This initiative for co-creation, collaboration, healing and sharing is
specifically created as a safe and nourishing space for women, to land and feel at home.
A place where you can to get to know yourself better,
and connect to other like-minded women who are genuinely interested in
supporting each other and making our world a better place, together.
This space is a home where our hearts beat as one
yet our expressions may manifest differently and the
joy in the diversity and richness of that expression is so precious
as we all learn from each other,
grow and evolve together.
Here we will learn more about uncovering our inner wisdom and activate
more self-healing, self-compassion and cultivate and awaken more
wisdom compassion to nourish others.
relax. restore. Rest.
Powerful Restorative Practices to support whole-being well-being
Founders Bio
Leigh (Sherab) has been organising and facilitating bespoke women’s retreats and programmes since 2000. She spent most of her adult life studying Asian philosophy and therapeutic healing techniques for the past 20+ years in India and Nepal with Himalayan masters. Leigh is passionate about supporting women’s healing and wisdom practices, supporting those who struggle with chronic illness and burn-out. Her heart lies with NGO/NPO’s and women’s projects and she believes that supportive safe circles for women are imperative.
Leigh founded Red Lotus Projects in 2014 in London and is developing her online platforms - Sustainable Human Being and this Powerful Rest and Women’s collaborative platform: www.thewomenswisdomcollective.com
Leigh Taylor (Sherab)
Red Lotus Retreats &
Sustainable Human Being
Leigh started her journey of inner development and exploring the rich intricate world of Eastern philosophy and meditation in the Himalayas where she lived in a simple hut for one year at the tender age of 19.
She lived full time in India and Nepal for most of 15 years, 10 of those permanently, with her partner, Justin. During this time she studied and practiced in Himalayan monasteries, universities, ashrams and temples. She was also the Retreats and Events Manager for 2.5 years at FGS a large intenrational Taiwanese Buddhist organisation based in South Africa.
In India and Nepal Leigh worked as a volunteer at refugee centres and in monasteries helping to manage and organise retreats at established HImalaya retreat organsations and monasteries.
Most of her time was spent in earnest cultivation of meditation practices and studying Buddhist philosophy under the guidance of great humble masters.
Leigh was engaged in organising many retreats and large international events and gatherings during her decade of living in Asia full time. She was regularly contracted to share her expertise in her trade skill of graphic design for large printing projects, including for the Office of His Holiness Dalai Lama and various established Tibetan organisations, Refugee and Human Rights groups in India and Africa.
Since her first trip to Nepal and India over the 21 years she regularly spent extended periods in intensive meditation retreats and exploring India on many spiritual pilgrimages and crazy adventures. Now, living in the West it is essential to live with more mindful awareness and balancing life, work and the many demands and challenges of modern life. Especially when good health and mental tranquility is vital.
She is a passionate qualified Life Coach, Mental Health First Aider (UK), Yoga Nidra Facilitator with IYT, Meditation Guide, Mindfulness Facilitator and Indian Head Massage Therapist. She regularly collaborates with international events coordinators from Europe, Asia and Africa. She also has a qualification in Child Care Development and is dedicated to support education and trauma healing for children.
Leigh's heartfelt wish is to share more practices of holistic wellbeing to instil and integrate more inner peace and inner harmony into everyday life, especially for busy women of all ages and backgrounds.
Leigh understands the stresses and strains of modern pressurised life and apart from her extended time spent in India she also worked as the Events Manager for FGS in South Africa, (the largest international Taiwanese cultural organisation). She was contracted for Shell working on Environmental oil spill Prevention in London.
Leigh was an invited speaker for the international women's movement called 'SheSpeaks' alongside Google in Amsterdam in mid 2018 where she guided mindfulness and yoga nidra events for women in corporate careers, part of Balanced Life Design. She also facilitated wellness events for entrepreneurs at Escape the City (London) and Zoku for start-ups and staff wellness and Delite Labs for Syrian refugee entrepreneurs in Amsterdam. She organises the annual Soul Trader retreat in Portugal with Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach-speaker-author, for compassionate leaders focusing on legacy, with her partner Justin who is a yoga teacher..
Leigh is a seasoned expat who loves roots reggae, jazz, Indian classical music and exploring local living. She is a fanatical lover of plants, the ocean, trees and nature to restore wellbeing and to unwind deeply. She is a passionate cook, specialising in cooking nourishing vegan and vegetarian meals for retreatants and also for those recovering from illness. She is also an ardent student of ergonomic and creative sustainable eco-design. Her hobby is photography and film.
Leigh's heart lies in Humanitarian work and her most recent incentive is to support charitable projects during the Covid pandemic bringing relief to Hunger has no Religion to raise funds to feed thousands of vulnerable people daily, provide girls with feminine hygiene products and the elderly with blankets. They are also collaborating with Slovo Centre of Excellence to support the education and development of young children and promote the invaluable activity of learning through play for young children in impoverished areas in South Africa.
Leigh currently lives in Barcelona, Spain. Meanwhile they are working on their dream of establishing a healing Meditation & Wellbeing Retreat Centre in South Africa on the breathtaking Garden Route.
In South Africa they previously owned a mini-yoga studio and shop purveying fine imported Asian and local South African products whilst starting the foundation preparation for their Sustainable Human Being Retreats Centre.
Leigh is ever curious and continues to regularly undertake training courses in the field of wellness, wellbeing and mental health and participates in regular Buddhist meditation and intensive retreats. In 2004 she took yogic ordination in the Tibetan Ngakpa tradition in Bodhgaya, India, and continued to live there full time until 2010 and regularly returns for extended periods for studies, pilgrimage, and retreats.
She is currently completing her Trauma Conscious Method yoga facilitation and NLP coaching training.
Leigh & her husband Justin, an experienced yoga teacher have also run a wellbeing studio and retreats business in South Africa. Annually they manage and co-facilitate an annual retreat for business and wellbeing with coach and speaker Rasheed Ogunlaru.
They have both been facilitating retreats for more than 20 years, cooking nourishing meals, and supporting meditation retreat practitioners. Their dream is to establish their own wellbeing centre for cultivating wisdom and healing in the near future.
Leigh enjoys listening to jazz, roots reggae, and good chocolate and is besotted with the seaside and silent forests with ancient trees truly makes her heart sing.
Background
Leigh (Sherab) has been organising and facilitating wellbeing retreats and bespoke women’s retreats, mindfulness retreats, and holistic wellness programmes since 2000.
She spent most of her adult life in India and Nepal, dedicated to studying Asian philosophy and traditional therapeutic healing techniques for the past 20+ years with Himalayan masters. She undertook several long retreats in the Himalayas. Her first pilgrimage to India was in 1997 when she spent most of a year living in a simple hut in the Himalayas above Dharamsala. Her highlight was a private interview with His Holiness Dalai Lama in 1998 and studying closely with many Himalayan yogis and Spiritual masters is something she cherishes.
Leigh worked as the Events Manager and directed the meditation retreat programmes for foreign students at FGS International for 2.5 years, an international Taiwanese Buddhist organsation. At the Ch'an (Zen) meditation centre of the organisation she undertook an intensive 6 month private meditation retreat before moving to India to live and study full-time.
After leaving Asia after almost 15 years due to illness, she lived in South Africa and moved to London and continued to study and work on women's wellbeing programmes. Since then Leigh has integrated her contemporary design thinking studies, coaching and mental health training in London and from her years spent working and living in Europe.
Leigh is an experienced facilitator for:
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Yoga Nidra (UK 2015)
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Mindfulness & Metta (Loving-kindness) since 1999
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Pranayama & Breathwork since 1999
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Buddhist Meditation since 1997
Qualified and trained/certified in:
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Coaching (MOE UK) 2015 & NLP (2021)
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Trauma Conscious Yoga Method (TCYM) 2021
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Trained Mental Health First Aider (MHFA UK) 2020
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Mental Health & Neuroscience (NCIB) 2020/2021
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Fundamentals of TCM (2005)
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Balance & Wellness at Work (SIY)
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Indian Head Massage (Prof. Iqbal Badat 1998)
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Biophilic Design - Sustainable Green Practices (2021)
In 2014 Leigh founded Red Lotus Projects in London specialising in women's retreats and women's events and collaborates in running retreats for entrepreneurs. She is developing her online platforms 'Sustainable Human Being' and the 'Women’s Wisdom Collective', a collaborative platform for women to work together to combine and share skills, wisdom, and healing practices and support each other to thrive.
Leigh is passionate about supporting women’s healing and wisdom practices, particularly supporting those who struggle with chronic illness, chronic fatigue, and burn-out. Her heart lies with NGO/NPO’s and women’s projects and she believes that supportive safe circles for women are essential.
Leigh is passionate about creating healthier, kinder, and more sustainable conducive living and workplace environments, to support wellness and wellbeing. She is training to consult in Sustainable Green studies in Biophilic architecture and interior design with Ugreen International to consult on healthy, harmonious spaces, utilizing her background skill in Print, Layout and Design. Leigh has worked in the high-pressured international corporate sector; in global NGO and NPO organisations; and in the spiritual and wellbeing sector thus understands the dichotomy of these varied international landscapes, transition and change. She also understands the stresses and challenges that expats face first-hand with busy and demanding lifestyles, re-integrating and re-settling as she has lived on 3 continents and in 7 countries India, Nepal, Portugal, France, England, her native South Africa, and currently resides in Barcelona, Spain.