About

Dreaming the Tree Wellness came out of a very personal experience that carries a deep connection to three passions that began in my childhood – dreams, poetry, and trees.

dreams

Dreaming has been revered and nurtured by many cultures throughout time, around the world. Everyone dreams and Active Dreaming techniques assist in understanding the instructive information, messages, and the remembrance of dreams to deepen connections. Dreams help us all face and resolve issues whether they be deeply rooted emotional trauma or day-to-day challenges. At all stages of life, it is important to engage with our dreams, however, they become particularly meaningful when nearing the end of one’s life.

poetry

Poetry pulls back the curtains, walls, and boxes we’ve hidden our deepest feelings behind and invites it all out to breathe again. When this happens, it is the poet’s language – what Shakespeare calls, ‘gentle verse’ – that we carry in our lungs from every poem read that also settles what it stirred. To me, the healing aspect of poetry is summed up in a line from the book Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock, “Pain and beauty, our constant bedfellows”.

trees

How often do we pass by trees lining the street or path in a park without taking any notice of the invitation to slow down and meander? Though we may not notice them, the trees notice us. They bear witness to humanity, regardless of our actions. What does it take for us to get quiet long enough to hear the trees call? Trees have an abundance of healing to offer us if we are willing to accept their generosity.

My mission is driven by passion and is enriched by creativity.

I aim to empower, educate, and create safe space for dreamers, wounded warriors, the dying, and bereaved. This is accomplished using guided dream techniques that improve connection and shared experiences thereby allowing opportunities for each to explore, expand, and grow - now, and in death. In doing so, one’s perception of death changes from that of termination to transformation.

I'm Bethany, an
avid dreamer.

As an advocate for the larger dream community, I use the Active Dream techniques taught by Robert Moss to assist people in expanding experiences, connections, and understanding of the relationship between dreaming and death. Using my practices - yoga, meditation, Reiki, dreaming, ceremony, psychopomp - to inform my work with the dying and bereaved provides opportunity for all involved to create an experience that is unique and meaningful. I create a supportive and safe space for the transformative power of death using my skills, willingness, and kindness.

My dedication to poetry connects me to the words and language that describe me.

Adaptable • Receptive • Willing • Kind

I meet people where they are in the moment - without expectation, assumption, or judgment - and begin relationships from that place.
I embrace the opportunity to explore ideas as unique as the individuals who share them.
I am eager and fully engaged when my skills can improve circumstances and enhance a situation.
I endeavour to leave every interaction with all involved believing they were respected and supported in a way that feels good

My training is a point of departure that sharpens my skill.

I have pursued my passions over many years through a combination of training and personal experience so that I may offer support from a solid foundation.

- The Yoga Sanctuary: Hatha, Yin, and Restorative Yoga; Meditation, Sanskrit, Chant
- Empower Me Yoga: Yin Yoga; Meditation
- Komyo ReikiDo: Shoden, Chuden, Okuden Reiki; Meditation
- Foundation for Shamanic Studies: Shamanic Workshops
- Institute of Traditional Medicine: Contemplative End of Life Care (Thanadoula)
- Hospice Toronto & Journey Home Hospice: Hospice Volunteering
- Robert Moss School of Active Dreaming: Dream Teacher Training, Levels 1 - 3

My role in your journey begins with language that elevates our connection.

There are a variety of ways I hold safe space to support dreamers, wounded warriors, the dying, and bereaved.

Witness

I see and attest to the experience of transformation in dying, death, and moving beyond any physical form.

Corroborant

I confirm what we have always known about death and dying but have lost sight of overtime.

Support

I nourish and strengthen our understanding of death by supplying resources and methods for making grief livable.

Collaborator

I work in association with people who are dying and bereaved to create their best experience of death.

teacher

I impart knowledge in the art of dying through practices that enhance their experience in both life and death.

advocate

I defend the wants and needs of those who are dying to ensure they are respected and acknowledged.

My skills support you through grief.

My training and intuition allow me to readily uncover what has meaning for those involved and encourage clearer connections to what matters most.

By changing the perception of death as transformational rather than terminal, it is easier to accept the eventuality that our physical form will be discarded. It can be seen as an opportunity to experience something different on both sides. I see the physical body as a chrysalis for the soul. In it, we gather information and learn necessary lessons to emerge as our true selves, just like the butterfly, more beautiful than we were before this life. That is the transformation.
By supporting people as they navigate difficult and uncomfortable discussions, all involved will gain clarity by getting the information they each need to move things forward in a positive way. Advocating for the dying is an important part of guiding the conversation in a healthy direction.
By teaching dream techniques, anyone can learn how to connect as spirits without the encumberment of a physical form. With this experience, the concept of loss is greatly altered when it becomes clear one can continue this practice long after physical death occurs.
By collaborating with all involved, deeply meaningful ways to honour the memory of the person who is dying can be found. This may be through legacy projects, funeral planning, writing letters to be distributed at a specified time, etc. Such projects can last well beyond the immediate aftermath of death in an annual celebration, a periodic gathering, or other memorial rituals. Anything that has meaning can be done to both maintain a healthy connection and continue healing.
By gathering information for the resources available, care can extend well beyond our time together and enhance the feeling of support. Rarely are we aware of all the resources available so it is very important to have someone helping to gather, vet, and share viable options that will offer comfort and ease during our most challenging experiences.