AMBASSADOR STORY - ANISA MAHAMA

It’s that time again. Time to get to know another of our amazing Real Active Ambassadors. Up this week is Anisa or @anisa_xo on Instagram. Anisa is a beautiful soul from Victoria, she’s a dancer, pilates instructor, talented singer and mental health advocate. Meet Anisa!

• Why did you want to become a Real Active ambassador?

I wanted to become a Real Active Ambassador because of what Carlie and the brand stands for. I'm a huge advocate for anything to do with mental health and breaking the stigma when it comes to talking about it. I love the fact that a portion of Real Active’s proceeds go towards mental health charities.

• What is your favourite Real Active product?

If I had to choose one favourite it would be the bottles. I've been pretty bad when it comes to drinking enough water throughout the day, but for some reason having a drink bottle that looks cute as well as coming in a few different (big) sizes, has made a huge difference in my water intake since using them.

• Tell us a little bit about you.

I'm a 22 year old girl from Melbourne, Australia. I'm a professional dancer, Pilates Instructor, I work in retail and am fortunate to have had a few acting gigs here and there (which I'm extremely grateful for). As mentioned, I'm quite passionate about mental health, wellness and wanting to help people live a meaningful and conscious life that aligns with them.

I love doing anything that's outdoors and during the lockdowns have randomly started getting into learning about the brain/neuroscience and spirituality. This has definitely played a big part in my mental health journey, due to having an idea of what actually goes on in the brain when you're feeling certain things or in certain situations.

• Tell us about "Your Blooming Journey" and why you started that channel. 

Your Blooming Journey is a mental health page that I started a year ago. I'm a big believer that this life is a journey, not a destination and it's the same when it comes to working on your mental health. I've had my own journey when it comes to mental health (and am still on that journey), so I wanted to start a page/safe space to openly talk about mental health and wellness. I share tips and tricks that have helped me to get to where I am today, mentally, while also highlighting the raw moments and reminding people that it's ok to not be ok, even while on your own personal development/mental health healing journey.

• You are a beautifully talented singer. What does singing and songwriting mean to you? 

Firstly, thank you so much it means a lot! I've always been surrounded by different types of music growing up, from my Dad being a DJ to my uncle and cousins being in a band. I just love that there's music out there for pretty much every emotion you may be feeling. I love how a melody or lyric can make people feel a certain way or bring back a memory. Music is definitely a huge outlet for me - I don't think there's been a day in my life where I haven't played music throughout my day.

• You speak openly about letting yourself really sit with emotions and feel them. What does that involve for you?

I think allowing yourself to really be present and feel into whatever emotion you're going through is important. For me, if I'm having a down day I try not to resist or ignore whatever it is I'm feeling. I notice it, if I'm not sure I think about where it may be coming from, I feel it, remind myself that it's ok to be feeling like this, let it out and when I feel like I can, I do things that I know bring me back to the present or ground me.

This is different for everyone, but for me it's things such as sitting outside and taking in everything around me, thinking about all the things I'm grateful for in this life, moving my body and if I feel like it will genuinely benefit me/the situation, I will reach out and talk about it or journal. I think it's important to take small steps when you're in a vulnerable state and not expect yourself to be "vibrating at a higher frequency" straight away. It's ok to feel.

• What is one of your favourite quotes or mottos? 

Two of my favourite quotes at the moment are: “No Rain, No Flowers” and “Trust the Process”.

Thank you so much to Anisa for being a part of this blog and taking the time to share more about herself and her own mental health journey. If you’d like to follow Anisa’s “Your Blooming Journey” page, you will find it at @yourbloomingjourney on Instagram.