Reflective questions to close out your year.

A quick insight into what is aromatherapy.

It's no secret that when we have stuff going on mentally and emotionally, it can also affect us physically.  When we're stressed,...

As you’ll know by now, that I am a HUGE fan of reiki – both giving and receiving it. Another big love of mine is crystals. They’re...

A lot of people rely on coffee, chocolate or energy drinks to get them through the day, but have you ever wondered what else powers us? ...

Now there’s a question to get you thinking. I have a Deadly Ponies handbag which I love and place a high value on, but I also value my...

Struggling to find balance in your day? Here's a few tips that may help.

Welcome to my first blog of 2023. You would think being February, my first blog would be all about the smoochy love stuff. Instead, I...

For the last couple of years gratitude and being grateful has become a big business. I have filled up many a gratitude journal with...

Believe it or not, confidence is something we all have. Why is it though, that some people seem to have loads of it, while others...

Hello, hello and welcome to my first blog of 2022. Puppies & Kittens - How do you feel when you read those words? I don’t know about...

This month it's all about learning new stuff, fixed mindsets and making up words

So lockdown happened again. We’d been here before, so I knew what to do, and pretty much did what I did, last time around. In between...

So when I sit down to write my blog, I’d usually be sitting at my home desk, fighting the cat of the keyboard and watching the pīwakawaka...

We humans are social creatures. We operate at our best when we feel we belong. Back in our cave dwelling days we lived in tribes. It...

A few years ago my husband and I went ziplining. It looked like so much fun, flying through the air with the greatest of ease. We got...

I will be forever grateful to my younger sister for recommending I read Brené Brown. My copy of Daring Greatly is dog-eared and bent out...

Hello there! I'm Carmen van Straalen, and despite spending over two decades in Auckland and a stint in London, I now call Te Awamutu, in...

What is coaching all about? So to be perfectly honest with you before training to be a coach, I thought having a coach was probably like...

When I tell people that I am a Reiki Master, one of the first things I get asked is “what is Reiki?” and too be honest, it’s a really...