Jamie M Yoga

Hey Greendale yogi's....no class tomorrow, Thurs. the 5th, 9:15, as your guide is under the weather. I look forward to seeing you next week!

I’m so excited for this return collaboration with Small Stones Wellness Center!

If you or someone you know is a cancer patient, survivor, thriver, please share this special upcoming event, and join us for a morning of yoga, meditation, community.

Yoga tonight at GCC in Greendale is canceled tonight (8/6)...I look forward to seeing you Thursday or next week!

Each day, each breath…we never know when we will see our last sunrise, we never know when we will take and feel our last breath. Gratitude, joy, peace and love in this moment.

Upcoming Special Event!

With the arrival of Spring, the season of transformation and renewal, all are invited to join me for 'Wearing Your Intention", an afternoon of meditation, reflection, and crafting your own intention-infused gemstone mala.

Registration and complete information on my website: jamiemullenyoga.com.

Today I'm just doing a little organizing of beads!

Yoga tonight in Greendale will be canceled due to the weather. Stay safe, warm and dry everyone! I look forward to seeing you next week.

Welcome 2024 embracing the light, honoring the dark.

Final of 12 days of self care….get your rest! Making sure you get enough sleep every night can be a simple act of self care. It helps to stick to a schedule and to develop good evening routine habits (powering down screen activities, oral health, drink warm water or caffeine free herbal tea, pray/meditate…just a few ideas).

Self care looks different to everyone so find what is best for your own health and wellness of body, mind, heart, and soul or try a few of the suggestions I’ve shared these past 12 days. And always seek professional help if you’re experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that last longer than a couple of weeks…examples:difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, struggle to get out of bed in the morning due to mood, loss of interest in things you use to enjoy, inability to perform usual daily functions.

Self Care is for you!

You may not always think that being in your grief, anger, sadness, (darkness) as self care but we would not know joy, happiness and harmony (light) without it.

We all experience darkness and at the time it is challenging and down-right hard to grasp that we could ever feel ‘light’ again, but as they say time is healing. Not that we no longer grieve but the grieving itself changes. I love this quote by Martha Beck’grief is like a stream running through our life, and it’s important to understand that it doesn’t go away. Our grief lasts a lifetime but our relationship to it changes.’
Grief, sadness, anger-darkness.

On this winter solstice it will be easy to physically sit in darkness with your darkness, but light a candle and let it be a reminder of your light, the light of life is arriving.
Let your solstice self care be an acknowledgement of your darkness but a celebration of your light.

Be sure to be mindful at your holiday parties when it comes to food! Everything looks delicious and smells divine but finding healthy choices when you’re not the host can be challenging.

So as not to be Scrooge, what can you do to maintain your self care when it comes to your food choices?
1. Start with the veggies/salad.
2. As you survey your options, choose only your very favorites! If that’s everything, take smaller portions of each.
3. Drink your water! Limit alcohol.
4. Don’t skip lunch in anticipation of dinner! You’ll be more likely to overeat.
5. Listen to your hunger cues. Eating slowly and enjoying every bite is how we should eat every meal.

Five simple tips, I’m sure you have your own as well.
So give your body self love by offering it nothing but the best…and a little sweet treat now and then is ok!

The perfect way to end a day…a good book and warm drink. Self care. Lessening your screen time, especially in the evening can help with better sleep, reduce anxious feelings and thoughts and put you in a better mindset to rest and relax.
Look for herbal teas with no caffeine. Even just warm water can be soothing… and beneficial for digestion.

Allow being grateful for all the blessings in your life thus far be part of your self care practice. Think of the little things that are part of your life….being thankful for your pet, a warm cup of tea, gas in your car, having a car….so many things that we often take for granted in the busyness of our days.

I encourage you to pause several times today to jot down one thing you’re grateful for in the moment…maybe you’re at work, so that could be the first thing to be grateful for. Maybe you’re enjoying your morning coffee, grateful. Lunch date with friends, grateful. Working furnace on a cold, snowy day, grateful. You get the idea…

But don’t take my word that a gratitude practice is self care…according to research at UC-Davis, practicing gratitude boosts emotional and physical well being. Many studies have been done elsewhere as well showing those who count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed.

Take time today to be grateful for all the little (and big) blessings in your life!

During the holidays with extra gatherings you may be attending, it’s important for self care to stay hydrated. Most of us on regular days fall short of the recommended drinking half our body weight in ounces of water…weight x 0.5 = oz. of water per day

Why is this important? Proper hydration supports healthy function of the body, improves sleep quality (but don’t try to make up getting your ounces in right before bed!), better brain function and improved mood to name a few.

A few tips:
Fill a water bottle first thing in the a.m. and refill it throughout your day
Set your phone to chime every hour or so to remind you to take a sip
Post it notes at your desk, refrigerator..wherever you’re going to see it!
I start my day with a warm cup of water. I put it in a thermos the night before and it’s still warm in the a.m.
Share your tricks to stay hydrated!

Water. A simple way to practice self care today.

Spending time in nature helps to soothe the soul.

Holiday self care means getting out in mother nature regularly. Going from door to car to door does not count!

It has been shown that being in nature can decrease anxiety levels and lessen feelings of stress.

A simple walk in your local park for 20-30 minutes is all you need. Don’t have that much time all at once? Like the breathing practice from a couple days ago, give yourself a nature snack!

Can’t make it outside due to the weather? Studies show that even sounds of nature may be helpful, instead of the usual city/urban sounds.

So I encourage you to get out as best you can and explore your local park, nature preserve! It will do the soul good.

Take several 5 minute intentional breathing snack’s throughout your day to help regulate your body’s response to stress, decrease anxiety, for clearer thinking and reducing negative self talk, so that you can find greater ease in difficult situations that arise this holiday season.
Before you begin, set a timer for your 5 minute snack!

Place right hand on belly, left hand on heart.
Eyelids half drawn downward.
Lips softly closed and breathing long, smooth breaths through the nostrils.

Feel the movement of breath in your palms, the soft kind touch, your breath’s rhythm. Maybe noticing how the breath feels in and out of nostrils.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

If your mind becomes distracted by sound, return back to the sensations of breathing.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Long, smooth breaths.

When timer goes off, flutter eyes open, one sighing exhale from the mouth, pause….then continue on with your day.

Remember to take breaks throughout your day to breathe intentionally as a practice of self care!

Here it is…a women’s only retreat co-led by myself and of All Souls Yoga!

This retreat will invite you to turn inward before the new year begins, processing 2023 and listening to what is calling you into 2024.

We invite you to join us in Racine WI for quiet and solitude, community and support, reflection and connection through the practices of therapeutic yoga, meditation, journaling, self care and more.

Information and registration on Erin’s site:
https://www.allsoulsyoga.com/retreats.html

Bailey says it’s time to get back on your mat!

Did summer activities lead you to miss your yoga practice? The transition into September and the fall season is a great time to reestablish those good habits and gain all the physical, mental and emotional benefits that yoga offers. Let’s all try to be as calm and relaxed as Bailey!

Join me in Tosa or Greendale. Check link for all the details!

Join Yoga Of Recovery this September in honor of National Recovery Month, a special time dedicated to supporting people on their journey towards healing and growth. Whether you’re on a path of recovery or seeking to overcome self-destructive tendencies.

Come practice with us and discover the transformative power of yoga. These free classes are designed to support and uplift you.

No matter your level of experience with yoga, there is a class for you. We're offering two types of practices from our Yoga Therapists Chris Blais (Chandika) and Tarini Ramakrishnan.

Mindful, Purposeful, Strong, & Slow AM Practice with Chris (Chandika)
Wednesdays, September 6, 13, 20, 27 at 7:30AM PDT / 10:30AM EDT
Register in advance for this meeting: bit.ly/YoRRecoveryMonth2023


Restorative Yoga of Recovery PM Practice with Tarini
Sundays, September 17 & 24th 5:30PM PDT / 8:30PM EDT

“An Introduction to the 6 Tenets of Yoga of Recovery” – A FREE Sneak Peek Webinar
Discussion, Sharing, Practice
Saturday September 9th 8-10AM PDT / 11AM-1PM EDT
bit.ly/YoR2ndSat


Faces & Voices of Recovery

CommUnity Yoga in Greendale is canceled for this evening, 6:30.

I look forward to seeing you Thursday at 9:15 for more yoga in Greendale!

Join me for yoga this week! All abilities welcome.

Yoga For Fertility MKE is back!

Join this 6-week series designed to support women who are trying to conceive naturally or through assisted reproductive treatments.

Using the yoga therapy model, you will be guided through mindful movements, relaxation, meditation and more. Check the link in my bio for more information or share this post with someone you think would be interested!

Yoga for Wellbeing in west Wauwatosa/east Brookfield Monday at noon and Wednesday at 5:30 at 2900 N 117th St

Flow and Deep Stretch, Monday 5:30, 6:45, Tuesday 6:30 a.m. in New Berlin

CommUnity Yoga Tuesday 6:30 p.m , a gentle practice for all abilities.

PLEASE NOTE....NO CLASS THIS THURSDAY IN GREENDALE 3/16. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

The Power of Breath Work Breathing correctly is a skill — and learning to control it can improve your health, mood and well-being. Here are a few simple exercises to help you get started.

Hand in a yoga practice are used to connect with the energies of the body and mind. Hands are the seat of our prana/pranic energy.

The gesture you see here is Uttarabodhi. This is located in Pensacola Fl called The Sanctuary by Sam Nettles. It serves as a memorial to missing children…the gesture symbolizing a shelter/sanctuary over a mother, father, and child and it is representative of a sacred space.

Uttarabodhi mudra is said to increase clarity, willpower, and allows the body to feel light and rooted/grounded/secure at the same time. When we feel light, we feel at ease. When we feel rooted, we feel safe and protected….when we feel both of these at the same time we feel at home…..within ourselves.

To experience the effects of how mudras can enhance your wellbeing join me in Tosa Wednesday evenings at 5:30 and/or Mondays at noon.

And may all missing children someday, someway, somewhere return to their sanctuary and feel at home within.