The best part of my September was being in Retreat last weekend. The theme of our time together was “Healing the Heart” through reclaiming Kama. All that I learned during my time out in the woods of Wisconsin resonated so well with my current concepts of Freedom. The idea that Freedom comes from an internal connection to yourself. Kama is much the same…a drawing back to oneself, all the energies that get put out into the world. Disconnecting energetic ties to the places I was seeking happiness externally…then taking the time and awareness to be present with myself and my senses. In the past months I have written about noticing the ways we use our senses, in both quality and quantity of experience. The reclaiming part of the weekend was about noticing individual moments of pleasure with the senses…whether it was slowly eating a piece of chocolate, noticing what arises in my body when in silent stillness, the sounds and lyrics of music with closed eyes or really seeing another person when you look in theirs. It was 4 days of learning to be present and it was both the highlight of my month and the perfect way to end my “Summer of Solitude”.
Over this past months spending so much time alone, I have let go of much of the need to plan and control life; even letting go of the lifelong pattern of needing to have a back up plan. A lot of my daily energy and practices revolved around staying present with life exactly as it is in the moment, without imposing my expectations or wanting to change things. This meant a lot of sitting in discomfort. Being with life as it is becomes very clarifying for intentions and priorities. Taking time to go internal and listen to intuition…we all have the capacity to do so, but it takes practice, time and silent space.
After all that space, life has suddenly exploded with opportunity. It feels like all the clearing has made room for what wanted to arrive. October is bringing more ways to start using what I’ve been learning over the last 4 years. I will be working with the Ontario Corrections Staff Wellness program as a Co-Facilitator in the Mindfulness Based Wellness & Resiliency Program in Thunder Bay that starts next week. It’s coming full circle from nearly 2 decades in Corrections, to be able to return to teach tools that have brought me back to health after so many years of unchecked and numbed out stress build up. I’m very excited to start working with the Centre for Mindfulness in Public Safety. Check out their programs here: https://mindfulcorrections.org
I will also be doing some travelling this month taking a certification course for the integration of Yoga Therapy into Acute Care settings, like hospitals and long-term care facilities. I look forward to the future potential of offering a modality that looks at care of the whole individual as a resource for our local healthcare teams.
Course info: https://www.muih.edu/academics/continuing-education/professional-certificate-yoga-therapy-acute-care
Community group classes continue throughout October and November at both JET Wellness in Thunder Bay on Sunday nights and at Mink Mountain Resort in Neebing on Tuesday nights. There are a few drop-in spots available week to week. If you’d like to pop in message me the day of to check for availability.
I have been focused on the Private Session side of Yoga Therapy for the fall. I’ve created new brochures and gift certificates that can be used for Private or Group Sessions. Yoga Therapy is available through online video conferencing as well as in person mobile therapy services. Reach out for more details or see the attached Yoga Therapy brochure.
Coming in November I will be co-hosting an evening workshop on Chocolate Making with Angela Slomke. Angela is famous for her depth of knowledge surrounding raw cacao, its traditional sacred uses, ceremonies and knowledge of indigenous wild superfoods. She brings a wealth of experience to this 3 hour evening creating and enjoying delicious chocolate treats and elixirs. There is room for 15 at Mink Mountain Resort, Saturday November 23rd from 6-9pm. Spots can be RSVP’d with payment of $60 by November 1st by e-transfer to slomkea@shaw.ca
For the doTERRA oil lovers out there, Convention Kits are available from the US Warehouse today. All the new products released last month including Turmeric soft gels, Adaptive System, (stress calming line), and the Yarrow Pom Body Spray and Cellular Renewal Gels can be purchased as a kit through your online account. Although I am not actively teaching Essential Oil classes at the moment, doTERRA products are very much a part of my daily self care routine and always an option to explore and educate through private and group sessions of Yoga Therapy. Much like Yoga, the oils support us on all layers of our being; body, mind, emotions, energy and spirit!
Mind Body Whole Wellness 