I’m in pursuit of unlocking beautiful, abundant, and meaningful rest and recovery.

What is the alchemy of rest and recovery?

Reflecting on the past couple of weekends of travel, friendship, leadership community, and contribution is inspiring fresh perspectives.

For My Needs

Did you know there are 7 different types of rest? Board Certified Internal Medicine doctor, Saundra Dalton-Smith has defined this framework: physical, mental, sensory, emotional, social, creative, and spiritual rest.

“Rest is the most underused, chemical-free, safe and effective, alternative therapy available to us.”

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Here is a Rest Quiz for you to discover what you need currently.

What type of rest do you need?

Because my score indicated that ’emotional and sensory rest’ were what my system needed, I knew the Adventure Park wasn’t for me this weekend. Let me tell you that story.

On My Terms

I own responsibility for getting the rest I need. No one else can do this for me. It must be on my terms.

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend an Adventure Park with high ropes courses, following two days of leadership conference, after another long day of travel (13hrs) and pre-event socializing. At the end of the 3 days, I was wiped. And, I knew I would be, so a week ago I politely declined the climbing in the trees opportunity, even though it was with great people and offered freely.

It was the right choice for me.

Instead, I had a solo morning of yoga, journalling, and on the search for ‘wonder’ful things at a local Farmers’ Market in Nashville. It was perfect.

What do you know about what you need? Are you taking responsibility for getting it?

Yep, we all can push through and there are times to keep going. However, it’s not sustainable. When can you create space for rest and recovery? When you do, design it on your terms.

In My Passions

Nashville offered some happy juice for me (and it wasn’t wine), that I wouldn’t have found any other place: The Dead South Concert at the Ryman Auditorium. Yep, bluegrass, a genre of music I know very little about was a playful slice of rejuvenation.

Cool, historical theatre made out of a church, with accomplished and talented bluegrass musicians, plus the serendipity of finding a Canadian-made band in the charming South created an evening of delight for me. As a classically trained pianist, technically brilliant musicians, with innovative approaches (ie cello played like a guitar) impress and inspire me.

What passions fuel you?

With a Sense of Awe and Wonder

Friends invited us to the gorgeous Slocan Valley for the long weekend in July. Nature consistently ushers me into a deep sense of awe.

Dachner Keltner, in his new book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.”

Seeing a moose swim across the fishing lake right in front of us, climb the bank, and walk over top of the beaver dam drew me into a sense of wonder and whimsy that I’ll not soon forget.

The lake, the mountains, and the trees remind me that the concerns of my life are bathed in a greater mystery, held with goodness, and healing is all around us.

I cultivate awe and wonder in service of the children in my world. I design for rest and recovery for the same.

Truly, how will we change the lives of children, if we are unwilling to change our own?

Pursuing thriving with you…

For the sake of the children,

Karine