My Story

A Journey of Change, Recovery & Connection

 

For much of my life, one phrase stayed with me:

“Mind over matter.”

It was something my grandfather often said. I didn't fully understand it as a child, but those words would eventually take on a much deeper meaning.

My grandfather worked closely with psychiatric patients, while my grandmother was deeply spiritual and compassionate. She taught me to look beyond someone's behaviour or circumstances and see the person underneath.

I didn't know it then, but those early influences would eventually shape both my own journey and the way I work with people today.

 

The Storm Beneath the Surface

From the outside, much of my life looked successful.

I trained as an electrician, worked hard and built a career. I was capable, driven and able to keep moving forward.

But underneath, I was struggling.

Alcohol increasingly became a way of switching off, while drugs offered another form of escape. Long working weeks were followed by destructive weekends, and for a long time I convinced myself that because I was still functioning, I was still in control.

There were warning signs, including falling asleep at the wheel and crashing my van.

But I carried on.

Eventually, after a particularly heavy period of drinking and drug use, I woke with severe pain in my chest.

I remember looking at my daughter and being overwhelmed by the thought that I might die and never see her again.

An ambulance was called and I spent several days in hospital with an irregular heartbeat.

For the first time, I couldn't ignore what my lifestyle was doing to me.

 

Trying to Change

I entered rehabilitation determined to change my life.

I began reading about the mind, meditation and changing deeply established patterns of behaviour. For a while, things improved.

But recovery wasn't a straight line.

Over time, compromises crept back in and I eventually returned to the same behaviours I had been trying to leave behind.

My marriage ended, and I spent a period of my life living alone in a caravan on a friend's land.

Interestingly, my professional life continued to progress. I achieved promotions, took on greater responsibility and eventually bought another home.

From the outside, I could still look successful.

Inside, I felt increasingly disconnected from myself.

That contrast taught me something I've never forgotten:

You can appear to have everything together and still be struggling underneath.

 

Choosing a Different Life

My lasting change didn't come from one dramatic spiritual moment.

Eventually, I simply reached a point where the ways I had been escaping from myself no longer worked.

I realised that if I wanted my life to be different, I had to begin living differently — consistently, not temporarily.

Sobriety became part of that commitment.

So did taking responsibility for my physical and emotional wellbeing.

Meditation became a regular practice. I began exploring yoga beyond simply physical postures and became increasingly interested in the relationship between the body, breath, thoughts and behaviour.

Rather than constantly trying to escape how I felt, I slowly began learning how to sit with myself.

 

Discovering Yoga, Reiki & Bodywork

As my own life changed, I became drawn towards practices that encouraged greater awareness and connection.

Reiki was one of those practices.

Yoga followed, eventually taking me to Ubud, Bali, where I completed my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and explored not only the physical practice but also breathwork, meditation, philosophy and the Eight Limbs of Yoga.

I later trained professionally in Ayurvedic Yoga Massage, discovering a form of bodywork that brought together therapeutic touch, assisted stretching, movement and breath.

These weren't originally career decisions.

They were practices I explored because they had become meaningful within my own life.

Over time, however, I realised I wanted to share what I had learned with others.

 

Why I Created Balance & Heal

Balance & Heal grew from that experience.

I know what it can feel like to be overwhelmed, disconnected or constantly looking for something outside yourself to provide relief.

I also understand that someone's struggles aren't always visible.

That lived experience influences the way I work today.

I don't assume that I know somebody's story because of how they present themselves, and I don't believe people need to arrive with everything figured out before asking for support.

My professional training now allows me to offer massage and therapeutic bodywork, Reiki and yoga, but the environment in which I offer them matters just as much to me.

I want Balance & Heal to feel welcoming, grounded and free from judgement.

Some people come because their body feels tight and tired.

Some are stressed or emotionally overwhelmed.

Some are navigating significant changes in their lives.

Others simply want a massage, a Reiki treatment or an hour in which nobody needs anything from them.

There doesn't need to be a dramatic reason for coming.

We simply start with where you are.

 

Where I Am Today

My life today looks very different from the one I once lived.

I'm a father, partner, yoga teacher, Reiki Master Teacher and massage practitioner.

I continue to practise the same principles I share through Balance & Heal because I don't see wellbeing as something we eventually complete.

For me, it is an ongoing practice of awareness, responsibility and learning how to respond differently to life.

My experiences haven't made me an expert in somebody else's journey.

They have simply given me a deeper appreciation that we never fully know what another person may be carrying.

That is something I bring into every person I work with.

Balance & Heal is ultimately an extension of that philosophy:

a place to slow down, reconnect with your body and give yourself some genuine time and attention.

If my story has resonated with you, you're very welcome to explore the treatments and practices I now offer.