Where My Wellness Journey Really Began — A Story of Love, Laughter & Family

How a Childhood Full of Love & Laughter Became My Greatest Wellness Teacher

I am often asked how my passion for natural health and wellness began. People expect me to talk about herbs, remedies, or the moment I discovered Ayurveda. But the honest answer always surprises them — and sometimes surprises me too. It begins not in a clinic or a classroom, but in a house full of noise, laughter, babies on hips, and the smell of Christmas pudding lit up in the dark.

I was the firstborn — to my parents, and to both sets of grandparents. Within the next ten years, I had six siblings and thirteen first cousins. My time as an only child was short-lived, and I am so grateful for that. Growing up in a big, loud, loving family taught me more about health than any textbook ever could: how to share, how to compromise, how to fend for myself, and how to feel deeply, unconditionally supported.

How To Love and Be Loved

The Grandparents Who Held Us Together

So many of my happiest memories are set at my grandparents' house. Friday night sleepovers — which I suspect were as much for our parents' sanity as for our joy — where we were given 15 cents to spend at the local café on as many sweets as we could carry.

Christmas Eve dinners with turkey, ham, roast potatoes, and green peas, wearing paper hats and pulling crackers until we couldn't pull any more. Christmas pudding covered in brandy, the lights turned off, and my grandfather lighting it while we all held our breath. None of us ate it — we were too busy scratching through it for the 5-cent pieces hidden inside.

My grandfather passed away in his sixties, and being the eldest, I was fortunate enough to have spent the most time with him — to hear his stories, absorb his wisdom, and simply be in his company. What a gift that was. My grandmother was the thread that wove our family together, the quiet, consistent, loving force that made us feel safe no matter what was happening around us.

Looking back now, I realise that the greatest gift our family gave us was a deep sense of belonging. Long before I understood nutrition or wellness, I learnt that love, laughter, and family were some of the greatest foundations of good health.

The Mother Who Refused to Let Anyone Get Sick

My mother played a huge role in shaping my relationship with my body. Her favourite saying — delivered with complete conviction — was: No one is allowed to get sick in this house.

If I wasn't feeling well, I had a choice: stay home and be lonely and bored, or go to school as usual. I almost always chose school. And generally I felt better by lunchtime.

My best friend's mother took the opposite approach — pampering, darkened rooms, days in bed. And my friend was often sick. I noticed this early. I understood, even as a child, that our bodies are often far stronger and more resilient than we give them credit for — when we believe they are capable of healing, they usually are.

I think our Mom was teaching us that our bodies are often stronger and more resilient than we realise, when we believe they are broken.

Long before I discovered herbs, yoga, or natural medicine, my grandparents and parents were unknowingly teaching me what true health looked like.

What Those Early Years Taught Me About Wellness

The foundations laid in my childhood are the same ones I build on today at Life Retreat. Belonging. Resilience. Laughter. Preventative care. The belief that the body, when supported well, knows how to heal.

These are not abstract ideas — they are practical ones. And they are the reason we are so passionate about giving people the tools to support their bodies naturally, before illness takes hold.

If you are looking to build that same foundation of resilience in your own life, our Ayurvedic Wellness Lifestyle Plan is a beautiful place to start. Rooted in the same Ancient Wisdom my grandmother lived by. It brings together nutrition, daily ritual, and natural support to help your body thrive from the inside out.

For those whose stress, sleep, or nervous system feels like it has been running on empty — the way so many of us do when we have been carrying too much for too long — our Stress, Sleep & Nervous System Lifestyle Plan was designed with exactly that in mind.

And if you are ready for a fully personalised approach — one that looks at your whole picture, the way my mother looked at us as whole, capable people rather than patients — our Personalised Wellness Lifestyle Plan is where that conversation begins.

The Greatest Medicine I Know

A doctor friend once told me that our family rarely gets sick because we have good genes. I always disagreed. I believe it is the accumulation of small, consistent choices — the laughter around the table, the sense of belonging, the belief that our bodies are strong, and the natural tools we reach for before we ever need a prescription.

Just writing this warms my heart and soul. What greater gift could we ever have in life than the Gift of Health?

Long before I discovered herbs, yoga or natural medicine, my Grandparents and Parents were unknowingly teaching me what true health looked like.

Want to learn more about the philosophy behind Life Retreat? Read our guide: Meet Trish Taylor — Ayurvedic Practitioner, Hormone Health Specialist & Holistic Wellness Expert.

Now We Would Love to Hear From You

This story is mine — but I know so many of you have one just like it. A grandmother who held everything together? A mother who pushed you out the door when you wanted to stay in bed? A family table that felt like the safest place in the world?

Those memories matter. They shaped who we are and how we care for ourselves today.

We would love for you to share yours. Leave a comment below and tell us: What is the one thing from your childhood that you believe shaped your health the most? It might be a person, a tradition, a saying, or simply a feeling. Whatever it is, we want to hear it.

And if this post resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs a reminder that wellness does not always begin with popping a pill— sometimes it begins around a family table, with a lit Christmas pudding and a grandmother who made everyone feel like they belonged.