Sonia Houria Rivas runs Women Make Waves and is changing lives one breath at a time

You will find the Tunisian-born ray of light inspiring people across the Illawarra through her Women Make Waves practice, a "vehicle for absolute freedom".

Read more: Small win for Kiama cafe in battle against council to keep live music alive

While men benefit from her meditation, breath training and life coaching, she said it's Australian women who change the most, becoming more like their sisters from other corners of the earth.

"I find it horrible that we only have one day for us," Rivas said of International Women's Day on March 8.

Having lived in Algeria, North Africa, France and the Netherlands, the confidence of Australian women is by far the lowest, she said.

"I was really surprised ... women are scared of being women or they're scared of something," Rivas said, noting the prevalence of tall poppy syndrome.

"Something happened in this society that it doesn't allow them to express themselves properly. Australia talks a lot about 'community', but women tend to shoot themselves and each other; there's a lot to be done about lifting each other here as women."

Women Make Waves is about a "ripple effect" from creating an environment that is favourable to reminding women how driven, powerful and wise they are and in turn help them to "lead by example".

"Then everyone is helping each other and 'boom' we've got a beautiful world in here," Rivas said. "It might sound like a crazy utopia, but that's really what I believe."

Rivas always felt a drive to help others, but for a long time put herself at the bottom of the list, including leading a happy and fulfilling life. When she lost her mother tragically to cancer, she also "lost herself".

"I was raised in three countries [through civil war and a dictatorship], through two failed marriages by my mother who then passed away when I was 23," she said.

"[This] left me to raise my three brothers while I finished my studies and became a solicitor in Europe."

Read more: Convicts who became 'political prisoners, vigilantes' helped build Dapto

As no-one else wanted to help, becoming 'mother' for her brothers was difficult but Rivas regrets nothing. She does admit to feeling a "deeper calling" but ignored this until around 10 years ago.

"I wanted an adventure so decided I was going to go somewhere where I know no-one and I ended up in Bulli," she said.

Read more: Stan to stream Kiama shark attack survivor's story Attacking Life

Initially the inner "call" was to do things that excited and inspired like surfing and rock-climbing. She needed money to get by so did return to the corporate world, but took on interesting jobs quite different to the world she had come from.

One of these was becoming a director at Sliding Sports Australia, which is the governing body for bobsleigh and skeleton, despite Rivas hating the ice.

But this wasn't enough.

Coming to Australia reconnected her to life and to her dreams, Rivas said, and she wanted to use all the things that worked for her and bring that to others.

"I'm building an army of lovers," Rivas said. "When someone gets closer to who they are, suddenly ... their self-esteem goes through the roof, confidence goes up, and you reconnect with your dreams."

Most people that seek her help have some sort of anxiety, fear or self doubt, she said. But when they become fulfilled they become "unshakeable" and want to share their joy with others.

Working as a confidence coach, energy healer, meditative and mindfulness guide and a breath trainer (for anxiety and for surfers) Rivas has now worked with hundreds of women and men to "bring back their excitement for life and the willingness to show up freely and confidently as who they are".

Her next workshop is on Shamanic breath and energy healing on March 19, while Rivas will also host a free workshop at the Her Wave surfing festival in Kiama on April 1.

www.facebook.com/WomenMakeWavesRetreats

Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.