The Universe is Dance as Are You

Our culture has stolen the arts from their rightful place as community-building and healing medicine, contributed to and engaged in by every single human. We can take them back. We can decide not to let anyone's limited and often commercialized idea of them rob us of their gifts.

Dance is in your cells. Dance is in your DNA. Dance is your very structure, just as it is the structure of the universe.

Nothing stops moving that is alive, and even in death, we contribute to that movement as we are taken back into the ground and redistributed through the web of life on every level.

As long as there is breath, there is dance within you.

And in this way we express and process things that words can never touch.

In this way, we relate to each other beyond the limits of verbal language.

In this way, we build ecosystems of joy and love and kindness as we become more of those things ourselves through the act of expression and the resulting transmutation.

July Quickie Yoga: Gently Finding & Strengthening Your Core and Inner Fire

LOCATION: Online, either live or videos on your own time
DATES: Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29, and August 3, 5
TIME: 10:30 AM to 10:50 AM (Easter United States time)
*NOTE: I get online at about 10:20 in case anyone needs to talk.
COST: $55 (includes access to me in a private Facebook group and access to the classes for the entire 4 weeks. Links do not expire during that time.)

If you’ve never done yoga with me before, read here.

Me and my co-teacher…

If you’ve never had a zoom class with me before, read here.

PLEASE NOTE: You must be willing to be in a private Facebook group to access these classes.

For this four week session (as usual, twice a week for 20 minutes; recorded if you can’t make the “lives”), we’ll be doing some of our favorite Kundalini yoga, but each day, we’ll also be exploring how to access and strengthen your core.

That may sound funny but I am constantly meeting women who aren’t sure they’ve ever actually, truly used their core.

And by core, I don’t mean your front tummy area, but the entirety of all the muscles around and through the torso. Think of it more as a “corset.”

We WILL NOT be doing “crunches” or anything of that crappy sort. HA!

This class is meant for anyone of any level. I’ll be providing plenty of modifications.

In Kundalini, this area also corresponds to your willpower and your capacity to create your life, so we’ll be working on that too!

Choosing Joy: It's not trite

This is taking ultimate responsibility for our lives. It's hard and sometimes I just want to throw a temper tantrum and say NO! I'M EXHAUSTED!

Sometimes the reality of this power we hold as individuals just makes me mad... why can't someone else do it!?

Choosing joy is not trite. It’s not about giggles or excitement, though it can be.

It’s something so much deeper.

If you’ve suffered from any sort of depression or anxiety, all of this can feel even more difficult and almost… cruel, right? Like how do we DO THIS in light of those mental health challenges especially?! When we barely have the energy to get out of bed, how do we choose joy?!

In light of those challenges, it’s actually more important that we become conscious of the fact of this choice.

In bed, when we are struggling, can we look around for even a hint of joy that could motivate us?

If you’ve known me for more than five minutes, you know that would be the sight of my cat, Peony.

When I’ve been in some of my darkest moments in this human form, the thought of that cat… the purrs of that cat, have saved me.

Joy has saved me.

“Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for spiritual joy. And if you do not know the difference between pleasure and spiritual joy you have not yet begun to live.”

— Thomas Merton

#DailyJoy: Skin Care

I don’t get anything from anyone when I write about stuff like this. If that changes, you know I’ll be transparent about it.

I’ve always taken decent care of my skin, and before I start talking about product, a little reminder that the best skin care is an inside job.

My skin looks freaking AMAZING when I drink ALL the splish splash (or water…whatever…I prefer this name given by Donnie Quinn one day in a class), when I eat massive amounts of fruits and veggies, when I sleep well, when I move well, when I laugh a TON.

That said… I love me some good skin care and the picture to the right is a small sample of my current favorites.

My routine is to switch things up a lot. Your skin doesn’t want the same shit put on it every single day from here to eternity… just like your muscles don’t want to be doing the same freaking yoga or whatever routine. Change is good and healthy.

I do this changey thing on a macro level — always looking for new products — and a micro level — daily cycling through different products.

Every morning, I do a gentle scrub with one of a few scrubs at hand. Every evening, I do a toner with one of a few toners at hand. And I am constantly using different day and night creams.

Onto the goods… these are my current OH MY GOD THIS IS AMAZING favorites:

(Note: I have skin that rarely gets a pimple and it’s normal to dry…never oily. Just so you know that these things are geared toward that.)

I got this Glazen Face Glow from Butter of London as a sample when I ordered some nail stuff (LOVE them for nails) and WOW. Like, I cannot say enough about this stuff. Makes my skin feel baby butt soft and then it also makes me look like I bothered with makeup. HA! It comes in different shades.

I love LUSH (and so does my husband, if you have a man in your life who likes good smelling stuff). Right now I’m obsessed with their Cup O’Coffee face mask. I do it once or twice a week and it always looks like I got an expensive facial, especially if I follow it with Magical Moringa Beauty Balm. I also smell so good, you might want to eat my face.

Speaking of baby butt soft faces, this one is new to me this week and again, OB.SESSED. Vitamin C Skin Boost Instant Smoother is everything its name says and more. I really can’t describe it.

I am also loving the Body Shop’s Petal Soft GEL Toner. (For some reason I couldn’t find it on their site but I just bought it at their store.)

And finally, I happened upon this last one by pure luck at a local organic grocer. Acure Radically Rejuvenating Facial Scrub with rose oil is just gentle enough to use every day. Or every other, as is my case.

I could go on forever but would love to hear what you’re loving lately.

The Tricksy of Wanting to Lose Weight

Here’s the thing, in this photo of me… a few years before I met Craig… I thought I was disgusting. That’s body dysmorphia right there. I literally could not SEE what I actually, in reality looked like.

I thought I “still” needed to lose at least 20 pounds here.

First, no.

Second, why? I would tell myself it was so my “dance lines could be seen.” As if they could not already.

My mental health, just like any humans, is directly linked to my physical health. We are integrated like that.

But my weight is not part of that equation except in a results/correlation sort of way.

I must move a LOT every day to really feel like my best self, to beat the depression monster that lurks in my distracted brain.

The amount of movement that takes happens to result in a smaller body … in MY very specific case. It doesn’t work like that for everyone.

People will often think that because I encourage you to love your joybody that I am anti-weight loss.

I’m not.

I’m anti body punishment.

I’m anti self hate.

I’m anti food deprivation.

I’m anti food labeling (“good” versus “bad”).

I’m anti whatever you’re doing that is NOT joyful.

I’m not anti weight loss, but I do want you to be very clear about your weight loss goal.

Where does it come from? Is it true to your body type? Are you loving yourself? Are you moving and eating with joy and play and fun and delight at the center?

Are you living outside the constant worry about and obsession over numbers — the number on the scale, the number of the size of your pants, calorie counts, any freaking number that brings you anxiety?

How are you eating and moving lately that brings you joy? I’d love to hear.

June Quickie Kundalini Yoga: PLUS Functional Movement for Healthy Aging

For this four week session (as usual, twice a week for 20 minutes; recorded if you can’t make the “lives”), we’ll be doing some of our favorite Kundalini yoga, but each day, I’ll also add in some basic “PT.” By the end of the four weeks, you’ll be totally covered for basic, daily sorts of body and mobility “maintenance.”

Once people are registered, I’ll ask if you have any specific areas or issues you’d like me to target, but I also know what’s typical for most humans so I’ll add in things you probably don’t realize you need!

This session will go back to the TUESDAY/THURSDAY pattern.

For this session, some props will be needed but you don’t have to have the ACTUAL props. There are lots of options:

• 2 yoga blocks — or a couple of different thickness books

• Always have a blanket and some pillows nearby

• A yoga strap — or a man’s tie works or a theraband

• Lacrosse balls OR tennis balls (depends on how much density feels good to you)

• A half round — or again, a book

• A foam roller (this is something I think everyone should have in their house and I can’t think of a replacement for it) — I prefer the 36 inch version

And because I get asked about this, I highly recommend having some sort of reflexology mat in your tool box, like this one.

JUNE KUNDALINI PLUS (20 Minute Quickies)
Tuesdays/Thursdays: June 8/10, 15/17, 22/24, and June 29/July 1
TIME: 10:30 AM (Eastern United States). I get online at 10:20 for chatting or if you have any questions.
COST: $50

June Movement Arts Classes: More Fun, More Fire

REMINDER: Go here to learn HOW to do these Zoom classes. Classes are live but are recorded so you do not have to be present during the live. You also can be present and not have your camera on if you’re uncomfortable for any reason.

---

Tuesday and Thursday classes will have similar patterns this time around, with slightly different goals and focuses.

Tuesdays we’ll be focusing on RELEASE. Each week, we’ll have a different theme. For example, one week we’ll work on releasing anger and the next perhaps frustration. (I’ll have the first week designated but will wait for input from students on your needs.)

Thursdays will be all about increasing our individual levels of physical challenge through PLAY.

You can take BOTH classes at a discount.

The PATTERN of each class (if you’re new to this):

Class always starts on the floor, exploring circular and spiral movements, especially in the spine. This is the most that the class is led in any traditional sense of that word.

For most people, the class is done either with closed eyes or downcast eyes so that they can focus on themselves and not be distracted. This is not a dance class with mirrors where people are staring at you and you’re being judged and corrected. (If I haven’t already made that clear.)

From that beginning, we make our way through explorations of joints, muscles, and segments of the body. No matter how long you take these classes, we’re always looking to learn something new about ourselves and these bodies. We try to approach our movement art practice each week as if we've never done it before.

Finally we start playing with the poetry of the body… FEELING our way into moving, followed by either some partner or group work to reground in community. (Yes, even virtually this can be done.)

REGISTER HERE (Go all the way to the bottom to register for BOTH)

JUNE TUESDAYS
TIME: 5:30 to 6:30 PM (Eastern United States time)
Dates: June 8, 15, 22, and 29
Cost: $65 (or $120 for both/below)

JUNE THURSDAYS
Time: 5:30 to 5:30 PM (Eastern United States time)
Dates: June 10, 17, 24 and July 1
Cost: $65 (or $120 for both/below)

BOTH TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
June 2021
Cost: $120

Time for Us to Step Up, Yogis

If you’ve benefitted from yoga in your life, you can thank Ma India.

And as you know, Ma India is suffering right now in ways we’ve not seen except in wars. They are fighting a war, for sure, and I fear, what will be lost to the world?

One way you can immediately help is with money. Yep. Money. Even just a few dollars. EVERY AMOUNT HELPS get them more hospital supplies, including OXYGEN.

Another way to help, of course, is to spread word of the need for help.

Dedicate your yoga and spiritual practices to India.

And may all beings be free from suffering…

GO HERE for a reputable site to give money.