I’m not great with life transitions. As women, we have to deal with more physical and mental transitions than men in our lifetimes.

Turning 40 was one thing, motherhood at 42 was another but nothing prepared me for perimenopause with a toddler. I thought I was losing my mind. I think I did lose my mind at one stage. I wasn’t really sure if the exhaustion, brain fog and mood swings were a result of the childcare/working/running a household or there was actually something deeper going on.

It’s that time of year again. Hay Fever sufferers know too well how the symptoms can leave them at their wits end. Swollen, red itchy eyes, sneezing, runny and blocked noses are incredibly uncomfortable. With the pollen count so high at the moment, there are many people reaching for the antihistamines.

After 6 years, I was pregnant on my 41st birthday. 2 weeks into the pregnancy I knew I was pregnant even before I did the test. I felt it in my body and my mind. I suddenly wanted to be around children and babies and I noticed a heightened feeling of protection around children in general. I still remember being in complete shock staring at the 2 pink lines. This may sound strange but even after all those years of trying when I found out I was pregnant, I was momentarily unsure as to whether this was what I really wanted.

I have avoided talking too much about my personal pregnancy journey as I wasn’t sure why anyone would be particularly interested in my own journey! But after speaking to a few close friends, teachers and people that have attended my workshops, I have been encouraged to share my journey in the hope it may help others going through similar experiences.

Returning from retreat in Morocco yesterday, I had managed to contract a Gastro bug during my time in Africa. Feeling a bit spaced out and drained as I write this, I’m slowly and gently replenishing my body of all it has lost over the last week.

So January is usually when we hear the dreaded D word. After the (well deserved) excesses and celebrations of the year end, many of us decide that we need to start the year on some sort of a restrictive diet. But here’s the thing - they don’t work in the long term.

How do we restore balance to the gut and mind? Well there is actually something called the Gut-Brain Axis and there is evidence that both these areas communicate with each other continuously so the health of our gut influences the state of our mind.

I love my skin. The way my skin feels changes the way I feel.  When my skin feels good I feel amazing! 

But It hasn't always been this way.  Having suffered with severe eczema most of my life since birth, it was something I struggled with for a very long time.