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| Sunrise at Cadillac Mountain |
As a family we usually take a week or two off at the end of August into September. It is one of my favorite seasonal transition times as the humid weather eases and the air begins to shift. It is also the time I met my husband (30 years ago this year!) and we try to share the day with each other and our kids. This summer we traveled to Maine to visit Acadia National Park. We spent 5 days canoeing, kayaking, swimming, biking, hiking, camping, and enjoying nature. We breathed in the clean air mingled with the scent of ocean and evergreens, felt the cool, clear freshwater on our skin, listened to the sounds of summer bugs, owls hooting, and hawks screeching, observed the vastness of the night sky, and ate delicious, fresh food taking in each experience that stimulated our senses. We explored Mount Desert Island and all its dangerous cliffs and rocky edges on foot, on bike, and on boat, sometimes all in one day! One of the highlights of our time was hiking up Cadillac Mountain to see the sunrise. We awoke at 3am and entered the trailhead by 3:45a with bright flashlights. The hike in the dark was challenging and exciting. As we ascended the 1530 feet it took to get to the summit the sky began to open up with light. Once we reached the top, we walked towards the eastern point of the mountain. We found a spot to rest and settled in for the full sunrise experience, which lasted only a few minutes. The soft pink and yellow pre-dawn colors expanded across the sky as the sun started to peak out of the horizon. We sat together quietly until the orange glow cast a shadow on the water and we started our descent.
I'm sharing how I spent my summer vacation with you because it took a lot of energy and a lot of endurance. This vacation was one of planning and presence, we wanted our kids to have time away from screens and connection as a family before school started. We also wanted to keep up with them, to try new things, and seek out adventure. Even though this vacation had moments of peace, quiet and stillness, there wasn't much rest going on. So, when we returned home I was spent, but there was a rush to unpack, wash and fold laundry, restock the refrigerator, and prep for school starting. Parenting can be a mental, emotional, and physical whirlwind with so much responsibility and exertion. Caring for and supporting a teen and a pre-teen requires modeling healthy habits and practicing self care as a parent, finding that balance can be tricky.
As I get older, I notice my body changing. What was once easy is now harder. I'll admit I was weary of the climb down the mountain for my achy knees, BUT since I have been putting in the effort to get stronger, my knees kept up with it all. Over the last few years, I have learned how to create my own programs for progressive movement. In addition to yoga, my body was craving more to keep up my mental and physical strength and stamina. This experience has shifted the way I share yoga in my group classes. As a teacher of movement, I seek out and learn from other teachers because I want to discover new ways to keep myself healthy and resilient. This fall, I'll continue to teach my weekly yoga classes in Melrose/Wakefield AND focus on my personal practice. Starting Tuesday 9/3, my friend Nicole Wade will be leading an 8 week program called Fitness for Menopause at the Melrose YMCA. I'll be there with a few friends learning more about strength training for this phase of life. If you are ready to progress your practice, I hope to see you!
For those who are new to building strength, I created a 4 part 'Yoga for Strength' series that takes you through accessible ways to add resistance training and functional movement into your practice. I recently added two FREE classes on my YouTube page to get you started.
Check out:
Please find my fall schedule and links to FREE yoga and meditation below.
Weekly in-person classes:
$5 drop in at Wakefield and Melrose Senior Centers.
Monday Chair Yoga (11a-12n) in Wakefield, MA at the McCarthy Senior Center will resume after Labor Day on Monday 9/9/24, no class on 11/11/24.
Thursday Gentle Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) and Chair Yoga (10a-11a) in Melrose, MA at the Milano Senior Center, no class on 11/28/24.
I'll sub yoga classes as I can at all 4 YMCA Metro North branches.
Fall Yoga at the Melrose Public Library is TBD.
Thanks to ALL who joined for our summer library yoga sessions! The library renovation is close to completion and the big move may delay some offerings. I'm excited to continue these seasonal sessions in-person when possible.
You can find all my free yoga videos here and guided meditations here.
The sunflower symbolizes a long life and lasting happiness. I have been waiting all summer for my sunflowers to bloom. I was given two pots of sunflower seedlings in June, they are now standing tall and opening towards the sun.
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