That's me

This autumn, I’m coming home to Romania—and I’m returning with my mum, after having her here with us in New Zealand for a few special weeks. 💛

For the first time since we moved to New Zealand, we’ll celebrate her birthday together in September. Can you believe she’s turning 72? To me, she is still simply Mum—the person whose love, strength, and presence have shaped so much of who I am.

No matter how old we become or how far away we live, being with Mum can still feel like coming home. 🏡

On this special occasion, I would also love to bring something home to my Romanian friends: some of what I have learned while living in New Zealand and through my craniosacral therapy training.

Our Coming Home to yourself mini-workshop, happening on 9–10 October in Bucharest, will explore how we can return to our roots, accept who we truly are, and live more honestly and authentically.

To celebrate my mum’s birthday, I’m gifting one free place at the workshop!

To enter:

🌿 Comment below: What does home mean to you?
🌿 Tag a friend who might also love to join us
🌿 Follow my page

I’ll announce the winner on 7 September—my mum’s birthday! 🎂

September feels extra special for our family this year, and I would love to share some of that joy with one of you. 🤍

Looking forward to this event in Slovenia 😇🥰 If you are there in October I am looking forward to seeing you there !

🎙️ This Week on Making Yourself at Home we had the pleasure of welcoming Amna Haroon from Pakistan, who shared her inspiring journey of courage, connection, and creating change.

🌏 Amna moved to New Plymouth with her husband and children three years ago. She spoke honestly about the challenges of starting over in a new country — adapting to a different way of life while raising a young family. But she embraced the challenge with heart and determination.

✨ Today, Amna is not only settled but thriving. She’s formed deep connections, stepped into leadership roles, and is giving back to the community in powerful ways.

💼 Amna currently works with both English Language Partners New Zealand and Seasons for Growth Taranaki — supporting others through their journeys of language learning, adjustment, and emotional wellbeing.

💬 “Back in Pakistan, I always dreamed of giving back,” Amna shared. “But with moving and figuring out motherhood, I couldn’t do much about it. I believe there’s a time and place for everything — and maybe I was meant to come here to fulfill that wish.”

🎉 Upcoming Event – Don’t Miss It!
Join the Pakistan Association of New Plymouth - PANP for a Fun-Filled Family Day on June 28th at 11am at New Plymouth Raceway.
A celebration of culture, community, and connection.
📅 Event Details Here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1888864365225875/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[]%7D

V Zibelki življenja bomo oktobra gostili en poseben dogodek.

Vabljeni, če začutite, da je to nekaj za vas.

Kaj se bo dogajalo?

»VRNITEV K SEBI« je tridnevni izkustveni oddih, namenjen raziskovanju avtentičnega življenja – vzorcev, vlog in strategij preživetja, ki jih nosimo s seboj, ponovnemu povezovanju s tem, kdo v resnici smo pod vsem tem, ter odkrivanju, da morda z nami pravzaprav nikoli ni bilo nič narobe.

📅 2.–4. oktober 2026
📍 Zibelka Življenja, Slovenija

Če želiš izvedeti več, se lahko obrneš neposredno na Alino That's me ali Sharon Sharon Robinson in jima pošlješ zasebno sporočilo ali pa se prijaviš na [email protected].

I’m so excited to be coming to Europe this October to facilitate this special retreat in Slovenia together with Sharon! 🌿

A heartfelt thank you to Zibelka življenja for inviting Sharon Robinson and me and for creating the space for this experience.

“Coming Home to Yourself” is a three-day experiential retreat about authentic living—exploring the patterns, roles and survival strategies we carry, reconnecting with who we truly are underneath them, and discovering that perhaps there is nothing wrong with us after all.

📅 2–4 October 2026
📍 Zibelka Življenja, Slovenia

If you feel drawn to join us or would like further details, please contact me directly or send me a private message. I would love to hear from you. 💛

🎙️ This week on Making Yourself at Home, we had the honour of speaking with Brendan Pittwood — a well-loved and deeply experienced practitioner with decades of work in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Prenatal & Birth Therapy, and Remedial Body Therapy Therapeutics Limited .

Brendan has dedicated his life to supporting individuals on their healing journeys. His deep understanding of early life experiences, trauma integration, and the body’s innate intelligence has made him a trusted practitioner and educator across Aotearoa and Australia.

In our conversation, we explored:
✨ How early experiences shape our nervous system
✨ How a baby “makes themselves at home” inside the womb
✨ The importance of the environment before birth and how it influences lifelong wellbeing
✨ Why embodied safety matters
✨ Insights from years of working with trauma and healing

It’s a gentle, grounded, and powerful kōrero(conversation) — one that invites you to slow down and reconnect.

🎧 Listen to the full episode:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rjrgyoMwAmHn29KtwRoT6?si=-IyrgD3EQemudDTWcq63eg

Thank you, Brendan, for sharing your wisdom and your beautiful presence with us. 💛

📻 Tune in to “Making Yourself at Home” every Monday from 11am–12pm on Access Radio Taranaki 104.4 FM for more inspiring stories from people making Aotearoa their home.