Educational

an image to talk about wellbeing as the foundation of a culture.

Make wellbeing the foundation of company culture

The company culture acts as the fertile soil where wellbeing initiatives take root and flourish.

 

8 years in practice,

 

Living and breathing wellbeing day in and day out,

 

Worked with thousands of clients at this point,

 

Across the US, Canada, and the UK,

 

From various ethnic backgrounds

 

And every time I see their mood, energy, and perspective shift after they leave the session,

 

And because of that, they can be even better employees, partners, colleagues, parents, and members of society.

 

While championing the integration of wellbeing initiatives into companies’ culture is the foundation of my work,

 

I truly believe initiatives alone cannot fully thrive if the workplace culture does not align with the principles of wellbeing. Making wellbeing the foundation of company culture is the most practical way forward. 

 

It’s not enough to provide programs and perks; the organizational culture must align with the principles of wellbeing to create a harmonious and sustainable impact.

 

Real Life Example:

In a recent conversation, an employee shared their experience of satisfaction in a company that did not offer formal wellbeing initiatives. Contrasting this with a previous employer, she highlighted the significance of a flexible culture that allowed her to pick up her kids or work from home when necessary.

 

Now, imagine bringing someone like me to lead a meditation session in her previous company that lacks flexibility for parents to attend to family needs. The paradox is evident – while meditation is a powerful practice to reduce burnout and enhance performance, its impact is compromised when employees are burdened with concerns about family responsibilities.

 

I have endless numbers of examples like this.

 

So, it’s no surprise that the efficacy of any wellbeing initiative relies heavily on the culture in which wellbeing is being practiced. 

 

Wellbeing initiatives alone cannot create lasting change if they exist in isolation. 

 

To unlock their full potential, a holistic cultural shift is necessary. Companies must embrace a comprehensive approach that includes not only initiatives but also a culture of wellbeing. 

 

Let’s make wellbeing part of the culture, not a quick-fix scheme,

 

Hedi

Wanna partner up with us to make wellbeing part of your culture, click here.

an image about wellbeing washing

Wellbeing Washing

What is wellbeing washing? How can we address it?

 

In today’s world, it feels like we are constantly discussing wellbeing and mental health, which warms my heart.

 

However, talking about these subjects is the easiest thing we can do, but are we taking the necessary actions to actually make wellbeing a part of our culture, or is it “wellbeing washing”?

 

In workplaces, companies tend to add a few blogs or social media posts on these topics, and they think they’ve done their part, but normalizing is not enough.

 

“Wellbeing washing” gives the illusion that we are actually doing something, but we aren’t.
It’s more critical than ever for company leaders to be proactive in addressing employee wellbeing, and not just on social media.

In the current job market, employees are increasingly looking for wellbeing support when considering their career options. Wellbeing has evolved from being a “nice-to-have” perk to a “must-have” factor in the workplace.

 

And this shift is not just a matter of ethics; it makes solid business sense too.

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Research (not to anybody’s surprise) reveals that happier employees are also more productive.

 

Investing in wellbeing isn’t just about being compassionate; it’s a smart move that can reduce staff turnover, burnout, and stress – all in one go.

 

Working with Silicon Valley tech companies over the past few years has given me a massive perspective on how businesses can increase engagement, productivity, and performance all by adding additional wellbeing support.

 

Remember that wellbeing isn’t just a list of perks. A free gym membership won’t help someone who’s too exhausted to exercise.

 

True wellbeing starts with creating a company culture that genuinely cares about the wellbeing of its employees, starting from the top. It’s about fostering an environment where people feel supported, valued, and able to thrive both professionally and personally.

 

In conclusion, as companies navigate the evolving landscape of employee wellbeing, it’s essential to move beyond the buzzwords and embrace authenticity. Prioritizing wellbeing isn’t just about public relations; it’s about making a real difference in the lives of your employees and in the long-term success of your organization and doing your part for building healthier communities.

 

It’s important to acknowledge that no company is perfect. You don’t have to have everything figured out internally to talk about wellbeing externally. Be honest about your intentions and aspirations. If you’re not there yet, share your plans to get there. Your employees will appreciate your transparency.

 

Let’s make wellbeing part of the culture, not a quick-fix scheme,

Hedi

 

Wanna partner up with us to make wellbeing part of your culture, click here.

unfinished design for life

Unfinished Design

When I was in urban design school in 2015, a professor once told me, “never fully finish your design project; always leave room for the creative process to emerge on its terms.” (unfinished design)

 

I never knew his word could land with me so profoundly years later in the context of life.

 

We go around trying to find the one thing, the one career path, the one love for life, the one passion for life, the one way of moving, the one way of living, the one identified approach that fits us into one way of being for the rest of our life, big commitment, right?

 

And then we wonder why we feel so numb about all the one things we once yearned for. We imprison ourselves in one identity that once worked for us, but we neglect that life is an ongoing collection of so many life/death/life passages. And each passage may require the death of a part of us for the next life to rise, and the ashes remind us of who we no longer identify with

 

But the question is, which one are you committed to more?

1/  a perfectly crafted completed design with no life to live

OR

2/  an unfinished design that leaves room for life to emerge and takes your breath away

 

Let me know you answer,

 

Be mov〰ful,

Hedi

Let pain soften you

Let pain soften you

Let pain soften you!

 

 

Let the force of nature hold you up
When you feel too heavy to keep yourself up

 

Let the breath breathe through you
when breathing feels like a burden

 

Let strength be born from your stillness
When you desperately want to react, find a solution, and take control.

 

You know there is power
in staying still
in finding grace amid pain
in holding on to faith
and hope with innocence

 

No matter how naive it may sound to your mind

 

Stay innocent

 

Let pain soften your hard edges

 

Let it create extra space in you for forgiveness

 

And let it expand your threshold for love

 

for miracle 🖤

 

Hedi x

 

Work with me

there is no proper posture

There is no proper posture

It’s time to move on from the idea that we must always maintain a “proper” posture.

 

Your posture is NOT static, and it’s ever-changing. And there is no such thing as “Proper” posture.  “Proper” posture is not about:

 

❌ Pulling your shoulder blades back⁣

❌ Keeping your spine completely neutral⁣

❌ Having your hips bent to 90 degrees⁣

❌ Maintaining knees bent to 90 degrees⁣

 

The human body needs movement variability, and being in any posture for an extended period results in your body stiffening up or moulding itself into the shape of that position. And this results in pains and aches in the body.

Here is why:

Your body and brain are geniuses; they do not want to spend energy maintaining joint ranges of motion and tissue length that aren’t being used.⁣ Crazy, right?

 

So, if you want to improve your posture, you need to remember to:

〰 Incorporate movement snacks throughout your day

〰Try to change your working pain-free position as often as possible

In this video ↓, I share my posture transformation journey with you with a series of exercises to get you started:

If you need support improving your posture and understanding your body better, check out the in-depth breathing workshop from our video library platform. 

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

A cover photo on lower body strength

How to build lower body strength?

Here is a step-by-step guide going through a solid lower body strength training session, starting from firing up your core, activating your glutes, and building that concrete strength.

1/Effective Core Engagement

I couldn’t show you a lower body strength routine without touching on the importance of core activation. Let’s start your session by activating the deepest layer of your core. When it comes to using your core line efficiently, the first step is learning to engage your core without the need to flex or extend your spine. For example, when you do exercises on your back, you want to maintain the natural arch of your spine, not pressing down to the floor. Also, you want to avoid letting your belly hanging, and your rib cage flared up for movements like plank, which causes your lower spine to extend.

2/ Glutes Activation

After feeling the fire in your core, let’s move on to activating your glutes (booty). So many have a hard time firing up their glutes that could have so many reasons, lack of mobility in hips, no strength in the ball of the foot, too much compression in the spine, to name a few. This video could give you a kickstart. Keep this in mind, since you already engaged the core, you must feel it working as you are firing your glutes. If you feel like you are losing the core line, focus on your exhale (the longer, the better) to reconnect with it.

3/Leg Strength

Now it’s time to add more intensity to increase lower body strength! You could add weights or continue with bodyweight. 

Do you need extra help with build strength beyond limitations? Check out our M3 live classes! 

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

This is a feature image of posture transfromation

The interconnection between jaw posture and pelvis posture

Your posture goes deeper than whether you have rounded shoulders or not!

Your posture is how you move against gravity from your toes up to the top of your head.

This photo below reveals my postural transformation journey.

This image present postural transformation before and after

While you see the clear transformation in my overall alignment in the top photo, let’s zoom in to see what has changed in my jaw below.

This photo illustrates my jaw posture transformation

This shows how by improving pelvis posture you can completely transform your facial structure and your jaw positioning.

 

After my car accident, jaw tension, upper back pain and neck issues were part of my everyday life. Until I came across postural restoration, and for the first time I found answers to my questions about what I was experiencing.

 

Trauma, stress and lifestyle can impact your posture massively. And mine was definitely impacted by the car accident and concussion.

 

You may ask what helped, the short answer is DEEP WORK!

Long answer:

 

 

 

 

    • Increasing my spatial awareness and joint health

 

The improvement of my pelvis and jaw translated into less tension in my neck and upper back, resulting in feeling calmer, more balanced, and my anxiety was close to none. What’s your posture health like?  

 

Ready to take your posture to the next level? You can work with me in a private or group capacity. And feel free to contact me if you have any questions here.

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

Client success story
Let gravity support you

Let gravity support you

Let gravity support you

move towards gravity

like rain does

effortless

accepting

give yourself to it

all of you

your resistance too

as you do

your trust grows

like roots beneath your feet

soft inhale

long exhale

surrender

all of you

fast

so your velocity carries you to

where you always meant to be

Hedi 👁

 

Work with me

PCOS healing

Healing PCOS

When I was 18, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and years later I was told I had developed an autoimmune illness.

 

Today I know PCOS can look very different for every woman, so many variables can come into play.

 

I experienced low energy, bloating, excess weight, painful cystic acne, irregular bleeding, intolerable mood swings and frequent depressive episodes.

 

My life revolved around my menstrual cycle; if I was lucky, I had one good week out of a month.

 

I was medicated for ten years with all kinds of birth control and hormonal pills, followed by anti-depressants because hormonal medications always made me depressed and I had to take antibiotics for my painful cystic acnes.

 

Finally, in 2015, the pills stopped working and I was bleeding for almost a year. I was devastated.

 

Out of necessity, I started looking into alternative medicine ranging from Naturopathy, Chinese Medicine, Homeopathy, and Nutritional therapy.

 

I eliminated so many categories of food from my diet including gluten, dairy, grains and so much more.

 

What I did worked just a little and none of them moved the needle forward until I met a functional medical doctor who did legit testing.

 

When the test result came back, it was a big scare; being genetically predisposed to cancer showed I was not so far from it. Thankfully I had the right team to guide me back into total health.

 

In only 3 months, my symptoms began disappearing, my skin cleared out and I started eating everything I previously eliminated.

 

Your body shows you symptoms because something is not working correctly, and you need to take it seriously. Sometimes with a slight shift in your diet and lifestyle, things can fall into place, but there are times you need more comprehensive support.

 

Two reputable labs that do in-depth hormonal and brain tests are Dutch Test & Meridian Valley Lab. Dutch test has a provider list and you can find someone in your area. It’s an investment, but it’s worth every penny.

 

I personally worked with Sarah Kinnon in Bellevue Clinic in Vancouver, Canada and in the UK, Bee Innes from Healthy Be Naturopathy does life-changing work.

PCOS healing

It took me years of trial and error, i.e. taking random supplements, following random cleansing diets, and going to endless doctors until I found the correct type of practitioner. The ones who look at the root cause of your symptoms.

 

Choose your health team wisely!

 

And be your #1 advocate x

 

In the video below, I expand more on what supported me in my healing journey:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIF7roJBZea/

 

Working with me is a gateway to a massive uplevel in your understanding of your body and nervous system, book you consultation call here.

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

how to eliminate neck pain

How to eliminate neck pain

Neck pain has become a big part of my life post-concussion. In this blog, I share how to eliminate neck pain.

I’ve done so many treatments that gave me quick relief, but it came back quickly. So I kept telling myself there should be an answer to what I was experiencing, and I kept looking.

Two things eventually helped me tremendously:

1. Eliminate neck pain by being able to move my eyes without the need to move my neck, check out the exercises below to build better eye and neck mobility ↓

2. Eliminate neck pain by being able to breathe without activating the neck and shoulders, check out the video below on how to improve your breathing quality ↓

I got a hold of the first one fairly quickly, but the second took a reasonable time to sync in.

To breathe correctly (without neck breathing), you need to learn how to expand your ribs 360 degrees and let them come down and in on the exhale; it continues to surprise me how hard this can be for so many humans nowadays.

 

I never teach any session without letting your breath mobilize your ribs first. Incorporating proper breathing could prevent many back injuries, SI joint pains, upper back discomforts, etc.

 

Make the exercises shown above part of your daily routine, especially if you spend extensive time behind your computer. And if you need extra support, feel free to book a call with me here

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

a love letter to the body

A love letter to the body

A love letter to the body

My body,

I love you

I care for you

I celebrate you

I adore you

I value you

 

 

Forgive me for forgetting you

Forgive me for picking on you

Forgive me for starving you

Forgive me for not hearing you speak

Forgive me for not being there for you

over and over again

 

 

I re-member you daily

I let your magical force guide me

I allow your wisdom to heal me

I cherish you when I wash you

I adore you when I see you in the mirror

I touch you with gentleness

I dress you in your way…free, braless, flowy, and with love

I accessorize you like you are the best gift I was given because you are

 

 

Thank you for choosing me

Thank you for being there for me all along

Hedi x

 

Work with me

Address Knee Pain

Address Knee Pain (the ones no one talks about)

Address Knee Pain

 

Over the years, I worked with many clients with knee pains, some went away quickly with minor adjustments, and others took a bit longer. 

 

In this blog, I share a client’s success story, common reasons behind knee issues, and a few of my go-to exercises for resolving knee issues.

 

The clinet came to me with a baker cyst behind her knees, and she’s been dealing with chronic knee pain for years. So when we started our 1:1 sessions, any forward knee motion was nearly impossible, and there was no internal knee rotation either. 

 

We focused on building leg strength and incorporated loads of posture restoration, pelvis stability and lower leg (knee, ankle and feet) mobility exercises. After a couple of months, the client transformed her movement patterns completely and regained massive mobility. 

 

As she put it, she no longer thinks about her knee when she comes out of her car, runs errands and walks around her neighbourhood. 

 

The first photo was taken after a month; the second was taken after three months of working together. 

As I previously mentioned, every client’s limitations are different and unique; that’s why getting a proper assessment from a professional like me is critical. Therefore, this blog has an educational purpose only. 

Here are some of the most supportive exercises to address knee pain ⬇️

1/ Move your feet

Your feet motion is responsible for how you connect with the ground, and your feet’s ability to activate and flatten has a massive impact on how your knee moves; try this ↓

2/ Move your pelvis

Regaining your pelvis mobility and stability takes a massive pressure off of your knee; try this ↓

 3/ Move your hip internal rotators

We see the clam shells and all the banded butt exercises on the internet, strengthening the hip external rotators. But, we don’t see enough emphasis on training your hip internal rotators and inner thighs (aka adductors), which are great stabilizers for your body and extra support for your knee; try this ↓

4/ Move your knee

This exercise below is perhaps one of the best exercises to bring mobility back to your knee and regain solid neuromuscular control over your knee joint; try this ↓

 5/ Move your ankle

The more mobile and solid your ankle, the more support your knee is going to receive; try this ↓

If you need extra support in understanding where your knee pain is coming from, book a consultation call with me.

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

movement vs training

Training vs Movement

There are a time and a place to choose movement vs training. 🤔

 

What is “training” ❓ It is a structured workout plan to achieve a specific goal that focuses on objectives like building strength, losing fat, gaining particular skills, and hitting 1 RM. So the frequency, time, volume, and intensity of your training program are tailored to what you ultimately want to achieve. And that is great! 💪🏻

 

What is “movement,” though❓ It’s a relatively unstructured and non-goal-oriented workout plan combined with mindfulness. “Movement” intends to promote overall mental and physical wellbeing.

 

“Movement” revolves around:

✨quality, not quantity

✨exploring your body’s ability, not pushing through a workout

✨being in the moment with your breath, not focusing on what’s next

✨serving your body’s needs, not what your physical goals are

✨enhancing your overall holistic health

✨increasing resiliency to stress

✨improving movement capabilities

 

“Training” is arbitrary, but I believe “movement” is a way of life 💛

 

We have different seasons in life, some call for a structured goal-driven routine and others for a more laid-back and cozy vibe. Choose yours. 

 

Movement vs Training, which one fits your life most?

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

 

Check out our on-demand video library to explore various kinds of movement and training.

 

different forms of self care

Different forms of self care

🔺Self-care is discipline, and discipline is self-care🔻⁠

 

What is your relationship with self care? What is your forms of self care?

 

After my car accident, I had difficulty sticking to any routine, let alone a training routine. At the time, my body needed rest and sleep as self-care. A lot of resistance came up, but I finally embraced the slowness. ⁠

 

But at some point, that slowness became the safety net I didn’t want to leave because I wasn’t ready to start over. I was scared of disappointing myself for being too weak and triggering my symptoms again. I kept telling myself my body may need more time and space to recover fully, so I gave her what I thought she might need. Have I ever felt comfortable getting back into a routine? NOPE!⁠

 

If you are going through a rough patch in your life (i.e., dealing with injuries, post-accident symptoms, challenging life circumstances, etc.), hear me out.⁠

 

It is critical to understand what forms of self care you need. You MUST differentiate between when you need self-care in the form of slowing down to heal and when it is time for you to discipline your self-care by moving your body and showing up for yourself.⁠

 

Depending on where you are in your healing journey, you may need a different type of self-care to allow you to get the hell out of the “low” and gradually pave your way back to full recovery.⁠

 

If getting back on track is challenging, get a support system, whether a coach (your girl is happy to help) or an accountability partner, to hold your hand throughout the process. ⁠

 

What type of self-care do you think you may need now? Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need accountability.

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

 

Check out our on-demand library: https://hedishah.com/on-demand/

Six uncommon ways to improve your squat

Six uncommon ways to improve your squat

In this blog, I share six uncommon ways to improve your squat that will blow your mind.

1/Better Your Lower Leg Mobility To Improve Your Squat

How your lower leg moves have a critical role in how that goes up the chain of your leg; three more important things to address are mobilizing your feet, knee and ankle.

1-A/Strengthen your feet grip

1-B/Improve your knee mobility

1-C/Better your ankle mobility

2/ Better Your Hip Extension to Improve Your Squat

Your ability to extend your hips is as essential as your hip flexion. Hip extension is the one that creates forward motion in your day-to-day activities.

Two compensations I see in clients and ways To improve them:

1️⃣ Faking hip extension by hyperextending the knees that could result in knee injuries over time

➡️ Tip to improve this: keep the knees soft and present your hips forward on your way back up from your squat

 

2️⃣ Achieving hip extension by flexing the lumbar spine that results in lower back injuries

➡️ Tip to improve this: present your hip forward while maintaining a stacked body position (keeping shoulders, hips, and knees stacked, no upper body leaning back)

3/Bring Your Knee Over The Ankle To Improve Your Squat

Let’s get this out of the way first; it’s OK to move your knee over your toes. It’s needed for life. So many human movements require you to have your knees over your toes, but for some people, the pre-requisite is not there for it to be done safely; that’s why it’s SUPER important to take the exercises in point 1 seriously.

4/Strengthen Your Core To Improve Your Squat

If you’ve been around the block, you know we take core engagement super seriously over here, and the first thing we address to create solid cores is to improve our breathing.

5/Improve Your Pelvis Health To Improve Your Squat

Your pelvis is supposed to move in all directions, but most lose their pelvis mobility due to lifestyle choices, injuries, etc.

These two exercises + the breathing technique, are my top picks to take your pelvis health to the next level:

6/Improve Your Hip Joint Health To Improve Your Squat

Regaining your hip joint mobility can take your squat game to the next level.

Here are two hip joint mobility exercises to take your hip game to the next level:

If you read it this far, well done! Wanna work with me closely? Book a call here!

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

Why mobility training is the foundation of strength training

Why mobility is the foundation of strength training?

Why mobility is the foundation of strength training?

 

Babies start crawling before walking; the same logic applies to YOU, especially if you are about to find your way back from an injury, chronic pain, or sedentary lifestyle.

 

Strength training is essential, but what is even more significant is building a proper foundation for the strength you are about to build.

 

For example, in a typical fitness class, you are asked to do a minimum of 20 squats, if not more, which is excellent, but what happens if your hip joints are not ready to carry the load of your squat? That’s when you may end up having lower back, knee, and hip pain.

 

When you pay attention to the foundation of your strength, you easily avoid most exercise-related injuries.

 

In my practice, I am committed to helping clients build a solid foundation so they can move beyond their perceived limits around exercise.

 

I reintroduce my clients to their bodies through the understanding of:

👉🏻the nervous system

👉🏻biomechanics

👉🏻and mind-body awareness

 

As soon as they learn to reconnect with their bodies deeper, healing magic starts happening.

 

My work is no longer just about pushing clients through a challenging workout, but it is about:

✨relieving pain,

✨preventing injury,

✨optimizing movement

✨and building an unshakable strength

 

Here are some of my client’s success stories:

Book a call if you need support to build strength with a solid foundation!

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

Here is why the client fired me

Here is why the client fired me

A client once fired me because she found the initial session too slow for her taste, and she didn’t believe she could lose weight fast that way 🙄⁠

The truth was she needed those initial mobility-focused sessions more than most of my clients‼️⁠

The effectiveness of your training session is not about how sweaty you get. Just because you are getting sweaty doesn’t mean you are getting a good workout.⁠

⛔️If your goal of hiring a personal trainer is ONLY to get you sweaty, I’d suggest you save that money. Don’t pay a personal trainer when you can go on YouTube and find yourself thousands of free HIIT workouts that’ll do the trick.⁠

✅A good personal trainer will push you AND prevent you from injuries. It’s their job to show you what your body is capable of, and help it become more functional in the process. Plus, they’ll catch that thing you’re doing that will lead to injury…something a YouTube video can’t.⁠

 

🔔Before getting your lululemon sweaty, work on spine alignment, address any tightness and weakness, explore the root of any pain, and learn to activate the right muscles to make sure you’re benefiting from exercise. And you may need a few sessions to learn how to breathe correctly. And when you’ve got the foundation mastered, then it’s about time to add more resistance and intensity.⁠

Starting slow doesn’t mean you won’t get results; it means you build a strong foundation that helps you safely get the results you want, in a sustainable way. 

These few incidents got me thinking and reflecting on our cultural beliefs:⁠

⭐️ As a society, we have been brainwashed to believe whatever is fast and intense is good for us, and whatever is slow and gentle won’t bring us any value.⁠

⭐️ As a society, we tend to be more attracted to whatever brings us instant gratification rather than choosing to be patient and experience a long term result.⁠

Which outcome do you prefer? Fast and short term result or slow and long term result?⁠

 

Wanna build sustainable and grounded strength? Feel free to check out my offering or book a consultation call.

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

The most important habit building tip

In this blog, I share the most important habit building tip I ever learned.

 

Over the years, I tried many different ways of building a habit, going from not having a routine to waking up at 4 am to accommodate a 3-hour morning regimen.

 

The biggest lesson I learned was that RESISTANCE is the most critical obstacle in creating a sustainable change. When you begin creating a new routine and attempting to achieve something you deeply desire, you start resisting specific actions because you may say to yourself, “that’s not who I am.”

 

We tend to create this self-image that ties deeply into our identity and find whatever way we can to avoid conflicting with that image. Some examples are:

I’m terrible at sticking to my exercise routine

I am not a morning person

I’m always too busy to take care of myself

 

Take a moment here and identify the stories you tell yourself.

 

When you decide to change something, you interrupt the identity you created for yourself (perhaps for years). Every opinion you have about yourself is learned and conditioned through experience. And your routines are how you embody your identity. When you exercise regularly, you embody the identity of an active person.

 

The more you stick with your habit, the more you reinforce that identity.

What is the identity you want to embody?

What behaviours are associated with this identity?

 

When you get clear on your new identity and the behaviours associated with it, remember:

 

      • Your habits are a guide, not a rigid torturous device or a self-worth measuring tool.

 

      • You are not a robot! Even “good” habits done robotically steal away intentionality, sensitivity, and purpose from your routine.

 

      • Sustainable habits are built around your life, not the other way around.

 

      • Know your deep why behind building every habit so you can return to it when the motivation is not there to save you.

 

      • Give yourself permission to move your habits around, change things, tweak them often, and add and remove until they work for you.

 

      • Give yourself plenty of time for trial and error to see if the habits you’re building serve you and your life.

 

      • When you decide to build a habit, ask yourself, can I stick to it long term to see the benefit? If the answer is NO, modify! Modify more so you can.

 

 

Enjoy habit-building! And if you need extra support in embodying your new identity, feel free to book a consultation call with me. 

 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

The best next diet

Even though nutrition and diet are topics I barely cover in my content, 70% of the questions I still get are diet and weight-loss-related.

 

And 95% of them are asked by women, and often girls in their early teenage years.

 

Every time, a part of me feels sad.

 

I remember my old days of intense dieting and extensive exercising, weighing myself with clothes and then without, hoping I would be a bit lighter after hours of starving.

 

Over the years, in healing my eating disorder, I finally realized that my fear of food represented itself in so many aspects of my life; it was not limited to fitting in smaller-sized clothes but also prevented me from taking bigger spaces in my life.

 

I know so many women who fucked up their hormones & metabolism due to the following things:

 

→ A 1200-calory diet (that’s not even enough for kids)

→ Undereating for an extended period

→ The long window of intermittent fasting (too much stress for an already stressed body)

→ Over-exercising with not enough recovery time

My wish for you in 2023 is to:

1/ Shift your focus from losing weight to learning more about your body, increasing your capabilities, and doing movements that make you feel freaking strong.

I also want to remind you that being skinny won’t make you more beautiful, feminine, or empowered; taking full responsibility for yourself and your body will.

2/ Prioritize health over weight loss, and when you focus on health over the false standard of beauty and look, you start diving deeper into what works and what doesn’t for your body.

You begin trusting yourself and your body more than the next trendy restrictive diet and, most importantly, feeling empowered by your choices. 

3/ Stop measuring your worth with the size of your clothes; let’s not pass this on to the next generation of our daughters. Instead, let’s remember the sacredness of the feminine body and what she’s capable of.

Let us help our daughters see themselves and their bodies with adoration and love.

And if you want to dive deeper into practical insights on how to improve your nutrition, watch our nutrition workshop with amazing Natalie Mccrae. 

Be Mov〰ful,

Hedi

” no pain, no gain” is a lie

Back in the day, before unsubscribing from the “no pain, no gain” notion, I worked out every day and having stiffness in my lower back was a regular post-workout thing.

 

Having a pinch in my hip was a constant during heavy lunges. But I push through anyway because I’ve been told, “no pain, no gains.”

 

I couldn’t sit on the ground, let alone crossed-legged; I thought stretching could help. Still, nothing had sustainably improved until I began incorporating solid joint mobility and postural restoration practices into my routine.

 

I still strength train 3-5 times a week. What I no longer do is normalize pains and aches. I address them head-on, and I’m the strongest and most flexible I’ve ever been in my life.

 

Today, I believe in integrating deep work and strength training with space for recovery.

 

And I practice and teach a training model that makes me and my clients better at doing human things, breathing, playing, running, sensing and moving first and foremost. Because when we get better at doing human things, all the other things become easier, no matter your fitness goal.

An effective training program is NOT limited to:

→ how heavy you lift

 

→ how sweaty you get at the end of each session

 

→ how much soreness you experience after a session

It is so much more than that!

An effective training program must help you:

→ to enhance your day-to-day life

 

→ to prevent you from injuries

 

→ to make you more aware of your body

 

→to teach you to move more efficiently by addressing the roots of your weakness

 

→ to become more mobile and flexible

 

→ to improve your posture

 

→ to build physical and mental strength

How effective is your training routine?

Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions, or check out my online studio. 

 

Be mov〰ful,

 

Hedi