Conscious Connect: The weekend that was

Conscious Connect: The weekend that was

I woke up on the 19th of September feeling excited and slightly nervous. Why nervous, I’m not entirely sure, perhaps it was because I knew I was about to be a part of something special and unique, something I hadn’t seen before. For context purposes, I’ll elaborate on what had me so amped at 8 o’clock in the morning. (And as much as I wish I did, it isn’t usual for me to wake up amped and excited- unless I have a reason, like travelling… ah the good old days of travel, sigh, anyway I digress). I was so excited because I was tuning into Conscious Kenya’s wellbeing weekend. And for those of you who may be unaware, Conscious Connect was a weekend-long event dedicated to wellness and learning, with a focus on building community within the wellness space in Kenya.

I had a look at the program a few days before the event, to know what would be coming up, and to select which sessions I would like to tune in to, and was pleasantly surprised to be overwhelmed with choice. From yoga, to meditation, tobreathwork, to learning how to help heal the body naturally, there was so much to choose from. Knowing that there were so many wellness tools in Kenya put a smile on my face.

I selected the sessions which I would be attending (all of which were free online, with three payable in-person sessions, a total of 18), and waited eagerly to zoom in to my first. (I must mention that this was a virtual wellness event, and most of the sessions were held virtually or live-streamed from a certain location).

The first session I attended was one on mindfulness, and I was immediately drawn in by how simple it was. The session was hosted by Kirit Kishan, a mindfulness practitioner, who educated us on what mindfulness is, what it’s not and how it can positively impact your life. Throughout her session I was avidly taking notes for future reference, not wanting to forget a single word that was said. From this session I learnt about the importance of practicing “non-judgement” and being patient with the mind as it learns to readjust to a new way of thinking and processing. This session was a brilliant start to an informative weekend, and it let me know of the quality of speakers and practitioners that were to be expected ahead.

Throughout the weekend, I heard about various interesting and intriguing topics such as;  Body Talk and how to practice keeping the body calm under duress, how to consciously create your own personal healing space, and learning of the healing wisdom our bodies naturally have. It was an exciting, informative and intriguing experience, and I found myself going onto www.consciouskenya.com to find out more about the practitioners and what they do, and who they are.

Everything about the weekend was fascinating, and fun (it’s always fun to learn more about ourselves… well fun for me). I walked away from that weekend feeling like I’d learnt a little more about my subconscious and conscious mind, and learnt how to exercise patience and kindness in the journey of consciousness.

I would implore anyone who is reading this to take the time and look into some of the wonderful work that is happening in the wellness space in Kenya. To learn about what practices are of interest to you, and those which are not. The research and result is so worth the time.

I can’t wait for the next one!