Center Studio, in the heart of White Center, is an inclusive space where our community can connect – a one stop shop for holistic fitness for our bodies craving strength, sweat & stretch and our minds seeking balance, focus & peace. We offer all levels of Yoga classes as well as Prenatal, Kids & Family Yoga, private Thai Yoga Therapy, special workshops, and more! Our Pilates classes will ground your body and strengthen your inner core. Our Above the Barre classes combine ballet, yoga, pilates and strength to work your mind and body. To bring your wellness full circle, we have two intuitive and nurturing Massage Therapists who bring 14 years of experience to combine a variety of bodywork specialties including Massage Cupping – an ancient detoxifying healing modality – Swedish, Deep Tissue, Prenatal Massage, Aromatherapy and more.

Founded by West Seattle resident Lonjina Verdugo, a New Mexico transplant and Seattle resident of 15 years, Center Studio encompasses her vision of bringing together mindful movement, art and community. “After spending lots of quality time with my family in White Center I realized – *this* is the place. I launched Center Studio in Spring of 2012 and the response has been great. People always say to me ‘I’m so glad you opened the studio. We need this in White Center!’ It’s been an exciting journey so far and I can’t wait to see what happens next.” Through her own personal journey she has realized that mindful movement and its underlying lessons can change you from the inside-out as well as the outside-in.

Looking to rent a unique venue? When we are not using it for classes, Center Studio can be used for photography/video shoots, workshops, rehearsals, meetings, birthday parties you name it! The open, light-filled space is perfect for inspiration and celebration. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Center Studio is at 9611 16th Ave SW (in the heart of White Center). Please visit us at www.whitecenterstudio.com for more information on classes, massage, special workshops & events, and on Facebook for insights, updates and specials. (And here’s a WSB coupon!) Center Studio is a stop on the White Center Art Walk and welcomes artist inquiries.

We thank Center Studio for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
If you were garage-saling along Alki late this morning – you probably saw the hundreds of walkers who hit the paths/sidewalks for Walk With Us to Cure Lupus. Many were part of groups formed for the fundraising walk, like Team PlasmaLab:

The 5K is one of many around the country raising money for the Alliance for Lupus Research, seeking a cure for the auto-immune disease that ALR says affects up to 1.5 million Americans.

From words of hope, to walks of celebration, the “Style ’13″ fashion fundraiser by and for West Seattleite-founded/led Northwest Hope and Healing was a success – so we hear from Captive Eye Media‘s Edgar Riebe, who shared the video highlights from last night’s event at Showbox SODO. Edgar says NWHH announced a fundraising total of $120,000, more than last year – we will check today for any additional details. Next big benefit for NWHH is the annual Alki Beach 5K Run/Walk, August 25th.

West Seattleite-founded/led Northwest Hope and Healing has a unique mission for breast-cancer patients – It helps them handle everyday life even as they cope with the daunting challenge of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. The video above produced by West Seattle-based Captive Eye Media introduces you to some of the people NWHH has helped – in other words, people like those you’ll be helping if you go to its Style ’13 benefit fashion show at 7 pm tomorrow. West Seattle businesses are involved as sponsors and supporters, including Carmilia’s, West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), and Coastal. Online ticket sales are over but you can get yours at the door at Showbox SODO – details here.

Meet Julia Tran, Michael Chow, and Lisa Hernandez, three of the people you’ll find at the new West Seattle Vision eye clinic that’s about to open at 6505 California SW in Morgan Junction. We stopped by Tuesday to meet them as they finish preparing the new space for a “soft open” later this week. Tran and Chow are optometrists; Hernandez is an optician. Another doctor is on the team but couldn’t join us for the Tuesday chat – Donna Matney, who, Chow points out, is also a published author with her own website.

West Seattle Vision is part of a locally owned mini-chain of clinics owned by Chow – this is the fourth one, and a fifth will open soon at South Lake Union. Each has its own name and identity, but they share doctors; Tran has been working at the company’s Auburn clinic and probably will still keep some hours there for a while.

Chow says she was the inspiration for the West Seattle clinic – they’ve been talking for more than a year about her having her own practice, ideally in this area, which Chow, who lives in Issaquah, has observed is a “cool little community, so tight-knit.”

Asked what will set them apart, the team says their modern technology will be a major factor, as will the time they spend with patients – while many eye exams run about half an hour, Tran explained, “we have 45 minutes.” Meantime, some old trappings of the typical eye exam have fallen away – you don’t need to have your pupils dilated for a doctor to see inside; new technology, they explain, allows photography into the eye so that they can even look “down to the cellular level.” And the process of narrowing down the prescription to correct your vision is “quicker and more efficient” than the old “which is better – one? or two? one? or two?” etc.

Technology also has improved for taking measurements to fit glasses, Hernandez says. And they plan to offer a wide range of frames, including high-end designs, and some full of color, which she says “is huge right now,” as well as a good selection for kids. Coatings are easier to clean, harder to scratch, these days.

And there’s one more place technology comes into the equation – they will offer online appointment-booking, which is accompanied by options including text messaging to remind you of your appointment.

Some things, of course, you just can’t determine technologically. They plan to adjust their hours depending on what their clients request – watching to see whether 9 to 5 makes more sense on weekdays, or maybe 10 to 6, while they’ll start off with one night a week – Wednesdays – open until 7. They say West Seattle Vision will have Saturday hours, too. So keep an eye out for signs of their “soft open,” to be followed by an official grand opening sometime this spring.

P.S.: They won’t be doing major surgery, but they will offer “medical eye care” for relatively minor problems.

Side note: West Seattle Vision’s impending opening is part of some big changes in that commercial building on the west side of California SW, just south of Fauntleroy – Pet Elements also has just opened its new space next door, relocating from a small freestanding building about a block away.

Thanks to longtime WSB’er “k” for photographing the sign installation at West Seattle Vision, taking over much of the former Windermere Fauntleroy space (closed after WF merged offices with Windermere in The Junction) in the 6500 block of California SW. We’d been working on a story but since the sign’s up – here’s what we know so far: It will be a group practice of optometrists, part of the Northwest Eye Care Network. Their opening date isn’t firmed up yet, but we’re told they’re getting close. Their Facebook page includes sneak peeks at the remodeling they have been doing inside the building. We first mentioned an eye clinic was on the way in this March 15 story about the new tenant for the rest of the space – Pet Elements, moving from its original location a block south.

A few days left: Chief Sealth Football is participating in WALK MS this year April 14, 2013. Please donate to MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society on behalf of CSI FB Seahawks (Chief Sealth International Football).

This annual walk is a community service event organized throughout the country to increase awareness and fundraise for the research of Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). This condition affects millions worldwide. Some of the symptoms of those with this condition experience periods of numbness, loss of sensitivity, muscle spasms, loss of speech, fatigue, and blindness. Episodes can occur without warning and without any inciting factors lasting days, weeks or months. I personally decided to get involved because a friend lost his sight in one eye as a result of MS. Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for many people with Multiple Sclerosis. To learn more about MS go to nationalmssociety.org. To learn more about WALK MS Seattle 2013, go (here).

Walk MS 2013 is a great opportunity for Chief Sealth High School football players. They are fundraising for a worldwide condition that affects millions, and has no cure. They are also learning the act of service! As an added benefit, each player will also earn community service credit hours needed to graduate from Seattle Public Schools.

No donation is too small or too large, says Coach Carr – you can donate through the CSI team page by going here.

At West Seattle Fight and Fitness, we not only teach martial arts, we teach movement. We strive to connect the sense of effort and enjoyment, providing an environment that is physically demanding yet playful in nature. We operate out of a 4900-square-foot warehouse converted into a martial-arts and fitness facility, conveniently located on Delridge, with more than 1700 square feet of mat space. Needless to say, there is plenty of room to climb, jump, lift, roll, kick, punch, and most importantly, MOVE.

West Seattle Fight and Fitness offers classes in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ), also known as the “gentle art,” daily. It is a beautiful martial art that advocates self-defense and self-awareness. It uses leverage and efficiency of movement (minimal effort, maximum benefit) as the primary way of applying techniques, allowing every man, woman, and child the opportunity to excel. We also offer Tae Kwon Do (TKD), a relaxing martial art whose beauty is displayed through forms and powerful kicks. In our youth program, we immerse the children in 3 different skills: striking, takedowns, and the “ground” game. We believe that children need a variety of experiences that will lead to a solid development of fundamental motor skills and set the cornerstone for creating a future black belt. We create strong and hard-working kids who enjoy every second of our classes and also have the confidence to stand up for themselves and others.

All of our programs are great ways to stay in shape and push your body to new heights. We believe in community and teamwork, which is why we are proud members of the Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Association. Not sure if the martial arts are for you? Let us show you! We offer a 30-day free trial to give you the time you need to see the various benefits of what we do. Come see how West Seattle Fight & Fitness can change your life today!

Find West Seattle Fight and Fitness at 5050 Delridge Way, online at westseattleff.com, and on Facebook here. They’re having an open house this Saturday (March 30th), 11 am-3 pm.

We thank West Seattle Fight & Fitness for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

West Seattle naturopath Dr. Katherine Oldfield and Bastyr-trained dietitian Michelle Babb have joined forces to create Vibrant Life Guided Wellness Programs – a whole-foods based, anti-inflammatory program for weight management and optimal cardiovascular health. Dr. Oldfield (right) and Michelle (below right) facilitate and guide each 12-week program, bringing people together with similar challenges to receive professional guidance with the goal of health transformation from the inside out. The groups are purposefully kept small to facilitate sharing and to personalize the program. Most programs involve a three-week hormone-balancing cleanse or an anti-inflammatory cleanse. Michelle and Dr. Oldfield guide the re-introduction of the foods so that each participant learns how to eat a delicious whole-foods diet that optimizes their health, increases energy, reduces joint pain, and promotes long-term weight management. Depending on the program, Katherine and Michelle share their knowledge on topics that range from inflammation to menopause, but most importantly they integrate their passion for food and give practical tips that set their program participants up for success. The programs always include cooking demos, guest speakers and hands-on activities.

We all know it’s important to eat more vegetables, cut down on the junk food and get some exercise, but knowing and doing are two different things. Vibrant Life helps people achieve those goals and make lifelong change. “The most rewarding part of this program is seeing people who have been chronic dieters change their relationship with food, lose weight and learn to be truly healthy without dieting,” said Michelle. “And I get to see the evidence of how these changes affect our class participants when labs come back showing better blood sugar control and decreased cholesterol” added Dr Oldfield. The Vibrant Life philosophy is that weight loss is not just a calories-in, calories-out equation. The type of food matters, and there are a multitude of other factors that influence weight including exercise, sleep, hormone imbalance and stress management. All of these factors are addressed in the 12-week programs. Vibrant Life’s co-founders both live and have their individual practices in West Seattle. Dr. Oldfield says “We may not be as intriguing as the story about catamarans with couches, or as riveting as the recent estate sale robbery, but anybody who takes one of our classes can expect to learn a whole new way of eating and approaching health and have fun doing it.”

For more info or to take the quiz and see what program is right for you, visit www.vibrantlifeseattle.com.

We thank Vibrant Life Guided Wellness Programs for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Back in January, we told you the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center‘s first-ever fundraising bicycle-ride series dubbed Obliteride was expected to run through our area. The routes have just been revealed, and West Seattle/White Center is indeed on the 180-mile, two-day route – see the map here, or in the short video above, and read the official update ahead:

The first-ever Obliteride will soon spin through West Seattle and White Center. Routes for the 25-, 50-, 100- and 180-mile rides have just been released. They offer various distances and terrains so all levels of riders can participate and make their marks against cancer. Obliteride is a fundraising bike ride to benefit lifesaving cancer research at Fred Hutch. It features an entire weekend of cycling, celebration, and concerts Aug. 9-11, 2013.

“Obliteride is a community-wide event that everyone can participate in by riding, volunteering or cheering on participants as they roll though your community,” said Amy Lavin, Obliteride’s executive director. “We would love to see people get involved by volunteering or lining the streets with signs honoring loved ones or friends who have battled cancer or are in the fight today. Simply come to the end of your driveway and cheer on the riders. We’d love to see everyone out there!”

Thanks to Obliteride sponsors, 100 percent of every dollar raised will directly benefit lifesaving cancer research. We are fortunate to have one of the top cancer research centers in the world right here in our community. Obliteride is an opportunity to come together to activate the entire Pacific Northwest to fight something that is bigger than any one of us. Together we can make a real difference here in our community and with far-reaching impacts around the world.

There’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved. Volunteering or fundraising provide great alternatives to riding while clearly contributing to and participating in this new community effort. Sign up to ride, volunteer, or fundraise at obliteride.org. Route maps are now available at obliteride.org/ride and short highlight videos of each route are at obliteride.org.

Actor Matt Damon says he’s on strike – and with the video you can watch above, Chief Sealth International High School students say they’re ready to join him. Haven’t heard about his strike? Watch *his* video:

With that recent “news conference,” Damon and his water.org did his best to make sure you know that 2.5 billion people don’t have access to something you likely take for granted – toilets.

Since Damon is looking ahead to World Water Day on March 22nd, and Chief Sealth is too – with their third annual World Water Week full of lessons and events March 18-22 – they’re thinking their suggestion that he come here should be an irresistible invitation, says social-studies teacher and WWW ringleader Noah Zeichner. Especially given their specific focus – sanitation and wastewater. So they’ve submitted their video to his strikewithme.org website, and sent photos like this one and this one to the #strikewithme feed he launched via Instagram. They hope he will come to Sealth to share the stage with Jack Sim, the activist nicknamed “Mr. Toilet,” who is coming all the way from Singapore to be the keynoter for WWW at Sealth (you are invited too), 7 pm March 19th at the school auditorium, admission free.

As Sim points out in this short video profile of Sim, it’s a taboo topic – and that’s killing people, as taboos too often do. So he talks about toilets, and the Sealth students are doing the same, as is Matt Damon. Will he take them up on their invitation? Stay tuned!

(P.S. A fundraiser continues, to help foot the bill for World Water Week costs and the 9th-grade WEST Project – check it out here.)

(AMA photo from last night: Rep. Cody with (at left) Terry Moran of ABC News and AMA Board Chair Steven J. Stack, M.D.)
Congratulations to longtime State Rep. Eileen Cody of West Seattle, who chairs the State House committee overseeing health-care issues and is a nurse by profession – she just received a major award. Here’s the announcement:

The American Medical Association (AMA) honored Washington state Rep. Eileen Cody with the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service, its top award for government service in health care. Rep. Cody was honored with the award last night at the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.

“Rep. Cody has led efforts toward improving health care access for low income individuals and transforming mental health services in Washington state,” said AMA Board Chair Steven J. Stack, M.D. “Her dedication to public health has also earned the state national recognition for its long term health care services and support system.”

Rep. Cody is one of seven honorees this year for the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service. The award is named after the AMA’s founder and recognizes the work of elected and career officials in federal, state and municipal service whose contributions have promoted the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.

“The Dr. Nathan Davis Awards give the AMA the opportunity to honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the advancement of public health,” said Dr. Stack. “The honorees represent all sectors of government and show what can be accomplished when we work together to address some of our nation’s most pressing health care issues.”

Rep. Cody was nominated for this award by the [former] governor of Washington State, Christine Gregoire. This marks the 24th year for the Dr. Nathan Davis Awards.

From left, meet Tin Vo, Annalisa Ursino, Renee McMinn, and Megan Duong. They are four West Seattle High School students with one goal: As Megan explains, “We want more families to choose WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT BREAD as their main bread choice,” as a small step toward eating healthier food: “After doing a lot of research, I learned that whole grain wheat bread has so many health benefits that you can’t get through eating other foods.”

They also want to get more restaurant owners to offer whole-grain bread in menu items for kids, instead of defaulting to “enriched white bread,” which doesn’t compare nutritionally. So far – not much luck, Megan explains: “It can be a bit frustrating because we feel as though they aren’t taking us seriously since we are just a small group of teenagers.”

She has hope that getting the information out can make a difference in people’s choices – even kids and teens:

I recently took a survey, asking 10 teens around my age (15-18 years old) and 10 younger kids (6-11 years old) if they would rather eat white bread or whole grain wheat bread. Most of them said white bread, except for four of the ten teens that were surveyed. The four that said they would rather eat wheat bread already knew the health benefits. However, the rest of them who said they would rather eat white bread, claimed that it either tastes better, they were raised to eat white bread, or they didn’t know the difference. After I told them just one fact that simply switching from white to whole wheat bread can lower heart disease risk by 20 percent, according to research from the University of Washington … most were shocked.

After giving them this statistic, I asked them again if they would rather eat white bread or whole grain wheat bread, five of the six teens that first said they would rather white bread chose to eat whole grain wheat bread after finding out it was healthier. Seven of the ten kids who originally said they would rather eat white bread agreed to eat or at least try whole grain wheat bread. After doing this survey, I noticed that many teens and kids don’t know the difference between whole grain wheat and white bread. I think if we spread the fact that it is healthier to eat whole grain wheat bread, many kids would make the switch. If we get enough kids to eat more wheat bread, it could really open the doorway to making healthier choices at the dinner table.

Their project is part of competition for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America “Star Events” and they’re making a presentation on Saturday, for the chance to move on to statewide competition.

They did get some support, from the Whole Grains Council: “They thought our idea was great and they agreed to send us 100 pins to give out at school and help promote choosing whole grains.”

And they have created this flyer for you to see – even, to share! (It includes contact info if you would like to reach the teens and offer support for their campaign.)

Concludes Megan: “Throughout this project, our ideas have been rejected by many restaurants; however, we are very determined and aren’t willing to give up! We are going to keep fighting to encourage families, children, and teens to live a healthier lifestyle. … we really want to make a difference, but we can’t do it alone.”

Chris Dormaier had reason to beam this afternoon – a big turnout to help her celebrate the 15th anniversary of SoundYoga (WSB sponsor). Sound Yoga offers a wide range of classes, from early morning “Get Up and Go!” to monthly Restorative Yoga sessions, and more, as detailed here. Chris is also a certified Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation Teacher Trainer.