Nature inspired walking activities. Mindfulness rituals and some seasonal surprises. BLACK TERRIER NEEDS NEW HOME. THIS IS WHERE IT STARTED THE ADVERT IN THE LOCAL PAPER CAUGHT MY EYE. IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH DISCUSSION BEFORE WE'D PACKED UP THE CAR AND SET OUT TO VIEW THE LITTLE MONGREL. As the car meandered through the country lanes I mentioned that I wanted to call my first dog Lady. When we arrive
d at the unnervingly dubious rehoming centre, our conversation went a bit like this:
Us: 'What’s she called?’
Them: ‘Lady’
Us: 'Oh, ok, I’d better take her then’. We exchanged £1 and I became the very proud parent of an extremely scruffy black terrier. Little did I know she’d become my best friend, be by my side through my teaching career, travels, heartbreaks, marriage and the birth of our baby. THAT SCRUFFY LITTLE TERRIER IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR TRIBE, THE MATRIARCH AMONG OUR PACK, THE NURSE DOG NEXT TO THE CRIB AND THE FOUNDLING SPIRIT OF HYGGE AND HOUND. It wasn’t until I had my daughter Alba and experienced the raw, responsiveness of parenting that I began to realise that my joy, happiness, sense of self and inner peace, comes from an entirely different place than I'd previously known. Suddenly everything had slowed down, and I treasured sitting in the stillness of the sunrise with a cup of tea. Nothing motivated me more than bundling up my mini human, making a warming drink, gathering the dogs and going on a crisp, fresh walk. Before and during my pregnancy I was very dedicated to my daily rituals of practicing mindfulness and meditation - fast forward a year or so and I was a working mum, with a small person to look after and a family of dogs, horses and chickens. I was struggling, to say the least. Often I’d leave the house with a subtle buzzing in my mind: perpetual questions and stresses of life bouncing around. But as soon as we set off, they’d disperse, replaced by a gentle awareness of the sights and smells my hounds were drawn to, the sight of them bounding through the undergrowth, leaping through the streams, and eagerly nipping at each others heels. AS I SIPPED MY TEA AND HUDDLED MY BABY, I REALISED I HAD FOUND SOMETHING REMARKABLE AND PRECIOUS: HOUNDSPACE. I no longer had time to attend my weekly yoga class, and taking time out to keep up with my mindful practice was becoming hard. But, I did need to walk the dogs. I realised that our dog walks were a comforting ritual that I looked forward to everyday and they offered the perfect opportunity to dedicate time to myself, my mind, my space. Houndspace is exactly that time. It's committing to the ritual of dog walking as a mindful experience, its embracing the stillness of the morning light, it's sitting and feeling joy with the dense weight of a snoring terrier on your feet, it's piles of inviting sheepskins and cotton throws offering a cozy nest for a tired human or hound. MY LITTLE PACK GAVE ME CLARITY AT A TIME WHEN MY LIFE WAS TRANSITIONING. DESPITE THE ELEMENTS, THEY GOT ME OUT IN NATURE. MY HOUNDS HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT MY JOY, HAPPINESS AND SENSE OF SELF COME FROM LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES: DELICIOUS TREATS, WARMING TEAS, NOSTALGIC SCENTS, NATURAL LIGHT, WRAPPING UP WARM, BEING IN NATURE, WALKING, FINDING TIME TO CREATE A MINDFUL SPACE AND DOING ALL OF THAT WITH MY BELOVEDS BY MY SIDE. Hygge and Hound is the tangible result of my journey to discover Houndspace. Here at H&H we believe in slowing down, being present and absorbing joy from life’s simple pleasures; our four legged friends being the most simple and humble of all. WE INVITE YOU TO GRAB YOUR HOUND, COME ALONG AND JOIN US, SLOW WITH US AND GROW WITH US... WE'D LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO WELCOME YOU AND SUPPORT YOUR PURSUIT OF HYGGE AND HOUNDSPACE.
