Sunshine OT and Yoga

30/01/2026

Early Bird ends tomorrow! Move from survival mode to embodied impact -

I’ve been so moved by the conversations I’ve had with many of you this week. It’s clear that as OTs and health professionals, we are all craving the same things: 

29/01/2026

26/01/2026

On this day- 26th of January- invasion day, survival day- i want to acknowledge the unprocessed grief…and offer a method of HOPE

Because we hold so much~

The 4 tasks of grief.

Grief isn’t just about death.
It’s about change. Transition. Loss of roles, function, identity, safety, connection.
And for our clients — and ourselves — grief is often an unspoken companion. In OT, we walk alongside people navigating invisible losses:
→ A diagnosis
→ A degenerative condition
→ A shift in capacity
→ A move away from who they used to be

The process of grief is not linear — but we can offer a map.

As an OT working with people with functional decline, drastic change, grief and loss, I was searching for maps to help me guide and hold this becoming...I found William Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning, and have reimagined this through a somatic OT lens, can help us support healing that honours both body and soul: I would love to hear your reflections on this?

Task 1. Accept the reality of the loss:

This begins with gentle acknowledgement.
Naming what’s changed — in the body, in identity, in life.
As OTs, we create safety for truth to emerge.
Somatic cue: grounding touch, hand on heart or thighs, orienting to the present moment.
OT lens: help clients process and integrate new realities of function, role, or identity with compassion

Task 2. Process the pain of grief:

Pain needs presence, not pressure.
This task is about feeling — not fixing.
Grief is held in the tissues, the breath, the posture.
Somatic cue: movement, breath, tremor, expression.
OT lens: allow space for emotion, and offer safe body-based ways for clients to feel, release, and regulate, with co-regulation and compassionate witnessing...

Task 3. Adjust to a world without the old self:

This is the rebuilding task — where we help reconfigure life.
New routines, new roles, new ways of being.
Somatic cue: experimentation, feeling into new futures through somatic enquiry and body cues

OT lens: support occupational re-engagement, adaptive strategies, environmental changes, and daily rhythm.

Task 4: Find an enduring connection and move forwards

We don’t “get over” loss — we integrate it.
Help clients honour what was while finding new purpose, meaning, and engagement.
Somatic cue: heart-breath connection, symbolic rituals, storytelling through the body.
OT lens: support meaning-making, continuity of self, and gentle forward motion.


As Embodied OTs, we hold the grief, the body, and the possibility.

We walk with people as they mourn not just who or what they’ve lost — but who they’re becoming.

Save this as a grief-informed roadmap you can revisit in your client sessions or your own transitions.

Would you like a printable HOPE workbook PDF? Comment Hope below, and i will send it to you.

26/01/2026

Curious? If you'd like to connect- send me a message or check out the program page here: https://www.sunshineotandyoga.com.au/the-embodied-ot-program

23/01/2026

It’s okay to let your body set the pace. -

Even after a holiday break, it’s easy to fall back into old habits: pushing, rushing, and trying to fit everything in. But my body gives me signals early — fatigue, tension, stress, fast thoughts, that pressure to keep going.

14/01/2026

Renew You: a day retreat to rest, reset & replenish your nervous system -

If you're a carer, survivor or therapist who is holding alot...There's exhaustion and stress that comes with survival mode, that isn't easy to kick on your own...There’s a particular kind of tired that doesn’t resolve with a sleep-in. The kind where your body feels braced, your mind won’t quit...

13/01/2026

If you're a caregiver, survivor, therapist or someone living with chronic health challenges, and you've been holding so much, there’s a particular kind of tired that comes with living in "survival mode" that doesn’t go away with a sleep-in.

The kind where your mind is busy even when you’re “resting”…
your body feels wired, tight, braced…
and you can sense you’re running on grit, not nourishment.

If that’s you right now, I want you to know: you don’t need to wait until you’re at breaking point to take care of your nervous system.

**Renew You** is a gentle, nourishing **1-day Yoga + Self-Care Retreat** designed to help you **rest, reset, and replenish** — in a supportive space, held with care, and grounded in somatic, nervous-system informed practice.

Expect a day of:
* soothing yoga + breathwork
* nervous system regulation tools you can actually use at home
* mindfulness + somatic practices for emotional resilience
* connection (without pressure to perform)
* deep exhale energy… the kind your body remembers

Here’s what participants shared after the last retreat:
> “I left feeling calmer, nourished, with improved clarity of thought… reduced anxiety… and I had a really deep, restful sleep.”
> “I was more open to connection… and had greater confidence that I will continue to heal.”
> “It doesn’t take much to reset and renew — you just have to give yourself the time.”
> “A day for the body, a day to rest the mind… the outcomes are limitless when you gift yourself this space.”

If your system has been in “hold it together” mode… consider this your invitation to book in **ahead of time** — so you have something to look forward to, and a proactive reset in the calendar (not just another thing to push through).

**Private Yoga Studio surrounded by tall trees and overlooking a lotus lake in Mt Tinbeerwah |
10am–3pm | $249 (includes morning tea)**
*
*Retreat dates:** Saturday 14 March • Saturday 16 May • Sunday 19 July
**NDIS + private health OT funding may apply** (for eligible participants)

***To book: register here: https://forms.gle/s7fFhPLJb2NWygRJ9
or contact Sarita on 0414 898 235 [sarita@sunshineotandyoga.com.au]

If you’re coming, comment **“Renew”** and I’ll send you a little pre-retreat nervous system tip to start your reset now.

13/01/2026

Why reconnection is healing (for clients, and for us) -

In polyvagal language, it’s the ventral vagal state — the calm-and-connected state. It’s the nervous system mode that helps us feel safe with others, present in our bodies, and open to life. In many ways, it’s what makes us uniquely human: we regulate through connection.

05/01/2026

What if you didn’t push this year? A new embodied cycle begins.... -

The Year of the Snake is closing, a time of shedding old skins, releasing what no longer fits. 2025 has been a numerological nine year of completion, and as we step forward, we’re invited to begin again. 2026 is a "one" year, the start of a new cycle, supporting a fresh freedom to move forward al...

23/12/2025

Want to know about Accessible beaches On the Sunshine Coast?

- Kings Beach. Located in Caloundra, it has beach matting, a salt-water pool with hoist access and year-round beach wheelchair hire. The Compass Institute operates a hire service Monday to Friday with a Water Wheels chair suitable for sand and water.

- Noosa Main Beach. A 50 metre mobility mat and wheelchair hire is available through the Noosa Visitor Information Centre. Hire is affordable at $15 for a half-day or $25 for a full day. Chairs are often supplied with alternative wheels.

- Coolum and Mooloolaba Beach. Both beaches offer accessible parking, pathways, beach matting and bathrooms. Beach wheelchairs are often free to borrow from the Surf Life Saving Clubs (SLSC) during patrol hours, especially on weekends. Booking in advance can be beneficial.

Image is my Local - Noosa main beach