Cat Sinton is the founder of Deeply Practices, a holistic wellbeing studio born from her personal journey through burnout, long Covid and the relentless pace of modern family life. A parent herself, Cat knows first-hand the challenges of juggling work, health and motherhood – and how vital it is to slow down and reconnect. Her unique approach blends yoga, breathwork, meditation and coaching to help busy parents and professionals realign with their values, manage their energy and live more contented, present lives. Here, Cat talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Deeply Practices, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Without a doubt, my own experience of parenting, working and not coping with the many demands of the modern world are what inspired me. I was wrestling with my own wellbeing: a perfect storm of juggling a fast-paced corporate job and busy family life whilst suffering with long Covid and extreme burn-out. They say if you don’t listen to your body then it will force you to stop and listen. And that’s what happened to me. I stopped coping and was signed off work with depression, anxiety and post-viral fatigue.
As part of my recovery, I had to keep a strict energy-management diary, pacing myself with short spells of activity and rest throughout the day, forcing me to observe my day in detail as well as my inner world: physical sensations, thoughts and emotions. My Self. I was faced with a lot of saying “no” or risk being wiped out for a period of time. I sought holistic wellbeing practices to try to heal: yoga, breathwork, hiking, spending time in nature, therapy, cold water dips, meditation, journalling. For the first time in my adult life, instead of the modern world pulling me along and away from what truly matters, I found a new perspective that was dictated by what matters most: my health. And in doing so, I had rewired my habits, routine and sense of self along the way. I found a deep need to realign and connect – to myself and natural rhythms that had been profoundly lacking before. I was craving less: less pressure, less speed, simplicity, slow growth and authenticity. To be able to be present each day, living in alignment, to feel contented and calm. And I found this was all entirely possible.
Your perspective will either trap you or free you. My new habits and perspective became the formula for the kind of life I wanted to build for myself and my family, and the basis for creating Deeply Practices.
I know that a daily struggle to balance energy, self, health and family is an all-too-familiar story for parents and professionals. We don’t want a health and wellbeing trend that requires more of us, adding intensity to our lives. Deeply Practices is a space for you to first check-in with yourself, release physical tension and anything that no longer serves you, then be supported to navigate life with presence and in alignment in a way that’s uniquely ours.
An affirmation I still use from this time that inspires my why is “I am meditating to stay present, so I can live a more contented life for me and my family”.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
In the early days, I turned the kids playroom into a studio hosting private sessions, small group yoga classes of 2 or 3 people and hired local studios and a tipi wedding space for retreats. I was phasing up the business and still managing my own energy levels, working between school hours and around bedtime. At the weekend, the studio returned to a playroom and there was often a major clean-up operation every Monday morning before I could welcome clients into the house.
My approach has always been personal and authentic (almost rebelliously so!). It’s about healing, realigning and connection rather than being competitive or pushing yourself. I soon discovered that with small groups I was able to explore how I could not just guide a yoga class but coach clients through the asana, breathwork and meditation. Always with an understanding of their energy, what season of their life they were in and giving them permission to feel safe, let go and to observe their inner world. A hybrid of mindful movement and holistic coaching practice became my unique style.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
I’ve had so many moments where I felt “Yes, this is working”, such as positive client feedback and my first sell-out retreat day for busy mums that really helped propel me forwards. I feel honoured to have been part of transitional and significant moments in people’s lives. To hold a space for a meaningful conversation that has helped release tension and create space for that person.
But a bigger shift came more recently when I started investing in myself as a business owner and networking with others. I realised I needed to lean into my specialism. At first I just wanted to help people find calm, connection and release tension, but now I’m on a much more specific mission. Finding your niche can be scary: feeling like you’re narrowing down your client base and exposing your unique voice. Perhaps the breakthrough was when I stopped thinking my business had to look like everyone else’s. It’s easy to get drawn by others’ success and think you have to follow trends. But I learnt firstly as a parent how to follow my intuition and I knew instinctively that I could trust my gut for my business too and let it reflect the pace and values of my real life.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
The truth is it’s rarely perfect. Besides, balance is a living, breathing thing; it shifts every day. It’s messy and busy but with boundaries. Once you let it be a bit messy, let go of striving beyond your resources, then you’re no longer battling with yourself. My boundaries protect my balance. This work shows up frequently with my clients too. In my case, I experienced requests for evening and weekend sessions, which was never easy with the family and especially whilst I was operating out of the front room. As a new business owner, I was so thrilled for the business that it was tempting to people-please and say yes even when it compromised my self. I did it a couple of times and quickly realised that’s a boundary I needed to have. And I’ve practised acceptance that my hours won’t work for everyone.
I still plan out my week with mine and the family’s energy levels in mind. Spreading out commitments and quiet time or rest so each day isn’t a mad panic. It takes confidence and trust in your knowing self to drown out the external pressures, what we know as FOMO. We’re careful not to over-commit. Saying no to someone is often saying yes to yourself. It’s far better than having to cancel, feel guilty, or worse, go ahead and the family bears the brunt. I’ll always have moments of stillness throughout the day to help me check in and stay present and practise what I preach. A family ritual we all enjoy that helps us stay grounded is to get outside a lot, specifically away from tech, in the garden, for short hikes or visiting parks and woodland.
Life shouldn’t feel compromised, it’s a balance of doing what you enjoy and also what’s good for business. I’m proof that you can rewire yourself to do what is necessary and build my business around family, not the other way around.
