On Saturday, October 24 we hosted a mini nature retreat in Toronto to celebrate the official launch of Fernway Wellness! Here’s a recap of everything we did.
Liam and Lexi met our group in the parking lot of Étienne Brûlé park, where we greeted our guests and did some introductions. After a land acknowledgement and discussing some of the rich history of this area, we set off to stroll along the Humber River.
We saw the Salmon making their way up river to spawn, and saw a nest of baby turtles safely under the care of the Turtle Protectors.
This area was originally occupied by the Huron-Wendat, who relocated due to war and disease. Nearby Baby Point then became the location of the village ofTeiaiagon, built by the Haudenosaunee in the 1660s. This was one of a string of villages along the Humber controlled by the Seneca tribe, who also managed the fur trade in this area. Teiaiagon was the largest of these villages, with 50 longhouses and an estimated population of 5000.
The Humber River was the location of the Carrying Place trail, a portage which connected Lake Ontario with Lake Simcoe. Prior to colonization, the area was surrounded by fields of corn, beans, pumpkins and tobacco. In 1687, the Seneca relocated to New York. The area then became occupied by the Mississaugas, the Anishinaabe and then the French, who built Baby Point in 1750.
After strolling for some time, Lexi took our group into a secluded forested area for a somatic session. Lexi is a somatic healer, currently finishing his certification in the Somatic Activated Healing method created by Sah d’Simone. We took our shoes off to get grounded into the Earth, and did some movement focused on releasing stress and overwhelm from our bodies. No pictures or videos of this, as it was a protected sacred space.
After our hike, we met up with Chef Liam at his snacktivation station! Liam has spent his career in both culinary and healthcare nutrition. Liam is passionate about how we can unlock our internal pharmacies, using food to heal ourselves. We snacked on trail truffles, which he crafted with local and seasonal ingredients. Apples, almonds and warm cinnamon- yum!
We enjoyed his custom herbal tea blend, created specifically for nervous system support. The blend used a carefully curated combination of holy basil, lemongrass and oat straw. Sourced from International House of Tea, in Thunder Bay Ontario.
After our snacks and mingling, the group gathered in our meditation tent. Lexi spoke about using mindfulness as a way to soothe symptoms of trauma and burnout. They provided some instruction on meditation techniques, and guided the group in a ten minute meditation to the sounds of rushing water at the nearby river.
After the meditation, Lexi taught weaving as a mindfulness practice. Using cotton and wool yarns, we worked on making seasonal coasters to give as holiday gifts.
Overall, it was a gorgeous and restorative afternoon by the river! We are so grateful for everyone who showed up for us. Thank you for sharing space with us, and for trusting us on your healing journey. Huge thanks to Kat and Carissa for the photographs!
Please follow us for more events like this in the future! You can find us on Instagram or Facebook, or you can sign up for our newsletter by e-mailing us at wellness@fernway.site
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