Hi and welcome to Triumph Beyond Trauma. My name is Rosie and I'm so thrilled to be here with you on my very first podcast. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to finally be recording and releasing this out into the world. In this very first episode, episode zero even, I just want to let you know who I am and what you can expect from this show so that you can decide if it's something that You want to spend your time  listening to.

INTRO: 

Welcome to Triumph Beyond Trauma, the podcast that explores journeys of resilience and hope. I'm Rosie Skene, a yoga and breathwork teacher and founder of Tactical Yoga Australia. As a former soldier's wife, mum to three beautiful kids and a medically retired New South Wales police officer with PTSD, I understand the challenges of navigating mental health in the first responder and veteran community.

Join us for incredible stories from individuals who've confronted the depths of mental illness and discovered their path to happiness and purpose, as well as solo episodes and expert discussions. Together, we'll uncover the tools to help you navigate your journey toward a brighter more fulfilling life. Whether you're looking for helpful insights, practical tips, or just a friendly reminder that you're not alone, Triumph Beyond Trauma has got your back.

You matter, and your journey to a happier, more meaningful life starts right here.

 As I said before, my name's Rosie professionally. I am a yoga and breathwork teacher . I am the founder of tactical yoga Australia, which is a business that I've built to support the mental wellness of first responders and veterans. And I do that through yoga, breathwork and mindfulness programs. I'm a retired New South Wales police officer as well And I've got experience not only in general duties, but as a weapons and tactics instructor, which was my absolute favourite thing Youth and domestic violence work. I was also an officer in charge of a single unit station Which is pretty cool, I reckon

Privately, I'm a wife. I'm a mum to three incredible humans, and a fur and feathers mum to our Cavoodle of Hugo, and chickens, Absalom, Spotty, Bow, Arrow, Dino, and Tiger. Yes, they do have names, so we can't eat them.

I am a deeply devoted friend and try my best to live my life fully intentionally, kindly, and with my eyes wide open. My highest values are connection and kindness. I love connecting with people. With nature, I could be in nature all day long. Being inside actually, it drives me nuts. Um, and I love building connection with my loved ones.

I believe that kindness is free and that you should find excuses to be kind whenever you can, every single day. I do believe in karma and I do believe in manifesting, but I don't push this on anyone and actually it's been a little bit of a secret of mine up until right now.

I am not your stereotypical yogi. I swear. Uh, probably if you ask my husband a little bit too much, I do love a beer with him at the end of the day and I'll also tell someone where to go if I deem it necessary. I am human, I have made mistakes and I will continue to do so, but something that I do try to do is to learn from them as much as I can so I don't repeat the same mistakes.

I have a really terrible memory and I forget things incredibly quickly. I never make promises to my kids because of this exact reason. Uh, cause I usually forget what they are. Uh, I like to think that I'm pretty hilarious. , I really enjoy making people laugh.

This, uh, is balanced with a more serious side, though, where I find I am a constant, and lifelong learner. I love learning new information and I really love reading books. I don't go for fiction. I'm a nonfiction reader. I love autobiographies and I just love self help and anything that expands my mind. I am so dedicated to absorbing as much information as I can, even though my memory is shit. , I love all aspects of food and cooking. Uh, and I believe that ah food, especially, it has the power to both heal and harm us. So I love producing meals from scratch, and can get a little bit witchy making potions from herbs and flowers. Nothing shits me more, uh, in life than paying for a substandard overpriced meal that I could make better at home for a fraction of the price. Really grinds my gears.

I know that a lot of people Police and veterans in particular are resistant to practices such as breathwork and yoga. Our nature is to be tactical, to be informed and act on matters based on evidence and not woo woo bullshit. So I'm here and I want to break the stigma that these ancient practices have and to show you that breathwork and yoga doesn't have to be all crystals and moon phases because I'm not into that either.

The style of yoga that I teach is accessible to every person and in any body. It's incredibly practical, it's trauma informed, it's wildly beneficial to mental health, and I hold no space for show ponies or peacocking. I wanted to start this podcast because I'm an avid podcast listener. I love educational podcasts, but I also love a good conversational one.

I know that I have a wealth of knowledge now, not only in my own journey with PTSD, anxiety and depression, but also life within the New South Wales police force as a police officer and now as a retired police officer navigating the world. Not only as a civilian, but one with psychological injuries. My husband is a retired firefighter and has recently discharged from the Australian Defence Force. So I'm also well aware of the challenges that face our veteran communities and their families.

I have been on quite a journey of self discovery and self improvement. I'm constantly looking for ways that I can improve mine and my family's lives. So I've navigated my mental health journey without any medication. And I can attest that it absolutely can be done. It certainly isn't easy. It's a lot of hard work. And it's not for everyone. I do have to say that luckily for me, I don't have any aggression issues and I'm not suicidal. Have, had, never have I had any suicidal ideation or attempts. And if I did, or if my mental health really went in a bad way, then Definitely medication is something that I would consider, uh, definitely in consultation with my mental health team, my psychologist and my GP. But for me and my journey so far, I've not had to be medicated. And I just wanted to share, , how I've been able to do that.

I can do that through this podcast and I'm so excited to be here to do that.

So during my journey, I've employed a number of tactics and techniques that I have been able to get myself from post traumatic stress to a point of post traumatic growth. I have regular consultations with my psychologist and my GP. I use exercise, breath work, yoga, and mindfulness. I practice daily gratitude and kindness. I am a wannabe minimalist and actually minimalizing, minimizing? Minimizing our possessions at home have infinitely helped my mental health.

I am a reformed consumer. I use gardening and cooking as a meditation practice, and I have learned to manage my energy so that I know when it's time to isolate a little to properly recharge. All of this hasn't happened overnight. My journey has been one of trial and error over the last seven or more years, and it started before my mental health diagnosis.

I didn't even know why I was trying these little things. I now feel like I'm at the point where I can share everything that I've learnt with you, so that hopefully you, or someone that you know, can benefit from them.

When I left the police, there was nothing available to me to let me know the way that I was feeling was actually completely normal. My intrusive thoughts, the uncontrollable crying, the paranoia and the panic that I felt were symptoms of deeper issues. And that this is completely normal of a police officer of more than 10 years service. There was also nothing out there publicly for first responders and veterans to let me know. That there was life beyond service. That it could be pretty amazing, and that one day I would thrive. I'm here, and I want to be a voice to let you know that things won't always be this way. .

Whether you are having good days or bad days, it will pass. It breaks my heart knowing that so many people have served their community as first responders or veterans and they prematurely end their lives through suicide because their very next day could have been life changing.

On this podcast, you'll hear real life stories from people who have worked on the front line, faced incredible challenges, and come out the other side. You'll learn strategies to help you recognize and improve mental health issues, and you'll also hear solo episodes from me and some interviews from experts in their fields.

My why is so much greater than me. It's you. It's your family. It's your friends. It's those that hold you closest in their hearts. I want you to know that there are good days and there are shit days and there are the run of the mill days, but this is life and we only get one. And now it's time for you to make the absolute most of it. I would love for you to subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes. We will be releasing one each week on a Tuesday and don't forget to share it with your friends and family. You can find us at our website, tacticalyogaaustralia. com. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Tactical Yoga Australia.

And if you're a first responder or veteran, come over and join us in our private Facebook group, First Responder and Veteran Mental Wellness. It's a beautiful group of first responders and veterans like on the box, uh, who are there to support each other if we're having a rough time. Or if we're having a great day, we can support each other.

Remember to be kind to your mind, to your body and to your essence. My name is Rosie Skene, and I want to thank you so much for listening. See you in the next episode.

OUTRO:

I hope you've enjoyed today's episode, if you have make sure to hit subscribe so you never miss any new ones. We release fresh content every Tuesday. And while you're there take a moment to leave us a review, I would genuinely appreciate your thoughts. Don't forget to connect with me on Instagram and Facebook at Tactical Yoga Australia and share this episode with your friends, family and workmates to spread inspiration.

Your support means the world. My name is Rosie Skene, join me again next week for another empowering and positive episode of Triumph Beyond Trauma. Until then, be kind to your mind and trust in the magic of your consistent and positive efforts. Triumph Beyond your trauma is closer than you think. Have the best week.