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Resiliency in a time of crisis

Hope for health care providers on the edge of burn out
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Farah Nazarali has created a 3-day Retreat where participants enjoy delicious organic garden-to-table meals, forest walks, space to decompress, and immersion in restorative yoga practices

The crisis within health care is undeniable; staffing storages, an overburdened system, long wait times, bed shortages, hospitals and emergency rooms closing, the crisis of funding, and the twin challenge of recruitment and retention when morale and work conditions are at an all-time low. Within this crisis, healthcare professionals are tasked with the monumental; maintaining care, dignity and professionalism as the systemic pressures build.

One yoga teacher with an innovative idea is offering health care professionals respite and hope. “Pandemic pressures, moral injury, and chronic stress are a volatile combination which can lead to feelings of isolation, loss of hope, anxiety, and insomnia. This kind of trauma is what inspired me to create a retreat that brings health care professionals together in a nourishing natural environment and provides them with tools they can’t get from institutions, the workplace or the government. Essentially, it is an opportunity for doctors, nurses, parademics, and other hospital and home-care staff to be on the receiving end of care,” says Farah Nazarali.

With over 15 years teaching yoga, Farah Nazarali will be working alongside, Yoga Therapist and Masters in Counselling candidate, Nicole Marcia, and Nurse Educator Corrine McKell
With over 15 years teaching yoga, Farah Nazarali will be working alongside, Yoga Therapist and Masters in Counselling candidate, Nicole Marcia, and Nurse Educator Corrine McKell

Working alongside, Yoga Therapist and Masters in Counselling candidate, Nicole Marcia, and Nurse Educator Corrine McKell, Farah has created a 3-day Retreat where participants enjoy delicious organic garden-to-table meals, forest walks, space to decompress, immersion in restorative yoga practices, and the opportunity to learn about stress, trauma, and tools for resilience.

“Participants will learn about how stress and trauma affect the body and practice how to train the relaxation response through movement and deep breathing, “ says Farah who has been teaching yoga for over 15 years.

The result is reflected in the words of past retreat participant Dr. Hanson Pastran, a Vancouver-based family physician working through the pandemic.

“I had done retreats before, but this was very unique in it’s trauma based approach,” Dr. Pastran says. “I loved the solidarity and community that I found in the sharing circles and since the retreat I’ve also had the opportunity to share what I learned with my partner, as well as use the tools in my patient encounters, which is amazing!”

Hospice and Palliative care nurse, Joan Pham, had similar accolades for the Retreat.

“Every healthcare professional needs to be reminded of how much more powerful and effective we can be when we ourselves are wholly resourced in mind, body, and heart. Thank you so much for creating an experience that filled up my cup. I didn’t know how much I needed this.”

Resilient Bodies is a three-day Restorative Retreat for health care providers on the edge of burnout.
Resilient Bodies is a three-day Restorative Retreat for health care providers on the edge of burnout.

Amidst the current crisis, this retreat provides a glimmer of hope for those on the edge of burnout.

Resilient Bodies is a three-day Restorative Retreat for health care providers and those in the helping professions designed to restore health, inspire hope, and provide trauma-informed yoga tools and practices to enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Find out more on Facebook and Instagram, or visit www.farahnazarali.com/restorative-retreat.