Having always been in awe of the human body and with a firm belief that movement is an important element of being a well-functioning human, Monica Franke is passionate about supporting others to discover what makes their body function well and to understand their habits of the mind which strengthen or sabotage them. Through her book series and 15 years in practice, she uses her unique set of expertise to help her clients harness the science of motivation, movement and emotional resilience to enhance physical and emotional health – with the goal to thrive every day. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Osteopathy, Mind & Movement, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
It was very organic really. When I started writing my book, BodyBrainHeart, it felt more like it came through me than I set out with this great plan to write; it just evolved. And that started because I recognised from my own journey into motherhood that the conversation between ‘who I was’ and ‘who I am as a mum’ can be very confronting, insidious and difficult to verbalise. We never know who we’re going to be as mums, and often it can open a number of boxes that have been neatly packed away. And I was also aware that what we need from trainers and health professionals, and how we have those conversations before and after we have our children, is very different. I felt strongly that with my blend of skills and training, and my personal struggles with mental health and fitness, it gave me a unique insight as well as the ability to help build a pathway out of struggle.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
The first edition of the book came out and I realised “I wrote this for myself” and “it’s not complete enough to share with others!”. So, I withdrew sales, gave to women’s charities, school counsellors and NHS – and then rewrote the book. Then I restructured the book and finally produced BodyBrainHeart and the separate BodySense Journal – which I’m really happy with. And because my work and my message are about the connection and importance of movement and breath with our nervous system and heart-centred self, and I also work a lot with sports injury and performance, I started building Movement Improvement programs, online classes with the BBH approach integrated, and I am continuing to build these elements alongside my counselling and osteopathy.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
In all honesty, the mistakes I’ve made! I have learnt so much about where I don’t fit, and the places and organisational cultures in which I don’t belong. And then about how to blend the package of skills and offerings I bring, in order to serve the people who are ‘my people’. It’s been a remembering of the importance of nature, the thrill of vitality in movement and strength, and the passion and joy I feel in being in those spaces. That in itself is such a gift, and I’m incredibly excited to share this with people more and more.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I worked a lot of weekends, and so I leant into the human resources I had available – and that was my son’s dad. So I trusted him to be there, to support me, to have fun with our son, and I trusted myself to enjoy that too, and to raise conversations about what wasn’t working and to take rest when I needed it. Those two things – leaning in to accept support and voicing my needs and discomforts were huge.
