Hi, Kia Ora,
I'm Rach.
A daughter, sister, cuzzie, friend, partner and mother. I'm also a creator, and have been for as long as I can remember.
I can remember my parents coming home from trips and holidays with beads from their travels so that I could make jewellery with them, as this was one of my passions during my teen years. I also loved sewing - which I'm sure was much to my parents entertainment at times when they saw me walk out in my creations 🤪
In my early 20s, during my first semester at Uni, I started to experience anxiety and panic attacks. This was the first time I can really remember experiencing this sort of mental distress - yes there had been tough moments, sadness, anger etc in my life, but this was something completely different. A new type of being out of control, fear and where I believe I started to lose trust in myself/my body.
When I was in a panic attack I didn't know what was possible, how bad it could get and what my mind and body was going to do. I'd feel completely out of control and scared.
Scared of what? The unknown I guess. The unknown of what a panic attack could result in, which eventually became a fear that my brain was simply going to implode because it just couldn't handle any more thoughts steamrolling through it.
I would often escape my general anxiety through active relaxing. Keeping myself busy, but with things I didn't really need to think about like painting and making jewellery. Things to keep my mind occupied, but still allow enough space for thoughts to come and go, but because I was focused on a task I wouldn't latch onto the thoughts and ruminate on them.
This eventually created the spark for Kamala - to host creative and self care based workshops to bring people together, create a community and learn new things that might support our well-being.
The Mandala
One of the Kamala workshops I hosted was with Sarah Vassella, a beautiful and talented soul who shared the magic of Mandalas with us. I didn't really know much about Mandalas before the workshop, but loved that it wasn't about the way your Mandala looked (or your ability to draw), but the intention you created your Mandala with, and the way that they could support you.
"Each person's life is like a Mandala - a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we hear, see and think forms the mandala of our life." ~ Pema Chodron
I loved the meaning and energy of the Mandala, so much in fact that I ended up having one of Sarah's Mandalas tattooed on my arm.
One weekend I went along to one of Sarah's Mandala and yoga workshops. I was 18 months into a period of active healing and was ready for the next chapter to begin. While creating my Mandala I surrendered. I felt myself really sink into the feeling of letting go of the hurt of my past so that I could let in the love of my future. The next week I met Shaun ❤️
And my life changed. We now have our own family with Shaun's two children, our son and we have another baby joining us in early 2023. Our family became my focus and Covid changed everyone's 'normal' way of living, connecting and engaging in society.
I took 20 months to really focus on being a māmā. Kamala was often in the back of my mind. I wondered what it would become, but also just let it be, knowing its purpose would become clear when the time was right.
And here we are.
Beautiful Intentional Creations
In September 2021 I felt a pull to learn how to macramè. I was all in, buying rolls and rolls of cord, rings, dowels and more to play, learn and see what resonated.
This has morphed into creating a range of products - plant hangers, wall hangings and crystal mandalas. The crystals mandalas are the most meaningful. Created in collaboration with my cousin, Millisa at Conscious Crystals, we create mandalas with intentions interwoven which align with the energy of the crystal.
We love working together on these collab pieces. Bringing these powerful spiritual symbols to life to assist others on their journey of healing & growth.