Yoga with Emily, just as you are

Need more yoga? Breathe and move more freely with these extra classes in April:

• Tuesdays at 6pm (ongoing): Body Positive Yoga at Hillsborough Yoga and Healing Arts. There’s something for everyone in this class, from beginners looking for a friendly space to get started, to those who have been practicing for a while. Your first class at HYHA is always free if you’re local.
• Monday, April 22 at 6pm (subbing for Catherine): Yoga One at Hillsborough Yoga and Healing Arts. Suitable for beginners, this class is also for students returning to yoga.
• Wednesday, April 24 at 6pm (subbing for Catherine): Yoga One/Two at Hillsborough Yoga and Healing Arts.
• Saturday, April 27 at 10:30am (several Sat. mornings a month): Mindful Yoga at Grow Well. Grow Well is a new, holistic, wellness practice on a lovely farm in Hillsborough. Find out more here.

Hope to see you soon!

You’ve probably seen this Dove ad by now. It’s been very popular, and has really made the rounds on Facebook. There are some helpful messages in there, but also some that are less so. This is an ad, of course, but Dove markets itself as a proponent of body acceptance. You may remember from some time ago a print ad of women of varying sizes all wearing white underwear and confident smiles, promoting beauty in all shapes, while promoting products to “firm” your thighs, etc. These women were all lovely, but they’d also been photoshopped so bellies were smooth, and cellulite and stretch marks were invisible. To Dove’s credit, there were some beautiful ads for anti-aging products, like this one, though still advertising ways to avoid the appearance of aging (as companies are wont to do). Overall, Dove comes so close to making me happy, but tends to stop just short enough for me to feel somewhat manipulated.

But what interest me most are the reactions from so many women. Some have been moved to tears, since this is a topic very near and dear to our self-critical hearts. Yet another reminder of how far our society has to come for an ad like this, addressing only the very surface of a detrimental issue, to no longer floor us.

The Facebook group The Body is not an Apology posted the ad with a caption I really liked: “There have been many re-posts of this campaign. The Body Is Not an Apology we have critique of the limited scope of women used for the campaign and the potential message that way we see ourselves is a function of our failing rather than the intentional efforts of Body Terrorism in consumer markets (some of which Dove’s parent company Unilever engages in). With that being said, we also believe that we are in constant reflection of humanity. When we see beauty in others we are really seeing that source beauty in ourselves. We are grateful for anytime the media shares that in the world. Radical Self Love is a perfect mirror.”

See more commentary here. What do you think of the ad?

There’s still some space in today’s 4pm Mindful Yoga class at the farm! All levels, ages, and sizes welcome. $14 is suggested, but we’d rather you come and pay less than not come at all. We’ve got mats, props, goats, and chickens, so just bring yourself. Let us know you’re coming by emailing growwellnc@gmail.com.

More details here.

Hi guys, I’m sick today and although I’ve been looking for a sub for tonight’s class I haven’t had luck just yet. Be sure to check the online schedule to make sure the class hasn’t been canceled. Thanks!

If you missed February’s mindful yoga class at Grow Well, not to worry! The next class is this Saturday, March 2, at 10:30am. Make sure to let us know you’re coming, because space is limited.

Come hang out with goats, chickens, and some pretty rad people on the farm. Photos of just a few residents here.