The intention for creative community gatherings is to dedicate time to creative self-care and promote mental wellness for all. Join us for 90 mindful minutes of connecting with movement, breath, creativity and joy. Each gathering will have a different yoga routine and therapeutic art activity.

We will begin our gathering by gently connecting with our bodies through yoga. You will be guided through postures to keep you grounded and breathing deeply. This class is open to beginners, and all people who are looking for a gentle approach to yoga through a fun, safe and encouraging practice.

Yoga is all about balance. Balance of the mind. Balance of the breath. Balance of the body. Balance of time. When you take the time to listen to what your body needs and foster the growth to get there, you will find your inner balance and soul flow.

As we move forward in our gathering, you will be invited to find joy through art-making. Utilizing the principles of positive psychology, guided therapeutic art activities focus on cultivating joy, gratitude and celebration. Therapeutic art-making provides the unique opportunity to explore and communicate these themes through the use of symbol, image and metaphor. The creative process can facilitate stress reduction and open up a deep personal dialogue with images and feelings that instinctively present the needs of the soul.

There is no art experience needed to participate in the group. Common art supplies (like pencils, coloured pencils and markers) and a piece of paper are all that will be necessary for the artmaking portions. Any other supplies that you have on hand and want to explore more with are encouraged! These could include oil pastels, chalk pastel, watercolour paints, collage materials, ink, gouache ... and the list goes on.

Self-care is more than just considering our needs; it is an intentional practice meant to refuel and nourish us. In stressful times, self-care is necessary to cope with fear and uncertainty. Creating a self-care practice promotes balance, something that is necessary as we move forward through the pandemic.

Allow these gatherings to be an opportunity to attend to your mental health.

Cherish these moments of nourishment and connection.

Your facilitators are:

Bethany MacGillivray, Clinical Counsellor, Professional Art Therapist & Yoga Instructor of Soul Flow Therapy. With more than a decade of yoga teaching experience, meditation, and holistic wellness, Bethany works from a body-centred, positive psychology and mindfulness approach.

Elspeth Robertson, Clinical Counsellor and Professional Art Therapist of Intrinsic Therapy. Elspeth specializes in working with anxiety, stress and burnout, aiming to reconnect clients with their natural healing processes through intuition and creativity.

Yu-Wen (Tiffany) Yao, Masters of Counselling-Art Therapy Student at Adler University. Tiffany uses strength-based and compassion-focused art therapy approaches to help clients build resilience and self-esteem. She is joining us as a student art therapist and is excited to be able to share this experience with everyone.

The suggested donation for each gathering is $25. If you are unable to contribute monetarily, you are welcome to contribute simply with your presence. The community will be grateful to have you there.

If you feel compelled to contribute more than the suggested donation, your contribution will be greatly appreciated. All contributions help with content creation, site upkeep and other administrative work, allowing gatherings to stay at a by-donation price point.

Once you have signed up, you will receive a link to fill out a consent form, required due to the therapeutic nature of the group. You will receive the Zoom link for the gathering when this form is completed.