Women's ZenMindset Newsletter

Let’s start this Newsletter for May with a warm Hello from Norman. May is his favourite month as he loves all the new flowers growing in his garden.

This monthly newsletter was created to help build a strong, supportive community of women who want to find ways to pursue fulfilling and meaningful lives through creative expression, learning, and friendship.

If you have a friend you think would like to receive this newsletter, please ask them to go to our landing page to subscribe.

However, if this was sent to you in error or you do not want to receive this newsletter again, please go to the bottom of this message, and unsubscribe. You are always welcome to come back if you change your mind later.

This is Piper just a sweetheart and happily adopted in 2022. Piper really doesn’t want you to leave but if you do, we will miss you!

Calmness

What is Smudging? A Sacred Tradition of Cleansing and Connection.

Smudging is a cultural ceremony practiced by a wide variety of Indigenous peoples in Canada and other parts of the world. In this article, we’ll explore the origins of smudging, its significance, and how it is performed.

Smudging originates from Native American culture and shamanic tradition. Indigenous tribes have used smudging for thousands of years to purify people, spaces, and environments. It serves as a way to remove negative or stagnant energy, making room for uplifting and healing energy. Despite colonization and attempts to suppress Indigenous traditions, smudging survived. Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers have generously shared this tradition with others, emphasizing its importance and spiritual significance.

If you would like to read the full article, click here.

Connection

Click here to visit the events section of our website or the quick links for more details on each event in blue below:

• MAG Art Sessions are completed for now and may return again this fall.

• Arts and Crafts Club will be working with Mad Gardeners on May 15th 10am for more details click here

• Women’s Connection with Nature Retreat and Fundraiser for Interval House, our Leeds and North Grenville Woman’s Shelter. Happening on May 25th at 1pm for more details click here.

• We are always looking for new article submissions, cute pet or nature pictures, and volunteers to act as a reporters and interview a volunteer member so we can get to know each other. Please email us at [email protected].

We have received word that we did not receive the grant to cover the costs of our activities from the government. We will consider applying again in the fall as they encouraged us to do so with some changes.

Clarity

Spring Renewal Written by Ivy Sinkunas

During spring, the blooming flowers bring a beautiful touch to the surroundings. I enjoy arranging freshly cut flowers like lilacs, hyacinths, daffodils, tulips and lily of the valley from my gardens in various spots around my home, including the dining room, living room, and bathrooms.

Spring brings double-digit temperatures, making the outdoors pleasantly warm. With longer days, leaves unfurl, flowers blossom, plants and shrubs awaken, and the grass needs mowing. Who doesn't enjoy the scent of freshly cut grass! It is a time of change, rejuvenation, and new beginnings – undeniably one of the best seasons of the year.

If you would like to read the full article, click here.

Sally McRae: Founder of ZenMindset & Facilitator Mindfulness Based Activities, Workshops and Retreats.

I recently retired as a Senior Financial Consultant for physicians. At the top of my career, I had reached my income goal and managed one of the largest books of clients held in Canada. As a woman with a busy career and a single mother I experienced many times when I was under very high stress and often looked for ways to help reduce and manage it.

A few years before the pandemic, I was invited to try a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) session for women. I found that this was an amazing and healthy way to deal with stress and it also helped me to reconnect with my inner self. Experiencing the session with other like-minded women made it even better, as we all felt the support and connection with each other. After practicing mindfulness for a while, I soon took the MBSR program myself as I wanted to share this wonderful way to manage and reduce stress with others.

MBSR is a program developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s program is evidence-based and considered the “gold standard” in mindfulness training. 

If you would like to read the full article, click here.

See you next month!

We warmly welcome all questions, comments, pictures, information on upcoming events for women, and article submissions. Please email us at [email protected] or use the Contact Us form on our website.