Events
BECOME A WELLNESS INSIDER
Community, events, and the latest from Wellness Connects members. Make sure you never miss an update and subscribe now!
Breath Centered Yoga: Weekly Class
Authentic Relating Circle
Tuesday, January 22 at 6:30-9:30pm at Cedar Sanctuary
Laureli Shimayo of ThriveTypes
Investment: Donation basis $10-$40 suggestion to support budding Authentic Seattle communities. Cash, check or card accepted at the door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Email Laureli or RSVP on Facebook here
Cycles of Circling: What is Authentic Relating? AR is about what is real. It’s about what you are feeling and experiencing in the bodily felt sense. It’s about your actual thoughts and emotions in the moment, whether they be frightening, silly, sexy, or questioning. It’s about the nature of connectedness when you look into the eyes of another being. Authentic Relating is a growing movement with communities around the globe gathering to connect and enrich the human experience. The two most common AR activities are Transformational Games & Circling.
CIRCLING is a way for us to practice presence in relationship. It is a group experience that leaves space for individual emotional expression, reflection and sharing of impact – where we are encouraged to follow our impulses, speak our truths, and explore relating with one another authentically in the present moment. The practice of circling allows us to slow down, bring our attention to our own felt experience, and share our inner worlds with one another, noticing what happens within us and what arises within the group as we do so. The intention is to connect from a place of curiosity and to strive for clarity as we bring awareness to what is implicit and make it explicit. The goal is not to change one another, but instead to be with what is, celebrating and honoring who and where we all are right now. As we circle, we practice breaking through the assumptions and projections we may have about each other to allow for deeper connection and greater understanding to emerge.
** What/Who is Authentic Seattle? **
We are a community that is unleashing our aliveness through self-expression, connection, and bearing witness to each other. We gather frequently for Games, Circling and socializing.
Event Details/Considerations:
– Please arrive 5-15 minutes early to settle into the space so we can begin at 6:35pm. We lock the doors at about 6:45pm.
– We’ll have an intro, a 1st Circle, a break, and then a 2nd Circle. Newcomers are welcome.
– Mature teens are welcome.
– Please note that Authentic Relating events are not a therapeutic setting, and the facilitators are not there in the role of counselors. If you have needs that would best be served by a mental health professional, do not consider this practice as a substitute for such care.
– Games & Circling events can facilitate people making deep connections. Not everyone brings that connected experience with them after an event. Please remember to practice everyday politeness if you reach out to someone to connect socially after an event.
– If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask any of the Authentic Seattle Organizers or a Facilitator.
Kundalini Yoga & Meditation
Save-your-spot here
Kundalini Yoga offers many tools and techniques to help the body and the mind access a state of peace and tranquility with ease. This mini-series focuses on meditation, and how to optimally prepare the body and mind for a blissful experience.
These two classes are for beginners and advanced students alike. All exercises can be done on a chair if sitting on the floor is challenging. Sign up for the whole series, or just for one class.
RSVP/Share event on Facebook: Jan 14th / Jan 28th
Questions? Judith Kramer at judith@artemis.center / www.artemis.center
Meditate & Create Series: Activating Your Maiden Fire with St Brigid
Save-your-spot here
Brigid is both goddess and saint. As the Celtic sun goddess and goddess of fire, her light illuminates the darkness of winter as we cross the threshold of Imbolc, the halfway point to spring. The Feast of St Brigid on Feb. 1 marks the Celtic first day of spring.
As we stir from our wintery hibernation, we can take the light of Brigid into our heart and soul to guide us as we ascend from darkness to light. We’ll explore what happens when we get stuck in the winter, feeling unmotivated or unable to welcome the coming spring. And, we’ll do some work to shift those blocks so you can welcome spring with a full heart and plant the seeds for projects, goals and dreams.
Join me for this Meditate & Create workshop hosted at Cedar Sanctuary in Sammamish, WA.
This 2-hour hands-on workshop combines guided meditation, learning, healing movement and activities, creative practices, and/or ritual to shift mind, body and soul toward growth, awakening, wellness and joy.
The session is like an experiential blessing – fun, social and rooted in spirit and ancient wisdom.
RSVP/Share event on Facebook
Questions? Susie Hindle Kher at susie@radiantriverwellness.com / www.RadianRiverWellness
Happy Guts
Saturday, February 9, 9am-12:00pm at Cedar Sanctuary
Investment $108 (limited to 12 participants and pre-registration required)
Save-your-spot here
The Happy Guts class is based on the practice of Chi Nei Tsang developed by Taoist monks in ancient China. Modern Chi Nei Tsang is abdominal organ massage meant to aid elimination & detoxification while building gut health and vitality.
We live in a fast-paced stressful world. Fast food, prolonged sitting, and forever ‘to do’ lists , and chemicals everywhere play havoc with our nervous and digestive systems. Overtime, our overall gut functioning, health and vitality are greatly affected. Gut function directly affects our basic levels of health, and we must become aware of ways we can maintain it ourselves.
During our time together, you will learn a deeper understanding of how the digestive system works, what can go wrong, and how to support your own digestive health through manual self-care techniques of belly work. We will learn and experience the power of breath, gut awareness, and purposeful abdominal self-touch to reduce tension, pain, and discomfort. You will learn a ‘your hands on your gut’ self-care routine for daily use. This can be wonderful for family members, young and elderly alike. Learning resources will be provided.
This self-care class by a licensed massage therapist is not meant as medical advice or as a substitute for medical care. please consult your health provider for advice on specific conditions. if you want to learn life-long tools to take care of and love your guts and diminish symptoms such as bloating or belly discomfort this class is for you.
Hurry, Class limited to 12 participants… we hope to see you there!
Kathleen Yow-Wells, LMT has been practicing therapeutic bodywork since 1982. She brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, passion, and humor to her teachings. Kathleen loves to teach self-care techniques to help people build their own little black bags of healing techniques.
Questions? Kathleen Yow-Wells at info@eastsidewellnesscenter.com / www.eastsidewellnesscenter.com
Restorative Rolling with MELT
Thursday, February 14, 8:45-9:45am at Cedar Sanctuary
(Community Cuppa begins at 8:15am 💚)
Susan Creighton of Subundance Wellness
Investment $20 (limited to 8 participants and advance registration suggested)
Save-your-spot here or email susan333@live.com
Move and feel better! Improve your body’s stability, mobility, balance, and fun-factor with restorative foam rolling. Using a specialized soft foam roller and small balls for feet and hands, these easy self-care techniques release tension, stuck-stress, aches, and pain, decompress the joints, and help us move with greater ease from head to toe. Sound awesome? You bet!
Whether you’re an athlete or someone simply looking to move with greater ease, restorative rolling is complementary to any wellness program, and a proactive approach to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Bonus: Appropriate for all levels, no pain, and feels great. (Includes an overall rebalancing sequence.)
Questions? Susan Creighton at WellnessConnects@outlook.com or 425.298.6428
SoulDance
Move Your Body. Dance Your Dance.
Thursday, February 21, 6:30-8pm at Cedar Sanctuary (Repeats 3rd-Thursdays)
Investment: $20 (limited to 10 participants and pre-registration required)
Contact Brenda Loukes to save-your-spot: bloukesb@gmail.com
We were born to move, and SoulDance is a safe and creative space to dance your dance ‘like nobody’s watching”. Dancing with no judgment of ‘right’ ways to move, this is a place for you to be you. To dance your soul with a freestyle movement experience that will light up your body, your smile, and your life. Come as you are.
“In a society that worships love, freedom, and beauty, dance is sacred. It is a prayer for the future, a remembrance of the past and a joyful exclamation of thanks for the present.”
-Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
(Co-ed. No fitness or dance experience is necessary. Dance barefoot or wearing socks.)
Brenda Loukes-Johnson creates a juicy free-flowing journey for each SoulDance session using voice and soul-stirring music, while drawing on her experiences as a dance instructor, Kahuna transformational bodyworker, and holding space for creative Soulpainting programs.
Ayurvedic Lifestyles Retreat
2 Days: Saturday, March 16 8:30am-5pm & Sunday, March 17 9am-3:30pm at Cedar Sanctuary
Tammy Steele of Fully Present Living
Investment: $295 for early registrations by Feb 9 ($345 after)
Save-your-spot here or email tammy@fullypresentliving.com.
Got stress? Finally get your sparkle back! Doctors are increasingly citing stress as a major contributing factor to most illnesses today. Modern life can be stressful. Busy careers, complicated relationships and social demands can soon drain and tire you, leaving you feeling like your sparkle has gone. If you’re want to get back on track, get realigned and enjoy physical and spiritual balance, this retreat is for you!
Do any of these sound familiar?
- Sleepless nights?
- Digestion or weight problems?
- Emotional turbulence?
- Physical aches & pains?
- Lack of vilatilty?
If so, then The Chopra Center’s Perfect Health Retreat is the answer to for you! Discover how to identify these imbalances in your life and create a personal daily routine that nourishes you. Finally release emotions in a healthy way and eliminate physical stress so your mind and body begin to feel at ease and relaxed. Experience health, vitality and happiness.
Based on the bestselling book “Perfect Health”, by Dr. Deepak Chopra, this 5-session retreat is lead by Chopra Center Certified Instructor Tammy Steele who studied Ayurvedic practices at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Tammy is also Reiki Master and a professional certified holistic work/life flow Coach.
You’ll find out how to reduce or eliminate the effects of stress. You’ll understand what foods help your body and which ones don’t. You’ll feel more emotionally and physically alive than you’ve felt in years! More info here…
REMEMBERING ME: An Introduction to Expressing Life’s Magic Through Story
Saturday, April 13, 5:30-7pm at Cedar Sanctuary
Barbara Krauss of The Centre for Organic Yesipes
Investment: $75 (includes supplies)
Save-your-spot here
Everyone has a story… what is yours?
• When was the last time you stopped to take stock of your awesomeness? To pause and celebrate yourself and your journey?
• How often do you acknowledge yourself and the gifts that you have shared with others in the milestones of your life: the highs, the lows, and all points in between?
Imagine what it would feel like to grant yourself permission to rest, reflect and express yourself creatively. REMEMBERING ME is a three-hour experiential workshop when you get to dedicate an afternoon to remembering how remarkable you really are.
During our time together, you’ll have an opportunity to:
• Connect with a community of like-minded women, listening and deeply sharing from the heart.
• Experience meaningful insight through guided meditation, journaling, and potent conversations.
• Easily create a piece of art to express your story – no previous art experience needed.
• Express yourself in writing with effortlessness, ease, and joy…whether you’re a seasoned writer, or this is your first time writing a story about your life.
Create this time for yourself. Give yourself the gift of exploring the stories of your life and connecting the dots in your experiences and gifts!
Barbara Krauss is a STORYOGRAPHER. Her work is an organic blend of creating and writing stories, gathering stories of others, and giving them a voice. Combining her expertise in coaching/mentoring, inspirational teaching, motivational speaking and facilitating workshops, she powerfully holds space where creative engagement thrives. She is most alive when enraptured by the organic flow and freedom of immersion in creative expression, and invites others to join her in this realm.
More info: www.barbarakrauss.weebly.com / barbara@barbarakrauss.com
Move&Groove Community Dance: Celebrating Welcoming America Week
Saturday, September 21, 6:30-8pm at the Bellevue Family Y
Bellevue Family Y: 14230 Bel Red Road
International Dances • Family friendly • Free to all • Dance with us!
In the words of Hans Christian Andersen, “Where words fail, music speaks.”
Sponsored by Wellness Connects and the Bellevue Y, Move&Groove Community Dances are an opportunity for awesome people of all cultures, races, faiths, ages, and gender identities to come together, support community wellness, and have a great time together.
This program will be part of annual Welcoming America Week efforts to connect new and long-time residents in a spirit of unity.
Through the universal languages of music and movement, we build connections, strengthen a sense of belonging for everyone, and celebrate our richly diverse community. Your dance. Our dance.
Questions? Contact Susan Creighton: WellnessConnects@outlook.com
May 2018: We celebrated community connecting and multiculturalism through a variety of superfun cultural dances, including an impromptu participatory Persian dance!
January 2018: Included 14 cultural performances and participatory dances from around the world and was attended by over 140 people. (Pics/videos on Facebook at Wellness Connects.
Sept 2017: To celebrate and support Welcoming America Week, the Wellness Professionals Network and Bellevue Y sponsored a free community dance to support community diversity, bridge communities, and connect new and long-time residents in a spirit of unity. Through the universal languages of music and movement, 100+ dancers strengthened connections and a sense of belonging, celebrated our richly diverse community, and had a great time dancing together!
April 28, 2017: We danced and raised over $1500 to support ERIC (Eastside Refugee and Immigrant Coalition) programs to support welcoming, inclusive, and equitable communities for people of all backgrounds and abilities.
Relax & Renew Mini-Retreat
A mixed-modalities afternoon of necessary indulgences and modalities. Our most recent program included Aromatherapy, MELT Method, Gyrotonic, and a Gong Sound Bath. Heavenly! Schedule your own Relax & Renew Mini-Retreat.
⇒ Join our mailing list for updates or contact Susan Creighton to schedule your own event.
COMMUNITY MATTERS: Kindness Rocks
February 2018: Do you believe that kindness rocks? This Community Matters program was a crafternoon of community connecting through art.
Kindness Rocks is a fun project that’s spreading all over the country. Here’s the idea: you paint rocks with positive and encouraging images or messages; then inspire others by dropping the rocks in random places for them to find them and play it forward.
We connected as a group, included a meditation to inspire creativity and inspiration, created uplifting treasures to share in our neighborhoods, and had a great time together!
This program was sponsored by Wellness Connects Providers Susie Hindle Kher, Susan Creighton, and the Redmond Library to support community connections, wellness, and a sense of belonging for everyone.
⇒ Join our mailing list for program updates or contact Susan Creighton to schedule your own event.
COMMUNITY MATTERS
What We Have In Common: 3 Faith Traditions
November 2017: This Community Matters panel discussion was sponsored by Wellness Connects Providers Debbie Lacy and Susan Creighton, Eastside Refugee and Immigrant Coalition, and the Redmond Library to support community wellness by building connections and bridges, and creating a sense of belonging for everyone.
Interfaith Leaders:
Aneelah Afzali, Interfaith Leader, Director at Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS)
Rev. Ellie VerGowe, Pastor at First Covenant Church
Rabbi Ruth A. Zlotnick, Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Am
A supportive community is vital to a healthy society. Community Matters gatherings are opportunities for people of all cultures, races, faiths, and gender identities to connect and converse about wellness and everything that entails; personal wellness, family wellness, and wellness in the world.
COMMUNITY MATTERS: You Belong
The Redmond Library hosted this free program in Sept, 2017.
You belong. Whether you’ve lived somewhere your whole life or just recently arrived in your new home, a sense of belonging can be hard to come by. This sense of belonging isn’t just good for personal health and happiness; it’s critical for community health as well. How can we create a stronger sense of belonging for ourselves and others?
During this evening of conversation we explored how to overcome challenges that can keep us isolated and even divided from one another, and:
· Brought people together who may not normally get a chance to know each other
· Engaged in meaningful conversation that honors our diverse perspectives
· Inspired small, but powerful actions that strengthen our sense of belonging and the health of our community
Event sponsored by the Eastside Refugee and Immigrant Coalition (ERIC), Wellness Connects providers Debbie Lacy and Susan Creighton, and the Redmond Library as part of Welcoming Week, a national celebration that brings together U.S. born residents, established immigrants, and newcomers to increase awareness and to build stronger unity across differences.
SoulCollage for Community Wellness
SoulCollage is an opportunity to foster community wellness with a creative, fun and meaningful art activity. Meet new people and learn an art form you’ll be able to easily do on your own whenever you feel the urge to create.
We’ll gather together to identify internal resources to build the kind of community we want to live in. You’ll then leave with a visual representation and reminder of your gifts – gifts you can consciously draw upon to strengthen community and your connections with others.
Making SoulCollage® cards is a creative and intuitive practice. Using found images from magazines and an easy cut and paste process, you’ll create a unique collage card that supports your goals and desires. No prior experience necessary. (Note: We won’t be teaching the pure SoulCollage method originally created by Seena B. Frost, but we’ll use SoulCollage techniques.To learn more about Seena’s method and to view a sampling of SoulCollage images, visit www.soulcollage.com)
Facilitators:
Debbie Lacy is a certified life coach, community facilitator, and Director of the Eastside Refugee and Immigrant Coalition. Debbie learned about SoulCollage from Noelle Remington, a certified SoulCollage facilitator, and has been incorporating SoulCollage techniques in her workshops for 15 years.
Susan Creighton is the Chief Inspiration Officer for our event sponsor, Wellness Connects. WC practitioners provides a network of support services from a wide range of wellness modalities. Members focus on creating, restoring and maintaining wellness through professional service and tools, cross-referrals to complementary practitioners, and public programs for education, outreach, and community connection.