Hello dear friends, family, community. I'm really happy to be connecting with you in this way. Creating a monthly newsletter is one of those things that has been nudging at me for a long time. I miss writing. And writing in short form is what is most accessible and nourishing for me at this time - in this season of my life.
I absolutely love the fall season in this Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec part of the world. The smells, the cooling temperatures, the preperation for curling in, and the witnessing of the end of a life cycle for many of nature's givings. So, it only feels right for me to launch a new writing process and way of connecting with all of you at this time of the year.
I don't know about you, but I've been spending a lot of time contemplating the changes that we are all facing, and that we will continue to face, with everything going on in the world right now: the accelerating development of AI, geo-political conflicts, rising global temperatures and natural disasters, polarizing views fueled by algorithms driving our newsfeeds, and so much more.
And yet, my anxiety has been a driver for change the way anger often is. I went through a stage of overwhelm but kept coming back to the practices I have in my toolkit to help me move through it. Now I'm in this "ok, people, let's do this," mode - even though I'm not entirely sure what "this" is. As I figure that out, I'll be sure to let you know. What I do know is that I'm putting one foot in front of the other, building momentum, moving through time and space, which brings me closer to clarity. And it's only in the taking action, through trial and error, and engaging in the process of change that change itself becomes the process. I turn to the changing colours, the falling leaves, the wilting flowers, and the changes in nature's life force, as a mirror and to remember that sometimes, we just need to follow and trust an instinct even when we don't know where it will lead. The same way the leaves have no idea where they will land, and the tree has no knowing when its leaves will return again. The change happens nonetheless, beautifully, and predictably, for the sake of the life cycle itself.
I'm grateful for you being here and for reading my words. I hope to see some of your lovely faces in the not so distant future.
If you'd like to join me for any practices, I have two events coming up at PranaShanti Yoga Centre this month. One is in-person only: a half day silent meditation retreat on October 10th. The other is a hybrid (meaning in-person or online), and it's a 4 week Yoga Therapy for Anxiety class series, starting on Monday, October 26th in the evening.
If you haven't already signed up fo my free mini-course "The Overwhelm Reset," that's available now and with no strings attached! I wanted to share some practices that I often use for myself and others, and create a resource I can send to people when they express that they are feeling stuck in a state of overwhelm.
As I keep creating, trialing and erroring, and deaming up ways to solve all of our human poblems, I'd love to hear from any of you who have program or course wishlists. If there was a program or a course that would be a clear yes for you in the realm of yoga therapy, mental health, and/or wellness practices, please don't hesitate to share what you need with me and maybe, just maybe, I can put it out in the world for you and others to join.
Take good cae of youselves and those you love.
Until next time,
Kat
xo
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