The audio is well worth listening to...apologies for the speed that I start the show - I am sure the conversation has sped me up...surely I don't speak that fast...unless perhaps the rush of morning accompanied me into the studio for the opening chat of the show... a good lesson :-)
Some photos from the day...
Have we taken as normal things we should not accept as normal?
What we covered...
Health and function versus true health and vitality led to Donna sharing her story about finding out that at the height of her 'healthy living' she had cancer. How taking time to reconnect with her body meant that she understood true health is far more than a functioning body
The fitness industry talk about health and often there is a great misunderstanding that it is related to muscle tone and pushing through pain to get results but Donna got cancer when we was a very fit Yoga instructor. Lance Armstrong was a very fit cyclist. So should we consider our vitality - how we feel when we wake up in the morning, how stressed we are, how much we live in our heads as part of our health?
Bev and Mary reminded us of the "I would rather not know" and "we presume it is cancer" attitudes that have prevailed over the years to keep us from getting to the doctor and looking after ourselves.
We would rather not know -
we presume that ultimately it will be our biggest fear - cancer
- If you don't know you can't deal with it
- Develop a better relationship with your body so you can listen to the communication our body offers us.
- Put your own oxygen mask on before you support your family
- Consider Bev's burnt chop syndrome (you will have to listen!!)
- Learn to say no
- Put yourself higher up the priority list
- Ask for and accept help
What are we teaching our children when we put ourselves last? Are we teaching them to not care for themselves and put everyone else first? Are we teaching them that everyone else matters more than they do?
What would be the consequences of that belief be for a young person growing up? might they stay in a relationship or a job that was abusive?
Bev's beautiful tender story about domestic violence and how she turned feeling shame into embracing her vulnerability and fragility and see the strength in it. She felt great shame from what happened to her and found it very hard to accept help which she would say now meant that she didn't see all the support that was available to her - even from her family.
So how do we get there? How much do we accept as normal, so much that is not normal and how do we get back to celebrating ourselves and some of the less obvious traits and see them as strengths?
Celebrate our:
- Delicateness
- Playfulness
- Vulnerability
- Sensitivity
- Nurturing
Let's value who we are as the most precious commodity -
far greater than what we do.
Until, that is, we bring that commodity into all we do -
then we have the whole package.
Annabel Daniel - Womens Community Shelters
Hundreds of Women are turned away from shelters every night (1 in 2 are the most shocking numbers) The Link2Home phone number mentioned in the Homelessness program on Stay in the Loop with Lucy is inundated with calls - 60,000 expected in a year and 70,000 received in 6 months really says it all.
The Hornsby Ku-ringgai Women's Shelter is the first shelter to be up and running and will be the model that is replicated all over Sydney (and beyond I suspect). The focus is on asking "what does this specific individual need?" they are not a number or a statistic, they are a hurt, scared and lack confidence in their ability to make it alone. the team at the shelter then support that woman to learn how to build her self confidence and develop the skills to be independent again.
If you would like to be involved in the local community shelter they need everything - tax deductible donations, volunteering, in-kind support - schools doing a toilet roll drive.
Check out the Hornsby Ku-ringgai Women's Shelter website for more information
Bev's Top Tips for re-connecting

- Intention
- Discerning the way you exercise
- Gentleness
- Nature
- Playfulness
- Be gorgeous
- Be nurturing
- Self appreciation
Exercise can be a way to distract yourself from how you feel so all of the work Bev does is about maintaining that connection in your exercise and taking that into all you do. Gentleness and connection are the keys.
Who would have thought that you could consider all of those things when exercising? Check out Bev's website for more information on It's Time to Shine
Bring a focus to how you do what you do
Donna's approach to Yoga and Meditation

Learn how to connect and feel your body, not just do poses but to feel and honour your body and its gentleness. Stop, connect and feel the energy that you are going to use to move your body. Gentleness is a really lovely way to connect to our essence.
Claim the women beyond the doing.
Here is the link to Donna's website for more information on Yoga and Healing.
Every day should be a celebration of the Woman we are
Mary can be found on the Hubbub
All in all thank you to Triple H - we will be back with The Health Show (working title) on a monthly basis I suspect!
The music in the podcast is thanks to Glorious Music. The track is called Suave Connections.