The Brave Space

20/08/2026

Being a soul-lead, solo biz owner has its perks. This is my office today. Trev can be a bit rowdy, but it’s worth it for the laughs 😂 (we all have that one co-worker).

Ps. This an improvised solar powered bird bath / fountain - the locals can’t get enough.

19/08/2026

“You can’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree” 🐟 🌳

A different perspective on youth and the misalignment that contributed to some of my darkest days as a young adult.

I think this is an important piece of the puzzle and am curious to hear if it resonates with others.

18/08/2026

💐When Sadness Visits - a real life example💐

At The Brave Space I have little activities set up and props available for tamariki who arrive early.
Sometimes it’s origami, or mindful colouring, or another activity that relates to the content of our program. They can also choose to chill out on their yoga mat or use the chimes, singing bowl, massage gloves, breathing ball, breathing buddies or other equipment to settle into our space.

Yesterday one of our kotiro arrived at class after a particularly tough day at school. She was able to articulate really well all of the feelings that were swirling around for her - the loudest emotion being sadness.

It was such a beautiful opportunity to put our mahi into practice in a real life context.
We didn’t minimise what she was feeling, or try to jolly her up. Instead, we simply sat with her, welcomed the sadness into our space, helped her to notice how it felt in her body, and let her release it in her own time, when she was ready.
She chose to do this through sharing in our safe space, dancing, connecting with one of the breathing buddies, and doodling at the art table.

This particular tween left our session feeling visibly lighter and brighter than when she arrived, with a literal skip in her step. 💃

I didn’t earn a dime yesterday (half the class was away sick and I have overheads), but I feel so much richer for this experience- and know the other girls benefited too. 🩷

17/08/2026

Please stop posting images of your children online. Adam is the founder of Project Rescue Children.

16/08/2026

💓 Delivering a Whole New Way of Connecting 💓

A few weeks ago I launched "Free to Be" - a new online empowerment group to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of tween girls. We meet weekly on Zoom over a period of eight weeks, to connect, share, learn and grow in a safe, non-judgmental, non-competitive environment.

Facilitating groups in the online space is new to me, and I wondered if this channel would prove to be as beneficial as our face-to-face sessions. Early indications and feedback suggest it most definitely is! This term I welcomed tamariki from Rotorua, Gisborne and the Waikato. Last week one of the girls said, "can we please do this again next term too??"

I believe that one of the most valuable things the children get from this program is the experience of being seen and heard, and realising they are not alone.

Expressions of interest for Term Four open soon. Limited spots available. Stay tuned!

P.s. thanks for this cool quote Brené Brown!

13/08/2026

😳Interesting Observations from the Coal Face😳

At the very beginning of every session the children are invited to check in with their body and share any physical sensations and/or how they are feeling. We do another check-in at the end of the hour, taking note of anything that is different. This is a useful exercise to gauge how the mahi is impacting the kids, while helping to promote the children's connection to their body and grow emotional literacy.

At the start of Monday’s class, one of our beautiful nine-year olds who struggles with focus announced that she was bored. This is not uncommon for tamariki who are used to the fast rewards, constant stimulation and high excitement of digital screens.

At the end of our session, this same child declared "I feel more happy now!".

It was rewarding to observe this change, but also gutting to reflect on how high screen use is impacting our tamariki in so many different ways.... focus being just one of these.

l don't have all the answers, but I do think this trend is something we need to pay attention to (no pun intended). Our kids’ brains kinda depend on it.

12/08/2026

Even I was shocked by these latest statistics.

But there is an opportunity in this crisis. To invest in and mental and emotional wellbeing support for young people, so that it doesn’t reach this point.

At The Brave Space we are doing just that… and although it’s still early days, with the recent addition of a pioneering online empowerment group called Free to Be, I know we are already changing the trajectory for tamariki and rangatahi across New Zealand.

One of the country's main crisis helplines says more children than ever before are seeking help - some as young as seven years old.

10/08/2026

Public Service Announcement for Monday: it’s ok to not feel amazing all the time.

Anyone else feeling a bit flat? Authenticity is the highest vibrational state.

Fake / toxic positivity be gone! 😂

(Apologies - there is one little swear word in this video 🙊)

08/08/2026

🩷 Positive Ripples of Change 🩷

To experience something in class is one thing, but to then actually take it home and integrate that learning through practise with real life situations is the ultimate!

Humongous thank you to Zoe Howe, mum of an 8-year-old who attended The Brave Space for two terms, for sharing this cool example of how our kaupapa ripples out into homes and the community.

(Day = Say)

06/08/2026

Why “Calm Down & Breathe” backfires and what you can say instead - love to hear your thoughts!

P.s. the benefits of regular breath work extend beyond processing emotions - but for the purposes of this korero I am focusing on its role in nervous system regulation. 🤗