What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 6pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 6pm Thursday 11am - 5pm

Shirley Lynn Martin, Elmira, ON (2026)

04/13/2026

Happy Monday!

"We often talk about mental wellbeing as if it were obvious. But a new study brought together 122 experts across 11 disciplines to answer a basic question: what does it actually mean to be well?

Their conclusion was clear. Mental wellbeing is not just the absence of distress, and it is not simply “feeling happy.”

It is a combination of how we feel, how we function, and how we connect.

The six factors with the strongest agreement were:
meaning and purpose, a sense that life is worthwhile;
life satisfaction;
self-acceptance;
connection;
autonomy, feeling some control over your choices and self-expression;
and happiness.

I thought this was worth sharing because it gives us a more precise lens.

You can have the external conditions that are supposed to support wellbeing and still not feel well.

And you can be going through a hard season and still have important elements of wellbeing intact.

That distinction matters.

For coaches, leaders, and helping professionals, it is a useful reminder that wellbeing is not one thing to optimize. It is a pattern made up of different dimensions of human experience.

If you'd like to read more about the study, you can find the original source here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-026-00617-5

A question to sit with today:

Which part of wellbeing feels strongest in your life right now, and which part may need a little more attention?

Wishing you a gentle Monday:

Irena O'Brien, Phd

04/12/2026

Happy Sunday! Joy in Living in Awareness today!

Stop and smell the roses. We've heard the phrase so many times it can be easy to lose sight of its profundity. Stop. Smell. See. Listen. Feel. consciously inhabiting our senses is a pathway to the present moment, to feeling truly alive. Tuning in to our senses in nature invites presence and joy, whether we're smelling the first full bouquets of apple and cherry blossoms in spring, seeing a crystalline carpet of dew on the lawn in the early morning, feeling the warm moisture of a tropical breeze as it softens our bodies and melts our hard edges, or hearing the dawn chorus of birdsong. Living with such a full awareness, we can be present to life's gifts when they present themselves. As the French artist Henri Matisse has written: "There are always flowers for those who want to see them."

While the pressures of life can sometimes pull us away from the sensual feast before us, it's actually in times of stress when we most need to stop ourselves and come back into our place in nature.

Being present in nature lifts us out of our absorption in our problems. To know peace, The Zen poet Ryokan tells us we need to "stop chasing so many things." To do so is to practice the art of "stopping": to stop thinking about the past and running toward the future and instead tune into the glorious present. Stopping requires us to consciously interrupt the pattern of being on autopilot and notice what is actually in front of us. " Mark Coleman, p. 69-70. Awake in the Wild.

04/11/2026

Happy Saturday! The power of being present and connected.....

"A few weeks back, I wrote that my main “Doomsday Preparation Plan”* is:

Being present to life. Connection. Love. Courage.

A lot has happened in the world since then and, if anything, I have become even more convinced of the importance of each of the parts of this plan.

In sharing this with others, many of them expressed that they would like to do something similar, but they tend to get hung up on thinking that they need to do the last part first.

I’ve found that the opposite is true.

Many people think they need more courage when in reality what they need – at least to start with - is more presence.

To focus on and deal with what is, rather than being carried away by projections of the mind or being triggered by the projections of others, such as the scaremongers and warmongers amongst us who have something to gain from keeping us in fear.

How do you stay present with what is when your mind is telling you that what is – the reality of what is happening in the world - is too scary to look at?

First, I'll share the standard way to do this using tapping, then I'd like to share a brilliant shortcut.

When your mind tells you that what's happening in the world is too scary to look at or you can't handle it, start tapping to release your emotional attachments to that BS from your mind, and restore the energy flow in your body!

Whatever your mind is telling you about what is happening and especially your mind’s judgements about what is happening, or what your mind is showing you in the way of mental projections about what might happen – these are the first things to release your emotional attachments to.

Know that when you release your emotional attachments you won’t lose anything that is good and real and true for you, and which you truly need to act upon. What you will lose is the excessive worry and anxiety and anger and outrage and other forms of emotional suffering that are causing you to be stuck in dis-ease.

So, the minute you notice that something in your mind or something that’s happening in the world is triggering you, tap and form the intention to release all of your emotional attachments to that.

Notice what you are feeling and where in your body you are experiencing any negative feelings, upsetting emotions or body energy disturbances, and restore the energy flow to that area and to those feelings or emotions.

So far what I am describing is standard operating procedure for using Intention Tapping with a problem.

However, here’s a process I discovered which for many of you will offer you a valuable shortcut to greater emotional freedom and peace:

Start tapping and say or think this intention statement:

I release all my resistances and aversions to being right here right now where I am.

Continue tapping for a minute or two and just notice what happens.

Next, try this intention statement:

I bring all of my energy and attention back into my body right here right now where I am.

Once again just notice what happens and continue to tap. Don’t try to make something happen, simply say or think the intention statement then wait and notice whatever comes next.

Next, try putting one hand on your stomach while you tap on the energy points with the other hand.

Then, repeat each intention statement as above in turn, allowing some time after you use each statement to allow the energy to move and simply notice whatever comes up for you.

After doing this once with your hand on your stomach you can then move to putting one hand on your heart and repeating the process. Again, just notice whatever comes next, being open to whatever arises.

Finally, move to putting one hand on your heart and one hand on your stomach, and leave them there while you use each intention statement in turn.

It can be very surprising how much energy and empowerment you can gain from simply bringing your energy and awareness back into the present moment.

And it is surprising how much we resist this!

That’s why the key here, and this applies to almost everyone, is that you often won’t be able get there by starting with the second statement.

You first need to start by releasing your resistances and aversions to being right here right now where you are.

As soon as you release your resistances and aversions to being where you are, then you can access your own resources and energy and, yes, courage.

The difference is that you realise that you only have to start from where you are and do what is yours to do.

Eckhart Tolle puts it like this:

“Surrender each moment to the reality of that moment. Knowing that what is cannot be undone – because it already is – you say yes to what is or accept what isn’t. Then you do what you have to do, whatever the situation requires. If you abide in this state of acceptance, you create no more negativity, no more suffering, no more unhappiness. You then live in a state of nonresistance, a state of grace and lightness, free of struggle.”

Being present is putting your own oxygen mask on first. And then your presence alone can help and inspire others.

Many sages have said this: “The greatest gift you can give to another human being (and therefore the world) is your presence.”

Presence is the prerequisite, the precursor, and the only reliable pathway to true connection and love. And that’s what the world needs now, more than ever.

So, let’s start there. Here. Now. "

Warmly,

Steve Wells
www.intentiontapping.com

* I don't really have a “doomsday preparation plan” it’s more an intention of how to live my life now, consciously and intentionally, as opposed to reactively.

04/10/2026

Happy Friday! What are you running from today? This running keeps you from your heart’s real happiness….take a step of love and courage and turn towards what you are running from. Breathe in compassion for yourself and in the space between you and that which you are running from to start. Notice and breathe.

"All of us have the capacity to be happy. We have seeds of compassion, understanding, and love in us. We all have many good seeds of happiness and joy. Yet we also have the habit of running in us. This restless energy of dissatisfaction and struggle separates us from the present moment and from ourselves.

In part, we’re running toward something. We think happiness isn’t possible in the here and now, so we try to run ahead into the future. We think if we can just get enough power, fame, wealth, or admiration from others, then we’ll finally be happy. We hope that if we run toward these things faster and harder, we will get to happiness.

At the same time that we’re running toward one thing, we’re running away from something else. Every one of us has suffering, despair, anger, and loneliness inside of us. If we don’t know how to be with these strong emotions, we want to get as far away from them as fast as possible.

Because we’re always running, we’re not there for ourselves. We’re too busy trying to get somewhere else to be with the self we have right now. And if we’re not able to take care of ourselves, we can’t be there for our loved ones. So not only are we running away from ourselves, we’re also running away from our family and friends.

All this running is a lot of work. It is exhausting, and creates tension in our body and mind. We do it because it has become a habit, but with mindful attention and deep looking, we can transform the painful habit of running into a habit of happiness.....

When you develop the habit of being happy, then everything you do, like serving yourself a cup of tea, you do in such a way that it creates joy and happiness.

If you want to read the full article, and learn how to develop a new habit, go here:
https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-water-the-seeds-of-happiness/?goal=0_1988ee44b2-7234c4232d-24760879&mc_cid=7234c4232d&mc_eid=4812c3208d

04/09/2026

Happy Thursday!

If you turned one degree towards your joy today, what would be different ? What would be possible if over the course of this year , we collectively turned one degree towards joy daily ? How much more creative might we be? How much more faith, possibility and confidence would we cultivate ? One degree over a journey , over a lobg trajectory makes a significant difference where we go and what we experience . Flight pilots know that one degree of orienting in a different direction can land you in a different country on a longer flight .

“As you make your one-degree turns toward your own happiness, you’ll stop being part of humanity’s problems and become part of the solution. “

~Martha Beck, The Way of Integrity
https://buff.ly/2ZHbEWa

Just for today, turn one degree towards your joy….

PS. One degree towards my dog amplifies and expands my joy daily….

04/08/2026

Happy Wednesday!

Let your inner waters reflect your open-hearted nature, your warm-hearted smile. Peace.

"Water reflects everything it encounters. This is so commonplace that we think water is blue, when in fact it has no color.... But the water, the glorious water everywhere, has taught me that we are more than what we reflect or love. This is the work of compassion: to embrace everything clearly without imposing who we are and without losing who we are....

Through the opened heart, the world comes rushing in, the way oceans fill the smallest hole along the shore. It is the quietest sort of miracle: by simply being who we are, the world will come to fill us, to cleanse us, to baptize us, again and again.

Everything in life opens and closes, sheds and renews. We are no different. Listening in its endless forms is the way we stay open, the way we stay in relationship, the way we refresh who we are and what we're doing here."

Mark Nepo

04/07/2026

Happy Tuesday. As we meet in Reiki community and as I prepare to teach Komyo Reiki Do Apr 23-25, I’m reminded of this student question and my response.

“Last week during our Reiki training, a question came forward about the different methods of healing that are available to us and how does Reiki Ryoho differ. I offered this metaphor to help students understand.

First, I reminded them that in Komyo Reiki Do, our core approach to develop our healing ability is to raise and develop our spirituality so that we can be present to what is sacred in being a Reiki channel and two, that we can be compassionate to whatever arises and falls away. I also reminded them that Reiki Ryoho as a healing method is an initiation based method, NOT an intention based method. That doesn't mean we don't have an intention, but then we need to release it immediately. Finally, to remember that Reiki itself is Usui Sensei's way of understanding the Universal LifeForce and Wave of Love that is in everything, flows in everything and is the essence of all living things.

In Reiki Ryoho, and specifically in Komyo Reiki Do, we place our hands, we surrender and smile. And here is the metaphor. We cannot control or manipulate the ocean. We cannot change its size, vastness, shape, and power but our toxicity and disrespect towards it has certainly affected its' health and vitality. And like the ocean that is our inner Reiki activated through the initiation, we now need purify our inner ki (lifeforce) and strengthen our inner Reiki, our inner shining radiance.

Like with the ocean, we surrender to Reiki and we open ourselves to receiving all that it has for us, learning to navigate and integrate what we receive for our transformation. And when we surrender and receive, we do raise our vibrations, restore flow and balance as a whole. So we do experience greater health and wellbeing, a sense of purpose and inner peace when we practice. That is a wonderful gift.

So whatever way you come to find healing and wellbeing, practice your way of tending to your spirit today. Soon I will be posting about the impact of betrayal and recovery from this trauma. To recover from betrayal, we need to have a spiritual practice and do the soul work of boundaries. How else do we recover from what shatters us and our world? In my experience, Reiki practice has been my gift of healing and rebirth in the midst of betrayal. It offered me the catalyzing empowerment to rebuild my life. So for today, may you return to the OCEAN OF LOVE that is the Great Universe, in whatever way brings you health, happiness and inner peace. Go practice.”

04/06/2026

Happy Monday!
Today will be my peaceful day! I speak these words out loud as I begin to flow Reiki to my subconscious. Change my perspective. Then, may I be happy and healthy. May I be balanced and peaceful.
I then rest and surrender to the flow of Reiki. It’s a simple practice, yet my days are transformed because of it. We all know that doing something everyday bears fruit in a way that occasionally showing up cannot.
As was shared with me the other day….

From 365 Tao Daily meditations. Practice.
Spiritual success is gained by daily cultivation. If you practised for the day, then you have won. If you were lazy for the day, then you have lost.
Self cultivation is the heart of spiritual attainment. Gaining insight and ability is not a matter of grant statement statements, dramatic, initiations, or sporadic moments of enlightenment. Those things are only highlights in a life of consistent activity.
Whatever system of spirituality, you practice, do it every day. If it is prayer, then pray every day. If it is meditation, then meditate every day. If it is exercise, then exercise every day. Only then, will you be able to say that you are truly practising spirituality,
This methodical approach is reassuring in several ways. First, it provides you with a process and a means to maintain progress, even if that particular day is not inspiring or significant. Just to practice is already good. Secondly, it gives you a certain faith. If you practice every day, it is inevitable that you will gain from it. Thirdly, constant practice, gives you a certain satisfaction. How can you say to yourself that you have truly entered a spiritual path unless you can look back on years of daily practice and take comfort in the momentum that it has given you?
Peace

And coming soon …trilliums!

04/05/2026

Happy Sunday! Happy Easter!

Spring

Faith
is the instructor.
We need no other.

Guess what I am,
he says in his
incomparably lovely

young-man voice.
Because I love the world
I think of grass,

I think of leaves
and the bold sun,
I think of the rushes

in the black marshes
just coming back
from under the pure white

and now finally melting
stubs of snow.
Whatever we know or don’t know

leads us to say;
Teacher, what do you mean?
But faith is still there, and silent.

Then he who owns
the incomparable voice
suddenly flows upward

and out of the room
and I follow,
obedient and happy.

Of course I am thinking
the Lord was once young
and will never in fact be old.

And who else could this be, who goes off
down the green path,
carrying his sandals, and singing?

by Mary Oliver

04/04/2026

Happy Saturday! Yesterday was a lovely day to be outside in a Tshirt. Here we are again with cold and rain, bundled up. What a way to practice non attachment and letting go of outcomes!

It also reminds me what my own coach says that I carry in my heart—make plans and hold them lightly. In other words, prepare for life to change course and disrupt your specific plans. Allow change and create a mindset that is able to pivot and adapt.

Whatever your plans are this weekend, make them enjoyable and stay open to the possibilities that come with the unexpected. Find the peace in the moment, accepting that what is as it is. This attitude can offer gifts and blessings. This is the non attachment practice of equanimity. May your weekend be rich in meaning with beautiful and mindful moments of equanimity! Peace.

(We will soon see these daffodils!)

04/03/2026

Happy Friday! Happy Good Friday!

Yesterday was cold, rainy and windy. I invited you to get out for a walk and take in the benefits. Even on my last walk last night it was cold and windy and I bundled up. So this morning, not looking at any weather app, I stepped out and was met with a warm sun and a beautiful sky! The ground is completely saturated with beautiful rain. An incredible day that reminds us of the gift of spring!

We often speak to how spring lifts us up, lifts our spirits with the joy of new life peaking through the ground.

If we pause and really take in it is death that feeds this new life. The breaking of water and the contractions of cold, wind, then warm, etc, storms, lightening and thunder bring birth and awakening.

On this weekend, let’s celebrate this cycle and season of the new life that is resurrected after a season of death. It’s the cycle of Nature that creates and sustains life everywhere. Peace.

04/02/2026

Happy Thursday!

Cold, wet and windy today. It’s a great day to bundle up and go for a walk. I know it can be hard to tell yourself you will feel better, be healthier in heart and mind afterwards, but you will. The wind has a way of cleansing, of removing the negative stuff sticking to our spirits.

In this time, when we swim in the environment of anxiety and worry and despair, it is vital to protect your life force, to tone it and move it freely. It’s important to nurture the flow of your life force with positive connections and doing what truly matters to you. It is important to align yourself with your true nature, your inner spark of sacredness. To do this means engaging with Nature, aligning with its flow and balance. Even when we don’t feel like it. Let the wind move you out of any imbalance or stagnation today. Everything in the Universe is telling us to move and flow in a new and good way. Nurture your life force today.

For those celebrating Maundy Thursday today, may your day be a holy one of remembering the love and compassion Jesus shared with feasting, as he always did.

Shirley Lynn Martin

04/13/2026

04/12/2026

04/11/2026

04/10/2026

04/09/2026

04/08/2026

04/07/2026

04/06/2026

04/05/2026

04/04/2026

04/03/2026

04/02/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	11am - 5pm