PRAISE
Ahava, YOU gave me my writing back. I received the impression from my high school teacher that I couldn’t write very well, but I kept journal after journal and had poems hidden on scraps of paper. I’m so happy (and not afraid) to play with words in any style, language, form and shape!
Thank you for your gentle and persistent guidance. You continue to give me inspiration.
Bernadette Mertens-McAllister
Ahava, you have a kind, gentle, patient energy about you which allows space to be creative and messy without judgement. It was lovely to connect with myself and the other beautiful women in this course to share our writing and our stories. I found it very supportive and healing.The prompts were helpful as well as reading my words out loud. Also it was supportive to know that I wasn’t the only one at times struggling to string words together.
Donna Shea
Healing, therapeutic! Every week it’s been powerful that with a simple (profound) invitation, and with a certain space created, big things can happen.
Ahava, you are so meant to do this work. It’s so powerful to be led, facilitated by somebody who is really so good at what they do. I love the structure. I love the 2 hours. Very fulfilling!
Joni Van Ommen
I learned that I can process hard things through writing about them. I value listening to others’ writing. I find others’ work very inspiring. I want to try writing more regularly i.e. cultivate a regular writing practice. I can do this!
This is a sacred place where your work is so lovingly held and where you are gifted with the work of true artists. Ahava has writing prompts that come right from the heart.
Jacqui Gingras
My experience was one of freedom, discovery, nourishment, growth and of meeting myself in the present, where I am now.
It allowed me to dream. It took me to a peaceful place within where my voice is okay. It took me to a future of stories not yet written. My mental process shifted, becoming happier, more creative and playful, largely due to the safe container this journey offers.
Rachel Thompson
Taking time to be with myself. Giving myself permission to take two hours every week to stop and reflect not just on myself but on the universality of our shared experiences. I realized how vulnerable we all are and that it is OK to be vulnerable.
Ahava, you made it safe to reveal our vulnerabilities.
Tanis Smythe
Ahava created a space of growth and reminded us it is okay to feel. We were in a process of discovery, empowering ourselves by learning to see and stay open inside the discomfort we felt when giving voice to something we hadn’t spoken or shared before.
She mirrored the voices found through our writing which helped us to feel the power of our own wisdom and words. She echoed and distilled the essence of what we shared. It was a very powerful thing to hear our own words played back like that. That’s quite a skill. She facilitated a space where we all felt comfortable to be present and sensitive. An exponential thing that happened amongst the energy of the group.
Christine Oades
Delving into the playfulness of writing transformed and reignited my connection to my voice, my writing and the inspiration of sharing and listening. I worked through a writer’s block, and found a lot of growth came through incorporating my personally vast ways of writing: a balanced sense of writing with the infinite and the intimate.
I learned the value of what my pieces contain, and was reminded that no matter who it reaches, with myself is enough. The beauty of the relationship of heart/soul/mind and pen + paper is a truly divine one. Whether an outlet for emotion, a pot to stir a story unto or a space to create and or release energy, it is an all-encompassing space of flow.
A divine tool for light amid dark, or dark amid light.
Minah Jacobson
Having the workshop setting has me carve the time out to do the reflection and writing. I do bits and pieces on my own but what I so appreciate is the time to focus and with having these two hours, that set time. I so appreciate the bit of structure and the bit of freedom with it, it always amazes me the direction it takes my reflections and my writing. I appreciate being a part of a group, the total benefit of being able to write alone and together.
Ahava, thank you for developing this and offering it, because it’s just such a good idea. Since the Home Words training, I have been using it with a Mother’s Wellness writing group.
Maryanne Benwood
This work is about lovingly deconstructing barriers to exploring your mind, and reconstructing gentle, loving space that honours writing. I want to keep exploring being myself and share that growth. I think this work is very important in my work in helping writers to talk about sex and gender.
Katie Aitken
This is an opportunity to become free with your writing. The safety and support will allow your creative spirit, inherent in you as the beautiful human you are, to shine and come forward. It will give you permission to open up all your baggage, stories, suspicions, musings, and let it out – in all its smelly, juicy glory. Go for it!
Sheila
Thank you for your gentle, respectful presence this past spring, Ahava. You helped me through some bleak times.
Joan
As with almost everything that is good for me, I had a lot of resistance. What I got from the space Ahava holds and the simple inquiries is that they run so deep and so quickly.
To be a person that holds space and then to be held, is such a gift. I want to just take it for myself but it does impact other people. Your holding of me impacts the people I hold and so it’s this really holistic circle.
It’s so beautiful, like every single time. It always leads to something that is surprising and catharctic and healing and connective, being in a group, doing it together. It’s the big goal that holds us and it’s so good.
Shauna Devlin
I found the experience working with Ahava so fulfilling. It meant so much for me to join this course at this time of my life. Even though I am 2 years post separation, I hadn’t ever gotten to the part of truly healing from, and having Woman in Mirror to explore my healing and the effects of my marriage, in a new way, writing, was very great.
Metta Rose
This course is healing and full of love. Meeting the group of women and writing together was an intensely meaningful experience. Ahava has a way of bringing out the love, respect, confidence and desire to learn and get to know others.
Donna Boyes
I loved hearing how others were approaching their writing. Some from grief, others from older issues of the past.I also found more freedom with the poetry of writing. It isn’t a linear process. Memoir can go almost anywhere.
Woman in Mirror helped me discover what touches people, what makes them think more deeply. In spite of my own insecurity, she created a perfect atmosphere that led to creativity and stretching. I will continue to write, this time with greater insight, creativity.
Nancy Mcdonald
It has been a transformative and transitional time in my life. Ahava, your course, your time, your efforts, your guidance, your listening, was a big part of the grounding force that held space for me to rise into the being I am in this present moment. I am grateful and thankful.
The more I allowed for free flow, and release of control, expectations, or limitations, both through my writing and the way it explored life around me, the more I received clarity and ease. I gained a lot of perspective from the experience of witnessing oneself, hearing oneself, and that of others.
Sharing in this circle of powerful storytellers, the lineages of the women in and around this circle, engulfed me in a higher vibration of creativity, playfulness, empowerment and unconditional love from an open heart.
Aimée Ceballos
Through Woman in Mirror, I learned/remembered the power of writing to transform what felt very confused/sticky into something I could work with. I think I have been holding other people’s stories for so long that I forgot I even had a story and that it too, needs to be told.
My desire is not only to do my own personal growth work but also to begin to connect with other smart, strong women who are doing their work as it is such an inspiration.
Shauna Kowalchuk
Setting aside and creating the space in my week and life is the most powerful thing. Having a group of women and the mentorship of Ahava feels like sweet permission for me to stop everything else (dishes, laundry…) and write. She is welcoming, gentle and kind; her soft approach allows the space for all words to be okay. Coming together to write with other women, connecting to our hearts and bodies and each other allows me to feel change and more is possible.
These places we feel safe and heard and seen are holy places and I am grateful to have found mine in Woman in Mirror with Ahava!
Ciara Chamberlaine
Thank you so much Ahava for this experience of Woman in Mirror and drawing on my life experience to write. You made it fun, safe, and accepting of the process at whatever level.
I recognize that writing is like any other skill. It requires time effort and a serious commitment. I am very much a novice to the process. I learned many interesting things about myself. The freedom and trust experienced in this online forum was a very emotional experience and totally unexpected. I find myself remembering the shared stories and artful telling with true emotional connection.
Denise McCracken
Ahava was fabulous leading Woman in Mirror. She was very compassionate to everyone, and perceptive to where we were at in our writing. It was beautiful how she spoke to each woman, encouraging each of us with where we were at. She is very intuitive and wonderful at managing all the different places the women were in life and with their different stories. It was touching the ways that she responded to our writing. I loved the prompts, writing the letter to ourselves.
I soaked up the energy of the women, their words. It was a huge gift to be part of it.
T. G.
I was very self conscious to begin with but I felt your gentle nature and nonjudgmental approach made it quite easy to be there and to participate. The prompts were very helpful, sharing what we read aloud was scary, but I actually enjoyed it. I really loved hearing the other stories from the women in the class.
I loved learning a new technique to keep me inspired and not get caught up in getting it “right”.
Anastasia Williams
I found the prompts to write and reflecting on the writing process to be very helpful. Having an obligation to make time to write was also very helpful. Making time to write was always a challenge. Comparing my writing to others at first, made me feel uncomfortable. I was able to overcome it by the second session, understanding that it was my writing, my process and my goals. Ahava, your supportive, non- judgemental approach was what I appreciated most.
Louise Douaire
Writing Alone Together was amazing, the sharing both by listening to others and reading my own writing. I could trust enough to express myself honestly. I liked Ahava’s gentle feedback when we shared and valued her love and compassion.
Carol Duncan
Ahava skillfully coaxed voices we didn’t even know we had out of us and onto the page, then more and more pages.
Guiding us in Writing Alone Together, she provided the perfect balance of support, encouragement, and loving kindness, leading us through a beautiful process of unfolding and exploring our journeys through writing, sharing, and holding space for one another. Ten writers were born that weekend.
Margaret Schultz
I contacted Ahava to help me with my dream project of creating a professional spoken word poetry book. I already had most of my poems in rough draft stage; however, I didn’t know where to go from there. I was unsure how to edit my poems professionally and didn’t know the steps I needed to take to put a book together. Thankfully, a friend recommended Ahava! She not only helped me self-publish a book but she also taught me the skills to do it. She possessed a magical gift of spurring me on, pushing my writing skills and holding me accountable to my goals, from helping me set a vision and intention for my book to developing the editing skills to encouraging me to embrace my voice and share it loud and proud! I’m honoured to have worked with Ahava. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a brilliant and kind person to collaborate with!
Sebastian Gaskarth
Working with Ahava has been both joyful and transformational. She is compassionate and listens deeply. She always knows the exact right question to have you ask yourself! She is well resourced and knowledgeable, and has a well of experience and insight on which to draw. Facing some of my biggest fears was scary and challenging but I was up for the challenge and it was time. I learned how to “walk with my fear” rather than try to rid myself of it, which is not really possible! I also discovered that resisting the fear is far worse than walking with it.
Thank you so much Ahava for guiding me in this last 6 months. Having the framework of the Gates of Loving Inquiry with which to work through different aspects of myself was invaluable.
Gail Muise
I am so in wonder of Ahava and the Gates of Loving Inquiry. She helped me to create an entirely different relationship with my creativity and released me from a lot of inner turmoil and torment. In this space with no pressure, a lot of love, acceptance, support and most importantly recognition, I have been able to find a lost part of myself that I thought I would never reclaim. I never imagined I would get this much from this year. I learned that I can completely trust my creative process, that I can stop questioning my creative choices. I can trust what materials I am drawn to and what I want to do with them, without needing to intellectually justify these choices.
Thank you Ahava for this amazing year of release and for the finding of buried treasures at long last discovered.
Jane Mackenzie
Loving Inquiry opened the doorway to possibilities that were untapped, stored away deep within. It was good to enjoy creating again, returning to quilting and fiddling with fabric, trying new things, and writing. I have never kept a journal so this was an interesting insightful process for me, how a question could often produce so many more questions. Learning to touch my heart and say “stop” when I am having unkind thoughts about myself: I will take this with me for the rest of my life.
Always welcoming, warm and kind, encouraging and skillfully guiding everyone to explore their creativity, Ahava, because of your generous spirit, you have created the opportunity for women to explore their lives with curiosity, openness and compassion.
Judith Barnett
Every two weeks when I received a gate, it was like a present, written just for me!
Your poems, your own experience as a learner in life, and the questions you asked were always thought-provoking.
I often didn’t know what I was going to say as I started writing, and then ended up being surprised about what had happened. My journal became a companion who would always listen to me without judgement. And it became a vehicle for my meanderings about the art exhibitions I saw and my photographic projects.
Thank you, Ahava, for your gentle attention and guidance.
Denise Okan
My growth happened around changing my personal story from one that was about weakness, fear and ‘stuckness’ around my creative process to one of strength, joy and having a vision for myself. The transformation to my inner soul is quite remarkable.
I loved being pulled into other women’s creative process and hearing how we all approached the very same prompt was wonderful and rich.
Ahava, you have this wonderful ability to listen and then reflect on what I shared with you. Always, whatever it is you said or challenged me to do, it was just right. You are really good at creating a safety net for fragile creators, there is no judgment, no shame, no blame, just celebration of whatever little steps I took towards opening into my bigger self, thank you.
Rineke Jonker
Through Loving Inquiry, my creativity was freed. I could play and feel great with the results, without judging myself or waiting for others’ approval. I realized just how important it is for me to tell stories, to help others tell theirs.
As my mentor, Ahava encouraged me to find imaginative ways to address the places where I felt stuck. She offered me the opportunity to explore a variety of areas using my own artistic means of expression: words, collage, poetry, painting.
There was always an ease in working with Ahava that felt like a collaboration. What I like most about working with her is that she encouraged me to see the possibilities rather than limitations.
Ahava was open to listening to where we are at as individuals, respecting our own process, work style, and whether we wanted to share. She was encouraging, playful, flexible. Working with Ahava is working from and in the heart.
Sam Barlow
Thank you for a sweet and deep creative journey of Loving Inquiry. It is like a warm embrace drawing us into an intimate space of beauty and peace where we explore our passions, pain and promises about life and living.
I felt so loved and embraced by your kindness. I learned how to give my story the time and attention it deserves, so my audience could be drawn into each living moment. You have an amazing gift for listening and co-creating poetry with music, movement, props and thoughts.Thank you for expanding my creative consciousness, helping me to appreciate my golden years and turning my straw into gold and my dreams into reality.
Participating in an afternoon of Writing Alone Together with a dynamic and interesting circle of women has been a treat for my soul. I emerge at the end of the afternoon feeling lighter, inspired, nourished and joyful from the experience of exploring the inner spaces of our hearts, our minds and our souls through our writing.
I am deeply grateful to Ahava for being a caring catalyst in the unfolding of who we are as authentic women.
Premilla Pillay
I couldn’t have planned anything better for me to be part of Loving Inquiry.
Writing and journaling and discussing my process of grief has been a very healing and loving journey.
I am so very grateful to Ahava and each woman in this group for their loving support.
Charlene Wolff
What I valued most was the way you gave me permission to not know what would happen, to explore and discover what was possible, what was needed moment to moment.
You believed in me and communicated this through your words and your actions, helping me believe in myself and my writing project.
You brought the heart of a brave companion, and the intelligence of an experienced writer, together wrapped in love and curiosity.
Lynda Monk
Loving Inquiry helped me re-connect with myself. It brought clarity to what I love, and who I am.
Ahava created a space to step into more of my creativity. Her presence inspired me and allowed me to play more, risk more, and most importantly believe in myself more. I feel like I am standing straighter, like I am honouring myself and my unique ideas.
Ahava, you are incredible at listening to others and then repeating back what you hear, and then either sharing your own wisdom from experiences or posing interesting pointed questions to help us with where we are at.
Julie Howard
Thank you for creating this space of Loving Inquiry in which I can be open-hearted and playful, explore who I am and what I want to be doing with my life.
The periods of transition are the hardest times in my life. I grasp for the things that give me security, like the past. Ahava offers a tangible tool that’s giving me a way to move through this challenging time. Instead of beating myself up or falling into despair, I am learning to use this time of transition to learn new ways of being.
When I walk through a gate, it’s like a transformation!
Ariana Salvo
What Ahava does is hold my hand. Ahava knows that I know the way, and so she gently reminds me that my own wisdom lies within me. Through Loving Inquiry, Ahava has taught me a new way to see and to listen. To be able to witness her beautiful, playful way in the world has been such a blessing in my life.
My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t feel like I belonged and that I would feel inadequate. I also feared the criticism that I might continue to give myself. The group allowed my to express these fears and to hear other women with similar fears. I now feel supported and know that these are all normal fears and insecurities. Knowing this has somehow given me strength in further pursuing my vision. I have more trust in myself and other people.
Ahava, what I really loved about you as a facilitator is that you really do just go with what is happening at the moment. You really trust the moment and you work with it and this helped me to relax and open up to the experience too. I also love to see that you are learning about yourself along with us. I see that you are just as much a student as you are a teacher. It feels good to know that we are offering you gifts in your journey- things that you will probably offer to future students!
You are also a bit silly- and I love that!
Odette Graham
Ahava, I loved your spontaneity in facilitating our group this past weekend! The benefits I received were many and varied:expanded creativity, greater confidence in following my own unique path and deeper insight into my truest gifts.
The warmth of your Loving Inquiry brought out the best in us. With gratitude, I basked in the beauty of all that is feminine. Circles within circles…a playful and moving experience.
Sheila Sayer
Ahava gently guided us as a mother teaches her child to walk, encouraging us to abandon our fear as we move toward expressing freely the words already written on the heart.
Thanks for lovingly giving of your time and talent. Since taking your workshop, I’ve been able to unlock and set free the words that were trapped within.
Judy Dios
Ahava helped me to ditch the self-sabotage talk, to do away with that attitude. It’s a confidence, self-worth thing.
Ahava set a tone with her voice and the space that was very calming and relaxing. She is easy to talk to and very open-minded, like a soul sister. She encouraged us to look at our ideas with fresh eyes and a fresh approach. It was very exploratory and rewarding.
It was also inspirational to see how other women are creating their lives.
Amy Gessinger
It was perfect and gentle and just what I needed. After having a business for ten years, I really needed to shift and reevaluate what is important. Ahava provided that new perspective on things.
My most valuable learnings were how to examine my fears, how to re-create my vision without the old story getting in the way and how to value what I do in the world. I feared that my ideas or offerings would not be good enough or compare to the other women’s background.
Ahava showed me that there are no right or wrong ideas, that we all bring to the world what we are best capable of offering in the most pure and joyful way because we are all so unique. The value was in hearing the stages of growth and struggle and what worked and what didn’t work for the other women. Ahava’s Loving Inquiry was very supportive, non-judgemental and nurturing.
Rachel Ogis
Your mentorship in Loving Inquiry helped me to slow down and pace myself through my process. I appreciated this as it helped me to go deeper into my journey. I feel more relaxed now that I took the time to explore and listen into my ideas in a deeper way. I loved gathering with woman in a heart-centred container. I enjoyed hearing where other people were at on their journey as it was a great reflection of my own journey and process.
I liked your calm centred presence, and the way you held the space and stayed in a very Open place of listening to the needs of each person. I also appreciated your enthusiasm, excitement and humble presence. Thanks Ahava for this wonderful experience. It was enriching in so many ways.
Kari Mathieson
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