“Live life with less stress and more love.” 
For Rochelle McFarlane, the founder of ESP Parent Inc., a family-focused health practice and educational service rooted in both specialized kinesiology and spiritual insights, this is more than a tagline. It’s about rising to our best selves through the science and art of touch and movement, and raising children to be healthy, happy, caring individuals.
A mother of four, Rochelle studied at the International College of Kinesiology, and for nineteen years has been teaching parents how the body works, while helping them to develop self-care tools to maintain wellbeing and reach self-mastery. Basing her work on the internationally recognized Touch for Health™ program, the understanding that our bodies move electrically along meridians, Rochelle offers videos that are fun and easy to follow, and classes that are designed to help you master your muscles and ultimately prepare for the TFH Instructor workshop.
Having met and spoken with Rochelle a few times, I can say she is a friendly, caring, and conscientious person who is always looking for ways to make life better. So I was thrilled for a chance to learn more about her and her wonderful work.
Let’s start off with a bit of education regarding the fourteen bodily meridians. Broadly speaking, what are they and why is it important for us to harmonize ourselves with them? And what creates so much of the disharmony in our lives?
Meridians are our electrical highways that work as our backup energy source, not just for our main organs but for our overall wellbeing. There are two that are specific to the brain and twelve that are connected to our organs. Creating harmony within oneself can start just by sweeping a hand within three inches of the energy line. They are powerful.
Our level of resilience is affected when stress enters our world. Disharmony depends on how we react or respond. Knowing the self means observing our reactions and responses. If we are in a state of reacting, we have very little ability to cope and therefore balance the whole self. But if we are responding and choosing our actions from a state of self-awareness and empowerment, then we can move toward balance within our own energetic field. When we do this we can handle anything that comes our way, and the brain operates as whole unit and life feels love.
Your courses, events, and programs touch on a lot of areas of our lives — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. How would you summarize the nature of your focus? And how does it tie into your wonderful expression “play attention”?
It’s about living as this integrated fleshy robot called the human body, and knowing which line or button to hit for the reset when needed. Life is about growing and stretching. And when we play we activate our natural resilience and innate healing ability by allowing space for love, imagination, and the child-like wonder that sets us all free.
When did you first realize that you wanted to help people improve their lives? Was there a particular event, or was it a longer journey of discovery?
When I was little I could feel the energy shift when I touched others, especially with my maternal grandmother. I could feel her tension melt beneath my fingertips and my hands would move about as if guided by something outside of my linear thinking. Since then it’s been a long road of self-development to accept that not everyone understands this phenomenon. I’m still discovering this path and have helped hundreds of people directly along the way, or thousands when you consider the wonderful ripple effect of helping just one person.
Now I’m determined to reach self-aware parents who are seeking ways to self-care for themselves and their families.
Your website has a section coming soon called “Kate’s Corner.” You’ve piqued my interest. Can you tell us a bit out this?
Kate’s Corner is a page where we will share recipes that encourage healthier and more natural foods, to support parents trying to increase their family’s wellbeing through nutrition and beyond. Kate is a fellow wellness practitioner and registered holistic nutritionist who is also a super passionate mama of two.
And you have some events coming up in November and December. They sound fun! Tell us about these.
Yes, very fun! The upcoming events are part of our Family Self Care Playshops — wellness and healing for all ages and stages!
In November we have the Spirit Animal and Felted Drum Mallet, where families experience a wheel healing ceremony, and then go on an animal spirit guide drum journey in which they experience sacred time, create a felted drum mallet, and then each participant learns how to connect with their spirit animal.
In December we have the Family Winter Solstice Ceremony, in which families can continue connecting to sacred time while celebrating the magic of winter and the science and art of making an indigo medicine drum, which can then be used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes.
For both events the place, materials, and tools are provided, as well as light snacks and tea. Space is limited, so be sure to book ahead! Look under Events and Class Schedule on the ESP Parent website for more details.
This is the fun finale. Can you tell us something about yourself that many wouldn’t know? A story, fun fact, or interesting perceptive?
When I was seventeen I became a Buddhist nun while living and studying in Thailand, where I learned a lot, including how to fool phone operators by hiding my Canadian accent! To get to my school I’d have to ride a boat taxi upriver. During my time there I gave an inspirational speech in Thai about goal setting to three thousand fellow students. Talk about a rockstar feeling! The whole year abroad was an amazing experience!
Rochelle McFarlane
ESP Parent Inc.
www.espparent.com
250-215-5524
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