I’m obsessed with everything Health & Wellness! In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors and in nature as much as possible with my dog Oliver. My favourite place to be is in Bruce County as I’ve spent most of my life up there exploring & appreciating what the great outdoors has to offer us. Locally, I enjoy going to any trail or natural area, Victoria Park, Laurel Creek, The Grand River & Bloomingdale. I love to hike, walk, run, bike, swim & do light resistance training for exercise. I practice yoga & meditation daily. I also enjoy reading all types of books and listening to all genres of music & podcasts. I spend most of my spare time connecting with my spirituality & higher power to allow for constant personal growth. I’m obsessed with astrology, the moon phases, planets, nature, plants, animals, boho decor, boho fashion, and anything to do with the universe! I’m super close with my family and enjoy spending as much time with them as possible along with my closest friends. I believe what we fuel our body with makes us who we are. I LOVE water and focus on eating whole foods!
I decided to become an RMT when I was very young. In the summertime, my family would spend our time between my mom’s parent’s farm and my dad’s parents cottage. I saw how much effort and physical labour had to be put into the upkeep of both properties and especially all the hard work that farming entailed. Since I had the gift of healing, small & strong hands, I would offer to massage my grandparents' hands, shoulders, and feet after a long day of work. When I was around 10 years old my Grandma had mentioned that Massage Therapy was something I was good at and should look into it as a career when I was older. I didn’t believe it was a real career, I just thought it was something kind you did for the people you loved. That planted the seed & it just continued to grow from there!
My favourite part about working at Knots is the community. It was a dream of mine to cultivate a space that felt like a home away from home. Somewhere you’d visit & all of your worries would disappear from the moment you walked in the door. As if you were entering your home or safe space. I wanted to provide a place to let everything go & just relax. Knots attracts really awesome people with great energy, including my co-workers. I believe that the kind of energy you hold in a space makes all the difference in the environment and attracts the energy that you want to be a part of.
My favourite self-care tip is to schedule in time for yourself! This is an absolute MUST in my life. My life is set up to work for me and around my health and wellness. If it doesn’t fit with my values or beliefs, I don’t do it. I always dedicate Wednesday’s & Sunday’s into my schedule as self-care days. Those days focus on renewing & revitalize my soul so that I can be ready for the week. Doing it on Wednesday allows for a mid-week decompression & Sunday allows me to enjoy the day before another work week gets started. My favourite relaxation tip would be dedicating a self-love & self-discovery routine into your life. The biggest one for me is an evening of aromatherapy, candles, Epsom salts, bubble bath, at-home facial, relaxation music, crystals, meditation & yoga. This allows me to focus purely on my wellness before bed and allows me to unwind, practise gratitude, and dream without being interrupted. I splurge every once and awhile on a bath bomb, bubble bath, Epsom salt, tea or kombucha to keep the routine exciting & something to look forward to. It’s important to create an experience for yourself to keep it interesting and as something you know is good for your soul! It’s hard to pick one tip so I do have to add another one. It’s been crucial for me to focus on my breath and my posture all the time. Breathe in & out of your nose using your diaphragm & expanding your core. Focus on your thoracic spine (middle of your spine) and pushing it forward through your chest. Watch your posture change, tension subside & your breathing will be a lot easier too!
My favourite part of the KW community is the on-going support of local businesses. The heartbeat of a local business is the neighbours, friends, family, connections & referrals within the KW community. Without our generous and gracious community, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Without you we wouldn’t be able to be ever-expanding, changing, or growing to serve you better!
Yours in health,
Taylor Dirstein, CEO, RMT, CMMT