A Conversation with Monique Giroux, Founder of The Flourishment Collective

After a 30-year career in financial services and the not-for-profit sector, Monique Giroux took an early retirement at 55, traded in her business suit for hiking boots, and sold her home and possessions to pursue a slower paced, minimalist, nomadic life.  Monique made a commitment to herself in 2019 to live an anxiety free life by finding calm and peace of mind after an enlightening experience in Bali. Immersing herself in self-study and becoming a certified Forest Therapy Guide, Reiki Master, meditation, yoga nidra and restorative yoga teacher, Monique is now breathing deeply. She works with clients to help them slow down, and to connect with their inner voice and intuition through nature connection and energy healing. Founder of The Flourishment Collective (www.flourishment.global) Monique is now traveling the world sharing stories of #2suitcases1laptop and the forest therapy guides she meets along the way. She is working on her first book that was downloaded while in a deep meditative state during a 9-day silent Buddhist retreat. She shares distance reiki with clients around the world, supports women’s retreats, mentors and trains new forest therapy guides. She continues to use her corporate experience as one of the female founders of the climate start up Homes to Zero (www.homestozero.ca) and consults on partnership and not for profit projects on occasion. Monique is currently in Slovenia healing from an injury sustained while hiking.  She hails from Toronto, Canada.  Through her internal growth, she realized that she did not need her big home in Toronto, so she sold it, as well as 90% of her possessions.  She now travels the world with one suitcase and one backpack.  She is doing her part to alleviate the harm we are causing the earth.   Anxiety, the illness of our time, comes from our inability to stay present, says Monique, drawing from the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh.  Her practices help her diminish anxiety from her life and the lives of her clients.  Her self-care practices strengthen her ability to keep anxiety at bay and to help others do the same. Learn more about her work at the links below. Social Media: Blog: https://www.flourishment.global/blog LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-flourishment-collective/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishment.collective/ Forest therapy focused Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theforestwhisperer/ Personal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/moniquefgiroux