What led you to holistic health? Was there a moment on your personal journey that you struggled with and found that your current area of expertise could help you and others?
I remember very clearly the moment I started my holistic health journey. It was in 2019 and came to a breaking point. As Pema Chodren’s book – When Things Fall Apart – so aptly draws upon, often when we reach our darkest hour, there can be a lot of beauty that grows from it. I had spent many hours engaging in traditional talking therapy but it only got me so far and one day in the early hours of a weekend morning my pain became too much and I decided to take a leap, quit my job, and book a one-way flight to Bali in search of healing (I had been told Bali was a good place for this by a friend!). It was there I delved into many different healing practices and this was where I discovered breathwork.
How can your specialist area support those considering, or already on a fertility journey?
It is often nervous system disorders that can contribute or cause infertility and breathwork is one of the most effective ways to regulate your nervous system. Due to our modern environment and stresses, many of our systems are dysregulated and chaotic. Breathwork allows us to move into a parasympathetic state, i.e. when all our systems come back into proper functioning and we can heal.
How do your clients integrate your practices alongside conventional medical treatments? How do the two co-exist?
The two can certainly co-exist. I believe it’s vital to be doing the more natural work alongside any medical interventions to ensure the body has the best possible chance of success. Daily regulating practices would be a fantastic pairing, such as diaphragmatic breathing or slow breathing.
If you were speaking to your younger self what advice would you give her?
I would say whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you will be right. Self-belief is the key component for almost everything you are working towards. I spent too much of my younger years believing I was talentless or had little to offer and because I didn’t believe in myself, others struggled to.
Do you have a personal mantra or favorite quote that you live by / inspires you?
Follow your peace. It’s a personal mantra that I use as guidance in what I choose to take on or partake in. Due to experiencing a lot of trauma in my childhood and my 20s, I was less able to do this and now it is probably the most important consideration in my life.
Have you had any mentoring on your journey or someone who has guided you that you look up to?
I have had plenty of people who have helped me on my journey, both directly and indirectly. I am currently working with two amazing coaches/ mentors who guide me in my work but also in how to live in loving kindness at all times, or at least to the very best of my abilities.
What do you think is the biggest challenge your female clients face when it comes to fertility or their general health?
There are many challenges, but I would say the most pertinent is living and working in a society that was developed by and developed for men. There are very few organizations that consider a woman’s cycle, and we have very different needs at different times of the month. We are often still forced to push and strive in phases where we require softness, stillness, and quiet. I am hopeful that as more women become leaders, this will slowly start to change. When women truly work with their cycles, they can really thrive and have so much to offer that is powerful and different to what men bring.
What excites you the most about SheWell’s mission to bridge medical and holistic approaches to fertility?
The possibility of improved mental health as well as physical health for women struggling with fertility. I have many friends who have experienced great anxiety and depression whilst on the journey and to have holistic support could be incredibly significant.
What conversation do you feel we are not having as women and should be having when it comes to fertility and female health?
Probably what I mentioned about the modern workplace and world not considering women’s menstrual cycles for their health.
Or the incredible importance of nervous system regulation tools for women’s health and ensuring their bodies feel safe enough to get pregnant. Medical interventions can be very effective but often a woman’s body will not get pregnant if its systems do not feel calm and regulated. I do think this is being discussed but certainly not on the scale it needs to be.
What the best way to get in touch with you for future services?
Instagram @thebreathway
Email: fini@thebreathway.com
