A Balanced Perspective Weekly
March 4, 2008

Life Coaching, Professional Women's Groups,
Organic Cooking Classes, and Inspiration

MyHeartDances^(TM) was developed to support individuals in living from their heart and going after what they want in life. Our mission is to support you in deciding to be honest with yourself and be honest with others so you can face your fears and go after your dreams to "let your heart dance!" www.myheartdances.com

1. Women's Weight Loss Group
2. I Hope You Dance...
3. Video Interview with Actress Anna Berger - (PART 3 & 4)
4. 2008 Cooking Classes
5. Life Coaching and Wellness Packages

1. Women's Weight Loss Group

Before I share this week's inspiration, I just want to mention that summer is around the corner and I know that many of you would like to lose some weight in a healthy way as well as work on your self-esteem and body image. If this is you, and you'd like to be a part of a women's weight loss group, please contact me asap.

melissa@myheartdances.com or 917-689-653

Below is one of my favorite essays by my favorite author, C.S. Lewis. I think this is such an important essay during a time when, in our society, we are always looking for something outside of us to tell us the truth about what is going on inside for us - looking for something outside to make our decisions for us. (What is love? What foods should I eat? What should I do with my life?) I don't mean to imply that the outside doesn't have something to offer, but I do mean to say that perhaps it would be wise to consider what is inside much more often.

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"I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place. Everything else was almost pitch black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it.

Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture vanished. I saw no tool shed, and (above all) no beam. Instead, I saw framed in the irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree outside and beyond, ninety-odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences.

But this is only a very simple example of the differences between looking at and looking along. A young man meets a girl. The whole world looks different when he sees her. Her voice reminds him of something he has been trying to remember all his life, and ten minutes' casual chat with her is more precious than all the favors that all the other women in the world could grant. He is, as they say, "in love." Now comes a scientist and describes this young man's experience from the outside. For him it is all an affair of the young man's genes and a recognized biological stimulus. That is the difference between looking along the sexual impulse and looking at it....

You get one experience of a thing when you look along it and another when you look at it. Which is the "true" or "valid" experience? Which tells you most about the thing? And you can hardly ask that question without noticing that for the last fifty years or so everyone has been taking the answer for granted. It has been assumed without discussion that if you want the true account of religion you must go, not to religious people, but to anthropologists; that if you want the true account of sexual love you must go, not to lovers but to psychologists....

The people who look at things have had it all their own way; the people who look along things have simply been brow-beaten. It has even come to be taken for granted that the external account of a thing somehow refutes or "debunks" the account given from the inside. "All these moral ideals which look so transcendental and beautiful from inside," says the wiseacre, "are really only a mass of biological instincts and inherited taboos." And no one plays the game the other way round by replying, "If you will only step inside, the things that look to you like instincts and taboos will suddenly reveal their real and transcendental nature"...

The answer is that we must never allow the rot to begin. We must, on pain of idiocy, deny from the very outset the idea that looking at is, by it's own nature, intrinsically truer than looking along. One must look both along and at everything.

Excerpt from C.S. Lewis: Reading for Meditation and Reflection. Longer version can be found in God In The Dock by C.S. Lewis.

3. The Templeton Foundation Asks Leading Scientists and Scholars: Does The Universe Have Purpose

These are the personal opinions given by leading scientists and scholars about whether the universe has purpose and if they believe there is a God. Beautiful writings. I really enjoyed reading these and felt very inspired.

http://www.templeton.org/questions/purpose/

4. 2008 Cooking Classes

Organic Food, Organic FUN, and Good Company

"Thank you for sharing your home, knowledge, great recipes, and warm friends. There's something very intimate about creating and sharing a meal with others. It was interesting to learn about your holistic health background and cook with new ingredients. I look forward to taking more classes with you." - Heather

March 13 - (Breakfast Creations) 6:30/Thursday
Scrumptious Breakfast Sandwich
Pumpkin Pancakes
Breakfast Burrito
Carob-Banana Smoothie
(this class is not vegan)

April 10 - (Dessert Night) 6:30/Thursday
Mooless Chocolate Mousse
Vegan Peanut Butter Pie
Almond Carob Coconut Balls
Cashew Creme

May 8 - 6:30/Thursday
Salmon Burgers
Spring Out Quinoa
Sunset Salad
Parsley Ginger Dressing

Pre-register Today - Only $50 per class -
Gift Certificates Available
All classes are held on the Upper West Side

Class is from 6:30 until 8:30 unless otherwise noted.
All classes include the following:

*Hands-on instruction
*Meet new people
*Learn cool facts and tips about the food you're preparing
*Get healthy tips
*Receive a copy of the recipe to take home
*Enjoy a DELICIOUS meal at the end of class!
Made by The Fabulous You!

Please contact Melissa at for more details and to register, or call 917-689-6530

**Classes are fun, relaxed, and not intimidating! They are great for beginners!

**Private classes are also available, more details at: http://www.myheartdances.com/services/cook_class.htm

The Lifestyle Makeover

I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I'm not satisfied with my career, my relationships are not going anywhere. I'm not really where I want to be.

Sound like you? This package will cover career, relationships, spirituality, and health. You'll gain a stronger hold on your identity, and find satisfaction moving forward towards discovering and completing personal goals and projects.

6 sessions - $675

The Nutrition and Health Makeover

I don't eat what I should, nor do I stick to an exercise plan. I'm not even sure if I know what I should eat! I find myself snacking on junk food and eating poorly when I'm at work or traveling. I want to have more energy and be fit. I want to grow old healthy!

This package is for the typical New Yorker. You want to be conscious about your health, but you are not making it happen. You want more energy and to eat better. In this plan, we'll get down to the nitty gritty about what is getting in the way for you, and how you can achieve a healthier you without cramping your lifestyle. We'll create a therapeutic lifestyle plan that works just for you!

3 sessions - $375

The Weight Loss Makeover

I'm tired of not sticking to my diets. I'm ready to make a commitment to my health. I want to see my real body underneath this cushion. I want to feel good when I walk down the street and enter a room.

Sticking to a weight loss plan is hard. No doubt about it! This program is designed to get you off the dieting cycle and get you on a plan to achieve results. It's for individuals who are ready to make a change and commit to giving this gift to themselves. No more quick fix attempts. This is the real deal!

10 sessions - $1125

I Am - Strategic Solutions for Women in their 20's

I love working with young women! It's a time in life where you are testing your own identity and power in this world, yet sometimes you feel conflicted by the pressure of your parents' and peers' ideas about what track you should be on. You have your own mind and you want to use it... but sometimes you're not sure about your different opinions. This program deals with self-image, self-respect, confidence, and effective decision making.

5 sessions - $575 (sliding scale available for this program, please call or e-mail me for details).

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All programs can be adjusted to fit your specific needs. Number of sessions can be increased or decreased based on your goals.

Payment plans available.

Contact me with any inquiries

917-689-6530