10 Reasons You Need To Try A Float Tank
10 REASONS YOU NEED TO BE FLOATING (like yesterday)
18 / SEPTEMBER / 2024
SHEREE'S HEALTH DIARIES
Floating has become increasingly popular in recent years, for all kinds of reasons (many of which are listed below). If you’re not sure what floating is… healthline defines it as “a sensory deprivation tank, also called an isolation tank or flotation tank, is used for restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST). It is a dark, soundproof tank that is filled with a foot or less of salt water.”
That salt water is Epsom salts which allows you to float atop of it and contain high doses of magnesium which is part of what provides such amazing benefits.
I remember being a little nervous about getting into a pod, I’m not overly claustrophobic, but hey… still a bit strange. However, closing my eyes and shutting off from the world for an hour was incredible. I make sure I go at least once a month. My favourite local one is Infinity Float (who have also given me a discount to pass onto you for 20% OFF: ‘SHW20’.
10 REASONS YOU'LL LOVE FLOATING
- Reduced Stress + Anxiety: floating in a sensory-deprivation tank induces a state of deep relaxation, helping to alleviate stress + anxiety and promote a sense of calm for the nervous system (aka reduced cortisol)
- Pain Relief: the buoyancy of the saltwater can ease muscle and joint pain, making floating a therapeutic option for those with chronic pain conditions - loved this for my knee!
- Improved Sleep: regular floatation sessions have been linked to better sleep quality... Hello, you are floating in 550kg of magnesium, and I slept like a baby after mine
- Enhanced Mental Clarity: sensory deprivation allows the mind to quiet down, fostering mental clarity, improved focus, and heightened creativity.
- Muscle Recovery: floating is a tool for muscle recovery, as it can reduce lactic acid buildup and accelerate the healing of muscle tissue, and improves circulation
- Strengthened Immune System: the relaxation response triggered by floating may contribute to a strengthened immune system, helping the body defend against illnesses.
- Mind-Body Connection: floating provides an opportunity for introspection and a deeper connection between the mind and body, aiding in self-discovery and personal growth.
- Relaxation: floating provides a unique opportunity for mindful relaxation, allowing us to disconnect from external world which we very rarely give ourselves the opportunity to do.
- Elevated Mood: floating stimulates the release of endorphins, promoting a positive mood and potentially acting as a natural antidepressant.
- Enhanced Creativity: the sensory-deprivation environment can encourage creative thinking and problem-solving, making it a valuable tool for artists and professionals seeking innovative ideas.
I particularly noticed the creativity and left feeling super recharged and re-energised! I cannot wait to go back to @infinityfloat again!
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!
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What Your Food Cravings Are Really Trying To Tell You
WHAT YOUR FOOD CRAVINGS ARE REALLY TRYING TO TELL YOU
4 / SEPTEMBER / 2024
SHEREE'S HEALTH DIARIES
Whether it’s chocolate, chips, peanut butter, a steak or even a piece of fruit there’s something your body is trying to communicate with you when you have cravings.
I recently went away with some friends and it was so interesting to observe the cravings they were gravitating towards. After sharing with me what a stressful time they’ve been having (work + family stress) it was obvious to me their cortisol levels would be in a chronically elevated state and they were living in fight or flight.
What they didn’t realise is how incredibly intelligent their body was at ensuring they were getting the extra top up of nutrients they needed.
You see, when we are in a state of fight or flight (aka sympathetic nervous system dominance); we are more stressed - the more stressed we are, the more of certain nutrients we need.
Not only that, but high cortisol levels will suppress the immune system, cause the body to run primarily on glucose and use up a lot of your nutrient stores much faster. Hence why the carb cravings can go through the roof during this time.
So what was my friend craving, and what does it mean?
WHAT YOUR CRAVINGS MEAN
CRAVING CHOCOLATE?
Chances are if you’re craving chocolate, there’s a magnesium deficiency. The more stressed we are the more magnesium your body uses. Chocolate (particularly dark chocolate) contains high levels of magnesium.
50g of a high quality dark chocolate often contains more magnesium than most good quality magnesium supplements. I recommend getting at least 70%+ dark chocolate with no/low sugar, but I do also recommend that a high quality magnesium supplement is taken daily.
Solution: Magnesium bisglycinate is my go to (to avoid funky bowel movement changes and to calm the nervous system) - dosage starting around 300 mg.
CRAVING SALTY FOODS?
Chips, pretzels, salted nuts… all feedback your adrenals are constantly being stimulated. What do the adrenal glands do? Produce cortisol and adrenaline - hello nervous system again (starting to get the picture?).
Salt isn’t ‘bad’ like we’ve been led to believe. Sodium is one of the most required nutrients in the body, it’s an electrolyte and we need it to keep us hydrated. We’re 70% water after all and detoxification, mood, energy… everything is negatively impacted if we aren’t in a hydrated state.
So, having the salt isn’t the issue, it is normally what the salt is covering - e.g. the fried potato or the gluten filled pretzel. Salted nuts are fine, but often it is the overconsumption of these that affects our goals.
Solution: add kelp or natural salt to your meals, or to your water (yes I know that sounds weird), which is why my go-to is to drink electrolytes. Particularly around my workout or first thing in the morning.
CRAVING FRUIT?
This can be a combination of factors; one it could be the carbs you’re craving to calm down the nervous system (yes they do this). Or it could be the nutrients inside that particular fruit.
In my friend's case, I think it was both. They were eating mandarins like there was no tomorrow! What are mandarins high in? Vitamin C. So not only was the body getting a hit of carbs to help calm down the nervous system from the sugars in the mandarins, but also the extra immune system support from the vitamin C.
Vitamin C can halve our cortisol levels which is great, because chronically elevated cortisol (as aforementioned) suppresses the immune system.
Solution: in periods of higher stress, or just as an added layer of support add in a high vitamin C piece of fruit to your day (e.g. mandarins, oranges, kiwifruit etc), or supplement with 1000 mg of vitamin C.
FINAL THOUGHTS
You can see that for my friend (as for many of my clients), the cravings were all supporting one core imbalance - nervous system dysfunction.
The body is always trying to get back to homeostasis - a place of balance - where the body feels safe and regulated. There are many other cravings that can mean different things too and I am happy to dive into those in another blog (let me know in the comments if you’d like that). But I hope this helps give you a starting point to understand that cravings aren’t there to sabotage you, they’re feedback from the body.
So next time you get a craving, ask yourself… What is my body trying to communicate with me?
With love,
Sheree xo
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!
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How To Get Rid Of Sugar Cravings For Good
HOW TO GET RID OF SUGAR CRAVINGS FOR GOOD
21 / AUGUST / 2024
SHEREE'S HEALTH DIARIES
Tired? You’ll crave sugar.
Hungry for too long? You’ll crave sugar
Stressed out? You’ll crave sugar
There’s not many instances where our body won’t crave sugar if we aren’t giving it what it needs. But your body isn’t trying to work against you…
See, sugar is a quick source of energy, it will pick up your blood sugars, goes directly to the brain and boom… you feel less tired, less hungry and often a little less stressed (because let’s face it, sugar is yum!)
BUT… here’s the catch. It doesn’t last long, and before you know it, you’re back feeling tired, hungry and probably more stressed because you wished you hadn’t indulged in all of that chocolate.
CRAVINGS ARE TYPICALLY DRIVEN BY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Blood Sugar Dysregulation: aka you’re not eating to support your insulin levels, causing a blood sugar rollercoaster, driving moods, energy, hormones and hunger to be all over the show (and feel out of control)
- Gut Dysbiosis: a fancy way of saying you either have too little good bugs, too many bad bugs or a combination of both. It is often too many bad bugs that are driving the sugar cravings because that’s what feeds them and allows them to multiply
- Fight/Flight/Freeze: a wired, tired, or frozen nervous system means you’re operating out of a sympathetic state - aka survival. When we live here, we rely on glucose (sugar) to function and therefore need more and crave more carbs to help keep ourselves going and ‘calm’ or as close to it as possible.
None of these are optimal ways to be living, and many of the clients I work with are dealing with a combination of one or more of the above.
SO HERE'S WHERE WE START…
Since all of these root causes are a form of stress on the body, we want to help by mitigating the stress and calming down the system. We also know the more stressed we are, the more magnesium we use.
So we start by adding in extra magnesium to your diet, whether this is in the form of a supplement (ideally start with 300mg of magnesium bisglycinate - this is the most bioavailable form of magnesium and won't give you the runs). Or get a high quality dark chocolate with no nasty ingredients, at least 70% cocoa or cacao and very low in sugar (no artificial sweeteners either). Take this daily and watch your sugar cravings disappear.
Also for the month of September in the Conscious Wellness Collective our challenge is ‘CURB THE CRAVINGS’ click here for more info!
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!
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How To Avoid Poor Sleep
HOW TO AVOID POOR SLEEP
7 / AUGUST / 2024
SHEREE'S HEALTH DIARIES
When clients come to me wanting to heal their gut health, balance their hormones, shift stubborn weight, they are always focused on food, and exercise. And I don’t blame them, but unless you get your sleep right, you really aren’t going to get anywhere with the other two.
Sleep literally affects every single physiological function in your body. By that I mean get enough sleep, every single thing your body does from how strong you are to how productive and happy you can be is enhanced. Skimp on sleep or deprive your body of sleep (even just one night), will negatively affect every single function in your body.
Which is why a nighttime routine is so important. Good news is, I’ve made things super simple for you, by sharing 5 ways you can support yourself sleeping better below!
MY TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP
- Power Down - at least 2 hours before bed
Create your own nighttime routine by dimming the lights and closing down your tech buddies – smartphones, laptops, and TVs should hit that do not disturb mode at least 2 hours before bedtime, and ideally be kept out of the bedroom. Bright light is like a wakeup call to your brain + body, so it’s key to start sending the opposite message - that we are powering down more than just our devices.
The blue light from our devices only makes things worse, it tells the brain there is a party going on, so if you really can’t do the two hours make sure the lights are dim to increase your melatonin production and grab yourself some blue light blocking glasses. - Skip The Nightcap - the alcohol really doesn’t help you sleep
That glass of wine or two to unwind might seem like a simple way to shuteye, but once that buzz wears off, you’re prone to less restful sleep and more frequent awakenings.
Instead, replace the nightcap with some magnesium, a sleepy girl mocktail or even some of my favourite soul CBD sleepi gummies! (CODE: SHEREE) - Make the Bedroom for Rest + Play Only - create a sacred space
Your brain is triggered unconsciously by your environment and the things it does consistently. If your brain is constantly associating your bed with work, the kids sleeping in it, or full of device time, it isn’t going to feel rested when it enters the room.
Whilst I am not here to judge, the science really does support keeping the bedroom for sleep + sex - both of which require you to unwind and relax! So think about how to make your bedroom more of a relaxing, restful and maybe somewhat raunchy space. - Keep It Cool & Quiet - temperate control is key
Although we may think we wanna be all snuggly and warm (believe me I still struggle with this). Our body craves a specific temperature for optimal sleep, and it is more on the cool side.
Ideally our room is between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit or 15-19 degrees Celsius, to optimise your sleep environment. Also, eliminating any disruptive sounds is key, so think about incorporating a sound machine that plays soothing white, brown, or pink noises. I personally love playing binaural deep sleep beats on a sleep timer to fall asleep to. - Declutter the Mind Before Bed - avoid the wired yet tired feeling
Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., an expert in psychiatry from the Behavioral Sleep Medicine program at the University of Pennsylvania suggests if you often find your thoughts racing when you're in bed, it may be because you haven't taken the time to process your day. This can keep your cortisol levels high, reducing your melatonin production causing you to struggle to fall asleep.
To quote Grandner, "a more effective approach would be to dedicate some time in the evening to reflect on your day, create tomorrow's to-do lists, and clear your mental clutter. Then, climb into bed." I personally love journaling on gratitudes and planning out my next day.
Establishing a nighttime routine or making these changes can feel tough, but they are 100000000000% worth it when you think of the impact even one good night’s sleep can have on your health. So start small and slowly implement these in the months to come!
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!
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Thirty Flirty And Thriving Letter
THIRTY, FLIRTY AND THRIVING - A LETTER TO MY 13 YEAR OLD SELF FROM 30 YEAR OLD ME
10 / JULY / 2024
SHEREE'S HEALTH DIARIES
Dear Little One,
Right now, you don’t feel so little. So much is changing, your skin is breaking out, your hormones are going haywire, all you want is attention from the cute boy a couple years older than you at school and your parents just separted.
Life is f*cken tough. Yet, you also feel invincible.
I look at you through my eyes now and see the strength you had, the resilience you showed and the confidence you shared with the world even all those years ago.
It’s funny how I am actually in awe of you. I remember how loud, outgoing and extroverted you were, unafriad to be seen, heard and lead. You’ve always been this way, even as a 5 year old. And I absolutely adore you for it.
Somewhere along the way I lost that part of you… I let the judgement of others, the disappointments, missed opportunities, the fear take over and get the better of us, and for that I am so sorry.
I let others dim your light, knock your confidence and taught you to hide in the shadows instead of owning your worth.
It has taken almost a decade of healing, opening old wounds, reliving old memories, acknowledging all parts of ourself even the ugly ones to really step back into a space where we know that we are truly loved and enough simply because we exist, regardless of any kind of external validation or expectations.
You are a diamond… FUCKEN PRICELESS and anyone who tells you otherwise isn’t worth a second thought. I am so sorry that I didn’t always have your back on this, but thank you for being the example I needed in my life to see that it has always been there.
I often think of the song ‘Little Me’ by Little Mix…
“I'd tell her to speak up, tell her to shout out, talk a bit louder, be a bit prouder
Tell her she's beautiful, wonderful, everything she doesn't see
You gotta speak up, you gotta shout out, and know that right here, right now
You can be beautiful, wonderful, anything you wanna be… Little me”
And think to myself - we all need to offer a little more kindness to ourselves, show more self-compassion and talk to ourselves like you’d talk to your younger self, the beautiful, innocent, sweet little one that sees the world through heart-centred lenses. What advice would you give yourself even if it was only going back a few years?
The funny thing is… My little one actually spoke her mind, showed up authentically and was happy to be a bright light for others to see. It was the later teen years, the bullying, the rejection, the eating disorder, the attempt to control my life through food, the heartbreak, the absent father that slowly made me recoil into my shell, but I am grateful as anything that she didn’t stay tucked away.
So on my 30th birthday, I celebrate you little one. I celebrate the fact that you were the only gift I needed and I am so happy that over the years I have reclaimed those parts of me that you always knew how to shine, piece by piece. With the help of family, friends, mentors and coaches.
Here is to showing up as our best selves, in every sense of the word. I see women every single day, every single age battling this sense of self worth. This need to be enough and believing it is something that comes from outside of them, when in reality the truth is, she’s always been there, you just needed to witness her.
So be brave, take the leap, become thirty, flirty and thriving or maybe its sixty, sexy and strong. Whatever your authentic self looks like, you owe it to her no matter what age or stage of life you are in to let your light shine bright. I know it can be scary, but you don’t have to do it alone.
I will leave you with some words of wisdom…
“You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success—none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here… We’re all just walking each other home.” - Ram Dass
With Love Always,
Sheree xo
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!
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The Mineral You Need To Optimise Your Sleep
THE MINERAL YOU NEED TO OPTIMISE YOUR SLEEP
03 / APRIL / 2024
SHEREE'S HEALTH DIARIES
Studies have shown low levels of serum magnesium (magnesium in your blood) are associated with low quality sleep and insomnia
I’ve been saying this for years, and this article expands on the role magnesium plays in regulating our circadian rhythm.
If you’re struggling with your sleep, chances are your circadian rhythm is out of alignment and your cortisol and melatonin are out of sync. There’s a lot we can do to reset this, like sunshine exposure, adjusting caffeine timing, balancing blood sugar levels, blue light blocking glasses, dimming the lights at night etc…
But these things take time, it doesn't take just a week to throw your circadian rhythm off, so it can be a few weeks before things start to settle and regulate. Which we both know, when it comes to sleep, lying awake at night is not fun, you just want to sleep now. This is where magnesium comes in.
HOW MAGNESIUM SUPPORTS YOUR SLEEP
All in all, magnesium (especially when combined with B6), can be really supportive in supporting falling asleep, regular sleep patterns and calming the nervous system.
Here’s why this is something you need to know...
The more stressed you are, the more magnesium you use, and with your day to day stress you're burning through a lot more magnesium than you can get with food
Which is a contributing factor to not getting good quality sleep. If you’re stressed, you start to throw out your cortisol levels, reducing your melatonin production in the evening and this is what can often result in that ‘wired but tired’ feeling!
So you struggle to fall asleep, wind up waking up tired, feeling unrested and dragging your feet to get through the day, relying on caffeine for energy (which also depletes your magnesium). Not the best cocktail for us to feel optimal right?!
Magnesium helps you calm your nervous system, bringing down the cortisol and helps you shift into your parasympathetic state which then supports you in falling asleep.
It also helps prevent and soothe cramps, reduce sugar cravings and speed up recovery from training. All of which are even more beneficial at night time, am I right? Waking up to a calf cramp at 3am is excruciating. Not to mention when you sleep you are repairing and the magnesium helps optimise that.
Magnesium is responsible for over 300 different functions in the body, so getting enough daily will make a huge difference to not only your sleep, but energy as well.
MY DOSAGE RECOMMENDATION
Weekly wellness prescription: add ~300mg of magnesium (bis)glycinate to your evening routine. If you want a great quality brand, just DM me here and I can share with you the ones I love that are available in your country and watch your sleep improve tenfold!
With love,
Sheree xo
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!
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Top 5 Takeaways From NZ Spirit Festival
TOP 5 LESSONS IN SPIRITUAL WELLNESS FROM ATTENDING NZ SPIRIT FEST - and why they matter to your spiritual well-being
20 / MARCH / 2024
SHEREE'S HEALTH DIARIES
Camping, cacao, dance parties, ceremonies, immersed in nature, drug and alcohol free - a festival where Wellness meets ‘Woo’ as I would call it. NZ Spirit Fest was an incredible experience and one I will never forget. I am grateful I was able to fully immerse myself in the entirety of the 3 nights and 3 full days I spent there, and these are the top 5 lessons I wanted to share with you 😀
MY TOP 5 LESSONS
1. Dance… more
Ironically in the past week I have not been the only one to notice this, in fact numerous scientific studies have been brought to my attention (hello universe), that support what I am about to say. So before you skim over this one… I encourage you to look at the evidence here.
Dance was shown in one study by the BMJ to be the top form of exercise in reducing depression.
Another was linked to significant improvements in body composition in people who were overweight or obese.
Another found it was just as effective at improving the quality of life in people with Parkinson’s as any other form of exercise, also reducing anxiety, and improving depression symptoms.
Further research supports that dance was superior to other forms of exercise in relation to improvements in motivation, memory and social cognition.
But that’s not the best part, sure the science is there, which is amazing, but the personal reason this was one of the biggest lessons for me, was it was a form of true expression. It helps me become super present, tap into my feminine and move energy somatically (we actually did a 2 hour somatic dance workshop at NZ Spirit that was incredibly empowering).
Dance has always been part of my life, there have been chapters when there has been more than others, however dance, especially somatic which is a form I am really loving leaning into (both after a workshop in the US and here), to see the benefits mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
In both instances I had amazing downloads, creative ideas, and insights about myself. I notice when I attend my Monday night Hip Hop class I get bursts of creativity, and clarity as well as the incredible endorphin high.
Dance is so much more than movement, or exercise, in fact I don’t even see it as part of my training routine for my body, it is for my heart, soul and spirit and to feel connected to my essence and self.
So… will you try a dance class or even blast your favourite song and have a little dance party in your living room?
2. Gratitude for my Mother
This one deserves a blog of its own, but it is also super personal so I am going to keep it short and sweet.
One of the biggest inner workings we can do in our life is to heal the mother and father wounding that we have been exposed to. This is present in everyone, because there is wounding either from an unmet need (often done unconsciously by our parents or because of their own wounding), or from trauma.
This is not to blame our parents in any way, it is my core belief that they did the best they knew how to at the time, and it is our job to undo the conditioning that is holding us back from leading the life we wish to lead.
That being said, it was overwhelming to hear and witness stories from all different workshops and people of how under nurturing their mother was during their childhood. Again, there is no judgement or shame, it just really brought awareness to the fact that I was so deeply blessed to have a mother that nurtured me so deeply in a way I could feel and receive her love. Despite not receiving the same from my father, it was a beautiful reminder and awareness of what an incredible upbringing I had.
There was always a lot of affection, praise and connection as well as fun in my household with my mum around and whilst at times I would consider this nurturing a little over-nurturing I am eternally grateful that I experienced it, because it has shaped me into the nurturing, empathetic and caring person I am today.
My business and work with clients is always heart-centred, and it is reflected to me often. I know I still have a lot of work to do on the mother and father wounds, because heck, we aren’t raised perfectly. But I share this to encourage you to reflect on not only the inner work that needs to be done, but on the gifts you were given during your childhood - there are gifts in the trauma too.
3. Community is everything
We are all craving for a sense of love and belonging, it is one of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (see image below). And I can honestly say that there’s only been a few times and places I have truly felt that deep sense of belonging and acceptance.
The first being when I had my work family at Les Mills Howick, the second was my trip to the USA last year and connecting with the women who I’d come to love as sisters over the years, and finally the weekend just had at NZ Spirit.
I have evolved in my beliefs and as a human in this time, and so has my friendship groups and circles, but nothing compared to being in a room full of people at midnight, sober, dancing to some epic beats after having done a sound journey, somatic dance, talked about microdosing and having an abundance of energy from ceremonial cacao… and it all being normal.
There was no judgement, just acceptance and good vibes from everyone. My soul was lit up from this, I walked away from the 3 days with my heart full and feeling like I belonged.
Now this sort of vibe may not be your cup of tea, but I share this because I finally felt like part of a community (and a local one at that). And that feeling was profound. It’s also exactly why community is such a huge part of the programs I run, being able to connect with and share your journey, support, insights, and receive from other like-minded individuals actually fast-tracks our growth, healing and results because we feel safe enough to be ourselves.
4. Healing to Bliss
In every workshop I attended there were tears of some sort, you could either hear it, see it, or feel it coming from those around you. This is because energy was moving through people, they felt safe to be seen and for the trauma to come up and out. Whether this was in sound baths, breathwork, cacao ceremonies, somatic dance, or talks. The festival created a safe space for healing, and for the inner work to be normalised.
As someone who has been on this journey - doing inner child healing, deep somatic work, unconscious reprogramming and resetting limiting beliefs, I was fully prepared for a lot of emotion to come up. However, what happened truly surprised me.
In every workshop I felt grateful, elevated and hit a state of bliss. This was most prominent in the breathwork where I was laughing, deep belly laughing for over half an hour (or what seemed like that), driven from my subconscious. I had no control over it, but what I had tapped into was this pure state of bliss. In sound journeys I felt nothing but warmth wash over me as we were guided and smiles would just appear on my face. In the somatic dance or even when we were dancing late into the night I was tapped into this high vibration that made me feel the most alive and happiest I have ever been. Pure bliss.
And whilst I know that I have so many layers to go on my healing journey still, the inner work is a life journey, it was healing in itself to see that the work I had done, had enabled me to reach a new state of embodiment, a new set point, a new level of wisdom. Which is why I am so grateful for the deep inner work that we are now as a society leaning into more, and that I am able to support my clients through.
5. Let go of control
Living from that state of bliss was remarkable, to be able to hold it for so long in my body felt empowering. However, there were still deep moments of reflection and internalisation that happened that gave me great insight as to where I can improve moving forward.
This particular reflection was super powerful as it was delivered to me through the somatic dance and again through my friend Michelle who I was with when we were in discussion during a workshop.
“You are not responsible for anyone else’s experience” was the voice I heard. Another way this was expressed was “You need to let go of control”.
Even though I have never thought of myself as a controlling individual, especially when it comes to others, I have always needed to have control to feel safe in my life. Control of my food (cue eating disorder), control of my schedule (hello entrepreneur), control of my emotions (deep inner work), the list goes on.
What I hadn’t realised is that my deeply nurturing self, the one that just wants to help and care for others all the time, was actually (in a loving way), a need for control in some respects. It became my identity. I was always labelled as ‘the mother’ or ‘the nana’ of the group. Caring for everyone else, going into ‘saviour mode’ or ‘care mode’ the second anyone needed support of any kind… and there is nothing wrong with this. However, it meant I was unable to relax a lot of the time. It was a need to be needed that I was self-fulfilling and highlighted to me what I need to work on moving forward. That it is safe and okay for me to have the full experience too, and not feel responsible for those around me. The recovering people pleaser within me struggles with this, but it is a huge lesson for me to learn and integrate into my life.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So…. there you have it. My insights and learnings from one of the most powerful 3 days of my life. I hope that some of this resonated with you, and inspires you to self-reflect. Our level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness I truly believe determines how far we will go in life. Thank you for being her and on this journey with me and please feel free to reach out if any of this sparked questions, curiosity or a need for support.
Much love,
Sheree xo
Resources:
https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-075847
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296089
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38270792/
SHEREE BEAUMONT
Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer & Wellness Coach I empower women like you to transform their lives, understand their bodies and feel their best from the inside out!