“Happy girls are prettier.” – Audrey Hepburn

In my career as a Holistic Health Coach, I wear many hats. I wear the Life and Personal Development Coach hat, the educational and inspirational writer hat, the and motivational speaker hat, the holistic nutritionist hat, the personal trainer hat, the yoga instructor hat, and a meditation coach hat. These are ALL things that contribute to creating a quality life of wellness.

BUT…

Would you believe me if I told you that no matter which “hat” I am wearing, the job is the same? That’s right…my job is the SAME, regardless of what medium I work with people through, and therefore my passion is equal for all of my hats.

Why?

Because my PASSION is about helping YOU create healthy relationships. My PASSION is about helping other people realise and wake-up to their inner guidance system, their ultimate authentic power, and their capability of making conscious choices that align with their hearts desires. My PASSION is for creating a happier, and therefore healthier world. What does that all mean? That means, I live to help others create a quality life of wellness through shifting their relationships with food, exercise, themselves, and transforming their relationship to life itself.

How do you shift your relationship to life itself?

We start by taking  a look at how we approach our relationship to food and exercise. This tells us how we approach all things. It gives me a very good reference point for how my clients feel about themselves deep down, and therefore how they choose to show up in the world.

You see, for many years I struggled with my relationships with food, exercise, myself and with life itself UNTIL things began to finally click for me.

I had been a competitive gymnast, a fitness champion, a figure champion, photographed for magazines, and sponsored by fitness industry leaders. BUT…at the end of the day, I struggled. I struggled internally first and foremost, and I struggled to keep up with the harsh, rigid regime that was required of me to maintain my six pack. I just wanted a nice, lean, toned, healthy, strong, and fit body, without killing myself or feeling deprived. I wanted to be able to LOVE myself no matter what, instead of depending on winning or “being someone” to prove to the world I was loveable.

So I set out to find a way to do exactly that.

I wanted to go on vacations and not gain weight, or obsess about exercising or the amount of carbs and calories I’d consumed. I wanted to let go of feeling guilty for not exercising, or for eating healthy foods such as fruit and good carbs. I wanted to eat foods that I LOVE, find relief from bingeing and emotional eating, and I wanted to eat and exercise in a way that HONOR my body, create optimal health and well-being from the INSIDE-OUT, and therefore contribute to a healthy, hot, and sexy me. I wanted to FEEL amazing in my skin, and I wanted my fit body, mind, and spirit to be an organic result of me making choices to LOVE myself, rather than being a result of me being harsh, rigid in my thinking and actions, and almost abusive towards myself.

Well guess what…

When we are rigid, harsh, and semi-abusive in our thinking and actions around food and exercise, that is a pretty good reference point for how we respond to life itself and how we feel about ourselves deep down. If we have to cling to a regimen that is really not natural for us, then it says we do not TRUST that there is a way to do things with ease, grace, love, and therefore in alignment with us. We do not trust that there is a better way, a way where we can live without deprivation, feel amazing, AND look the very best we can possibly look.

The key here is, to LET GO of the results, the outcomes, and the expectations, and instead turn your attention inward. Begin to focus on how you want to FEEL in your life. How do you want to feel when you look in the mirror, slip on your jeans, head out for a run, walk through the grocery store, or when you lie in bed with your partner?

AND…

If you currently think that the way you FEEL is dependent upon this or that, you are right and wrong. How we FEEL is a choice we make, and you can feel however you want to feel RIGHT NOW. So, instead of waiting to lose 10 kilos, or 20 pounds before you FEEL confident, sexy, and worthy, begin to connect to the feeling of those things within you RIGHT NOW.

We are taught that the feelings follow the results. Well, duh. Obviously if we go from overweight to a healthy weight, we are going to feel better about ourselves and about life…at least temporarily. BUT, if we just change our outer world, we will still be left with our inner world, and THAT is why so any people Yo-Yo. They “fix” the outside, but the inside doesn’t shift in a way that they can really feel deep down that they are happy, loved, worthy, etc. So…the weight eventually makes its way back to their hips, stomachs, and thighs. The weight they carry inside, eventually manifests. This is because when we JUST fix the outside, it is not sustainable. We MUST go to the root, and make the changes from there.

When I work with my coaching clients, speak at an event, or write an article, my intention is to always challenge people to look at the way they approach their fitness, food, and life.

Are you coming from the outside in, or the inside out?

When we focus on feeling happy, worthy, loved, and capable, right now, and we begin to connect to that feeling more and more, then NATURALLY our choices and actions begin to fall into alignment with that. We begin to come from love rather than from fear, and those are two VERY different energies and feel very different in the body. For example, if you choose to go for a long run, to do a yoga class, or to attend a session with your trainer, and you do this coming from LOVE, then you will feel filled up by your choice because it is motivated by your intention to love and nurture yourself. This action will therefore feel loving, the way you move through it will be respectful and loving towards your body, mind, and spirit, and as a result, it will FILL YOU UP. However, if you make the exact same choice, coming from fear, then it will deplete you. If you decide to go for a run, workout, or to a yoga class because you will feel guilty if you don’t, or because you are afraid you will fall off track, or fear not looking a certain way because ultimately if your body isn’t perfect you can’t feel happy, then everything you do from this energy will work against you and ultimately burn you out. When we come from fear, it is not sustainable. You will never be able to maintain a healthy state of body, mind, and spirit when you come from fear.

Has this ever happened to you?

If you want to “lose weight” or “reduce your body fat” and these are the things that you are using to try to motivate yourself…IF it even motivates you at all…it WON’T last for long for most of you.

WHY?

This is because you aren’t connected to something bigger, something deeper, and more meaningful. What you REALLY want is to feel light, energised, and full of vitality. You want to walk into a room and know who you are and feel good about who you are. You want to be able to look other people in the eyes and not feel insecure, ashamed, or afraid. You want to feel like life has meaning, you have meaning, and that there is a reason for your existence. You want to feel like a contributor to life. You long to feel seen, heard, and appreciated. What you want is to feel smart inside, beautiful inside, and strong inside.

Am I right about this? Me too! There is nothing wrong with us for wanting these things. We want them because it is our most natural and authentic state to feel peaceful, happy, joyous, and free.

So…THESE are the priorities!

I had been personal training for 10 years when I decided to become a personal development coach, and to really expand my writing and speaking career. I did this because it was so painful, frustrating, and unfulfilling for me to watch day in and day out, people who come to me to transform their bodies, but who never get off the “roller-coaster” as a result of not transforming their minds, their perceptions, and therefore their relationships to food and exercise. I saw the same pattern over and over:

Client comes in super motivated, client works VERY hard, client gets results, client enjoys life extremely for 3-6 months, then client slowly begins to slip back into old habits and ways, and their motivation dissipates. Then, client tries and tries to do it the way they did it in the beginning, hoping to get the same results and to feel the same feeling again, only to feel disappointed, and defeated. Client continues to work had for years without ever getting optimal results.

It’s like a drug. The first HIGH is always the best one. Then, it just becomes about chasing the high that you’ll never get back again, because it wasn’t something real to begin with. We do drugs because we want to FEEL a certain way and most people do not TRUST that this can be found in a way that honors the body rather than harms it. Everyone wants the quick fix, but why? The quick fix is just a long and drawn-out process that keeps us from ever fully experiencing true freedom, bliss, abundance, and optimal health.

Do you want true freedom, abundance, bliss, and optimal health?

I hope and trust your answer is YES!

You CAN have your cake and eat it too! It may be an ORGANIC, RAW, VEGAN cake, but who cares if it is delicious, makes you FEEL amazing, AND moves you closer to your health and wellness goals? 🙂 There are ways to experience what you want that you have probably never considered or been open to,  and I am here to help you if you are ready to make some empowering changes. My best medium for this is my 12 week mentoring program! I LOVE doing it, and my clients love it too 🙂

Do want to live your life to the fullest? If you’re ready for change, serious about investing in yourself, and ready to work with a coach, send an email to [email protected]. The E.L.M. Personal Growth Mentoring Program is an intense and highly effective way to release your mental, physical, and emotional blocks so you can finally live your dreams. It’s an investment in your health and happiness. Serious inquiries only.

Sending you all so much LOVE and LIGHT! Please email me at [email protected] with questions and comments! I always LOVE to hear from you and what you are going through 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

xoxo Erin