Author: sandra

Peace Out! Chuck it in the f… it bucket! – September 2024

I have finally found freedom, free your mind and the rest will follow, Wait, that’s a song, and it goes much deeper than this as it’s a spiritual growth and one I have signed up for and guess what, I have a newfound freedom, and peace I have never felt before. You’ve heard my spiritual musings of peace, love, hope and faith, and these are my fundamental truths and very much my core beliefs, that will never leave me.

However, there is a glorious thing when we come of age, well finally for me at this stage of life, I now enjoy a much greater sense of freedom. I have been a people pleaser, a Pollyana, most of my life. I am the middle child, apparently waking up with a smile on my face every morning unlike my sleepy disgruntled morning siblings, and my role in my family was to be perfect, to be the peace keeper. I would never want to ruffle any feathers and was conscientious at school in my formative years, (a bit of a rebel in my latter youth). In primary school I was distraught if my report card wasn’t all straight A’s , honours in ballet was the only acceptable result, and perfection was my pinnacle of creation and the only way to get to peace and happiness.

Moving on, I have met and married, (yes twice) a couple of understandably more controlling personalities, the latter in a social disguise. These commanding archetypes completely suited my persona allowing me to try really hard to be the best wife, helper, happy, sweet, kind, loving, lets keep the whole world happy and this role fitted me perfectly well.

Until life as it uncannily does have a way of hitting you over the head with a 2 by 4 and you find yourself in a place of victimhood, a complete shock, sadness and disbelief, wondering “how did I get here” This is not to blame anyone else, I leave that up to God. The only person I can turn to is myself. I chose this. I’ve had to take a good hard look at myself and tried to unravel and discover why I allowed or rather chose unhealthy, toxic situations, always convincing myself it was ok, I can get through. I will keep smiling, dancing, walking on egg shells and keep it all together. Keep everyone happy, for that is paramount, maintaining this false sense of positivity. Until eventually, one final straw, breaks the camels back, and it is not ok.

I found myself enlightened and on an evolutionary journey. A decade long journey of self discovery, “hey, what about me?” I have needs too, I need that extra love and affection. I need to feel valued and supported, I deserve to be cherished and adored. I am a perfectly, imperfectly created human being and others should be able to take care of me too. Not really comfortable for me, I have to admit, but an epiphany none the less. As I had been so accustomed to plugging myself into the lives of others, I had definitely lost my own sense of self. After burying my head in many self help and spiritual books, some sessions with therapists I found the one thing that helped me more than anything, Theta Healing. It made such a difference to my life, allowing me to abandon so many fears, I knew I needed to know more to help others on a similar journey. I took the basic course, and a year later the Advanced Level course and took myself on a beautiful evolutionary journey of self love.

With an overwhelming commitment I had to find my way back to myself which seems so clichéd, aren’t we supposed to do this in our twenties backpacking around the world? I had moved countries with my first husband, South Africa to Canada in my early twenties and was raising two young children and starting my career in the fitness / wellness world, certifying in many different fitness modalities, personal training and nutritional coaching.

Fast forward to my second marriage in Canada and moving to Barbados to discover things were not quite what I believed them to be, or sadly deep down I knew and accepted, until that literal blow where you know “I need to get the hell out of here” which can take many years if one party wants to stall and has done. Hence my even deeper level of spiritual growth, learning acceptance for where I was, doing my best to maintain an attitude of gratitude for which I have so much. Family, friends, my health and incredible Singita Wellness business. I am eternally blessed this provides me so much peace and love, and huge gratification.

I am no longer the victim I am now victorious as the lessons I have learnt are invaluable. I am stronger and now perhaps a little bit of a stickler for not allowing people to walk into my life without a sense of honesty, integrity and stability. and that trust for me does not come nearly as easily. Be impeccable with your word as Don Miguel Ruiz so succinctly explains in his book, The Four Agreements.

Please speak only the words that you mean. I get so easily put off by “I’ll  call you later”, and no call comes or let’s get together and no invitation or concrete plan comes together, or any of the various forms of throwing random words out which have no or little meaning or intention. Be truthful with your word, please, show up, stand up, be full of integrity and grace. Please do not waste time with confusion, inconsistency and unnecessary complexities. Above all I choose peace!

I certainly know I’m not perfect, but I now choose my own peace and happiness above all else. If you’ve shown me more than once you cannot keep your word and display any sense of real authenticity, respect, consideration or truth, you don’t deserve my trust or respect. When someone reveals to me who they truly are, I now believe them the first time around. So my new mantra (yes very spiritual) is……..

I’m just going to chuck this in the f…. it bucket and move on!

Peace Out!!!

PS: You can read more about Theta Healing here or email to book a session.

My oh my, 10 days fun = 5 extra pounds! August 24

This happens to us all, so I wanted to reach out to let you know, keeping fit, healthy strong and lean is not a magic pill. Probably best I don’t have a rant about those so called ‘magic’ diet pills out there, the long term side effects are frightening, but so many are looking for the quick fix and instant gratification.

Please remember some people are genetically gifted. The supermodel types, and these beautiful young yogis and fitness models all over social media might actually just be genetically long and lean. It is really tough to say how much of it is lifestyle and keeping fit and how much is a God given gift. And sadly, this is what we look to as our role models as we are surrounded by these young, slim beautiful people. Opting for a quick fix to lose weight for instant results only leads to long term problems. Longevity and quality of life is the crux of it all in my opinion!

I am not doing this to be the next aging fitness model, or to get better in the gym or in studio. My main objective is to get stronger, fitter, have improved mobility and flexibility so I can get better at life as I age. I do not want to feel restricted when I pick up my grandchildren and run around playing tag with them, or sit cross legged on the floor playing with mini creatures, as they jump on my back to be cheeky monkeys. I am thankful my side splits and mobile hips save me from injuring my groin, I do not want to feel I cannot load my own luggage in a car as I head on my trip, I have never mastered the skill of travelling light!

My goal is to age powerfully and perhaps disgracefully…. lol, I would like to do it all with as much grace as possible but not allow my age to be an excuse for no longer being able to function well in my daily life.

So here’s the truth. I am not genetically gifted, that’s a small minority of the population anyway. I have had to work for every little muscle gain, be fairly disciplined most of my life not to gain the extra fat. I know when I have a two week break or my lovely family pay me a visit and I let go a little more, eating more fatty or fried foods, enjoying a few more cocktails than usual (although I never fully restrict myself) its going to creep up. I then curiously step on the scale and voila there it is, those extra 5 pound. This is probably more due to water retention however, it still sits with more discomfort and bloating for me. I’m not a big believer in consistently stepping on the scale as we do know that muscle weighs more than fat, and takes up one third of the space. So, by changing your body composition and building lean muscle, this won’t show the difference on the scale but certainly will show the difference in the way your body looks.

So thanks to my lovely sister and niece for the visit, the good thing is that it was worth every meal out, every extra glass of wine as we had the most wonderful time together and these precious memory making moments are what life is all about. My point is to live a sustainable healthy lifestyle, its all about the balance, so here I go dialling it all back into a cleaner way of living over the next few weeks.

This is one of the reasons I started our 21 day challenge in July and had some great results, especially Lavern who broke some bad habits and looked and felt so much better in just 3 weeks. Lavern has now changed her lifestyle and habits for the long-term and this is what I love coaching people through.

My philosophy is very simple as I try cut through all the noise of what is out there. Its great to hear everyone’s opinions and the next best exercise regime that’s the magic cure to transform your body. I’ve been in this business long enough, over 35 years to have watched movement come full circle and you cannot reinvent the wheel and there is no amazing new machine or fitness modality or pill that will be the magic formula. It takes persistent, consistent commitment.

There is no doubt that movement is medicine and keeping consistent and adding variety is key. Resistance training is absolutely essential in my opinion but then again so is every aspect of fitness. Some cardiovascular activity, flexibility and mobility all hugely important. And this is why I design my classes the way I do, to cover all the bases.

Pilates and Yoga seem to be the preferred hyped-up movements of late but my lovelies this is not the be all and end all. If you only do these classes, you’re missing out on a whole lot of fun and extra benefits. Hence my schedule at Singita Wellness, we have HIIT, sculpt and Barre added to our Yoga and Pilates. I love it all and I feel the fittest I have ever felt at 61 years old and thankful for it everyday.

I could go on about nutrition but I cover this more in depth in our 21 day challenge which is meant to jumpstart or gear up your fitness level. By committing to my workouts everyday along with some Theta healing downloads, we are a group designed to help support, motivate and inspire each other as we are in it together. I create a WhatsApp group so there is daily support and an open forum for questions and answers. I add the mental/spiritual preparation and add healings for everyone who commits to the program.

It takes 21 days to make or break a habit, hence the 3-week commitment. Create your best life and allow your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self to shine and radiate like never before.

“ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves. Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?” Marianne Williamson

Our next 21 day challenge will begin October 1st and don’t forget to reach out if you’d like more information on this.

With love
Michelle x

PS. This picture was taken before the extra 5 pounds!

YOUR SUPER POWER IS YOU!!! – May 2024

I am now unapologetically ME, the imperfectly perfect creation from Source and with this deep sense of peace having finally reached this phase in my life where I am completely at ease with who I am. I may not be everyone’s cup of tea and I now see this as a good thing. We are here to evolve, to create, and I joyfully live my life helping as many others as I can to discover the path of well being, knowing that with this I attract those people who resonate with my energetic flow.

It has taken me many years to realize there is no reason to doubt myself, to question my knowledge or God given gifts. I no longer have any discomfort in putting myself “out there”, alluding to my social media which has been a wonderful marketing tool for me, I no longer fear the talk or people’s public opinion, or gossip mongers. I have always loved the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people”. I have absolutely no need for comparison, being in a rather competitive industry on a very small island, there is no reason to be concerned about competition. In fact, competition is a wonderful enhancer of innovation and an elevation of everyone else around you.

My vision and creation of Singita Wellness was born entirely from my heart and soul. My knowledge and experience, hard earned over 35 years in the fitness and wellness industry in Canada, South Africa and Barbados, has now thankfully been brought to fruition with the continued success of Singita Wellness, the beginnings of which took root 6 years ago when offered the opportunity by Royal Westmoreland to take over the lease. Along with our loving community in Barbados our ever-growing Online Club, (one of Covid’s silver linings) has been a pure joy and blessing, as my zoomies log on from all around the world and workout with me everyday!!! My intention was always to help as many people as possible on their wellness journey and I can now reach out not only to Barbados but globally.

We seldom get to this place of wisdom without the years of living and a few hard knocks to take a good look at the truth and the facts. I have been a people pleaser most of my life, I have been a little over generous, a little too trusting of others whose intentions might not have been the purest. I believed and trusted before the trustworthiness was proven. I was once told by a talented trusted intuitive, “you don’t have a bad bone in your body, but you should take off those rose-coloured glasses”. This has been a bit of a blessing and a curse for me. My mission is to empower others, build others up, help others to heal. I applaud success and growth of my team especially as I recognized their potential and helped expand their roles.

The hard truth, and my tough lesson, is that not everyone is here to support me, as I choose to support them. I have now learnt to be a lot more discerning, to not give up my intellectual property as freely. To wait and see before I jump into joint ventures and collaborations. Hence me teaching 90% of our classes (exhausting but rewarding) and being extremely careful of who I allow into my sacred space, my inner fold so to speak. I am a bit of a Mother Hen and treat my team like family, probably a little naïve in a harsh business world where people are striving to get ahead.

That being said, I am happy the way I do things, I am and always will be a nurturer and with this pure intention I walk with deep calm and comfort into our harmonious space. I walk cross the waterfall pool terrace and into our koi pond heart centred building with an extra spring in my step and smile on my face. It feels like home, not only to myself, but to so many of our team, members and guests.

I will preserve my energy and hold my space, always filled with Divine light and guidance as a true connection to self and God, and empowering and inspiring others will come with a very conscious discernment of giving up my energy for all the right reasons for all the right people in my life.

Our personality our character, our energy, our charisma – that certain “je ne said quoi” is distinctly and perfectly imperfectly created just for YOU!

Believe in yourself! Take care of yourself and share your energy with discernment, not everyone deserves a place at your table!

Grateful, thankful, blessed for my true authentic friends, colleagues, Singita family and my real family who have supported me and loved me through so much of my personal and business life over the years. Through the challenges I have risen stronger, more courageous and committed to my true purpose. I LOVE YOU all!!

Life lesson number 359783000 Ha ha!

It’s all in the Balance – November 23

Living a life of balance is a beautiful thing, there is lyrical pattern to it all. As in nature, like the rolling waves, the ebbs and flows of our lives should replicate this sense of ease and serendipitous timing. Allowing and being, instead of forcing and doing, taps into a much greater Divine matrix and there in lies the manifestation of miracles. So let’s find that balance between work and play, discipline as well as  fun joyful moments, eating mindfully and clean and moments of celebratory bubbles and scrumptious dessert. The most important thing for maintaining our health, the thing that lifts our spirits, calms our mind, and has undeniable physical benefits, is exercise.

There was a time when I first started on this wellness journey where I became a little obsessive, especially when raising two young children and I was intent on providing them with the healthiest environment possible. Every cleaning product in our house was non toxic and biodegradable, which was not a common thing in the eighties and early nineties. All food as organic and green as possible, with hidden grated vegetables to add as much nutritional supplements to all their food. Coke or other soft drinks were completely forbidden, and it was a trip back to my homeland South Africa where my son, then about 7 or 8 discovered there was such a thing as BBQ’d spare ribs, which he’d been deprived of his entire young life. I also later discovered hidden vitamins under couches by cheeky toddlers who could outsmart me every step of the way.

Eventually I realized I was becoming a bit too obsessed with this quest for health for our family and that life includes some unhealthy realities which are difficult to avoid. This neurosis of mine was not good for my health. Stress being the Number 1 cause of any disease, it finally dawned on me, life is about balance. As long as I was feeding my family nutritious clean food 80% of the time, I had to let the rest go. Epigeneticists have given us break downs of the influences and cause of disease. Obviously genetics plays a huge role, although I love all the research by neuroscientists eg Dr Joe Dispenza who has pointed out and proven that it is not the actual gene that carries the DNA coding but the expression of the gene which will effect the consequence or outcome. This to me is so exciting, that we have an ability to augment change through Meditation and Theta Healing.

So let’s talk about balance in fitness movement. I was pondering why people do get a little obsessive about one particular exercise style or movement, be it yoga, Pilates or bodybuilding, marathon running or long distance cycling. As always the media has a huge influence as we are inundated with the latest new miracle workout or nutritional craze. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. We all find our groove and we should definitely gravitate towards which style of movement fills your soul more, or provides you with the most benefits, physically, mentally or emotionally.

I came to realize that I enjoy every style of movement and see the benefits of all, and there has been a deliberate intention, when designing my classes and schedule, that we maximise this variety. The focus and mindfulness of Pilates providing much needed core strength and spine health, improving back pain, sports performance, daily function and longevity. Yoga, allowing the mind to settle and anything from gentle into more intense improves flexibility, circulation, balance and consequently reducing any injuries and stress levels.

The thing that excites me the most is resistance training which is now proving to be even more beneficial than we once thought. Dr Gabrielle Lyon shows and discovered lifting weights releases myokines which in turn improves bone health, brain health and nutritional utilization. “In essence, building muscle creates something like body armour that protects you in all domains of health”.

Longevity is the top of mind for so many of us, movement mobility, strength and safeguarding against falls and fractures. The absolute best thing, at the heart of this all is our capacity to build and sustain lean muscle. Maintaining skeletal muscle is critical for preserving our lifespan, shifting body composition and therefore our metabolic rate and managing weight.

We can defy the aging process and take action, at Singita Wellness we love to guide you through your wellness journey in a soul fulfilling and fun way!

So this holiday season we should have some fun, but also find our balance by committing to regular exercise, at Singita Wellness we offer it all. Don’t forget to book your spot this time of year, and there is always space on Zoom, so join our online club for as little as $35 per month, with live streamed classes 6 days per week and 100 on demand on the website.

Click here to read a description of some of our classes which are combined and balanced to offer a variety of modalities.

Theta Healing with Michelle – October 23

There comes a time when some of us are ready to evolve, step out of our comfort zone and take the leap to stand in our our light and heal past traumas, big or small. The effects of one’s upbringing and/or generational patterns passed down in our DNA moulds our patterns of behaviours so that our brain becomes programmed to keep the same (even if detrimental) beliefs and programs. This familiarity is comforting as we live our lives based on automatic programs, but for some of us there comes a time when we are ready and as the saying goes “when the student is ready the teacher will appear”. Our life journey is one of many facets, and emotional or spiritual healing may not be for all, however with the evolution of our planet and our humanity, we are definitely seeing more of a divide. The light workers and cosmic connectors, the spiritual connectors to the Divine, the peace seekers, the creators and those who are seeking a higher purpose. On the other end of the spectrum we are seeing more atrocities globally and the other more ugly side of humanity seems to be multiplying. The outbreak of wars, the greedy, the power hungry and the insidious controlling and abusive behaviours of governments, organizations or individuals who are destroying lives, makes for a sad, disconcerting and disconnected world.

Some of us come to realize the truth that everything lies within. The power to evolve through this all. Ego says “I will find peace once everything falls into place” Spirit says “find your peace and everything falls into place”. There comes a time of reckoning or readiness to slough off old toxic behaviours, habitual behaviours which no longer serve us. Each of us chooses our way to do this either through, meditation, prayers, calming of mind and tapping into Your Higher Self and the grace of God.

Some of us might turn to conventional cognitive therapy to find our way through the chaos. Others turn to Energy or Spiritual healing, and this has been my chosen path.

There are a variety of energy healing techniques, Reiki, reflexology, Qigong, sound healing, shamanic healing, crystal healing and the one that really resonated for me and helped me through so much is Theta Healing. As a recipient of such healing, I noticed changes in weeks where cognitive therapy had taken years. As a result of this I decided to study further and completed my Level One and Two DNA Theta Healing training, and many other courses and lectures to further educate myself in this area of healing. The excitement of the results I saw for myself really motivated me to help as many other people in this way.

A private Theta Healing session does start with some “digging” questions to determine each individuals Deep Core Beliefs which are holding them back or no longer serving them. It’s a psychological analysis to some degree, however if we realize that our current beliefs have created our world as we know it, it can be a beautiful transformation or metamorphosis to give permission for the healer to negate these beliefs and instill new programs beliefs or feelings and consequently behaviours.

As Theta healers we are trained to connect to Creator, God, Divine or the Universe. There is no need for any particular religion or spiritual belief, the only prerequisite is the belief that something outside of ourselves created ourselves. For me this is God, I was raised Christian and although I have sought various ways to connect more closely to the Divine, this for me means God. We use the term Creator to encompass all belief systems.

Once we have uncovered the core beliefs we would acknowledge need changing, we become relaxed, connect to Creator and action these powerful healings for our higher self, physical self, every cell of the recipient’s physical body and mind.

We heal on every level, this lifetime, on the history level (generational DNA) past lifetimes, between lifetimes and every language to ensure this healing is instilled in every possible way.

I ask to witness that the healing took place, and I usually get a visual affirmation, sometimes words, but more often images which affirm the healing.

We muscle test these Core Beliefs before and after each session so the client can affirm the healing actually took place.

The client usually leaves with a deep sense of peace and relaxation and often the changes can seem subtle but the impact on one’s life not only for ourselves but those around us, is a beautiful witnessing of in a way, one of the biggest blessings to receive.

I am grateful and honoured to be a conduit for Creators energy and the catalyst to help heal. Every energetic exchange that instills, peace, healing and loving kindness, however small it might seem, helps heal future and past generations. One little step at a time, lets all be advocates for peace and love.

You can book your healing with me here.

Bless you all!
With love
Michelle x

Sorry – but there is no short cut! – October 23

Sorry to break this news to you all!!!
Despite what marketing promises you may have seen – there is no quick fix out there! We need to invest our time and make the effort to commit to health and wellness. The new miraculous great inventions to shed excess fat either through fasting, fad diets, lasering fat to sculpt your body do not yield sustainable results. Movement is your medicine, keep your body guessing by choosing a variety of classes or sports.

We at Singita Wellness offer it all, HIIT, to get that blood pumping throughout your body. Bodysculpt, yes, we need to pick up those weights to create leaner muscle and shape your body naturally as well as boost your metabolism. Bone health has now been highlighted and well tested and one of the best ways to reverse this degeneration, along with healthy nutritious eating is resistance training, so pick up those weights people.

Pilates is now widely recognized and with growing popularity as vitally important for your core and spine health. Pilates at Singita Wellness has become so popular as our guests see the benefits. Sports enthusiasts are loving the results as their golf swing improves along with their back pain disappearing. Ballet Barre classes have me literally seeing clients’ hips and stomach shrink within weeks with consistent class attendance. We all know why ballet dancers have the legs they do, as we pulse and plie and enjoy a very elegant way to work out. Yoga, an ancient Hindu discipline has most certainly made its mark on our modern-day world. I personally love the benefits of a good stretch and without a doubt, Yoga offers a meditative, calming way to become centred and focus inwards.

As the sun-kissed beaches of Barbados inspire us daily, our fitness studio is a haven for individuals who are passionate about their health and fitness. Whether you’re a local resident or a visitor looking to enhance your stay, our inspiring trainers are dedicated to guiding you through your transformative wellness journey.

Are you ready to embrace a holistic approach to fitness that not only shapes your body but also empowers your mind? Join us at our Barbados studio or online and experience the invigorating benefits. Let’s work together to elevate your fitness level and enjoy the beautiful island life to the fullest!
At Singita Wellness we offer drop-in rates or Membership options to suit your needs. Join us!

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings – June 23

I seem to have been surrounded by a lot of heavy hearts lately, many losses of beautiful souls, young and old, transitioning and leaving behind bereft loved ones. Friends, children’s friends, friends’ children, so many gone way too soon. Closer to home, in one year both my parents and my most favourite dog I ever had the pleasure of sharing a decade of big doggie, sloppy kisses and unconditional love left us. This has left a heaviness in my heart which passes through in waves. Grieving a spouse I am sure is one of the most painful and for some the loss of a child, seems so unbearable, the awful sense of emptiness as life is forever changed. Somehow though, finding a new way of being, a different way of navigating life and a healing process which sometimes must feel will never pass, eventually the gut wrenching, heart heaviness and soul shattering sadness will subside and the beauty of life returns. For life moves in cycles, like the ebbs and flows of the ocean, the falling autumn leaves and eventually the miracles of blooming buds, full of the Spring of new life. This life is a beautiful journey with joyful miraculous moments, new places on the planet to explore, new adventures, and new sunrises. Heartwarming gatherings with family and friends and so much to be thankful for and so much to treasure and delight in.

It is not only the transitioning of loved ones, but ending of relationships, romantic or friendship, for whatever reason often times it is time to walk away from toxic, manipulative people. As I have found, through my own healing and evolution, boundaries become clearer and we are able to honour ourselves and our own sanctity better. We are able to build meaningful connectivity, healthier relationships with others, which ultimately comes with a stronger connectivity to self.

So I hope this does not sound like a mournful country & western song, however I do feel the need to somehow come to terms with this sadness and unfairness in life. I want to come to terms with some of this sad, tragic moments so many of my friends have suffered and the injustice and unfairness of lives taken away too soon. It all seems overwhelming at times, and you wonder “why God” it often seems the good die young. Not to exclude the grief of the end of a relationship, friend or romantic as the healthier version of ourselves choose our own peace, values and integrity above all else. The kind and tender hearted seem to get hurt and the egotistical bullies with zero sense of compassion or empathy seem to career through life with an air of haughty nonchalance, an untouchable veneer. This I do know is the way it is perceived to the world, but sadly they are quite possibly the most tortured souls, as we know that “hurt people hurt people’.

Karma although we do need to realize can be penance from past lives and the Universe does calibrate to reorganize things and allow the wrongs to become right. I know without a doubt there is a GOD who is greater than this all and everything does work out for our highest and best. Often in this life, though our faith, hope and courage and for me personally, my patience is tested. I was not born with patience as one of my virtues and this is being tested and forcing me to learn this amazing sense of equanimity, the state of remaining stable and composed throughout the ups and downs of life. Accepting and knowing that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, in this moment.

Through Theta healing, I have had the honour of helping a few struggling souls return to peace towards the end of life. This gives me great hope for finding our way to grace, during every phase of life. Through soul fragment clearings and chord severing processes with the people in life we have trauma bonds with,  we can be helped to an easier path of peace and comfort with energetic and spiritual healing.

So connecting to self, to feel through our own hearts, the heaviness to sit for a while, as it is acknowledged and thanked and with a deep knowing that this very moment has just built a depth and strength within us. With gratitude we allow the healing to take place by taking the time to feel the feelings, to sit with the sadness, with the grief, with the questioning of why and surrender to it all, knowing that this is a process, that “this too shall pass”. The more we push back or bury these emotions and feelings the more they will find their way into our physical cells and eventually lead to sickness or disease. These traumas and triggers can continue going around in circles, keeping us stuck.

People often use meditation, yoga, walking in nature to connect to self – each of us needs to find our own path. In my Cardio Dance class yesterday, it was so lovely to hear one of my wonderful members say that the dancing had helped her ‘connect to herself’. Movement and dance is a great way to return to joy.

A healing journey and connecting to self is a courageous thing, as we do not often like what we see, and we realize we are all dark and light and our shadow side needs to be acknowledged.

This connectivity to self, and interconnecting with others means that our ability to shine our light, allows others to shine and the world becomes a better place.

As Marianne Williamson so beautifully says;

“Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth, To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us”.

Through, forgiveness, prayer or tender thoughts, connecting to our own hearts, to the hearts of others and miracles abound.

Bless you all,

Love
Michelle x

May you be at peace
May you be well
May you be safe
May you be blessed
May you be loved

Private Theta healing sessions I offer in person or on WhatsApp/Zoom. DM me for more information or to book an appointment.

A return to love – finding joy in grief – April 2023

I am writing this very personal post the day after our beloved father passed away, in part to help process this life changing event, but also to tell the story of his magnificent return to the light. For those of you who have been through the loss of a loved one, it can certainly be a roller coaster of emotions as the demands, decisions the caretaking wrapped up with the child/parent dynamic of guilt (on my part being so far away). Supporting from afar, my sister and I tried to shore up my brother who had the worst of it all, being the only child in the same country as our sick, suffering, grieving father.

My Dad suffered a lot of trauma with a difficult childhood, born with a mixed up identity in war time South Africa, and the racist, apartheid era that followed, somehow had him living in a white neighbourhood but the sole child in his family going to a mixed race school as his ID card was non-white. Attacks came from all angles – the ‘darkies’ who called him ‘whitey’ and his white neighbours not accepting him.  A real sense of being outcast and not belonging, this was compounded by being sent away from home to live in a city miles away with distant, cruel relatives. My Dad often told us, we had no idea of what he went through, and I know we don’t.

However this feeling of his lack of love, his abandonment, his lack of belonging was an unresolved trauma, never dealt with A common story for many other children growing up in war zones or poverty stricken countries and still today in so many parts of the world.  My Dad’s anger and his struggle to show love definitely impacted us three children. Whilst we knew we were loved and our childhood was filled with sunshine and laughter, my brother (the eldest) suffered the most with my Dad’s explosive temper and unreasonably strict rules instilled on a sweet innocent boy doing his best.

After we lost our Mom (his wife of 65 years), my Dad’s grief was one of extreme panic and fear and he was diagnosed with terminal oesophagus cancer, the symptoms of which he had ignored whilst nursing our mom.  I flew out to help him a couple of months later fearing we were losing him as he was admitted to ICU.  He recovered with great strength, my Dad has an extremely strong constitution.  My brother and I spent the week packing up their home to admit him into the frail care facility in the retirement complex in which they lived.  My Parents purposely chose this to allow them the option of wonderful care in their later years, should they need it.

My Dad become really angry and verbally abusive that week (as old age, sickness or dementia can do) and he yelled that us kids were trying to “put him away”. His extreme need to continue to have control over his life and his inability to express this in a kind caring way had me feeling really hurt and confused, wondering why I bothered making the mega long flights from Barbados with my busy work life and other sacrifices to do my best to support him.

We understood my Dad’s wishes to stay in his house as long as possible and ‘round-the-clock’ carers were arranged and my brother sorted all the day to day groceries, medical care etc.

As my Dads health declined so did his temperament.  He was more and more angry and abusive towards my bother who lives in Cape Town and was flying up to Johannesburg during his stressful work week to do his best to ensure my Dad’s supreme level of comfort and ensuring all his needs were taken care of.

However this is not the gist or purpose of this blog.

The Power of the Holy Spirit and the power of love and prayer and acceptance of God into ones life which is ultimately how my Dad finally passed away peacefully.

Duality exists in this real world on our planet every day, good and evil. People choosing the dark side, the power, the greed, the anger, the abuse, the jealousy, the envy.

We are all born sinners and we know this, but with a pure heart and the right intention we can choose prayer, love, compassion, turn to Spirit to repent and redeem ourselves and by the grace of God miracles abound!

My Dad ended up in hospice a couple of weeks ago and we thought he would be really close to the end but instead he went from strength to strength causing unbelievable destruction and terror along the way. We were told he was the most demanding patient the hospice or frail care had ever experienced.

We were desperate to try and find the loving man we knew he was – fearing our last memories would be of this unrecognisable tyrant. I reached out to my brother, Dave, who was at his wits ends a few nights ago, and I suggested I do a “soul fragment healing” which is what we do in Theta healing to release the connections and chords which are often residual in a trauma connected relationships.

As I tapped into my Dad, I began to see so many dark entities in his auric field. I spent time clearing these awful demonic creatures and sending them to the light. I told my siblings the story and my sister Sandy supported this quest to turn him back to God, after he had renounced his Faith a few weeks before. Sandy prayed and called him to implore him to choose love and to leave a legacy of loving kindness not the tyrannical abusive father he had become, driving his closest away from him.

Dave visited him the next day and describes it as nothing short of a miracle. My Dad was a transformed person, and repented and told our brother how much he loved him. The visit resulted in tears of joy and relief on both sides.

One day later, cleared of these dark and controlling energies, my Dad got what he wanted, and peacefully passed away. He is now in the arms of angels and our Mom, the love of his life, reunited and eternally dancing amongst the stars and sending their three children the greatest gift they could.

When I studied Theta healing, I did so as I knew of the miraculous way it helps us channel God’s healing, but I did not know just what an impact it would have in changing the course of our family’s story. This has enabled us to turn the sadness and darkness of our father’s decline, into a joyful and wondrous testimony to the Power of God.

Hallelujah

Amen

Summer Lovin’ – extract from Newsletter July 22

Summer Lovin’ had me a blast, Summer Lovin’ happened so fast. Isn’t it amazing how the wondrous fun times of our lives do pass us by like a whirlwind and the struggles feel like we are watching paint dry as we work our way through the tougher time?

Time is a linear illusion, a sequence of existence of an order of events we have used to create own sense of order, structure and control over the expectations and outcome of life.

Imagine if we could live and let live with the sweet abandonment of life as a child in the Summer. The joyful abundance of life’s beauty and all life’s treasures available to us with little effort or struggle, simply a carefree and miraculous glorious knowing that everything is as fulfilling and uplifting as it can be. Our very gift from God, the gifts of the Universe are filled with Divine possibilities. We just need to believe again, breathe again, open our hearts and minds to the magnitude of infinite possibilities and unconditional love. The bliss of innocence and star studded dreams which ultimately is our truth and birthright.

But let’s get real….life will throw you curve balls, give you real struggles to navigate, possibly challenge you as you have never been challenged before. Therein lies the magic and beauty of it all. The opportunity to evolve, the opportunity to learn, to grow and through it all, find your way back to this very place we are preordained to be.

I have recently returned from chaotic emergency travels as I flew to South Africa to be with my ailing Mom. I had flown to Toronto, for the first time since COVID only to turn around after a few days and head on the journey to South Africa via London.

Driving on the 401 at 5.15am to catch my flight back to Barbados, I started feeling my rental car vibrate and clunk and sure enough I had a flat tyre. My stress levels started to peak as I knew I would potentially miss this flight and not get on the flight back to SA. I had no working phone to make an emergency phonecall and after 20 minutes of no help I realized I really do know what to do here (not sure what took me so long). Pray, call on the Divine and surrender this situation. God would get me there if that was part of His plan for me. Within 2 minutes of my imploring prayer a car pulled up and out jumped the kindest gentleman and changed my tyre. He had a cross on the back of his car and sincerely wished me luck to get to the airport. “God Bless you” he said, “God sent you” I said.

As I arrived at the airport my stress levels still had not quite subsided as my one-hour delay really meant I might not make if. I returned my rental car and rushed to check in, only to be told the flight was closed. This had me in more tears as I begged and pleaded with the agent to get me on the flight. She finally relented not as kindly as my gallant tyre changing gentleman “good luck, the security line up is crazy and they’re not going to hold the flight up for you”. At this point, once again I had to use all the life lessons I have learnt up until now to surrender to choose peace and calm, The Serenity Prayer comes to mind.

“God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference”.

I made the flight, I spent wonderful quality time with family in SA, as my sister had made it over from London and my brother from Cape Town. My Mom had time with her three children for the first time in years. We spent the week helping my Dad with my Mom’s care, meaningful moments to be treasured.

And this is what I have learnt and is indelibly stamped in my psyche and I hope it is helpful to some of you.

Surrender to the Divine
Do not resist the winds of Change
Expect Miracles, savour the excitement of this Life
Know it really is all out of our control
Let go, let God.

“Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things are. Joy is what happens when we see that God’s plan is perfect and we’re staring in a perfect show”

Marianne Williamson.

Have a joyful beautiful Summer!

Love
Michelle xo

My wellness philosophy adds a few bubbles and a lot of Joie De Vivre – June 22

The reason I feel so passionate to share the tips and lifestyle I have lived, particularly over the last five years is a real desire to reach more people to unlock their potential to know aging does not mean degenerating. I have gathered a wealth of knowledge over my decades of involvement in the health and fitness industry and these golden nuggets I have acquired through education in various modalities of fitness, and putting in to practice in group training and private personal training. The experimentation and learning about nutrition and ultimately the soulful journey of feeding myself from Spiritual water, a tapping into Creator and the Divine where the ultimate Power for us all exists.

To be able to share my passion and knowledge in our beautiful Singita Wellness space in Barbados as well as our Online Club is really a huge honour and ultimately a dream come true!

At almost 59 years old (next month) to feel the healthiest and most energetic I have ever felt in my life is something I never thought I would be able to attest to. This is so exciting for me to acknowledge and I feel privileged to be able to live this life with such vigour and joyful anticipation of what my future holds, mentally, spiritually and emotionally!

The most liberating thing we can do for ourselves is get rid of excess baggage emotionally. Work on releasing and giving up on those toxic relationships or behaviours, and believe me I know this is no easy task but making the commitment to finding your way back to yourself is truly life changing. Reconnect to your core values, reconnect to your body, your emotions, find your path back to loving yourself, become acquainted with your true self. Be courageous and committed to this path of self discovery and seek help where you may need this, conventional therapy or spiritual or energy coaching and guidance. The power of Prayer and Meditation should never be underestimated. This was a cataclysmic metamorphosis for me, once I could finally claim my life back. I had lived my life for so many years plugging into the demands and lives of others, the once upon a time people pleaser, I am proud to say, can no longer be used to describe me. I own my hopes, my dreams, my vision and surround myself with the people who inspire me and especially those who authentically believe in me. This has been the healthiest choice I have ever made for myself. It literally took years off my life and pounds off my body.

First and foremost, please find the time to move everyday, whether its sport, running, yoga, Pilates or gym workouts. The golden key for me that really unlocked and peaked my physicality is, in my opinion, to really mix things up. Do not choose running on the treadmill for the same 30 minutes three times a week. Please do not only choose Yoga, it is a great stretch and has many other health benefits but when it comes to bone health, we need resistance training. The fundamental components of fitness should never be ignored, Cardiovascular, strength and flexibility all should be part of our fitness program. Our body is so amazing at adapting, choose a variety of classes, a variety of activities. Shock your body, challenge yourself and have fun doing it. This is the reason we have so much variety on our fitness class schedule at Singita Wellness. I would love to share with so many of you the inspiring, fun and motivating way we can all move!!

Please do not calorie count or find the latest fad diet or the next quick fix. We all know we should be consuming copious amounts of pure water, eat your vegetables and fruit as unprocessed and organic as possible and add clean healthy choices of protein. Add those healthy fats, avocadoes, olive oil, oily fish even a bit of butter where necessary. I don’t believe in starving, fasting or depriving our bodies. Keep them fuelled with lots of good stuff!!!
Do your best to mindful and intuitive about your needs. Your body is wise, your body is your true life partner. Become familiar with how it feels to nurture, nourish and fuel yourself. Be kind, be patient and love yourself. Observe how you feel after each meal. Satiated and light, or heavy and bloated? You know your body best. Trust that, not what some other media marketing campaign has made millions of dollars feeding you with their new product.

Always remember:

Copious amounts of pure water
Tons of organic (where possible) fruit and vegetables
Healthy grains, quiona, brown rice, amaranth
Lean organic protein sources, lots of fresh fish
Good fats and oils
Lots of sunshine, don’t forget your sunscreen

Which means all move to Barbados, or spend as much time with me here at Singita Wellness as possible, for your haven of health and wellness!

Most people who know me well know my love of wine, especially rose and sparkling bubbles. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Balance is key and if we cannot have a sense of joie de vivre in this lifetime, well what is it all worth anyway! Celebrate the moments, celebrate this life, celebrate you!

Your superpower is YOU, believe in that, stay on the road to self discovery, of heightened awareness, of disciplined healthy choices but don’t forget to throw some reckless abandonment in for good measure.

CHEERS MY LOVELIES!

BE WELL
LOVE MICHELLE XO

At a certain age, said the wise old Sage – November 2021

At a certain age

Said the wise old sage

We hit a moment of complete and utter truth, a deep sense of knowing who we truly are.  An unapologetic time to get rid of the small nonsense, the petty gossip, the naysayers, the not so well wishers or supporters of our chosen path.  There comes a time when rose coloured glasses are lifted and the only glasses are the love-shades I wear for myself.  My true life journey, (and I have chosen a spiritual one) is one of self growth and healing, to commit to a path of self love.

This does come with some discomfort especially if you have been a people pleaser like myself for over half a century. To be able to set boundaries and surround myself with those people who are aligned with my highest and best takes some conscious effort. A lot of people are born or become quite the opposite of this “pushover” archetype I have been, the opportunistic, narcissistic, controlling or entitled, of whom I’ve attracted my fair share.

This path to our own enlightenment is definitely not an easy one, one layer peeled off painfully at a time as we unveil our glorious selves. A light to shine unabashedly and obviously with the right intentions.  To find the courage in myself, to put my own ego aside and, to develop the love and grounded surety for myself, to fill my own cup to help inspire or empower as many others as we can is in my opinion the most worthwhile journey.

As Marianne Williamson so beautifully wrote.  This quote by the way is what Nelson Mandela’s used in his speech when he walked to freedom with the great hope for the future of my homeland.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us”

I am so thankful I have my family, friends, colleagues and Singita Wellness members, Barbados and my treasured Online Community, as well as guests who fill my soul everyday with their loving uplifting appreciation for life and everything I put my heart and soul into. Singita Wellness has helped provide for many a safe haven, a nurturing uplifting community.  As we know, movement heals, and at Singita not only do we offer yoga and fitness classes in our tranquil white washed studio. We also offer healing sessions, meditation sessions and spa treatments.

I am happy to acknowledge that the community we are attracting at Singita Wellness are aligned with our highest and best.  I am so thankful that most people walking through our doors are just lovely souls.  We are a peaceful nurturing community and I am proud to have such experienced therapists, instructors and support staff to provide this foundation.

I do now set firmer boundaries, as of course there are times when people cross my path who may not have the best intentions. I am also better at ‘listening to my gut’ and spotting these types, and try to act with integrity, without offending.

As my most inspiring friend and colleague, spiritual healer/coach Patti Wilson has explained to me, “this is wonderful as now you are evolved enough that this is not happening in your inner circle “

Patti explains: “Prior to developing my psychic abilities as a spiritual coach, I was a psychotherapist for over thirty years. We all have the impulse to develop and grow throughout our lives, and that growth is inevitably ignited by conflict with others.  Conflict is our greatest teacher, as it is through examining our differences and our own shortcomings that we feel the pressure to make changes.  It has been my observation that we begin our journeys of growth and change through struggles with intimate others—typically family members, close friends, and love relationships. I call this our “inner circle” of relationships.  Then as we master these changes, we may see the same issues pop up, but involving people that aren’t as important to us, such as neighbors or work colleagues—people no longer in our inner circle.  These conflicts are easier to manage and less upsetting.  We have mastered the new skills and abilities, and are just getting some final practice with people who aren’t so important to us!

Take Michelle’s sharings, for example:  she learned to set boundaries around people-pleasing in her marriage, and now is energetically attracting much easier conflict situations with others in her community, where she continues to affirm her new boundaries.  Having moved to an “outer circle” of relationships, Michelle can celebrate that her hard work with intimate others was all worth it!”

I have had to take off my rose-coloured glasses and look myself squarely and clearly in the face and know if I do not find the love for myself, the self respect, the ability to set clear loving boundaries, I would never reach the vision and dream of the person I intend to evolve into,  and the goals and vision I intend to create business wise.

The path of growth and development is challenging but so worth it.

With love, Michelle x

PS. Patti Wilson, M.A., M.Ed. will be running one of her amazing courses on ‘Finding and Creating the Love Partnership You Desire’. For more information on her work, click here.

The power of love (and we thought it was fitness)! – October 2021

I began my live-streamed fitness journey some 20 months ago as a necessity to keep us working out, moving, staying connected, through lockdowns and the unknown bleakness and panic of a global pandemic. Little did I know it was the beautiful birth of our Singita Online Community, which has been a glorious shining light of inspirational souls who greet me every morning with beaming smiles, ready to take on another challenging workout.  We sweat, we shake, pulse and stretch as they, all in such good humour, share my moments of insanity as I allow my goofiness to take hold and bust out my best bad moves on occasion, all for a little comic relief at the wonder and Joy of it all.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting all of this amazing community in person as my links have been shared, and Membership referrals made through friends, but the real wonder of this all is the fact that true friendships have blossomed and heartfelt connections made and threaded together in a matrix of golden glittering cosmic hope. True encouragement and inspiration. (I’m not dramatic at all…lol)

We all started this journey with a like-minded interest in staying healthy and fit, to ensure we kept our movement momentum going through all the modalities we offer at Singita Barbados and Singita Online, including Ballet Barre, Yoga, Pilates, Bodysculpt, HIIT.

This week I received this lovely picture of MaryAnne (left) and Liz (right) lunching, having recently formed a great friendship. “I never would have thought I would make a friend through Singita Wellness, another reason for you to feel proud” says Liz who I met at my first Health Club I worked at in Oakville, Canada just having returned from South Africa 25 years ago.  I made some amazing friendships in those bygone days and our children all went to school together.  Liz and our fabulous friend Judy have been wonderful fitness enthusiasts over the years. Having moved to Barbados over ten years ago, I lost many of these connections, so it was really heartwarming to have them in my live-streamed classes again.

Fast forward to February 2020 I met Jay, an exuberant, lovely lady from Canada, who joined her first class with me at Singita Barbados, and then lockdown happened.  Jay decided to join us online and has been a wonderful positive addition to our community.  Jay then recommends Singita Online Club to her friend MaryAnne, who also lives in London, Ontario.

Those who know me well know some things never change, I show up on the dot of class times mostly, why would I be the ultimate professional and show up 5 minutes in advance?  I might have a little bit of a spontaneous personality and I love to show up with some sweet surrender and see where Spirit leads me.  Trust me though, not without some conscious connection to my Greater Power above for guidance and inspiration to share with honesty and love for what I was called to do. Needless to say, this allows for a few people embarrassingly staring at a computer screen with other eager participants wondering why I could not possibly show up a few minutes in advance.  But lo and behold we have some chit chatters amongst us and MaryAnne soon discovers Liz lives in the same home town and voila, a friendship is rooted. The most gracious and lovely messages I have received from so many of our Community is honestly the reason I do this and am in awe of the power of Love and Connection.  This message from MaryAnne honestly brought me to tears. “Your kind open energy has been so important to me over these past months. I respect the standard you set for yourself and it motivates me to work towards being a better human.  Thank you!!”

And what more can I say but Thank you I am humbled, honoured and beyond blessed!!!!!

Love Michelle x