My Journey
FOLLOWING THE QUESTIONS
I’ve always been curious. I have been told that the first word to come out of my mouth was “why?”.
As I look back I can see that certain key questions have been the signposts for my life path. My earliest memory of asking these questions (in a simplistic, childlike way) was when I was 5. Here are some of them:
• What does it mean to be truly healthy in mind and body?
• What does it mean to be fully human and fully alive in our body?
• How can we create a meaningful, happy life?
• Why do people do what they do? What motivates behaviour?
• Why do some people reach their goals while others just talk about their dreams?
I haven’t got all the answers but I’ve definitely picked up a great deal of useful strategies along the way. I’m still intrigued by these questions and enjoying dively deeply to discovering more.
EARLY YEARS
I grew up in a small town about 50 miles from London and I recall spending much of my childhood with my head stuck in a book.
At 11 I read a book about Hatha Yoga and started practicing in my bedroom. At 12 another yoga book showed me basic meditation and pranayama (yogic breathing) techniques, which I practiced daily.
By 13 I was devouring books on natural health, in particular those about diet and nutrition. My enquiry into yoga also led me to find books on fasting and I experimented with a weekly 24hr fast from the age of 14. The first personal development book I read at 15 was the classic “The Road Less Travelled” by M. Scott Peck.
I moved to London and enrolled in university to study business studies followed by a post-graduate degree in finance. Whilst at university I taught myself accelerated learning techniques and spent a lot of time learning about cutting edge advances in the brain and mind. A short but fun career in corporate banking followed, but the excessively long hours made me rethink my direction in life.
GOING DEEPER
Whilst still working in banking I reunited with my passion for health and healing and was seriously pursuing my own personal development. All of my free time was filled with growth-related workshops spanning a whole spectrum of topics including transpersonal psychology, gestalt, tantra, fire-walking, breathwork, bodywork, intuitive development, past lives, kiniesiology, reiki, and colour healing. It was certainly quantity over quality yet this stage was an important phase of my development.
I left banking to start a doctorate in corporate strategy at London Business School but I soon realised it wasn’t for me. So I took a year off to do a round-the-world trip with my then-partner. This was transformative in many ways, not least the 3 months we spent in India at various ashrams and yoga retreats.
SPECIALISING
When I returned to London I embarked on another PhD, this time in psychology. I was particularly interested in finding answers to this question, “why is it that some people thrive under stressful and difficult circumstances?” I spent 5yrs working on this question and came away with my doctorate and some deep insights into managing stress and creating a healthy life (relaxation techniques were not on the list).
During this time I also trained as a nutritional therapist and developed my teaching skills by lecturing part-time at various London universities. My inner development continued, but now with a more defined focus on specific areas such as meditation, mindfulness, brain states via 3yrs of biofeedback training, mind-body medicine, and energy medicine.
EMBODYING
Since 1997 I’ve been sharing everything I’ve learned about health and wellbeing in my work as a coach, trainer, speaker, and author. During 1999-2001 I did an intensive training in energy healing, so this therapy was added to my private practice.
Being committed to learning I’m always taking further courses in order to deepen my ability to serve others. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of training in sound healing as well as trainings in Non Violent Communication.At times challenging, and at times deeply rewarding, I consider it a privilege to be able to assist people in making positive changes to their life.
STRUGGLES
One of my teachers (I’ve forgotten who) said that you can only take people to places where you have been yourself. I believe what we personally struggle with in life – once worked through and integrated – become the deepest offerings we can share with others. A few of my personal struggles have been:
• Giving up smoking, which took me several years of ‘failures’ before I finally discovered my personal key to let it go. This taught me a great deal about the necessary components for anyone to create lasting change in any area of life.
• A hormonal imbalance that produced several unpleasant symptoms until I finally fully committed to making the diet and lifestyle changes necessary to keep myself balanced and happy. As long as I listen to my body’s needs I remain joyfully symptom-free. This taught me that diet and lifestyle changes can require several steps to achieve full integration.
• Regular periods of burnout and exhaustion from managing my physical, mental, emotional energy in less than optimum ways. This taught me many deep realisations about my beliefs and patterns that weren’t serving me. It also meant I developed the specific energetic practices I do daily to keep myself vibrant and energised.
• A long journey from being the Queen of Self-Criticism to reaching the point of genuinely liking myself, shortcomings and all. This lesson taught me a lot about compassion for self and others.
GIVING BACK
Giving back is one of the most rewarding activities I’ve engaged in. My contributions reflect my personal experiences and life challenges.I am particularly interested in supporting young people, especially those at risk.
I am also a big fan of microfinance, because it changes lives by providing funds for small businesses to grow. My other passion is education – in particular for girls and women in those parts of the world that struggle to have access to it.
WHAT QUESTIONS HAVE GUIDED YOU?
Perhaps, like me, you can see that certain questions have guided your life as well. If so I would love to hear about it. You can add a comment below.