Written by Endeavour College of Natural Health | Monday, 13 December 2021
The extended lockdown in Melbourne was surprisingly good for Sarah Kirley and her family. The forced break from her business allowed her to study naturopathy, sharing her study journey with her husband and three children.
“Years ago, when I was working in a health food store as a teenager, I looked into naturopathy,” Sarah said. “But I pursued my passion for natural health as a massage therapist instead. I have always wanted to progress my knowledge about the human body. It’s amazing! Then, when I had children, I didn’t feel like I could study. They are only little for such a short time, and my girls have seizures, so I didn’t want to leave them. But having children also made me even more interested in natural medicine.
As a massage therapist, Sarah ran her own business and worked as a contractor for VIP clients. When the pandemic hit, the massage sector shut down. Thankfully, the education sector moved quickly online.
“I saw what Endeavour was doing on social media and how much work they put into educating people. It seems they are leading the profession, so I decided to enrol in naturopathy at Endeavour. With the support of my husband, who was working at home, I could study online at home.
“My family has been learning along with me. When I need a brain break, I try to explain what I’m studying to my littlies. I have loved learning the scientific side of why it’s good to eat well and how your body heals. I think my passion for this knowledge shines through to my kids.
“Endeavour has been fantastic at facilitating group work – it’s challenging when it’s all online – but they have still created a sense of community. The lecturers are fantastic. They are people working in the field and are inspired to share their knowledge and experience. I can’t wait to meet people in person when we can get back on campus for the student clinic.
Sarah is in her second year of full-time study. She already has an interest in inflammation due to stress and the impact it has on our bodies.
“I’ve been following lots of research about inflammation and the gut microbiome. For example, I have been reading about how the microbiome passes through breastmilk to the baby. It’s an area of research I’d like to explore more in the future.”
You can find Sarah Kirley on her Instagram page at @naturehealthrejuvenation.
Endeavour College of Natural Health is Australia's largest Higher Education provider of natural medicine courses.
The College is known as the centre of excellence for natural medicine and is respected for its internationally recognised academic teams and high calibre graduates. Endeavour offers higher education Diplomas in Health Science and Bachelor of Health Science degrees in Naturopathy, Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine, Acupuncture Therapies and Chinese Medicine.