by Kelly Fisher
Our lives are so out of synch with nature; it’s no wonder that sub-par health and even chronic degenerative diseases are the new norm.
Diabetes, autoimmune disorders, adrenal issues, thyroid conditions, weight issues, menopausal issues, post-partum issues, insomnia, perpetual exhaustion… the list goes on. Chances are you know someone who suffers from at least one of these things, and maybe a few of you know someone for each of the above.
Even those of us who consider ourselves healthy might stagger out of bed each morning, not feeling fully human until we have that first cup of coffee or tea.
We struggle to sleep at night. We soothe ourselves with sugar, chocolate, or alcohol to wind down after a particularly hectic week. We have cravings that we manage with mindful awareness, but that don’t ever seem to go away. We cultivate self-acceptance when we feel too heavy for our frame, but there seems to be nothing we can do about it. If our digestion is off, we either ignore it or manage it with diet choices, supplements and hope.
We may not feel 100%, but no one can really find anything wrong with us, so we soldier on. Until we can’t anymore, or we’re diagnosed with something that can be identified.
How did we get so out of alignment with our natural rhythms that we think it’s normal to be able to shop in the middle of the night, whether at the local K-mart or online?
When my son was a baby and waking a million times a night to be fed, I spent hours and hours online, “entertaining” myself with shopping, surfing, etc. when the natural thing to do would have been to put the phone down and simply relax with him. No wonder my sleep patterns turned to custard even after he stopped waking me every other minute for milk.
Over the course of the early years of my son’s life, I dispensed with what I’d learned over more than a decade studying Yoga and ancient wisdom theories such as Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
I defaulted to a diabolical mix of the imprinting of my childhood and the mode of the prevalent culture.
I self-medicated with coffee, sugar, alcohol, and every supplement known to man. I was constantly snacking and using my phone. I lived with erratic daily schedules, lack of clarity about my priorities, self-imposed isolation when I most needed support and an attitude of just trying to get through by whatever means necessary.
So I got sick. Very, very sick albeit relatively undiagnosably. Never mind the vomiting bouts that happened with frightening regularity and no discernible cause. Never mind about the lacklustre energy and horrific mood swings. Never mind about the inability to sleep. Never mind about the burst appendix.
Oh no, wait. That got my attention. The burst appendix one. Eventually. It did take three days of excruciating pain, more vomiting and a couple of rounds of febrile convulsions but in the end, I did get to the hospital to have my life saved. Something that I am deeply grateful for, I must say.
In the hospital, I had time to reflect and reframe. I had the opportunity to remember myself and to re-align with what I knew in my bones to be natural. Shopping in the middle of the night had to stop. Among so many other things.
As I wrestled with what to do, I felt so much shame at being stuck. For the previous decade, I had been in the position of someone that people looked to in times of need. Surely, I should have been able to sort myself out. I had lots of knowledge from years of study, lots of information from recent research, lots of innate self-discipline and tenacity. Why the Fuck could I not Sort. This. Shit. Out?
So I simplified. Back to the basic wisdom of Yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda. Using time-tested daily habits, I re-aligned my circadian rhythms and took deep care of my body, heart and mind in the very basic ways of our ancestors. And I began to heal. I started sleeping better, and the newly automated simplicity of my life freed up my energy to get back into my life.
The habits I implemented have been encapsulated into a 10-week programme I’m calling ‘Time to Thrive’.
It’s for folks like I was–not feeling their best and unsure of how to feel better. Folks who are ready for simplicity, ease and well-being in their lives and perhaps needing a community of like-minded people to keep them company.
The intention for Time to Thrive is to help you use some tested and proven ideals to find a sustainable pattern for your life that allows you all the energy, vitality and health you need to do the things you want to do. It’s not a prescriptive one-size-fits-all formula to which you must adhere or fail.
As we go through, I’ll offer you ancient theories, modern evidence-based research and the support you need to investigate your own path. Sometimes it takes a supportive outside perspective to help you see your way through all the potential complications to the simplicity that is possible for you.
About Kelly Fisher
Mama, yoga teacher, founder of two Wellington yoga studios, former IT Executive and consistently curious student, Kelly Fisher has made yoga and wellness her vocations since 2005. She has studied widely in the yoga world, crediting Nicky Knoff, Shiva Rea, Simon Borg-Olivier and the Anusara and Embodied Flow lineages with the major influences on her teaching. Minor influences come from lineages such as Iyengar, Kundalini, Satyananda and Ashtanga. In addition to her yoga studies, Kelly has delved into the worlds of Physiotherapy based Postural Patterning with Nik Curry, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Craniosacral Therapy, Neuropsychology and Functional Medicine. She specialises in offering yoga from a therapeutic perspective, tailoring holistic practices that address the mind/body/spirit of the student(s) in question and most recently in Health Coaching from a yoga perspective.
Hey lovely post thank you for sharing, keep it up.