Wellness…simplified with Leesa Young

Introducing our next Gorgeous Guest…Leesa Young from Wellness Simplified.

Leesa is one of my favourite “online” friends and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to nutrition and naturopathy. Her passion to empower women by simplifying nutrition really resonates with me, because a simple change in mindset can do wonders for your health. I hope you enjoy this interview and the wealth of information that Leesa shares in her responses.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you’re making an impact on this world.

Hi Amanda! Thanks so much for inviting me to be one of your Gorgeous Guests!

I’m a holistic nutritionist and soon-to-be-naturopath, mum to a sparkly 6 year-old girl, and never feel better than when I can see/hear/smell the ocean (preferably all three!)

I run a little practice out of my home in Melbourne and offer online packages, Skype consults and other goodies at Wellness Simplified.

My big passion is to empower women to start trusting themselves again. In my years of practice, there is a common thread I see running through almost every one of my patients: they all place incredibly high expectations on themselves (often without realising), and when we dig deep enough, they each know exactly what they need to do to feel better. But they don’t trust themselves. They’ve learned to stop listening to the messages their body sends them, and they end up unhappy and unhealthy. In all honesty, this makes me a bit sad L

Every single woman I meet – in person or online – has so much wisdom, power and potential – but we all use up so much energy striving for things that really aren’t internally motivated, that we are too exhausted to really shine. In the end, that’s never going to make us happy – and if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that it’s very hard to feel healthy if you’re not happy.

So I really love working with women who are ready to simplify their journeys – to step back, take a breath, and focus on what’s important for them. To let go of all the expectations, all the beliefs and practices that seem important – all that striving to be, do, look like, act like, achieve, acquire all the things we’re expected to. And it’s hard not to think this stuff is important when we’re showered with messages about it every single day. I want women to be able to let go of this, to move forward into a life where they honour the wisdom of their bodies and start to move in flow with that wisdom. To be guided internally, not externally – to stop endlessly seeking answers out there in the big wide world, and start finding them inside. (Where they always were!).

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business/career? How did you overcome this challenge?

I really think my biggest challenge has been realising that I wasn’t quite focusing my work in the right area. For all the clinical training, education, mentoring, experience and insight I had, there were still clients who weren’t getting better when I felt like they should be. It wasn’t until I was able to grasp the integral role of emotional health in physical healing, that I started to see results with these patients – and that’s when I realised the whole focus of my practice needed to shift.

I still treat the same broad range of physical health conditions, and I still work with food, clinical nutrition, holistic health and lifestyle – but I’ve found that it’s the women who are really ready to shift their focus internally who get the best results from our work together, and that really continues to inspire, challenge and motivate me in my work. Every journey is different, which means I also refer out to other practitioners who have the expertise to work with my clients on their particular paths. I find this truly holistic approach has a much deeper impact and longer-lasting (hopefully life-long!) results for my clients.

In recent times women have used the words “hustle” and “busyness” as badges of honour. Having experienced the impacts on my own health of being too busy, I am on a mission to change the mindset women have towards busyness. What is your take on these concepts? Do you have any personal stories to share?

Oh my goodness. This comes back to what I mentioned earlier – we strive to meet these ideas of what it means to be a “modern” woman – we’re expected to be busy, successful, always working towards the next goal or challenge, keeping ourselves looking beautiful, fit and strong, whilst simultaneously making sure everyone else’s needs are met, prioritizing their happiness over our own. We don’t realize the pressure that results from all this = we think this is just life, this is just what we’re supposed to be doing, and if we feel unsettled or insecure or anxious, that’s just our mental weakness coming through. So, we toughen up and soldier on. We have a little bit more coffee in the morning, a little bit more wine at night, get up a bit earlier to get to the gym, stay up a bit later to catch up on work. Of course, this is simply not sustainable. We burn ourselves out – and to add insult to injury, we never seem to reach that promise of happiness that’s supposed to be the result of all that hard work.

In practice I see the terrible toll this takes on women’s bodies, and on their emotional health, and it takes some serious time and effort to recover from.

I truly hope that I can help just one woman to nip this whole process in the bud, and that maybe she’ll become an example for other women in her life, or for her daughters – then I’ll have made a difference that matters!

What is your favourite book, website or podcast at the moment?

Right now, I’m reading two books that are just amazing. One is Magda Szubanski’s autobiography – Reckoning. I read a lot of contemporary autobiographies, but this one is just blowing me away. It’s a true journey of discovery, you can really feel the depth of her search to understand herself in the context of her heritage, upbringing and experiences, and I’m just in awe of the vulnerability and honesty Magda puts into this. Plus she’s a really gifted writer, which makes it all the more beautiful; and her incorporation of her memories of Melbourne in the last decades of the 20^th century is fascinating to me, as someone who lives in Melbourne now but didn’t grow up here.

I’m also reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, not for the first time. This one gets me every time. It’s simple, clear, and universal message brings me back to centre when I feel like I’m losing myself a bit, or am struggling with overwhelm or uncertainty. It’s mostly about resistance, and how to get on with your life’s work in spite of it. Some similar themes to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, which I loved wholeheartedly; Steven’s message is more distilled, and great to just dip into at will when you need a kick in the butt J Highly recommended to anyone who does, well, anything!

Please share with us what you are currently offering and how our Gorgeous Presence tribe can find you!

I’d love to offer your gorgeous readers a completely free 30 minute phone/skype consult on the theme of “Wellness, Simplified”. This is perfect for you if you’re ready to make some shifts towards a simpler approach to health and wellness, and need some guidance to get started. We can also discuss any health concerns you have and talk about the various services I can offer to help you feel your best. Click here to grab your FREE (and totally no-obligation!!) call, look forward to ‘meeting’ you soon!

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Leesa Young is a holistic nutritionist with a passion for empowering women to take better care of themselves. It’s my desire to simplify the complex mess of health and wellness messages we’re confronted with, and help you rediscover your own innate wisdom. I believe the path to true wellness isn’t meant to be so hard. When you start to trust yourself again, you’ll find your own way.

Wellness, Simplified.

 

leesayoung.com

Leesa Young – Wellness Simplified

@wellness__simplified

 

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I am so grateful for the time Leesa took to answer my questions from the heart. Her words are powerful and they have reminded me to focus on simplifying my own approach towards food and nutrition. Be sure to follow Leesa on social media for more inspiration, and take advantage of her amazing services if you need some extra, loving guidance.