This is where it begins

When I was younger I aspired to be somebody who could help others to lead a happy, healthy life. I took a job with Sport Auckland as an Active Movement Advisor for 0-5 year olds. I realised that for people to lead a happy healthy life, life needed to be loved and nurtured in early childhood.

I attended a presentation by The Brainwave Trust and learnt the importance of relationship and attachment in the early years and another by Gill Connell and learnt movement + experience = understanding. I attended a certification course to teach pregnancy and postnatal yoga with Amanda Reid of Samadhi Family Yoga.

Their words, their wisdom and grace left me inspired. I began my own yoga practice and felt a dance within.

I wanted to connect movement for baby with movement for the parent to help build relationship and attachment. I wanted to tell everyone about why spending time playing on the floor with a baby is the best gift you could give. Babies don't need stuff. Babies need your time. I have discovered why and I want to share it.

Within my job I found myself less out in the community spreading this joy of movement and more behind a desk. I was left feeling unsatisfied and knew I wanted more. I wanted to create and lead into the future.

I felt that my knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating could be combined with my knowledge of movement and child development. I created Eat Play Grow - supporting child development through nutrition and movement.

Knowing that Eat and Play weren't enough I decided to take a course with the International Association of Infant Massage. Peggy Dawson was my teacher, an incredible woman with an incredible heart. She helped me find the last jigsaw piece in my creation.

Eat is for health and well being.

Play is for child development and learning.

Grow is for loving and nurturing touch.

This is where it begins: empowering parents to develop their child through nutrition and healthy eating, movement and play, and massage and touch. This is what Eat Play Grow is about. Spreading the good news of early child development to each and everyone of you in order to help people lead a happy healthy life.

I thank you for reading this first piece and ask that you follow the many more to come and share this journey to help create a happy and healthy future.

With love, Alissa x