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A lot of the time, when we’re feeling creatively stuck, when we can’t figure out what the next piece is going to look like, or we’re trying to work out why nothing feels like it’s moving, we go straight to our heads. We think harder. We plan more. We make lists.

And there’s absolutely a place for that. Of course there is.

But for the last eight months, I’ve been working in a very different way. A more intuitive, inward way. Through sound, movement and breath. And it has honestly surprised me with what it’s unlocked.

How I Got Here

My friend Sharon, a figurative sculptor and genuinely phenomenal artist, recommended this to me. She’d been doing a similar practice for a year, and the shift in her was palpable. Deep, true work coming through. Opportunities opening up. People coming to her.

I remember her saying to me, “I really do think you should do this. Do the work.”

So I did. I started a six-month container workshop – a residential where I’d go away each month and immerse myself in sound, movement and breath. And what came out of those sessions wasn’t what I went in expecting.

I wasn’t going in searching for creative ideas. I was just following the process. But I’d come out feeling reconnected to myself. Reconnected to ideas I’d had years ago and somehow set aside. Able to join dots that had felt completely separate. More confident. More me.

That Moment of Realising How Conditioned We Are

Something I’ve been sitting with recently is the rocking. During those workshops, I’d naturally start to rock backwards and forwards and it felt so instinctive, so right. But then I noticed that outside of that space, in the real world, I felt self-conscious about it.

Which made me realise something.

We’ve been conditioned to suppress the very things that most naturally regulate us. Sound. Movement. Breath. Things that are so deeply human get quietly filtered out of everyday life and we don’t even notice it happening.

Rocking is one of the most soothing things we can do for the nervous system. We rock babies to help them feel safe. It’s that signal that everything’s okay, you’re held and that the body understands immediately.

What It Actually Did for Me

Last year, I went to a show feeling not particularly confident. Not really wanting to engage. This year, I could feel something different – a kind of radiating outward. I made brilliant connections. Opportunities have been coming to me these past few months in ways I honestly have to pinch myself about.

I’m currently sitting in a hotel room because I’ve been asked to take on a coaching opportunity that I cannot quite believe. And I genuinely believe a huge part of this shift has come from this creative resetting work.

How You Can Try This Yourself 

You don’t need a retreat or a workshop to start exploring sound, movement and breath. Here are some really simple ways in:

Sound

Most of us love music so start there. This week, seek out a song that makes you feel something. Maybe something from your past, or something with a voice that gives you goosebumps. Put your earbuds in, close your eyes and just let the sound move through you. That’s it. I’ve been listening to Goldfrapp recently – that voice is something else. Find your version of that.

Movement

This doesn’t need to be a workout. It could be a walk. It could be rocking. Even something as simple as sitting near a window in sunlight and gently moving your hands – just shifting the energy. There’s something about that subtle movement that I can’t fully explain scientifically, but I feel it every time. Trust what your body wants to do.

Breath

Two that I’ve been returning to again and again: the box breath (breathe in for four counts, hold for four, out for four, hold for four – repeat) and a simple deep belly breath where you really trace the breath as it moves through you. Feel it leaving through your nostrils. I do these on walks, in hotel rooms, whenever I need to reset. And I genuinely feel the shift immediately.

The Creative Reset Retreat

I’ve wanted to host a retreat for six years. And it’s finally happening.

On the 26th and 27th of September, we’re gathering in the Shropshire Hills for two days dedicated to sound, movement, breath, meditation, gentle yoga, journaling, good food, sitting by a fire and simply having space.

The venue is extraordinary: floor to ceiling windows, 180 degrees of valley views, completely held by nature. Beau will be joining us on the first day for shamanic drumming and a sound bath. The retreat is for those who identify as female, and because the rooms are shared, it’s a real coming-together.

We released places earlier this week and there are only four left – with just two beds inside the house remaining.

If this feels like what you need right now, the link is below. And if you have any questions, reach out to us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

>> CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RETREAT <<

This Week’s Invitation

Whether or not the retreat is for you, I’d love to encourage you to bring a little sound, movement and breath into your week. Even five minutes. Notice what happens.

And if something shifts: a song, a moment of rocking, a breath that brings you back to yourself, please reach out and tell me. I’m genuinely all ears on this right now.

Have a wonderful week. Take care of yourself.

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Have a great week & take care,

Michelle xo