Love Notes & Reflections from Helena McKinney

Moving Through Another Lockdown

It is now May 2021 and we’ve been living with restrictions and multiple lockdowns in Ontario for over a year. I have a feeling that many of us are struggling; our energy and tolerance is low. We are craving human interaction and a sense of freedom; we are social beings after all. Never in my life did I think giving someone a hug could be so compromising to their health. Never in my life did I have to think twice before deciding to leave my house. Never in my life would I consider an outing to the grocery store as potentially ‘dangerous’. This is EXHAUSTING to say the least; mentally and emotionally, and it drains us energetically. We are processing a huge global crisis and we can even witness how it has left some people very divided on what is happening in the world. 

I live alone and the solitude is not always peaceful or relaxing. I often get restless, sick of hearing my own voice, craving company and truly lonely. I don’t know what I would do without my cat Gus. Saying this, if you are living at home with a full house, kids and partners etc, maybe we can trade for a week, lol. I acknowledge how HARD this is on all of us but I want to share the things that have been getting me through yet another challenging time.

Thank you to the Staff at In Fine Feather Yoga

The amazing instructors at the studio have been an essential glue to keeping the In Fine Feather Yoga community thriving and vibrant. I could not possibly do this without them. Each of them showed up for me the second this crisis began, offering their support both professionally and personally, and I will never be able to thank them enough. Meagan Santa, Stephanie Weiler, Jackee Desimone and Michelle Smith - you are AMAZING humans. The other day a student complimented our teaching staff for how much they’ve shown up for the community through this. Even if they have had a hard day, they show up genuinely, authentically and with their own unique insight to teach their classes. I couldn’t agree with this student more! In addition to being solid instructors and really amazing people, I consider them my lifelong friends. We have shared a very intimate experience and one that we are all very passionate about; keeping In Fine Feather alive and vibrant! We regularly check in on each other to talk about life, headspace, heart space and I can’t wait for us to be all together. I owe you ladies a drink, especially WHEN patios open again. (Hand on forehead emoji).

My Online Course: NeuroScience of Mindfulness

I enrolled myself in a four week online course through the University of Toronto and I am grateful for every second of this program. I had been looking for a course like this for a while. I am fascinated by the anatomy of the body, the physiology of the body and the nervous system. Through some of my previous training, I became even more amazed with how beneficial a consistent yoga and mindfulness practice is for overall health. These practices reduce chronic stress, chronic health issues, mental health conditions, the aging process and so so much more, so when I found this course I knew it was for me. It also came at the perfect time - during another lockdown. It was a great opportunity for me to continue my studies and integrate it into my teaching. It also kept my mind active, interested and motivated. What interests you? What are you passionate about? What have you always wanted to learn more about? There are so many online courses, especially now. Find something that intrigues you.

I never thought I would like online learning but the instructor did an amazing job delivering the content and still making the live sessions social. This course was just another reminder of how innovative and creative we have become over the last year. Our ability to transition and make information accessible is a gift. This course gave me a lot to be grateful for. I recognize that personal growth and self realization are lifelong processes. We are on a path whether we like it or not. I want to continue on a path of mindfulness, self inquiry and constant learning. I’ve also started listening to the audible book, Wherever you Go, There you Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn, and I would highly recommend it as an introduction to mindfulness.

Finding Peace in Simplicity

This has been a great time for me to dive into and immerse myself in new hobbies. I have found fun little projects that help me stay busy, stimulated and active at home. I think many of us have picked up new skills and I am certain we will come out of this as master chefs and artisans, lol! I have become a botanist… in my own eyes, at least! My house plants and seedlings have taken over my entire house. This all started a few weeks ago (before lockdown) when my mom and I went to the Watering Can in Vineland, Ontario. I was so plant inspired when I got home that I immediately began researching plant health. My plants already got a lot of my attention but this is a whole new level; making homemade fertilizers, solutions to dust the leaves and propagating new plants. Half of my phone calls with my mom and best friend Danielle now involve plant talk. (Which is much better than covid talk I might add). 

Anyone else watch The Crown on Netflix? If you haven’t I highly recommend it. I’ve always enjoyed learning about history and the Royal Family. As a kid, I woke up with my mom to watch Princess Diana’s funeral, and I remember the day she died. My mom and I also woke up to watch the Royal Wedding of Prince William. Then, with the recent passing of Prince Phillip and the family drama with Prince Harry, this last month I have completely spiralled into watching documentaries on the history of the Royal family. My bestie, Meag and I have both been doing this and we laugh at ourselves because we’ve even started drinking tea. She and I agree, Princess Margaret reminds me of myself. I just can’t seem to figure out romance and have been known to enjoy a good party from time to time, lol. 

I am doing my best to seek joy in each day. I am finding it in the consistency of my routine: yoga, mindfulness, house hobbies, books and good films. I try to find other people who share these passions with me so we have something that connects us other than the obvious state of our world. It's not that I am ignoring what is happening, in fact, it's the opposite. I am very aware of how sad our condition is BUT if I did nothing about it, I would find it completely overwhelming and I would be suffering more than I already am. So, I see the negativity that surrounds us but I am doing my absolute best to better myself through it. This takes conscious effort but it is what's making me feel stronger and on the really hard days, it is what's making me feel at the bare minimum, ok. 

I hope you can find some lightness and positive connection throughout your day. When you notice yourself in that space, embrace it fully and acknowledge it as a BIG win. We need to take the wins, small or big, when they come our way right now. If you ever need me I am here. If you want to move your body more, I am here. We just released the Spring 30 Day Home Yoga Program. It is a great offering for becoming more consistent with movement. The In Fine Feather community is a solid group of humans lifting each other up daily. 

Even when I wrote this, I felt happy and excited to share it with you. WIN!
Thanks for being here, 

Xo
Helena

Our Favourite Local Hiking Trails to Explore in the Hamilton Area

Local Adventures with IFF Discover 
By Co- Founder Helena McKinney

We all miss adventure right now. This travel blog offers you some sweet little, local gems to go check out. These are 3 places we have been going to escape the city, not feel so limited by lockdown, satisfy our travel bug and explore freely. We have discovered so many local Ontario hiking trails on the AllTrails App. If you don’t already have it on your phone you should download it for sure. It is free and gives great information on every trail, rates its difficulty level, shares reviews and photos. It’s really tough to write a travel blog when all of Southern Ontario is still in lockdown but be open minded to the little outlets of adventure you can find right in your city. We are our most creative when we are outside; we engage in inspiring conversations and come up with our best ideas. So bundle up, dress for the weather, bring a warm beverage and get outside. Clear your head and do things to support your mental health and well being. 

Beamer Memorial Conservation Area Trail, Grimsby, Ontario. 

We love adventuring and hiking in the Niagara Region and we find ourselves heading this way more and more. Beamer Memorial Conservation has been a trail we continue to revisit throughout the fall and into the winter. It is most known for its amazing view of Grimsby and you can even see Lake Ontario. The hike is fairly moderate and you don’t need to be an experienced hiker to access it. The path is clearly marked and mostly smooth. There is also a side trail to see a waterfall but we have yet to see water actually falling because we had such a dry summer. It is a short hike that has a loop, maybe 40 minutes in total if you are taking your time. Best of all, we love when there is a designated area for parking! Side note: this trail tends to be a bit busier on weekends so it might be better to head there during the week for better social distancing.

Mountainview Conservation Area Trail, Lincoln, Ontario. 

We recently discovered this trail simply because we wanted to try something new. The Mountainview Conservation Area Trail runs along the Bruce Trail and is in the heart of wine country. So, basically when the warm weather hits and wineries are open again we can imagine an amazing afternoon of wine tasting and hiking. This sounds like an ideal day to us. This hike doesn’t have a loop, so at some point you can either turn around and go back to the parking lot or continue along the Bruce Trail if you are making a whole day of it. This hike was a little more vigorous, which we liked. It had some elevation, a rocky terrain, beautiful mossy rocks and was really quiet. We hiked for at least 2 hours and only saw a few other people exploring. There is a sneaky little parking lot on the side of the road but Google Maps got us there perfectly. We will definitely do this hike again soon.

Van Wagners Beach, Hamilton Ontario. 

We are 100% beach girls! We can’t wait to be on the beach in our bathing suits soaking up the sun but it is still enjoyable to have our winter boots in the sand. lol. Even though we can’t dive into the water for a refreshing swim (well, we could but that isn’t a very intriguing idea at the moment) we walk the beach skipping stones, searching for beach glass or other fun treasures we might come across washed up on the shore. Van Wagners Beach is close to home and also has a walking promenade if you’d prefer to walk on a smooth surface. For a few moments, we catch the sun and breeze on our face and we can envision a soon to be summer vibe. It is also so satisfying to be near the water. Maybe it’s the sound of the waves and happy memories associated with being at the beach.

Keep following along with our IFF adventures! We are using this quiet time to plan up some exciting trips for the spring. We are crossing our fingers and toes that this lockdown is lifted soon so we can get back to exploring Ontario and supporting all the local shops and tourist destinations. Until then, please be safe, walk in nature and be well. 

Much Love, 
Helena & Meag 

2020 Reflections with Helena McKinney

A Year in Review with the founder of In Fine Feather Yoga & Hamilton entrepreneur, Helena McKinney. 

Every year around this time I share a personal and professional reflection of the year. I usually highlight the major accomplishments, milestone moments and successful events. (Check out the 2019 reflection). Well, as we all know this year has been extremely different and challenging in so many ways, so this year's reflection is going to have a different vibe as well. Rather than bringing to light the specific things that happened (or didn’t happen at all), I want to talk about the overall sensation of 2020, as well as my core values that have been strengthened and have supported me immensely throughout ALL the decisions and hardships that came with this year. These words have been my mantras, repeated daily to myself; they have been my constant reminders for how I want to feel, that it's ok to not be ok sometimes and they’ve picked me up when I needed a gentle hand.

Acceptance

It's felt like a rollercoaster for all of us but navigating the physical location of the studio was causing me so much additional stress and taking so much emotional energy from me. At some point I had to LET GO and find radical acceptance with all of the circumstances that were out of my control. Once I landed in this place, I was able to focus my attention, be clear with my intentions and explore my creativity again. Leaning into this time and trying to find peace with it has allowed me to cultivate new adventures for myself and ultimately offer new services for you. I have deepened my own daily mindfulness practice and I am beyond excited to share them with you in the 21 Day Meditation Challenge that is about to begin on January 4th. I have developed as an entrepreneur by learning new skill sets and been able to do more lifestyle and business mentoring with Emerge Mentoring, the other business I founded in 2019. Taking on new challenges has actually been refreshing and invigorating once I let go of the forces that are greater than me.

Consistency

Showing up for myself hasn’t always been easy over the last 10 months and I have sometimes felt the added weight of showing up for a community. BUT I do it and I LOVE it! I have often been asked how I show up to teach our LIVE classes every day with something insightful to say and how I don’t even skip a beat when it comes to being present. Here's how: I understand the importance of my role and the service I offer for people's mental health and wellbeing every day. I always feel better after I teach and move with our community. In Fine Feather Yoga is my life and you need to show up for life otherwise it keeps happening without you. Even when it is the hardest it has ever been, I want to move through it together, rather than feeling stuck and alone.

Self Care

Taking care of myself has become a top priority. I began to understand that my energy is different right now and I need to have a different level of expectation from myself. We are all trying to process so much every day and it's exhausting sometimes. Taking rest and time to slow down has been essential to making it through the weeks of isolation and now the current lockdown. Without the usual hustle of day to day life I have embraced new hobbies that feed my soul and aren’t so closely associated with working all the time the way I used to. My schedule is much more balanced and allows me to crochet, nap, cook meals in the evening, listen to an audible book, catch up with a friend on the phone, nourish my plants, do projects around the house and soak in the tub for an hour. Want to see a little more of my personal lifestyle and sillness? Check out my  instagram account @helena_hamont; you’ll get daily doses of my cat Gus, witness my ridiculous solo dance parties and hear my random rants. 

Finally, I move forward with HOPE

While this year has looked really different, I have learned so much about my personal drive and cultivated deeper connections with our community. I am HOPEFUL that we will emerge from this time stronger, more compassionate and more understanding humans. I think we will be more mindful to our work/life balance, respectful of each other's boundaries and appreciative of human connection. These are good things! I want you all to take 10 minutes of quiet space to yourself to explore what this slower, more introspective time has offered you. What have you learned about yourself through the challenges? What relationships have been strengthened? How have you grown as an individual? I would love for you to join me on New Year’s Day for our Intention Setting LIVE yoga class. I will guide you through an Intro to Flow class, (safe for students of all levels) followed by a journaling exercise that will deepen your awareness of the growth you have received this year. Please be sure to sign up online HERE to receive the live class link. 

All we can do is our best. Keep showing up for yourself and support yourself in whatever ways possible. Keep connecting to your community and loved ones. We are in this together! Sending all my love and gratitude,

Happy New Year, 
Helena xo