I am a recovering perfectionist, productivity chaser, and people pleaser, coaching women to disrupt old thought patterns, let go of behaviors that keep them stuck, and make their joy an everyday priority.
🦩 how are you celebrating wild women's history? 🦩
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Guten Tag, Reader, For centuries, women have gathered in wild places—not just for chores that kept their families alive (water and firewood hauling, food gathering, medicine making…) but for insight, renewal, and the kinds of conversations that change everything. Women played a crucial role in maintaining and protecting these spaces, often forming informal networks of support, knowledge-sharing, and resistance. From the women of the commons to modern-day river guides who read water like poetry, we have always known public lands were not just about resources but about maintaining a sense of communal identity and interdependence. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, think about honoring this legacy, not just by reading about it but by stepping into it.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ~ Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder wildHER Rogue River Adventure: Flow, Resilience & ReconnectionImagine this: You. A river. A circle of brilliant, adventurous women. Floating through Oregon’s wilderness, surrounded by deep greens, rushing water, and the kind of quiet that lets you actually hear yourself think. Or not think for a moment. This isn’t about proving anything. It’s about remembering something. Last week, six months after participants returned from the Salmon River Slowdown, I sent them the cards they had written to themselves on the final day. Insights, moments, whatever they wanted to remember. When I put those cards in envelopes, I saw their faces in front of me, that last morning on the beach: wild hair, clear eyes, radiating newfound remembered strength. I was in awe then. I am in awe now. They were in awe of themselves and each other. Many of them will return this year. If you want to join this badass sisterhood and write your own story in the history of outdoor women, go Rogue with us in September. The website is here, but please reach out if you have questions or concerns. If wildHER is currently out of reach, here are five other ways to honor women, wildness, and your true Nature:
Whether I will see you on the river or not, I will see you back here in two weeks. If you liked this letter, please forward it to a friend. Always on your side, truly, p.s. If you got something from today's letter, why not buy me a coffee? I am keeping my writing AI-free, which means a lot of creative goes into it. You can leave me a tip here. |
Welcome to my Joy Letters
I am a recovering perfectionist, productivity chaser, and people pleaser, coaching women to disrupt old thought patterns, let go of behaviors that keep them stuck, and make their joy an everyday priority.
Notice what's happening in your body. How does your nervous system react to a coneflower shadow on snow? Guten Tag, Reader, Bitten ;tldr: Regulating your nervous system is an essential mental health skill. For a nervous system reset, join me and fellow Nature Therapy Guide Angie on the Rogue River in September. Okay, remember how I wrote about asking what we need last time? I want to tell you that the universe will always reward you for doing so. Alas, that’s not this week’s story. Or is it?...
I asked D for a dog-free walk, got what I needed, and didn't even know how much I needed it until I heard the birds singing from the snowy trees. Guten Tag, Reader, How often do you get what you want? How often do you ask for what you want? How often do you NOT ask for what you want? Don’t just read on. Actually, think about it. Then, do it again and replace the want with need. How often do you ask for what you need? How often do you not? And here is another question: How often do you know...
Even my tea had something to say about time. Guten Tag, Reader, It’s not often that I get as many reactions to a letter as the previous one. You hit reply, put money in my tip jar, and booked coaching sessions. Here are just a few of your responses: You motivated me to update a resource I haven't talked about in a long time. DO LESS. BE MORE. (Previously called How To Start Wasting Time and Be Less Productive). Download it here: do-less-be-more-sylke-laine.pdf To share with friends, please...