Jessica understands struggle. She has dealt with addiction, trauma, nightmares, fear, and anger. Because of all of this, she ended up losing custody of her three daughters, one of the most painful experiences of her life. She says "I tell myself I'm not worthy I'm not good enough and I'm not capable. And I believe that. I've done this for years. Honestly, it's hard to get rid of all of that once its etched into your being for so long." Thankfully, that is not the end of the story. Jessica got involved with our community partner, Hushabye Nursery in Gilbert, AZ. Their mission is "Embracing substance exposed babies and their caregivers with compassionate, evidence-based care that changes the course of their entire lives." As their partner, Embody has been providing free meditation and yoga services virtually twice a week. Dana meets online with the women to help them learn the restorative practices that can calm their mind - something to turn to instead of substances. The consistency of these meetings help women develop their own practice. Jessica says, "My mind likes to do something called future tripping, I love to fear what's already happened and what's going to happen. Which essentially I have no control over. Mindfulness has given me back some of that control. I've been able to begin learning about this practice and what exactly it can be used for, why its important and how simple it can really be." Mindfulness, meditation, breathing, and grounding techniques can be powerful tools for people who have experienced profound trauma. One thing that Embody teaches is that it is a practice - you have to keep at it. In Jessica's words: "The more I practice and the better I get at it, the better it gets! For me I feel like it's a whole different world, its a place I can go to gain some stability, some strength, direction and peace." One of the reasons that these techniques are beneficial for women like Jessica is that once they learn the tools, it is something that is totally free and they can take with them any time, anywhere. Unlike other treatment options, it is a solution that they can develop inside themselves. This gives them their power back in a whole new way. As Jessica puts it, "today I can get myself to a place that I am absolutely capable of enduring even some of the most difficult things. I have control over the way I respond to this crazy life, today I know I am worth it, I know I am beautiful, I know I am capable." Jessica is looking forward to a bright future. She is currently 36 weeks pregnant and due any time. She feels confident that what she has learned with Embody will continue to help her build from where she is. She says, "I have actually been able to unknowingly begin applying these grounding techniques through out my day, where now its just a normal reaction for me depending on what's going on in my life. Dana has taught me how powerful just being mindful can really be."
No matter what is going on around her, the practices she has learned with Dana gives her the ability to stop, and breathe.
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Hey tribe!
Let's join together tonight to honor the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg through our yoga and mindfulness practice. We will shine a light on her powerful work in our world & how her legacy can and must live on through each of us. At this important time in human history, we all must ask ourselves how we want to show up & be remembered; sitting on the sidelines or engaging in our lives and in our democratic process? When I feel small, afraid, overwhelmed, and not wanting to engage, I look to RBG & I also draw from other sources of motivation. These words of Theodore Roosevelt always get me out from under the down comforter where I am hiding on my sofa. May "The Man in the Arena" motivate us to move beyond our perceived limitations and into action; whether actions be clumsy or swift, we simply must be sure to act! "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." See you on the mat tonight on Facebook. Or you can also email me for the link & join in with others in our zoom room. Yours in the arena, Dana Christian Lee Embody Founder & Executive Director Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events Calendar
Embody in Grand Rapids: Thursday, October 8, 2020 Join Mel Trotter Ministries on October 8th for a red carpet movie premiere of the recently filmed Mel Trotter movie, One Life at a Time. (with an appearance by our own Dan Skwarek ;) When: October 8, 2020 6:30 p.m. Outdoor Reception 7:30 p.m. Showtime Where: Celebration Cinema GR North ***Bring a mask*** Admission to this event is free, with an opportunity to support Mel Trotter at the event. Sign up using the link below. You need an invite & to be registered to attend. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP! Tribe of resilient warriors, After the crazy show of epic proportions that played out on our American stage last night, all I can say is we've got work to do. Who's with me? And it's not just our leaders, it's US, all of us, as citizens of a nation. We cannot be swept away by our emotions; we must keep our wits about us. Even Lady Liberty is putting her head in her hands in exasperation. How do we get our heads out of our hands, step away from the wine glass, get out of our robes/cozy jammies & into action? 6:30ET, 3:30PT tonight Embody Weekly Virtual Gathering!! Join me today as I lead you through a practice grounded in brain awareness. In essence, we will get curious about how to care for our brains; to improve mental clarity & performance, and memory. When emotion takes over, we act out of the limbic brain, leaving our crowning jewel, the prefrontal cortex offline. Not optimal. So tune in tonight to get some tools to reorganize your brain, calm your nerves, and connect in community! You can even join us in the zoom room... just remember to mute yourself when we begin. Breathe deeply, friends. Lift your head. Open your heart. We can do this. We are doing this. Together we will navigate difficult times and not be taken down by them. You are loved. I do hope to see you soon. Yours in health, happiness, and community, dana Upcoming EventsEmbody in Grand Rapids:
Tuesday, October 8, 2020 Join Mel Trotter Ministries on October 8th for a red carpet movie premiere of the recently filmed Mel Trotter movie, One Life at a Time. (with an appearance by our own Dan Skwarek ;) When: October 8, 2020 6:30 p.m. Outdoor Reception 7:30 p.m. Showtime Where: Celebration Cinema GR North ***Bring a mask*** Admission to this event is free, with an opportunity to support Mel Trotter at the event. Sign up using the link below. You need an invite & to be registered to attend. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP! Hello beloved ones, Hard for you to believe it's fall? Feeling stressed, overwhelmed or simply needing YOU time? Embody is here for you. Join me and team teacher Leah Grace for Breathwork: September 23, 6:30-7:30pmET | 3:30-4:30pmPT Let's let go of summer and settle into a new harvest rhythm. Leah will lead us through intentional breathwork to help us calm, settle, and tend to our inner worlds. Mark your calendars for our weekly Wednesday virtual gathering September 30 with ME :) Hope to see you soon. With love, Dana “As breath stills our mind, our energies are free to unhook from the senses and bend inward.”
-B.K.S Iyengar Hello beautiful ones, As I write this, the air is filled with smoke and our beautiful earth burns in Northern California. People are being evacuated from their homes into an uncertain COVID world, firefighters rescued by helicopter, land, national forests, homes & businesses burning to the ground. Across our nation, kids are back to school in all manner of learning styles and environments. We are being told to stay home, to leave, to distance and then to come together into evacuation centers, classrooms and college campuses... The situations keep amping up, rules keep changing, numbers go up & down not only for tracking the virus but also for jobs, the stock market, air quality... and certainty seems like something of the very distant past most days. AND yet, Embody continues to offer a message of hope, healing, and wellbeing. Check out the bottom of the email for an important update on our partnership with the IsaFoundation & our work nourishing firefighters, first responders, and evacuees impacted by the California wildfires. (Video credit to Embody board member Margaux Drake!) The axiom, action cures fear, really comes into play here and thus living our 'feel better do good' mantra. When I feel helpless, I HELP! WE help! Embody helped so many this past week here in NorCal.... check it out. Embody also offers hope, healing, and wellbeing each week as we gather virtually as a global community. We practice yoga and mindfulness so we can manage our lives and create futures we are excited about while making the world a better, safer, healthier place for all beings. Though we may struggle, please remember there is always hope. Take time to breathe deeply, find gratitude, create an intention, move your body, drink water, and find a place of stillness deep within. The mind may be chaotic on the top but if we drop deep into the center of our being where it's calm, quiet, and all the answers lie, there is peace. May the words of John O'Donohue help us untangle the knots of our being and help settle into the flow of grace & love. For Love in a Time of ConflictWhen the gentleness between you hardens And you fall out of your belonging with each other, May the depths you have reached hold you still. When no true word can be said, or heard, And you mirror each other in the script of hurt, When even the silence has become raw and torn, May you hear again an echo of your first music. When the weave of affection starts to unravel And anger begins to sear the ground between you, Before this weather of grief invites The black seed of bitterness to find root, May your souls come to kiss. Now is the time for one of you to be gracious, To allow a kindness beyond thought and hurt, Reach out with sure hands To take the chalice of your love, And carry it carefully through this echoless waste Until this winter pilgrimage leads you Towards the gateway to spring. I say amen to John O'D! Friends, remember today, this week, next week, into infinity and beyond... you are beloved. You matter. You will be okay. We can do this- TOGETHER! Let us collectively join our hearts & minds for the healing and protection of ourselves, our children, our environment, and our earth. All my love, Dana Christian Lee Upcoming EventsThis week's Embody practice: Embody welcomes 'Blue Yoga' out of Birmingham, Michigan, as our guest yoga studio who is blessing us with a practice. Their mission is: One passion. One practice. One people. We move, we breathe, we laugh, we set intentions. As a community, we break through barriers. #betterafterblue Be sure to add this to your calendar!!! Embody in Grand Rapids: Wednesday, September 2, 2020 Guest Studio Host: Blue Yoga Birmingham Wednesday, September 9, 2020 Embody Team Teacher Jill Fox Wednesday, September 16, 2020 Embody Team Teacher Stacy Calcatera Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Embody Team Teacher Leah Grace Wednesday, September 30, 2020 Embody Founder Dana Christian Lee Thanks to Jaron for leading our practice last week! “Empaths did not come into this world to be victims, we came to be warriors. Be brave. Stay strong. We need all hands on deck.”
~ Anthon St. Maarten |
“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
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