16/08/2024
This was a hard post to writeโฆโฆ.my journey to becoming a transformational wellness coach.
Before I began my journey into health and wellness and became a Transformational Wellness Coach, I felt completely lost. I was living on autopilot, numb to my surroundings, and unaware of who I was or where my life was heading. Getting out of bed for work was a struggle, with insecurities and depression driving all my actions and choices. I was disconnected from my mind and body, not even aware of what it meant to have that connection.
Growing up, I was that kid with a big heart, always smiling, laughing, and eager to play. I idolized my older sisters, despite the significant age gap of 8 to 12.5 years. From a young age, my sisters and I were encouraged to be active and participate in sports. I was obsessed with riding my bike from as early as 2 years old, was learning to ski by age 4, and skating by 5. I was always eager to try anything, even if it was dangerous. By age 5, my oldest sister had taught me to ride our horse, and by 8, I was driving our little 80 Honda motorbike. At 7, I started playing t-ball and continued with softball until I was 16. I tried water skiing around 9 years old and loved taking my horse out riding with friends or having some me-time on the motorbike. As I entered young adulthood, I switched from skiing to snowboarding, mountain biking, and even tried a bit of mountain climbing. I was always keen on new adventures.
However, as I grew older, I began to change. There was no mental health awareness or internet/social media back then. It wasnโt until my early 30s, during my yoga teacher training, that I started to understand the roots of my insecurities, anger, and depression. Back in the 1990s, there was no mental health awareness, and I had no idea how or whom to talk to about my struggles. I resorted to self-sabotage, starting with self-harm to feel the pain and eventually attempting to take my life at 17, which led to my kidney disease. To cope, I turned to drugs and alcohol, becoming a pothead on autopilot.
Depression from a young age was buried deep, and I felt uncomfortable talking to anyone about it, not knowing how to express myself.
I had no direction and no idea what to do with my life. I simply cannot describe the feeling of being so lost.
Then, I fell in love with a Kiwi boy and moved to New Zealand. This change of environment was the catalyst for my transformation. I began the journey of quitting smoking ci******es, finally succeeding by 2011.
In late 2007, during a medical check-up for my work permit and visa extension, I discovered I had kidney disease. In 2008, a biopsy confirmed this. A friend gave me a book called "Eating Alive," which emphasized gut health. Inspired by the book, I began changing my eating habits and returned to the gym, influenced by a personal trainer. I even completed two mini-triathlons, shedding 18kg over 1.5 years.
My interest in yoga led me to move to Auckland for an 11-month yoga teacher training certification. This was the seed that planted my passion for wellness, which has since grown through various certifications in yoga teacher certification, Thai massage, personal training, breath coaching, health/life coaching, and numerous workshops. Always striving to expand my knowledge and expertise. As I am currently working on my menopause coaching certification.
Health and wellness require consistent effort and daily work. Life is like the ocean; storms come and go. Itโs how we ride each storm is the learning curve. The past few years have been challenging, with struggles in physical, mental, and emotional health. From enduring COVID-19 lockdowns alone to saying a final goodbye to my dad and beginning my perimenopause journey, my body has changed once again, prompting me to adjust my routines and health practices.
Quitting smoking was one of the significant stepping stone towards a better lifestyle, achieved after several attempts, and I've been smoke-free since 2011. With my kidney disease, I chose to limit alcohol to a few drinks around Christmas and my birthday, eventually quitting entirely in 2018.
I wanted to share my passion for health and fitness and help people change their thinking patterns, just as I did. Since 2012, I've been able to do that, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Talking to people at their lowest points and being part of their transformation process brings me immense joy.
Now, I am in the best shape of my life, both mentally and physically, despite being busier than ever. I have worked hard to understand my emotions, the causes of my unhappiness, and how certain habits can impact my life. Most importantly, I've learned how to fix these issues.
I became a transformational wellness coach to help others overcome health hurdles and draining emotions. I want to help you feel better about yourself, inside and out. No matter how hard it gets, remember that change is possible.
My goal is to continue helping people turn their lives around. This is what I call success. I love coaching those who want to transform their lives, whether it's losing 5-10kgs or creating sustainable healthy habits. Whether the focus is on getting leaner, fitter, stronger, or building healthy habits I love it and can't imagine doing anything else.
Since beginning this journey in 2012, I've been living my dream every single dayโand I'm just getting started. When you're fuelled by passion, why would you ever stop??
