Hope keeps us believing in what feels impossible: healing, return, love, renewal. It’s not always logical, but it opens our hearts to possibility. Even in the face of loss or uncertainty, hope helps us trust in our resilience and find strength in the waiting.
How Do We Not Lose Hope? Read More »
Life isn’t a rehearsal. In motherhood, perimenopause, and beyond, slowing down lets us truly live. I’ve traded rushing for noticing, light through trees, laughter, ordinary beauty. Pause, breathe, savour the moment. Join me in circle, retreat, or session to come home to yourself.
Why Women Need to Slow Down (in Every Season of Life) Read More »
Birth can be powerful and instinctive when we understand three truths: oxytocin needs safety to flow, birth is a sacred rite of passage, and the medical system has its own priorities. With knowledge, support, and preparation, you can create a conscious, confident, connected birth.
What no one tells you about planning a natural birth Read More »
Not ironically, but certainly with the sense of the universe giving us a wise, if forceful, elbow bump, April is Health Awareness Month, with World Health Day on the 7th. It is also International Mother Earth Day on April 22nd. In this time of deep uncertainty, what constitutes health? The world has changed, and it will never be what it was before this. We’re not yet one week into lockdown as part of a worldwide attempt to protect the health of as many people as possible from the physical impact of the virus. But I’m sure that most of us are already realising acutely that health is not just confined to our physical being. Our sense of wellbeing is also strongly determined by our emotional health. And it is also impacted by the mental and physical health of all those around us, or those connected to us. If there is a term that seems to capture where we are at in the world right now – individually and collectively – it is our connectedness. While we speak about the global village, and share our experiences of living in the world via technologies that enable us to connect and communicate across the globe, the shock realisation of Covid-19, but also its potential value is the understanding that our connectedness is incredibly intimate at some levels. That human touch, proximity, interaction, shared space, routine, travel – i.e. connectedness – have made this a crisis that is not just about our individual health, but about collective wellbeing. What it reveals to us as individuals is our impact on one another – on the health and wellbeing of each other. And that the nature of our health, at all levels, extends beyond ourselves – into our families, our friendship circles, our communities, our environment,
Health in the time of COVID-19 Read More »
And just like that, we’re in March, already! There’s already a shift happening in the weather; another season starting to transition. Those of us with children are watching them grow up in front of us faster than we ever imagined. Those of us with growing baby bumps are watching our bodies grow and change constantly. And although we can’t slow any of this down, we can draw out some of these moments to last a little longer by making them more real: by bringing our awareness and consciousness into how we experience these extraordinary, ever-changing movements in our lives, and of everything around us. It’s Human Rights Day this month, on the 21st March. It’s also World Doula Week from the 21st-28th March. Two markers on a calendar of dozens of other entirely random, and sometimes poignant dates that draw our attention to mark historical events, or to celebrate or acknowledge others for their meaning. Both speak loudly and urgently to me at this particular moment in the world, where we are so in need of greater humanity, and the healing that acts of humanity have the potential to bring. And, while this is something we want for all those we care about – for the children we’re about to bring into the world, and for the children and families that we’re already raising and nurturing, humanity is what we want to experience for and towards ourselves too. As a doula and birthkeeper, and as a mom, and a woman, I am part of a groundswell of thousands of other women around the world advocating for the human rights of pregnant women. For their access to humane and dignified healthcare; for their physical and emotional support before and after they birth; for their right to feel safe in the spaces
The human rights of babies & mothers Read More »
\”Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action.\” – Mother Teresa February has been, and probably always will be, associated with love. Whether you celebrate it or not, Valentines Day is difficult to ignore with it\’s commercial presence. If you are pregnant or have children use this time to look at how you care for yourself this month. And, how you care for your unborn baby and/or children. Care can take many shapes… nutrition, exercise, meditation. What can you add to your life that will add value and not noise? Noise is all the ‘stuff’ that is a waste of your time – precious time, valuable energy and it takes away from doing what you really want to be doing. Being on your screen, watching TV, worrying about what could happen, creating anxiety, been concerned with what other people think of you, having too many things to do. What is the noise in your life at the moment? It can change, you have the ability to change it. Make time for you to find out what do you really want to be doing with your time and your life. Find someone who can guide you and shed light on what stands in your way. I am available to any women who are wanting to do their life differently, with more awareness, presence and less noise. Nurturing starts with how we are nurturing yourself, children learn for what they see and what they experience not from what they are told with verbal instruction. We need to be what we want our children to be, without the guilt and shame. Doing our best on any given day. Remembering that our best is different every day, depending on how much
Love Begins At Home Read More »
“To simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak” With the new year comes new opportunities and a new way to see the world and your life! It is a new year and a new month, but that is all that changes… YOU are the ingredient to create a different experience of your life, when YOU choose to. Nothing will change if you are running the same patterns, belief systems and habits. When you take time to reflect (that is what end of December is for, for me), to reflect and look back on 2019, asking yourself; what did I enjoy? What do I want more of? What do I still want to do/achieve? What are the relationships/habits etc that I am wanting to do differently? What do I start with? What is in my awareness calling me to do it differently? Perhaps you want to be healthier? We need to look at what am I eating? Am I exercising? Do I take time to meditate/prayer? And then come up with what do I need to do to make this the easiest and most effective way to succeed? Perhaps creating a meal plan for the week, that way you know what to buy (less waste) and it take the stress out of what to eat for dinner. I have included a sheet for you that you can print and fill in Month, dates and write in lunch and dinner for the week or the month. I haven’t done a breakfast section as we all eat something different and at different times in our home. I trust that this will spark you to do it differently and take one thing that stresses you and organise it, the key is to DO it, to be consistent, be aware
Creating Lasting Change Read More »
As we enter the last few weeks of 2019, take some time to reflect on this last year and all that has happened, changed and that you have learned. Make space to reflect on this decade too, what were the gifts and opportunities, that you have experienced or that you still want to create? As the Chinese saying goes, “we live in interesting times”. Expecting life to be better or easier, is a human illusion, along with linear time, like the calendar. Rather focus on your strength and courage to weather whatever unfolds for the next decade to come. During this end of year time, making time to make memories with your families and friends with whatever you are planning or allow them to spontaneously unfold. Managing your energy at this time is essential. Ask yourself what replenishes me? What can I do or not do to ensure rest and replenishment? Often we need to even say ‘no’ to things that we want to do as we only have a limited amount of time and energy available. The end of year is also about celebrating and sharing and giving, so here is an opportunity. I would love to see each of you ☺ Celebrate with me on 10th December at 1230 at Ishta yoga studio, everyone is welcome. Please contribute with a small plate of eats. Anyone wanting to donate clothes, toys, nappies, etc can bring them to this event, I will drop off at Princess Alice Adoption house on the 17th December 2019. Whatever you do or don’t do, enjoy it and say YES to you, First! My practice will only be closed between Christmas and new year, I am available for you to book for kahuna massage, craniosacral therapy, NLP, and individual Confident Hypnobirthing preparations for birth.
End of the year, end of a decade – Time to reflect, intend and create. Read More »
Everyone is dealing with some aspect that is hard to accept or change. There are many aspects of our lives that are out of our control. I find that when I spend time and energy thinking about what is out of my control I can quickly feel overcome with helplessness and overwhelm. Having the awareness to catch your thoughts before you get to overwhelm is key. The aspects of our lives that are out of our control are; We are unable to control the weather, natural disasters, news, economy, what other people think of you etc The aspects we have control over; We are able to control our attitude and enthusiasm. Businesses that you start/have. Work you do in the world. What you read. What you buy. Where you live. What skills you learn. Places you travel. The last few months I have incorporated a centred exercise in my Confident Hypnobirthing Course to assist parents-to-be. What does being centred mean? How does it feel? Being able to be centred in your life is vital to manage your energy and well-being. It is our tendency as human beings to be scattered and fragmented: we multitask and are busy with too many tasks, thoughts and emotions. We have “to do” lists that seem to grow daily. All of these may cause us to lose our centre and our focus. Being centred is especially valuable when going through the transition of pregnancy, labour, birth and the ongoing demands of parenting. As this is a new role or experience we find ourselves in, we are often negatively influenced and swayed by others and our surroundings. It is important to cultivate our own centre that is aligned, internal, safe and unique. Being centred enables us to observe ourselves and our emotions as they arise within
Remaining centred in trying times ✨ Read More »
