Meditation can improve mental and physical health in many ways, including reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also help with pain, sleep, and heart health.
I offer 30 or 50-minute meditation sessions using my 7 years of meditation experience and training under various traditions.
Research has shown that dancing is a highly effective method to increase happiness and reduce depression.
Ecstatic dance is a free-form dance experience where self-expression is encouraged. There are no specific steps to follow—simply listen to your body and allow it to move with the music. You can scream, sing, lie on the ground, shake your body—any form of catharsis is welcome.
The dance space is barefoot and alcohol-free, serving as a moving meditation. Everyone's focus is on their own inner journey rather than comparison or judgment. The music is intentionally curated to take dancers on a dynamic journey, rising and falling in intensity multiple times throughout the session.
A typical ecstatic dance session lasts about 2.5 hours, including opening and closing rituals. Cacao (similar to hot chocolate) is served at the beginning as a healing medicine, and the dance concludes with a sound healing meditation.
Examples of ecstatic dance communities:
Hamilton:
https://www.instagram.com/mothra.shadowwork/
https://www.instagram.com/chocolategroove_hamilton/
Since discovering dance in 2024 as part of my self-growth journey, I have explored many different dance contexts, including Latin, ecstatic dance, beach dance, raves, EDM clubs, silent dances, and dancing at home. Ecstatic dance is my favourite, and I've introduced quite a few clients to it. It brings me joy to see them letting their inner child run free.
Through this process, you can gain insight into your mental patterns, physical movement, and relationships with others. I find physical rigidity and psychological/emotional stuckness are interrelated. When your mind is more flexible, your dance moves will also become more flowy.
If you are eager to try ecstatic dance but feel nervous about going alone, I would be happy to accompany you through this unique healing experience. I will help you set intentions for the dance journey and help you process and integrate any thoughts and emotions that arise.
Some parts of this can be covered as psychotherapy.
Walk and talk therapy offers a range of benefits including improved mood and mental clarity through physical activity, reduced stress and anxiety from being outdoors in nature, a more relaxed therapeutic environment by walking side-by-side with the therapist, potential for increased self-expression, and the ability to view situations with fresh perspectives due to movement and changing scenery; essentially combining the benefits of exercise and traditional therapy sessions.
I offer walk and talk on the escarpment / mountain brow trail April-October.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is a groundbreaking approach for treating depression, addiction, PTSD, OCD, and various psychosomatic health issues. Psychedelics can also enhance relationships, support creative problem-solving, deepen spiritual exploration, and foster community connection.
Click here for more information on accessing psychedelic therapy.