Stand Victorious!

Beloved community!

What do you experience when you hear the word "victory?" How does that land in your body; what do you see in your mind's eye? Take a deep breath, close your eyes, say the word VICTORY aloud or silently, then experience with all your senses what arises. What do you feel? See? Hear? Recall?

It is human nature to throw our arms up over our heads in an expression of victory. Studies show that across borders, cultures, and all sports, a universal body language exists. Research by the University of British Columbia studied seeing as well as blind athletes around the world. What they found is an extraordinary innate expression of internal triumph. When an athlete wins they take a classic stance;  arms overhead, face toward the sky, mouth wide open. Think about that... some blind athletes who have not ever had the gift of sight  have the instinct to rise up after victory. As humans are hardwired to express the emotion of victory in our bodies. We are hardwired to celebrate ourselves as well as other when we win or we witness another's win. 

When is the last time you threw your arms over your head in victory? To celebrate a success for which YOU worked tirelessly? To spontaneously express the powerful triumphant energy within? Arms waving wildly in the air in witness to something positively powerful happening before you?

For me, two examples come to mind. This past week I experienced my arms in the air repeatedly at my son Wills' basketball games! Spontaneously I jumped up waving my fits each time he hit his signature 3 point shot against the odds with the opponent's hand in his face, time ticking away on the clock. Though his team may not have won either game, the victory for me through the success of my son's dedication & hard work was still sweet.

The other took place two years ago. Just look at the banner picture above. Me, in my warrior shirt, with an Embody sign over my head, mouth wide open, gaze to the sky. This was such a sweet success for me & EmbodyGR. It was our first 108 sun salutations fundraising event where a huge community of people came together to practice for two full hours to live our mantra, "feel better do good." We raised not only money, we raised our spirits! Each person who left felt triumphant having completed something very challenging... 108 sun salutations. Though the struggle for many to finish was real, it made savasana (our final pose of rest) that much sweeter. The people, the practice, the challenge, the completion, the gift of the Embody sign from Hannah Rose Graves, all together wrapped up the day in a victorious stance! I could not have been happier or more proud of myself, the practice we love, our EmbodyGR community, and the outpouring of support! 

Though not all of us are athletes, we all at some point or another have had reason to celebrate victory. And we know how sweet it is. Could you use some more of that energy? Does standing victorious sound like the ticket? If so, be sure to show up this week as we rock our practice to cultivate a triumphant uprising within. See you on mat!

Victoriously,

Dana

February 22, 2017 
**We have child care! Sign up on-line.

Who: YOU and friends
What: yoga, meditation, community, service
Where: Fountain Street Church TREE HOUSE
When: Wed. Feb 22, 2017 6:30-8:00pm
Why: To stand victorious!

Upcoming Events:

February

February 25- Women Stand - Service and Self Care Event - Women & Environment
When: Saturday, February 25 from 10am - 12 pm
Where: The Pyramid Scheme

February 26- Girls Rock! Grand Rapids Annual Bowling Fundraiser
When: Sunday, February 26 3-6pm
Where: The Clique Bowling Center 533 Stocking Ave NW, Grand Rapids
What: Bowl your heart out! All proceeds will go to Girls Rock! Grand Rapids (GR!GR), a week-long summer camp that exists to empower girls and women through music.
$5 for ages 8+.

March

March 1- Embody’s 3 year birthday celebration!
When: March 1st 6:30-8:00pm
Where: FSC social hall

March 25- EmbodyGR & GR Drive- yoga & hoops 
When: March 25th @ 4-4:45pm yoga, hoops @ 7:00
Where: Delta Plex
(tickets $12- if you need help it's available) *proceeds graciously donated to EmbodyGR

"Breathe in, mentally utter the word 'Victory' and exhale. You'll find the strength of a hundred angels behind you."
~Yogi Bhajan

Feel free to share your personal moments of victory in the comments below!
Have a wonderful day!