The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
My biggest breakthrough has been the realisation ELChemy Essentials isn’t just about essential oils.
We’ve transformed much in our life, and there is room for so much more. We needed to start with the foundation – a healthy home in which we take good care of ourselves – after all, our home is our sanctuary. My dream is to have thriving children, a thriving business and one day a deeply connected soulful thriving relationship with another human.
Our society, and in my opinion our education system, is failing our young ones when it comes to emotions and a child’s ability to cope. Time and time again – including in my own child – I see they don’t fit the mould and slip through the cracks. They are made to feel that they’re a problem instead of a blessing. Earlier this year my son was in crisis mentally. It was next to impossible for him to function at a basic level. There is no learning when your amygdala lives in constant survival mode.
If we give attention to supporting our young emotionally, then it stands to reason that they are better able to live, learn and thrive. Children are born with an inherent desire to do good for themselves and others. A significant amount of the behaviour I see in my children has been as a consequence of what they have been exposed to: long-term, low level trauma, initially in the home in addition to school. It’s impacted them significantly. Yes, there is genetic pre-disposition to certain things, but that’s not enough to explain everything away.
I enjoy working with children. It’s sad that we suppress so much of their amazing fire in order for them to fit into today’s world. Why do we do that?
I see unnecessary sadness and struggle in their little souls – when I connect them to themselves, teach them to trust themselves, to slow down, relax, breathe, and listen to their internal dialogue, I see their little faces light up. It’s like they look at me with enormous relief that they have found someone that understands what is deep within them. It excites me and brings me great joy to watch.
Under my warrior-like goddess guidance I’m watching my children alchemise what’s been a difficult time in their young lives in an unusually short space of time. What we’ve been through is common in many ways – what’s not common is that the methods we employ are working for us.
We use essential oils and we keep our life simple by way of after school activities. We put our bare feet on the ground often, we stretch, breathe deeply. We reduce toxins from our home, make better food choices and think carefully about where we direct our energy. We practise being present. I see nothing but positive growth as a consequence.
I’m excited for what the future holds… the melding of what has become essential to me and my two children to unlock the beauty within us.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Just prior to my starting the business I was diagnosed with pneumonia and I’d hit the bottom. My doctor wanted to admit me to hospital, but knew this wasn’t an option for me knowing I am a single mum with little support. She made me promise to go home, complete a prescription and do nothing else but rest and do only the minimum for my kids. I remember lying in bed with that crushing feeling in my chest questioning why me, why now, how did things get this bad, weren’t they bad enough!? And worse… that heavy feeling of who would raise my children, who would love them like I do if something happened to me.
I had totally neglected myself since 2009 when my beautiful baby boy arrived. Sound familiar?
What this says is I didn’t think I was valuable enough, worthy enough of looking after. I kept telling myself, get through this or that, help my son, husband, daughter, our business and goodness knows what or who else. I was all things to everyone but me. My time will come next week, month, year, the year after that… It never did. As a result, my health was taken away. As I lay there I begged for a speedy recovery, begged. I promised I would never be so unkind to myself again.
To this day, if I start to neglect my needs, I am swiftly reminded that I’m stepping off the self-care path I promised to stay on. My mood is affected. I don’t bounce out of bed and tend to press the snooze button, my ability to cope with the children is diminished. I feel sluggish. I make poor food choices, things start to go wrong and so it spirals from there.
These days I harbour ZERO guilt about taking really good care of myself. Many might consider my actions to be indulgent but if I’m not routinely exercising at least four times a week, getting to bed early, fuelling my body with quality, clean food, giving space for friendships, socialising and the ultimate in personal development – Archetypal behaviour patterning work – then cracks start to appear.
