After years of not listening to my body, three years ago I decided to tune in. Yes, this may sound like such a simple thing to do, but what I didn't realise is how immense the impact would be. Not only did I feel better physically, but my headspace became clear and I discovered a new me.
As the mother of two, a wife, daughter, friend, and business owner, I found that I was focusing all of my energy on everyone else around me rather than myself. It wasn’t sustainable and I ‘broke’. It was my body mainly – I was eating foods that didn't agree with me and had severe back pain during and after both pregnancies as a result of having no core strength.
I soon discovered Pilates, which changed everything. It was strengthening my body (particularly my core), helping improve my fitness and also helped relieve stress and tension.
However, with my hectic work and life schedule, I found it very difficult to commit to weekly classes. I felt guilty about not going, my body craved it and I started to suffer. I needed to find something that wasn't tied to a schedule, and something that I could do at any time of the day and in any city, as my work schedule saw me travelling with ever-changing schedules.
I had never been a runner, but one day I had the urge to run – so I did. I started to run along the beach and have done every day since. It is now a crucial part of my daily routine, not just for my fitness, but also for my mind. For me it’s time alone with my thoughts; it’s keeping in rhythm to the loud music in my ears; time where I don't have a child asking for something – and my body, as a result, loves it.
My goal setting personality is the Harmoniser, so the kind of exercise that inspires me is all about it being easy-going, balanced and in flow. It’s less about competition for me and my daily movement routine reflects that.
I do about 10 – 15 minutes of Pilates, as I find it helps to maintain my core strength and flexibility, and to improve my posture.
Mediation is a daily ritual for me. It has had such a positive impact on my wellbeing, and is also quiet time in my day.