Having the opportunity to share wellness practices with more than 200 children this summer was truly a blessing. This was my second year serving at Apple Ridge Farm’s summer camp, and over the past two summers I have had the privilege of working with more than 400 young people. Every child represents a seed of possibility, and every opportunity to teach wellness is an investment in the future of our community. Planting seeds of self-care in young people is something I take seriously. In a world filled with distractions, anxiety, and constant stimulation, helping children learn to slow down, breathe, and become present may be one of the greatest gifts we can offer.
I have been blessed to study with respected teachers in mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, yoga, and Indigenous healing traditions. Those experiences have equipped me with practical tools to support young people. But my greatest teacher has been my own life. I grew up in the same kind of environment that many of our children come from today—communities often described as “troubled.” I witnessed violence, addiction, poverty, and trauma. Many of my childhood friends and even members of my own family struggled with those realities. Through mentors, wellness practices, and a commitment to healing, I found a different path. That is why I don’t teach wellness from theory—I teach from lived experience, believing that every child has the capacity to heal when given the right support and environment.
Now imagine combining mindfulness with swimming, hiking through the woods, fishing, exploring streams, catching salamanders, playing basketball and tennis, laughing with friends, singing karaoke, and sharing fresh watermelon on a hot summer day. Add the everyday moments of comforting a child who lost a backpack or helping one work through frustration, and you have an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in our city.
That is the gift of Apple Ridge. Apple Ridge gives children something many of them rarely experience: the chance to step away from the pace of city life and reconnect with the living world. From an Indigenous perspective, land is more than property—it is relationship, memory, and medicine. The land teaches patience, resilience, and balance. It reminds us that healing happens when we remember we are part of nature, not separate from it. One memory from this summer continues to stay with me. Every morning we walked past a large, old tree before entering our wellness class. I invited the children to greet the tree and recognize it as a living being that provides the oxygen we breathe. Then I asked a simple question:
“Do you believe this tree is alive?”
Every child answered, “Yes.” Their response reminded me that children naturally understand what many adults have forgotten. They see the Earth as alive and worthy of respect. Those simple conversations teach gratitude, responsibility, and our connection to the natural world—values that have been carried by Indigenous cultures for generations. Teaching mindfulness, stretching, breathwork, and affirmations is about much more than relaxation. These practices help children regulate their emotions, build resilience, and understand that their well-being matters. As they learn to care for themselves, they also begin to care more deeply for other people and for the Earth. Camp is not always easy. There are moments of frustration, disappointment, and tears. Yet being surrounded by forests, open fields, and fresh air has a way of restoring perspective. Nature reminds us to slow down, breathe deeply, and remember what truly matters.
Perhaps that is Apple Ridge’s greatest gift. It is more than a summer camp. It is a place where children are reminded that they belong—to themselves, to one another, and to the land that has been teaching us all along.
