Every story of transformation is filled with a search to discover what brings wellbeing to your life. Michelle Lawrie of Origin Natural Living (Far North Queensland, Australia) has deep insight into the this process, after she underwent two urgent hip operations at only 37 years of age.
Having been a strong, fitness professional living a healthy life and running a successful business, she was forced to confront unexpected physical, mental and emotional challenge. Big lifestyle changes followed, alongside a passion for sharing her knowledge and experience with others.
This led to the launch of Origin Natural Living, a healthy lifestyle store in tropical Far North Queensland. Michelle says:
“We poured our passion and knowledge into resourcing quality, sustainable products that we wanted for ourselves to maintain our healthy lifestyle and you will find most of our products in our home, products that will make you Smile from the inside out!”
As someone who has experienced the high and lows of transformation, Michelle has a lot of insight to offer. That’s why we wanted to hear more of her story and how she shares her passion with the world.
Your own journey back to health was filled with discoveries about living a natural lifestyle. Which discovery had the most impact on you?
Health and Wellness has been a huge part of my life for many years. However, in 2017 my natural living took at turn that has led me down the path of who I am today.
I became so much aware of food, everyday living items (body care and personal items) and all about toxic energy, as that can play a massive amount of your internal wellbeing. The biggest discovery during the changes would be my skin, hair and gut and mental health. Once I got all the toxicity out of my system, I went from feeling like an old smashed up car to a rocket within 6 weeks.
Since this discovery, I personally continue to learn about this path of natural living as we are continually changing, learning, and growing.
What are your top 3 recommendations for someone who is exploring a natural lifestyle?
When we are wanting to change a lifestyle, a few things always come up. However, if you make the change with the clear and right intentions the change will be a lot less stressful and far more rewarding.
First thing – Set yourself small and simple steps daily that will lead to you becoming a better you each and every day. And this becomes so much easier if you have someone that you are accountable to. So, find yourself someone that will be there to support and guide you throughout your journey.
Keep it simple – This is my motto for everything, keep life simple. Don’t try and change everything all at once, focus on one thing at a time. Once that becomes a daily or weekly habit (which should take approx.21 days or so) then step into the next focus. While you are ticking your boxes, ensure you reward yourself, this may be as simple as saying to yourself, GO ME. Give yourself an hour a week to do whatever that may be (reading a book or beautiful salt bath). The one percenters that we do each day lead to commitment which leads to consistency which then leads to a better and healthier you.
Be Patient – This was a biggest learning when I was out of action for 12 months. PATIENCE, Rome was not built in a day. Breathe and trust the process.
Many people think that health is just diet and exercise, but there are so many other factors. How do you coach your clients and customers about the variety of ways that they can optimize their health and wellbeing in a natural way?
I ask the individual what they are wanting to learn, change etc. I personally like to get to know the people I am working with, work out what is going to work best for them, find out what makes them tick. Depending on where they are at with their lives, depends on which avenue we go down first.
Living life naturally is not hard, it is all about adjustment and small steps. We focus on the steps that may be the most challenging first, or the steps where they need the most support with first. Once those steps are conquered then we continue to move forward. While doing this, we also allow each individual to ask as many questions as possible. And to feel supported while they are discovering a new way of living, which therefore leads to new and exciting path of personal discoveries.
Living a natural life is not just about food, lotions, and potions. It is also about what energy we choose to consume on a daily basis. We are not what we eat, we are what we absorb.