About Purple Shamrock
Purple Shamrock.com was created to offer unique solutions to be mindfully curious using movement, breath and sound, as well as, compassionate courses to move through the pain of life’s losses to more empowerment and love.
About PurpleShamrock.com
PurpleShamrock.com offers unique services such as Grief Yoga. This is the first venue to share the trademarked Grief Yoga® to Canada’s Capital City.
Grief Yoga was created by Paul Denniston. The intention of Purple Shamrock is to present Grief Yoga® as a healing tool for loss and to make it accessible to all, so that anyone living with grief may find this to be a meaningful tool on their healing journey. This Grief yoga Practice is infused with the in-depth teachings of Grief Expert David Kessler.
If you have found this website looking for healing options, my hope is that the in-person and on-line classes offers you a safe space to encourage self-exploration, expression, connection, and empowerment. I am deeply honoured to be sharing this compassionate and restorative Grief Yoga® practice to the Ottawa Community.
Purple Shamrock Mission Statement
“Be Kind to your Body so your Mind and Heart will follow“
We carry so many emotions in our joints, tendons, muscles – in our very cells. If we don’t move emotions, they can get stuck inside of us.
Purple Shamrock will provide Grief Yoga classes using gentle body movements and breath to unlock, acknowledge and move through the emotions of loss to more moments of peace.
Anyone living with grief may find this a meaningful tool while on a healing journey.
Julia’s Accredited Courses
I found these courses helpful on my healing journey during the “early grief” period. Experts describe early grief as the first 2 years. Undoubtedly, a heartbreaking and disorienting time frame where the pain is fully felt in the body, mind and heart. In my minds eye, I felt as if I were a broken puzzle .. pieces scattered everywhere. The Grief doesn’t stop after 2 years. I continue to find Healing through Yoga and have experienced a slight shift in my Grief. In year 3 I have found moments of calm and joy. I still feel like an incomplete puzzle, yet I’ve accepted I’ll always have pieces missing.
** I highly recommend the Rideauwood Courses. Please share these resources with others who may be struggling with addictions. Addiction affects the whole family & community. Now, I better understand the science of addictions and more importantly have a compassionate view for those struggling with addictions. My regret is that I did not have this support, knowledge and coping tools while living with my daughter’s addictions. My beautiful kind-hearted Maddy taken too soon and missed every moment. **
Julia’s Course Details
Certified Grief Educator
Completed 05/07//2021
A Certified Grief Educator is committed to providing the highest level of grief support through education, experience, and insights into the often-unacknowledged rocky terrain of grief. Certified Grief Educators completed a certificate program designed by world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. They bring his unique methodology, tools, and decades of experience to help people navigate the challenges of grief.
Find a Certified Grief Educator near you: https://grief.com/grief-certified-peer-to-peer/
ARCK* PROGRAM & FAMILY SPIRAL (For families, parents & support persons)
Completed 15/12/2021
The ARCK Program offers 8 weeks of 1.5-hour group sessions and individual counselling. It provides information on addiction, communication skills, emotions, education, and setting healthy boundaries.
*ARCK stands for Awareness, Responding, Coping, Knowledge.
https://www.rideauwood.org/
Grief Movement Guide
Completed 01/06/2022
The Grief Movement course is a prerequisite to the Grief Yoga® Teacher Training Program. This course demonstrates the form and function of specific movements to create awareness, expression, surrender and evolution of intense feelings.
200 hr Certified Hatha Yoga Teacher Training
Completed 03/01/2022
The 200 hour Human Journey Hatha Yoga Teacher Training is taught by Master Trainers Serena Arora & Kevin McQuillan. This Yoga Teacher Training* is designed to help uncover habitual patterns that perpetuate fear and shame, align yourself, embody an awakened practice, and empower one to make positive change. This 200 hour intensive provides a new growing edge within your practice, teaching, and life.
Julia is a Registered member of Yoga Alliance: https://www.yogaalliance.org
SMART RECOVERY
Completed 16/06/2022
SMART Recovery provides support and tools for family members, friends and support persons who are concerned about someone experiencing problematic substance use, behavioural addiction or a related mental health issue.
This program has been adapted from SMART Recovery and CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training). Like SMART Recovery, CRAFT is an evidenced-base program. CRAFT teaches family members, friends and support persons new ways of interacting with a person who experiencing addiction with a goal of increasing the chances that the person will seek recovery.
SMART Recovery is a weekly group for people who have already completed an intake and are waiting for other groups and for individual counselling services.
Certified Grief Yoga Teacher®
Completed 01/02/2023
The 100 hour Grief Yoga® teacher training is lead by the founder of Grief Yoga®, Paul Denniston. Grief Yoga® is a compassionate practice combining movement, breath and sound to process the pain of grief and transform to more peace, kindness and love.
Founder of Purple Shamrock
The purple shamrock also known as the love plant is one of Julia’s favourites, so it seemed a fitting name for her new venture.
For 2 decades Julia was a Business Owner, VP of Marketing, Hearing Specialist and Media Spokesperson in Canada’s Capital City. The most rewarding position was that of a Mum to 3 very special people. In hindsight Julia believes she became a “Yogi” during those early years. She was joyfully connected to her body, mind and spirit while experiencing the ordinary and extraordinary moments of Motherhood. 2020 drastically altered her future. Her first-born Madeleine, tragically passed at the tender age of 19.
Julia studied and participated in groups to learn and understand addictions. In 2022 she travelled to Costa Rica and became a certified yoga teacher. Julia reflects “In Costa Rica I was a “Grief Yogi” my body, mind and spirit were connected with the overwhelming pain and heaviness of grief” She was curious “How will I cope with my new reality? Grief seemed more like a state of being rather than just a feeling. This curiosity was explored while earning David Kessler’s Peer to Peer Grief Leader Certification. This course fueled healing, yet Julia struggled finding the words and holding space with others while being consumed with grief. This led Julia to participating in Paul Denniston’s Grief Movement course. The movement was like medicine, it felt more intuitive and lighter than leading and speaking in groups. Julia enrolled and completed the 100-hour Grief Yoga® Certification program.
During 2023 Julia lead Yoga and Pilates classes with the City of Ottawa and continues her personal Grief Yoga Practice with Paul Denniston. She is an active member of www.grief.com and is ready to offer unique solutions to be mindfully curious using movement breath and sound, as well as compassionate courses to move through the pain of life’s losses to more empowerment and love.
Share a quote that has been helpful on your healing journey
"Grief is the last act of love we have to give to those we've loved".
"Where there is deep grief, there is great love".
"Tears are the silent language of grief."
"Our Grief is as individual as our lives".
"Grief never ends, but it changes, it’s a passage not a place to stay".
Share a quote that has been helpful on your healing journey
"Grief is the last act of love we have to give to those we've loved".
"Where there is deep grief, there is great love".
"Tears are the silent language of grief."
"Our Grief is as individual as our lives".
"Grief never ends, but it changes, it’s a passage not a place to stay".
