ER&L has partnered with Rach Junard, a movement and wellness educator, to bring wellness programming to ER&L.
Portrait : Aubrey Janelle Photography
Rach Junard (she/they) is a multi-faceted creative that ties their background in wellness, DEI, digital fundraising and tech together to emphasize the importance of collective care. In their work as a facilitator, Rach helps organizations and individuals transmute their energy from a place of intention to a place of action. They don’t believe in handing you the tools and a guidebook, Rach will offer a unique perspective and help you navigate your questions and path.
Wellness sessions at ER&L include:
Yoga on Monday and Wednesday, Meditation & Breathwork on Tuesday,
and a special interactive workshop on how to create a sustainable foundation of being “well”.
We asked Rach a few questions to get to know them
and to learn more about what they’re bringing to ER&L!
Bonnie: Like a lot of fields, we have so many people in our community feeling levels of stress, burnout and fatigue. Where do you even begin when talking to a group of people who feel overwhelmed with the demands of pandemic life?
Rach: I’ve found with the pandemic that it’s easy to get into the snowball effect of feeling everything at an overwhelming amount. I like to peel back the layers and start with the core essence of what do you need on a daily basis and what does it mean to redefine success for where we are right now? We need to find new ways to develop better routines so we can identify burnout before it happens.
Bonnie: If you could give people one thing to do to help them when everything feels like too much, what would you suggest?
Rach: When things are too much, pause, rest, and be. To prepare for moments like these, I like to talk about making a self-rescue kit. A kit that you make ahead of time, maybe a letter to yourself, your favorite scents, activities like coloring or board games, maybe a cute fuzzy toy. Basically, a kit of things to turn to when you feel overwhelmed and need a moment (or several moments) to ground yourself.
Bonnie: How about you? What do you do to help you keep balance?
Rach: For me, I like to ground my days with simple routines, checking in on my friends, getting outside with my dog as much as possible and not putting more than 3 things on my to do list daily. These are typically a mix of “big” things and “small” things, like mailing a package and doing my laundry.
Bonnie: What can ER&L attendees look forward to in your programming at ER&L?
Rach: Attendees can look forward to a sense of ease and support with my programming. We’ll have moments of self inquiry and going at your own pace determined by your breath. We’ll also be able to engage in a conversation on wellbeing and what that means now and how we can individually and collectively support ourselves.
Bonnie: Should we do anything to prepare to join the wellness session at ER&L?
Rach: Come with an open mind!
