hi, I’m Belinda Marie
founder of Soul and Self
I created Soul and Self as an online respite from the striving pace of the world.
A space of feminine healing, living and business, where you can honour and trust your femininity, creativity and natural rhythms as a woman.
A space to de-armour from the masculine-focused paradigms you’ve been taught to live from, and recognise the intrinsic value and gifts of your deeper nature.
A space to untangle from the relentless self-development paths, linear models of success and hustle-centered business/entrepreneurial ‘shoulds’ that have taught you to fix, force, push, perform, chase and strive your way through the world.
A space to slow down, connect with what is real and soften into your natural essence, deeper gifts and feminine heart.
Why I created Soul & Self
I began Soul and Self as a blog and healing space for sensitive, creative women, at a time when I was feeling increasingly disillusioned by the education system that I was a teacher within. My heart was feeling heavy and uninspired after working for years in a system that was so focused on outcomes, productivity and results, nearly always at the expense of the things that I felt were just as deeply important- less tangible aspects like relationships, creativity, beauty, spirituality, joy, depth, play, leisure and rest. Things that couldn’t be measured, compared, tested or placed easily into a planning document. Things that nourished and awakened the soul.
I began to explore paths beyond traditional education, deepening my studies in areas such as sound healing, flower essence therapy, the feminine arts, astrology and theta healing. My heart continued to draw me towards what I see as the essence of true education- allowing the intrinsic gifts, value, essence and soul of a person to unfold, naturally, freely and creatively.
To me, this means nurturing and understanding the soul beyond the highly masculinised ideals of productivity and success that we are so often taught to strive towards- ideals that cause a particular dissonance and stress for the sensitive, creative woman who has only seen ill-fitting paths and ways of working, creating and living modelled to her. In this, she is driven away from her natural creative and feminine fulfilment, as she learns to unconsciously distrust and override the intuitive voice of her body, the divine essence of her heart, and the true nature of her soul.
This became more and more apparent to me, as the number of women drawn towards my work and writing continued to organically grow, connecting me with the unique beauty, creativity and sensitivity of hundreds of women from all corners of the world. I started to see how these sensitive, creative, feminine souls were often stuck in cycles of trying to push and ‘fix’ themselves to meet very linear, masculinised, limiting ideas of success, growth and outward performance.
Some of these women were already beginning to soften into their deeper essence and pace, yet were struggling to trust this different way of orienting to themselves and life, instead falling into self-criticism and a sense of feeling not productive or worthy enough when they began prioritising their soul nature and feminine hearts. Others were feeling disconnected and exhausted from being tethered to productivity, achievement and extrinsic expectations, at the expense of their natural pace, feminine radiance and soul unfolding. Others had been taught to disregard or judge their intuition, their sensitivities and their desire for a gentler, more soulful way of living and working in the world. Many women were encountering all of these challenges to varying degrees, alongside a general distrust in their feminine aspects and creative desires.
What I have found, is that an over-focus on this masculine orientation (external, linear, outward pushing, tangible, results-driven) is modelled and highly celebrated within every crevice of our society- education, work, business, healing, personal growth, religion, motherhood. Yet for many of us- and especially for the sensitive woman with a naturally creative, feminine soul- this focus is completely counterintuitive to her healing, expression and growth. It is a way of living that keeps her constantly pushing outwards, striving, forcing and exhausting herself to meet the expectations of the outer world, all while overriding her true essence, value and heart- and the gifts, purpose, beauty and peace that evolve from this attunement to her deeper soul nature.
Healing the connection to the feminine has been a central focus of Soul and Self, because I have seen how much the women I connect with crave this deepening into their essence, value, gifts and heart. By tending to the song of the feminine within, we can return to the natural interiority, rhythms, beauty and truths of our deeper nature, as we live, relate and create in the world as distinctly feminine souls, rather than trying to contort ourselves into the masculinised expressions and dimensions of outer achievement we are so often taught to see as the only path to success. We can return to our hearts, our softness, our tenderness, our feeling bodies, and our deeper feminine value, in a way that is natural, unforced and true. We can unearth the gifts of our deeper essence, and rest in Being, allowing our life to flow from here, rather than frantically doing and producing, achieving and performing, at the expense of the body, heart and soul.
Soul and Self has grown with me, into a gentle business that is organic and always evolving, mirroring an ever-deepening relationship with life, God and my own deeper nature. As I moved deeper into the process of creating a business in this gentler, soul-based way, I realised how challenging it could feel to navigate sole business creation as a woman craving a softer, more receptive way of doing things. It was so easy to fall into those same cycles of thinking that I had to push, change, “fix” or compromise my deeper nature, natural pace and true expression.
Which is why I started creating writings and resources around feminine business. A way to explore what I was feeling and encountering as I began offering my more heart and soul inspired work in the world- but also to offer encouragement, support and guidance for other female solopreneurs and creatives who are seeking a gentler approach to creating, offering and marketing their work. An approach anchored in feminine values, naturally-paced creation and more receptive, inward approaches to sharing and selling. An approach that honours our need for gentleness, lots of time offline and listening to the call of soul, as we come to know our hearts, our gifts and our natural voices without the striving overlay of modern business paradigms and pressures.
Soul and Self is a tender, always evolving space, to share my own experiences and connect with other women who are on this path of softening into their creative, feminine essence and deepening into their soul. I’m so glad to welcome you here. If you’d like to stay connected, I suggest subscribing here to my email community, which is where you’ll receive updates including latest writings and offerings.
Belinda 💓
qualifications/certifications
Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies
Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary)
Master of Education
Certificate III in Micro Business Operations
Theta Healing- Basic DNA Activation
Reiki Levels 1 & 2
Non-certified studies in sound healing, flower essence healing, astrology and feminine arts.
location
I live in Melbourne, Australia, born to an Australian father and Polish mother. I support women worldwide through self-led courses/resources and zoom.