Dear friend,

Let me start with a personal truth: things have been feeling heavy recently.

I went for a work opportunity I really wanted, and it didn’t work out. Even after years of cultivating practices that help me to care for my physical and emotional health, I still wobble - I’ve been feeling utterly discombobulated: a mix of ‘I feel grounded and I trust that everything is unfolding as it needs to’, and a deep sorrow for ‘what could have been’.

I can see and feel the little signs of attachment and stress: poorer eating habits, retreating from social life, worry about the future… So let’s talk about my favourite topic - the one that got me to become to Health Coach & Mentor in the first place: Stress. And perhaps I can help both of us along the way.

FIRST, LET'S GET CLEAR

Stress, in its original design, is purely physiological, protective even. When your nervous system perceives a threat — real or imagined, physical or emotional — it gears up. Cortisol and adrenaline rise. Your heart beats a little faster. Your attention narrows so you can focus on what matters most. You might have an urgent need to go to the toilet. Exactly what I felt at my recent work opportunity interview.

The problem isn't stress itself. I was nervous, it helped me perform well, the meeting concluded, I relaxed again through coffee with a friend. But imagine a series of moments throughout the days, weeks, months and years that constantly gear you up, without the opportunity resolve the stress: the interview that leads into the accident on the road that leads into the party where you see your ex that leads into the email telling you you didn’t get the job. The nervous system stays activated, and over time, that activation becomes your baseline. Unprocessed stress is what ultimately becomes chronic stress.

THE SCIENCE, SIMPLY

Cortisol — your primary stress hormone — is essential. In short bursts, it helps you perform, focus, and recover. But when cortisol stays elevated day after day, the effects ripple through almost every system in your body.

Your sleep becomes lighter, more interrupted. Your digestion slows or becomes erratic. Your immune function quietens. Inflammation rises. Your mood becomes harder to regulate — your system is genuinely depleted. And then there's the mind: the looping thoughts, the difficulty making decisions that used to feel simple, the low-grade sense that something is wrong or could happen even when you can't quite name it.

There’s that heaviness and the signs I spoke about before.

RECOGNITION IS THE BEGINNING

Some or all of these may be occurring for you. Recognising them empowers you to take action. See if any of these feel familiar:

A NEW MOON INVITATION

The yogic tradition teaches svadhyaya — self-study. Not self-criticism, not self-improvement as a project. Simply the practice of turning toward yourself with honest, curious attention. The new moon, with its invitation to begin again, is a natural moment for that turning.

You don't need to change anything today. But you might take a few minutes — tonight, in the quiet — to sit with this question:

Where in my life am I carrying something I haven't yet acknowledged?

Notice the answer without needing to fix it. The noticing is the beginning.

WORK WITH ME

In our 1:1 work together, we go beneath the surface — exploring what stress is specifically asking of you, in your life, in your body. Whether you want to understand what's happening, make meaningful changes, or simply feel like yourself again, I'm here to support that journey at a pace that actually works.

Tuesdays 10am, Clitheroe (Vanessa Flow Yoga)

It’s ‘signature’ because it was developed by Vanessa herself: spiced-up sun salutations, standing postures, strength work and it builds heat! You come back to the same practice each time, which means you can feel yourself getting stronger.

What I bring to this sequence is my own signature approach: clear intention set at the beginning of the practice and precise instruction to help you build confidence in the postures.

A morning class that sets the tone before the rest of the day gets in the way.
Suitable for all levels. If you're newer to yoga, the structure gives you something real to build on. If you already have a practice, this is the one that keeps you honest & rooted in tradition

Tuesdays 7pm, Barnoldswick (KL Health Hub)

A small-group class blending yoga, functional movement and mobility to help you move well, build strength with integrity, and support recovery from the demands of modern life.

These sessions focus on joint health, steady strength, and nervous system regulation — so you leave feeling clearer, more connected, and capable in your body.

Accessible, progressive, personal and thoughtfully paced. *You don’t need to be a gym member to join.

Tuesdays 5:15pm, Online and Thursdays 6:30pm, Clitheroe

An intentional and inwardly focused practice rooted in breath, core strength and deep presence. Forrest Yoga invites you to build physical confidence while staying connected to feeling — developing resilience without disconnecting from yourself.

Expect intelligent sequencing, long dynamic holds, and space to work honestly with what arises.

Wednesday 27 May 7:15pm in Barrowford & every other Sunday 6:15pm in Clitheroe

A deeply nourishing nervous system practice. Slow, supported postures, long holds of 5 to 20 minutes per posture, and simple natural breathing to help calm your body and mind, and replenish your energy.

I teach this class on the last Wednesday of every month in Barrowford, and every other Sunday in Clitheroe. Book directly through Pendle Wellbeing Hub and Vanessa Flow Yoga below.

Start your 6-month Health Coaching & Mentoring Journey now!

If this newsletter resonated with you, perhaps part of you is longing for a different way of living. One with more energy, clarity, calm and connection to yourself.

My 6-month Health Coaching & Mentoring journey offers a personalised and compassionate space to understand the root causes of stress, fatigue and overwhelm — and to begin creating health in a more sustainable way based on habits and activities that lift you up! (no cookie-cutter fixes here).

Together, we explore your health through the lens of mind, body, spirit and environment, supporting nervous system regulation, rest, nourishment, emotional wellbeing and meaningful lifestyle change.

If you’d like support on that journey, let’s have chat. I’d love to explore how I can support you.

with grace and gratitude,

Supporting individuals and businesses towards authentic freedom and wellbeing