It’s been a while since my last newsletter. Summer got busy and before I knew it, leaves were changing and now a gentle rain is expediting the process of seasonal change. We had our first frosts of the season this week, and Halloween celebrations have already begun.

I will keep this one short, as the holidays are fast approaching and it seems we are all in some form of transition. Many of us are getting our homes ready for colder weather - chopping and stacking wood, deep cleaning and clearing out clutter, shoring up where our homes need to be better protected from the cold, and getting a head start on the raking. Days are getting shorter and nights darker. Sleep patterns are leaning longer into the morning hours. Curling up with a book in front of the fire is sounding (and feeling!) better and better all the time.

If you have been taking care of aforementioned chores in the cooler, drier air, you may be feeling it in the back, shoulders, hips and/or knees. As my kitchen gets cooler in the mornings, I remind myself to give my body a good jiggling and get moving first thing, as I make breakfast, remembering how like butter my connective tissue is, and inviting it to melt and move with ease, especially around my joint spaces, into the day. Check out this video about “fuzz” by Gil Hedley, who is an amazing teacher of Anatomy and other things (and just an entertaining guy to watch and listen to).

He is also a philosopher and poet (like so many of my favorite people and teachers), and you can see more about him here: www.gilhedley.com. Later in the day I try to make time for a little stretching to keep limber, and I add a little coconut oil to my bath to keep my skin rom succumbing to the drier air.

Deane Juhan teaching at last April's workhop

I am looking forward to returning to Gainesville, FL the first weekend in December to study, once again, with Deane Juhan (www.jobsbody.com), who teaches the resistance/release work many of you have experienced. One of the things I love about Deane is that he is always learning, himself, so each time I have the good fortune to be in the classroom with him, he is teaching something that is brand new to him along with the incredible foundation of his many years doing the work and also his long years of learning from Dr. Milton Trager. Deane is always playing with new ways of inviting ease into the body and outside of this work is also just an amazing thinker. I encourage you to explore his website, where you can hear interviews with him, read his poetry and explore his blog.

As always, I am honored to be part of your healing and wholeness process. It is such a joy to know you all and to have the opportunity to work with you. Many thanks, and keep it easy,

Honor Woodard, BFA, LMT
GA MT 008365
NC LMBT 13263