If Orange Is The New Black, Wealth Is The New Wellness

Yoga instructor and wealth coach Lea Schodel is transforming how women feel about their finances, one cat pose at a time. The Brisbane entrepreneur teaches women to approach their spending as they would a yoga pose – with balance, resilience and mindfulness. “There are similar metaphors between yoga and finances. If we can start bringing our awareness to our finances and do the practices, we can have more balance when it comes to money,” she says.  

Schodel is part of a new wave of female entrepreneurs showing women that financial wellness is as important to our wellbeing as a healthy diet, rest and a sequence of asanas. Her unconventional financial literacy program, Wellthy, works on the idea that how we feel about money determines how we spend it. “Before I started Wellthy, I was seeing a lot of clients who were financially stressed. Spending more than they earn, multiple credit cards, conflict in their relationships. Your emotions drive a lot of what you do with your money. I realised there was a lot of synergy between someone improving their wellbeing and improving their financial situation,” says the serial entrepreneur, who runs retreats and workshops in Australia and the US. “I created the Mindful Wealth Movement to help educate women on the emotional and behavioural side of money with the practical skills of managing it.” Whether it’s settling for low-paid jobs, splurging on things we can’t really afford, or playing it safe with investments, many women still struggle with financial literacy.