Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves - By Rachel Waite
March 8th was International Women's Day and Holistic Harmonies decided to shine a light on some of our community members:
FI GORDON
I met Fi Gordon at a Women in Business Group. We were paired up for an exercise about our future visions. Fi is a Therapist and Coach who specialises in hypnotherapy, EFT and NLP and also has a thriving legal cannabis business... and also a Singing Mama!
Q: What has been the biggest challenge of your life so far and how did you overcome it?
A: I don't know if it's my biggest, but my health crash. I burnt out with Adrenal Fatigue and then was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME. Life as I knew it was over. I struggled to work and for long periods of time I couldn't work at all. I couldn't socialise, see friends, go our, go anywhere, eat and drink the things I enjoyed. I couldn't make my own bed. I couldn't watch telly or listen to music a lot of the time, it was too exhausting. Even doing yoga could make me crash. I had a period of more than a year when I couldn't even read a book. It was extremely debilitating.
My worst point was on the way home from a relaxing yoga holiday with a specialist M.E practitioner. I had overdone it and crashed so badly that someone had to come in and pack all my things. I had wheelchairs and assistance at the airports. I couldn't stand up.
I was ill for 5 years, and in recovery for 2 years.
Living through that, working on myself, my mindset, doing my best to be positive and never giving up on my recovery was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
Q: As a Woman, what do you choose to challenge for your/our future?
A: I choose to challenge everyone to change.
In general, people don't understand that you can change everything about yourself and your life if you want to.
We think we are 'rubbish at maths' or 'not a gym person' or 'a worrier' etc. But our personality is nothing more than a series of strong habits.
I love to help people smash down the invisible walls of their mind and become free. In that space you can create the you and the life that you deeply want and deserve.
Q: How does singing make you feel?
A: Singing makes me feel expressive, aligned, connected, centred, sometimes emotional, often incredibly joyful but always kind of..... in love.
KRYSTINA RAMPEEAREE
I first met Krystina Rampeearee when she came to one of my Music & Movement sessions. She began coming to our evening socials and I got to know her better. I am in awe of the trailblazer she has become in the engineering world. She has made it her mission to encourage more girls to sign up to STEM activities leading them into engineering jobs. She has also designed pin badges on this theme and has her own Etsy shop.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge of your life so far and how did you overcome it?
A: The biggest challenge for me was returning to work following maternity leave. It was a tough transition. I overcame it by reminding myself why I loved my engineering career in the first place, finding a balance and gaining some techniques that help me maintain that work-life balance. I also realised that I’d gained new personal skills while I’d been on leave which I could bring to my job and it definitely helped increase my confidence.
Q: As a woman, what do you Choose To Challenge for your/our future?
A: I choose to challenge stereotypes in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and this is why I set up my own small business. I want to highlight diversity in STEM careers through my pin badges and show that STEM is for all. As a STEM ambassador, I’m passionate about encouraging young girls to push past gender stereotypes.
Q: How does singing make you feel?
A: I love singing! I’ve always enjoyed going to music festivals and gigs. Singing relaxes me and makes me feel happy. Listening to music and singing along is my way of taking time out for myself and switching off from the non stop bustle for a moment. Because of this I was keen to take my little boy to Holistic Harmonie’s music classes whilst I was on leave, I’m not sure who enjoyed them more!