I am still coming down from my amazing May long weekend away at my cabin on Denman Island. We had decided to extend the weekend and  enjoyed 5 glorious days up at my favourite place on EARTH. 

Denman is a small island off the coast of Vancouver Island just south of Comox. We are so fortunate to have a cabin there that we have been going to ever since Nya was born almost 12 years ago. Its a place my family and I have been building magical memories and whenever I go… I feel my heart and spirit light up.

This past May long weekend seemed extra special and I felt more present, happy, relaxed and spiritual than ever before. We had the weather Gods on our side and basked in sunny, summer like weather the whole time. The island was lush, alive and buzzing with life. 

LAKE TIME

Our cabin is perched up a cliff from one of the 2 lakes on the island and we have a private dock on the lake to swim in. This is where you’ll find us after 4pm when the sun is shining on the dock, the wind has died down and the water has been warmed in the sun all day. Swimming in the lake is next to a spiritual experience as it feels like you have the whole lake to yourself. there are no boats allowed on the lake and rarely do you see someone swimming. The water is clean, clear and smells so fresh. It’s the best way to cool down at the end of the day.

OCEAN THERAPY

As many of you know, I feel very connected to the ocean and make an effort to walk down to connect and destress with a ocean walk here in Deep Cove al year round. But the beaches on Denman Island are all so different, some have smooth rocks that you can lie out on, some are filled with life  (crabs, envenoms, star fish etc…) and some have cliffs for exploring and jumping into the water.  The kids love spending hours down on the many beaches connecting to the sea life, searching the sand for shells and of course, swimming! This past weekend, since it was so hot, we were able to swim in the ocean even though its so early in the year. The best part of the whole trip was the bonfire on the beach we did at the spur of the moment, last minute decision by Travis. We got down to the beach around 7:30 pm as the sunset was starting to light up the sky like a dream and the warm breeze kissed our faces. We hadn’t planned on going swimming but the tide was coming up and the water looked so inviting so we all went skinny dipping as the first stars came out and then dried off by the fire. PURE MAGIC!

UNPLUGGED

Another reason Denman Island is so healing is that there is no WIFI at our cabin so our trip is mostly unplugged. Yes, if we hold our phone up at a certain angle you can sometimes get one bar, but you are mostly disconnected from the matrix. No EMF’s bombarding your system, no dings on your phone and no constant checking emails or instagram. It’s so good for me especially as I can be bad with my phone obsession. My kids don’t watch a lot of TV but up at our cabin, they don’t even ask:) This creates so much more time to be mindful, present and relaxed.

FARM FRESH FOOD

Food is medicine. We know that eating local, seasonal foods are best for our health, digestion and the environment. That is another reason why spring on Denman is amazing, and with this early summer we are having, the produce coming from the island farmers was abundant at the farmers market and at the local store. I ate 80% farm to table fresh, local organic food for the whole weekend and felt so connected to my food which lead to greater enjoyment of each meal. I have got to know the different farmers and love the connection and community at the market every Saturday. I always create new recipes and dishes while I’m up here as I have more time to enjoy the process and creating in the kitchen.

FAMILY TIME

Our cabin is open concept, i.e. one big room where we eat together, sleep together and chill together. Luckily at this time of year it doesn’t matter how small the cabin is as we spend most of our time outside anyways, and honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way! I love and cherish the time we spend together playing cards, cooking and reading together. On this particular trip, me and the girls went to a kundalini and breath work class that was being offered as a new thing for them to try. I was so proud of the girls for sitting through a 90 minute class that has us sitting cross legged for most of that time. We always seem to find special things to do together as a family even if it’s just the time spent on the ferry.

Coming back to Vancouver I felt so filled up. There was no stress in my body, I felt rested and restored. Being on the island helps connect me to my intuition and I feel more in flow. I remember that it’s important to stay open to new and unplanned experiences and how to roll with this beautiful life I live.

With each trip I make back to the island, each memory made, I feel more at home in my own body and confident in my own skin. And the most important lesson I learn (and sometimes need to learn again) is:

Don’t lose sight of the very moments you are currently living, they are all pieces of the puzzle of your life.

Much love

Rebecca