"HUGGING IS A SILENT WAY OF SAYING...
YOU MATTER TO ME."
--carolcmiller.com
Hey, Namaste,
It's been a while, 3 months to be exact since our last e-letter to all and lots has changed. Many of us have received the "jab" and hopefully many more will. See more on that below.
My First Hug
After I was more than two weeks out from my second Moderna vaccine, we had a couple over for dinner who had also been vaccinated. It was weird at first and then Hillary and I hugged, realizing this was our first hug from anyone outside our family in almost a year. We were elated. A few weeks later, I was outside with a friend, a nurse, who had also been vaccinated. I asked her if she had hugged anyone outside her family yet and she hadn't. So I asked her if she wanted to hug me and hug she did. She wouldn't let go and after she finally did, she came in for another hug.
Covid has had us experiencing all kinds of emotions and all kinds of things, some of which we had never imagined and others that we had taken for granted, like a hug and probably won't ever again.
I've been thinking about hugs lately and how they make us all feel. Hugs instantly boost oxytocin levels so of course they make us feel better. Last Sunday's New York Times featured a full page on hugs. Check out Nothing like a Good, Long Hug, Even if It's Strange at First. The original version of this appeared on line May 5.
Our world continues to be absolutely crazy as Covid continues, although, fingers crossed, we are moving to better days. We just passed 1 year since George Floyd's horrifying death. Let's hope the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passes soon. Meanwhile, justice has not been served for so many. Tulsa Massacre 100 year anniversary is May 31. Racism, riots, crime, murder, anti-semitism, anti-asian bias, inequality and a mental health pandemic on steroids...it all continues.
Take a pause for a moment and take a breath. We all need to be at our very best to continue to navigate and make positive change for our future and our children's future. They didn't ask for any of this.
Yesterday, I viewed a video about a hug experiment Meir Kay did blindfolded. Check it out. I was moved and you will be too. Remember folks, kindness wins and some hugging feels wonderful for all. We could all endless hugs.
Schools are reopening.
Where do you stand on getting jabbed?
The other day, I had a full physical (am in excellent health. Yey.) and the doctor mentioned that 30% of personnel of the hospital she's affiliated with have not gotten the vaccine. What? Everyone is entitled to their own decision. Like me, maybe you have personal experience with people who had Covid and became deathly ill. My dad at 91 got Covid early on and is thankfully still around. The people close to me who had Covid, are not among the over 594,000 people who perished in our country although some got quite close.
Schools are reopening fully in the Fall. Newark Yoga Movement is thrilled. We've begun to dip our toe back into in-person yoga having attended two outside open houses at the new Michelle Obama Elementary school and now have regular Monday night classes for adults at 6pm at both The Waterfront and The Clubhouse and a Saturday 12pm Kids/Family classes at The Clubhouse. Mask guidelines are lifting for those who are vaccinated. Travel is starting to pick up. It's exciting and a bit scary as we move back to reality.
All I know, is I feel safer with the vaccine. A couple weeks ago, I had coffee with a Vice Principal and she shared her story with me as she was one of the early ones getting Covid in March 2020. She got really sick. She was on a respirator. She was intubated. She overheard doctors saying she wasn't going to make it. Can you imagine hearing this? She couldn't speak at the time but this strong woman said to herself "you don't know me I will make it." Make it she did after many months of weird side effects like losing her hair (and no it isn't because her father was bald) and to this day still having days of brain fog. She has the vaccine and is grateful for her life. She's lucky. If you are on the fence, please reconsider especially if you work with others. Ok, enough said.
Monday is Memorial Day and we leave you with this quote from Richelle E. Goodrich Slaying Dragons:
"On this day, take time to remember those who have fallen.
But on every day after, do more; put the freedoms they died
for to greater and nobler uses."
We invite you to move, breathe and pause with us anytime you want or join us for one of our live or in-person classes on schedule below. Core n' More on IG live with replay on IGTV and our library of assorted kids and adult classes on YouTube on demand.
With love and gratitude,
Debby and NYM Team
PS Our opening photo is a collage of various children learning yoga from NYM except the one of me at 6ish with my dad.
