A letter from Jess, our founder

Sacred Space is a dream born from my life-long fascination with the relationship between plant energetics, how we experience them through our different senses and the elements, our planet and the cosmos – throughout all of which we find the same sacred patterns repeated.

It wasn’t until I experienced personal tragedy, when I lost my son Arlo Swift at 29 weeks to a rare brain haemorrhage, that I fully embarked on my own transformative journey of self-discovery and healing.

In the midst of our grief, my husband and I planned the funeral and what began as a daunting task became a beautiful opportunity to celebrate the short life of the baby we would never see grow up but who would always live on in our hearts. As we had with our wedding in Ibiza, we took time to create a personal ceremony filled with love and joy, letters, songs and poems – and the gratitude that he was our greatest gift. In the years following we have chosen very special sacred places to scatter his ashes and every August, we build a shrine in his memory.

Discovering natural healing methods

As we waited to welcome another soul into the world, I went on a mission to educate myself around natural and traditional healing modalities that could support women through pre-conception, pregnancy, birth and post-partum. I learnt a lot about myself, not only about nurturing on a physical level but in my environment, emotionally, energetically and spiritually.

When I was again happily pregnant, I read books setting out the ancient birth practices that have supported women for centuries and I trained in the Ayurvedic Gentle Birth Method visualisation technique. I received traditional herbal preparations to help my body through labour and postpartum and made it a priority to have weekly treatments including acupuncture, reflexology and creative healing massage, as well as self-care rituals at home to relax and manage any anxiety that came up.

I met many inspiring healers, from yoga teachers and therapists to the doulas who supported my pregnancy and held my magical Mother’s Blessing. My daughter arrived in an unplanned but perfect home birth on our bathroom floor into my husband’s arms. I realised that in stark contrast to my first baby, the combination of learned techniques, expert support and trust in my own body had given me the birth of my dreams. For that, I feel so blessed. Throughout the fourth trimester, I followed the advice of many Eastern cultures, ensuring my baby and I were nourished with healing foods, warmth and lots of rest.

On speaking with friends who had very different experiences, I knew in my heart that there is a deep need for this wisdom to be shared with more women. I feel strongly that we in the West must reintegrate the practices that many cultures still honour, to celebrate and empower women as we move through the sacred journey of motherhood and beyond.

A space to connect to what’s meaningful

I felt compelled to create this space for all you mamas, mamas-to-be and women who want to connect to the beauty and rhythms of the earth, divine feminine intuition and what is sacred and meaningful in your lives. It is my dream that through the alchemy of our creations, ritual, and guidance Sacred Space will bring you some of this wisdom and healing power. Together we can reawaken our sacred interconnectedness and create a better world for our children.

Love and blessings