Healing with Lesley

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

So today I did a thing. I accidentally agreed to go paddleboarding yesterday. 🤦‍♀️🤣

I say accidentally because my bestie Glyniss Vasey and I were sitting at the beach hut, chatting away, when somehow it was decided that she, my husband and I would go paddleboarding today.

I apparently said yes.
I then completely forgot about it.
Until this morning.

There I was, happily having a cuppa in bed when her message popped up - “Just deflating the board now. See you at the beach chalet in half an hour.”

Oh. 😂.

My husband looked at me.
“Do you still want to go?”
And, surprisingly, I said yes.
Then the nerves arrived.
“Don’t worry if you fall in. You’ll be fine,” he said.
“That’s not what I’m afraid of.”
“What are you afraid of then?”

Getting on the board.
And if I fall off…Getting back on.

Which, when you think about it, is quite funny because this is literally what I do for a living.

I help people understand their fears.
I help them recognise what their nervous system is doing.
I help them move through the things that have been keeping them stuck.

And there I was…

Terrified of fighting a piece of inflatable plastic floating on the sea. 🤣

“It’s OK. I’ll help you,” my husband said.
And for a little while, my brain went:
OK. We’re safe. Someone’s got us.
Until we got there. Got changed. I’m only he didn’t. And then he announced:
“You don’t need me. You’ll be fine. I’ll help you get on and then I’ll go.”

🤣🤣🤣

My heart rate went through the roof.
My already-wobbly legs became even wobblier.
Thankfully, my beautiful friend was AMAZING.

She showed me where to put my body.
How to hold myself.
How to use the paddle.
Where to go.
And she patiently told me…
again.
And again.
And again.

Honestly, she couldn’t have done a better job if she’d been a qualified instructor. ❤️

And I did it.
I GOT ON THE BOARD.
The sea was a little choppy and we soon decided the river might have been a slightly more sensible place to start.

But we were there. We were doing it. And yes…
I fell in. Once. But I got back on.

And then something much more interesting happened.
My friend shouted:
“LET YOUR BODY RELAX AND GO WITH IT!”
And I thought…Ohhhhh. There it is. Because I don’t.

I think.
I analyse.
I brace.
I try to control.
I live in my head.

And I realised just how disconnected from my body I have become. When we finally got off the boards, I could feel how incredibly tense my legs had been.

I’d been bracing the entire time.
So we sat down. Had a cuppa my lovely husband had waiting for us. In the rain. ☕️🌧️

And I could literally feel the adrenaline leaving my body. I walked again. I survived.
And actually…
I enjoyed it.

Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
Would I do it alone?
Absolutely not.
Not yet anyway. 😂

And it got me thinking…

Sometimes the fear of what we THINK we’re afraid of isn’t actually the thing we’re afraid of at all. Sometimes there’s something underneath it. Sometimes our nervous system has learned that something isn’t safe, even when our logical brain knows it is.

And sometimes we don’t need someone to push us through the fear.
We need someone beside us.
Someone who says:

“I’ve got you.”
“Put your feet here.”
“Get back up.”
“Try again.”
“You’re safe.”

Until eventually…we realise we can do it.

And maybe that’s what healing looks like.
Not becoming fearless.

But learning that you can feel the fear and still get on the board.

And sometimes…

you might even discover you quite like being there. ❤️🌊

And so a BIG thank you to my beautiful friend ❤️

You were so patient with me today.
You didn’t rush me, you didn’t make me feel silly and you didn’t tell me to “just get on with it” You showed me. You explained. You reminded me. You encouraged me.
Again and again and again.
And when I was busy fighting the board, you reminded me to stop fighting and let my body relax and go with it
I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better person to be beside me today.
Thank you for helping me get on that board… and then encouraging me to get back on when I fell off. 😂❤️

You probably don’t realise just how much you taught me today.

Love you, glynny. 🥰🌊

04/08/2026

I had to laugh this week…

Twice in the last couple of weeks I’ve been contacted asking if I offer massages. 🤣

Now, to be fair, I did train as a massage therapist in my 20s… so somewhere out there the internet has clearly decided that’s still my calling.

The first enquiry quickly took a rather unexpected turn. Apparently he was willing to pay me very handsomely if I’d be willing to show certain body parts whilst the massage happened. And I’m not talking my toes.

Erm… I’m flattered… I think? 😂 But I’m afraid the answer is a firm no. These clothes are staying exactly where they are, thank you very much!

Then, a few days later, I had a phone call asking if I did massages.

Curious by this point, I asked, “Can I ask how you got my number?”

He replied, “I just Googled holistic therapies and you came up.”

And that made me realise… I probably haven’t explained very well what I actually do!

When I say I offer holistic therapies, I don’t mean massages.

Holistic simply means looking at the whole person, not just the symptom.

If you’ve ever worked with me, you’ll know I’m endlessly curious. It’s just how I’m wired. I want to know the why.

Why does one person struggle to sleep while another doesn’t?

Why does someone have anxiety every Sunday night?

Why does your body stay on high alert, even when life is actually okay?

Because the work I do isn’t about putting a plaster over the symptom. It’s about gently uncovering what got you there in the first place.

When someone comes to me because they’re anxious, overwhelmed, can’t sleep, feel constantly on edge, or are carrying around old experiences that still affect them today, I don’t just ask, “How do we stop the anxiety?”

I ask…

What’s your nervous system trying to tell us?

Our minds and bodies are constantly talking to each other. Stress, trauma, grief, people-pleasing, burnout and childhood experiences don’t just disappear because we wish they would. They often show up as physical tension, racing thoughts, exhaustion, pain, poor sleep or that feeling of always being in survival mode.

Using therapies such as EFT tapping, hypnotherapy, nervous system regulation, Belief Coding®, somatic techniques and guided relaxation, I help people understand what their mind and body have been trying to say all along, so they can finally feel safe again.

For me, that’s the privilege of this work. Not simply helping someone feel better for today, but helping them understand why they felt that way in the first place, so lasting change becomes possible.

So if you’ve ever wondered what I actually do…

Now you know.

And if you’re looking for a massage… or anything involving me taking my clothes off…

I’m definitely not your girl. 😆

03/08/2026

14 lovely ladies are already benefiting from 21 Days of Calm. 💛

Every day, a new video drops into our private Facebook group, giving you simple, practical tools to help calm your nervous system, reduce stress, and feel more like yourself again.

There’s no pressure to be online at a certain time. Watch each video whenever it suits you and work through the 21 days at your own pace.

It’s not too late to join. We are only on day 3 and you can catch up at any time.

Sometimes, just a few minutes a day can make a real difference 🫶🏻

https://buy.stripe.com/cNi5kDbgMc40dvw3DYgjC0c

Photo of a recent ai fun photo shoot! See the comments if you want to join in the photo fun!

31/07/2026

Who knew Stripe had Klarna?! 🤯✨
This morning, whilst my brain was actually in full-on tech mode (I know… it doesn’t happen often! 😂), I discovered something that I think could really help some of you.
If you’ve been wanting to work with me but the timing hasn’t quite felt right financially, there is now the option to spread the cost (interest-free) over 3 months with Klarna.
I always say to my clients… make changes whilst it feels safe.
It’s a bit like changing a tyre — you don’t wait until you’re doing 90 miles an hour on the motorway with a flat tyre before you decide something needs to change. 🚗💨
The same applies to us. We don’t have to wait until we’re completely burnt out, overwhelmed, or at breaking point before we ask for support.
Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is choose ourselves when things are still manageable — because that’s when we have the space and energy to create real change.
So if you’ve been thinking “I’d love to work with Lesley, but maybe in a few months…” — this could be the thing that makes it feel more possible 💛
Support is there when you’re ready ✨

28/07/2026

21 days of calm

https://buy.stripe.com/cNi5kDbgMc40dvw3DYgjC0c

27/07/2026

The first weekend of the summer holidays… and already everyone’s crying, shouting, arguing, saying they’re bored, and you’ve run out of ideas to keep everyone entertained. 😅

You might already be counting down the six weeks, wishing you could fast-forward to September… and then feeling guilty for even thinking it.

Here’s the thing… it’s not because you’re failing.

When your nervous system is overwhelmed, everything feels harder. The noise feels louder, the demands feel bigger, and it’s so much harder to stay patient and enjoy the little moments with your children.

That’s exactly why I created my 21 Days of Calm.

Each day you’ll receive a short, simple calming tool or technique – from breathing exercises and EFT tapping to nervous system resets and guided relaxation – designed to help you feel calmer, more present and better able to cope with whatever the day throws at you.

Because when you feel calmer, your children feel it too. 💛

✨ £33 for 21 days of support.
✨ Just a few minutes each day.
✨ Give yourself the gift of a calmer summer.

26/07/2026

Last night I was in a right flap… and I didn’t even realise it.

Technology has this funny way of sending my nervous system into overdrive. Show me a room full of people to support and I’m absolutely fine. Show me a tangle of wires and suddenly my brain decides it’s facing a dangerous animal. 😂

I was due to be holding a beautiful meditation today for a lovely group of SENDure parents in the gorgeous grounds of Saltmoore. Then last night, because of the forecast, we made the decision to relocate to the RAF base on Highfield Road instead.

It suddenly felt like the perfect opportunity to finally use my immersive headphone kit that I’d invested in a few months ago… except I’d already convinced myself not to. One missing wire was all my nervous system needed as an excuse to quietly back away.

The replacement lead we found wasn’t suitable either.

Then gimson came to the rescue, sending me the most brilliant little step-by-step videos. Nothing complicated. No pressure. Just calm, clear guidance that helped me realise I could do this.

And then, because I seem to have the best people around me, our very own Christmas Colin J Rutland turned up at 10.30 last night in his pyjamas with the microphone leads I needed. What a star. 💛

Today was everything I’d hoped for.

The technology worked beautifully. The immersive headphones created such a deeply relaxing experience, and the ladies left feeling calm, grounded and empowered.

It reminded me of something important…

Sometimes it’s not the thing itself we’re avoiding. It’s the feeling our nervous system has attached to it.

My nervous system has clearly decided that technology isn’t safe, so my instinct is to avoid it at all costs. Yet all it took was someone breaking it down into manageable steps for me to realise I was more than capable.

And here’s something I never thought I’d say…

I’m actually quite glad the weather changed our plans.

Because if we’d stayed at Saltmoore, I probably wouldn’t have pushed myself to use the headphones. Sometimes the unexpected nudges us towards something better than we’d planned.

Growth doesn’t always arrive how we expect. Sometimes it arrives disguised as a rainy forecast, a missing wire and a few kind people who quietly help you believe you can do hard things. 💛