What an exciting and meaningful year 2024 was at Quest for Balance Wellness! We expanded offerings through collaborative partnerships and celebrated the launch of new grief care and education programs and services. We were delighted and surprised to be named 2024 Small Business of the Year by the Crawfordsville Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

As I said in an interview about the Small Business of the Year award, that honor would not be possible without the wonderful contributions of Laura Conners, Kimarie Green, and Chenel Darby, pictured above. Their commitment to the studio, compassionate spirits, and brilliant gifts are part of what make the studio such a special place.

Other partnerships brought energy and expertise to the studio as well. Our grief education series included collaborations with artist Katie Wood and dietician Monica Nagele. Sherry Mou, who relocated to the west coast, offered the Tai Chi Experience. Intuitive and Medium Tysa Goodrich offered several workshops including one on Intuition. She continues to offer intuitive readings at the studio by appointment. Neil Schmitzer-Torbert leads our Mindfulness Meditation sessions and regularly offers the 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction workshop. Health Coach Katina Curran continues to offer nutrition workshops throughout the year. And the studio has been fortunate to enjoy Marilyn and Jim Knott’s healing gifts in our Sound Healing sessions. We could not have the richness and depth of programming without these wonderful contributors. 

Many joined us for the once-in-a-lifetime Solar Eclipse Celebration on April 8, for International Yoga Day on June 21, and on August 30, the studio celebrated a ribbon cutting for the expansion of Grief Care and Education programs and services. In October, we earned an Opioid Settlement Grant in Putnam County to develop Grief Education programming for the Greencastle community. Our individual counseling program has grown considerably, and new education programs for caregivers and those struggling with life-limiting illness will begin in early spring.

We are committed to being responsible stewards and citizens in our community, and support the good work of others as we can. Each year we host a giving box for Volunteers for Mental Health. On November 9, we hosted Kitten Yoga along with Cats Limited and collected substantial contributions for both organizations.

Help us sustain this vibrant energy in the new year! What events and offerings would you like to see at the studio? Reach out and let us know. Thank you for your support and care and all you have done to ensure our place in our community. I am grateful to each of you and wish you all the best in 2025!

Jai

April was a busy month at the studio. We were fortunate to have a beautiful day to view the solar eclipse. The deck and lawn provided the perfect vantage point for this historic experience. View a gallery of images. On April 13, Artist Katie Wood’s Heirloom Jewelry workshop explored desiging wearable art from special family items. If you were interested, but unable to attend, read more about the event. May is going to be even more busy! Special classes and events include an extra Gentle Yoga class with Laura, Drumming on the Deck, a Walk/Run Group, and our monthly Grief Education event. Read more about all of these opportunties below.

May Calendar
* Friday May 10, 5:30pm – Drumming on the Deck
* Saturday May 11, 8:30a. – Walk Run Group.meets at AWL trailhead
* Monday May 13, 10:00am – Special Gentle Yoga Class with Laura
* Sunday May 19, 2:00pm – Sound Healing with Jai
*Wednesday May 22, 7:00pm – Mindful Living with Jai
* Thursday May 30, 11:00am-1:00pm at Fusion54. “A Table for One” with Monica Nagel

Save the Date
* Reiki: Saturday, June 8, Reiki for Self-Care, 10:30am-1:00pm
* Grief Education: Thursday June 20, 5:30pm. Grief 101 – how to help someone who is hurting

Yoga
* Monday May 13, 10:00am. Laura will offer a special class focusing on care of the feet. The idea for the class came from an article Laura shared describing the connection between our feet, our body, and our sense of wellness.
* Memorial Day Schedule: Join Jai for Gentle Yoga at 10:00am and stay for a social hour on the deck. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we can social inside! The 5:30pm class will not be offered.

Grief Care and Education
Thursday May 30, 11:00am-1:00pm at Fusion54. “A Table for One” with Monica Nagele, RD and Jai. This free learning series event explores the impact of grief when we find ourselves alone and helps us identify healthy ways to nourish our body and our sense of loss. Participants will receive a range of delicious recipes and cooking tips that are perfect for one-person portions. Register Now.  These monthly learning series events complement the studio’s ongoing individual and group grief care. If you or someone you know is hurting, please let them know bereavement care is offered at the studio.

Community Wellness
As part of our commitment to promoting community wellness, we are forming a walk/run group. No pressure, no expectation, we just want to meet and move. Read more

Sound Healing and Drumming
* Friday May 10, 5:30pm Drumming on the Deck is back! Relaxing and energizing at the same time, drumming is a great way to end the week. The studio provides the drums and you are welcome to bring your own instrument if you have one. No experience necessary. Save your space.

* Sunday May 19 join us for our monthly Sound Healing.

“Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration. It ushers in fresh opportunities for growth.” – Pam Young

The drive back and forth to the studio allows me to mark the seasons. I watch as the leaves turn color before the trees release them to the ground and note how the darkness settles on the road a bit earlier each day. I often think of winter as a wonderful metaphor for what is to come. The barren trees and landscape suggest a blank canvas for creativity and connection, and the slower pace creates space for self-care and renewal. The plants are doing their good work underneath the soil in readiness for the spring.
This is a special winter season at the studio. As the metaphor suggests, there is much happening that is not visible. We are on the eve of the 5th anniversary of Quest for Balance Wellness, and 2024 ushers in fresh opportunities for growth.

Yes, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly five years since I purchased our beautiful studio and launched Quest for Balance Wellness. It has been such an amazing journey, enriched by your presence and nurtured by your kindness and generosity. It isn’t always easy, but you keep hanging in there with me, and because you do, we continue to thrive and grow.

Just after Thanksgiving I’ll be taking a six-week medical leave. I’m grateful to each of my teachers for their commitment to sustaining the studio in my absence. We have been planning for this time but also planning for the future of the studio. And while it may seem like not much is happening, like the winter season, lots of growth is underway. We’ll begin 2024 by celebrating my fifth year of ownership and the studio’s 11th as a small business in Crawfordsville. We are planning a New Year’s Day celebration to kick off the year and will have other 5th anniversary celebrations throughout the year.

I think you’ll agree we are richly blessed by our teachers, and they too are excited by the fresh opportunities for growth. We will offer a new evening gentle yoga class beginning in February. You’ll be able to take advantage of special yoga classes like our introduction to yoga series or yoga for golfers. New workshops and classes on mindfulness, grief and loss, and self-care will complement those we currently offer. We will continue to explore ways to make the studio more visible in the community, building on ideas you have shared with us.

Five years ago, my first studio newsletter began “In immeasurable ways, the stewardship of Quest for Balance fulfills my lifetime call to support the wellness and wellbeing of others.” I am so grateful that this remains true. Even more, I am grateful for each of you. Your kindness, generosity, friendship, and care make our studio such a special place. Thank you for being part of our story. We can’t wait to see what the next five years bring!

Fondly,
Jai