DESIREE RUIZ
SPIRITUAL LIFE & PURPOSE COACH / HOLISTIC MENTOR / COMMUNITY MAVEN
Credit: Pascale Thérien – La Luz Portraits
Desiree wears many hats: Certified Spiritual Life and Purpose Coach, Holistic Mentor, Community Maven, Human Design Teacher, Knowledge Broker, Business Mentor, Storyteller, Co-Founder of Centre Kapwa and Les Lilas Society, and Nève’s proud mom. She helps people connect to themselves, others and beyond in more meaningful ways for a living!
Forever learner and VERY curious Filipina – Canadian that only came out of her shell and found personal freedom, after her divorce at 35, and has spent years investing in her growth and connecting to people and things that bring her joy. She now helps others find the same freedom and guilt-free confidence to put themselves first.
How do you define joy?
It’s when time stops and you get completely lost in the moment.
What’s your happiness secret for creating a joyful life?
Exactly what Don Miguel Ruiz says in The Four Agreements aka one of my favorite books of all time: “Be Impeccable with your word. Don’t Take Anything Personally. Don’t Make Assumptions. Always Do Your Best.”
Who’s your happiness role model?
Kids and elders are my happiness role models. I love that kids are full of freedom, fearlessness, curiosity and JOY, and I love the calmness, peace and wisdom that comes with age.
What is inspires you most?
Watching mindful and heart-centered humans recreate the norm and live life with intention and integrity, for each other and the planet, really fuels me.
What’s your go-to remedy to brighten your spirit?
Call one of my friends. They always manage to make me laugh.
What are you most thankful for?
The relationships in my life that allow me to be me and thrive.
What would you do in life if money was no object?
I’m a forever learner so I would spend my days learning, going on adventures and trying new things, and doing it with the people that I love. I would also become an Angel Investor and invest in all of my kick-ass entrepreneur changemaker friends that are doing great things to create impact and social change.
What always makes you smile?
Watching my daughter flow through life at the beat of her own drum unapologetically and so free always makes me smile.
What made you happy when you were a child?
Connection!!!! Being with people and playing outside with my neighbors brought me so much joy!
What do you celebrate most in life?
I celebrate every win, big or small!
What’s your dream and how are you aspiring to get there?
My dream is to build inclusive Filipino/a/x community centres across Canada where folks can feel connected to their roots and to each other. The big dream for these centres would be to organize yearly retreats to the Philippines so that all Filipino/x/a youth living in the diaspora can visit the Philippines at least once in their life to connect with the land and the culture. Something I wished existed when I was growing up.
How can we start turning this dream into a reality?
The dream is already in progress via Centre Kapwa – the non profit organization that I co-founded that serves and supports the mental health and well being of Filipino/a/x youth and their families in Montreal through art, movement and conversations.
JOY & JOIE MUST-HAVES
1. CAMBIO & CO: Love everything they sell and everything the brand represents. Makes me feel seen, proud and connected to my culture.
2. MAGIC WITHIN JOURNAL by Stella Artuso. Her Pleasure Within workshop and Somatic Erotic class were also life changing and completely brought more joy (and spice) into my life.
3.Costa Rican sunsets – by far the best sunset I’ve seen so far.
4. Pilates reformer at MOVING JUST FINE or any workout at INFINITY MOVEMENT because the community at both make my heart happy!
5.@vieille_europe My favorite coffee and favorite place to people watch. Can sit there all day!
Follow Desiree and her joyful life:
Website: www.desireeruiz.com www.leslilas.ca
Instagram: @des.escalante
Facebook: @desiree.ruiz.16
