Why the Peace Crane?
In the aftermath of World War II, there was a young girl named Sadako who suffered the side effects of radiation poisoning, including leukemia, due to her proximity to the bombing of Hiroshima.
“Japanese folklore says that a crane can live for a thousand years, and a person who folds an origami crane for each year of a crane’s life will have their wish granted.” (nps.gov) So, Sadako set a goal to fold 1,000 peace cranes so that her wish to heal and live a long, healthy life could come true; she also wanted to leave the world a more peaceful place. When her wish did not come true at 1,000, she kept folding. Legend says she folded approximately 1,300 before her passing, and those who know her story have been folding ever since.
At Peace Crane Wellness, Sadako’s story of resiliency and peaceful action is inspiring. We have the same goals of health, healing, and peace, where every person has the opportunity to thrive.
About peace crane wellness
According to the National Wellness Institute, “Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.”
We aim to accomplish this through empowerment opportunities to individuals and groups of all backgrounds and abilities through offerings like yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and volunteerism and guided workshops on topics like gratitude, grief, recovery, healthy habits, and more that promote holistic wellness, inner and outer peace, and contribute to a more equitable and compassionate world.
About our founder
Kim has been teaching yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and other healing practices in studios, jails, recovery centers, afterschool and senior programs, and more since 2020. She received her 500-hour registered yoga teacher (RYT) certification from Asheville Yoga Center in 2022, is currently an E-RYT 500 and YACEP, and has facilitated Yoga 4 Change’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training twice. She has completed advanced coursework in Yin, Children’s, Women’s, Recovery, Oncology (with Christina Phipps Foundation), and Trauma-Informed/Sensitive Yoga as well as intensives in Anatomy and Physiology, Philosophy, Ayurveda and Marma. In 2022, Kim became a Reiki Master through Soulshine Reiki Healing and practices this healing modality with friends, family, and private students.
Kim Parker Simon was born and raised in North Florida and currently calls St. Johns County home. Since 2010, Kim has worked for local and state-wide nonprofits on issues like domestic violence, substance use and mental health, access to education, food and housing, civil rights and liberties, and most recently as a Director with a trauma-informed yoga nonprofit.
In 2019, Kim signed up for a yoga teacher training to learn more about the practice that helped her recover from debilitating back pain, heal from trauma, and cope with anxiety. Once she completed her training with Centred on Yoga in Fernandina Beach, she felt called to share.
