“That moment of inward breath, that pause and awareness of ‘how beautiful this is’ is a prayer of appreciation, a moment of gratitude in which I behold beauty and am one with it.” ~ Jean Shinoda Bolen Hello!
We may not be basking in warmth, yet, but spring is definitely showing up and showing out. The leaves on our Japanese Maple and Kousa Dogwood have returned, I spy buds on our peonies, and the new growth on our Alberta Spruce is almost electric green! I was surprised by the amount of people in Saugatuck over the weekend. I admit, I wasn’t quite ready for the struggle of finding a parking place?! 🤪 The abundance and amplification of energy is exciting. And, as an introvert, I am super grateful that our home in Douglas really is a refuge. There’s no shortage of great events popping up all over town. I love that we live in a place where people want to visit . . . for a portion of the year. 🤩 I remain super inspired by what the flow, the phases, of nature can show us. Hibernation is necessary. And it’s not something to apologize for. New ideas, new energies, emerge at the correct time. Not because we command them to. Or force them to. Something may be visible for a while before it bursts into bloom. Our bed of iris is tall, and strong, and doesn’t have a single bud, yet. I’ve been trying to cultivate more flow in my life. Not be so reactive to whatever is loudest in my field at the moment. For me? So much of creating flow is building trust. Trust that I will have the energy and creativity I need when it’s necessary. Trust that the rest I am taking is the best choice, and it is of the highest good. Trust that the people, the resources, the connections I need are right here, emerging in front of me. This isn’t magical thinking. It’s not just sitting back and thinking all things will come. This takes a steadfast commitment to our internal wellness and our ability to hear from the intelligence within. Spring is a wonderful time to check in with what’s emerging. And it’s okay to take time for it to bloom. Here’s to enjoying the beauty all around and within! Love and light, m P.S. Hope to see you Saturday @ 8:30 for Yacht Club Yoga P.P.S. Grateful to be hosting family in celebration of my Mom this weekend! ♥️
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“Peace, in its most fundamental form, is the connection of one human spirit to another.” ~ Desmond Tutu Hi friends!
First up, in case this newsletter ends up in the Too Long; Didn’t Read (TL;DR)category . . . a note to any and ALL Yacht Club Yogis: Class this Saturday is @ 8:30 A.M. Yep. It’s time for that early start; you can do it! 💖 In the good news column: we have class EVERY SATURDAY in May! So, if you’ve gotten out of the habit of making it to class on Saturday mornings? it’s time to come on back. Your brain. Your body. Your being will thank you. See you Saturdays @ 8:30. 🫶🏽 And, I am SO excited for the first Full Moon Yoga Circle @ Satya tomorrow (Friday) night! The Flower Moon Circle is Sold Out, and you can join the WaitList here. Our next Circle will be on Sunday, May 31 where we’ll be celebrating the Blue Moon. Please join us! Gosh, I love this time of year. And, a few of my muscles had forgotten how much work it is! 😀 Our yard and boat both deserve some love and attention after a long winter of hibernation. There’s something satisfying about the exhaustion that comes with hard, physical work. Especially when you can finally sink into your front porch and admire the oh-so-tangible results. It’s exciting to celebrate the abundant growth happening all around. Nature’s vitality and beauty is impossible to miss! I’m checking in a lot these days to see if my internal vitality and beauty are as evident? I’m feeling the shifts, and I don’t think everything is fully aligned and shining, quite yet. And I think that’s okay. I am enough. I am evolving. Here’s to all of us continuing to evolve and grow and burst into full bloom. One breath, one moment at a time. The lilacs have popped this week, and I am beginning to get wafts of perfume from our Lily of the Valley. Nature understands how to flow and adapt. It blooms when it’s intended to. I’ve been meditating on yoga being about steadfastness. It’s not magical. It’s not accidental. It’s not a bunch of woo-woo. The shifts we want? The transformation we seek? We have to show up for it. Time and time again. And, it doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to take all kinds of time. I can reset by simply pausing. Finding my breath. Feeling my feet on the ground. Turning my eyes to the sky. And I have to continue showing up for myself in this way. Through repetition and ritual. Building my tool kit so I trust that everything I need? Is within myself. Ahhhh, now that sounds like peace. Love, light, and longing for peace, m 
“As you live deeper in the heart, the mirror gets clearer and clearer.” ~ Rumi Hello friends!
This time of year in West Michigan, maybe especially in Saugatuck/Douglas? It’s impossible to miss the shifts happening all around. Everyday it seems something new is bursting into bloom. Today it’s warm and bright. Tomorrow it’s cold and blustery. Adaptability, and lots of wardrobe options, are required. 😉 One by one our neighbors are returning to town. Local businesses are gearing up for “the season.” New events, new merchandise, new menus are popping up everywhere. Those of us in the service industry? We’re getting excited and may want to fit in one more getaway and/or a little more respite before swinging into high gear. These shifts, these phases are all representative of life. It’s a continual flow state. And just like the weather, life requires a lot of adaptability from each one of us. As I prepare for our upcoming Full Moon Yoga Circle, I was reflecting upon our Winter Solstice Yoga Celebration. That night, it was dark. We took time to sink into the darkness, rather than try and avoid it. We meditated on the power of hibernation. We breathed into the time of rest and gathering of nutrients (strength, ideas, energy, creativity) that winter provides. Nature does not apologize for its season of rest. I’m trying to learn the same. And now, we are witnessing the results of that hibernation. Our surroundings are literally (and, yes, this is the correct moment for the overused word 🤣) bursting into bloom everywhere! Gathering to celebrate the upcoming Full Moon / Flower Moon will be powerful. I love that this is the beginning of our Full Moon Yoga Circle Series at Satya. It’s extra special that at the end of May? We will have another Full Moon, making it a Blue Moon. (Yep, once in a Blue Moon there are 2 full moons in one month) 😀 It’s a special opportunity to think about what within is ready to blossom? What truth of us wants to be brought into the light? Our thoughts, our ideas, our inspirations don’t have to be fully formed to emerge. Just a week or two ago my irises were barely a glimmer. Now, they’re a foot tall! I’ve been resting into these two sentences: I am enough. I am evolving. That’s it. Allow that to settle into your belly. Your heart. Your throat. If you are nearby and considering joining us for the Flower Moon, please do! Only a few spaces remain. Teresa and I would love to see you. Love, light, and longing for peace, m P.S. Thank you Rhoda Thurston-Lewis for capturing, and sharing, the gorgeous moon photo featured at the top of the page. P.P.S. It’s our last LATE START Yacht Club Yoga this Saturday. See you @ 9:00 
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” ~ Viktor Frankl Hi friends!
Wow! What a phenomenal return to Yacht Club Yoga! When I arrived, Lake Kalamazoo was super foggy and misty. Soon after, the sun broke through and the fog cleared. It was pretty special. Thank you to ALL who joined me! And, shout out to my two friends from high school who made their way from afar. What a wonderful surprise! 💕 Class continues at SYC this month on Saturdays, 9 - 10 AM. All are welcome. Recently I read a study that was trying to figure out if there’s a difference between the way longtime meditators experience pain vs. the way those who do not meditate experience pain. Being a participant in this study would have been miserable. Because, it involved basically scalding hot water being piped onto your wrist, repeatedly. Ten seconds before the hot water? A sound let you know , . . pain incoming. UGH! Thankful I was not someone involved in the study, I am fascinated by its results:
It’s this fourth fact that I find very interesting. The non meditators continued feeling the pain. In other words, they continued suffering. The meditators made a much quicker recovery, returning to a baseline that was free from pain. Here’s how Cortland Dahl, a participant in the study explains the significance of this: “So what they were seeing -- what the scientists found here in this particular study -- was the neural signature of the difference between suffering and pain. This is super important. Normally, we think that pain equals suffering, and this underlying assumption drives many of the things we do in our life. We're basically trying to avoid pain and discomfort because we think that by doing so, we will be able to avoid suffering. What this showed is that there's actually a hidden variable that most of us are completely unaware of. Suffering does not equal pain. Suffering equals pain times resistance. So if you can dial resistance down to zero, you are not doing away with the pain, but you are completely eliminating the suffering. Super, super important fact. So if you understand that fact, this is a total game changer for how we live our lives.” I fully understand life is not only made of glimmers. We have physical bodies. We will get sick. There will be pain. We are in relationships. There will be loss. There will be pain. The real question is: How do we help ourselves deal with, recover from, the pain? How able are we to return ourselves to baseline? Not by burying things. Or suppressing them. Or pretending they did not happen. But by experiencing them fully. And then releasing ourselves from suffering. If you missed the Viktor Frankl quotation up above, go ahead and take another look. Here’s to our collective growth. Love, light, and longing for peace, m 
“Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace within ourselves, more and more peace and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.” ~ Etty Hillesum Hi beauties!
The long awaited moment has arrived: Yacht Club yoga is THIS SATURDAY! 9 - 10 AM ALL are welcome! Please bring your own mat and whatever else to keep yourself cozy. Space is filling up for our first Full Moon Yoga Circle @ Satya Yoga | Friday, May 1 | 6 - 7 PM. Teresa and I would love to have you join us for this special evening. 🌕 Amidst the chaos and tumult of our current world, today I want to talk about something each of us can do to make OUR OWN world a bit brighter. Look for glimmers 💖 What are glimmers? Well, think of them as the opposite of triggers. Instead of our nervous system being hijacked by things that upset us, a glimmer is something that helps soothe, calm, and maybe even sparks some joy! Here’s the thing. There are glimmers around us, all the time. There are also potential triggers surrounding us. We have discretion about where we direct our attention. Notice I encouraged us to LOOK for glimmers. This means it’s an action. A choice. Something we decide to do. Try it with me this week. Actively look for small, good things that are around you. And, stay there with your attention and your presence for a few relaxed breaths. Maybe allowing the corners of your lips to curl up into a smile. Not sure where to start? How about enlivening your senses with that first smell of coffee in the morning. Or, tuning into the sunlight dancing on the water. The moments don’t have to be big, but the reward system activated in the body is huge! And, the more we do this, the more readily the brain recognizes the glimmers around us. 🌟 Here’s to cultivating internal peace. Om shanti, shanti, shanti (peace, peace, peace) m 
“We cannot have a healed society, we cannot have change, we cannot have justice, if we do not reclaim and repair the human spirit.” ~ Rev Angel Kyodo Williams Hi friends!
My time in El Salvador was enlivening, busy, wonderful, and exhausting. I loved being with our producer partners from Honduras and Guatemala. Our team also got to make LOTS of new connections. I REALLY need to improve my Spanish! But outside of that, I believe we accomplished what we set out to do. Next up? 4 of the OBIIS team are traveling to Florida. This time, we are meeting with people from within the BIGGBY sphere about our Farm-Direct program. It will be a quick trip, and I still need to pack plus practice my presentation a few more times. 😉 Before I go, a few reminders about upcoming events:
I hope you’ll take just a few moments to watch something profound and powerful. Here’s to moving forward and healing, one step at a time, m 
“Just because the mind is saying something doesn’t mean it’s right.” ~ Shi Heng Yi Hi everyone!
Hard to believe last week I was writing about sitting outdoors, enjoying our front porch. 🤣 I guess our Big Winter has a few more things to say before saying, “Adios!” On Sunday, I saw the most beautiful, TINY, purple irises blooming outside Pennyroyal. They were such a stunning pop of color. I’m worried about how they’re faring, and about the HUGE buds on our neighbor’s Magnolia tree will survive. I think our entire neighborhood delights in its big blooms because they really feel like spring. Last night, in this Winter Storm, Javi alerted Mike and I to the deer that were making their way down the middle of our street. Nature has to be resilient around here. And, tough. I’ve been thinking a lot about how nature both survives and thrives. There’s an interesting juxtaposition for me right now between getting ready for the more busy, more active, more social outdoor season, and the wintery weather that has me feeling like a bit more hibernation. 🤪 Turns out, I don’t have control of the weather, so here’s to honoring it all. And, I’m learning that I truly love the seasons for their different energy. The hibernation provides us with time to dream, vision, and plan. That way, our creative energy is sparked, and new ideas can take shape and emerge . . . or blossom. 🌸 In addition to counting down the days until the return of Yacht Club Yoga (we start Saturday, April 11@ 9:00 - 10:00 AM), I am announcing 2 NEW OFFERINGS. As always, you find out here, first! 💕
With love, light, and longing for peace, m 
“The moment you stop chasing, it comes. The second you let go, it arrives. The day you finally believe, it happens. The universe doesn’t work on desperation; it works on alignment.” ~ Buddha’s Teaching Hello, my friends!
Winds, Fog. Rain. Large fluctuations in temperatures. t’s definitely that strange time of year in West Michigan when we don’t know if we’re wearing our winter gear? Or, is it time to break out the sandals? The answer is . . . YES. 😆 Our irises are starting to emerge. Mike and I delighted watching some robins high up in our neighbor’s tree while sitting on our front porch. When I drove Javier to his grooming appointment, I was so close to a pair of sandhill cranes that were feeding in the field. I know we still have some cold weather ahead of us, and the signs of spring are in the air. Something I’m very excited about this spring is the return of Yacht Club Yoga. The space. The class. There’s just something about Saturday mornings at SYC that’s always been special. Even though it was the right decision, I had some grief around letting it go for a few months. In this time of seasonal transition, I look forward to its return! We’ll be back on the mat together on Saturday, April 11 | 9:00 - 10:00 AM. ALL are welcome. The Yacht Club is a very welcoming space, with gorgeous views, no matter the weather. There’s plenty of space to park. There’s no need to pre-register. Simply come as you are and enjoy the experience. We’ll move. Breathe. Meditate. It’s amazing what can happen in one hour of coming into our bodies and a place of presence. If you have any questions about whether or not this class is a fit for you? Reach out any time. With love, light, and longing for peace, m P.S. I’m enjoying the “I get to” mindset, and it’s starting to be more deeply rooted within. I hope you like it, too! 
“Live in the present. Do the things that need to be done. Do all the good you can each day. The future will unfold.” ~ Peace Pilgrim Hi!
I’m laundering, catching up, and recovering today, so a brief note. Just before my super long drive, I read something that REALLY helped me. It’s so simple. Turns out? Changing just one word, changed everything. Instead of thinking, “Today I have to . . . “ Trying framing it this way, “Today I get to . . . “ That’s it! For me? I would start each day thinking of what I am lucky enough to do. I get to help my parents. I get to see my cousins. I get to watch the full moon rise. Changing that one small word had a BIG impact on my days. It felt like an instant shift into a place of gratitude. I’m going to keep this practice going. Join me? With love, light, and longing for peace, m P.S. Speaking of joining me! I cannot WAIT for the return of Yacht Club Yoga on Saturday mornings! It’s happening in April, so keep watching here. 
“At every moment, we always have a choice, even if it feels we don’t. Sometimes that choice may simply be to think a more positive thought.” ~ Tina Turner Hello, friends!
We had fantastic weather for our first two days in Key West. Sunny, warm, and very little wind. Perfect for two days out on the water . . . definitely one of my most happy places. Getting to see this WILDerness by boat is phenomenal. Ted is an expert fisherman, boat captain, and guide, so our time was truly special. Darcy and Ted are both patient teachers as Mike and I tried to find our way with the fishing rod. It’s great seeing our friends in their home habitat. They spend a lot of time with us in Michigan watching their son’s soccer season . . . so to see them in their element? A true gift. It’s a good thing no one is relying on my fishing skills for survival. 🤣 Just one more reason for me to continue being vegetarian. 🌱😉 Next up? Mike flies home, and I drive from Key West to Anna Maria Island to join my parents. Then, lots more driving with my Mom and Dad to bring them back to Michigan via a few stops in Missouri to visit the relatives. I look forward to being back on the mat with some of you when I return to Michigan! With light and love, m |
AuthorMichelle Shaw: Archives
May 2026
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