Pilates for Everyone

To move and sense our body in space and time and feel good. It is the way to move on this Earth.

Pilates is a movement practice that builds strength, balance, joint mobility and breath awareness.

 

Wear clothing that allows you to move--sweatpants, tea shirt, yoga pants, sweatshirt.  Layer in winter to remove clothing as we warm up.

Some upcoming Pilates for Everyone classes offered through Community Education, Winona:

 

Classes starting Wednesday, 1/12/2022

Pilates for Everyone Section 1, 2022

Section 1: January 12 – February 9, 2022

5 Wednesdays, 6:15pm -7:00pm

WK Gym, 365 Mankato Ave, Winona, MN 55987

$36.00 for 5 classes

Mat Pilates builds core strength in the back, abdomen, legs and arms.  It works to support the whole body with balance.  Pilates connects body and mind with the breath to make the movement focused and pleasurable. Bring a yoga or Pilates mat, and water bottle. Wear clothing to move with ease.  Instructor modifies for different body needs. Women and men are welcome.

More Information and to Register:

Pilates for Everyone Section 1, Begins January 12, 2022 

https://winona.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/costoption/class_id/7875/public/1/sp/11/23/2021
 

 

Pilates for Everyone Section 2: Begins February 16, 2022 

https://winona.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/costoption/class_id/7876/public/1/sp/

Pilates brings awareness to the body through strength, balance, and breath.

Join us to feel better!

Happy New Year and Visions for 2022

 2022 A new year of possibilities and hopes.  Some people make resolutions for big change in their lives.  Others say, "Nah," to that idea.  Another novel idea is to be kind to oneself with a dream of how life may be better, more full, loving, good.

This year, the Winona Arts Center is offering a workshop to open our thinking for brighter times with creating a Vision Board.  "What's a Vision Board," you ask?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth Foley vision board

In this workshop we will create a collage of our hopes and dreams for this year of 2022. A collage is a group of pictures and words put together in a pleasing way.  

We’ll begin the workshop with a guided visualization to bring us into relaxation, connect us with our body and stir our imaginations into making.

We’ll have the opportunity to create our own images and designs with paper and with stitching. We'll cut and tear, stitch and stamp.  Images, words and phrases will be available to use for our creating.  We apply our words and images to a board that the instructor provides.

The instructor will bring examples, provide materials and guide the making for a fun afternoon of creating our visions for 2022.

It'll be a couple of hours of fun, creativity and hope!

Saturday, January 8th 

2-4pm

Winona Arts Center, 228 East 5th St, Winona

$46.00

Email instructor to register:

mleischen@gmail.com

See my 2021 & 2019 Vision Boards

 

 

Join us!

Lights Lights Lights

 

Rotary lights at Riverside Park in LaCrosse, Wisconsin are quite a sparkly sight!

Lighted snow person looks on with delight.

Up close lights look like beads or balloons and are just as festive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are those bead/ball lights at distance as you drive or walk into the display!

A goofy eyed clown among the lights.  Do you like clowns?  Do they give you the wigglies?  

Hebe geebies?  Crazy how some things can be a delight or a curse.

Hope you find things to give you delight in the dark of the year.

Be safe out there, friends.

Kindness & Light

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The light within you burns bright.  You are filled with this light and it glows out into the world.  You have much to share with others in the world.  Don’t be afraid.  I’m here.  I’m glowing within you.  You radiate power.    Your  essence grows stronger in knowing every moment.  The time is now to step into your Divine light.  Do not falter.  You are amazing and full and beautiful within.  Some of the parts of you are growing older; do not be afraid. You are going after ways to support your human body.  And your thoughts on exercise, movement and life practice grow stronger every day. Your art practice grows stronger every day. Keep present.  Let us go forward.

 

The light shines in.

Up top Sugar Loaf, Winona, Minnesota

Autumn Skies in Minnesota

 

The autumn skies in November are the most amazing 

blue.  The dry air and the slant of the sun create the intense color.  

This is overlooking Winona. We have two lakes that you can see 

in this picture. The triangle in the foreground is a 

shadow of the bluff.  This is a late afternoon photo.  In the distance, 

past the large white buildings is the Mississippi River.

The clouds in this sky picture are very interesting.  

The is Sugarloaf in Winona.

The tree branches and the clouds echo one another.

This is looking West up river.  In Winona, the Mississippi River 

takes a bend and runs East/West instead of its normal 

direction of North/South.

I am grateful for this beauty.

The sandstone is eroding away.  

See you next time!

Release Ritual down by the River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wandered across the Mississippi River to do a "Good bye and Release Ritual."  My daughter's father had passed on to the next world on October 31, 2014.  I didn't get to say good bye. I also wanted to honor the art and music that he brought into the world.  I wanted to share some of my truths about our time together and forgive him for hurts I encountered and ask for his forgiveness as well.  I decided earlier this year that I would do it this October 31, 2021.

This beautiful sign welcomes visitors to Aghaming Park and Natural Area.  There is a beach here to the right and a path that winds along the river to end where the river cuts across the land in a canoe trail.

In May 2021, I did a Sacred Creativity Ritual in this area and I wondered if I could find this place again. I was in luck and I did find the area.  This beautiful tree is standing.  The log where I sat was there. Many other trees came down during this year.

I called in my ancestors, my Grandmother and Mother and the energy of the four directions.  Then I did a dance.

I wore my butterfly cape in the dance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The altar I created in the leaves on the ground.  The leaves on the trees are yellow at this Autumn time of year.  In May the leaves were just forming a soft green.

After I spoke my words to release any energy that I didn't want or need into some leaves that  I gathered up. I took them to the river and floated them away.  It was gentle and also powerful release.

I closed the ritual with leaving a bit of nuts and seeds as a gratitude offering for being in this space.

I walked back feeling very light and peaceful.

 

If you'd like to see how the park looked in May, look at the Sacred Creativity Ritual. 

 

May we all walk lightly on this Earth.

Art of Fine Furniture 2021

 The Art of Fine Furniture 2021 was held in the Winona County Historical Museum.  

Some of the works took my breath away due to their beauty and the skill of the fine wood workers/artists. Some art works were filled with whimsy and all were finely crafted and designed.

This whimsical piece is called "Dali Plays Stravinsky" by Roger Knudson

"Dali Plays Stravinsky" by Roger Knudson (Close Up)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figured Cherry Night Stands by Chris Carroll

I love the swirls of the cherry wood on the front of these doors.

 

Mark Laub "Shooting Star" is filled with doors that open and drawers to be explored. He gathers his inspiration from succulent plants, butterfly wings, coral, Art Deco jewelry and more.

Chicago Table by Stephanie Lunieski

The Chicago table originated for a sketch that Stephanie drew while studying her guitar. During rapid prototyping, it took on qualities of a suspension bridge.  As such, every design element plays off the tension in the wires.  The legs are joined at angles, as are the curved laminated stretchers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ribbon Table by Craig Jentz

This coffee table is made of mahogany vertical slats of wood coopered together to form an undulating ribbon. 

A wonderful show.  Enjoy many wonderful offerings of the Winona History Center .  Hope to see you threre soon.