Team Profile: Leah Barthel

Q: Leah, how would you describe your life to date?

Leah: I have had a great life, with great relationships but have faced a fair amount of adversity as well from a young age. While this has been challenging, I made a conscious choice early on to create the reality I wished to see. I have generated a remarkable amount of positive out of some not so great moments.

Q: How would you best describe the transition?

Leah: They say that, when one door shuts, another door opens. Sliding door ‘moments’ do exist and I am living proof. Experiencing grief opened the door to finding Yoga, which in turn lead me to SYAMA (Sunrise Yoga and Meditation Academy), where I did my yoga teacher training. It helped me find a place of physical and mental wellbeing. It became my deep passion. The closing door of a job redundancy saw me re-focus my life’s purpose – I wrote a book “A Gift Before I Go” and became an advocate for Organ Donation & Grief. I completed my Yoga and Meditation Teacher training. I then met Tania by chance, which ultimately lead me to become a member of the TWALK Sydney team. As the Twalk Life and Wellbeing Strategist, I am passionate about helping people by sharing my experiences with those who are dealing with the various challenges life decides to throw at us.

Q: What is a Life and Wellbeing Specialist?

Leah: As a Yoga and Meditation teacher, I believe we all need to take time for self-care and wellness. We need to build a positive mindset and engage in mindfulness. That may look different to each of us depending on our routines, the time available and our passions. I personally have daily rituals and practise yoga and meditation regularly. I believe we need to give ourselves time and space to deal with daily life and the pressures we all encounter in the busy lives we lead.  

Q: How important is mental heath and education?

Leah: Extremely – the statistics these days are terrifying. We, as individuals, need to acknowledge this and give ourselves permission to have a break from work, family, the craziness that is daily life, social media, etc. It is critical to our own success, both personally and professionally, that we take time to take care of ourselves. Get outside, breathe fresh air, get some sun on your skin, absorb some vitamin D, do some exercises, get the endorphins flowing and just be. Invest in yourself in order to be your best self.

This can be as simple as sitting at the beach, listening to the waves and focusing on our breathing. Visualising that as the waves roll in (Inhalation) they bring a sense of calmness to us. As they roll out (Exhalation) they take away our stress, worry, concerns and anything else that does not serve us. By doing this for 5 mins, yes, just 5 mins, you will feel better than when you started. You have connected with nature by being outside, raised your energy levels and created a sense of clarity to continue your day.

Many studies show that a regular yoga practise can decrease stress and anxiety. It can also reduce the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22502620).

Q: How can Twalk help?

Leah: Twalk Health and Wellness programs are a key mechanism to underpinning the success of your businesses, big or small. We run individual coaching sessions focused on self-care and wellness, team sessions dealing with mindset, mindfulness, yoga and meditation practices as well as Leadership Wellness programs. We can tailor a program to meet your individual needs or those within your organisation. Please feel free to contact us at 0499-925-539 or hello@twalk.com.au for further details.

Find out more about Leah and the rest of the Twalk team: https://twalk.com.au/about-us/#team