All of our experiences come with opportunities, we just don’t always see them. That’s because our brains are too busy categorizing and defining these moments as either ‘good’ or  ‘bad,’ to be able to see the bigger picture. When we jump out of the present, we block our ability to see potential opportunities that can come from it all, especially the challenges we face. An awesome way to open ourselves up to possibility in times of upheaval is to remember that we’ve also been g

Take time out to quiet your mind and listen in every single day. We come face to face with challenging situations that are out of our control quite regularly. A flight gets cancelled and your return date has to change. Temperatures drop drastically and your car won’t start. A friend passes away suddenly, leaving you shocked and devastated. However, with self-awareness we can shape and change the course of our lives, as we hone in on our ability to control what we can control:

Photography: Claire Cole clairecolephotography.wordpress.com Algonquin has the ability to completely dissolve time, stress and worry. As my best friend Claire put it, ‘the only time is when it’s dark or light out.’ We were packing up camp and heading out for the day when there was light out and setting up camp as the sun set. We were portaging with our belongings or canoeing along the beautiful lakes and rivers in between. For those 5 days there was no time, only freedom and

When stress sets in breath is often the first thing to go. Racing thoughts keep your brain in anxiety mode, which tells your body to follow suit. When you trigger the fight or flight physiological response by reacting, instead of responding to stress, your body automatically becomes primed to either attack or run from a situation. As a result, you get a surge of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline and your respiratory rate increases, causing shallow breath. Breathing at a r

The winds of chaos can overthrow you Pushing you towards a place to renew You can choose to find peace here or stay in the drama One leads to stillness, the other to more trauma —– When the winds get rough and the ship starts to rock All you need to do is find the nearest dock Anchor your vessel, sit quiet and still It’s here you’ll find the answers and your free will —— When your mind creates the waves that push you off course You can come back to stillness, without any forc