Mixing Calm Christmas vibes with my first wellbeing Restival!

My alarm went at 5:10am.

As I was woken from a strange dream, it took a moment for me to remember what day of the week it was… and to dig up from my mind what was on the agenda for another busy day in the Team Gray household!

Sleepily, I recalled that I was heading to London on an early train… and my younger daughter had offered to wake at 5:15am to help me do our horses. Having dressed in my usual yard gym kit outfit, my kind-hearted teenager was surprisingly easy to wake & we were soon driving in the inky black morning, down deserted roads through drizzling rain, to our gorgeous grey four-legged boys who were waiting for us in the chilly and quiet yard.

As we made our way around the puddles to the stables, it’s always lovely to know the white faces will pop over the stable-doors to say good morning! We did a quick feed, changed the smelly and muddy rugs (taking the soft stable rugs off and putting the waterproof outdoor rugs on) and mucked out the stables before leading the horses out into the field, sweeping up the yard and heading home. Back in the warmth of our house, I was grateful for a hot shower as I transformed myself from Pony Club mum to funky Rainbow Hunting CEO! Dressed in a bright green dress, blue denim jacket and with red handwarmers… I was ready for a luxurious day of inspirational wellness in north London.

It was still dark outside as I found my seat on the busy train. I was grateful for a warm milky coffee and chocolate twist pastry to nourish me on my journey. I think we all realise when life has got a bit busy… when we look forwards to the peace and quiet of a train carriage to rest and catch up with ourselves! Another indicator that life has been full on was happened when putting headphones in to listen to a Calm meditation led to a few moments of accidental sleep instead of the intended mindful reflection! Nonetheless, the nap topped up my energy levels and soon I got out two of my favourite books… Holly Matthews’s “Happy Me Project” and Beth Kempton’s “Calm Christmas”.

As the train made its way into the Big Smoke, I opted to dive back into the Calm Christmas book which I’ve read annually for the last three years. It’s become part of my preparation for the festive season and I use it as my reminder to hit pause and work out what a Calm Christmas looks like for me and my girls right now. I get the same feeling each time I read it… it’s a mix of inspired but measured planning, increased mindfulness and a reminder of what brings joy to my heart at this time of year.

Having written out my Christmas card list (yes, I still send cards and I hope others enjoy the comments as much as I do!) and having copied out my 2023 present list, we left the countryside behind and headed into London. Time flew and as we pulled into Paddington station, I noticed that under the war memorial alongside platform 1 there were still lots of poppy wreaths and wooden crosses laid in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice… another reminder that after our loved ones die, we carry their memories in our hearts forever and we never forget them.

Without my usual childcare available, and knowing that I had to cross London, I knew I would be late for my destination. So I embraced my lateness and felt super chilled as I got the slick Elizabeth line underground train to Liverpool Street. Heading out onto the busy platform I noticed an overground train was just about to leave for Chingford and in perfect timing the doors beeped and we pulled away from the station just seconds after I jumped on. I hadn’t planned how I would get from the suburban train station to the Restival but I set aside that thought and plugged in headphones to listen to the gorgeously relaxing Calm Christmas podcast. Hearing the gentle soundtrack of Beth Kempton’s smooth voice sharing her recommendations for nourishing ourselves before the madness of a busy Christmas calmed my usual ADHD mix of pre-event excitement and nerves about socials where I knew not-a-soul!

And wow… it was perfect to nurture myself before arriving in deepest Essex!

Predictably I was late, but thankfully I arrived before the day officially started. Walking up to the entrance I noted that no one was around which re-kindled the age-old anxiety of attending big events… was I at the right place, had I got the right day, would I manage to have a good time? But as soon as I walked in I realised I was in a space that was ideal because everyone in the room understood the neurospicey traits, overwhelm and worries. Holly’s lovely mum checked me in and her chat about horses (which was initiated after she realised why I’d woken so early!) immediately put me at my ease. Then a huge hug from Holly herself further relaxed my nerves and I found a table in the room full of strangers next to a friendly looking mum and her two beautiful daughters.

Everyone in Holly’s awesome membership had a small silver star on their name badge (nestled next to the pronoun sticker), easing our conversations even more. Opening up to those around me during the day I realised I had sat between some wonderfully friendly ladies and I settled in to enjoy the fascinating, informative & inspirational day. As well as the lovely guests who made little me feel so welcome, my highlights were:

Cat Merrick’s icebreaker, which was a “Release, Move, Breath and Grove session… As someone who loves to dance when I’ve had a drink, I sensed my initial reluctance to starting the day by boogie-ing sober with strangers… but it was a surprisingly novel way of getting into the day and making some new friends!
The interesting Soma “Breathwork” session from Laura at Dragonfly Wellness who shared her story and was kind enough to answer my questions on why I found the first set of breathing we did so hard… note to self, more relaxed breathwork practice needed!
The frank and honest Alex sharing the story of their journey and stressing not only the importance of inclusion to help bridge the gap for declining mental health for the LGBTQIA+ community but also compassionately sharing why we need to come together unapologetically without fear of judgement or harm.
An awesome self-defence and assertiveness session from the energetic Gulshen from Strike Back Defence, teaching us some skills with positivity and passion, these are skills that we should all know and I was grateful to take away tips to share with my teenage girls.
A Famous Faces panel answering questions from the audience, and
Obviously, the awesome Holly Matthews, chatting about making trouble and breaking the rules!

There were gorgeous stalls which kick started my Christmas shopping and a glitter stand… so I went home sparkling on the tube! Huge thanks to Holly and her Restival crew for a fabulous day. I can’t wait to hear when you run another one… it was a perfect solo-mum mini wellness adventure and I hugely recommend it 🌈💞🥰! x