Name: Samantha Taroni
Lives in: I live in Alton, Hampshire, England. It’s a small market town that dates back to the Domesday Survey of 1086, except then it was known as Aoltone. It lies at the end of the train-line to London and if I walk fifteen minutes in any direction I’m in fields or woodland.
From: I’m originally from Frimley in Surrey, which is the neighbouring county to Hampshire. Later on I spent time up north at University in Leeds, before gravitating back down south which is where I am settled with my husband Paul and four cats.
Occupation: I run a creative healing Arts Project called The Soul Shed, which is underpinned by the teachings of the Enneagram, especially those about the centres and the instincts. The creative practices I offer support people in joining the dots between our felt sensing, our creative imagination, and the world around us. Lots of things I love sharing with others have sprung from this journeying! One is my book – ‘Take it to the Trees’ which is about deep-mapping your connection with the trees in your own square mile. You can learn more about my work at www.thesoul-shed.co.uk.
Tell us your first three jobs (ever!):
My very first job was as a paper girl. My route went to some roads with very long driveways and some mean dogs I had to dodge so often it took a really long time, and I arrived back home frazzled!
After that I got a job after school at a second hand clothes shop called ‘Gear change’. (Gear is slang for clothes over here so that’s how it makes sense as a name…) Three women worked in the shop: Stella, and two Sues. Stella was quite terrifying and never smiled. They paid me five pounds a week.
My third job was as a waitress in a pizza restaurant. My worst moment in that job was when I accidentally dropped an ice cream sundae called a ‘Pizza-bocker-glory’ in a customer’s lap. I learned it is a good idea to hold the glass down onto the tray….
Zodiac sign: I’m a Pisces
Enneagram type: Social Type 6.
What do you love about Greece? I spent a wonderful holiday in Greece as a teenager and would love to return. I remember how hot the sand got on the beaches and how I had kalamari for the first time and loved it. I went with a friend called Anna. We lost touch for years but we reconnected recently and I’m actually going to meet up with her this weekend for a walk and a catch up and a pub lunch.
Tell us something most people don’t know about you:
I’d like to tell you about the cats we share our lives with. Cats are the best housemates! Posie is a very wriggly tortoiseshell. Pocket, her sister is a fluffball and makes friends with anyone who visits. Sausage is a rambunctious noisy tabby. and Saucepan is his eccentic poetry writing (we suspect) brother.
Where we are most likely to find you in Lynn’s community?
I’ve discovered Lynn has a whole stash of YouTube content! I adore Kundalini Yoga and use it to supplement my pranayama breath work practice which is an important way iIstay grounded and balanced as a type 6. So you will find me exploring in there!
First time you tried Kundalini Yoga:
It was online – with a practitioner iI discovered called Brett Larkin. She was offering a 40 day Kriya. I’m a self-preservation repressed Type 6, and routine is not my strong suit but something made me want to take on this challenge. The rule she made was that if you missed a day you had to start again, and there was no way I could let that happen! So i did the kriya for 40 days straight, the same kriya, and since then I haven’t looked back. i have a daily practice which has evolved to suit me and now if I miss a day, I don’t feel right!
Tell us your top tip to combat climate change:
Walk more. In nature. Get to know what other organisms are doing life in different ways alongside you. Its much harder to participate in destroying what you have come to love.
Anything else you’d like us to know: