Been a while since I’ve posted some fitness ideas. Here are a few now that the cold weather has hit us.

Esther Myers Yoga is offering several workshops, including one on Yoga for Health and Well-Being. For details on that and other classes, please see their website.

Octopus Garden also has several upcoming workshops. One that caught my eye takes place on October 31st, on proper alignment during yoga. For further details, check out their website.

On the theme of yoga, Passport to Prana is back again this year. For $30 you get a pass that gives you a single free class at a large variety of studios here in Toronto. If you are looking for a new yoga studio, or you just like the chance to try a bunch of them, this pass is a great idea for you!

Some locations of The Running Room still have their popular running classes going. If this interests you, there may still be time to register – check their website for details.

Whatever you do this month, have fun!

Two of my coworkers at Halcyon Health are putting on a Physician’s Wellness Retreat. I wanted to share the information with my own clients, as some of you work in health care, and some of you might be interested in offering such a workshop for your own organization. Please see below for the email I received from Tiina Veer, which I have published here with her permission.

Hello,
I’d like to inform you of a one-day Physician’s Wellness Retreat that I am delighted to be participating in, on Saturday, October 24th at beautiful Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa, in Cambridge, Ontario. The retreat includes the main theme workshop, “15-minute beginnings,” an approach to self-care and the brainchild of my colleague here at Halcyon, Dr. Melissa Melnitzer. Melissa, myself and Dr. Heidi Walk will be presenting the morning and afternoon break-out sessions: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Heidi Walk), Deep Restoration (Tiina Veer), Relief through Writing (Melissa Melnitzer).

This new and innovative offering is supported by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), in response to the mounting evidence of high stress levels among physicians, and the overwhelming positive response to a 15-minute beginnings pilot project with physicians across the province in April 2009. The hope for this project is to gain wider support and be offered within other health care provider communities eventually, as well.

If you are a physician, I invite you to join us for a relaxing and informative day of experiential learning and sumptuous lunch in a beautiful and relaxed environment. A wellness retreat for you–for your own self-care–that offers “…a dedicated day to begin to experience new ideas and practices that you can choose from to take back into your daily life and work. This takes place in a country spa resort setting so that if you wish you can round out your stay with spa treatments, local walks,” an extended stay, or as you like. See the attached brochure for details on workshop and break-outs. Approved for CME’s. Please pass along to your colleagues and networks. With enough interest, these retreats may become regular offerings.

If you are not a physician, I have cast a wide net with this email in the hopes that some of you will consider championing this with me by disseminating this email and attachment to physicians you may know, or within hospital/community health or related networks you are associated with.

I will be sending a shorter version of this out to my broader email list, as well… apologies if you receive this twice!

Thank you very much for your help spreading this exciting news,
Tiina

Note that versions of this workshop/retreat can be offered within a variety of contexts, please contact us if you are interested in discussing the possibility of offering this work within your organization.

Contact information for both Melissa and Tiina is available on Halcyon Health’s website.

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, but I have some interesting fall classes to share with you all!

Esther Myers Yoga Studio has a weekend course coming up next month (October 24/25) which explores yoga and its health benefits. They mention it is not only good for yoga students (new and more advanced) but also good for yoga instructors, health professionals, and meditation teachers.

As mentioned previously, Flow! Yoga has now gone to a completely pre-registered class format. They still offer a variety of yoga classes, plus Nia and Pilates.

Octopus Garden yoga has several upcoming special classes, including another class with Danny Paradise. As well, they have three yoga retreats planned over the next year – two in Mexico, one in Tuscany!

The Toronto Bike Union will be hosting a bike tour of Toronto’s French forts on September 19th. It sounds like fun, especially if you’re interested in Canadian history, and it’s free!

The Running Room is still running their various clinics throughout the fall. Some of them start over the next few weeks. If you think running might be something you want to try this fall, the Running Room’s programs are a great way to do that.

Tango classes with Leeliana are back. Looks like most have already started, but some start this month. Her website has some details if learning to tango sounds like fun.

Registration for the various classes offered at the MNJCC has already begun, but chances are there are still spaces in many of their classes. Most classes don’t start for another few weeks. For the adult classes, see here and for the kids’ classes, see here.

Best Body Boot Camp has another session starting up on September 14th. This session will still be held in Christie Pits Park – a good way to get fit while enjoying the outdoors while those last days of summer are still here!

Registration for fall Pilates classes begins today at Body Harmonics. This is a great Pilates studio with a wide variety of classes, including a Post-Natal class on Tuesday afternoons (babies welcome!).

And finally, Halcyon’s own Tiina Veer is holding her Yoga for Round Bodies bi-weekly series again this fall. Classes start in October and are designed for any body at any level of fitness or yoga knowledge.

Whatever you do this fall, enjoy it!

The next date I’ll be offering my infant massage class is as follows:

Date: Monday, September 21st
Time: Noon – 1:30. Exact length of the class will vary slightly depending on both the mood of the babies and how quickly the adults pick up the techniques, but 90 minutes is the average.
Location: Right here at Halcyon Health, 677 Dupont, 2nd Floor.
Cost: $35 per family (baby plus up to two adults)^*.
Supplies you’ll need: Just your standard ‘out and about with baby’ stuff – extra diapers, a changing pad, receiving blankets if you use them, etc. Comfortable mats, pillows, oil (canola) and sheets will be provided. You may wish to bring clothing/blankets for your baby that you don’t mind getting a little oil on.

This is a great class for parents and their baby (aged newborn to crawling), but it’s also fun for other caregivers – grandparents, aunts and uncles, close friends, etc. If you are a single parent or your partner doesn’t want to attend, you are welcome to bring one other adult who is important in your baby’s life!

Benefits of massage for infants and children include increased bonding, reducing stress and increasing relaxation, stimulation of the systems of the body, helping with colic and gas, and helping regulate sleeping patterns.

If you are currently pregnant and would like to take the class before having your baby, that is possible too – we’ll just teach you using a doll or a teddy bear. Just let me know when you register so I can make sure I have a doll for you (or you can bring you own if you prefer).

The cost includes the price of an infant massage booklet, which is yours to keep and refer to at home. Payment must be sent at the time of registration in order to hold your spot in the class. You can either arrange a time with me to pay in person (Visa, Mastercard, Debit, cash or cheque are all ok), mail me a cheque, or send me an Interac email money transfer for the class fee.

To register, either email me, or self-register with my online booking. Just click on ‘Events’ at the top to display the Events calendar, then choose the month (in this case, September), then click on ‘Infant Massage Class’ for the date you want.

Please note: Due to space limitations, we cannot accommodate large strollers. Because the clinic is located up a flight of stairs, I recommend just bringing your car seat, or a sling or other ‘baby wearing’ device.

If you have questions about this class, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

^*If you have twins, please contact me for class cost details.

As previously announced, I will be on vacation the first week of August, from the 3rd to the 7th.

Phone messages and emails will be returned when I am back in the office on Tuesday, August 11th.

If you are in need of care while I am away, please do contact one of my colleagues at Halcyon Health.

Have a great week, everyone!