Discover tools to help you reconnect with presence and gratitude, even in challenging times.

Sometimes, joy doesn’t come from big life moments.

It’s hidden in the tiniest details: a warm cup of tea, the light through the trees, the sound of laughter.

Back in 2014, I had just returned home after two months at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, where I spent time healing on their Post-Traumatic Stress Recovery Unit. Coming home was a challenge. Everything felt unfamiliar. At that time, my nervous system was still in survival mode, and everyday transitions felt overwhelming.

Then one day, I saw a friend sharing her 100 Happy Days challenge. Each day, she posted something that made her smile. And just by seeing her posts, I began to notice my own moments of happiness.

So, I decided to give it a try.
For 100 days, I chose one moment each day to pause, notice, and name something I was grateful for, no matter how small. Some days, it was the simplest thing like my son's cozy toque, snow angels with Koda, the taste of fresh coffee. Slowly, those little moments became a bridge back to myself.

That simple practice helped me reconnect with joy, presence, and gratitude even when life was uncertain.

Today, drawing from both lived experience and years of facilitating trauma-informed wellness experiences, I share tools like this with others who are ready to gently reconnect with their body and wholeness.

My philosophy of integrated wellness centers Reconnect with Joy as the pathway; a body-based, mindful approach that supports alignment between thoughts, emotions, and lived experience. We work with the body, mind, heart and spirit to create alignment and harmony between thoughts, feelings, words and actions.

If you’d like to explore ways to invite joy and grounding into your everyday life, at your own pace and in ways that honour your body’s wisdom, even in moments of challenge, grief, or change. I’d love for you to join me at my next wellness event where we explore simple body-based and mindful practices to help you feel more grounded, present, and alive.

Because when we notice what’s working, we begin to feel well again.

This work is rooted in trauma-informed, body-based practices and lived experience, and is offered as supportive wellness education rather than clinical treatment.

Michelle is a trauma-informed holistic wellness coach, artist, speaker, and founder of Owl’s Nest Coaching & Wellness Studio. Her work integrates somatic healing, body-based mindfulness, and expressive art practices rooted in lived experience, supporting individuals and communities in reconnecting with presence, resilience, and joy.