Yin and Tonic

19/02/2026

"Why invest in mentoring and trainings when you can just put everything into chatGBT?."

Because :
🌟I want my knowledge embodied and learnt

🌟I want the skills to support and help people when there is no computer in front of me

🌟There's no way in hell I'm putting peoples health history into chatGBT, de-identified or not (unless it's a rock solid program with ironclad privacy protection, with client permission)

🌟 I value real-people connection,  relationships, and solid foundations, built on lived experience and human feelings

🌟 I value wisdom if the Elders, not AI, which just sprouts all the same jargon and perpetuates the echo chamber that is social media.

This world feels so full of extremes
The pendulum swings in great sweeps with so much information,  it's hard to find a mid-line.

Show me the old witch in the hut by the river that can tell me the 7 secrets to herbal magic
She can tell me a thing or two

I know there's no escape from AI and how it's integrated into everything,
It concerns me that now I don't know what's 'real' and what's not online these days

I don't know if AI has written this book, or someone who has been in their cave bleeding out onto the page

Someone can have a snazzy Instagram page full of catchy hooks and curated selfies
And yet they may know nothing of what they are spruking
It feels like the epitome of shallow, fake, lazy

I'm so glad I did my uni degree with no AI, the hard way. Embodied. Years of research and treatment plans, not seconds of copy and paste
I'll always invest in my skills and knowledge
If you're not living by your values, what are you doing?

09/01/2026

Thyroid medication often normalises TSH — but it doesn’t always fix how you feel.

Why? Because TSH is only part of the picture.

• T4 (thyroxine) = inactive storage hormone
• T3 = the active hormone your cells actually use
• Reverse T3 (rT3) = blocks T3 from getting into cells

You can have “normal” T4 but poor T4 → T3 conversion

Or plenty of hormone circulating, but very little getting into the cells

Common reasons this happens:
▫️ Chronic inflammation
▫️ Ongoing stress / high cortisol
▫️ Nutrient deficiencies (iron, selenium, zinc, iodine, B vitamins)
▫️ Poor gut health
▫️ Other autoimmune conditions
▫️ Mould / mycotoxins
▫️ Heavy metal burden

And if the root cause is autoimmunity, thyroid hormone replacement doesn’t address the immune dysfunction itself — it simply replaces hormone.

I am not anti-thyroid medication.
For many people it’s essential and life-changing.
But it’s not a quick fix for a complex condition.

The real question is:
Why is your thyroid struggling in the first place?
What’s actually happening at a cellular level?

A good place to start?
Getting a clear, complete picture of what your body is doing.

I currently have a limited number of foundational packages available, including:
🌿 Comprehensive blood analysis
🌿 Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)

So we can understand thyroid function, hormones, stress patterns, nutrient status and underlying drivers — not just chase TSH numbers.

Get in touch if you'd like to know more

Em

05/01/2026

One of the biggest things I'm letting go of this year is FOMO

I've done some stupid s**t and spent an exuberant amount of money due to FOMO.

It's connected to the Shame piece,
And the search for external validation,
And a big chunk of Comparisonitis

The antidote is Self Acceptance.

FOMO dominates when you're not clear on who you are and what you want.

2025 felt Overcast... Cloudy... trying on a lot of pants that didn't fit, didn't suit and were pretty uncomfortable ... some I wore for a while, convinced that's what everyone else was wearing.

Clarity, however much desired, eluded me.
I spoke to my mentor about this many, many times! She will laugh reading this.
(Ps..highly recommend getting yourself a mentor!)

It was like a mirage , popping up here and there all over the place , but it would disappear as soon as I got near
Inspiration is not Clarity.
I had inspiration in bucketloads.

2026 is calling in Structure

Which brings in focus, integrity, alignment and letting go of FOMO.
It's easy to say no when you get clear on exactly what you desire
No wasted energy on distraction and Shiney Carrots
And Oh gosh do I love me a nice shiney carrot ! 🥕 🫣

I'm going to be really intentional this year.

Life's too short and too precious to be trying to be anything else but your powerfully unique Self.

What are you letting go of, or bringing in this year?

Love Em

29/12/2025

In light of me sharing more about integrating different parts of my Self...

Its time to talk about Intuition

We all have inherent gifts...
We are often too busy , distracted and compressed by this chaotic , destabilizing world to fully realise and reach our full potential

Nature, and your body, are always communicating with you
We all carry deep Knowing
I'm sure you've felt it.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do, , is sit in stillness and listen. Really listen.
And perhaps the most important thing,.is to take heed and follow what you've heard

The beauty of living in Community
Is that we can be reminded of our Light and our Gifts by others , when we often forget.

I've played small my entire life.
Seeking safety
In fact , my nickname used to be "little cutie Em" .I was acknowledged and rewarded for being small and accommodating.

Carrying a lineage of "be humble" , "be quiet and nice" , "you will be loved if you please and be a good girl", "don't make people uncomfortable" , "no-one will take you seriously ", "how dare you desire that", "prove you're smart because people will judge you by the way you look'.
"Don't talk about Spirituality"
"Don't draw attention to yourself"
"Keep your work allopathic and scientific so people won't scorn your profession"

Oh God, I played the Maiden Role for faaaar too long!

I'm getting too old for that game.

Intuition is one of my Gifts.

And I love that I am in a very unique position to be able to share it...
It pairs perfectly with my work.
In the medicine that I choose for you,
Or rather , IS chosen for you!
In the uncovering and re-aligning that happens when we work together.
In asking the right questions
In looking at you and having a word, plant, remedy or practitioner for you
In things I want to bring into the world
Sometimes its like a lightening bolt , sometimes it's a lot more subtle!

And I cringe writing that . But maybe it needs to be owned.
Maybe it might make you feel less cringe with sharing your gifts too.

Love Em xx

21/12/2025

A taster of my seasonal newsletter... sign up on my website if you're interested to learn more!

🌼 SUMMER! 🌼

The most Yang season - associated with Heart, Small Intestine, and Fire! 🔥

Enjoy the heat, but remember to protect your heart energy.

Rest is not optional - it's medicinal!

I reflect more in my newsletter, but after a month of tooo much .... inflammation/ Yang/ doing... resulting in bursitis, tendonitis, tennis elbow AND a flare up of old micro tears, far out! How's that for a perfect representation of the heart meridian line : chest, arms and shoulders! There was more than one lesson in there for me that's for sure! I'm working on it 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thanks to incredible practitioners, massage with and acu with , and learning (?) to rest 🤣 .

Summer Nourishment:
Think cooling , hydrating, and lighter meals.
Natures intelligence, eat in season ie berries, watermelon (if tolerated), stone fruit, cucumber, citrus, zucchini, leafy greens, mint, lemon balm, hibiscus, hawthorn, green tea.

Love me a good jug of ice tea at this time of the year! But be careful not to overdo the ICE, ie iced lattes, ice cold drinks, alcohol etc as it shut down digestion and deplete the spleen.

Signs your heart might need some extra support this season :

- Poor sleep
- Anxiety, racing thoughts, palpitations
- Shoulder 'stuff' 🤣
- Feeling wired but tired
- Feeling heated emotions
- Emotional overwhelmed
- Not following your dreams

Summer Yin Yoga sequence:

Melting heart
Supported Fish
Thread the needle
Gentle, supported forward folders
Savasana

Give yourself 10-20min ❤️

Feel free to reach out if you'd like some Summer support!

Love Em

13/12/2025

You can see every brilliant practitioner
Do all the things
Take all the supplements and herbs
Exercise
Dance naked under the full moon

But if you're not taking care of your inner dialog
You'll never get the results or relief that you desire.

While I whole heartedly believe that the therapeutic relationship between people / practitioners etc is essential, we are social beings and there is probably nothing better than feeling like you're safe in someone's hands and they are taking care of you 💕

I believe that herbal medicine is also essential (we co-evolved with plants and will always live a life by their sides)
I also believe that exercise should be a foundational modality in everyone's health care.

But, we also need to take responsibility for our thoughts.
Daily. In the spaces in between.

So often, we (I) look for external validation, for something outside of ourselves to be the Key...
It's a surefire path to frustration and disappointment. It's a slippery slope to projecting blame.

If you've ever spent much time in meditation, you will know how out of control the mind can be.
It's a s**t show at times!
"Every day there is new visitor"

If you're familiar with Jo Dispenzas work, you might understand the depth of which our thoughts create our reality.

Check in with yourself.  What narratives are running the show? Conscious or unconscious.

Meditation is medicine . Find something that works for you. Carve out 10min a day.  You know you have time.
Try journaling or free writing.
Try guided meditations like

Notice patterns that show up in your life,  question what thought or behaviour lead to that experience.
"Is it true?"
"Is it helpful?"
Choose a different thought.
Unpack the reasons why that thought has tendrils and prime real estate in your mind.  You might find it's not even your thought!

Lean on plants / herbs / flower essences and healing modalities while you 'do the work'. They will transform you in subtle yet powerful ways.

Share your experience with truthworthy, kind hearted people.  💕
... some of my own thoughts on a Sunday morning 🫠

18/11/2025

"Just eat more fibre"...

Yes... I've said this before. Many times. And often its brilliant advice.

However!
IF you have started amping up the fibre and feel like your gut health is getting worse , rather than better , you're not alone!

Anyone with fructose or FODMAP sensitivities will attest to that. (I'd advise you to look into SIBO if this is the case)

For some people, their microbiome cannot tolerate large amounts of fibre (yet!) , or certain fibres (ie some are fine and some are problematic) due to many reasons...

Most of the time, it's an overgrowth of certain species of bacteria , and when you start feeding them MORE , they can have a bit of a party and release inflammatory metabolites. No good...

It can also mean that you don't (yet) have the right beneficial species to be able to metabolise particular prebiotics.

There are many, many cases of microbiome analysis that I have worked with that explain why some prebiotics are definitely not suitable, at this stage of their treatment plan.

Prebiotics are excellent and one of the best ways to improve your microbiome, BUT, if it's the wrong one for you at the moment, it could cause more harm than good.

*the same goes for vaginal microbiome dysbiosis.

This is why I love to do microbiome testing... we get clear, clinically proven steps that will get you feeling better, not worse!

I touch on this in my Microbiome Foundations Masterclass (link in bio) , and if you're interested in looking at your microbiome , hit me up! It's my jam! 🍎

08/11/2025

07/11/2025

Let me know if you'd like me to do a deep dive on some microbiome results!