Journey Fitness + Wellness Newsletter - April 30, 2023
Newsletter - April 30, 2023
The month of May rolls in with spring wildflowers in the landscape and new classes on the schedule. Journey Fitness + Wellness Lakefront Studio has a selection of in-studio and online classes to help you spring into summer! Be sure to register early to secure your spot if planning to attend in-studio as space is limited to three people.
Private or semi-private class(es) can also be arranged to support you on your health and fitness journey. Semi-private classes are also a great way to connect with your family and friends this spring or summer to celebrate a soon-to-be bride, a birthday, special event, weekend or vacation, etc. I would be happy to help you plan a special practice to meet your and your guests needs. E-mail or call (613.558.7480) to get started.
You can also join me at the ABC Hall in Bolingbroke for weekly Gentle Pilates classes on Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00am until June 7. For more information and to register click here.
I am very happy to share that I am now Bone Fit™-trained- something I had been thinking about becoming since my bicycle accident in 2021! Stay tuned for a new class series which will focus on keeping bones strong for people who have or are at risk for osteoporosis.
"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone." - - Reba McEntire
Lakefront Studio Schedule
“Spring Into Summer” 2023
Yoga, Pilates and Fitness Classes
Twelve Weeks to Summer, Tuesdays, April 4 – June 20, 8:00-9:00am (Online Only with Recordings). It’s not too late to register! The cost will be prorated to the remaining number of classes.
Yin/Yang Yoga, 4-weeks, Tuesdays, May 2 – May 23, 9:30-10:30am
Gentle Pilates, 6-weeks, Sundays, May 7 – June 18, 10:00-11:00am (No class on May 21)
Yoga Flow, 4-weeks, Tuesdays, May 30 – June 20, 9:30-10:30am
Cost: $60 for 4-week series / $90 for 6-week series / $20 for drop-in class
For more information on these classes and to register visit here.
Undecided? Attend a class and then decide. If you love it, sign-up! If it isn’t for you only pay the drop-in fee of $20. Also, if you register and are not able to attend a class in the series you may attend any other class on the schedule in the coming week so long as space in-studio permits (if you have registered for in-person classes).
Thank you for choosing to be a part of the Journey Fitness + Wellness Lakefront Studio community as we continue the journey to wellness together.
Yin/Yang Yoga 4-week Series - - Tuesdays, May 2-23, 9:30-10:30am
Create balance in your yoga practice. A blend of both stillness and movement which brings together the benefits of the passively held postures of Yin and the active flowing postures of vinyasa styles of yoga. Together they help energy to flow more freely through the body building strength, stamina and flexibility in both the body and mind. Cost: $60 for the series or $20 for drop-in class.
"The practice of yin/yang helps us learn about stillness in movement and the flow in stillness." - - Sarah Powers
March Events
May 1-7, 2023 is the 72th Annual Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week! This year the focus is: “Let's work together to create better mental health care access for all. #CMHAMentalHealthWeek”. After three years of living through COVID-19, there are many stories to be told to heal. Mental health is key to our well-being. Contact a community organization like the CMHA to learn more about support and resources in your area to help you stay mentally fit and healthy. Find your local CMHA here.
My story...
It’s coming up to nearly two years now since my traumatic bicycle accident on Monday, May 31, 2021. It was another beautiful spring day and my husband, Steve and I were setting out to ride another section of the K&P Trail from Sharbot Lake on our bikes. I only remember about the first 5 minutes of the ride. The terrain was a bit gravelly. I remember thinking, I’ll clip out of my cleats in case I need to put my feet on the ground.
On Friday, June 4, I woke up in the morning, looking up at the ceiling and around the room thinking, “Hum, this is interesting. This looks like a hospital room. Am I dreaming?” Luckily, Steve was there to fill me in on my accident. That same morning, the doctors visited and discussed surgery with me. I won’t go into the details of my hospital stay, only that I was ready to go home about 10 days into my stay recovering from surgery. I had a broken collarbone and 13 breaks to both the front and back ribs of my left side. I now have a titanium collarbone and three titanium back ribs! On day 12 of my stay at the hospital, I was able to go home to continue my recovery after a night of being able to go without the heavy-duty pain medication. That was the prerequisite for my release from hospital. That is also when my roller coaster ride began. I am not talking about the roller coaster you ride in an amusement park. I am talking about the roller coaster ride of my emotions dealing with the pain and limitations - frustration, impatience, … I was released from the hospital, knowing that it would take about 6 months to recover to the point where I would feel close to my old self again! No one talked about the emotional effects of the trauma, the darkness that I would experience. I am fortunate to be in the health and fitness field and have trauma-informed training. I recognized that all these emotions I was feeling were part of the healing, and that the ride was going to be longer than the one in the amusement park and longer than I wanted! I am so very grateful to the very supportive people in my life, my husband, kids, grandkids, friends, studio clients, the medical team, extended medical team… I am also truly grateful for the mind/body toolkit of practices – meditation, yoga, Pilates, fitness. With both a community of people and these tools to support me, I eventually was able to step off the ride and put my feet on the ground feeling once again “grounded”, “balanced” and “whole” in mind, body and spirit.
Our plan was to ride the whole trail from start to finish over the coming months that year. Needless to say, that didn't happen. What did happen was I rode down the lane that same fall just before my wheels were hung up for the season. Come the next spring and as soon as the weather was nice and the trails open, I got back on my bike and rode again on another more familiar part of the K&P trail, one that I had rode before. I will be back on my bike again this spring and maybe, just maybe this time I'll ride on the Sharbot Lake section of the trail.
“Mental health is key to our well-being. We can’t be truly healthy without it. It involves how we feel, think, act, and interact with the world around us. Mental health is about realizing our potential, coping with the normal stresses of life, and making a contribution to our community. It may be more helpful to think of good mental health as thriving. Good mental health isn’t about avoiding problems or trying to achieve a ‘perfect’ life. It’s about living well and feeling capable despite challenges.
Each of our paths to mental well-being will be unique. We all have our own goals, our own challenges, our own talents, and our own supports. But good mental health is in everyone’s reach. … find tips and activities to help you take a look at your own well-being, discover your strengths, and take action.”
- - Canadian Mental Health Association
"Do not underestimate your resilience and resourcefulness. You have the power and the ability. It is natural for you to encounter obstacles."- - Thich Nhat Hahn
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