Some of my greatest successes have not come from big, loud plans.

They have come as whispers.

As gentle suggestions that arrive when I am out walking in nature with the dogs… when the world is quiet enough for me to hear something deeper.

The Soul Path Activation workshop was one of those whispers.

It didn’t arrive as a grand business strategy. It began with me simply playing on Canva, exploring the idea of creating a one-day workshop. No pressure. No announcement. Just curiosity. Just creativity. Just a little spark of “what if?”

Around that time, I had arranged to meet Paula at the beautiful space she and her husband have lovingly created — the Peace Barn in Penruddock. We were originally meant to gather with other friends just before Christmas, but for various reasons they couldn’t attend. So it was just the two of us.

And that, I now see, was no accident.

It was during that meeting that something quietly clicked into place.

Behind my home in Carlisle runs the River Petteril — a river I have walked beside many times, a river that feels woven into my life. That day, I realised that the source of the River Petteril begins in Penruddock… right near the Peace Barn.

The river that flows past my home begins near the barn.

A gentle nudge.

A thread.

A connection.

Paula’s Peace Barn itself is a story of devotion and vision. When Paula and her husband first took on the barn, they had a dream of what it could become. Over years of hard work, dedication, and love, they shaped it into the nurturing, heart-led space it is today. When you step inside, you can feel it. The love is tangible. The intention is embedded in the walls.

After that conversation, I left with enthusiasm. Paula supported my idea with warmth and encouragement. We discussed possible dates.

And then… life.

Christmas approached. Family dynamics unfolded. Other responsibilities rose up. As often happens when we are about to stretch into something new, I shrank back a little.

The whisper was still there — but I softened it down.

Then, after Christmas, Paula posted that the Peace Barn was fully booked.

My stomach tightened.

I messaged her to ask, “Is that full with or without me?”

It was with me.

That was the moment.

The quiet idea was no longer theoretical. It was real. It was happening. And my body reacted before my mind caught up. A little fear. A little vulnerability. A little “oh… this is actually happening.”

So the workbook I had been gently playing with suddenly needed to become real.

Using my very limited Canva skills, I began creating something tangible. A workbook that asked questions. A workbook that invited reflection. A workbook that used cards as gentle prompts to look at life — and the soul — from a different perspective. Not forceful. Not prescriptive. Just noticing. Just opening.

The day itself unfolded beautifully.

We began with meditations to tune into a question — not to chase answers, but to sit with what was already present. Food was shared, along with stories and reflections. There is something sacred about breaking bread together. The conversations that happen over a shared meal are often where the real integration begins.

We closed the day with a crystal bowl sound bath. The bowls holding and carrying everything that had been stirred, softened, revealed.

It was a learning curve for me.

Holding space for a full day is different from a few hours. Allowing time for people to share without rushing. Noticing the energy of the group. Trusting the flow. It stretched me — in all the right ways.

But more than that, it was a day of unfolding for the beautiful souls who joined me.

In the days afterwards, messages began to arrive.

One beautiful soul told me her sleep had completely changed. For well over a week, she had slept deeply and consistently — something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Others spoke of subtle but far-reaching shifts. Changes in perspective. Quiet decisions forming. A greater sense of peace.

To be at peace with your soul can express itself in so many ways.

Sometimes it looks dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like finally sleeping through the night.

My own connection with my soul began many years ago. But in the last couple of years, something has deepened. I have truly listened. It has felt like learning another language — the language of quiet nudges, body sensations, synchronicities, and gentle but persistent inner knowings.

The Soul Path Activation day came from that language.

And now, because I said yes to that first whisper, more ideas are forming. More booklets are being created. More courses are gently shaping themselves. More joy and peace are waiting to be offered.

I will run this course again.

But I am also aware of something else.

Just as I thought I was creating this workshop… something deeper was creating me.

It appears my soul and spirit have had their own ideas all along.

And this river — the one that begins quietly at its source — is only just beginning to flow.