Women - Adventure & Leisure (30+)

About:
We are a growing group of women (aged 30+), living in and outside of Toronto, who want to get together (with good intentions) to build connections & friendships while participating in activities we enjoy, are impassioned by, and are curious about!

Some of the activities & social events we do are on the adventurous side and some are more calm and relaxing side. We also host online events.

Holding Space for and to Honor Women:
Our group is an intentional space for women to building meaningful & purposeful connections with each other while doing activities that are enjoyable, experiential, healing, and transformative!

References, themes, and discussions that come up regularly in our group circles & events relate to the more common lived experiences held by women, girls, mothers, and daughters (etc.). As women, we share similar experiences and stories (joyful ones and challenging ones) that help us relate to one another often with ease. This is partly due to our biological make up and also due to how we were raised, socialized, and cultured through our various stages of development as girls who eventually grew up to become the women we are today.

In many cases, group members identify and reference themselves (or women they know) not just women but also as daughters, mothers, wives, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, sisters, girlfriends, etc. We hold space for all the intersectional roles women play throughout our life journey as a graceful gesture of validation.

This is shared to help ensure those who express interest to join and those who are already part of the group are in alignment (wholistically) and agreement.

The Intention of Our Women's Group:
To welcome and bring together women (30+) who intentionally want to:

• Engage, exchange good energy and join events to have fun (first and foremost)!
• Build new connections, friendships, and strengthen existing relationships
• Raise frequency, vibrations, consciousness, and energy levels
• Improve wholistic wellness
• Push passed comfort zones to try new things and do more things we love
• Learn from others through sharing knowledge, being open minded, and peer mentorship
• Honor and celebrate authenticity in self and others
• Create positive and meaningful memories
• And more...

Toronto Midtown (aka Uptown) & Downtown Members:
Many of our events take place in midtown (particularly: Yonge-Eglinton, Davisville, Mount Pleasant, Forest Hill, etc. and Yorkdale, etc.), Yorkville, and downtown. These areas are relatively easy to commute to via car, Uber or TTC.

Please note that while this group has many women & events in midtown, this is not a "midtown" group and women outside Toronto are welcome to join! Also, we're not affiliated with any midtown groups or organizers.

Where Do Events Take Place?
This group is based in Toronto and many in-person group events & activities take place within the following city boundaries: North York (up to Sheppard), east to Broadview/Riverdale, west to Dufferin, and south to the lake. We also venture outside these areas especially (ie: High Park, Rouge Park, etc.) and for road trips and weekend getaways!

Some events take place online.

What Types of Events Can Members Expect?

• Outdoor events (hikes, kayaking, canoeing, picnics, skating, etc.)
• Road/Day trips; camping, cottage & cabin getaways, etc. Destination travel.
• Sports & Rec (ie: biking, rollerblading/roller skating, badminton, volleyball, etc.)
• Evening & Nights Out (ie: dancing, dinners, comedy shows, open mic nights, etc.)
• Movies Nights & Matinees
• Brunch & Shopping Dates
• Tea/Coffee Socials
• Online Events (ie: tea talks discussions, workshops & programs, spirituality calls, etc.)
• Hobby Events (ie: online & in-person crafting, photography, writing sessions, etc.)
• Self-care Days (ie: spa, meditation, Yoga, etc.)
• Beach Days (ie: Toronto Island or other locations in or outside the GTA)
• Visits to artisan & farmer’s markets
• Festivals, concerts, museums, and theatre dates
• GoTransit Adventures (ie: to Niagara Region, Hamilton, etc);
• Other...

Adventurous:
As a side note, the reference "adventurous" is subjective and relative to each person. As such, it doesn't only/always mean doing "extreme" or thrill-seeking activities. Sometimes being adventurous simply means doing something outside one's comfort zone or norm. So for our group, adventurous means those who are open to doing things like indoor rock climbing, Via Ferrata, snow tubing (etc.) and also means those who are open to meeting new people, doing a spontaneous daytrip or weekend get-away, or simply trying something new!

Common topics & themes that come up in our group include:

• Self improvement, wholistic health & wellness (esp. for women), and mindfulness;
• Recreation, fitness & nutrition;
• Relationship building, conflict resolution, effective communication;
• Self-healing, self-transformation, cycles (phases) of change etc.
• Practicing forgiveness, gratitude, spirituality, etc.
• Life transitions: moving, changing jobs, separation/divorce, phases of parenting
• Creating space for happiness, joy, and radical acceptance;
• Intentional living, abundance vs scarcity mindsets; focus on divine feminine energy
• Exploring relationship, education & career trends, financial literacy, investments
• Hobbies, passions, special talents (gifts), etc.
• Alternative and natural healing remedies, modalities, etc.
• Creating new habits, patterns, and connections
• Practicing letting go and setting intentions (manifesting)
• Being present to periods of grief & mourning and how we support others
• Increasing emotional intelligence, self awareness, etc.
• Exploring different cultures, trends, traditions (differences & similarities) etc.
• And lots more!

Intentional Spaces:
This group is an intentional space for women "to be" and to continue to evolve and discover new aspects and layers of self along our individual journey and life paths. While all women can request to be part of the group, please note, most women who join refer to themselves (and identify) as "women" from a biological sense. As a result, topics, themes, and discussions in our group will centre women from said perspectives.

This is to help ensure we stay mindful to intentionally honor, respect, embrace, protect, and celebrate the related lived experiences; some of which are sometimes very sensitive, related to trauma, or that may include physical changes girls & women commonly go through (or will go through).

While this is an inclusive space, this information is shared (from a trauma informed and culturally sensitive lens) to help ensure all women in our group are comfortable and safe to participate and share as they need. Also, this is not a political group. We are a circle of women holding space for each other as we are.

What are members responsibilities for being part of this group?

• Have a picture of yourself in your profile (unless there's a safety or privacy concern)
• Answer all screening questions; indirect/dismissive answers won't be validated
• Practice respect and boundaries for self and others
• Unwelcoming & unwanted energy and otherwise negative treatment towards anyone in the group will not be tolerated; we remove those who repeatedly violate others and participate in lateral violence (aka sometimes referred to as horizontal violence). It's commonly referred to as behaviors noted in workplaces or amongst certain cultural communities but it happens in general social situations as well
• Only share what you feel comfortable within the group; honor yourself always
• If you RSVP to an event but can't make it, change RSVP 24hrs before start of event
• Group photos are to be shared only via Google Album to help respect & protect member's privacy; photos may be used by the group organizer for promotional purposes.
• Read event descriptions carefully before RSVP; always check for event updates
• Only attend events that resonate and align with what you are truly seeking

Participation Fees & Donations:
Most events are free, however, some events will have a fee and sometimes the fee charged is to reserve/secure your space at a particular event. If there is a fee for an invent, info about the reason will be provided.

Collected fees (and all donations) are used to help with costs to plan, host, organization, maintain & promote the group. To learn more, click here.

Fees & Donations are emailed to: iamintentionallyliving@gmail.com.

Disclaimer:
This group is not be used as an alternative or substitute for therapy or counselling. , Any health information shared is for education & discussion sake only. Please always consult a health care professional and licensed physician with any health questions and to cross reference information shared at events.

Sometimes, we will have guests who are licensed physicians and related experts.

Any member found to have misrepresented themselves through the screening process will be noted as not meeting member responsibilities or respecting the intention of the space. As such, they'll be removed for this reason.

Contact Info:
If you have any suggestions for meetups and activities, please let me know. As well, if you're interested in collaborating, leading a workshop or discussion, or if you'd like to co-lead or co-host an event, let's connect! We also have affiliate meetup groups: Intentional Living Social Hub (the "hub") & Healing Circle Toronto.

You can reach me (Paris) by DM, in event chats, or by email at iamintentionallyliving@gmail.com.

Thank you for joining our group! I am looking forward to connecting with you at an upcoming meetup!

BeLight (aka "Be" and Paris)

(Updates - May 2023; Sept. 2023).