May Reset Series

Saturdays in May – May 1, 8, 15 and 29

Open to Occupational Therapists & OT Students Only!

Register for all four workshops and SAVE!

• SAOT Paid Members               $80
• Associate & Non-members     $130
• OT Students                            $55

May 1

11:00 am – Noon

Yoga for OTs – Sandy Ayre, MSc.OT

It’s been a hard year, and OTs all over the province have risen to the challenge in a variety of different ways. The residue of all the change and uncertainty can leave lasting tension in the body…and in the mind. Yoga is a uniquely nourishing practice that helps release strain in the body and the mind. This one-hour yoga session will be a gentle way to help the body and mind relax, and offer the time and space for renewal. During the yoga session, I will weave information and support around the impact of stress, uncertainty, and loss into the practice.

No prior yoga experience necessary. Beginners welcome. You will need a blanket to spread on the floor.

Sandy Ayre is an Occupational Therapist with a Certificate in Death and Grief Studies Certificate through the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins Colorado. She works on the Tertiary Palliative Care Unit at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, supporting patients and families at the end of life. She also is a certified yoga instructor. Since 2009 she has been providing Yoga for Grief Support – a grief support group in Edmonton that uses yoga and meditation as a supportive modality. You can find her classes online as well at http://www.yogaforgriefsupport.com

• SAOT Paid Members               $15
• Associate & Non-members     $25
• OT Students                            $10

May 8

11:00 am – Noon

Create Insight Through Art – Karen Daniels, MA, OT(Reg), REAT

Are you interested in how art and writing can be tools to focus on what matters? Are you interested in easy ways to get started with this?  This creative workshop will introduce you to some fun ways to discover focus and meaning.

Please have available:

• a piece of jewellery that you love
• a box of pencil crayons, pastels or crayons
• several 8 ½” by 11” pieces of paper

For more information see the one-minute YouTube video about the expressive process. To learn more about Karen Daniels visit   www.windsongexpressivearts.com

Karen Daniels practices occupational therapy and expressive arts therapy.  With an enthusiasm for imaginative expression she inspires wellness through the arts. Karen works to help enable adults of all ages to make lifestyle changes that matter and to develop strategies for listening to their body’s wisdom.

• SAOT Paid Members               $20
• Associate & Non-members     $30
• OT Students                            $15

May 15

11:00 am – Noon

Meditation for OTs – Sandy Ayre, MSc.OT

It’s been a hard year, and OTs all over the province have risen to the challenge in a variety of different ways. The residue of all the change and uncertainty can leave a mark on the mind in the way of re-hashing the past or worrying about the future. The practice of meditation is a helpful tool in bringing balance and equanimity to the mind. In this hour-long session, we will explore  meditation in 3 ways – using sound, using the breath and then, more global self-observation.

This session is appropriate for beginners – no prior experience necessary. You will need a chair or cushion to sit on. 

Sandy Ayre is an Occupational Therapist with a Certificate in Death and Grief Studies Certificate through the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins Colorado. She works on the Tertiary Palliative Care Unit at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, supporting patients and families at the end of life. She also is a certified yoga instructor. Since 2009 she has been providing Yoga for Grief Support – a grief support group in Edmonton that uses yoga and meditation as a supportive modality. You can find her classes online as well at www.yogaforgriefsupport.com

• SAOT Paid Members               $15
• Associate & Non-members     $25
• OT Students                            $10

May 29

9:30 am – Noon

Asokanihkewak-TheyBuildBridges Virtual Reconciliation Session – Kevin John & Debbie Semeniuk

(Based on the KAIROS Blanket Exercise)

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a 90-minute interactive workshop that helps participants understand how Colonization of the land we now know as Canada has affected the people who have lived here long before the settlers arrived. Through this exercise participants will explore the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, how this relationship has been damaged, and how they can work toward Reconciliation.

In this version, we have managed to capture” the energy in the room” that many have referred to in our live sessions, in the Hope that participants will have a better understanding of Indigenous peoples, that is viewed through a lens of Compassion and Empathy. The session is prefaced with a Treaty Acknowledgement, and a Safe Space Declaration.

Tansi, my name is Kevin John, and I live near Vermilion with my wife of 32 years, Alesa, and our family of 6 wonderful children ages 7,9,13,18,22, and 25 with our first Grandchild on the way. As founder of Asokanihkewak-TheyBuildBridges, I am blessed to partner with you among many other Organizations to travel the Reconciliation road together. As the youngest of 8 siblings raised off Reserve in rural Alberta communities, I have seen many obstacles to our inclusion, equity, and success over multiple generations of our Indigenous people that have a spectrum of effects on our Spiritual, Physical, Mental, and Emotional well-being. This along with 18 years of offering Indigenous Cultural presentations in Schools has paved a clear path along my Reconciliation journey, and I am pleased to work with SAOT in this capacity this Spring.

My  name is Debbie Semeniuk and I reside in Edmonton with my husband of 33 years. I am a mother of 6 and a proud grandmother to five beautiful grandchildren. I enjoy spending time with my family and strive to make others happy. I believe love is the strongest energy that anyone can share without judgement. I work for Edmonton Public Schools in a support staff position. I am involved with the planning of our school Powwow to celebrate Indigenous culture each year. I think it is important to bring awareness to Truth and Reconciliation and the process of healing. I am grateful to be a Founding partner in Asokanikewak, building bridges of Hope and Trust. Together we can make a difference.

• SAOT Paid Members               $45
• Associate & Non-members     $60
• OT Students                            $30