Balancing Act Practice (BAP)

Our signature evidence-based program

Created by Chantal

What is BAP?

The Balancing Act Practice (BAP) is an 8-week yoga and guided journaling program that was originally created in the context of a study as an embodied and compassionate way of supporting trainee therapists in balancing personal and professional demands.

The BAP adopts a preventative approach to self-care and burnout prevention. The results of the BAP far surpassed our expectations. We are thrilled to offer it again in different contexts.

Joining the Balancing Act Practice symbolizes your commitment to take better care of yourself and your willingness to prioritize your wellbeing.

Want to Learn more about the science that backs it up?

Frequently asked questions

  • Those who work as psychotherapists, social workers, psychologists, nurses, physicians, massage therapists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, counselors, and other health or mental health related practitioners are a great fit for the BAP. Those who are students or in training for the following disciplines are also more than welcomed!

  • A: Yes, absolutely! Please send us a message and we will help you assess whether the BAP is right for you.

  • Not at all! The practice is inclusive for all levels of experience from very beginner to experienced yogi. Multiple options are offered for postures so you can ease into it or take it further as you wish. It is also taught from a trauma-informed lens.

  • The BAP takes place 1x a week for 90 mins, for a period of 8 weeks.

  • A BAP session is 90 minutes long. You can expect the following:

    1. 5-10 mins check in and introduction of the weekly theme

    2. 50 mins hatha yoga practice

    3. 5-10 mins break

    4. 15 mins guided journaling

    5. 5-10 mins optional share with the group

  • Depending on the theme of the week, the yoga practice will be a little bit different but all based off of hatha yoga. Some weeks will be a little bit more slow (incorporating elements of yin yoga) and other weeks will be more challenging

  • Each week explores a different theme. The themes that we cover are based on the chakra system, i.e., a map or a guide for living a meaningful life. We use a holistic approach that aims to connect mind, body, heart, and spirit. We have chosen the chakra system as a guide to best represent and teach the roots and heritage of yoga.

  • You can take what resonates with you and your beliefs, and leave what doesn’t. Many of our past participants have been of different religious faiths (e.g. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, etc.), identified as spiritual (e.g. Aboriginal spirituality, New Age spirituality, undefined spirituality), or identified as atheists. Some found that the program helped enhance their faith or deepen their connection to the natural world. Others shared that they enjoyed simply learning about the different themes and felt at ease leaving aside what didn’t resonate with them. If you have any questions or concerns about this, send us a message!

  • Compassion and mindfulness, safety and security, foundations of health habits and self-care, creativity and playfulness, personal power and confidence, love and relationships, forgiveness, beauty, loneliness, expression of truth, using your voice, boundaries, intuition and inner knowing, inspiration and connection to purpose, and living a meaningful life.

  • We have not yet determined a specific location in Ottawa for the next cohort of the BAP. Send us a message to add your name to the waitlist and we will contact you with specific information on the next cohort!

  • Multiple factors affect the cost of the BAP. Send us a message to add your name to the waitlist and we will contact you with specific information on the next cohort!

  • We determine this as we go! Short answer: sometimes in person (in Ottawa, ON), sometimes virtually, sometimes both. Send us a message to add your name to the waitlist and we will contact you with specific information on the next cohort!

This is for you if…

  • You are often hard on yourself

  • You’re aware that your current life balance isn’t sustainable but aren’t sure what to do about it

  • You feel guilty for taking time to yourself away from work or home demand

  • You have a hard time staying in the present moment

  • You find it difficult to say no, set boundaries with others, and are prone to people-pleasing

  • Your anxiety levels are heightened by perfectionism and procrastination

  • You struggle with your sense of self-worth

This is also for you if…

  • You are curious about yoga and journaling

  • You want to learn how to relax

  • You are looking for accountability to make positive changes in your self-care

  • You want to cultivate feelings of peace

  • You want to connect with yourself on a deeper emotional level

  • You want to connect with a supportive community

  • You want to learn to manage your stress better

This is for you if…

  • You are often hard on yourself

  • You’re aware that your current life balance isn’t sustainable but aren’t sure what to do about it

  • You feel guilty for taking time to yourself away from work or home demand

  • You have a hard time staying in the present moment

  • You find it difficult to say no, set boundaries with others, and are prone to people-pleasing

  • Your anxiety levels are heightened by perfectionism and procrastination

  • You struggle with your sense of self-worth

This is also for you if…

  • You are curious about yoga and journaling

  • You want to learn how to relax

  • You are looking for accountability to make positive changes in your self-care

  • You want to cultivate feelings of peace

  • You want to connect with yourself on a deeper emotional level

  • You want to connect with a supportive community

  • You want to learn to manage your stress better

Benefits of the Balancing Act Practice

There are 5 main elements to the BAP that make it such a powerful program. They each create their own sets of benefits. Together, these benefits are compounded and can have an exponential effect in every area of your personal and professional life.

  • Yoga

    • Feeling calm and grounded

    • Connection to body and healing

    • Physical improvement and increased energy

    • Flexibility

    • Improved self-image

    • Connection to self

    • Being challenged & Rewarded

  • Guided Journaling

    • Intentionality

    • Reflexivity

    • Compassion

    • Empowerment

    • Positive affirmations

    • Gratitude / focus on the good in life

    • New insights

    • Check in different dimensions of experience (e.g., mind, body, emotions, spirit, etc.)

    • Increased awareness

    • Softening of perfectionism

  • Compassionate role model

    • Create safety

    • No expectations

    • Positive attitude

    • Communication and modeling of compassionate qualities (e.g., kindness, generosity, non-judgment, acceptance, willingness to fail, etc.)

    • Self-disclosure that encourages self-care

  • Community

    • Connection with others

  • Accountability

    • Weekly commitment to the Practice (duration of 8 weeks)

    • Showing up for own self-care and for others

UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF THE BALANCING ACT PRACTICE

Self-compassion

Definition: Refers to the attitude of being kind and loving towards oneself, and is intimately linked with sense of worth, i.e., feeling worthy to be taken care of

Mindfulness

Definition: Refers to one’s quality of presence, and being calmly engaged in the present moment

Reflexivity

Definition: Refers to one’s ability to hear and listen to their inner voice, as well as engage in reflexivity to identify personal needs and prioritize according to values. Often referred to as listening to the voice of the compassionate self, one that is concerned with care and wellbeing.

HOW CAN SELF-COMPASSION HELP YOU?

1. Self-worth

  • Feeling worthy of compassion, care, and kindness

  • Less guilt for taking time away from professional demands for self-care

  • Feeling worthy and deserving of being cared for

2. Commitment to alleviate suffering

  • Less self-criticism

  • Increased motivation and commitment to self-care and better life balance

  • Motivation comes from compassion, not criticism

  • Willingness to ask for help

3. Assertiveness vs People-pleasing

  • Better boundaries around people-pleasing

  • Easier to say ‘no’ because of higher self-worth

4. Authenticity in Interpersonal relationships

  • More patient, sincere, and authentic with others

  • Willingness to be vulnerable

  • More room for experiencing the joy of relationships

5. Authenticity in Interpersonal relationships

  • Managing expectations around performance

  • Not having to be the perfect therapist

  • Less perfectionism in relationship with God

what they say

  • “It is much easier to put off self-care and rest until you get burnt out because there’s guilt that comes with taking time off. However, I am learning to recognize how much better and more productive I will be if I do schedule that rest time in. Also, I am starting to recognize that I deserve that time for myself.”

    - Applecrumble

  • “I feel more at peace generally […] I hold kindness, compassion, [and] love for myself […] not because I do everything I want to do, but because I simply exist and deserve this compassion.”

    - Hazel

  • “I believe the flexibility gained from this practice allows me to better accept how I have embraced my faith lately, with less guilt/rigidity about how I show up in my relationship with God and how this needs to look like. Again, managing my own expectations based on pressures I have put on myself which at times bypass the relational joy that is the essence of this connection.”

    - MA22

  • “I approach others with a more open mind and with […] a more grounded kindness. I also take more time away from relationships that drain me […], allowing myself time to become energized in between […] it doesn’t feel as untethered. […]”.

    - Kiwi

  • ““[…] I got rid of toxic friendships and people-pleasing tendencies, with the help of this practice and feeling more in touch with myself. I felt more present and connected with the friends that I truly wanted to connect with. […] I also felt more open to them during our conversations.”

    - Fuzzypeaches678

  • “It has helped me find my voice and say no to bad habits (like people pleasing and overscheduling my life) that were draining my energy.”

    - Helena

  • “I reach out for help more than I would have previously. Even though I feel some discomfort, I do it anyway because if I need support I need to ask for it. I attribute this to the self-compassion I have learned over the past few months. […] I do not need to do everything on my own. That it is okay to not be so hard on myself and ask for help.”

    -Hazel

HOW CAN MINDFULNESS HELP YOU?

1. Being in Presence

  • Ability to remain in the present

  • Deep engagement & expanded awareness

  • Sense of calm, peace and groundedness

2. Emotional regulation

  • Able to identify and be with own emotions

  • Better mindset for stress management

  • Increased capacity to be with human suffering

  • Better able to manage mental health diagnoses (e.g., ADHD)

  • Reduced performance anxiety

3. Spirituality/Transcendence

  • Increased appreciation and gratitude (especially for the small things in life)

  • Increased connection with self, others, and the divine

what they say

  • “My quality of presence has increased because I have managed my expectations surrounding performance through this practice. My focus was on showing up, not showing off. This better equips me to be here, now, and to better be in touch with the creativity and flow of the present - which is what allows the work to truly happen. […]"

    - MA22

  • “I feel calmer, more optimistic and more in control of my life right now, like the stillness in the chaos.”

    - Helena

  • “I feel more connected to the earth and to God. I feel during the yoga practice that I was able to get out of my head and really feel the energy around me […] there is so much more than just my little tasks that I have to do every day.”

    - Hazel

  • “I have ADHD and paying attention has been a constant struggle for me. […] I have learned to just listen and pause. I would attribute this to learning how to slow down, […] how to let the thoughts that occur come through and pass without needing to act on [them]. Just gently bringing my focus back to where I would like it.”

    - Hazel

  • “I feel calmer and more clearheaded. I feel as though I can go through my daily life with less stress and more mindfulness.”

    - Applecrumble

  • “I am able to recognize my emotions and their impact on my quality of presence with others. I am able to communicate better and to respect my boundaries.”

    - Mochi

HOW CAN REFLEXIVITY HELP YOU?

1. Deep Listening

  • Listening to the inner voice

  • Building a compassionate relationship with themselves

2. Empowerment

  • Take action to meet self-care needs

  • Reprioritization

  • Ability to trust instincts and gut feeling

3. Blocking out Time /Managing priorities

  • Time management

  • Control over work and personal schedule

testimonials

  • “It is much easier to put off self-care and rest until you get burnt out because there’s guilt that comes with taking time off. However, I am learning to recognize how much better and more productive I will be if I do schedule that rest time in. Also, I am starting to recognize that I deserve that time for myself.”

    - Applecrumble

  • “I feel more at peace generally […] I hold kindness, compassion, [and] love for myself […] not because I do everything I want to do, but because I simply exist and deserve this compassion.”

    - Hazel

  • “I believe the flexibility gained from this practice allows me to better accept how I have embraced my faith lately, with less guilt/rigidity about how I show up in my relationship with God and how this needs to look like. Again, managing my own expectations based on pressures I have put on myself which at times bypass the relational joy that is the essence of this connection.”

    - MA22

  • “I approach others with a more open mind and with […] a more grounded kindness. I also take more time away from relationships that drain me […], allowing myself time to become energized in between […] it doesn’t feel as untethered. […]”.

    - Kiwi

  • ““[…] I got rid of toxic friendships and people-pleasing tendencies, with the help of this practice and feeling more in touch with myself. I felt more present and connected with the friends that I truly wanted to connect with. […] I also felt more open to them during our conversations.”

    - Fuzzypeaches678

  • “It has helped me find my voice and say no to bad habits (like people pleasing and overscheduling my life) that were draining my energy.”

    - Helena

  • “I reach out for help more than I would have previously. Even though I feel some discomfort, I do it anyway because if I need support I need to ask for it. I attribute this to the self-compassion I have learned over the past few months. […] I do not need to do everything on my own. That it is okay to not be so hard on myself and ask for help.”

    -Hazel

Are you ready to take the leap?