Authority Magazine Editorial Staff

Published in: Authority Magazine

Meditation & Mindfulness — I believe that when we have a regular practice of becoming still and checking in with how we truly feel, we can stay on top of issues as they arise, instead of letting things build to a place where we become overwhelmed.

Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Liesbet Pryke.

With 30 years of experience in the wellness field, Liesbet Pryke is a board-certified lifestyle coach and hypnosis practitioner who integrates the transformative practices of breathwork and biofield tuning into her holistic approach. She focuses on trauma relief and managing everyday stressors to address the mind, body and energy field. While based in Miami, Liesbet helps clients worldwide achieve profound personal growth, relaxation and well-being.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal story? What has brought you to this point in your life?

When I was in my mid-20s, I worked for financial services companies in London. I was living quite unhealthily and began to struggle with some crippling digestive issues. I was diagnosed with IBS and told to take Gaviscon as needed. This wasn’t a satisfactory answer for me, so I went on a journey of self- discovery and dove into “alternative” therapies, including massage, yoga, meditation, eastern medicine, including acupuncture, Shiatsu, Thai massage and all different types of nutrition. As my interest grew, I decided to leave the financial world and begin my yoga and massage business.

What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?

I’m driven by my own experience with disease and sharing the knowledge that I have gained so that other people can benefit and be the best version of themselves. There is so much information out there and I like to offer perhaps a different way of looking at a problem. To truly heal and be our optimal selves, it is not just one thing or the other that can heal us. Rather, it’s a combination of different modalities. In my opinion, we need to take a holistic approach to wellness and look at all areas of our lives, instead of just focusing on building a career or taking care of our family.

Something that I believe we should be asking ourselves more is: “What makes me happy?” Are you doing something every day that makes you happy?

Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake or failure which you now appreciate has taught you a valuable lesson?

I think some of my biggest “mistakes” have been when I have not listened to my gut feelings. Often, I have moved forward with certain matters when, intuitively, I knew that something was off. I’d believe that I needed to do something when, in actual fact, the better option was to say, “NO!” or wait for something more aligned to show up.

Over the course of many years, I am finally learning to listen to my intuition and pay attention to my “gut” and allow myself to say “NO!”

Interestingly in Chinese medicine, the intestines are related to our boundaries and saying, “No!”

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Desire for knowledge: I feel like I have never stopped studying and experiencing different modalities and I think that keeps me at the top of my game. There are so many coaches and massage therapists and yoga teachers out there, and we need to stay fresh and passionate about what we do. It definitely comes across in your work and your interactions. I have experienced it first hand with others and it helps me to decide who I will continue to work with.

Consistency — I am consistent in my own self-care practices, as well as in my work. I know that I need to put on my oxygen mask first so that I can take care of my clients. It shows up in your work when you show up for your clients fully present, fresh, awake and alert.

Lead by example — I am always doing my own self-work and I stay consistent with my own practice. It has been said that as a therapist we can only take our clients where we ourselves can go and I want to be available to take my clients wherever they need to go.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that will help people?

I recently completed a two-year training with the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance and an advanced training in Biofield Tuning. While experiencing the wonderful benefits of these modalities, I’ve refined my ability to guide others with my unique combination of hypnosis, biofield tuning and breathwork.

I continue to empower others by helping them access their subconscious, enabling them to first become aware and subsequently break free from limiting beliefs so that they can step out from being stuck and achieve their true potential.

With this unique combination of modalities, I create a space of trust and transformation, where clients can often quickly heal and get to the root cause of their issues. It is still fascinating to see how we hold and store “energy” from our past trauma and when we can truly be held in a space where we can feel this, we feel so much lighter and freer.

I have experienced first-hand how this stress stays stuck in our cells for decades and it gives me such a clear understanding of how we can become diseased by not dealing with our past.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, about the interface between self-care and mental health.

From where you stand personally or professionally, why are you so passionate about mental well-being?

I remember shortly after receiving my Kundalini Yoga certification working with young adults in a half way home in West London and being so touched by the experience, partly because of the feeling that I could easily have been in their shoes. In fact, I often ponder: “what makes one person struggle and another thrive?”

Additionally, I have seen mental discomfort, emotional stress, depression, anxiety and grief first hand in my family, so it has also become a bit of a personal mission for me.

Based on your research or experience, how exactly does self-care impact our mental wellness?

When I take care of myself and give myself time to meditate, be in nature and nourish myself with food and healthy habits, I feel much better than when I neglect those things. When I skip my daily practice, I feel out of sorts, heavier and experience more emotional and physical pain. As a caregiver looking after my family or my clients, I owe it to myself and them to be the best version of myself.

Here is our primary question.

Can you please share your “Top Five Self-care Practices That Each Of Us Can Use To Improve Our Mental Wellness”?

Movement — it is so important to move your body. I am not saying that you need to run five miles every day, but work with what feels good. It could be minutes of yoga, a walk around the block or dancing to your favorite tunes. When we move our body, it produces feel good endorphins.

Nature — being out in nature is so healing for us. We are bombarded everyday with so much noise pollution and EMF frequencies from all the cell towers and modems. I strongly encourage you to take time outside and take advantage of all those negative ions.

Meditation & Mindfulness — I believe that when we have a regular practice of becoming still and checking in with how we truly feel, we can stay on top of issues as they arise, instead of letting things build to a place where we become overwhelmed.

Breathwork — I love breathwork! It is so simple, requires zero equipment, you can do it anywhere and the benefits are endless. For example: increased energy, boosted immunity, reduced anxiety…..

Gratitude — this is something that can be overlooked. When we move our attention to things that we can be grateful for we shift our perspective. If you are having a bad day, I encourage you to start small….can you be grateful for your morning coffee or tea, the fact that you have clean clothes, that you have shoes or even that you woke up!! Can you think of someone or something that you really love, and just revel in the feeling of that?

Can you please share a few of the main roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices? What would you suggest can be done to overcome those roadblocks?

Often when people come to me, they have a fair idea of what they can do to feel better, but they don’t act on it due to laziness, lack of motivation, not seeing the end result, distraction and/or bad habits.

Sometimes those things are entrenched in the subconscious mind, which is when I would step in with hypnosis to get into the nitty gritty. What part of you is resisting exercising? It could be something surprising that you would never have considered in your conscious state.

Once you finally do the exercise, focus on how much better you feel afterward and remember that experience.

One other tip is to get an accountability partner because sometimes we have a harder time letting our partner down than ourself.

In one sentence, what would you say to someone who doesn’t prioritize their mental well-being?

Neglecting your mental wellbeing is like forgetting to service your car or water your plants: without regular care, breakdown is inevitable.

Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up.

Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does this quote resonate with you so much?

“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”

― Mark Twain

The first time that I saw this quote it really struck me and I have referred to it many times since. It just symbolizes the power of the mind. All those times we get stuck in the “what ifs.” How much time have we wasted thinking and worrying about things that are never even going to happen.

What we know from hypnosis is that when we visualize something (or see it on the TV, computer, etc.), the brain doesn’t know the difference between something that we have “seen” and something that has actually happened to us.

When we dramatize things, or continually see horrible or frightening images, or keep focusing on the negatives in our lives, we are setting off a whole bunch of physiological actions in the body that can absolutely be avoided. This is where mindfulness and gratitude practices can offset some of the things that will inevitably be part of our lives. It is a great reminder for us to stay mindful about the quality of our thoughts.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports and Entertainment read this column.

Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? They might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂

Hmmm, I think it would be really interesting to chat with Bruce Lipton. He is renowned for his pioneering work in epigenetics, and this ties into how emotional healing, stress reduction and changes in mindset can affect physical health at a genetic level.

I love the way that his work bridges science and spirituality. This of course aligns with my focus on how mental states can deeply affect physical health.

I truly appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question. How can our readers best reach or follow.

See original article published on Medium or follow me on social media:

• Facebook: @lpyogini
• Instagram: @liesbet_pryke
• LinkedIn: @liesbet-pryke

Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success.