Have you noticed the little chalkboard with our word of the week on it?? If not, it’s sitting on the floor just as you step up from the lobby to The Link. In case you’re wondering where we got the idea to start this campaign, we were motivated by some staggering statistics shared with us at our last Mindbody conference. The presenter stated that we have about 6500 thoughts every day. 90% of those thoughts are repeating and 85% of those thoughts are negative. Crazy, right!!?? So after hearing this, Chris and I started brainstorming on ways we could help to inundate our minds and our students’ minds with more positive thoughts. We got our staff involved by asking each of them to write down one positive word at our last staff meeting. And now Ricky picks one of those words every week and writes it (in her very cool and appreciated Ricky flair) on the mini chalkboard. It is our hope that when we walk into BL and see this positive word, it will serve to replace some of the negative self talk that we may have brought with us. In yoga we talk a lot about the fact that trying to push away thoughts or worries in our minds really doesn’t work. The more we think about not thinking about a care or concern, the more negative energy we actually give that thought. BUT instead, you will hear your teacher suggest, time and time again, to focus on your breath and bodily sensations. As we focus on our breathing or the sensation in our hips, the ruminating negative dialog in our brains starts to fade away. So instead of pushing a negative thought away, we replace it with a positive one. Thus our positive word of the week campaign. Maybe you glance at the word as you come in for class and the word itself can be a source of meditation in your yoga practice. Maybe it becomes a topic to chat about in the Link over a cup of coffee. Maybe your teacher will weave it in to his/her verbiage during class. Maybe we will use it in our Social Media posts or stories to reinforce that word throughout the week. Or Maybe you will just take this word with you and let it permeate into your daily life. The words we have featured so far are Curiosity, Perseverance, Smile, Determination and Thrive. This week’s word, in honor of Valentine’s Day is Heartening. I must admit that I have never even used this word in a sentence and had to Google it to see exactly what it meant. Google says…it is an adjective to describe increasing cheerfulness or confidence; encouraging. I love this!! Because this is what we strive to do EVERY day at BL!! To bring a little more cheerfulness to your day, to give you the confidence to mix it up and try different classes or workshops, and to stand beside you and encourage you on your wellness journey. BL is SO MUCH more than a place to workout. We come together to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and to support each other every step of the way. Be Curious…Persevere…Stay Determined…Smile as you’re doing it…And together we will THRIVE!! This is a HEARTENING message for sure!!
