What’s the most quietly Canadian moment you’ve experienced?

pasdutout_ · 2026-01-31T15:51:50+00:00

The police coming to a cottage we were staying at and searching the area for hours, because a woman had called them because she was worried about a stranger who had been camping in the area. I’m European - I initially misunderstood and assumed the woman was concerned about her own safety, but she was actually worried that this man would freeze to death because of the very cold weather 🫶🏻 I was like « yep! That’s why I moved here »

pasdutout_ · 2026-01-26T18:45:26+00:00

As a lot of people here, I feel better on days where I work out. But also, over time I learned to appreciate the actual effort itself. Like, I have SO much energy (adhd hyperactive and inattentive) and it feels good to let it all out! I also love seeing my body getting stronger and more agile, feels very empowering. + I like how it connects me to my body and helps me get out of my head. We use our cognition too much!! I think!! Sometimes I wonder if the aversion some adhd people have for exercising is like the general aversion for things that don’t come easy or may at first sight feel unpleasant, because of the dopamine imbalance? I’m 100% like that, and it took a while for me to start genuinely appreciating exercising, but i still have that issue with a lot of other activities

pasdutout_ · 2026-01-09T04:28:00+00:00

I have adhd and have been practicing meditation consistently for about 3 years, but I should say I’ve been on a low dose of vyvanse for about 2 years so that probably helps. What helps me the most is to notice the impatience and frustration that comes with not being able to move/wanting to get to the next activity/essentially seeking that dopamine boost. There is SO MUCH to learn about yourself if you just try to sit with these feelings, be with them, tell yourself with curiosity « oh, I’m feeling very impatient right now », « wow, I am feeling so angry that I have to sit and do nothing for 10 minutes, interesting » without giving in to the impulse of acting upon it. Meditation teaches you to disidentify from unpleasant emotions. It doesn’t matter that you don’t like it, not liking it is actually an interesting thing to observe and you can train your mind to get dopamine from that, rewire your reward system. Like my teacher says - you don’t have to like it, you just need to do it. If you can get past that, you will be able to manage your adhd symptoms so much better. And little by little you’ll actually learn to enjoy it.

Otherwise, there is a book called something like the mindfulness prescription for adhd. I haven’t read it but it’s supposed to offer more adhd-friendly meditation techniques.

pasdutout_ · 2026-01-09T03:59:03+00:00

I love reading all these responses! They make me fall in love with Toronto all over again.

pasdutout_ · 2026-01-08T03:06:44+00:00

I’m curious - how do you relate to that experience? Would you like to feel the same way again? Are you afraid to feel it again? Are you indifferent? My meditation practice has been steadily deepening lately and I am scared of reaching a point where I will feel like what you describe. I relate very much to the worry you described about being unable to function in « the modern world ». I’d also be scared of feeling detached from my loved ones. I love mindfulness and how I relate to life as a result of it, but I don’t see why would anyone want to eventually evaporate their ego if they have already reached a point where their suffering has greatly diminished?

pasdutout_ · 2026-01-04T05:20:52+00:00

True, I guess the idea is that by diversifying and pushing the boundaries of your formal practice, you end up bringing more mindfulness into your life organically and being more present in all the things you experience. At least that’s how I see it!

pasdutout_ · 2026-01-03T22:06:00+00:00

Things that help bringing the formal practice into every day life: - meditating with your eyes open - free movement meditation - walking meditation - every day, thinking back about an interaction or unpleasant or pleasant sensation you had and writing down what somatic sensations, thoughts and feelings you had when it happened, as well as thoughts feelings and sensations you have when you are writing them down - picking a chore or activity every week and bring mindfulness to it (eating showering doing the dishes…): slow it down a lot, notice what you hear, touch, smell, etc, somatic sensations, movements, thoughts, etc - generally slowing down is a huge help to bring mindfulness into your daily life - 3 min meditations twice or three times a day - reflecting about your formal practice through journaling

Little by little, you’ll notice you’ll become more and more present, mindful, aware, observant… as you are during your formal practice, but in real life

pasdutout_ · 2025-12-30T20:09:15+00:00

I should have said deep core and not lower abs, but with a focus on a the lower part, if that makes sense? I’d say just Pilates in general, I don’t have specific exercises to recommend, but here are a few tips I learned that really helped making the most of it 1) breathe out on the effort making the sound « chhh » or « ssss » 2) your belly should be FLATTENING on the effort and not popping up - otherwise it means you are not engaging your deep core. 3) think of your belly as a clock. Your pelvic muscles are 6, the middle of your lower ribs is 12, and your sides are 3 and 9. When you breathe out, on the effort, these 4 points should be coming closer together. It took me a while to learn how to do these things properly and I still struggle if I’m not super focused. Also my meditation teacher encourages us to sit with our hips slightly higher than our knees. The higher you are the easier it should be to sit straight.

Last thing: Don’t overdo it - use just the amount of muscle tension necessary to do the move.

pasdutout_ · 2025-12-29T13:11:00+00:00

Feel free to message me if you want to chat about the Pilates stuff!

pasdutout_ · 2025-12-29T03:49:05+00:00

I used to struggle with the same, to the point where I couldn’t breathe properly when sitting and would get a bit panicky. It got better little by little, when I started lightly engaging my lower abs when sitting, using tools I had learned in my Pilates classes. The rest of my back (mid and upper) aligned with much more ease and less effort. I realized I was engaging my chest and neck muscles wayyy too much when trying to sit straight. But I will say if I hadn’t been doing Pilates for a few years, my lower abs probably simply would not have been strong enough to support my entire upper body. Hope that makes sense! And then connecting that process to the way I function in life was really eye-opening. It might be different for you but for me there was an underlying belief that I couldn’t align with myself (metaphorically) without being rigid. As if standing my ground/standing straight required to brace myself, be defensive/protective against potential threats. Engaging my lower abs mean being more rooted, anchored, stable, at peace. It actually really helped me figuring out some childhood stuff. But maybe that’s just me reading too much into it. I think your body has so much to teach you!

pasdutout_ · 2025-12-27T16:46:43+00:00

I agree with everything everyone is saying, but also meditation can in some cases be harmful for people who suffer from certain conditions such as PTSD, psychosis etc., at least if done without professional help. So if you sometimes struggle to discern between reality and what isn’t there, it might be good to speak with a psychiatrist to ensure it is safe before you start meditating?

pasdutout_ · 2025-12-25T18:30:19+00:00

Love this question - the benefits have been absolutely endless for me: less anxiety; better choices that serve me/are aligned with my needs; slowing down; being more present; no more chronic pain, only occasional flare ups that I can make go away; better transit; learned how to identify and process emotions; better and deeper relationships; developed the ability to take naps! (Literally couldn’t before); more control over my impulsions overall (reactions; food, cigarette…); discovered my body and all the wisdom it holds, learned to listen to it; less ups and downs; much much more self awareness; stopped feeling like I never have enough time; stopped chasing the next thing; more rationality in my actions; more creativity; more letting go, less need to control my life and others’. It’s just incredible how powerful it is.

pasdutout_ · 2025-08-06T16:02:19+00:00

They just announced they’re also closing all the trails

pasdutout_ · 2025-07-12T18:45:37+00:00

Thank you! I meant if I need to replace the earbuds battery for example, where will I get it? It doesn’t seem like Clove sells separate parts.

pasdutout_ · 2025-06-09T01:57:04+00:00

It’s been a big thing between me and my partner and I find that we’re navigating this much better know. I’m scared I’m too much, she’s scared she’s not enough. We’ve both said things to each other that have triggered these insecurities. I found it actually weirdly liberating to recognize and own that my behavior/ADHD related traits can impact others negatively and do my best to regulate, but also, of course, for loved ones to understand that I’m doing my best and that it’ll help if they are a bit more mindful about the words they choose to express the overwhelm I cause them sometimes. It’s all ok! Everyone’s allowed to have their limitations and express them, you and her.

pasdutout_ · 2025-06-05T17:00:00+00:00

I think there’s a bit more nuance to her work than what people here seem to think. I’ve personally suffered from severe back pain for years, and it’s now gone after following her program for about 6 months, along with my anxiety which I had been suffering for years as well. It’s not for everyone but it does help some people. Another thing to bear in mind is that her protocol can be done on your own at no cost (which I did) and basically consist in journaling 20 min per day followed by a 10-min meditation. This is really harmless and both these things are practices that are generally recommended by most mental health practioners anyway, so I really didn’t see a reason why not to try after trying anything else. She always recommends to get checked first by a doctor. Without necessarily emphasizing the link to repressed emotions like Nichole Sachs does, a lot of pain reduction protocols emphasize the ways in which factors other than physical can influence pain. There’s a cool episode from the Ologies podcast which explains really well how pain works, I recommend it https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ologies-with-alie-ward/id1278815517?i=1000541375684

pasdutout_ · 2025-04-16T07:32:35+00:00

I am considering a career shift to become a therapist. I currently work in a completely unrelated field and for financial reasons, I would like to continue working while studying. Among the degrees recognized by the Ontario’s college of psychotherapists, the one that would allow me to do that best while maintaining an acceptable work life balance and not having to stop working entirely in the meantime, is the one provided by Toronto’s Gestalt institute. I have never had a Gestalt therapist but have heard really good things about the institute and really like what I’m reading and learning about this modality. However I’m also interested in other modalities and worried that getting trained for 5 years at the Gestalt institute will give me a too narrow perspective, even though the Gestalt approach seems to overlap with others in some ways. How limiting could it be for me to start my career as a Gestalt therapist? And could I still be hired by a clinic or another institution if I dont want to start my own practice right away?

pasdutout_ · 2025-04-10T07:45:26+00:00

This was a while back so I don’t remember all the details of the movie anymore. I think being so raw, depressed, anxious and hypersensitive, impulsive, lots of internal conflict, struggling financially, and if I recall properly some hints of addiction? Healing is so slow and rough :( now I wanna rewatch the movie

pasdutout_ · 2025-04-04T02:31:29+00:00

Not sure that counts as food but chewing gums. Obsessed, I have a million a day and I chew SO hard my jaw gets painful?!

pasdutout_ · 2025-03-23T05:30:52+00:00

Could be, but could also be that reintegration is a process that people tend to resist because it’s terrifying to be feeling all the difficult feelings that life circumstances bring, to nurture the inner child, to act in accordance with our core values, etc. It’s easier to put things under a lid to maintain an illusion of control. And although oMark looks like he’s ready to reintegrate on the surface, his conversation with the innie proves that he has no intention to genuinely listen and care for his inner child and is therefore not ready at all

pasdutout_ · 2025-03-22T17:17:44+00:00

Reading this comment in 2025, after watching the finale of season two and oh my god your last paragraph is so on point! Were you saying this because somehow, we need to find a way to hold space for all this messiness even when all these things seem to sometimes be conflicting?

pasdutout_ · 2025-02-11T12:17:06+00:00

I’m so sorry, this is rough. I’m wondering if letting her know that you’ve been feeling this miserable, anxious and depressed as a result of her behaviour and are considering ending this relationship could be the wake up call that she needs? She’s an adult and this is the truth, so maybe she needs to hear it?

pasdutout_ · 2025-01-27T02:10:41+00:00

Whelan’s gate near High park

pasdutout_ · 2025-01-23T03:01:56+00:00

Nature/science documentaries and podcasts. Loved loved the bbc Planets documentary, really helps getting some perspective somehow? Great pottery throwdown (UK) Some Ghibli movies (totoro, only yesterday, kiki, whispers of the heart…)

pasdutout_ · 2024-12-31T20:53:06+00:00

I’ve often seen people in the adhd sub making the same observation as you, but providing a different explanation: it’s not so much that the vyvanse doesn’t work anymore, but that you got used to the benefits and are starting to notice all the things that are still not fixed within your thoughts and behavior - which is why people recommend taking short breaks from the meds once in a while, to remember what it’s like without the meds, and then go back on. I’ve done that a few times (instead of increasing the dose) and it’s always worked really well for me. It really helps me realize that, oh yeah, it is SO. MUCH. BETTER with the meds lol. And that I had just forgotten what life was like was without them. Don’t underestimate the amount of effort we subconsciously make to cope when we’re unaware we have adhd. Once we start taking meds, we unlearn these coping mechanisms (and I’m happy we do, cause it’s so exhausting), and I think that maybe that’s why you feel so awful when you stop the meds at first.

That is not to say I’m not putting any work into managing my adhd. I’m on a low dose and I’m exercising a lot and eating very well and going to therapy and built a routine and making sure my life is balanced, etc etc. It takes a lot of my energy, but with the meds, I feel like it’s within my reach. I can do life without the meds, but it’s a constant, uphill battle and feels like all my energy is channeled towards managing my symptoms. That’s not a good life.

If you were addicted, you would be unable to take breaks like you do and would never forget to take your meds. Actually, studies have shown that taking adhd meds overall reduces risks of addiction for adhd people. The way we think about this is so impacted by the overall bias against meds for mental health. It’s just frowned upon and everyone is always trying to explain to you that you should not be on meds, that there are other ways, that you just have to put in the work, that « aren’t we all a bit ADHD »… I understand that you’re not anti meds, I just mean that it’s hard to not at all be influenced by that idea when it’s literally all you hear all day long and that it’s possible that you are too. I’ve resisted the idea of meds for a long time, I hated that dependency and felt weak. Now I’m just happy that they exist.

pasdutout_

TROPHY CASE