Voices of Dignity : Philly Powell

KIA ORA Philly, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm a self-confessed wellbeing junkie!

I'm a meditator, podcast binge listener, yogi, runner, gym bunny, amateur mountain biker, hiker, nature lover, snowboarder and real food enthusiast to name some of my healthy addictions.
I've also merged my passion for wellbeing with my HR profession and run two wellbeing businesses. I run The Wellbeing Junkie a nutrition and wellbeing coaching business to inspire individuals to get high on life and recently launched the Wellbeing Tick Aotearoa's first wellbeing workplace accreditation programme.

What does the word Dignity mean to you?

Having dignity means trusting people to fully respect you for being you in the hard times and the good. It also means being able to be unashamed of what you do and say and be proud to be your authentic self.

What was a meaningful experience relating to your period growing up?

My Mum being so supportive when it first arrived and looking after me when I suffered from painful periods as a teenager.
On the flipside I feel hugely frustrated that period education was limited to the basics when I was growing up and GPs were very quick to prescribe the pill to mask symptoms without getting to the root cause. As a result I've had to deal with all sorts of challenges with my cycle in my adult years and spend a fortune on natural health practitioners to resolve the issues. It's only been through this journey that I've learnt in-depth knowledge about my cycle and I believe all woman should be taught this from their teen years.

What are some of the best things for you about being/identifying as a woman and menstruation?

The more I've researched on periods, I now see my period as awesome monthly report card of great health and wellbeing. The more we learn about responding to the different phases in our cycle, the easier and healthier our lives become. For example, when to slow down and when you can push it a little harder in things like exercise, nutrition and work.

What makes you feel empowered/comfortable in your skin?

Keeping my physical body in shape with exercise and nutrient dense food and paying special attention to my mental health on a daily basis with practices like meditation, journaling, getting out in nature and connecting friends, family and like-minded people.

What would you like to say to anyone navigating their first period?

I personally used pads to start as they were less scary but I would recommend trialling tampons as soon as you can. Be sure to choose organic cotton if that's within your budget. And get curious and read up about your cycle (The Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden is an excellent book) and start tracking it on a period tracker app like Flow or Period Tracker so you can learn when it's coming, when you're ovulating and what phase you're in.

How would you like to see the current status quo around access and period products and period equity in Aotearoa change?

I think Dignity have done an amazing job of starting this movement amongst workplaces and schools but perhaps making it a legal requirement for all workplaces and public facilities to provide period products.

Thank you Philly. You can out more about The Wellbeing Tick here.