NICE TO MEET YOU, I’M AIS (ASH).
I remember the day it all changed for me, for the better.
It was a dark, rainy Tuesday morning. I had huge bags under my eyes from my 1am Global conference call the night before, and I was generally feeling pretty flat.
My heart was racing, noticing the flashing red light next to my phone, enough to remind me of the twenty-four voicemails that lay waiting from irate clients and publishers, and a to-do list the length of my arm. Let’s not get started on the emails...
What I remember most? A cold sensation against my right cheek. It was the bathroom floor. I had had a panic attack, and it wasn’t my first that week.
When I finally came to I'll forever remember the words my colleague then softly spoke which changed everything. “Ais, I think something needs to change.”
Since then the path hasn’t always been straightforward, and it certainly hasn’t been easy.
But, choosing to prioritise myself and my wellbeing every day since then has ultimately helped me to get back into the driver’s seat of my own life and meeting the demands life throws at me with a whole lot more ease. My experience has also led me to meet the most incredible people, and to finally find my community after what felt like a lifetime without.
The exciting part?
It’s not just my experience. There is a wealth of evidence out there to back up the claims of all the tools and practices I share.
Don’t get me wrong, just like any one of us I still face challenges every day, you will too - that’s what makes us human.
But, it’s now my aim to make wellbeing as accessible as possible to as many people as I can to help us all meet ourselves, our minds, and our lives with a little more ease.
ABOUT ME AS A FACILITATOR
Discovering the tools of Meditation and Mindfulness in the midst of my high-pressure, fast-paced career in media and marketing, I very quickly realised that these would become an integral part to being able to hold the balance of a stressful corporate life while maintaining health and happiness in my personal life.
Recognising that I wanted to share these invaluable tools with others, I have since trained with some of the best Local and International Mindfulness and Yoga teachers such as Marike Knight, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Rod Stryker, Octavio Salvado, Tara Judelle, & Cat Kabira, and has moved away from my former career to become a full-time Teacher and Corporate Facilitator of Mindfulness.
As a Meditation Teacher and Mindfulness Facilitator, my style is relatable and contextual, always with a mindful thread throughout. I have completed over 500 hours of training and am fully accredited by and registered with Meditation Australia. I’m also the Co-Founder of a Social Enterprise (learn more: Conscious Conversations).
From my own direct experience and time spent learning how to manage the demands of life, I know how these conversations and tools not only help but are essential to managing both in the times we are finding ourselves in.
I truly believe that everyone deserves to live and work, living and feeling well, with a focus on prioritising their own wellbeing; building self-awareness, creating balance as well as developing and fostering meaningful and respectful relationships. I have seen first hand, time and time again the transformational difference it makes within organisations and the lives of individuals - and it is my mission to work on making that a reality for not only the general public, but within organisations, and to all those who need it.
My emphasis is on providing not just opportunities to relax, but in bringing about true changes in behaviour, helping individuals and organisations build resilience and approach their lives and their time at work with greater focus, confidence, and presence, in an easily accessible and science-based way - challenging the “woo woo” myths, and leaving them at the door.
My passion is to make sessions as contextually relevant and accessible to people as possible, empowering them to manage their own stress, all the while building their capacity for resilience, empathy, and meeting themselves and the challenges they face in their lives with a little more ease.
