On long days, amazing results

You know the local job search radio commercial that ends with, "Long name, amazing results"? For some reason, when I think "long day," my brain automatically adds "amazing results."

But no one ever gets the joke. Probably because my brain works in mysterious ways.

The past few days have been quite long, as I've embarked on a new adventure: Teacher's College. While the rest of Queen's University's "first" years paint themselves in faculty colours and take part in team-building activities, the professional students in the Bachelor of Education program have already had 3 days of classes. Well... 2, if you don't count the orientation day, which I do, because it was full of amazing life and teaching lessons.

I am ridiculously excited to be back in school. I love learning and so far, all my classes have offered a wonderful balance of lessons and examples of lessons, as may be applied in our future classrooms. The only downfall is that the intensive 8-month program is full. And by full, I mean days with classes that start at 8:30am and end at 6pm, with just about an hour's break for lunch. And Friday is the tightest day in my schedule.

The thing is, your brain is operating at study wavelengths all day long, so while the take-home workload and required preparations are not nearly as demanding as during my Master's, balance is still ever so important to re-energize and regenerate.

Except I haven't finished my thesis yet. I came close, but I am still working on a second draft that needs more and different literature to be threaded throughout the body of work, not just in one chapter, or one paragraph. I also need to re-write the introduction, as I've decided to approach the context-creation segments from a different perspective so as to make my thesis more impactful.

As you may have guessed, it's not going to be an easy task. And yet, I come home every day after school, try to relax while I have dinner, and then jump right into Teacher's College assignments. And if I have any semblance of energy left, I try to further my thesis progress.

Needless to say... It's a slow process. Still, as we have learned, long days lead to amazing results. So I will forgo balance for the next few weeks, until I reach a more comfortable zone in my must-do list. And then... Then I will get to reap the rewards that I have sown and settle into a less hectic lifestyle and enjoy school once more.

On dancing for a cause

When I was in high school, I took dance lessons. I am horribly uncoordinated when it comes to mainstream dancing. School dances. Clubs. Weddings. SO not my thing. So when a friend raved about her social dance lessons, I thought... Why not? Worst case scenario, I learn some skills so that I'm not so terribly embarrassed (and embarrassing) in social situations requiring dancing. Plus, it's a good workout.

As it turns out, I don't do so poorly at ballroom dancing. Something about the music, whether Latin or Standard, makes me move from the inside. And apparently, that helps me move on the outside.

It's been eight years since I've danced, properly, in a studio, with dance shoes and all that jazz. Recently, I was asked if I wanted to participate in Kingston's second annual "Dancing with the Easter Seals Stars" competition, benefiting, you guessed it! The local Easter Seals Ontario chapter.

I'm always up for giving back to my community, and as y'all should know by now, I love trying new things. While dancing isn't going to be an entirely new thing for me, it's so old that it feels new. Plus, I never was a competitive dancer. I've never done a dance show or even a choreography. And part of the deal in accepting to be a "local celebrity" participant is to give a LIVE performance. In a big ballroom. With lights, cameras, and people. We're talking an audience of 100 to 250 prominent Kingstonians. And then having it taped for posterity. And probably posted online too.

FREAKY!!!!

But you know what? I'm in!

It's scary and thrilling at the same time. I'm nervous and excited. Plus, it's for a good cause. The Easter Seals, which I had never heard of until I came to Ontario, provides programs and services to children and youth with physical disabilities, with the goal of helping them reach greater independence, financially and otherwise, through increased accessibility and integration.

I've met with my dance teacher/partner and I am SO excited that we're on the same page as to how we want to approach the competition. Because yes, as much as this event is a fundraiser, it's still a competition. And I'm competitive. Y'all know I like to challenge myself, and this is an excellent way for me to push myself further.

But I will need your help and support. The only way this event will be a success is if people attend and vote. This year, for the first time, you will be able to vote online during the weeks leading up to the competition. Or you can attend the event on November 8, 2013 at the Kingston Banquet & Conference Centre and vote in-person. Both options will ask you to contribute to the cause by purchasing vote ballots. Pricing for the event, which includes a 4-course dinner, post-event dancing, and so much more, should be around $100 per person. Of course, y'all can also get together and purchase a 10-person table at a discount!

Details on all this, and more, are coming soon. Also, if you're interested in participating as a sponsor or know someone who might be, please let me know.

I promise to keep you up-to-date on my progress - or lack thereof - and I look forward to embarrassing myself in front of all of you!

On Community Acupuncture at KIHC

For the past few months, I have been working on getting healthier. Health, of course, is more than just physical, so while I try to keep strengthening my knee, I'm also working on my overall well-being.

Upon moving back to Kingston, I asked for recommendations for places with a holistic approach, as I expected a naturopath might be able to look at my whole health picture and make suggestions as to my digestive, knee/joint pain, and anxiety/stress issues.

A friend recommended Kingston Integrated Healthcare (KIHC), and sure enough, they had a team of professionals that are each uniquely suited to address my needs. Between naturopathy, registered massage therapy (it works better than physiotherapy at this point!) and a new discovery for me, community acupuncture, I'm there several times a week.

Acupuncture, of course, is a traditional Chinese medicine healing technique that uses needles inserted at various pressure points to stimulate the flow of qi, or energy, through the body. People have been telling me for years to look into acupuncture for my joint pain, and I mostly brushed them off. I did give it a try a few years ago, when I was doing physiotherapy for a neck issue, and it did absolutely nothing for me. I gave it another go, just in case it was the first time jitters, but again, I felt more tense than anything after my session. I resolved then and there that acupuncture might do amazing things for other people but that it simply wasn't for me.

Boy, was I wrong! KIHC had their annual Open House the weekend after I moved to town. It's not too far from where I live, so I went to visit as a break from un-packing. One of the Open House demonstrations was acupuncture. I figured since I was there anyway - and pretty sure I was going to start seeing a naturopath there - I might as well try it again. It was, after all, free!

What a difference a good practitioner makes! With just a few well-placed needles - rather than covering my body with them! - Dr. Gerann Murphy gave me this incredible feeling of relaxation in just 10 minutes. It was truly a life-changing experience, and I finally understood what everyone has been talking about all these years!

Of course, acupuncture isn't the most accessible of health treatments, so I was thrilled to discover that KIHC offers Community Acupuncture every Monday, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Community Acupuncture allows for you to experience a good 20-30-minute session in a "community" room, as in, with other participants. This means everyone stays fully-clothed, and you don't have as much of a one-on-one connection with the practitioner, but you still get the amazing release of the treatment. And for just $30 in cold hard cash! Plus, if you're like me, you show up early and you still do get to chat and determine what you want to work on for that session! And being the first one there means my session ends up being mostly a solo treatment anyway :)

But despite enjoying this one-on-one time, I just had to share my secret with all of you because since I started acupuncture, my knee pain has been exponentially lower. Even in the crazy humidity we've had, I haven't had nearly close to the joint pain I usually experience. In fact, I barely noticed the humidity in my joints. And then there's the emotional release. Every acupuncture session leads to a huge shift in the energy in my body and all the pent up emotions just... flow. There really isn't another word to describe the feeling.

In other words, for $30, it's one of the most wholesome, holistic therapy treatments I've ever experienced. My plan was to go every once in a while, perhaps bi-weekly, but I've been feeling so GOOD lately that I just might have to go every week. It's worth it. Trust me.

PS: For more information about Kingston Integrated HealthCare, check out their website at http://www.kihc.ca. Or ask me about my experience!

PPS: If you're not sure whether naturopathy or acupuncture is for you, KIHC offers free 15-minute consultations with as many practitioners as you would like to speak to and "test" out. I saw a few of the Naturopathic Doctors and Massage Therapists before deciding who to work with.

PPPS: Nope, I haven't been paid for this post in any way. I just truly appreciate the amazing service and experience I've had at KIHC! And I want everyone else to feel this good!!