“The abundant heart embraces our world, holding all its joy and fear, gain and loss, nobility and selfishness, enveloped in a field of compassion and love.” ~ Jack Kornfield Hi friends!
I hope you are doing well in the heat of summer. Today? A loving note of encouragement to offer yourself spaciousness. To create spaciousness. For yourself. For your conversations. For your ideas and your dreams. For your rest. For your sorrows. And your triumphs. For your grief and your hope. I often talk in my classes about how yoga changes the volume dials. Turning down the volume, the noise, of the thinking mind. And tuning up the awareness in our heart and our belly. This is an ongoing practice for me. And I simply, lovingly, return to it again. And again. Recently, I have been experiencing glimpses into how important it is to create even more space around this. Around tending to ourselves. Showing up for ourselves. Nourishing ourselves. And more spaciousness for listening. Connecting. Feeling into the moment that’s right here in front of us. Maybe that moment when things seem to be going sideways? Leads to the breakthrough that was needed, wanted, all along. The heat of summer seems like the perfect time to slow things down. Offering ourselves, and one another, the grace of spaciousness. And remember, sometimes a big shift can happen in the first 90 seconds . . . simply by allowing that initial wave of reactivity to pass on through. Spaciousness can begin that quickly. It can also begin with attention to a round of breath. Inhale fortifying you. Exhale releasing. Something I’ve been experimenting with is listening without a desire to speak in response. Rather than waiting out the other person so that I can share my story, thoughts, ideas . . . simply listening. Fully. Ahhhhhhh. More space. It doesn’t have to be complicated. And, it certainly changes things. Love and light, m
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“Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.” ~ Julia Alvarez Hello friends!
A short note this week. I’m all things preparation and excitement for Create + Restore on Sunday. As I spend time in meditation for this immersive experience, I am settling into that sweetness of ease and spaciousness. This immersion is not about movement. Or breath. Or painting. It’s an opportunity to unwind. To shift attention from the head to the heart. From thinking to sensing. I can’t wait to sink into flow with Theresa and with our group. Life rarely invites us to slow down. To notice. To be surprised. And that’s what these 3 hours are all about. I can’t wait to see what emerges. Love and light, m P.S. If you want to purchase the coffee that comes directly from Gorongosa, Mozambique you can! Buy BIGGBY COFFEE French Roast! P.P.S. Summer Season ⛵️ Saugautck Yacht Club | Saturday | 8:30 - 9:30 A | EVERY SATURDAY in JULY! Satya | Monday | 8:30 - 9:30 A Full Moon Yoga Circle 🦌🌕 | Wednesday, July 29 | 6:00 - 7:00 P Create + Restore | Sunday, July 12 | 10:30 A - 1:30 P 
“No one who has ever touched liberation could possibly want anything other than liberation for everyone..” ~ Rev Angel Kyodo Williams Hi friends!
It’s wonderful to be home, and I am excited to be back on the mat. It takes time, spaciousness, and less fog to process a big travel experience. Going on a BIGGBY Nation Farm-Direct trip is an adventure like no other. Yes, I was at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique last year. This time around? It was extra impactful. What’s at the forefront for me right now is the monumental amount of work it takes for us to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee. When you KNOW your coffee is not only free of Glyphosate (Round Up), and it’s also directly doing good for the people who grow it, good for the community around the farm, and good for the planet? Well . . . that makes choosing Farm-Direct coffee a Win, Win, Win, Win! So, if you drink coffee, you can make a powerful difference. I have the privilege of seeing that difference in real time. One of the MANY challenges of growing coffee in Gorongosa is the condition of the roads. Most people don’t own any forms of transportation other than their two feet. Fatianca Paulina Chico, one of the original and best farmers on the mountain, now owns two motorbikes. Both have been purchased with her profits from coffee. The impact of owning motorbikes cannot be overstated. It is life changing. There’s so much more to share, and I look forward to doing so. For now, it’s great being home. I hope you can join me at any of my upcoming yoga classes or workshops. I cannot wait for Create + Restore with Theresa Gray! This is one of those opportunities that doesn’t come around very often. I hope you can join us. Love and light, m P.S. If you want to learn more about Gorongosa National Park and the Coffee Project, enjoy this 10-minute movie. 
“You only have what you give. It’s by spending yourself that you become rich.” ~ Isabel Allende Hello!
I’m hoping last week’s 5-step PAUSE has been useful. 💝 The more I practice it, the more readily I can drop into a place that is quieter and calmer. My favorite step is the last one: Enjoy. When I get there, my insides seem to smile. I’m reminded to linger with what’s nourishing me. Ahhhhhh, here’s to more savoring! Why not bask in delight a little longer? 🤩 Lately, I’ve been wondering how to help ourselves when something really aggravating pops up. You know . . . when something, or someone, triggers a strong internal response? 😤 None of us are immune to the chemical stew, the cortisol bath, that can make certain moments hard to navigate with grace. 🤬 When I’m feeling super activated, I may need a different tool: The 90-second rule. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and stroke survivor, discovered something remarkable. When we experience an emotional trigger, the neurochemical response lasts about 90 seconds. After that, what remains is often the story we are telling ourselves about what happened. “The initial wave is involuntary. But what happens after that 90-second window is, to a significant degree, within your influence.” The 90 Seconds that Could Save Your Relationship ~ Figs O’Sullivan Wow! 🤯 If I can ride the wave for 90 seconds . . . then I start to have choice? So, that argument I had last month didn’t need to take over my afternoon? That rattling piece of news didn’t have to steal my sleep? Ninety seconds is pretty quick. Seems manageable, right? 🤷🏻♀️ And yet, we can all think of moments where enduring 90 seconds feels impossible. 😖 How do we help ourselves through the wave? • Observe it without acting. • Notice what it feels like. (Hot? Tight? Cold? Heart rate up?) • Set a timer. • Breathe through it. Why do the feelings stick around after the 90 seconds? Because we replay the event. We build stories around it. And when we defend, deny, excuse, or deflect, we jump right back into the chemical bath and start all over again. 😔 So, what I do during those 90 seconds can shift a lot about how I move forward. Rather than trying to control all the BIG feelings, I’m going to try and let them move on through. That small lens shift may pack some real power. Let’s start there. With love, light, and 90 seconds worth of peace, every time, m 
“Grateful living is important in the world because in our constant pursuit of more and better we can easily lose sight of the riches that lay right in front of us and within us.” ~ Guri Meta Hi friends!
A short note today: an invitation. An invitation to PAUSE. Not just now, while you’re reading this. But whenever you need to. Why? Because pausing is the first step to shifting. Creating a meaningful shift in your day, in your energy, in the way things move forward? It can be so simple! Try these 5 easy steps. Any time. Every time. 1: P - Pause | Step away from doing 2: A - Arrive | Come fully into the moment 3: U - Unwind | Let your breath loosen the grip of busyness 4: S - Settle | Rest your awareness in your heart, your belly, your body 5: E - Enjoy | Savor the simple goodness of being here. A meaningful pause doesn't require a yoga mat, a meditation cushion, or an hour of free time. Just a few intentional moments. Pause. Arrive. Unwind. Settle. Enjoy. You may be surprised by how much can shift in less than a minute. Sometimes that's all it takes to remember you're already home. ✨ And why not linger a little longer with whatever is nourishing you? ♥️ Thank you Rhoda Thurston Lewis for the stunning hummingbird photo! Even the hummingbird allows itself a PAUSE. Love and light to all, m P.S. Summer Season 🍓 Saugautck Yacht Club | Saturday | 8:30 - 9:30 A | EVERY SATURDAY in JUNE! Satya | Monday | 8:30 - 9:30 A Full Moon Yoga Circle 🌕 | Monday, June 29 | 6:00 - 7:00 P Create + Restore | Sunday, July 12 | 10:30 A - 1:30 P 
“It is this way with wonder: it takes a bit of patience, and it takes putting yourself in the right place at the right time. It requires that we be curious enough to forgo our small distractions in order to find the world.” ~ Aimee Nezhukumatathil Hello!
It’s great being here with you today. Thank you. Relationships that are formed through yoga, or that contain an element of yoga in them? Are special. Once you’ve shared breath, and movement, and connection to presence together? There’s an added component that is rich, and tender, and sweet. I’m reminded of this every time I step onto the deck at Lakeshore Resort. Guests make their way down the steps. I greet them with a hello and a smile. Maybe we exchange a few moments of pleasantries about where they are visiting from. Where they ate dinner last night. Where I might recommend they go tonight. It’s all very nice. And then, we practice together. The shift is profound. The opportunity to pause. To connect with breath. To feel into our bodies and our beings. Sharing that with one another? It opens up a lot. I’m super grateful for every opportunity I have to weave another thread of support into my own yoga tapestry. Sunday’s Full Moon Circle had extra power in it. We’re building something really special there. And by “we” I don’t mean me and Teresa. I mean “WE” . . . everyone who is attending. If you’re looking for opportunities to drop in, please join me somewhere this summer. Personally? I can’t wait for Create + Restore on Sunday, July 12. Talk about a power-packed creative immersion! And an awesome way to reset your nervous system. There are a few spots left; I hope you can join us. If you missed today’s quotation, maybe take another look. Reading it prompted me to order Aimee’s newest collection of poetry: Night Owl. Here’s being curious enough to forgo the small distractions, m P.S. Summer Season 💜 Saugautck Yacht Club | Saturday morning | 8:30 - 9:30 A Satya | Monday morning | 8:30 - 9:30 A Full Moon Yoga Circle 🍓 | Monday, June 29 | 6:00 - 7:00 P Create + Restore | Sunday, July 12 | 10:30 A - 1:30 P 
“Find the thing that stirs your heart and make room for it. Life is about the development of self to the point of unbridled joy.” ~ Joan Chittister Hi, friends!
Happy unofficial start to summer! Memorial Day Weekend brought all kinds of weather: sun, rain, thunder, fog. chill, warmth . . . yep, it happened. Town was packed! We had a blast with nieces and nephews and so many friends. I’m especially thankful the weather cleared on Sunday. Yes, I got a little wet during my yoga class at Lakeshore Resort that morning, but Mike’s band got to play outdoors at the Burn Your Socks Party later in the day. (It’s a sailing thing that happens at Yacht Clubs to signify the end of winter. And yes, socks really were burned. 🤪) When everything turned gorgeous on Monday, we made the most of the sailboat. No actual sailing, yet, but we cruised up the river and took a quick spin in the Big Lake. The best part? After our delicious lunch on board, we were able to enjoy a nap inside the boat! That means Little Wing looks less like a tool shed these days, and is just about ready for prime summer season. 🩵 Amidst the barbecues and festivities, gratitude to all those who serve and sacrifice for our Country. If you missed this week’s quotation, take another look. ⬆️ In preparation for Sunday’s Full Moon Yoga Circle, I’ve been thinking a lot about discernment. I find the definition of discernment interesting: “the mental ability to judge things clearly, perceive subtle details, and make intelligent decisions. It involves separating truth from falsehood and recognizing what is essential, even in complex or confusing situations.” (Merriam Webster) So, it’s a mental ability that relies on perceiving subtle details to separate truth from falsehood. Wow! That’s pretty complex. At first, it sounds like our thinking mind is responsible. Then, it layers in we have to be able to perceive subtle details. How, precisely, does a person do that? And, it sounds like our ability to do is important, because it helps us make good decisions. This will what we’ll be exploring together at Sunday’s Full Moon - Blue Moon class. How do we help ourselves perceive subtle details? How do we build the ability to make really great decisions for ourselves, even when things are complex and confusing? There’s a series of threads, called Sutras, that serves as the foundational philosophical text of Yoga. There are 196 Sutras, and it’s the second one I want to talk about today: Yogas chitta vritti nirodha in Sanskrit. In English: Yoga is the calming of the fluctuations of the mind. So, if we can calm the mind . . . which wants to chatter and bounce around constantly! Then, maybe, that’s how we are able to perceive subtle details happening within? While I appreciate that meditation (one of the eight limbs of yoga) is being more widely talked about, I wonder when I see something like this on TV: Woman walks outside from her hectic hospital job and sits on a nearby bench. Puts in earbuds. Uses phone to turn on her Meditation App. Spends 15 seconds trying to close eyes and be completely relaxed. Mind stays busy. She is now even more frustrated? Decides meditation is not for her. or that she’s “not good” at mediation. To be clear, I have nothing against electronic versions of meditation. I use an app myself sometimes. But is it realistic that with no training, we can shift ourselves from real chaos into complete calm, simply by turning on a recording for a few seconds? There must be a different pathway into knowing how to calm the fluctuations of the mind. And, when we can calm the mind, then we can tune into signals from other parts of our body and being. This subtle body perception helps us with discernment! Sunday’s Full Moon Circle is going to be a lovely internal exploration all around this. I hope you can join us! With so much love and light, m 
“The greatest gift you can give someone is the purity of your attention.” ~ Richard Moss Hello!
Well, since last writing you I think I’ve had the heat, and the AC, on in my car? Maybe on the same day?! 😅 Out of habit, I was still throwing on a layer every time I walked outside. Suddenly I realized it felt like summer . . . warm, humid . . . why am I wearing this puffy coat? And then, once again . . . where is my sweater? My outdoor yoga season began at precisely the right moment. It was an honor to practice last weekend with the bride & groom + loads of their family on their wedding day! And, returning to the deck with dear friends for our Sunday morning class together? Incredible. I often talk about yoga as a fabric. When we practice, we weave in our own thread. And together, we form a fabric of support. For ourselves. For one another. In fact? We join all the other lights around the world, who are on this path, who call out OM . . . and this fabric becomes something we can lean into and rely upon. For comfort. For guidance. For inspiration. This fabric that is yoga connects us in unique ways. It’s something that may seem invisible, yet it uplifts us at all times. This week, I had the opportunity to spend time with a primary thread of support in my Yoga Fabric. The openness, the understanding, the ease, the connection . . . it’s been woven into our friendship from the very beginning. I am so grateful. The time together was an important reminder . . . gifting myself that connection time is such a salve. I love the Richard Moss quotation above, and I am trying to embody it further. Turn off that phone. Settle the distractions that are all around. Savor the moment of connection. Gift others the purity of your attention. In a world of constant information, inputs, chatter, and noise . . . remember to gift yourself that pause. Thank you for being a thread in my fabric of support. I am so glad that one way or another, yoga has woven us together. If you’re looking for an opportunity to be together in person? I’ll be at the Saugautck Yacht Club on Saturday mornings and Satya on Monday mornings. I think there may still be a FEW spaces left for our Blue Moon Yoga Circle? And Create + Restore in July will be the embodiment of tapping into our innate creativity and True self. So much power; Join us! Love and light to you, m 
“When we trust our creative energy, we encounter a supreme kind of enjoyment—an amazement at the natural unfolding of life beyond our ordinary way of looking at things.” ~ Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche Hi friends!
An aspect of life that delights me at this age? The richness that comes from time with friends you’ve shared decades with. There’s something deeply special about the history, the knowing, the shared jokes, and the depth of love and caring that is built over the years. Right now, Darcy is here hanging out with us. I met her when we were ten years old at Summer Sports School. Yep. that was a thing both our Moms invested in. And, why not? The School was five days a week, for several hours each day. We spent our time at the local high school learning how to play all kinds of sports: golf, softball, volleyball, basketball, track and field . . . what better way to occupy and exhaust a gaggle of ten year olds? 😂 Even though I broke two bones in my arm that year at Sports School, I wouldn’t trade any of it. Because . . . 46 years later? My time with Darcy connects me all the way back to that Tomboy I used to be. I remember the first taste of freshly baked Potato Chip cookies I had at her house. My Mom likes to bake, so I understood homemade things. But, desserts without chocolate in them? Now, that was something new! Let alone desserts that contained potato chips. 🤣 When I turned 40, Darcy’s Mom drove out to my house with a tin full of nothing other than those famous Potato Chip Cookies. Such an incredible gift. 💝 Soon, my dear friend Theresa Gray will be back in Michigan. Okay, well not until July . . . but I’m already excited and time is flying! The funny things is: Theresa, Darcy, and I all went to the same high school; however, Theresa and I didn’t meet until I was 30. She and I agree that if we had met during our Holland High days? We may NOT have formed a connection. 😅 Our paths crossed at the exact right moment. We formed an immediate, and lifelong, bond. In fact? She is THE REASON I found my way into yoga. And, she is how I found my path to teaching yoga! 🙏🏽 Throughout our 26 years of friendship, we were next door neighbors for years. We spent time shopping together, cooking together, walking our dogs every day together, planning parties together . . . it was pretty magical. And now, even though we live a couple of time zones apart, it still feels like there is no separation. When she and I create and build something together? All of that history, that love, that understanding . . . it’s inherently built in. I am honored to announce our newest guided experience: Create + Restore. Create + Restore is an invitation to pause, breathe, and reconnect—with yourself and with your innate creativity. . Over the course of three nourishing hours, we’ll move through a gentle flow of breath, meditation, movement, and painting using beautiful natural pigments. These pigments are sustainably sourced and free of heavy metals, offering a grounding, tactile way to work with color. You don’t need to be an artist. You don’t need experience with meditation. Simply bring curiosity and a willingness to explore. Together we’ll settle into a relaxed and welcoming space where breath, movement, and color support reflection, calm, and discovery. You’ll leave feeling refreshed, inspired, and more connected—and with your own sizable painting on raw canvas to take home. Sign up has JUST opened and space is intentionally limited. I hope you can join us! Sunday, July 12 | 10:30 A - 1:30 P @ Manifest Events / Satya Yoga in downtown Saugatuck. Free parking is available Everything you need to move and to paint will be there If you missed today’s quotation, take a look. 👀⬆️ Here’s to a supreme kind of enjoyment! Love and light, m P.S. See you Saturday @ 8:30 for Yacht Club Yoga P.P.S. Once in a BLUE MOON is happening! May 31. Don’t miss! 
“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! ♥️ |
AuthorMichelle Shaw: Archives
September 2026
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