Combining macramé, sound therapy and wellbeing

Aggy Rucin has turned a hobby started during the pandemic into a unique business.

The 30-year-old from Bishopston uses macramé and sound therapy to help people self reflect and enter meditative states.

The business, Knots & Stalks, delivers creative and holistic wellbeing services in Bristol and surrounding areas.

The aim is to give people a place to carve out time for themselves and work through emotions that would usually get brushed aside.

Aggy explains that she started macramé as “a way of getting away form the screen, doing something with my hands”.

Aggy Rucin has turned a hobby started during the pandemic into a unique business

The activity involves making several types of knots to produce decorative textile patterns that can be made into jewellery, plant hangers, hammocks, tapestries and more.

Aggy turned her creations into a successful Etsy business that kickstarted her travelling adventure, where she explored how wellbeing practices could influence her workshops.

After qualifying as a sound therapist, she began mixing a spectrum of activities to create the ultimate wellbeing experience.

Her workshops incorporate the “stimulating, repetitive motion of your hands with sound baths that are lowering down your brain waves into a more relaxed state”.

The sound baths help the brain move away from the stressful state it usually operates in and into the meditative state where people can activate the parasympathetic nervous system.

Her workshops incorporate the “stimulating, repetitive motion of your hands with sound baths that are lowering down your brain waves into a more relaxed state”

Aggy told Bristol24/7: “I’ve been in a high stress job, I’ve been burnt out and had to take a break.

“Sound therapy was one of the things that I discovered, alongside nature, that helped me get better mentally and physically.”

The workshops are hosted at Prior in Quakers Friars, Fancy Plants on Gloucester Road and L’Étoile Studio on West Street in Old Market.

Examples of events include macramé self awareness workshops, massage & sound meditation with aromatherapy, macrame earring making with Prosecco and couples sound massage date night.

Aggy also offers private workshops and hosts birthday and staff parties for people to enjoy the creative processes together.

Aggy says sound therapy has helped her recover from stress

Aggy incorporates the cacao drink as a “ceremonial element” in the workshops, where people have the chance to connect with each other and tune into their senses before the workshop begins.

She believes it is important to encourage self awareness during the activities, saying it’s important to “pay attention to getting to know yourself a little bit better”.

Aggy adds: “[It’s] a wonderful opportunity for people to observe what they are like when they are learning something or facing a new difficulty.”

Aggy’s ultimate goal for Knots & Stalks is to run retreats where she draws on all aspects of her practices, while prioritising being based in nature.

All photos: Knots & Stalks

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