Erin Lovell Verinder is one of the directors of Bright & Balanced Living and is also a practitioner at Orchard Street. With over 11 years experience working with health, healing and wellbeing it was a pleasure to interview Erin for Talking Broadly. Erin is my personal go-to for all health related things and I credit her with keeping my daughter especially happy and healthy.
You currently live in the Blue Mountains, are you enjoying the chance from Sydney? What are the highlights?
The Blue Mountains are such a magical embracing place to rest my bones, the change has been really perfect. We live on a 2 acre property with a glorious pine forest, in a charming 1914 cottage called “Elsie”. I love that the house turned 100 years old this year. Pulling up to the property and gazing over at the house, I instantly exhale! Coming home is pretty much the best thing ever. Highlights, oh so many! The sense of calm that floats over and throughout the community here, its a slow pace, the good life, time to stare at the crackling fire, and collect pine cones and blossoming wattle, people smile and say hi to each other. I adore walking our dogs on the edges of the valley, down to Sunset Rock and inhaling the pinks, purples, oranges and blue of the sunsets here. I vow to practice what I preach, living here allows my life to hum with balance and peace.
What currently keeps you engaged?
So many things! I have promised to myself to cease using the word “busy”, engaged is a great alternative and evokes such a different meaning. Nurturing my practice is a big one, ensuring I devote plenty of good energy, attention and commitment to being a great practitioner is a real passion for me. This means continued learning, so my head and heart is often engrossed in books, podcasts, articles expanding my understanding of the wondrous human body & beings that we are!
But on the flip side of this which is a lot of doing (!) I emerge myself in open roads, travels, adventures, spaciousness, nature, all these magic places/things/feelings engage my soul!
What do you do to stay healthy, and live a balanced lifestyle?
First and foremost, I eat a very clean wholefoods diet with a huge focus on Organics, and locally grown foods, I focus on eating in tune with my body’s seasons. Currently I am loving the wintery snap of the mountains, so there are huge pots of Dhal, Veggie soups, and Dandelion chai brewing in my kitchen. I am a big believer that we are all so incredibly unique and colourful, we all have different constitutions, and different needs on so many levels, so eating mindfully & intuitively is a big practice of mine.
I promise & follow through with one treatment per week for myself, whether this be a beautiful Lomi Lomi massage, an Energetic Healing session, a one on one Yoga session, or an Osteopathic treatment. I believe firmly that we all need deep nurturing, especially if you are in the wellness industry, and are holding space for others and spreading the love, you must ensure you receive it back and fill up your well!
How do you approach meditation?
Meditation has been a constant friend of mine, since the age of 14 years old.Meditation for me is a practice I weave in many aspects of my life. Washing the dishes, staring into the fire, laying in the sun- these are all moments I take advantage of and breathe into the stillness, clear the mind, scan my body for tension, lean into it and LET GO!
I often practice in bed at night, guided meditations, which allow me to dissolve away the mind chatter and welcome in deep rest.
What does a typical day look like for you?
If I am in Bronte, in the warm nest of Orchard St, I start my day off in this glorious space, the sunshine pours in and I thank the goddess for such a beautiful place to be! My day can vary, some days you will find me in the dispensary chatting with our lovely customers and discussing the Orchard St cleanse, giving health advice and smiling wide. Or I will be in one of my two clinics, with full days seeing clients and advising all in the name of health and wellness, I love these days & nights, connecting with people, and getting feedback on their progress. Assisting clients with chronic/acute issues and witnessing change in a positive manner is so incredibly rewarding.
Other days I may be at home in the mountains, sleeping in and taking my time, going for long walks in the bush, hanging with the Roo’s in the forest, tending to the Veggie garden, reading a book, hanging with my beautiful husband and little wolf pack ( our 3 dogs!) or catching up with my family and friends, sharing pots of herbal tea and ensuring I am keeping a nice sleepy pace to balance my full days!
Is there anything you do daily that is non negotiable?
Connecting with my husband, and telling him I love him! My days are so varied, and we spend some nights apart when I am in Bronte, so checking in and being present is really key! Nothing does that like a good old I LOVE YOU.
Oh and great quality sleep!! So incredibly important.
How do you define creativity?
Openness, allowing, flow, surrender.
What brings you the most joy in your life?
The feeling of exhilaration when you know you are in the flow, in your own power, and life is just darn sweet!
What do you define as happiness?
Similar to my answer above, there is this understanding I feel you can reach with yourself, its a feeling of peacefulness, and beautiful rhythm when you create life to really embody all that you imagine. That is happiness in motion!
What do you consider your greatest achievement to be?
I could say my career helping others, which I am very proud of. All these achievements actually lead to me to being most proud of being a mindful, loving, giving, earthed human being doing my absolute best every step of the way.
What qualities do you seek in people?
I seek honesty, open mindedness, compassion, kindness, understanding, warmth, and the ability to have a good laugh.
What is a saying or motto you live by or that is relevant to you right now?
My all time fav motto is from my dear friend & mentor Dr Darren Weissman- creator of the Lifeline Technique.. And here it is—- “You gotta feel it to heal it” .. It sounds so simple, but we often shy away from those uncomfortable feelings. Allowing yourself to really go there, surrender, let go and experience it, you may just have a pretty sweet breakthrough. I know I often do!