Fresh Eyes, Full Heart: Verve Festival with Kaye Smith

Fresh Eyes, Full Heart: Verve Festival with Kaye Smith

In this episode, I'm joined by Kaye Smith — yoga teacher, former corporate professional, and the new custodian of the beloved Verve Festival. Kaye took over the running of Verve in 2025, and in this conversation she shares what it really feels like to inherit something built with such love and care, and what she's bringing to it next. We talk about the festival itself, who it's for, and what you can expect — but we also go deeper into the shared experience of stepping into someone else's legacy and making it your own. I share my own parallel: taking over my choir nearly 19 years ago and learning to honour what came before whilst finding my own voice within it. What We Talk About * What Verve Festival is and who it's for * What to expect if you've never been before * The weight of taking over something grown with such love by someone else * Honouring a legacy whilst bringing in fresh energy and vision * The parallels between Kaye's journey and my own experience inheriting a choir * Why festivals like Verve matter for women who are constantly spinning multiple plates * The importance of creating space to reset and regulate — not as a luxury, but a necessity Key Reflections from the Conversation * Stepping into someone else's dream takes courage, humility, and vision * Legacy doesn't mean staying still — it means carrying something forward with integrity * Women who give a lot need spaces designed to receive * Rest and regulation aren't indulgent — they're foundational * Community support makes events like this possible A Central Theme This episode is a gentle reminder that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is show up — for an event, for a community, and for ourselves. Verve Festival is one of those rare spaces designed to do exactly that. Connect with Kaye & Verve Festival Verve Festival Website [https://www.feeltheverve.com] Verve Festival on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/vervefestival?igsh=a3Qwazgzdzc4cXg0] Connect with Lilli Sing To Heal Website [https://www.singtohealyou.com] Wiltshire Wellbeing Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiltshirewellbeing/] 🎟️ Book Your Tickets The Wiltshire Wellbeing community — this one's for you! Get behind this incredible event and treat yourself to something truly nourishing. Click here to book your tickets [https://www.feeltheverve.com/book-tickets] Use the code LILY10 for a discount! 🌿

Eat Well, Nourish Deeply, Heal Fully with Charlotte Price

In this episode, I’m joined by Charlotte Price, Health and Wellness Coach, Yoga Teacher and founder of Eat.Nourish.Heal. Charlotte’s ethos is simple yet powerful: when we eat well, we nourish our bodies and when we are truly nourished, we create the foundations to heal whatever we are facing in life. Together, we explore food, mindset, movement, and the cultural narratives that have shaped how so many women view their bodies and their worth. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT 1. Why New Year’s resolutions so often fall away 2. The damaging 90s diet culture narrative that left many women believing they were “fat” 3. Shifting motivation from appearance-based goals to long-term health and vitality 4. What “eating well” actually means (and what it doesn’t) 5. How to make healthier choices without feeling deprived 6. The importance of mindset in sustainable wellbeing 7. Why diet culture continues to create confusion and guilt 8. Moving your body in a manageable, sustainable way 9. The benefits of yoga and Pilates for strength, mobility and nervous system support 10. The invisible pressure many women carry 11. Contributing financially while still being expected to carry the emotional and domestic load 12. Guilt and shame around taking time for yourself 13. Why self-care isn’t selfish but rather vital KEY REFLECTIONS FROM THE CONVERSATION 1. Health is about longevity, not punishment 2. Nourishment supports resilience — physically and emotionally 3. Sustainable habits are more powerful than extreme bursts of motivation 4. You don’t need to “beast yourself” in the gym to be strong 5. Guilt around self-care is cultural — not personal failure 6. When women prioritise their wellbeing, everyone benefits A CENTRAL THEME This episode gently challenges the idea that we must earn our rest or justify our health choices. Instead, we explore how nourishment — in every sense — is a form of self-respect. CONNECT WITH CHARLOTTE Eat Nourish Heal Website [https://eatnourishheal.co.uk/] CONNECT WITH LILLI Sing To Heal Website [https://www.singtohealyou.com/] Wiltshire Wellbeing Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiltshirewellbeing] PS: Join Charlotte, Lilli and Ted Lawlor (phenomenal Breathwork Coach) for a powerful one off event combining Yoga Nidra, Breathwork and Sound Reiki at St Johns Place in Salisbury. Click here for the full details and to book your place! [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1982880117810?aff=oddtdtcreator]

Resilient to the Point of Breaking: Menopause, Identity & Finding Support with Caroline Milne

In this deeply honest and important episode, I’m joined by Caroline Milne, founder of Unmenopaused. Caroline is a Menopause Champion and coach with over 20 years’ experience in nursing, now dedicated to supporting women — and the men in their lives — through perimenopause and menopause via 1:1 coaching, small groups, and workplace education. This conversation explores what happens when grief, stress, hormonal change and identity loss collide — and why so many women reach breaking point without realising menopause is part of the picture. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE 1. How Caroline went from loving her nursing career to feeling unable to function in it 2. Losing a strong sense of identity and being forced to reinvent herself 3. Caring for parents during serious illness while navigating grief 4. Early perimenopause symptoms that went unrecognised 5. Working as a nurse during Covid and the impact of sustained stress 6. Heart palpitations, joint pain and a long period of misdiagnosis 7. Being treated for fibromyalgia before questioning the diagnosis 8. Starting HRT and finding some stability — before life shifted again 9. Supporting her Mum through an aortic aneurysm diagnosis and then grieving her loss 10. Rising stress, long hours, missed meals and carrying too much alone 11. Changing jobs with hope — and then feeling like a completely different person 12. Erratic bleeding, mood changes and worsening perimenopause symptoms 13. The moment Caroline realised she could no longer continue on without support CAROLINE’S STORY Caroline shares her journey through years of layered pressure: losing her Dad to dementia, supporting her Mum after a stroke and later a life-threatening diagnosis, navigating complex family dynamics, and working on the frontline during the pandemic — all while unknowingly moving through perimenopause. By the time she began a new role in sexual and reproductive health, she no longer recognised herself. > “I didn’t feel like the person I’d been in the interview… I felt guilty, like I’d given them someone they weren’t expecting.” Just two weeks into the role, it became clear her Mum was approaching end of life. The combined weight of grief, stress and worsening perimenopause symptoms led Caroline to make the life-changing decision to end her nursing career. KEY THEMES & INSIGHTS 1. Menopause, anxiety, grief and relationship stress don’t exist in neat boxes 2. Anxiety can appear during menopause even if it’s never been an issue before 3. Many women don’t recognise what’s happening — and so don’t get support 4. Strength and resilience can become harmful without help 5. Caroline was told she was “resilient to the point of self-destruction” > “I thought I could just keep going. I’m a nurse. I’m strong. It never occurred to me that it would break me.” We also talk about how Caroline wasn’t able to care for herself — but equally, those around her didn’t recognise how much she was struggling. This highlights why education is so vital, not just for women, but for families, workplaces and communities. WHY THIS WORK MATTERS 1. There is currently very limited menopause support available locally 2. In Wiltshire, there are only six free menopause support groups — three of which Caroline has set up or helped to establish 3. Men need education and space to learn how to support their partners 4. Caroline runs mixed groups where men can ask questions openly and safely 5. Modalities like breathwork and sound healing — often dismissed as “woo woo” — can be powerful tools in times of extreme stress During the episode, we guide listeners through a simple breathwork example to help calm the nervous system in moments of overwhelm. WHAT’S COMING UP We also share details of our joint retreat day at Launceston Farm on 17th May 2026, where we’ll be bringing together education, breathwork, sound healing and support in a safe, nurturing space. ABOUT UNMENOPAUSED Unmenopaused supports women (and the men in their lives) through perimenopause and menopause via: 1. 1:1 coaching 2. Small group programmes 3. Mixed-gender education spaces 4. Workplace workshops for staff wellbeing Connect with Caroline Unmenopaused Website [https://www.unmenopaused.co.uk] Join us at Launceston Farm for our day retreat - Still Me, Just Shifting [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981990612275?aff=oddtdtcreator] CONNECT WITH LILLI SING TO HEAL WEBSITE [https://www.singtohealyou.com/] JOIN THE WILTSHIRE WELLBEING FACEBOOK GROUP [https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiltshirewellbeing]

Community, Purpose & Standing Shoulder to Shoulder with Caroline Cary

In this episode, I’m joined by Caroline Cary, founder of Eat Nourish Love — a wellness PR platform encompassing events, podcasting and community-building. Caroline is also an extraordinary fundraiser, having helped raise close to £4 million for charities, and has long been known for bringing people together for causes that matter. This conversation is a heartfelt exploration of community, purpose, courage and the quiet moments that shape the path we eventually walk. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE 1. The importance of community and pulling together to support friends and neighbours 2. How Caroline’s background in fundraising and event organising shaped her life’s work 3. Training in cooking with Prue Leith and Carolyn Aldergrove 4. Life as an army wife, moving home 15 times, and home-educating her children 5. Her daughter’s serious eye condition and how it changed Caroline’s relationship with health and healing 6. The moment Eat Nourish Love was born during lockdown 7. The meaning behind Eat, Nourish, Love — food, love, Reiki and reflexology 8. Why so many people are given opportunities but don’t take the leap 9. How the people around us make brave decisions possible 10. The shift away from “guru culture” toward co-collaboration in wellbeing 11. Purpose, anxiety, overwhelm and the question: Who am I and why am I here? 12. Why there is no end game — only a journey we get to shape THE HEART OF EAT NOURISH LOVE Eat Nourish Love was created from lived experience and deep care. Caroline shares how training in Reiki and reflexology to support her daughter, combined with a sense of being “handed something by the universe,” inspired her to take the leap into business during lockdown. Community sits at the centre of everything Caroline does — not just in wellness, but in fundraising, events and everyday life. KEY REFLECTIONS FROM THE CONVERSATION 1. None of us do anything alone 2. Vision without people goes nowhere 3. Collaboration creates stronger, more sustainable impact 4. Purpose gives direction, even in uncertain times 5. Progress doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful 6. We all struggle — just in different ways 7. Grace matters more than judgement QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE Caroline: > “You can have the vision, but without the right people it doesn’t go anywhere.” > “If you can bring a little bit of progress into your life, it allows you to take a step forward and keep following your gut.” Final words from Caroline: > “If you can do something in the morning for yourself and make it a non-negotiable, it makes a huge difference to your mental state.” CONNECT WITH CAROLINE / EAT NOURISH LOVE 1. Eat Nourish Love website: https://www.eatnourishlove.com 2. Eat Nourish Love podcast: https://www.eatnourishlove.com/podcasts/ 3. Instagram: @eat.nourish.love_ / @enlfairs 4. Eat Nourish Love Autumn Fair: 5. Featuring over 120 businesses, inspiring talks, and evening shopping CONNECT WITH LILLI Sing To Heal Website [https://www.singtohealyou.com/] Join the Wiltshire Wellbeing Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiltshirewellbeing] BUY ME A HOT CHOCOLATE [https://buymeacoffee.com/wwbpodcast]

Longevity, Community & Moving Well for Life with Tim Howe

In this episode, I’m joined by Tim Howe, founder of The Longevity Games — a community-based initiative designed to help people invest in their long-term health and wellbeing. Tim’s work is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: giving ourselves the best possible chance of staying well, mobile and independent as we age. We explore why longevity isn’t just about living longer, but about living better — and how community, inclusive movement, and realistic starting points play a vital role. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE 1. What longevity really means and why we need to think differently about ageing 2. Why we’re not currently ageing well as a society 3. The difference between life expectancy and health expectancy in the UK 4. Why 85% of Swindon’s local council budget now goes on social care — and why this matters 5. The ethos of “start where you are and do what you can do” 6. Strategic movement and exercise to support long-term health 7. Why functional fitness becomes more important as we age 8. What VO₂ max is and why it’s a crucial marker of health 9. How we lose around 10% of our VO₂ capacity every decade after 40 10. The importance of maintaining aerobic capacity through movement 11. How The Longevity Games bring people of all ages and abilities together 12. Inclusion, accessibility, and future plans — including a women-only event in 2026 ABOUT THE LONGEVITY GAMES The Longevity Games are community events held throughout the year, designed to be fully inclusive, welcoming people of all abilities, including those with disabilities. They focus on realistic, accessible challenges that encourage movement, connection, and long-term wellbeing — not competition or perfection. Tim breaks down exactly what the games involve and how people can get involved, whether as participants, supporters, or community members. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Longevity is about quality of life, not just years lived 2. Movement doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective 3. Community is a powerful motivator for sustainable wellbeing 4. You don’t need to be “fit” to start — you just need to start 5. Small, consistent actions now can make a profound difference later in life CONNECT WITH TIM / THE LONGEVITY GAMES The Longevity Games Website [http://www.thelongevitygames.co.uk/] Watch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFV-i7ByDU0] the video CONNECT WITH LILLI Sing To Heal Website [https://www.singtohealyou.com] Join the Wiltshire Wellbeing Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiltshirewellbeing] BUY ME A HOT CHOCOLATE [https://buymeacoffee.com/wwbpodcast]