Link:  Click Activities and then choose > Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation and Mindfulness

You can choose between 49 options for conscious of your breaths, an easy form of acupuncture, or a short Meditation before bed, such as One Word Mantra, Take a Breather, Play Some Tunes, Close Your Eyes, Count to 30, Observe Your Breath, Rub Your Temples. 

Timing: 1 minute

Source: My Sparrow 

Link: Spotify Podcast
 

Indigenous Healing 

Indigenous Medicine Stories aims to educate 
health professionals and the public about Indigenous healing. The podcast will highlight the lived experiences of Indigenous Knowledge holders, healers, and Elders and help professionals who practice Indigenous healing. 

Source: Indigenous Medicine Stories Podcast is a collaboration between AMS Healthcare and the Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Indigenous Health and Indigenous Traditional Medicine at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University.

Link: Mini courses
 

Awareness Meditations

With everything going on in our busy lives, we often forget how to be present and enjoy all the little things in life. Try these meditations to help you build awareness around different aspects of your body and mind. 
 

Timing: 5 micro lessons

Source: My Sparrow

Link: YouTube
 

Two-Spirit Healing & Teachings

Decolonizing Sex, Gender and/or Sexuality Keynote addressed many cultural traditions that have often been misrepresented or suppressed through the colonization process and are significantly different in perspectives about sex, gender and sexuality than those imported by colonizers, settlers and/or oppressors.

One tradition that was nearly lost is what is referred to as Two-Spirit (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Native peoples). This talk introduces information and reviews some of the known historical documentation of the diversity of gender, roles and expressions, sex and sexuality that existed in many Indigenous communities before colonization. 

Timing: 1hr 09min

Source: Harlan Pruden and Jess Dame - Indigenous Youth Wellness

Link: Video
In this series of videos, North American Traditional Indigenous Elder and Knowledge Keeper Wa Wa Tei Ikwe shares some of her teachings.

Timing: From 3 to 7 minutes

Source: Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute

Link: Meditation YT Channel 

Guided meditations inspired by indigenous teachings. whether you are indigenous or ally, enhance your journey towards reclamation or reconciliation by sitting in sacred circle for your mindfulness practice.

Source: Kookum moon You Tube channel

 Link:   Click Activities and then choose > Workouts

Workouts

69 different exercises to be done in 1 minute, such as Glute Bridge, Wall Sits, Single Arm Overhead Press, Dead Bugs, Sumo Squats, Bulgarian Split Squat. 

Timing: 20 minutes

Source: My Sparrow

Link: Colouring sheets Fish, Snow Bird, Flowers.

Mental wellness colouring sheets

These colouring sheets were created in collaboration with an Indigenous artist, Niigaanii Petahtegoose. 

Source: ACHWM Aaniish Naa Gegii: the Children’s Health and Well-being Measure

Link: Mini courses

Improve Your Posture

It's important to move our bodies in antagonist (opposite) directions to combat poor posture and keep your musculoskeletal system healthy. These simple exercises and poses will help to release any tension that you may have built up.

Timing: Less than 1 min each micro-lesson

Source: My Sparrow

 Link:   Click Articles and then choose > Choose Sleep and Fatigue

Sleep: Getting a Good Night Worth

Like good nutrition and exercise, adequate sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle. Sleep deprivation is an unrecognized cause of many problems, including accidents, illness, and poor job performance. It affects many people, and it's on the rise. Find out how your sleep habits could be affecting you, and what you can do to get a good night's sleep. 

Timing: 9 minutes

Source: My Sparrow

Link

Physical Activity and Changing Lifestyles

Source: National Collaborating for Aboriginal Health

 Link:   Click Articles, choose > Emotional Well-being and Support, and then click >  Online Life: Is It Healthy?

Online Life: Is It Healthy?

As we spend more and more hours on our computers, it's time we stop to consider some of the potential benefits and drawbacks of a life lived online. 

Timing: 13 minutes

Source: My Sparrow

Link: Click Activities and then choose > Personal Growth

Personal Growth

In one minute you can get one of 134 summarized suggestions about Goal setting and clarity, Focus, Self-reflection and awareness, Learning, growth, and habits; Gratitude and positivity. 

Timing: 1 minute

Source: My Sparrow

Link: Guide

This Reference Guide shares key concepts gathered from the study: Definition of Culture, Definition of Wellness, Indigenous Wellness Framework, and Common Cultural Interventions. Our wellbeing comes from a balance of four kinds of wellness,
Spiritual, Emotional, Mental, Physical.

Source: Guide - Indigenous Wellness Framework, from Thunderbird Partnership Foundation. 

 Emotional regulation & Neurodiversity: Executive functioning shapes how we organize, manage our time, and regulate emotions. But knowing that and building those skills are two different things. Source: Emily Kircher-Morris - Counseling and Education. Link

Podcast- Dynamics of Human Behaviour. Each episode we explore topics relevant to clinicians and mental health consumers. If you’re generally interested in psychology, psychotherapy, mental health, the brain & dynamics of human behaviour, then our podcast will certainly be of interest to you! Source: OICBT Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Link

Link: CAMH Mental Health 101 

This self-directed tutorial introduces the topic of mental health. The minicourse was made by CAMH Global learning academy. 

Timing: 20 minutes 

Source: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Link: Guidebook

The objective of this guide is to support Employees and Employers in their respective roles in communities.

Source: Thunderbird Partnership Foundation

Link: All My Relations

All My Relations is a podcast that explores what it means to be a Native person in the modern day. To be an Indigenous person is to be engaged in relationships—relationships to land and place, to a people, to non-human relatives, and to one another. All My Relations is a place to explore those relationships, and to think through Indigeneity in all its complexities.

Source: Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene - First Peoples Wellness Circle

Link:   Click Activities and then choose > Meditation and Mindfulness > Relaxation Techniques

Play some Tunes

Take a short pause and choose a song that brings you comfort or strength. For two minutes, focus on the music, the rhythm, the words, or how it makes your body feel. Let this moment help release tension and restore your energy.

When the song ends, take one slow breath and return to your day feeling more grounded.

Timing: 2 minute

Source: My Sparrow

🪶Guided Meditation: You are the medicine: choose to let go - tenth moon meditation, from Kookum moon.  Link

Podcast: Regulate your emotions.  Learn to engage with and address your emotions to leverage them in positive ways. From Tatsam - Therapy & self care  Link

Link: 🪶Video

Intentional Breathing Exercise

Be aware of your breath coming in and going out. Think about how your mood or emotions are affecting the way you’re breathing.

Timing: 3:31 min

Source: Qualia

Link: 🐦‍⬛ Audio

Stress Reduction Exercises

The following recordings are guided exercises for managing stress and anxiety through mindful awareness, breathing, and simple movements.

Timing: From 3 to 8 minutes

Source: Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute

Link: 🐦‍⬛ Click Mini courses and then choose > Breathing Exercises

Breathing Exercises

Looking to relax and de-stress? Our guided breathing exercises are perfect for you, helping to enhance focus and bring calm, no matter your experience level. 

Timing: 7 micro-lessons

Source: My Sparrow

Indigenous Adapted CBT (Mikwendaagwad Sacred Circle)

Link: Reflexion

This would be known as a mood tracking or activity tracking worksheet in traditional Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Use this tool to record & track daily feelings, activities, and experiences in the body & spirit to help you see where to focus to nurture balance in your body, mind, and soul.

Timing: 6.29 minutes

Source: Qualia Counselling Services

Link: E-Course

Multiple Loss Journey

Welcome to our online learning module on the Multiple Loss Journey. We’ll be looking at how to use this tool to better understand our grief and the grief of our co-workers, community, and clients.

Source: ABRPO AIDS Bereavement and Resiliency Program of Ontario

Link: Webinar 

Navigating Anxiety

This presentation serves as a conversational prompt for workplace conversations around anxiety and stress: What does your anxiety feel like, and what are you doing or what services are you accessing to care for it?

Timing: 10 minutes

Source: AIDS Bereavement and Resiliency Program of Ontario

• Distress Centers of Ontario Link
• Indian Residential Schools Survivor Crisis Support – 1800-721-0666 Link
• Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310 Link
• National Overdose Response Service (NORS) – 1-888-688-6677 Link
• Trans Lifeline – 1-877-330-6366 Link

• Indigenous meditation with Drumming: From Standing Strong Spirits Link
• Noojimo Mindfulness Meditation: 6 minute meditation in Love & Kindness with Standing Strong Spirit Link
• Grounding module: Getting Present with Yourself from ABRPO Link
• 5,4,3,2,1 Sensory Grounding: Infographic from ABRPO Link
• Bracketing - Refresh yourself:  module from ABRPO:  Link
• Guided square breathing: Video from U of Alabama  Link
• Self-care: Ideas that stick, even when you're busy from Headspace Link
• How to Become More Mindful in Your Everyday Life: Article from VeryWell Mind Link
   

• Zone of Fabulousness: Workbook  Link
• Solidarity Teams: Worksheet  Link
• You Are Made of Medicine: A Mental Health Peer Support Manual for Indigiqueer, Two-Spirit, LGBTQ+, and Gender Non-Conforming Indigenous youth  Link
• Talking Stick: Anonymous mental health and wellness chat line including peer support and connection to providers for Indigenous peoples to talk and be heard. Connection to culture-based support. Link

• Glimmers and Regulation resources and worksheet Link
• Expanding Resiliency self-reflection tool Link
• Wellness Wheel Package Link

• Teachings to Support Grief and Loss in First Nations, Inuit and Métis Communities: General information and resources on grief and loss, as well as personal stories and traditional teachings. Link

• Grief & Loss: Indigenous Wholistic Healing Services. Grief and Loss Therapeutic Workshop training manual with exercises and activities. Link

• Blackbird Medicines: Indigenous grief support group. Link

• AIDS Bereavement and Resiliency Program of Ontario (ABRBO): Numerous resources, including free mini courses on Grief Basics, When Grief Comes to Work, Grounding, Gathering to Remember (a module and zine of making memorials). Link 

• The Gen Grief: Toolkit. Embodiment tools and rituals to support grief work in community.  Link 

• Deep Grief: Audio episodes on conversations about grief facilitated by Bereaved Families of Ontario Toronto. From Music Therapy to conversations with death doulas. Offering insights on what may assist in the grief process.   Link 

• When Grief Comes To Work: Managing Grief and loss in the workplace. A Handbook for managers and Supervisors, from ABRPO. Link
• Waves of Grief, Currents of Liberation: Interactive resource collection, from ABRPO, for support and reflection for you to continue your good work within our movements for liberation. Link

Link: Website

The Miikaans Teachings

Feather Carriers, Wise Practices. Anishinaabe understanding about the whole development of the human before, during and after life

Source: Wise Practices

Link: Website

The Miikaans Teaching is an Anishinaabe understanding about the whole development of the human before, during and after life.

Source: Wise Practice

Link: Document

Developed with the intention of sharing practices, resources, and supports around honouring grief and loss – something you can get ideas from if/when a member, client, or someone whom the team works closely with passes on to the spirit world.   

Source: Oahas

Numerous resources around moving through grief, including free mini courses from AIDS Bereavement and Resiliency Program of Ontario (ABRBO):

• Grief Basics Link

• When Grief Comes to Work Link

• Grounding Link

• Gathering to Remember (a module and zine of making memorials). Link

 Link: Video

Honouring Our Loss and Grief. Individuals from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities speak about traditional ceremonies after a loved ones passes away and the experience of grief. 

Source: Canadian Virtual Hospice

Time: 23:07

Audio version of A Guide to Death Care in Ontario. Everything  you need to know, from BAO Bereavement Authority of Ontario. Link

You can go straight to the topic you need using the audio list below. Each topic shows the exact time in the audio.

• Introduction 0:12 min
  Terms You Need To Know 2:24 min

SECTION 1

• Before making arrangements 6:18 min
  
• Who has the legal authority to make decisions? 6:32 min
  
• Transporting the deceased body 7:56 min
  
• How to choose a Provider / Donate organs 8:14 min
  
• Services provided 9:10 min
  
• Minimum Services 12:00 min

SECTION 2

• Making some important decisions 12:10 min
  
• Family-led Death Care 14:20 min
  
• What are some funeral or memorial service options? 16:04 min
  
• Is a casket required and what are the options? 16:38 min
  
• Green burials 17:40 min
  
• What is embalming and is it required? 18:41 min
  
• What burial options do I have? 19:15 min
  
• How do I transport human remains out of the province? 20:15 min
  
• What can be done with cremated/alkaline hydrolysis remains? 21:01 min
  
• What are interment/scattering rights? 21:57 min
  
• Scattering: What is permissible in Ontario? 22:52 min
  
• What should I know about buying interment or scattering rights? 24:00 min
  
• Reselling interment or scattering rights 22:53 min
  
• Are there any types of financial assistance programs? 25:43 min

SECTION 3

• Your contract 26:22 min
  
• What should I know before signing a contract? 26:41 min
  
• How do I cancel a contract? 27:54 min
  
• Cancelling a contract for interment or scattering rights 28:30 min
  
• Your contract checklist  29:54 min

SECTION 4

• Pre-arranging and prepaying 31:56 min
  
• Why is planning ahead a good idea? 32:10 min
  
• What happens upon death? 32:35 min
  
• Do I have to pay in advance? 33:38 min
  
• How can I prepay my contract? 34:03 min
  
• How do I buy insurance to pay for pre-arranged services? 35:16 min
  
• What happens if prices increase after I’ve prepaid?  36:32 min
  
• What happens if there is money left over after everything in the contract is paid for?  38:24 min
  
• What happens if I want to cancel or change my prepaid contract? 39:04 min
  
• How is my prepaid money protected? 40:42 min
  
• Your prepayment checklist 41:50 min

SECTION 5

• Complaints 43:11 min

SECTION 6

• To learn more 44:13 min

• Death education resources: Podcasts, and death cafes listed, from Death Doula Ontario Network Link

• What to do when Someone dies in Ontario: Answers to common questions about what to do, and what support is available, when a loved one dies in Ontario, from Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. Link

• What do I need to know about funerals in Ontario?: The process of planning a funeral following the death of a loved one can seem overwhelming, from OCASI. 
  Link
• A Guide to Death Care in Ontario: A free guidebook written for families and the public to know their rights and responsibilities before entering into contracts with organizations, from BAO Bereavement Authority of Ontario. Link