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?
The sacrum, often overlooked, plays a vital role in both spinal health and overall movement. It's not just a single bone but a fusion of five vertebrae that occurs as we age, usually completing the process in our 20s. Despite this fusion, the sacrum is part of a dynamic system that requires awareness and movement to stay healthy.
We end our practice at Dogwood Studio saying, “We Practice for Our Minds, an Open Mind. We Practice for Our Hearts, an Open Heart. We Practice for Each Other.” Listening and learning is the road to understanding, then acceptance, and these require us to slow down and be present in the moment. Having an open mind to learn of other’s experiences is all that is needed to start to help. Let’s listen together.
Sometimes we think we have to be resilient; that if we are firm and strong, we can power through the turbulent times. However, if we try to power through long term uncertainty, we can hit a wall. We can shift our focus from powering through stress to transforming stress. We want to have a better relationship with what is causing the stress and how we can respond to it. This personality style is called stress hardiness.
Fall In Person Mindful Movement & Yoga Classes
Venue/Location:
The historic and beautiful, The Parlour at Manns Chapel https://theparlourchapel.com/
Days & Times, Dates: Wednesdays. 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the following dates:
July 28th
August 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
September 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
November 3rd, 10th, 17th
December 1st, 8th, 15th
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Alzheimer’s disease affected around 5.8 million Americans in 2020 (source), with the numbers of those affected expected to increase in the coming decades. It is a progressive neurological disease with symptoms that frequently begin after age 60. Over time, memory problems known as dementia become worse, causing difficulties with daily life. A good way to remember the difference between normal memory lapses and symptoms of dementia is that it is normal to forget where you put your keys, but it is a symptom of dementia if you forget what your keys are used for. Dementia can also cause mood or behavioral changes and difficulties making good decisions.
The tools of yoga are meant to bring a person into a state of unconditional love. Meditation leads to a quiet and peaceful mind. However, at times, my mind is so distracted that I can’t concentrate let alone meditate. But this never happens when I am chanting. No matter what the state of my mind is when I start to chant a kirtan (mantra set to a tune), my mind calms and time ceases to exist. I enter into a focused and positive state of mind that lasts beyond the chanting.
1. June - August Outdoor Yoga in the Garden at NC Botanical Garden with SAM Sather, Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)
Date: Tuesdays in June through August
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Fee: $13
Limited to 8 attendees: register soon
Register: Registration is through the NC Botanical Garden. Each class is listed for registration individually HERE.
2. In Person at The Parlour in June
Dates: June 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th. Wednesdays
Times: 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Price: $15 / session
Class Size is Limited: 10 people spaced for physical distancing.
Sign-up for each class individually on the weekly class schedule.
Chanting soothes your nerves. It calms your mind. And it promotes positive emotions. Yoga teachings say that in our current challenging time of Kali Yuga (the age quarreling and of misunderstanding), chanting is the tool to support being more at peace. Chanting mantras connects an individual to the Universal cosmic vibrations.
Dogwood Studio has exciting news to share about a new partnership with The Parlour at Manns Chapel in Chapel Hill, NC. We interviewed Aimee Flynn and Yvette Navarro to learn more about the significance of their historic space and how Dogwood Studio fits in so well with their vision. Here are a few quotes from the interview:
We believe big in “Love Big, Celebrate Small”, so all of our events are creative and a little bit different from other venues.
May & June Limited In Person Events - Mindful Movement & Yoga
Dates & Times:
May 12th and 19th. Wednesdays. 10:00 a.m. to before 11:30 a.m.
June 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th. Wednesdays. 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Sign-up for each class individually on the weekly class schedule.
You can sign-up for one or some or all dates.
Venue/Location: The historic and beautiful, The Parlour at Manns Chapel https://theparlourchapel.com/
Registration & Price:
$15 / session
