Health Education: A healing narrative

Spending half a day at Westwind Farms in Pitt Meadows was a delight. I find myself getting caught in the hustle and bustle of the city often. I can not remember the last time I was around a horse. They are really magnificent animals. To me, they represent strength, vitality and vigour. Since animals do not have cognitive thinking, they exist in their senses. I noticed how I had to tap into my senses and breath, if I wanted to connect to them. The horse I felt the most connected to is named Legs. I didn't know what was the best way to touch a horse, and was guided by one of the trainers on how to do so. The more that I stroked him under his neck and more I grounded I became. I think he liked it too because his eyes got heavy, and he became very still. I too became very still and grounded in his presence. Erica joked that it was the calmest she had seen me, and I agree, I felt so calm. There were no thoughts, only feelings of wonderment and awe for this beautiful horse. I noticed

Being with my son fills my heart with love, awe and wonder. He is a bright light in my life, and inspires me to grow. He brings me into the present moment, allowing me to just be me, and loving me unconditionally. It is not always easy to be present to his needs. In fact, motherhood has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, knowing that I am responsible for the wellbeing of another human being. I worry, and want to protect him from the pain and hardships in life. As I come to the end of my masters, I wonder where my little baby went. He was 2 when I started this program, he is now 4, and tells me not to call him a baby anymore. He loves dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. As a parent, I ask myself - what do I need to do to attune to his needs and be present in this moment? Knowing that he will only be little in my arms for so long, I want to be present to motherhood - with all of its feelings. This early morning we had a wonderful connec

I love South Asian arts, culture, music and food! I also love the warmth and friendliness of its people. What I love about Indian dance is that there is so much expression in the face and body, eloquence in the eyes and hands. Throughout India there are many forms of dance, with my classical favourites including: Kathakali, Odessi and Katak. I have an appreciation for the technicalities that goes into each movement with passionate gestures in the feet, legs, torso, arms, fingers, eyes and lips. The dancers tells a story with each performance with rhythm, flow and grace. I also love dancing, for me it a form of embodiment, stress release and connection to self and soul. I have practiced structured forms to learn techniques, what I enjoy most is free form dance where I am connected to the music, feeling the vibration and having fun. And Saturday's morning class was fun. We learned funky bhangra and bollywood dance moves, and our teacher Glen from Shiamak, taught us a

What an exciting, busy, and full month this June! I had the honour to participate and speak at 4 different holistic health events, and share my passion for yoga practices for well-being. I can see how my public speaking skills have really improved since starting this program. Before I started, I did not have the confidence to share my personal health story. I felt raw, and vulnerable about having a chronic illness. Now I realize that the personal story is important to share as it connects us to others in a real way. We all experience suffering on different levels, and to share our stories allows for deeper connection.  Here is the recent newspaper article that shares my personal story and professional vision:  https://www.thestar.com/ vancouver/2018/06/10/ researchers-explore-healing- power-of-yoga-at-canada-india- health-conference.html This is a video from International Day of Yoga event at David Lam Park on June 21st, 2018. This awesome event was held by the Consulate General of

What an interesting weekend in class. I felt the dualities in my body, going from awake to tired, excited to fatigued. I am in awe how quickly these two years have passed by. Our journey began together in 2016, and it is incredible to see the growth we are all experiencing individually and together. The class conversations weaved between concepts such as dualism, and notions of what is real - not real; hard topics - soft topics; hot cognition - cold cognition. This was compared with Eastern notions such as Yin- Yang, and Wu Wei. When I left on Saturday afternoon, I was not sure if my 'mind was full', or if I was feeling 'mindful.' However, there is much work to do moving forward towards the final capstone. This capstone feels like a time capsule to me, as I reflect, rewrite and recreate what I have researched since the start of this program. I am interested in reading the book Stephen shared titled -  Trying Not to Try . I wonder if I can just be, and trust in th

Introspection is the process of observing on how one’s thoughts, feelings, motives, reasoning process and states determine our behaviour. - Nunan (1992) The overarching theme of this course is on change processes, program planning, practitioner inquiry and action research. It has a political edge, looking at the sources of and responses to power and influence. It is preparation for our final capstone project, and poses some very interesting questions, that allow for reflection, critique and analysis of my current profession where I have worked as a certified program planner and program coordinator since 2008. To be a program planner is to design curriculum, write proposals, balance budgets, manage and train staff, address student concerns and feedback, build relationships, and write and evaluate program objectives and learning outcomes. There are many details to attend to that require in-depth subject matter knowledge and expertise. In addition, there are ethical decisi