More than that, those moments of stillness allowed me to explore deeper within myself. They opened me up to something beyond the physical, and instilled my belief that we are so much more than we’ve been led to believe. Something that traditional cultures have always known.

Then just as I was getting ready to launch a new career helping others with breathing lifestyle and fitness — my body had other ideas.

After a long period of stress, the emotional toll of late-stage menopause, and juggling too much for too long, I experienced a full ulcerative colitis flare-up — completely out of the blue.

I had been ‘doing’ everything right.. Training. Ice baths. Breathwork. Meditation. Healthy food. But I was “coping” by doubling down on all the wellbeing practices I knew and ignoring all the signals telling me I needed to slow down.  As somebody who prided themselves on pushing through and being strong, I took more and more on physically and emotionally

Until my body said no. 

What I can only assume was burnout, combined with the return of debilitating ulcerative colitis symptoms, a condition I thought I’d ‘cured’ myself of, forced me to stop. Not just slow down — really stop. To listen to my body and mind, and to recognise that even wellbeing can become another form of pressure when it turns into a checklist.

That’s when I realised I’d been trying to ignore and minimise my stress by doing more.

Breathing helped me through, Even when symptoms are bad and feel out of control, I can use my breath to manage pain, calm my system, and find rest to help my body heal.

Now in my 5th decade of life, I still have a long way to go, especially in overcoming stress, anxiety and an overthinking mind and also in healing and supporting my gut without pharmaceutical intervention. Yet I want to share some of the tools that have so far helped — in the hope that they may support others to find freedom from fear stress, anxiety and overthinking, to thrive amidst life’s challenges.