 Good Afternoon, Everyone!
I don’t know about you, but in the last year – year and a half, I seemed to have lost my mojo. I’ve been kind of off-kilter. Things haven’t been lining up the way I wanted them to and I’ve relaxed my own personal principles for taking care of myself. Maybe it’s an age thing, I turned 59 and now am going on 60 and it has really Kicked My Butt! I exercise less than I used to – almost to couch potato status. And, it seems, I’m not alone. Just yesterday I was talking to a friend and she agreed. She loves desserts and used to limit them to a few times a week. Now it is more like an everyday event! And, that’s just the physical part of taking care of myself. The list goes on. And, worst of all, my personal yoga practice has suffered too. As a result, I worry more and sleep less. So what happened? I lost my work life - home life - fun and excitement - equilibrium. Basically, I lost my balance. It can be tough motivating yourself to get moving again. I know! But, that is exactly what I am going to do. And, I invite you to come along on this journey of “Creating Balance” with me. Rodney Yee has written a wonderful book entitled “Moving Toward Balance.” Over the next few months we are going to explore Balance and the elements, he says, make up balance like, Being Present, Opening into Vulnerability, Allowing Receptivity, Turning Inward, Changing Orientation and Awakening Connection, in our journey of Creating Balance in our lives. I’m looking forward to “seeing you” in class! Vicki If you haven’t already, you can sign up for class here: https://app.ubindi.com/Vicki.Schneider
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 Let’s continue our talk about Love.
When we feel confused, full of anxiety or guilt, or angry; we begin to feel like we don’t belong, that we are not worthy in some way – not enough. But when we practice kindness and compassion, beautiful things begin to happen – inside. Our inner strength begins to blossom and it unfolds in the most amazing ways. I found this on the web and I believe it whole-heartedly and I want to share it with you. “Love is an endless glow that radiates in all directions. It is the cosmic fire of passion, that burns through all darkness – the eternal I Am.” -- Toni Carmine Salerno So let’s begin our practice now. Over the next few hours until we meet. Say these phrases to yourself and feel how love can bloom in you. I Am Worthy. I Am Strong. I Am Enough. I Am Spirit. I Am Consciousness. I Am Light. I Am Love. See you at 5:30 pm.  Life throws us curve balls. It can be confusing and hard; and we generally respond ok.
But sometimes, we retreat and let the world go by. Or we stop. Completely. We fight feelings, emotions. We push away what we don’t want to deal with. We become constricted in our bodies and they become tense and tight. We can become hard or narrow-minded in our thinking and beliefs. Today’s practice is about grounding and opening. Grounding and connecting with the earth, with ourselves, with spirit. And Opening, Opening our bodies, opening our hearts. When we do this, we create space. Space. Space for something new. Space to embrace new things, pursue new adventures. Today we implement the practice of grounding so that an opening can occur. We will find expansiveness and rest there. No deep work today. Just resting in openness. See you at 5:30 pm. Namaste & Blessings, Vicki This week has caught me a little off-guard. I've watched too much TV and I've been on FB too much. I saw and read about some of the horrendous things people do and say to each other. First hand on FB. I think it sent me into a tailspin. It was all just too much to handle. I felt anxious and maybe even a bit depressed. So, instead of fighting the feelings and pretending they didn't exist, I meditated. I sat with my feelings, which means I spent time actually feeling them. I went to a quiet space in our home and let the experience wash over and through me. Was it easy? No. But it was important to do this work. Then I just asked myself, what does this mean? What should I do about the situation, if anything. And, I realized a couple of things. Spending too much time listening to "junk" news (I'll use that term because news is different for everyone) isn't helpful. It's hurtful and it's causes confusion. With that said, I'm going to select my news sources more carefully. The second thing I realized is that we all need to find the place within where it is calm. A place where we feel connected to our source (God, the universe, consciousness, again different for different people) and we need (not just a suggestion) to spend time cultivating a relationship with our source. I use meditation because it helps me feel better, it helps me feel connected and whole. So last night's class was geared at helping people find their connection to God. Finding the still place within each of us. It's here. It's always here. We just have to remember to spend a few minutes everyday practicing that connection. Blessings & Namaste, Vicki 
Our next beach cleanup in April at Lake Harbor Park, and it coincides with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Yes, that’s right, 50 years since the first Earth Day in 1970. For those who were just kids (or not born yet), Earth Day was a unified response to our country’s environmental crisis — oil spills, smog, rivers so polluted they literally caught fire, including a milky-colored Muskegon Lake for those of you who may remember. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement, and is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event. As for our part, we’d love to have you join us for our 5th Annual Spring Beach cleanup: Date: Saturday, April 25, 2020 Location: Lake Harbor Park, Norton Shores, Michigan Meeting Place: Meet at the Pavillion Time: 9:30 am to 11:30 am We will supply plastic bags and gloves to those who want them. Sign Up Online (after March 25th). The Alliance for the Great Lakes is in the process of updating their website so there is no place to sign up at the moment. When I get the word that the site is up and running, I’ll let you know. Or, you can respond to this email and complete the paperwork Saturday morning. We will provide more information as we get closer to the event. We hope to see you there! And feel free to share this email with your friends and family who may be interested. Many Thanks and Best Regards, Vicki, Bill and the Blue Horizons Wellness Team
 Have you ever wondered what a yoga class is? What do you do in a yoga class? What is all the hype about? To get some answers come to Yoga 101 on Saturday, September 14th where you will learn about yoga and experience some of the common yoga styles.
You will learn how to do a number of the basic poses in a way that is right for your body. You will also learn about yoga’s physical benefits and some of the philosophy behind yoga. In this introductory class, you will get to know a little about hatha, vinyasa and restorative yoga classes. And to help you get started, you will receive your second class free so you can keep your yoga practice going! Come learn and grow with us. Your Horizons are bright at Blue Horizons Wellness!$20 per person Saturday, September 14th 1:00-2:30 pm  Do you experience soreness in your body? Are your muscles knotted? Do you have a general overall feeeling of tightness? Then this Yin Therapeutic workshop is your antidote.
This class will help you release deep knots in your muscles. Tennis balls and foam rollers will provide a myofascial massage. Yin yoga poses will be held to improve flexibility and mobility in your body. And throughout each pose, you will be guided through a meditation or guided relaxation to further release anxiety and stress. You will leave this workshop feeling physically open with a calm inner peace that you can take with you into your daily life. Your body will love you! 6 weeks September 12th to October 17th. $75 if you sign up by September 11th, $90 there after
Our next 6-week session of Yoga with a Chair begins Thursday, October 30th at 4 pm.
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