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About Kathy Wilson's wonderful Morning Practice class on Tuesday's from 8:15-9:30 am.
Her class is a wonderful Flow Class that is available to students at all levels. | |
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"Be" Mantra
I will:
Be more, do less
Be and let be
Be who I am
Become what I want
Begin inside.
If these words resonate with you, try repeating this mantra to yourself several times; several times a day all month.
Remember, the word "mantra" literally means "mind protector."
Repeating a mantra is the first step towards training the mind, allowing positive, beneficial thoughts to permeate your being and will, if practiced regularly, truly transform your experience of life!
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Find the Good ~ Change the Bad...
Life constantly presents us with opportunities to "find the good - change the bad." Now I'm not saying that we can change what happens to us. I am, however, suggesting that we always have the opportunity to choose how we think about, react and /or respond to whatever has just "happened." This saying has become a household mantra for our family, especially for the youngest Mertens! At six, Emma is the perfect age to learn how to channel her energy so that she can "change the bad."
A typical weekday morning in our household is as follows: It's 6:00 a.m. and I hear Cooper's alarm clock go off from my bathroom. She gets up immediately, cheerfully makes her bed, gets dressed, brushes and fixes her hair, takes the dog out, feeds the dog, makes her own breakfast, brings coffee to me and Mark (she knows just how each of us likes it!), eats her breakfast, brushes her teeth and is ready to leave by 7:00!
Meanwhile, at around 6:45 Mark, after pleading with her, is pulling a quite grumpy and extremely resistant Emma out of her bed and doing whatever it takes to get her dressed, hair brushed, fed and teeth brushed and in the car by 7:30. Every excuse, complaint and ailment she can come up with is shrieked from her dainty little mouth and the whining is almost unbearable.
Subsequently, it has become our mission (as well as our own personal daily reminder) to help Emma learn how to channel all this negative energy in a more positive way. At the same time we want to celebrate her individuality and in no way compare her to her sister. Sure she's going to have bad mornings every now and then, but we want to teach her that she is, in fact, choosing to act and feel this way. (Just for the record...she is always happy when I pick her up from school...hmmmmmmm...)
That's why we bought the sign...."Find the Good - Change the Bad." It adorns the wall above the sliding glass doors in our dining room from where Emma sits every morning to eat her breakfast so she can see it.
Has it helped? Honestly, I think it has. At least I know she's thinking a great deal about it. She stops in her own tracks now when she sees "the sign" or "that look" on my face (or maybe she's actually becoming aware of her own actions!) and says, "I know, I know, find the good - change the bad. I love you Mommy!"
Our lives are simply the sum of what we think, say and do. Those three things are always within our control. The rest....well, it all just "happens" and we have the choice time, after time, after time of how we will respond.
By the way...the same day I bought that sign, I also bought a picture that adorns our screened in porch that reads, "I love you to the moon and back..." and we make sure we repeat that several times a day as well. This is to remind Emma, that although we are difficult at times and may "choose the bad" at times, we are all still loved and cherished to our core!
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Ashtanga Workshop
with Tucker Shelton
 Saturday, August 8 from 11 am - 2 pm.
The fee is $35.
Ashtanga yoga is an asana and pranayama series that comes from the translations of ancient yogic manuscripts.
Unlike other more static forms of yoga, the practice of Ashtanga is dynamic and involves flowing with the breath. Moving in this way builds heat, fanning the internal fire (agni) and pushing out the body's toxins through sweat. This intense practice serves to build strong, healthy bodies while calming the mind for deep meditation.
Come and experience the practice of Ashtanga yoga for yourself. All peoples of all types are welcome.
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SAVE THE DATE!!!
Sept. 26, Saturday (9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.) & Sunday 27 (1:00 - 5:00 p.m.), 2009
Brightwater Yoga Center, Hendersonville, NC, USA
Workshop on Tai Chi, Chee Kung, Creating Emotional Balance and Connecting to Spirit with Breathing Exercises.
Very hands on, experiential, fun, simple, practical, and meaningful. We will have a shared lunch of healthy organic whole foods while teaching about nuturition and well being.
Facilitators : Courtney Brown and Dr. Leslie Wells, both born in America, but now live in New Zealand. Courtney is a Holistic Health Consultant and Leslie is a chiropratic wellness doctor practicing Network Spinal Analysis.
More information will be coming soon.
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Member Spotlight ~
Kelly Laughton
Sometimes the greatest gifts come in the smallest packages. Kelly Laughton is no exception to this rule. She may be small, but she is an incredible gift and treasure to everyone who knows her!
Vocationally speaking, Kelly's resume is more than impressive. With an Information Technology (IT) career spanning more than 20 years, including 10 years as director of Information Technology and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in local government, Kelly currently works for the Davenport Group, a Minnesota based organization that provides state of the art, flexible and feature rich strategies for storage management and date recovery.
From 2002-2006, Kelly chaired the Local Government Committee of NCGICC and currently chairs the Technical Advisory Committee, a position she has held since 2008. In addition, she serves on the NCGIS Conference Program Committee and is on the advisory board of Carolina URISA. Kelly holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and Public Affairs and Masters' Degrees in Management and Computer Resources/Information Management.
Logically speaking, Kelly's story is equally as impressive. She was introduced to Yoga in April of 2008 by her dear friend and instructor, Shauna Walgrave, while on vacation at her home in Tortolla, British Virgin Islands. Kelly says it was love at first sight! A few months later, Shauna helped her find Brightwater Yoga. Walking up the stairs, Kelly explained, "was like coming home!" "I can't imagine life without yoga," she added. And Kelly has truly woven yoga into the fabric of her daily life, taking 3-5 classes a week at Brightwater and practicing at home on the days she doesn't make it to class.
 Practicing yoga is a feat, in and of itself, for Kelly. Five years ago, she was thrown from a horse and, after extensive back surgery, is able to do poses like Urdhva Dhanurasana (backbend), despite the 4, 9-inch rods and 10 screws in her back.
In addition, Kelly is a survivor of childhood cancer. For years, Kelly battled the most serious type of Hodgkins Disease enduring harsh and invasive chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Today, her positive outlook on life exudes from her on and off the mat and I feel sure it's the reason, along with the love and passion she has for her work, her practice, and her life in general that attributes to her great health and success today!
I'd also like to mention that when she's not working or doing yoga, Kelly is a master gardener and landscape designer. She worked for quite some time at A Growing Concern, here in Hendersonville, and has a dream of beginning her own business helping others design and create the garden of their dreams! What an inspiration!
Stay healthy and happy Kelly and thank you for spreading your health and happiness to all of us!!!
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August's Awesome Asana:
Urdhva Dhanurasana
(OORD-vah don-your-AHS-anna)
Urdhva = upward
Dhanu = bow
Upward Facing Bow Pose
Step 1: Lie on your back. Bend your knees and bring your heels as close to your buttock bones as you can with the toes pointing straight ahead. Keep your knees parallel to each other.
Step 2: Extend your arms toward the ceiling. Bend your elbows and place the hands on the floor by the head with the fingers pointing towards the shoulders. Keep the elbows parallel to each other.
 Step 3: Take another deep breath in and on your exhalation press strongly into your feet and hands and lift your hips and chest so the head comes away from the floor. Straighten the arms and your legs as much as possible. Keep your knees parallel and roll your inner thighs inward, as you move the tailbone towards the backs of your knees allowing the pubis to lift towards the naval. Broaden between the shoulder blades and move them towards the front of your chest as you press strongly into the base of each index finger. Let your head dangle or look down at the floor towards your hands.
Step 4: Stay for 3 - 10 smooth breaths. Come down by bending your arms and your legs and replacing your torso and pelvis against the floor. Bring one hand to  your heart and the other to your belly. Enjoy your breath and the beating of your heart.
Step 5: Feel free to repeat this pose 1-10 more times. This is a very energetic and strengthening pose, but it can also be incredibly soothing as long as you remain calm and present to each step as well as to your breath. Enjoy!!
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Meredith Boyd's August Massage Special
 Buy two massages at the regular price of $65, you get a third for $35!!
Be sure to take advantage of this amazing offer today!! You deserve it! She is also now offering gift cards that can be applied toward massage for any amount! |
| Offer Expires: August 31, 2009 | | |
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