Some Good Things for 2024
Hello, it's been a while!
It has been six months since I relocated to Maine and the move from one country to another has been a huge transition. There have been ups and downs and I am settling in.
A high for me has been the natural beauty and landscape of this place, yet I do miss the diversity and choice of Toronto life. I remind myself that moving is a major life event. It takes time to adjust to change. I'm acknowledging my feelings and offering myself grace and patience.
One of my ongoing joys is providing holistic mental health counseling to clients online. I find great fulfillment in exploring the intersections of mindfulness, counselling, and yoga with individuals in my work. My approach is a blend of evidence-based interventions, intuitive knowing, and I am particularly skilled at building and maintaining quality relationships with clients.
An intention for this coming year is to work with more people face to face. One of the ways this will occur is through the utilization of my newly established studio space.
Construction Update:
We're in the Homestretch!
In the near future, my incredible new office/studio space will be ready to welcome people. It has been fun helping to design and create it. Stay tuned for more updates! I'll be offering small group yoga classes, private sessions, workshops, and various health-promoting events. Feel free to reach out if you have any specific ideas in mind or you believe I can provide support.
Fellow Mainers…
I will continue to teach gentle yoga on Thursday mornings from 7:15 am - 8:00 am at the amazing Livfit Athletics in Biddeford, ME. I love being part of the Livfit community and sharing yoga with people from all different backgrounds and ages and stages of life.
Kennebunkport Workshop Alert:
Mark your calendar if you live in the Kennebunkport area!
Mindful Strategies for Care
in Challenging Times
Sunday February 4, 2024
10:30 am - Noon
Village Yoga - 153 Port Road, Kennebunk, ME
Life continually ebbs and flows and the world we live in is a difficult one. Many of us can feel overwhelmed and struggle to find center. This workshop will teach you how to attune to yourself in compassionate ways and will offer concrete strategies to help you shift from a place of disregulation to relative safety and connection. The practice of mindfulness instructs us to respond to what is happening with curiosity and care. I will teach you practical, bite-sized strategies that you can weave into your day to rediscover balance when feeling challenged. As you practice these exercises, you will come to respond with more flexibility and your resilience will grow.
Book Recommendation
Have you see Sharon Salzburg’s new book, Finding Your Way Meditations, Thoughts and Wisdom for Living an Authentic Life? This easily digestible book can sit on your coffee table or night stand and offer you brief inspo for meditation practice.
As we move into some of the darkest days of the calendar, nature guides us to slow down, turn inward, and rest. The winter season can be a time of reflection. The Nap Ministry’s Rest Deck, by Tricia Hersey, offers cards that share empowering affirmations to free your mind from grind culture in addition to meditative exercises to restore sacred energy. I encourage you to infuse each day with rest. This is a practice I am actively working with. This would make a great holiday gift!
Online Health Resource
The Greater Good Science Centre (out of the University of California, Berkley) is a hub for researched based health articles, tips and tools for a happier, more meaningful and compassionate society. Find stories, books and podcast recommendations here in areas such as relationships, parenting, social connection and diversity etc.
Whatever you celebrate at this time of year, the holiday season can be a joyous time for many and it can also understandably bring up stress, grief, and pain. In our troubled and conflicted world, I wish you moments of contentment. Peace begins at home with ourselves and has the potential to ripple outward to touch others in our families, networks, and communities.
I leave you with this quotation from Nobel Laureate Chemist, IIlya Prigogine:
“When a system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to lift the entire system to a higher order.”
Warmest wishes for a healthy 2024. Please reach out if I may be of service.
With peace, hope, and humility,
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