The one thing that changes everything is mindfulness.
Turn UP Your Zen was created by Tania when she observed the growing number of well-educated, overly busy men and women feeling stressed out, reactive, numb, overwhelmed, anxious &/or depressed.
The common thread was that taking care of everyone else led to forgetting about themselves or putting their needs last.
In some cases the stress was making them ill and compromising the quality of their relationships.
Drawing on her own experience of managing depression and anxiety, she knew that coaching, meditation and mindfulness could enhance their wellbeing, positively impacting their quality of life, including communication and relationships.
Our Mission
To teach practical tools that change the way people deal with theirs and others’ stress through diet, lifestyle and mindfulness, so that our relationships and communication support balance, wellbeing and quality of life.
We're not monks.
We understand that as parents, partners and carers, we live in the real world, a rapidly changing world, and we need practical, proven strategies to:
"I’ve been working in the wellbeing industry for over ten years and what we are seeing in a post-lockdown world is a massive re-prioritising of mental health and wellbeing. We can thank Covid for showing us how important it is to be in control of our mindset; our emotional & physical health. We are more aware than ever of just how important our relationships are to nourishing our overall wellbeing and that includes the relationship we have with ourself. We are seeing organisations recognising this shift and prioritising wellbeing for all their staff with visible wellbeing programs that teach practical skills for everyone in the team regardless of their mental health history or role in the organisation."
Tania Burgess
We know life can be challenging, we know living a peaceful life isn't about escaping to live in a monastery in the mountains.
We gather online and in person to leave behind the complaining, gossiping and blaming, to go inside and work on the only thing we can truly control...our self.
Meet Tania
Hi, I’m Tania. I'm no stranger to the stress of people pleasing, meeting deadlines, dealing with difficult people and working in a high stress environment. From my twenties through to my early thirties I was a corporate caterer and event coordinator, working long hours with few breaks or days off to rest. After starting a family, I became acutely aware of how my mental and emotional state impacted my children and family. I didn't want to be the cranky mum, nor did I want to model unhealthy habits to my kids.
I’ve never been one to shy away from an adventure, or a challenge. I grew up in a naval family, moving every few years and I was always the new kid. Being shy was the label given to social anxiety back then and the way to deal with it was to simply power through and keep taking action.
It wasn’t until my own children started showing signs of anxiety in a stable family home that I discovered that dealing with anxiety by ignoring and avoiding didn’t work. The feeling needed to be named and recognised and managed, so that I regained control over it, rather than it having control over me.
When my yoga teacher invited me to do her teacher training, I laughed at the idea, but she assured me it would help me personally and being a teacher didn’t have to be the outcome. Yoga teacher training opened my eyes to a different way of experiencing myself in this life and it led me to study nutrition through health coaching, Neuro-linguistic programming, mindfulness and meditation, as well as the female yogini teachings, which are very different to the masculine yoga that we know in most studios.
It was during a 5 month road trip, homeschooling my daughters, that I realised none of my knowledge was useful unless I was putting it into practice. That started the shift from knowing, to doing.
I committed to meditating, every day. I practiced mindfulness in every possible moment. I became more aware and calmer. Being calmer meant I was less reactive which meant I was more present. Being present meant being able to solve problems, connect with people, savour experiences and maintain the peace within myself, no matter what was going on around me.
After returning to Australia in 2016, I observed how Sydney's frantic pace was personally affecting me and my family and friends. I curated the techniques used during my time away.
"You're always so zen Tania" a friend told her one day... and the "Find Your Zen" course was born.
The first course sold out within 48 hours. Since then, I've shared the techniques with hundreds of men and women, virtually, at my home studio and others, as well as many well known corporate and educational entities.
In 2014, I was living a dream...
I had packed up my life in Sydney to take a 18 month gap year, travelling through Europe, exploring and discovering new places, meeting wonderful people, hiking, snowboarding, surfing and so much amazing food. My husband and I were home schooling our two daughters whilst moving location every 4-5 days through Italy, France, Germany & Morocco. We even sailed from Spain to Dubai so we could fly back for our niece's wedding. Our social media was filled with beautiful images of wonderful places, however the reality behind the scenes was quite a different story.
I was cranky & stressed out, managing everyone's needs & expectations, reducing conflict between family members & trying to relax! I knew that to truly enjoy this incredible experience I had to change something. As an experienced wellbeing coach & yoga teacher, I knew I had to start with myself.
It was at Plum Village, a Buddhist Monastery in the South of France, home of Vietnamese refugee and peace activist Thich Nhat Hahn, I was reminded of power of the zen way of living with mindfulness. So I committed to a daily meditation practice.
From that day forward, no matter where we were or what we were doing, each & every day I would meditate. But more than that, I would be mindful in each moment that I could.
It changed everything.
I was able to manage the stress better, resolve the inevitable problems and find joy even in the most trying of circumstances.
These practices helped me to become more relaxed and present, making me a better mother, wife and human being.
I share them here, so you can find the one (or more) to help you improve the quality of your life and your interactions at work, home or play.
Find Your Zen curation of the meditation techniques I used during that trip to, reduce overwhelm, stress & tension, connecting with more peace, joy & calm.
Meditation
Meditation, Sicilian Courtyard
Meditation Mont Blanc, France
Do any of these sound like you?
- I’m easily irritated and overreact?
- I feel anxious and worry about things?
- I'm a people pleaser who finds it hard to say “no”?
- I ruminate over things that have already happened and don’t know how to let them go?
- I find myself trying to keep the peace at home or at work?
If you have said yes to any of these, welcome to the hub that helps you develop inner resources that soothe, calm & create a more peaceful life.
Training & Qualifications
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Turn UP Your Zen recognises the Darramuragal or Darug people, as the original custodians of this land upon which our studio is located and upon which we teach & practice.
We pay our respect to their Elders past, present & emerging. Turn UP Your Zen endorses the cultural awareness code within Yoga Australia's Reconciliation Plan.
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