ABOUT

For many years I have had a deep fascination with the mind/body/spirit connection. Why we function the way we do, what makes us tick and why we react to certain situations and triggers.

I am a voracious reader and have a passion for books. Some of my favourites are those written by great “self-help” and metaphysical teachers such as Dr Wayne Dyer, Dr John de Martini, Robin Sharma, Martha Beck and Caroline Myss. Their books, and the knowledge that’s incorporated in them, helped shape my life. Another author who played a vital role in who I am today is John Kehoe. His book Mind Power opened my eyes to how our thoughts and words create our reality and how we are the “captains of our ship”.

My interest in the mind/body/spirit connection evolved after I moved to the Lowveld from Benoni, to the east of Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1996. The relaxed lifestyle, fresh air, and being in nature unlocked a door within me. Living on a beautiful farm outside White River, close to the Kruger National Park as the owner of a B&B started the magnificent journey that I am still on.

After closing the B&B in 2001 (another one of those stepping stones which, when I look back, I realise was all part of the ‘plan’), I lived on the farm with my husband and a miscellany of dogs and cats until mid-2019.  It was during this time that my interest, knowledge and training in holistic and alternative modalities took form.

In 2002 I became a Usui Reiki Master, completing the Reiki journey I had started back in 1997. This was to be yet another significant step in my journey. This qualification helped me understand and respect the energies of our bodies and how they interconnect with the universe. As I progressed, I reached a deeper understanding of how I show up in the world, and I wanted to support others on their paths.

In 2005 I became a founder member of the Inkhululeko Organisation together with two friends. This establishment offered empowerment workshops and personal development courses, including public speaking courses, to previously disadvantaged communities.  

As the year 2014 dawned, I realised that I wanted to make a difference in the magnificent country I live in – my beautiful South Africa. I, therefore, began mentoring a small group of black youths in the Kabokweni, a rural township near White River. My choice was based on a simple philosophy – I believe that the youth are the future. Many of my students were victims of their circumstances and believed they had no chance of achieving success and their life goals. However, by meeting regularly, I was able to teach them a variety of essential life skills as well as how to develop business plans in order to give them a foundation to make a living.

To this day I still have a small group of young people that I started mentoring back then. They have kept in touch and I am delighted and proud to see how they have continued to use the tools I taught them to create successful, productive and happy lives.

From 2015 to 2019 I also tutored at Protec Saturday School, an NGO that offers extra lessons in Maths, Science and English. I taught high school learners between Grades 10 and 12 with my teachings again focusing on life skills so to equip them with making their way in the world after school.

In June 2019, my life made a 180-degree turn. My husband and soulmate died, and the farm was sold, forcing me to adjust to a whole new way of living. This new chapter of my life saw me packing up, moving on and learning to live alone after 38 years of marriage. But as I teach in my programmes, I didn’t resist the natural flow of life. My grief journey took me on a process of obtaining certification as a death doula through Sacred Dying SA. A death doula is the other end of the spectrum to a birth doula. Death is the only certainty and yet we are so unprepared for it. I support those facing end-of-life, or the families and loved ones walking the path of grief. I have always had a deep interest in this final part of our life cycle and how often we try and ignore it, and now it has become part of my purpose.

I recently started up Workplace Bereavement South Africa after being approached by the founder of the UK company. We are on a mission to create compassionate and empathetic work places that support employees having to manage their jobs and their grief after a loss.

With a love of reading, writing, cooking, spending time with friends, fine wine, French Champagne, good quality chocolate, afternoon naps, being in the bush and bird watching I am continually working on my self-actualisation. I seek balance and to live in flow while simultaneously trying to make a real difference in the lives of others.

I’m driven to teach others so that they have all the tools within themselves to create an empowered life. This, in turn, allows them to connect with their unlimited inner potential – their own “Power Within.”