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.