Wow, I've been really blown away reading Yvonne's interview and just think she is a pretty amazing woman! Yvonne lives each day to the fullest, she has recently navigated cancer and throughout that journey and her recovery, remains positive, in love with life and inspiring. I'm inspired! From her daily rituals to the books she reads to her own work in the creative world, I hope you also feel inspired reading this lovely interview with our LMP member Yvonne.

Practice death whilst living. I have had the honour to sit with many people who were dying. Once upon a time I was a nurse and I also worked in a cancer charity for many years as a support worker. I live my life squeezing the absolute joy out of every single moment, even the most challenging. I live with zero regrets. I regularly ask myself, what would I do today if this was my last day on earth? One day it will be and I don’t want to miss a moment with my husband, the absolute love of my life, my twin flame. 

Where are you based?

After travelling and living around the world (Australia for 5 years and NZ for 6), I am now based back in my city of birth, Edinburgh, Scotland. My husband and I joke that we are now Scoziwi – Scottish, Aussie, Kiwis 😊

We never felt quite like settling but we call here home … for now.

How did you discover Pilates?

I have dabbled with Pilates here and there for decades but never felt like I truly found the right teacher. Recently going through a cancer diagnosis, and after living with endometriosis for the past 10 years, my body (which used to love heavy strength training workouts) feels pretty ravaged and completely out of alignment and shape, so it’s reaching for gentler routines. I found LMP on YouTube and loved Lottie’s teaching so here we are 😊

What’s your favourite class on the LMP platform?

Now I listen more to my nervous system and what my body is craving - so it depends on that.

When I want to give my whole body a hug & nourishment, I love Rebekah’s Yoga to Regulate Your Nervous System #396

When I am feeling a bit badass, I go for any class with hand weights and I love using my new Pilates squish ball.

When I am sore and stiff, which let’s be honest is now a daily occurrence, I unknot with Lottie Neck & Shoulder Release - (15 Mins) #477 & Lower Back & Hip Pain Relief Routine #253

Really looking forward to the strength training workouts and rebuilding my body, once again.

Do you have a daily non-negotiable or self-care habit?

I like to think of it as more soul-care than self-care these days.

In this season of my life, I prefer to be much kinder to myself as when I was in my 20’s and 30’s. I was pretty ridged and inflexible with my habits and so in my late 40’s, I am much softer and like to create rituals that I know sustain my soul.

This looks like morning cup of coffee with scented candle lit, salt rock lamp on, FIP app playing music softly in the background, quality time with my husband of 25 years. Daily meditation and some sort of movement, somatic work, caring for my plants (card carrying plant mum here), being in nature as much as poss, travel and watching sunrises & sunsets (like this beauty in the Isles of Scilly).

We love doing a weekly cacao ceremony together where we meditate, journal, do yoga nidra and just elevate our time here on earth.

We also throw a little dance break in to signal the end of the day because we work from home and need to shake it off 😊

I’m taking some time off work right now to heal after my cancer journey because boy did that test me in every which way. The grief is real. I have cried more in these past few years than in my whole life … but tears are so very healing. 

I lead with rituals that nourish me then I can be more present when I do go back to work. I get to do that (be in devotion to myself) and I don’t take it for granted!

And for the important stuff, what is your favourite food, or do you have a favourite recipe you’d like to share with us?

My fave food at the moment is a gut boosting bowl full of protein. I make this a lot for brekkie currently. This is per person:

150g Greek yoghurt (Fage 5% is good) or non-dairy

100ml Kefir

1 tbsp ground flaxseed & 1 of ground chia seed

Mix this altogether and then top it off with:

100g Blueberries, strawberries (whatever fruit is in season)

Generous dollop of crunchy almond butter 

To drink I like an oat iced coffee, or a flat white (is coffee a food)? 

Snacks right now I crave are roasted salted macadamia nuts. Truly delicious.

I also love cheese, BIG fan. I try to limit a cheese board to once a month…

Ask the question, show up with feeling … or chocolate.

Are you working on anything personally or professionally at the moment?

I am currently using all my skills and experience to help people around the world be creative and to make amazing art! My career as a creativity coach and mindfulness teacher of some 20 years has always been focused on helping people live a life they love, be it supporting health goals, gaining clarity, building creativity, solidifying confidence or generating wealth. I love working with people through change, uncertainty, and the soft ache of knowing there’s something more to life. 

Right now, I am co-founder and marketing & community director in our global, specialist arts material company - I am helping people find our products and learn how to use them. We make a unique sculpting medium, which you can check out here.

I am also the co-founder and creative coach in a boutique training company that focuses on creativity. Our flagship course, The Artful Sculptor, focuses on both technical and practical physical sculpting skills and inner creative work - ideation, motivation, and personal growth. It’s for anyone who wants to explore physical sculpture whilst strengthening the creative self that often gets pushed aside. We blend mindful awareness, guided reflection, and practical sculpting skills with deep personal development. 

I have also just started a somatic & trauma informed counselling course to add more depth to my future courses.

The website is evolving and we have many short courses for those that want to dabble before diving in. You can check out our current courses here.

I also write poetry and have written a couple of novels.

And, I have a tiny tiny YouTube channel which I haven’t been active on for a few years. When going through perimenopause at age 42 after surgery for endo, I wanted to provide some free mindful meditations for that group of people as there isn’t much out there.

The past year has obviously been busy having cancer (how inconvenient 😉), but my team and I have exciting plans for the future in between lots of napping, resting, recharging and reflecting.

Are you reading anything at the moment?

Last year I read 110 books. To say I am a book worm is an understatement! My mum often jokes I came out of her womb with a book in my hand 😊

I typically have 4 books on the go: a poetry book, a fiction novel, and a couple of non-fiction books. Right now, it’s: Living Ritual by my Nidra teacher, Tracee Stanley, Lydia Pang’s Eat Bitter, On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah, & The Unfolding by Rosmerry Wahtola Trommer (one of my fave poets right now).

Do you have any advice that has impacted you and that you’d like to share?

Practice death whilst living. I have had the honour to sit with many people who were dying. Once upon a time I was a nurse and I also worked in a cancer charity for many years as a support worker. I live my life squeezing the absolute joy out of every single moment, even the most challenging. I live with zero regrets. I regularly ask myself, what would I do today if this was my last day on earth? One day it will be and I don’t want to miss a moment with my husband, the absolute love of my life, my twin flame. 

Despite an aversion to hospitals, he came with me over the past 10 years (navigating the gaslighting, mis-diagnosis of endometriosis) to every single appointment, held my hand through every scary moment. He has been witnessed to every moment - that’s just how we do things around here. You’ll never see him in pictures though because he is very private, which I kind of love <3 

The other is to be compassionate towards people as it doesn’t cost anything but it can mean absolutely everything. We have zero idea what anyone else might be navigating and so show your concern. Ask the question, show up with feeling … or chocolate. Don’t be afraid to share emotions. I find it almost turns me inside out if I can’t be 100% authentic, I absolutely despise small talk – life is literally too short for that.

Listen to the whispers of your body before they become shouts. Always believe your intuition when it comes to your body!

Protect your boundaries at all costs. Therapy is one of the best things you can do for yourself, esp. EMDR in my humble opinion.

Know that you absolutely get to choose your thoughts in any given moment and practising that is an art that you can get better at the more you do!

Surround yourself with friends who make you laugh and who can hold you when times are tough (like my friend, Jen in the photo).

Travel and gain other people’s perspectives as much as you can. I have friends from all corners of the world and I love learning about different cultures - endlessly fascinating insights.