And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.  

– Anaïs Nin

When I lived in France on the Riviera it was often said ‘We’re living the dream people’.

Which in all honesty we were. Days were spent working alongside friends who became family, lounging at the beach – before work, after work, on days off, meeting folk from all over the world, drinking cheap booze together. In your mid 20’s this is living the dream. To be fair, in my 30’s this is still living the dream. Although the cheap booze isn’t ideal any more.

This idea of ‘Living the Dream’ is the driving force behind why we get up in the morning – and stay up. Or at least it should be. The reality of living your heart’s desire is intoxicating. I believe each one of us is here to live the exact opposite of mediocre. To be inspired daily to live our dreams, to access our truth + potential, to be connected to our purpose – this is why we get up and stay up.

To inspire you to live your own version of ‘Living the Dream’ I’m going to be interviewing a bunch of my clients doing just this. My clients (who I have the honour and privilege of working with) commit to their potential, to living consciously, responsibly and spiritually. 

Which is where Kinesiology comes in. This uber powerful therapy helps you get clear on your desires + passions and importantly kicks your subconscious blocks in the butt, forcing you to face your fears and annihilate your anxieties. 

But enough with the alliteration – Kinesiology works and it’s part of the reason these amazing people are living their dream.

So without further adieu… Meet Tammy.

 

Tammy :: Eating Psychology/ Body Image Coach & Yoga Teacher :: 33 :: Sydney:: Paddington & Bondi :: The Institute for the Psychology of  Eating, Windfire Yoga with Godfrey Devereux

You’re living the dream. What does this look like for you? (Describe what you do for a crust). And how long have you been doing it for? 

For me living the dream means working as an Eating Psychology & Body Image Coach and Yoga Teacher specialising in yoga for disordered eating. My business is Body Love Matters and my work is purposeful, fulfilling on a soul level and feels very meaningful to me. I used to think ‘living the dream’ meant glamorous and exciting, but in my reality its deep, moving and focused on creating a cultural change.

I previously had the glamorous and exciting life as a fashion designer/trend forecaster where I travelled the globe scouting new fashion trends and attending fashion shows. After 8 years in the industry, I realised my attention was being taken more on the models weight and posture rather than the clothes themselves.

I was also teaching yoga-part time after yoga transformed my relationship with food and body image. So 4 years ago after having lived in Los Angeles volunteering teaching yoga in an eating disorder clinic, I left fashion, studied the Psychology of Eating and have created a whole new career for myself here in Sydney.

I work with women who are yoyo-dieters, emotional eaters, binge eaters, restricting and calorie counting, exercise obsessed or have fears around food and/or weight gain, as well as a variety of nutrition related health concerns such as digestion, fatigue, mood, immunity, and others. My work combines the powerful new fields of Dynamic Eating Psychology and Mind-Body Nutrition together with Ayurveda, Advaita, Non-violent Communication, Compassionate Thinking and Yogic Philosophy. My approach uses practical coaching techniques, results-oriented psychology, clinical nutrition, body-centred practices and mind-body science.  My approach is positive and empowering and instead of seeing eating challenges as the enemy, they become opportunities for growth and self-improvement. Working  in this way means eating and health issues become a place of exploration. I also run a mentoring programme for those under clinical care suffering from anorexia.

Were you scared to take the leap of faith? How did it happen? Can you describe the feeling you experienced? Your mental state of being? Emotions?

I ended up moving to Sydney because my visa ended in the USA and I didn’t want to go back to London. So I took a huge leap of faith, left the fashion job and bought a one-way ticket to Australia.  I was both scared and excited. I knew no one in Oz, I had no idea what would happen, I just didn’t know where else to go.

To be honest I thought I would arrive here and find a job in the fashion industry and teach yoga on the side as I had been doing previously. But every time I sat at my computer to search for fashion-related jobs I felt a huge wave of anxiety come over me, I would close the laptop, feeling drained of energy.

I started teaching yoga classes at local studios and in a private eating disorder hospital, and studied the Psychology of Eating, and from there Body Love Matters was born.

What do you believe made you follow through? What was it that made you move towards your calling? 

The idea and creation of my business was easy, the follow through not so much. There is more instability and uncertainty having my own business and putting myself out there and sharing my personal story brought up a lot of fear for me. Some days I do wish I was back in the fashion world, it seems light in comparison with the work I do now, but I feel supporting women heal their relationships with food and body gives me so much purpose. It really does feel like a soul- mission. This mission is not just to transform women’s relationship with food and body image and allowing them to step into their truth and live from their hearts, but to support a cultural shift and transform the lives of their children.

How has Kinesiology + Coaching supported you through this process? How long have you
been doing Kinesiology? Why do you keep returning to it? 

When starting my own business many fears around not being good enough, not being liked, fears around money came up for me and the Kinesiology work was able to tap into and allow me to move past these limiting thoughts. What I love about Kinesiology and the work with Clare is that I am able to discover the things that are causing me stress that I had no idea about. I was amazed in my last session when I told Clare my problem, she muscle tested it and she said – “no that’s not it.” 

By asking my body Clare was able to work out exactly what I was stressed about and it made so much sense to me, but I had blocked it out. 

Kinesiology and Eating Psychology complement each other very well. My business cards say “Your body is speaking to you all the time – are you listening?” and Kinesiology works exactly in this way.

We all get off track at times. Fears creep back in. Resistance gets a hold of us. Inspiration doesn’t strike. What do you do to stay on track? What gets you back to centre? Is it people? Things? Philosophies? Yoga? 

As well as yoga and meditation the most healing thing for me is getting out into nature, more specifically to a mountain or a canyon. Being up high puts everything in perspective for me. It’s a reminder that I am not the centre of the universe. My problems/fears/ stresses are small in comparison to the vastness that is out there. I find that when i do a hike or a bush walk I switch off and the ideas come flooding.

Who do you talk to? God/ Universe/ Angels/ Saints/Trees/All of the above? Can you describe your relationship with your spirituality? How does this contribute to you living the dream?

I whole-heartedly trust in life (even though that trust can get very, very far away at times). I believe life is always supporting us and providing us with a) what we need in the moment, and b) what we are ready to deal with at that time. I live my life in keeping with the Yamas of yoga; sensitivity, openness, honesty, generosity and integrity and strive to apply these principles within everything that I do and say.

What’s one or two hard truths about taking the risk to blossom. What do people need to be aware of?

Taking the leap from a stable income to set up on my own was more unsettling to me emotionally than I thought it would be, and no longer having paid time off took some getting used to. It takes a lot of trust that things are going to work out and a lot of hard work to ensure that they do.

When your work is also something you are deeply passionate about it can be hard to stop working, and when it’s only you in the business there is a never ending to-do list. I didn’t think about that before I started. I thought having your own business meant more freedom and flexibility, but I have found I work much more now than before and take much less time off.

What soulful advice do you have for those reading this, who too desire to live a life of purpose + passion?

I end my yoga classes with these words “Bow your head to your heart, to remind us that our hearts are significantly more intelligent than our heads” and these are great words to live by, for anyone wishing to live a life full of purpose and passion.

I will also add – in the words of Elizabeth Gilbert, in order to find your passion – follow your curiosity 🙂

Tammy offers a complimentary 15 minute phone call to discuss how you would work together.

To contact her call: 0458 984 808 or email: tammy@bodylovematters.com or visit www.bodylovematters.com

***

Everyone’s dream is different. Have an insatiable curiosity about yours.
It’s time to blossom.