Photo credit: Alice Meyers

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making last Saturday’s ✨COMING TO OUR SENSES 2023✨ event a beautiful day of connecting to our sensing selves! It was an incredible afternoon of connection and learning through the Four Universal Healing Salves (Angeles Arrien), on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən territories.

Florence Dick (Songhees) — opened the afternoon with a welcome in the lək̓ʷəŋən language, sharing place-based stories about Songhees connections to these unceded waters and lands

Lael Whitehead — led us with her gift of vocalization and song, as we raised our voices to collectively sing in resonant rounds

Amalia Schelhorn — inspired us to access the gift of dance, finding our way into our bodies and shaking up held patterns

Paul Chiyokten Wagner (W̱SÁNEĆ) — shared from the heart about connection to place, offering the gifts of storytelling (Grandmother cedar) and song through Coast Salish flute 

Medwyn McConachy — brought us into quiet, meditative resonance through the gift of silence, encouraging us to find connection to stillness

Iris Moore — delighted us with her own original song and had us singing in rounds, laughing and engaged with one another

Tom Kral (Nature’s Chef— mesmerized us with his beautifully artistic food offerings! Providing us with a nourishing meal including wild crafted handmade culinary treats, such as cedar planked salmon, vegetarian cabbage rolls, handmade seedy crackers with cashew spread & dandelion pesto, and nettle cupcakes with blackberry “icing”  plus much more…

We are so grateful for this opportunity to honour Elders & Seniors in our communities through participatory activities, while celebrating our 20th anniversary as a small volunteer-led organization.


Thank you to EVERYONE involved — volunteers Dinah Johnstone (greenery & table-setting magic), Suzy Easton (kind & responsive set-up/clean-up), Toby Easton (sound-person extraordinaire + photographer/videographer), Stuart Sharpe (a helping hand & managing the door), Erich Kelch (introducing Florence & planning consultation); Board members Sandra Thomson, Jess Easton & Sylvia McMechan; Co-organizers Cadence McCann, Renate Ringer & Alice Meyers; our incredible designer (website & promotion materials) Natasha Lee Beckow (http://natashaleeandco.com) wonderful staff at the Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion — we appreciate you! 

*MORE EVENT PHOTOS TO COME!*

#coming_to_our_senses #healing#lekwungenterritory #w̱sáneć#esquimaltgorgeparkpavilion #earthandspiritvirtual