On Mindfulness

If you've been to one of our wellness classes you may have noticed that you left feeling not only refreshed and relaxed but also energized. Why is that? What is the difference between an hour of our wellness classes and an hour spent working out at the gym? The difference is simple, it is mindfulness.


How many times have you been at the gym, in the middle of your run while simultaneously preparing everything you will need to do once you get home? Or you may have transported yourself to another world during your workout routine while being fully absorbed in an audio book. As we engage our bodies where does our attention normally go? Where doesn’t it go? Even during our daily routines, how present are we to experience the embodied moment? How does being present change the experience and why does it matter?

Scientific study has shown that we essentially have two distinct ways of interacting with the world using two different sets of neural networks in our brain. The first being our “default network” or “narrative circuit”, which becomes activated when we are involved in planning, daydreaming and ruminating on our lives. In this “mode” our mental energy is directed and processed towards our thoughts and mental projections of the world. In this age of information this is typically the mode that we tend to operate on.


The second network is that which is called the “direct experience” network and this “mode” is activated when you switch your awareness from thinking to that of the information of the senses. Through “direct experience” we can experience information through our senses in real-time giving us a more undiluted perspective of reality in the now. This second network is closely connected and activated with the mindfulness and meditation.

Direct experience is easily cultivated and activated when we “shut off our minds” (or switch networks) and focus on our bodily sensations or breath. When we tune in to our “direct experiences” we can experience ourselves and the world in a much different light.*

Experience your body and mind working together at our wellness classes today!

Spring Awakening

With May just around the corner, it has come time again to hang up those heavy coats and put the winter boots away.  Like letting out a cathartic exhalation, our winter hibernation has finally come to its end and soon brown, grey and white landscapes will be a distant memory.

Sprouts are breaking soil.  Magnolias are budding.  The forsythias have pronounced their presence.  And the late afternoon chorals of peepers slowly builds through the landscape.  The entire world is awakening once again.   One cannot help but feel the buzzing electricity of new energy permeating the earth, rattling up our being.

Symbolically, spring marks a time of renewal and rebirth. It is the release of the latent energy of winter into bold and vibrant new movements of life.   The season of beginnings and initiations, spring embodies the essence of youthful energy, gifting us another opportunity for new strides towards personal growth and discovery. 

During this time of year, our physical energy expands which can trigger a desire to make changes to our lifestyles and set new goals.  Often the energy of spring brings along with it an awareness of our personal direction in life and our future plans.

It is an unique time to utilize the abundant creative energy around us and to release stagnation and unfulfilling patterns we may have accumulated.  By harnessing the natural momentum of this season, and setting our intention or goal, we can blossom forward towards a fruitful transformation of our self and our world.

Some simple ideas to help you move through spring with more energy and joy:

1.  Give yourself a spring cleanse.  We all do some spring cleaning at home, but take time to nourish your inner self so that you may shine brighter to the outward world with a bit of Yoga, and tai chi, Meditation or other wellness therapies/treatments.  There surely is no lacking in personal wellness opportunities and services in the Hudson Valley Area.    

2.  Immerse yourself in the Natural World!  Leave the tech at home, soak up the sun and sink your feet into the earth.  The warmer weather is calling us to breath, to move, to play and enjoy; letting us know Spring is THE time to be active, out and about.  It's the perfect time to start that gardening project at the community gardens you've been thinking about all winter.  Or to take that camping trip upstate .   Or explore/hike the local trails, and mountains.  The natural world is never so abundant nor beautiful as it is in the spring months.   Take it all in!

3.  Listen to uplifting music.   Music is a huge mood influencer and can help amplify our experience of spring enriching our lives through rhythm and melody. There are plenty of music venue's throughout the Hudson Valley with spectacular events to groove to and move to such as a few of our favorite places: Bethel Woods, or BSP Kingston Check out this great resource as well here for some more great tunes.

4.  Try new things!   There is no shortage of activities and local groups to connect with to engage in new adventures and activity during the warmer months of the year.  Some of our favorite activities include: local rock climbing,  kayaking, and sky diving.   You can always check out the latest show at the Shadowland theater.

With the warmer weather coming in full effect, make sure you get out there and circulate and enjoy yourself!  We hope you become refreshed and prepared for your new you!