End of 2023

Since our last love letter, I have traveled to New England and hiked part of the Appalachian trail as well as saw many mountains and states I hadn’t been to yet.  I also went to Iceland and shared my joy found there.  Both trips were with a person with a big heart.  In the meantime, I have spent time with family and am wrapping up the year.  Already starting on a few new things to benefit you all for the new year.  We have rituals and routines with the end of the year and yet life continues.  We can see the year as a new beginning to start new habits or other goals and also a continuation of the journey and growth we are all on in our lifetime and lifetimes, if a person believes as such.

For our winter solstice, we practiced mantra with om instead of our sun salutations though I encourage everyone to make some movement yet this year through sun salutations to keep the body warm and support movement in the body.  Using a mantra can let the mind refocus and bring calming.  This can be om or any word or phrase that supports your wellbeing.  The vibrations of a mantra spoken or sang resonates through the body like sound healing.

In this letter, I’ll offer for meditation or contemplation we may use the two below.  Both reference a connection to what we work towards with samadhi.

-          What was I intended to do in this life?

-          What larger entity am I a part of no matter the name?

Class Schedule:

Monday - Mendota Area YMCA at 6:30 pm

Tuesday - Starved Rock Cross Fit at 6:30 pm

Wednesday - Illinois Valley YMCA at 6:30 pm

Thursday – Yoga classes at Nells Woodland

Typically the 2nd Saturday of the month at TANA at 9 am

Individual classes for yoga, wellness counseling, or ayurvedic therapies are available by reaching out to me to determine a scheduled time.

Enjoy and Encourage (E&E) has continued a solstice celebration, observing the hocus pocus hags, Friendsgiving, and sharing of upcoming events for free for all those subscribed.  We enjoy being able to support the local area and keep those around us informed.  (For those outside of Illinois, we are willing to share tips with how we do this too!)  Having good relationships with others definitely helps us all live a longer and a more fulfilling life.  Everyone has value!

The book club finished Outlive by Peter Attia. We are taking a break for the book club until January.  We are planning to read a couple of suggested books from the group.  You’re welcome to join book club on Monday evenings at 7:30 pm central time in person or on zoom if you’re interested.  Please send any book suggestions over as well.

As we close the year and head into a new one, It may be a good time to release and samskaras, events or occurrences, that we may be holding in the body.  This can be for current events, past events or even past lifetime events.  One form of doing this is through forgiveness.  Forgiveness is a gift for both the person forgiving and the person receiving as an act of love.

Once releasing we can remember that we are born into this world as one and will leave as one.  There are definitely souls around us that support and love us.  However, we also have to love ourselves and make sure our wellbeing is taken care of too.  The lifestyle yoga gives is one way to do this with the benefit of many other things in life as well.

The future is bright, life is beautiful and the universe has our back.

In all things love, with love, as love, always love,

Emily