How My Journey into Mindbody Wellness Began

After an earlier career in the arts and being part of the burgeoning Music Video & MTV explosion of the 1980s and then Art Directing countless Music Videos in London and Los Angeles including Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", I realised that my "First one there, last one to leave, give it 1000 percent always" attitude was destroying my health on multiple levels. I had no boundaries. I felt immortal, invincible, unstoppable...that is, without having to nurture and care for myself. That changed. I had to take time off for a "mystery illness" that I ended up recovering from - eventually, but that lead me into mindbody wellness. I initially focused on exploring energetic medicine, in particular from an eastern medicine perspective - at first to help myself and then to help others.

Fast forward many years and I found myself owner-operator of a wellness center. (Scene changed, but apparently not my approach!) The Wellness Center concept that I co-founded was before its time (2007-2014). We offered community, social wellness, massage and bodywork, skincare care, energy healing, counselling, acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, chiropractic and many wellness classes and workshops including indignious medicine, sound baths, and somatic therapies. We were a one-stop-shop for everything to do with wellness and wholistic wellbeing. We even included art exihibitions and community showcases for local talent. It was beautiful. But i never stopped. And I didn't listen to my own inner wisdom. A lot of misplaced appropriation of my energy going on but I just "sucked it up" and kept going.

Everyone loved the concept and enjoyed the offerings. Trouble is, the only person who didn't was me.

I was a starter, a front person, a builder, maker...but not a business sustainer or operator on the day-to-day level. I was more suited to working directly with others on their journey on a 1:1 level. I crashed. I burned. I developed another mystery illness along the same lines as before all those years ago. I was diagnosed with what is now known as ME and in those days, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. With what we know today, it all made sense. My nervous system could not cope with the stress that I was ignoring - the misalignment of my skills, my dharma. It took a great toll on me. For years I was barely able to function. I did it. I performed. But to the extent that if I didn't have children, I would have wished to die to escape the physical pain, crushing cognitive stress and the incapacitating fatigue.

Thankfully, I did recover. And have not relapsed to this day. But the road was long and hard. Fast-forward to today, and we know so much more about the nervous system and how we can make ourselves unwell on systemic levels.

I have always been a glass half-full personality and believe in seeing the silver lining. Life gives us lemons and we make lemonade. I adhere to the tenets of post-traumatic growth and transmuting our challenges into transcendence and opportunity. Positive Psychology provides the theoretical home for my credo, my work and natural skill set.

My life thus far, has led me here. I am a firm believer in Amor fati.

With much love and recognition for anything that may be challenging you that brought you here today.

Tanya

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