Check out Voyage Raleigh’s article featuring our CEO and Founder, Kelsy Timas, and her journey in life and business to founding Guiding Wellness. Learn about her journey to being a holistic health provider and entrepreneur, by way of emergency medicine! From LPN, to Massage therapist, yoga instructor, YACEP, Holistic Health Coach, and entrepreneur, Kelsy tells the story of her inspiration to bringing holistic wellness to the Fayetteville community for over twenty years.

Check out Redfin Magazine’s new article about how to create a meditation space at home! Our very own, Kelsy Timas has been featured along with many other experts. We love all of these incredible perspectives. These are incredibly practical tips and are things that you could implement today to bring a little bit more mindfulness into your daily routine!

Click Here to Read the Entire Article.

Interview by Sabriya Dobbins with Kelsy Timas

From a very young age, Kelsy Timas connected with the abundance of human suffering. She needed to understand why people were sick or sad and living in chronic states of imbalance. She knew she had to find a solution that tackled the root cause of this “dis-ease” and the loss of joy she witnessed in people. Project Passport CEO Sabriya Dobbins interviewed Kelsy Timas, business owner of 20+ years, Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Yoga instructor, and wellness advocate on a beautiful October afternoon. Kelsy emphatically described her journey and vision of bringing wellness to the world.

The space is warm, but not just physically—emotionally. It has this lighting that feels natural yet calming. It is like walking into another universe on earth. A place of serenity, peace, and hope with the large, but gentle reminder to “Be Well.” Guiding Wellness of 143 Skateway Drive Fayetteville, NC is truly the best home you never had. The CEO, Kelsy Timas, is the heart of this home and she has created a paradise that begs the question: “Are you really living your life to the fullest?”

Click Here to Read the Entire Article.

Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur is a North Carolina resident who owns, has established, or manages a small business. The award committee will also consider the individual’s creativity, innovativeness, and personal contributions to and involvement with the community.

Click Here to Watch a video of Kelsy Timas 

“You may be curious about how this ancient practice called YOGA can aide in your desire to touch your toes, or maybe you are grappling with the concept of aging gracefully or living more connected and fully? Yoga is breath. But also a practice within the breath. And when life takes your breath away, Yoga is the journey of the Self, through the Self, back to the Self. This incredible collection of poems and stories of breaking through the bulk of the body armor and peeling away the layers of pain reveal the uniqueness of this practice to each person called to the practice. What we learn first is that there is no way to do it wrong. It’s what we learn on the way down that steps off the mat and brings yoga to life and offers itself to healing.

What lies ahead as the pages grippingly unfold each reflective story of the practice, you will discover yoga intimately with a renewed appreciation for the raw beauty and sometimes gentle courage the mat holds for you. Whether you have been to India or not, the mat, rented or bruised, calls to you “like you deserve to be here”. You plead and play with the range of sensations found just beneath the surface of the skin. Yoga, like life, can be brutal and beautiful. And as the following stories speak the language of the breath, may you be invited, affirmed and reminded that for as long as ever, within the breath, there is always room, for all of you, here.”

Read More

Local yoga studio nationally recognized as “Top 10 Nicest Places in America”

Read More

Kelsy Timas is interviewed by Ruben Garcia, the CEO of Proven By Ruben Productivity Coaching and Business Development.

PodCastVideo

Our affiliate yoga studio in Killeen has been named one of the ten nicest places in America by Reader’s Digest.

Read More

Kelsy Timas featured on MILLIE.

Read More

Kelsy Timas featured in City View Magazine.

Read More

#IAmMILLIE because I create more opportunities than I find, and remain the author of my own story. I might not always choose some of life’s greatest challenges, but I write my own ending. My military life invites me to explore the extraordinary spaces found between the unpredictable and the unforeseen.

Read More

Kelsy Timas, founder of the Guiding Wellness Institute, shares her thoughts on mindfulness and meditation as we enter a new year.

Read More

With an annual estimated $153 billion cumulative loss of productivity in U.S businesses due to unhealthy employees, it’s no surprise corporate wellness programs have been taking off in recent years. From small businesses to large corporations, employers are looking for a solution to rising healthcare costs, loss of productivity, and employee retention. Lucky for those companies in Fayetteville and the greater North Carolina region, they don’t have to look any further than Guiding Wellness Institute to meet those needs.

“Our holistic approach is designed to address every aspect of this journey as you explore new options,” explains Director, Kelsy Timas, “It is our mission to meet you where you are and assist you in reaching your fullest potential. In my 20 years of experience working with small business owners and corporate leaders, I’ve learned that we are all looking for the same things. To reach higher profits than losses, to feel better, and to have more time to enjoy the things we love.”

So what is wellness? According to the World Health Organization, wellness extends beyond just the absence of disease or sickness; it implies wellbeing on a physical, mental, and even social level. Wellness is an awareness of our potential followed by an understanding of our accountability for its use. Wellness is an active process, a choice, a way of life.

It might sound intimidating, but with the right tools and a little dedication, wellness is absolutely attainable! With a simple approach, Guiding Wellness Institute makes these wellness tools available through a variety of sources and specifically designs a plan that fits your company and the lives of the people supporting your mission. This national network of highly trained health and wellness professionals are working together to make the work/life balance a reality.

When it comes to corporate wellness, it becomes a matter of finding the right combination of these tools to meet the unique nature of a specific business’ needs. A local business or corporation has endless options to choose from when it comes to putting together the perfect plan with GWI. On-site private and group sessions, customized lectures, Mindfulness Retreats, including corporate wellness memberships for all staff/employees. “Through personal on site access, we are making wellness attainable”, says GWI Founder Kelsy Timas.

“We will customize a program to fit your organization, support your process of putting wellness and success back into your work environment, and produce breakthrough performance,” says Timas, “We pride ourselves in our ability to identify company assets and purposefully organize the resources to activate the highest profitability while reducing company liability.”

Interested in learning more about how Guiding Wellness Institute can serve your company? Call (910) 864-6257, or visit www.guidingwellness.com to schedule a preliminary consultation. Discover your way to wellness.

Fayetteville, North Carolina – November 16, 2016 Regardless of specialty, licensed professionals are required to complete a certain amount of continuing education credits in order to maintain their credentials. This system ensures that professionals are staying up-to-date on the advancements of their field in order to provide the highest-quality care to their clients. However, several factors can make pursuing continuing education programs a challenge: scheduling, opportunity cost of taking time off, and tuition costs, for example. Further, the biggest obstacle for many is the additional expenses of traveling long distances to pursue these programs.

Guiding Wellness Institute is addressing this issue head on by making top notch continuing education programs available right here for the Fayetteville and surrounding communities! A key staple in the organization’s mission is to offer support and resources to the caregivers of our community. That being said, offering a variety of continuing education programs is a great step in equipping local wellness providers with the tools they need to continue growing in their fields.

This fall was dedicated to providing professional development opportunities to local yoga and mental health providers through the Warriors at Ease and iRest Yoga Nidra trainings. This coming January, the focus will be shifting to the Aestheticians of our community and region that dedicate themselves to providing attention and care to the largest organ of our bodies: our skin.

The last weekend in January, all licensed NC Aestheticians and Cosmetologists will have access to the Advanced Aesthetics Training at Guiding Wellness Institute, taught by Founding Director Kelsy Timas. With over 20 years of experience in the world of aesthetics, entrepreneurship, and natural education, Kelsy is thrilled to bring this program to those that share her passion.

“I love the skin, it communicates so clearly! Very early in my career I learned how to properly listen and read the way the skin communicates for the whole body. Although it was not popular at the time, I chose to use natural non-invasive products and procedures to gently guide it back to optimal health. I am deeply grateful for the gift of serving the body holistically.”

The program will be offered Friday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, Jan. 29, and will be divided into two parts so that providers with schedule or budget restrictions still have access to a portion of the continuing education program and credit hours. The Part II portion of the training will explore Holistic Skincare, with actual certification in the exclusive Native American Natural Clay Exfoliation Technique.

“There are currently no other practitioners in the state of NC offering this technique or service and the Institute is the perfect place to offer this certification,” Kelsy says. “It brings me great joy to share this wisdom with my students.”

Kelsy brought this technique to North Carolina in 2002 where she has operated a highly successful practice in Fayetteville for 14 years.

Interested? Visit www.guidingwellness.com or call (910) 864-6257 to learn more about the training and how you can join the movement!   

###

Fayetteville, North Carolina – October 5, 2016 – As painful as it may be to swallow, North Carolina has a harsh truth to face: As a state, we have a serious issue with opioid abuse and a growing rate of addiction. A report released earlier this year by Castlight Health explores various facets of the opioid crisis in America. In looking at the 25 U.S. cities ranked highest for opioid abuse, North Carolina pops up four times: Wilmington, Hickory, Jacksonville, and our very own Fayetteville.

With a mission to provide quality education and care for the “caregivers”, Guiding Wellness Institute is dedicating itself to providing support to those with a vested interest in combatting this local issue. This December, that support comes in the form of a medically-proven training program that the Institute will be hosting at its facility: iRest Yoga Nidra.

Developed over the past twenty-six years by clinical psychologist, researcher, and yogic scholar Dr. Richard Miller, iRest Yoga Nidra has been tailored for a Western audience to support the healing processes of various populations. In 2010, the practice reached a milestone when the U.S. Army Surgeon General listed Yoga Nidra as a Tier 1 approach for addressing Pain Management in Military Care. This endorsement effectively incorporated iRest Yoga Nidra as a complementary and alternative medicine that can be prescribed by a physician as part of an individualized care plan. Today, iRest programs can be found implemented across a large spectrum of settings, from military hospitals to correctional facilities to schools.

Given its proven success throughout the country, Guiding Wellness Institute is thrilled to be the southeastern regional training center for iRest, and an affiliate of the Integrative Restoration Institute, the nonprofit founded by Richard Miller through which iRest operates. Guiding Wellness Institute has a strong commitment to serving the wellness of our veteran and provider populations, and with the rapid increase in opiate addiction and its dangerous effects on the military family, founder Kelsy Timas has worked diligently to bring this training to the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg community.

“Our mission is unique in that we target the provider,” explains Kelsy, “We’ve chosen this demographic because we are able to make the largest impact on populations of concern by supporting and reinforcing the mental health and medical professionals in our local community. Providing access to this training and therapy is a top priority for 2016 and beyond. The goal is that iRest Yoga Nidra would be available throughout the community in yoga studios, clinics, and private practices as part of an adaptive resiliency treatment therapy available for patients and providers alike.”

Level 1 iRest Yoga Nidra will take place at Guiding Wellness Institute Dec. 2-6, 2016 with Molly Birkholm, Lead iRest Trainer and President of Warriors at Ease. What makes this training particularly accessible is that participants don’t need a yoga teacher certification to enroll. In fact, the training can be registered as Professional Continuing Education for Psychologists (PSY), Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), and Registered Nurses (RN), along with Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Instructors (RYT).

Visit www.guidingwellness.com to sign up for this training and join a national network of providers working together to heal and grow our local communities.

####

Fayetteville, North Carolina – October 18, 2016 – In preparation for an upcoming teacher training, Guiding Wellness Institute will be offering two free iRest Yoga Nidra workshops this fall!

Developed over the past twenty-six years by clinical psychologist, researcher, and yogic scholar Dr. Richard Miller, iRest Yoga Nidra has been tailored for a Western audience to support the healing processes of various populations. In 2010, the practice reached a milestone when the U.S. Army Surgeon General listed Yoga Nidra as a Tier 1 approach for addressing Pain Management in Military Care. This endorsement effectively incorporated iRest Yoga Nidra as a complementary and alternative medicine that can be prescribed by a physician as part of an individualized care plan. Today, iRest programs can be found implemented across a large spectrum of settings, from military hospitals to correctional facilities to schools.

“Yoga Nidra can have a powerful impact on students over time and we hope these workshops will expose people to that potential, even if it’s only a small dose,” says Anna Fiore, Program Director at Guiding Wellness Institute.

The workshops will be held on Saturday, October 29 from 5-6pm and Saturday, November 19 from 2-4pm. Guiding Wellness Institute is located at 143 Skateway Dr. in Fayetteville. For those that may be interested, the iRest Yoga Nidra teacher training will take place Dec. 2-6 and offers continuing education credits for Psychologists (PSY), Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), and Registered Nurses (RN), along with Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Instructors (RYT).

Visit www.guidingwellness.com for more details and to sign up today!

With the largest U.S. Army base located in our backyard, Fayetteville residents already understand the importance of making mental health services widely accessible to the soldiers and veterans of our community. Countless providers work everyday to try and meet the physical, emotional, and mental health needs of those who serve our country. However, factors such as high suicide rates among military populations demonstrate a greater need than what we are currently able to supply. It’s clear there is still plenty of room for growth.

With a commitment to serving not only the local military population, but also those caregivers actively working to serve this demographic, Guiding Wellness Institute is tackling this shortage head on. The Institute offers a broad spectrum of wellness opportunities for residents, but a larger part of its mission rests in providing support and resources for local health and wellness providers in the Fayetteville and surrounding area. That being said, Guiding Wellness Institute is thrilled to announce its recent partnership with Warriors at Ease to offer valuable training right here in Fayetteville for those invested in improving the mental health services to our veterans.

Warriors at Ease is dedicated to making the healing power of yoga and meditation available to military communities around the world. Their focus lies in equipping yoga teachers with the tools they need for success when working with those affected by combat-stress, PTSD, and trauma. The founders of Warriors at Ease recognized that working with these demographics required technical and sensitivity training that went beyond the content of most yoga teacher training programs and existing seminars on yoga and trauma. So they came together to create the organization they hoped would address these very needs. Warriors at Ease offers a variety of online and on-site trainings, and as of July 2014, they have trained more than 450 yoga and meditation teachers to serve in military communities.

At the end of October, Guiding Wellness Institute will be launching its partnership with Warriors at Ease by hosting the Level 2 Warriors at Ease certification program. This is the ideal opportunity for those already involved with Warriors at Ease to pursue further training. For those looking to get started, Level 1 is available online through Warriors at Ease, and future opportunities through Guiding Wellness Institute are underway.

“It is truly exciting to see these opportunities coming together under our roof,” says Anna Fiore, Program Director at Guiding Wellness Institute. “So many people here want an active role in improving the issues within our community, and it’s so rewarding to be able to offer something as substantial as this training right here in our city.”

The Level 2 program will take place Oct. 28-30 at Guiding Wellness Institute, located at 143 Skateway Drive in Fayetteville. For registered yoga instructors, this program offers 30 continuing education units through Yoga Alliance. Details on the training, along with information about other opportunities happening at Guiding Wellness Institute, can be found at www.guidingwellness.com. Visit us today and join a national network of providers working together to heal and grow our local communities.

Fayetteville, North Carolina – November 21, 2016 – For the last weekend in October, Guiding Wellness Institute was thrilled to bring to its space the specialized training for registered Yoga Teachers, Warriors at Ease Level II Certification program. As yoga and meditation continue to gain traction as a selected form of therapy for soldiers and veterans the Institute is committed to ensuring that yoga instructors are properly supported to serve the men and women who make the greatest sacrifices. Given the large military presence in our community the Institute was selected as the east coast training center for WAE in 2015 and is currently the only registered Yoga Teacher program in the nation offering the curriculum.  It was such a privilege to make this training available to those dedicated to serving that demographic, we value the impact of this affiliate partnership.

This particular program served as a continuing education training–offering 30 credit hours for all registered yoga teachers. Throughout the weekend, participants explored topics that would equip them with the skills needed to use yoga and meditation in such a way to assist and enhance an individual’s healing process. These topics included yoga for special populations, adaptive yoga, and tools for creating a safe container for those living with trauma, PTSD, TBI, and limb loss.

The Warriors at Ease Level II training builds upon the topics explored in Level I, which focuses on the fundamentals of teaching yoga and meditation to military communities. Since the Guiding Wellness Institute 200hr Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training includes Warriors at Ease Level I, making this training available was the perfect way to support YTT graduates with an accessible opportunity to take their teaching to a deeper level. Already a yoga instructor but haven’t taken Level 1? Don’t worry! Level 1 is available through http://www.warriorsatease.org/.

Participant Ashley Schaus sheds light on her experience with the training: “Incorporating Level I into my YTT helped open up new ideas for what I would like to teach. This led me to Level II. Learning the adaptive part of teaching warriors was very informative–a ‘reach outside of the box’ experience. Annie opened my mind to many avenues of teaching and I can’t wait to shape it with our warriors.” Having an instructor who has worked so extensively with the warrior inspires the courage needed to challenge them to embrace their strength and limitations with humility and grace. “Adaptive is almost more important for the instructor and the community to embrace”, Kelsy Timas shares, “the effects of war, seen and unseen, are something that we are all adapting to.”

The lead instructor of the program, Annie Okerlin, couldn’t have been better suited for the subject matter at hand. As the daughter of two veterans, combined with over ten years of experience working with wounded warriors, Annie is the leading expert in adaptive yoga and brings a wealth of personal and professional expertise to her teaching. Her commitment to serve the wounded warrior population led her to start the Exalted Warrior Foundation, a nonprofit that makes adaptive yoga accessible to veterans throughout the country. Her passion is inspirational, and serving as a lead instructor for the Warriors at Ease program is the perfect platform for her to share her unique experience and knowledge upon those answering the call to participate in such honorable work.

Guiding Wellness Institute will make this training available annually in the fall. Make sure you keep an eye out for other Certification opportunities offered at the facility, such as the iRest Yoga Nidra Level 1 Training, Advanced Aesthetics, and the Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Trainings. Visit www.guidingwellness.com to learn more about how you can join the movement!  

###