Između - Season 1 Episode 3 - Between Being and Becoming with Paige Elise

In our third episode of Između, Amy sits down with Paige Hewetson — yoga teacher (mat + aerial), personal trainer, writer, and mum — recorded at House of Wellness in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. Paige shares her journey from the corporate world (including American Express and Apple) into freelance life, and what it took to rebuild self-trust along the way. She speaks candidly about becoming an alcoholic at 17, the turning point that helped her stop drinking at 22, and how learning to regulate her nervous system through breath, movement, and yoga transformed her life. Together, Amy and Paige explore fear of rejection, “rejection dysmorphia,” the pressure to sell yourself in the fitness industry, and why what we fear most is sometimes not failure — but success. Amy also reflects on leaving her career as a lawyer in London, choosing alignment over a life that looked perfect on paper. The conversation moves beyond yoga as a physical practice into spirituality, presence, and self-inquiry. Paige shares how yoga helped her reconnect with spirituality on her own terms, redefine her relationship with God, and recognise teaching as her path. They discuss group energy, energetic boundaries, and the responsibility of holding space as a teacher, coach, or leader. They also dive into emotional regulation and healing — why different emotions need different outlets, how anger, grief, and sadness move through the body, and why practices like movement, stillness, and strength training all have their place. In a deeply honest section on motherhood, Paige reflects on how becoming a mum reshaped her identity, success, and nervous system. She speaks about the grief of letting go of her old life, the lack of support many modern mothers face, and measuring success now through presence, resilience, and the foundation she lays for her son. Finally, Paige shares the story behind the book she’s been writing for over 13 years — a work centred on self-trust — along with the realities of a freelance life: uncertainty, freedom, self-mastery, and alignment. Chapters: (00:00) Paige’s definition of success: presence, boundaries, and inner connection (03:30) Disconnection from the inner world, dissociation, and learning to “check in” (07:15) Alcohol at 17, interventions at 22, and the moment Paige chose sobriety (14:30) Breath, nervous system regulation, and coming out of fight-or-flight (20:00) Corporate life at 19: American Express, pressure, panic attacks, and misalignment (30:30) The courage to quit — and choosing alignment over external validation (38:30) Personal training: ego, image culture, and rejection sensitivity (46:15) “It’s not always failure we fear — it can be success” + learning to handle rejection (54:30) Getting fired, sitting in grief, and the redirection that changed everything (1:02:00) Yoga as presence + connection to Source (1:08:30) Devotion, spirituality, and Paige finding her way back to God (1:17:30) Holding space, energetic boundaries, and giving yourself permission to feel (1:26:00) Anger vs grief: how different emotions need different releases (1:35:00) Motherhood, grief, purpose, and redefining success (1:46:00) Paige’s advice: breath, honesty, journaling, and starting small “We’re so afraid of being rejected that we will do anything to not feel it.” Guest: Paige — yoga teacher (mat + aerial), personal trainer, writer, and mum If you enjoyed this episode: Hit 'follow' for more conversations on the tension that can be found in being and becoming, growth, mindset, and creating a life you’re proud of. Follow us on socials: Instagram: izmedupodcast TikTok: izmedupodcast Find us on Spotify, too: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xRlq1plmyvvhIRLkeTRNA?si=c7eaebe32d174294 Disclaimer (visa / non-monetised): This podcast is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.