Liberating Human emotion through movement.

Mental health is becoming more prominent within the community with almost 45% of Australians suffering either depression or anxiety. These numbers are alarming, but not surprising to me.

It is a subject close to my heart, I have suffered from this hideous disease with both depression and anxiety for years, I even tried to end it all at one point to make the pain stop. The one constant that kept me here was training, whether it karate, boxing, running, cycling or swimming would put my mental health in a better place, it was just intuitive to me. Unfortunately I would train myself for annihilation and to the extreme, punishing myself for perfection, not realising the long term damage I was causing myself, then also add to my mental health issues.

This is why I have chosen a new career path in educating people to move for their minds, not for their figures.

6 years ago when I was in my darkest place, the medical fraternity disregarded me after being brought in by ambulance on suicide watch. I knew if 'I' didn't take action, this world would have lost me.

Camp Eden came out of nowhere at the perfect time. Most people know just how special place this was for me. I went in a broken human, and came out as an amazing strong woman, learning how to love and heal myself. But it was never going to last if I didn't continue to do the work on myself. Yes I have had relapses, its part of the learnings that I know are meant to happen so I can help and have empathy for other going through the same.

In my stay at Camp Eden I was lucky enough to be shown this crazy training style that was challenging yet so much fun. What was this???? I needed more, I was addicted on how it made me feel, how it made my body feel, and heal. I was 12 months post recovery of my knee reconstruction, there was no pain training. The most amazing part, this thing would appear on my face, they called it a smile! something I had forgotten how to do. SO I found out about this training, I found the man that designed ZUU and bought his DVD's.

I had finally found someone who understood what I needed, so much so he inspired to become a qualified coach. What a journey it has been to where I am today. Liberating Human Emotions through movement.

The fitness industry can be quite fickle, focusing on body composition, image and ego, that's where the dollars lay, filling peoples heads with promises, signing them up for programs that are just not achievable for them individually.

The general population feel unworthy or intimidated to step into a fitness establishment for fear of ridiculed, being smashed/injured during training trying to reach those perfect bodies that are shoved down our throats in the media.

Don't get me wrong yes most of these programs work.....for the right people! My issue is at what cost?

Nathan Helberg the founder ZUU along with Ian O'Dwyer & Gareth Houley have changed and saved my life. I tear up sometimes just talking about them or being in their presence as Nathan found out recently when I was a blubbering mess on his shoulder (sorry Nathan). They don't have degrees or letters after their names, they are just men that understand the body better than any Academic I have ever come across.

Why are they so amazing? They understand that emotion and motion are connected. It has always been intuitive to me, they just made it real for me. Majority of trainers/coaches out there don't understand this, they are great with movement but they just don't understand the emotional connection to it.

Nathan prides himself that ZUU is about serving the people, culture and community. It's inclusive, connecting elite athletes with the weekend warrior through the power of "Get a touch" Everyone is working at their own high intensity level, empowering and encouraging others with positive affirmations. People leave these sessions feeling like they belong and keep coming back. Why? The power of the touch, it is so much more that just a "HI-5" SO much more!!

The beauty of ZUU? It can be trained anywhere, anytime, with short sharp intervals. A better way to train than long periods of exertion that damages the body long term. It can have the reverse effect on your mental state with the body breaking down. I have witness and experienced this myself over the past few years.

Ian & Gareth have their own unique training modality. Connecting the mind and the body through movement. They educate athletes of all levels the importance of listening and understanding your body. Before any session you asses your Rest, Recovery, Hydration, Nutrition, and Mental state to determine the level you will train at for that session. Don't do the work if you cant do the rest.

In all my years of training, and injuries, they have brought more joy and pain free movement to my life than any other health professional I have ever seen.

I had a great medical team around me during my karate career, but I was always tearing something. I haven't had a soft tissue injury in almost 6 years.

SO what is the importance and relevance of all this with mental health on the rise? We have lost the ability of human contact. Technology and a Politically Correct society has sat us on our asses, distanced and disabled our ability to connect with other humans with sight, hearing and most importantly touch.

Vagus Nerve in my opinion plays a vital role in our health and well being. It's largely responsible for mind and body connection. The best way to stimulate the nerve is through movement and human connection. The 2 things we are lacking! Its no wonder Mental health is at an all time high right?

This is why for me ZUU and the OD on Movement philosophies should be at the forefront of our fight against mental health, not just taking a magic pill numbing us from out emotions.

Lets get people moving and connecting with themselves and the community again. Let people feel like that belong to something and not feel like that are unworthy. We aren't robots, we all have feelings and we should be allowed to express them through touch and movement.

How can you start?

Here are 2 of my favourites.

(click on these links)

ZUUin2

A balloon

These work even better done with a partner or group

GET A TOUCH

and just smile.

Liberating Human Movement

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