“If this was heaven, I had found it and I wanted to pass this feeling on to the rest of the world”
I grew up on a humble farm in an isolated town in the outback of South Australia. When bullied at school, I suffered constant illness and had severe acne for many years. My grades went down as the emotional stress increased. When I reached 20, I was plagued with a chronic back injury, numerous health problems and constantly feeling “not quite right.” By 28, having spent thousands of dollars on my health and feeling no different, I left my University to study Naturopathy with the hope of finding answers. It was here that a little divine intervention led me to experience a unique “energy therapy.” I left this deeply relaxing treatment feeling like I was dancing on clouds. Not an ounce of stress, physical tension or back pain remained. It was a revelation for me. I felt a lightness and clarity in my mind and body that was almost surreal. I felt at peace. I wanted for nothing. If this was heaven, I had found it and I wanted to pass this feeling on to the rest of the world.
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My therapist explained I had released years of unprocessed emotional “rubbish,” the stress of which had been preventing my body from selfhealing. This was a grand “aha moment” for me. The kind where you feel like the universe has slapped you on the face and everything is suddenly clear. In this moment, I knew what I was here to do. After leading hundreds of international guests through detox, wellness and stress management retreats as a holistic spa therapist to the rich and famous, I have been quite surprised to see the number of self-confessed health enthusiasts who are excessively stressed, disconnected and unwell. Asking after their personal histories, it was becoming clear that all the vegetable juice, yoga and detoxing in the world could not make you healthy if you are carrying around a lifetime of emotional baggage. Reframing the concept of wellness to include