the balanced soul

A little note as we begin a new round of classes this week…

You are allowed to be a beginner.

You are allowed to wobble, lose your balance, forget which foot we’re using, and look around the room occasionally to figure out what on earth I’m talking about.

And if it helps, I have been known to point to a wrist and call it an ankle.

Sometimes I forget the name altogether and resort to, “this thing right here.”

We laugh.

We try again.

Some things will feel easy. Some will be challenging. Some might take a few weeks before they begin to make sense.

You don’t have to do everything perfectly.

You don’t even have to do everything.

Come curious. Have some fun. Pay attention to your body. Let yourself learn.

That’s enough.

A slightly nonsensical question for a Monday…

Imagine you have a long table, a collection of mismatched cups, plenty of tea, and ten empty chairs.

You can invite anyone you like — someone living now, someone from another time, a fictional character, an artist, a writer, someone from your own life.

I already know a few of my chairs would be taken.

Anne Shirley would absolutely be there.
Lorelai Gilmore, because I feel like the conversation would never get dull.
Kathleen Kelly, because I think we could happily talk about books, little bookshops, and the kind of places that become part of a community.
And Alice, of course. It is a slightly Mad Hatter tea party, after all.

I still have a few chairs to fill.

Who would be sitting around your table?

A new piece has found its way into the Journal:

A Love Letter to Fall

A reflection on the season that seems to arrive with its own kind of romance — the first shift in the air, the colour returning to the trees, the pull toward warmth, rhythm, beauty, and home.

You can read it here:

https://thebalancedsoul.ca/journal/f/a-love-letter-to-autumn

The first Seasonal Letter has been shared, and the printed autumn pieces are now gathered here at the shop.

The Autumn Seasonal Letter
the autumn ritual card
and the seasonal reflection cards

A little something for the season.
A bit of reflection.
A small ritual.

A few words to carry with you as autumn begins to make its way back into ordinary life.

There is something special about seeing these pieces move from screen to paper — becoming something more tactile, more keepsake-like, and ready to be held in someone’s hands.

Please take what you would like.

Fall 1 yoga classes begin September 23/24.
Registration is open now for:

Slow Strength, Stretch & Mobility
and
Restorative Yoga

Classes run in 6-week sessions on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at The Balanced Soul.
If you’ve been thinking about returning to the mat this fall, this is a good time to choose your class and request your spot.

Full class details are available at thebalancedsoul.ca, or you can call/text to register.

Registration details:
Once you request a spot, it will be held for 48 hours. Registration is confirmed once payment is received. Classes are non-refundable, but may be transferable when possible.

Update - Wednesdays slow Strength and stretch class is full.

A golden-hour kayak kind of morning.

The lake was pure glass.
The loons were calling.
The light was low and gold.

And somewhere along the way, a moose appeared at the edge of the morning like it had wandered straight out of a story.

Some mornings feel like the season is giving you more than you asked for.

Water.
Wildlife.
Stillness.
A paddle in your hands.

That strange little feeling of being awake before the rest of the day has fully begun.
A good morning to be on the lake.