Depletion comes in many forms and manifests in many ways. Whilst living through the hustle and bustle of Urban life, it is challenging to soothe the ever-overstimulated nervous system. No matter the effort to calm within, in no time, we’re bounced back into this world where we live through our daily lives.
The Urban Retreat with Aimee at ‘The Self Care Studio’ indeed held a relaxation space amidst the hustle and bustle.
There comes a time when we experience burnout or feel overwhelmed. Then we realise that we need a vacation or a literal time out from the daily happenings of our lives.
These short-term solutions, after which we will find that again we’re overwhelmed, need consistency. We also realise that vacations don’t come as regularly as we may need the time outs and realignment of self.
I attended The Self Care Studio’s workshop space on Saturday, the 10th of September 2022 & it was such a deep holding of relaxation, peace & calmness.
The Space
Aimee catered for a diverse neuro thinking & listening style. There were fun & pleasant sensory toys on the tables which we could use, also music & scents to stimulate relaxation. Scented playdough in our goodie bags for soothing play during the information consumption was a treat. There were also bubbles to take on the brain break walks outside in the fresh, crisp Cape Town Urban air.
Love Kos Mos – the most beautiful hidden gem of Eden slap bang in the middle of the Urban chaos and noise. This environment provides a soothing, calming, fresh & life-filled environment. The atmosphere is one of love, connectedness and consciousness. Mishkah Gool, the owner, is such a passionate, well-versed medium of knowledge of food for the whole person in the most beneficial ways. She has taken the food rainbow and added detectability to its arsenal.
There is no going wrong with this venue with a cafe, lounging area, outside chill area, food, coffee, clean restrooms, and a wonderful host.
The Host – The Urban Retreat with Aimee at ‘The Self Care Studio’
Aimee & her husband, as highly intuned, supportive, gentle, kind & compassionate hosts, made everything perfect. They made sure that everyone was comfortable and seen. The hosts were always available to answer questions and direct and lead us with as little fuss and confusion as possible. Aimee created a space and atmosphere of peace, safety and comfort.
Aimee is an Occupational Therapist by profession and practices in one-on-one sessions. She also creates these valuable sensory regulation toolkits, which you can purchase from her. She will personalise them to suit your needs and sensory input style.
The Self Care studio is passionate about mental health, stress & burnout therapy and coaching. Aimee also gives online mental health talks, classes and tools to help you manage stress & anxiety via her social platforms here.
The Information Regarding The Urban Retreat with Aimee at ‘The Self Care Studio’
Information and insights regarding the working of the nervous system, What it requires to calm and soothe, and what happens when it is out of whack. Aimee guided us through a sufficient general understanding of the tension within our bodies, where we hold our stressors, how they may manifest and why.
She provided us with an overview of the sensory materials provided, how to gain the most benefit from them, and when to use them during specific experiences in our daily lives.
She encouraged us to find comfort within the space for ease. We could sit on cushions, couches, the floor, or under or wrapped in blankets as she took us on a journey through the forest within ourselves. A medium of relaxation in a location created within us that we can constantly access in our everyday life.
We breathed our way into a sense of consciousness and being, where we could easily allow the sounds of the urban happenings to wash over us like water flowing freely through a stream.
The box breathing technique she used opened up a space of clarity within.
As she concluded this relaxation phase, regular reminders to stay hydrated and allow for the release of toxins through this beautiful mindful experience came with.
The Food We Enjoyed at The Urban Retreat with Aimee at ‘The Self Care Studio’
This part of the retreat introduced us to mindful eating. It is an art lost to the rush and busyness of life, the way most of us know it. We talked about the appreciation of our food before us using all our senses. We appreciated the sight of the smooth but textured butternut, coconut and cinnamon soup. The aromas that wafted through the air were delightful, and the taste and texture in our mouths were extravagant. Finally, we sighed at the warm touch of the bowl and the crispiness of the bread which accompanied it.
She encouraged another walk around, breathing fresh air for the awaited delicious lunch spread.
After the passionate nutrition talk from the owner of Love Kos Mos, which covered so much about the needs of our bodies, she mentioned how fundamental food is & how that truly affects decision-making, quality of thoughts, manifestation & life. You have to hear it from her. So go get some of that food too. It is soul-energising.
There were beautiful rainbow wraps, veg cuts, seaweed wraps and more. They were all served with divine sauces, all prepared by Mishkah Gool.
The lunch was prepared and integrated with everything she passionately conveyed to us about food.
The Grounding Conclusion of The Urban Retreat with Aimee at ‘The Self Care Studio’
As we grounded ourselves in conclusion through the gentle art of terrarium construction in the middle of a noisy urban setting, we were still capable of bringing our nervous systems out of a state of over-stimulation & into a state of trust, safety & peacefulness.
We were held, transported within and transformed through this safe gathering of like-minded, willing and open hearts.
More spaces like this need to happen. More people need to invest in themselves to experience these spaces & be held in this way, sometimes to realign & create a regular replenishment for one’s body.
We also drank loads of water as the entire experience was a detoxing process, with great food for the body, mind and soul in the form of produce and guidance through knowledge and techniques.
(My body was already beginning the detox process in the morning, but I couldn’t miss the entire experience & I am so much better for it.)
You can also attend workshops and in-person and virtual sessions by me. Find out more here.
Lots of love,
F. ❤️
by barely parenting