Fall series: Restoring Radiance

Wanting to Boost your energy and connect more fully with yourself ?

Men and women of all ages are invited to join us for Restoring Radiance, a four- part series to explore:

sources of hope

ways to release strain and stress

ways to notice what you need on life's journey

what makes you feel alive

4 Saturdays: Sept 20, Oct 18, Nov 15, and Dec 13 from 3-5 pm at 1000 Rivers Academy, 54  East 4th Avenue near Main Street.

A welcoming, bright community space! Karyn is pleased to be hosting the group here.

Cost: $165  Register with Karyn:  connect@refresharts.com or call 778.708.8966

“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”   -Maya Angelou

A tree's ancient wisdom

I enjoy stopping by a few beloved trees in my neighbourhood. It's actually a necessity to visit them now and again! I feel their wisdom and sense of history, as though they hold many stories and release sage energy into the air from their branches, and the earth from their roots. The comfort tree: A solid maple that offers me steadfast company when life feels wavering. The connecting tree: The willow branches remind me of the fluid beauty of life, as it shifts and changes.  The calm tree: I have a couple of them.  It's where I go to ponder, when I need to breathe, release emotion and trust. The texture of the bark feels grounding.

I recently discovered Hermann Hesse's eloquent writing on trees.

Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.

A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.

A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers, I know nothing about the thousand children that every year spring out of me. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, and I care for nothing else. 

-Hermann Hesse

Where is your favourite tree, and why does it resonate with you?

That's how the light gets in

This is a mantra I am living by!

Embracing authenticity. Wherever I choose to access a loving spirit, I am honouring my capacity to love others with care, attention and a freedom in who I am. With a spirit of realness I am also bringing something good into the world, such as kindness; being receptive to a moment of connection; or laughter and lightness. Being authentic doesn't mean hiding the shadows in us- authenticity is more about noticing the shades of gray and allowing our radiance to come forth,  said amazingly in Leonard Cohen's line: 'There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in'.

What magic are you sharing today?

Paying attention

"Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it."

-Mary Oliver

I first encountered Mary's writing while on personal retreat in a peaceful setting. I was touched by her honest, lusciously descriptive and achingly human way of putting words together. Tender tenacity comes to mind.

I have been tuning into my own capacity to notice the world around me- little details that strike me as beautiful.  The fading of a wild flower that gives way to seed; how much I enjoy the first juicy bite of watermelon; the moments of twilight when softness falls across the landscape; the sound of my laughter when I realize I am being ridiculous about something. Noticing is where I am invited into a more regular flow of awareness, a stream of consciousness that moves with and responds to my day.

What is making you feel astonished these days? 

 Will you soften just a little bit in order to welcome surprise in your days?  

 - KD

5 books to sip a summer cocktail with

5 books to sip a summer cocktail with:   The colour of tea Hannah Tunicliffe

• The mastery of love Ruiz
• A gorgeous sense of hope Magenta
• Enneagram for the spirit Mary Horsley
• The captain's verses Pablo Neruda
• These are some of my fave books.

Colour of Tea is a delectable journey into the wonders of macarons, tea, and touching friendships. Very well written and a delightfully smooth read!

The mastery of love is filled with insights about learning to love and embrace yourself and share a loving energy in the world.  Good for reading in small bites or for an evening with a lemon zinger drink!

A gorgeous sense of hope was a gift from a great friend, and it makes me smile a lot. Hand crafted drawings and heartfelt sayings.

Enneagram for the spirit I love this book! Looking inward, but not in a cumbersome way. It opened my eyes to understanding my personality 'profile' and how it meets and greets the different people in my life. Looks at how you respond when stressed, or when happy and secure.

The captain's verses. Neruda...need I say more?  Evocative poetry about life's travels, love, and celebrating the senses. Yum!

Happy reading in the sunshine, or under a shady tree!

-KD