Jennifer Wallis - wellbeing practitioner and writer

One of the great things about being sober and going to a wedding is having a bloody great time with your pals and actually remembering it all. And still being one of the last on the dance floor ✨🤗

We went to Blackpool to celebrate our friends getting wed recently. It’s my 3rd sober wedding, and the first friends wedding since going sober. At one of the last drinking ones I ended the night slumped on a chair in the middle of the dance floor and being put to bed by calling her a *see you next Tuesday*.

Honestly, the shame and anxiety the next day was intense 😵‍💫

I don’t think being sober will ever get boring for me and I’m so grateful I’ve found a place where I can be comfortable without needing booze or anything else to let loose and have a good time.



Also, on that note, would you like to see more content from me around sobriety?

Occupying a toddler in the heat, whilst simultaneously trying to work and not lose your mind is HARD 😵‍💫

Wowzers.

Thankfully our back garden where the mud kitchen is gets some shade in the afternoon, because if it wasn’t for that, I think we’d both have gone a little doolally today.

Also sending strength to anyone pregnant in this heat - that is also HARD and not very fun 🥵

How’s everyone holding up? Surviving?

Happy Father’s Day to our absolute rock.

Thank you for all that you do for us and for taking care of us.

Beyond grateful for you 💜💜💜

I’ve had this post saved in my drafts for ages and keep changing the caption.

I guess what I want to say is I feel very lucky that I live in a country where my daughter has the freedom to play outside in relative safety.

I wish this for all children all around the world.

Solidarity to everyone marching today 🕊️

🇵🇸

It’s hard to find the time to meditate when you’ve got little ones to look after, but even finding just 10 minutes whilst they’re napping can have such a profound effect on our wellbeing.

I know I definitely see a huge difference in myself with how I handle stress, tantrums and other people when I’ve meditated. It makes me feel more connected to my loved ones too.

Do you meditate? How has it helped you?

Never did I ever think that I would manage to be cool with my kitchen floor being turned into a swimming pool for the sake of play.

It’s been such a wash out today and staying indoors with a toddler is HARD WORK isn’t it?! So we made cookies and Ida washed “bebee”.

My eye was definitely twitching at one point, and I very nearly helicoptered in to try and stop her from pouring the water all down her top, and allllll over the floor, but I let it happen 😅

Proud of myself, that’s all.

How do you feel about toddler mess in the house? 🤪

I blimmin’ love spring! That smell in the air, the longer nights and the lighter mornings. I can really feel my energy levels picking up again as we emerge out of winter and out of hibernation.

Give yourself a pat on the back for making it through! Sometimes the colder, darker months just feel never ending don’t they?

A really nice way to welcome in the return of life can be to do a little ritual 🌷🌱🌸.

Doesn’t need to be anything big or fancy. It could be something as simple as opening up all your windows to let stagnant energy out, clearing out old food from the freezer, or going out for a walk in nature.

Will you be doing anything to celebrate the return of light? 🌞

Out to all the mums doing it all 💪🏼

How Reiki helps to balance a frazzled nervous system 🧬

SWIPE >> to read 👀

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If you’d like to soothe your tired mind, body and soul with a Reiki session, or if you’d like to learn how to use this gentle, yet powerful, healing tool yourself, hit the link in my Linktree to find out more 🤲🏼

WFH with a toddler…🫠

Literally the second I sit down at my desk, Ida climbs from the sofa onto my lap. Sometimes even directly onto the desk. It makes working…interesting? 😅

Shout out to all the mums trying to balance childcare whilst being self-employed. It’s a juggle! 🤹

It’s landed!!! The first ever edition of the directory.

A directory full to the brim of incredible mothers doing incredible things. And I’m bloody in it. My imposter syndrome is in full force right now, but trying to just lean right into it 😅

So chuffed to be feature alongside these amazing women. Huge, huge thanks to and the team for making it happen ✨✨✨

Head to the link in my bio to download your copy!

Hello 👋🏼

How we all doing?

I’ve decided that it’s time to let go of my regular Wednesday eve slot at Havelock. I’ll be honest, business isn’t exactly booming, and something needs to give.

It’s so hard to find the right balance with work and motherhood, and it’s also good to know when something isn’t working anymore too. I’m going to be focusing on collaborations, workshops and trainings, as well as writing, and hopefully I’ll be able to offer ad hoc and potentially home visits.

Defo still get in touch if you’re after a 1:1 Reiki session and we’ll see what we can work out.

But if you want to come see me at the studio I’ll be there for the next three Wednesday evenings.

Link in bio to book in ✨

I recently wrote a feature for the newly relaunched digital magazine on the wellbeing and fitness trends that I think will be a hit for 2024.

Was super happy to be able to contribute to the mag and to also get a chat in with south east London’s very own , founder of .

Link to full feature found at the top of my Linktree in my bio 📰

Happy Imbolc 🌷

We are now halfway between winter and spring. Wahooooo. I spotted some daffodils popping up through a plant bed earlier and it made me SO happy.

It’s the perfect time to start emerging from hibernation and to start planting our seeds of intention for the months ahead.

Reiki healing is a simple, yet effective, form of energy healing that can help us clear space energetically and move us into a calm and peaceful state of mind.

Come nourish your mind, body and soul ✨

Spaces for February now open. Book via the link in my bio 💜

4️⃣0️⃣🎈

Honestly, how did I get here? 😆 I feel like I turned 30 only a couple of years ago.

Can confirm life does indeed get better. It gets HARDER, oh so much harder, but it gets better.

Life is not without its challenges, but it feels good right now, and I feel like I’ve got the tools to deal with all that it throws at me. Plus some absolutely outstanding friends and family around me.

Anyhow, I thought I’d share 4 things that I’ve learnt over the past four decades (yikes, four decades?!):

1️⃣ - we’re never the finished article, always a work in progress. We’re continually healing and learning and growing. And that’s ok!

2️⃣ - you don’t need to be in a certain place by a certain age. Change careers, do a degree later in life. Do what you want when you’re ready and it feels right.

3️⃣ - learn that it’s ok to say “no”. You don’t need to people please and having boundaries will make you feel good, even if you initially do a little wince when you say it.

4️⃣ - everyone is doing the best they can with the tools they have.

Anyone else here in the 4.0 club? How did turning 40 make you feel?

#40

Burnout in motherhood is INTENSE.

The juggle is REAL.

Needing a break, but your child needs you. But also they need you to be the best possible version of you, so no pressure.

Since returning to work, after we made the decision for me to work around Ida, coupled with yet another ‘sleep regression, I have burned out. These past few days, to be precise. I think the lack of sleep is cumulative and it’s been a year and a half of not sleeping properly. It really is torture.

BUT, I haven’t made time for myself. I haven’t made time to do my little rituals or self care. So here’s me having a bath at 3:30pm whilst Ida FINALLY went down for her nap.

And you know what? I feel better. I feel relaxed. And I’m currently cooking a delicious meal for my family and I’m enjoying it - not feeling resentful 😅

My aim for 2024? Make time for myself a nonnegotiable. I don’t have to “do it all”.

Mum’s do you feel the same?

>> swipe for my creepy bath companion. The most psychotic looking octopus I’ve ever seen.

Grateful for you and for our little walks, plodding along in nature just hanging out. Will treasure these times 🥰🙏🏼💜💫

5 Ways Reiki Can Help in Times of Crisis 💫

It’s important that we take care of our mental health during times of crisis, both personal and otherwise, and as a complementary therapy, Reiki is a great tool to have in your wellbeing box.

>> Swipe to see just a few ways Reiki can help >>
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1. Reiki brings our autonomic nervous system back into balance, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety.

2. People attuned to Reiki are able to come together to send Reiki simultaneously out to world situations.

3. During a Reiki session universal life-force energy is channeled, which connects us to all life, in turn giving us greater capacity for empathy.

4. Reiki can help us tune into our intuition with greater clarity thus enabling us to make batter decisions under pressure.

5. Reiki can promote better sleep, which helps to put us in a better mental and physical state enabling us to better handle a crisis.

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Disappointed. Heartbroken. Somewhat unsurprised by the vote.

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💘Four years of loving this guy officially, six weeks of loving our littlest babe💘

Eye bags in abundance and full hearts. So much has been learnt and so much more to learn. Excited for this journey together 💫

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🎈Life Is The Party 🎈

1,000 DAYS SOBER 💜🪩💫

This is the second go at writing this as I somehow deleted it the first time. I don’t know if I have anything profound to say as my brain isn’t working so well. Also I may not have full use of both hands for long!

BUT this feels like a massive milestone for me. I feel very proud that I’ve got this far and I feel SO much better for it - mentally and physically. I’ve managed to navigate some pretty big challenges without burying my head in the sand - something I would’ve done back in my heady party days.

I’ve had A LOT of fun, most of my friends have been made through boozy nights and hazy raves, but the anxiety and sadness that followed all the late nights had been outweighing the fun for some time. Consistently finding myself in somewhat dodgy and slightly dangerous situations.

Deciding to go sober has made me face fears and feelings I’d tried to hide from with a strength I did not know I had and a softness I’d tried not to let in. I highly doubt I’d be sitting here right now with my little babe in my arms if I was still partying like I was. I know that I will be the best possible version of myself for my little girl as she grows.

I still love a rave though. That’ll never go away and much better now I know when to call it a night 🤪

If you’re questioning your relationship with booze and partying, maybe it’s time to take the plunge and make a change. I can say hand on heart my mental health has improved beyond what I thought possible.

Always here to chat if you need.

Big love 💜💜💜

📸 from pre-baby to demonstrate the sober freshness, my current eye bags are not going to have that effect. Pictured with a AF Culture Shock Lemon Radler 👅🍋

Ida-Grace 💫

After a longer than expected labour and a few surprises along the way, we finally welcomed our baby girl into this crazy world.

It’s been a lot to process and we’ve been taking it slowly as a family of four. Jessie came on heat the day I went into labour (bizarre!) so it’s all extra strange for her.

For now I’m just going to say that if you’ve been on the fence with hypnobirthing - DO IT! It helped me navigate all the changes thrown at me during labour with ease and without panic.

Also the homebirth team and the midwives in the birth centre are ACTUAL ANGELS. And Adam, I have no words for his unwavering support 💜💜💜

Going to retreat back into our bubble now. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of Ida soon 🫧🍼

Jennifer Claire Wallis Adam Saville

🌞THE SUN🌞

I bloody LOVE this card. I also love the synchronicity of it popping up the same day my friend and I did some workshop planning and she said she wanted to centre it around connecting to our inner child ✨

That’s what this card is for me - connecting back to our inner child, something that we so easily forget to do thanks to the stresses and strains of everyday life. It’s about inviting in more joy and play. I write this as I’ve been playing out in the garden with my puppy. Watching her and interacting with her brings me SO much joy 🐾

Aaaaand, it’s bank holiday. What better time to play 🤪

How will you be inviting more joy into your life this weekend?

✨THE ANNIVERSARY REACTION✨

Have you heard of this? Nope, I hadn’t either until I took a bit of an emotional turn on 1st April. I became overwhelmed with sadness and anger. It was bloody confusing. I couldn’t put my finger on why. Then Adam reminded me that it was the start of when we lost our first bub. I knew it was coming, but last week I was deep in preparation for holding my Reiki course so had pushed it to the back of my mind.

The anniversary reaction is a symptom of PTSD. When we’ve been through a traumatic experience and the anniversary of that experience comes around, alllllll of the emotions that we thought we’d dealt with come bubbling to the surface - all of the grief, sadness, anger, sorrow. But, we don’t realise why we’re feeling this way until we notice the date on the calendar, and see that it’s the same date on which the trauma occurred in the years before.

Weirdly, the same weekend last year when it all started, was also when I was undertaking my Reiki Master training. I prayed my body would hold on so I could train, and it did until early the following morning. So this past weekend was A LOT of emotions. Like, ALL of the emotions, you name it - it was felt.

And all the while I’m feeling these things, our little baby is wriggling away inside me.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that healing is an ongoing process. Grief? Well, we grow with it, rather than ever get over it.

And, it’s ok to feel more than one thing. You can feel sad for the past and joy for the present moment, you can feel pain whilst deep down feeling ok.

Journal it out. Take a walk in nature. Meditate. Take a bath at 10am. Eat your favourite snack. Cry. Scream. Hug it out.

Healing isn’t linear. Grief isn’t black and white. All your feelings are valid.

Love you! 💜✨

Today I enlisted the help of my reluctant, and very sleepy, assistant to pick us a card for ✨🐾

Interestingly she put her paw on one of my stalker cards 😵‍💫

✨The Hierophant✨

This card can be a sign to share your wisdom with others as a teacher or mentor. It can also be a sign that you are seeking a teacher or mentor. To me, it speaks of learning and honing your craft. Gaining expert knowledge and guidance from a trusted figure. It’s about tradition and going back to your roots, particularly when it comes to rituals and customs 🔮

Maybe you could speak to your grandmother or an older, wise one within your family and bring back some forgotten family traditions 🪄

Something that I love using, and that I’ve been using a lot of during this pregnancy, are affirmations. They are positive statements that help to programme our mind into believing what we’re saying.

See our brains are clever, but they don’t actually know the difference between something that’s real or not 🧠 so if we keep repeating the same statement over and over again, we’ll eventually believe it.

Positive affirmations have a multitude of benefits. They can:

✨help you to feel positive about a situation

✨boost confidence levels

✨reduce negative thoughts

✨reduce anxiety and stress

I created these ones and have been using them on the regular. A really nice way to use them is to find a quiet seat, maybe where you meditate, place your hands on your belly, focus on the life that you are growing inside of you, breathe slowly and deeply and then repeat, repeat, repeat.

Let me know how you get on with them and if you have any others that you use, comment below 💜

☁️ p.s - if you fancy joining a safe space for pregnancy after loss support, follow the link in my bio to The Calm Club group ☁️

She’s only been with us just over 48 hours, but already this little lady has taught us so much.

She’s reinforced why boundaries are important and healthy, taught us how to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty (hard!), patience and the importance of routine. As well as how similar dog calming music is to meditation music 🧘🏻‍♀️😅

She’s also making me extremely grateful for all those slow, lazy mornings we’ve had over the years 😴🤣

💕Pregnancy after loss support group 💕

Pregnancy after a loss is THE most terrifying, nerve wracking experience I’ve ever had. I feel lucky that I have the tools to lean on that are helping me through it and allowing me to enjoy my pregnancy.

I wanted to create a safe space for others going through a similar experience by sharing these tools to help with the PAL anxiety and worries - and thus The Calm Club was born.

The Calm Club is a pregnancy after loss support group that draws upon my line of expertise in holistic wellness and spiritual care. I’ve found other pregnancy after loss groups only exacerbated my anxiety, so I wanted to make more of a practical and spiritual group (my two fave things 🤣).

If you are also pregnant following a loss, please do join me over there. Or if you know anyone who’d find this helpful, please share it with them 🤗

Link is in my bio to find the group.

All my love as ever 💜💜💜

Congrats to these two magickal souls! ✨

I adore sharing Reiki with others. It’s honestly one of my favourite things to do, and each time the universe always brings the right people together.

Teaching all that I have learnt from my own Reiki master ( / ) and what I have learnt from my own healing journey with Reiki, is honestly such a joy!

I feel honoured to be on this journey with you both 💕

If you want to begin your journey with Reiki, drop me a message. I have some space for Reiki 2 coming next and then I plan to do one more Reiki 1 course before taking some time out to transition into motherhood 🤍

And huge, heartfelt thanks and gratitude to for providing for the weekend. Not sure an apprehensive rescue pup and Reiki would’ve gone so well together 😅