At a certain age, said the wise old Sage – November 2021

At a certain age

Said the wise old sage

We hit a moment of complete and utter truth, a deep sense of knowing who we truly are.  An unapologetic time to get rid of the small nonsense, the petty gossip, the naysayers, the not so well wishers or supporters of our chosen path.  There comes a time when rose coloured glasses are lifted and the only glasses are the love-shades I wear for myself.  My true life journey, (and I have chosen a spiritual one) is one of self growth and healing, to commit to a path of self love.

This does come with some discomfort especially if you have been a people pleaser like myself for over half a century. To be able to set boundaries and surround myself with those people who are aligned with my highest and best takes some conscious effort. A lot of people are born or become quite the opposite of this “pushover” archetype I have been, the opportunistic, narcissistic, controlling or entitled, of whom I’ve attracted my fair share.

This path to our own enlightenment is definitely not an easy one, one layer peeled off painfully at a time as we unveil our glorious selves. A light to shine unabashedly and obviously with the right intentions.  To find the courage in myself, to put my own ego aside and, to develop the love and grounded surety for myself, to fill my own cup to help inspire or empower as many others as we can is in my opinion the most worthwhile journey.

As Marianne Williamson so beautifully wrote.  This quote by the way is what Nelson Mandela’s used in his speech when he walked to freedom with the great hope for the future of my homeland.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us”

I am so thankful I have my family, friends, colleagues and Singita Wellness members, Barbados and my treasured Online Community, as well as guests who fill my soul everyday with their loving uplifting appreciation for life and everything I put my heart and soul into. Singita Wellness has helped provide for many a safe haven, a nurturing uplifting community.  As we know, movement heals, and at Singita not only do we offer yoga and fitness classes in our tranquil white washed studio. We also offer healing sessions, meditation sessions and spa treatments.

I am happy to acknowledge that the community we are attracting at Singita Wellness are aligned with our highest and best.  I am so thankful that most people walking through our doors are just lovely souls.  We are a peaceful nurturing community and I am proud to have such experienced therapists, instructors and support staff to provide this foundation.

I do now set firmer boundaries, as of course there are times when people cross my path who may not have the best intentions. I am also better at ‘listening to my gut’ and spotting these types, and try to act with integrity, without offending.

As my most inspiring friend and colleague, spiritual healer/coach Patti Wilson has explained to me, “this is wonderful as now you are evolved enough that this is not happening in your inner circle “

Patti explains: “Prior to developing my psychic abilities as a spiritual coach, I was a psychotherapist for over thirty years. We all have the impulse to develop and grow throughout our lives, and that growth is inevitably ignited by conflict with others.  Conflict is our greatest teacher, as it is through examining our differences and our own shortcomings that we feel the pressure to make changes.  It has been my observation that we begin our journeys of growth and change through struggles with intimate others—typically family members, close friends, and love relationships. I call this our “inner circle” of relationships.  Then as we master these changes, we may see the same issues pop up, but involving people that aren’t as important to us, such as neighbors or work colleagues—people no longer in our inner circle.  These conflicts are easier to manage and less upsetting.  We have mastered the new skills and abilities, and are just getting some final practice with people who aren’t so important to us!

Take Michelle’s sharings, for example:  she learned to set boundaries around people-pleasing in her marriage, and now is energetically attracting much easier conflict situations with others in her community, where she continues to affirm her new boundaries.  Having moved to an “outer circle” of relationships, Michelle can celebrate that her hard work with intimate others was all worth it!”

I have had to take off my rose-coloured glasses and look myself squarely and clearly in the face and know if I do not find the love for myself, the self respect, the ability to set clear loving boundaries, I would never reach the vision and dream of the person I intend to evolve into,  and the goals and vision I intend to create business wise.

The path of growth and development is challenging but so worth it.

With love, Michelle x

PS. Patti Wilson, M.A., M.Ed. will be running one of her amazing courses on ‘Finding and Creating the Love Partnership You Desire’. For more information on her work, click here.

The power of love (and we thought it was fitness)! – October 2021

I began my live-streamed fitness journey some 20 months ago as a necessity to keep us working out, moving, staying connected, through lockdowns and the unknown bleakness and panic of a global pandemic. Little did I know it was the beautiful birth of our Singita Online Community, which has been a glorious shining light of inspirational souls who greet me every morning with beaming smiles, ready to take on another challenging workout.  We sweat, we shake, pulse and stretch as they, all in such good humour, share my moments of insanity as I allow my goofiness to take hold and bust out my best bad moves on occasion, all for a little comic relief at the wonder and Joy of it all.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting all of this amazing community in person as my links have been shared, and Membership referrals made through friends, but the real wonder of this all is the fact that true friendships have blossomed and heartfelt connections made and threaded together in a matrix of golden glittering cosmic hope. True encouragement and inspiration. (I’m not dramatic at all…lol)

We all started this journey with a like-minded interest in staying healthy and fit, to ensure we kept our movement momentum going through all the modalities we offer at Singita Barbados and Singita Online, including Ballet Barre, Yoga, Pilates, Bodysculpt, HIIT.

This week I received this lovely picture of MaryAnne (left) and Liz (right) lunching, having recently formed a great friendship. “I never would have thought I would make a friend through Singita Wellness, another reason for you to feel proud” says Liz who I met at my first Health Club I worked at in Oakville, Canada just having returned from South Africa 25 years ago.  I made some amazing friendships in those bygone days and our children all went to school together.  Liz and our fabulous friend Judy have been wonderful fitness enthusiasts over the years. Having moved to Barbados over ten years ago, I lost many of these connections, so it was really heartwarming to have them in my live-streamed classes again.

Fast forward to February 2020 I met Jay, an exuberant, lovely lady from Canada, who joined her first class with me at Singita Barbados, and then lockdown happened.  Jay decided to join us online and has been a wonderful positive addition to our community.  Jay then recommends Singita Online Club to her friend MaryAnne, who also lives in London, Ontario.

Those who know me well know some things never change, I show up on the dot of class times mostly, why would I be the ultimate professional and show up 5 minutes in advance?  I might have a little bit of a spontaneous personality and I love to show up with some sweet surrender and see where Spirit leads me.  Trust me though, not without some conscious connection to my Greater Power above for guidance and inspiration to share with honesty and love for what I was called to do. Needless to say, this allows for a few people embarrassingly staring at a computer screen with other eager participants wondering why I could not possibly show up a few minutes in advance.  But lo and behold we have some chit chatters amongst us and MaryAnne soon discovers Liz lives in the same home town and voila, a friendship is rooted. The most gracious and lovely messages I have received from so many of our Community is honestly the reason I do this and am in awe of the power of Love and Connection.  This message from MaryAnne honestly brought me to tears. “Your kind open energy has been so important to me over these past months. I respect the standard you set for yourself and it motivates me to work towards being a better human.  Thank you!!”

And what more can I say but Thank you I am humbled, honoured and beyond blessed!!!!!

Love Michelle x

Awakening in paradise – June 2021

I wake up most mornings with the tweet of the first bird calling night into day, always darkness and knowing the light will come.  I have practiced the habit of early morning rituals of meditation & prayer for many years now, not without a cup of coffee to jolt me into awakening.

I wake up with immense gratitude for this sweet little Caribbean island I now call home.  The joyful morning noises of the birds and palm trees swaying in the breeze is an absolute wonder to me everyday as I spent many years in bleak Canadian Winters. To wake up in a warm bed and bright skies most days with a commute to work overlooking the ocean is certainly a dream come true.  I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to create Singita Wellness which is a sanctuary for myself and so many others.

But this is not why I write this Blog.  Most of you have seen our social media posts.  We are a lovely team with a passion amongst us to help others enhance their lives through healing, or rejuvenating spa treatments, and inspiring fitness or yoga classes. We invoke a movement, a sense of belonging and appreciation for each other which we do our best to share with all our guests and members. We are authentic, happy, enthusiastic and all human with our own struggles and issues to deal with.

So here I am, talking about mine.  After giving up everything I had worked for and accomplished for myself in Canada I moved to Barbados to emotionally support my partner’s journey and with no work permit was forced to find myself in a situation where I had to completely rely on someone else. In some relationships where equality and mutual respect are present, this surrender can be a beautiful thing but in other less evolved relationships things can go horribly wrong and it did.

I have finally, after all these years of living, come to the realization I can stand on my own two feet and not have to depend on a man or husband to determine my fate. A sad realization and not without huge discomfort and pain to get myself to this point of enlightenment.  It has taken a long hard look at the people pleaser I have been all these years, submitting to the demands of others with little regard for my own opinions, needs and relevant decision making skills. I have attracted controlling people to me, and had to look at the hard cold truth that I need to take responsibility for the place in which I found myself. Why did I choose controlling partners?  In all the healing work and training I have done especially in Theta Healing we take a look at how an even unbearable or seemingly intolerable situation actually serves us in some insidious way. I perhaps didn’t have to face the cold hard truths about myself, a cop out of life to some degree if you will. Comfortably numb perhaps.

I was controlled, emotionally, financially, physically, and this was my “wake up call”, as traumatic as it all was. I am not here to berate another human being as I have evolved enough to know that hurt people, hurt people.  This is about my journey of pulling myself together, making a stand, setting boundaries for myself and a definitive knowing when enough is enough. This can be difficult as we have all heard of psychological controls such as gaslighting or even the sad reality of “Stockholm Syndrome” it is a sad world out there where people have mental illness, whether it be depression, anxiety, bipolar, or personality disorders live with others and the infiltration or coercive ways can lead to a blurred consciousness of the victim for want of a better word.  My own self growth and evolution is in the hope that my journey or struggle can be of help to another.  Love cannot survive under dominance.  We are all created equal and I have been born into the upper echelon of society and with Western world upbringing, education and privilege I had still lost myself.  How many people, particularly women, but not to the exclusion of men, are imprisoned in a controlling relationship. To break free takes courage, resilience, determination, a whole lot of owning up to your own issues and painful healing.  To come to terms with one’s own flaws is not a pretty thing to look at, I thought of myself as such a wonder of light and love, a little Pollyanna if you will, until I delved into my own psychological flaws. We are all imperfectly perfect, and I realised that without removing some of my own limiting beliefs, I would just continue on this Merry go Round of Life, not living my true purpose, my chosen path.

If I had to name the one thing that has helped shift my life into a positive direction it is Theta Healing. I started trying this energy healing modality along with therapy and found what would take weeks with cognitive therapy would literally show instant results.  I am now  accredited with my Advanced DNA Level II certification.  I started “practicing” on family and friends and was truly amazed when reports came back of tangible changes in their lives.  This filtered into helping staff at Singita which has led to combined Theta, Reiki and Sound Healing offered in our studio monthly.  These sessions have been sold out which really indicates the need for such healings particularly during and post Pandemic.  With Theta Healing we learn how to connect to the Divine Source of power and unconditional love, for rapid transformative healing. We clear the mind of limiting negative self beliefs and literally change your DNA, which as we have now learnt from ground-breaking author Dr Joe Dispenza, our genetic makeup does not ultimately determine our fate.  To have the ability to change your genetic destiny is truly exciting to me.  To change these supposed predetermined patterns, we are bridging the gap between science and spirituality with tools to help rewire your mental and emotional circuitry.

We need to pay attention to our patterns and realize the route we chose in order to survive might not be the way to thrive.  We need to make uncomfortable choices until we are free. We need to heal and shift.

So in conclusion to this blog.  I sit in a beautiful house on the west coast of Barbados, a shadow of its former glory with staff gone and lacking the love, life and attention it deserves.

I am still locked in a toxic legal battle, which is wasting precious time & money. The former me would have avoided this conflict at all costs and conveniently disappeared.  The new me knows I deserve what is rightfully mine and controlling coercion and abuse is something that will never get the better of me again.

My rallying call is for you all to rise up and find your strength to live completely freely with or without a loving partner.  I will fight my battle, and whilst doing so, I hope my healing work will enable others to find their strength to stand up for what they deserve, for everyone’s highest and best evolution.

With love, Michelle x

 

 

 

This is what we stand for! – April 2021

Spring has arrived bringing renewed energy, revitalized souls and an optimism for the future. The age of Aquarius has come upon us, not without a little raucous and shaking up to hail in the new. As with any change, upheaval and breaking open is inevitable as the old energies are displaced, bringing a new world order.  Shifting of planets and eras is linked to global shocks and the crisis of civilization which is undoubtedly what we’re currently experiencing during this pandemic. It’s certainly not all bad news, it’s been a glorious opportunity for healing and growth.

The most exciting news to me about the age of Aquarius is that bonds between people will be built on beliefs of equality and spiritual unity. A calling to change and healing as we peel away the protective armour, fears, insecurities, self-doubt and negative emotions and find our way to a more enlightened being. A shift from less ego to more soul can be an arduous task at times as growth and healing can also bring discomfort.

Once we can bring this peace within, everything else falls into place. Ego says “Once everything falls into place, I will find peace” Spirit says, “find peace and everything will fall into place”, an age-old conundrum.

This examination and shift in ourselves through meditation, prayer and personally for me, Theta & Reiki healings, helps us become a beacon of light in our community at large. Singita Wellness for me is a microcosm of our greater community and the hope that the changes and healing I bring through myself and others, impacts on my community.

It has taken some years of wisdom, some tough choices in self-evaluation to define what is most important to me in life. This is what I have learnt, and this is what I know without a doubt.  I will define my life and conduct my business in the highest possible standard of excellence and integrity. This is not always an easy task, especially in business, as we are all human and mistakes happen, however the attention to the seemingly little things to me, add the highest value. My word is my word, I live by the Golden Rule “do unto others as you would have done to you”.  I have a strong faith and strong belief in honesty and ethics.

I am building a business where people trust me, trust Singita Wellness and what our brand stands for. We are aligned with the highest and best of all concerned, employees and clients alike. I was particularly inspired after reading the book “Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks” by August Turuk. A wonderfully provocative, insightful message about the power of purpose and how service can fuel success, where authenticity and passion are key.  The power of trust and selfless leadership can be a magical formula and Turuk demonstrates how monks and people like Warren Buffet are so successful not despite their principals, but because of them.

I am now humbled by the strong foundation in the Singita Wellness team we have built.  Our team is built on strong values, empowering each other, believing in each other. We are ready, set, to go as we at Singita Wellness have survived the Pandemic and look excitedly to a brighter horizon as the world opens up to a glorious new era!!

Love Michelle x

Variety is the key to results – September 2020

Having been in the Health & Wellness business for over 30 years
I have seen so many trends come and go. I have been certified in so many different class types and styles as well as Personal Training. Having learnt from the best, Canadian Body building champions, and amazing fitness instructors and presenters I have had the pleasure of working with over the years has shaped my philosophy. This has evolved over the years through working with so many different body types and genetic predispositions, either in my group classes or private clients training one-on-one. We are all doing this to feel, healthier, fitter, stronger and leaner to hopefully help prevent disease and increase longevity.

I would like to preface this blog with the fact that at 57 years of age and having gone through extreme stress in the last couple of years setting up a start up business as well as struggling through ongoing personal troubles,  I have never felt more energized, fit and healthy. This is what I have learnt and would love to share with you all!

Mix things up, diversify, try different classes, various activities, keep moving, challenge yourself even if only for a few five minute segments throughout the day.  I have created our Singita Online Club specifically to fulfil that need.  Find a way around the boring and mundane to discover the pure joy of movement and what works best for your body, wherever and whenever you can.

Obviously healthy nutritional choices, (which I can talk about at a later date) as well as healing our emotional and spiritual selves is a huge part of this equation.  But here goes, why I teach and share these fitness modalities.

HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training

This is something that is not only for the 20 and 30 year olds.  You can modify each exercise and increase your stamina.  High intensity means what it says,spiking the heart rate and giving an anaerobic burst followed by recovery.  This is proven to be the most effective way to burn fat, and improve your cardiovascular level.  HIIT is one of the best classes we can do to stave off forms of dementia!  The sudden bursts of blood flow keeps everything open and flowing smoothly especially to the brain.

Ballet Barre

This to me has been the most inspiring classes I have taught, to see the changes in women’s bodies. The toning in the legs and glutes has been visible in just a few weeks of consistency, got me so excited to share with as many others. This class is pure joy, as most of us remember those days as little ones plieing & the beauty of this elegant movement.  There is a reason those ballerinas have the most perfect legs and glutes.  Pulsing and plieing simultaneously keeping that beautiful postural alignment works wonders!

Bodysculpting

Lift those weights people, you are not going to bulk, this is such a myth !!! Those bodybuilders are on extreme regimes and supplementation to look the way they do.  Resistance training is of profound importance, we need to build lean muscle, or at least maintain it as we naturally start losing muscle after the age of 30..  It’s the muscle in our body that burns calories and supports our skeletal system.  One pound of muscle takes up a third of the space as a pound of fat. This is one of the best choices we can make to prevent osteoporosis and ageing.

Core Conditioning

Our powerhouse, our core has been given a lot of attention over the last decade or more.  Pilates has boomed and we all know this is an area we need to focus on strengthening to help with any sport or daily activities.  The dreaded plank (we know and grow to love) side plank, every variety of planking, most of us recognize we need to include this as part of a well-rounded fitness regime.

Yoga

Yoga almost needs no introduction. This ancient practice has left an indelible mark on modern day society as we are all looking for a way to slow down, destress and increase our sense of well-being. Focusing on your breath and flowing through each yoga posture will aids detoxification, improves digestion and flexibility.

Our Singita Online Club has videos of varying lengths to reflect each of these modalities. No excuses, give it a try!  Keep moving, keep believing, be strong, be beautiful, be you!

 

Deep diving and facing my fears – July 2020

So here I am, about to launch Singita Online Club, and I truly have had to face my own fears and move beyond them.

Nothing like having to watch yourself on video, your inner critic doing it’s best job, to make you feel awash with self-doubting emotion. But here goes – I am just going to dive right in.

Yes for 30 years I have been standing up in front of people delivering fitness classes – but I still always feel that slight butterfly flutter of nerves before each class. The mix of anticipation and excitement of an unknown outcome – anything can unfold during a class. But now thankfully, it is not quite as intense as the nervousness felt when I first began my career as a newly qualified instructor.

My younger days of studying Speech & Drama at University and playing drums in a band I guess have all helped me to conquer my fears of an audience, but they never completely go away, and fear and doubt are always ready to rear their heads up to try and keep you from shining your light. My insecure inner child does her best to step in and shatter any illusions of confidence, illuminating my vulnerabilities and leaving me feeling very exposed.

So this is not that easy for me, this exposure, this level of ‘putting myself out there’. But I know it is what I need to do, not just to grow and carve out a livelihood for myself, but more importantly for me to fulfil my purpose, which my inner work on myself has uncovered – that being to help as many people as I can find the joy in movement and fitness. Wellness has been my life’s work, and I will conquer my fears!

I will take solace in this beautiful quote by Brene Brown “vulnerability is the true measure of courage”.

Spring brings hope for change – June 2020

The innocence and beauty of youth with my precious Grandaughter Orla.

May flowers in Barbados are in all their glory. Wherever you look the bougainvillea is a spectacular array of vibrant colours and the cassia trees and flamboyants are so vivid against the backdrop of arid grass during this dry season. Spring has Sprung in the rest of the world and I am sure you are all enjoying the brighter days, stunning scenery and the wonderful opportunity to walk, run and bike outside. Our beach hours in Barbados are extended and so many people are taking the morning and afternoons to swim and walk our beautiful coastline, our tropical paradise never disappoints.

Yet here we still remain in an uncertain and forever changed world. This last week I struggled, I have to admit. I had a couple of days of doom & gloom, missing my old life, the hugs from family and friends. Walking into Singita doors everyday with beautiful smiles to greet me and seeing the lovely faces of participants in my classes, not always smiling at me, often a grimace or an expletive, I love the feedback and energy whichever way.

We have now created a new online community and it’s wonderful to see their bright smiling faces every morning. I’m sure we’ve all had our days struggling to come to terms with this new way of being. After some extra meditation and prayers and thankfully some more healing work offered through our Spiritual Online course that started last week with Patti Wilson, I finally felt a shift to a deeper acceptance and a renewed energy and felt my optimism and excitement for the future return.

So that lovely saying “Bloom where you are planted’ came to mind, find the beauty in the moment, acceptance for what is, as life unfolds perfectly for you.  Nature never rushes or yearns to be something or somewhere else, an acorn becomes an oak tree, a flower unfolds and blooms in its own glorious divine timing, with a grace and beauty unto itself. And here we are, as we unite in thought and consciousness I am forever grateful for our Singita community and look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Michelle x

When are leaves more than just leaves? – May 2020

During a recent family gathering over Zoom (during Coronovirus lockdown), we were discussing how the slowed down pace has meant we can all get a little more adventurous with our cooking (stocks permitting).

My sister then recounted a story from a couple of days prior, when I had called her up, giddy with excitement about a fresh food delivery I had just received. I promised a photo. She was expecting to see a gourmet dish, and was amused by the picture of a bowl of leaves I sent over (see pic). We all had a good giggle at how a bowl of leaves was my gourmet delight, but in my moment of solitude and with a media backdrop of restriction and lack, this delivery felt to me like the most exquisite treat and life affirming nourishment! It was much more than just a bowl of leaves, it was especially prepared for me and it was a thing of beauty.

During this time of slowed down pace (for most of us anyway), we have the privilege to adjust our perspective, and to value the small things that bring us joy. To focus on the simplicity of what we really need to survive and thrive.

There are many people posting on social media how we will all come out of this in some way changed, and hopefully with lessons learned about how to live a more mindful life. For me, this picture of a bowl of leaves will always bring me back to this feeling that I had on that day, when this for me represented a gift from heaven.

Singita spirit lives on – going virtual to keep you healthy – April 2020

In line with our recent government announcement, Singita is now temporarily closed to the public. I’d like to thank each and everyone of you for your continued patronage & support over this last year.

We have been honoured to have worked with the most amazing team at Singita, and met so many wonderful people from around the globe.  Our hearts are now with you all during this global crisis, we are praying this does not linger and life will return to a new normal soon. Hopefully we will have evolved, grown closer to family & friends, connected more meaningfully.

I am so thankful we can stay connected via email and social media.  I had been planning to expand Singita Barbados to an online global platform, so this has motivated me to embark on this more rapidly. The first step is to bring our studio classes to you LIVE (via Zoom) and  further videos will be shared through our other IG, Facebook & Youtube channels. Instructions and schedule to follow.

I am wishing you all time well spent in meditation, prayer and self reflection, and hopefully we will be opening our doors again soon to you all.

Stay safe and well.
Love, Michelle xo

We are pleased to offer our online classes – FREE to all for the next two weeks (until 11th April 2020).

Our online class schedule is as follows.  These classes will be free to everyone for the next two weeks, please email me back if you’d be interested in participating in any of these classes so I can email you the link ahead of time.

Online classes will run for 45 minutes.

Starting Monday March 30th, our weekly schedule will be as follows. (Atlantic Standard Time).

Monday 9.30am Ballet Barre
Tuesday 9.30am Core Conditioning
Wednesday 9.30am Ballet Barre
Wednesday 10.30am Super Stretch
Thursday 9.30am Full body with HIIT
Friday 9.30am Yoga/Pilates Fusion
Saturday 10.30am Ballet Barre

Zoom.us instructions to follow once I recieve your request email, for linking to the class. Please email Michellejamieson@me.com  to be sent the class links.

Private training for individuals and small groups also available by appointment. Please email Michellejamieson@me.com

 

💖Beginning of my Blog💖 – February 2020

This Singita Wellness journey manifested in physical form just 15 short months ago & is now a beautiful haven of activity here on the West coast of Barbados.

My vision was to create a wellness community where anyone walking in our doors could find their needs met in health & wellness, physically & spiritually.

Now into our second year I am humbled & so grateful for the growth of our wellness community, we continue to have so many amazing people walk through our doors.

I am sharing the news that I will now share more of my journey (this not being easy for me). As we all know the more we expose ourselves the more we open ourselves up for criticism. But as another wise woman reminded me if I am committed to helping others I need to put ego & fear aside & choose LOVE. 💖

Blessings to you all.

Michelle x .