40 Day Celebration of Life

This is a beautiful way to honour someone you have lost and celebrate their life over the course of 40 days. When I lost my brother, my counselor shared an idea that had once been given to her after she lost someone she loved. It was called a 40 Day Celebration of Life. The idea […]

The Return of Macassa: Cootes Paradise

Glorious day at Cootes Paradise in Hamilton with my pal Marybeth. Hard to believe this area was once treated as a dumping ground and industrial sewer for the steel industry. After many of the factories moved offshore in the 1980s, the Federal and Provincial governments partnered with McMaster University and invested heavily in restoring this […]

Love My Granola

Coming up on seven weeks sugar free. The first month was not easy, but I’m proud of myself for sticking with it. Because of severe stress, I’ve dealt with brutal heartburn for a few years now. My doctor wanted me on medication for life. I decided before I signed up for that, I’d try cutting […]

Yogi Tea

Making Yogi Tea today. Thank you Sat Dharam Kaur, (SDK) Registered Naturopathic Doctor, for this delicious recipe. This is ideal for those trying to remove caffeine from their life. I drink this all day long. You’re supposed to drink 3 litres of water a day and honestly, that’s hard for me. But I can get […]

My Gratitude Corner

Do you have an altar? No, I’m not talking about religion. I’m talking about the little corner of your life that reminds you who the hell you are. The objects, photos, books, stones, letters, scars, memories, and symbols that carry your story. The things that remind you how far you’ve come after all the nights […]

Beyond Addiction

I’m pumped. Today I head north to Owen Sound, Ontario to attend a 9 day immersive somatic yoga program called Beyond Addiction, co-created with Dr. Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur. This will be my third time going. You might wonder why I keep returning. My biggest addiction is not cocaine or alcohol. I worked […]

Let it Burn

I wrote Breathing the Night Out to survive. To heal. To tell the truth. I am proud of every word in that book because it carried me through some dark nights. But tonight, I let it go. I let the universe take it. I am moving forward now. I carry the wisdom, the strength and […]

I Write to Be Free: Transforming Trauma Together Festival

I do not write to be good. I write to be free. It feels surreal and powerful to see this poster. That lands. On May 12 I will be at the The Gatehouse‘s Transforming Trauma Together Festival. It is free. I am not here to teach you how to write. I have never studied writing. […]

Punch the Monkey Goes to Winnipeg for Mom Day

I come from the street. I am raw. I am real. I am a Beloved Warrior. And so are the mothers in this story. Beloved Warriors know how to take what tried to break us and turn it into love. We carry it, we reshape it, we pass it forward softer than we received it. […]

Standing With Lara St. John and Marci Hamilton

Renowned Canadian violinist Lara St. John is not staying silent. She is standing up and demanding that Pennsylvania’s laws truly protect children who survive sexual violence. And to Marci Hamilton, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Child USA, thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with her in this fight. This is what Beloved Warriors […]