Tag: Gratitude

What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)?

— and How Can It Support Your Mental Health.

by Sandra Wiebe

In the midst of a busy life — juggling relationships, career changes, caregiving, or even just the quiet shift into a new chapter — it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected. For many midlife women, stress becomes a near-constant companion. But what if there was a gentle, evidence-based way to relate to stress differently — with awareness, compassion, and intention? Enter Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

What Is MBSR?

Originally developed in the 1970s by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR teaches participants how to use mindfulness to manage stress, pain, and illness, encourages moment-to-moment awareness — noticing your thoughts, feelings, and body sensations without judgment.

It’s not about clearing your mind or achieving a state of bliss. Rather, it’s about learning to be with whatever is present, with greater clarity and calm.

Why It Matters in Midlife

The midlife season is often one of reflection and transition. It can bring hormonal shifts, changing family roles, grief, health issues, or questions about purpose and identity. These layers of stress can quietly build up, impacting your mental well-being and sense of self. MBSR offers a way to pause, breathe, and come home to yourself.

Through regular mindfulness practice, many women report:

  • Feeling less reactive and more grounded
  • Improved sleep and concentration
  • Greater self-compassion and emotional resilience
  • Relief from anxiety and low mood
  • A renewed connection with their body and inner wisdom

The Science Behind It

MBSR has been widely studied, and the research is encouraging. Studies show that participants in MBSR programmes often experience reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, improved emotional regulation, and increased grey matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, and emotional balance.
Put simply, mindfulness helps rewire the brain — creating new patterns that support peace, presence, and mental flexibility.

A Simple Example

Imagine you’re having a difficult day — perhaps you’re feeling criticized, overlooked, or stretched too thin. Instead of spiralling into harsh self-talk or numbing distractions, mindfulness invites a pause. You might notice the tightness in your chest, the swirl of thoughts, the urge to react. With practice, you learn to soften, breathe, and choose a kinder response. That’s the heart of MBSR — not avoiding stress, but transforming your relationship with it.

You deserve tools that help you not just cope with life’s challenges, but meet them with strength and softness. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction isn’t a quick fix — it’s a compassionate pathway back to yourself.

If you’re curious about integrating mindfulness into your healing journey, feel free to reach out — I’d be honoured to walk alongside you.

Embracing Change in Midlife

by Sandra Wiebe

Midlife Transitions: How Counselling Can Help You Thrive, Not Just Survive

Midlife is often described as a period of significant transition. For many women, it can feel like standing at a crossroads—facing personal, professional, and emotional shifts that bring both challenges and opportunities. While some women embrace these changes with confidence, others may feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or even stuck. If you resonate with these feelings, know that you’re not alone.

Counselling can be an invaluable tool to help navigate this stage of life with clarity, resilience, and purpose. Let’s explore some of the common struggles women face in midlife and how professional support can make a meaningful difference.

Common Midlife Struggles Women Face

  1. Changing Family Dynamics
    As children grow and leave home, many women experience “empty nest syndrome,” a period of emotional adjustment that can leave them feeling lost or questioning their identity. Additionally, stepping into the role of caregiver for aging parents can introduce stress and emotional strain, adding to the complexities of midlife.
  2. Relationship Transitions
    Marriages and partnerships can evolve during midlife, with some experiencing increased connection while others face separation or divorce. Whether you’re navigating relationship changes, re-entering the dating world, or simply redefining your personal identity within a long-term relationship, counselling offers a supportive space to explore your emotions and gain clarity.
  3. Career and Work-Life Balance
    Many women reach a point where they reassess their career path, either seeking a new professional direction, striving for better work-life balance, or facing challenges in the workplace. The desire for meaningful work, coupled with potential ageism in the workforce, can create stress and uncertainty.
  4. Health and Menopause
    Hormonal changes in midlife can bring unexpected challenges such as mood swings, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. These shifts can impact emotional well-being and self-confidence, making it essential to have strategies in place for maintaining both mental and physical health.
  5. Feelings of Invisibility and Self-Rediscovery
    Many women in midlife report feeling overlooked—both personally and professionally. This can lead to a period of self-reflection and rediscovery, where women seek to reconnect with their passions, purpose, and identity beyond their traditional roles.
  6. Coping with Multiple Stressors
    Managing a combination of responsibilities—family, career, health, and personal aspirations—can feel overwhelming. Many women experience burnout, anxiety, or depression as they juggle these competing demands.

How Counselling Can Help

Counselling provides a compassionate and non-judgmental space to explore these challenges while developing tools to move forward with confidence. Here’s how it can support you:

  • Emotional Processing – Gain insight into your feelings, reduce overwhelm, and find clarity during times of change.
  • Stress Management – Learn healthy coping strategies to handle anxiety, burnout, and life’s uncertainties.
  • Self-Exploration & Goal Setting – Define what truly matters to you in this phase of life and create a path toward fulfillment.
  • Relationship Support – Navigate relationship changes with confidence, whether that’s improving communication, coping with divorce, or rebuilding self-esteem.
  • Navigating Menopause with Emotional Well-being – Learn mindfulness and self-care strategies to manage the emotional aspects of menopause.

Practical Steps to Embrace Midlife with Confidence

If you’re feeling lost or uncertain about the future, there are actionable steps you can take to regain a sense of control and fulfillment:

  • Seek Professional Support – Counselling can offer guidance and validation as you navigate this transition.
  • Prioritize Self-Care – Whether through exercise, mindfulness, or creative pursuits, nurturing your well-being is essential.
  • Redefine Personal Goals – Midlife is an opportunity to reflect on what truly brings you joy and purpose.
  • Build a Strong Support Network – Surround yourself with like-minded women who uplift and inspire you.

You’re Not Alone—Support is Available

Midlife is not an end; it’s a powerful new beginning. With the right support and mindset, this stage of life can be one of the most fulfilling and empowering yet. If you’re feeling stuck or uncertain, counselling can provide the tools and encouragement you need to embrace change with confidence.

Ready to take the next step? Book a session today. Let’s navigate this stage of life together—with clarity, strength, and purpose.

Beyond Talk: How Yoga Therapy Enhances the Counselling Journey

by Claire MacEachen (Guest Post)

Research shows that mindful movement, deep breathing, and meditation can lower stress hormones, reduce inflammation, and improve mental well-being.

What Is Yoga Therapy & How Can It Help You?

Yoga is more than just poses and flexibility—it’s a powerful tool for healing. As a yoga therapist, I use pure movements to help reduce pain, down regulate your nervous system with breath work and stillness practices to integrate and heal. Unlike a regular yoga class, which focuses on general fitness and well-being, yoga therapy is tailored to the individual. It’s a holistic approach that considers your unique needs, whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, stress, anxiety, or recovering from an injury.

How Does Yoga Therapy Work?

Yoga therapy combines movement, breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness to promote healing. Each session is personalized, meaning we don’t follow a one-size-fits-all routine. Instead, I assess your concerns and design a practice supporting your health goals. For some, this may include granular movements to improve how your body moves. For others, it may involve breathing exercises to calm the nervous system.

The goal is to create balance—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The goal is to create balance—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether you struggle with back pain, insomnia, or high stress, in yoga therapy, I help you listen in to your body’s signals. From there you can start to build a library of movements as well as breath and stillness practices that you can access at anytime.

Who Can Benefit?

Anyone can benefit from yoga therapy, but it’s especially helpful for those dealing with:

  • Chronic pain conditions like back & hip pain, foot pain, tight shoulders, arthritis
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Post-surgical recovery and rehabilitation
  • Those wanting to get back to activities they love but have put them on the back burner due to pain and believing it’s not possible.

I believe it is!

Yoga therapy complements other care such as chiropractic, acupuncture and physiotherapy.

What to Expect in a Session

A typical session starts with a conversation. I’ll ask about your health history, lifestyle, and goals. Then, we’ll work through a sequence of movements, breath exercises, and mindfulness practices designed specifically for you. I may also suggest simple techniques you can use at home to continue your progress.

Unlike a fast-paced yoga class, yoga therapy moves at your speed. The focus is on gentle, intentional movements that support healing. Over time, you may notice less pain, improved mobility, better sleep, and a greater sense of calm.

Why Yoga Therapy Works

Yoga therapy is backed by science. Research shows that mindful movement, deep breathing, and meditation can lower stress hormones, reduce inflammation, and improve mental well-being. It activates the body’s natural healing processes, helping you regain balance and resilience.

If you’re looking for a gentle, effective way to improve your health, yoga therapy might be the answer. Whether you’re dealing with a specific condition or simply want to feel better in your body, personalized yoga therapy can help you find relief and restore your sense of well-being.

Interested in learning more? Reach out—I’d love to guide you on your journey to healing.

About Claire MacEachen

Claire trained at Functional Synergy, an IAYT school for yoga therapists and has been a teacher of yoga since 2008. She specializes in helping people move beyond pain and regain strength, mobility, and confidence. Through this work, she has overcome her own pain, grown stronger than ever, and returned to activities she once set aside, like running and weight training. This personal transformation fuels her passion for guiding others on their journey to pain-free movement—so they, too, can get back to doing what they love.

You can contact Claire at Body Motion Yoga to book a Yoga Therapy session or join a yoga class where she incorporates many of the techniques and principles of Yoga Therapy.

3 Keys to Happiness in Daily Life

It doesn’t take a whole new routine to instill a dose of happiness into your day—but it does take a little self awareness.

1. Be grateful for the good & the bad.

Research shows, grateful people are happy people. It’s also important to understand that happiness is not the absence of negative feelings. Gratitude is a focus on the present and appreciation for what we have now, rather than wanting more. Embracing gratitude, as a state of mind, can have a positive affect on all aspects of life including our happiness and overall satisfaction.

Up your mood by taking a moment daily to think of your world with gratitude. Start a gratitude journal or take a walk in nature paying attention to all the gifts around us. Think of a person that helps you on a daily or weekly basis – a spouse, parent, friend, pet, teacher, cleaner, or babysitter.

Quiz: How grateful are you? Take the Gratitude Quiz published by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley.

2. Flex your creativity muscles.

Do you have a passion or hobby? It doesn’t have to be a formal activity, simply engaging in creative thinking can enhance well-being by enhancing cognitive flexibility and problem-solving abilities. A recent study out of New Zealand, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology explains that creative activities can trigger an “upward spiral” of well-being.

“Practicing an art — no matter how well or badly — is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” – Kurt Vonnegut.

Make some space in your day to create, even if it’s just for the sake of it. Try exploring unique textures or even natural and recycled materials to make something for your home or a friend. Looking for some tips on how to add more creativity into your daily life? Read this list of 101 creative habits to explore.

3. Get connected, Stay connected.

Being apart of something larger than yourself can help bring perspective as well as a sense of belonging. Scientific evidence strongly suggests that feeling like you belong and generally feel close to other people is a core psychological need; essential to feeling satisfied with your life. The pleasures of social life register in our brains much the same way physical pleasure does.

So take the time to nurture a friendship that is important to you. Make an extra effort to show you care, send a card, make a plan to have lunch, or give them a call and really listen to what they say. Smile and say hello to a stranger. Tell a story when someone asks how your day is going. Notice how you feel when you share something with someone new.

Struggling and need support? Join a support group and talk to others that can relate. Find your tribe: support.therapytribe.com – a free online support community brought to you by TherapyTribe.

TherapyTribe - Wellness Tracker Tip: Check out the wellness tracker. It’s a simple but powerful tool designed to help you remember the promises you make to yourself. As you complete wellness activities your tree will blossom, and so will you!

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