Feel Better Do Good
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Global Giveback Day!

9/27/2021

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Did you miss our last online practice? Join in now! 

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Beloved ones,

Our mantra at Embody is "Feel Better, Do Good." In October we are focusing on the DO GOOD part. It's Global Giveback Day October 6, 2021 which calls us all to action! 

If you are in West Michigan, join us in collaboration with our community partner Kids' Food Basket, at the GR location on 10/6/2021 from 6:00-7:30pm, 1300 Plymouth Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Help us bring healthy food to the most vulnerable among us; our children. You must sign up online here: KFB Volunteer Hub We have room for 15 volunteers so let's max it out!
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​If you are in Northern California, join me at Petaluma Bounty Farm from 9 am - noon to work on the farm and then have an outdoor on-site yoga practice led by yours truly from 12-12:45 pm. Simply show up and dress for getting dirty.
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For the rest of us who cannot attend either Kids' Food Basket or Petaluma Bounty Farm, please consider giving back in some way. There are many ways to be of service in your community & here are just a handful: 

1. Donate your time- animal shelter, soup kitchen, school
2. Random act of kindness
3. Mentor a child
4. Plant a tree
5. Pick up trash at the beach, a park, or along a bike trail

The sky's the limit. You are guaranteed to feel better after offering your time & heart to make our world better. The Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “The essence of life is to serve others and do good.” I must say I agree. But if Aristotle and I are not enough to convince you, studies have linked giving back in service to increased happiness & better physical and mental wellbeing.

So make a commitment to yourself, along with us at Embody, to take positive action on Global Giveback Day. I'd love to hear your stories & see your photos. Please email me at: dana@feelbetterdogood.org to share your experience!

Feel Better, DO GOOD,
dana
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Upcoming Events

Embody's Weekly Practice with Team Teacher Monica Reyna
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody's Weekly Practice with Team Teacher Monica Reyna
Wednesday, October , 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody Global Giveback Day
Wednesday, October 6
Grand Rapids 6-7:30pm ET Kids Food Basket
Petaluma 9am-noon PT Petaluma Bounty Farm


Tune in: Facebook Embody
**Please follow our page & share the practice w/ others :)

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
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Simply Breathe

5/3/2021

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Did you miss the practice with Monica last week? 
You can always practice whenever you have the time throughout the week. How about now? 

Beloved ones,
Give yourself and those you love this week the gift of focusing on your breath. Accessing our breath can instantly have a calming effect on your bodies and brains. So cool, right! Couple that with mindful movement and you're guaranteed to feel better & inspired to do good.
Join Embody's practice this week led by team teacher Leah Grace: Breathwork + Embodied Movement! 45 minutes of bliss. Please like/love, leave us a comment and share with your people. Our work is important and you are an integral piece in helping positively impact global health and wellbeing for all humans. Thanks for being awesome YOU!
Mark your calendar with all the upcoming practices with amazing teachers & our partner studio in Birmingham. So much goodness coming your way in May! 
Keep breathing,
Dana

Join Year of the Warrior! 
Simply take a photo of you in a warrior pose you love, tag @feelbetterdogood & use #YearoftheWarrior. Post on social media to be part of our Warrior For Good revolution!

Upcoming Events

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Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Leah Grace
Avoid Burnout with Breathwork 
Wednesday, May 5 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET


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Join us on Facebook!

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Studio Partner Blue Yoga Birmingham, MI
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET
Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Melissa Vanette
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET
Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Monica Reyna
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET
Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Stacy Calcatera
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET


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​“Body is the bow, asana is the arrow, and the soul is the target. Breath is the king of mind. By drawing our senses of perception inward, we are able to experience the control, silence, and quietness of the mind.”

​– BKS Iyengar
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I'm Fine...

4/29/2021

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Did you miss the practice last week with Melissa?
There is no time like the present!


Head over to Embody's Facebook page - @FeelBetterDoGood.

​Remember to follow the page, give a thumbs up or a heart emoji & share on your personal page to spread our goodness!

What is actually going through your head when you say "I'm fine." What do you think is happening in someone else's mind? 

I know that often I edit what I really want to say; likely you do too. And it breaks my heart.
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Let us all remember this when you ask someone how they are & their response is 'I'm Fine.'

Let's offer more presence, listening, compassion, and grace. Let's not steer clear from the messy, the real, the authentic for that is where real connection & intimacy lies; the fertile soil of the love that holds us all together on this planet here & now. We are all we have so let's be there for one another.

Yours on the journey, 
Dana

"We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection.”

– Brene Brown
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Good, Bad, We Shall See

4/13/2021

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Did you miss the practice last week with Dana?
Do It Here
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Lovely ones,
I love a good children’s book, teaching story, parable, or even a challenging Zen Koan to meditate upon. As humans, we possess the ability to interpret every word, feeling, interaction, piece of art, book, etc. We are meaning making machines which can serve us well in many ways, yet also can cause all sorts of struggle & unnecessary trouble. The meaning we make is everything; it sets the tone for how we think, act and feel in any given situation. A human tendency is to rush toward judgement when something happens to us or someone we love. Often it is with the best of intentions, yet it can cause unnecessary anxiety or stress.
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The following Chinese proverb is one of my favorite teaching stories titled “Maybe so. Maybe Not. We will see.” It offers a unique perspective from which I believe we can all take a valuable lesson.

A story

“A farmer and his son had a beloved stallion who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild mares back to the farm as well. The neighbors shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the mares and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The villagers cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
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A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all the able-bodied boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, still recovering from his injury. Friends shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

What can you take away? 

What’s the moral of the story? I believe it to be that no event should be judged as good fortune or bad fortune, for only time can tell. What is there to do? Release attachment to the outcome of any situation; this will reduce suffering. Reserve judgment while staying open and curious as to what’s next; this will ease anxiety. Taking life as it comes, without judgement or attachment, offers us a greater sense of emotional freedom. Thus we can live without really ever knowing for sure whether we’re lucky or unlucky in any given situation; we are simply present to each moment as it comes, ready to embrace what life has in store for us and those we love.
This week we welcome team teacher Monica Reyna. Enjoy the practice, like, share & comment. Let's spread the 'feel better do good' message to all we can. The world needs us and what we offer now, more than ever.
Keep loving & living fully,
Dana

Join Year of the Warrior! 
Simply take a photo of you in a warrior pose you love, tag @feelbetterdogood & use #YearoftheWarrior. Post on social media to be part of our Warrior For Good revolution!

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Upcoming Events

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Dana Christian Lee
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Jill Fox
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Monica Reyna
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Tune in: Facebook Embody
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Kissed by the Divine

3/30/2021

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Did you miss our practice last week with Embody Team Teacher Monica Reyna?
Do it now!

Dear ones,

Ever have moments of beauty bring you to your knees; in gratitude, awe, humility, and reverence? As I was hiking the hills this week, contemplating life's meaning, my fit in our world & the greater arc of the universe, I was met with illumined hills, poppies, dancing light, and unspeakable divine presence. My breath was taken away. I was kissed by the divine. Time stood still. I had no answers to my questions weighing on my heart; I no longer needed them. I was filled with only gratitude for the present moment embracing life as a miracle. That was more than enough. I was for a moment only light and freedom; yoga's soul. Spring's gift bestowed upon me. 

May you too embrace Spring's blessing. May she sing to your soul, fill your heart, inspire your mind and light your journey's way. And may Thay's poem beckon you to the practice of living your life fully as a miracle.

'Our true home is in the present moment.
To live in the present moment is a miracle.
The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment,
to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.
Peace is all around us-
in the world and in nature-
and within us- 
in our bodies and our spirits.
Once we learn to touch this peace,
we will be healed and transformed.
It is not a matter of faith;
it is a matter of practice.


 – Thich Nhat Hanh


Yours in light & freedom,
Dana

Join the Party!

Join Year of the Warrior! 
Simply take a photo of you in a warrior pose you love, tag @feelbetterdogood & use #YearoftheWarrior. Post on social media to be part of our Warrior For Good revolution!

Here are a couple recents photos from our community!
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Upcoming Events

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Dana Christian Lee
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Dana Christian Lee
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Dana Christian Lee
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Jill Fox
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Embody's Weekly Global Practice with Team Teacher Monica Reyna
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET

Tune in: Facebook Embody
 
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    ​“The EmbodyGR community embraces and supports, says ‘yes you can’ when the noisy inner voice says, ‘no you can’t’ – Kari Wilson, Community Member

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Embody is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to positively impacting global health and well-being for all people. We provide access to physical and mental wellness education for all regardless of race, identity, orientation, creed, abledness, or ability to pay. Using the healing tools of yoga and mindfulness, and through providing meaningful volunteer and service opportunities, we help people regain agency over their own well-being. Our FREE weekly programs and events empower individuals to become healthier, happier, and make the world better in their own way. We are dedicated to improving the quality of people’s daily lives so they can “Feel Better Do Good.
Copyright (c) 2020 Embody, 501 (c) 3, all rights reserved. 

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  • Home
  • This Week
  • Our Work
    • About Embody >
      • Our Mission
      • Founder and Executive Director
      • Board of Directors
      • Yoga Teacher Team
      • Media Kit
    • EmbodyGR
    • EmbodyPetaluma
    • Contact
  • Our Impact
  • Sponsors
    • IsaFoundation
    • Lululemon
  • Community Partners
    • Artists and Musicians
    • COTS
    • Gilda's Club
    • Grand River Water Festival
    • Grand Rapids Red Project
    • Hushabye Nursery
    • iUnderstand
    • Kids Food Basket
    • Mel Trotter
    • Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan
    • Petaluma People Service Center
    • Uprising Yoga
  • Yoga Videos
  • Donate