Have you ever had that gut feeling about a decision in your business… but second-guessed yourself, over-analysed it, or went searching for someone else’s advice?

I know I have. For me, the turning point wasn’t about strategy or experience—it was about reconnecting with myself and learning to trust my own intuition.

In this episode, I’m joined by Filly Bellette—functional medicine practitioner, trauma therapist, and co-creator of the Ending Body Burnout Method. Filly was a huge part of my own healing journey, helping me uncover what was truly keeping me stuck: nervous system dysregulation, unhelpful belief systems, and the constant pressure to do more, be more, hold more.

We dive deep into:
✨ What body burnout really looks like (and why it’s more than just feeling tired)
✨ How your wellbeing directly impacts your ability to lead a business that fuels you
✨ The paradox of holding more without doing more through nervous system regulation
✨ The transformative experiences you can expect at the Exhale Retreat
✨ Why retreats are powerful for reconnecting and resetting—without guilt

I’m deeply grateful to Filly—not just for her role in my personal journey, but also for joining me at Exhale. It’s an honour to share this space with her, and I can’t wait for you to experience the retreat too.

Exhale isn’t a holiday—it’s a strategic reset for your business and life. A chance to exhale, realign, and step back into your business with clarity, energy, and conviction.

Burnout can creep up on even the most high-performing women — sometimes we don’t even realise we’re on the edge until our bodies start screaming at us.

In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Heidi Lampard — Yoga Practitioner, Holistic Wellness Mentor, Tea Ceremony Facilitator, Retreat Leader, and mother of two. Heidi will also be joining us as a facilitator at the upcoming Exhale Retreat in October, sharing her wisdom, practices, and tools with attendees.

We dive deep into the challenges of burnout, particularly for high-performing female leaders and entrepreneurs who are conditioned to “push through” — often at the cost of their health, energy, and creativity. I share my own journey through burnout and adrenal fatigue, and Heidi opens up about her personal experience with anxiety, panic attacks, and adrenal fatigue while balancing corporate work, family life, and daily responsibilities.

She shares how discovering yoga, meditation, breathwork, and holistic wellness practices helped her heal, regulate her nervous system, and create a sustainable, balanced life — both professionally and personally.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to expand your capacity and resilience through simple, daily practices

• The importance of slowing down and creating space to hear your inner wisdom

• How mindful practices ripple into your relationships, decision-making, and overall well-being

• Practical tools you can start using immediately:

  • Short, adaptable pranayama (breathwork) exercises to reset your nervous system

  • Techniques to expand resilience and capacity, helping you manage life’s demands without spiralling

  • Ways to cultivate presence, clarity, and calm in your work, relationships, and home

  • How consistent mindfulness practices can create a ripple effect of calm with your loved ones

We also give an inside look at what attendees can expect from Heidi’s sessions at the Exhale Retreat:

• Daily morning yoga and meditation practices

• Pranayama (breathwork) sessions

• Sound journeys and yoga asana

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that retreats are not a luxury — they’re a necessity for high-performing women to reconnect with themselves, restore balance, and gain clarity in their lives and careers. Slowing down, pausing, and incorporating mindful practices can empower you to thrive without burning out.

For more information and to secure your spot, visit Exhale | The Retreat.

This is one weekend you don't want to miss!

This retreat has been born out of my own experience and journey from body burnout to thriving.

For years, I thought the only way I could find the peace I craved was to burn it all down, close my business, walk away from everything, and start fresh.

I know I’m not alone in this. So many ambitious women I work with are exhausted from constantly being on. Leading a business, showing up for clients, being there for family... and silently wondering: is this just what success is meant to feel like?

What I’ve learned... you don’t have to choose between leading a thriving business and having the space, stillness, and energy you crave.

That’s why I created Exhale.

A 3 day retreat for women who are ready to step out of survival mode, reconnect with themselves, and reignite the creativity and clarity that fuels not just their life, but their business too.

In this episode, I’m sharing:
💫 The story of how Exhale was born (and the moment I realised I couldn’t keep living in fight-or-flight).
💫 Why rest and nervous system regulation aren’t just nice-to-haves, but the secret weapon for sustainable success.
💫 What you’ll experience on retreat — yoga, meditation, sound healing, breathwork, conversations about women’s health, cycles, and seasons, plus plenty of time in nature.
💫 The tangible outcomes you can expect — more energy, clarity on your next steps, presence as a leader, and inspiration that ripples through every area of your life and business.

This retreat is about more than taking a weekend off. It’s about remembering who you are underneath the noise, and learning how to lead and live from that place of grounded power.

If your body is whispering (or shouting) that it’s time to pause, to breathe, to reclaim your spark — this is your invitation to join me.

🎧 Tune in now, and make sure you follow along over the next few weeks as I go live on Instagram diving deeper into these themes.

Save your space HERE. https://www.melissamarsden.com.au/exhale-2025