IN THE LOOP
Hi there, and happy June! We are swinging into Summer - my absolute favorite season.
I hope this message finds you healthy and easing your way into warmer weather. Longer days are here and the smell of lilacs is in the air!
This year has been a whirlwind for me in many ways. Last July my partner and I moved to Kennebunkport, Maine. We built a garage which houses my yoga and mental health counseling space on the second floor. I adore this beautiful spot which feels like a tree house. Space has always had a profound affect on me.
This is what clients get to see from my second floor window.
When I teach trauma-informed yoga and support clients, it is essential that they feel as safe and nurtured as possible, both by me and by the surroundings. The space is the container in which healing occurs. My former office in Toronto had a sliding glass door opening to a lovely deck, and clients loved gazing out at the trees and glorious birds that graced the area. I witnessed firsthand how clients were affected by nature, and I knew I wanted to create something similar here in Maine. The feedback from people who have experienced my new space has been exceptionally positive. It’s true - nature heals. Research indicates that people recovering from trauma can benefit from the influence of nature.
In my space, students and clients can tune in to the vibrant green of the trees, the rustle of the leaves, the aroma of the forest, and the feeling of the breeze on their skin with my sliding glass doors open. All of this encourages a “here and now” presence, which is helpful when moving through trauma. Research is conclusive that contact with nature brings about physiological relaxation and stress recovery.
GETTING THE WORD OUT
As a new full timer to the Kennebunkport area, I joined the local Chamber of Commerce and the staff there have been helpful and welcoming. This week I was spotlighted in the Chamber’s newsletter. You can read about me here. Please help spread the word on what I offer.
NEW YOGA SERIES
Next up for my yoga offerings is a pre-registered, 3-week evening restorative series. I taught a restorative yoga series a couple of weeks ago and students asked for MORE! Yes, give yourself permission to rest.
Restorative Yoga Series in Kennebunkport
Tuesdays, June 18th, 25th and July 2nd
6:00 -7:00 pm
Pre-Registration by email is required.
$60 for 3 classes, payable in advance by VENMO
There are 6 spaces only - register soon to secure your spot!
No experience necessary
HOW RESTORATIVE YOGA WORKS
Restorative yoga is a passive form of asana that utilizes props like bolsters, blocks, and blankets to support your body. Postures are held for 3 - 10 minutes in an effort to down-regulate the nervous system. Restorative yoga has many benefits including improved sleep, and reducing anxiety, stress, and chronic pain.
I share upcoming upcoming yoga on Instagram as well as my website, so please follow to stay in the loop.
PRIVATE AND GROUP YOGA
I love offering individual private yoga sessions and also curate private group yoga experiences. Please reach out to me if this sounds appealing.
WHAT IS SOMATIC COUNSELING?
If you are interested in yoga, body-oriented work, or the healing arts, you have likely heard the term somatic. It is making its way into mainstream conversation, perhaps in part due to the work of Dr. Gabor Maté, who seems to be everywhere these days (check my website for book recommendations).
"Somatic" may be understood as referring to the body. The kind of counseling I provide employs a holistic approach, working with the entire person: their body, breath, thoughts, emotions, spirit, and energy. The way I offer somatic counseling involves some combination of talking, mindfulness, awareness of physical responses, visualization, breathing, movement, and the use of focusing as a therapeutic technique. I am always helping clients to develop resources they can use to self-regulate.
By cultivating a body-mind connection and using specific modalities, emotions that may have been stored in the body from past experiences are moved through, and new ways of "being" are discovered, facilitating greater ease and freedom. Somatic counseling is well suited for helping people who have experienced trauma, which is many of us.
While my counseling practice is currently full, this status is always changing. I see people in person from the Kennebunk area and also work with clients virtually. If you are curious about working with me, feel free to reach out. I offer 20-minute no-cost consultations to explore if we may be a good fit to work together.
HAPPY PRIDE
June marks Pride month in the United States and Canada. I honour and support 2SLGBTQ individuals and recognize your dignity and courage in the face of discrimination. Pride month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of protests in 1969 aiming to achieve equal opportunity for LGBTQ people in the United States. While Pride can be about celebration, we can also be aware of the trauma and violence that gave rise to Pride and still unfortunately persists.
As we transition into summer, experiment with more rest and more play; remember that you have permission to not “do it all.” Get outside and enjoy nature. This summer I will be enjoying kayacking, paddle boarding, hiking, biking, pickle ball, exploring around, yoga, and reclining at the beach and in my back yard.
May this summer bring you wonder, delight, and more down time.
Do me a favor and please send along this newsletter to someone who may benefit.
In health,
