My Vision

My vision statement for Wellness Defined when I started it back in 2020 was the same vision I held for myself and had created about 5 years prior.

 “To inspire myself and others to live our best life, physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically & spiritually.”

My own journey towards this “living my best life” started in 1994, not long after my twin daughters were born and I knew I wanted to make some changes. My goal was strictly to physically improve my body. And I did! By 1995 my goal had shifting into inspiring others to get and stay physically fit. Therein lies my first career choice towards wellness as I began teaching group fitness.

I loved it!

I knew I had found my niche

I didn’t know it back then but this was a turning point in my life

I was loving my new career choice! I got paid to work out, stay fit and inspire others to do the same! As this  was a part time position – I could be a “stay at home Mom” and with this amazing stress relieving job – I was in my glory! My class participants inspired me as much as I inspired them.  

I have taught fitness classes my whole adult life with only a few months off when my 3^rd daughter was born in 1998. Four weeks after she was born, I was back teaching and loving it.

I absolutely loved getting up on stage. Growing up a very shy child and teenager, this was so out of anything I thought I would or could ever do.

Yet, there I was, center stage, confident in myself and motivating others to physically get fit themselves.

Looking back, this time for me was a saving grace and a chance to shine a light within me that desperately needed to be turned on.

This was my first experience of being led by a power greater than me onto a path I had no idea was going to evolve into where I am today.

At that point in my life,  I was physically in the best shape of my life. I was able to energetically hold my own, however emotionally, mentally & spiritually – I was WAY out of whack. 

I was walking a tight rope in every other aspect of my life. Trying my hardest to keep it all together. 

I will always say my classes and the ladies who came to workout with me, literally saved my life. They didn’t know it and everyday it could be a different group but every single one of them gave me purpose and pure joy during some pretty dark days.

As the years went by and my children grew older, I started adding more certifications to my wellness resume.

 One of which was a Yoga certification.

 I had no idea how this was going to change my life! Or the path it was going to take me on.

 I’m not going to go into details here (as you can check out my story here if you want to know more https://wellnessdefined.ca/latest-news/leslie/ )

Yoga and Meditation led me on an emotional and mental journey that some days were so intense that I contemplated giving up. Physically I could handle it – emotionally was a whole different story.  However here was my second experience of a power much greater than me that somehow managed to keep me going – in spite of myself and the turmoil going on in my personal life.

My first Yoga training in 2006 let me to the understanding that “being well” goes way beyond the physical body.

Yoga training led to becoming a meditation teacher and a life coach and recently to date an Ayurveda teacher with the Chopra Education Center.

This journey, has connected the emotional, mental, energetic and spiritual aspects of wellness into my life.

These teachings and awareness’s guided me through so many tough times and dark days in my life and I was developing an incredible passion for teaching what I was learning.

As I continue to inspire myself to learn and grow in all these areas of my life, my passion (and I believe my purpose) really is to inspire others who desire to be guided towards the same path of growth and transformation.

 This is the basis of which Wellness Defined Ltd was built

Whether you are a member of Wellness Defined’s on-line classes or have participated in a in-person Retreat or workshop of mine OR whether you seek your fitness and wellness elsewhere, my vision here is to bring awareness to our own individual journey and question any of the areas that are out-of-balance in your life and could use your attention.

 Let’s ask ourselves these questions…

1. Is it the physical aspect of wellness that needs my attention?
2. Is it my emotional wellness that requires my focus?
3. Is it my mental mind and thoughts that I would like to know how to calm down or reel in?
4. Is it my energy that seems to be lacking?
5. Is it the Spiritual aspect that I’ve been unable to balance?

Every day the answer to these questions can and will be different, so it is important to have tools and classes to access that will not only help you bring balance to your life but to live your best life!

The vision for my on-line classes is to offer a wide spectrum of classes to help everyone to do just that. If you want to check out the classes I offer click here https://wellnessdefined.ca/classes/

Whether you do my wellness classes or have your own favorite routine, buddy or instructor, the important part is understanding which area is out of balance for you and then choosing to take steps to bring that into balance for you.

This takes a willingness to want to change and the courage to go beyond the fears of the ego that keep us stuck.  A trainer or a life coach can help you with that. If you need some direction, encouragement and support please reach out to me. 

Spirituality

Of all the areas of wellness that I have mentioned here, the area that creates the most confusion and questions around is Spirituality

 Spirituality can mean something different to everyone.

Essentially you need to figure that out for yourself

I would like to share with you what Spirituality means to me and by no means am I trying to convince you of anything or want you to “see” Spirituality as I do.

For years, I struggled with explaining what Spirituality meant to me as it seemed to have a religious spin to it every time I tried.

I knew what it felt like. It felt like I was in alignment with a power greater than me that was leading me to the exact next place I needed to be. I also knew what it felt like to be out of alignment with this greater force and when I was, struggle often ensued. 

Yet, every-time I tried to explain this, it sounded (to me) like I was trying to preach a religion of some kind. I wasn’t though – I was just wanting others to feel the freedom I was feeling but couldn’t explain. What I did know though, was that I was losing myself and my alignment every time I tried  to explain it. I felt inauthentic, and I was because I was trying to explain it to those who didn’t care to know.  So I stopped trying to explain it and put my focus instead into simply being the best possible version of myself I could be.  

In one of my life coaching courses, we dove into creating our own core values. This was life changing for me and once I determined what my core values were AND began living them to the best of my ability – I would feel back in alignment with this greater force of energy. So I started teaching “spirituality” from a core value place of being. 

I knew I was on the right track

Then I read Brene Brown’s “The Gifts of Imperfection” and her definition of Spirituality based on years of research  almost brought me to tears.

Yes! This was it!

 “Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives.”

~Brene Brown

So what does Spirituality mean to me?

I know I am in Spiritual alignment when; I am living (and leading) my life with love, gratitude and compassion. When I live from my heart and not my head, I know I can surrender to this greater force. This greater force understands who I am, what I want and where I am going and will steer me in that direction. 

Remembering and trusting this is the process.  

Love, gratitude and compassion are all a part of my core values and when I commit to staying in this space, things just flow. 

 What I know for sure is;

• Spirituality is not a religion.
• You can have a religion and be spiritual
• You can have a religion and not be spiritual too
• You can be an atheist and be spiritual
• You can be any faith you choose and be spiritual

 Being spiritual comes down to living and leading from the heart

 Does my ego come up and spin me out of alignment with my spiritual practice?

You bet it does! 

The beauty of that is that now I recognize it much sooner than I used to and can take steps to bring myself back into spiritual alignment with love, gratitude and compassion.

Whether that love, gratitude and compassion is needed for myself or directed towards someone else –  it is always what brings me back into alignment.

My most recent “growth work” has been in understanding that this spiritual heart space energy thrives when we balance it with equal parts of giving and receiving. I have taught this for years, yet truly didn’t practice it myself. My ability to receive from others continues to be one of my greatest challenges. This is a work in progress, but everyday I get closer to understanding how much I really do deserve all the love, gratitude, support and compassion this beautiful life has to offer. 

 This Week’s Intention Setting

For these next few weeks (I am at a Retreat next week – so there will be no blog or Tap In) in addition to recognizing which of YOUR wellness needs require your attention, I ask you to set an intention each day to;

• Choose to love yourself fully & completely and to choose love over being right
• Choose to be compassionate with yourself and to choose compassion over judgement
• Choose gratitude over complaining

“Today, I choose to lead with my heart… I choose love, gratitude and compassion”

Notice throughout your day, when you choose this action over a previous “fear-based” reaction – does your life begins to flow into alignment? If not, then ask…

What does Spirituality mean to you?

No one gets through this life without  bumps, bruises, heartache and loss – the point is to learn from it all! Figure out your core values and notice what feels in alignment for you. Then, show up every day, do your best to live your values and enjoy the process and the journey.  

My lifetime journey on this path has been very rewarding. It certainly hasn’t been without my own falls, failures and deep dives into days of misery and suffering. I have suffered physically, mentally, emotionally & energetically – but one thing I know for sure; when I focus on my Spirituality first and foremost the other areas of my life begin to fall back into place.  

Today, I can honestly say at 54 years old I am in the best shape of my life! Physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically & spiritually! With an open mind and an open heart I am more than happy to learn more about myself each day. I choose to live my best life!!!

If you are interested in any private coaching sessions; Contact me at 780 722-3442 or email me at leslie@wellnessdefined.ca

Private Ayurveda sessions also available.

Details of my next in-person Retreat in Caroline, Alberta are just a click away…  https://wellnessdefined.ca/events/yoga-meditation-retreat-2/

 Love to you all…

Leslie

Now…let’s tap this in…