Blog
Handing over the Mask
Who are you, no, who are you really? Outside of what you post on social media, outside of that perfect facade you have on at work or in public. Who are you behind the mask? A few years back I was the master mask wearer!
Ground yourself
Grounding is a practice that involves connecting with the Earth's natural electrical charge by walking barefoot on the ground. Often in life, especially in winter, we wear shoes which insulate us from the grounding ability of the earth. We sleep in beds that prevent our connection, driving in cars that are insulated from the earth. Life is becoming more and more disconnected from the earth, and especially in winter! It is no wonder our body could see this as a deficiency.
I like to move it move it
I’ve realised just recently that I don’t actually do all that much exercise myself at the moment. While I’m not a total couch potato, I’m not actually where I want to be physically. I want to feel strong and good in my body. I know it will help my energy levels when I do it in a way that honours my body, and I want to be a good example to Benny. I also have a desire to get out exploring some of the incredible hikes around New Zealand and I know I need to be much stronger and have improved cardiovascular fitness to achieve that! So while I’m working out how it will all fit together, and developing the discipline to make movement part of my every day for me, not just when I’m teaching, here are some things I’m keeping in mind…
Living my best life, in Vietnam
Around this time 12 years ago i was winging my way to Vietnam. I was coming up to my 30th birthday and life was looking nothing like I expected it to. Something about 30 make me so aware that life hadn’t gone to plan, and I totally dreaded it, wanted to avoid it and run away. So I bought tickets to Vietnam, and turns out it was the best thing I could have done.
Six immune boosting tips
Your immune system is essential to staying well, and if you have a preschooler in the house like me, you need all the support you can get!! Especially over the winter, but honestly it seems like it is all year round at the moment.
Last night I started singing
But lately I’ve really started missing it. Something in me is crying out for music to be released again. I know it’ll take some intentional changes to bring music into my life, but hopefully through that music can start coming out of it too! It is a part of who i am. A part that has been neglected too long. I don’t want to make myself smaller, make myself less for the comfort of someone else any more, no matter how much i love them. I’ve done i before and it really doesn’t end well. I want to shine again. To let my heart song be heard again.
My top 5 tips to go from surviving to thriving this winter
I used to HATE winter! I would dread it and long for the spring to come. Especially the time I spent in England. Getting to work while it was dark, getting home when it was dark, the dark grey days with little hint of the sun. The thing that started getting me not hating winter so much, or even looking forward to it, was learning to snowboard. It gave me something to look forward to. While I know snowboarding is absolutely a luxury that isn’t within reach of many, I learned some important things through that experience. Here are some of the things I learned, that will hopefully help you survive, and even thrive this winter.
Embracing the Ups and Downs: Lessons from Relationship Challenges
Coming out I was broken. Completely and totally. So far from the person I was made to be, the person I wanted to be. I had completely lost my sparkle, and I didn’t even know how to dream any more.
What is Your Rich Life?
What is your rich life? Everyone has a different rich life and what appeals to me might not appeal to you, and vice versa. Clothes are not my thing. Neither is having a flash car. I don’t have to stay in fancy hotels or eat at the most epic restaurants. But travel, that is my rich life! Time with my family, definitely my rich life.
Hydration: The Fountain of Youth for Your Body and Mind
I was talking to one of my clients the other day about the importance of staying properly hydrated, and it got me thinking, not too many people understand what happens on a cellular level when you haven’t had enough to drink, or how electrolytes can be an important part of staying properly hydrated. So, here is your chemistry and biology lesson for the day!
Take me back to Africa
Eleven years ago I was exploring East Africa. While there hasn’t been much in the way of travel in my life lately it’s nice to look back and remember the adventures.
Te Whare Tapa Whā
Often times Western medicine has focused on the physical being and the treatment of disease, to the detriment of the other aspects of our being, but te whare tapa whā takes into account other elements that impact our health and wellbeing. It is basically the four walls or pillars of our house, our being. It shows an understanding that when one wall is negatively impacted, the whole house suffers. It is looking at the person as a whole. All walls or pillars in our life need to be strong for us to be our best self. All of these pillars are interlinked, and can affect each other.
Are we crazy?!?!
Are we crazy? Maybe. Depends on how you look at it. Why am I asking this? Well, my husband David and I are in the process of putting our house on the market and buying a caravan to live in full time.
Dear Erin, I forgive you…
I forgive you for wearing your masks. For feeling like you couldn’t put them down. I’m so proud of you for being willing to give them up. You are so brave.
Love letter to myself
You’re incredible, I wish you believed that! I think of all the things you’ve done and I’m blown away. I know you know all this but just pause for a moment and really let it sink in…
Southland break away
How good is a holiday?!?! A couple of weeks into the new year we headed down south for a bit over a week. So good to slow down and do so many of the things to fill my cup. I love sharing my photos and occasionally I’ll share a blog like this, with not many words and loads of photos. I hope you enjoy looking as much as I love sharing.
Why I decided to change up my diet
Which brings me to the last six months. I want to look after my body, I want to feel good in it and have energy, but for some reason it felt too hard. A rough nights sleep would leave me craving sugar and fried foods to give me the energy boost to get through the day. Not being organised enough to do the grocery shopping before we were totally out of food meant I often resorted to the lazy options, fried processed food from the freezer. I never felt great afterwards even if they were tasty at the time. I ended up spiraling down a little before the end of the year, eating all the things that don’t benefit me long term, Including dairy milk chocolate which my skin is still paying the price for nearly two month later!
My word for the year… what is yours?
For many years I’ve been fascinated with the concept of minimalism. Not the extremes of it but definitely the concept, and how less things means less stress, less to tidy up and clean, and less decisions to make. However it wars with my desire for nice things. Especially when it comes to toys for Benny! I love a clean and tidy house, but the more things you have the harder it is to maintain that. The more clothes you have the more decisions to make about what to wear.
how to become sleeping beauty
So many things are interrelated when it comes to your health and wellness goals but one of the things I find is critical is sleep! It’s not just the number of hours you spend in bed but also the quality of your sleep that matters. For me when my sleep goes, my eating goes, my exercise goes (well as much as it can at the moment while i’m teaching!), things that bring me joy slip from my life and ultimately my mental health as well as my physical health goes. Stopping the downward spiral can be challenging but SO so rewarding!