Coming Home to Self-Love

Laure of Nature
2 days ago
7 min read

You may have noticed this newsletter is arriving a little later than usual. I could give you the practical reasons — a holiday, a full inbox, the pace of the markets and catching upp with refilling stocks — but the truer answer is that these current energies have asked me to slow down, and I've been learning (again) to listen.

As Elizabeth Peru and Pam Gregory have both been pointing out, the past weeks have carried an unusually strong charge. Eclipse residue, planetary alignments still rippling through, and a collective nervous system that is being asked to recalibrate. It's the kind of energy that magnifies everything — the beautiful and the uncomfortable — and quietly insists we stop performing and come back to what is real.

For me, what kept surfacing was a very simple, very old lesson: self-love.

Not the polished, hashtag version. The quieter one — the one that lets you rest when you said you'd write, that lets you take the long walk instead of answering the email, that lets you honour your own timing even when part of you is whispering you should have done this already.

A Pause in Northern Spain

Alan and I were in Northern Spain from the 25th of June to the 6th of July — and we gave ourselves permission to really take it in. We wandered the amazing landscapes of the Picos de Europa, slowed right down in the medieval streets of Potes, let the art and energy of Bilbao move us, and finished in San Sebastián, where the Atlantic is warmer and the pintxos are almost a spiritual experience.

It's the greener, wilder side of Spain — the one that surprises people expecting only sun and orange earth. We walked, we ate slowly, we drank very good local wine and cider, and I let myself do very little.

What struck me most was how quickly the body remembers what it needs when we finally give it permission. The shoulders drop. Digestion softens. Sleep deepens. There is nothing revolutionary in this — and yet how rarely most of us allow it.

I came back with a clearer sense of what I want the next chapter to look like.

The Weird, Wonderful Reality of Being My Own Boss — Full Time

And here is the part I still can't quite believe: on the 30th of June, somewhere between the Picos and Bilbao, I officially stepped into Absorb full time.

It feels both surreal and inevitable to write that. I am still very much calibrating to the new rhythm — discovering which parts of the day are mine, where the structure I need lives, and how to hold the freedom and the responsibility in the same hand.

There is tenderness in it, that particular flavour that comes when a dream stops being a "someday" and starts being the actual shape of your days.

These strong current energies are not letting anyone stay comfortably in-between for much longer.

What is aligned is becoming louder.

What is not is becoming impossible to ignore.

And self-love, in this context, isn't a bubble bath — it is the courage to trust that what lights you up is also allowed to sustain you, and the patience to let your nervous system catch up with your decisions.

So if, like me, you are mid-leap and still finding your feet — the recalibration is the work. Not the obstacle to it.

The Biology of Self-Love

Because I can't help myself — a little naturopathy note.

When we speak kindly to ourselves, when we rest without guilt, when we honour a no, the nervous system reads safety. The vagus nerve tones up. Cortisol lowers. Digestion, hormones, immunity and sleep all begin to reorganise around that signal of safety.

Self-criticism does the opposite. It is a low, chronic stressor — subtle enough that we stop noticing it, strong enough to keep the body in a mild survival state for years.

A few simple supports for this season:

Magnesium-rich foods (leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, cacao) to soften the nervous system.
Fermented foods — a spoon of kraut, a glass of water kefir — to keep the gut-brain axis in conversation.
Cold-pressed olive oil, oily fish, walnuts for the omega-3s that our brains especially need under energetic pressure.
Time outside barefoot, or in the sea! it is so accessible with this beautiful weather.

Mantras for this month

I am allowed to move at the pace of my own becoming.
Loving myself is a form of service, not selfishness.
What is truly mine cannot pass me by.

As courgette season approaches, a chilled courgette and mint soup is a refreshing option, created by blending courgettes, fresh mint, and other ingredients such as garlic and vegetable stock until smooth. Ideal for warm weather, it can be topped with a drizzle of cream, yogurt, or a dollop of boursin.

Thank you, as always, for walking this path with me — and for your patience with a slightly delayed message. Sometimes the writing has to wait for the living to catch up.

Upcoming Markets

Our Calendar:

Roath Market: 2nd Saturday of the Month.
Usk Market: 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month; keep an eye on the calendar.
NEW! Porthcawl Market: 2nd Sunday of the Month
Kenfig Market: 3rd Sunday of the Month.

Festivals coming up!

Pontyclun Food festival (Aug 29th)

Aberdare Food Festival (Sept 5th)

Newport Food Festival (Oct 3rd)

Gluten free Festival Cardiff (Nov 8th)

Vegan Festival Cardiff (Nov 30th)

Absorb Water Kefir Stockists

Our products can be found throughout South Wales and in Bristol and Bath. We carefully select our stockists, collaborating with independent, ethos-aligned outlets that share our values—please support them whenever possible.

Absorb Product News for 2026

The Sweet Fava Bean Miso, created by Jackie from Umami Chef, is a popular choice and can be found at our Markets and Workshops! Miso is a wonderful addition to any dish, enhancing both taste and the gut microbiome. It's also full of enzymes, providing an extra boost to your digestive system.
Our new kraut "blanc-nature" is now available at markets.
Our shrub (a syrup-sweetened apple cider vinegar - with the mother - used as a mixer) is now being tested and refined by Zerotofive, Cardiff Food Center. This syrup is made from the by-products of our Blackcurrant & Hibiscus water kefirs.

Join the South Wales Fermentation Revolution

Would you like to join our WhatsApp group for fermentation enthusiasts? If you're keen to explore, learn, and share your fermentation experiences, please send us your phone number to become a member! (07515493402). This group is open to residents of the South to West Wales region.

The Fermentation Club at Bacareto: Summer Season

Our recent gut gathering on Wednesday, 22nd July, celebrating our first year of hosting the Fermentation Club at Bacareto, was a great success with an in-depth exploration of Kombucha! Our special guest speaker, James Bayliss-Smith, founder of Nania's Wildbrew in Easton, Bristol, was incredible and expanded our understanding of Kombucha making. He guided us through everything about this ancient fermented drink, from its production to identifying the fake varieties. Stay tuned for our next event in October!

Workshops and Talks on Fermentation and Digestive Health

We are currently organizing additional workshops starting in September! I am exploring new venues to reach communities in towns and villages near Brynna, such as Pontyclun, Pencoed, and St Hilary, and I will confirm the dates by mid-August!

Please check out our linktree or my calendar for the latest updates on which markets I’ll be attending in the coming months, along with links to workshops, festivals, and gatherings.

Gift vouchers are now available to redeem against a Fermentation Workshop and a complementary bottle of Kefir on the chosen day - £30.

Promoting Wellness and Bringing Communities Together

Our mission is to share the wonders of fermentation with as many people as possible. This age-old practice is not only nourishing but also an excellent means of uniting communities. If you know individuals, groups, or organizations interested in fermentation, we would be thrilled to connect with them. We provide engaging talks, interactive demonstrations, inspiring workshops, and, naturally, delicious tastings! Whether it's for a community group, workplace wellness event, or local gathering, we are committed to making fermentation both enjoyable and accessible.

Let’s spread the joy of fermentation—together. Click here to get a glimpse!

Drinking Water Kefir for Better Health

If you want to consume our Water Kefir regularly for health benefits, there are two cost-effective options you can choose from.

Enrol in our monthly subscription program by completing this document and sending it to us via email at absorbhealth@outlook.com. *A rolling subscription is also available should that be more to your liking; contact us to chat.
Discover how to make it yourself by joining one of our workshops, or we can sell you some grains, provide a recipe, and teach you everything you need to know!

We deliver all around Cardiff and the surrounding area—and further afield too!

Grouped Deliveries Outside of Cardiff

We have two separate delivery runs each month that go East of Cardiff one week and West of Cardiff the next. Please get in touch if you live in or around the areas detailed below and want a Water Kefir delivery:

Gower, Mumbles, Swansea, Swansea Valleys, Pontardawe, and Ystradgynlais: Next runs are Thursday 13.08.26 & 10.09.26
Newport, Monmouthshire, and Bristol: Thursday 27.08.26 & 24.09.26

Give Us a Review!

If you have a passion for our products or have participated in one of our workshops, we would greatly appreciate it if you could write a review here . Your feedback helps us share the advantages of enjoying Water Kefir and exploring fermented foods and beverages!

Water Kefir Flavour of the Month

We have moved on to our Sunshine Water kefir: Elderflower and Turmeric! A vibrant and refreshing combination of flavours for this hot summer! Great to enjoy with exotic fruits like Mango and Pineapple.

Do your bit for the environment and remember to return your empty bottles and sauerkraut jars—reusing is much better than recycling!

Happy Summer season! Thank you for following Absorb!