Dena Smith Ellis, Holistic Life Guide

Dena Smith Ellis, Holistic Life Guide Inspiring and empowering others to take responsibility for their health and wellness. Aloha! I also hold a dual certificate in plant-based nutrition from the T.

I'm a transplant to the United Kingdom from the Big Island of Hawaii where I lived in an artistic ecovillage (sustainable intentional community) in a tropical jungle on the slope of one of the most active volcanoes in the world. I now live with my family in the lovely cinque seaport village of Rye in East Sussex. I'm a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach who is passionate about inspiring and empowering others to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing through holistic behaviour change techniques, resulting in permanent lifestyle modifications and thus helping others to live longer and happier. I co-create wellness vision plans with my clients and support them in navigating through life transitions, building holistic resilience and natural immunity support, exploring a plant-based whole foods lifestyle, and discovering one's life purpose. I incorporate Reiki, mindfulness practices, and aromatherapy into my sessions, when possible and desired. I offer individual, couples, family, and group coaching, as well as bespoke seminars, workshops, retreats, worksite lunch-and-learn sessions, worksite wellness program design/consultation, and inspirational speaking engagements. I also mentor health & wellness coaching students, as well as coaches already in practice. I earned a dual certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teacher’s College in NYC, as well as a Level 4 Diploma in Coaching through Qualifi in the UK. I have certifications in therapeutic massage and bodywork from Bellevue Massage School in Washington, US and YogAlign teacher training (RYT200) from Kauai Yoga School in Hawaii, US. Colin Campbell Institute and Cornell University and I was selected to train as a Certified Food for Life Instructor through the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in Washington, DC to teach plant-based cooking classes to prevent cancer, diabetes, obesity, educate youth about healthy foods, and promote corporate wellness. Other training and certifications have included Motivational Interviewing (NCBC Levels One & Two), NCSCT Certified Smoking Cessation Practitioner, Blue Zones Project Power of Purpose Workshop Facilitator, parenting and breastfeeding support, aromatherapy, herbalism, Touch for Health, Reiki, mediation, relationship coaching, and conflict resolution. I also earned an MBA through Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. In addition to the UK Health Coaches Association, I am also a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health and a member of the International Coaching Federation, National Wellness Institute, International Reiki Association, Reiki Healing Association, Chartered Managers Institute, and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. I am board-certified through the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaches and the International Association for Health Coaches. Besides natural health and wellbeing, my passions include playing games with my family, camping, nature walks, wild plant foraging, herbalism, spirituality, bicycling, playing pickleball, life-long learning, adventure travelling, admiring architecture, and photographing the world around me.

Something I’ve Been Growing Quietly… Is Ready to Bloom. 🌿I’ve been holding this announcement close for months.Part of me...
15/11/2025

Something I’ve Been Growing Quietly… Is Ready to Bloom. 🌿

I’ve been holding this announcement close for months.

Part of me kept waiting for the “perfect moment.”
The website.
The first program.
After the holidays.
After life slowed down a little.

And even though I formed the company back in July, I still hesitated to share it.
Some days my confidence wobbled so much that I found myself scrolling LinkedIn and CharityJob listings… imagining how much “safer” it might feel to work for someone else instead of taking this leap.

But my heart kept coming back to the same truth:

✨ There is no perfect moment to step into who you’re becoming.
✨ Things that matter unfold in their own right timing.

This photo was taken 16 years ago, when I was pregnant with my twins.
They were born at 41½ weeks — very much in their time.
And they taught me a lesson I’ve carried ever since:

Big, meaningful things don’t arrive on our schedule.
They arrive when they’re ready.

So… here it is.

🌿 The Wisdom & Wellness Academy (WAWA) has officially been born.

A home for everything I’ve spent a lifetime studying, healing, teaching, surviving, and transforming.
A space for conscious leadership, compassionate communication, inner growth, and real human connection.

Over the next few months I’ll be sharing programs, offerings, gatherings, and opportunities to learn and grow together — both locally and online.

But the first one I’m opening is especially close to my heart:

📘 Guide on the Side: The heART of Compassionate Coaching
A mentoring journey based on my forthcoming book — not just for coaches, but for anyone who leads, guides, supports, teaches, parents, mentors, or holds space for others.

Launching this hasn’t been easy.
There’s been doubt, overwhelm, procrastination… and a lot of quiet inner work.

But today I’m showing up anyway — imperfect, wholehearted, and ready.

Because if I’m going to teach others to trust their inner wisdom,
I have to honour mine.

WAWA is here.
And I’m so excited for what’s ahead. 🤍

Something I’ve Been Growing Quietly… Is Ready to Bloom. 🪷I’ve gone back and forth for months about when to share this.My...
15/11/2025

Something I’ve Been Growing Quietly… Is Ready to Bloom. 🪷

I’ve gone back and forth for months about when to share this.

My Sage self has been whispering, “Trust the timing.”
My inner saboteurs have been much louder:
“Wait until the website is finished.”
“Wait until your first program is ready.”
“Wait until after the holidays.”
“Wait until life is less… life.”

And even though I officially formed the company back in July, I still couldn’t bring myself to announce it.
There were days when my confidence wavered so much that I convinced myself it would be safer to work for someone else.
I spent hours scrolling through LinkedIn and CharityJob listings, imagining what it might feel like to tuck myself under someone else’s structure instead of building my own.

But no matter how far down that rabbit hole I went, my heart kept circling back to the same truth:

There is no “perfect moment” to be who you’re meant to be.

This photo was taken 16 years ago when I was pregnant with my twins.
They were born at 41½ weeks — very much in their own time.
And that experience taught me something I’ve never forgotten:
big, meaningful things don’t arrive on our schedules… they arrive when they’re ready.

So today, in that spirit, I’m announcing something that has been growing inside me for years:

🌿 The Wisdom & Wellness Academy (WAWA) has officially been born.

It’s the home for everything I’ve spent a lifetime studying, teaching, healing, surviving, and transforming.
It’s a space for conscious leadership, deep learning, and meaningful change—
without the pressure to be perfect before you begin.

Over the coming months, I’ll be rolling out a series of programs and community offerings, both locally and online.

But the first one I’m introducing is especially close to my heart:

📘 Guide on the Side: The heART of Compassionate Coaching
A mentoring journey based on my forthcoming book.

And while the word coaching is in the title, this isn’t only for health and wellness coaches.
It’s for anyone who leads, guides, supports, teaches, parents, mentors, or holds space for others.

It’s the kind of program I wish I’d had years ago—rooted in wisdom, compassion, communication, and conscious leadership.
Something that invites all of us to guide from the heart, not from the pedestal.

Launching this Academy hasn’t been easy.
There’s been doubt, overwhelm, scrolling, procrastinating, and more than a few moments where I questioned whether I could do this on my own.

But today, I’m choosing to show up anyway—messy, wholehearted, and committed.

Because if I’m going to teach others to trust their inner guide, I have to honour mine.

So here we go.
WAWA is officially alive.

If you’d like to follow along, be part of the early community, or learn more about the Guide on the Side mentoring program, I’d love to connect with you.

Here’s to beginnings—especially the imperfect, right-on-time ones. 🤍

If you are in Rye this weekend, please consider attending my Gut Health Masterclass at the Rye Food & Wine Festival this...
12/09/2025

If you are in Rye this weekend, please consider attending my Gut Health Masterclass at the Rye Food & Wine Festival this Sunday at 2 pm!
Festival going on all weekend at the Rye Cricket Field.
I hope to see you there!
More details and complete programme can be found at https://www.wineandfoodfair.events/.



Are you craving a little “M.E. Time”?(“Meditation & Exercise Time”)with Dena Smith EllisSOULFUL SUNDAYS at Grounded in R...
19/07/2025

Are you craving a little “M.E. Time”?
(“Meditation & Exercise Time”)
with Dena Smith Ellis
SOULFUL SUNDAYS at Grounded in Rye
8:30 AM Weekly Class

Come home to yourself with this nurturing and empowering class
designed to reconnect you with your breath, body, and inner
wisdom.
M.E. Time blends gentle movement, somatic exploration, and breath-
based mindfulness practices to support nervous system regulation
and whole-person wellness.
Rooted in Dena’s “S.E.L.F. A.W.A.R.E. Yoga” modality—Somatic
Empowerment Liberation Flow Attuned, Wise, Aligned, Resilient,
Embodied—this trauma-informed approach integrates:
Guided meditation and mindfulness
Self-massage & vagus nerve activation
Intuitive movement & postural alignment
Breathwork and embodied flow
Whether you’re recovering from stress, healing from life’s challenges
or transitions, seeking clarity, or simply wanting to start your day with
intention and vitality, this class provides a space to awaken, ground,
and thrive.
All levels welcome

Address

Rye
TN31

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447391775807

Website

https://linktr.ee/denasmithellis

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About Me

Aloha! I'm a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach who is passionate about inspiring, motivating, and empowering others to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing through holistic behaviour change techniques, resulting in permanent lifestyle modifications and thus helping others to live longer and happier.

Specializing in whole foods, plant-based nutrition, addictions, life transitions, building resilience, natural immunity support, finding purpose and passion, and conscious coupleships.

Skills include health and life coaching using motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior therapy, positive psychology, and compassionate communication.

I offer individual, couples, family, and group coaching, as well as bespoke seminars, workshops, retreats, and corporate lunch-and-learn sessions.