March 14, 2025 • 68 mins
🌿 How can nature help us heal, transform, and rediscover our inner warrior?
In this deeply personal and inspiring conversation, I sit down with my soul sister, Dr. Sarah Brikké, an environmental psychologist, nature therapy guide, and founder of Healing with Nature. Sarah’s journey—from growing up in Kenya, surrounded by elephants and Maasai warriors, to becoming a single mother and leader in nature therapy—is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the magic of slowing down.
🔥 In this episode, we explore:
✔️ The power of nature as a healer and teacher
✔️ How Sarah’s childhood in Africa shaped her deep connection to the Earth
✔️ The profound lessons of motherhood and raising an emotionally intelligent son
✔️ Overcoming burnout and heartbreak and learning to trust your inner voice
✔️ The importance of play, presence, and embracing the wild within
If you've ever felt the need to slow down, reconnect with yourself, or remember the wisdom of the Earth, this episode is for you.
🌿 Find Dr. Sarah Brikké & Healing with Nature:
www.healingwithnature.com.au
IG: @healing_with_nature
✨ Subscribe for more conversations on Becoming Your Warrior. #HealingWithNature #SelfDiscovery #BecomingYourWarrior
You can follow Emma at:
https://www.instagram.com/emmaritchiewellness/
https://www.facebook.com/emmaritchiewellness/
https://www.youtube.com/@emmaritchiebecomingyourwarrior
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Becoming your Warrior podcast.
This is the place where you getto feel inspired and empowered
to step into your very best life.
Hello and welcome.
In today's episode I'm going tomake a little guarantee, and
that is, by the time that youhave finished this episode, you
(00:23):
are going to want to getyourself into nature, and that
is exactly what me and my guestdid.
As soon as we recorded this, weran straight down to the ocean
and jumped in, and that's theeffect that my guest, dr Sarah
Brieke, will have on you.
Sarah grew up in Africa.
She grew up as a young girlwalking around barefoot, chasing
(00:43):
snakes and spiders andelephants and just being in the
thick of nature, and thatinspired her to follow her
passion, to follow her dream ofbeing in nature, working in
nature and educating peopleabout nature.
So that's led her to Australiawhere she is a ranger, where she
has her own business healingwith nature, where she works
(01:04):
with kids and parents and getspeople out in nature, gets them
connecting and gets themregulating their nervous system.
In today's episode we talkabout her journey through
motherhood.
We talk about the impact of herbeautiful son and how he
inspires her and how much of alittle nature boy he is as well.
(01:24):
We talk about social media, wetalk about phones, we talk about
how to connect with yourchildren, but most importantly,
we talk about the positiveimpact that nature can have on
your life.
So I'm so excited to shareSarah with you, and I will see
you in the episode.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Sarah, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you, emma, I'm reallyexcited.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Me too.
Me too.
This has been a long timecoming.
We've been on many adventurestogether, and so I just want to
start by asking you what do youfeel has been the biggest event
or the most transformative timein your life that has led you to
(02:10):
expand and to change and totransform?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I feel there's been so many.
But, as a woman, I feel thatbeing a mother and giving birth
to life, to a beautiful child,has been such a tremendously
transformational and spiritualexperience for me, um, for me.
(03:02):
So there's definitely a beforeand after, sarah, after this,
such a huge rite of passage in awoman's life, yeah, and and can
we talk about Noah because he's10 now?
Is he 10?
Oh, he's turning.
No, I'm sorry.
Much learning through him, somuch growth and and upgrading
(03:25):
every day, um, and and learningon the way and really trusting
my, my intuition, my, my innerwisdom, um, all the women that
has come through and reallytapping into that regularly.
Like, how, how do women in theworld deal with this?
(03:46):
Like, surely I'm not the onlyone struggling with this right?
How, like, really tapping intothat web of deep knowledge and
inner knowing that we all haveand and and all the sisterhood
that I can feel around mehappening, but also seeking some
(04:07):
responses in.
You know, in the animal kingdom, how do animals cohabitate, how
do they relate to each other?
And that was specifically whenNoah was a child, child, like,
how, you know, I was co-sleepingwith him and and breastfeeding
(04:29):
and very much there all the timelike a little tribe, and I
didn't read many books, so it'sjust looking at the animal
kingdom and tapping into the,you know, ancient civilization,
like really coming back tosimplicity.
I guess that's what I want tosay.
He's bringing me a lot ofconsciousness in how to simplify
(04:55):
my life, how to be more playful, how not to be doing my to-do
list.
And being in utter presence andI think that's his love
language as well is quality time, and how can I tap into that on
a daily basis?
What does it even mean?
And that's why I think he'ssuch a great master, because
(05:20):
he's teaching me, he's forcingme to do what I actually need
myself an amazing mirror.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
He's such.
He's such a life force as well.
I I really love, like just overthe last few years, just
watching him grow.
And also I love one of thethings that I love that you do
with him is bringing him in whenwe are in circle or when it's
all women, because obviously somany of our friends and sisters
(05:53):
are around us, but you bring himinto that space, into that
energy, with like 12 women andhe's just owning it.
Huh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
He's holding the masculine, holding the torch,
and I think that Emma's been abig thing for me becoming a
mother.
Of course, my life has changedfor family, but also it was so
important for me to still beSarah and not lose myself into
(06:25):
that role, or it was really likehow can we work together as a
team?
And I really want him to hangout and I think being part of of
my tribe, being part ofeverything that I do.
So, yes, since he's tiny, Ijust brought him with me
(06:45):
everywhere.
Um, and he's just part ofconversations like I'm amazed
about, you know, at dinnerparties said so, um, what do you
think about this or like, andand that created so much
assertiveness andself-confidence and being able
to hold his his self so strongly.
(07:08):
Although he's a child, he hassuch a, such a presence, right
and also so important for me toto raise a child, a boy, who's
emotionally intelligent, who'svery at ease being amongst women
, at ease speaking about women'sbusiness and also just because
(07:36):
often I was one of the firstones to have a child in my
women's circle.
So he's kind of like the oldestof them all and it's like okay,
noah, you have to show theexample.
You're the elder here, right?
How can you hold space?
(07:57):
How can you be kind?
And also, I've brought him notonly in my social environment
but also at work, which has beenabsolutely amazing, being an
outdoor educator and arranger.
Just come on, let's go in thebuggy, let's go in the bush and
just with me all the time.
And now he's actually creatingprograms with me, he's helping
(08:21):
me with you.
Know what do we need for thatprogram?
What theme should we choose?
And also, on the day,facilitating some activities.
So it's just so beautiful tosee him thrive next to me doing
(08:43):
that right and seeing him in hislittle leadership as Ranger
Noah and you know, doing facepainting with charcoal with like
15 kids around him, and it'sjust really powerful to see that
and powerful to see howeverything that he has learned
(09:04):
the past nearly nine years justshows up when he can flourish
with other kids.
So, yeah, really special to seethat yeah, it's beautiful and I
remember when we first startedhanging out.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I think one of the first nights that, um, I hung
out with you guys was, um, noahjust educating me around wombats
and the fact that they havesquare poos, can you remember?
And I was like what?
I was like what are you talkingabout?
And then I like looked at itand I was like, oh, actually,
he's spot on, yeah, he's five.
And he, yeah, he knows likewhat shape wombats poo is, like,
(09:41):
what like so, yeah, I mean justincredible.
So I mean, I guess obviouslyNoah has this incredible love of
wildlife and nature and and Iknow that comes from you, um, so
can you, can you sort of tellme a little bit, because your
background in your childhood wasfascinating as well.
(10:02):
Can you tell me a bit aboutgrowing up and where you grew up
and what your life was like?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Yeah, and my childhood definitely influenced,
I guess, the life choices thatI did and my studies and the
work that I do today and just mywhole being my studies and the
work that I do today and just mywhole being so.
I grew up in Africa, when I wasborn in France and when I was
(10:35):
two my family moved to Kenya andwe stayed there for six years
and we lived on a coffeeplantation for a couple of years
on the outskirts of Nairobi.
So, yeah, and we had a campervan, these old 70s combi van
with the engine at the back thatwould just go on fire a lot and
(10:58):
we would just go like everyholidays and most of the
weekends in the national parksin Kenya and camp at the the
base of the Kilimanjaro and goto sleep with the, the lions
roaring and the hyenas screaming.
And I remember one morningwaking up or sleeping on top of
(11:22):
the driver and passenger seatslike in a little hammock bed,
and I was maybe five and I wassleeping and I opened my eyes
looking at the window and I seethis huge eye looking at me with
big eyelashes.
I thought, whoa, what is that?
But it was a big, big elephantthat was looking at me sleeping
(11:51):
so little things like that.
And we used to go to see a placecalled the Daphne Sheldrick's
Orphanage.
She's an English woman whowho's passed away now,
unfortunately, but she dedicatedher life to um to hold space
(12:11):
and and heal baby elephants andrhinos that were um orphans due
to illegal poaching of ivory,and she bought this huge piece
of land and welcomed all theseorphan animals and had some
carers there.
So we would often go and givemilk bottles to the baby
(12:33):
elephants and play football withthem with their trunk and tuck
them away with little blanketsin their beds with little
blankets in their beds.
So amazing, amazing childhoodmemories hanging out with the
(12:58):
Maasai warriors very often andjust being amongst nature all
the time, being barefoot all thetime, and I think that really
hit me hard and that's just atthe core of my essence since
very, very young.
And now I actually use thatanalogy when I speak to
(13:19):
conferences or keynote speecheswhere I ask people to close
their eyes first thing and thinkabout what was a very special
place in your childhood innature, where you would love to
go, like bring yourself back tothat place and then you know
(13:46):
what was the feeling.
Was it joy, was it peace?
Was it excitement?
Um, was there any special smellof that place?
Um, and then, knowing that thatplace, you can always, always
come back to it in moments ofstress, of overwhelm, of sadness
or when you're a bit lost.
(14:07):
Just coming back to that spaceof of peace, of joy, whatever it
is in nature.
And it's a really simple yetreally profound exercise to do
because it's coming back to ourroots, coming back to our early
moments, early memories innature.
(14:27):
Right, and that's a nice segueto bring me back to the love and
importance I think of the jobthat I do and the offering that
I have is how to bring peopleback to nature, how to create
(14:50):
this sense of awe and wonder andlove for nature, because once
it's there, it's like a tattoo,it's there always.
So how to create that with kids?
That's why I love to work withkids.
Since 25 years I've beenworking with kids all around the
world doing nature, play andfree play and art to create that
(15:13):
sense of awe, wonder, curiosityand love.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, and what kind of transformations like when you
are, say, working with a groupof kids or adults or you know um
, you know really getting peopleout in nature, what, what do
you, what do you see or what doyou feel transforms in people
when they're in nature?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
so much um.
And the beauty is that it'savailable to all, no matter your
age, no matter your ethnicity,your race, your gender, your
(16:00):
religion, your physicalabilities.
It's there for everyone and Ireally love that, that it's so
inclusive and open and availableto all, and I've seen the most
(16:25):
little changes or reallyprofound things that would
happen.
That still gives me goosebumpsis I did a nature therapy
session with a group wherepeople had limited mobility and
this person was in a wheelchairsince many, many years and we
did a session together and atthe end we had a closing circle
and saying how do you feeldifferent from the beginning and
end of the session?
(16:45):
And this person said I forgot Iwas in a wheelchair.
Wow.
Oh, I just got full goosebumpsand I still have tears in my
eyes, like everyone was bawlingtheir eyes and it's.
It's so simple, emma.
It's just coming back to beingconnected to our breath,
(17:10):
connected to ourselves, our body, our senses, expanding our
senses, which is such a giftthat we have.
Connecting to nature,disconnecting from all the noise
and the worry, um, and ourancestors used to do this so
(17:30):
much more and we've forgottenthat.
And it's it's so much more deepthan just being in nature.
It's actually connecting tosource, connecting to our
ancestors connecting to themedicine that we are, the
medicine that we are themedicine that the environment is
.
So that was really profound.
But also with children andtheir families, for example,
(17:53):
there's so much joy, like, oh, Ican be naughty and play in the
mud and, you know, climb treesand do stuff with nothing, using
what we have.
Just right here, let's make ashelter with sticks that we can
(18:13):
find and create magic togetherand enhancing our imagination,
teamwork, taking risks right.
And I feel that working withchildren is also not only
educating them or facilitatingthem or opening up the path for
(18:37):
them, but also educating theparents, like saying to them why
are you saying be be careful,like, or saying no like.
Is there another way we can sayyou know, oh, do you think that
that's a good choice?
To put your feet there?
Right, it's like it's not onlybeing with the child, but also
(19:01):
it's the whole family.
Like it has such a ripple effect, especially nowadays, I feel,
with children, with um, there'sso much screen time, indoor time
, children are so much morestressed and obese and anxious
and completely addicted toscreens.
Like it is our role as parents,as aunties and grandpas and
(19:26):
uncles and grandmas, to beleaders and role models.
Let's go out.
Let's go out and play.
Let's go to the beach.
Let's go to the bush.
Let's go in the park and not be.
I call it lazy parenting, whereyou just put them in front of a
screen and it's actually somuch easier.
It takes effort to go outsideand to actually be present and
(19:51):
play, so I'm really seeing thathappening a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
What's your kind of concern with that?
If you do have concern, know,obviously a lot of things have
changed.
Like you said, screen time's upand it's an easier option.
I mean, where do you see thatleading to if?
If parents aren't making thatchoice to be with their kids in
in nature?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
well, there's this author called uh Loof.
He's quite famous.
He wrote the book NatureDeficit Disorder and it's
actually a book that influencedmy and inspired me to do a PhD
in environmental education.
I looked at the benefits ofnature and children and I looked
deeply at why is it importantfor children to be in nature and
(20:44):
what are they missing out whenthey're not in nature?
And my concern, from theexperience that I've had as an
outdoor educator and doingextensive doctoral research on
that topic is that children willnot have social skills anymore.
They will not know how to bebrave and make new friends, how
(21:09):
to initiate conversations, howto hold their space and deal
with maybe confronting feedbackor deal with their emotions.
So that's one of the concerns.
My other concern is children getbored really easily now because
(21:30):
there's this with screens.
It's this constant feedbackloop, right, excitement and
addiction, and my concern isthat children would lose this
sense of awe and wonder andpeace and curiosity of just
sitting down, you know, evenlying down in a hammock and
(21:51):
looking at the clouds.
I used to do that all the time.
Just chill out, just hang out,relax and also taking care of
their nervous system, right,quiet time and not being like
(22:13):
feeling unease or uncomfortable,being quiet, without any sound,
without any stimulation.
That's a big gift now for ourchildren.
My other concern is, on aphysical level, that I know my
child has so much energy and ifmy child stays indoors, you know
(22:38):
it's just like cabin fever.
It's just not positive foranyone.
Fever, it's just not, it's notpositive for anyone.
And and just the importance ofchildren to be active and move
and and be creative and you know, just expanding their energy
and canalizing their energy andsomething positive, right, team
(23:00):
teamwork when they play as a, asa team.
You know playing soccer or oryou know if it's tennis, knowing
how to control their ownstrength.
And, yeah, and also anotherthing that I'm concerned about
is this whole wonder andimagination world that children
(23:23):
have and they're so connected tothe divine, especially in the
first septennial, like how tostill tap into that such
spiritual, awakened, open spacein which they are and not
(23:44):
polluting it with screens andoutdoor stimulation.
Mm-hmm yeah, so it's, it's.
It's a tricky one, um, becauseit requires a lot of um
consciousness and boundaries,and presence as a parent and
(24:07):
role modeling like there's notime for bullshit.
It's like it's all in.
Like, if I'm telling him tostop watching screens, I should
be watching my phone either.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, and this is the thing.
When you see all of theseexperiments that they do now and
they, you know, they show youwhen, like, a parent is playing
with their kid, they are just soengaged that the child is just
so happy.
And then they show the samechild who is looking sorry, the
same adult who is looking attheir phone, and the first thing
(24:41):
the kid wants to do is comearound and like, look over their
shoulder and look at it becausethey're like, well, I just want
to do what you're doing, I justwant to be with you.
I'm going to mimic you.
So this is the thing.
It's like.
I think, yeah, and you know,hats off to parents.
It's a, it's a, it's a hard,it's a big job, right.
It's like I think, yeah, andyou know, hats off to parents.
It's a, it's a, it's a hard,it's a big job, Right.
But it's like I think we allneed to be paying attention.
(25:03):
We can't be telling 15 yearolds to get off their phone
while we're coming in from workand like the first thing we're
doing is looking at our phonesas well.
It's, it's's, we're models forthat generation, and and kids
are going to look to theirparents, you know, for guidance
of what to do.
Yeah, yeah, it's wild.
(25:25):
Well, I mean, what?
What advice, I guess, would youhave, as somebody who obviously
is in this area, who works withfamilies so much, works with
kids, so much in this space,like, what advice do you have
for parents moving forward, youknow, to help them create these
imaginative, beautifulimaginations and let them run
(25:48):
wild?
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Well, I guess you know I could be organizing a
weekend away.
You can go camping or juststretching out of our comfort
zone.
As I said, the children are ourmasters and and often it can be
uncomfortable to do things thatwe're not used to be doing, and
that's totally okay.
Um, it could be joining, youknow, if you have young children
(26:15):
joining a, a nature play group,nature schools there are so
many around.
You know, looking for someideas on how to do nature play,
nature art, and it can be.
The thing is that it's so simple.
It can just be, you know, goingin the park and kicking the
(26:37):
ball with them.
It can be going on a bushwalkor going for a swim and then
there's a rock pool.
Just looking at all the magicthat's happening in those little
pools and I guess our role asparents is really tapping into
our inner child as well, andplayfulness and curiosity as
(27:01):
well.
It's like when a child showsyou a butterfly or something
they found, it's like, oh, wow,did you see that?
Look at the colors, look, lookat how many legs it has, and
really coming from a inquiryplace, right?
(27:22):
um, so being, I guess, beingcurious ourselves as well yeah,
yeah I have just this mirrormirroring back and, as I said,
it's not complicated.
You can find things to do.
These things are right there.
Often, as parents, we think, oh, they need this tour, you, they
(27:43):
need to be enrolled in thisclass and pay heaps of money.
They have agendas and scheduleslike a president, every week,
like no, they need downtime.
They need no, they needdowntime.
They need time in nature.
They need to relax.
Bring a book, bring a hammockBack to simplicity.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Always, I have to admit, like not having children
of my own, but whenever I spendtime with kids, there is
something really grounding thatI experience with them, like I
feel really present with kids.
It's almost like they kind ofthey pull me out of my head and
it's just like just be here andjust be with me and just play
(28:31):
with me and like let's have fun.
They are, they're just soconscious, aren't they?
And I think that's what itfeels, like that is what is
being lost with, you know, theseincredible technologies that we
have, and very grateful forthem all, but it's like it's it.
(28:51):
It feels like it's go tippingover into that like danger zone
where it's like thatconsciousness, that presence,
that beautiful grounding energythat kids have and that playful
energy is being kind of pulledout.
It's leaky energy, almost, yeah, and also, you know it can be.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
I really love to work with senses as well and using
natural elements for that it canbe.
You know there's so muchbenefits.
Even you know, before going tobed, why not going for a little
stroll on the beach or having alittle swim in the ocean and
being barefoot on the ground?
It can be really that simple.
(29:34):
Yeah, absolutely.
How can we teach them, by rolemodeling, some tools to be
grounded?
Yeah, without even telling themit's just all right, don't need
your shoes, let's take ourshoes off.
Can you feel the grass?
Can you feel the mud?
Or oh, how nice is the ocean.
(29:55):
And let's ask the ocean toclear all our worries of the day
and so that we can sleep well.
And, you know, using all theseelements, all these tools, bit
by bit that we have as adults,and embodying that into them in
a very gentle way, that intothem in a very gentle way, yeah,
(30:22):
and also I feel it's reallyimportant to see them as, um,
intelligent beings, likeconscious beings.
They're not, they're children,but they're, they're wise.
And I've, I've really tried to,to, to come from that place as
much as I can Like when I talkto them, like you know, kneeling
down and being at the samelevel as them and talking to
(30:47):
them as somebody wise and nottop down.
I know everything and you don'tknow anything.
It's more like let's worktogether, let's be silly
together right, yeah, yeah, andyou definitely do that.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
I think every time I'm with you that we just giggle
a lot.
You're very plate.
You've got very playful, likeyou know.
You're so grounded.
I find you so grounded, but youalso have this like mega
mischievous side, which I love,because I can be a bit serious
(31:22):
sometimes.
So it's really I always have avery playful like when I think
about you.
I think about giggling, likethat's what I think of with you.
I'm always like, oh, there'sjust, there's always.
I'm always like what you know,so you definitely embody, yeah,
(31:43):
I think, this grounded, wisewisdom, but you also have this
really beautiful playfulness toyou, which I adore as well.
One question I haven't reallyasked, because we've been
talking, obviously, so muchabout nature and we've been
talking about the benefits andeverything.
But like, how would youdescribe what you actually do,
(32:06):
because you've come from thisincredible childhood in Africa
in nature?
You know you study PhDs.
I know you're a doctor nowthere's, you know, but can you
describe to me what do you?
What do you do?
What do you facilitate?
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Sure, so I do have many hats.
I used to be an outdooreducator for many years,
teaching children outdoorsbiology science, geography,
biology science, geographyexcursions in the bush and next
to the ocean for many years, andI also created my business
(32:50):
called Healing with Nature,where I facilitate nature
therapy session, or shinrin yokuforest bathing, where I bring
people in nature.
So there are nature immersionsto help people disconnect, to
reconnect to themselves, tonature and their community.
So I do that around Sydney,which is such a beautiful
(33:11):
offering for adults, mainly umteenage adults, um, and I'm also
ndis registered provider, umand an ecotourism business, um.
Another thing that I do withhealing with nature is also
nature play with children duringthe school holidays um nature
(33:36):
birthday parties as well.
That's really fun.
Another work that I do as wellI work at the government New
South Wales government and I'm alearning leader and I lead a
portfolio of many differentcommunity programs in a
(33:58):
beautiful garden where we createprograms like for well-being.
How can we talk about ourliving collection and science as
well?
So yeah every day in nature,every day.
So yeah, every day in natureevery day.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Well, I mean, we were talking about this before we
started recording as well,because we were talking about
your business healing withnature, but also reflecting on.
Really that is who you are.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
That's been really such a beautiful insight that I
had this year and this morningas well, having a chat with a
friend.
I think when we are deeply intoour offering, having a business
, when it's really authentic,what we do goes beyond when we
(34:54):
work.
It's who we are, it's the lifethat we lead, it's what we eat,
it's what we see, what we choosenot to hear, not to look at,
it's the choices that we makeevery day and our life is a
(35:15):
reflection of who we are and ourvalues and the offering that we
have to have in the world.
And it doesn't have to be, youknow, smack up in your face, the
shiny, bright thing.
It's just this consistentpresence and authenticity that
(35:40):
you can feel.
You can feel it when you seesomeone, when you're in the
presence of someone, you canfeel when it's authentic or not
right, when they breathe andlive what they preach and live
what they preach, and I feelthat looking life in this way is
so much more simply likesimpler sorry, instead of seeing
(36:09):
myself with all these differentresponsibilities and roles that
I have.
It's still there, but theessence is just so grounded and
there Like I'm not someonedifferent at work or in my
relationship or as a parent.
I am Sarah.
I am, you know.
The offering that I bring iswho I am and what I do in all
(36:34):
these areas and that creates somuch peace, so much freedom and
ability and capacity to expandand be true to myself, to be
honest with myself and I don'tknow, it's just a way of being.
(36:55):
It just makes so much sense andeverything flows so much easier
.
There's no pressure, there's noforcing.
I feel that when I'm in thatspace, whatever I would be doing
, whatever choice I'm doing, arein harmony with all the rest
(37:15):
that is happening.
Yeah.
It's as if you know when youdecorate your home or when you I
don't know put a beautifulartwork together or a puzzle.
If your choices are deeplyauthentic and aligned with who
you are are deeply authentic andaligned with who you are,
(37:39):
although there's differences.
It will all make such abeautiful art piece.
You know, I'm thinking evenabout clothes, the clothes that
you choose.
If they're in your essence,whatever you put on is going to
go together.
Yeah, because the essence isthere, because that's an easy
example to keep in mind.
Yeah, and it creates so muchpeace, Like visually it's like
(38:05):
ah yeah, of course it matches.
Of course, because it comesfrom source, it comes from me
and it feels good.
That's the important thing.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
If it it feels good, it doesn't matter what if the
other, what they think, whatthey don't like, it doesn't
matter, it feels good for meyeah that is a beautiful place
to be like, just to embody allof that and radiate it out in
(38:36):
every area and just to be thatperson for, you know, your
partner, for your son, for yourbusiness, for your work, for
your friends.
You know what has it taken foryou to get to this place.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
It's not easy.
It's not an easy work.
I will not lie.
I will not lie, it's not easyat all.
Difficult relationship, supercomplicated breakups, moments of
deep darkness, deep sadness, offeeling completely broken and
(39:25):
overwhelmed and stressed andlost.
But there's this inner voiceand this deep knowing that.
There's this inner voice andthis deep knowing that, oh, you
know, I should have trusted myintuition and my light that's
big, because you know when youknow.
Mm-hmm.
(39:48):
You know it.
Yeah, now you know what youalready knew.
Now you know what you alreadyknew, yeah, and I think that
life brings us to difficultsituations because we are
(40:10):
capable to deal with them.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Doesn't feel like it at the time, my God.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
It doesn't feel like it, but it's like, wow, like
looking back, like I often andstill now I'm doing.
Still it's this ongoing healingwork.
I'm still, you know, lookingback at some situations and I I
(40:38):
just hugged the sarah from backthen that needed that hug no
saying I'm I'm so sorry to havemade that decision, I'm so sorry
that you had to go through that, but I forgive you because that
was the best that you could inthat moment.
That was where you were in thatmoment.
So I forgive you and I thankyou and I love you so much and
(41:06):
that, I think, has been one ofthe most profound ways for me to
deal with many difficultsituations.
It's like, how can I lovemyself better and more, how can
I forgive myself, how can I begrateful and how can I say I'm
(41:27):
sorry and really being honestwith me, right, and also not
being afraid of going into youknow, dark places and looking at
my shit and being honest, we'renot perfect.
How did I contribute to thisrelationship?
That was toxic.
(41:48):
What was my role in there?
And just letting my ego downand not, you know, projecting
everything on the other personis how am I responsible for that
?
And I feel with time there'sbeen more maturity to deal with
conflict resolution, there'sbeen more ownership of my shit,
(42:10):
but also being quite you knowthis, this is my boundary like
this is where up till where itgoes, and then it's too much and
then it's like, no, this is nothappening, and being very clear
about that.
(42:31):
And sometimes there aredecisions that are really hard,
with a lot of consequences onmultiple levels, and that's okay
.
That's okay to take thosedecisions, because it's just a
point where it's like, no, no,this is not happening.
(42:53):
Um, and I guess, throughout theyears, it's like really using
the tools that I have gained,how can I use that for myself?
And how can I bring all thetimes I gave my power to someone
to situation to place?
How can I bring all the times Igave my power to someone to
situation to place?
How can I bring that back to me?
How can I come back home to myheart?
(43:16):
How can I hold my hand?
How can I be my best friend,right and knowing that?
(43:38):
I always, always have my backthat my well-being, my mental
health, my joy and happinessdoesn't depend on anything
exterior than me or anyone.
That I am my medicine like.
Stop looking at words.
I am my medicine.
I am supported deeply, alwayssupported by the universe,
deeply supported by source, bynature.
And how can I use that, like mybody, as a portal, as a channel
(44:05):
, whatever you want to call it?
How can I use that to alchemizeand transform what needs to be
transformed and really deeplyfeeling that I'm supporting on
(44:26):
all levels, all the time?
And a big thing for me was tolearn how to relax and not be
into this masculine energy likebulldozer, to-do list and
constantly doing something,overworking, overachiever, which
I have been for so many years.
How, how to step out of that alittle bit.
(44:50):
How did you, how did you get tobe a warrior?
yes get out of situations andand and have a better life and
future.
But now, how can I be apeaceful warrior and stepping
(45:13):
into my feminine and steppinginto receiving and more softness
and trust?
Because I saw that when I am inthat space of rest, that when I
am in that space of rest, ofbeing at peace, of not having to
do anything, I receive evenmore Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
I absolutely love that.
But I also know there could bepeople listening who have found
themselves in a situation youknow, kind of like like you went
through right as a single mom.
It's like all of a suddenyou're kind of, you know, you're
paying the bills, you've got togo to work, you're paying the
rent, you've got to take care ofNoah, you're getting him to
school.
Like when you look back atyourself, like then you know in
(46:03):
those early days and that kindof I and correct me if I'm wrong
more of a survival mindset andbeing in that masculine energy,
like how, what advice would youhave for somebody who maybe is
in that situation right nowwhere they're like, well, I
can't stop, like if I stop, itall falls to pieces.
(46:23):
You know it all falls, I'lllose the house, my kids won't
have food.
You know what advice, fromwhere you are now, can you give
to people in that situation?
Speaker 2 (46:37):
and look.
I still feel I'm in that space,but I think it's also a mindset
like life still continues,right, still have to pay the
bills, still have to bring thekids to school and pack up the
lunchbox and deal with tantrumsand everything.
Life continues.
(46:57):
But I feel it's my mindset andthe way I deal with stress has
changed and I feel that beingmore organized has helped me
tremendously.
Meal planning, like I'm going todo my little menu for the week,
(47:18):
which I used to never, ever doI find it the most boring thing
in the world to do, but it'sactually helping me so much.
I feel that being more organizedhas helped me tremendously not
to stress myself or my child andhave a more flow during the
(47:39):
week.
But also now I make it apriority to have time for me,
whether it's 10 minutes in theferry listening to my meditation
, whether it's before going tobed, thinking about the day that
I had and being grateful forthree things, and I feel that
(48:02):
just by doing that, my capacityto deal with all the things that
I have to do doesn't feeloverwhelming anymore, and I also
use even making the dishes asseeing like a meditative
practice.
How can I be present ineverything that I do and see it
(48:27):
like something sacred and thatwas one of my I don't know if
you remember, emma, but for my40th birthday that was my prayer
like bringing sacredness everyday, and it makes life so much
easier and beautiful.
Although I have to work fulltime, I have a kid blah, blah,
(48:50):
blah everything that I have todo doesn't change.
It's there, but it's my way ofliving my life on that daily
basis yeah how can I createthose little moments of beauty,
of connection smelling abeautiful flower, looking at the
sunset, feeling the wind?
(49:10):
You know my skin, using mysenses dropping in and during
the day, you know, one tip canbe throughout the day a couple
of seconds I close my eyes, Iconnect to my heart, to my womb.
How do I feel right now andwhat does my body need reset?
Speaker 1 (49:36):
okay, let's go to that meeting yeah, because I
think one of the what I feelactually over, I'd probably say
with you, like over the lastlike 12 or 14 months, a massive
thing that I've seen shift inyou is just a lot of presence,
like I feel like you've beenreally present, like you've been
(50:00):
really grounded and maybe thathas been bringing in that
sacredness each day.
I feel like you're really, yeah, you just feel really grounded,
really calm, and I know it'snot always like that, but I
think that obviously thatintention for your 40th birthday
(50:21):
, you know that's bringingsacredness in slowing down and
your deep connection to nature,I do feel there's just been a
big shift with with you, like ina really, you know, still
mischievous and naughty andfunny, but it's been really nice
just to see you be like morepresent and I think that that
for me that is something thatI'm still working towards.
(50:44):
My mind's still a little bitlike and I'm maybe not in the
practice so much, so that's areally good reminder for me.
Thank you, lovely.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
And I think it's you know.
To be in that space and alsobeing, you know, spiritual
beings that we all are doesn'tmean, you know, you have to
meditate and be dressed in whiteall the time.
It's not about that.
It's about really the work ofevery day, like how do I take
(51:14):
care of myself on an everydaybasis?
How do I take care of mynervous system?
What can I do?
I know we've been on that path,you know, going on a Ayurveda
lifestyle, and how to embodythat, how to use the plants for
(51:35):
my self-healing, how to feedmyself.
Better Sleep they're like basic.
I sleep much more now.
I go to bed earlier.
The quality of the sleep,quality of food, quality of you
know what I put in my ears whenI listen to something Like.
(51:56):
It's just such a broad hygieneof life and it's a dedication,
it's consciousness in whatever Ido.
There are choices that I make,make events that I go to,
invitation that I receive.
Which ones do I want to go to?
How does it feel to go and seethat person?
(52:17):
Or do I want to watch the news?
Because that creates a yuckyfeeling in me which, when I wear
something, how does it feel onmy body?
Like it's.
It's once you open that, thatworld, that inner world of
well-being and feeling good,it's just so expansive and you
(52:43):
can start small and it'sbeautiful, and then like, oh,
why don't I try that?
And the beautiful thing that Ifound is that I know that when
I'm not grounded, when I'mstressed and overwhelmed, I can
see a straight consequence on myenvironment.
(53:10):
My child is more stressed, mychild is more edgy, and when I
am grounded, when I am calm,when I had time for myself, even
just 10 minutes, it has such aripple effect on everything.
It's actually a gift forourselves ourselves, but also
(53:32):
for everyone else around us andfor the world.
So if you see it like that, itshould be a daily priority.
Yeah, I'm actually gonna put itnow in my calendar calendar
from this time to that time.
This is a date with myself andit's not negotiable.
(53:52):
It's, it's there and it's notbefore.
I used to you know like oh, I'mgonna slot it in when I have a
little bit of time, like when mychild is at sleep and I'm
finished the dishes and preppedeverything for the next day and
then I'm exhausted.
No, no, no, it's in the primetime of the day.
This is me.
(54:13):
I'm the priority and I feelthat as women, as mothers, as
business owners, as women ingeneral, we do not put ourselves
as a priority.
We do not put ourselves as apriority.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
Yeah, I would say that that is probably one of the
biggest things that I see withthe women that I work with is
that it's like there's just notime for them.
They just don't know how toprioritize themselves and,
myself included, I've been onthat journey and I'm still going
(54:47):
through it.
You know where you just I think, as women, we just have this
capacity for so much and to giveso much, but we really have to
remember to give to ourselvesfirst.
Just like you said, when I'mgrounded, when I'm centered,
when I've had that 10 minutesfor me, the ripple into your
(55:08):
life like with Noah, with youryou know, other things like that
is something that we all haveto remember.
I think every day is like oh, Iget to show up, I get to be the
best, I get to create thisripple of consciousness and
groundedness and presence andlove and fun, because I'm
actually nurturing and healingmyself.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
And not feeling guilty about it, because I know
I've been in the trap where, oh,I should be doing the washing,
I should be cooking, I should bedoing this and actually not
being able to relax at all.
Be doing this and actually notbeing able to relax at all
(55:53):
because it's actually a practicelike being at peace.
Being at peace it's like I'mbeing.
Like how can I be my ownproject?
How can I preach, how can Iembody my values so that's not
just talking, it's.
How can I embody my values sothat it's not just talking.
It's.
How can I embody the medicinethat I'm preaching or that I'm
facilitating to myself?
(56:16):
How can I be really true tomyself?
How can I be my own project andmedicine, how can I see myself
as a sacred being worthy ofpeace, worthy of rest, worthy of
love?
And that's such a huge journeyand I'm still on it, but it's
(56:41):
nourishing coming back home.
It's so incredibly profound,like I used to escape times of
being alone with myself.
I admit it always busy doingthis, going there, social life,
(57:05):
and it was escaping something Ididn't want to look at, and now
I cannot wait to be in mypresence.
Such a profound feeling yeah tobe able and it doesn't come from
a space of ego and lovingyourself in that space.
(57:29):
It's like welcome back, youknow I love you so much.
Like being in awe of our bodyand I feel that there's a lot of
work there around sensuality,around what does it mean for me
to be a woman?
You know what?
(57:51):
Like being in awe of, of thebody that I am, that I carry
like thank you feet for havingdanced so much, thank you for
walking these, these amazingcountries and paths.
Thank you to my room for havingcreated life and all these
(58:11):
projects.
I feel coming from that spaceof awe and love and wonder and
curiosity, not only for nature,but for just this amazing
mystery and gift that we are.
There's no room to make choicesthat are not good for you
(58:38):
anymore.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (58:41):
And I love, like what you were saying as well, just
about because, about, because,like coming home to yourself and
having that awe and wonder.
I do think that comes frombeing present, that comes from
you.
I, I, I would love to knowanyone who has awe and wonder
when they're in anxiety, right,or when they're like when the
(59:04):
nervous system is jacked andthey're racing around and you
know so that awe and wondercomes from being present.
I believe so.
In terms of how nature andhealing with nature, how do you
think that nature helps you toget to that place?
To get to that place, to getinto presence.
Speaker 2 (59:32):
There's so many research that has been done
Scientifically.
It has been proven that beingamongst trees and breathing in
and out the essential oils ofthe trees actually reduces our
cortisol levels, which arestress levels.
We sleep better, our immunesystem is boosted Just general
(59:57):
well-being Our nervous system isstable.
There's so many research thathas been done, especially in
Japan and that's where ShinrinYoku was born and expanded to
show this to the world.
Right, like I.
Mean, who feels good afterbeing in nature, hands up, right
(01:00:19):
, it's a no-brainer.
It's a no-brainer, it's so good.
But human beings, in our modernsociety, they need data and
research to prove things, butlet's just tap into our bodies.
How do I feel when I see asunrise on the beach?
Speaker 1 (01:00:40):
magic magic.
Speaker 2 (01:00:44):
How do I feel when I dive into the ocean?
And it's really simple and it'svery sensorial.
It's I feel when I do mysessions.
(01:01:04):
Emma, I work a lot on thesenses.
How can we expand our capacityto hear the senses?
How can we expand our capacityto hear?
How can we expand our capacityto smell, to taste, to see, to
touch?
We do that by slowing down.
Actually, it's not about youknow, nowadays we'll have our
(01:01:25):
like smart watches and we canour many steps and calories that
we've burned.
It's all about competition anddata and being better than the
other one, and actually we don'tneed that.
We're taking it together.
Let's slow down.
By slowing down, we notice more.
(01:01:46):
By slowing down, we can seemore things and we can be in awe
.
Right, and there's so manyresearch now being done on
grounding, like walking withyour bare feet on the ground.
I just bought a grounding sheetand a grounding little thing to
(01:02:07):
put in my office.
I sleep so much better, likeinsane I.
Even in the office, I feel less, my eyes are less strained, I'm
super concentrated.
Like it is a thing.
It is a thing.
Like it is a thing, it is athing.
(01:02:32):
Um, I had, for example, duringcovid we did a a few walks and
one of the ladies that came washead of nurse in one of the
hospitals and she had beenworking 24 7 for many days and
and she came.
And you know how some people donot know how to relax or how to
wind down.
(01:02:55):
And I could sense that that likebuzzing, and oh, I feel a bit
weird, you know, like talking toa tree and what.
What is that?
And it's like an invitation tocome out of your comfort zone
yeah to be brave, to testsomething new, but also to tap
(01:03:15):
into the magic that we haveright here.
Um, and this woman just justcompletely melted on this rock
and, you know, had a rest formaybe 10 minutes and deeply,
deeply connected and dropped inso deeply like we had to wake
(01:03:37):
her up.
And she woke up and she said Ihad never been able to relax as
much and drop in as much astoday.
Yeah.
People need that, to learn howto do that again.
Speaker 1 (01:03:56):
It's kind of unlearning, right.
It's almost like unlearning thepattern that stress and high
performance and go, go, go, gogo is normal.
And it's like even that womanthat you just described her
wiring was so jacked that forher to even lay down for like 10
(01:04:19):
minutes, I mean she must havejust been exhausted for her to
fall asleep.
Speaker 2 (01:04:25):
Yes, I've got a beautiful um made by a friend of
us, um, so it's healing withnaturecomau.
I've got an instagram pagehealing underscore with nature,
so, yeah, feel free to reach out.
Um, I do a couple of eventsaround here um groups and also
(01:04:48):
one-on-one so, yeah, I wouldlove to to connect with you if
that's your call.
Amazing.
Thank you so much, emma, forthe opportunity to to share this
with you, and you've been sucha incredible pillar, like really
beautiful sister, and has beenreally amazing to see our
(01:05:13):
journey since about five yearstogether and seeing how much
we've gone through quitedifficult times and epiphanies
and so much healing times andand epiphanies and so much
healing, and it's always such anhonor to be able to to be
amongst women that are badass,that do the work, and I just am
(01:05:38):
so proud of all my sisters whowho are willing to do the work
and willing to be vulnerable andauthentic and go deep and look
at their shit and and movethrough it and rise from that
and and then not only helpingthemselves but helping others
(01:06:00):
too and showing up and not beingafraid of having the difficult
conversations.
So deep honoring to you, emma aswell, and thank you so much for
all the work that you've beendoing for your community, for
(01:06:23):
being such a pillar and solidrock for us all as well.
So, yeah, deep honor of yourjourney as a woman, with all the
ebbs and flows of life thatyou've gone through, and, um,
yeah, I'm so glad that we have,you know, been, you know, on
this journey together and andbeing authentic and vulnerable
(01:06:45):
and crying and and laughing somuch.
And, yeah, it's really amazingto see where you are now and I'm
so proud of you.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:06:56):
I'm so proud of you too.
I just love you so much and I'mso grateful for you.
And, yeah, the gifts that youbring just for being you, and
you know the gifts that youbring just for being you, and
you know the gifts that youshare.
And um, yeah, I'm just reallygrateful to have witnessed your
expansion and the wild crazyride that we've been on for five
(01:07:19):
years.
It's, yeah, it's just been sobeautiful just to, yeah, just to
see the ebbs and flows of allof us, really right.
But, um, yeah, I'm supergrateful for you.
I'm really happy for where youare right now in your life and
you know it really speaks.
Your energy is just radiatingwhere you are right now.
(01:07:40):
And, yeah, I hope lots of peoplefind your work.
And, um, I just wish you I I'llsee you over the weekend, but
you know, in life, I just wishthe absolute best for you.
I really do.
Yeah, I love you so much.
I love you.
Thank you, sister.
See you soon.
(01:08:00):
You're welcome, see you verysoon.
Thanks for listening today andif this episode helped or
inspired you, just remember toshare it to friends or family
who could also use someinspiration.
Today, we are all about sharingthe love you.
Welcome to the Becoming your Warrior podcast.
This is the place where you getto feel inspired and empowered
to step into your very best life.
Hello and welcome.
In today's episode I'm going tomake a little guarantee, and
that is, by the time that youhave finished this episode, you
(00:23):
are going to want to getyourself into nature, and that
is exactly what me and my guestdid.
As soon as we recorded this, weran straight down to the ocean
and jumped in, and that's theeffect that my guest, dr Sarah
Brieke, will have on you.
Sarah grew up in Africa.
She grew up as a young girlwalking around barefoot, chasing
(00:43):
snakes and spiders andelephants and just being in the
thick of nature, and thatinspired her to follow her
passion, to follow her dream ofbeing in nature, working in
nature and educating peopleabout nature.
So that's led her to Australiawhere she is a ranger, where she
has her own business healingwith nature, where she works
(01:04):
with kids and parents and getspeople out in nature, gets them
connecting and gets themregulating their nervous system.
In today's episode we talkabout her journey through
motherhood.
We talk about the impact of herbeautiful son and how he
inspires her and how much of alittle nature boy he is as well.
(01:24):
We talk about social media, wetalk about phones, we talk about
how to connect with yourchildren, but most importantly,
we talk about the positiveimpact that nature can have on
your life.
So I'm so excited to shareSarah with you, and I will see
you in the episode.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Sarah, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you, emma, I'm reallyexcited.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Me too.
Me too.
This has been a long timecoming.
We've been on many adventurestogether, and so I just want to
start by asking you what do youfeel has been the biggest event
or the most transformative timein your life that has led you to
(02:10):
expand and to change and totransform?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I feel there's been so many.
But, as a woman, I feel thatbeing a mother and giving birth
to life, to a beautiful child,has been such a tremendously
transformational and spiritualexperience for me, um, for me.
(03:02):
So there's definitely a beforeand after, sarah, after this,
such a huge rite of passage in awoman's life, yeah, and and can
we talk about Noah because he's10 now?
Is he 10?
Oh, he's turning.
No, I'm sorry.
Much learning through him, somuch growth and and upgrading
(03:25):
every day, um, and and learningon the way and really trusting
my, my intuition, my, my innerwisdom, um, all the women that
has come through and reallytapping into that regularly.
Like, how, how do women in theworld deal with this?
(03:46):
Like, surely I'm not the onlyone struggling with this right?
How, like, really tapping intothat web of deep knowledge and
inner knowing that we all haveand and and all the sisterhood
that I can feel around mehappening, but also seeking some
(04:07):
responses in.
You know, in the animal kingdom, how do animals cohabitate, how
do they relate to each other?
And that was specifically whenNoah was a child, child, like,
how, you know, I was co-sleepingwith him and and breastfeeding
(04:29):
and very much there all the timelike a little tribe, and I
didn't read many books, so it'sjust looking at the animal
kingdom and tapping into the,you know, ancient civilization,
like really coming back tosimplicity.
I guess that's what I want tosay.
He's bringing me a lot ofconsciousness in how to simplify
(04:55):
my life, how to be more playful, how not to be doing my to-do
list.
And being in utter presence andI think that's his love
language as well is quality time, and how can I tap into that on
a daily basis?
What does it even mean?
And that's why I think he'ssuch a great master, because
(05:20):
he's teaching me, he's forcingme to do what I actually need
myself an amazing mirror.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
He's such.
He's such a life force as well.
I I really love, like just overthe last few years, just
watching him grow.
And also I love one of thethings that I love that you do
with him is bringing him in whenwe are in circle or when it's
all women, because obviously somany of our friends and sisters
(05:53):
are around us, but you bring himinto that space, into that
energy, with like 12 women andhe's just owning it.
Huh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
He's holding the masculine, holding the torch,
and I think that Emma's been abig thing for me becoming a
mother.
Of course, my life has changedfor family, but also it was so
important for me to still beSarah and not lose myself into
(06:25):
that role, or it was really likehow can we work together as a
team?
And I really want him to hangout and I think being part of of
my tribe, being part ofeverything that I do.
So, yes, since he's tiny, Ijust brought him with me
(06:45):
everywhere.
Um, and he's just part ofconversations like I'm amazed
about, you know, at dinnerparties said so, um, what do you
think about this or like, andand that created so much
assertiveness andself-confidence and being able
to hold his his self so strongly.
(07:08):
Although he's a child, he hassuch a, such a presence, right
and also so important for me toto raise a child, a boy, who's
emotionally intelligent, who'svery at ease being amongst women
, at ease speaking about women'sbusiness and also just because
(07:36):
often I was one of the firstones to have a child in my
women's circle.
So he's kind of like the oldestof them all and it's like okay,
noah, you have to show theexample.
You're the elder here, right?
How can you hold space?
(07:57):
How can you be kind?
And also, I've brought him notonly in my social environment
but also at work, which has beenabsolutely amazing, being an
outdoor educator and arranger.
Just come on, let's go in thebuggy, let's go in the bush and
just with me all the time.
And now he's actually creatingprograms with me, he's helping
(08:21):
me with you.
Know what do we need for thatprogram?
What theme should we choose?
And also, on the day,facilitating some activities.
So it's just so beautiful tosee him thrive next to me doing
(08:43):
that right and seeing him in hislittle leadership as Ranger
Noah and you know, doing facepainting with charcoal with like
15 kids around him, and it'sjust really powerful to see that
and powerful to see howeverything that he has learned
(09:04):
the past nearly nine years justshows up when he can flourish
with other kids.
So, yeah, really special to seethat yeah, it's beautiful and I
remember when we first startedhanging out.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I think one of the first nights that, um, I hung
out with you guys was, um, noahjust educating me around wombats
and the fact that they havesquare poos, can you remember?
And I was like what?
I was like what are you talkingabout?
And then I like looked at itand I was like, oh, actually,
he's spot on, yeah, he's five.
And he, yeah, he knows likewhat shape wombats poo is, like,
(09:41):
what like so, yeah, I mean justincredible.
So I mean, I guess obviouslyNoah has this incredible love of
wildlife and nature and and Iknow that comes from you, um, so
can you, can you sort of tellme a little bit, because your
background in your childhood wasfascinating as well.
(10:02):
Can you tell me a bit aboutgrowing up and where you grew up
and what your life was like?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Yeah, and my childhood definitely influenced,
I guess, the life choices thatI did and my studies and the
work that I do today and just mywhole being my studies and the
work that I do today and just mywhole being so.
I grew up in Africa, when I wasborn in France and when I was
(10:35):
two my family moved to Kenya andwe stayed there for six years
and we lived on a coffeeplantation for a couple of years
on the outskirts of Nairobi.
So, yeah, and we had a campervan, these old 70s combi van
with the engine at the back thatwould just go on fire a lot and
(10:58):
we would just go like everyholidays and most of the
weekends in the national parksin Kenya and camp at the the
base of the Kilimanjaro and goto sleep with the, the lions
roaring and the hyenas screaming.
And I remember one morningwaking up or sleeping on top of
(11:22):
the driver and passenger seatslike in a little hammock bed,
and I was maybe five and I wassleeping and I opened my eyes
looking at the window and I seethis huge eye looking at me with
big eyelashes.
I thought, whoa, what is that?
But it was a big, big elephantthat was looking at me sleeping
(11:51):
so little things like that.
And we used to go to see a placecalled the Daphne Sheldrick's
Orphanage.
She's an English woman whowho's passed away now,
unfortunately, but she dedicatedher life to um to hold space
(12:11):
and and heal baby elephants andrhinos that were um orphans due
to illegal poaching of ivory,and she bought this huge piece
of land and welcomed all theseorphan animals and had some
carers there.
So we would often go and givemilk bottles to the baby
(12:33):
elephants and play football withthem with their trunk and tuck
them away with little blanketsin their beds with little
blankets in their beds.
So amazing, amazing childhoodmemories hanging out with the
(12:58):
Maasai warriors very often andjust being amongst nature all
the time, being barefoot all thetime, and I think that really
hit me hard and that's just atthe core of my essence since
very, very young.
And now I actually use thatanalogy when I speak to
(13:19):
conferences or keynote speecheswhere I ask people to close
their eyes first thing and thinkabout what was a very special
place in your childhood innature, where you would love to
go, like bring yourself back tothat place and then you know
(13:46):
what was the feeling.
Was it joy, was it peace?
Was it excitement?
Um, was there any special smellof that place?
Um, and then, knowing that thatplace, you can always, always
come back to it in moments ofstress, of overwhelm, of sadness
or when you're a bit lost.
(14:07):
Just coming back to that spaceof of peace, of joy, whatever it
is in nature.
And it's a really simple yetreally profound exercise to do
because it's coming back to ourroots, coming back to our early
moments, early memories innature.
(14:27):
Right, and that's a nice segueto bring me back to the love and
importance I think of the jobthat I do and the offering that
I have is how to bring peopleback to nature, how to create
(14:50):
this sense of awe and wonder andlove for nature, because once
it's there, it's like a tattoo,it's there always.
So how to create that with kids?
That's why I love to work withkids.
Since 25 years I've beenworking with kids all around the
world doing nature, play andfree play and art to create that
(15:13):
sense of awe, wonder, curiosityand love.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, and what kind of transformations like when you
are, say, working with a groupof kids or adults or you know um
, you know really getting peopleout in nature, what, what do
you, what do you see or what doyou feel transforms in people
when they're in nature?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
so much um.
And the beauty is that it'savailable to all, no matter your
age, no matter your ethnicity,your race, your gender, your
(16:00):
religion, your physicalabilities.
It's there for everyone and Ireally love that, that it's so
inclusive and open and availableto all, and I've seen the most
(16:25):
little changes or reallyprofound things that would
happen.
That still gives me goosebumpsis I did a nature therapy
session with a group wherepeople had limited mobility and
this person was in a wheelchairsince many, many years and we
did a session together and atthe end we had a closing circle
and saying how do you feeldifferent from the beginning and
end of the session?
(16:45):
And this person said I forgot Iwas in a wheelchair.
Wow.
Oh, I just got full goosebumpsand I still have tears in my
eyes, like everyone was bawlingtheir eyes and it's.
It's so simple, emma.
It's just coming back to beingconnected to our breath,
(17:10):
connected to ourselves, our body, our senses, expanding our
senses, which is such a giftthat we have.
Connecting to nature,disconnecting from all the noise
and the worry, um, and ourancestors used to do this so
(17:30):
much more and we've forgottenthat.
And it's it's so much more deepthan just being in nature.
It's actually connecting tosource, connecting to our
ancestors connecting to themedicine that we are, the
medicine that we are themedicine that the environment is
.
So that was really profound.
But also with children andtheir families, for example,
(17:53):
there's so much joy, like, oh, Ican be naughty and play in the
mud and, you know, climb treesand do stuff with nothing, using
what we have.
Just right here, let's make ashelter with sticks that we can
(18:13):
find and create magic togetherand enhancing our imagination,
teamwork, taking risks right.
And I feel that working withchildren is also not only
educating them or facilitatingthem or opening up the path for
(18:37):
them, but also educating theparents, like saying to them why
are you saying be be careful,like, or saying no like.
Is there another way we can sayyou know, oh, do you think that
that's a good choice?
To put your feet there?
Right, it's like it's not onlybeing with the child, but also
(19:01):
it's the whole family.
Like it has such a ripple effect, especially nowadays, I feel,
with children, with um, there'sso much screen time, indoor time
, children are so much morestressed and obese and anxious
and completely addicted toscreens.
Like it is our role as parents,as aunties and grandpas and
(19:26):
uncles and grandmas, to beleaders and role models.
Let's go out.
Let's go out and play.
Let's go to the beach.
Let's go to the bush.
Let's go in the park and not be.
I call it lazy parenting, whereyou just put them in front of a
screen and it's actually somuch easier.
It takes effort to go outsideand to actually be present and
(19:51):
play, so I'm really seeing thathappening a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
What's your kind of concern with that?
If you do have concern, know,obviously a lot of things have
changed.
Like you said, screen time's upand it's an easier option.
I mean, where do you see thatleading to if?
If parents aren't making thatchoice to be with their kids in
in nature?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
well, there's this author called uh Loof.
He's quite famous.
He wrote the book NatureDeficit Disorder and it's
actually a book that influencedmy and inspired me to do a PhD
in environmental education.
I looked at the benefits ofnature and children and I looked
deeply at why is it importantfor children to be in nature and
(20:44):
what are they missing out whenthey're not in nature?
And my concern, from theexperience that I've had as an
outdoor educator and doingextensive doctoral research on
that topic is that children willnot have social skills anymore.
They will not know how to bebrave and make new friends, how
(21:09):
to initiate conversations, howto hold their space and deal
with maybe confronting feedbackor deal with their emotions.
So that's one of the concerns.
My other concern is children getbored really easily now because
(21:30):
there's this with screens.
It's this constant feedbackloop, right, excitement and
addiction, and my concern isthat children would lose this
sense of awe and wonder andpeace and curiosity of just
sitting down, you know, evenlying down in a hammock and
(21:51):
looking at the clouds.
I used to do that all the time.
Just chill out, just hang out,relax and also taking care of
their nervous system, right,quiet time and not being like
(22:13):
feeling unease or uncomfortable,being quiet, without any sound,
without any stimulation.
That's a big gift now for ourchildren.
My other concern is, on aphysical level, that I know my
child has so much energy and ifmy child stays indoors, you know
(22:38):
it's just like cabin fever.
It's just not positive foranyone.
Fever, it's just not, it's notpositive for anyone.
And and just the importance ofchildren to be active and move
and and be creative and you know, just expanding their energy
and canalizing their energy andsomething positive, right, team
(23:00):
teamwork when they play as a, asa team.
You know playing soccer or oryou know if it's tennis, knowing
how to control their ownstrength.
And, yeah, and also anotherthing that I'm concerned about
is this whole wonder andimagination world that children
(23:23):
have and they're so connected tothe divine, especially in the
first septennial, like how tostill tap into that such
spiritual, awakened, open spacein which they are and not
(23:44):
polluting it with screens andoutdoor stimulation.
Mm-hmm yeah, so it's, it's.
It's a tricky one, um, becauseit requires a lot of um
consciousness and boundaries,and presence as a parent and
(24:07):
role modeling like there's notime for bullshit.
It's like it's all in.
Like, if I'm telling him tostop watching screens, I should
be watching my phone either.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, and this is the thing.
When you see all of theseexperiments that they do now and
they, you know, they show youwhen, like, a parent is playing
with their kid, they are just soengaged that the child is just
so happy.
And then they show the samechild who is looking sorry, the
same adult who is looking attheir phone, and the first thing
(24:41):
the kid wants to do is comearound and like, look over their
shoulder and look at it becausethey're like, well, I just want
to do what you're doing, I justwant to be with you.
I'm going to mimic you.
So this is the thing.
It's like.
I think, yeah, and you know,hats off to parents.
It's a, it's a, it's a hard,it's a big job, right.
It's like I think, yeah, andyou know, hats off to parents.
It's a, it's a, it's a hard,it's a big job, Right.
But it's like I think we allneed to be paying attention.
(25:03):
We can't be telling 15 yearolds to get off their phone
while we're coming in from workand like the first thing we're
doing is looking at our phonesas well.
It's, it's's, we're models forthat generation, and and kids
are going to look to theirparents, you know, for guidance
of what to do.
Yeah, yeah, it's wild.
(25:25):
Well, I mean, what?
What advice, I guess, would youhave, as somebody who obviously
is in this area, who works withfamilies so much, works with
kids, so much in this space,like, what advice do you have
for parents moving forward, youknow, to help them create these
imaginative, beautifulimaginations and let them run
(25:48):
wild?
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Well, I guess you know I could be organizing a
weekend away.
You can go camping or juststretching out of our comfort
zone.
As I said, the children are ourmasters and and often it can be
uncomfortable to do things thatwe're not used to be doing, and
that's totally okay.
Um, it could be joining, youknow, if you have young children
(26:15):
joining a, a nature play group,nature schools there are so
many around.
You know, looking for someideas on how to do nature play,
nature art, and it can be.
The thing is that it's so simple.
It can just be, you know, goingin the park and kicking the
(26:37):
ball with them.
It can be going on a bushwalkor going for a swim and then
there's a rock pool.
Just looking at all the magicthat's happening in those little
pools and I guess our role asparents is really tapping into
our inner child as well, andplayfulness and curiosity as
(27:01):
well.
It's like when a child showsyou a butterfly or something
they found, it's like, oh, wow,did you see that?
Look at the colors, look, lookat how many legs it has, and
really coming from a inquiryplace, right?
(27:22):
um, so being, I guess, beingcurious ourselves as well yeah,
yeah I have just this mirrormirroring back and, as I said,
it's not complicated.
You can find things to do.
These things are right there.
Often, as parents, we think, oh, they need this tour, you, they
(27:43):
need to be enrolled in thisclass and pay heaps of money.
They have agendas and scheduleslike a president, every week,
like no, they need downtime.
They need no, they needdowntime.
They need time in nature.
They need to relax.
Bring a book, bring a hammockBack to simplicity.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Always, I have to admit, like not having children
of my own, but whenever I spendtime with kids, there is
something really grounding thatI experience with them, like I
feel really present with kids.
It's almost like they kind ofthey pull me out of my head and
it's just like just be here andjust be with me and just play
(28:31):
with me and like let's have fun.
They are, they're just soconscious, aren't they?
And I think that's what itfeels, like that is what is
being lost with, you know, theseincredible technologies that we
have, and very grateful forthem all, but it's like it's it.
(28:51):
It feels like it's go tippingover into that like danger zone
where it's like thatconsciousness, that presence,
that beautiful grounding energythat kids have and that playful
energy is being kind of pulledout.
It's leaky energy, almost, yeah, and also, you know it can be.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
I really love to work with senses as well and using
natural elements for that it canbe.
You know there's so muchbenefits.
Even you know, before going tobed, why not going for a little
stroll on the beach or having alittle swim in the ocean and
being barefoot on the ground?
It can be really that simple.
(29:34):
Yeah, absolutely.
How can we teach them, by rolemodeling, some tools to be
grounded?
Yeah, without even telling themit's just all right, don't need
your shoes, let's take ourshoes off.
Can you feel the grass?
Can you feel the mud?
Or oh, how nice is the ocean.
(29:55):
And let's ask the ocean toclear all our worries of the day
and so that we can sleep well.
And, you know, using all theseelements, all these tools, bit
by bit that we have as adults,and embodying that into them in
a very gentle way, that intothem in a very gentle way, yeah,
(30:22):
and also I feel it's reallyimportant to see them as, um,
intelligent beings, likeconscious beings.
They're not, they're children,but they're, they're wise.
And I've, I've really tried to,to, to come from that place as
much as I can Like when I talkto them, like you know, kneeling
down and being at the samelevel as them and talking to
(30:47):
them as somebody wise and nottop down.
I know everything and you don'tknow anything.
It's more like let's worktogether, let's be silly
together right, yeah, yeah, andyou definitely do that.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
I think every time I'm with you that we just giggle
a lot.
You're very plate.
You've got very playful, likeyou know.
You're so grounded.
I find you so grounded, but youalso have this like mega
mischievous side, which I love,because I can be a bit serious
(31:22):
sometimes.
So it's really I always have avery playful like when I think
about you.
I think about giggling, likethat's what I think of with you.
I'm always like, oh, there'sjust, there's always.
I'm always like what you know,so you definitely embody, yeah,
(31:43):
I think, this grounded, wisewisdom, but you also have this
really beautiful playfulness toyou, which I adore as well.
One question I haven't reallyasked, because we've been
talking, obviously, so muchabout nature and we've been
talking about the benefits andeverything.
But like, how would youdescribe what you actually do,
(32:06):
because you've come from thisincredible childhood in Africa
in nature?
You know you study PhDs.
I know you're a doctor nowthere's, you know, but can you
describe to me what do you?
What do you do?
What do you facilitate?
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Sure, so I do have many hats.
I used to be an outdooreducator for many years,
teaching children outdoorsbiology science, geography,
biology science, geographyexcursions in the bush and next
to the ocean for many years, andI also created my business
(32:50):
called Healing with Nature,where I facilitate nature
therapy session, or shinrin yokuforest bathing, where I bring
people in nature.
So there are nature immersionsto help people disconnect, to
reconnect to themselves, tonature and their community.
So I do that around Sydney,which is such a beautiful
(33:11):
offering for adults, mainly umteenage adults, um, and I'm also
ndis registered provider, umand an ecotourism business, um.
Another thing that I do withhealing with nature is also
nature play with children duringthe school holidays um nature
(33:36):
birthday parties as well.
That's really fun.
Another work that I do as wellI work at the government New
South Wales government and I'm alearning leader and I lead a
portfolio of many differentcommunity programs in a
(33:58):
beautiful garden where we createprograms like for well-being.
How can we talk about ourliving collection and science as
well?
So yeah every day in nature,every day.
So yeah, every day in natureevery day.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Well, I mean, we were talking about this before we
started recording as well,because we were talking about
your business healing withnature, but also reflecting on.
Really that is who you are.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
That's been really such a beautiful insight that I
had this year and this morningas well, having a chat with a
friend.
I think when we are deeply intoour offering, having a business
, when it's really authentic,what we do goes beyond when we
(34:54):
work.
It's who we are, it's the lifethat we lead, it's what we eat,
it's what we see, what we choosenot to hear, not to look at,
it's the choices that we makeevery day and our life is a
(35:15):
reflection of who we are and ourvalues and the offering that we
have to have in the world.
And it doesn't have to be, youknow, smack up in your face, the
shiny, bright thing.
It's just this consistentpresence and authenticity that
(35:40):
you can feel.
You can feel it when you seesomeone, when you're in the
presence of someone, you canfeel when it's authentic or not
right, when they breathe andlive what they preach and live
what they preach, and I feelthat looking life in this way is
so much more simply likesimpler sorry, instead of seeing
(36:09):
myself with all these differentresponsibilities and roles that
I have.
It's still there, but theessence is just so grounded and
there Like I'm not someonedifferent at work or in my
relationship or as a parent.
I am Sarah.
I am, you know.
The offering that I bring iswho I am and what I do in all
(36:34):
these areas and that creates somuch peace, so much freedom and
ability and capacity to expandand be true to myself, to be
honest with myself and I don'tknow, it's just a way of being.
(36:55):
It just makes so much sense andeverything flows so much easier
.
There's no pressure, there's noforcing.
I feel that when I'm in thatspace, whatever I would be doing
, whatever choice I'm doing, arein harmony with all the rest
(37:15):
that is happening.
Yeah.
It's as if you know when youdecorate your home or when you I
don't know put a beautifulartwork together or a puzzle.
If your choices are deeplyauthentic and aligned with who
you are are deeply authentic andaligned with who you are,
(37:39):
although there's differences.
It will all make such abeautiful art piece.
You know, I'm thinking evenabout clothes, the clothes that
you choose.
If they're in your essence,whatever you put on is going to
go together.
Yeah, because the essence isthere, because that's an easy
example to keep in mind.
Yeah, and it creates so muchpeace, Like visually it's like
(38:05):
ah yeah, of course it matches.
Of course, because it comesfrom source, it comes from me
and it feels good.
That's the important thing.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
If it it feels good, it doesn't matter what if the
other, what they think, whatthey don't like, it doesn't
matter, it feels good for meyeah that is a beautiful place
to be like, just to embody allof that and radiate it out in
(38:36):
every area and just to be thatperson for, you know, your
partner, for your son, for yourbusiness, for your work, for
your friends.
You know what has it taken foryou to get to this place.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
It's not easy.
It's not an easy work.
I will not lie.
I will not lie, it's not easyat all.
Difficult relationship, supercomplicated breakups, moments of
deep darkness, deep sadness, offeeling completely broken and
(39:25):
overwhelmed and stressed andlost.
But there's this inner voiceand this deep knowing that.
There's this inner voice andthis deep knowing that, oh, you
know, I should have trusted myintuition and my light that's
big, because you know when youknow.
Mm-hmm.
(39:48):
You know it.
Yeah, now you know what youalready knew.
Now you know what you alreadyknew, yeah, and I think that
life brings us to difficultsituations because we are
(40:10):
capable to deal with them.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Doesn't feel like it at the time, my God.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
It doesn't feel like it, but it's like, wow, like
looking back, like I often andstill now I'm doing.
Still it's this ongoing healingwork.
I'm still, you know, lookingback at some situations and I I
(40:38):
just hugged the sarah from backthen that needed that hug no
saying I'm I'm so sorry to havemade that decision, I'm so sorry
that you had to go through that, but I forgive you because that
was the best that you could inthat moment.
That was where you were in thatmoment.
So I forgive you and I thankyou and I love you so much and
(41:06):
that, I think, has been one ofthe most profound ways for me to
deal with many difficultsituations.
It's like, how can I lovemyself better and more, how can
I forgive myself, how can I begrateful and how can I say I'm
(41:27):
sorry and really being honestwith me, right, and also not
being afraid of going into youknow, dark places and looking at
my shit and being honest, we'renot perfect.
How did I contribute to thisrelationship?
That was toxic.
(41:48):
What was my role in there?
And just letting my ego downand not, you know, projecting
everything on the other personis how am I responsible for that
?
And I feel with time there'sbeen more maturity to deal with
conflict resolution, there'sbeen more ownership of my shit,
(42:10):
but also being quite you knowthis, this is my boundary like
this is where up till where itgoes, and then it's too much and
then it's like, no, this is nothappening, and being very clear
about that.
(42:31):
And sometimes there aredecisions that are really hard,
with a lot of consequences onmultiple levels, and that's okay
.
That's okay to take thosedecisions, because it's just a
point where it's like, no, no,this is not happening.
(42:53):
Um, and I guess, throughout theyears, it's like really using
the tools that I have gained,how can I use that for myself?
And how can I bring all thetimes I gave my power to someone
to situation to place?
How can I bring all the times Igave my power to someone to
situation to place?
How can I bring that back to me?
How can I come back home to myheart?
(43:16):
How can I hold my hand?
How can I be my best friend,right and knowing that?
(43:38):
I always, always have my backthat my well-being, my mental
health, my joy and happinessdoesn't depend on anything
exterior than me or anyone.
That I am my medicine like.
Stop looking at words.
I am my medicine.
I am supported deeply, alwayssupported by the universe,
deeply supported by source, bynature.
And how can I use that, like mybody, as a portal, as a channel
(44:05):
, whatever you want to call it?
How can I use that to alchemizeand transform what needs to be
transformed and really deeplyfeeling that I'm supporting on
(44:26):
all levels, all the time?
And a big thing for me was tolearn how to relax and not be
into this masculine energy likebulldozer, to-do list and
constantly doing something,overworking, overachiever, which
I have been for so many years.
How, how to step out of that alittle bit.
(44:50):
How did you, how did you get tobe a warrior?
yes get out of situations andand and have a better life and
future.
But now, how can I be apeaceful warrior and stepping
(45:13):
into my feminine and steppinginto receiving and more softness
and trust?
Because I saw that when I am inthat space of rest, that when I
am in that space of rest, ofbeing at peace, of not having to
do anything, I receive evenmore Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
I absolutely love that.
But I also know there could bepeople listening who have found
themselves in a situation youknow, kind of like like you went
through right as a single mom.
It's like all of a suddenyou're kind of, you know, you're
paying the bills, you've got togo to work, you're paying the
rent, you've got to take care ofNoah, you're getting him to
school.
Like when you look back atyourself, like then you know in
(46:03):
those early days and that kindof I and correct me if I'm wrong
more of a survival mindset andbeing in that masculine energy,
like how, what advice would youhave for somebody who maybe is
in that situation right nowwhere they're like, well, I
can't stop, like if I stop, itall falls to pieces.
(46:23):
You know it all falls, I'lllose the house, my kids won't
have food.
You know what advice, fromwhere you are now, can you give
to people in that situation?
Speaker 2 (46:37):
and look.
I still feel I'm in that space,but I think it's also a mindset
like life still continues,right, still have to pay the
bills, still have to bring thekids to school and pack up the
lunchbox and deal with tantrumsand everything.
Life continues.
(46:57):
But I feel it's my mindset andthe way I deal with stress has
changed and I feel that beingmore organized has helped me
tremendously.
Meal planning, like I'm going todo my little menu for the week,
(47:18):
which I used to never, ever doI find it the most boring thing
in the world to do, but it'sactually helping me so much.
I feel that being more organizedhas helped me tremendously not
to stress myself or my child andhave a more flow during the
(47:39):
week.
But also now I make it apriority to have time for me,
whether it's 10 minutes in theferry listening to my meditation
, whether it's before going tobed, thinking about the day that
I had and being grateful forthree things, and I feel that
(48:02):
just by doing that, my capacityto deal with all the things that
I have to do doesn't feeloverwhelming anymore, and I also
use even making the dishes asseeing like a meditative
practice.
How can I be present ineverything that I do and see it
(48:27):
like something sacred and thatwas one of my I don't know if
you remember, emma, but for my40th birthday that was my prayer
like bringing sacredness everyday, and it makes life so much
easier and beautiful.
Although I have to work fulltime, I have a kid blah, blah,
(48:50):
blah everything that I have todo doesn't change.
It's there, but it's my way ofliving my life on that daily
basis yeah how can I createthose little moments of beauty,
of connection smelling abeautiful flower, looking at the
sunset, feeling the wind?
(49:10):
You know my skin, using mysenses dropping in and during
the day, you know, one tip canbe throughout the day a couple
of seconds I close my eyes, Iconnect to my heart, to my womb.
How do I feel right now andwhat does my body need reset?
Speaker 1 (49:36):
okay, let's go to that meeting yeah, because I
think one of the what I feelactually over, I'd probably say
with you, like over the lastlike 12 or 14 months, a massive
thing that I've seen shift inyou is just a lot of presence,
like I feel like you've beenreally present, like you've been
(50:00):
really grounded and maybe thathas been bringing in that
sacredness each day.
I feel like you're really, yeah, you just feel really grounded,
really calm, and I know it'snot always like that, but I
think that obviously thatintention for your 40th birthday
(50:21):
, you know that's bringingsacredness in slowing down and
your deep connection to nature,I do feel there's just been a
big shift with with you, like ina really, you know, still
mischievous and naughty andfunny, but it's been really nice
just to see you be like morepresent and I think that that
for me that is something thatI'm still working towards.
(50:44):
My mind's still a little bitlike and I'm maybe not in the
practice so much, so that's areally good reminder for me.
Thank you, lovely.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
And I think it's you know.
To be in that space and alsobeing, you know, spiritual
beings that we all are doesn'tmean, you know, you have to
meditate and be dressed in whiteall the time.
It's not about that.
It's about really the work ofevery day, like how do I take
(51:14):
care of myself on an everydaybasis?
How do I take care of mynervous system?
What can I do?
I know we've been on that path,you know, going on a Ayurveda
lifestyle, and how to embodythat, how to use the plants for
(51:35):
my self-healing, how to feedmyself.
Better Sleep they're like basic.
I sleep much more now.
I go to bed earlier.
The quality of the sleep,quality of food, quality of you
know what I put in my ears whenI listen to something Like.
(51:56):
It's just such a broad hygieneof life and it's a dedication,
it's consciousness in whatever Ido.
There are choices that I make,make events that I go to,
invitation that I receive.
Which ones do I want to go to?
How does it feel to go and seethat person?
(52:17):
Or do I want to watch the news?
Because that creates a yuckyfeeling in me which, when I wear
something, how does it feel onmy body?
Like it's.
It's once you open that, thatworld, that inner world of
well-being and feeling good,it's just so expansive and you
(52:43):
can start small and it'sbeautiful, and then like, oh,
why don't I try that?
And the beautiful thing that Ifound is that I know that when
I'm not grounded, when I'mstressed and overwhelmed, I can
see a straight consequence on myenvironment.
(53:10):
My child is more stressed, mychild is more edgy, and when I
am grounded, when I am calm,when I had time for myself, even
just 10 minutes, it has such aripple effect on everything.
It's actually a gift forourselves ourselves, but also
(53:32):
for everyone else around us andfor the world.
So if you see it like that, itshould be a daily priority.
Yeah, I'm actually gonna put itnow in my calendar calendar
from this time to that time.
This is a date with myself andit's not negotiable.
(53:52):
It's, it's there and it's notbefore.
I used to you know like oh, I'mgonna slot it in when I have a
little bit of time, like when mychild is at sleep and I'm
finished the dishes and preppedeverything for the next day and
then I'm exhausted.
No, no, no, it's in the primetime of the day.
This is me.
(54:13):
I'm the priority and I feelthat as women, as mothers, as
business owners, as women ingeneral, we do not put ourselves
as a priority.
We do not put ourselves as apriority.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
Yeah, I would say that that is probably one of the
biggest things that I see withthe women that I work with is
that it's like there's just notime for them.
They just don't know how toprioritize themselves and,
myself included, I've been onthat journey and I'm still going
(54:47):
through it.
You know where you just I think, as women, we just have this
capacity for so much and to giveso much, but we really have to
remember to give to ourselvesfirst.
Just like you said, when I'mgrounded, when I'm centered,
when I've had that 10 minutesfor me, the ripple into your
(55:08):
life like with Noah, with youryou know, other things like that
is something that we all haveto remember.
I think every day is like oh, Iget to show up, I get to be the
best, I get to create thisripple of consciousness and
groundedness and presence andlove and fun, because I'm
actually nurturing and healingmyself.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
And not feeling guilty about it, because I know
I've been in the trap where, oh,I should be doing the washing,
I should be cooking, I should bedoing this and actually not
being able to relax at all.
Be doing this and actually notbeing able to relax at all
(55:53):
because it's actually a practicelike being at peace.
Being at peace it's like I'mbeing.
Like how can I be my ownproject?
How can I preach, how can Iembody my values so that's not
just talking, it's.
How can I embody my values sothat it's not just talking.
It's.
How can I embody the medicinethat I'm preaching or that I'm
facilitating to myself?
(56:16):
How can I be really true tomyself?
How can I be my own project andmedicine, how can I see myself
as a sacred being worthy ofpeace, worthy of rest, worthy of
love?
And that's such a huge journeyand I'm still on it, but it's
(56:41):
nourishing coming back home.
It's so incredibly profound,like I used to escape times of
being alone with myself.
I admit it always busy doingthis, going there, social life,
(57:05):
and it was escaping something Ididn't want to look at, and now
I cannot wait to be in mypresence.
Such a profound feeling yeah tobe able and it doesn't come from
a space of ego and lovingyourself in that space.
(57:29):
It's like welcome back, youknow I love you so much.
Like being in awe of our bodyand I feel that there's a lot of
work there around sensuality,around what does it mean for me
to be a woman?
You know what?
(57:51):
Like being in awe of, of thebody that I am, that I carry
like thank you feet for havingdanced so much, thank you for
walking these, these amazingcountries and paths.
Thank you to my room for havingcreated life and all these
(58:11):
projects.
I feel coming from that spaceof awe and love and wonder and
curiosity, not only for nature,but for just this amazing
mystery and gift that we are.
There's no room to make choicesthat are not good for you
(58:38):
anymore.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (58:41):
And I love, like what you were saying as well, just
about because, about, because,like coming home to yourself and
having that awe and wonder.
I do think that comes frombeing present, that comes from
you.
I, I, I would love to knowanyone who has awe and wonder
when they're in anxiety, right,or when they're like when the
(59:04):
nervous system is jacked andthey're racing around and you
know so that awe and wondercomes from being present.
I believe so.
In terms of how nature andhealing with nature, how do you
think that nature helps you toget to that place?
To get to that place, to getinto presence.
Speaker 2 (59:32):
There's so many research that has been done
Scientifically.
It has been proven that beingamongst trees and breathing in
and out the essential oils ofthe trees actually reduces our
cortisol levels, which arestress levels.
We sleep better, our immunesystem is boosted Just general
(59:57):
well-being Our nervous system isstable.
There's so many research thathas been done, especially in
Japan and that's where ShinrinYoku was born and expanded to
show this to the world.
Right, like I.
Mean, who feels good afterbeing in nature, hands up, right
(01:00:19):
, it's a no-brainer.
It's a no-brainer, it's so good.
But human beings, in our modernsociety, they need data and
research to prove things, butlet's just tap into our bodies.
How do I feel when I see asunrise on the beach?
Speaker 1 (01:00:40):
magic magic.
Speaker 2 (01:00:44):
How do I feel when I dive into the ocean?
And it's really simple and it'svery sensorial.
It's I feel when I do mysessions.
(01:01:04):
Emma, I work a lot on thesenses.
How can we expand our capacityto hear the senses?
How can we expand our capacityto hear?
How can we expand our capacityto smell, to taste, to see, to
touch?
We do that by slowing down.
Actually, it's not about youknow, nowadays we'll have our
(01:01:25):
like smart watches and we canour many steps and calories that
we've burned.
It's all about competition anddata and being better than the
other one, and actually we don'tneed that.
We're taking it together.
Let's slow down.
By slowing down, we notice more.
(01:01:46):
By slowing down, we can seemore things and we can be in awe
.
Right, and there's so manyresearch now being done on
grounding, like walking withyour bare feet on the ground.
I just bought a grounding sheetand a grounding little thing to
(01:02:07):
put in my office.
I sleep so much better, likeinsane I.
Even in the office, I feel less, my eyes are less strained, I'm
super concentrated.
Like it is a thing.
It is a thing.
Like it is a thing, it is athing.
(01:02:32):
Um, I had, for example, duringcovid we did a a few walks and
one of the ladies that came washead of nurse in one of the
hospitals and she had beenworking 24 7 for many days and
and she came.
And you know how some people donot know how to relax or how to
wind down.
(01:02:55):
And I could sense that that likebuzzing, and oh, I feel a bit
weird, you know, like talking toa tree and what.
What is that?
And it's like an invitation tocome out of your comfort zone
yeah to be brave, to testsomething new, but also to tap
(01:03:15):
into the magic that we haveright here.
Um, and this woman just justcompletely melted on this rock
and, you know, had a rest formaybe 10 minutes and deeply,
deeply connected and dropped inso deeply like we had to wake
(01:03:37):
her up.
And she woke up and she said Ihad never been able to relax as
much and drop in as much astoday.
Yeah.
People need that, to learn howto do that again.
Speaker 1 (01:03:56):
It's kind of unlearning, right.
It's almost like unlearning thepattern that stress and high
performance and go, go, go, gogo is normal.
And it's like even that womanthat you just described her
wiring was so jacked that forher to even lay down for like 10
(01:04:19):
minutes, I mean she must havejust been exhausted for her to
fall asleep.
Speaker 2 (01:04:25):
Yes, I've got a beautiful um made by a friend of
us, um, so it's healing withnaturecomau.
I've got an instagram pagehealing underscore with nature,
so, yeah, feel free to reach out.
Um, I do a couple of eventsaround here um groups and also
(01:04:48):
one-on-one so, yeah, I wouldlove to to connect with you if
that's your call.
Amazing.
Thank you so much, emma, forthe opportunity to to share this
with you, and you've been sucha incredible pillar, like really
beautiful sister, and has beenreally amazing to see our
(01:05:13):
journey since about five yearstogether and seeing how much
we've gone through quitedifficult times and epiphanies
and so much healing times andand epiphanies and so much
healing, and it's always such anhonor to be able to to be
amongst women that are badass,that do the work, and I just am
(01:05:38):
so proud of all my sisters whowho are willing to do the work
and willing to be vulnerable andauthentic and go deep and look
at their shit and and movethrough it and rise from that
and and then not only helpingthemselves but helping others
(01:06:00):
too and showing up and not beingafraid of having the difficult
conversations.
So deep honoring to you, emma aswell, and thank you so much for
all the work that you've beendoing for your community, for
(01:06:23):
being such a pillar and solidrock for us all as well.
So, yeah, deep honor of yourjourney as a woman, with all the
ebbs and flows of life thatyou've gone through, and, um,
yeah, I'm so glad that we have,you know, been, you know, on
this journey together and andbeing authentic and vulnerable
(01:06:45):
and crying and and laughing somuch.
And, yeah, it's really amazingto see where you are now and I'm
so proud of you.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:06:56):
I'm so proud of you too.
I just love you so much and I'mso grateful for you.
And, yeah, the gifts that youbring just for being you, and
you know the gifts that youbring just for being you, and
you know the gifts that youshare.
And um, yeah, I'm just reallygrateful to have witnessed your
expansion and the wild crazyride that we've been on for five
(01:07:19):
years.
It's, yeah, it's just been sobeautiful just to, yeah, just to
see the ebbs and flows of allof us, really right.
But, um, yeah, I'm supergrateful for you.
I'm really happy for where youare right now in your life and
you know it really speaks.
Your energy is just radiatingwhere you are right now.
(01:07:40):
And, yeah, I hope lots of peoplefind your work.
And, um, I just wish you I I'llsee you over the weekend, but
you know, in life, I just wishthe absolute best for you.
I really do.
Yeah, I love you so much.
I love you.
Thank you, sister.
See you soon.
(01:08:00):
You're welcome, see you verysoon.
Thanks for listening today andif this episode helped or
inspired you, just remember toshare it to friends or family
who could also use someinspiration.
Today, we are all about sharingthe love you.
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