Cristíona Aston: Happy, Healthy and Wholesome.
It all started growing up beside the sea in West Clare on the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. As the seventh child in a family of nine there was never a dull moment. The great outdoors and beaches of Loop Head were our playground. Dad was a keen sailor and as we got older we’d often go further afield on his wooden schooner - spending our summers sailing down the coast of Ireland, England and France. During the winter, before I went to boarding school, most of our down time was spent reading beside the fire, playing board games or music. Our parents refused to have TVs at home and computers were still rare when I was very young - let alone ipads or iphones! We also had a huge vegetable garden to help tend to, and goats, hens and ducks to look after. Organic vegetables and goats milk produce have always been in my life from a young age.
For all this outdoor and tom-boyish childhood I had another side; for as long as I can remember I have loved the performing arts. I guess Mum can take credit for this! She made a point of bringing the whole troop of us to at least two fabulous theatre or orchestral productions each year. As for fashion – my eldest sister’s steady stream of Vogue magazines fed my growing appetite in that regard. My school dorm room was plastered floor to ceiling with my favourite models. I admired the performers we saw and the models in those magazines and I thought – is this something I could do too?
As a young girl, it took me some time to gain the inner confidence – to see my abilities and worth – never thinking I could be as good as the “others”. With these insecurities also came struggles with anorexia and bulimia. Whilst I am thankful to say these struggles are no longer with me, they are a big part of who I developed to be today. I am a big believer in the 80/20 rule for a healthy approach to eating – balance, moderation and indulging without that horrible and unnecessary guilty feeling. For me healthy routines have become habit, to the point that it is a way of life. Looking after myself, eating well, balanced with physical activity for the body and mind has become the positive mindset I now live by.
After finishing school, inspired by the friendships I made, I set out into the world travelling for a couple of years. I come from a conservative Catholic family, but we were always encouraged to be independent and spirited. Most of my siblings did quite a bit of travelling in and around university years. However, becoming an actor or model – now that wasn’t really encouraged – especially the latter. Regardless I did (become an actress and model), as there was something inside of me that needed to explore and pursue the things I felt passionate about.
Along my exploration years I worked as an artist in Portugal, a hand on a wooden sailing schooner in the Mediterranean, odd jobs in the French Riviera, and a model and acting student in NYC and LA. These were some of the best self discovery years I’ve had so far. I volunteered in Ghana, Africa for 3 months teaching pre-teens English. It was this particular experience which influenced and developed my view on many things in this world. With this, there was no question but to pursue a Bachelors of Law and so I did, putting myself through night school by working full time with a top Dublin law firm.
Whilst these years working as a Para-Legal were extremely fulfilling there was a side which I began to struggle with – the effects of long sedentary office hours with little balance in life. Always health conscious I started to set out my own fitness/nutritional plan which led me to complete my Certificate Level 3 in Personal Training in 2016. Since then I have completed a Diploma in Health Coaching from The College of Naturopathic Medicine in London and Plant Based Nutrition with Cornell University.
Whilst I still engage in being an advocate for human rights and continue to get involved with organisations or charities wherever I can, for me everything ultimately comes back to health. No matter what it is I am doing or working on, health and wellbeing is at the centre of it all.
After being London based since 2013, I moved back to Ireland during the Covid 19 pandemic and I continue to model with 1st Option Models. I love modelling and still do a bit of acting, but my biggest passion in life is to help people move, feel and live with purpose - through movement and wellness practices. It’s safe to say my main focus is coaching people in fitness and overall wellbeing – a well versed culmination of all my experiences had.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! If you would like to work with me I would love to hear from you.
With Love, Cristíona X
