To build and maintain a healthy immune system, we must start with food. Unfortunately, most of the food marketed to us in the U.S. is designed to appeal to our taste buds alone, emphasizing refined sugars, salt and unhealthy fats instead of the fresh natural foods that our bodies know how to digest and utilize in order to maintain healthy cells, blood, tissues and organs.
As I mentioned in a recent newsletter, my morning Tuesday and Thursday schedule will change soon due to the addition of a new venue, Anytime Fitness at the corner of Burnt Store Road and U.S. 41, next to the new Publix. This has presented me with a wonderful opportunity to have more classes close to home, but it is also bittersweet as I will be giving up my Tuesday 10am Yoga class at Franz Ross, my Thursday 9am TRX class at Franz Ross, and my Thursday 10:45 Yoga class at Bayfront.
Today I feel that I am embarking on a very new type of adventure, into the past, as technology has recently provided us with amazing tools to learn more about our ancestry. My husband Pedro and I purchased our DNA/Ancestry and Health kits online from 23andMe a few days ago, last night we spit into vials and sealed them, and he is now on his way to the post office to send them off to be processed.
We returned last week from a delightful vacation in Iceland, eager to start our summer schedule, when Tropical Storm Colin intervened. All Charlotte County YMCA locations are closed today even though the storm is due to pass comfortably north of us, we are still getting a lot of rain with the possibility of some flooding and perhaps even some spin-off tornadic activity. It's always wise to be prepared for the worst, and an excellent day to stay off the roads as much as possible.
On May 18th, my husband Pedro and I will be leaving for a vacation trip to Iceland! This is our second visit there, as we went there six years ago to see our friends in Reykjavik (former residents of Punta Gorda!) and also explored the area of the Western Fiords, which proved too inhospitable for the Vikings and Is now an incredible bird and wildlife sanctuary.
I began my career as a yoga instructor in a small, friendly yoga studio where we welcomed any student wishing to share our love of this ancient wellness system. Since then I have been fortunate to teach in many different settings and venues, but they all have limited access to only their members, residents, or employees.
I feel so very fortunate to be able to share my love of yoga with so many appreciative students. It is truly a privilege to teach my Yoga with Props and Meditation classes on Mondays at the beautiful Bayfront YMCA Center in Punta Gorda where we are treated to the lovely view of the bay, the sailboats, the bird serenades and the occasional passing dolphin.