WAVES OF INSPIRATION

Come explore and unleash your creative spirit in a safe space. Recover, uncover, release and replenish. Explore inner landscapes, excavate untapped sources of creative inspiration, gently release blocks that might be holding you back from being more fully creatively expressed in the world and deeply nourish your being through workshop that is based on the community practice of DOWH* transformational dance. Facilitated by Elisa Carlass Hatton.

Space is limited. Pre-registration is not required however it is encouraged to reserve your spot! 

Please feel free to send me any questions or requests via private fb message or email met at: elisa.hatton@yahoo.ca

♥ Dance through doubt and gently release creative blocks! 

♥ Explore and embody the creative urges, surges and impulses yearning for expression!

♥ Nourish and replenish your creativity as well as your mind, body, heart and soul! 

♥ Come to one workshop or all four! 

*DOWH is grounded in sacred principles that acknowledge and honour the divine within us all. It is a facilitated, movement- based, barefoot and non-verbal practice. No previous dance experience is required, only a willingness to move and be moved! 

♥ Sound good? It is! Come explore in a safe space, with like-minded and like-hearted folks ♥

Turtle Toes Wellness offers non-competitive and inclusive spaces in which to explore and share a community-based movement practices. It is a welcoming space for anyone who is interested in being a part of a a diverse community class where all identities and orientations, abilities and self-expressions are welcomed and affirmed.

Metamorphasis: A Four Week Exploration of Transformation through Music, Movement & Meditation.

'Do not (only) be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth.' ~ Rumi

September 8, 15, 22 & 29

Chrysalis ~ Emergence 

Come explore, experience, luxuriate and bask in the experience of being the change and being with change. In this workshop series we will wiggle, shimmy, shake, be in stillness.. and then some! We will drop into the in-between place, that mysterious placing of not knowing or planning what comes next and move in ways that our bodies, hearts and souls long to. We will set the stage, connect with our inner landscapes and invite our impulses out to play! Change can start anywhere. In stillness and in movement. In knowing and not knowing. At the beginning, middle and end of any journey. Change is an endless cycle of creative transformation from which we can source incredible amounts of energy, courage, inspiration, radiance and insight. Join us!

♥ Dance and move your way into exploring your own personal and unique metamorphasis! 
♥ Explore, embody and express the clarity, courage, strength, wisdom, change and maybe even magic that your being is yearning for! 
♥ Nourish and fortify your mind, body, heart and soul! 
♥ Come to one workshop or all four!  

 Metamorphasis: A Four Week Series 

5.30-6.30pm

 Mondays in September (8, 15, 22, 29)

 Spiritwind Centre, 56 Oxford Street in Kensington Mkt

(located above Urban Herbivore @ Augusta & Oxford)

 Sliding Scale: $10-$20 (drop-ins) 

 Pre-registration is not required however space is limited, so please arrive early!

Please share with folks who you think might be interested in this energizing and uplifting practice. 

*DOWH is grounded in sacred principles that acknowledge and honour the divine within us all. It is a facilitated, movement- based, barefoot and non-verbal practice. No previous dance experience is required, only a willingness to move and be moved! 

♥ Sound good? It is! Come explore in a safe space, with like-minded and like-hearted folks ♥

Turtle Toes Wellness offers non-competitive and inclusive spaces in which to explore and share a community-based movement practices. It is a welcoming space for anyone who is interested in being a part of a a diverse community class where all identities and orientations, abilities and self-expressions are welcomed and affirmed. 

If you have any questions, please send an email to: elisa.hatton@yahoo.ca or a private message via the Turtle Toes Wellness facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/turtletoeswellness

'Yeah you, who are beautiful, who are brilliant, who are powerful, who are resilient...yeah you...'

Beautiful Flower

~ by India Arie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zbn7Khv8zM

Go gently on your journeys, go courageously. Be generous with your love, your forgiveness, your compassion. 

Here's a mini-vacation of soulful, heartfelt, delicious and sweet song from India Arie's heart to yours. We are one. 

Stand Up Paddling & Yoga Retreat with Wild Women Expeditions

August 7-10, 2014 @ Northern Edge Retreat, Algonquin Park (Sold Out)

SUP Yoga with Osha Osha

SUP Yoga with Osha Osha 

~ Misty Morning Yoga ~ 

Stand Up Paddling, Yoga & Pranayama, Morning & Afternoon Guided Yoga Sessions, Bonfires, Island Exploration, Gourmet Food, Lake Swimming, Rest & Rejuvenation & FUN!

Join Wild Women for an Algonquin Park yoga retreat featuring stand up paddle-boarding! Stand up paddle-boarding (SUP) is a fun, easy way to play on the water. Since you’re standing at your full height, you’ll enjoy excellent views of everything from Algonquin Park wildlife to what’s on the horizon. It’s like walking on water! We’ll learn basic paddle-boarding technique, then we’ll take your yoga off the mat and introduce you to yoga practices designed for the board. Stand Up Paddle Boarding, the fastest growing water sport in the world, is quickly becoming one of the best core workouts. A strong core is the foundation for strength, endurance, and good health. 

You will enjoy the ancient practice of Yoga combined with Stand Up Paddle Boarding.  

Doing yoga on a paddle board is becoming more popular, because it enhances the yoga workout. The paddle board makes quite a stable yoga mat and the extra balance required by being on the water intensifies the yoga routine. The peacefulness of floating on the water combines nicely with the meditative nature of yoga and is full of laughs with a very Zen quality to it. Yoga is all about going with the flow and so is standup paddling. Standup paddle boards are really stable. This retreat is excellent for beginners!

Our retreat is based at Northern Edge Algonquin resort, a gorgeous wilderness ecolodge 3 hours north of Toronto. Enjoy yoga morning sessions to awaken and ignite. We will weave into our yoga classes postures that will help cultivate our balance and strength. After breakfast we will hop onto the SUP boards an head out onto the water to enjoy the flow of the boards, we will drift, find equilibrium and explore Lake Kawawaymog. We will return to the Edge for a brilliant summer lunch and some down time, to read, sit in the sun, walk or nap. Our afternoon yoga session will help us to unravel, stretch the fascia of the body and deeply restore. Evening will bring us to a wood fire sauna plus a dip in the lake if you choose! Dinner, desert, fire.. The good things in life. A weekend to inspire, dream, rest, restore and connect! 

See you there!

To register or to find out more about Wild Women Expeditions trips (across Canada and now also International), please follow this link: http://www.wildwomenexpeditions.com/contact/ 

*Registration is now closed for this trip.

Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Board Guide & Yoga Instructors:

 

Land Yoga Instructor: Elisa Carlass Hatton

           

SUP Guide & Yoga Instructor: Jenifer Rudzki-Bonnetplume

'And the day came when the risk it took to remain tightly closed in a bud 

was more painful than the risk it took to bloom.'  ~ Anais Nin 

Spoken with smokey softness and strength, this quote, on repeat serves as an excellent affirmation and reminder. Take a listen (seriously, try it on repeat):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkHFUc-g2dc

'This is the element of freedom.' Alicia Keys

For me, this quote speaks to the gap, that powerful and often overwhelming place of choice that we encounter when moving into the in-between places between yesterday and tomorrow, old and new, night and day, yes and no. It speaks to the day that comes when we willingly welcome and move into the mystery of (re)creating ourselves and our lives, when we are ready to courageously say yes to life and love and are once again willing to courageously enter and explore the places in our hearts and lives we swore we'd never go again. It speaks to the that day comes when we are willing, again, to explore the mystical and the magical. To willingly step into the place of metamorphasis, to grow from a spark to a flame. It speaks to the day that comes when we are willing and able to be in the liminal space between the inhale and exhale for longer and longer periods of time, to explore the greys in between black and white. When we can allow and maybe even luxuriate in the miracle it is to be feeling... to be feeling... to be feeling. It speaks to the day that comes when we are willing and able to surrender to and luxuriate in the electric tension that comes when we swing between active growth and passive becoming. It speaks to the day that comes when we say yes and move towards, versus away from, the exhilarating, exciting and sometimes scary journey of moving from being a bud to surrendering to blooming, with all its unfamiliar and new territory, from the land of the invisible to the land of the visible. That is what this quote speaks to in me. Time and time and time again  

The Ultimate Wild Woman Weekend ~ August 1-4, 2014 

Presented by Wild Women Expeditions

www.wildwomenexpeditions.com

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!!!

The annual Wild Women Weekend is all about savoring the beauty of the land that surrounds us and each other’s company. We offer a space to do that creatively so you can indulge in what it is you need: restoration, physical activity or stillness, self-expression or exploration, connecting with other spirited women, learning new skills, pursuing an old or new love. 

The Ultimate Wild Woman Weekend is hosted at Wild Women Expedition’s herstorical basecamp near Sudbury, where participants will enjoy renowned veggie oriented cuisine by Wild Women Kitchen Goddesses, nearly 400 pristine acres to enjoy, wood burning sauna, excellent swimming, kayaking and canoe skills clinics, dance and yoga workshops, art sessions, campfires and nature paths to explore! 

Accommodation at the basecamp consists of rustic riverside cabins and prospector tents that sleep from 1-4 women. You can look forward to capping the night off in our wood burning sauna or chatting on the sauna deck overlooking the river listening to loons. Between workshops there is plenty of time to rest, explore, connect with others and do whatever you feel like! On Saturday evening we gather around the campfire and Sunday night usually involves a talent show and dance party in the barn. It's the ULTIMATE ...

Sea Kayaking with Style!

This awesome clinic is great for beginner paddlers who want to try kayaking. We’ll have fun with the basics, including parts of the kayak and paddle, strokes for turning, stopping, moving sideways and how to conserve energy for a full day of paddling. You’ll learn how to get in & out of the boat without getting soaked (the hardest part!!) what to do if you tip over and use of the kayak rudder. Then we’ll head out for a paddle down the river so you can try your skills out!

Learn to Canoe with Confidence!

Canoeing was how WWE got our roots, and we still love it! This clinic will start right from the beginning and have you paddling up the river in no time… paddle strokes, balancing while getting in and out, what the person in the bow’s job is (power!) and what the person in the stern does (steer, darn it, steer!) and how to do it. If this is your first time canoeing or you’ve already been sterning for years and want to refine your strokes, this is the clinic for you.

Wild Yoga

Instructor: Elisa Hatton
Enjoy an invigorating yoga session in the outdoors, overlooking the wild Spanish River. 

Dance Workshop: ‘Being The Flame”

Facilitator: Elisa Hatton
Nourish the flame of your divine feminine soul through a dynamic and unique experience of an exciting and transformational Dance Our Way Home (DOWH) dance workshop. In this workshop we will explore, experience, luxuriate and bask in the experience of BEING THE FLAME. Creative fire dwells within each of us and it urges us to seek a fuller, more embodied expression of who we really are as creative beings. DOWH is grounded in sacred principles that acknowledge and honour the divine feminine within us all. It is a facilitated, movement- based, barefoot and non-verbal practice. No previous dance experience is required, only a willingness to move and be moved!

Painting Sensual Scenery

Facilitator: Kyra Dahlke
Tap into the wild and embrace your juicy nature to nurture your creative side. Explore the forest and ground in its earthy energy then embark on a journey through joy and imagination. This is a workshop about connecting to the creative energy and allowing yourself the freedom to play with colours. There will be a basic introduction to watercolour painting techniques, mixing colours and how to identify the sensual lines of nature. This will be followed by a guided walk through the forest observing the contrast of light and shade, the glistening water, and the soft textures of moist moss and the rough bark of the trees. We will then return to explore our wild impressions of nature and through paint and brush allow our sensual creativity to unfurl.

Cost: $595 (The weekend includes all meals, workshops and skills clinics, 3 nights accommodation in shared cabins or prospector tents, use of canoe and kayaks.) 

To register or for more information please visit: http://www.wildwomenexpeditions.com/2012/10/ultimate-wild-woman-weekend/

~ THE ROOTS OF COURAGE ~
EMPOWERMENT THROUGH YOGA 

With Elisa Carlass Hatton

*** Registration is now closed ***

Come cultivate the COURAGE TO BE through a gentle and empowering  yoga class consisting of guided visualization, gentle asana (poses) and pranayama (breathwork).

 * ~ *~ Listening ~ * ~ *

  

 Courage not only comes from actions we take in spite of our fears, but also arises from a mysterious source that lies outside and beyond the narrow framework of our ordinary lives. It also lies within us. It is in the roots of our being. All bodies, orientations and gender expressions are welcome. 

Cost: $40-$60 *Sliding Scale *Pre-registration Preferred.

Where: Spiritwind Centre (60 Oxford St, 2nd Flr - about 12 steps - above Urban Herbivore, entrance off of Augusta, Kensington Market)

When: July 7, 14, 21, 28 

Time: 5.30pm-6.30pm

To register, please send an email to: elisa.hatton@yahoo.ca or 

Visit our facebook page: Turtle Toes Wellness 

*Please note: Regretfully the space is not fully accessible however we look forward to creating and sharing accessible spaces in the very near future).

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

~ Mondays In June ~

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 ~ Gentle Yoga Flow III ~ Fierce Light

 5.30pm-6.30pm @ SpiritWind Centre (64 Oxford Street, Kensington Market)

Drop-In $10-$20 or Pre-register $50-$100

We'll go within to ignite, nourish and share Fierce Light from the depths of our being.

Groovy tunes, guided visualization, gentle asana, deep rest and new sources of strength.

Suitable for beginners or folks looking to take a gentle approach to their practice.
All orientations and genders welcome. All bodies welcome.
We create, honour and hold safe space together.


Artwork by Maureen StClair

To register or if you have questions please send an email to: elisa.hatton@yahoo.ca

 

*This is a non-competitive space in which to explore and share a community yoga practice. It's a welcoming space for folks interested in being a part of a diverse community class where all identities, orientations, abilities and self-expressions are welcomed and affirmed.  

 

Mondays In May

Gentle Yoga Flow II

May 5, 12, 19, 26

SpiritWind Centre
64 Oxford Street, Kensington Market

4 Week Series (5.30-6.30pm

Cost: Drop-In $10-$20 or Pre-Register $40-$80

(sliding scale spots available)

     

     *Pre-registration is required! 

       Sign up asap as space is limited. 

        To register or if you have questions, please send an email: 

elisa.hatton@yahoo.ca 

Gentle Yoga Flow II: This class is for anyone interested in exploring, infusing and strengthening flow and growth in their daily lives. We will seek out, make space for and nourish the spaces in our bodies, hearts, souls and minds where wisdom, love, strength, compassion and joy live. Classes include groovy tunes, guided visualization, teachings and a practice which will inspire you to bud, bloom or blossom in new ways. Come explore, unwind and grow in an empowering and engaging community setting. 

*This is a non-competitive space in which to explore and share a community yoga practice. It is a welcoming space for anyone who is interested in  being a part of a diverse community class where all identities and orientations, abilities and self-expressions are welcomed and affirmed. 

Yoga classes are one of the many services offered by Turtle Toes Wellness. We offer unique and fun classes, retreats (rural and urban) and private sessions in the areas of yoga + dance + creativity. 

'And then the day came... when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud,

 was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.' ~ Anais Nin

~ Audio-Visual Quote (Orchid Blooming with Anais Nin's voice over) ~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB9TSJu4-2I

Spring is finally on its way in Toronto !!! 

I'm happy to announce that registration is finally open for my first Spring Series! Come warm your winter hearts and embody - in your heart, body, mind and soul the emerging spring sweetness that is surely coming our way.

Mondays in April with Turtle Toes Wellness 

 ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥ 

Be bold, be bodacious, be brave, be beautiful, be you!

Spring is on its way and I'm happy to announce that REGISTRATION IS OPEN for my first Spring Class! 

Mondays in April | Gentle Yoga Flow | 5.30-6.30pm
$40-80 (Sliding Scale) * Works out to be $10-20 per class

4 Week Series ~ April 7, 14, 21 & 28 (2014)

Spirit Wind Centre, 64 Oxford Street, Kensington Market
Instructor: Elisa Carlass Hatton

This is a great class for beginners and experienced folks alike!
Offering a sweet, nourishing, uplifting and relaxing flow to to ease your body, mind, heart. 

Our time together will include groovy tunes, guided visualization and a gentle yoga flow. 

This class offers a non-competitive space in which to explore and share a community yoga practice. It is a welcoming space for anyone who is interested in being a part of a a diverse community class where all identities and orientations, abilities and self-expressions are welcomed and affirmed. 

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! Registration is now closed. 

Space is Limited. Please sign up soon! 

 ♥ Lets learn, grow, rest and rejuvenate together ♥

To register or if you have any questions, please send an email to: elisa.hatton@yahoo.ca

Stay tuned for MORE Spring yoga, dance and creativity classes, events and local retreats 

for April & May (I will be posting them very soon!!!!)

Feel free to share this information with anyone who you think might be interested!  

with love,

♥ elisa

Loving Yourself Is A Radical & Powerful Act

'Out beyond wrong-doing and right-doing there is a field. 

I'll meet you there. 

When the soul lies down in that grass, 

the world is too full to talk about. 

Ideas, language, even the phrase 'each other' 

doesn't make any sense." 

~ Rumi ~

'At times our own light goes out and is rekindled
by a spark from another person.
Each of us  has cause to think with deep gratitude
of those who have lighted
the flame within us.'

Over the past few weeks, I've been reflecting on the concept and experience of compassion...I've been reflecting on this idea of sheltering others with an emotion or 'vibe' of an all-encompassing sanctuary of forgiveness, empathy and upliftment (not the actual definition but the aspect that I've been reflecting on). 

Today, especially, I was moved by a friend sharing that they had an 'AHA' moment based on considering (for the first time) that compassion could be directed towards themselves versus and/or in addition to being directed externally towards others. 

Compassion is often defined as 'the feeling of empathy for others... the emotion that we feel in response to the suffering of others that motivates in us the desire to help.' 

Some meditation practices do suggest that we start with offering this compassion externally and then to ourselves, while others suggest that we offer this compassion first to ourselves and then extending it out to another person, community, global community and ultimately the universe. A wise teacher once asked a group class that I was a part of to consider starting with the part of ourselves that was our body and identities in the world right now, and moving inwards (vs outwards) to extend that compassion to the many inner levels of our being (body parts, organs, systems, bones, muscles.. emotions, sensations, thoughts...moments in the past, choices, experiences... especially our childhoods) and to ultimately drench ourselves and wrap ourselves abundantly with the vibe of compassion towards our self as a radical practice. 

And it IS a radical practice, especially if all of your life, for one reason or another, systems and people have tried to tell you that you aren't enough or that you are too much or that you aren't lovable as you are.

That teaching has stayed with me. I am grateful for it. I practice it often. Sometimes I do forget about it though and need to be reminded. 

When I return to an active practice of self-compassion, I'm filled with new hope, new resilience and new strength. 

Spread the word. Spread the teaching. That is what it is there for. It's important to note that the concept of a practice of compassion, including self-compassion has roots in Buddhism and Hinduism and is spoken of as a virtue in many world religions. Although there are those that claim to be the founders of the concept of 'self-compassion', the truth is that it comes from traditions and belief systems that mastered the tools and art of practicing compassion, both inwardly and externally focused, many years ago. These practices have been shared with global citizens in order for us to experience personal transformation and be play an active role in global transformation. 

"It is possible to travel the whole world in search of one who is more worthy of compassion than oneself. No such person can be found." Buddha

Be the spark. Share the message. Inspire, invoke and invite others to consider a different way. A gentler way. A simpler way. A way that doesn't require anything or anyone but YOU.

Self-love, self-forgiveness and self-directed empowerment are radical acts. Important and life-affirming gestures. These acts can be our saving grace, our life-lines. The fuel that sustains us. These acts are crucial practices, however they are practiced, that can sustain us and/or help us recover from the big and little traumas of our lives as well as prepare us for the journeys ahead.

These ancient and timeless practices infuse many of the classes - whether yoga, transformational dance or creativity sessions - that I offer at Turtle Toes Wellness. I seek to offer spaces in which we can love ourselves and each other, across the bridges of sameness and difference, across the bridges of hope and love, across the bridges of our histories, our nows and our futures. 

There are so many ways to approach the practice of self-compassion. We can build and strengthen the muscles of our self-compassion (read: self-love) through guided meditations, subtle or dynamic movement, through daydreaming, through creativity or just by simply breathing. And we can practice using these muscles in our every day lives, as we move through the world interacting with others and even ourselves (sometimes we can be our harshest critic). There are endless ways to practice. However we do need to fill the well and make sure we have an ample supply stored up for the days where we need a whole lot of it. And when we forget that we have access to this incredible tool, may we be graced with someone who reminds us gently and kindly to return to our practice, to go gently, first and foremost with ourselves. 

May these words spark and light you up and may you in turn spark and light others.

Go gently!

Please stay tuned for the Spring Schedule of Classes for 2014. 
It will be posted by the end of March. 

Love,
elisa

Meditation for March: FIREFLY Meditation

Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down. Close your eyes or allow them to be unfocused and soft. Begin to withdraw your awareness from the immediate environment and become focused and aware of all the parts of you that are being supported (by a chair, the ground, etc). Give your body permission to be supported. Allow your outer and inner being to give over to this moment, supported by whatever you are sitting or laying on. Begin long deep breathing. Bring your attention to the breath. Focus on the sensation of the inhale and the exhale. Begin to lengthen and deepen the breath (gradually to a count of 4). On the inhale, imagine yourself filled with golden light (or the colour of your choosing...one that fills you with feelings of empowerment and nourishment). On the exhale, imagine the light (the same colour that you chose for the inhale) pouring out of all of your pores. Continue with this breathing pattern and imagery for as long as you like (3-10 minutes suggested). To come out of this meditation, allow your breathing to return to its regular pattern. Before you open your eyes, wiggle your toes, fingers and nose. Let your eyes gently open and/or your perception return to the present moment before you continue through your day. 

Fireflies by Owl City ~ A Musical Moment for Your Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4

Affirmations: Powerful Allies

Affirmations can be such powerful allies on the journey of creative recovery or creative living. You can sing them, hum them, chant them, whisper them, shout them, think them, write them, draw them and beckon them as often as you'd like. 

They are forever on-call and it's up to us to call on them.

Affirmations can be like the friends (we had once or never had) who believe endlessly in us and are willing to be still, steady and constant, even when we feel most challenged to be just that for ourselves. They can our most trusted guardians or like a militia-squad-of-love who pledge to infuse us with hope, self-love and courage even in the face of the most insidious and heartless of thoughts, beliefs, doubts, structures, systems and/or naysayers. 

One of the most challenging sources of power to reclaim, is personal power. It takes guts, consistency, courage, grace, support and a willingness to explore, accept and claim an inherent KNOWING that we are each SO POWERFUL. And it can involve coming to terms with all the people and places and things that (intentionally or unintentionally) have historically and/or currently eroded, dismissed, shamed or dimmed our personal power. And this can be a hard awakening. It is also a rich awakening. Richness that can't be purchased. Richness that already and has always existed, within. 

Affirmations can help us to stay in a place of personal power and if we find that we are floating aimlessly away, they can be like boats or bridges back to our true inner source, to our true KNOWING of who we truly are. Powerful. Creative. Alive. 

I'd like to share one of my favourite affirmations. It's helped me through many blocks and inspired mucho growth. It continues to inspire me and pull me through scary patches of growth, in both my professional and personal journeys. The 'safe' part of this set of affirmations is what anchors me and reminds me that, when I'm in my personal power, I am responsible for creating, expanding and upholding (defending and protecting if necessary) my personal space, the space in which I affirm, value and allow happiness, joy, intuition and creativity to sprout, ebb, flow and flourish.

Affirmations: 
It is safe to be happy, it is safe to be intuitive, it is safe to be creative. I allow happiness into my heart and life. I allow, value and listen to my intuition. I allow myself to be creative and create spaces for creativity to unfold. I listen deeply to my creative longings, urges and impulses. I courageously create, nourish and protect spaces for them in which to unfold. I actively support and affirm the intuition, joy and creativity of others. 

May your journey be gentle, through the highs and the lows and all the in-betweens. May your creative unfolding be inspired and inspire others to unfold in their own unique ways. Grow at your own pace!

With love and in solidarity,
~ elisa