In this blog I would like to share with you the story behind The Salt Sisterhood, my project and my passion. I was originally struggling to find a name for my business (being too close to the project) so I decided to enlist the help of a very talented copywriter, Jess Collins to help me through this creative block. In the end it came down to something so simple but full of impact and relevance - The Salt Sisterhood - “For She Who is Stirred by The Sea”. This name embodies everything for me that the brand is all about. A Sisterhood, women coming together to empower one another, a love for the ocean, but also SO much more than that...
Salt is something buried deep within the earth, and found as an integral part of the ocean. Salt exists within us. Salt is something that we extract and something that we need to survive. The Salt Sisterhood on a deeper level is all about this process of extraction.
In the philosophy of Tantra Yoga - there is a belief that each of us is already perfect and divine as we are, and that we do not need to strive to change in order to “be better” but that we simply need to rediscover what buried treasure already lies deep within us. We simply need to come home to ourselves and remember this truth that we are already everything we need to be (easier said than done, I know!).
As women, in the society and climate that we currently live in, we have even more work to do in order to rediscover and embody this truth - that we are already enough just as we are. We are told on a consistent basis how we are “not enough”. Not enough of anything, and that we must constantly work more and try harder to be and do “better” - in all aspects to reach (impossible) external standards. In striving for these unattainable goals set out for us by society, we forget ourselves, we forget our own power, we forget our TRUTH. We move further and further away from the gifts that are already inside of us. Those gifts which make us unique, are ours to embrace and own, enjoy and share with the world - this is our birthright.
The Salt Sisterhood is a platform for women to come together with one common goal in mind - salt extraction. In other words, clearing away what is blocking us from our own salt - our truth - the truth that we are already enough, already powerful, already creative and entirely deserving of our own self acceptance and love.
As a woman who has personally struggled over the years with anxiety, depression, self worth and and general self acceptance - my yoga practice and my relationship with the ocean have been my two biggest teachers and saviours in terms of finding the path to remembering the truth that I am already enough, just as I am. No matter how I am tested or in which ways, I am strong enough and deserving of my own love and self-acceptance. This is the mission and the passion of The Salt Sisterhood - through coming together, connecting, being in nature, re-wilding, sea-wilding, exploring and having fun we aim to reconnect to ourselves and with one another. The Salt Sisterhood is a platform designed for women of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to come together and empower one another through a shared love of the ocean, and I feel so privilaged to have the opportunity to provide this platform for women over the years since the company was founded in 2018.
Having several yoga and surfing retreats under my belt now, I often worry that people might assume that I'm super good at surfing, can ride massive waves or hang ten on a longboard, or that I have a very advanced yoga practice and have mastered the art of the handstand minus a wall for support (I can do none of these things on the regular). Then I step back and look to the bigger picture, and gently remind myself (and my ego) that this is NOT what The Salt Sisterhood is aiming to be about! I don't need to feel that kind of pressure in order to share what I love doing, and most importantly - neither do any of the women who I want to work with and host at my retreats. The Salt Sisterhood is not about being "good" at surfing or yoga or anything for that matter... It's certainly not about being 'the best'. It IS about being 'the best YOU' that you can be and meeting yourself where you are with a sense of loving compassion, authenticity, joy and FUN. It's about bringing together a community of women in a supportive and encouraging environment, so that we can try something new for the very first time or simply have fun doing something that we've been doing for ages - without feeling any pressure!
One of the most rewarding moments I experienced on last year's Yoga & Wild Swim retreat in Cornwall was when our group were out on one of our swimming trips and one of my lovely guests watched as some of the other ladies dove off the rocks into the sea and she confided to me - "I have never done a head-first dive into the water ever, and I don't think I could do it! But I really want to!". So I took her aside and asked her why she thought she couldn't do it. With a little bit of coaxing, a short instruction in head-first diving (not my specialty so it was very basic) and a BIG DASH of bravery from my guest and - there she went!! Diving head first into the ocean for THE FIRST TIME EVER! And our amazing photographer Lizzie Churchill was there to capture the moment so our guest could keep that treasured memory forever. So, sometimes our goals are big, sometimes they're small - but it's not about measuring or comparing yourself. It's about tackling those personal goals of YOURS one at a time, in a safe supportive way with women who HAVE YOUR BACK.
I am so very excited to share this venture with you.
Lauren x