LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!

Embrace the joy of life in the great outdoors! Let’s explore, learn new skills and play outside our comfort zone for a life-changing personal transformation experience. Private lessons and corporate/custom group retreats are also available.

LOCAL ADVENTURES

SUP LESSONS & GUIDED TOURS

Learn basic paddling strokes to get outside and feel the vibe of the glide! Guided and custom group tours throughout South Georgian Bay are also available. More info…

HIKE & YOGA WITH A VIEW

Tune in to tune out with a mindful, peaceful, and beginner-friendly 5K hike. Then enjoy a sweeping view of Georgian Bay for gentle yummy yoga. More info…

“I hope you will go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you, and that you will work with these stories... water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom.”

~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves

Kayaking in the Arctic

Adventure Canada + Intrepid Travel

Excited to announce that I have joined the expedition team with Adventure Canada and Intrepid Travel - as a Kayak Guide!

See profile here ❤️

As kayakers, we’ll paddle along wild shorelines, breathtaking vistas, amidst icebergs, and geological icons - providing a perfect opportunity to encounter marine life up close and savour the serenity ahhh…

About Adventure Canada: Small-ship expeditions to the world’s most unique destinations. For more than thirty years, Adventure Canada has been taking people to some of the most inspiring destinations on the planet. These expeditions are experiential by nature with onboard experts, curated by meaningful connections to the environment, the land, the people, their history, culture and traditions. Instilling a deeper appreciation of life - theirs and ours - transforming lives from moment to moment. So unbelievably amazing!

About Intrepid Travel: A world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world's most amazing places for more than 30 years. The company’s mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel, offering more than 1,150 trips on every continent and every is designed to truly experience local culture. Globally renowned as a leader in responsible travel, in 2018 the carbon-neutral business became the world’s largest travel company to be certified B-Corp.

If you have any questions on expedition travel or trips to the Arctic or Antarctica, feel free to contact me directly at marissa.riseandshine@gmail.com

TESTIMONIALS

"Turning 65, a milestone birthday and the desire to connect with my girlfriends in a meaningful way brought a group of 6 of us together on the French River under the thoughtful guidance of Marissa. There were many awesome moments of sharing and caring and celebrating friends no longer with us. Marissa was the perfect conduit in providing the atmosphere, activities and enrichment for this somewhat diverse group of friends through Yoga, kayaking, canoeing and SUPing. Her calm and spiritual presence was a wonderful foil for some of these A Type personalities and created an amazing balance amongst us. I would highly recommend going on one of Marissa's journeys with her as you will most definitely return enriched through this experience."  ~ Pam O, customized retreat

"I was at a Running Room class for a half marathon training in November 2009 and you came to talk about yoga. I was totally unfamiliar with yoga and as a result skeptical. You explained some benefits of yoga for a runner then you asked us about stretching and touching our toes. I joked about seeing my toes but not getting past my ankles. You then demonstrated how to touch our toes and the next thing I knew I was doing it. Amazing! I decided to try a class (hot yoga) and I was in love. I look forward to the relaxed feeling I get from my practice of yoga. Thanks again for giving me such a peaceful, calming practice to enjoy." ~ Allen R

“Thanks so much for everything, Marissa! Everyone loved the Mala workshop and the yoga practice that you led. It was the first time that many of us had the opportunity to learn about what mala beads and mantras are and you did such a fantastic job at explaining everything to us. The sessions were very impactful for us as a team. We loved incorporating this wellness experience into our corporate retreat as it allowed us to reflect on ourselves personally. It brought our team closer together and I loved that we had an opportunity to discuss why we wanted to bring meditation into our daily lives (something that we normally don't talk about at the office). This experience went beyond our expectations. Thanks for your energy and thoughtfulness in everything!” ~ Carmen Tsang, Founder, Catch Media Lab (on a Corporate Visioning Retreat 2020)

“Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.”

- Brene Brown

Proud to work with the following organizations:

Adventure Canada: Kayak Guide
Intrepid Travel: Kayak Guide
Wild Women Expeditions: Tour Leader / Kayak Guide
Ontario Sea Kayak Centre: Kayaking / SUP Instructor
Blu Wave SUP: SUP Instructor and Brand Ambassador
Girls on Boards: SUP Instructor / Program Leader
Big Canoe Project: Canoe Guide
Women’s Empowerment 50+: Guest Speaker

View fullsize Ushuaia - Stocking up on “essentials” and local goods before sailing for 20 days: Malbec by Gaia (not gonna lie - I was drawn to the artwork!), cerveza by Patagonia, and empanadas! Met up with my group and I’m feeling good - the tri
View fullsize Aurora continues to take our breath away… #GreenlandWildLabradorAC #AdventureCanadaJourney #adventurecanada #auroraborealis #northernlights | @adventure.canada
View fullsize The day started with a glorious sunrise shining its light and highlighting a somber remembrance to those lives affected by the relocation at Hebron*. And ended with another stunning sunset and an incredible display of Aurora dancing and lighting up t
View fullsize Good morning from Nachvak Fjord in the Torngats! Adventure Canada | #AdventureCanadaJourney #adventurecanada #torngatmountains
View fullsize That’s a wrap! We’ve sailed ‘Out of the Northwest Passage’, starting from Kugluktuk, Nunavut to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland! Here at the lookout point of the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre - where icebergs calve from the Sermeq Kujall
View fullsize Hello Greenland - reaching 78 degrees North - my northernmost mindful moment!! I ran up from the bridge and stood on the bow, soaking it all in. Icebergs of all shapes and sizes, snow covered mountain peaks, glaciers tumbling into the sea! And that
View fullsize As explorers do, we scouted and found a new-to-us landing at Strzelecki Harbour on the east coast of Prince of Wales Island. An ideal spot to lead guided hikes - and to kayak into the river, away from the hustle and bustle of zodiacs for a mindful mo
View fullsize What an amazing way to welcome the next journey… Aurora Borealis! In Inuit mythology, the northern lights are the spirits of their ancestors. After a full day at Kugluktuk - the westernmost community in Nunavut, I’m heading back out bu
View fullsize "Joy is my jam!" - as I plunged into the icy cold waters of the Northwest Passage! The day was foggy, soggy - but the vibe was high, making for an energetic 'Happy Birthday' serenade by my fellow guides and guests as I climbed back into the
View fullsize Kayaking with my new Greenland paddle - in Greenland! 🇬🇱 Thanks to @kingdom_outdoor! And behind me are stacks of horizontal plateau basalt lava flows... 62-60 million years old!!* *Kayak / Expedition Guide with @adventure.canada #gramkayak #gree

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I acknowledge the Traditional Territory of the Anishinabek Nation: The People of the Three Fires known as Ojibway, Odawa, and Pottawatomie Nations. And further give thanks to the Chippewas of Saugeen, and the Chippewas of Nawash, now known as the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, as the traditional keepers of this land.