I often discover something I never realized I had when doing my spring cleaning...

I remember when I was in art school the constant refrain was, "There are no answers, only better questions".  Here are a few that might help you rediscover what you really came here to do...just another form of spring cleaning:

 1. What does your self judgement have to do with your reason for being?

 2. How many hours per week do you devote to self discovery? 

 3. What activities allow you to lose track of time, feel joy, give you energy?

I have come to believe that our reason for being is not static, but rather evolves with us as we cultivate new insights, talents and opportunities.  Periodically taking the time to evaluate what gives our lives purpose is essential, so I encourage you to wake up to who you are NOW as the rest of nature does the same.  

You will find three Restorative Yoga poses on the Instruction page above.  These can help you quiet down and listen to yourself, while offering the challenge of something new for your spring yoga practice.  If these postures aren't for you, then take a walk on the beach, lay in your hammock or just remove yourself from your routine for a day and discover what's new in you.

Want to feel more healthy, energetic, relaxed 

and vibrant in 2013?

Join us Tuesday, February 5th and/or

Wednesday, February 6th at the Capital City Club

in Brookhaven for a Mini Retreat.

Anne Namnoum and I will be in Atlanta next month for two  dynamic workshops that will combine science, yoga, psychology (and a healthy meal) to help you refresh and reboot as you head into the New Year.

The Tuesday workshop will begin with a session of active but gentle yoga.  (No prior yoga experience is necessary, and modifications will be given for different levels.)  After a nourishing brunch, Anne will cover the latest science about how stress affects your brain, body, belly and even DNA.  We will help you identify your individual stress response so that you can determine which lifestyle modifications and stress-reducing practices are most likely to soothe and revive you, and help you balance your nervous system and hormones.

Nancy will give an overview of yoga's role in reducing stress and improving mental and physical health, and will teach specific Restorative Yoga poses that are suited to your individual nervous system.  The day will end with a session of Restorative Yoga where you can practice different poses that can be used at home to help manage stress, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

The Wednesday workshop will take the information from Tuesday to the next level, and will explore how stress and fear can keep us "stuck" and can also contribute to hormonal imbalance and menopausal symptoms.  It will include a session of active yoga, and a longer session of Restorative Yoga with more customization of poses.

Nancy will show how restorative practices can help us develop calm, clarity, and courage to make positive changes in our mental and physical health.  Anne will discuss natural approaches to hormonal balance as well as the latest science on hormone therapy, so you can weigh the risks and benefits of hormone therapy depending on your individual situation.

Join us for one or both days!
There is a discount if you bring a friend 
or if you attend both days.

Tuesday, February 5th, 9a-2p at The Capital City Club, Atlanta
Single Day Rate:  $175
Bring-A-Friend Rate:  $160 each
Attend Both Workshops:  $350 total

Wednesday, February 6th, 9:30a-3:30p at The Capital City Club, Atlanta
Single Day Rate:  $210
Bring-A-Friend Rate:  $190 each
Attend Both Workshops:  $350 total

To register click on the pull down menu at right!

For answers to some frequently asked questions, 
just click on Anne's site at
www.annenamnoum.com 

One Month Later...Now The Ride Begins

It's been about one month since our Fall Women's Workshop, a good time to check in and see how we are feeling as compared to one short (long?) month ago.  

Remember that delicious high that came from four days of consciously caring for ourselves, and from daring to step outside our well worn path to try something new. 

Perhaps it even involved excavating, naming and dancing with some old fear that has kept us solemnly in the third row.   

Hell, even if you didn't attend the workshop, you have certainly experienced an exhilarating, life changing moment that left you feeling like you had risen to  the next level of you, right?



HOW TO STAY CONNECTED
Over time, however, the luster can fade from these moments of insight and change.  So how do we maintain that forward motion?  

Well how did you get to that next level in the first place?  

In terms of the workshop experience, it involved these key elements...

• Investing your time/money to be with yourself, not to buy some object for yourself
• Giving yourself structure and time to practice heart-opening yoga
• Activating your breath and using it to shift and clear the way for new beginnings
• Spending time in restorative yoga to let the deep visceral body release and renew
• Sharing what you discovered with your waking self, and someone else you trust
• Clearly looking at something you have been afraid of or avoiding
• Making time for meditation and using it to dance with that fear
• Softening so you can move in and out of fear instead of letting it stop you
• Learning something new about how your body and mind work
• Changing old patterns in your eating, thinking, working, playing, trusting self
• Getting the support and information you need when you need it...don't wait

So maybe one month out you are humming right along, or maybe you have been doing a little screaming when your new found strength seems to disappear like the roller coaster tracks at the top of a turn.  

When and if that happens just refer to this list above, and try to re-engage with one or two (or more!) of these practices that have the ability to help you reconnect with your power source.  

You see the good news is that these practices will always work, but not unless we work them.

As the saying goes, when you hit a bump you can either scream or throw your hands up and enjoy the ride.  

Now my suggestion is that when your arms go up you also bend your front knee, lean into the outside of your back foot, elongate your spine, and make it a Warrior I pose.

Screaming is optional.

I know none of you need to be reminded of this, but I keep the following list I found years ago in some magazine tacked up in front of my desk.  It helps keep me patient, talks back to my perfectionism, and often gives me comfort when I feel I should "be there by now"...wherever there is.

• Permanent change rarely happens instantly.
• It’s not about getting it perfect, it’s about continuing to imperfectly move forward.
• Change is not a one shot deal. 
• Maintenance is not something that happens automatically (see list above ;-)
• Maintenance is the stage where the hard work can pay off, or start to unravel.
• Anticipating the bumps can make it easier not to get thrown.

So enjoy the ride, and be in touch if I can provide any of that support and/or information that I mention above.  

Full Body Experience Followup

Second Annual Fall Women's Workshop

By far our most dynamic and potent workshop to date, I will let these photographs and the comments of our retreat members tell the story. For those of you who missed our "photo opportunities", please send me yours and I'll post them as well.

What did you particularly like about this workshop?

"What a wonderful balance of science, soul and solitude.  

The structure was beautifully balanced with instruction, flexibility 

and respect for individuals..." 

"The lack of pressure to perform, the energy that is manifested

 through simplicity and love...if I fall, I know I can roll over and get up.

It was really confidence building." 

  "Thank you for this unique opportunity to commune with other women.  

The collective positive energy was delicious and nurturing on many levels." 

What did you learn that was new/important to you?

"I loved listening to Anne, 

she answered questions I had about menopause." 

"Restorative, non-competitive yoga... 

learning to listen vs. talking." 

"I want to look more closely at the diet/chemistry info that Anne gave us.  

It made quite an impact."

"The instruction of fear was met head on 

with guidance and insight on how to address it 

psychologically, spiritually and physically..."  

Any other comments?

"Thank you, what an incredible group.  

This was the most powerful experience I've ever had.  

Getting away was key to the experience."  

"Nancy Samotis is a life changing force.

If that's what you're looking for, she'll be your guide."  

"The interaction of physical and mental trust was wonderful.  

The time well spent builds on itself in gradual, positive steps."

"I loved what you and Cheryl taught me during 

the Restorative Yoga portion of the weekend.  Thank you so much." 

This workshop would not have been a success without the whole-hearted support of...

And a very big thank you to all the amazing women 

that showed up this year...on so many levels.  

We look forward to seeing you all next year!

The F-Word

As I have been working with the question

“How do we become wiser and not just older?” 

the one factor that seems to make a huge difference in how we move forward as women is how we interface with our FEAR.  

When I mentioned to a few people that I wanted to dissect and disempower some of the fear models we carry with us as a part of my upcoming workshop, however, I received a few questioning looks and responses like: 

"Well that doesn’t have much to do with me.  I’m not afraid of anything."

"I don’t need to talk about fear, I just need ways to feel better and realize my full potential."

"I don’t think you should let women know that you’re going to talk about THAT."

 OMG…fear about fear!

So that prompted me to think about some other terms we use for the F-Word, and how they have become more acceptable code for this one primal emotion that we all have experienced.  Here are just a few:

Anxious             Frozen                       Nervous                      High Strung           Angry            

Avoidant            Vigilant                      Distressed                  Depressed            Stuck

So whatever you want to call it, the truth is the F-Word is at the root of most of our roadblocks and unhelpful behaviors. 

When unaddressed, fear        ▪   tells us to shut our mouth

                                                 ▪   keeps us from taking action

                                                 ▪   stunts our growth

                                                 ▪   impairs our ability to capitalize on opportunity

                                                 ▪   takes us on a long detour, or we abort our trip altogether

So whether we use the F-Word or choose to use another descriptor, it has become apparent to me that we’re never going to “wise up” unless we learn how to dance with fear….and to do that we must become less ashamed or afraid of being afraid.

Think of it like a boulder that stands in our way.  Only by addressing the obstacle can we understand it and ultimately transform it...for within each fearful obstacle lies important information that can inspire and inform us. 

You already know that there will be many things that we do during our 

“Full Body Experience” workshop:  

• Yoga
• Learning
• Relaxing 
• Adventuring  
• Eating good food 
• and yes, Playing!

I can’t imagine a better situation in which to dance to the top of that boulder, and get a more informed perspective on where you are and where you might want to go from here.

For this is how we move into our wisdom as women.  It is also how we start to dream bigger, and understand that what once seemed impossible is now anything but.

Here is a wonderful TED talk by a woman named Amy Purdy.  I recommend you take ten minutes and listen to her rather dramatic story about how facing fear has opened up her once very compromised life.  

Enjoy the video, and I look forward to seeing you in less than three weeks at our second annual Fall Women's Workshop.  If you haven't registered yet, please read more about it by clicking on the flier in the right side bar or on the Workshops page above.   We would love to have you!