What you’ll find here

Why I created Soul & Self

I began Soul and Self as a blog and healing space for creative, sensitive-hearted women, at a time when I was feeling increasingly disillusioned by the education system that I was a teacher within. My heart was feeling heavy and uninspired after working for years in a system that was so focused on outcomes, productivity and results, nearly always at the expense of the things that I felt were just as deeply important- less tangible aspects like relationships, creativity, beauty, spirituality, joy, depth, play and rest. Things that couldn’t be measured, compared, tested or placed easily into a planning document.

As I began to pave a different path outside of the conventional working world, I was able to see more clearly how these softer, less tangible traits/frequencies are distinctly linked to the nature of feminine and unconsciously diminished and devalued in so many contexts in our world, beyond the education system. I saw how as women, we are taught to produce, achieve and strive through the lens of a more masculinised idea of success, causing us to unconsciously distrust the more feminine-oriented aspects of our nature and to undermine and devalue the importance of our feminine hearts.

As my writings grew and I began connecting with and supporting more and more women, I began to see how many of the women attracted to my work and writing were distinctly feminine-essenced beings- yet were often stuck in cycles of trying to push and ‘fix’ themselves to meet masculinised ideas of success, growth and outward performance.

Some of these women were beginning to soften into their feminine essence, yet were struggling with the unraveling of old patterns and identities that no longer served them. Others had been taught to doubt and ignore their feminine gifts, pace and desires that did not match up with what seemed to be outwardly expected of them. Others had been taught to disregard or judge their intuition, their sensitivities and their craving for a softer way of living, relating and creating. Many women were encountering all of these challenges to varying degrees, in different aspects of their life, relationships and work/businesses. (I wrote a blog post about the three main feminine expressions I tend to encounter, which you can read here).

What I have found, is that an over-focus on this masculine orientation (external, linear, outward pushing, tangible, results-driven) is modelled within every crevice of our society- education, work, business, healing, personal growth, religion, motherhood. Yet for a woman with a feminine essence, this focus may be deeply counterintuitive to her natural desires, values and expression. It is a way of living that keeps her constantly pushing outwards- striving, forcing and exhausting herself to meet the expectations of the outer world, all while overriding her feminine essence, value and heart.

Which is why feminine restoration is the central focus of Soul and Self. A space to tend to the natural interiority, rhythms and truths of our feminine souls. To rediscover our feminine energy, sensitivities and desires, as we live, relate and create in the world as distinctly feminine beings, rather than trying to contort ourselves into the masculinised expressions and dimensions of outer achievement we are so often taught to see as the only path to success. To return to our hearts, our softness, our tenderness, our feeling bodies, our deeper feminine value, in a way that is natural, unforced and true.

Soul and Self has grown with me, into a gentle business that is organic and always evolving, mirroring an ever-deepening relationship with Life and the nature of the feminine. As I moved deeper into the process of creating a business in this gentler way, I realised how challenging it could feel to be in business as a feminine soul who craved a softer, more receptive way of doing things. It was so easy to fall into those same cycles of thinking that I had to change, “fix” or compromise my deeper nature if I wanted to create a successful business.

Which is why I started offering Feminine Business services as part of my feminine healing work. A place to offer encouragement, support and resources for other women who are seeking a gentler approach to business creation, where they can trust in their feminine value, nurture their gifts and honour their natural pace.

Soul and Self is a tender, always evolving space, to share my own experiences and connect with other women who are on this path of softening into their feminine essence and discovering their deeper nature. I’m so glad to welcome you here. If you’d like to stay connected, I suggest subscribing here to my email notes on feminine healing, living and business, which include any updates on latest writings, offerings and ways to work together.

Belinda 💓