The Hammock LLC

07/04/2025

Revel in the richness of life, and renew yourself in the light that summer brings.
Our memories of summer are often intense because it is a season blessed with a vividness unsurpassed by any other time of year. Bright colors, fresh scents, vibrant flavors, brilliant sunlight, and the caress of heat delight our senses. There is a sumptuousness about summertime, as both flora and fauna come into their own, regaling us with natural beauty. Our day-to-day circumstances may not change as spring turns into summer, yet we nonetheless feel refreshed. Our burdens seem lighter, and we feel compelled to play, travel, relax, and relish in all of life's joys during the extended sunlit hours.

Rituals specific to the summer season empower us to attune ourselves to the changes that take place in nature and within ourselves as the weather grows warmer. Summer is at its core a season of light, and by opening ourselves and our spaces to this light, we honor all the joy associated with the coming months. Unbolting windows and doors, arranging bright-golden blooms in a vase, and turning our faces toward the sun become a celebration when done with intent. Summer is also a wonderful time to practice focused listening, as the air is filled with beautiful sounds particular to the season. To begin, find a quiet, solitary spot. For 10 minutes, pay attention to the workings of your mind, and allow it to wander at will. Then turn your attention to the sounds resonating around you, and note what you hear — the buzzing of bees, children's laughter, and birds singing in the trees.

Delight in the joys of summertime by immersing yourself in its pleasures. Wake up with the sunrise, take a day trip to the beach, indulge in an ice cream cone, or simply sit quietly in nature's embrace. The season will pass quickly, but while it remains, you can revel in the richness of life and renew yourself in the wonder of the light.

06/13/2025

New website for The Hammock LLC!

   Hello, my name is Sarah Ryder. I am thrilled you found me! I am passionate about helping others to find a balance in their lives and helping along with their journey into better health and wellness. My profession is in Health and Wellness coaching, as I am a registered Yoga instructor and regis...

06/13/2025

Do you need information about yoga classes and other services?
Check out the code! Thanks to Hannah!

06/07/2025

Hello everyone! Just to let you know that the website is down for maintenance. If you need any information, please reach out to me at 616-893-5661 or TheHammockLLC@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Sarah

06/03/2025

There is freedom that comes with awareness because with it comes the opportunity to make a choice.
Life is a journey with many steps on our personal path, taking us down a winding road of constant evolution. And each day, we are provided with a myriad of opportunities that can allow us to transform into our next best selves. One moment we are presented with an opportunity to react differently when someone in our life rubs us the wrong way; on another day we may find ourselves wanting to walk away from a particular circumstance but are not sure if we can. Eventually, we may find ourselves stuck in a rut that we can never seem to get out of. We may even make the same choices over and over again because we don’t know how to choose otherwise. Rather than moving us forward, our personal paths may take us in a seemingly never-ending circle where our actions and choices lead us nowhere. It is during these moments that awareness can be the starting point to change.

Awareness is when we are able to realize what we are doing. We observe ourselves, noticing our reactions, actions, and choices — as if we were a detached viewer. Awareness is the first step to change because we can’t make a change unless we are aware that one needs to be made. We can then begin understanding why we are doing what we are doing. Afterward, it becomes difficult not to change because we are no longer asleep to the truth behind our behaviors. We also begin to realize that, just as much as we are the root source behind the causes for our behaviors, we also are the originator for any changes that we want to happen.

There is a freedom that comes with awareness. Rather than thinking that we are stuck in a repetitive cycle where there is no escape, we begin to see that we very much play a hand in creating our lives. Our behaviors and choices are always ours to make. Our past and our present no longer have to dictate our future when we choose to be aware. We are then free to move beyond our old limits, make new choices, and take new actions. With awareness, our paths can’t help but wind us forward in our lives while paving the way for new experiences and new ways of being. It is through awareness that we can continue to consciously evolve.

05/24/2025

Q: Are lighter exercises like yoga or Tai chi also effective for brain health?

A: Yes. Mind-body exercises such as yoga and Tai chi lower cortisol and anxiety, improve mental clarity, and enhance executive function. One study showed that yoga not only reduced cortisol but also improved decision-making and memory test performance, demonstrating how gentle movement supports emotional and cognitive resilience.

04/26/2025

04/23/2025

When we present ourselves to the world without a mask, we offer the same opportunity for others to do the same.
Most of us are familiar with the idea of “keeping it real” and have an intuitive sense about what that means. People who keep it real don’t hide behind a persona to protect themselves from their fear of how they might be perceived. They don’t present a false self or wear a mask in order to appear more perfect, more powerful, or more independent. People who keep it real present themselves as they truly are, the good parts and the parts most of us would rather hide. They share their full selves with the people who are lucky enough to know them.

Being real in this way is not an easy thing to do. We live in a culture that often shows us images of physical and material perfection. As a result, we all want to look younger, thinner, wealthier, and more successful. We are rewarded externally when we succeed at this masquerade, but people who are real remind us that, internally, we suffer. Whenever we feel that we need to be bigger, better, or more exciting, we send a message to ourselves that we are not enough. Meanwhile, people who are not trying to be something more than they are walk into a room and bring a feeling of ease, humor, and warmth with them. They acknowledge their wrinkles and laugh at their personal eccentricities without putting themselves down.

People like this inspire us to let go of our own defenses and relax for a moment in the truth of who we really are. In their presence, we feel safe enough to take off our personas and experience the freedom of not hiding behind a barrier. Those of us who were lucky enough to have a parent who was able to keep it real may find it easier to be that way ourselves. The rest of us may have to work a little harder to let go of our pretenses and share the beauty and humor of our real selves. Our reward for taking such a risk — we will attract and inspire others, giving them the permission to be real too.

03/20/2025

If you aren't a naturally happy person, take time each day to cultivate that which brings you happiness.
It can be so easy to get caught up in the rigors of modern life and forget that happiness does not need to come with stipulations. Often, happiness becomes an elusive emotion and only shows up when we have no worries to occupy our thoughts. In reality, overwhelming joy is not the exclusive province of those with unlimited time and no troubles to speak of. Many of the happiest people on Earth also are those coping with the most serious challenges. They have learned to make time for those simple yet superb pleasures that can be enjoyed quickly and easily. Cultivating a happy heart takes no more than five minutes. The resulting delight will be neither complex nor complicated; it will be profound and will serve as a reminder that there is always a reason to smile.

We can create and accomplish so many ecstasy-inducing moments in a mere five minutes. Alone, we can enjoy an aromatic cup of our favorite tea, take a stroll through the garden we have created, write about the day's events in a journal, doodle while daydreaming, or breathe deeply while we listen to the silence around us. In the company of a good friend or treasured relative, we can share a few silly jokes, enjoy a waltz around the room, play a fast-paced hand of cards, or reconnect through lighthearted conversation. The key is to first identify what makes us dizzyingly happy. If we do only what brings us contentment, our five minutes will not be particularly satisfying. When we allow ourselves the freedom to do whatever brings us pleasure, five minutes out of 16 wakeful hours can brighten our lives immeasurably.

It is often when we have the least free time or energy to devote to joy, that we need to unwind and enjoy ourselves the most. Making happiness a priority will help you find five minutes every day to indulge in the things that inspire elation within you. Eventually, your happiness breaks will become an established part of your routine. If you start by pursuing activities you already love and then gradually think up new and different ways to fill your daily five minutes of happiness, you will never be without something to smile about.

03/18/2025

We're spiritual beings living in a human body, and even though our packaging seems different, we're very much the same.
We all have had the experience of encountering someone whose life seems so completely different from ours that we imagine we have nothing in common. However, if we go deeper into observing, we will see that we all have the same things going on in our lives. In essence, it is as if our different lives are the same gift, wrapped in an infinite variety of containers, wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. Everybody experiences loss, grief, happiness, excitement, anger, and fear. Everyone can have money issues of one kind or another, and all people struggle with difficult choices.

Our lives show up differently for each one of us because we each learn in different ways. One person may need to learn the value of money by having too little of it, while another may need to learn by having more than enough. We each engage in work and love through experiences that are tailored to our particular perspective. At times, it appears that some people have it easy, while others are in a continual state of struggle. The truth is that we are all moving and growing, and it is very difficult to tell, when looking only at the exterior of a person, what’s going on inside.

This is one of the many things that can be so valuable about cultivating relationships with people from all walks of life. As we get to know those who seem so different from us, we get to really see how much of life’s challenges and joys are universal. We begin to look beyond the packaging of skin color, clothing preferences, socioeconomic differences, hairstyles, and the cars we drive to the heart of the human experience. It is important to honor and value the differences in our packaging, but it is just as important to honor the gift of life inside each one of us. No matter how different the packaging, the gift inside is the same.

03/07/2025

Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and come out the other side.
The last thing most of us want to hear or think about when we are dealing with profound feelings of sadness is that deep learning can be found in this place. In the midst of our pain, we often feel picked on by life, or overwhelmed by the enormity of loss, or simply too exhausted to try and examine the situation. We may feel far too disappointed and angry to look for anything resembling a bright side to our suffering. Still, somewhere in our hearts, we know that we will eventually emerge from the depths into the light of greater awareness. Remembering this truth, no matter how elusive it seems, can help.

The other thing we often would rather not hear when we are dealing with intense sadness is that the only way out is through it. Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and have the faith that we will come out the other side. With courage, we can allow ourselves to cycle through the grieving process with full inner permission to experience it. This is a powerful teaching that sadness has to offer us — the ability to surrender and the acceptance of change go hand in hand.

Through sadness, we also gain compassion for others who are in pain. It is only in feeling our own pain that we can truly understand and allow for someone else’s. Sadness is something we all go through, and we all grow from it and are deepened by its presence in our lives. While our own individual experiences of sadness carry unique lessons, the implications of what we learn are universal. The wisdom we receive from going through the process of feeling loss, heartbreak, or deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity.