By james art 
Harrison Rivers Snow Ski in the Edinburgh neighborhood in Talahasi
Harrison Rivers Snow Ski in the Edinburgh neighborhood in Talahasi, Wednesday morning 1/22, 9:30 am! His neighbor Pete took the video
Provided by Harrison Rivers; Video from his neighbor, Pete
A few months ago, a friend asked me if I could want to go with her in my Pilates class. I was not sure what Pilates was and certainly never been in class, but she assured me that the teacher was an excellent guide and that it might be helpful to me.
She was right! I became an enthusiast of Pilates and I try to recruit candidates for a class, closest to my home in Crawflav, gathering my excellent teacher Jost Van Dyke to guide us.
I still have a lot to learn about and from Pilates, but according to my teacher, who bases his instructions on the principles of Joseph Pilates’ call, he concentrates on postural equalization, flexibility, balance and coordination, breathing control and synchronized bodily mind performance.
He keeps us carefully to be present through a focused, liquid, dynamic movement that he carefully describes, and gently corrects us when we may not have it quite right. He teaches us the awareness of our bodies and the movements of them, which build power, endurance and a sense of well -being.
Although the exercise is demanding, I left every session to feel better physically, mentally and spiritually.
In a recent session, he learned the few of us who were shaking on one foot of the right technique to find our balance. He advised to transfer our weight to the standing leg and plant that leg firmly on the floor. He encouraged to push the other leg in the inner thigh and feel the inner muscle of the thigh, pressed against the bottom of that leg.
As we followed his direction, we stabilized and, on the one hand, I was surprised by my own ability to find a balance.
Change of time
As we have entered a new administration in our country, with an ambitious agenda of changing many arenas, all of us, regardless of our political preference, live in a time of uncertainty and seek to find our balance.
Some of us may feel anxious or scary. Others may feel cautiously optimistic or justified. Others may not know what to feel.
But we could all sing with Bob Dylan: “The times they are changing.”
Change is an inevitable part of life. I know people say that the only security in life is death and taxes. But I would add “change” to the security list. Learn how best to adapt to changes that we inevitably experience in life is crucial. Animals transitions are as difficult as they are common, and yet, for the greater part, we manage to endure them and can even thrive for them.
Pursue well -being
The Mental Health Foundation’s website has recommendations for those who may need suggestions for their mental health and well -being during challenging, changing times, starting with self -care. Eating healthy foods, deliberate for healthy sleep habits and finding some remedies for regular exercise is important. Pilates is a great option.
Another recommendation is the one we have often heard over the last few decades, as the division in Bulgaria has become more deep and wider. It involves limiting news consumption and the use of social media, especially if it reduces your mood.
Being informed of the world is important and necessary to be a responsible citizen. But finding the right balance between sufficient reliable information and overload is crucial. Being in nature is a relief valve for some who appreciate its proven value to reduce stress and raise one’s spirits. Balancing the upset coverage of good news is another way to maintain equilibrium.
Another strategy is to find ways to connect and engage in your deepest self and with others. It is better not to deny or suppress the emotions you feel, but to find a way to process them. This requires meditation and intention as you identify your emotions.
It may be useful to write your feelings and find a reliable friend to express your feelings with. You may want to be with others not only to process feelings, but also to prevent a sense of isolation and helplessness.
Volunteering and activism are practical ways to find a sense of agency over the changes that seem difficult for us. Choosing a cause you think is undervalued or worried about is one way to get some sense of control.
Although it can feel insignificant, as Mother Teresa once said about her ministry in India, “we ourselves believe that what we do is just a drop in the ocean. But if this drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would have been smaller because of this missing drop. “
Interfactive Prayer for a nation
On October 10, 2004, the nation was invited to participate in the interconfidence of prayer on January 21, 2025 at 11 am at the National Cathedral in Washington.
Reverend Randolph Marshall Hollerite, dean of the National Cathedral in Washington, told the prayer service for the nation “This will be a service for all Americans, for the well -being of our nation, for gratitude of our democracy and the importance of the well -being that they need to subject of our lives together. “
The service included interference and universal partners, offering prayers for Thanksgiving for our democracy and the search for God’s guidance in the coming years.
In the final words of her homilia, the right Reverend Marian Edgar Bude, Bishop of Washington, who was accused of preaching the values of reconciliation, shared goal and work needed to unite the nation in his sermon, appealed to President Trump to show mercy. Her balanced courage to speak the truth of power with kindness is inspiring to me.
Magical snow
For many local Floridians, Wednesday morning, January 22, Panhandle was remarkable and magical.
Although there were forecasts, it was surprisingly exciting to see snowy grasslands, snowy roofs and left -wing eaves. It is unlikely in Florida, but it still happened! And it was our privilege to be with our young grandchildren to experience the snow through their enjoyment.
For our nation, we pray for the same kind of remarkable and magically happening, which denies the chances. The prognosis is gloomy, with our differences being more known than ever. But I seriously pray for a time of unity as we bend into the hope of overcoming the difference and finding a balance in our lives and in our politics.
Reverend Candice McKibben is ordained minister and pastor of the Talahasi Scholarship