Life's Journey Yoga and Wellness

Prenatal Series (MUST RSVP)

cmcbride — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:04:22 +0000

Instructor: Barbe Kelly

Current Series: Thursday, June 6th, 13th, 20th, & 27th.

Yoga can beautifully meet the needs of the expectant mom’s changing body! The postures explored in this class will gently and safely stretch the pregnant body while stimulating body awareness for the mom-to-be. Prenatal yoga has been known to help women experience easier and more peaceful deliveries and begin their motherhood journey in a more relaxed state of being.

Chakra Balancing

cmcbride — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:12:41 +0000

Instructor: Barbe Kelly

Kripalu Yoga Instructor, E-RYT200, RYT500

Yoga Alliance Certified

Ever wonder what your yoga instructor is talking about when he or she says chakras?

This 90-minute workshop will help demystify these seven energy centers of the body. Participants will learn the importance of each chakra and where they are located in the body. We will explore what balanced chakra energy looks and feels like, as well as the challenges of excessive or deficient chakra energy. Techniques of pranayama, restorative asanas, and guided meditation will assist in bringing your chakras into balance.

This practice assists in raising consciousness and cultivating awareness. The ability to move through energetic obstacles allows us to connect to our inner source of strength and knowing. Participants will feel centered and energized after this workshop.

65 Minutes for “65 Promises From God for your Child”

cmcbride — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:48:30 +0000

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Do you know the 65 promises God has made to parents for their children? Interested in growing in the understanding of God’s view on parenting and praying these Biblical promises for your children, grandchildren, or any child whom you’d like to cover in prayer?

In an effort to more deeply understand and claim the many promises that God has graciously given to us for our children, we will be holding Prayer Journey, a 7-week prayer study using the highly insightful and easy-to-understand book, “65 Promises From God for your Child: Powerful Prayers For Supernatural Results” by Mike Shreve. Also the author of “In Search of The True Light” and many other books, Shreve is a former yoga teacher who taught at four universities in Tampa. Today, he and his wife, Elizabeth, pastor at Triumphant Living Ministries in Cleveland, TN. They have two children whose life stories are incredible testimonies of what God has promised to parents!

Because we’ll be journeying through 65 Promises in a seven-week period, we will pray and discuss 10 of these Promises per session. That will leave us with five Promises plus the book’s conclusion to discuss on the seventh gathering. But, more importantly, we will pace ourselves as God leads!

By the way, we will also have the opportunity to hear directly from Mike Shreve via his CDs that accompany “65 Promises From God for your Child.”

If you share our belief that prayer wrapped with love is the single most important gift we can give to our children — or even if you have doubts about the power of prayer– let’s prayerfully grow together for 65 minutes each week as we journey through “65 Promises From God for your Child.” And, let’s excitedly watch “supernatural results” unfold.

Our collective prayer journey begins on May 7, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at Life’s Journey Wellness Center. The only cost is the price of the book, which will need to be purchased in advance from Life’s Journey, a local book store, or online (under $10). To kick off the process, participants will be asked to read the book’s interesting introduction prior to May 7.

For more information and/or to RSVP, click here or call (904) 276-3116.

We are so excited for this opportunity to team up and pray together and watch all sorts of results unfold!!!

You can take a peek inside this very special book here!

Shall we begin…

Quinoa/Kale Salad

cmcbride — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:08:06 +0000

by Penny Powell

I was intrigued by the name “Quinoa” (pronounced “keen-wa”) from the first time I heard it. Today, this name — which means “the mother grain” — still pleases my ears…and my taste buds, too!

High in iron, Quinoa is known to be “a staple of the ancient Incas” and “has a distinctive flavor and fluffy texture,” Arrowhead Mills writes on the front of the “Organic Quinoa” package it manufactures. “It makes a tasty choice for casseroles, pilafs and even salads when cooked,” this company explains.

A mixture of Quinoa and Kale has become one of my new, favorite dishes. I find that the combinations I enjoy most at home often turn out to be ones created from no recipe at all — but rather from a food picture that suddenly appears in my mind based on what I have available at the time.

So, when I remembered that I had Quinoa in my pantry AND Kale in my fridge,mI immediately visualized a pretty green and white mixture on my plate. Then, I set out to make this dish a reality, flavoring it with spices — including a handful or so of Spicy Miso Kale Chips made by New York Naturals.

First, I cooked the Quinoa according to the simple instructions on the package (the brand mentioned above that I got from Publix). When most of the water it was cooking in was absorbed, I stirred in about a cup or more of fresh chopped kale. To season it, I added a selection of seasonings from my spice cabinet, such as Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, etc. I also added a good handful or so of the crumbs from the flavorful Spicy Miso Kale Chips mentioned above. Additionally, I included approximately a tablespoon of the Raw and Organic Coconut Butter made by Artisana (sold at Life’s Journey Wellness Center).

Not only did I enjoy the taste of this pretty combination, but the overall texture was so lovely, too! Thankfully, it was a really healthy dish, because I kept going back for more! In fact, I’m off to make another pot of it right now!

Have a healthy and happy weekend! Maybe you’ll add a little Quinoa to it, too!

Creative Teens in Balance

cmcbride — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:45:31 +0000

For the past two weeks at our weekly “Teens in Balance” class, middle-school students from Grace Episcopal Day School (GEDS) have had the opportunity to work creatively in groups at Life’s Journey Wellness Center.

When driving to class two weeks ago, Penny, teacher of this GEDS Elective class, was struck with the idea to shape the yoga mats like triangles as she laid them out on the studio floor. That would turn out to be four “triangles” for the group of 12 students.

Penny ended up just setting up one 3-mat “triangle” as an example of the theme that day. Then, when the students arrived, she instructed them to create mat-triangles, which they really got into! An exciting, creative energy filled the room as a result this “different” layout, so Penny decided to further build on that!

Therefore, the next instruction was for the students to create one triangle out of three bodies and then explain what their body-triangle represented and discuss a little about the creative process used to come up with each choice.

“Whenever I think of a triangle, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come to mind,” Penny explained as an example. “So, think about what comes to mind for you as you experience your Teens in Balance triangle.”

“Connectedness,” one group explained while stretching in a human triangle shape. “Togetheness,” another group stated.

“Birds under a bridge” was what another group created — demonstrated by one of the students using strength and flexibility to hold her body up in a solid Wheel pose (which was a human ’bridge’ in this case) while the other two group members knelt on either side of her and fully stretched one arm each (the birds) under her back (the bridge). Those arms were the bottom of the triangle while a point at the top of the bridge was the top angle of the triangle. Can you picture it?

The main spokesperson for this group explained that while it had initially been tough for her and her partners to come up with their triangle idea, they stuck with it until they figured out what they could do!

The lessons from this group:

(1) Honesty, as they were honest to admit they had struggled at first (as the other groups had seemed to create with ease).

(2) Perseverance since they kept at it and eventually came up with a lovely triangle creation.

Because one of the groups worked in twos since one student was absent that day, this duo decided to transform to “mermaids” with their seated bodies leaning in toward each other at their sides and one arm each meeting at the top of them to create the top of their triangle.

The lesson: Less resources do not necessarily mean lesser results, as this group proved with their 2-person “triangle”.

Another group of three had formed three Wheel poses and positioned their Wheels to form one triangle.

“We just came up with something we all like to do and used that to create our triangle,” these youth explained

The lesson: Taking time to figure out what we have in common can work well for us — just as our positive differences can often be of use to each other, too.

Because the spirit of the class was so much fun and Penny wanted to give the absent student mentioned above a chance to experience some of what she had missed, “CREATIVE Teens in Balance” was the theme once again the following week. However, instead of giving the students one shape idea for the mats at the beginning of class, they were given the freedom to arrange the mats whatever way they desire — while still working in groups of three but with different partners this time. Then, they were to construct a 3-person group posture inspired by the layout of their mats.

Below, enjoy some of what “showed up” during the creative-body process! It was such a joy to watch!

After coming up with several wonderful ideas of their own, that segment of class concluded with Penny’s instruction to continue the creative mat journey by making crosses. She heard a few students comment to their partners that they were Jesus on the cross!

Have a glimpse of this past Wednesday’s fun Teens in Balance class…

Yoga of 12 Step Recovery Intensive

cmcbride — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:43:08 +0000

Instructor: Nikki Meyers, RYT 200

The Yoga of 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR) Intensive is a weekend workshop for those interested in deepening ‘understanding and application’ of the 12-step program and its symbiotic relationship with yoga. The intensive focuses on the ‘understanding and application’ of both yoga and the 12-steps. In the Y12SR Intensive we:

Explore the sources of addictive behavior
Investigate yogic and 12-step principles as a foundation of recovery
Discover sustainable ways for self-regulation that enhance physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Learn how to use the tools and practices of yoga to support recovery and avoid pitfalls and traps

Need more information on Nikki Myers and the 12 Step Recovery Intensive? Check out her website here.

Course Information:

Friday August 9th 2013 6-8pm

Saturday August 10th 2013 10am-4pm

Sunday August 11th 2013 10am-2pm

YogaKids Summer Camp

cmcbride — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:24:04 +0000

Instructor: Jackie Morrison

June 17th-21st 2013

Cost: $115 per week

(includes materials and art supplies)

$50 non-refundable deposit due June 1st to hold your space.

Our Yoga Summer Camp has a unique approach to integrative learning using yoga as a pathway to reading, storytelling, music, creative arts, science, and earthcare blending seamlessly with yoga poses to strengthen the body & mind, grades K-6. The curriculum provides children with an exciting new way to explore and appreciate their body’s creative potential. Children learn invaluable skills that set the groundwork for meeting challenges and growing flexible & strong physically, mentally and emotionally, cultivating self-esteem for a lifetime of successful achievement. During our week of yoga fun not only will we stretch our bodies and open our hearts we will be activating our right brain with daily creative art projects. Join us for a lifetime of fitness, fun, and feeling great! Each day please wear comfortable clothes to move freely, bring along a water bottle and lunch.

Eat Well/Be Well

cmcbride — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:51:52 +0000

This week, we’re thrilled to introduce Dr. Pat Sager Lane and her “Eat Well/Be Well: Mindful Nutrition Awareness Lifestyle Program” to you! A 6-week “Eat Well/Be Well” series class will begin March 9, 2013. The additional dates and a breakdown of the weekly content can be found here.

Dr. Sager Lane has extensive personal experience in dealing with the problems of obesity, food allergies, drug and supplement intolerances, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, celiac disease, gluten intolerance, high blood pressure, heartburn, sleep disturbances and many other medical and dietary challenges. (Her full bio will be available on our website soon.) In the meantime, she invites you to:-

Come and learn what to do to help yourself and your family separate the “Hype” and “Habit” (your unconscious response) surrounding what you choose to eat! Come increase your knowledge base — and please your palate — with the better “alternative” food choices available to stimulate optimum health!

Know the reasons why you should consider changes to what you choose to eat. Understand the consequences of taking prescription and/or over-the-counter drugs so you can help yourself to get better and be less drug-dependent or drug-free. Learn what to eat to feel full, satisfied and well, and how to validate results with medical tests.

Learn how to lessen pain and chronic symptoms by applying the proven Mindful Nutrition Awareness Lifestyle Program that is a lifestyle change of best choices — not a diet! No calories or anything else to count or weigh, and no starving yourself or eating only one or two foods!

In this course, Dr. Sager Lane will show you how to shop, where to buy from the best and most inexpensive sources, and she will also demonstrate how to prepare and cook food in new ways with new applications of appetizing food products. Come explore exciting adventures in Sourcing, Cooking, and Tasting for your health!

Celebrate your right to choose to Eat Well to Be Well, and come join the wellness party!

Kale Chips: The taste of junk food without the junk!

cmcbride — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:55:48 +0000

“Mmm, these ARE good,” two of our yoga students recently exclaimed as they hung out in the lobby after class crunching on The Kale Factory’s Kale Chips that we sell at the studio.

“Bombay Ranch and the Vegan Cheese flavors are my favorites,” says one of our instructors. Some others prefer the savory Spicy Miso and Sea Salt & Vinegar flavors that we also carry.

According to The New York Times, these gluten-free, vegan chips are “thin and glazed with various seasonings. They are not only snack-worthy and packed with nutrients, but they can also be used for dipping or as a salad topping or a garnish for all sorts of dishes, like baked fish or even soups.”

So, just how are these chips made?

The Kale Factory explains: “We prep farm fresh kale leaves, dress them with a delicious sauce, and dehydrate them for 12 hours until they are crispy and taste delicious. Our vegan kale chips are dehydrated under 115 degrees Fahrenheit. While our kale chips are being dehydrated, all their living enzymes remain alive.”

The Kale Factory suggests eating raw or dehydrated kale if you want the most health benefits from kale, however, to “help with the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, E, and K,” they recommend eating raw kale with some fat. To help with that, they add nuts and seeds to some of their kale products. “Who doesn’t like good healthy fats?” they ask.

Kale is definitely our “friend here at Life’s Journey Yoga & Wellness Center. It’s no secret we love the tasty kale/apple/lemon juice that Penny makes at each juicing workshop and at the juicing classes she does for the “Teens in Balance” class from Grace Episcopal Day School. And, if you missed her article about why kale does the body good, here it is!

“Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense leafy greens that is rich in folate, calcium, and iron,” explains The Kale Factory. “It is a big warrior in the battle against cancer, heart disease, and other diseases. The best thing is that this vegetable is able to clean the blood.”

Additionally, they highlight that kale is:

~ Low in calories

~ Fights anti-inflammatory conditions

~ High in Vitamins K, A & C

~ A good source of minerals and beta-carotene.

With all that goodness packed in a snack that tastes “as good as junk food,” according to The Awesomer, who wouldn’t want this kind of chip?

Just this past week, the “Teens in Balance” students requested more kale chips as they finished up their yoga class and were about to head back to school, so we’re putting more samples out for them next week.

And, if you’ve got some blood-cleaning to do after indulging on Valentine’s Day, well, The Kale Factory’s Kale Chips await you on our lobby counter and at the back of the studio in our “Off The Mat” store.

“They’re “perfect for guilt-free snacking. You can easily eat an entire container of the delicious chips,” says Healthy Way to Cook on the Press page at www.nynshop.com where you can learn much more about The Kale Factory’s products.

“Yup, that happens to me every time,” says Penny. I begin crunching on a few kale chips and, before I know it, the whole container is gone. Do join in on this kale-snacking fun,” she says with a kale crunch.

Have a kale-ful weekend!

Be the Love

cmcbride — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:40:17 +0000

Did you get a chance to read our February “Be the Love” newsletter? In it, we included a simple but effective love-exercise that we hope you’ll try, if you haven’t already. Or, even if you did, we hope you’ll do it again and again!

One of our readers had this to say about it:

“AWESOME!! I truly enjoyed the love exercise this early Sunday morning, especially after waking up to the bad news on the radio. My husband forgot to turn off the radio when the alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. I said, “Honey, I really do not like waking up to bad news.” I rolled out of bed to get myself ready to work out and find this beautiful exercise. Thank you so much.”

If you missed the newsletter and the “Be the Love” letter/instructions, here’s what it said:

“A couple of us were recently chatting in the lobby at the studio and sharing our thoughts about the way yoga has a special way of evoking love!

As we reflected on that loving feeling that seems to naturally fill our hearts on the yoga mat and then steps off the mat with us into our various relationships, we got to imagining a world where everyone willingly does yoga! We then chatted about the huge effect this abundance of love would have on this world.

Just imagine that!!!

Take a nice, deep cleansing inhalation and exhalation and sit with that thought for a moment.

Close your eyes, relax your shoulders, arm and hands. Wiggle your toes and circle your ankles and then let your feet relax. Visualize love from the earth rising through your feet and touching EVERY cell in your body…

Say: “I am love. I am love. I am love.”

Imagine if we ALL took time to slow down on the yoga mat — or wherever we are – and literally be the love that we wish to see in the world. Oh what an abundantly loving world this would be, huh!

Well, the beauty is, we truly can play our part — beginning with ourselves! Here at LJYWC, we are believers that we can shift the level of love floating through the air right from our yoga mats. It’s not this love is limited to the mat, but rather yoga is a powerful TOOL in helping us bring that love within to the surface to effect the energy around us!

When others feel the abundance of love flowing through us, it’s really tough for them NOT to shift, too.

Need practice being the love you’d like to see in the world? Come gather tools and tips at any of our yoga classes or from our other offerings listed at www.lifesjourneywellness.com.

Or, you can start right at this moment by praying the LOVE prayer along the left column in this newsletter.

May February love and light shine upon you!“

The same week we sent out this “Love” exercise, we noticed that some of the teens in our mid-week “Teens in Balance” class were holding hands while resting in Final Relaxation (Shavasana)! What an expression of peace and love! Holding hands wasn’t a part of the verbal class instruction given to them, but somehow the whole row ended up with hands and hearts connected.

Perhaps this love that flowed through and from them had been stirred up in them from the verse they had meditated on at the beginning of their class that day: “May they who love You be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Judges 5:31

Indeed, peace, love, and strength exuded from these middle-school students as they rested before heading back to school for their next class!

May we all… Be the Love!

P.S. Sign up for our monthly newsletter at the bottom of our home page.