Are you ready to embark on a profound journey of healing and self-discovery? Will you let us accompany you as we traverse the path of holistic therapy with the amazing Vicky Durward? Our beautiful conversation revolves around Vicky's life-changing journey from anxiety to becoming a complementary therapist. She shares her struggles, victories, and the significant role of faith in her transformation, highlighting how she found joy in helping others find their wellness.
Vicky's journey doesn't stop at therapy though, as she reveals her personal encounter with touch therapy, and how it brought relief to her stored trauma. It's not just about overcoming obstacles but also nurturing ourselves—emphasising the need for self-care, work-life balance, and the magic of enjoying simple pleasures. We even delve into the time she served as a birthing partner for her daughter during the lockdown, and how it enriched her understanding of well-being and connection.
Vicky goes beyond therapy, revealing her entrepreneurial side as she shares her experience setting up wellness retreats. We explore the importance of meditation, nourishing food, and surrounding oneself with positivity. Lessons from her life journey are sprinkled throughout the conversation, ready to inspire listeners to choose a healthier, happier, and more balanced lifestyle. You won't want to miss this enlightening conversation with the fantastic Vicky Durward—join us, and let's explore the transformative power of holistic wellness.
Checkout our new Digital Sound Bath Meditation Membership and join our Self-care & Wellness Newsletter Club.
*This podcast does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and its contents are intended for informational purposes only.
Are you ready to embark on a profound journey of healing and self-discovery? Will you let us accompany you as we traverse the path of holistic therapy with the amazing Vicky Durward? Our beautiful conversation revolves around Vicky's life-changing journey from anxiety to becoming a complementary therapist. She shares her struggles, victories, and the significant role of faith in her transformation, highlighting how she found joy in helping others find their wellness.
Vicky's journey doesn't stop at therapy though, as she reveals her personal encounter with touch therapy, and how it brought relief to her stored trauma. It's not just about overcoming obstacles but also nurturing ourselves—emphasising the need for self-care, work-life balance, and the magic of enjoying simple pleasures. We even delve into the time she served as a birthing partner for her daughter during the lockdown, and how it enriched her understanding of well-being and connection.
Vicky goes beyond therapy, revealing her entrepreneurial side as she shares her experience setting up wellness retreats. We explore the importance of meditation, nourishing food, and surrounding oneself with positivity. Lessons from her life journey are sprinkled throughout the conversation, ready to inspire listeners to choose a healthier, happier, and more balanced lifestyle. You won't want to miss this enlightening conversation with the fantastic Vicky Durward—join us, and let's explore the transformative power of holistic wellness.
Checkout our new Digital Sound Bath Meditation Membership and join our Self-care & Wellness Newsletter Club.
*This podcast does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and its contents are intended for informational purposes only.
Welcome to episode 35 of our Full Spectrum Wellness podcast. I'm so happy and excited to be back here with you for our 35th episode, and today I'm really excited to introduce you to the amazing Vicky Derwood. Vicky's a fellow complementary therapist, but she also runs and owns a villa rental business over in Cyprus and has recently joined forces with her best friend, vanessa, running retreats across Europe and internationally, and I cannot wait for the day that I can get on a plane and go to one of their retreats. Vicky's passion is to help women from the inside out, holding a safe space for women by providing either a restorative or therapeutic treatment that aids in the body's natural healing process and reconnecting the person as a whole, and I cannot wait to share her wellness journey with you. Welcome, vicky, to our Full Spectrum Wellness podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm so happy to be here, jo. I really am really am.
Speaker 1:I'm so happy to have you here. I'm so excited to have a chat with you today. Me too. I'm going to dive right in. I want to know what does the word wellness mean to you?
Speaker 2:So it's changed over the years. I would say it used to mean mean to me more like on a physical level and how a person would look, but now for me, for me personally, it means more on the inside wellness, so mentally, spiritually, physically as well. That's what it means to me Good, having healthy habits on a daily basis, listening to yourself, listening to those messages that come through and just being kind to yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the thing, isn't it? We're often not kind to ourselves. No, definitely not. What are you passionate about in life?
Speaker 2:I love helping people. I love listening to stories, life stories. I'm a really good listener, so, yeah, just anything that helps anybody feel better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and is that how you became interested in holistic therapy?
Speaker 2:To be honest with you, gosh, it's a bit of a long story really, but I've always been interested in being a health and wellness. It sort of stems back really to childhood, I suppose, having a difficult childhood. So I always knew there was a better way. And, gosh, how did I first get the first? My first sort of interest was maybe with. I had counseling, also hypnotherapy to help me, and then it was a very, very good friend who bought me in for a reiki treatment. I was in a really dark place a couple of years ago it's quite a while ago now. Mentally and physically I was just really lost. And she bought me in for a reiki treatment, something that I'd never had before, and I was able to. During the treatment I was able to feel safe in my body and I cried. I cried a lot, and that's something I never did. Yeah, so that was it. And then I was on the hunt, then I was searching and I found you. I'm. The rest is history.
Speaker 1:So for our listeners that don't know, vicky is actually one of our graduates, so she is a fully qualified complementary therapist.
Speaker 2:Now, just from having that one reiki treatment, yeah, that's it, yeah, and the reiki treatment wasn't even in this country, it was in Cyprus, yeah, so when I came back to England, I was just on the search then for a reiki master. I did quite a bit of research what reiki was, and then I looked for a reiki master. My search was over when I found you. We just connected straight away, didn't we? Joe?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think the universe is very clever at matching the right people.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah you got me on all levels.
Speaker 1:You know, you can see, on all levels you got me, so yeah and that's so important when you're choosing a Master to do that journey with you, you've got to feel comfortable Absolutely so were you living in Cyprus at the time that you have the right treatment.
Speaker 2:No, we've lived in Cyprus for a few years and then we came back to the UK Cheetah family reasons. We loved our life in Cyprus, but we came back because we missed a family. Yeah, and it was at that point. Then there was really really low. I was just lost in direction. What to do, you know? I just went really deep down and Then, like I said, it was a really good friend who booked me in for a treatment. I well, I actually she I went over for a weekend over in Cyprus because she's a really good friend and she booked me in for a treatment while I was there. So you knew nothing about what it was?
Speaker 1:Nothing about it.
Speaker 2:No, no, I just sort of started venturing sort of reading into things like the secret, yeah, then type of books. As to Hicks, yeah, so I was, you know, I was open and yeah, and that you've my first treatment, and then I came back and and search for a regular teacher.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that dark period that you went through. Had you been prone to kind of depression in the past or did that just come completely out the blue?
Speaker 2:No, no, I wouldn't say depression, anxiety. I've always been hyper vigilant. So I came from a background of child abuse, mentally and physically very toxic upbringing, and so I was always looking for a safe place. Yeah, to be, I didn't understand love. I could never Receive love. I could give it, which was is quite, I suppose, quite unusual, but I just couldn't receive it at all. I Didn't know how to give a hug. Mm-hmm, I really didn't. And well, I know I knew how to give a hug, I didn't know how to receive one, yeah, yeah. So I would just, I would freeze.
Speaker 2:Yeah just I just didn't know how to react to it. I would never cry, ever. The shutters would always be up protection mode all the time. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's why we connected on all levels, because I have a very similar background. I come from the background of physical sexual abuse, yeah, and then toxicity in the in the family as well. So, mm, that it just helps when you know you're not alone and yeah, definitely somebody.
Speaker 2:Absolutely then you're growing up growing up with it. You feel that it's normal and that everybody else is going through this, and then when you actually Sort of step out and speak to people, it's like that is not normal. What you've been through, you know. Yeah and this is why you're feeling how you're feeling yeah yeah, and and the the physical contact is A massive issue.
Speaker 1:Like you say, you're very good at giving. I think we're very good at putting a mask on to kind of Okay and yeah, we're a normal person, yeah, then it's okay to give. But then when somebody steps in that boundary of Giving to you, it's kind of like whoa, I know for me for a long time if somebody just brushed past me and just accidentally touched me, it would send shivers and it's yeah, receiving hugs is. It has been very difficult over the years until you do that in a work, yeah, and now I give everybody a hug and a rest.
Speaker 2:Yes, all the time I'm like and it's great, isn't it? Oh, it's lovely. Yeah, I cry, I love crying.
Speaker 1:It's good for the soul, apparently. Yes, it cleanser in sick. Good wash, would you say. Those are some of the biggest challenges that you face.
Speaker 2:Into terms, yeah, definitely yeah yeah, definitely, learning how to let go To be safe in my body Confidence has been a massive issue for me. How do you do that? Yes, it has yoga and breath work. Yeah, yeah, definitely an ice bath to the Recently, didn't you? Yeah, yeah, I loved it, I loved it, absolutely loved it. I've done it a few times now, so I try and bring it in to my sort of daily practice and have a cold shower. Well, I won't start off with the cold shower, don't get me wrong. I'll always end with at least a minute of it.
Speaker 1:Reset yeah, it's also really good for releasing trauma from the body.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is. Yeah, and I remember watching, listening to a podcast actually about ice baths, and the first few ice baths that I've done had always gone into the bath holding my breath and then like sort of clenching my fists and getting in and closing my eyes, and then this guy, some, some, but I think it's from the peak district he said try and embrace the ice bath with your eyes wide open, with your hands yes, open, you know and just allow that cold To to go through the body. What difference did that make when you tried that? Massive, massive, massive difference?
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so I love that.
Speaker 1:That's really helped me. I'm a bit Mardi, I know the benefits of it, but it's like getting in the swimming pool. In it you just like one toe, one foot.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You know you wouldn't get me in a swimming pool if it's cold, you really wouldn't. But I think doing those, the ice baths, where that you're doing the breath work first, doing some yoga, some meditation, they get you ready to get in step into it. So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you've found your passion for helping people. You found a way to help people and ignite that passion. So tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a holistic therapist and setting up your business. So you're in Denton, in Manchester, that's right. I work in balance, which I love, that's correct yeah.
Speaker 2:I work on my garden studio. So I qualified I think it was it, was it 2016, 2017? I can't remember with massage, wasn't it? And I think, reike, and From that sort of qualification, from gaining that qualification, I held down two jobs as well. So the villa rental, which is over in Cyprus, and an office job, and I did that for a while.
Speaker 2:But I just knew in my heart that wasn't. You know, I just didn't want to be in the office anymore but continue down that path. Because of financial reasons and it actually was last year I had a bit of burnout. Really, I was spending too many plates and I took the big step Leave for faith, yeah. Leave for faith. Yeah. Again, it's down to self confidence. It's that belief that I can do this. I've built up a nice client base around the area. I don't really have to advertise a lot. My clients recommend me, yeah. So it was just. It was just believing in myself that I could do this, and I took the leap of faith in December and now I do it full time. Do you know what? It's been the best thing I've ever done.
Speaker 2:I've been asked, really asked, really asked. Yeah, it just doesn't feel like work job. It really doesn't.
Speaker 1:It's not, but that's the danger, isn't it we? It's just. I was talking to Michelle on one of our other podcasts, and when you work for yourself, it's you've got to be really disciplined and not end up working crazy. Yeah, yeah, I mean, if I did 10 massage in a day I'd be tired, but oh God absolutely.
Speaker 2:Five is my max and I'm.
Speaker 1:I am wiped right out if I do five, but it's not like going in an office where you've most of the time you don't want to go in. You don't really like your job. We've got a completely different experience because we love what we do. I could sit with clients all day long Absolutely.
Speaker 1:You love it. In fact, I had a conversation with with my friend Alex in the day, who did the project with us on the on the digital sound bath. I actually spoke to him a couple of days ago and he was like so you really need to work less hours and and, and you know, find your passions and do your passions. I'm like, but I do my passion every day. Yeah, we do need to do something else.
Speaker 2:I love it. I live and breathe this. Yeah, yeah. Sometimes I'm in the garden, the studio, until like nine half nine at night and I'm like, all right, I wiped out after the end of the day, but I just go to bed and I'm just really grateful for the women that have met and helped.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the stories that you hear. Oh, my God.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Every day I can't say. There's a day I can't go without honestly being taken to my knees by some of the stories that that are shared with me, you know, and that's really humbling, that.
Speaker 1:It is. But then the seeing the transformation in those women, yeah, and sometimes you haven't even laid your hands on them. Sometimes it's just that consultation period where you're just chatting and they're just able to speak. I would say to my clients it's very different when a friend says to you how are you? They don't really want to know the answers, that they're just being polite most of the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We ask you, we really want to know, because that helps us to help you in the best way possible.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's it, and it's just observing the body language and everything you know we can. We can sort of build the picture, can't we, and see how we can help them, like you say, without even, without even hands on.
Speaker 1:No, and you said it right at the beginning, it's finding that safe space and for a lot of people they can't talk to friends or family or they haven't even got friends or family to talk to about it and they don't feel safe opening up. But we provide a space where you know going back to talking about working all the time and my clients go. You know you don't get tired. No, I'm sat in a room with cool therapy lights, incense burning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, music playing it charges me up.
Speaker 1:That's my sanctuary, absolutely, yeah yeah. So you're flying now, so you're full time, you're loving. What was the jump between the raking and the physical aspects of massage? How did that come about? Oh, was it just a natural progression?
Speaker 2:It was a natural progression, but I think I was about 90, maybe 20. And I did a little short evening class and it was like an introduction to aromatherapy and massage. So I probably about a six week or something like that. And then I never did. Obviously I never did anything with it. So it just felt natural to go down that route. It's something that I sort of tried and that I'd enjoyed at that time. So I thought let's try this.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I loved it, I really did. And receiving and giving is so good. Receiving a massage is amazing, but the.
Speaker 1:Thing is.
Speaker 2:I actually go into that trans, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is now for me, but I'll share a little funny stuff. It wasn't funny at the time, it was quite traumatizing, but it's funny when I look back at it now. I used to go to a spa in Staffordshire with my mum. It was a residential and you'd never really spoke to a therapist like we do the consultation with our clients. But there you check in with the nurse and you tell her what you're having done and she goes away and checks that that's okay. And so the therapist basically comes and collects you from the treatment collection room and then takes you to the treatment and then drops you back off again.
Speaker 1:And I don't know why, but I'd sort of gone and booked myself in for this massage, not even thinking about it, because I'd never had this is way before I did my training like God I'd be 25, 30 years ago. I've never had a massage in my life. Obviously, touch was a big issue for me, so why I didn't think to myself this is really not a good idea. Yeah, and I can remember the therapist this day and I would always go back to her every time we went. She was called Sally, sally W, because there's a couple of Sally, so we always use W as her name. And she was lovely, bless her. She was great, got on the table and she would did my back. The first time she put her hands on me I literally jumped off the table.
Speaker 2:Did you?
Speaker 1:really, and she's like, are you okay? And I'm like yeah, but then the whole rest of the massage was so tense because it was like that's the first time you'd see touch in that way. But the power in that, because the next time we went that's the first thing I booked in for, so it kind of released a lot of trauma from a muscle memory.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, because we hold so much, don't we? Inside the body, it's cellular.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and years later when I did my training, you kind of read about these things, but I had real life experience of that. I'd already experienced the power of just letting go and knowing that you're in that safe space. And I think a lot of people think massage is just, you know, release intention for your muscles, but it's so much more than that. Yeah, for me that was a massive shift for my trauma work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you know quite a few of my clients have been quite emotional after massage as well. Yeah, you know they've let go and cried. It's quite, it's normal, isn't it? You know to do that. I've done that during yoga with hip work, and I broke down crying. It's crazy where it goes, where it holds. Sorry, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So we talked about how it's a slippery slope. When you work yourself, you can end up working crazy hours. How do you find that work life balance, did you not?
Speaker 2:Before I didn't. That's why I had burnout, but now it just doesn't feel like it works. To be honest with you, it really does. All right, you know, if I don't look after my posture during a massage, then I'll definitely know about it by the end of the day. 100%. I remember that with learning with you, it was the posture police, yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm doing my own posture police.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just try. I always make sure that I take time out for myself yeah, you know that is a big, big plus. And have time for the family. Yeah, on a Sunday we have time out and so, yeah, that's that, and friends as well.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's so important, isn't it having that? Humans are creatures of habit book. They crave connection, oh my God, connection, yeah, so important that we have that connection with friends and family. And, yeah, definitely important. Yeah, you've got a grandchild, haven't you I?
Speaker 2:have got a grandchild.
Speaker 1:How she changed your life, because she's like a little bundle of energy.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, she's plugged in overnight. That girl. If you could bottle up what she's got, you'd be a millionaire. You really would. And actually when Hannah asked me to be her birthing partner, which was at St Mary's and the labour room was all lovely lights and gorgeous music, it was lovely. So there was just me and Hannah. It was actually during the lockdown, yeah, and I'd say to Hannah that she had a rakey labour and a rakey birth.
Speaker 1:So you were given a rakey birth.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's special to be a birthing partner anyway and to add that into the mix. That's so special, isn't it? Yeah?
Speaker 2:It was one of the most life-changing moments I had to be at the birth. It really was. It was a mass beautiful gift. Yeah, it really was, yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow, and great that St Mary's are open to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, it was lovely to see. I was like this is so good. Yeah, to have those lovely lights and the music and the midwives were lovely. Obviously, it was at a time which was really difficult. Yeah, it waswas it the first lockdown? It was 2020 when she was born. Yeah, so, yeah, it was the first lockdown.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you literally couldn't go anywhere up here with anyone?
Speaker 2:No, absolutely, and I was lucky to be allowed to be at the birth. Yeah Well, yeah, I think you'd be a let you in when you were so many centimetres dilated. Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow, I know. And how has she changed your life now that she's here?
Speaker 2:Oh, she's brought back so many memories of bringing up children, being a small age. Yeah, from the meltdowns to singing nursery rhymes. I've remembered so many nursery rhymes, aww. But you know, it's nice, we can dance in the kitchen and we can play play dollies and things like that.
Speaker 1:It's really nice. Is that for you and a child out? Yeah?
Speaker 2:absolutely yeah, because I didn't really. You know not going too much back into the past but I didn't play as a child. Yeah, I really didn't. I was, you know, I was too scared to. I had to be doing things in the house like cleaning the house, and that's even from a small age. So I didn't know how to play, you know.
Speaker 1:Oh well, such a piece of talk you really have, she's taught me how to play.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which is lovely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow, and how old is she now?
Speaker 2:She's nearly three, three in December.
Speaker 1:Wow, terrible twos.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely yeah, Try some. What did they call it? Terrible twos in, try some three. I can't remember anyway, but definitely yeah.
Speaker 1:Does she let you do Reiki on her now? No, she had it yeah.
Speaker 2:You know when I'm getting her ready for bed. If she has a sleepover then I'll do a little bit of Reiki.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I really respond to it, don't they? Oh God.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah, yeah, she actually when she'll let me do a little massage on her back as well, oh yeah, and then, when I stop, she puts my hand back.
Speaker 1:That's a bit like my dogs do that. Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2:You stop.
Speaker 1:they're like no, go on, yeah, yeah yeah, and what do you do to de-stress? What are you go to things?
Speaker 2:I go to things Nature, 100% nature. So I'll take myself for a walk. I love being around this. I love being near the sea. I can't get to the sea Any sort of water stream or river. Trees, trees, breathwork, cold shower, dancing in my kitchen. Put the music on and dance, yeah, just to release that energy that's struck there.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, having a good shake like a dog does, shaking it off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, we can learn so much from dogs. They're so intelligent. They're very good at managing their strength?
Speaker 2:Yeah, aren't they just like, lowly, she comes across another dog or that's got energy that doesn't match hers, she'll, she will shake it off and it's like God. This is like completely natural. Why are we not doing those things, you know?
Speaker 1:Yeah, we are the only sort of creatures on the planet that hold onto stuff. And if I take Rosie out in the park and there's loads of squirrels and she chases a squirrel for tree, that squirrel doesn't talk about it three weeks. So I worked 12 months later going, oh, that dog nearly hit me on the park. They just yeah, yeah, yeah, five, they let go of it, they're off the that's it.
Speaker 2:They shake it off and get on with the day. Yeah, but we just hold onto stuff we need to be more dog. Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, I like to read, listen to podcasts. Take a hot bath I love a hot bath.
Speaker 1:Yeah, put the candles on Nice bubble bath.
Speaker 2:I love it that hot when you're like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm like that. I can't get into a warm bath. It's got to be like mega hot. Yeah, and then you always feel a bit sick when you get out.
Speaker 2:Just sit on the side for five minutes, then get back in again.
Speaker 1:We need you to get in the hot and then jump in a cold shower right after. That's really good for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're not trying that.
Speaker 1:What does your daily self-care routine look like?
Speaker 2:I definitely go to bed early. Person, I like that. I try and have a good sleep hygiene, yeah, so trying not to have any blue light in the room, have it as dark as possible. I'll read before bed because I have suffered with my sleep over the years, so for me that's a massive, big, big thing that I do. Yeah, I will try and eat as healthy as possible, but I'm not super strict with myself, but trying not to eat processed food and cook from scratch. Yeah, drink water. Walk I'll take the dog for a walk every day. What else do I like to do in the morning to set myself up? I have a list of things, but not be over focused on. I have to get these things done today. Yeah, I'll just if I get them done, I get them done and not be overly. You're not pressuring yourself. Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1:Why does meditation fit in?
Speaker 2:Oh, first thing in the morning, even if it's just two minutes.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And in my treatment room. Before I start the day in there, I always do a short meditation and then I'm meditating half the time during bloody treatments anyway.
Speaker 1:It is so easy to slip into that brainwave pattern, isn't it, I know? Like say, we've got music, we've got the light and you're just in the flow with the movement. Yeah, definitely, at least it's not work, is it, I know?
Speaker 2:Calla always takes the mickey out of me and says you just go about your day doing your ombs.
Speaker 1:This is how you think to do all day.
Speaker 2:Honestly, you think it's just om all day.
Speaker 1:Nothing wrong with that. It's really good for you, absolutely. I don't know what would you say are the most important lessons that you've learned in life so far.
Speaker 2:My lessons self-confidence, self-belief, stepping into my fear, still working on that one and that I can't control everything. Yeah, I think again, you know, going back to childhood, it was that trying to control situations, yeah, I can't, you know, you just can't. So to now, for me, it's just controlling how I feel and how I react. And life is short, joe, you know.
Speaker 1:It is very short, it really is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, last year I lost a friend who was 49. Yeah, and it really hit me actually, because it was a few months before a 50th birthday and it just again. It just reiterated how short life is. Yeah, you've just got to try and grasp it and enjoy. You know, life is a continual climbing up and down of a mountain, isn't it? You know it's not all fairytale, is it?
Speaker 1:No, but with them we wouldn't learn if it was no, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Some of the hardest lessons are literally the hardest lessons.
Speaker 2:Yeah. The best ones aren't they yeah, when you can look back and reflect and think that was the best lesson I could have received.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it's being aware of that, isn't it that it is a lesson, yeah.
Speaker 1:But then that's where your meditation comes in, because that gives you that reflection time, getting out in nature and just switching off the busy mind. That kind of distracts us from what we need to be looking at. Yes, yeah, definitely, yeah, I love those lessons. Oh, I know, I know, and in a grand scheme of things, although it's really sad that she passed, actually that's a gift she's given to you, that she's taught you that lesson and she will have learned a lesson through that journey itself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the soul's progression and journey is fascinating and awesome, and I don't think we appreciate it sometimes. Oh, no, we don't yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I'm grateful for that lesson I was and the friendship that I had with her.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely the memories that we shared. So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:God rest her soul.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:And finally, what advice would you give someone who wants to live a healthier, happier and more balanced lifestyle?
Speaker 2:I would say a big one for me is to surround yourself with well-meaning people, people who've got your back.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Yeah. To give yourself permission to slow down and be kind to yourself. To ask for help to speak out? Yeah, what else? To find something that you love doing? Whether it's cooking, art, reading, traveling, gardening, anything like that to eat. Well, good, nourishing food and a good bedtime routine.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, as you were talking then, it came to my mind that a lot of those things you do on your new venture with your friend Veneta, which is the retreat Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Tell us a little bit about that exciting lecture. Oh my God, thank you. Yeah, so it was actually something that I'd written in a journal probably about five years when I first started on this little journey. Yeah, that I wanted to be part of to be doing retreats, but I had no idea how You're not even qualified as a therapist yet, how can this happen but I put that to bed and just left it there in my journal and then you forgot about that Is sort of yeah, it was always maybe there a little bit at the back of my mind, and then it was actually before I had burnout.
Speaker 2:So, maybe it had ignited something in me. I went to Cyprus and I was sat on the beach with my best friend and she's a life coach and she was just doing the usual you know, where do you want to see yourself in five years and all that sort of stuff and I said you know what? I love helping people. I love being around like-minded people. I love the holiday experience because I organise holidays for the Vila Rental that I have. I love that. I get so excited helping them organise the holiday. So something to do with like bespoke holidays, I'd love to do that.
Speaker 2:Didn't even think of retreats and then we just carried on chatting and had a lovely day, blah, blah, blah. Fast forward a few months I got a phone call from Vanessa. Vanessa's done yoga retreats for about God, I think, about 10, 15 years. She's travelled all over the world, but she's always been the yoga teacher on retreat, teaching yoga, and she said to me how about we join forces and we create our own retreat business? I was like what Me, little old me, you want me to join you and that was it. Yeah, so we put our dream into action.
Speaker 1:You manifested that in that journal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, I know. So we created Firefly Wellness Retreats.
Speaker 1:I love that name.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we actually did our first retreat this year in Tuscany in Italy. Beautiful, it was amazing, it really was. We've got barley next year, cyprus and there's one loading up, but I don't think I'm allowed to say it yet, so just in case this podcast comes out before. So it's a bit of surprise.
Speaker 1:And so is that in the same year. So you're doing three next year. Yeah, we're going to do three next year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wow, I know. So we're just finalising everything. For barley, it's literally sold out. We've got two spaces left to fill.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's the way for someone to live a healthier, happier, more balanced lifestyle is book on a retreat. They are absolutely. Yes, yeah, because you just completely disconnected from real life, from the busy, stressful world we live in, and you can just really connect with people, people you would never normally meet. I know you were telling me about the Tuscany one that they were from women from all over the world. Different cultures, yeah, languages, yeah, it was you learned from them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there was a lady from Denmark. There was Cyprus, there was Scotland, there was England. Wow, it was. You know, it was so nice to meet all these ladies. It was lovely to share the space with them for that week. Yeah, it was really, really humbling. Really nice to share stories and tools with them and have time out, eat really really good food.
Speaker 1:Yeah, food was amazing. The pets are in Tuscany, oh my.
Speaker 2:God yeah, oh wow.
Speaker 1:Well, I wish you every success, you and Vanessa. Oh thank you. I know you're just going to knock it out of the park. What you both do is amazing, but putting that together it's just yeah, just thank you For more amazing. And I'm going to get on one of those retreats one day.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, please, that would be so nice. You can come as a guest. Definitely, come as a guest, absolutely, you can be treated and not work. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Switch off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your story with us. I've loved every minute of chatting to you and I'm sure our listeners are going to get so much out of it. Thank you so much, Vicki.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you for having me. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:I hope you feel inspired by Vicki's journey. I certainly do. It's okay to take a leap of faith, it's okay to change direction and it's okay to start on a healing path, whether that's just for yourself or for others. I'm sure you'll join me in thanking Vicki for her time and honesty today.