Feel Better Do Good
  • 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

ONE Love this Valentine's Day!

2/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Tribe of Love,
​
Anyone else celebrate Bob Marley's birthday last week? Though he left his physical form in 1981, his memory lives on through his timeless music. Whenever I am having a bummer day, a little Marley always gives me a lift. Especially when I am feeling less than hopeful about the state of our world or my own personal life, I kick on "One Love" and kick up some handstands. Almost immediate relief when I turn my perspective upside down, invite in positive words, and epic musical vibrations help shift my energy. 

With the Hallmark holiday almost upon us, let's remember to celebrate not only our beloved, kids, or family. Let us not forget ourselves. Let us remember love is universal. We come from love, we are love, and as many wisdom traditions teach, we dissolve back to love. When our love becomes attached to a person, a gift or a feeling we expect to come from outside ourselves, we can be disappointed & even suffer. 

This year, let us come together as one human circle of love. Let us remember it is not about chocolates, flowers, & an instagram worthy celebration, but the presence of love in our hearts & our lives. To feel love is our responsibility, not to be delivered by someone else or derived from the perfect gift.  Love comes from within. Love is a sacred duty to self and to the world. Together let us elevate ONE love this year starting within. In the wisdom of Mr. Marley, "One love, one heart, let's get together and feel alight." I'm down for that; anybody with me?

May you know you are love, always; beloved just as you are. 
I love you. 
I appreciate you. 
Happy Valentine's Day aka "One Love Day."

xo
dana

ps- I left you a love poem at the bottom of this email ;) so be sure to read all the way through!
Upcoming Events

Embody in Grand Rapids:

March 4, 2020
EmbodyGR Team Teacher Jill Fox
When: March 4, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church

March 11, 2020
EmbodyGR Team Teacher Jaron Art Siegel
When: March 11, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church

March 18, 2020
EmbodyGR Guest Teacher Mimi Ray- Love Your Brain Event
When: March 4, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church

March 25, 2020
EmbodyGR Team Teacher Leah Grace
Sacred Breathwork Ceremony
When: March 4, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church
Picture
Picture
Picture
One Love – By Jana Dvorska, from The Poetry of Yoga, Volume 1, Page 132
Come into the light
Hold each other’s hearts
Keep a tranquil mind
Full of hope and serenity
Believe anything is possible
Imagine yourself where you want to be
It will become reality
Limitless imagination will change the world
Set your intention and accomplish
Believe it and you will live it
Come together
Unite as one love
The universe is infinite unity
Universal is love
Be love
Feel love within your entire being
Let it radiate out into the world
Touch everyone you meet with your light and love
0 Comments

Raise Your Hand If YOU want to Volunteer?!

2/7/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Tribe of service,

​I hope all of your hands are raised. If not, literally stop reading and put both hands in the air for one minute. Breathe deeply and know how precious you are. Now that I have your attention...

As most of you know, Embody is a 501c3 that offers its services free of charge to all people to enhance physical and mental wellness and to make the world a happier, healthier place for ALL. It's important to emphasize that 'free' to you does not mean without cost. It takes no small amount of time, energy, finances & service to make our organization run week in and out. People work extremely hard to make the quality of YOUR life better; our board of directors, team of teachers, volunteers and yours truly. And now we need to remind each of you that we too need YOU! 

Each week you are able to attend Embody classes & events, free of charge, with doors & hearts wide open just for YOU. The only ask is that you give back in community service. This is not just for the organizations we partner with and serve, it's also for YOU and your own wellbeing. 

Many studies have been done that suggest generosity and giving back positively impact a person's physical and mental health. Harvard research from '09 shows happier people give more and giving makes people happier, such that happiness and giving may operate in a positive feedback loop. This loop is what I like to call the flywheel of perpetual good; happier people give more, creating even greater happiness, and thus giving even more. 

That is secret sauce of the Embody model! We help people, we help YOU, feel better body, mind & heart, so all are inspired to DO good, thus generating a deeper sense of health and happiness. This is win, win, win... for self, community, world! 

So ask yourself, how much have your lived out our whole mantra; not just the feel better part? When is the last time you joined others from our tribe to give back? Make this next Habitat for Humanity giveback event one to remember! You are guaranteed to leave not only having served another, but also receiving a gift in return- connection in community and greater sense of happiness at having offered your heart to a world in need.

May our Embody of Grand Rapids, February 29 Habitat for Humanity build fill up and have people on a wait list to volunteer. Let us be hungry to give back and make it a meaningful community opportunity. The common misconception is that you have give something up to volunteer and I would like to redirect your attention to all that you get and have need to give. YOU are important. YOU are valuable. YOU are loved. YOU are needed. Please show up to volunteer each month for at least four hours for yourself, our tribe, this month for a family who needs a home and our community that has deep need. Each of us is called to contribute. Will you answer the call? Details for Habitat are below. Reach out if you have any questions to our Volunteer Coordinator, Koral Fritz (koralcf@umich.edu) or email me. We are happy to support you!

Yours in service,

Dana

Upcoming Events

Embody in Grand Rapids:

February 5, 2020
EmbodyGR Team Teacher Holly Haveman
When: February 5, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church

February 12, 2020
EmbodyGR Celebrates Valentine's Day LOVE w/ Team Teacher Peri Jill 
When: February 12, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church

February 19, 2020
Let's Welcome NEW EmbodyGR Team Teacher Jen Jettner
When: February 19, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church

February 26, 2020
EmbodyGR Team Teacher Holly Haveman
When: February 26, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Fountain Street Church
Picture
Picture

Volunteer/Outreach Opportunities
Habitat for Humanity of Kent County (see info in sections below!)

Feb. 29 from 12pm to 4pm. 

​**Volunteers must be over 16.
**Deadline to register TBD, but do it ASAP!

Sign up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F4BA5AF2FA1F94-embody

After you sign up you MUST create a login on the Volunteer Hub. ASAP!
"Giving is the highest expression of potency...Giving is more joyous than receiving, not because it is a deprivation, but because in the act of giving lies the expression of my aliveness."  – Erich Fromm
0 Comments
    ​“The EmbodyGR community embraces and supports, says ‘yes you can’ when the noisy inner voice says, ‘no you can’t’ – Kari Wilson, Community Member

    Archives

    September 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    September 2015
    January 2015

    RSS Feed

Our Mission

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. 

Embody

Picture
  • 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