Aug 10, 2014 |
Who doesn’t want to escape to an island for a few days to get away from it all, soak up some sun, sip fruity drinks, and have a few adventures? Better yet, how cool would it be to attend a yoga retreat while visiting such an island?
If you live in northeast Ohio, you don’t have to travel to the Caribbean to find this simple pleasure; you can hop on a ferry boat in Sandusky and be on idyllic Kelleys Island in less than 20 minutes. So pack your bags, leave your cares and car behind, and hop on the ferry for the Kelleys Island Yoga and Wellness Retreat this coming September 11–14, 2014.
It may only be 22 miles from the mainland, but once you step foot on the island, surrounded by the beautiful blue water of Lake Erie, you will feel like you are on a faraway vacation.
The weekend kicks off on Thursday with a 2-day reflexology workshop led by Amanda Conn, and then on Friday the beach yoga and meditation classes begin. You can come up just for the day for some yoga and island adventure or come for the whole weekend. Here are just a few great reasons why you should consider trying the island life!
Hop on the ferry and enjoy the blueasana on the way over to Kelleys Island
Daytripper. You don’t have to come for the whole weekend. If you like you can head over for just the day or a few of the classes or activities. There is an early-bird discount if you purchase the package of all the yoga and meditation classes before August 15, but each yoga class and the other activities can be purchased separately.
Goddess Tracy Rhinehart. I’m thrilled that yogini goddess Tracy Rhinehart is going to be joining me again this summer. Tracy will be offering Thai Massage and Body Wisdom consultations on Friday and Saturday. Tracy was completely booked on last year’s retreat! So contact her soon to set up your appointment at 216-551-0707, or email trhinehart108 at gmail.com. Tracy is also going to co-teach one of the Saturday beach yoga classes with me!
Community. I got so busy last year after the retreat that I never got a chance to write about how much fun we had and the amazing group of goddesses who joined together for the weekend. There were lots of giggles around the campfire, more midnight giggles in the camping tents, gourmet fire-grilled sandwiches and banana boats, trips to the local wineries, shared breakfasts, and new friendships forged. Best of all there was plenty of time to just relax, enjoy the beach, unwind, and feed the soul.
Looking for a place to stay on the island? The Kelleys Island Venture Resort
is right next door to where the yoga retreat classes will be held.
This is the view from the beach deck in front of the Kelleys Island Venture Resort.
Yoga With a View! Last year Mother Nature provided brilliant variety as we practiced yoga and meditated as the sun rose and set, while it rained, and while the waves were crashing up on the beach making us feel like we were on the shores of the ocean rather than Lake Erie. This year on Kelleys Island, the yoga classes will also be held rain or shine. When the sun is shining we will practice on the lawn across the street from the Kelleys Island Brew Pub with an outstanding view overlooking Lake Erie. In case of rain, the yoga sessions will be held in the historic Town Hall on Kelleys Island.
This lovely angel overlooks the area where the yoga classes will be held!
Food! The Kelleys Island Brew Pub will have food and drink specials all weekend for the yogis who attend and are also hosting a special brunch on Sunday to benefit the Humane Society. 
Explore! When you are not on your yoga mat or dancing up a storm,there is so much to do on the island. You can take a bike ride around the island with gorgeous views of the lakes, explore the glacier grooves that were formed about 18,000 years ago, visit and try out the wines at the Kelleys Island Wine Company, shop for souvenirs, and sip the island’s signature drink, the Brandy Alexander.
Don’t delay – get your reservations made at one of the many fine bed and breakfasts, hotels, or the state campground. Remember to book ahead if you want a session with Tracy. And then kick back and get ready for Kelleys Islandasana!
Hope to see you on Kelleys Island this September – and maybe next year on another island a little farther away in Santorini, Greece!
Click to find out more about upcoming Daily Downward Dog yoga retreats! Come join us!
Jul 11, 2012 |
One of the teachings of yoga that I love is the emphasis on self-love. Yoga is about honoring your body and learning to accept and love yourself. Despite this love fest that takes place on our yoga mats, most of us are still guilty of beating ourselves up, not taking enough time to rest, and in some cases not taking care of our health when we’re off the mat.
If you’ve been needing to get to a doctor for basic wellness tests, the rock stars at Walgreens and AARP have launched a nationwide bus tour that is delivering free health testing, health education, and consultation to adults 18 years and older to bring prevention and early detection of today’s leading diseases: heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
The Rockin' Walgreens Wellness Bus!
Yes, I said FREE. And the series of tests – including cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, body composition, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, visceral fat, real body age, and body weight – have a value of over $100 and take only 20 minutes to complete. The test results are delivered immediately, and you don’t need to have insurance or an appointment.
The exciting news is that if you live around my ‘hood in Ohio, the tour bus is going to be rolling into town July 23 through August 11. Here is a list of the upcoming Akron, Cleveland, and Canton tour dates:
| City |
Date |
Address |
Time |
| Cleveland Heights |
July 23 |
Walgreens 3020 Mayfield Road |
11 am to 5 pm |
| Cleveland |
July 25 |
Walgreens 641 Broadway Avenue |
11 am to 5 pm |
| Chardon |
July 26 |
Chardon Medical Campus, 510 5th Ave |
4 pm to 8 pm |
| Parma |
July 27 |
Mount Alverna Senior Center, 6765 State Rd |
10 am to 4 pm |
| Twinsburg |
July 28 |
Walgreens 9043 Darrow Road |
10 am to 4 pm |
| Garfield Heights |
July 30 |
12777 Rockside Road |
11 am to 5 pm |
| Canton |
August 3 |
Walgreens 1223 Cleveland Avenue NW |
11 am to 5 pm |
| North Canton |
August 4 |
Walgreens 1000 S. Main Street |
8 am to 2 pm |
| Akron |
August 6 |
Walgreens 302 Canton Road |
11 am to 5 pm |
| Akron |
August 9 |
Walgreens 1130 S. Arlington Street |
11 am to 5 pm |
| Akron |
August 10 |
Walgreens 1303 Copley Road |
11 am to 5 pm |
| Akron |
August 11 |
Walgreens 834 W. Market Street |
10 am to 4 pm |
If you live in the Youngstown area of Ohio, the tour will be hitting seven area Walgreens from July 12 through July 21. Walgreens is bringing the tour to underserved communities that need it the most—those with the highest prevalence for leading diseases and with large populations of uninsured and unemployed. Visit www.walgreens.com/waytowell to find out if the tour buses will be coming to a city near you.
It’s a good idea to get to these events early to sign up. Also, be sure to check the website a few days prior to the event as the event times and locations are subject to change.
Can’t make it to a tour stop? You can still contribute to this community outreach campaign by purchasing Walgreens brand health and wellness products! One cent from the purchase of each product – up to $3 million annually – will support bringing preventative wellness services to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Fund®, a four-year $100 million initiative to improve the everyday health of Americans.
To quote a classic Journey song, “Be good to yourself,” and take advantage of these free health screenings. You can also pay it forward and be good to others by purchasing Walgreens brand health and wellness products to support this healthy initiative.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB83bo0H1fk[/youtube]
I was compensated for this post, but please know that the opinions expressed are my own and were shared because I believe in and support the community goodwill that is being fostered by Walgreens and AARP.
Brain image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.
Sep 3, 2010 |
Wednesday, September 1 was the kickoff of National Yoga Month, and you’ve got 28 days left to get into the festivities. The purpose of National Yoga Month is to create awareness about the many benefits of yoga and hopefully encourage Americans to get out there and give yoga a try!
If you’ve always wanted to try it but don’t know where to start, here are two great programs going on this month to get you onto a yoga mat.
1) You absolutely must visit the Yoga Month Web site. They have links to hundreds of free classes and events and a list of over 1200 yoga studios nationwide offering one free week of yoga.
2) If you would rather try yoga out in the comfort of your home, My Yoga Online is offering free online training sessions. My Yoga Online is a premium on-demand subscription service for yoga and wellness videos. They offer one of the largest and most diverse mind-body video and article libraries in the world. The cool thing is that their classes fit your schedule—you can log on at anytime, from anywhere, and have access to the perfect class for you. If you have always wanted to try My Yoga Online, now’s your chance to check it out for free before you sign up.
I’m personally celebrating National Yoga Month by setting some new intentions for my yoga practice and have a personal goal to do a headstand by the end of the month. I’ll also keep you posted on additional Yoga Month activities and helpful tips to get you started on your very own yoga journey.
With all these festivities and FREE classes, there really is no excuse to give it a try!
Stop by every weekday for the Daily Downward Dog, my journal of cool yoga experiences. Thank you for checking out the ads and products when you visit to help fund this site!
