My Grandson

Austin William Beech, born Aug. 31, 3:29 am, 8 lb 5 oz.

Honoring Trees

TREES

by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Obviously, I love trees! The Body Grace logo and décor is tree-inspired, and the first impression of the studio is the ‘love’ tree painted in the stairwell. I have loved trees for as long as I can remember. As a little girl I couldn’t wait to play out in the woods with my dolls. When I was a teen getting into drawing and painting, I would spend many hours with my sketchpad out in the woods. In painting class, I would bring in pictures of trees with gnarly, moss-covered roots to paint, frustrating my teachers who would say, “enough with the trees, Jan” and then make me paint a boring still life.

My family is getting ready to put my mom’s house on the market. Recently while I was sitting outside on the front stoop taking a break from cleaning, I realized how much I will miss the big, old maple tree in the front yard. It’s a magnificent tree with an amazing root system and a beautiful shape. That tree has grown up with me. It saw me through my awkward, pudgy, crooked teeth and cat-eye glasses elementary school days; put up with my rebellious, alcohol- and drug-induced teen years; and has had the privilege of having my own two daughters play make believe under it when they were little. I only hope that whoever buys the house will love that tree as much as my mom and my family did.

Saying good-bye to my mom almost a year ago, (whose final resting place is underneath a big, nurturing tree), and now getting ready to say good-bye to our family’s home, has all been a process of letting go, which brings me to the Body Grace logo. Have you ever noticed the two floating leaves? Those leaves are what made me fall in love with the design. They represent not only graceful movement, (which by the way, is what we want in our bodies; bodies that are strong and stable, but also move with ease and lightness) but the leaves also symbolize letting go and giving back. As they fall to the ground, they are giving back to the earth.

Earth Day is Sunday, April 22 but Body Grace will be celebrating Earth Week through Saturday, April 28. I will donate $2.00 to the Environmental Defense Fund for every paying student who comes to take a class during the week. This will be one small way of giving back to the earth.

“To treat the physical world as sacred is to honor what you do with your body and environment, the food you eat, the things you buy and your means of livelihood.”

– Anodea Judith, Ph.D. therapist and educator.

Taking the time to connect to Mother Nature is another way to show we care. Notice how delicate the light is when the sun shines through the laciness of new leaves on the trees, the many colors of the flowering shrubs and flowers, the chorus of birds singing early in the morning. Caring for the earth reflects how we take care of ourselves. I want to have lots of trees for my grandchildren to play under and grow up with, just like I had my maple tree.

Warmly,

Jan

Body Grace is Branching Out into the Community

This past week, three of our Body Grace instructors had the amazing opportunity to teach for the James Madison High School freshman P.E. department. The teachers at Madison wanted to give their students a taste of other fitness modalities, so they invited trainers to come and share their expertise with the P.E. classes. Diane Rogers and Carlos Valdes-Dapena team-taught a yoga unit on Monday and Tuesday; Julie Moore taught Pilates on Wednesday.

The P.E. teachers at Madison know that other outlets for physical activity and exercise need to be offered for teens who are not athletic or don’t want to play a competitive sport. Many of our teens are already seeing chiropractors and physical therapists for back and neck issues due to poor posture from sitting too much, heavy book bags and stress.

As Carlos posted on his Facebook wall, they reached over 300 students in two days! Diane shared this with me, “Carlos and I were so impressed at how engaged and enthusiastic the P.E. staff and students were. Some of the athletes were humbled by their difficulties in Warrior 3 and some of the less-athletic types seemed happy to learn this new form of physical activity.”

Julie had a similarly positive experience, finding the students friendly, completely engaged and open-minded. And like Diane and Carlos, she got a positive response from students she perceived as less athletic who seemed proud to be able to do many of the exercises she offered. Julie summed it up beautifully when she said, “I think the P.E. teachers accomplished their goal of exposing kids to something new and capturing their imagination of what they might do in the future.” A huge kudos to the Madison teachers for thinking outside the box!

I am so proud of the teaching team here at Body Grace! So many of you have expressed to me how caring and dedicated all the teachers are and how non-intimidating the studio atmosphere is. Mission accomplished! Our vision is that Body Grace grows into a nurturing studio where people can care for themselves, body, mind and spirit, and that we will continue to branch out into the community.

Warmly,

Jan

Becoming a grandparent!

I discovered the secret to levitation; I am going to be a grandparent! I don’t think Bob’s feet or mine have touched the ground yet. The due date is August 25; so needless to say, as much as I love the studio and all of you, nothing will keep me away from being part of our first grandchild’s arrival!

An August birth has another significance. My mother would always tell everyone how she didn’t know anyone with an August birthday, so my daughter, Nicole, and her husband, Dale, planned this birth in honor of her. She passed before their wedding, but I believe with all my heart that she will be sharing this joyous occasion right along with us. I will carry on my mother’s tradition of spoiling my grandchild with unconditional love, lots of time, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and a really loud obnoxious toy or two, just like she did with my two daughters.

I am ready for this new chapter of my life to begin. I don’ t feel nervous or “old”, on the contrary, my heart is full of joy and I am excited about what the future will hold. In fact, there is not a doubt in my mind that Bob and I will rock as grandparents!

Warmly,

Jan

Celebrating Light

“Think of your well-being like a candle burning brightly inside of you. It is at the core of your being, and when you are feeling quiet and peaceful, your well-being is intact and your

candle is burning with ease.”

--Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Calendar

Since when did Christmas become so competitive? From stores trying to be the first to put out their holiday decorations and merchandise, (did anyone notice stuff appearing in stores at the beginning of September?) to the array of competitive commercials on TV.

I thought I was being a little oversensitive to the Best Buy ads until I read an article recently in The Washington Post by Hank Stuever who had the same feelings I did. There’s one ad that depicts a woman who has gone out and bought everything at Best Buy that her family wants and waits up for Santa to arrive only to mock him when he shows up. Poor Santa does nothing but give and this is the thanks he gets? And let’s not forget about the Target ads with the crazed lady who hasn’t slept in days and is in “training” for her shopping spree. She’s the one running through Target with a parachute attached to her and doing abdominal crunches on the red stability ball-like objects that are in front of Target Stores.

Personally, I think this woman could use a little yoga!

Even though these ads are funny, and some would even say clever, the holidays are not a competition they are a celebration. Whether we are lighting an advent wreath, a menorah, admiring all the decorative lights or lighting a candle for loved ones no longer with us, the holidays are a celebration of light. Light conveys unity; light opens us up to love;light represents hope and peace; light is an absence of darkness bringing the clarity we crave. Spiritual light is a common thread that all religions have. Just think how peaceful the world would be if we could focus on that common denominator instead of all the differences.

I found a great quote from an article written by Anne Naylor, a motivational speaker and writer, which sums up this concept of light beautifully: The Light is the great connector that finds harmony and union where there was discord and divisiveness. The Light brings healing and peace, where there was disease and discouragement. The Light sees plenty where I might see lack. When you pray,

see Light – because Light sees you.

However you choose to celebrate the holiday season and after all the busyness is done,

take some time to enjoy the glow of lights around you and let your inner candle burn brightly.

Warmly wishing you peace, love, joy, and light!

Jan

The Turtle Had It Right!

“Determination and consistency yield results”

Pat Rigsby - Fitness business coach

These five words have become my mantra lately. I follow Pat’s business blog and this phrase really jumped out at me about a month ago. So much so, that I wrote it down and have it next to my computer to read everyday. He was referring to business concepts, but I think this phrase could inspire us whether we are trying to improve our diet and fitness habits, starting a new business or de-cluttering our home! You name it.

I get daily motivational messages sent to my in-box from

theuniverse@tut.com. The other day I received the quote below. It has the same idea as Pat’s, but with a fun twist. I hope it makes you smile too!

“I still don't get why people are so surprised that the turtle beat the rabbit over the long run.

Consistent effort, no matter how small, sparks magic, fills sails, butters bread, turns tides, instills faith, summons friends, improves health, burns calories, creates abundance, yields clarity, builds courage, spins planets, and rewrites destinies.

No matter how small.”

Through The Eyes Of A Crayon

Here it is, the last hurrah of summer! Can you feel fall in the air? I certainly can. This has always been one of my favorite times of the year. The final weeks of summer are always full of anticipation. When my two daughters were growing up, I use to love the final week of August before school started. That was our week to go shopping for new clothes and shoes; we’d have our little fashion show at home, putting outfits together trying to make that critical decision on what to wear the first day of school.

Oh and how I will miss rushing out to buy all the new school supplies.

Starting the new school year with fresh notebooks and paper was always a must. Pens and pencils, I have decided, must end up in the same place as the missing socks from the laundry, because we were constantly buying packages of both!

To this day, however, there is one school supply that still gets my heart fluttering: crayons. Cracking open a fresh box of crayons for the first time, marveling at all the beautiful colors, enjoying the newness of each crayon with its fresh point and fully intact paper covering; inhaling that waxy scent always made me smile. It is truly one of my favorite things.

Coloring is calming and meditative. For those people who find it hard to sit in meditation, try coloring. Did you know there are some beautiful meditation coloring books available? They usually are printed in the shape of Mandalas, (the Sanskrit word for circle or center), which is considered to be a symbolic shape representing wholeness and unity. But you don’t need a special book, just some plain paper does the trick too.

Several years ago I attended a conference and Mare Petras, a motivational speaker, had this to say about crayons:

“We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have different and unusual names; and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.”

Who knew colorful, waxy sticks had so much to teach us? They not only allow artistic creativity, but also a meditative experience, not to mention their symbolism of living together in an accepting and peaceful world.

Warmly,

Jan

This fall will bring lots of new and exciting offerings at Body Grace!

New classes and teachers, another meditation session and a Sunday afternoon class to name just a few.

Be on the lookout for future emails with more information.

Below is the schedule for the next two weeks.

All classes will resume Tuesday, September 6

Pilates starts back on Thursday, September 8, 9:30 am

(Please note that the 8:30 am class will no longer be offered)

Teen Yoga starts on Wednesday, September 14, 4:15 pm

New Class

Gentle Yoga with Jan on Mondays 11:00 am – Noon

Starting September 12

For all of you who requested a gentle practice later in the morning here it is! This is a wonderful class for everyone but will be particularly beneficial for anyone with minor limitations.