As winter wraps its harsh, icy fingers around the land, slowness is the sentiment it seems we should all be adopting. Living in cyclicality. Sleeping like the trees until a warm sun returns.

But I’ve stepped into this blustery new year with the spirit of spring — optimistic, filled with a sense of budding potential. Which isn’t the norm for me at the turn of the year. Nor is it a rational response to the news cycle.

So, what’s keeping not just sane but somehow sunny in this bleak landscape? There’s no other explanation: it has to be connection. Last year, for me, was a practice in nurturing human relationships.

Either this was a subconscious rebellion against the world’s increasing polarity or, potentially, one of the less-talked-about positive side effects of perimenopause. Many women retreat in this phase of life, but I seem to be seeking out comrades for the battle ahead.

I described this in a voice note to a friend. How in the past year — despite the hormonal tumult — I’d felt a bit like a flower opening. A pink lotus or some other very fancy, symbolic bloom. Seeking symbiosis so that we might grow a little easier and taller together.

Realising that it’s still possible to reach out and create beautiful human bonds in a time when so many things are designed to stop us from doing so has revived my hope. And hope is, surely, one of the most powerful energy-givers there is.

Join a Moved hike

Winter Hours: Prose, Prose Poems, and Poems

“Sometimes I think, were I just a little rougher made,
I would go altogether to the woods—to my work entirely, and solitude,
a few friends, books, my dogs, all things peaceful,
ready for meditation and industry—if for no other reason than to escape
the heart-jamming damages and discouragements of the world’s mean spirits.
But, no use. Even the most solitudinous of us is communal by habit,
and indeed by commitment to the bravest of our dreams,
which is to make a moral world.
The whirlwind of human behavior is not to be set aside.”

— Mary Oliver

Where to Hike in the Months Ahead

Blean Woods - Kent

Blean has taken on a bleak beauty at this time of year. Derobed of its coppery autumn leaves, it’s now a quieter place. Spend a wintery morning there and you might feel as though you have it all to yourself. I love this kind of solitude. But if you’re looking for company on a winter’s walk through the woods, you can join Moved and Rose & Sage for The Moving Circle.

On Sunday, February 2nd, we’ll be celebrating our second Circle, which honours Imbolc — a time of purification and awakening. Falling on the Cross Quarter Day between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, Imbolc invites us to leave winter behind and step sensitively into spring.

We still have a handful of spaces on this beautiful, blended walk. So sign up here if you’d like to join us. And we’ll be stepping back into the woods to mark Ostara — the Spring Equinox — on Sunday, March 16th, which you can join here.

If you’d rather follow in our footsteps by yourself, head for the Blean Woods Black Trail, which circles the woodland’s 12 km circumference. For those fancying a shorter stroll, there’s the Blean Green Trail and Red Trail at roughly 3 and 4 kilometres, respectively.

Box Hill - Surrey

Box Hill offers truly beautiful views of the Surrey landscape and some challenging trails on which to shake off the remains of winter. The undulating terrain and stretches of woodland, heathland and riverside provide the perfect setting for a brisk whole or half-day hike with friends.

For those free on Saturday 8th March, Moved is heading into the hills for a day of fresh country air, stunning views and, hopefully, a first glimpse of spring. You can join this gorgeous, challenging, 22 km hike here.

If you’re planning your own Box Hill hike, the National Trust has some good recommendations. Or you can follow the Moved route on AllTrails. I’ve added extra mileage to get from Dorking Station to the trailhead and back.

Wye - Kent Downs

Nestled in the rolling hills of the Kent Downs National Landscape, Wye is an ancient village surrounded by picturesque hiking trails. Voted one of the ‘Best Places to Live in the UK’ by Sunday Times readers in 2013, this pretty little enclave has a quaint farmers’ market on a Sunday and a sleepy demeanour most other days. From here, you can follow an ancient pilgrimage trail through hills and woodland, all the way into Canterbury.

Join Moved’s April 12th hike and be captivated by carpets of bluebells as we make our way along this 22 km trail to the centre of the Catherdral City. This is one of the most enchanting hikes I’ve done in Kent, and it’s the perfect way to welcome the new season. We’ll be under the cover of forest for most of the day, but there’ll be a couple of stunning viewpoints and wildflower meadows, too.

For those who can’t join in April, you can find the trail here. Or take one of the many shorter routes that traverse this lovely area.

Moved Winter Highlights

December

In December, I hosted a back-to-back weekend of Moved walks. The first was a festive affair along the banks of the River Thames. And the second was The Moving Circle’s very first outing, marking the winter solstice.

I love walking in London. And it was such a pleasure to welcome faces new and old to this Moved hike — peppered with Christmassy markets and pub pitstops. Thanks for coming, everyone. I can’t wait to walk with you again!

The following day, I stepped into Blean Woods with the lovely Sarah to host The Moving Circle for the first time. The weather was beautiful, the air was still and it felt like such a privilege to share a trail and a circle with these women. I’m looking forward to returning to Blean again throughout the year, as we honour the shifts within ourselves and Nature.

January

January’s Moved Monthly was the biggest so far, with 18 of us meeting in the historic town of Rye to hike the beautiful wilds of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day — blue skies, bright sunshine and barely a breeze.

It was simply stunning. And being able to share such a lovely trail with so many new hikers was a highlight of the last 12 months for me. Thanks to all who joined Moved on that rare fair-weather day! I hope to see you all again soon.

Moved X Om

January also saw the second Collab with Canterbury’s Om Studio, founded by the lovely Annabelle. We hiked the North Downs Way from the Medieval town of Chilham back into Canterbury, and we were, once again, blessed with the weather. Blue skies all the way.

As evening fell, Annabelle treated us to a gorgeous, restorative yoga class followed by ceremonial cacao and reflections on the day. What a pleasure to be a part of. Thank you, Annabelle and all who joined us.

The next Moved X Om collab is on March 15th. Bookings will be opening up via the Om Studio website soon.

Moved X Sea Scrub Sauna

After the excess and lethargy of the festive period, January also felt like the right time to host the first Moved X Sea Scrub Sauna Collab — a gorgeous half-day blend of hiking and sauna.

My luck with the weather had to run out sooner or later — and it could not have been more different from the day before! The after-effects of Storm Eowyn were well and truly felt as we were lashed by wind and rain until we were cold to our bones.

But the mood was lively and the anticipation of a sea-view steam kept us going. Stepping into that sauna after the soaking we all got was one of the most heavenly feelings in the world.

Thank you so much to everyone who braved the elements to hike with me! And well done to those who took the plunge in the ice-cold barrels — I’d had quite enough of the cold and wet for one day!

I’m already looking forward to the next ones in February, March and April.