This text is part of the special Health and well-being section
“Hug, let’s go well, not well!” » Seeing the burnouts and depressions accumulate around her, author and entrepreneur Madeleine Arcand decided to create the annual event Miracles, the great retreat. More than 400 people will gather in Tremblant from May 31 to June 2, during a second edition, which again this year promises a moment to stop, recharge and readjust the focus. What are the benefits that downtime can have on our bodies, our minds, our lives? Interview with the great instigator of the event, a master in the art of realigning your chakras… and your life!
We could say of Madeleine Arcand that she has had several lives and that she always lands upright on her feet, even after major 180 degree turns. She was first known as a journalist for Radio-Canada and RDI, as well as a host of travel shows on Canal Évasion. Then, as the co-founder of Rose Buddha, a line of eco-responsible and ethical clothing made in Quebec. And today, she is a well-being specialist, author of bestsellers on the subject and instigator of what is probably the biggest well-being event to take place in Quebec.
And all this, while the forty-year-old is also the mother of four children. How is it possible ? One thing led to another… Or rather, from fabric to leggings.
“During a trip to Bali, I discovered a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles to make yoga leggings,” she says. The journalist then decides to enter the vast world of business. “I was already doing a little yoga and meditation at the time. Rose Buddha worked really well. It worked, it grew and grew, and since it was stressful, I wanted to learn more about meditation and Buddhist philosophy. »
She became a certified yoga practitioner in 2014, trained by Nicole Bordeleau, and studied Buddhist scriptures at Harvard University. “I wanted to equip myself with the tools to live my new life well,” she explains simply. She also discovered Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor emeritus at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, considered the father of mindfulness in the West. “It was he who began to remove the slightly more esoteric side of meditation,” she says. He developed the MBSR program (Mindfulness-based stress reduction), which is a technique for reducing stress and anxiety through mindfulness. »
For several years, Madeleine has been offering MBSR training and developing several courses, workshops and retreats both virtually and in person. She also takes up the pen to give her tips “for falling in love with your life again” through her books, including We slow down And Ten minutes from happiness. Less stress, more joy. “My goal is to popularize my knowledge, which has been good for me, and to go into people’s homes to tell them: “Look, these are tools that could work for you” “, she explains.
And two years ago, Madeleine Arcand decided to sell Rose Buddha. “I found myself with time and asked myself what I wanted to do with it, at 45. » Seeing the benefits that the meditation retreats she offered brought to people, she wanted to offer this well-being to as many people as possible. “I didn’t just want to have 40 people in my retreat, I wanted 400, but I couldn’t do it alone,” she says with a laugh. She therefore brings together her friends and acquaintances from the world of well-being and invites them to lead workshops in yoga, meditation, nutrition, psychology, medicine and even Ayurveda during a large three-day retreat. Miracles was born last year, will do it again this spring and will do it again for a long time to come, promises Madeleine Arcand.
Widespread exhaustion
Indeed, the need is real and immense, she believes. “When they take part in my retreats, many people tell me that they haven’t taken a weekend for themselves in ten years, that they are burned out, that they are finally choosing themselves,” confides- her, adding that she particularly met many exhausted women and mothers. I have never heard so much about anxiety around me. Everyone has their tongues on the ground…”
An overview of studies on the mental health status of Canadians confirms this impression. Some 33% of Canadian workers are exhausted, according to a study by Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) published in October 2022. For certain professions, however, this percentage is much higher (66% of nurses, for example). Still according to RSMC, a quarter of Canadians will be diagnosed with anxiety during their lifetime. And according to the Telus Mental Health Index released in February 2024, 35% of Canadian workers are at high risk of mental health problems.
“It’s in the spirit of the times to talk about it, and that’s very good, but what do we do now? asks the woman of action. We cannot always be alert, stressed or depressed. What can we do before we get there, or when we get there? »
Stop, first, and remove yourself from traffic in one way or another. This is what she is offering with Miracles, which is not at all a festival, she wants to clarify. “The word retirement means withdrawing from circulation, from your life for a moment,” explains Madeleine Arcand. You can’t come to just one Miracles workshop, you come for three full days. »
Whether in retirement or each in their own way, Madeleine believes that it is essential to take time to question oneself. “What do I no longer feel like doing? What would I like to stop? We can’t always continue without taking a little break to realign our actions and decisions for the rest of the year… or for the rest of our lives! »
Miracles, the great wellness retreat is…
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