🌿 Bloomscrolling #004 | Birch and Stone Weekly Newsletter

Welcome back to Bloomscrolling, your weekly newsletter from Birch & Stone Coaching Collective!

One piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake... 🐛

One of my favorite picture books is Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. As a child, I loved it for the bright, cheerful colors and the holes in the pages to stick a finger through as the caterpillar ate his way through one apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries, five oranges...

But as an adult, I love it for a very different reason. (Although the cheerful colors still make me smile.)

I love The Very Hungry Caterpillar because of how every story beat signals it's time to turn to the next page. The same sentence ends each scene:

"But he was still hungry."

Hunger is a concept that we talk about a lot at Birch & Stone. Usually, it's in the context of physical hunger and using it as a cue to eat mindfully and healthfully, until we are satisfied.

If we are hungry, then by definition, we are not yet satisfied.

I think about that a lot in our workshops, because so many of them are about finding satisfaction with different aspects of our lives. Goal-setting. Calendar-keeping. Habit-forming. Joyful movement. Quiet meditation.

All of these workshops address things that I am hungry for.

I am hungry for the feeling of achievement.

I am hungry for enough time to do everything that matters to me.

I am hungry for a clear set of priorities.

I am hungry for joy.

I am hungry for peace.

I am still hungry.

Like the Very Hungry Caterpillar, I do something each day to try to solve for my hunger. On Monday, he eats one apple; I go to Refreshed & Ready to prepare my mindset for the week ahead. On Tuesday, he eats two pears, and I go to Grace Notes to experience new music with good friends and think a little differently. On Wednesday, he eats three plums. I go to Steady Ground.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar solves for his hunger the best way that he can for his very simple caterpillar life.

I solve for my hungers the best ways that I can, for this complicated, messy, ever-changing human life.

I don't think that always being hungry for more is a bad thing for either the Very Hungry Caterpillar or for me. For any of us.

You see, without hunger, the Very Hungry Caterpillar would never turn into a butterfly.

And neither will we.

July's Pop-Ups Are Growing Skyward 🍃

📖 The Book Club Continues with Coach Emily M. & Anne

🕗 Wednesday July 29 at 7:00 PM ET

Body Kindness, by Rebecca Scritchfield, offers a compassionate approach to health and wellness, encouraging us to care for our bodies through self-trust, meaningful habits, and self-compassion.

https://www.birchandstonecoaching.com/offers/UN5H2H2M

Get To Know... Dancing Queen, Coach Kathleen! 💃

🪇 Rhythm & Rising is such a bright spot in the Birch & Stone week. It's so much fun to see everyone dancing! When it comes to movin' and groovin', some people dance to the rhythm of the bass and others to the flow of the melody. What kind of dancer are you?

What kind of dancer am I? I do have to admit, I love to dance. I dance to it all, the base, the brass and the melody too! Any chance I get to listen to music and move my body is a great day for me. I would also like to add, that I am over the moon about Rhythm Rising! I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful session with Birch and Stone where we all can use music for what we need during that 30 minutes. To dance, catch up on homework, tend the garden, a roadtrip in our car, you name it. It just makes me feel so good to see others with a smile on their face, dancing and swaying to the music. It really just ends my Thursdays on the best note.

🧘‍♀️ You explore so many different kinds of activity in Move Your Week! Has there ever been a kind of exercise or activity that you tried, but it took a long time to grow into loving? What was it, and what changed for you that made it "click"?

Yes, it took me a long time to find what I loved in Yoga. I have been doing it since I was in my late teens. I always found that some instructors really mixed it up each time and added in a lot of non-yoga movement into the practice, or went through the movements to fast. That just wasn’t for me. I had to stick to someone that was more methodical and consistent with their routine and practice. That is why I fell in love with Bikram Yoga. It consists of 26 poses/postures in the same order each session. I found that I really loved that, because I could focus on the posture and get deeper in it when I was ready. The consistency really helped me be better in yoga. I haven’t done it for years now, but hope to get back to it later this year.

🧀 You and Dani are hosting a meet-up for West Coast B&S members on August 2 in your hometown of Corvallis, OR! Corvallis is particularly famous for its farmer's market scene. What is your go-to farmer's market pick? Are you a fruits & veggies gal or do you head straight for the artisan cheese?

Oh yes, I love a good farmers market. The great thing about the Corvallis Farmers Market, is that it is all year around! Isn’t that great?! During the warmer months it is in Downtown Corvallis on First Street. Along the park and river. During the colder months it moves to the Fair Grounds. We have a beautiful bounty all year long. I do have to say that I am a veggie girl at heart, but those cheeses are always in my bag too. I will eat any amazing cheese you put in front of me and my refrigerator is always full of them. Give me a veggie and cheese platter and I am a happy human. Regarding our Corvallis Birch and Stone Meet-up… it is going to be so great! Corvallis is such a beautiful town to explore.

Let Your Voice Be Heard in August 💬

👻 Dealing with the Sunday Scaries with Coach Andrew

🕒 Sunday August 23 at 6:00 PM ET

Feeling drained, disconnected, or anxious about the work week? Join Coach Andrew for a practical workshop on burnout, work satisfaction, focus, and finding a path forward. You’ll learn realistic strategies you can use in your current role—and how to recognize when it may be time for a bigger change.

Coach Andrew would love to hear your questions beforehand to best address the Sunday Scaries!

Submit Questions Anonymously to Coach Andrew

Nourish Your Roots with 1:1 Coaching 🌳

Looking for more personalized support on your growth journey? Our Birch & Stone one-on-one coaching offers compassionate, individualized guidance designed to help you navigate life with greater clarity, confidence, and support.

Learn More about One-on-One Coaching

🎵 Coach Emily M.

Whole-person wellness coaching for your body, mind, and life.
Personalized support in nutrition, movement & mindset -- no restriction, just real-life sustainability.
Build lasting habits through small, consistent steps that create lasting results.
Based in South Florida with her husband, Neal.

Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Coach Emily M.

💄 Coach Dani

A safe, supportive space for life's hardest seasons.
Build emotional resilience and break all-or-nothing patterns.
Create realistic routines and sustainable habits at a pace that feels safe and steady.
Compassionate coaching with tools for real life and lasting change.

Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Coach Dani

🧘‍♀️ Coach Beth

Rediscover your rhythm and purpose in midlife.
Navigate life transitions with clarity, confidence & balance.
Understand hormonal shifts and reconnect with your body and energy.
Compassionate support and practical tools for your next chapter.

Book a 1:1 Discovery Call with Coach Beth

Stretch Your Branches with Our Retreats & Meet-Ups! 🌿

🍂 Vermont Retreat 2026

🕒 September 17 - 20, 2026 in Essex, VT

Join us in person or virtually from the comfort of your own home. Same powerful connection, same meaningful growth, just in your own cozy space. You Belong Here!

This retreat is for you if...

You’re ready to stop abandoning yourself to keep the peace
You want boundaries that feel kind and firm
You’re tired of forcing change and want sustainable support
You’re open to slowing down so you can hear yourself again

In-Person Vermont Retreat: $549

Register for the In Person Vermont Retreat

What’s Included With Your In-Person Vermont Retreat Ticket

All live coaching sessions and workshops
Guided exercises and group discussions
3 breakfasts and 2 lunches during retreat programming

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although our room block has expired, the special group rate is still available, subject to room availability until August 17. The contact person for lodging at the B&S price is:

Lisa, Group Rooms Coordinator at Essex Resort
Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM ET
Harrison@essexresort.com
802-764-1404

Virtual Vermont Retreat: $297

Register for the Virtual Retreat!

What’s Included With Your Virtual Ticket

All live coaching sessions and workshops
Mailed welcome box
Enjoy the comfort of your own home and meals

🍂 Oregon Meet-Up

🕒 Sunday, August 2 at 12:00 PM PT in Corvallis, OR

Meet Coach Dani and Coach Kathleen in Oregon for some West Coast fun!

RSVP for the Oregon Meet-Up

We're always adding new meet-ups in cities around the United States, so keep checking back on the Birch & Stone Community app (and your weekly newsletter like this one!) for future opportunities to go from screen... to seen.

Breathe Deep with the Sobriety Circle 🪻

While membership is currently closed, Coach Rebecca and Alison have started a waitlist for those interested in joining the Sobriety Circle in the future. You can add your e-mail to the waitlist at the Google Forms link below.

Sobriety Circle Waitlist

Represent Birch & Stone and Help Provide Coaching 🪨

Did you know that you can help fund scholarships for your fellow Birch & Stone members who are experiencing financial hardship?

And did you know that Birch & Stone offers t-shirts, sweatshirts, notebooks, tote bags, water bottles... all kinds of cool stuff?

Did you know that buying Birch & Stone merch directly finances the scholarship fund?

Visit the online store and take a look at the options available today. My favorites are the two notebooks -- for taking notes in a B&S workshop, of course!

Visit the Birch & Stone Store

The Music of Your Soul🎶

Some of your favorite songs heard throughout Birch & Stone classes can now be found in one place! From calming moments to empowering anthems, this playlist captures the heart, energy, and rhythm of our community.