Dancing Willow Wellness
215 Van Buren K0G 1J0 Kemptville, ON, Canada

January is a time of year that’s all about new beginnings. It’s typically a month of ‘doing’ but that ‘doing’ doesn’t always last. . I’m choosing to take this month slowly. . I don’t have a word(s) of the year yet (not even sure if I’ll pick one). I don’t have my year mapped out. I don’t have my quarter planned out. Heck, I haven’t even really planned this month yet.... . I’m okay with all of this. . There was a time that this would have caused me great anxiety and more than a little panic thinking that I was already behind. . What if, I intentionally choose to slow down? To create more space? . This sounds really good to me right now. . We’re in a very Yin season (winter; summer being Yang) and I’m choosing to honour rest, turning inward, slowing down, being more mindful and intentional. . In Chinese medicine, Yin represents quiet, rest, dark, cool/cold, female, night, winter, contracting, structure, inward and so much more. This is held in balance by Yang energy that is at the opposite end of the spectrum. . It makes me think of the old saying: There is a time for everything and a season for everything activity. . What is this season calling you to do or not do? Are you feeling a pull to slow down? Are you feeling a push to do more? I’d love to hear where you’re at in this season! Drop me a note in the comments below. . Andrea . PS - spring is typically my time of doing what most people choose to do around New Years. See more

Vacay... Ish... . I'm on "vacay" as of today for a week... I'm using quotes because it's a working vacay... . As many of you know, I'm in school part time for holistic nutrition and I'm also a practicing acupuncturist. While dietary therapy is part of practicing acupuncture, I wanted to learn more and dive a little deeper into what our bodies actually do with the food and nutrients we feed them every day.... . So far it's been a really interesting journey of learning and diving deep into the science behind how our body works and why (hello bio chem, ATP, krebs cycle and more - yes my inner geek is loving this!). . Why am I talking about all of this when I'm posting about being on vacay? . I opted to line up my fall vacay week with the timing on my largest project for school! . I'm in the midst of Nutritional Symptomatology 1 and I'm finishing up my third case study and starting my fourth case study this week. These are monster case studies! Easily 45+ pages and over 10K words. . Instead of trying to balance working and all this extra work, I opted to give myself the time and space to work on it with fewer distractions (never no distractions - because cats...). . Do you ever create more space around larger projects or things you want to accomplish? Do you ever use your vacays to allow you to work on just one thing? . While I'd love it if there were truly a vacay and not a working vacay, ease and space are exactly what I need this week and into next week. . Have you planned to take some time off and give yourself a break?? When was your last vacay (even if it was a staycation)? I'd love to know! Drop it in the comments below. . Andrea See more

If you could wave a magic wand right now, what would you change if you could change just one thing? . I'm truly curious to know what you'd change! . Would it be your job?... . Where you live? . What you're currently eating? . Your weight? . Something else? . If I could wave a magic wand, I'd have all the adult barn cats that live with us fixed and the kittens adopted! . Is there one small thing that you could do this week that would get you closer to changing what you wanted to change? Comment below with what you'd change - perhaps I can help. . Andrea . PS - I know the adults will be fine outside though winter because they've lived on this property longer than we have. I worry about the kittens though. I have 3 more to find homes for! See more

Back to the eight limbs of yoga and Asteya ~ Non-Stealing (3rd Yama/Moral Restraint) . "Asteya askes that we only take what is offered and use only what we need." ~ Unknown . Typically, when Asteya is discussed, the first thing that comes to mind is theft of something that isn't yours.... . Asteya can far more subtle than that. . Without even realizing it, we may be stealing someone's time, their joy, their peace or perhaps their energy. . Are you the type of person who is habitually arrives late? Are others left standing around waiting? Or maybe, you're the type of person that doesn't always listen when someone says they have to go. (I'm working on this one.). . Stealing someone's joy or their peace also ties into ahimsa (non-harming) & satya (truthfulness). It is possible to speak the truth without being kind, which may leave the other person less joyful about something they might have tried to do for you. . Another less commonly thought of example is taking more than you need. This also ties into brahmacharya (moderation) & aparigraha (non possessiveness) which are the next two posts in this series. . Maybe you're stealing from yourself... . Comparison is the thief of joy. How often do you compare yourself to others? Your successes, your abilities, your physical attributes? Something else? . Here are a couple ways we can put asteya into practice. . Giving Back - This might be through volunteering, recycling, or donating things we aren't using so someone else can enjoy them. . Generosity - Being generous with our time, our energy, or our abilities to help those around us. . I'd love to hear your thoughts on the more subtle ways we take from one another and how we can shift that. . Andrea See more

Gratitude! . I absolutely love acknowledging all that I'm grateful for. . Why?... . It really does remind me how much I have in my life, especially when fear, anxiety & self doubt try to creep in. . I love to take a few minutes at the beginning & end of my day to think about all that I am grateful for. Occasionally (very occasionally), I'll even journal about it. . I am grateful for my amazing husband, friends & family, my cats (Lizzie, Gracie & Toes), my health, the knowledge that I've gained to help others find healing, my ability to face challenges with enthusiasm, access to healthy food that I've grown myself as well as access to local farms & the list goes on and on and on. . What are you grateful for? . Andrea . PS - I'm beyond grateful for all the love and well wishes from everyone who commented and liked my post from Sunday! Launching Dancing Willow Wellness has been a dream of mine for several years. I can't believe it's been 6 years since I became an entrepreneur and 12.5 years since my first yoga class on parliament hill. See more

I love sharing knowledge! . I really do believe that knowledge gives us power - power to understand our options, to choose for ourselves & to change our minds. I also love learning from my own experiences. . Recently I posted about a struggle I've had with my sinuses & that the ENT I saw wanted to put me on prescription meds for the rest of my life to treat it. No thanks!... . Here's the thing, it's inflammation - I don't have any structural issues or infection, so what's causing the inflammation? . While I'm not 100% sure what's causing it, I do know that I recently started eating more pineapple & the bromelain (an enzyme in pineapple) has had a noticeable anti-inflammatory effect on my sinuses. As in it's 99% resolved. This is a temporary solution - I can't eat pineapple daily because it's pretty acidic (between 3-4 pH). . What can I do with this information? A lot actually! . This confirms that there's a gut connection to the inflammation in my sinuses, that it can be reduced & my sinuses can & will go back to normal. I'm currently looking into bromelain supplements to see if they'll have a similar effect without the acidity. . It's been nearly a year of finding what's works & what hasn't. I've also worked with multiple holistic practitioners in various fields (having an outside perspective helps!). . It's been an amazing journey of learning that adds layers to what I can offer to my patients. . Why am I sharing all this? Knowledge is power. Understanding the ins/outs of this sinus issue has taught me so much about the importance of gut health & reducing stress (not easy). . Andrea . PS - I believe prescription meds should be a last resort or a temporary solution when the symptoms are effecting daily life while the root issue is treated. They have their place. See more