PRACTICES FOR A BETTER LIFE SHARED AT GREATFULL GOODS
New space dedicated to helping people address mental health, writes Erin Petrow.
Whether you are looking for spiritual wellness products, an uplifting space with multi-tradition spiritual practices or simply a cute, funny pair of socks, Greatfull Goods and Practice Center is a wonderful place to explore, relax and rediscover your spiritual side.
Greatfull is the brainchild of Kirby Criddle, who has worked in holistic health for the last 14 years doing energy work and plant-based medicine consultations. When she opened her new space she decided to curate the practices at Greatfull specifically to aid with mental health — especially anxiety and depression — because she saw a strong need in the community.
“We recognize we are under-resourced in this city when it comes to mental health support in terms of financial availability, but also just having the resources to support the many people that are suffering — so we want to help fill that gap,” Criddle explained. “I noticed that when I gave my (holistic health) clients homework of these practices they would get better.”
Criddle says the practices helped her overcome her own trauma, changing the way she sees herself and how she views and reacts to the world around her, and that clients benefited when she worked with them on these practices in a one-on-one setting. But she knew she could help more people, more quickly by working in larger group settings. Working this way allows her to help clients and then they are able to go out into the community and continue creating positive change.
“We are creating a community of people who are then empowered and interdependent, rather than them feeling stuck,” Criddle said.
Most of the practices offered a Greatfull — including Yoga-nidrā, Kundalini yoga, Qi Gong and mindfulness meditations — are open to anyone regardless of faith or beliefs.
“We want to be a place where anyone can belong,” Criddle said. “It can be challenging when you are looking for a community so we wanted to make it easy. For people that are seeking, just come — you don’t have to be a certain way or even in a good mood, we’ve had all kinds of people coming in needing support.”
One of the most interesting aspects of the practice centre is the fact that no one is turned away from getting help. Classes are run on a by-donation basis, with $15 being the minimum donation, but those who can’t afford that can apply for one of Greatfull’s full or partial scholarships. The scholarships are sponsored by local businesses Fable Ice Cream and Collective Coffee and offset by extra donations from other clients.
So far, Criddle says people are loving the space and its programs.
“I hear a lot of ‘I wish this would have existed 10 years, 20 years ago,’ ” she recalls. “They are noticing that they aren’t reacting; they have space to respond. They always want to tell me their stories like ‘I was in this situation and I would normally be so pissed off, but I was so calm and I was watching myself be calm like what is going on?’”
Greatfull has a spiritual goods shop offering products like natural fibre clothing, plant medicines, essential oils, incense, candles, books, skin care and crystals — which complements the practice area, making the centre a great one-stop shop for all your spiritual needs. Criddle says people are never under pressure to buy when they walk through the doors and people are more than welcome to come in and use the space to work, have a private conversation, take a nap, do a solo practice or even just warm up on a cold day.
She knows some may turn up their noses at the idea of caring for themselves spiritually to help their mental or physical health and thinks drawing those people in through the shop is a good way to introduce the idea behind the practice area without it feeling forced.
“This is the safety net,” she said. “Having the store also helps us to ensure that the practice space gets visibility. It gives us a reason to have a conversation with someone who might not be open to it otherwise.”
Greatfull Goods + Practice Center Owners: Kirby Criddle and Corey Neufeld
Address: 635 Avenue H South
Hours: Shop open Wednesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to
4 p.m. Check the online schedule for class times.
Phone: 306-974-4272
Website: feelgreatfull.com
Check: Facebook and Instagram