A date with myself at our local Burleigh Farmers’ Markets

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people standing in front of a sign

I have a little date with myself on a Saturday morning when I’m in Burleigh Heads. It might not seem glamorous to most people, but for me, it’s zen and totally what my soul desires.

It’s a visit to our local Burleigh Farmers Market.

I first discovered the joy of farmers markets living in Mooloolaba way back when Kalyra was born. Not only was the produce fresh and cheap, but the experience was raw and organic, not sterile like you get in the supermarket.

You shop with the mud and the grass between your toes. You give back to the local community and receive the best in return.

Mixed into the experience is food tasting, acoustic music, organic cafe, plants, and trinkets. I can happily spend all morning smelling natural home made soap and finding the right vibrating crystal for me.
people walking through a market
girls watching a band play music

The Burleigh Heads Farmers Markets

When we moved to Burleigh Heads, the farmers’ market was one of my first stops and where I first started to sense the organic community feel this town has.

I originally took the girls with me, but soon they grew sick of coming, and I grew sick of chasing them around everywhere and managing their tired moods.

I decided to go on my own.

With complete presence and space to think, I’d meander through each store choosing the best produce listed on my shopping list.

I now regularly visit a lovely, sweet Asian family, who look after me and are always so cheerful. They’re spray free and stock everything I need. I found that was an easier way for me to shop in one stall rather than bits from here and there.

woman looking at food for sale

But, there plenty of stores to visit.

If you visit at near closing time, they have a lot of amazing specials you can grab. The downside is that sometimes stock has sold out.

It’s not just fruit and veg, I buy from the markets. I buy my natural homemade soap from here, raw honey, plants, and I’ve recently made the seafood man a permanent stop. I pick up four fillets of fresh, delicious salmon for only $20. This past week, as it was closing time, he gave me eight of them for $35. Yes!! Into the freezer they go.

woman carrying shopping bags

The Happy Healthy Hall – The LOHAS precinct

My visit to the market used to be quite quick – in and out to just pick up the produce until I began uncovering the joy of the Happy Health Hall, otherwise known as the LOHAS precinct.

little girl reading a banner

A couple of months ago, I felt a little pang of regret that I’d be leaving Burleigh as I looked around that hall and realised I knew two-thirds of the vendors in there – I’d just spent the last hour moving from one to the other for healing advice and warm embraces.

That’s how my Saturday mornings are now.

I begin with a coconut cappuccino from the organic Village Cafe and sit at the tables and chairs around the plant bar, taking in the energy of the hall.

coffee

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I end up stuck in that hall chatting with people I know, seeking further healing advice, and deepening my kit of potions and lotions.

It started with one of the first visits to the market.

I was with the girls and we walked into check out the hall and Dr Matt approached us and asked if I’d like a free back appraisal. Why not? A year later, visits with Dr Matt at Zuma Health is a weekly normal.

He’s had a huge impact upon our physical and spiritual health and we’ve featured him previously in this post.

Burleigh Fames Market - Gold Coast, Australia
Dr Matt working his magic on Craig inside the happy healthy hall

Through Matt, we discovered Cheryl, who also has a stall in the Healthy Hall. Both Craig and I have had a wonderful healing chakra cleansing from Cheryl in her home. On a Saturday morning, she offers aura cleansing, crystal wands, incenses and sage sticks.

Burleigh Farmers Market

Last weekend, (the entire family came with me to the markets – where’s my Zen gone?) the girls brought incense from her, which they love to burn each night in their room.

little girl holding a bowl

They each brought a crystal at the store next to Cheryl’s as well (both strangely aligning with properties of the bush flower essences they self-selected too – keep reading) I couldn’t help but grabbing a new crystal for myself too!

crystals

We attempted to leave the hall, but I ran into Monique from Bespoke Remedies, and after a big embrace, she noticed Kalyra’s not so happy mood and suggested a clearing spray might help her.

We walked over to her Bush Flower Essence stand. If you follow us on SnapChat, you’ve seen her stand a bit as I visit frequently for my own bespoke remedies.

people looking at items for sale in a tent

I have travel bush flower essences that help with jet lag – a natural jet lag remedy as good as earthing! And I LOVE that these are all connected to the Australian bush.

Monique took the girls through an assessment where they look at posters of Australian bush flowers and choose the ones that speak to them. Each of their choices aligned perfectly current struggles, one being Kalyra’s current boredom with school!

Monique made a bespoke remedy for them, which they love to take each morning and night and remind me about rather than me hounding them to take it!

people looking at artwork for sale

bottles of liquid

Craig was over chatting to Matt and ended up talking to Kym the founder of the Healthy Hall, who was gently putting out her feelers as to who this strange man taking photos of everything was.

We explained we wanted to write about the markets and she sat us down with some delicious organic muffins and paleo brownies and shots of Kefir to tell us her story.

alcohol

food on a napkin

It was at this point that Kalyra proclaimed,

“I love the Farmer’s Markets now Mummy. I’m having so much fun in here.”

Tell me about it!

The kefir came from Ian, the kombucha man, who has an alkaline tasting bar within the hall. He’s another of my regular stops each week as I pick up a bottle of turmeric and ginger kombucha and white grape keffir.

A sign above a store

Kym explained how Ian is like the triage of the Happy Hall. Most people come to him for kombucha tasting, tell him their health complications and he sends them to the corresponding corner of the hall to the right person who can help them.

Which is exactly how it started for me.

I was sent to Marilyn by Monique (my bush flower lady). For $5, naturopath Marilyn does an iridology reading. As soon as I walked up to her, she told me I was really stressed and my body was full of acid. It’s not your diet, as I can tell that’s really good, it’s coming from work stress. And she saw my iron was low.

She gave me the right potions and then on my return the next week she told me straight away the iron was fixed, but the stress still needed work.

This is the Happy Healthy Hall and it was wonderful to sit down and hear Kym explain her mission behind the hall.

The Healthy Hall started way back when Kym came across LOHAS in the USA – Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. She dreamed of starting something similar in Australia and revolutionise the way we approach eating and health.

It progressed naturally from successful film nights she ran through her company Life Changing Events. She showcased films to crowds of people with the intention to inspire them to change to a more nourishing way of living.

The interest in this organic and healthy way of living grew and a community gathered, which Kym captured by giving birth to the LOHAS market, a.k.a. The Healthy Hall at the Burleigh Heads Farmers Market.

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The interest in this organic and healthy way of living grew and a community gathered, which Kym captured by giving birth to the LOHAS market, a.k.a. The Healthy Hall at the Burleigh Heads Farmers Market.

“I want this to be a place where people who are looking for alternatives can step in here and find everything they need to help them transition, within a safe, caring community and passionate people.”

She’s created something amazing.

I shared with her my experiences at the Healthy Hall, how it pulled me in and gave me everything I needed on my health journey. It was delightful to see her eyes and smile widen to know her pure intention and mission is a reality.

Kym has plans to take the healthy hall concept on the road now with her ideas for a Wellness Wagon – turning the Golden Arches upside down and helping our children understand what real food and nutrition is.

She’s purchased a cute mobile caravan to spread her message for healthy living along the East Coast.

It’s going to be half stall that sells her delicious healthy snacks and raw food, and half wellness clinic. Just like the healthy hall people can meet over food and connect with healers who can help them improve their mind, body, spirit. I love the idea!

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Kym will also be offering her custom made Golden Spice Latte, which was co-created with naturopath, Marilyn. An organic healing drink comprised of turmeric, coconut powder, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne pepper. It’s now replaced coffee as her biggest seller at the markets.

In a huge coffee culture like Australia, this speaks volume as to the quality of the drink. It’s the first of many diabetic friendly drinks Kym plans to create.

One of Kym’s workers sat down with me clutching a mug of the latte, “I’m addicted to this stuff. I can’t even tell you how incredible it is. My energy levels are through the roof, I’ve lost weight and just feel incredible. I can’t get enough of it.”

It’s now a nightly treat for Craig and I and we love its warm, healing flavours. It will now be replacing my coconut cappuccino at the markets and I have a confident feeling it could help me kick my coffee habit once and for all. I just hope Kym can ship some to us when we’re travelling through the US!

The LOHAS precinct, or as I prefer to say, the Healthy Hall, is my favourite spot at the Burleigh Farmers Market, and possibly Burleigh itself.

I only uncovered its joy by taking a moment to sit with a coffee, lift my head up, and absorb a rare moment of alone time and tranquillity. In that space, I discovered a whole new world full of angels, kindred spirits, and earth healers.

Am I going to lose my date with myself?

Last weekend, it was Craig bouncing from one stall to the other, getting readjusted with Matt, meeting Monique, chatting with Cheryl, and having his iridology reading.

woman standing close to a man

“I can’t believe we’ve been in here for an hour and a half and we haven’t even brought the fruit and veg yet!” he said as we walked out.

And yep – we decided to start our morning at the markets sitting down with a cappuccino and dandelion latte. It just pulls you in.

Coffee

That is the joy of my Saturday morning date at the Burleigh Farmer’s Market and the LOHAS precinct.

Don’t you wish you had a similar date with yourself each week? (now I have to find a way to persuade Craig and the girls to stay home as I have a sneaking suspicion they may want to crash my date every week now.)

LOHAS Markets (Healthy Hall)

We suggest hitting the hall first and then grabbing some bargains in the markets after. You can also buy organic produce within the healthy hall.

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