Greetings dear friends.  How many of you feel overwhelmed by the holidays?  I sure do. I informed my husband that we had to set up my mom’s Christmas tree and he said, ‘Didn’t we just do that?”  Yes Gary, a year ago!!! The pay off was that she made us Green Enchiladas, so yummy!

What I want to write about for this blog is how to celebrate joyful experiences, welcome the Holidays and let go of stress.  Our bodies have a built-in memory system. Not just the brain but the muscles, the joints, the cells, they all work together to keep us together but they also hold on to memories.  We can relive the fun of happy moment or we can despair over the loss of a loved one.  Our bodies remember these things because of the energy we create, both good and bad, with our physical body.  We can also get stuck in feelings of shame, anxiety and fear, especially during the Holidays.   We are a complex system of mental, emotional and spiritual histories and those stories can wreak havoc on our wellbeing.  Well dear friends, I don’t have all of the answers but I have a few thoughts.

I recently read a blog from Marilyn, The Nester, about how she felt like a fraud.   Her entire online business is about NOT feeling shame after watching programs on HGTV.  Marilyn teaches how to use what you have and be SATISFIED!! That is hard to do in today’s market.  Unless you look, dress and decorate like the beautiful people on Social Media, well, you my friend, just don’t measure up.  We know this is not true, we tell ourselves to not get overwhelmed but we do it anyway. Why? Human nature.  

Marilyn wrote in her October newsletter that she felt like a fraud about a big decorating event that she and her husband host each Autumn.   But then she went on to explore this thought:

“Then I remember that’s part of what makes it real and authentic and special and ours.  I’m so grateful for this online community, where we believe each other when we say: Welcome to our home where things aren’t perfect.  We trust you can relate!”

So sweet friends, welcome to Premier.  We are not perfect but we are a community of women and men who find joy in taking care of ourselves.  We celebrate relationships and explore ways to be healthy. At our studio we practice yoga, dance away stress and watch movies together.  We give away diapers and bras, and we walk/run to raise money for the homeless. We believe in each other and we have fun as we cultivate good health.  I write about kindness and Carla is the living embodiment of it.  I have been to many studios in my yoga life and I have never felt so loved, honored or accepted.  As the year draws to an end make a commitment to show up for your favorite class, generate some energy, let go of some stress and create more happy moments, for your mind, body and soul to remember.

Grace and Peace,

Zella Marie