Fill Your Cup, Heal Your Gut. Why Radical Responsibility for Your Health Matters
Health is wealth
By Rosenda Upton, Founder of Cultivate You, Trauma-informed Life, Health and Mental Wellbeing Coach
It is the foundation for how we show up in the world, how we love, how we lead, and how we live.
When I speak about radical responsibility, I’m not talking about another item on your to-do list. I’m talking about remembering that your health is the very fuel that allows you to serve others. Yet so many women, myself included, once upon a time, have lived in a cycle of over-giving. We put everyone else’s needs ahead of our own until we are depleted, exhausted, and running on empty.
No wonder it feels impossible to stick to an exercise plan, prepare nourishing meals, or carve out time for rest. When you’re pouring from an empty cup, there’s nothing left to give.
As a coach, this is where I come in. I support women to refill that cup, to prioritise themselves not as an act of selfishness, but as the most profound act of service. Because only when we are well can we truly be present for our families, careers, and communities.
The Missing Link: Gut Health and Mental Health
One of the most misunderstood foundations of health is gut health. When I trained as a holistic health coach, I thought gut health was simply about digestion or eating fermented foods. But what I discovered blew my mind: your gut health impacts not just your body, but your mental and emotional wellbeing too.
The gut and brain are in constant conversation through what’s called the gut–brain axis. Scientists often refer to the gut as our “second brain.”
Here’s the part that still amazes me: around 90% of the body’s serotonin, our “feel-good” hormone, is produced in the gut.
That means if our gut health is off, our mood, resilience, sleep, and energy are impacted too. Supporting your gut isn’t just about digestion, it’s one of the most powerful things you can do for your mental health.
Retreat One: Fill Your Cup & Heal Your Gut (October)
That’s why I’ve teamed up with my friend and colleague, Tara O’Malley, for a very special retreat during Mental Health Awareness Week (October 6–12, 2025).
Tara is living proof of the power of lifestyle medicine. She has put her autoimmune disease into remission, no medication, simply through healing her gut and committing to her health.
On Saturday, 11 October, we invite you to join us for Fill Your Cup & Heal Your Gut, a retreat designed to nourish your body, mind, and soul.
Here’s what to expect:
A stunning setting surrounded by nature at Ārete Retreat in Levin.
Morning tea & connection to meet like-minded people.
Tara sharing her expertise on gut health and its connection to mental health.
A wholesome shared lunch to fuel both body and mind.
A hands-on cacao workshop with me, exploring how cacao supports mental health and deepens connection.
Space to rest, reflect, and recharge.
This retreat isn’t just about learning. It’s about experiencing. It’s a chance to step away from the noise, reconnect with yourself, and leave feeling full, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Date: Saturday, 11 October 2025
Location: Ārete Retreat Centre, Levin
Investment: $185 (Early Bird price of $169 until 1 October)
Retreat Two: Aromatherapy Candle-Making & Cacao Ritual (November)
If October is about filling your cup, November is about returning to ritual.
On Sunday, 9 November 2025, I’m teaming up with Melanie from Poet Botanicals for a ritualUNION event that blends the sacred medicine of cacao with the art of aromatherapy.
Cacao Ritual with Rosenda
I’ll guide you on an intimate journey with cacao beginning with its sacred story and path to the Pacific, and flowing into a hands-on experience in the kitchen. Together, we’ll explore cacao not just as food, but as medicine and ritual, a way to slow down, connect, and return to what feels true.
Aromatherapy Candle-Making Workshop with Melanie
Discover the beauty of natural scent and the therapeutic power of essential oils in this hands-on workshop. Learn the art of scent layering and, with Melanie’s guidance, create a blend that reflects your own unique energy and intention. You’ll craft your own clean-burning aromatherapy candle infused with this blend, a keepsake and daily reminder of the rituals that support your wellbeing.
The Day
Held at Woodcote, Mangaroa Farms in Whitemans Valley (just 40 minutes from Wellington’s CBD), this restorative retreat offers time in nature, connection with community, and self-care practices designed to nourish body, mind, and spirit.
Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025 | 10am–4pm
Location: Woodcote at Mangaroa Farms, Whitemans Valley
Investment: Early Bird $169 (until 9 October) | $195 full price
Why Now Matters
Mental Health Awareness Week is a reminder to all of us: our mental wellbeing isn’t a luxury, it’s essential. But awareness isn’t enough. We need action. We need spaces that invite us to slow down, reconnect, and take radical responsibility for our health.
These retreats are that space.
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to put yourself first, consider this your invitation. Join us for a day that could change the way you view your health and yourself.
Taking radical responsibility for your health is not selfish. It is the most courageous, generous act you can do.
So I dare you to join us. To prioritise yourself. To fill your cup, heal your gut, and return to ritual.
