This past Monday we celebrated MLK Day. Over his lifetime, Dr. King offered the world so many insightful, inspiring, and strong words. Words that urged us to live our lives differently and that urged us toward community.
For me, of all the wisdom he offered, these words resonate especially:
“We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality….This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured.”
As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I’ve seen how the long term practice of yoga can lead me to deep feelings of interconnectedness–interconnectedness to all living beings. Through yoga, I’ve become more aware of the inherent beauty of the world as well as of the incredible responsibility we have to one another, to our community, and to our planet.
In short, I’ve come to appreciate Dr. King’s single garment of destiny.
As the pandemic has led many of us to contemplate the paths of our lives, our physical and mental health, and our responsibilities to others, many of Del Ray’s own wellness practitioners and businesses have come together to look after and care, not just for their clients, but for each other. These businesses, recognizing their network of mutuality, have promoted one another, shared clients, and held each other up in an effort to better serve our community with intention and integrity.
2021 saw several ways that Del Ray’s wellness businesses came together. The “Wellness District'' was formed within the Del Ray Business Association (DRBA) to support wellness practitioners and businesses. This very blog - The Wellness District Blog - and the Wellness District Holiday Guide are both examples of wellness practitioners working together to share their services with the community and, in so doing, to bring healing to Del Ray’s residents. We blog and we created the Holiday Guide to ensure that you know that we are here for you. In particular, we know that this pandemic has been, and still is, hard. Together–with resilience, inner strength, and caring–we will get through it and come out even stronger.
We’ve learned in the past couple years, if we didn’t know it before, that everything we do has a ripple effect. If we invite a friend to join us in a pilates class; if we share the name of a therapist with a family in crisis; or, if we give a gift card to a teacher for a massage, the benefits of those actions reach beyond the single individual we’ve tried to help, echoing positively throughout our community. Realizing this, a focus on wellness takes on new meaning–a meaning full with the knowledge that the benefits of that focus are far-reaching and bigger than we can measure.
Take time to go to the open air market Saturday mornings. Connections with those who grow or make our food feels incredibly satisfying and grounding: https://delrayfarmersmarket.com/. While there, take time to connect with friends and business owners Make an appointment with your dentist or doctor if you have been putting off a visit http://www.4delraysmiles.com/ Try something new. Join a fitness community in Del Ray that you haven't yet tried. Go to their website and purchase their introductory offer https://www.studiobodylogic.com/ or https://www.mindthemat.com Add meditation and mindfulness to your wellness routine https://taracasagrande.com/ and https://www.delrayzen.org/ Read a book or listen to a podcast that sheds new light on race in the United States https://1619books.com/ Look for a way to be an activist for those who need your support https://www.alive-inc.org/ Take afternoon walks before the sun sets and stop to say hi to a neighbor you don't know Check in on a elderly neighbor and or bring them some groceries or take out from a local restaurant https://www.thaipeppersalexandria.com/ Book yourself a massage or a chiropractic adjustment http://www.healingtr.com/ Educate yourself about the local nonprofits that serve our children https://www.wildernesskidsalexandria.org/mission-values Ask friends about activities that their kids do in Del Ray https://www.potomackempo.com/ Sit on your front porch on a sunny day and smile at passers by If you need mental health help, make an appointment https://www.delraypsych.com/ Plant a simple flower garden in your front yard for all to enjoy Find a new book in one of the free libraries around the neighborhood and leave one too if you have one Is there a business that is minority-owned that you can support? Great Chocolate at Dolce Bean - 2003a Mount Vernon Avenue Visit the Del Ray Business Association Website to learn all about the Wellness businesses in Del Ray https://drba.wildapricot.org/wellness/
Tara Casagrande yoga & mindfulness provides yoga, mindfulness and meditation classes as well as a Women's Wisdom Circle and Embracing UnEase, racial discussions through the lens of yoga. Learn more at easeyogacafe.com
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