bend. the podcast Bend Wellness

Choosing You ✨

In this weeks episode we chat with Haley Bowes, co-owner of Aruma: A Place for Heath and Happiness.

We discussed how her and her team have led Aruma through the pandemic so far by shedding old layers and growing new ones along the way. She talks about how through this pandemic she has learned the value of surrendering, and letting be what will be.

Through Haley’s work as a counsellor and the work done at Aruma by all their practitioners, a main goal she said, is to help people learn to thrive, not just survive.
She talks about the importance of good communication, choosing yourself first & taking care of your whole being; physical, spiritual, emotional & mental.

We hope you enjoy this chat with Haley. To find out more about her and Aruma check out:
www.aruma.ca
IG: @haleybowes
IG: @arumaplace

This episode marks the end of season 1! Thanks for tuning in 🎤

Bend. The Podcast

Meaningful change begins with open conversations, sitting in community with people and getting uncomfortable about difficult things.

On this week’s episode of the podcast we talk with Aisha Toor.

Listen in as Aisha shares her experience immigrating to Canada as a child, growing up and living rurally as a person of colour, and the costs of not seeing yourself reflected in the community around you.

Aisha talks about how she has consciously and unconsciously tried to fit into the fabric of her community, often by hiding parts of herself. She reflects, from a young age you learn to hide your differences, hide a part of yourself, as a way to protect yourself.

Aisha asks a powerful question when it comes to wellness: how can one be well, when you’re not fully able to be yourself?

Thanks for tuning into this episode of Bend. The Podcast.

We hope you enjoyed it.

Shulamit Ber Levtov

Completing the stress cycle: soothe, nourish, discharge.

In this conversation with Shula she reminds us of the importance of a pause, going slowly, & the importance of having faith that everything will be ok.

We dive into the stress cycle discussing why it so important to fully metabolize our stress and understand the difference between stress and stressor.

We discus why burn out & pandemic fatigue are effecting women at a higher rate than men, what the term “she-session” means and what the 6 month wall is.

When asked what wellness means to her, she states:
“Taking the next right action with an open heart, with as little clinging to the fruits as I can, is the best way to be well”.

For more information on Shula and her offerings visit https://www.shula.ca

Thanks for listening.

For more information on topics covered:

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-emily-and-amelia-nagoski-on-burnout-and-how-to-complete-the-stress-cycle/

https://www.selahcounseling.cloud/blog/the-threshold-theory-of-embodied-experience?fbclid=IwAR3ySW1te7n8FfZDLnJCA0VHMims5EO7pdNm7hf9cw1MrdvpbRo1NyypSbM

https://www.minlodge.com/

https://legacyofhope.ca/

https://parents-together.org/these-tweets-about-pandemics-6-month-wall-are-exactly-what-we-all-need-to-hear-right-now/

A Monkey On My Back
ADHD: challenges, gifts & chasing the mirage.

Join us for an honest conversation with someone who has lived experience with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He talks honestly about his struggles, how he manages his symptoms and discusses why it took him about 47 years to be diagnosed.

He describes his experience as feeling like he was always chasing a mirage in the desert, trying to solve his own puzzle with a monkey on his back.

He discusses how ADHD lives in the both the body and the mind, showing up as hyperactivity or hyper-focus, which can often be misunderstood. He describes the challenges he has experienced because of ADHD, and also the many gifts it has given him.

Challenge your ideas about what it means to be well and find inspiration in his story.

Liza Gregoire; on being brave, funny & new ✏️ Art & the Creative Process

Recently we had the privilege of chatting with award winning writer, Lisa Gregoire.

Our conversation explored her creative process and art as a way to shift our perspectives and illuminate meaning. We discussed her transition from journalist to writer of fiction and she shares why she thinks humour is important to thread throughout her work; now more than ever.

Lisa also tackles the question, is there really such a thing as a true fiction story?

Some of her publications mentioned are Agnes and True ( https://www.agnesandtrue.com/the-leave/ ), Ecology issue of Qwerty magazine (out of UNB: https://www.qwertyunb.com/) and Issue #74 of Calgary's filling Station magazine (http://www.fillingstation.ca/)

Lynn Keane
On courage & resilience.
“You must do the thing you cannot do”

Lynn is a mother, speaker, advocate for mental health, youth suicide prevention and racial justice. She is a marathon and iron man completer, and all around a wonderful woman.   

Since losing her son Daniel by suicide in 2009, Lynn has dedicated her life to sharing his story. Lynn has turned her son's story into a call for action to re-examine how we view and treat mood disorders, as well as challenge the long believed myths about addictions and disorders of the brain. 

In the conversation we talk to Lynn about her journey through grief, and the role of courage, resilience and hope.  She shares the importance of movement, speaking, writing and talks about how they became powerful tools for her healing process.

You can find out more about Lynn at www.lynnkeane.ca or on Instagram @lynnkeane_7