Writing to us from London, Rachael kindly shared with us her insights and learnings from a decade within the wellness industry and how she approaches balance in 2026.
We’re curious - how do you feel about the changes you’re witnessing in the health and wellness industry?
Rachael: It’s been fascinating to watch the industry bloom around me. Because I’ve been in the industry for over a decade now, I am both fascinated and critical of it. It’s changed exponentially. People are far more literate and interested when it comes to their wellbeing, which is amazing. But naturally, with more money to be gained, there’s been an increase in opportunistic players with less-than-stellar intentions.
You’ve written previously about concepts such as ‘wellness anarchy’ and the return of party-girl nature as a necessity for wellbeing - we’d love to know, what’s your take on the idea of ‘balance’ in the age of modern-day wellness?
Rachael: I love this topic! It’s so rich for interrogation. As a starting point, I believe balance is a practice. It’s not a fixed state, but a continuous, dynamic relationship of effort and ease, action and rest. What balance looks like varies from person to person and from season to season. It’s influenced by so many factors – from job, to health, to energy levels, relationship status, where we are in our lives, our values. It’s constantly evolving. What balance looks like in my life now is wildly different to what it looked like even six months to a year ago.
Building on that, I view balance from a holistic lens. I don’t look at balance from just the physical perspective, but the spiritual, mental, and emotional lens as well. I love a party, a restaurant, a wine, connecting with people. It makes me feel spiritually alive. But with that, I am conscious of how that takes from my physical health. I need lots of downtime – space where I’m doing absolutely nothing – to bring myself back into equilibrium. It’s like yin and yang principles directly in practice.
Further, how do you personally define ‘wellness’? And how does this show within any of your daily rituals that help you feel most connected with yourself?
Rachael: Wellness is this intricate web of delicate elements that enable me to show up in the world as I desire. If I moved through the world with no consideration for my wellbeing, I’m sure I’d be depleted, exhausted, and basically a terrible human being to be around. But I desire to show up in the world with curiosity, energy, and a grounded, compassionate lens – consideration for my wellbeing enables me to get closer to that.
My daily rituals focus on nourishment. Downtime is really important; a slow start and end to the day. I always start my morning listening to affirmations, or high vibrational music from an artist like SAULT. I have a coffee in bed while listening to a podcast, even if it’s only 10 minutes.
I need to move my body pretty much every day, often Ashtanga yoga, otherwise a walk. And hopefully at some point, I get in a practice of Vedic meditation in (I try for 20 minutes but am happy with anywhere between 5 – 15). At night, it’s always soft light, a cup of hot water or herbal tea and vitamins, pulling a few tarot cards while listening to anything soothing – often jazz or something downtempo.
Through your experience running Self Care Originals, how has your connection with wellbeing changed over time, now that you’ve shifted from working in the industry to then commenting on it through media?
Rachael: Ironically, I’m a lot lighter now. My personal wellbeing has flourished through this change: running a business is very taxing on a founder’s wellbeing, even for those who are in the industry.
In terms of my perspective, I’ve perhaps become more critical of it as an industry; I’m less naïve. But with that, my professional connection to wellness has become a lot more fun. It’s so joyful to create and work with brands on strategy and creative that builds desire; that makes caring for wellbeing aspirational and enticing. It’s such a joy, and so playful. I think much of my disdain for the industry comes from it taking itself so seriously.
We’d love to know more about your experience in moving abroad from Australia to London - how did you go about finding your community when you’re in a new city?
Rachael: The first port of call was finding my yoga studio. I practice a very specific type of yoga called Ashtanga. It’s heaven, but it’s very traditional and not for the faint hearted. We’re encouraged to practice first thing in the morning, four, five, even six days a week. So, I see the same people most mornings: rain, hail or shine, Monday through Sunday, they will be in the shala, practicing from 6am.
And then, there was a lot of putting myself out there and being curious to connect with others. Fortunately, this is something I love to do. In a city like London, which is so big and dynamic, you’d be surprised by how many people are open to connecting. I’ve actually found it easier to make friends here than in Australia. Most people are expats, or even if they’re from the UK, they’ve often moved to London. So, we’re all in the same boat.
Of course, it can be tough at times, being away from family and deep friendships. But I love the person I’ve become by virtue of living here. I’ve matured a lot; my eyes are far more open. I love seeing and observing my growth.
Want to hear more from Rachael? You can find her on IG here or her Substack here.
