A Fall Meditation by Tracee Dolan

  

A meditation on fall. Allow it to happen. Notice it happening.

You hear it already: "Summer's over! What happened to summer? It's freezing" 

    Honestly, I just don't get it. Most of us at the JFBL live in New England which has a guaranteed 4 seasons a year.The seasons are not random surprises ;) And they all have such beautiful and nostalgia inducing components to them. I marvel over how lucky we really are. I mean for one (if you'll allow me to me completely materialistic)- fall clothes! It's pretty exciting to get a new boost of colors, fabric and textures to layer on ourselves when we are at work and play. The air gets crisp, the leaves start to change- and your daily routine gets a little more cinematic. Allow yourself to observe all of this :)

    We still have until the 23rd for summer to officially come to a close & I suggest really enjoying that summer carefree mindset until the very last drop. And if you've decided that you are over it- completely- then take a breath and observe this amazing wind- down that the earth is doing. Things are slowing things down a bit- time to slow things down for YOU. The kids are back in school, the farmers market offerings have shifted, the air quality is perfect & you're about to get a great excuse to drink more and more hot tea. 

    I ask my middle school students (who find connection with one another-more often-than-sometimes in complaining or not liking things) 

"What would you say if you couldn't complain?"

There are times where/when the only answer is silence- and there are times when that is the most perfect answer for it all. 

Tracee Dolan is a 200 hour RYT, she is available for group and private instruction. She happily leads a retreat to Panama once a year & has published a Parent Child Yoga Book based on her wildly popular Parent Child Yoga class. 

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spring clean your bod!

photocred: breathingtimeyoga.com

We are officially into April- so let's all soften up our jawline, decide to smile & put a stop to the collective weather complaints that have been so omnipresent of late.

(It takes more facial muscles to frown than to smile. Frowns literally exhaust your face!)

I like to think of my yoga practice of spring cleaning my body, all year long. I breathe in, I breathe out. I pull my belly into my spine & at the bottom of each exhale, I make it impossible for stale air to linger as I exhale EVERYTHING out.

The more we let out- the more room we allow for good.

I feel the same way about a sun salutation. It's like pressing reset on my body, my heart & my mind.

There are plenty of other things you can do to spring clean your body.  You can yoga, cleanse/detox, run, sweat, hydrate, rest, get a massage, loofah yourself into a new spring mode.

If you'd like to get on your mat and try one of my classes for yourself- I currently teach in Branford, Ct at Pure Studio: Thursday evenings @ 7pm, Friday mornings @ 9:15 and Sunday mornings @ 10:15
and in Guilford, Ct at Bodi-n-motion Tuesdays @ 9:15 and Thursdays @ 8:15

I am always available for private and small group private lessons as well :)

hope to see you on your yoga mat!

<3

Tracee

Tracee Dolan is available for group and private instruction. Please feel free to contact her at traceeteachesyoga@gmail.com with any questions or appointment concerns.

Guest Blogger Thursday: Cultivate Excitement w/Tracee teaches yoga

photo cred: free-law-of-attraction.com

Cultivating Excitement is a phrase that pops into my mind lately. This winter has been a wild one! And even though I love the storms, the energy (and even the shoveling) that ensues- these recent peeks of spring that the more mild days have shown us- leave me excited for the seasonal shift that is around the corner.

 You know the feeling?
That's what people are talking about when they discuss the law of attraction and vibration. They are talking about that feeling- that buzz, the raise in your internal emotional vibration- and you are in charge of it.

I've been Cultivating Excitement. I've been allowing eagerness, willingness, hopefulness,to enter my mind. I'll actually experience the sensation- so that I may align with with and allow more of it to flow my way.

Feel like trying it?
When you go to bed tonight: run through a list in your mind of all the things you are excited about. Smile with your eyes, smile with your heart. Feel the possibility and potential-
and when you wake up? Do it all over again.

Wait and see what happens :)

Tracee Dolan is available for private and group instruction. She is the author of Parent Child Yoga an Instruction and coloring book. For more info, questions or to schedule a class please contact traceeteachesyoga@gmail.com

Guest Blogger :Tracee Dolan, of Tracee teaches yoga: An Exercise in Gratitude (without even breaking a sweat)

Happy New Year Beauties,

It's 2011 and we are all a buzz with a new year of possibility & change! So, before you decide to harp on the hole in your bank account- from all of that holiday spending!  Take a moment to thank the people in your life that made your holiday & 2010 memorable. Here's what you do:

• Make a mental note of the generous people in your life this holiday. Was it a gift? A meal? A really great party? A heartfelt conversation?

• Did someone demonstrate a special type of kindness or thoughtfulness to you during 2010? 

• Write down the people who you'd like to thank. 

     Now, it's time to make it fun. Find some fancy paper, envelopes, card stock, whatever strikes your fancy. I went to 2 Elms in Madison center. Everything in the store was 20% off so it was a deal. I grabbed a pretty marker, some rounded edge one sided recycled card stock, and ofcourse!  purple envelopes :)

   I sat down, had some tea and really reflected on the feeling of gratitude that these special people in my life evoked. I remember as a kid I was always forced to write thank you cards- and up until my later teens, I didn't really get it.  We all know that giving is a truly gift, but being thankful & taking a moment to thank is a pretty awesome activity & sensation. Treat it like an active meditation. Gratitude is the highest vibration, and it can only attract more things to me thankful for. Take a deep breath & reflect. We are so lucky!

Here's to much more to be thankful for this 2011!




tracee dolan of tracee teaches yoga is available for group and private instruction. please contact traceeteachesyoga@gmail.com