Although I teach yoga full-time at many places, I work at Backed by Bees one day a week – where I also offer a Yoga and Bees experience. I’ve been there since 2023, and there are many reasons I felt called to work there – the drive into the countryside fills my soul, I’ve always wanted to learn about bees, I dream of having my own one day, and the owners are truly awesome, cool people.
Over time, I’ve become deeply fascinated by these tiny, powerful beings.
Bees have been on this earth for millions of years. Long before us, they were already living in rhythm, in harmony, in devotion to something greater than themselves. We have lived alongside them for thousands of years, enjoying their honey – they’ve even found honey in Egyptian tombs.
The beekeeper (and owner) has taken me along on a few beekeeping adventures. I’ve been stung a few times… and each time, I’ve learned something.
Lessons from Bees: What Bee Stings Taught Me
When I work with Dave, the beekeeper, I have the option to wear a full protective suit. But I find myself aspiring to be more like him – moving with ease and trust around the bees, and perhaps one day even building a tolerance to their stings (like he has done).
For now, we usually just wear a covering over our heads to protect our eyes and face, allowing for a more connected and present experience with the hive.
At the same time, I hold an awareness and respect for the unpredictability of nature. There is always the possibility of a stronger reaction, even an anaphylactic one, which is why we keep an EpiPen nearby.
It’s a balance of trust and respect… of openness and awareness.
The first time I got stung, I had a little bit of a humbling moment of my ego.
I hadn’t been stung all day, and a thought passed through my mind: “It must be because my energy is vibrating high and they are cool with me around them.”
And just like that – I was humbled.
I put my hand down without paying attention… and a bee stung me. This was right at the end of the day of collecting honey from the hives.
The second time, I was stung three times in one day. The bees were swarming, and two went up my pants – trapped, they stung my knee.
But the third sting taught me something deeper.
I saw a bee on my hand and suddenly felt fear – what if it stings me? I tried to brush it off quickly, but that sudden, reactive movement caused it to sting me.
In beekeeping, I’ve learned that your movements must be grounded – steady, calm, and intentional. When you approach with confidence, grace, and ease, the bees respond. They move around you.
It becomes a quiet, mutual respect.
What Bees Teach Us About Seasonal Living
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from the bees is how to honour the seasons.
In the winter, the hive quiets. The bees gather around the queen and vibrate to keep her warm. It’s not full hibernation, but a slowing down. A drawing inward. A conserving of energy.
And then, as the warmth returns, something shifts. The bees emerge. They begin by cleaning the hive – clearing out the bees that didn’t make it through the winter (the outermost bees often die from the cold). There is no resistance to this. No clinging. Just an innate understanding that space must be made for what is to come.
They tidy. They reset. They begin again.
Devotion to the Work: How Bees Work Together in Nature
As the trees and flowers begin to bloom, the bees get to work – collecting pollen and creating honey.
There is a natural rhythm, an intelligence in how they move. Each bee knows its role (some nursing new bees, some collecting pollen, some cleaning). Each action is in service of the whole. They even dance to communicate – guiding one another to the richest sources of pollen.
And from this quiet, devoted work… comes honey.
Sweetness, created through consistency, cooperation, and deep alignment with nature. Not to forget – they are responsible for polinating most of our food.
What the Bees Reflect Back to Us
I find myself reflecting on how often we resist this kind of rhythm in our own lives.
We push when it is time to rest.
We hold on when it is time to release.
We question our role instead of trusting the unfolding and knowing our purpose.
But the bees don’t do this.
They follow the seasons.
They trust the process.
They do their work with a kind of quiet devotion.
And in that… there is something deeply sacred.
An Invitation
This summer, I’ll be offering Yoga and Bees Experience again (located in Ontario, this experience brings together yoga, nature, and the wisdom of bees). It’s a space to come back into rhythm with nature, with the body, and with ourselves.
A space to slow down.
To listen.
To remember.
Because perhaps the wisdom we are seeking is already here.
In the hum of the hive.
In the turning of the seasons.
In the quiet, steady work of becoming.
P.S. We practice yoga at a safe distance from the bees. I hear people are sometimes scared of bees… I hope you get to see how magnificent these creatures are!
