Balanced Mind Body Therapy

01/18/2026

Wherever you are along your wellness journey - while you are healing chronic pain, managing chronic stress, getting more fit, aging well - the carrot to chase is for your continuous improvement, not for perfection.

👆This is the sentiment we are after when you hear yoga teachers remind you that it is "yoga practice, not yoga perfect," or you hear wellness coaches say "it's about the journey, not the destination," or perhaps you've been told "yoga is not a work-out, it's a work-in."

When you are incorporating yoga into your self-care routine for healing chronic pain, stress, or fatigue, it's essential to:

💡Know where to begin and how to continue gradually,
💡Know how to keep going when progress plateaus, and
💡Know when to challenge yourself and when to rest.

And if you are not sure what you can do to start seeing continuous improvement, or you need an accountability partner or perhaps a cheerleader... Well, that is what Balanced Mind Body Therapy was designed to do!

📆There are openings in the appointment books for new clients in February and March. Feel free to reach out for a free consultation!

01/14/2026

Your Health & Wellness Tip of the Week:
(a hot tip from a Yoga Therapist who coaches folks along their wellness journey every day - this one has come up for several folks lately)

Whether your plan is to get to that yoga class twice a week, or hit the gym every Wednesday, or eat only whole foods for dinner, or [fill in the blank with your brilliant self-care idea]... real life doesn't go according to plan. Something will come up - (hopefully!) not EVERY day, but some days there are meetings, appointments, lack of energy, sickness, injury [or fill in the blank with your own real life disruptors] that will prevent you from following through on your self-care. And nothing is more discouraging than real life disruptions!?!

The solution: Know those days happen, and plan for it!

Have a Plan B self-care trick that is simple enough to squeeze into the days that go sideways.

Missed yoga class today? Just do one restorative yoga pose at home for five minutes.

Didn't get to the gym this morning? Do plank pose for one minute when you get home from work today.

Not gonna have energy to cook dinner from scratch every night? Do a little meal prepping or freeze leftovers (on the days that your self-care meal planning do go smoothly) so you have an easy meal already in the fridge for the crazy day(s).

Not every day is going to have amazing self-care activities. But if you have a do-able Plan B, then at least you keep the self-care momentum going through the hectic days.

Best wishes to fitting a little self-care into your days... even if it is just a very little bit today. Because every little bit moves you closer to your wellness goals!

01/13/2026

Some days...

Remember...

01/12/2026

This week's self-care challenge: Take good care of yourself today (even if you didn't yesterday)

Don't let a good plan fade into the background just because you didn't execute it "perfectly" every day this month.

If, in a moment of inspiration, you committed to eating a little better, or sleeping a little sounder, or moving a little more, or trying a little mindfulness and meditation, or speaking a little kinder to yourself... if you set the intention that this would be the year you would do a little TLC for yourself, but you've already dropped the ball (once, or twice, or even three times), do not just give up!

Even if you didn't do the thing every day last week, you can still do the thing today.

(Spoiler alert: folks who are willing to let go of perfect get much, much farther on their wellness journey in the end.)

Cheers to you taking care of you this week! 💕 Margo

01/12/2026

If you missed out on this opportunity last week, there is another chance for two free classes this week!

Today is the final day to enroll in this year's Winter Yoga Membership. You can start your free 7-day trial today and join us for this week's classes.

Details + sign-up 👉 https://mybalancedmindbody.com/sign-up-for-winter-classes

The first of our twice weekly therapeutic yoga classes are coming this week to kick off the Winter Yoga Program. Join us for either or both - FREE!

❄ Monday @ 6:15 p.m. (PT) | Moving Meditation | Vinyasa-style Yoga + Pranayama

This class is designed for those looking to ease chronically tense, tight muscles. Weak muscles just won't stretch well, so this is a yoga practice to gradually build functional strength that results in more mobility through slow, steady flowing movement and repetition. Mindful breathing techniques (pranayama) will be woven into class to create a meditative movement practice that starts your week well!

❄ Thursday @ 6:15 p.m. (PT) | Constructive Rest | Restorative Yoga + Meditation

This class is your opportunity to rest deeply through restorative yoga poses, mindful breathing, and guided meditation to wind down your week with a moment of real rest to restore your energy reserves.

☝These two classes are part of the Winter Yoga Membership with Balanced Mind Body Therapy. You are invited to attend these classes AND try out all the additional online content for a full weeklong free trial to see if the membership is a good fit for you.

🌟Get full program details and sign-up here >> https://mybalancedmindbody.com/sign-up-for-winter-classes

01/09/2026

What stops you from attending yoga classes?

I don't feel like I can ever keep up in a flow class 😳

📆 Join us for Flow Fundamentals on January 11 for a workshop designed to pause the pace of flow-style yoga classes so we can breakdown the most popular poses and common transitions.

My constant hip and lower back pain actually seems worse when I try to do yoga 😣

📆 Join us for Yoga for Happier Hips on February 22, and learn about functional anatomy and muscle engagement for happy hips, stability, and good balance through a variety of strengthening and stretchy yoga poses.

My chronic neck and shoulder tension make so many yoga poses feel just miserable 😭

📆 Join us for Yoga for Your Stressed Shoulders on March 29, and learn how you can effectively strengthen and stretch “the right muscles” in yoga to actually improve chronic neck or shoulder aches and pains.

Links to register for each workshop in comments 👇

01/09/2026

This week has been a lot.

The typical daily schedule full of the mundane - every day, all week - paired with the unexpected shifting of plans and reshuffling of appointments - because real life inevitably never actually follows the plans on the calendar -, and all of it topped with the stream of ever more tragic news - from the small scale of clients' shared tough stories to the large scale national media. This week has just been a lot.

And while there is plenty to be done still today, and tomorrow, and...

I'm gonna pause a beat and kick my feet up - literally - here for a hot second.

Because sometimes we need to give ourselves and our nervous systems a moment to digest all the things. Otherwise, our culture's constant barrage of "go, go, go", and "fret, worry, stew", and "now, hurry, hustle" will give you nothing but mental and emotional indigestion, my friends!

Wishing all a moment to pause, breathe, and just be still for a hot second. May all of us avoid mental and emotional indigestion this weekend! 🙏

Be well 💕 Margo

01/07/2026

It may be ironic, but it is true.

Slow down.

01/06/2026

Your Health & Wellness Tip of the Week:
(a hot tip from a Yoga Therapist who coaches folks along their wellness journey every day - here's a topic that comes up on the regular)

I love the dopamine hit of getting that gold star just as much as you all, but somewhere along the way many of us convinced ourselves that we don't deserve nice things unless we *earn* them as rewards. Well, this is your friendly reminder that that is false, my friend.

You deserve nice things!

👎 It's not: "Have I worked hard enough today to deserve a break?"

👍 It is: "Have I rested enough to be able to work hard today?"

👎 And it's not: "I'll make time to go out with my friends for coffee after I get all these things checked off my perpetual to do list."

👍It is: "I prioritize making time to go out with my friends for coffee because they boost my energy so I can actually burn through more things on my to do list afterwords."

👎 And it's not: "Once I hit my diet/weight loss/workout goal, then I'll buy that new sweater."

👍 It is: "I can buy that new sweater now, and feel cozy warm this winter... and if my body changes shape because of my diet/weight loss/workout journey, then I'll donate it and buy a new sweater next month."

It's key to realize that a body and nervous system that feel well cared for because you are well rested, have spent time around folks who lift you up, and kept yourself cozy warm through the dark, wet winter days... THAT is a body and nervous system primed to be way more productive, my friend!

☕ Cheers to setting yourself up for more productivity a better way!

01/06/2026

Hey local yogis! I'll be teaching weekly drop-in classes and monthly workshops at Yoga Om Wellness Studio in Auburn WA this year. Join me for some in person yoga!

🌟Tuesdays + Thursdays @ 8am
I strive to make these classes accessible - especially for folks who feel "too inflexible for yoga" or for those who are nursing injuries.

Tuesdays, we focus on strength. Thursdays, we focus on flexibility. You can get both sides of the coin every week!

🌟And one Sunday each month, I'll be leading workshops to help you build a solid practice if you are newer to yoga, or develop a more challenging practice if your yoga is starting to feel stale, or *for RYTs* some insight on ways to spice up your classes if your teaching is starting to feel like it has plateaued (AND get your CEUs for YA).

Workshops already on the calendar:
January 11 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Flow Fundamentals
February 22 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Yoga for Happier Hips
March 29 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Yoga for Your Stressed Shoulders
April 19 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Yoga for a Stronger Spine
May 17 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Introduction to Inversions
June 14 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Introduction to Meditation

So many opportunities to take good care of you this year! 😍

May you be well! 💕 Margo

01/06/2026

Hoping you all are finding a little balance this week. 💕

More gentle reminders...

10/05/2025

🤚Who else has to resist cynical eye rolling whenever they hear someone suggest you begin "setting your intentions" in order to "manifest your desires"? Soooo, hippy-dippy! Right?!?

Well, maybe not. 🤷‍♀️

Setting intentions DOES actually help us define our goals, focus our attention, direct our energy, and ultimately, be far more likely to actually achieve our goals. Whether it's in the form of vision boards, or journal entries, or personal mantras, or just saying it aloud to our accountability buddy, intention setting is a valuable first step toward real success.

But here is a pro tip I've shared time and again with folks who are trying to escape the never ending cycle of chronic pain, daily stress, or constant fatigue ➡ When setting your intentions, focus on How. You. Want. To. Feel. rather than focusing on just another new 'thing' you want to 'do.'

🚫Not, 'I oughta do yoga every day and get more bendy.'

🌟But instead, 'I want to keep enjoying [insert your fave activity here] well into my 70's and beyond, so I'm going to get in the habit of doing at least 10 minutes of yoga every day.'

And this trick works just as well for short term goals, too. So, maybe give it a whirl and try setting your feel good intention for the week ahead.

Cheers to a week of doing a little something toward your best intentions this week!