Wellness Writing & Meditation
When I was 14 years old, a substitute gym teacher at my school decided to host a one-off class that most of us had never tried before: meditation. It was held in one of our assembly halls, and despite the fact that I was part of a large group of giggling teenagers who had little idea of what meditation involved (beyond the classic hippie stereotypes), about two minutes into the session, something in me changed.
It was a simple body scan-style meditation involving a bit of visualization - and I'd never experienced anything like it before. The clarity, the peace, and the introspective state that it put me in felt like magic, and I knew instantly that this was something powerful that could potentially be life-changing in my relationship with myself. And it was. Over the decades that followed, whether it was through yoga classes or journeys with plant medicine - or simply in my everyday life - meditation and mindfulness have been a constant that I've come back to time and time again.
They have helped me find peace amidst turmoil, navigate life's ups and downs with more grace, connect with others more authentically, and continuously uncover more layers of who I am by deepening my relationship with myself, and fostering the kind of genuine and lasting self-love and acceptance that will ignite a spark of light in any darkness.
I never knew the teacher's name, but I wish I did, so I could thank her. She is a reminder to me that the inner work we do to put good into the world, even when it might not be recognized or acknowledged at the time, can still have a profound effect on making it a better place for us, and others. To all of life's many teachers: thank you.
Sound Healing
There is power in sound. From emotive songs that offer catharsis, to the infectious joy of a really great laugh, all of the hearing-able among us have, at some point, experienced it. Perhaps even the hard-of-hearing too, since sound isn't only heard - it can also be felt. The vibrational frequencies of sound can have a powerful impact on mental, emotional, and even physical health, and sound healing - an ancient practice that has existed across numerous cultures - is one of my favourite ways to experience meditation. Music in all of its forms has moved me from a young age - and that includes the songs of nature! As a qualified sound healing therapist, I occasionally offer group classes or private sessions using a combination of metal Tibetan sound bowls, crystal singing bowls, gongs, chimes, percussion instruments such as rattles, rain sticks, and the ocean drum, as well as kalimbas and tuning forks.
Meditation Scripts & VOs
From short meditations that focus mainly on mindfulness and breathwork, to longer guided meditations that transport you to a tranquil world of calm through body scanning and skills such as visualization, I've written and/or performed hundreds of meditation scripts for use in my in-person classes (both private and in some of Dubai's leading studios), and for a digital wellbeing platform (for which I created a library of 100+ meditations, including guided options and soundscapes), and for individual clients. I am a double-certified meditation and mindfulness teacher (with international accreditation), and I've been practising meditation for almost two decades. I prefer to only take on projects that I personally align with in terms of values, but I am open to work in creating meditation scripts and voiceovers. I also enjoy creating soundscapes for use while writing.
Health & Adventure Travel Writing
As a qualified fitness trainer - who coached boxing-inspired group classes at one of Dubai's leading fitness studios for 4 years - and the former (and founding) Editor-in-Chief of the Middle East edition of Women's Health magazine, I've spent a large part of my career writing, speaking, and creating around the topics of health, fitness, and wellness. In my travels around the world, I've spent a considerable amount of time exploring places that include some form of active adventure, whether that's hiking in far-flung or remote locations that offer plenty of nature, or establishments and retreats that focus on the best of fitness, nutrition, spirituality, mental health, and mind-body connection. I have a 360° philosophy on well-being - that it is about the mental and emotional as much as the physical - and I love and specialise in content on this topic, whether that's writing or otherwise.