“The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affects our greater health and well-being. And we, in turn, are affected not only emotionally but also physically and spiritually.” -- Greg Anderson
The Mind, Body & Soul Collective is a collection of popup markets, retreats, workshops and more. Its sole purpose is to create a community that actively supports the well-being of one another and the environment. Events are created with the intention of balancing our mind, body and soul to create peace and harmony within ourselves.
Since beginning The Mind, Body & Soul Collective, I’ve always incorporated journaling, in some aspect, into my events because I felt it was important to share the benefits of writing. Whether it was through a dedicated journaling session at a retreat, or simply ensuring I had a stationery small business at a popup market, journaling is always included.
When I incorporate a journaling portion to a retreat, my intention is to take away “the scaries” of journaling, take away the intimidation, which allows guests the opportunity to get pen to paper and begin the process. You see, journaling doesn’t need to be a big production, rather, it can take merely 5 minutes of the day.
For the Mindful Intentions Retreat in January, I created a workbook which encouraged guests to look back on the past year; what they accomplished, what missed the marked, and the workbook supported their intention setting for the year ahead. Within every section of this workbook I included a reflection portion to encourage guests to pour out their emotions, releasing negative belief systems from last year to clear way for positive intentions this year.
It’s no surprise that our upcoming weekend getaway retreat, Let Go, includes a journaling portion. Here, guests are encouraged to write in their notebooks anything and everything that is hurting them. Whether it’s a relationship that fell apart, an issue with a family member, negative self talk that is holding them back, or the loss of a loved one. Regardless of the situation, we all carry hurt or trauma. Guests will be ripping out these pages and thanking this negative experience for making them stronger, then tossing the paper into the firepit to release this past from their present.
My intention behind all of the retreats and events I create is to hold space for those who need support on their healing journey. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just beginning, all are welcome to connect at our events and heal one another as a collective.
“Journaling is like whispering to one’s self and listening at the same time.” -- Mina Murray
-- Written by Nicole Marques
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Nicole is the Creator of The Mind, Body & Soul Collective, a community of love, compassion, trust, hope and healing, based in Toronto. Nicole organizes wellness retreats, including an upcoming weekend retreat in Gravenhurst (Oct 23-25, 2020). Let Go retreat's mantra is "Surrender your stress. Connect to your soul." and guests will enjoy yoga, sound healing, reiki, and lots of discussion to help support one another's spiritual healing.