Remember your friends

StickK to It!

Ready to finally stickK to your commitments? Then stand up, and put your reputation, or even your money, where your mouth is, and change your life. Reap the rewards of your hard work.

My friend just told me about this website and I think it is a great way to help keep your motivation up - whether it is loosing weight or making sure to put money in your savings account.

check it out and put a contract out on yourself or your best friend :) www.stickk.com

Dear god, it's nice outside.

Do you have a yard? No?

Do you have a porch? No? Hmmm.....

Do you have a park nearby? Far away?

Whatever options you have, put on some walking shoes, grab a blanket, pack some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and a little balsamic, oil and bread and have a picnic. Seriously. Just get outside. Even if it's over lunch and you are eating some awful egg salad sandwich from the 7-11.

I am so in love with Portland summer this year and so happy that I decided to actually participate in the Health Immersion. It is forcing me to leave work early, get out of the house and enjoy the long, mild summer evenings.



At the Health Immersion (formerly bootcamp) we've been doing Pilates in a cute, shady park with big leafy trees. Some days it feels like I literally have to scrape my butt off of the office chair and force myself to go. Afterwards I can hardly believe I seriously considered not going.

For starters, Health Immersion is like summer camp for grownups. I love all of the people in the program. They are mature, fun, and really supportive of one another. Just spending time around a bunch of people focused on living healthier lives is really uplifting for me.

I love the way my towel smells. I just can't get the smell of sunscreen out of it no matter how many times I wash it. And I just don't care. My yoga mat is currently out on loan, but doing Pilates in the grass means a towel works just fine and there is nothing that smells quite as good as the fading aroma of some coconutty sunscreen as you relax after your fourth seal pose (or whatever they call it in Pilates).

The river is just a shot little jog over from the park where the program meets. Last night I sat by the river with two friends, checking out the lights winking on the water, eating warm bread with cheese and oysters and feeling really grateful for all of this time I've been spending outside.

Happy Dance

This waiting for me in my inbox this morning - and I wanted to share it with you! Matt quit his corporate job and has been in 42 countries in 14 months dancing his happy dance. Hope you enjoy it!

How you tell your story matters & Event tonight

I read the coolest New York Times Article a while back about how narrative shapes our lives. The author discusses narrative research and how people of various personality types and dispositions tell similar stories. He writes:

Generous, civic-minded adults from diverse backgrounds tell life stories with very similar and telling features, studies find; so likewise do people who have overcome mental distress through psychotherapy.

David Vanadia is a Recess practitioner who, among his many talents, explores our lives through story. His DIY Story events invite the audience to relive hilarious exploits, serious events and everything in between.

If you are in Portland, Oregon I would seriously recommend that you attend one of these events. If you are not in Portland, OR I would seriously encourage you to start one of these events in your community - maybe even just with your circle of friends. Here's the low-down:

DIY (Do It Yourself) Stories
http://www.DIYstories.com

Theme: Stories From The Hood

Your high school parking lot was filled with $60,000 cars.
There were more cops than kids in your neighborhood.
There was that one kid who everyone picked on and one day…

Come and share stories about where you grew up.

Wednesday, July 9th: 8 - 10 pm

Urban Grind Coffeehouse - FREE!
2214 NE Oregon (See DIYstories.com for a map) Portland, OR 97232
503.546.0649

Budokon in the Park

Budokon is a favorite of Recess Health Immersion program participants.

Budokon Yoga Flow and Conditioning Class

When? Every Tuesday & Thursday Eve. from 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Where? Laurelhurst Park (SE 39th & Stark) We meet at the north side of the pond (to the west,) then walk to a good shady spot. You can look for me & my green yoga mat.
Drop in fee: $10
Bring: Yoga mat, water, towel, yoga-appropriate clothing.
RSVP: If you are planning to go please email her by noon on Tues/Thurs so that she knows to expect you.

Please call or email with Questions .... Sensei Linda Munsey 503.481.7940 senseilinda@hotmail.com or budokonportland@gmail.com

What is Budokon (bu-do-kon)?

The Physical Practice
The Budokon physical practice draws upon ancient and modern yogic and martial arts styles. The foundation of the Budokon physical practice is precision, alignment and Zen mind. All Budokon techniques are designed to explore the body's full range of motion. The practice dances between agility, control, speed, power, balance and flow. The physical practice is divided into two themes: The Yogic Series, and the Budo Series. Both themes constantly draw from and depend on eachother. The Budokon Yogic Series was heavily influenced by Iyengar and Ashtanga yogic techniques and alignment. The focus is on control, calm, power and precision. These techniques are uniquely different from traditional Hatha Yoga in the sense that they not only work to
improve range of motion and strength, but they also explore the body's ability to sustain another person's body weight. The Budokon Budo Series is a combination of standing and ground techniques drawn primarily from Okinawan Karate-Do, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and Olympic Style
Tae Kwon Do. The objective of this series is to teach agility, power, focus and flow in the body and mind.

The Zen Practice

The Budokon Zen practice is seated meditation. Zen is about single minded living. Zen is about freedom from our own ideas. This practice is the foundation of Budokon and weaves its way through everything we do. Hoping to see you in class for a work-out that will challenge your
Body, Mind, and Spirit!

If I Were President

What would you do if you were President? What changes would you make to create a healthy, happier, world? Support One Economy and submit your video to www.247townhall.org for a chance to win a free flip cam and get your platform heard.

Food For Thought Meal with Ian Rubin

Come join Recess's newest addition to our Practitioner team, Ian Rubin, for a delicious and nutritious summertime meal, Saturday July 18th. RSVP with Ian @ 503.260.0473.

Top Ten Today

In completely random order:
1. Pets
2. Plants
3. Summer
4. Earrings, the danglier the better
5. Travel (in theory :P )
6. Yoga
7. Bicycles
8. Q-tips
9. Water
10.My friends

Oh and can I add an 11th?

11. Glad I wasn't in Ottowa recently.