Kaha Mna Fitness & Wellness, Christchurch (2026)

08/03/2026

Happy International Women’s Day 🩷🌸

To all the amazing women out there, always believe in yourself and always be true to yourself.

This life is for living, so grab it with both hands and be your own Queen 👑

28/02/2026

Decision made!! I bought the pale pink ones, but after all your comments, I’m going back to get the brighter ones and I loved Heather’s idea of wearing one of each …… watch this space!

Have you made a decision about our next retreat in May?

How awesome does this timetable look?

🌸 Friday
Arrival mid-afternoon
Welcome, shown to your whare
Nibbles and non-alcoholic drinks
Downtime to settle in
Gentle stretch session
Shared evening meal

🌻 Saturday
Morning Pilates
Breakfast
Menopause talk with Anne
Lunch
Free time: walk, read, rest, massage or simply be
Talk with Sally Duxfield on the female brain
Dinner
Breathwork and relaxation before bed

🌼 Sunday
Morning Pilates
Breakfast and gentle walk
Time to pack, chat and ask questions
Lunch
Depart

Make the decision today, I promise you won’t regret it 😜

For more information and too book your place,
Click Here:

https://mailchi.mp/c2dae39829c3/its-retreat-time

27/02/2026

Which Shoes to Buy!!!! Do you struggle with indecisiveness?

This is just one of the topics that we will be talking through at our next retreat. We only have 3 Whare’s left, so get in quick!

Check out the amazing agenda for the weekend and more details about my shoes (😜) on my latest newsletter:

https://mailchi.mp/kahamna/which-shoes-to-buy

02/02/2026

🌸 Menopause doesn’t happen in isolation — especially if you live with coeliac disease 🌸

Today I am sharing a photo of a younger me with you all!! I am doing this because I wish I knew sooner what I know now about auto immune issues and how they link with our hormones! So here’s some info for you, please feel free to share with anyone that you think may benefit from knowing this ❤️

Hormone-related conditions are significantly more common in women with coeliac disease. Research links coeliac to irregular periods, PCOS, endometriosis, fertility challenges, and even earlier menopause.

Why? When the gut isn’t absorbing nutrients properly, the body prioritises survival over reproduction. That’s why hormone issues often show up before diagnosis and during the early stages of healing.

👉 Fertility & pregnancy can be affected too.
Low iron, folate, and B12 are extremely common in coeliac women, and these deficiencies are linked to infertility, miscarriage, and low birth weight. With an average 13-year delay to diagnosis, many women only discover coeliac disease through fertility struggles. The good news? Studies show these risks reduce significantly on a strict gluten-free diet.

👉 Menopause can feel harder
Women diagnosed in adulthood often start menopause with lower bone density and depleted nutrient stores, which can make symptoms feel more intense. Strength training, along with adequate calcium, vitamin D, and protein, becomes essential for long-term bone and muscle health.

👉 Your gut and hormones are deeply connected
Your gut doesn’t just digest food, it helps regulate hormones like oestrogen and cortisol. If your gut is still healing, symptoms like fatigue, bloating, PMS, and mood changes can worsen. Regular, balanced meals with plenty of colourful fruit and vegetables really matter here.

👉 Nutrient deficiencies amplify symptoms
Iron, vitamin D, and B vitamins are critical for hormone regulation. Deficiencies often show up as fatigue, brain fog, low mood, or poor recovery. Ask your GP for blood tests, supplement consistently if needed, and be vigilant about gluten cross-contamination.

✨ If you have coeliac disease and you’re navigating Menopause, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone. Supporting gut health and nutrient status can make a real difference to how this transition feels.

💬 If this resonates, feel free to comment or message me — I’m always happy to talk it through.

27/01/2026

We’re living longer than ever, but many of us aren’t living better!!

Recent World Health Organisation data shows that over 70% of global deaths now come from non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. These conditions are closely linked to modern life, how we eat, move, sleep, manage stress, and the environments we live in.

Things like highly processed food, sedentary lifestyles,chronic stress and poor sleep are not helping.

None of this happens in isolation. And this is where menopause fits in.

Menopause isn’t a disease, it’s a normal part of the ageing process. But it is a major physiological transition, one that can either amplify existing risk factors… or become an opportunity to change the direction of our health.

During mid-life, hormonal shifts affect:
• heart health
• blood sugar regulation
• inflammation
• muscle and bone strength
• sleep and stress resilience

When we dismiss this stage or are told to “just push through,” we miss a powerful window for prevention.

Education, early support, movement, nutrition and sleep are some of the most effective tools we have.

Menopause is a checkpoint on our journey through ageing.

Ageing is inevitable.
How we age is not.

Mid-life may be the most important opportunity we have to invest in our future health and wellbeing.

So let’s be more aware of what we eat, how we move and managing our stress.

How calming is a waterfall 💧 this is Washpen Falls where we went for a walk over New Year. Sometimes a walk in nature is all we need to have a little reset 😊

25/01/2026

Why do chin hairs suddenly appear during menopause?

Ever caught a chin hair in the mirror and thought,
“How long have you been there?” 😳

You’re not imagining it.

During perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels drop. We all have small amounts of “male” hormones too, and when oestrogen dips, those hormones can get a bit louder.

The result? Surprise chin hairs (often thick, dark, and annoyingly proud of themselves).

The chin is especially sensitive to these hormone shifts, which is why these hairs tend to pop up there, usually overnight and always in the worst lighting.

This is very common and completely normal. You’re not suddenly “turning into a gorilla 🦍 “

Things like genetics, stress, blood sugar balance and ageing can all add to the mix.

If hair growth appears very suddenly or comes with other big changes, check in with a health professional. Otherwise, welcome to one of menopause’s less glamorous party tricks.

You’re in good company, now is a good time to keep a tweezers in your bag 😜💛

10/01/2026

As 2026 settles into a new rhythm, can you feel what you might be needing?

Maybe it’s more rest.
More space.
More time where you’re not rushing, fixing, organising or holding everything together.

So many of us move through life constantly giving, to work, family, relationships, and everyone around us, often without realising how little time is left just for ourselves!

Taking time out isn’t selfish. It’s nourishing.
And it’s something we all need at different seasons of our lives.

That’s why this May (15–17), Tracy and I are hosting a Menopause & Healthy Ageing Retreat at the beautiful Arete Retreat near Levin, a weekend designed for women to slow down, reconnect, and be truly looked after.

This retreat is open to all women who want to:
🌿 Rest and reset
🌿 Learn more about their bodies and wellbeing
🌿 Enjoy gentle movement, nourishing food and meaningful conversation
🌿 Spend time in nature
🌿 And simply be, without expectation

Whether you’re navigating hormonal changes, feeling a little burnt out, or simply craving space for yourself, this weekend offers the chance to pause and refill your cup.

You’ll learn all about how to work with our own bodies and not against them. How to shift gears to enable your body to let go of any excess it might be hanging on to (I’ve let go of 18kg in the last 8 months!). You’ll also hear from our amazing guest speaker Sally Duxfield about what shifts are happening in our brains!

✨ You don’t need to be “at breaking point” to deserve rest.

Spaces are limited, with a $500 deposit due by 28th February (yes we’ve extended the date!) We’ve only got 4 whare’s left!

👉 Here is the link full details and bookings:

https://mailchi.mp/c2dae39829c3/its-retreat-time

22/12/2025

In a world full of AI, here’s the real me 😜 Merry Christmas 🤶🏻🎄

13/12/2025

IT’S RETREAT TIME 🌸

Have you ever felt like your body is whispering (or shouting) that you need to stop?

To rest.
To breathe.
To be looked after.

This May (15–17), Tracy and I are hosting a very special Menopause & Healthy Ageing Retreat at Arete Retreat near Levin — a place designed for slowing down, reconnecting and coming back to yourself.

This is not a “push through” weekend.
This is a deep exhale.

A weekend of:
✨ Beautiful, nourishing food
✨ Pilates, breathwork and gentle movement
✨ Menopause conversations that make sense
✨ Sleep, neuroscience and the female brain
✨ Time to walk, read, rest or simply do nothing
✨ Foot massage / reflexology
✨ And being surrounded by women who truly get it
✨ Guest talks from Sally Duxfield

Held in the native bush, in stunning whare, with log fires, birdsong and space to just be.

This retreat is for women who are tired of holding it all together and are ready to invest in themselves, their health and their wellbeing.

Spaces are limited, and a $500 deposit is due by 1 February.
(And yes — this would make a beautiful Christmas gift from a partner or family member 💛)

If your body is saying yes, trust it.

👉 Read all the details and reserve your place here:

https://mailchi.mp/c2dae39829c3/its-retreat-time

07/12/2025

📣 Save the Date 📣

Does this picture speak to you?
Fancy a weekend away from everything?
Need time to chill and focus on you?
Want to learn more about menopause?
Interested in unlocking the power of sleep?
Pilates, yummy food, walks, massage?

Our next retreat will be on the North Island 😊
Weekend of 15th to 17th May 2026 📅
Give me a thumbs up below if this sounds like a bit of you 👍🏻

More details to follow later this week…..

03/12/2025

This photo means the world to me. It was taken after my brother and I completed the Dublin City Marathon a few years ago now!! It’s one of those proud, heart-bursting days where Mum stood on the sidelines, cheering louder than anyone else. She was our biggest supporter in everything we did, always showing up, always encouraging, always believing we could go further than we thought.

But lately, I’ve found myself thinking about conversations thst i should have had with her in more depth.

I never really talked to my mum in any great detail about her hormonal journey.
Her menopause.
What she struggled with.
What helped her.
What scared her.
What no one at the time had the language, permission, or space to talk about.

Like so many women of her generation, she got on with it quietly. Menopause was something whispered about, endured, or ignored, certainly not discussed around kitchen tables or shared from mother to daughter.

And now, as I walk my own mid-life path, I find myself wishing I had her insights. Not just her love and support, which she gave endlessly, but her lived experience. Her wisdom. Her roadmap.

Because here’s the truth:

✨ When we talk about menopause, we don’t just share symptoms, we pass down strength.
✨ When we speak openly, we normalise what half the population will experience.
✨ When we tell our stories, we stop the silence from becoming someone else’s struggle.

If you still have the chance, ask the questions. Have the conversations. Listen to the stories. Your mother’s journey might hold answers you don’t even know you need yet.

And for our daughters, nieces, sisters, and friends, let’s be the generation that refuses to stay silent!! Menopause is not something to endure alone. It’s something to understand, prepare for, and move through with knowledge and support.

I wish I had known more about my mum’s journey, but I can honour her by making sure these conversations don’t stop with me. 💛

Bit of a long winded post, but it is so important to have these conversations 😊

23/11/2025

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply put one foot in front of the other.
Yesterday, that was me, on the beach, just me, the waves, the sand… and of course Max, who reminds me daily how to live with ease. 🐾💛

As we move through menopause, life can feel heavy, confusing, or unpredictable. Our minds race, our bodies shift, and emotions can swell like the tide. But the outdoors has a way of grounding us. Fresh air, nature, gentle movement, they all help regulate our nervous system, ease stress, boost mood, and reconnect us with ourselves.

And then there’s Max!! Running around without a care in the world. Not overthinking. Not judging himself. Just being.

What if we tried to be a little more like Max?
More present.
More playful.
More accepting of what is.

Wherever you are in your journey, keep moving forward, slowly, gently, compassionately. Hold space for yourself. Breathe. Step outside. Let the world support you.

Here’s to walking the path, one step at a time… and being a little more “Max.” 💚🌿✨

We’ve got this 👊🏻

Kaha Mna Fitness & Wellness

08/03/2026

28/02/2026

27/02/2026

02/02/2026

27/01/2026

25/01/2026

10/01/2026

22/12/2025

13/12/2025

07/12/2025

03/12/2025

23/11/2025

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