A whole lot of things have changed dramatically since my last newsletter, and yet, thankfully, gracefully, there are things that remain the same. By the time you receive this in your inbox, it will have been announced to the public that Breathe Healing Arts Center in Newberg has permanently closed it's doors. I've known this for a little while, and have been quietly grieving this loss. It was never "just the space where my classes were held", Breathe was so much more than that. I really felt at home there, and there was no denying the good vibes, good friends, and good community. Sadly, I know that this won't be the only business that doesn't make it through this pandemic. Fortunately, I also know that the owner of Breathe is at peace with this decision. If you know anything about me, you know I'm a glass-half-full kind of person - actually I'm a "glass is refillable" kind of person! So I am confident that something new awaits and I will land where I am supposed to land. I'm looking forward to that Open Window.

MELT Classes will remain online
for the month of May
Each week I'll be sending you an email with a list of Zoom offerings for the week. Keep your eyes out for some special offers and beginning classes too! Is there something you'd like me to offer that isn't on the calendar yet? Hit reply and let me know your ideas! Remember, I stock all sorts of MELT equipment so you can start MELTing right away (plus I save you some shipping and handling charges)! I'm doing porch deliveries in the area to bring MELT right to your doorstep! By purchasing your equipment through me, you are truly helping me stay afloat during this time. I've got an online store too, if you're interested in our streaming service, MELT on Demand, or you live outside the area. You can link directly to my store HERE.
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As I shared with a new client recently: "If you try to MELT without using the proper equipment, you simply aren't MELTing. It's like wanting to make Pinot Noir using Chardonnay grapes. You'll still make wine, but you won't get the results you were expecting."

Welcome back!
Wow - Where did June go?  It's hard to believe that it's been a month since we returned home from our trip.  We truly had the time of our lives and are so very grateful for a vacation without many hiccups or issues.  It was our first trip to Italy and France, and it lived up to and exceeded every expectation.  
I have re-acclimated back to daily life and am focusing on summer schedules, specials and workshops.  For those of you who don't follow me on social media - here are a few pics from our travels.  

Bring A Friend to MELT during the months of July and August!  That's right  - bring your friend, your spouse, your kid, your neighbor - to any all-level MELT Class for FREE!* 
AND
If you've never been to a MELT class, but you'd love to give it a try... your first class is FREE during July and August!  
Remember - you just need to wear comfy clothes, bring your water bottle and your yoga mat (if you have one) and I'll provide all the necessary MELT equipment.
Regular classes prices are $12 for drop-ins.  I also sell punch cards:  5 classes for $50 or 10 classes for $90.  
*please limit your free friend to one per week - thank you!

There's a sobering statistic for you.  This week marked 81 years since the last major legislation was passed - that's right, it was 1938.  Beautycounter is at the forefront of the movement to safer skin care and make up products for everyone.  
There has been a lot to catch up on in the Beautycounter world, and I'm still reading and learning about our exciting new products and changes.

• We've got a whole new skin care line making it's debut in July - check out this article in WWD about our new Countertime line.  I'm super excited to try our newest line and can't wait to share it with all of you!  
• Our safer summer sunscreen line up expanded with the addition of Countersun Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Mist and Countersun After Cooling Gel.  If you are still using chemical sunscreens on your skin, here's a great article from the Environmental Working Group.  There is also a link to help you find safer alternatives as well as checking in on what you are currently using.  I encourage you to download the EWG app on your smart phone so you can check products out while you shop!  
• You'll notice a change to more environmentally friendly packaging in the coming months.

If you'd like more information about hosting a party or joining the movement, you can email me here.

Be on the lookout for Intro Workshops, a follow-up focus series on The Lower Body, a short series on Building a MELT Habit, MELTed Yoga, MELT-in-the-park, a summer picnic and more!  

Lately I've been thinking a lot about our environment, but not in the traditional way.  You see, every week I visit a beautiful farm in Carlton for a MELT session.  Brenda Smola-Foti owns and operates Tabula Rasa Farms and she is firmly committed to cultivating harmony between land, animals and people.  One of the methods she has put into practice is permaculture - a way to work with nature to provide diversity, stability and resilience of the natural ecosystems.  This practice works with the natural 'lay of the land' to create swales and terraces to collect and distribute rainwater throughout the farm.  She rotates the animals throughout the property in a way that nourishes not only the animals, but the land as well.  In working to create and maintain a healthy, viable farm, Brenda must take into consideration every pasture and every animal as well as the needs of the land itself.  
Last month, during one of my visits, I had the opportunity to introduce MELT to a new farmhand.  I realized how easy it was to connect what he knew about creating and maintaining the healthy environment at the farm to creating and maintaining a healthy environment in the body.  He understands what happens to the land when water doesn't flow naturally and knows the stiff, dry soil is difficult to work and doesn't absorb the rain readily.  
When we MELT, we are taking care of the entire biosystem.  We are nurturing our internal environment and creating diversity, stability and resilience.  MELT is working in every system, because it's all connected, and we can't impact one system in the body without impacting them all.  Remember, our connective tissue invests in our muscles and organs, it's present in our brain, it gives our joints their ability to absorb shock, it's where the nervous system resides as well as the lymphatic system.  It is your ecosystem, and it takes effort to keep it in it's best possible condition.  I invite you to cultivate harmony within ~ I invite you to MELT.

Remember, there will be no MELT classes from April 29 to May 24.  Todd and I are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our honeymoon with a "bucket-list" trip to Italy and France.  If you know me, you know our MELT equipment travels with me, and this will be no exception.  Our plan is to take two MELT Performance Rollers and our Hand & Foot Kit.  MELT is a must to unwind the impact of a long flight, stressful travel and the miles of walking we will be doing.  
I invite you to find and like my Flex Your Ability Facebook page - I'll be doing a bit of Facebook Live while I'm traveling and keeping you all up-to-date on our adventure!  
If you have any travel tips, experiences, etc. you'd love to share ~ please leave a comment!  We'll be in Rome, Soriano Nel Cimino, Sienna, and the Cinque Terra region in Italy, as well as Mougins, France.  

​When I sat down to write this blog, I looked up the synonyms for the word "change".   Here are the ones that best describe this last month:
​adjustment ~ innovation ~ modification ~ revision ~ shift ~ transformation ~ transition ~ refinement
It's also been exciting, stressful, exhilarating, exhausting, fulfilling and overwhelming.  
Our move day went really well, thanks to our many family and friends who showed up and worked hard!  In the end, we rented our U-Haul for almost exactly twelve hours - which speaks highly of our crew.  Thank you to all of you who were sending us positive energy and wishing us the best - we truly felt it that day.  
And here we are, settling in to our new home in Carlton and trying very mindfully to "Give Ourselves Time".  We don't need to rush, we take a break every now and then, we ponder and place and rearrange and ponder some more.  We skim Pinterest and Google and Amazon for ideas (ok, that's mostly me).  We will definitely do a HaPpY dAnCe when the last box is emptied, but  we know time is on our side and we will remember to enjoy the "settling in".  

As most of you know, my move to Carlton is not the only revision in my life.  Beginning in March, I've been given an amazing opportunity to teach my classes in one location - BREATHE HEALING ARTS CENTER. Breathe is located in between Chehalem Physical Therapy and Curves at 114 N. Everest St. in Newberg.   I have been so fortunate to have taught classes at All People Yoga and Chehalem Physical Therapy, and am truly thankful for all that they have given my business.  Now it is time to plant myself, grow some roots, and see what will bloom.  I'm excited that you will know where to find me for any given class!
​I invite you to check out the website at Breathe Healing Arts and discover this community of healing practitioners for yourself.  

TUESDAY @ 9:00 AM - 
9:00 - 10:00 am - Join me for this all-level class and discover the perfect start to your Tuesday morning. We'll use MELT soft balls and soft foam rollers to get your body feeling ready to take on the day! 
TUESDAY @ NOON:
12:00 - 1:00 pm - This  all-level  MELT Class is your perfect mid-day class! Come and de-stress with me. All equipment is provided.
TUESDAY @  6:30 PM -
6:30 - 7:30 pm - This all-level class will leave you feeling relaxed and ready for a good night's sleep! We'll use MELT soft balls and soft foam rollers to not only hydrate your connective tissue, but quiet your nervous system and stimulate your body's natural ability to rest and restore.  
WEDNESDAY @ 4:30 PM -
4:30 - 5:30 pm - This advanced class is designed for clients who MELT regularly and have attended an Intro to MELT workshop. If you'd like to know if this is a good fit for you, please contact me at shelley@flexyourability.com.
THURSDAY @ 3:30 PM -  
3:30 - 4:30 pm - Technique Class! New to the MELT line-up is this hour long class that will focus on learning the techniques for the MELT moves. We may have a specific MAP that we work through, or the clients may lead the way with special requests. Either way, we'll really focus on the set up, proper positioning, and have plenty of time for questions and answers.
THURSDAY @ 5:00 PM
5:00 - 6:00 pm - This  all-level  MELT Class is your perfect reason to leave work on time. Do you sit at a desk most of your day? or have a job that requires repetition?   We'll use MELT soft balls and soft foam rollers to help your body recover from the stress of your work day.  

MELT - It's easy to learn, easy to do, doesn't take up much space, is affordable and portable!  Better yet, we feel better every time we do it!   The key to becoming a MELT success story is consistency!  Be consistent with your MELT practice - whether at home or coming to class - ideally you should be MELTing at least three times each week for a minimum of 10 minutes.  I've personally seen the changes you are making in your bodies, I've personally experienced making those changes in my own body.  I believe in your ability to make it happen!  It takes consistency, commitment and the creation of your MELT habit.  What will your MELT success story be?    I'd love to hear yours! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
​I've decided it's not too late to send those wishes out to my readers - it is still January after all.  You may have noticed that I'm switching things up with my newsletter.  I've decided to format it as a blog here on my website.  I hope you'll explore my site if you haven't been here before.  I'm working to make it more interactive and offering more up-to-date information.  It's a work in-progress.
​Aren't we all?  

What's your WORD?
The newest replacement of the New Year Resolution is "Your Word for 2019".  I have a hard time with resolutions - but I'm having an even harder time anticipating my entire next year with ONE WORD.  So I'm choosing lots of words that inspire me so I will continue to GROW, LEARN, TEACH, TRUST, BREATHE.  I've got too much going on for just one word.​  

CHANGES ARE COMING!
Yep - our house has SOLD!  We've made it through inspections and appraisals for both the sale of this home and the purchase of our next home in Carlton!  We are looking forward to settling in to a new community, meeting new neighbors and adjusting to the changes that are sure to come our way.  With the move, I will be looking at my schedule, my locations, and making changes that make the most sense for my businesses.
So it'll be important for you to stay in touch.  I'll be posting changes on my Facebook and Instagram pages (links below) and sending out emails with updated information.  It'll all be posted here on my website as well.  Are you getting my emails?  If you are on my newsletter list, but haven't ever received an email from me, please check your junk mail, or allow shelley@flexyourability.com in your settings. If you'd like to be added to my email list, you can simply send me a message or use the contact/register page (link above).  
I'm excited about these changes, even though I don't know exactly what they will look like.  Remember my words:  TRUST, BREATHE, GROW.

TUNING UP AND TUNING IN
Here is a great blog from MELT creator Sue Hitzmann, sharing some of the amazing science that she witnessed at the recent International Fascial Research Congress.  Sue relates how important it is for us to slow down and listen to what our body is telling us by using our Body Sense.  Remember, Body Sense is our internal awareness that we all have, and it's an integral key to the lasting changes MELT can make in your body.  I encourage you to take at least 10 minutes every day to MELT.  If you're not sure how to create a habit, try setting an alarm on your phone every day for MELT.  You can even name it MELT or ME-TIME or SELF-CARE!  If you can't find 10 minutes in your daily routine, you really need MELT.