How I Got Here
Hello, and welcome to Tiroana (previously Finding Presence Meditation).
My name is Shona. I am a mum, Wife, Sister, and Daughter. I am also a Registered Nurse and have a 'day job' that I love. I cherish these roles with all my heart and am grateful for them every day.
But these are, as I said, roles I play in life. So, to tell you about 'ME', I'll need to start with the story of how I came to 'on the mat'.
At the beginning of 2018, I knew that something was wrong. I'm traditionally a glass-half-full kind of girl. I try very hard to see the lesson or gift in every moment. But this attitude wasn't cutting it for me anymore. I was exhausted, emotional, unmotivated, and running on empty.
We were able to have our beautiful little girl naturally in 2014. However, over the next few years, I had been on fertility treatments that hadn’t worked. We were weary and discouraged. I was still trying to see the glass as half full, but it felt like the milk was souring.
I was trying so hard to be a good Mum to my little girl and wife to my husband. I was working (with a long commute), looking after our home and supporting my husband in our local business.
My morning coffee would create a heart-racing 'about to jump off a cliff feeling', and I would fall into bed at night. Something had to give – I was stuck in a relentless fight-or-flight mode, with adrenal fatigue becoming my unwanted companion.
You might have to change the plot slightly, but this could be any woman's story. Something had to change for me, my family, and my health.
Relying on sheer positivity wasn’t cutting it anymore. Exercise, while a fantastic outlet for some, just wasn’t something I could muster the energy for. I needed something different.
Enter meditation.
I’d dabbled in meditation over the years through CDs and books (yes, that long ago) but never quite found my groove. Maybe that sounds familiar to you? I'd give it a go for a few days, but then my motivation would just fizzle out. The habit never really took hold. Looking back, I realise part of the struggle was going it alone at home. I now understand the immense value of being part of a group; that communal energy can really amplify your practice. It’s a bit like my experience with yoga – practising in a group brought depth and richness to my practice, which was truly transformative.
As fate would have it, I stumbled upon the Insight Timer app, and this time something just clicked. Maybe it was the timing, my deep-seated desire for change, or the sheer necessity of my situation – but it worked. I began to carve out time early each morning, before my household stirred, just to sit and be, following Tara Brach’s gentle encouragement - ‘the most important thing to remember is your commitment to practice “no matter what,”’
As the weeks went by, the transformation was nothing short of amazing. Close friends and family began to see changes in my 'energy', openly asking why “I seemed different.“
I had a feeling of peacefulness, and I noticed differences in my temperament and manner.
I felt different. I felt lighter.
I felt the softness come back.
I felt myself come back.
How much did it change my life? I am now studying to become a meditation teacher, and my heart, mind, and adrenals couldn't be happier.
Of course, life’s stressors don’t just vanish; it’s how we handle them that reshapes our lives and well-being. My meditation practice isn’t perfect—it ebbs and flows—but it’s gradually become as second nature as brushing my teeth.
Tiroana is all about exploring the myriad ways we can nurture our minds and spirits, primarily through meditation and connection, inquiry, strength, ritual, self-healing, and finding inner peace.
Beyond just sharing my personal voyage towards becoming a meditation guide, Tiroana is a treasure trove of resources, events, and classes designed to weave meditation into the fabric of your life.
I’m thrilled to share this journey with you.
Finding presence together, Shona 🙏