Q: What does your morning look like, and why do rituals matter so much to you?

Esther: I call it owning your morning. For me, slow mornings in Queenstown are key — I move, I journal, I check in with myself before I let the day rush in. Without that, I’m moving into the day without being in touch with how I feel.
We wake up different, but we treat ourselves like we're supposed to feel the same every day. We need space to ask: Who is she today? Am I anxious, low, or lit up? That’s the work — tuning in and honoring that version of yourself.

Q: Do you feel like the modern wellness world is helping or hurting that ability to tune in?

Esther: It’s tricky. We’re almost too plugged in — apps for everything, even to tell us how we slept or when to meditate. I love the tools, but we’ve lost trust in our own inner knowing.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is just go outside, breathe, walk, and listen to your body.

Q: What got you into wellness in the first place? Was it something you grew up with?

Esther: I grew up in a home where health and spirituality were present. My parents had a deep spiritual practice, and food was always important. My mom didn’t allow packaged snacks, we had bone broth simmering — it was that kind of home.
But when I started modeling at 15, things shifted. There was so much pressure to look a certain way, and I went through years of over-exercising and under-eating. I hit a wall in my early twenties — my body shut down, my skin broke out, and I felt completely disconnected from myself.

Q: What changed after that breaking point?

Esther: That’s when I discovered yoga — initially to “sweat it out” — but one day in a yin class, I started crying for no reason. I was moving through my hips, where we hold so much trauma, and something just cracked open.
That moment introduced me to the emotional, spiritual side of movement and wellness.
From there, everything changed. I stopped punishing my body and started asking: How can I nourish myself? I shifted my mindset from “what can I cut out?” to “what can I add to make this more nourishing?” And that’s been a guiding principle ever since.

Q: Do you have daily non-negotiables that help you reset?

Esther: My rituals help me return to myself, and I come back to them again and again. In winter especially, I’ve adjusted my mornings to flow with the season.
Right now, I wake around 7am because it’s still dark until nearly 9am in Queenstown. I turn on the heater, make a warm bone broth, and head straight to my red light panel. I stack that with a short meditation and some breathwork — just a little moment to check in and ask, How am I feeling today?
Then I journal. I use the Morning Pages approach — a brain dump, but also a space to meet myself. I don’t just vent and spiral. I try to be my own therapist. What’s really going on? Is this thought even true? Sometimes I imagine I'm speaking to my future self — would she be proud of how I'm thinking right now?

Q: That’s so powerful. I do Morning Pages too, and I recently heard someone say they respond to their journal like they’re writing to a friend — offering kindness, not criticism. It really shifted how I show up in my journaling.

Esther: Yes! That’s the difference between spiraling in negativity versus actually moving yourself forward. It’s about tapping into that wiser part of you — the one who knows. The real you.
When we journal from that place, it’s not just emotional release, it’s clarity.

Q: Was there a moment that helped you shift from restriction into nourishment?

Esther: It actually started in a yin yoga class. I was in a deep hip opener — where we hold a lot of emotional tension — and I just started crying. It was such a release.
That’s when I started viewing movement not as a way to “burn” or “fix” but as a way to feel. And that led me to ask, What can I add to my day to feel better? instead of What do I need to cut out?
That simple reframe — “what can I add?” — has completely transformed my approach to wellness. I stopped fearing food and started seeing it as love. Nourishment became the goal.

Q: I’d love to know — what are your core practices? If you could only keep three rituals in your day-to-day life, what would they be?

Esther: Definitely movement. It doesn’t need to be fancy — just moving your body, even with nothing, can be such a powerful reset. Meditation is next. You don’t need anything for it. Just closing your eyes and going inward is so regulating. And breathwork. One of my go-to breath resets is really simple: two sharp inhales in, one long exhale out through the mouth — repeat as many times as you need. That alone shifts everything.
Also, gratitude. Even just thinking of three very specific things you’re truly grateful for — not just “the sun is shining,” but something you deeply feel — it raises your frequency. You literally feel lighter and more connected afterward.

Q: You show up for so much — your business, your clients, your community. Where do you find inspiration?

Esther:Travel is a big one. I’ve lived in so many places — New York, LA — and I stay really connected to the energy and creativity of those cities. Even through Instagram, you can stay tapped into the people and ideas that stretch you and reflect where you want to go.
But honestly, the biggest source of inspiration is the inward work. When you're constantly wearing different hats, it's easy to disconnect from your true self.
So I try to regularly check in and ask, What do I actually think? What feels true to me — not just what will perform well or sound good?
That reconnection is everything. It’s the true reset.

Q: Speaking of books — are there any you come back to again and again?

Esther:Yes! Atomic Habits is a great one, especially for understanding habit stacking and those little compounding shifts. I also love all of Brené Brown’s work — she has such a way of explaining things that makes you feel validated and empowered at the same time. You feel like you're not doing it wrong — you're just human. And one a bit out of left field, but I really love Gisele Bündchen’s autobiography. Her journey is so resonant for me — the way she’s connected to herself, her wellness practices, her spirituality. It’s not your typical “inspirational book,” but it really moved me.

✨ Quick Fire with Esther ✨

Morning drink of choice?
Matcha with homemade almond milk — sometimes a little manuka honey and cinnamon on top. Pure magic.

Ritual you swear by?
Gratitude. Always.

Dream wellness retreat destination?
The Cayman Islands.

Sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise.

What’s always in your bag?
Lip balm — non-negotiable.

Ultimate comfort food?
Pasta, always. But when I want something clean and nourishing, I have a go-to:
Pan-fried tofu in coconut oil, broccoli, black beans, lemon, soy sauce — maybe miso soup on the side.
Topped with fresh herbs and tahini. It’s grounding, easy, and full of gut-loving ingredients.

One word to describe how you want to feel for the rest of the year?
Connected.

This conversation left my heart feeling full — a reminder that rituals don’t have to be perfect to be powerful. They just have to bring you home to yourself.

Thanks for reading,
Renee x