Sustainable Wellness Retreats

Brandy brings to the team a deep connectivity to people and place as a co-founder of O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE (1999). She has a varied background of many other community/group therapeutic process-based experiential models and has spent much of her life from the early years of beginning in remote mountain wilderness to international exploration of deep dive into indigenous wisdom and living.  She has worked as a weaver of many of the paradox/duality perceptions between the wild to domesticated cultural norms – as a healer and speaker of the ‘at times unspeakable’ patterns of human/social interactions.  As a grounding tool for unlimited connection, she also does work with legacy planning and ‘sustainable living/sustainable dying’ and mentoring the next generations to play. Her work in the therapeutic community began in the 1980’s and opened a path of personal and professional healing work that has brought her from program/project development to one on one.  She facilitates wedding celebrations, assists birthing, and does beside vigil hospice work all as part of her held values of intimate relationship weave within the ecosystems of our/OUR connections.  She is a published author and film maker on the world of living/dying sustainably for a regenerative future.  Brandy’s doctoral work is starting to focus the exploration of community development and design for healing through her “Regeneration of the Village Heart and Mind”.  She is a lover of playing on the edge of possibilities and crafted intention.

Gracelynn Lau Chung Yan is an expressive arts and horticulture therapist and a certified Applied Mindfulness Meditation specialist (University of Toronto) who is dedicated to empower people to redesign their social-emotional lifestyle. Her work focuses on designing practical applications for individuals and groups in the areas of social-emotional health, mindfulness in nature, ecotherapy, cultural integration and lifestyle changes. She has facilitated workshops and circles for a culturally diverse audience including orphans in Tibet, earthquake survivors and second generation immigrant families. Her teaching focus is influenced by her graduate research on Ecofeminist theology, specifying in re-storying life after trauma. Also a certified permaculture teacher and a farmer, Gracelynn integrates permaculture design tools into cultivating a regenerative way of emotional well being. Her recent research is based on bringing herbal medicine crafting and fermentation into a therapeutic garden program for emotion management and transpersonal connection. Gracelynn believes that the essence of wellness lies in nature connection; that the heart of nature has a unique message for every person who is willing to listen. Gracelynn is the creator of OUR Wellness Retreats.

Jan Hull has been offering Family Systems facilitation and training for over 15 years – from as far south as Washington and Oregon and locally on Vancouver Island up to the North Coast in Alert Bay and Kingcome Inlet, BC.

Jan began her training in 2003 through the Human Systems Institute of Portland, Oregon – www.human-systems-institute.com

Prior to that, Jan received certification through the Justice Institute of BC in Conflict Resolution and Mediation.  

She currently resides in the Cowichan Valley and when she’s not facilitating and training Systemic Constellation Work, Jan embraces her work as a long time foster parent to her two sons.

Jan’s workshops are interactive and structured for actively doing and learning the work – because Systemic Constellation Work meets us where we live, in our bodies and in relationships.  

When practised in groups, Systemic Constellation Work nourishes our need for connection and community as well.

Samantha is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), with a background in Horticultural Therapy. Combining her skill sets Samantha understands the importance of focusing on our whole being. Samantha believes by bringing awareness to our body, activities, mindset and life, we align more naturally. The shared philosophies and values that O.U.R Eco Village practice and demonstrate has been a complimentary pairing for incorporating her modalities here.

Samantha feels fortunate to be a Canadian, where RMTs are classified as health care professionals. As a society we are seeking non-surgical and drug-free options, which has afforded massage therapy to be widely accepted as alternative medicine.

Samantha believes we all have our own innate healing power within, making each of our journeys’ unique. Yet……paradoxically here we are on a journey together. The proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”. Resonates deeply with Samantha’s core values of working with a team to accomplish each clients short and long term goals.

Samantha utilizes a patient centered care approach. Empowering each client and sharing knowledge to create opportunities for clients to get in touch with themselves and move themselves away from dis-ease. As your therapist Samantha’s goals are focused around your desires and restoring balance to the current manifestation that has you feeling depleted.Samantha is registered through the CMTBC College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia. Receipts can be submitted to your extended medical benefits provider for reimbursement. Samantha recommends confirming with your individual provider to gain clarity on their reimbursement process.

Laura Matsue is a RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) and Certified Meditation Teacher, with training in both Australia and India. Her teaching style can be described as a fusion of vinyasa-kundalini-hatha with a focus on embodiment meditations as well as other kundalini kriyas that focus on karmic resolution, energy-field expansion, and self-transformation. She is also a writer and works as a holistic life coach, using astrology, psychological inner work, as well as mind/body practices to assist people in achieving the inner changes they want to make bring their outer gifts to the world.