Japanese Women in Canada Vol. 22 Anna Shea

 What do you like about Canada?

I like being able to be true to myself with less pressure when I am in Canada. We can make our own choices on how we live.

For example, it is each family’s choice of the way of childcare. Most of young children go to nursery in Japan. In terms of diet, there are many choices for different diets such as a vegan diet. I am vegan but I do not feel any inconvenience at all. I didn’t eat meat during my pregnancy and that choice was respected by my healthcare providers. It may be a matter of religion, etc., but I feel that society recognizes it as a personal choice.

How long have you lived in Canada? What is your reason for coming?

I came to Canada on a working holiday in April 2013. 

Living abroad to see people from different backgrounds and to get to experience new cultures had been my dream since I was a student. I was working as a nurse but I knew the opportunity to leave Japan would never come if I did not go for it. I resigned and then came to Canada.

What have you done since you came here?

I have met lots of people from various backgrounds. It is the first purpose of coming here. After finishing a language school program in Vancouver, I traveled around BC. I got to know people and to learn different lifestyles especially during the trip. I was very grateful that people I met were so warmhearted and tried to understand me regardless of my then poor language skills.

Thanks to the support I received from a business I worked for, I got my PR in 2017. 

Although I considered becoming a nurse in Canada, I became more interested in taking care of mind and body after seeing how many people are aware of the importance of wellness. I enrolled in a massage school and got certified as a Spa Therapist.

Currently, I am learning the joys and challenges of parenting. I studied and received certification as a Child Sleep Consultant to support parents who are in the same situation as me. 

Please tell us about your Spa Therapist school.

I took the Spa Therapy Course at the Vancouver School of Body and Massage (now the Vancouver School of Healing Art). I learned the basics of massage, anatomy, aromatherapy, connection between mind and body, meditation, yoga, and various other wellness classes to become a Body Worker. I learned a lot through this course not only for my career path but for my own wellbeing.

What was the most difficult thing about coming to Canada? What did you learn from it?

In terms of pain, childbirth was the hardest. It was a trauma.

During the process of getting my PR it was an emotionally challenging time. I couldn’t see the future and was not sure what direction I wanted to go in, but thinking about the future would not help, so I changed my mind and focused on what I  could and would do at that moment.

What do you like to do?

I like to paint, especially watercolors. It could be my selfcare practice.  I also like to eat. I enjoy different types of  food as there are lots of restaurants from many countries in Vancouver.

I like yoga as well. It is difficult for me to take enough time for myself because my child is still young, but I try to appreciate the time I have available no matter how long or short.

What is your creed or motto?

To live a life without regret. 

I would like to transform myself by learning from others’ lives and cultures and always make my own choices. Sometimes I feel like I am unsure which direction I am going, I believe I am on the right path.

What are you doing now?

I am currently working as a Bodyworker at Halsa Spa in Vancouver, Kitsilano. I offer an integrated style of Bodywork according to the clients’ needs. I am learning every day. Bodywork  is my part time job as I am a full time mother. 

I am also a child sleep consultant. I have experienced hard times such as my son’s night time crying and my lack of sleep. Around that time, I learned that babies’ sleep troubles could be solved and parents did not have to put up with stress from those struggles. I received a certificate for Child Sleep Consultant to deepen my knowledge and help parents. Although babies’ sleep troubles can hugely impact the parents’ quality of life, many parents do not get any professional help. Parenting is a hard job regardless of the baby’s sleep. I would like to support parents so that they can have some moments of joy and calmness.

I sometimes take orders for painting from those who enjoy the style of my art.

Please tell us about Child Sleep Consultants.

We offer support to parents who struggle with their young child’s sleep troubles. Our approach is based on each family’s needs and we assess many aspects such as their lifestyle, environment and daily schedule.

I studied Child Sleep Consultation with IPHI, which is a US based institution. Although Child Sleep Consultation is not so rare in North America, it seems uncommon in Japan. It might be from the idea that nothing can help babies night crying, just get over it. Parents always have so many worries and concerns about their children such as their health and growth, diet etc. In addition to those worries, having to cope with their child’s sleep troubles is very challenging!

I would like to support parents to have less worries then find some peace in their heart. Especially for those who live overseas without family support, it is ok to ask for help when you need it. I asked for support from a sleep consultant when I struggled with my child’s sleep. The situation changed a lot through consultation and I became less stressed. Even when my son was really bratty during the daytime, I was less overwhelmed with more regular sleep patterns and could stay calm.

Sleep consultation:

• 60-minute sleep consulting
• 2 weeks support
• 4 weeks support

For inquiries, please DM Anna via Instagram.

@hello_anna_shea

What do you want to do in the future?

I would like to support parents, especially mothers, by offering sleep consultation. 

I truly believe ‘Happy Mother, Happy family’ 

However, parenting has ups and downs, things can get really overwhelming for many reasons. A child’s sleep trouble is one of the challenges and ends up with parents’ lack of sleep and an increase in stress. I would like to work with clients to find a better way to get out of those stressful circumstances so that they could find moments of happiness.

Also as a bodyworker, my passion is to create a space for my clients, including mothers, to support their selfcare practice so that they can feel calm in their body and mind.

In order to offer those services with confidence, I would like to continue to deepen my knowledge and skills both for sleep consultation and bodywork.

Any message to those who are raising children?

We often feel we are not enough, and often we are not aware that we are already working hard as parents, especially when living overseas without family support. However, we shall keep in mind that it is ok to pause and take a break when feeling tired, and it is totally ok not to push ourselves too far. 

We should take good care of ourselves as mothers. Our children would be happier with delightful moms rather than moms who are always stressed out and overwhelmed. I always remind myself of that.