Vania Dunn - Coach

Ten weeks in our new hood - we love it here!
There’s a beautiful board walk next to the water, humming bird life and the best wee cafe Evergreen Cafe 2mins walk away.

So grateful for all of this. 💚💚

Have you ever intentionally considered setting aside a day each week for rest and connection with God?

Our culture and society has pressed in over the years and reduced our ability to press pause. Shops, sports, events, time pressures on every day of the week now.

Our lack of pause and rest and recalibration is likely a big factor in our stress and burnout and disconnection.

I remember a friend and I talking about the concept of Sabbath in Jewish culture. The very fact that there was a specific day set aside where EVERYONE pressed pause, meant life was set up for that rhythm. They prepare for the pause. So that on the 7th day, ALL rest.

There are big questions here I know.

How can we schedule a regular rhythm of weekly rest when our western society promotes busyness and constant activity on every day of the week?

❓Is creating a regular rhythm of sabbath or rest something you want to explore?

❓Are you keen for us to dig deeper into this topic?

This got me tonight.

I’m going to leave you to be curious with this verse. Where’s the truth in it for you?

Permission to stop the scroll, to put the phone down.

But more than that.

In the chaos, in your everyday, in your best times, in your hardest moments.

Be still
And know that
I am God.

It takes practice and intentionality to lift your eyes off your own circumstances and to instead seek the face of the Father.

Especially when you are worried and anxious and feel like life is out of your control - and yes, it quite possibly is out of your control.

But I know it to be true, that peace comes in the space where stillness and knowing merges.

May you know that to be true tonight too.

I was thinking about today -
Easter Saturday.

The day after Good Friday, and the day before Resurrection Sunday.

We know the story of Friday. The day Jesus was killed. Brutally beaten and tortured, mocked and betrayed.

Sunday, we celebrate the absolute miracle of death that was overcome.

But what about Saturday?

Saturday is the messy middle.
Saturday is the day where grief is raw & overwhelming.
Saturday is the reality of loss.
It is despair of lost dreams, love & hope.
Saturday is painful.

Saturday has to be lived through. We can’t get to Sunday, without the waiting space of Saturday.

We know that the Easter story ends with a crazy plot twist. BUT when Jesus’ friends and whānau lived it, they didn’t have the privilege of seeing what was around the corner. They had to live through Saturday too. Not knowing how long it would last or what was to come.

For all of us who are spending time right now stuck in our own metaphorical “Saturday” this is a call to you to hold on.

Sunday is coming.

Things won’t ever be the same because of what happened on Friday. Scars will remain, holding evidence of the hard things you’ve lived through. But there IS healing and newness and resurrection.

God is still good.

On Saturday we have to hold on to hope, however desperately, believing the darkness won’t last.

Because Sunday is coming…

As women who live life without much margin, it’s super easy for us to slip into moments of overwhelm that push us towards feeling burnout.

Anyone been there? 🙋🏼‍♀️

We are even more at risk of this when we are in seasons of change or dealing with difficult stuff.

So those self care routines that come easily in the chill weeks and days become vital when stress rises.

I’ve been super aware of this for myself as we settle into 2024. Getting regular exercise has become an act of both necessity and discipline.

I’ve also been using that time to stack my self care. So while I walk or run or climb, I also:

❤️ process emotions
💭 think through situations
🙏🏻 pray and connect with God
🎧 listen to podcasts
🎵 listen to music - usually worship
📞 talk to a friend

More so lately (since C*^ # times I guess), I’ve also found it therapeutic to match the intensity of my workout to the intensity of what’s inside - especially when the emotions are overwhelming. An external processing of internal.

Sometimes that means I’m working at intensity of heart out of my chest and struggling for breath, sometimes that means chill and easy.

So check in with yourself.

What are the self-care routines that are most important for you to stay feeling balanced, calm and in control?

What is one area of self-care you can commit or re-commit to today?

Share it below

Vania x❤️

There is ALOT of change going on over here 🙋🏼‍♀️

Personally I love change. It feels hopeful and full of opportunity. It gives me a sense of excitement and opportunity.

I’ll be sharing more in days to come.

But for today I wanted to share that with my release of the Pilates aspect of Studio 35, I am in a fresh rebranding phase. So freaking excited.

My coaching work continues. Curves up ahead, name changes, new offers, speed variations and unknown roads. Stay with me and be a part of the next chapter unfolding 🙌🏻

I want to know, does change excite you or bring a sense of terror?

We signed off with the last Pilates class at Studio35 tonight for the foreseeable future. (See announcement post if you missed the details).

I stood with Alicia and the clients in tonight’s last class and reminisced about the 9 years and significant moments shared.

Bittersweet!

Can I make a request? Would you share something about what connecting with Studio35 and myself and Alicia has meant for you?

I would love to hear your stories!

Big love,
Vania ❤️x

🫡

Follow the call and follow your heart

Don’t let other people look down on you or let their beliefs or words be what defines you.

Diminishing the light God has placed within YOU serves no one.

You have been created with a purpose. So follow His voice, His plan.

Allow the growth in places others never thought you would.

Be a wildflower x

Big thoughts while I walked today.

After last weeks announcement that I am handing the Pilates side of my business over to Alicia, I have had lots of people asking me tentative questions.

Like:
“How are you feeling about it?”
“Are you ok?”

The truth is I am really excited and peaceful about it.

Excited for what’s coming next.

Excited to see Alicia grow and flourish as she takes what Studio35 is today and places her stamp on it as her own business.

Aware that this decision is creating space for me and in turn others, to grow.

It hasn’t been a fast decision. Believe it or not I’ve been processing towards this point for probably 3-4yrs.

All the phases… Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation/Determination, and now Action/Willpower, which will shift to Maintenance…

Change.

Have you heard the story of the monkey with their hand stuck in the jar? The problem is that they are holding onto something they really want and can’t get the fist out. All the monkey has to do to be free is to LET GO and pull the hand out.

Are you facing change in your life? If you are, here are some journaling questions you could use as prompts.

👉🏻 Is your hand metaphorically stuck in a jar?

👉🏻 What are you holding on to that’s hard to release?

👉🏻 What would it feel like to let go and free yourself?

👉🏻 What fear is holding you back?

At whatever phase of the change process you are in currently, I’m praying courage and clarity for you tonight.

Vx💖

Alicia writes…

I have loved teaching at Studio 35, building relationships and growing with you all. I’m grateful to Vania for allowing me to be a part of this space she has created and wish her so much joy in her next chapter.

I am continuing to teach and will reopen from a new space in January 2024 within the Clevedon area.

More details will be sent out soon! 💖🙏🏻

Alicia x

One of the things I am most proud of as the founder of Studio Thirty Five, is that my small business has developed organically.

As an ex-physio, mother of four, I had no background in business. I simply led from the heart, following where I believed God was leading me and responded to the people in front of me.

From the very first postnatal class I ran in Nov 2015 through to where Studio 35 stands today. I look back over those 9 years and see so much growth and expansion.

If there is something I’ve learnt, it’s that following my intuition and gut is a strength. To do that takes courage.

Change is a part of life. When we embrace it and move with it, we allow ourselves space to grow and experience new beginnings.

2024 signals a new beginning and a change of focus for me and Studio 35.

And so with anticipation and a big breath I share…

At the end of classes in 2023 I am handing the leadership and ownership of the Pilates side of Studio 35 to the very able hands of Alicia Mitchell.

Alicia has been an integral part of the Studio 35 team since 2018. She is more than equipped to do an amazing job going forward.

As I let go and hand the Pilates Studio on, I will be making room for what God has next for me, and to step more fully into developing my Health and Wellness Coaching work, which I love.

In many ways, nothing much will change. You will still get to enjoy the same classes you know and love. You will still enjoy Alicias expertise and care. You will still be challenged, stretched & strengthened.

The main differences will be a new gorgeous location - just a stones throw from where we currently gather - and a new name - both of which will come when Alicia is ready to share.

If you are a current or existing client, all of these details will be coming to you in due course.

I couldn’t be more at peace with this decision and its timing. I’m confident that Alicia is the right person to look after you all AND to further flourish and grow this business I started.

Transition can feel uncomfortable, but we will do our best to keep you in the loop and answer any questions you might have.

With much love,
Vania x

My loves and greatest priority 🫶🏼

(And also the reason I have been absent more recently on here).

It’s been a massive year - mostly with my eyes and attention on them. It’s and I’m 💯 here for it.

But it’s also been a massive year holding space and providing accountability/support to many of you. Teenagers right the way through the age spectrum.

Seeing the shifts and changes is SO good.

If you are needing someone on your team right now, to help you move forward, or provide accountability, message me.

Vania x 💖

Image by Coralee Stone

Look, you’re a smart woman, and most likely you already know what you need to do to reach your health goals. But if you’ve been trying to lose weight for a while, and it’s not really happening, You’ve got to ask yourself the question - “If I know what to do, why can’t I do it by myself?”

Where health coaching with me makes a massive difference for my beautiful, smart & intelligent clients, is that they become accountable for the changes they are committing too.

And action + accountability = results

If you are ready to get the support you need to reach your goals, I’m ready to create space and time for you.

Let’s have an initial chat so you can tell me where you’re at and make a plan from there to move you forward. You can book via the link - https://studio35.as.me/connect

I’m ready to be the support and accountability you need, so let’s do this!

Vania x

I’ve had one of those full circle moments in the last few weeks.

And it totally reminded me about how important it is for us as mums to remember we are also leaders.

Our leadership matters!

You can read more over on the journal. The link is in below
https://studio35.nz/journal/2023/9/27/youre-a-leader-mama

Vans x

We still here 💖. Loved being in the Tuesday flow class this morning.

Outside of S35, winter is always a busy time for my family with their many sporting commitments.

2023 has been an ABSOLUTE cracker of a year for them and that’s meant de-prioritising some things - like social media posts 😂☺️.

But there has still been beautiful mahi taking place with those Alicia and I have the honour of working with - both on the mat, AND in coaching relationships.

The first 12-week RESET group coaching program finishes up this week. OMG I am so proud of the consistency those women have put in to reach their goals. I can’t wait to share some of their transformations. We are talking significant weight loss, habit change, no more bloating, gut healing and more … 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi, and look out - applications for the next 12-wk RESET group program will be opening soon. We kick off 11 Sept 23.

If you want to know more, stay tuned!

Vania x

Sending masses of birthday love to this queen today!

💖💖💖

You are so loved and appreciated by all of us and wishing you a beautiful day with your precious whānau.

If you are a current or past client taught by Alicia at Studio35, drop her some birthday love in the comments!

You've probably heard that strength training is important for women right?

But do you know why?

Here's SEVEN reasons...

1️⃣ Strength training builds and maintains muscle mass - Think about swinging on the playground with the kids, lifting heavy stuff around the house, and if you are a bit older, simply protecting yourself from falls.

2️⃣ Strength training makes your joints stronger - lower impact exercise, so you can build muscle with less stress on your joints.

3️⃣ Strength training is one of the best low-impact cardio workouts - Heart rate up without sweating it out on the streets. 'Nuff said.

4️⃣ Strength training supports weight loss and weight management - The more muscle mass you have, the more efficient your body will be at burning energy.

5️⃣ Strength training improves your cardiovascular health - Recent studies show that weight training can be just as effective as cardio in promoting heart health.

6️⃣ Strength training protects bone health - It improves bone density and lowers your risk of osteoporosis.

7️⃣ Strength training improves mood and metal health - The mental health perks of strength training are researched and legit!

Strength training doesn't have to be all bar bells and grunting 🏋🏼‍♂️

It can look like any body weight exercise done at home, using resistance bands or free weights - anything where you work against resistance qualifies.

This is your invitation to join us for some strength training in our Clevedon based studio.

You might not of thought of Pilates as being "strength training" but trust me, if definitely can be!

Our Tuesday 9.15am FORM class is especially focused on increasing your strength and endurance.

Come and give the class (or any of the other class times) a try if you haven't already (on us!)

Message me and I will hook you up with a free trial.

Here’s to stonger, healthier bodies!
Vans xx

p.s. want to know more about classes on offer? Check it out here 👉🏻 https://studio35.nz/pilates

Change is hard!

Breaking old habits and making new ones is hard!

But once your head is in the right space and you’re ready to commit here’s 7 tips you need to know…

1️⃣ Know your WHY
It’s important to know where your motivation is coming from and that you are really committed to the process.

2️⃣ Make if FUN
Minimise danger and maximise reward. If you hate running, don’t take up running. Find ways to enjoy the process.

3️⃣ Be POSITIVE with yourself
Celebrate every win and every teeny step forward. What you focus on and pay attention to will grow.

4️⃣ Make it easy
Remove your triggers and temptations. Plan ahead, simplify, reduce your mental load.

5️⃣ Make it a HABIT
Try and get into a regular routine as quickly as possible. Create stability for yourself.

6️⃣ Involve other PEOPLE
We need each other. Meaningful connection and support is one of the most significant factors when it comes to success with habit change.

7️⃣ Track and MEASURE your progress.
By tracking and measuring you can see the change taking place. And the tiniest of changes all add up. Seeing these changes fuels our motivation.

Which of these tips resonates for you? Which one/s are you missing?

Tell me below!
⏬️

Always my reason and forever my why.

What about you?

Stressed?

I KNOW you can relate to feeling busy and overwhelmed. That tightness in you head and stress feeling often comes with physical symptoms too. Like:

👉🏻 tightness and tension in your muscles
👉🏻 headaches or migraines
👉🏻 poor sleep
👉🏻 stomach or gut issues
👉🏻 weight gain
👉🏻 …

Stress produces release of stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline. These are good for us when we are in danger and need to respond quickly. BUT, we are not designed to stay in stress mode long term.

I want to give you a super simple strategy today to bring you out of stress mode - so simple it seems ridiculous!

It involves you taking 5-10 minutes.
📍 Sit or lie somewhere that’s ideally quiet and where you feel safe.
📍 place your hands on your belly, relax your shoulders and begin to take notice of your breath.
📍 breathing in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
📍 without trying to change it, notice the rate of your breath, is it fast? Is it shallow?
📍 You can just stay here, noticing and allowing your breath to slow and deepen, or have a go at the following:

Breathe in for 3secs right down to your belly, hold that inhale for a count of 3, and then slowly exhale for 3 allowing yourself to let go as you breathe out.

📍 Continue this cycle for as long as you like, and then return to gentle inhale/exhale. Again take notice - how has your rate and depth of breath changed? Can you notice a difference in how your body is feeling?

Save this post and come back to it when you need a fast and simple hack to bring down your stress.

Big love, Vans

Our Mamas & bubs Postnatal Pilates at Studio35 have been loved since 2014. If you are a new mum, we got you!

"I've loved Mamas & Bubs Postnatal Pilates this term - thankyou! It's been a wonderful experience.

I had a physiotherapist pelvic floor WOF both before & after attending Studio35 Pilates classes. They said since attending I've had a massive improvement in my pelvic floor and ab structure which is awesome! It means that I can get back to my HIIT or boxing training.

Thanks for providing these classes - I'll be recommending them to anyone else I know who's had a baby!?
- Fiesole Marks (Studio35 Postnatal Mamas & bubs client)

Bookings are now open for classes in July - September 2023
Hit the link below for more info and bookings.
https://studio35.nz/postnatal-wellness

See you soon!

Thirsty? Me too.
In winter it seems especially hard to keep our water intake up.

It’s also really easy to mistake thirst signals for hunger, so instead of having a drink, we eat instead 😬

Here’s some quick easy ideas to up your water intake if you are feeling dry.

1. Give it a bit of flavour or zing. Pop in a slice of lemon or lime. Got a soda stream? Sparkling water can feel like a treat.

2. Tie your fluid intake to other routines - this helps you create a habit. Have a drink before each meal, on waking, before bed etc.

3. Keep a water bottle with you at all times, and set your self a hydration goal for the day.

4. Set a reminder on your smart phone or find an app that will track and remind you of your fluid intake.

5. Change the temperature. If it’s cold outside, cold water might be the last thing you feel like. So heat it up! If you don’t like hot water by itself, then pop a herbal tea bag in there for some flavour.

Which option are you going to try - OR have you got a different tip that works for you?

Tell us about it below! ⬇️

One of the women in my 12-wk RESET group coaching program shared this today on our call.

Celiac related stomach pain gone after only one week of reducing empty carbs and eating whole real food.

Now that’s something to celebrate! 💥

I saw an instagram post the other day calling coaches who support clients towards low carb lifestyle “Karen”
🤣🙉

I had a good laugh at that, because I KNOW this works for those who need it. It has and is working for me and I can see it beginning to work for these women - ALREADY!

✔️ Inflammation in the body is decreased.
✔️ Insulin resistance is reversed.
✔️ The gut is healed.
✔️ The immune system is supported.
✔️ The brain fog is cleared.
✔️ Energy is restored.

I am so excited for the journey these women are on together towards better health and well-being 🫶🏼

Celebrating Chris today!!!

Chris and I started working together 11 weeks ago when she joined my 6-mth 'Burnout to Balance' coaching program.

Chris is a successful entrepreneur who has high expectations for herself. The massive focus she had on building her biz in 2022 has totally paid off with huge growth, BUT came at the expense of other areas of her personal life.

She came to me because she wanted to get the balance back. She wanted to feel healthy and happy again in her personal life. She wanted to lose weight and she wanted a roadmap and support to get there.

We started by stepping back and looking deeply at what was going on. We checked in on the foundations of her life and what she truly valued most. Then we started there.

She's been doing the mahi. The deep work towards better boundaries, prioritising her most important relationships, and looking at the mindsets that influence the way she shows up in the world... And I am SO excited about the shifts she has been making.

Today in our session together, it was just so incredibly evident how much her mindset is being reshaped.

She has moved from feeling undeserving and unworthy of success in BOTH her biz AND personal life (is it ok to have it all?), to believing it is possible.

It's a shift out of self-sabotage and into empowerment and permission - that she has the ability to make powerful choices to create the life she desires to live.

She feels in control. The leader of her life. She feels light and happy - despite still working long hours. The extra weight is now beginning to fall away and the significant thing is she says it feels "easy" now that her mindset has changed!

She's back in the driver seat of her life!

I couldn't be more honoured to be a part of this ongoing transformation for her!

If you want these kinds of shifts in your life too, message me now to see if coaching with me is what you need. I have one space in my schedule for May. Is it for you?

Big love always, Vans x

True Story: I spent 2022 watching the scales go up.

Post-Covid burnout, stress, poor sleep, hormonal changes and let’s face it - poor eating habits - all combined and wrecked havoc on me.

My weight increased (GAH!) even as I tried all the things to bring it down.

It wasn't working!

Despite all my knowledge and experience in supporting others to lose weight, I couldn't pull it off for myself, by myself.

Finally, this January I bit the bullet and started working with a health coach of my own.

Everything started to fall into place. I focused on eating whole, real food, removing excess, empty carbs and letting my body rest and recover...

I dropped 10kgs over 12 weeks.

So what made the difference? Why did I get the results I wanted when I worked with a coach as opposed to when I was working on my own steam?

Coaching gave me

1️⃣ A plan.
I stopped second guessing myself. I did my research, committed to a Coach and plan I trusted to work and then I implemented.

2️⃣ Support.
From a Health Coach I respected and trusted, and a group of women who were on the same journey as me.

3️⃣ Accountability.
I had a coach to hold my feet (lovingly) to the fire and ensure I followed through on my goals.

So, if you have weight loss goals that have been evading you, have you got the PLAN, SUPPORT and ACCOUNTABILITY you need?

Which of those three things are you missing?

A sneak peek into a 1:1 coaching session with me…

📍 We Celebrate

Before we do anything else, in a 1:1 session we look for evidence of your progress and shifts - we acknowledge it and celebrate the heck out of it. It’s easy to dismiss the changes you are making.

But even a 1degree change in direction adds up to significant change in the long term.

Acknowledging and celebrating helps bring awareness to your progress and fuels your motivation for more!

📍 We get honest

We will talk about how things really are. I’ll keep you accountable for the new habits you are implementing. I will coach you through the roadblocks or barriers you are experiencing - by asking questions that lead you to dig deep and discover the answers you need.

You’ll be empowered to take ownership for your journey. When you need time to process I’ll hold space for you.

📍 We set meaningful goals

Coaching at its heart is about supporting you towards what you want for your future. So before we finish off a session we will take time to clarify action points for you to take away and work on.

These will be aligned to the goals you have set and I will keep you accountable to them.

❤️❤️❤️
We always work at your pace and on what’s most pressing for you. I’ll press you forward if I sense that’s what you need, and help you pause and process when it gets to the hard parts.
You do the deep work, but I’m with you every step of the way.

Does this sound like something you might be interested in?

I'd love to chat to you more about ‘Burnout to Balance’ - send me a message today!

Excuse me for a moment as I go off script. I have something to share.

I’m sitting here thinking about how I haven’t posted to social media for 17 days - 17 DAYS!

I “should” have – to keep up the momentum and to keep the mighty algorithm working in my favour.

It’s less than ideal from the perspective of growing a business. But…

I have been working on letting go of my “shoulds”. The “I should be doing this” and “I should be doing that”. My “shoulds” have a habit of holding me to ransom and sucking me dry.

Pushing through because “I should…” is what led me to a place of absolute depletion and burnout which I finally recognised in January 2022.

Back then, I determined to change the narrative.
• To create healthy boundaries and learn how to hold them with courage.
• To be me, with no excuses.
• To learn not to follow other people’s expectations of me, saying no to the extras, saying no to hustle, saying no to what wasn’t aligned.

Have I got this balance right yet?

Nope.

Creating and holding healthy boundaries is hard work at times – emotionally, mentally – especially when others push against them. I’m learning and practising.

But I recognise it is important inner work, and I will continue to push through because ultimately it is worth it.

This is the work I need to do to have balance, feel good in my skin and love my life.

I know I am not alone in this.

So many of you are the same, living under a heavy mental load because you can’t say no to your “shoulds”. And so, you feel resentful and exhausted and overwhelmed on the daily.

You too need to remember who you are, what brings you joy and feel empowered to choose those things.

So, you can move from a place where you feel depleted and burnt out to feeling happy, healthy and back in balance.

Are you ready to make that kind of change in YOUR life? Find out more about how I can support you via this link - https://studio35.nz/health-coaching

Then book a time so we can connect over a (free) call and a coffee and see if coaching with me is right for you 🫶

Massive love, Vans x