Women Who Embody: Kirsty van de Geer
At Embodyme, we believe in the power of women learning from women, sharing the rituals, practices and everyday moments that help us live more connected, embodied lives.
Women Who Embody is a monthly series dedicated to women we admire who live with presence, connection and intention.
For our first feature, it was a joy to speak with Kirsty van de Geer, founder of HUM Yoga in Grey Lynn.
Kirsty van de Geer is the founder of HUM Yoga, a Grey Lynn studio and community rooted in awareness, connection and compassion. Born from Kirsty’s 20 years of dedicated practice and over a decade of teaching, HUM honours yoga as more than a physical practice - a way of remembering who we are and returning to presence, belonging and the quiet truth within.
Kirsty’s words are a beautiful reminder that embodiment is not something to perfect. It is the practice of coming home to ourselves again and again.
Q: What does living an embodied life mean to you?
Embodiment, to me, is the practice of coming home to myself again and again. It’s noticing when I want to numb, distract, or move away from what I’m feeling - and gently choosing presence instead. Sometimes that looks like sitting with discomfort. Sometimes it looks like slowing down enough to really taste my food, feel the air on my skin, or meditate on something beautiful and ordinary. Tantra has taught me that the senses can become portals into deeper connection with life. The more I allow myself to fully feel, the more grounded, open, and alive I become.
Q: What is one daily ritual that helps you come back to your body?
One daily ritual that helps me come back to my body is a gentle body check first thing in the morning. Before doing anything else, I pause to feel my feet on the floor, have a little wriggle, and let my body stretch naturally awake. Usually there are a few places asking for a bit more attention, so I take a couple of quiet minutes to listen before stepping into the day. I wake before the rest of the house, and I’ve come to really love that stillness before sunrise, the soft silence before life begins moving. It feels grounding, intimate, and like a way of arriving fully into myself before the outside world rushes in.
Q: When life feels full, what helps you feel grounded?
When life feels full, it’s usually the really simple things that help me feel grounded again. Bare feet outside, taking a breath, feeling the earth beneath me - small moments that bring me back into the present. Problems shared with my beautiful friends, who are experts at holding, also help. And my favourite grounding practice is Yin. I also remind myself that the fullness isn’t permanent. Life moves in seasons, and even in the overwhelm there are often gifts waiting to be noticed. Remembering that helps me soften instead of resist what’s here.
Q: What do you do when you want to feel more energised or uplifted?
When I want to feel more energised or uplifted, it’s usually a sign that I actually need more rest, not more stimulation. So if I can, I try to pull back rather than push through. Practices like Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, meditation, and gentle movement help me reconnect with myself without forcing energy that isn’t genuinely there. I’ve learned that constantly trying to “do more” or “be more” can become its own trap. For me, real capacity and creativity tend to flourish from places of rest, softness, and curiosity rather than pressure or overexertion.
Q: What helps you feel deeply rested or restored?
What helps me feel deeply rested or restored is usually slowing all the way down. Yoga Nidra, Yin, time in nature, meaningful connection, and giving myself permission to do nothing for a while. I also love simple nourishing things like reading, singing mantra, or snuggling up with the fur babies. I think restoration often comes from moments where there’s no pressure to perform or produce - just space to soften, breathe, and be.
Q: Which Embodyme ScentState™ are you most drawn to at the moment?
I feel most drawn to Peace at the moment. It was gifted to me by a dear friend, so every time I use it I’m reminded of her, our connection, and what she means to me. There’s something really comforting about how scent can hold memory, feeling, and presence all at once. Peace feels grounding and gentle for me, like an invitation to soften, slow down, and come into the body, so ultimately I can be in greater unity with everything life offers, even when it is challenging.
Kirsty’s Choice: Peace
Peace is our calming ScentState™, created to support feelings of calm and steady ease through the ritual of scent, touch and presence. Peace is now available in Body Oil and Hand & Body Wash