Create Positive Change

**🪷** **Cost:** This event is free! ✨ **Description:** **Imagine Well Being is partnering with Oatlands for future events! Join us at Oatlands Saturday, June 6 for an hour of Nature and Sound Immersion at 10:30am or at 1:30pm.** Oatlands is open for a free day of activities, performances and fun! Come meet many of the community partners and discover why Oatlands is a place where people gather to learn, grow and connect. This family-friendly day features a wide range of partners, including artist Gertrude Ashton Evans, farmers, gardeners, conservationists, community theater and outdoor recreation groups, along with historians, educators, libraries and cultural organizations. **[Read More about ](https://oatlands.org/event/explore-oatlands-and-meet-our-community-partners/)*[Explore Oatlands ](https://oatlands.org/event/explore-oatlands-and-meet-our-community-partners/)*[Here!](https://oatlands.org/event/explore-oatlands-and-meet-our-community-partners/)**[ ](https://oatlands.org/event/explore-oatlands-and-meet-our-community-partners/) **👋🏼 Starting point:** The Carriage House. **🎒Bring:** * Water * Layers of clothes based on the weather * Sturdy comfortable shoes to explore Oatlands **🪷** **Cost:** This event is free to attend! **🌐** **Newsletter:** [Sign up Today for Imagine Well Being's latest news, upcoming events, and retreats!](https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/newsletter-form/sign-up-for-the-imagine-well-being-newsletter) **⭐️ Liability Release:** With my RSVP, I hereby confirm that I am physically able to participate in this event. I understand and agree that all events, workshops, and retreats are undertaken at my sole risk and that Imagine Well Being guides and co-directors shall not be liable for injuries or damages to my person or property arising out of or connected to any of these activities. I authorize Imagine Well Being guides and co-directors to call 911 in the event that I appear to require emergency medical care, and I assume responsibility for all associated costs. **I have carefully read this agreement and understand its contents. I agree that it is a complete release of liability for any injuries or damage that I may sustain due to Imagine classes, gatherings, and workshops.**

If you love musicians who can tell a story, lift a room, and make you feel like you’ve known them forever, come meet Mark Rust. Jessica first heard him in a college coffeehouse in Troy, NY decades ago — now he’s bringing that same magic to our house concert series. Mark Rust sings with strength and clarity, accompanying himself on guitar, piano, banjo, fiddle, mountain and hammered dulcimer. His charismatic personality combined with a delightful blend of wit and humor, creates a clear and consistent image of the world as he wants it to be. His love for his audience is genuinely conveyed and immediately returned. Mark captivates his audience and quickly makes them an integral part of the performance, and in that moment, they become his family. Yet, the songs, the voice, and the instruments, are still not the whole story. Mark infuses his concerts with an infectious sense of fun as he shares his down-home anecdotes and humorous stories. In the end, you have been treated to a voyage through your own experiences during an evening that is both memorable and moving. His music will touch your heart and leave you laughing. **Come make friends at our dessert and drink potluck! Please bring a dessert or beverage to share!** ***Details with our address and other info will be sent to you before June 6th.*** **Doors open at 7:00 pm. Music will begin \~7:45 pm.** **We kindly ask you leave your shoes at the door.** Wear your craziest socks to win a prize! Boring socks are...boring! :) **Suggested donation: $25-30/person (100% of all contributions are given directly to the musician) (Cash or Venmo)** More about Mark: Mark Rust comes from a musical family. His grandmother immigrated to America in the 1920's, and later opened a nightclub called "Swiss Trudy's." Everyone in the family performed in the musical acts. As Mark grew, he joined the family’s entertainment. Over the next many years, the Rust family traveled and performed widely at concerts and festivals. Mark has become a versatile performer on a variety of instruments. He possesses solid proficiency on guitar, piano, banjo, fiddle, mountain dulcimer, and hammered dulcimer.

Join us for a VSDC volunteer day at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary! It is a great way to lend a hand while enjoying up-close time with the more than 200 animals that call Poplar home. Volunteer tasks will range from those requiring mobility and strength to less demanding activities, including raking, cleaning barns and pastures, and washing and refilling water buckets. Wear clothing and shoes that you don't mind getting dirty. No food or drink is available on-site, so bring water. Please leave snacks in the car so the animals don't help themselves. Please arrive by 9:45 am so we can gather and start at 10 am sharp. Thank you for helping the animals, and we look forward to seeing you there! **VSDC: More Than A Meetup** We are delighted to have you as part of The Veg Society of DC Vegan Meetup group, and we look forward to seeing you at our events. Did you know that [VSDC](https://vsdc.org/%20) is a nonprofit organization with membership benefits? With VSDC membership, you will save money at area restaurants and businesses, attend VSDC member-only events, and, most importantly, support us as a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. The membership fee is minimal, but the impact is significant! [Join today](https://vsdc.org/membership/)! **Ways to Stay In Touch with Us** Thank you for being part of our Meetup presence and bringing like-minded people together. We invite you to: * Become a [VSDC member](https://vsdc.org/membership/) to save money at area restaurants and support us in being a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. * Sign up for our[ monthly e-newsletter](https://vsdc.org/about/newsletter/) to hear more about our activities. * Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/vegsocietydc/) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/vegsocietydc/) to engage with us. * **Interested in Volunteering with VSDC?** VSDC offers many events each month, thanks to the dedication of our event planning team. Would you consider volunteering? To learn more and get started, [please visit our website](https://vsdc.org/volunteer/). **Only Vegan Food, Please** While VSDC welcomes people wherever they are on the path to an all-plant, vegan diet and lifestyle, it is our policy that only vegan food be served and consumed at our events. If you would like to [explore a vegan diet or get support in making lifestyle changes, consider these resources](https://vsdc.org/exploringvegan/). **Liability Waiver and Code of Conduct** When you sign up to attend, you automatically acknowledge [VSDC's Liability Waiver](https://vsdc.org/activity-waiver/) and commit to follow the code of conduct found at [Policies - VSDC - Veg Society of DC](https://vsdc.org/policies/). **VSDC. Creating communities. For your health, the animals, and the planet.**

Join us for a fun afternoon of board games, card games, etc! Bring your favorites or play a game that someone else brings. You are welcome to bring snacks (for yourself or to share) and non-alcoholic beverages. RSVP will remain open until the start of the event!

This is an in-person event hosted by Sahaja Yoga meditation. We offer free meditation sessions and everyone is welcome to join and experience the peace within!

Join our weekly walking meetup to have fun, maintain a healthy lifestyle, meet new people, and enjoy nature! We meet Saturdays at 10am, by the bike racks and benches 150 feet in front of BUBBLES Hair Salon in Reston, leaving no later than 10:05. Every week we'll walk the Green Trail to Lake Anne Plaza (\~1 mile), pause there for 5-10 minutes (water, bio, and from April-Nov a Farmer's Market), then circle the lake (2 miles) before returning to our starting point. It's roughly 3.5 miles and takes about an hour and a half. Afterwards, some members will often head to a local restaurant to refuel and relax before tackling the rest of the day. This event is open to all ages and fitness levels, and both friends and dogs are always welcome! We recommend dressing for the weather (umbrella, water bottle, snow shoes, hat, etc.) since we'll always walk, rain or shine. By signing up, you accept and assume all risks and responsibilities with this activity, and nobody will be held liable.

Sunday service at Unity of Fairfax will leave you feeling inspired, blessed and empowered to experience the fullness of life. **On a Spiritual Journey** Our community is made up of people, like yourself, who have been led to Unity by Spirit. We are all here because we’re on a spiritual journey to become all that we were created to be. **Welcome to Everyone** Unity welcomes people of all religious backgrounds and beliefs. We welcome people of all creeds, sexual orientation and social background. There are no exceptions in our welcome to everyone. **We Offer Tools** In Unity we don't tell people what to think; rather, we offer tools that individuals can use to create lives of meaning and purpose. **What We Believe** To review what we believe, go here: https://unityoffairfax.org/what-we-believe-what-unity

This is an in-person event hosted by Sahaja Yoga meditation. We offer free meditation sessions and everyone is welcome to join and experience the peace within!

This is an in-person event hosted by Sahaja Yoga meditation. We offer free meditation sessions and everyone is welcome to join and experience the peace within!

Discover the path to stress management, life's tranquility, and self-improvement through Heartfulness Meditation. Embrace relaxation, meditation, and emotional detoxification practices to unlock your best self. Join our free sessions every Sunday at 8 AM at VA. Experience the profound benefits of these simple yet powerful practices. Commit to a few months of meditation and witness the transformative impact firsthand. We eagerly await your presence at these enlightening sessions.

Join us for conversations that go beyond small talk, diving into topics like the shifting nature of spirituality, the challenges and joys of midlife transitions, the impact of culture and capitalism, and the search for meaning in art, travel, and daily life. Our gatherings are about genuine, thought-provoking dialogue, with no set leader or strict agenda—just an open space to share ideas, perspectives, and experiences that matter to us. The direction of the discussion is shaped by everyone who shows up, making each event unique and enriching. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others who are also seeking deeper conversations. Let the conversation flow from topic to topic. Optional questions are listed below.

Optional Questions: Life Stages & Transitions

1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging?
2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists?
3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about?

Optional Questions: Identity After the Roles

4. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you?
5. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed?
6. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted?

Optional Questions: AI & Being Human

7. What human experiences will AI never truly understand?
8. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do?
9. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated?

Optional Questions: Belief & Meaning

10. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space?
11. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live?
12. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self?

Optional Questions: The Modern Psyche

13. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have?
14. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire?
15. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept?

Optional Questions: Work & Purpose

16. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you?
17. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors?
18. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years?

Optional Questions: Relationships & Connection

19. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why?
20. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best?
21. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others?

Optional Questions: Time & Mortality

22. What are you running out of time to say or do?
23. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite?
24. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail?

Optional Questions: Society & Culture

25. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense?
26. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing?
27. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years?

Optional Questions: Personal Philosophy

28. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way?
29. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out
30. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

## 1 Million Cups Loudoun – Business Presentation ### Featuring Mary Hartshorn, Founder of Craft Alchemy **Wednesday\, June 10 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun** Join us as we welcome **Mary Hartshorn**, founder of **Craft Alchemy**, to the 1 Million Cups Loudoun stage. *** ## About the Presenter Mary Hartshorn is an Army Veteran, entrepreneur, and founder of Craft Alchemy. With a background in communications and logistics and an MBA earned in 2016, Mary spent years developing expertise in e-commerce, digital products, automation systems, Shopify, Etsy, and customer-focused product development while raising her family and navigating military life. In 2024, a personal moment of crisis inspired Mary to create a tool that could help others facing similar challenges. What began as a resource for veterans quickly evolved into a broader solution designed to support individuals and families navigating autism, mental health challenges, caregiving responsibilities, medical conditions, and other situations where communication can become difficult during times of stress. *** ## About the Business Craft Alchemy has developed the **Anchor Tag Support System**, a personalized QR-based support hub that helps individuals quickly access calming tools, emergency contacts, support resources, and personalized information when they need it most. Designed to bridge the gap between physical and digital support, Anchor Tags provide a practical, accessible tool for Veterans, First Responders, autism families, caregivers, mental health advocates, schools, healthcare providers, and organizations focused on community well-being. Rather than creating another app, Craft Alchemy offers a real-world solution that can be carried, accessed quickly, and utilized during moments when support and communication matter most. *** ## Who Mary Is Looking to Hear From Mary would especially value feedback and connections from: * Veteran support organizations * First responder support groups * Mental health professionals and advocates * Autism and disability support organizations * School administrators and special education professionals * Healthcare and caregiving professionals * Nonprofit leaders * Community outreach specialists * Government contracting and partnership advisors * Local leaders focused on community impact initiatives *** ## Current Business Focus & Challenge Craft Alchemy is currently in its early growth and partnership stage. Mary's primary focus is building awareness, establishing strategic partnerships, and expanding opportunities within organizations and community-based networks. She is seeking feedback around: * Building strategic partnerships * Scaling awareness organically * Expanding into schools, nonprofits, and community organizations * Navigating government and organizational opportunities * Growing a mission-driven business without relying heavily on paid advertising She would also appreciate introductions to individuals and organizations connected to veterans, first responders, mental health advocacy, autism support, caregiving, education, and community health initiatives. *** ## Why Attend? * Learn about an innovative solution designed to support people during moments of stress and crisis * Provide valuable feedback to a mission-driven entrepreneur * Connect with community leaders, advocates, and professionals across multiple industries * Be part of a meaningful conversation around accessibility, support, and community impact *** ## About 1 Million Cups 1 Million Cups is a national program that brings entrepreneurs and communities together to learn, connect, and grow through presentations and discussion. Loudoun’s chapter meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month. Join us on **June 10** for coffee, connection, and a conversation about creating practical solutions that strengthen individuals, families, and communities. We look forward to seeing you there.

### Hopeful Cafe Conversations @Panera Kentlands **You are cordially invited to join in the conversation to catch the positive vibe... a cup of coffee, or another of your favorite refreshment.** **At NEW HOPE CAFE CONVERSATIONS on 3rd Saturdays, Monthly** **Address: Panera, 285 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878** **Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83326239362** ===== **New Hope Workshop**: What is Negativity Bias? How do we get ahead of it to reach more positive outcomes in work, life, and relationships? Discover the difference between goals and outcomes. 1\. How do we reaffirm ones role\, despite negativity bias from others? 2\. The New Hope Community Affirmative Statements of Foundational Principles 3\. Your Perspectives in Conversation **"Star Points Meal Deal"** If you have New Hope "Star Points 💫" you can get a discount on a meal. Also you can earn Star Points, if this is your first time attending Cafe Conversations, in-person. Ask Gene, newhope321community@yahoo.com, 240-848-0808.

⚡ **Reset your mindset. Meet someone unexpected. Walk away with new clarity.** Join us for a free, small-group gathering held in our **Startup Garage** — a **spacious, comfortable living-room style space** inside a single-family home. Think couches, coffee, and real conversation — **not an actual garage 😊** 🔁 You’ll be **paired** with different attendees throughout the event for short, energizing rounds — each sparked by a simple **opening line** designed to make you laugh, reflect, and think bigger about what comes next. You won’t just talk about what’s behind you — You’ll begin to **picture what’s ahead** in a way that actually excites you. *** **☕ Coffee and snacks are on me.** Just show up with a curious mind — and a willingness to laugh. We’ll guide you through questions that blend **wisdom and humor** — the kind that help you see your story through a new lens. *** **🔍 What You’ll Experience** • One-on-one rounds to explore purpose, identity, and new possibilities • Light, energizing activities designed to shift your mindset in under 10 minutes • Fresh insights from people you’ve never met — but may never forget • A laid-back, thoughtful space to connect without pressure *** **💼 Who It’s For** • Divorced/Separated or midlife professionals figuring out what’s next • Entrepreneurs, builders, and creatives in a season of reinvention • Men and women who prefer **meaningful conversation** over surface level talk Whether you’re starting over, scaling up, or just ready for something more aligned — this space is for you. *** 📊 *Most attendees are in their 30s, 40s, or 50s — navigating life and growth with curiosity, clarity, and a sense of humor.* 🛋️ **Hosted in a spacious living-room setting** inside a single-family home (Ashburn). Full address shared after RSVP. 🌐 Explore more: [https://midlifereinvention.co](https://midlifereinvention.co)

**✨ Join Us at Peter Chang in Herndon!** Join your DTs friends and family for an unforgettable Szechuan dinner at Peter Chang, located at 2322 Silver Arrow Wy, Herndon, VA 20171. It’s time to stop dreaming about spice and start living it. Join us at the legendary Peter Chang in Herndon for dazzling, nuanced, and seriously addictive Szechuan cuisine. If you're ready for the málà (numbing and spicy) sensation that defines the region, this is your pilgrimage. We're going to feast on signature dishes like their famous soup dumplings, spectacular Scallion Bubble Pancake, rich Dry-Fried Eggplant, Mongolian beef, and whatever other authentic, flavorful masterpieces we can fit on the table. Every Thursday is a new flavor with DTs. Come find yours! [https://peterchangherndon.com/](https://peterchangherndon.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExQ003SHljZzMwT1ZHQjU1YnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIIY2FsbHNpdGUBMgABHtPr-ZKGO8_f96Xj0WUhTq8Lap2uAWoz9sIgF5Y3QVOuyswsO98OB-9zo6OM_aem_GjMeBvYxE3MTai8VDAgewA&brid=1E16dMBo0d8FySYJcSI5sQ) If possible, please RSVP on our **Facebook** or **Meetup** pages so we can let the restaurant know how many people to expect. We will have a few extra seats available for last-minute joiners, but we get a big crowd, so please let us know! We don't want to leave you sitting at the bar!

This is introductory meditation for people who wants to learn basics of meditation. It's a free event held every week and everyone is welcome to join.