Summer is a season of expansion - longer days, warmer nights, and a chance to open ourselves to the full and abundant energy. Summer invites us to embrace the vibrant qualities of the season: growth, activity, and celebration. Yet with all this outward energy, it’s easy to get caught in the busyness of “doing” and forget the value of “being.”
Imagine practicing yoga surrounded by the delicate beauty of spring—wildflowers nodding gently in the breeze, the scent of fresh herbs and tea leaves in the air. This is the magic of the Tea House, where nature and mindfulness intertwine to create a space for deep connection. We invite you to embrace the season’s rising energy in our April yoga series.
Meditation is not a linear journey. It’s not about achieving a specific state or reaching a final destination. Instead, it’s a variable practice that shifts and evolves. This fluidity makes meditation an opportunity for exploration rather than a pursuit of perfection. It invites us to let go of binary perspectives such as good or bad, right or wrong, failure or success.
Do you feel like meditation just isn’t for you? You’re not alone. Meditation is often seen as a gateway to calm, clarity, and balance. But the truth is, sitting in silence can feel anything but peaceful. It’s important to understand that meditation isn’t about achieving peacefulness. It’s about learning to focus on a single thought, noticing distractions, and gently guiding your attention back.
As the calendar turns and the new year approaches, it’s easy to get swept up in the tide of resolutions and the pressure to “start fresh.” We draft lists of goals and set rigid expectations, believing that January 1st marks the start of a perfect, linear path toward self-improvement. But what if we approached the new year differently? What if, instead of rigid resolutions, we embraced curiosity, intention, and a willingness to ease into this next chapter with grace?
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is being present in the moment, without judgment. Practicing mindfulness has health benefits, including reduced anxiety and depression, and an increased ability to cope with stress or illness. Some studies have shown that mindfulness practices caused measurable positive changes in areas of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and emotion.
Join us for 75 minutes of rejuvenating outdoor yoga. The class will be held outside in the Children’s Wonder Garden. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Sam leads you through a series of seated, standing and lying poses in the meadow with views of native flowers, trees, and butterflies. The class is gentle and invigorating. Variations of poses will be offered. Sign-up and plan to join us as part of your lunch break.
Anxiety is very common, with about 20% of adults affected with an anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the common anxiety disorders. Symptoms include excessive worry about everyday issues, such as health, relationships, finances, or work, with difficulty controlling the anxiety. Other symptoms that can happen at the same time include being restless or irritable, having muscle tension, or difficulty in concentrating.
Yoga has become more popular in the United States over the last couple of decades. The Yoga Alliance published a study about the growth in popularity of yoga in 2016. Since then, it has continued to grow. Many who are unfamiliar with yoga see images of skinny yogis twisting themselves into an artistic pose and think that is what yoga is all about. Yoga can be for any body, young or old, fit or new to exercise, arthritic or post-surgery. Just as we understand that exercising is great for our health without needing to become a bodybuilder, we can enjoy yoga without needing to worry about attaining a perfect and artistic pose.
Yoga May Improve Gut Health Leading to Wellness
Most of us don’t focus on our gut health, that is until something goes wrong and we experience discomfort or illness. Gut health includes a healthy biome of microorganisms living in symbiosis with our systems. They are responsible for helping us digest and create essential substances like Vitamin K. A healthy gut is important not only for our digestive health, but our emotional and overall physical health as well.
Yoga May Help You Have a Healthier Brain
Brains are made up of two different types of matter, white matter and grey matter. White matter makes up about 60% of the brain and helps transmit signals from the brain down the spinal cord and back. It develops during your 20s and peaks in middle age. Grey matter is about 40% of the brain and interprets sensory information coming in from the white matter. Grey matter does not fully mature until you reach 20 years old, then it slowly declines as you age. Although both are essential, grey matter is important for making decisions, performing daily activities, and memory. So how can we help slow the decline of grey matter over time?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects the joints. Autoimmune diseases are caused by the person’s own immune system mistakenly attacking a portion of their own body. It is unknown what causes this to be triggered. RA causes inflammation and damage to joints and can also affect other organs such as the heart and lungs. This leads to reduced ability to do normal activities such as buttoning clothing
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for more than six months and can interfere with quality of life and the ability to perform at work or home. Western medicine frequently prescribes pain relief for chronic pain, including a potentially risky opioid, rather than addressing causes or involving the patient in taking control of their bodies to assist in their own recovery or resolution of pain.
Depression is a common mental illness with around 8% of Americans afflicted. Depression results from a complex interaction between biological, social, and psychological factors. Individuals who have gone through negative life events such as unemployment, the death of a loved one, or trauma have higher incidents. Common treatments include a combination of medication and/or therapy. Although effective, this methodology may not be a good choice for everyone, and some remain with symptoms despite treatment.
