Years ago when I worked with youth at risk, I admit that I took the occasional mental health day. Sometimes I just needed to be away from work because I knew it was the cause of my stress. I … Continue reading →
In her book “The Gift of Play: Why Adult Women Stop Playing and How to Start Again” , author Barbara Brannen introduces the idea of “Heart Play”. From my reading, I couldn’t find one single and simple definition of heart … Continue reading →
Have you ever learned a profound lesson while in nature? I am constantly looking for insights and life lessons that are available in the natural environment that help me reflect on what’s going on for me at a particular moment. … Continue reading →
For almost twenty years I worked with youth-at-risk who were part of the child and family services system. As a therapeutic recreation specialist, my passion was to help these kids see themselves as valuable, loveable, and beautiful through all their … Continue reading →
There was something so cool about my walk this morning. About half way into it, I noticed how light I felt; like I was gliding over the ground effortlessly. Then I really started paying attention. What were my arms doing? … Continue reading →
My last blog article, Living Vertically in a Horizontal World, encouraged folks to pay attention to what’s in their own backyard and realize they don’t have to always be looking so far down the road to be fulfilled. Well, in … Continue reading →
Having been an athlete for most of my life, my physically activity typically consisted of full speed, high intensity, and competition. Anything less just didn’t seem like it was doing anything beneficial for me. Walking was definitely not something that … Continue reading →
OK, so not literally to have the odour of a dog because let’s face it, dogs are pretty stinky most of the time. But have you ever noticed how intently dogs sniff and smell their environment? They can easily spend … Continue reading →
May 7th, 2011 | Author: patti In 2005, the term “nature deficit disorder” was first coined by author Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods”. Although not a formal diagnosis, what the author intended was to provide … Continue reading →
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw While at play, we are truly free to be ourselves and express our passions. Play connects us to ourselves and the rest … Continue reading →