Welcome! Thanks for being here to read the first blog post
Since my humble mission is to bring balance in a sustainable way, it seems only appropriate to begin with an exploration of balance…
Google the word ‘balance’ & you’ll find something like this:
“A state of equilibrium or parity characterized by cancellation of all forces by equal opposing forces”
A neutral, safe (but dull?) ‘middle ground’?? And when the word ‘balance’ is aligned with ‘steady’ ‘stable’ ‘stasis’ are we just a beat away from ‘beige’ ‘boring’ ‘bland’?
Firstly, one person’s ‘beige’ is another’s ‘bright red’ which is why my approach is as unique to you, as you are to the world.
‘One size fits all’ doesn’t cut it when it concerns an individual’s personal process to wholeness. I listen carefully & deeply, to honour your journey & to put together the elements that will be most positively transformative for you.
And let’s be clear: being balanced doesn’t mean being dumbed down.
Or not living life to the full.
Or not feeling.
The experiences we encounter can swing from one extreme to the other – especially since we’re hard-wired to feel emotions and we are physically and mentally equipped to do extraordinary things.
I love food. Preparing food, sharing food, savouring delicious flavours… these things make me happy.
Being overweight does not.
I enjoy alcohol. Many happy memories revolve around Prosecco toasts, shared bottles of wine, a cold cider on a hot day.
Being ill, being hurt, wasting opportunities and seeing loved ones limit, damage & ultimately end their life through excessive, persistent abuse of the drug… that makes me very, very sad.
So, if the things that give us pleasure can also bring us pain, should we banish them?
Not necessarily.
Living a life of deprivation, with our inner critic berating us for any naughty indulgences doesn’t sound like fun. If being lighter, freer, happier & more fulfilled is the goal, being weighed down by self-judgement & being miserable isn’t going to move us towards that.
Having the confidence and clarity to make different choices can bring a full, gratifying happiness to body, mind & soul.
Sustainability matters…
Here, I’m talking about both avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance and maintaining something at a certain level.
Let’s take the first first!
I’m passionate about environmental issues and want to contribute in any small way to raising awareness. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we’re all dancing a delicate, and increasingly dangerous dance with our environment. So living our lives with no thought to how our actions & choices impact the only earth we’ve got, is not a smart move.
Balancing our existence with the precious planet we live in may be the finest, most critical balancing act of all. All the details of what we do, how we do it, the food we eat, the products we buy, the companies we support make a difference.
As a Wellbeing Coach I feel it’s important to consider & highlight the wellness of my clients and the planet. The people I work with tell me that this integrated approach and genuine care is a reassuring point of difference.
Finding balance is one thing, sustaining it is another…
Using the yoga pose as an example, one person’s ‘impossible’ is another person’s ‘everyday normal’.
Which brings us back to the point that we have to find the right balance for us. A way of being that fits with busy lives and demanding work & family schedule. That works within the limitations, and opportunities, of where we live, how we live, who we live with, the time we have available and the values we hold dear.
Because if we start something that we can’t continue, the potential for creating more stress, more harm and being something else to be self-critical about is huge.
My working definition of balance…
“a situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions”
And I add “for the individual” to this helpful definition by Oxford Dictionary
Change is inevitable and continual but if the see-saw of life constantly unseats us, repeated resets can be exhausting.
Don’t we need flexible tools and an approach that creates sustainable results?
If there’s anything stopping you from experiencing wellness, peace & joy get in touch. I’d love to help.
Denise made me a personalised hypnotherapy recording for help that I needed with anxiety and a good night’s sleep. It has been invaluable – the gentle reminder that you need when the going gets tough. Her dedication to get to the root of the issue and figure out the best way forward is a breath of fresh air.
Ah Sadie, it was such a pleasure to support you! Looking back on the timings of our chats and the audio, seems like things have slotted into place for you with work too. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. Follow along and see you here again soon. Balanced blessings from over here x