Feel Better Do Good
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Yoga, Mindfulness, and Gong Goodness

7/29/2020

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Hello beautiful souls,

I hope you are staying healthy, happy, and positive during these days.

This week I have GOOD NEWS! We are offering a new opportunity to connect over zoom live! Join Embody Team Teacher, Susanne Werblow, along with me, for our weekly virtual gathering tomorrow, Wednesday, July 29 3:30pmPT| 6:30pmET! This week it will be a 1.5 hour live zoom- first time trying a new format. The link is below. Susanne will lead a kundalini yoga set that will improve circulation in the body -feels really great afterwards!!- and we‘ll end with a meditation to balance brain hemispheres. 

Special Invitation:
Embody community members are also welcome to join Susanne's biweekly free online classes, Wed and Fri 7:30-8:45am ET (go to Facebook Kundalini Yoga GR for details). If you are new to Susanne's Kundalini, you will need to email kundaliniyogagr@gmail.com to connect personally with Susanne to get access to the private link and share some info before your first class. After that, you are invited to all future classes using the same link.

I do hope to see you there! Grab your mat. Invite your people. Let's join together and max out the zoom room filled with all you amazing humans. 

Feel Better Do Good,
Dana


Upcoming Events

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Yoga and meditation with
Susanne & Dana, July 29th!!!

Announcements

Meet our new community partners in Arizona - Hushabye Nursery
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"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."
~ Coretta Scott King
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The Healing Power of a Smile

7/22/2020

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Greetings beloved ones,


I hope you are well, healthy, and finding a daily dose of happy! It's so important during these strange and distanced times to stay positive, amidst the chaos.

What is something that makes you smile right now? Just one simple thing? For me, it's seeing the mountains off our back deck. They hold a space for me to relax, exhale, and remember that though these times may feel insurmountable & I may feel small, these times too shall pass and I can draw the powerful mountain energy into my being. 

COVID will end, we will get new leadership in our nation, we will be able to gather together in community and hug in person again. We may not know when or how, but these tough times will not last forever. Until then, we must choose our own happy and remember to activate the 43 muscles in our faces. How? Simply smile. Smiling reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and lowers blood pressure. Also, it releases endorphins which are natural pain relievers & serotonin which offers feel-good properties into our being.

Fact: 'More than 30% of us smile more than 20 times a day and less than 14% of us smile less than 5 times a day. Those with the greatest superpowers are actually children, who smile as many as 400 times per day!' We adults have lots to learn from our kiddos!

So what are you waiting for? Find something that makes you smile today, right now. I challenge you to smile, all by yourself as you read this, and then be the reason someone else smiles today, too. Finally, I offer the ultimate challenge: belly laughter (jokes, memes, facetime with your funniest friend... find your way to laugh til the tears roll). If you are feeling like none of that is possible, put a pencil between your teeth for a minute to mimic a smile; you will get many of the same benefits. 

Be Happy & SMILE on,
dana

Upcoming Events

Embody in Grand Rapids:

Peri was going to lead this week, but she is facing some health issues. Please, send her all the healing energy and light you can <3

July 22
Wednesday evening virtual gathering w/Embody Leader Dana

Wednesday, July 22, 2020- 3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET  
View on 
Embody Facebook Page Host a watch party to invite your friends to join you.
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July 29
Embody LIVE ZOOM Weekly Virtual Practice with Team Teacher Susanne Werblow
When: Wednesday, July 29, 2020- Live Watch Party hosted on Embody's Facebook page
3:30PT | 6:30ET
Zoom Link

Meeting ID: 852 4579 3203
Password: 193807

“I will never understand all the good
that a simple smile can accomplish.” 
~Mother Theresa
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The Power of Ritual and Practice

7/15/2020

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Beloved Tribe,
​

I miss you all. I miss our circle of care. I miss hugs, inspired conversations, and doing powerful work in our communities. Times are tough to be sure. I don't know about you, but I can become quite downhearted. That is not my personality, so when it happens I must pay close attention. When it does, I gotta laser focus in on my daily rituals and practices to keep me positive, healthy, and creative during these new, ever quickly evolving times we are facing. 

Here's my 'current' top 10 rituals and practices:

1. Gratitude- I start my day with gratitudes before I even get out of bed. I take a few deep, full breaths and hold space in my heart for health, family, our world, each of you, and whatever moves me that day.

2. Meditation- Once I am out of bed I head to the living room to see if the deer are outside. They often lie in the early morning sunshine to meditate with me. I send them love, close my eyes, and get centered for the day.

3. Coffee- My coffee is my LOVE; I can't start the day without it actually. My husband Jason (he's my love too) and I create intentional time each morning to have coffee, share something positive we acknowledge in each other, and discuss life or laugh at Baby Yoda memes. 

4. Movement- Each day I carve out time to move my body. It's a non-negotiable. Whether it's yoga, hiking, doing abs on the back deck with our family of deer (true story), or jumping on the spin bike, I breathe, sweat, and change my state. Game changer every day.

5. Phone call to family &/or friends- As you are all aware, my family/community of origin is in Michigan. It seems really far away since I cannot see them in person right now due to the pandemic. I make at least one facetime call a day to see their faces and keep connected best we can.

6. Appreciate nature- Our backyard overlooks the Sonoma Mountains. Each time I look at them it's like the first time. It's magical and always fills me with awe.

7. Hot tub time- Just before COVID hit, we installed a hot tub. I never realized how much stress relief I would need. It's a beautiful way to immerse, relax, and reset.

8. Healthy food & vitamins- I love all things green and straight from the farm; fresh veggies & fruits, all of the organic style. Making healthy foods, smoothie bowls, fresh-squeezed juices, and protein shakes (Isagenix of course) for me and my family makes me so happy while keeping me fueled and healthy. Plus a fist full of vitamins!

9. Reading- I love a good book (actually, many books usually at one time ;) But no kindle for me; only paper that can be highlighted, dog-eared and revisited again and again. Currently, one of the books I am into is "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng. So powerful! The book touches on all topics that are powerfully relevant today. I highly recommend you check it out. The series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington is currently on Hulu under the same name.

10. Stay in wonder- I regularly look up at the night sky, howl at the moon, go to the mountain top, all to remind me of the vastness of our universe, my connection to something bigger than myself & to tap into the limitless potential we all possess.

What about you? What are your rituals and practices? Make your list and share with family or a close friends. I invite you to send me an email at dana@feelbetterdogood.org  and tell me what your rituals and practices are to keep you positive, healthy, and creative during our time of being apart. 

Know you are magical!
Love, health, and community,
Dana

Upcoming Events

Embody in Grand Rapids:

July 15
Virtual Yoga Practice with Dana 
6:30pm PT | 3:30pm ET
Go to Embody's facebook page (@feelbetterdogood)
Challenge: Host a watch party & invite people to join you! 

July 17 & 18
Dana Christian Lee is leading two free yoga classes at an on-line event: Isagenix Celebration 2020 with our partners at the IsaFoundation. Please join us! 

Registration IS required to attend Dana's yoga practices. Go to www.celebrationlive2020.com to reserve your spot. When it asks for your Membership ID, use 12770277 or 123456
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July 22
Wednesday evening virtual gathering w/Embody Team Teacher Peri Jill Phillips!

Wednesday, July 22, 2020- 3:30pm PT | 6:30pm ET  
View on 
Embody Facebook Page Host a watch party to invite your friends to join you.

“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.”  ~ Marie Curie
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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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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

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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