In the midst of all my travels and adventures I have realized that life, healing, & all of the above is always much easier when you are in community.  Human beings are not meant to be forever solo and we are meant to collaborate, love, and build each other up.  
 
ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT!
GIVE HELP WHEN YOU CAN!
 
The yoga & meditation weekend is a donation based weekend, so all can attend regardless if one can not meet the financial means.  

KNOWLEDGE IS CURRENCY
It took me a long while to step into my worth and know my true offering in the world. Kaycie & I both have incredible tools to help community to heal, reset, inspire, break, unfold, manifest, get strong mentally & physically, adapt, change, evolve, and potentially soar into their best lives. 

Why do float pods work? 

Float pods, or sensory deprivation tanks, have been around for a while now. We even have a great float spa here in Effingham! The tanks are silent enough to hear your own heart beating. You are meant to lay still in darkness, suspended in salty water set to match your internal body temperature. 

I went for a two hour float this week. I was hoping it would help pull me out of my latest energy slump. My home life has been a bit hectic since my third child was born four months ago. I have been feeling overwhelmed and with that I've been questioning everything in my life in search of balance. It’s classic mommy-blues type stuff, combined with middle-aged angst and of course the tense state of the world at large. It gets to be a lot on a person, so I knew I needed to get out and find a change. The float gift card I got for Christmas seemed like the thing to do. 

I was worried I’d have a hard time relaxing (it's not often I get two hours completely to myself!), but that wasn’t the case at all. My Yoga practice for a better part of the past 7 years has been training me to get more and more comfortable with stillness, silence, and being with my Self. During my two hour journey I really felt like I connected with my Soul. It was a spiritual experience and has definitely ignited a shift for me this week. 

But, how does floating in a dark bowl of salty water help us meet our selves in this spiritual place? How does it even help us heal, reduce stress, and all the other benefits? My best educated guess is it has something to do with how it impacts our brains.

When our neurons fire to communicate with one another they send out electrical impulses. When we measure these brain currents we see them as different wavelengths. There have been five brainwave states observed and measured by researchers. They have learned that most of us spend a lot of time in Beta brainwave state. This is great for problem solving, focus, and communicating and a lot of other things we need to do on a regular basis.

The problem is that we we spend too much time in that state and we become overstimulated. Then, we have trouble focusing and start to feel stress and burnout. Everything is connected. Our brainwaves directly impact our mood. If we never shift into a slower, deeper brain wave pattern it is hard for our bodies to produce the right hormone concoctions to keep us feeling balanced and well. 

In my case, I was stuck in beta brainwaves and it was making me miserable. The misery is important. I felt it guiding me in the direction of change. I had to DO something about it. The funny thing is, the thing I needed to do was NOTHING. Yep, just nothing, for two solid hours, except lay there and LET myself heal. 

Activities like float pods and sound healing work because they help us shift from beta to theta state. This is a state of deep relaxation. The mind actually slows down and the body shifts energy to autonomic functioning, which is the state of replenishing cells and bodily systems.

In Theta state our brains are fully active, both hemispheres of the brain become synchronized. We enter a state of heightened intuition, inspiration, and spiritual connection. As our brainwaves slow down we feel more calm. Our creativity returns. Our sense of being fully embodied, feeling the connection of body and soul. When we avoid entering Theta state (or simply forget to make time for it) we lose the opportunity to deeply connect to our Being. We miss out on the chance to sense our higher selves and a feeling of oneness with Creation. 

Does one float change your life forever? Nope. But it can help you shift and remind you how powerful shifting your level of consciousness can be. I would argue that this is in fact a VITAL part of self care for the modern human.

So, have I convinced you to go try and find yourself in a float pod? Or maybe just take a long walk in the woods? Or come to a sound healing session? I hope so, because you might just remember who you are if you take the time to retreat into yourself for a solid hour or two. 

By: Kaycie Metzelaars

We have hit our time change and Mother Nature is teasing us with spring buds.  Lack of sunlight can make our bodies do crazy things.  If you're still feeling sluggish get your Iron levels checked and also keep your body moving.  Lack of motivation is the #1 reason why you want to KEEP MOTIVATED.  Remember, yoga is still called yoga if you grab a blanket and a bolster.  If this is your commitment then breathe DEEP.
BREATHWORK:
Inhale to the count of 5 & Exhale to the count of 7. 
Find 3 different comfortable poses on the floor with your mat & bolster. Continue the breath work.  This even works in the bath tub.  Dance with the flow of supporting the low energy of your body but also stay motivated to YOUR "SELF-CARE" practice?
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The 8 limbs of Yoga refer to the 8 limbs, or aspects of yoga practice and are:

1. yama (attitudes toward our environment)
2. niyama (attitudes toward ourselves)
3. asana (physical postures)
4. pranayama (breathing practices)
5. pratyahara (sense restraint)
6. dharana (concentration)
7. dhyana (meditation)
8. samadhi (complete integration)

Barefoot Freedom Yoga Teacher Training aims to offer teachings in all of the 8 limbs.
Learn more about the 8 limbs in The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.

9:00am Yoga: Yoga with Jolene
10:00am Circling: Indoor Conversation, Mindful Listening (Kaycie), & Movement
12:30-1:30 Meditation, Gong Vibes, Closing
(BYO food, snacks, drinks)

Yoga is not a religion, it is a tool.  Your body is your vessel and it needs nourishing food, herbs, spices, & self-care tools.  It also needs movement, air, and your mind needs to be less active with useless worry.   

A doctor, recently told a new trainee of mine that he was proud of her for starting a gym membership but she should be careful about the yoga class she attends.  Supposedly, yoga goes against religion. 
Another doctor recently told another trainee of mine that there is no point of changing a diet to help reverse or slow down an auto-immune disorder. 

ARE YOU F’N KIDDING ME?!  The western culture makes you decide a choice.  That decision gives you a stereo-type and then judgement begins.  

Nowhere in my training did anyone make me decide.  My yoga trainings allowed me to create a safe space within myself, so I can explore my vessel.  As I began the exploration I became stronger and developed a community of like-minded people.  Together we expand that safe space, so people can explore together in community with no judgement.  Yoga provides tools that helps support you to be your best self.

I found movement and meditation before I was a teenager.  When I was 29 and living in Boulder, CO I learned that India is the birthplace of yoga.  So, I went deeper into the studies of yoga because it seems I was already doing it.   Many of these Indian yogis were teachers, doctors, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, etc.  Why is it so bad that there are human beings in the world of all religions who studied yoga?  They were capable to remove themselves from the busy world, study the process of meditation, and create a language for what they discovered.
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I am a child of God.  At one point of my life I was an atheist.  I even had it printed on my dog tags when I served in the Army.  If it wasn’t for yoga I would have never found God.  I would have never heard God speak to me.  I would have never seen God. 
It is a beautiful thing when humans can explore life and realize that much of life discovery leads back to God.  The discovery of creation and how this whole world is created equal.  There is no way for the whole world to have one story.  There is a way to share stories and hold respect, love, & gratitude. 
Yoga is not a cure and it does not fix anything.  However, yoga helps you develop a relationship with your body and gives you an understanding of why your body may feel a certain way.  Notice tension, explore nutrition, breathe deeply, & meditate.  Yoga teaches tools, so you can support your vessel with hopes to be pain-free & stress-free.  It provides tools to teach love & compassion, so you can support your community.  Each human being has the right of freedom.  Freedom of speech & choice.