Breath Made Visible - a film

I just happened upon such a beautiful message that I thought I'd share with whomever might be out there tonight....(in case you're wondering about how dance can teach, heal, inspire and transform...or any connected movement for that matter...)

Check out the trailer for this dance documentary featuring dance pioneer Anna Halprin -- I love how she says "Dance is the breath made visible. Anyone can do it -- I don't care whether they've had any training at all."

This website is too beautiful for me to try to summarize, so please see for yourself. Read the synopsis, then watch the trailer. The music is breathtaking as well as the message:

http://www.breathmadevisible.com/?lang=en

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Yoga's Gift of Body Awareness

Two months since I've blogged! Well, yoga graduation was yesterday -- a beautiful ceremony and celebration of six intense months of learning, opening, feeling, reaching, and, yes, transforming -- hence, my blog cooling off on the backburner.

While wrapping the six months, I was asked "If you could only teach students one thing about yoga, what would it be?

Body awareness. From the wonderful feeling of the large muscles of the hamstrings opening during downward dog to the subtlest cues of “that’s enough” during another pose or stretch, yoga teaches body awareness like no other. I believe that if we truly listened to the body’s need for rest, play, movement, food, work, prayer, breath, etc., we’d all lead less stressful and more joyful lives. While it’s initially fun to learn where the major muscles are located and fire them up through intense heat-building poses, it’s even more delightful to notice the subtle-yet-powerful presence of breathwork, restful poses or prayer and meditation. Like the saying “off the mat, into the world”, the body awareness one gains from yoga truly applies to all areas of life.

I'm forever grateful for all my teachers.

Namaste

Move, Breathe, Be Free

I'm taking a yoga teacher training that's, well, much more demanding and intense than I'd imagined. I'm truly enjoying it, and when I say demanding and intense, I don't mean to conjure up the idea of a dry teacher forcing us into pretzel poses. We've got reading/writing homework, a service project, long training weekends, weekly classes, daily meditations and movement series to create, etc. And, mostly, there's breathwork. Breathwork that slows you down, that takes you into yourself. It helps to guide you to your wholeness, your sense of strength or God or whatever you wanna call it.

While I'm just now taking this yoga training, I've been teaching movement for 10+ years and taking/teaching yoga for about four years. More and more so, when beginning with a new client, I suggest working on a little breathwork at first. Sometimes clients jump aboard, and tears flow or inspiration hits. Sometimes folks are too antsy, or sometimes it just feels weird and unnatural to practice breathing. And, sometimes breathing makes us feel. A lot. Sometimes too much. Or so we think.

That's why my yoga training can be so much work! It slows me down and the feelings can overflow! Breathing makes you feel - ecstatic, light, joyful, grateful. It can also bring up the typical so-called yuck - fear, sadness, anger, guilt, worry. Basically, breathing brings up your truth, so it's an ongoing process. One that takes work for me Every Single Day.

I'm not a personal trainer to "kick someone's ass" or take away the jiggle. I'm motivated by a) my ongoing personal experience of finding truth within my body, and b) the little bits and huge leaps of transformation that happen when someone connects with her body, her breath and her spirit - and essentially something Greater than herself.

So, despite what the breathwork and the connection that follows might bring up for someone (though I can guarantee you it can be juicy, sometimes scary, and mostly lovely in a life-changing way), my wish is for people to find movement they enjoy; then sure, complement and support that favorite movement with other types of physical training.

Move to feel good. Don't exercise to "get it over with" or to "mark it off your list". Practice joy within movement. Practice staying present. Practice slowing down. Practice stillness. Practice making movement (or stillness) as a way to connect with your innermost sense of being alive and free.

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Prana Patience Prayer

It's been way too long since I've written, so why not take advantage of this Saturday night after I've had chicken noodle soup for dinner, taken a hot bath, and while my fiance watches a "futbol" game by my side.

The past month has been full of change due to moving in and merging my belongings and my life with my fiance. I've now got quite a commute, which isn't too bad. And, we're still praying for peace among our pets (the two dogs are still amazed with my furry little feline who's found a new love for hissing and arching her back around our good ol' dogs). Patience and prayer - I'm minding my P's until they're all friends.

Then, while I thought all was well besides mileage increasing and pets freaking, I got sick. It was one of those things I thought I could ride out...then I finally went to the doctor...then I went to another doctor. Next thing I knew, I had two procedures scheduled one day after the other. I've been scared and for good reason. Thankfully, my doctor gave two thumbs up after each procedure, so now I'm working on healing.

I believe we're all working on healing in one way or another - throughout our lives. Even throughout each day if you're open to looking at it that way. Or, perhaps, I believe, with each breath.

This past month, and especially this past week, I've had to slow down - way down. And, while I'm not an obsessive exerciser, I like a good dose of physical movement nearly everyday. Whether it's flow yoga, or a run/walk, or a great step class, or a tough Cathe dvd, it helps my body, my soul, my mind, to move. And, when that doesn't happen, I get cranky. Bottled up. Tight. Tense. Crabby. Moody. Really, really blah. It's like I get "out of my body" - yet, dare I even say it for fear of having this "thing" happen again - but perhaps this experience has taught me something important about "staying in my body" despite the chaos I can't control.

In order for me to make sense of the past month, and especially the past week, like many people in difficult life situations, I've turned to prayer and prana. Prana is a Sanskrit word meaning life-force, breath, vitality of spirit. Although the meaning of prana doesn't necessarily follow a particular "religious" path, I highly encourage applying any sense of religion or spirit to this practice that feels good to you. Sometimes we connect in a religious way easily through prayer - sometimes we need something more than words to connect to Something Bigger - sometimes that can be through the breath, the body, the well of energy that resides within...

Thankfully, with my yoga and movement practice, I've discovered something beyond the physical part of movement. I've discovered that energy that lies within me regardless of whether I've had a great "workout" or not. It's always there, you can always tap into it by going deep within and being open to your own healing energy.

I'd like to share two things that have helped me lately - I'll paste those below hoping maybe they can help you too. Additionally, my hope for myself and for readers is to carry this sense of healing energy throughout all phases of your life, your sickness and your health, your day and your nights, your inhales and your exhales....

#1

Inhale Grace,
Exhale Fear,
Inhale New,
Exhale Old.
Inhale Receive,
Exhale Let Go.

(I believe you get my drift - Inhale what you need, Exhale what you need to let go...)

#2

I need to be still and let God love me.
I need to be still and let God love me.
When this old world starts to push and shove me,
I need to be still and let God love me.

(from "I Need To Be Still ( And Let God Love Me )" written by: Archie P. Jordan and Naomi Martin)

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 Body Month - 2 free workshops!

Love Your Body Month is almost here (officially starting Sunday, February 1)! Atlanta's very own Eating Disorders Information Network organizes an array of events throughout the month of February to celebrate and honor loving your body. Please click here to see February's events: http://myedin.org/index.php?id=76&monthArg=1&yearArg=2009

Two workshops I'm cohosting:

Sunday, February 8, 10a-12p

"Let Your Body Tell its Story", which incorporates "writing with the body" and NIA, a form of movement to connect the body with the mind/emotions/spirit. Sandy Bramlett, M.Ed., a Nia teacher, will lead the movement portion of the workshop, and Caroline Correll, journalist and mind/body trainer, will lead the writing portion of the workshop. 10:00 am- 12 pm at Seminole Studio, 675 Seminole Avenue NE (in the Highland Building), Atlanta, GA 30307. Contact Debi Demare, EDIN Volunteer, at debidemare@comcast.net. The event is free, though donations will be accepted.

Sunday, February 15, 3-5pm

Join Megan McSwain, MA LAPC, and Caroline Correll, fitness/movement trainer, at the lululemon showroom on Sunday, Feb. 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 (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)

Hope you can make it to these events - no need to RSVP. Come comfortable and ready to treat yourself kindly. ;)