Clarity Wellness - Naturopathy

08/11/2022

Oh to be womxn, it can be overwhelming!

To honour our monthly cycles and to experience the release of culminated energy…

How lucky we are to have the chance each month to clear the slate. To start fresh.

Release what must be released!

Your menstruation is impacted by many physical and chemical factors, but so little is talked about the energetics.

What energy and experiences are you releasing from this cycle? 👇🏼

29/09/2022

As the week draws to a close, I am reflecting on my own daily practices to support my mental + emotional wellbeing.

Do I really do things each day to support myself?

How can I make space each week for presence?

I've decided to challenge myself to do my own 'Mental Health Awareness Week' at the beginning of each month.

Following the structure on mhaw.co.nz (which is still available), I'll dedicate each day to a new 'reconnection.’

That's the thing, isn't it?

We are never lacking, we just need a chance to RECONNECT.
_______

For those who want to follow along:

Monday
— reconnect with yourself

Tuesday
— reconnect with a friend or loved one

Wednesday
— reconnect with a special place

Thursday
— reconnect with your community

Friday
— reconnect with nature

If you’re wanting to download any further FREE resources, I have linked the websites in my bio 🤍

Aroha mai, aroha atu.

Love received, love returned. Practice giving and receiving, especially with yourself and your inner world.

Let me know if you’ll be checking in with yourself monthly 〰️

02/08/2022

Go slow and don’t stop! This is a message on perfectionism for all the new biz practitioners who follow me…

Do you hesitate before clicking send or publish??

Particularly in the social media realm, it may feel overwhelming for many trying to keep up with producing posts and reels on top of case work and other roles in the natural health industry.

I say this with confidence, because I’m right there with you.

I have a list of non-urgent blogs and posts and videos that are slowly piling up. Many things I want to speak on and share.

But I worry about the lighting, the words, the background (is my house aesthetic enough?!), and silly things like whether or not I should wear makeup.

The same applies to casework. We worry over the perfect treatment plan, the right phrasing, tossing up over two nearly identical products or formulations.

Done is better than not-done.

I heard a great quote the other day while watching a video on minimalism and decluttering (niche, I know).

It was:

“Go slow and don’t stop.”

Go slow and don’t stop… I mean this in context of WITHIN your work hours. When you’re sitting down to do things, HOLD THE PACE.

This is going to help you get things completed and out into the world.

Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. People want to connect. No one can see all the good ideas you have in your brain until they are realised and materialised. So get your stuff out there.

Slow and steady.

Let me know if that resonates.
____________________

02/08/2022

Recognising Depression

For the most part, depression presents itself as any normal person. We might expect to see someone upset or sad… but most mental health challenges are hidden.

While symptoms aren’t often hidden on purpose, it can be very hard to spot.

It’s important to note that anxiety and depression often go hand in hand, however they can present very separately and have quite distinct ’symptoms.’

Symptoms of depression may include:

- withdrawing from socialising
- altered sleeping patterns
- sleeping all the time and/or insomnia
- finding it difficult to take care of basic needs (eating + hygiene)
- easily loosing train of thought
- poor concentration + memory
- doesn’t necessarily want to talk about issues
- hard to feel emotional extremes (joy, anger, etc)
- dissociation
- numbness (physically, mentally)
- easily losing track of time

Depression can spiral into many different emotions because of it’s social repercussions.

Embarrassment and shame predominantly.

This is often why it is so hard to talk about. Opening a safe container for the people in your life you might be worried about, and those who seem like ‘normal,’ may just save someone’s life.

If you’re going through it too, don’t put pressure on yourself to hold space for everyone else.

Get in your life boat first x

23/07/2022

A refreshed space 🤍 There are a few little changes going on behind the scenes, including a website upgrade that will make this space a little more interactive and exciting.

Creating a clear and safe container for your wellness.

Website will include our journal (blog) and potentially a little store… 👀

Things are slowly unfolding. There is a timeline for everything, and sometimes it can be so hard to stop pushing and hand it over to the universe … but that is where the real magic happens.

The right things will always drop in, at the right time.

Trusting, flowing, enjoying.

____

What are you working on / evolving this year?

19/07/2022

Okay ladies… I’m calling you out! Convenience might be disrupting your hormones.

So many of these things we reach for out of necessity, budget, tiredness, convenience and habit.

But there are MANY hidden endocrine disrupters in the products we use EVERY day. These may be impacting your:

- hormone balance
- inflammation levels
- PMS symptoms
- skin
- sleep
- mood

This doesn’t mean you have to change your whole life around, but it does mean taking a look at your current products and making a few smart switches.

Here’s how to reduce your toxic load:
✨✨✨
(And support happy + healthy hormones)

1. Swap your plastic drink bottle to stainless steel, swap your plastic containers to glass with a bamboo top 🎋

2. Get rid of your Teflon non-stick pan 👀 I’m serious. Go for ceramic or stainless steel, and use quality oil (olive or sesame) to cook.

3. Swap your deodorant to aluminium-free (I recommend Only Good from the supermarket) 🦋

4. Stop wearing so much perfume! 🛑 It’s pretty poison. Go for a natural body mist, rose water or essential oil blend on the wrists.

5. If you’re experiencing inflamed skin, bad gut or stubborn weight, stop punishing yourself with high cardio or HIIT. Go for weight training 😌

6. Buy more natural versions of your favourite body products. The high fragrance and SSL (sodium laurel sulphate) is messing with your hormones AND your vaginal pH 🙈 (I recommend Only Good, Ethique, Thank You, Eco Store, etc)

7. Get off your phone 💅

8. Stop skipping breakfast! 🍎 You’re sending your blood sugar on a roller coaster and forcing your body to rely on stress hormones for energy.

9. Don’t be afraid of healthy fats. They are needed for healthy cholesterol levels, and cholesterol is needed for hormone production. A thumb sized portion in each meal 🥑

10. Don’t reheat food in plastic just because you’re tired!

xx

15/07/2022

What does wellbeing mean to you?

The meaning of wellness to me, is a deep state of peace. It’s the sense of ‘okay’ amongst the inevitable chaos of life.

It’s messy hair and a hot tea. It’s feeling centred in my body and light and flexible in my mind. It’s my connection to nature, and to my intuition.

It is the beauty of our cycles. The way my mood and body shifts with the different seasons.

It’s SO much more than just the physical… that takes up only a small percentage of wellness for me. Though the comfort I feel in my body is intrinsically linked to space I’m at in my mind.

Where my emotions go, so too does the rest of me.

My whole feeling of self, my spirit or my essence you could call it, is the biggest part of my world right now.

I’m focusing nourishment into this corner of wellness for the time being.

So here is your reminder:

Nurturing ALL parts of ourselves is the key. Find what needs your time and energy right now.

Shift as your body shifts, move as your mind moves.

______

What does wellness mean in your world?

06/07/2022

Our healthcare is a colonised system.

Yes, I said it. The way in which we practice medicine and provide care for patients in this day in age is framed and limited by Western society - following linear structures, cookie-cutter health outcomes and “regulated” drugs.

Our elders, our tohunga, our indigenous healers, our doulas and our herbalists have been silenced.

The way in which medicine used to be practised, has long since been colonised.

We have lost:

- whole body healing
- placing value on mental and spiritual health
- traditional medicines that have been used for thousands and thousands of years
- intuitive healing
- finding and treating the root cause
- preventative care
- patient empowerment
- uniquely tailored treatment protocols
- education and sharing of knowledge
- herbal medicine
- nutrition and cooking as medicine
- community as medicine
- self-awareness
- self-responsibility

And more…

We are SO reliant on a system that does not support our whole wellbeing.

Now more than ever, is a powerful time in history to CHOOSE your health journey. To choose your medicine and your outcomes.

Return to your roots, your whakapapa, your family, your elders, your medicine men and women.

So long as nature exists, you will always have a choice.
___________

02/07/2022

I always like to split EMOTIONAL wellbeing from MENTAL wellbeing. Why?

I feel this honours dual aspects of ourselves.

Both the creative and logical hemispheres of our brain.

The impulsive vs analytical.

Are you nurturing each? And do you see them as different or the same?

My most favourite pillar of all, our SPIRITUAL wellbeing, is often underrated and avoided.

People don’t like to talk about spirituality unless they are in similar circles. We are so worried about ruffling other peoples feathers with our unique beliefs.

Spiritual wellbeing is so personal… so why should it affect anyone else?

My own sense of spirituality has been called upon recently, with a clear message to make room for DEVOTION.

A commitment to my inner world.

We schedule fitness classes, nutritious meals, therapy and social events… but do we schedule anything for our spirit?

Regardless of your beliefs, religion or denomination…

Do you make time for that part of yourself?

Your beliefs are ESSENTIAL to shaping your sense of purpose in the world.

If you don’t know what your beliefs are, start somewhere. Go to different events, talk to people of different faiths, brainstorm your values, and make TIME.

What are your thoughts on spirituality?

Do you have practices or prayer that connect you to something greater than yourself? 🤍🤍

I’d love to know 👇🏼

01/07/2022

The biggest component of my certificate with is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

It has been a huge learning curve for myself, as someone who verges at times on the ‘Type A’ personality.

Moving into a space of ACCEPTANCE versus a space of CONTROL can feel pretty uncomfortable.

It’s important to recognise the space you’re in first, before anything is actioned.

Acceptance first.

Action will come.

A huge lesson for me in many areas of my personal life, and I know for many of my friends and clients.

Have you used ACT therapy before??

14/06/2022

What happens when our thoughts ‘fuse’ with our sense of self?

Answer:

Our self-worth goes down and oftentimes we can get trapped in rumination and anxious overthinking.

Identify your own “sticky thoughts.”

What goes around and around in your conscious (or subconscious) mind.

Identify and diffuse.

Step back, look at the thought as a visitor in your house.

This thought is always a visitor, not a resident. You can let them stay for a cuppa and then politely tell them to go.

Your thoughts are not residents. You don’t need to evict them, just give them a moment to be seen and move on with your day.

This is going to take time.

11/06/2022

What if we looked at growth a little differently? It doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.

Yes, beyond the comfort zone there is expansion and evolution. But beyond that again, is burnout and consistent unhealthy stress.

We need a certain amount of (healthy) stress in our lives to drive us and DO things.

Much like we need elevated cortisol levels to wake us up in the morning.

But there is a sweet spot for growth.

You don’t have to be exhausted!

You get to be comfortable and grow too. The growth zone is where that happens.

It is a space of > and it gets to feel good if you choose.

Recognising your energetic capacity is key.

Say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ accordingly.

Capacity makes way for expansion, AND makes sure it is sustainable.

🙌🏼

10/06/2022

It can quickly become confusing when goals blur with values.

The way we move through the seasons of our lives is dictated by the values we hold.

Making conscious choices based on the foundation of your values will allow to live a purposeful, fulfilling and expansive life.

Beyond just moving from this space, are you RECEIVING from this space?

Are you accepting opportunities that come your way from a space of your values?

This links right back in with boundary setting.

If you are moving from a space of your values, but not receiving from a space of your values, what can you do to change this?

This all ties in with honouring and respecting yourself and your worth.

A journey for us all 🤍

28/05/2022

Definitely been feeling this ‘perfection paralysis’ for years. It has stopped me from beginning projects, finishing projects, applying for jobs, and even just messaging people back.

Most of us know that the idea of being “perfect” is unrealistic. And yet, we set the bar for ourselves unreasonably high.

How are you holding yourself back by need for perfection (and control)? 🤍

Ps - Bonus slide on sympathy vs empathy at the end.

These are all prompted by discussions in the Advanced Certificate of Mental Health with PREKURE

22/05/2022

So what is coaching? Answer: a very important part of Naturopathic appointments.

It is the encouragement to move forward into the next version of yourself.

For those currently struggling with their mental health, there may be discussion around seeing a therapist. As a naturopath I will always refer when someone’s case is beyond my scope of practice.

I want you to feel safe in my hands, and in the hands of your whole health team.

Coaching focuses on acceptance of the present and direction of change.

Making those changes SUSTAINABLE is essential, which is why we work together to figure out what will work best for you.

18/05/2022

I’ve started studying again and I couldn’t be more driven and passionate about the topic. This is something that affects everyone, in varying degrees and through varying parts of our lives.

Mental wellbeing.

I’ve been looking for something like this for a while, but the Advanced Certificate in Mental Health from has framework and content that feels valuable and incredibly relevant.

Each week I’m going to share little snippets of our live labs. Mainly points that have stood out to me, but a mixture of things others may find valuable too.

Please note - trigger warning:

The final slides talk about self-harm and su***de. Please avoid this if you are not in a safe space right now and reach out 🤍

I will be sharing on some heavier topics, but keeping the info short and concise.

I will always note ‘trigger warning’ where needed.

Discussion around this is a very important part of the healing process. Let’s keep the conversation going x

19/04/2022