Embodied Soul

04/04/2026

I want to talk about setbacks.

Setbacks happen to everyone. They’re part of life.

You start something, you make progress… and then something interrupts it. A small injury, illness, surgery, life. And for a lot of people, that’s where it ends. They don’t quite find their way back to whatever physical activity they were doing before.
It may be years before they attempt it again. If ever.

So the way you respond to a setback is important.

For me, setbacks make me more determined.

I’ve had a few over the past few years. Just recently I took about two months off running because of a hip ni**le that was causing pain when I ran.

Two months off is a lot.

But I used that time to heal. I kept up my strength training and swapped my runs for walks.

Today, I went for a walk with a simple idea. Just make space in case I felt ready to run again. No pressure, just curiosity.

Turns out… my body was ready to run again.

And something clicked. I remembered how much I loved to run.

And when I say loving to run, it’s not that running itself is pleasurable. It’s actually really hard for me.
But there’s joy in doing hard things.
In knowing that your body can do these things.
It makes you feel good.
It makes you feel capable.

And for the past couple of months, I had been missing that little bit of spiciness that running brought me.

That time off didn’t undo everything. It actually brought me back to my goals. It made me reflect, reassess, and reconnect with what I want. I even found myself revisiting my original goal of doing the 50km Spectacle event this year and asking, is this still possible?

That’s what setbacks can do, if you let them.

I’ve seen this pattern before in my own life. When I first had COVID a few years ago, it hit me hard. I couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t exercise, couldn’t even walk much for weeks. And it made me realise how much I’d been taking my body for granted.

Having a healthy, capable body is not something we’re guaranteed.

That experience pushed me to use my body, to challenge it, and to do the things on my bucket list while I can. That’s what led me to walk Te Araroa.

Then after Te Araroa, I got COVID again.

It was a strange experience. I had just walked the length of New Zealand and was the fittest I’d ever been. Then suddenly I was out of breath just walking back from my mailbox.

That setback brought me to a deeper truth:

Keeping my body fit and healthy isn’t optional. Not being able to walk to my mailbox is never an experience I want to have again. For me, keeping my body fit and strong has to be a serious lifelong commitment.

So I recommitted. If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you’ll know I don’t do things halfway. I go all in. I bought a gym, got qualified as a personal trainer, and made fitness and strength training an integral part of my life.

Setbacks are normal. They’re part of the process.

The real question is, what do you do with them?

Do you use them to reflect on where you actually want to be and what you want to achieve?

Do you let them show you what really matters?

Or do you let them stop you?

When a setback happens, do you come back even more determined?

Or do you give up?

For me, every setback is a reminder of what matters most.

To be strong.
To be capable.
To have a body that can do hard things.

And to never take that for granted.

If you need support finding your way back after a setback, I’m here.

02/04/2026

It’s Aries season now, and I like this energy (my moon is in Aries).

One quality I deeply value in people is decisiveness.

I love people who know what they want, follow through, and do what they say they’re going to do.

Because the truth is, indecision is draining, not just for me, but for you too.

I often get messages like “I’d love to try your class,” and I genuinely want to support that. I’ll tell you exactly what to do next. But if there’s no follow-through, no taking the actions that are needed to get started, then I don’t chase. I don’t follow up, because I don’t have the capacity to hold that energy of “I’m not really sure if I’m ready yet.”

I’m a solo parent running my own business. I don’t have the capacity to carry indecision, mine or anyone else’s.

That’s a boundary I’m really learning to stick to.

Not because I don’t care about people, but because my energy is precious, and it’s reserved for the people who are ready to meet me.

I’m not here to do the heavy lifting for you, including the heavy lifting of organising your life so you can fit this in.

I’m here to be your guide. And you’ve got to meet me somewhere.

So I’m here for the ones who make a choice:
The ones who book in.
Who show up.
Who choose themselves, even when it’s may not be super easy or convenient the first few times.

Because strength training won’t magically become a priority one day in the future when you have more time.

It becomes a priority the moment you decide it is.

If it stays at the bottom of the list, the consequences are real, loss of muscle, reduced strength, loss of bone, less resilience as you age.

But on the other side of that decision?

Strength. Capability. Confidence in your body.

If you’re someone who makes a decision, follows through, and stays committed to it, I will meet you there fully.

I’ll back you. I’ll support you. I’ll be in your corner.

Because I know how full life can be, and I know how intentional you need to be to make this a priority.

And I really value the people who do that.

Send a message to learn more

02/04/2026

I haven’t written an actual blog post on my website for a while. But I wanted to write something about how I’m coping with the current global situation. The feeling of lack and scarcity is in the air, and combined with the uncertainty of it all, this is a lot for many people.

I can feel myself being pulled into it frequently, and so I’m constantly reminding myself of who I am and why I’m here.

In this post I talk about how I use contemplation of the gene keys for self awareness. My ”life’s work” gene key, is all about "radiating prosperity" and that’s what we need more of right now.

When I step into this version of myself, I‘m not in lack or scarcity or compromise. I move into the frequency of competence and towards embodying the beautiful concept of bounteousness.

See the comments for link.

Send a message to learn more

31/03/2026

I had to reduce the weight on my back squat (and deadlift) a couple of months ago because I over-did it on some heavy steps ups and then pushed through the pain on some hill sprints.

I paid the price. After that my hip started to get sore after every back squat, deadlift and run. I thought maybe I needed to see a physio.

But I kept working on it. I kept lifting and replaced my runs with walks. I worked gently with my edge, doing lots of mobility and using back off sets, instead of increasing the weight every time I started to feel a ni**le. Even though I wanted to lift heavier, I looked after my hip and honoured my capacity.

Yesterday was the first back squat back up at the pre-injury weight. And it felt good! No hip pain.

Working gently with yourself does not mean doing nothing. I didn’t reduce my load that significantly. With my back-squat, I only backed off by about 10kg. And with my deadlift it was 15 kg. I am now stronger than I was pre-injury. I listened to my body and kept building strength.

I think a lot of people get discouraged with minor injuries, they stop completely and that’s not often required. Working gently with yourself (with an appropriate load for your injury) not only heals your body, it increases your self awareness.

31/03/2026

Today, for the first time in over a year, I cancelled a class because I was sick.

I’ve always shown up like I had to be superhuman, giving 100% to my business and my clients, even when solo parenting is also a full-time job in itself. I move mountains to be there, even when I’m tired, even when life is full, even when my body is telling me to slow down. I’ve had a pretty rigid approach: always showing up, always being consistent, always committed, because that’s who I am.

And today I realised something: nobody else is trying to be superhuman. Most people cancel when they’re even slightly unwell. I don’t think I have a single client who hasn’t cancelled at some point, and when they do, I am compassionate and understanding.

And yet, I haven’t been giving myself that same grace.

I’ve put the pressure on myself to be the one who always shows up, be the one who sets the example.
To have integrity and do what I say I will do.

And that pressure is a lot.
Today I realised that I can’t sustain it, and if I keep this attitude I will simply burn out.

So today, I gave myself grace. I messaged my clients and told them I needed a day off. I didn’t offer a make-up session. I didn’t try to over-serve or over-explain. The class was simply canceled.

And that felt massive. That I don’t have to be superhuman. Trusting that my clients will understand that I’m human, just like them. Sometimes I get sick, just like they do, and that for today, it’s my turn to rest. It felt like a real act of self-compassion.

Being strong and capable isn’t about pushing until you break. It’s about knowing your limits, stopping before burnout, and giving yourself the same kindness you extend to others.

Today, I learned it’s ok to not be superhuman.

I’ll show up again tomorrow, fully present, without guilt.

Send a message to learn more

26/03/2026

From my experience, most people don’t have problems with their body because they overloaded it or lifted something too heavy.

It’s usually the opposite.

They’ve chronically under-loaded their body… and over time, that turns into a fear of loading it at all.

Progressive overload is actually a very safe way to build strength.

You make small, gradual increases, and your body adapts.

It gets stronger.

But if you never increase the load, your body adapts to that too.

Without load, your body gets weaker and weaker.

I genuinely feel like I can work with almost anyone and help them get stronger.

But the few people I’ve seen go backwards tend to have two things in common:
1. They’re not showing up consistently
If you barely show up, your body just keeps going backwards.
2. There’s a fear of loading their body
They want to stay with mobility work because it feels safer.

Mobility has its place. I love mobility, it’s a really important way to add variety and diversity to our movement diet.

That’s why my classes are called Mindful Mobility & Heavy Lifting.

But we do need to load the body.

And we have to keep progressively increasing that load if you want to get stronger and more stable.

And the thing is, you don’t get over fear by avoiding something.

You get over it by doing it anyway.

That’s courage.

Anyone who comes to me feeling hesitant is already being courageous.

If you’re ready to be courageous and start loading up your body, send me a message about my Mindful Mobility & Heavy Lifting Sessions.

Send a message to learn more

20/03/2026

My deadlifting day is a commitment I make to myself and one I honour, week after week.

It goes in my calendar before anything else.

Over the past couple of months I’ve had a bit of a hip ni**le. So I dropped the weight by 15kg, stayed consistent, and worked right at the edge of what felt safe, not beyond it.

Even with slight injuries, the body responds well to appropriate loading. Not too much, not too little, but enough to maintain strength, support healing, and rebuild trust.

Now my hip feels good again, and 100kg feels lighter than it did 6 weeks ago.

Heavy lifting isn’t just about lifting heavier each week.

It’s about building trust with your body, meeting yourself where you’re at, and keeping that commitment to yourself.

19/03/2026

Yes, exactly.

Everybody gets older.

Not everybody gets stronger.

That part is a choice.

16/03/2026

With petrol prices going up, the cost of living increasing, and uncertainty about what might happen next, a lot of people are feeling fearful.

And it’s understandable. When the systems we rely on feel unstable, it can make the future feel frightening.

But I’ve noticed that I don’t really have that reaction anymore. In situations like this, I don’t feel fear. I actually feel a little bit of excitement.

It wasn’t always that way.

I used to feel that fear. At one point I was somewhat of a prepper. I lived on a block of land where I tried to grow most of my own food. The thing I worried about most was running out of water, so I invested in three massive water tanks.

But something shifted in my perspective after walking Te Araroa.

I started that journey with fear too. There’s a saying that “you pack for your fears”. On Ninety Mile Beach I carried three litres of water because I was afraid of running out.

But when you spend months carrying everything you need on your back, sleeping in noisy huts or a tiny one-person tent, filtering water from rivers, and walking long distances to the next place to rest or the next town to resupply, you start to realise something.

Most of what we think we need, we actually don’t.
And most of the things we fear we couldn’t handle, we probably could.

I realised there is almost always another water source somewhere. Even if you get a little thirsty first. Even if it’s just a small trickle or a puddle that needs filtering.

That experience taught me something about anti-fragility. Not just resilience, but the ability to grow stronger through challenge.

Now, not everyone needs to walk Te Araroa to experience this. Even going tramping for a weekend can give you a taste of it. Carrying what you need, being out in the elements, and remembering how capable humans actually are.

But there are also ways to build that resilience much closer to home.

Strength training is one of them.

When we lift something heavy, we place stress on the body. That stress signals the body to adapt, to become stronger, more capable, more resilient.

Over time, something deeper develops as well. Confidence.

I can handle difficult things.

Movement practices, whether it’s strength training, mobility, yoga, or time in nature, give us opportunities to experience manageable challenge. They help us build capacity, physically and mentally.

And that capacity changes how we meet uncertainty.

When the world feels unpredictable, when prices go up, when plans change, there can still be a sense of calm underneath it all.

Because somewhere inside you know:

You’ve done hard things before.
You can adapt.
You can begin again.

That’s anti-fragility.

And if you’re not already building it, now is a good time to start.

I have space in several of my Mindful Mobility & Heavy Lifting sessions. Message me to find out more.

13/03/2026

𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘

Many women are taught, directly or indirectly, that they do.

So they keep searching… dating… compromising… hoping the right person will finally make them feel complete.

Or they stay in an empty, unfulfilling relationship because they are afraid to be alone.

That’s what this program is about changing.

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𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡
A 5-week program for women ready to stop outsourcing their wholeness and begin feeling strong, empowered, and confident in their own lives.

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💫 What we’ll combine:

💪 Nourishing Movement & Mobility
🏋️ Heavy Lifting (learn to deadlift)
⚡ Explosive Power-Based Movement
🧘 Restorative Yoga
🌀 Embodied Processing (trauma-informed)
✨ Intuitive Energy Healing
📖 Journaling & Deep Reflection
🤝 Sharing in a Small, Supportive Group Environment

This program uniquely combines physical strength, nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and intuitive connection — because true wholeness includes all parts of you.

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🌱 My story

I’m a personal trainer, yoga teacher, Embodied Processing practitioner and Theta Healer.

But before that, I lived this journey myself.

I got married at 19 to the first person who showed interest in me.

At the time I had low self-worth and low self-esteem, and I didn’t believe I had other options.

I stayed in a 14 year co-dependent relationship that I didn’t truly want to be in, because I was afraid of being alone.

After leaving, I spent years searching for a soulmate who never showed up.

Eventually I realised something important:

I was still outsourcing my sense of wholeness.

So I made a radical decision.

I packed my life (and my daughter) into a van and decided I was going to take ownership of it.

I spent years exploring, healing, processing my emotions, and learning who I really was.

I did things I once thought impossible — including walking the length of New Zealand.

Then I discovered heavy lifting, and realised just how strong I could be.

I stopped dating.

I stopped looking for someone else to complete me.

And I started to feel whole, confident and empowered within myself.

Now I help women do the same.

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🌸 This program is for you if:

• You stay in a relationship because you’re afraid to be alone
• You’re single and constantly dating, searching, or feeling incomplete without a partner
• You attract partners who don’t truly meet you
• You over-give, self-sacrifice, or put yourself last
• You struggle to express your needs or speak your truth
• You ignore your intuition and second-guess yourself
• You feel exhausted from trying to make relationships work
• You feel “too much” or “not enough”
• You feel disconnected from yourself or your body
• You’ve been consumed by the idea of a soulmate, or have fallen victim to the twin flame story
• You’re ready to stop abandoning yourself and start showing up fully for your own life

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🌟 You might be the kind of woman who:

• Feels things deeply and is sensitive to the energy around you
• Is strong and capable on the outside but doubts herself inside
• Has spent much of life taking care of others
• Finds herself thinking deeply about life, relationships, and meaning
• Knows she is meant for more authenticity, freedom, and alignment

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💖 Where you want to be

• Happy and whole on your own (a relationship is just the icing on the cake)
• Grounded, stable, and emotionally regulated
• Knowing who you are, what you value, and what you need
• Trusting your intuition and inner guidance
• Strong, capable, and independent — physically and mentally
• Living with unshakable inner strength

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📅 Details

5-week program
Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:30am | Starting after Easter | Motueka

Investment:
$175 early bird (booked & paid before Easter)
$200 after Easter

Commitment required for the full 5 weeks.
No refunds for missed sessions.

Small supportive group.

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If this feels like the right container for you, send me a message.

We’ll arrange a free 1:1 chat to see if this program is the right fit.

12/03/2026