is a bit like selecting a radio show you’d like to listen into, but you can choose to listen any time and in any place. I was also told that there is a very wide selection of podcast shows to listen into and that no matter what you’re interested in, there’s bound to be a podcast show about it. And that, I believe, is a pretty good explanation for the newbie podcast listener.

Basically, most podcast shows are hosted on platforms. The podcaster records and uploads their episodes to the platform which then sends them out to directories such as Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify and so on. These directories then enable you to listen in to your selected shows or episodes.

Why should you listen to a podcast?

Once I’d worked out what a podcast actually is and how I could listen in, I’ve never turned back. I love podcasts for adding great value to my long rural drives creating an open theatre of education, entertainment and inspiration according to my preferences. The scary sounding technology was definitely not scary at all.

In fact I’ve gained so much from tuning in to podcasts, I decided to start my own podcast in early 2020, and later that year I sourced funding from the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN to create an educational community podcast for my region as it recovered from severe bushfires.

How do you listen to a podcast?

There are a few different ways to listen to a podcast. The two main ways are on the web or through a podcast player app on a smart phone or tablet.

1. How do you listen to a podcast on the web?

  • The easiest method if you are new to podcasts is to listen in on the web if the podcast is available there. For example, the Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs podcast can be found on my website. You can listen to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast there too. If you go to my website, you can find these podcasts by clicking on the Podcasts Tab. To listen to the Speak Out Loud podcast, simply click on that in the drop down list.
  • You will see a description of the podcast at the top of the page and below that is a podcast player.
  • Scroll through the list of episodes and click on the one you want to listen to. Read the show notes (that’s a brief description of the episode) by clicking on the “i” icon in the bottom right corner of the episode in the player.
  • Click the play arrow (it looks like a triangle) to listen to your selected episode.
  • You can also download and / or print the handout that goes with each of these episodes by clicking the links below the podcast player towards the bottom of the page.

speak out loud: stories of strength from the southern downs

2. How do you listen to a podcast using a podcast player app?

If you’re a regular listener of podcasts, you might like to listen to your favourite podcasts through your smart phone or tablet while you’re out and about. For Apple Devices you’ve probably already got the Apple Podcast app installed on your device. For Android Devices you may need to install a podcast app. Either way you can choose which app to use.

  • Make sure you have access to the Internet by checking your device is connected to wi-fi or that you have sufficient data to access and download from the Internet.
  • Search the Google Play Store or Apple Store for “podcast apps”. There are many different apps available including Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. You can read about the apps including user reviews to help you decide which one to use. You can also ask your friends, family and colleagues what podcast apps they prefer and why. Most podcast apps are free or have a free version which may include advertising played as an audio ad at some point during the podcast episodes, or there may be written ads on the screen of your device.
  • Once you’ve selected a podcast app, download and install it on your device. You can always uninstall it later and try a different one if it doesn’t work out for you.
  • You can use the app’s search function to look for a podcast show, episode, topic, or a person. For example, you can search for the podcast “Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs”.
  • You can view a list of the podcast’s episodes in the app as well as a description for each episode. These descriptions are sometimes called Show Notes and more detailed Show Notes are sometimes made available for you to read by clicking on a link.
  • Use the control features in the app to download and play your selected episodes.
  • If you ‘subscribe’ to a podcast, you will either receive a notification when new episodes are available to listen to, or new episodes may automatically download onto your device. If you choose not to subscribe you can check back regularly for new episodes.
  • Most podcast apps allow you to download episodes while you have access to the Internet so that you can listen to them later (even if you don’t have an Internet connection later).

outdoors is my therapy podcast logo

Do you need headphones to listen to podcasts?

Sound quality is at its best if you listen to your podcast shows through a good quality speaker which may or may not include your phone’s speaker, or you can use headphones. Check with your device’s manufacturer about using speakers, headphones, hands-free technology and Bluetooth technology to enhance your experience of listening to podcasts. Of course using headphones enables you to enjoy your podcasts without imposing your tastes on others around you.

Sooooo….. what are you waiting for? Time to get listening!

daisy spoke blogDiscovering mountain biking as life’s ultimate parallel universe in her middle age, Kathryn Walton shares information and reflections in ‘Daisy Spoke’ that inform, inspire and empower women to a healthy and active lifestyle.