A Dark Night for the Soul of Nova Scotia: Here’s How Art & Yoga Can Help

I usually use my radio show for women’s voices and stories to be heard - but as a self-titled grief activist, I thought I could use this media platform to have a heart opening conversation about personal and collective GRIEF in these poignant time. I hope this conversation will widen your lens on where we find ourselves as a province and where we can go from here. Like all of you, I am just trying to figure out some pretty heavy shit…

In Part One of this two-part podcast series you will learn

How grief is wider that we make it to be.

The different gates of grief and my all-time favourite teacher + book on grief.

2 poems that I’ve carried me during this radical time of change

The long loss art of rituals and how these wake us up to life’s brilliance and hope for a new world.

The best secret of all time: that by doing what you love you are healing your province… heck the world!

Art and Yoga are healing balms for our grieving soul. Love you and your grieving hearts too!

Dhavita is a Meditation Coach, Writer, Speaker, & loyal SHE Quest member! In this episode Dhavita, talks about why it is so important routinely make time for meditation, how motherhood has changed her meditation practice, provides tools on how to improve your meditation practice, & dives deep into the idea that our best s^% comes from the darkest s*^% in your life!

Dhavita is currently working on her second collection of poetry ‘Wise Woman’ to be released in 2020! Her first poetry book ‘Purification’. is a collection of 101 poems comprised of eight different sections; wounds, healing, motherhood, love, prayer, meditation, creativity, and of course, purification!

Laura is a Soulmate Attraction Coach who works with women across the globe to help them attract EPIC love. In this episode, you will learn how to look at things more intentionally, what happens when you get to your “enough” point and choose to surrender, & tools to better align to your truth!

Laura’s unique approach incorporates yoga philosophy as a guiding tool to help women identify and work through their biggest blocks so they can take aligned action and consciously create the love life of their dreams. Her approachable, caring spirit is at the forefront of her work and felt by all of her clients. She currently lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and feels so grateful to be in a relationship of over 5 years with her amazing partner.

With over 14 years of experience as a Yoga Teacher and Certified Life and Breath Coach, Jolene D’Entremont delivers customized yoga and breath work practices. Jolene is such an earthy and nurturing human being. In this episode you will learn how yoga can be used to support postpartum depression and how Shadow Work and Holotropic breathing allows us to welcome all parts of us. Jolene's own experiences and commitment to self healing shines through this rich conversation.

As mentioned in this episode:

Jolene’s website.

Jolene's book.

Her favourite art book: Kertész on Kertész - a photography book.

Her favourite podcast: Expanded with Lacy Philips.

This month Estelle explores and dives deep into the world of women, breath, protection and power. For many years now, Estelle has been working with Sacred Symbols, totems and visual imagery to access a deeper realm of knowledge when it comes to living a magic life. This episode focuses on the symbol of the Lioness; a stunning totem of protection, fierce self-love, huntress, confidence and conviction. In this episode you will learn Estelle’s “go-to 3” techniques to protect or clear her energy and stay in her Lioness ‘roar’.

Estelle connects the dots to the lioness with our inner lives, desires and dreams. The lioness is connected to protection, gold, the colour orange and sunlight.Estelle shares tools of self-preservation, tool kits for protection, grounding breathing exercises and much more!

Estelle’s hope with this episode is to encourage the listener to see that the world of symbol is rich with insights and messages and from this, you can generate a bank of tools where when you need protection, boundaries or simply clear the funk quickly enabling you to rise proudly in your Lioness energy.

In 2015, after a car accident Kelly - fellow SHE Quester - suffered a complex concussion and as been in rehab ever since. Through this identity crisis and wake up call and a huge tool kit for reigniting her spirit. In this episode you will learn how to reignite yourself after a traumatic event one leap at a time, how self-expression has the immense ability to ground you, as well as tips & tricks to maintain a consistent art practice!

Kelly Cuvilier is a creative and lover of nature, and is working to rebuild after a complex concussion brought many big changes to her life. Through this journey, she has found that continued practice of art, immersion in nature, gentle yoga and song are lighting her up once again. This was such a beautiful and honest conversation of true transformation.

Heather is a paediatric and research nurse by profession, and a mom, a grandmother, and a wife married to her high school sweetheart for 34+ years! Her yoga and art journey started a few years back when she had attended my first SHE workshops (then called Feminine Magic). In this episode you will learn Heather’s defining moment in her “SHE” Journey, how “I am not ready” is perhaps your cue that you are, and how her SHE Quest work travels with her wherever she goes and has become indispensable!

Heather was receiving many sign that she should make “self care” a priority. Through my membership program SHE Quest, Heather carved out a space and time and made it a priority and has not looked back. She’s learned over the years that you don’t just “do” but “feel” yoga and art. It’s helped her to have tools when times are stressful, busy and you think you don’t have time - self care priority comes back full force to say" “that’s my time!" I’m still here .... I AM important.”

She attended the France retreat in 2019 and describes it as a magical soulful mindful week of yoga, art, music, journaling, nourishing food, and 12 new friendships - made in a castle in the South of France no less - now that’s self care!

Heather is now a SHE Quest leader helping moderate and support the group!

Kristen Herrington is an abstract painter, designer and creative collaborator. Though born and raised in a small farming community in rural Nova Scotia, Kristen Herrington has called Halifax, NS home for more than a decade. She identifies primarily as a “fluid-artist,” capturing life’s overlooked moments and experiences in abstract form. In this episode, you will learn how to nurture your self expression, how to lean into resistance when painting, & how liberating posting your art on social can really be! Kristen is a bright light. Enjoy this high energy episode full of laughter!

Kristen uses digital images of her work to make fabrics for items such as yoga mats, leggings and furniture reupholstery. She is currently working on the Gemini Project – an exploration of multiple identities. 

In this episode Kristen discusses her story of self-growth, her own creative process and soul rituals, and gives the most amazing advice on how to start nurturing your self-expression!

Kristen also talks about The Join Project with her husband and what her biggest takeaway was from taking my signature program, SHE Quest the first summer I ran it!

As mentioned in the episode…

Kristen Herrington Art Facebook Page

Kristen Herrington Art Website

Kristen’s Instagram

The Culture Industry article

In this episode, Estelle dives deep in the world of art as a meaning of self-healing & transformation. Estelle connects how grounding to grow allows you to really land you our power, body, story, beauty, voice and art. In this episode you will learn how to understand yourself as creator and how not to minimize that power, also how self-connection, self-reflection, self-introspection, and self-awareness is crucial in ‘grounding’! Ultimately, Estelle unearths how landing in our stories and bodies is the only way we can activate ‘rising’.

GROUND TO GROW

Art that Transforms

Ah to be like a tree

With all it’s bent and unbent places

A whole and holy thing

From it’s topmost twigs

To the deepest taproot

To all the good and graceful Space between

- Carrie NewComer

What a moving episode! Proud founder of "You Gotta Sing" choir, Vanessa Lindsay-Botten speaks to us from the heart. In this episode, you will learn: Vanessa's #myshestory coming from a classical background of voice and the powerful turning point moment when everything changed. How to start a a singing or "humming" practice today. Vanessa's lesson in grief and powerful mantra: The Way is the Way. The scientific benefits to singing and so much more! Perhaps one of my favourite episode to dates.