ARIANN MIEKA
WELCOME TO THE 2025 CALENDAR WELLNESS CORNER
I’m thrilled to share this year-long journey of wellness with you! Starting January 1st, a new wellness practice will be released each month for you to explore. These practices are crafted to inspire mindfulness, self-care, and prioritizing your well-being.
A huge thank you to the incredible practitioners who’ve contributed to this series. I hope you revisit these videos throughout the year and share your experiences—I’d love to hear how they resonate with you. Cheers to a mindful, intentional, and inspired 2025!
June 2025: Art Therapy and Journalling with Satori Hassanali
This June, discover the world of art therapy and just how powerful creative journaling can be in your daily routine. In this special session, we’re joined by practicing art therapist Satori Hassanali, who offers a deeply insightful and reflective introduction to therapeutic art-making. While this isn’t a therapy session, it provides a rare window into how creativity can support emotional well-being, self-awareness, and everyday mental health.
With care and clarity, Satori invites you to try a simple drawing task (no art experience necessary) and explains how visual journaling can become a meaningful part of your self-care and reflection practice. He also walks us through how art therapy can explore and engage with what you've created—opening up new pathways to understanding yourself.
This video got me excited to start my own visual journaling process, and whether you’re new to the idea or already exploring your creativity, it’s sure to shift how you think about art, emotion, and self-expression.
All you need is a piece of paper, a pencil, and a little curiosity. Press play and see where it takes you.
Meet Satori Hassanali
Satori is a UK-registered art psychotherapist who currently provides art therapy services to both in-patient and out-patient adults living with psychiatric illness through St. Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital.
As a returning national scholar who earned his MA in Art Psychotherapy at Roehampton University in London, he remains committed to exploring and pioneering art therapy interventions across the many local and regional settings where they may be applicable. He is also a founding member of the Art Therapy Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
May 2025: Qigong and Marma Point Self Massage with Fallon Lutchmansingh
This May, reconnect with your inner rhythm through a calming, heart-centered session led by Fallon Lutchmansingh—biochemist, research scientist, Qigong guide, and founder of PIKO Community.Wellbeing. In this video, Fallon introduces us to Qigong, an ancient practice rooted in Daoist philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine, often described as moving meditation. With gentle, flowing movements and soft, rhythmic breath, Fallon invites you to come home to yourself—easing tension, softening your joints, and opening up space for ease and flow in both body and mind. After a light warm-up, she guides you through simple Qigong flows that anyone can try, then closes the session with a soothing marma point self-massage—a powerful bodywork technique that helps you clear stagnant energy and ground your nervous system. Whether you're new to energy practices or simply looking for a more intuitive way to restore balance, this practice is an open invitation to move with softness and breathe with intention. Press play and feel what shifts.​
Meet Fallon Lutchmansingh
Fallon Lutchmansingh is a biochemist, public health researcher, and wellness practitioner with over 15 years of experience leading national health initiatives in Trinidad and Tobago. Her research spans biochemistry, chronic disease prevention, and health policy—including coordinating the BOLD study with Imperial College and serving as lead scientist on the National Hyperglycaemia in Pregnancy Programme.
She holds an MPhil in Biochemistry from UWI and trained at the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit in Jamaica. Fallon also serves as Programming Manager for the Green Screen Environmental Film Festival, the Caribbean’s only eco-focused film event, where she merges science, sustainability, and storytelling to inspire change.
A dedicated martial artist, she trained in Shaolin Kung Fu for nine years before studying Qigong and Marma Point Therapy with osteopath Rex Lassalle. In 2017, she founded PIKO Community.Wellbeing, offering Qigong sessions, talks, and tools for individual and collective healing. Whether through research, movement, or film, Fallon brings a heart-centered approach to wellness, rooted in the Caribbean and guided by the principle of movement as medicine.
Connect with Fallon
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Instagram: @pikocommunity
Facebook: PIKO community.wellbeing
Email: piko.community@gmail.com
April 2025: Body Mapping with Shola Thompson
This April, deepen your connection to your emotional well-being with Shola Thompson, a licensed mental health counselor educator and founder of Community Revitalization Partnership. In this thoughtful session, Shola introduces a powerful tool she often uses in her work—body mapping—which helps you tune in to how emotions, especially the more difficult ones, manifest physically in your body.
As you follow along, you’ll be guided through each step of the practice using a downloadable worksheet. Whether it’s a tight chest, a knot in the stomach, or restless hands, this process supports you in identifying early signs of emotional distress and creating your own wellness map—a resource you can return to again and again.
What patterns is your body trying to show you? How can you respond to those messages with more care? This month, let’s explore what our bodies are saying and build a more intuitive, compassionate approach to our mental and emotional health. Download the worksheet here and press play when you’re ready to begin. There's no right or wrong—just you, your curiosity, and your body’s wisdom leading the way.
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Meet Shola Thompson
Shola Thompson is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, educator, and the founder of Community Revitalization Partnership—a nonprofit dedicated to creating safe, supportive spaces where youth and their families can thrive. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Shola has worked extensively with schools, families, and communities across New York City to promote emotional well-being and academic success.
She’s held key roles in citywide recovery efforts, led community listening sessions, and provided training for counselors during crisis response initiatives. As an adjunct faculty member at the Silberman School of Social Work, she teaches Human Behavior while pursuing her PhD in Social Welfare. Her research explores the impact of racial trauma, microaggressions, and invisible disabilities on young people in urban education.
Whether through her nonprofit work, classroom teaching, or community-based healing practices, Shola is passionate about building pathways to wellness, equity, and long-term resilience.
Connect with Shola
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shola-thompson/
CRP LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crpartnership/
CRP Website: http://crpartnership.org/
CRP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crpartnership/
March 2025: Ayurvedic Practices with Jeunesse Pouchet
This March, immerse yourself in the wisdom of Ayurveda with Jeunesse Pouchet, a Certified Ayurvedic Wellness Advisor. In this enlightening session, Jeunesse briefly introduces key Ayurvedic principles and shares simple yet powerful daily practices to support overall well-being. From mindful morning routines to conscious eating habits, these small shifts can have a big impact on your vitality.
One of the highlights of this session is a centering breathwork exercise—Alternate Nostril Breathing—which Jeunesse demonstrates, inviting you to practice alongside her. This grounding technique helps to restore balance, enhance focus, and cultivate inner peace.
Which of these wellness tips resonates with you? Are there any practices you already do or new ones you’re excited to try? Let’s commit to small, mindful changes this month and notice how they make us feel. Press play and begin your journey toward a more balanced and energized you!
Meet Jeunesse Pouchet
Jeunesse Pouchet is best known for her mouthwatering recipes and vibrant food content, which she shares on her blog and Instagram. A pioneer in the plant-based movement in Trinidad & Tobago, she founded the country’s first vegan establishment, catered for events, and supplied local stores with her signature meals and products.
In recent years, Jeunesse has expanded her expertise beyond the kitchen, weaving Ayurvedic principles into her wellness journey. Now a Certified Ayurvedic Wellness Advisor, she shares practical, uplifting insights on mindful eating, digestion, and holistic well-being. Whether through her one-on-one consultations, personalized Ayurvedic wellness and diet plans, or her cleanse and reset program, Jeunesse is dedicated to helping others cultivate balance and vitality.
Looking to dive deeper? She currently offers an informative Ayurveda workshop on her site—check it out and start your journey to better health today!
Online Workshop: Ayurveda - Secrets for Good Digestion - Introductory Workshop
This workshop provides simple Ayurvedic lifestyle and diet practices that support daily digestive health, detoxification, nutrient absorption, and weight management.
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👉 Learn more: Secrets for Good Digestion
Connect with Jeunesse
Website: www.theyouthfulvegan.com/ayurvedic-consultations
Instagram: @youthful_jeunesse_
February 2025: Full Body Workout with Shani Rocke
Get moving this February with a dynamic full-body routine led by Shani, owner of Moxie Fitness. This energizing session is designed to build strength, improve mobility, and boost your mood. With modifications included, you can tailor each move to suit your fitness level. Find a space, press play, and let Shani guide you through a workout that leaves you feeling strong and empowered.
Total Body Workout Routine
Warm up
2 sets of 30 jumping Jacks
2 sets of 10 reaching down and reaching up
First Superset
(Do the following 3 times)
15 Squats
30 Mountain Climbers
Rest
Second Superset
(Do the following 3 times)
12 each side Lunges
10 Pushups
Rest
Third Superset
(Do the following 3 times)
15 Bridge
10 on each side Bird Dog
Rest
Meet Shani
Shani is a certified fitness trainer as well as a certified pregnancy and postpartum exercise specialist. With over a decade of experience working with clients of all ages and fitness levels, she is passionate about empowering people to feel their best and to be the healthiest version of themselves.
Connect with Shani
Instagram: @moxiefitnesstt
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MoxieFitnesstt
Email: shanirocke@gmail.com
January 2025: The Traffic Light Practice with Alyssa Rostant
Start the year by grounding yourself with a breath practice led by Alyssa Rostant, founder of Mindset Breath. This exercise, called the Traffic Light Practice, invites you to pause and reset. Find a comfortable space, press play, and let Alyssa guide you through a mindful breathwork session.
Meet Alyssa Rostant
Alyssa describes herself as an auntydote, joyful collaborator, and enthusiastic conspirator. She’s the Founder and Chief Pulmonaut (breath geek) of Mindset Breath.
Certified as a breathwork facilitator and currently training as a somatic experiencing professional, Alyssa’s mission is to help people embrace "Alivefulness." This approach is about fully inhabiting body and mind while engaging with the present moment with energy, awareness, and vitality.
Through Mindset Breath, Alyssa fosters community and helps individuals:
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Live Fully
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Feel Deeply
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Thrive Completely
Her motto? Add Breath, Live Inspired.
Upcoming Workshop: 21-Day Reboot
Looking for a more immersive experience? Alyssa’s 21-Day Reboot program starts January 10th. This program includes:
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21 days of curated breath practices
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Weekly live sessions
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A private support group
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WhatsApp access for emergencies
Designed for mid-career Caribbean professionals, creatives, and teachers, this program offers a practical, affordable, and effective way to integrate breathwork into your life.
👉 Learn more or sign up: 21-Day Reboot Program
Connect with Alyssa
Website: Mindset Breath
Instagram: @mind.set.breath
LinkedIn: Alyssa Rostant
Let’s breathe, reflect, and thrive together in 2025!
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