Fiona McLeod runs courses on how to regain intimacy with yourself. Photos / John Borren
Fiona McLeod runs courses on how to regain intimacy with yourself. Photos / John Borren
If you have ever asked yourself, "Is there more to life?" and wonder why life is a series of ground hog days with little inspiration and fulfilment, or if you are waiting for happiness to be a moment when you meet the love of your life, win Lotto, or lose weight, one Bay woman suggests you need to get out of your comfort zone and learn to deepen a sense of intimacy with yourself.
"Nothing great is achieved in your comfort zone," says Fiona McLeod.
After suffering severe burnout in her busy Auckland career of fashion, PR and television, McLeod is forging a healthier path in the Bay of Plenty, using her experience of escaping the rat race to inspire other women to reset their busy lives and "rediscover their truth".
With her new business Siren Soul, she is offering one-on-one empowerment coaching, group workshops and courses to help women — and men — learn the building blocks to a happier and more fulfilling life.
"It sounds a bit deep and meaningful, but it is also a load of fun and inspirational," says McLeod.
Although she has only lived in her new home on Oceanbeach Rd a few months, McLeod is already appreciating the more "chilled vibe" of the Bay after the hustle and bustle of Auckland.
"People of the Bay seem to have different priorities ... I never thought of Auckland as an unfriendly place, however, wow, the Mount is so friendly! I was taken aback at first."
She first came up with the name for her new business Siren Soul while sitting on Mount Maunganui beach a long time before she decided to move here.
"A seal turned up on the beach. The seal is the closest animal to the mythical creature, Siren — it seemed like a positive sign to me."
The idea has been brewing for many years, since she was in her 20s working as a natural health and massage therapist.
"I saw so many amazing women as clients, who clearly did not realise how awesome they were. I remember when I was 22 and observing many personalities and thinking, 'Gez, I don't want to be feeling insecure and worrying about my weight when I'm 50!' And these beautiful people need not either!"
Fiona McLeod runs courses on how to regain intimacy with yourself. Photos / John Borren
Hungry to learn more about the mind, body and to some degree the soul, she studied everything from counselling training to herbal medicine.
A few years into her career she wrote her first "self-love" course for women, but admits that while she had the professional knowledge, she lacked the business know how to promote her course.
"There was no social media and in those days and I didn't have a clue how to promote my course. Therefore it flopped.
"In hindsight, I was possibly too young. Timing wasn't right, I had much more crazy life experience to come!"
After 10 years in natural health, she
changed careers to interior design, but still using the therapeutic practices she knew.
"I began by helping clients by using colour therapy in their home and working with spatial layout to create spaces that felt energetically good to be in. This also included de-cluttering — out with the old, making way for the new. I used to work by the motto 'Everything had to be either beautiful or functional' — both is best."
Her interior design networks led her into a PR career specialising in design/fashion and natural health/beauty clients.
While outwardly busy and successful, she was struggling.
"I was not charging my worth and continued to work like a mad woman, thinking I was wonder woman, with 70-hour weeks to try to make ends meet! My PR business was successful by reputation and by achievements for my clients, however I was dying inside. By now I had been an insomniac for 10 years and I was riddled with anxiety."
Her busy work life left her no time or energy for relationships.
"No one wanted to date a stressed out, snappy, whirlwind of impatience kind of girl, who barely took time to breathe ... I was always 'on the edge'."
With the combination of relationship break-ups, business and financial pressures, her once "fun, vibrant, vivacious" personality had got lost somewhere under the rubble.
"Even my mother was scared to say 'boo' in case I cracked — well, eventually I did crack — and that was the end of that."
"The electrical circuit blows and you're done — for some time — there is no quick fix out of burnout. People seem to use the term so loosely. What they are often referring to is exhaustion or even adrenal fatigue which many people live with for 15-20 years before officially burning out."
After her burnout, she re-embraced her original healing practices and knowledge of wellbeing ways in order to recover.
After regaining her own voice and power in a more quiet and mindful manner, she realised tools she was using could be helpful to others, and that is where the Siren Soul workshops come in.
"The Siren Soul workshops are focused on self-awareness and self-love, for the purpose of increasing happiness, confidence, improving relationships and finding a greater purpose in life."
While there can be intense moments, she says the workshops are above all fun.
"It is a fun way of receiving therapy. There is an element of not taking life too seriously, instead we get excited about life by seeing the gift within our greatest challenges."
Topics covered include: self-love, acceptance versus judgment, self-responsibility versus blame, fear, vulnerability and reflection of our reactions to life, with a fresh perspective.
There are also practical activities in class such as guided visualisations, journaling, meditation and sound and movement exercises.
McLeod says the workshops are an opportunity for self-growth, and people will come away with tools, tips and techniques they can use for the rest of their lives.
Participants get to shift old limiting thought patterns and learn ways to release the past and other aspects that may be holding them back.
"You have to be willing to help yourself if you want things to improve in your life — it sounds so basic and simple, right? Yet to be honest, many people just aren't willing. Many people just want to take a pill and hope their current life will miraculously change into their dream vision. You can have the life you want. You just have to be willing to do a few things differently."
McLeod believes taking time for this type of therapy is a great investment in our age of ever increasing anxiety. "You can run on adrenaline and unknowingly suffer from adrenal exhaustion for many years before your mind/body gives up ... and forces you to take care of yourself. I say, don't wait for the car crash, cancer scare or other life crippling crisis before starting to take better care of yourself. Slow down to the speed of life. You do have time. We all do — I help people see how they can make more time.
"I know a guy who burnt out in the IT industry — lost his marriage and relationships with his children and is now on a medical benefit (and medication) for the rest of his life..It doesn't have to be like that! We don't have to be victim to our circumstances — we can take the challenge to learn and grow and take a new path."
While we cannot change what happens to us in life, or control life's upsets and downs, we can control how we react to it.
"It all comes back to sorting out your health and well-being and then everything will fall into place around you. During any major stress or crisis I recommend coming back to yourself — reset. Be happy first, then you'll attract everything you want."
