Be a happy monkey

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This article was published 24/04/2012 (5001 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Like many women, Carol Ploen-Hosegood knows how easy it can be to lose yourself in your many roles — wife, mother, employee, etc. — and how hard it can be to live a balanced life.

Inspired by a $10 stuffed toy, the Winnipeg mother of two teenagers came up with a way to help busy women stay positive, empowered and connected so that the demands of modern life don’t drive them bananas.

It’s called the Happy Monkey Club and its three-word motto is: Smile. Relax. Engage.

Part online community and part old-fashioned social club, the goal is primarily to ensure women make time in their schedules to take care of themselves, says Ploen-Hosegood, 47.

“As women, we tend to do everything for everyone else and leave ourselves off the list. As we enter our 40s and 50s, our kids are getting older and more independent and there may come a time when we’re not working as much and we’ll wake up one day and go ‘Oops, I forgot about me.'”

The club, which has about 700 registered members since it launched in 2010, is “a network for positive women” of all ages and from all walks. Its mission is to create a community of women who want to look after their physical, mental and spiritual needs through fun and educational activities and events in a warm and accepting environment.

Events may include everything from sushi-making, shopping and yoga nights, to photography workshops, lectures by experts on such topics as fitness and nutrition, a night at a comedy club and “wild Winnipeg walks” to explore the city on foot.

HMC even has its own growing stable of experts to help members make positive changes in specific areas of their life. They currently include life coach Aisha Alfa, yoga teacher Beth Martens, meditation teacher Sita Dookeran, adventure life coach Patti Phillips, and fitness expert Sara Hutniuk. Their monthly blogs appear on the website and they also post daily tips.

It’s free to become a Happy Monkey. Membership gets you weekly motivational emails and notification of all HMC events, which do involve a cost. There are five major events per year, monthly educational nights and some weekend workshops as well as courses that may run eight to 10 weeks.

The beauty of Happy Monkey Club is that there’s no obligation or time commitment, says Ploen-Hosegood. Members can simply choose which activities appeal to them.

(A premium membership is $60 for one year and entitles you to a $30 charitable tax receipt — part of the club’s mandate is giving back to the community through its HMC Sharing Circle, in collaboration with the Winnipeg Foundation — and discounts on all HMC member nights and events.)

The name Happy Monkey Club was inspired by a little yellow plush monkey with a big smile on its face and the word Happy written across its chest. Ploen-Hosegood saw it in a toy store while she was walking around in a funk caused by an ill-fitting job that was making her increasingly unhappy.

The furry little fellow not only snapped her out of her foul mood, he inspired her to quit her job and pursue her dream of supporting and empowering other women while giving back to the community. (Partial proceeds from every event go to a local charity.)

“He became a reminder that we all have moments that bring us down, but it’s our choice whether we stay there,” Ploen-Hosegood, who at one time owned a downtown gift shop, says. “He made me realize that being happy is a choice.”

The Happy Monkey Club will be holding a one-day Power of Positive workshop (theme: Recharge, Reconnect, Relax) on Saturday, April 28, at Prairie Theatre Exchange. The event runs 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will feature motivational speakers, lunch, an auction and the opportunity to partake in a flash mob. Admission is $99. The workshop can be combined with a Fort Garry Hotel overnight yoga and brunch package for $224.

For more information, go to www.happymonkeyclub.com.

carolin.vesely@freepress.mb.ca