NiciCzerwinski

I started my healing journey in 2010 when a lower back injury left me devastated with chronic pain. It was the pain that awoke me to the reality that I hadn't been taking very good care of myself.

Like most of us, I was sitting and staring at a computer screen too much. I had very little insight into my body, my inner life, and how those were connected.

Trying to heal my body led me to the ancient practice of yoga. I tried a lot of different things, saw all sorts of specialists and experts, but doing yoga was the only thing that gave me some relief and made me feel like I was taking charge of my health and recovery.

I practiced on my own for a long time before I found a home at The House of Yoga (HOYO) in Toronto in 2014 — the only Ganja yoga studio in the city.

Classes were hours long. Friday night's cannabis-assisted class would go on for five hours. The focus was not just on postures but on breathwork and meditation — the space was beautiful, and so were the people. I practiced, studied, and taught at HOYO until its closing in 2018. Here, I had the chance to experiment with a variety of plant medicines combined with my practice and ceremony. I also learned the invaluable healing touch of Thai Yoga Massage.

I'm also a trained social worker — I took the academic route from 2012 to 2017. My motivation has always been to work with people in a loving, genuine, and helpful manner.

In reality, I was often put off, disappointed, and shocked by the coercion, medicalization, bureaucracy, and focus on pathology in the field. I often felt like I was doing more harm than good. That said, I have done lots of work with community organizations that are invaluable to people who are struggling, and I've met the most amazing helpers, healers, and mentors along the way.

I gave birth to my daughter in 2019 — the hardest thing I've ever done. I had learned about the Wim Hof Method through my yoga training, but could never imagine myself in the cold. Like most of us, I'd been conditioned since childhood that cold was bad, dangerous, would make me sick.

After birthing for 12 hours in a tub in my living room, I figured I could handle a cold shower. I was right.

After House of Yoga closed I deeply missed my practice community, and being a new mum was often a lonely experience. I joined the Wim Hof Toronto group on Facebook and discovered Steve's weekly meetup down at the lake. I joined for the first time in December 2020, and knew right away I had found my people.

Practising outdoors and in natural waters added a new spiritual dimension. And then — completely unexpectedly — I met the most amazing man and the love of my life. Steve and I connected through our shared passions: body, heart, mind and spirit work, our love for nature, for learning and teaching, and for adventure and exploration.

And here we are, on the greatest adventure there is: love.