About

Freda Wells

Kia ora, Hi and welcome! I’m a mum, wife, learner, connector, communicator, uplifter, curator, weaver, founder of Goodlife Collective, and idea-landscape-explorer. I was very fortunate to grow up in Nelson, Aotearoa New Zealand - surrounded by mountains and ocean.

At 17 I fled familiar horizons to spend a year in Europe on a Rotary Exchange Scholarship. It was in Belgium that I first experienced yoga - in french, in a beautiful 400-year old church! Despite still being a beginner at french, the gentle movements and breathing guiding me back down from a busy mind to a grounded, present and calm body and being, planted the seed that grew into the yoga practice I have today.

That year in Europe I met people from over a dozen countries, and felt our ultimate shared humanity and sameness despite surface differences, so clearly. I also sensed the huge need for healing - in a world desperately in need of slowing down and reconnecting: with others, with ourselves, and with nature. In a world in need of shifting our collective narrative from differences to commonalities, from competition to cooperation, from fear to possibilities and hope.

What passed as ‘nature’ in Belgium was worrying for me - scant coverings of monoculture trees covered a few sparse hillsides. These scenes percolated in my mind, and it dawned on me that I was seeing New Zealand’s environmental future if we didn’t change how we lived back home. So it makes sense that I returned home to study psychology and environmental science.

My career has focused on communications and engagement, and I am currently a Senior Engagement Advisor in government. I enjoy channeling my creativity and curiosity into side projects in service of shaping a more constructive collective narrative, including The Kiwi Diary (founded by Annabel Wilson) and Goodlife Collective - a platform to build connection, agency, and our collective potential.

I completed my 200YTT in 2019 with a true master of yoga Nico Luce, and have been practicing and teaching yoga ever since.

Nico set out as ground rules for our yoga cohort the following Four Agreements from the book of the same name: “Be impeccable with your word”, “Do not take anything personally”, “Do not make assumptions”, and “Always do your best”. These are also a regular practice!

My other side hustle is working with essential oils with the Wellness Collective. These powerhouses of nature’s own immune-system, are the OG when it comes to anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-septic, anti-anxiety solutions (you get the idea) 100% toxin-free herbal medicine, and of course they smell beautiful!

If you’d like to explore practicing yoga with me, or chat about anything else, reach out at hello@goodlifecollective.org.