Well-Being @ Dancing Bones July 2023 - Name This Newsletter!*
I heard on the radio that Charles Schwab does a yearly survey asking their customers what it means to be wealthy. Year after year the answer was an overwhelming – “MONEY!” This year it seems the answer was “WELL-BEING.”
According to Merriam-Webster, “well-being” defined as the state of being happy, healthy, or successful is written with a hyphen. However, thanks to the New York Times bestseller
WellBeing: The Five Essential Elements written by Rath and Harter, well-being has been written in many publications as one word, no hyphen.
[Ed. note: DB is old-fashioned. I'm sticking with well-being]
That makes sense, doesn’t it? We are finally beginning to realize that without a sense of well-being, money and things are temporary and, while nice, not the total answer.
So what does well-being mean to you? I think it must encompass not only a feel of physical health but vitality. Our sense of vitality is different as we age. However, you certainly know when you don’t have it. My definition of vitality is having the energy, interest and curiosity to approach my daily life with some enthusiasm – not resignation.
Physical well-being begins with continuing to move. Our bodies are meant to move – to stretch and break up the fascia.
Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. When stressed, it tightens up.
Although fascia looks like one sheet of tissue, it’s actually made up of multiple layers with liquid in between called hyaluronan. It’s designed to stretch as you move. But there are certain things that cause fascia to thicken and become sticky. When it dries up and tightens around muscles, it can limit mobility and cause painful knots to develop.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/
I learned that if our fascia is not moved daily it begins to act like ever increasing shrink-wrap until nothing moves freely and we are in pain. Daily exercise – stretching /yoga will help with making you feel more in control and increase your sense of well-being.
Whole body movement helps your fascia be more flexible. Nicole has mentioned to many of you her devotion to a 22 minute daily dose of Eccentrics
(https://essentrics.com/). I found chair yoga with Sarah Starr was better for me. The key is something every single day.
I believe that when we talk about well-being, it must include
emotional well-being. Emotional well-being for me has a component that many people don’t credit. And that is creativity! Human beings are essentially creative. We do best when creating – and somehow, we got that mixed up with the idea of being a "fine artist" of some kind. That’s ridiculous. We all create all the time. Some express creativity in the kitchen, in our businesses, some in the garden, some with words or in movement, but we all do something to satisfy our human need to create. And, sadly, it is often the first thing we give up when we begin to lose our vitality, our sense of well-being.
"Creativity is part of human nature. It can only be untaught." -Ai Weiwei
Dancing Bones is meant to be a place of TOTAL well-being. A place where people come to feel better physically, emotionally, spiritually and creatively.
Every Monday in August, Dancing Bones will host a Mandala workshop from one to four p.m. Sign up for one class or take advantage of a price break for the series ($80/class; $280/workshop). Three of the four workshops will be taught by artists whose works we are so lucky to have on loan: Argus Eliam, Jasmine Quinsier and Clayton Bass whose Aspen Cathedral Mandala is now hanging in our Matrix Room. Nicole & I have both studied Contemplative Collage with Dante Jericho and are excited to have her kicking off the Mandala series.
Mandala Magic Mondays August 7, 14, 21 & 28
1-4pm
Arrive 30 minutes early (12:30) for complementary time in the Matrix
Working with the Mandala art form is – and I promise you this – the most therapeutic, joyful thing you can do as a "non-artist". You will be amazed at the peace of mind and the childlike play that coloring, making shapes and letting your imagination run free can bring you.
I took my first class in mandala making at a spiritual retreat in 2017 and frankly - even with all the wonderful speakers and the multitude of activities - the best thing I did that weekend were the hours spent designing and coloring at a table with other people doing the same. No competition just fun and inspiring to see what others were creating.
Lastly, if you want to enhance your well-being in every way (physical, mental, emotion, spiritual - you name it!), join Nicole & Ty for Breath Work Wednesdays in the Matrix. It is a great way to start the day & free! Lately Michele Caskey has been joining us & leading Laughter Yoga. Michele was recently the guest speaker at Unity. Her talk "Laughter: The Secret Ingredient for a More Harmonious Life" is available at: https://www.unitysantafe.org/ After getting a sample at DB, I know you'll want more! Check out her website www.laughterfusion.com or search "laughter" on MeetUp
If you want to write to me and tell me what gives you your own sense of well-being, I’d love to compile our answers for others to read.
-Rhea and Nicole
Email: manager@dancingbones.us