I've spent most of my life as an elite athlete.....

Even as I write that, I feel a sense of pride and gratefulness for the opportunities and experiences I've had.  Although life as an athlete began in gymnastics, I spent couple of decades in the thrill seeking sport of Freestyle Aerial Skiing where I pushed my limits and reached the pinnacle of sport. Olympic Gold.

I’ve been lucky enough to experience many magical moments of being In the ZONE. A place where I was laser focused and deflecting all distraction. Where internal chatter was quiet and controlled. Where I felt in flow and my movements were executed with precision and purpose. Where I felt light and energetic, my breath was full and slow. Where I performed at my best. This is the ZONE. A beautiful internal place of being in flow.

On the flip side, I've also had (many) moments where, despite my best efforts, I wasn't in the ZONE. Where my thoughts were clouded, and I succumbed to distraction. When my breath was shallow and fast, when I felt out of control and made mistakes. I think we've all been there right?

Sometimes, we just have a bad day, or moment, or performance. All it takes is a lapse of concentration, buy in to negative self talk, or a quick departure from being present, in the moment, in the ZONE and performance can suffer in an instant. This doesn't just happen in sport. It happens everyday - at work, whilst making dinner (yep, did you get distracted by a ping on your phone and burn dinner?), or during our yoga practice. The only difference is that in a death defying sport like Aerial Skiing, there is nowhere to hide. The consequences are far greater and can lead to a missed landing, poor performance or worst case, injury. 

Although we would like to always be in the ZONE, we also need to acknowledge that sometimes we just have a bad day, or moment, or performance. The growth is in letting it go. The growth is in humility. The growth is in learning from it. The growth is always trying to find a positive intention behind every situation. The way to consistently be in the ZONE is to consistently practice being present. Being where you are and finding calmness through breath. That's why I fell in love with yoga. 

I truly discovered yoga in 2012. At the time, I was suffering from a debilitating back injury and one I didn’t think I could recover from. My mental training coach directed me to his Yoga master where I began my yoga journey through private tuition and have never looked back. Within two practices, my mobility had increased and my pain reduced drastically. Within three months, I was fully rehabilitated and back tackling my goals as an Aerial Skier. Yoga saved me. Yoga is my medicine. Yoga prolonged my career in sport and has helped me live better in life. It has helped me not only recovery physically but it has centred me, calmed me, strengthened me and has become an integral part of my daily routine. The yoga mat is my sanctuary, a place where my stress, worries and sweat melt away and a place where I nurture and nourish my body and mind. 

My WHY behind creating ZONE has manifested from my experiences as an elite athlete and my passion for yoga, wellness, nature and sustainability. Whilst we may not always be in the ZONE, it is the state that we are striving for and a state I want to help you achieve through consistent practice.

I love our evolving product range with all items inspired by nature and designed by me from my home in Lorne. This range comes from a good place in my heart. One that wants to help you find your ZONE and live better through environmentally conscious products for yoga, your lifestyle, your comfort and your mental and physical health.

I look forward to connecting with you! Make sure you follow us on the socials and sign up to our newsletter for the latest developments and subscriber only deals:)