KAAIAA Founder Leah Simmons, explains the importance of mindfulness when reconnecting with your true you and how this integrates into her 4 pillars of health - Mental, physical, emotional & spiritual.

Mindfulness for me is all about being present. It’s about slowing down and taking the time to appreciate things in the here and now. That may be acknowledging your meal and where it came from. It could be looking at and improving how we communicate with each other. It might be standing bare foot on the earth and feeling grounded. One of my favourite things to practice is“mindful movement”. It refers to engaging in different exercises while focusing as much of your attention on your breath and how your body is moving. It asks you to connect to your body as you move and register how you are feeling e.g. taking a moment to notice where the weight is being distributed around your body as you move through different exercises or how the ground feels on feet as you walk. Being mindful of your movements allows you to engage fully in what you are doing, thus gaining the full benefit of the experience. You are bringing your mind into your activity which builds resilience, increases focus and keeps you in the present moment. The more we are taken out of the present (through our phones, email, social media and other distractions) the less we are connected to the magic of what is in front of us. We all talk about how busy we are... but time slows right down if you can exist in the moment.

We are SO MUCH MORE than just a physical body. We are emotions, thoughts, decisions, relationships and connections. And all of these elements combine to make you, YOU! I believe to be truly fit you need to address the health of ALL aspects of your life. And these can be broken down into 4 key areas (or pillars) of health – MENTAL, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL. And just like your physical body, they can be trained so that you are functioning at your absolute best.

So unlike any other fitness program, KAAIAA trains ALL of you in the ONE workout. With its dynamic combination of Breath Work, Body Work, Meditation and Integration, you are not only creating a strong, lean body.. you are cultivating a positive mindset with laser-sharp focus and improved self-esteem. KAAIAA allows you to see yourself as you truly are.. a strong, confident being ready to accept everything life has to offer you.

During the last lockdown the KAAIAA community really flourished – the way everyone was supporting one another on their own individual journey was incredible to witness. I wanted to make sure that even when the lockdown finished, we still remained connected so I created the live virtual studio – it’s a true interactive class. I laugh and chat to the participants and we hang around at the end of a bit of a debrief! It has really given people a meaningful way to not only be educated around the different stages of healing they are going through but also connect with like-minded people.

The KAAIAA community is everything to me. And this year we are focusing so much on live events, retreats and community gatherings.. to keep that spirit of unity alive.

I have committed to a few things for this year – sobriety, more me-time, to stop apologising for my place in this world. They are all important in their own way to continue the evolution of “Leah”. As I connect more and more to my intuition it becomes much clearer the path I need to go down. 2021 was certainly eventful – I launched KAAIAA which was amazing but I also separated from my husband which (in its own way) was also amazing.. as it has shown me that I am not afraid to face the difficult things in order to grow as a person. That commitment will be my resolution every day for the rest of my life.