I know what it’s like to live with chronic illness. I was born with a congenital defect on my ureters that required surgery before I turned one. For much of my childhood, I was in and out of hospitals, frequently unwell, and struggled with food intolerances and poor sleep.

As a teenager, I found relief through alternative therapies: kinesiology, acupuncture, and herbal medicine — some of it from my own family. This opened my eyes to a different way of healing.

But the journey wasn’t linear. In my twenties, I had sixteen medical procedures for recurring kidney stones. Even with all the knowledge and lifestyle changes, I was able to prevent needing more surgery but the stones weren’t going away.

In 2023 I was diagnosed with a 2.5cm cluster of stones in my left kidney that would require surgery. I moved to Anglesea, slowed down my life and learned a qi gong form (mindful movement meditation) and practiced 2-3 hours a day. Within three months the stones passed but I wanted to know more. Meditation was changing my experience of health and how I felt in my body.

In 2024, I took a break from practice and travelled to Nepal. There, I met a wandering monk — Ajahn Mike — and followed him (literally) to his monastery in Thailand. After two long meditation retreats, something shifted. I returned to Australia, and for the first time in over a decade, I was pain-free. Three specks of stones in eight months. No more weekly cleanouts of passing stones.

That experience changed me. It showed me that healing is not just physical — it’s emotional, spiritual, and deeply personal. It’s why I now focus on helping others navigate chronic pain, gut health, emotional regulation, and long-term wellness — with care, insight, and empathy.