Who are we?
Hunna Armstrong and Katherine Bibby, qualified Naturopaths & Nutritionists and Co- Founders of Totum Naturopathy.
HUNNA:
What sets your soul on fire?
I feel most alive when I am belting out a sad song. I have been singing ever since I can remember and some of my fondest memories are of jamming with my brother after school and just feeling like all the pressures of the day had left my body. There is something so powerful in music and the way it can pull you into a zone that no one else can touch or be a part of. Just a special sacred space for myself to release and feel pure joy.
How do you share your gift with others?
Both professionally and in my personal life I live for deep, honest and conscious conversations. The human experience fascinates me and I think this curiosity allows me to see different perspectives on things and be accepting of every individual's story to meet them where they are at that moment. I share my gift of healing by creating a safe space to cultivate a raw, human conversation to open up deeper connection and understanding of self.
Reflecting on your growth, how do you feel?
What is next?
The end of last year brought on some deep introspection around the idea of ‘growth’ and ‘success’. As an individual, this has been a hard process of letting go of ego and things that I thought would make me happy but do not. Through this process though, I have been able to understand the essence of what it is to truly be happy without noise or expectations to cloud my experience. I am feeling like I am finding myself again after years of feeling disconnected from what makes me happy.
The brand has developed so much over the years. We both feel like we have landed in a groove with Totum and how we wish to share our message and our offerings to the community. It took us years to put our educational resources together and formulate/ manufacture our two products, all of which we are so proud of. So right now we are just so happy seeing people benefit from what we have created and are enjoying Totum with where it is at.
Being constantly creative, how do you balance?
Creativity comes in so many forms and I think it's important to have variety in my creative outlets to spark more creative flow. The one difficult thing that I have personally found with having an online business is that constantly being plugged into technology and spending many of the working days looking at a screen zaps my energy and inspiration. Being constantly on social media apps or other forms of media has the potential to influence your unique style, practice and message to make it something that's more popular or digestible for a modern consumer.
Spending time away from technology and truly reflecting on what I value most in life is one way I try to find balance and stay creative. I am constantly reflecting on what brings me joy & purpose and trying to access my flow state (focusing on one task of enjoyment), so that I can be fully present. When I am living in my truth and not seeking any form of validation to acknowledge my work or life, my creativity flows.
Shit times which shaped you?
After I finished school I moved to London and found myself in the deepest state of depression I’d ever been in. I had experienced bouts of anxiety/ depression growing up, but this was another level where I felt like I couldn’t pull myself out of it. Even though this was one of the most difficult times in my life, it guided me on a trajectory of exploration and understanding of myself. For the first time I was forced to take action on my mental health because I had reached my edge. If I wasn’t pushed to my edge at that stage in my life, then I do not think I would be the person I am today. My hard times helped me to help others and I am forever grateful for that. This is where my curiosity of the human experience started and why I became a Naturopath.
KAT:
A song or movie to represent your life
Loro by Pinback – I always thought if there was a song that would be on the soundtrack to my life, this would be at the top of the list. I constantly find myself coming back to this song since I first heard it as a teenager, it has such a calming pace to it, and makes me feel at ease whenever I listen to it. I think it represents not necessarily my life, but my perspective through life. I am a person who takes their time, thinks deeply about things, I've never necessarily had a set ‘plan’ for where I see my life heading, more so just happy to trust in the flow and see where it takes me.
What sets your soul on fire?
Since I was little, I have always had a connection with the ocean, it is the place where I feel the most grounded, and if I spend time away from it, I start to notice myself going a little loopy. Diving underneath a wave, opening my eyes and looking up to the sky to see the sun glistening through the surface is a small but significant moment in my day where I feel most alive.
I also started back at dance classes this year. It was something I hadn’t done since high school, and I didn’t realise how much I was missing it in my life, and how much it set my soul on fire.
How do you share your gift with others?
As a Naturopath I think one of our biggest gifts we offer our patients is a space for them to share, and for us to listen. I am not the most extraverted person and find even in my social life and relationships I am often the one creating that same space for others. I am a triple Cancer, so I am really sensitive to energy, in particular other people's energy, which I think really helps me understand what the other person needs in any particular moment to make them feel safe and heard.
Advice for someone if your field, advice you wish you had known?
Always listen to your intuition when it comes to business opportunities or other people you are dealing with in business and set clear boundaries with your time and energy. It is easy to burn yourself out in our field, as Naturopaths we give so much to our patients, so it is so important to regularly check in with yourself and create time to nourish your own needs.
Shit times which shaped you?
At the start of this year my partner and I fell pregnant with our first baby but unfortunately had a miscarriage at 12 weeks. Grieving this loss was one of the hardest moments of my life, but it really opened my eyes to just how much we cannot control in our lives. We often go through our days putting so much pressure on ourselves, building up so much anxiety about events or moments we have coming up in the future. This period in my life shaped me not only into a more resilient person, but also into someone who can more easily let go and surrender to what this life presents me. Instead of leaning into anxiety when stressful situations come up, I feel like I am now more inclined to acknowledge what is in my control, and deal with the stress from a place of self compassion. Instead of putting immense pressure on myself to be ‘perfect’, in each given moment, task or interaction, I am now just happy with doing my best (whatever that may look like at the time). Although it stemmed from an absolute heart break, this lesson has been really freeing.
Thank you Hunna and Kat.
Journal Prompts :
Shit times that have shaped you?
Something you wish you knew earlier and advice you would now give knowing?
Being constantly creative how do you balance?