Always Do Your Best

Tribe of love and compassion,

This week we will wrap up our first yoga & mindfulness book study experience with Don Miguel Ruiz's Fourth Agreement: Always do your best. Also, we will be celebrating the season by decorating holiday cookies for Mel Trotter. So if you have inspiration, please bring frosting, toppings, and/or cookies. Let's spread some holiday cheer to those who struggle. 

So, about the fourth agreement.. How does it feel in your body when you hear, "Always do your best?" Does fear, dread or burden surface? Perhaps excitement for a challenge to personal growth lighting a fire? Each of us holds a different experience and perspective on what it means to do our best. At EmbodyGR we will hold space for all of our experiences and invite in a new way of approaching this age old adage of 'doing our best.' We will explore the possibility of our best being good enough even if we don't have the outcome we desire and also the flip side of doing nothing outwardly while we stress out on the inside thinking about doing our best. It gets complicated which usually tends to offer opportunity for new learning.

Our culture teaches us that 'best' is being #1; getting to 100%+ . Yoga offers an antidote to best/perfection and all its tendencies. Yoga extends the invitation to remember that we are already enough, perfect as we are. Our efforts cannot be judged by people, powers or accolades outside ourselves. It is up to each us individually to know we gave our all. We know when we lie our heads down at night if we did our best OR not... our gut, conscience knows when we get still enough to listen. With a regular soulful check-in we can monitor our personal efforts, goals & growth measured by our internal barometer, not an external reward or affirmation. Then we know where we need to up our game, applaud our efforts, cut ourselves a break or reevaluate the plan. 

Cannot wait to see you on the mat to dig into the Fourth Agreement & make some cookies!

All Things Merry & Bright,
Dana
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Upcoming Events

December 12, 2018

Who: YOU and all your people for a holiday treat of presence and inspiration! 
What: Dana leads us through yoga & 4th Agreement  
Where: Social Hall - Fountain Street Church 
When: Wed Dec 12- 6:30-8:00pm 
Why: Feel Better Do Good 
Ask: To give yourself back in service to your community 4+ hours/month

Community Partner Announcement-MEL TROTTER
Ways to give back:

1. Make cookies Dec 12 at EmbodyGR
2. Dec 19- go out to the BOB as a community
3. Get donations for code blue winter drive

A Very Merry Jingle Jam for Mel Trotter Ministries
Wed. December 19th, 2018
HOME at The BOB - FREE & open to all ages! DJ JayVee will be spinning tunes. Plan to go out after our gathering together for a night out on the town in support of our brothers & sisters who struggle with housing.

Mel Trotter 'Code Blue' Winter Drive- ends Dec 31, 2018.
"Code blue” is a term used by MTM describe the most extreme winter conditions in West Michigan, when temperatures fall significantly and stay below freezing over a period of time, putting those experiencing homelessness who are exposed to the elements at severe risk of hypothermia, frostbite or even death.

Donations Needed for Winter Warm Up list:

• New or like new items for men, women & children. All ages and sizes.
• Hand warmers (new only)
• Winter coats
• Waterproof winter boots
• Hats (Please no handmade hats)
• Mittens/gloves
• Wool or fleece socks
• Long underwear

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"The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today."

​H. Jackson Brown Jr. ​