“It begins with the breath,” Kirsten Joy Burch, Director of Westside Wellness, located at 4711 Westside Dr., explains when talking about the benefits of yoga for seniors.  “And, it does not have to be hard,” she said. "Most of the time you are sitting in a chair."

The Thursday afternoon class is designed for seniors of varying levels of ability, to give them the benefits of stretching and simple exercises to promote balance, bone density, improved circulation and joint lubrication.

Simple seated movements combined with mindful breathing help improve your immune system by increasing blood flow to your lymphatic system. Using props to help you stabilize, you can lubricate joints and improve circulation with simple standing poses while improving strength and balance. 

"Everyone knows the importance of good balance to prevent life-changing falls," Kirsten said.

The Thursday class, held at 2 p.m., in the church Fellowship Hall, is a small, informal group that lets you participate at your pace.  It is open to everyone and you do not need a reservation or a commitment to a series of classes.  It is drop-in, $10.00 at the door. If you want more information call 214-526-7291.

Come see what you can do and how good you will feel!

Members of Central Christian Church in Dallas visited Ham Orchard, Monday, to enjoy, as the orchard boasts, “a sweet taste of a Texas summer.”

Ham Orchard, just east of Terrell, Texas, was established in 1979 by Dale and Judy Ham.  Dale planted his first orchard of 50 trees in 1979 on the original 23 acres. In 1980 he planted 450 more trees and continued to add fruit trees each year after. Today, over 30 varieties of peaches are grown at the orchard and people come from all over to purchase them, pick blackberries, dine on famous barbecue and shop the market store.

The women browsed the store purchasing peaches, jams, jellies, fruit butters, canned okra, beets, pickles and more.

They lunched on the shaded, covered pavilion enjoying Eddie Deen’s famous Texas barbecue. Eddie has been the king of barbecue across the state (and country!) for years. Whether serving food at George W. Bush’s opening presidential ceremonies or feeding 12,000 at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Deen’s BBQ has been everywhere. After Hurricane Katrina, Eddie Deen’s BBQ was served to over 100,000 evacuees and 65,000 power line workers. One of the all-time menu favorites is the peach pulled pork.

Following lunch, the two young members of the group headed to the berry patch to hand pick blackberries. Everyone returned to the store for dessert, peach ice cream or hand-made fudge.

The orchard is about an hour’s drive from Dallas and is open everyday during the summer except Sunday.

Nicole Payseur, Yoga Maestra, taught Thursday’s Graceful Aging class at Westside Wellness Center.

The class is designed for seniors to give them the benefits of stretching and simple exercises to promote balance, bone density, improved circulation and joint lubrication.

“It begins with the breath,” Kirsten Joy Burch, Director of Westside Wellness, explains when talking about the benefits of yoga for seniors.  “And, it does not have to be hard,” she assures.

Simple seated movements combined with mindful breathing help improve your immune system by increasing blood flow to your lymphatic system.  You can lubricate joints and improve circulation with simple standing poses while improving strength and balance.  You can learn to use props to help you stabilize while moving fluidly.

This Thursday’s class was taught by Yoga Master Instructor, Nicole Payseur.  Nicole has instructed with Dallas Yoga Center for over 10 years, is a Business Coach and attorney from NYC. 

Before the class, Nicole visited with each participant to find out what they would like to achieve and to discuss their limitations due to surgeries, injuries, etc.

“But, I don’t sugar coat” Nicole said.  “I often remind the ladies that the fastest way to die is to fall and break a hip! Not on my watch or if I can help it,” she adds.

“Downward Facing Dog,” “Tree Pose” and meditation from a chair?  Nicole explains the benefit of each exercise as she encourages the class “to repeat the move, stay in the pose, and/or hold it” followed by praise for a job well done.

At the end of the one- hour class, Nicole asked the women to summarize what they had gleaned from the session.

“That I really need to stretch, I need to practice balance and I am more flexible than I had thought” were some comments shared by the women. The one thing they all agreed on— time well spent.

The Wellness Center is located at 4711 Westside Dr. in the Park Cities. The Thursday group is drop in and open to all.  $10 at the door. 

Nicole, teaching anatomically intelligent yoga, will be a regular at Westside Wellness. Tuesday’s and Thursday’s at 9 a.m. she will lead a fast paced Vinyasa Flow Class for advanced Yogis and on Wednesday’s she will be available for private yoga sessions. You can reach her at nicole@omyogadiva.com.

There is something for everyone at Westside Wellness. Yoga, Tai Chi, Nutrition Counseling, Vibroacoustic Therapy and more. 

“You are never too old or too young to take care of your body, soothe your mind, and vitalize your energy. Everyone can participate and everyone can benefit,” Director Kirsten Burch reminds men and women of all ages. Contact her at kirsten@livingyogadallas.com.

Springfest in the dog park was postponed due to the heavy rains that Dallas experienced this spring and the annual event has turned into a Dog Park Summerfest.  The dog park festival will take place this Saturday from 11 a.m. till 1 p.m. in Central Community Dog Park and is open to all of Dallas. 

The park is located at 4711 Westside Drive, behind Central Christian Church. Established by the church as part of community outreach over a decade ago, it has continued to grow in popularity with the neighborhood and City of Dallas.

There is plenty of seating under the shade of mature Live Oaks in the one-acre, off-leash dog park so you can relax, listen to music and visit with other people who share your love of animals.

Music, lunch ($5.00) and pooch pampering will be part of the festivities. Marleigh's Friends will be on hand with some examples of the love you might bring into your life (like Dickens and Roko) if you are ready to add a new member to your household. The rescue is a nonprofit, volunteer and foster run rescue based in the Dallas area that just started up last December.

You will meet Jenn and Sherrie so that if you are not currently in the market for a new dog, you’ll have a contact when you are ready to adopt.

All dogs will leave the festival with a doggie goody and you with memories of a special time spent with your best friend— your dog.  All are welcome and it’s all free. But if you wish to make a monetary donation, it will be appreciated and will go to the upkeep of the community dog park.

The Disciples Women of Central Christian Church held their last meeting of the year Tuesday morning. President Becky Riggins brought the meeting to order and presided over a short business meeting.  

To say “good-bye” to the 2018-19 year and “hello to summer,” Lois Leftwich performed a vocal solo of “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess.

Anne Pogson reviewed the newly released best seller, “The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty.”  A drawing was held for a hardback copy of the book and was won by Holly Puig.

Lemons, artichokes and yellow and green napkins decorated the tables for the salad lunch (a year-end tradition of the Disciples Women), that showcased a smorgasbord of sides that everyone will want to include on their Mother’s Day buffet, at summer picnics and backyard barbecues.  From vintage salads, like Margaret Wilson’s congealed Apricot-Pineapple Salad, to Rosemary Davenport’s new twist on an old favorite, BLT Deviled Eggs, the salad lunch was divine. Desserts included Carol Archer’s “made from scratch” Banana Pudding and Trader Joe’s fantastic lemon bars.

Although the members of Disciples Women do enjoy lunching together and having fun, the mission of the organization includes education and charitable outreach.

As Disciple Sarah Bessey said in an article about the group: “We are NOT a safe club for little ladies to play church. We are smart. We are brave. We want to change the world. As women, we can offer strategic leadership, wisdom, counsel, teaching, and preaching. We want to give and serve and make a difference. We want to be challenged. We want to read books and talk politics, theology, and current events. We want to listen to each other.”

This year marks the 145^th anniversary of Disciples Women’s Ministry.  Over the years, the women of Central have generously given their time and money to non-proifits such as Juliette Fowler Communities, Austin Street Center, Genesis Women’s Shelter, North Dallas Shared Ministries, Maple Lawn Elementary School and more.

Happy Anniversary to this wonderful organization!

Apricot Pineapple Congealed Salad

1 3 oz. package orange jello

3 T sugar

1 small can crushed pineapple with juice

Mix together and bring to boil.

Cool.

Add

4 oz. Cool Whip (whipped topping)

1 ½ cups Buttermilk

1 small can apricots, drained and chopped

¾ cups pecan or walnuts (chopped)

Pour mixture into 9- inch square dish and chill till firm

BLT Deviled Eggs

6 large hard boiled and peeled eggs

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 slices cooked and crumbled plus more for garnish bacon

2 seeded and finely chopped cherry tomatoes

1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add them to a medium bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork and stir in the mayonnaise, bacon, tomatoes, and parsley. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and blend well.

Fill the egg whites evenly with the yolk mixture and garnish with bacon, if desired. Arrange them in a container and store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.