Homeschooling

How To Home School

“Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words.”

— A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Why Homeschool?

For us back in 2000 the answer was simple - we wanted to be with our kids. Circumstances today are more complex but the choice of whether or not to home school may be even simpler now.

We homeschooled our 3 kids for 13 years and my husband and I agree it was the best thing we ever did.

Can you do it?

Everyone wonders, “can I do it?” Yes! Of course you can.

Parents are their kids’ first teachers, and never stop teaching them. You already are doing it, you’ll just be expanding what you now do.

How would you do it?

There are many ways to homeschool, from very formal instruction programs like the Calvert School program, to “unschooling” where there is very little structure. You get to experiment and choose what works best for your family. One size does not fit all.

We leaned towards more structure in our curriculum and focused on fundamentals like math, english, science, and history. We wanted them to do well academically, but our primary goal was to wind up with curious kids who loved to learn, and who would remain lifelong learners.

My Resume

As you can see from this website, I am in the fitness and wellness business. I’ve also worked in the insurance industry and started my own insurance agency. But what I’m most proud of on my CV is being a mom to my 3 kids.

At 59 I can look back and consider what things in life I might change. I’d never change the decision to home school.

The oldest started in 5th grade, the middle one in 1st grade, and the youngest was just 3 when we began 20 years ago. I taught the youngest two how to read. We had the opportunity to all read the same books and we traveled often. Our first trip was to Costa Rica for 3 weeks. These shared experiences brought us very close together.

The kids all went to the University of Maryland and excelled there. Now the oldest is a front end designer at a tech company. The middle one is a wellness coach, and the youngest is in the insurance business like her dad (and granddad).

How Can I Help You?

I will coach you in a group or privately on the nuts and bolts of homeschooling so you can get started. I’ll provide links to resources (curriculum guides, textbooks, how-to books, online documentaries, field trip ideas). I will help answer your questions and allay your fears (“what about socialization?", oh my!)

Homeschooling is very different from traditional school. There are no set hours or days. You make the rules. You are the teacher, but you may choose not to teach like a traditional teacher. We relied on the excellent teachers that wrote the books we used, and we were always there to answer questions and help overcome problems. Our kids mostly taught themselves with the help of the books and other materials.

I am forming parent group zoom classes now. I’ll present “how to” topics in these meetings to start and there will be discussion and question and answer sessions. Each class is $25.

I can also work with you privately but recommend the group meetings because you will learn a lot from each other.

Email me for more details and a welcome phone call: beth@bethgrahamwellness.com

Please share this with anyone who might be interested. Thank you!

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WARNING: Please don’t leave this page thinking that everything went perfectly when we homeschooled. Don’t think I was confident. I was scared. It seemed like a huge responsibility and the thought of messing up my kids was always on my mind at first. Still I knew it was right for all of us and I leapt into the uncertainty. I’m so glad I did.

Simplify.Connect.Enjoy

Reserve NOW - Costa Rica February 19-26th, 2022

After seeing Bodhi Tree for the first time in 2018 I knew it would be an ideal place for a yoga trip. I have reserved a block of rooms for February ( 2/19 - 2/26, 2022 ). Want to see more? Here are some memories.

Please email me (beth@bethgrahamwellness.com) to let me know if you'd like to come after looking for yourself!

When – February 19 to February 26, 2022

Where – Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort - A stunning GREEN resort in Nosara, Costa Rica

How – Fly to Liberia Airport

What is included –

• Balinese style resort rooms and facilities

• Bodhi Tree shuttle service to beach, restaurants, town

• Daily Morning “athletic” alignment focused yoga class with Beth

• Daily Afternoon or Sunset restorative yoga class and meditation with Beth (times will vary so beach sunsets can be enjoyed as well)

• 3 daily Spa Meals (on arrival 2/19 dinner only). Food includes chicken, fish, eggs, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian and all is Plant Based

• 2 Salt water infinity pools for laps or relaxing plus shade is available pool side with umbrellas and various covering

• Manduka brand yoga mats, cork blocks, bolsters and meditation cushions

• Gym – full gym with cardio equipment and weights

• Wi-Fi

• Costa Rican Taxes (13%)

• 5 – 10 minute walk to expansive beach

Extras not included –

• AirFare

• Transport to and from Bodhi Tree (can be arranged for you once you have flight schedule)

• Libations at the bar – tropical drinks, wine and beer

• Casada & Juice Bar – smoothies, juices, salads, sandwiches, baked goods and other drinks and snacks

• Spin and Cardio Classes on site

• Pilates Reformer Classes

• Bodhi Tree workshops

• NOT TAUGHT BY BETH – extra yoga classes (included are 2 daily classes with Beth)

• Bodhi Tree Spa – 6+ types 60- 90 minute massages, facials, manicures, pedicures

• Offsite activities – surfing lessons, stand up paddle board, horseback riding, zip line, off site restaurants

• Trip / Travel Insurance / Any Mandated Medical Testing

• Gratuities

Accommodation Choices and Prices

• King Bungalow

1 King Bed

Private bath and balcony

$2595 per person (2)

$ 2,590 double occupancy

• Single Queen Room Types

(one queen size bed)

Treetops Queen

Jungle Queen

$ 2,690 single occupancy

$2190 per person double occupancy

• Double Queen Room Types

(two queen size beds)

Jungle Queens

$ 2,395 per person double occupancy

$500 per person non-refundable deposit required
(if your plans change, every effort is made to resell the space and refund your deposit if possible)

This will be a varied group with individuals, friends and married couples. All participants will be comfortable in this fabulous setting!

Simplify.Connect.Enjoy

Karen DeGrava - Inspiration!

Note from Beth:

Meet Karen! We have known each other for close to 20 years when homeschooling our now adult kids. I love staying connected with our similar message about food & health.

Karen’s focus is adding a variety of veggies (& fiber!) to your meals. It is not about being a meat eater or vegan (after 30+ years of being different forms of vegetarian/vegan I’m now a meat eater). It is about eating fresh, unprocessed & nutrient dense foods to boost immunity & health.

If you’d like help achieving health goals & ending yo-yo dieting contact Karen at KarenDaGravaMD@yahoo.com

I did most of my growing up in the 70’s. When I was just a little kid, I was curious about the world, and particularly drawn to my Aunt Kathy. She is my mom’s younger sister. She was only 14 when I was born so barely an adult as of my earliest memories. She was so cool with her hippie style, VW BUG, and all the best music of the time. And she was also vegetarian. She baked her own brown bread that I couldn’t get enough of. I later learned that she became a vegetarian for humanitarian reasons but I became passionate about health and nutrition and my interest in vegetarianism soared in my early teens.

That was 40 years ago but it began my journey to learn as much as I could about the science of eating well. I did become a vegetarian myself for about a year in high school, but since my mom had no interest, it was all on me. She was supportive. She took me to the local Co-op, where I’d volunteer my time for a chance to shop there but cooking for one, at age 15, against the mainstream had its challenges. I remember making Tennessee Corn Pone, from the Laurel’s Kitchen cookbook, which sounded so good. Unfortunately, I accidentally used a Tablespoon of salt where the recipe called for a teaspoon. Oops! It was terrible but my mom didn’t want to throw away all that food so she said I’d have to eat it. That experience pretty much suspended my foray into vegetarianism for a very long time.

My passion for vegetarianism may have faded but my passion for health and nutrition did not. I read all the latest books on the subject and unfortunately, for quite some time, followed the popular recommendations, which for much of the 80’s, 90’s, and beyond was to eat low fat. I was so opposed to eating fat that when my kids were growing up, I secretly worried that they weren’t getting enough fat to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Thank goodness I learned the value of good olive oil because we at least had that! I began only buying organic produce whenever possible, even joining several co-ops over the years. I grew gardens and worked in community gardens and began only buying humanely treated animal products, preferably from local farms because I had learned it was healthier. My education on the mistreatment of animals came slowly and more recently.

While teaching in the elementary public schools of Baltimore City, we brought in a young woman from the Cooperative Extension office with whom I co-facilitated a school garden and a “Eat the Rainbow” curriculum to teach my little PreK students the value and pleasures of eating a variety of plants. We sauteed kale that we grew and made salads and delicious smoothies.

A few years ago I decided to become a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the dietary theories and unpacking all the conflicting science around nutrition. I tried various things along the way. I had been eating a low carb (sometimes Ketogenic) diet, which seemed to be an easy way to maintain a fairly lean body. I avoided starchy vegetables but got tons of leafy greens and other lower carb veggies, AND a lot of meat and other animal products. Then, through my coursework I was introduced to the Blue Zones and the Mediterranean Way of Eating (WOE) that proved to promote vitality and longevity. I decided that this is how I wished to eat. Longevity runs in my family and I figured, if I’m going to live to 100 or more, I’m going to do it as a young, active person, rather than be confined to a nursing home, dependent on someone else to take care of me.

I bought a book called the Mediterranean Method by Steven Masley, MD, which takes the “famously healthy and life-enhancing “prescription” one step further, adding a “skinny” twist: he focuses on…a low-glycemic load.” Reintroducing all the carbs (even without much bread or pasta) caused me to gain weight. To be perfectly honest, I probably could’ve done fine but I had a few personal, and family crises causing grief, followed by the pandemic, which led to emotional overeating. Despite my passion for health and nutrition, I had developed a pretty unhealthy relationship with food.

Fast forward to this past winter. I had been doing a great deal of personal growth work and I finally chose to get control and be the healthiest me I could be. I was learning as much as I could about the Mediterranean WOE and began losing weight, slowly.

In March, a Health Coach I “met” in a Facebook group invited me to join a 21 Day Gut Reset Challenge offered by Danielle Arsenault, founder of Pachavega Living Foods Education, yoga and Certified Raw Chef instructor. I don’t even think I knew it was vegan when I signed up but one thing I knew was I was going to learn how to make things taste great! The first 21 days of April proved to be amazing! I ate copious amounts of fabulous plant-based foods and was never hungry. I learned the importance of eating sprouts and how easy it is to grow your own! The concepts Danielle taught in the challenge reinforced lots of things I learned in my Health Coaching courses such as the importance of consuming a wide variety of plants, eating at least a little fermented food, and sea vegetables (seaweed). But I also began to shed pounds! Over 21 days I lost 7 pounds (and a few more since the 21 days ended).

My suggestion for making it simple to eat the way I’ve been eating is to designate a prep day. Put a couple pots of beans on the stove, cook up a couple different grains (brown or wild rice, farro…) or pseudo-grains (quinoa, amaranth), chop, grate, or spiralize some veggies, make a couple of dressings or sauces, make a soup. Maybe even throw some of it in the freezer to simplify a busy week in the future. Then, for several days, all you have to do is throw things together! I’ve been starting every day with water (plain or with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or a detox tea with perhaps ginger and turmeric), then a green smoothie, usually filled with all kinds of seeds and superfoods in addition to leafy greens, other veggies, and some fruit. I might add Ceylon cinnamon, vanilla, cacoa, fresh herbs, coconut, ginger, almond butter, anything goes! I find taking the extra few minutes to make my meals look pretty is worth it in the form of self-care. We eat first with our eyes!

I’m also learning to slow down. I always taught that it’s better to eat slowly but my thinking was only that this gives the brain a chance to recognize that we’re full and signals us to stop eating. However, taking a few deep breaths before beginning a meal slows the stress responses in our bodies and gives the digestive system a chance to fully engage. Also, chewing (even our smoothies) mixes amylase from our saliva with the food and begins the process of breaking it down for digestion.

I fully believe in a predominantly plant-based diet. My motto is eat real food! Your food should BE ingredients, not HAVE ingredients! At this time I feel fantastic, but I’m not ready to commit to a 100% vegan diet just yet. However, when I do eat chicken, for example, I’ll have a whole lot of veggies and about a third of a chicken breast on the side or cut up on a salad or in a stir-fry. Make veggies the star of the show! I honestly believe that eating whole foods, mostly plants, will make me the healthiest, happiest version of myself and that the rest of my excess weight will drop off naturally. And now I wish this for the rest of the world!

Edye Fox Abrams - Inspiration

Beth’s note

Meet Edye! This past year she really slowed down from a life style that was filled with work & personal travel. Also Edye & Steven love the Baltimore restaurant scene. There are many in town that I’ve been in & bumped into them! A night out at a restaurant is a lovely treat, but nothing beats cooking at home to meet wellness goals (and this is a taste to stay turned to the next blog post!)

We took charge of our health this past year with Meal Planning. We wanted to eliminate multiple grocery store runs, and increase our home cooking. Within a few weeks, my husband, Steven, realized he had dropped 10 pounds. It was shocking in a very good way.

We also became diligent about moving our bodies. This was as much about supporting our mental health through social interaction as it was about our physical health. We took it to the next level in February when we had the blessing of spending 5 weeks in the spring like weather in the California desert. We enjoyed sunny days and massive vitamin D during the winter season when we would usually have been locked inside. We kept up our home cooking and added hiking & walking to our regular yoga.

Our rental home did not have a scale. To our surprise (once again!), we came home to the great news that Steven had kept off his previous 10 pound weight loss and I dropped 7 pounds!

The moral of our story is that for the first time in many years, we put ourselves and our health first this past year. We got to know each other all over again. Our careers took a back seat and our health was front and center. And by reprioritized our lives we bought a second home in the desert! We now look forward to spending more time together & taking care of ourselves.

Edye Fox Abrams

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FREE – Weight Loss Coaching

If you or a friend need coaching support to meet your goals Matt Markiewicz is offering a Super Shredz 30 day weight loss challenge (see his 4/24/21 blog post inspiration)

June 1 – June 30!

Email Matt matthewjmarkiewicz@gmail.com (3 spaces left)

Matthew Markiewicz - Inspiration!

Beth’s Note: Meet Matt! I am enjoying sharing stories of those who have set a goal and succeeded. No one will say it is easy. Lynne cussed at the Zoom class & I am sure there were days when Hal did not want to run (see previous 2 posts). Matt is an example of determination & discipline.

Hope you enjoy! It’s all about how to enjoy the adventure even with the twists & turns that surprise us.

I had hit rock bottom. I was 284 lbs. I wore size 48 pants and XXL shirts that were starting to get too tight for me. I felt powerless and ashamed of my body. I believed that this had “happened” to me. Girls wouldn’t look twice at me (unless making fun of me). I dreaded gym class and having to struggle while my classmates had fun. I didn’t know what to do and felt lost .

Looking back, this was the best thing that could have happened to me. Ten years later I’m living my dream. I’m a CrossFit coach and personal trainer, in the best shape of my life, and have been dating the love of my life for 3 years. Hitting rock bottom was my rebirth. I let go of the victim mentality that led to inaction. I realized that everything in my life was under my control. Whether I could control a situation or not didn’t matter: I took control of my life and recognized that I controlled my destiny.

Losing weight is simple: a caloric deficit will lead to weight loss. The true work begins with finding the motivation and dedication from within. For me, the flip switched on for my New Year's Resolution. My resolution was simple: become who you’re meant to be. I didn’t give myself any options. I made the choice to change my life and stuck with it.

This rebirth led to a completely new life for me. Going from spending hours playing video games in the dark to working hard in the gym. My life now revolves around helping others and is dedicated to health and wellness. I got my degree in Kinesiology, am a personal trainer, CrossFit coach, health coach, and yoga teacher. I help others flip on this switch too. To make the choice to be their true self. To lose weight for good. To make healthy habits and live life to its fullest. No more excuses, no more exceptions.

Through my own studies and experiences I’ve figured out the formula for weight loss. More than weight loss though, this is the formula to a healthy and happy life. To increase your quality of life, to do the things you love for longer. Creating healthy habits that support the activities in life that give you purpose and meaning, and not just pursuing a number on a scale. It all comes down to nutrition, fitness, and accountability & support.

Nutrition is eating healthy food that supports and enhances your body’s capacities. Fitness is increasing your ability to move and live your life. Accountability & support means surrounding yourself with people that will aid in your pursuit of a healthier life.

My life completely changed when I chose to take back control of my life. I realized my life’s mission was to help others do the same. Taking responsibility for your health is a simple way to take back control of your life.

There’s no better time to start than today.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about online coaching, be sure to follow me below:

Facebook: Matt Markiewicz

Instagram: @mattmarkiewicz

Email: matthewjmarkiewicz@gmail.com

Hal Malone - Inspiration!

Beth’s Note: Meet Hal. I have been inspired by many (like Lynne is my previous blog post who lost 50lbs) this past year.

My hope is that by Hal, Lynne & others sharing their stories you too will be inspired. Hal took on the challenge to run for 365 conservative days. The take away isn’t to lace up sneakers and do what Hal has accomplished. But ask the question, “What can I commit to for a year that will improve my health and physical/emotional well-being?”.

Here is Hal after his 100th consecutive day of running. He has completed 365 consecutive days.

I didn’t really think there was any technological solution available for improving my physical-spiritual life—unless it included a technology fix for removing technology. I had dreamt of other changes to better align myself with my perceived better life: stop driving, run more, work from home (heck, I even daydreamt about the potential benefits and challenges of a daily trail-running practice, known in the running community as a running “streak”). That sounded dangerous for an aging gent.

Prana, the well-known yoga life-style retailer, promoted a challenge right before everything (except imagination) got shut-down for the pandemic: quit your job, the company said (or even threaten too, or in pondering it buy these hipster pants here, see?), a selected winner would get 100k to quit their day job and follow their dreams. It got me scrambling. Not that I don’t love my day job, I do, often…and the good we do, the lives I get to become acquainted with. And yet…aren’t I supposed to be strideling up and down a trail somewhere, every day in fact, breathing real outside-air and uniting with nature? I failed to verbalize and monetize my best-case life for the challenge, I had no happiness-contingency-plan, and I was deeply ashamed.

Nevertheless, and despite the gyms shutting down all around, I figured that I was pretty well prepared for a pandemic-era-fit-life. After all, I’d spent years doing quiet fitness R&D, carried out in basements and spare rooms, in membership-spaces both sketchy and polished, some elite, others skuzzy, located in rural and urban spots across a few American states and several decades. I had all my fitness “implements” and workout hacks at the ready.

After purging my gym membership, I thought I might miss Beth’s class most, it was a touchstone in my week that made all the other duties bearable (the car-commutes, the ridiculous desk-contortions, toxic over-head lighting, the universal drone of office…I digress). I entered into a corner of the reduced two-dimensional yoga space of my living room laptop more warily than I had Beth’s real-life yoga class some five years ago.

And yet, over the weeks I came to see that virtual yoga class, to which I was at first so leery, as a kind of revolution, a quietly democratizing, ego-leveling alternate yoga dimension. The down/upside: I could drink coffee and go to the loo; up/down-side: I couldn’t show off or be showed off too. Upside/upside: I had to think about what doing yoga MEANS, what it meant to my life, what it meant in spite of the pandemic or because of it. My carbon footprint was also severely reduced by not driving to class in a car, which, let’s face it, always felt a bit hypocritcal, like rolling out an oil slick to get blissed out on.

My answer wouldn’t have been uncovered without last year’s vexing corporate challenge—which I now interpret as something like the question “what could make you happy?” And my answer was simple: run, run every day outside, run for a year if necessary (I guessed wrongly that I might not have made it past like 50 days). The few Saturdays when Beth was unavailable to teach I realized how crucial she was to my goal(s), and to running in particular. She was my “fixer”, and without her even my resolve couldn’t make these hips and ankles and rhomboids behave in order to finish whatever “this” was that I was trying to finish.

I’m happy to report that I completed running every day 365 times in a row. But more than that I’ve learned about life and fitness and people and processes and how doing what works, well, works. And I have Beth and her openess and the inspiration of my classmates to thank for that. And frankly those jeans would probably look better on now but I no longer feel a need for new hipster pants.

Lynne Ellis - Inspiration!

Before

Rewind to January 2020, the year of our 40th wedding anniversary, a wonderful trip set up and paid for to go to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean for two weeks in October. I need to lose weight and get healthier real bad!!!! No excuses this time, get a gym membership and GO, start a diet plan called Slimlife health and wellness and DO IT, lose enough to start going to Yoga classes again from Beth Graham and really GO every week! And then came Covid-19…. SCREECH…… And it all comes to a dead stop. Gym closes down, Anniversary trip canceled, life closes down and a stress eater is starting to look at all the bad stuff that always gave me comfort but in the end made me miserable… I am not sure how it happened, it was all a fog but somehow Beth Graham Wellness website pops up on my computer screen… huh.. what do you know.

I can do yoga at home by zoom.. huh, I can meditate and get my head right… huh… I can do this if I really kick my self in the back side…huh? Hell YES! Beth sent me meditation videos, her voice got in my head and really plugged in the good thoughts and the strong mindset I needed. The first couple of Yoga classes on zoom were crazy, squeeze my right glut?? Are you kidding? Where the heck is that muscle cause I don’t feel a thing, tilt my pelvic floor?? Really I can do that? I listened, I worked hard, I sweated and groaned and cursed because on Zoom I was muted no one could hear me. And then it was clicking, the hard work, the mind that wouldn’t let the chips and cookies creep into my mouth it was starting to work!!! I can’t believe it. With every pound I lost I got stronger in my practice, I was doing kitchen yoga (practicing while cooking dinner 😉) When things at work were getting me stressed or depressed I sat and would put on a Beth video and close my eyes… I let her words get in and straighten me out, I was not going to quit! I am strong! I am a warrior and yes I can do warrior I II and III and feel my right glut when I squeeeeeeze it tight! I found it! Haha

49 lbs lighter and still going I feel strong and happy, I know I can do it and I can keep doing it. Having my Yoga friends every Saturday morning with Beth’s guiding voice steering me to continue to be healthy, happy and never give up… Covid Smovid…I got this!

Thanks Beth… you mean a lot to me and so happy Rachel [Beth’s daughter, also a yoga teacher] told me not to fear going to yoga, do what you can do and don’t worry about it.

After (March 2021)

Simplify.Connect.Enjoy

When Scott built the first website in 2011 for my studio, Simply Yoga MD, our theme was Simplify Connect Enjoy. It represented what we wanted to get back to, because somewhere along the way we had picked up a lot of “baggage” in thinking what we needed to be happy. By 2008 we thought a certain dollar amount in the bank, new garage doors & redecorating the family room was what we needed (and I’m sure once these were checked off the list redoing bathrooms, pool deck and more would have been added).

In the past 10 years Simply Connect Enjoy has continued as the theme running quietly in the background like an intention or prayer. I would label 2011 – 2020 as our chapter on Simplify. At times in simplifying there needs to be a little chaos in the process. We’ve moved 3 times and are now settled and truly feel at home. Scott’s settled at a new insurance brokerage firm Maury, Donnelly & Parr which took a year of moving his book of business. And then there’s covid. It initially felt like a wrench in the works and now feels like it was another opportunity to Simplify. This past year we have had many conversations about “wiping the slate clean” and no longer doing something because “it’s the way we always do it”. Scary at first and then exciting as many new ideas and possibilities surface.

Returning to Costa Rica for the sixth time this February seems to be the beginning of the Connect chapter for us. We met locals, Lily & Dani, who are now our “boots on the ground” in Nosara and also a couple from Houston, Jennifer & Eddie, who have been living between Houston & Nosara for 10 years. They had all of the “insider” scoop on the town, its history and growth. Jennifer had a way of speaking that just made you want to connect with her – a bit of charm, spice and an infectious excitement over little things like banana pancakes. She shared with us that they were on a journey to “simplify”.

On our daily walks to the beach or in restaurants we met people from Switzerland, France, Argentina, Nashville & LA. Scott heard two women speaking Swiss German and began a conversation asking where they were from. The next day when we’d meet again it felt like old friends passing. Or at my new favorite Argentinian restaurant, La Brasa, hearing French we leaned over to the table next to us to learn they were from southern France and “escaping” for a month or so.

One evening watching the sunset we were drawn to a toddler yelling to his father, “Can’t catch me!” as he fell into the sand at his feet. This little guy was our introduction to meeting their crew of singer songwriters from LA & Nashville. Check out the music of Britney Spencer (Baltimore gal making it big in Nashville!) and Emily Brimlow. Both are on Instagram, Spotify, Itunes etc. Music is always a great connector and I hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

Of course a highlight is returning to Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort. Melanie who works behind the scenes welcomed us back with not just her charming smile, but with hugs. We’ve all needed to recreate ourselves this past year and she shared how Bodhi was doing the same. It was also exciting to share experiences with other teachers who we had met in years prior and as we connected there was joyfulness. Not just joy in the moment, but also a feeling of joyful expectation as we talked about plans for 2021 & 2022.

Costa Rica is the land of Pura Vida – it’s more than the translation “pure life” it’s a way of being – living simply and knowing the best things in life are when we do just that - Simplify.Connect.Enjoy.

Our Town

I was once told that a “yogi” always questions. That’s the beginning to “wake up” and to question our world rather than accepting someone else’s word or opinion, but what is left out is the next step. What is the purpose of a question, but to seek or allow the answer?

Many of us (at a certain age!) are drawn to the yoga asana practice (physical poses) because we have something physical for which we seek relief. Low back pain, restriction in movement due to stiff joints or for me neck pain from a ruptured C 5-6 disc. Practicing the poses with focused alignment and building strength in weak or under used muscles is the best way to support movement and freedom in the body. At 58 years with 26 years of practice I’m sold that yoga works!

When we are practicing yoga we are “waking up”, becoming mindful and learning to ask questions about our experience. What I mean is simple – is our right hamstring more flexible then the left? Does one hip have greater range than the other? What about the low back in a forward fold in relation to the rotation of the pelvis? You get the message. (On a side note this is what I absolutely love! I could spend hours looking at the body & its movement or lack thereof. This is how with first awareness and practice we can make changes to feel good again!)

OK so that is a solution for the physical, but what about the mental; the day to day stresses that cause “pain” when life doesn’t go quite our way. How does yoga help with this?!? Initially the physical practice helps for many reasons. Body pain is reduced or diminished. And just the act of breathing deeply and moving the muscles of respiration relaxes the mind. There are a number of chemical reactions such as the release of endorphins, but I’ll leave that for another discussion.

But how do we take it to the next level? How do we find a little more peace in our days? This is where the concept of mindfulness comes into the equation. The mind is always pulling us back into past events, upsets & dramas or hurling us into the future where we create predicted outcomes. Or we are merely busy, busy, busy and don’t pause to see the world around us and the people we share it with. This is where the play “Our Town” has inspired me and answered some questions.

Did you read “Our Town” in high school or see the 1977 adaptation with Hal Holbrook in the role of Stage Manager? I was reminded of the play reading the January 10 passage in Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. In her passage was the reminder to enjoy the simple moments of the day and “how much the living take for granted”. I’m rereading the passage now and getting goose bumps, for we can “no longer afford to throw away even one ‘unimportant’ day.”

The 2 hour play is in three acts, and if time limits you watch the last 30 minutes (act 3) and I guarantee you will feel a little more awake to this wonderful world in which we live. I’ve watched it 3 times in the past month and each time there is another take away or lesson learned.

Click here to watch it free on YouTube link

I look forward to hearing your experience! Perhaps you can share something that I have missed. Comment below or email me Beth@BethGrahamWellness.com

$10 off NEW Course expires 6/20

When we "do" yoga it's called a Yoga Practice. BUT how do you learn what to practice? I created these courses so that students (both experienced & beginners) can learn how to practice. The most basic pose can feel advanced when practiced properly.

This week I released the Forward Folding Yoga Poses course. For $10 off use code FORWARD10 (expires 6/20, Saturday). Forward folds are the most calming of postures & soothe the nervous system. They lengthen the back body (from heels to hamstrings to the low back & are great for back pain issues IF practiced properly). Plus you will build strength in the muscles surrounding the knees, quadriceps, front core and upper back. All of these functions support a more agile spine! And help us to stand a little taller during the challenges that life serves up.

For more head to my website www.BethGrahamWellness.com

Take Much Care,

Beth