No Time Like Right Now

I've been waiting for a larger chunk of time to sit down and write, but I'm realizing there's no time like right now. (Even before morning chores, subbing a 945a class, and maneuvering my way thru Atlanta in this persistent rain!)

I've been thinking about the unavoidable topic - the economy. Yes, the E word. Sorry, folks, but if you're not feeling it, hearing it, talking about it, wondering about it, fretting over it, praying about it, then I want to know how you get by!

Maybe you're a small business owner like me, maybe you're a stay-at-home mom, maybe you report to an office everyday wondering if you're next in line. Or, maybe you're watching what you spend like never before, maybe you're cutting coupons, maybe you haven't visited a shopping mall in several weeks.

Whatever your situation, I believe that you still need to make yourself, your dreams, your needs a priority. You might wonder what's truly important, you might feel like you don't know where to start in not only surviving through this recession but also thriving.

Yes, I wrote thriving. Thriving physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and yes, eventually financially again.

Start where you are. Start with your breath - inhale and exhale. Then, find a way to express what you feel inside or need inside (journaling, moderate exercise, a vision board, talking to a confidant). Just because the economy is sick doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your overall health and happiness.

Take care of yourself - your inside and outside self. There's no time like right now to put yourself on top of your list, to figure out what sustains you physically and emotionally, to marry your inside and outside self to get real, be creative and thrive.

And, I write this sincerely. I'm also trying to ground myself during these trying times - even if it means risking spending a little extra money and time on myself - investing in movement therapy, doing more yoga-type movement, choosing more time to write creatively and reflect, choosing where and with whom I spend my energy, saying yes, saying no.

I hope you can take this time to tune into yourself, your needs, your creativity - May this investment in yourself allow you to thrive now and in the future. All the best.

Advice from a Tree

It's been a while since I've written, but I hope to write more this coming week - So, here I am to pop in quickly and say hello. Last week was a busy week, and yesterday was a busy but enjoyable Saturday (work, an appointment, a baby shower, a birthday dinner). Today I'm finally embracing the day by lingering through this morning with tea and a new book, soon a long walk while dog training (let's hope it goes smoothly!), and probably a warm dinner with my fella. ;)

Whether you're reading on a leisure Sunday or during your mid-week work life, I hope you can enjoy one of my favorite poems by Ilan Shamir:

http://www.treelink.org/woodnotes/vol1/no1/advice.htm

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

What a great excuse to wear red and pink, buy a treat for yourself, eat some decadent dark chocolate, take a glorious bubble bath, and soak up this Saturday!

Don't forget about the *free* workshop tomorrow from 3-5p at the lululemon showroom. Scroll down a bit to see details I posted a few days ago.

What is a Tea Party?

When I moved to Atlanta in Summer 2002, I fell in love. Oh, the energy, the lightness, the strength, the confidence, the comfort and the fun! Seven years later, I'm still in love, and the bonus - it has expanded. This group-movement-love-affair has kept me grounded, led my to my truths, introduced me to lovely people, and kept me thriving with my own business in Atlanta.

The guy who first held my heart and focus in Atlanta is named Scott. He still teaches my favorite step class, and he'll always be my Step Guru. Even though I've loved aerobics since Jane Fonda in her 20th century hayday, Scott's charisma, light-heartedness and healthy attitude continues to remind me of the importance of my love for movement and music.

Through work at CNN and in pharma sales, and finally to creating my own business, movement groups of any variety have nourished me, and I'm hoping the following can help you too. Whether you'd like a workshop or "class" for a business group, friends get-together, birthday party, or therapy group, I'm happy to tailor movement for every body.

I recently had someone ask me "Just what is a Tea Party?" when he was reading my brochure. (Read below for the answer.) I believe he might have mistakenly been imagining ladies stuffed into girdles suffocating in proper dresses and sipping bland tea from fine china cups. Now, does that sound like FLOW to you?

I'm here to help you be comfortable in your body. Dress in comfortable fabrics, and move how your body needs with people you love around you. Remember that movement can be educational and therapeutic - and it can be quite fun too!


Movement Workshops

Connect with your body, connect with yourself, connect with others. FLOW Training offers a variety of workshops focusing on connecting the body, self, breath and community.

Minimum: 5 people
$15/person for small groups (5-20 people)
For groups of 20+, please contact FLOW for discounted rates.


1) Writing with the Body: Words and Movement
Writing, drawing and gentle movement for all ages. A chance to discover strengths, weakness, likes, dislikes, wishes, needs and hopes for the body and self.

2) Balance your Belly, Balance your Body, Balance your Life!
While practicing body awareness, this core-focused workshop tunes into your deep hungers and intuition by moving the body as a whole, from the center and using core muscles and deep breathing.

3) Seek Movement for the Right Reasons
Tune into your body and focus on your own desires and delights as opposed to the “shoulds”. Steer clear of over-exercising and rigid routines – Move to live.

4) Letters to my Body
A safe gathering to welcome your body’s voice and your writer within. A great “series” class to form the habit of writing to allow the body and self communicate.

5) Make Fitness Work for You
Spice up your fitness plan, or learn how to add balanced exercise to your daily regimen. Discover how basic structure and a daily self check-in can create a new passion for moving your body and loving your life!

6) Tea Party for Every Body
Enjoy movement of your choice: flowing, rhythmic, restorative - or all three. Then, gather round to learn about different teas of the world and their healing benefits!

When facilitating workshops, FLOW Training is flexible to combining or creating new workshops in addition to the ideas above.

Love Your Belly, Trust Your Gut

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel a funny feeling deep in your gut, but because it's such a bummer, you ignore it? You go with the crowd, or with whom you think is your crowd, you stuff away that nagging feeling that's trying to guide you. Then, the inevitable bummer happens. And, all along, your gut was right. Your belly was trying to tell you the truth from the beginning? How can you learn to stand your ground, to stay firm in your truth, to stay planted in your peace?

Or, what happens when change happens? What happens when that bummer or disappointment sprouts, takes you for a wild ride and drops you off dizzy and grasping for air? What happens when the dance is something you haven't learned, what happens when you are forced to soak up a different perspective? How do you stand your ground in change? How do you stay true to yourself through change? How do you hope for peace in change?

To stay grounded, to stay true, to embrace peace within yourself and your surroundings are all things that movement and/or being-in-your-body can teach you. Through a variety of breathwork, yoga- and Pilates-inspired movement, and gentle guidance within a safe environment, you can learn to stay grounded through change, through the dance of life.

How so? Come to my free workshop this Sunday. See details below. And, stay tuned for more workshop/group movement experiences!

Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance, when you're perfectly free. ~ Rumi

Free Workshop - Sunday, February 15, 2009

Love Your Body, Listen to Your Body:

Experience the Wisdom within through

Moving and Drawing Mandalas ~

Learn to trust yourself in all directions.

Join Megan McSwain, MA LAPC, and Caroline Correll, fitness/movement trainer, at the lululemon showroom on Sunday, February 15, 2009, from 3-5pm, to celebrate "Love Your Body Month". Learn to tune into your body's intuition through gentle movement, and express your spirit through art. Some supplies will be provided, but please bring a yoga mat and any special art supplies. Free, donations welcome, proceeds toward EDIN (http://www.myedin.org/).

Questions: caroline@mybodyflow.com or 404.210.6752

Address: lululemon showroom ~ 1409 North Highland Ave., Suite F, Atlanta, GA 30306 (next to FOOD 101, across from Doc Chey's)

Stability over Flexibility

You can reach, but you can't touch. Whether it's imperative or declarative, maybe you shouldn't be reaching so hard afterall. Perhaps, maybe, just maybe, you are okay where you are.

Yesterday, while watching a yoga dvd, the teacher said, "Stability over flexibility". Why does it matter how far you can reach if everytime you do it, you fall over? Nothing wrong with falling, it can be good for us! [We brush off our knees and get back up.] But, what about staying grounded? What's so wrong with staying in the moment, where you already are, enjoying that space, and breathing? Why do we [sometimes] tend to push, push, push? Isn't it about the journey? Isn't that what they say?

Perhaps I really needed to hear the phrase "stability over flexibility" this week for myself as well as to remind those whom I'm teaching. I can't be everything to everyone, even when it involves fun stuff like parties, showers and get-togethers. I want to do the fun stuff, the light stuff, the celebratory stuff, but neither can I pour from an empty cup whether it deals with work, birthday candles, bills, balloons, dues, or a night at the museum.

I need my nourishment, I need my breath, I need my sense of being grounded before even thinking about deep stretching.

How about you?

Go with the FLOW

"Go with the flow. It's good for you." ~ LUNA life-ism

I have a LUNA mini-poster of "Life-isms" taped on the wall next to my desk. It inspires me to continue connecting, to tune into my body, breath, and energy. However, I bet that phrase "go with the flow, it's good for you" could frighten some people. They might want to let loose, they might want to stop being so hard on themselves, they might feel out of control for fear of letting go completely!

It's so easy to make plans, to have lofty goals, to make a to-do list, to be "productive" all day long. And, making plans, lofty goals, to-do lists, and being productive are all great things! They give you energy and vision. Hooray!

The flipside - what about breathing and leaving a little wiggle room for intuition and grace to work their way into your life? I could apply this "go with the flow" mission to several areas of life. But, let's think about movement, physical activity, exercise, your fitness, whatever-you-wanna-call-it.

Imagine strictly setting a "fitness" plan - sticking to a strict exercise and diet regime, trying to be as "good" as you can each day, adhering to a certain number of cardio minutes plus counting each calorie.

Wooooooooooohhhh....That was an exhale. Just writing that makes me hold my breath. Now try this:

Imagine taking some time for yourself in the morning to gain perspective for your week or day. Say a prayer or spend some time in meditation. Think about taking the day moment by moment, finding grace throughout your day (as opposed to crossing off your to-do list by noon). Take your time getting ready, inhale and exhale deeply. Create a schedule for your day, but remember to be flexible - it's okay if you don't mark off everything.....

Now, tune into your energy level when it's time to treat your body to some movement. Do you need a steady state release - maybe a therapeutic walk? Do you need to ground yourself, sensing your strength but need a nice sweat - maybe resistance training with step intervals? Do you need inner reflection and gentleness - maybe a restorative yoga session? Do you need to let your body enjoy some freedom to move how it wants - maybe some flow yoga with authentic movement?

Sometimes writing it on your to-do list will ensure you take care of that commitment to yourself. And, that's a good thing. However, be flexible with the way you complete that task - whether it's "exercise" or cleaning or organizing or finishing the chapter of your novel. It's okay if it's not perfect, it's okay if you go a little over or under your timed goal. It's okay if you take that walk but realize you needed some gentle yoga instead. It's okay if you write a blog post, and it disappears due to a cyber ghost leaving you with no time to rewrite (some things happen for a reason).

Going with the flow does not mean you are lazy. Going with the flow doesn't have to be scary. Going with the flow doesn't mean you have to get rid of your drive to thrive.

Going with the flow does mean being gentle with yourself and others. It does mean tuning into your physical, emotional, mental, creative, and spiritual energies to experience each day with magic, forgiveness, gratitude, faith and grace.