Gratitude

Experience the ultimate relaxation with our 60-minute Yin & Restorative Yoga fusion class. This session combines the deep, meditative stretches of Yin Yoga with the soothing, supportive postures of Restorative Yoga. During this class, you'll explore longer-held poses designed to release tension from deep within the muscles and connective tissues, promoting flexibility and calm. The Restorative elements enhance relaxation by incorporating props to fully support your body in gentle, nurturing positions, allowing for complete surrender and rejuvenation. This practice is ideal for anyone seeking profound relaxation, stress relief, and a sense of inner peace. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or new to these styles, join us for an hour of blissful tranquility and restoration. **The session is offered InStudio only. Sign up at www.piesfitnessyoga.com required at least two hours before class begins.** The address is 1322 Prince St Alexandria, VA 22314. Our entrance is located on the side of the building, parallel to West St. **Street parking is available and additional parking is located at Shiloh Baptist church, spaces 36,37,38,39.** The church is located across the street from the studio, on the corner of Duke St. and West St.

**Advance reservations required. Tickets/Info:** [https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx](https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx) ### Even if you've never danced before, learn to dance the Viennese Waltz as it is danced in Vienna, in time for our Austrian Embassy Viennese Ball. A partner or prior dance experience are not needed to sign up so join us on your own or with friends. Whether you plan to attend our Viennese Ball at Austrian Embassy or would simply like to learn how to dance the Viennese Waltz, don't miss this rare opportunity to learn to dance one of the most elegant and romantic dances of all time. The lessons will be taught on a wooden dance floor at the Austrian Embassy, one of the most magnificent embassies in Washington DC. During the lessons Austrian wine will be available for purchase at the cash bar. **Advance reservations required. Tickets/Info:** [https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx](https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx) Join us on your own or with friends for Viennese Waltz lessons in time for our magical Viennese Ball. You are cordially invited to join us at the Embassy of Austria to indulge in an evening of Viennese Waltz lessons and learn to dance one of the most elegant and romantic dances of the world! The lessons are well-attended by both singles and couple alike so you are welcome to attend on your own or with friends. Prior dance experience is not needed to attend. Meet and socialize with diplomats, distinguished guests, and diverse professionals from DC and around the world. **Advance reservations required. Tickets/Info:** [https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx](https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx) Please visit the **Viennese Ball Gala Webpage** for detailed information about the Viennese Ball: [https://www.internationalclubdc.com/specialevents/Viennese-Ball-washington-dc/Viennese-Ball.aspx](https://www.internationalclubdc.com/specialevents/Viennese-Ball-washington-dc/Viennese-Ball.aspx) Please visit the **Viennese Waltz Lessons Webpage** for detailed information about Viennese Waltz lessons presented on the day prior to the Viennese Ball at the Embassy of Austria: [https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx](https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx) **Agenda** **6-8PM Viennese Waltz Session:** Arrive and check in at the Austrian Embassy at 6:00 PM and enjoy Austrian wine at the cash bar. Meet other attendees and prepare for the Viennese Waltz lesson that will start shortly after 6:15 PM. After the lesson practice dancing the Viennese Waltz to recorded music until 8PM. Event concludes at 8PM for the 6-8PM Session attendees. **7:30 PM to 10:00 PM Viennese Waltz Session:** Arrive and check in at the Austrian Embassy at 7:30 PM and enjoy Austrian wine at the cash bar. Meet other attendees and prepare for the Viennese Waltz lesson that will start shortly after 8:00 PM. After the lesson practice dancing the Viennese Waltz to recorded music until 10PM. Event concludes at 10PM for the 8-10PM Session attendees. **Advance reservations required. Tickets/Info:** [https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx](https://www.internationalclubdc.com/SpecialEvents/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons/Viennese-Waltz-Lessons.aspx)

Our February photo topic is “Strong Contrast." Please select up to five photos on your interpretation of the subject. As always, this must be your own work and family friendly. Club attendance has grown over the last few months. Please limit your submissions to maximum five photos, and edit your photos to lower resolution! **Medium resolution out of Photoshop is plenty for club use**. Please number your file names in the order in which you want them to appear, otherwise it may be random. After constructive discussion of our photos, there will be a presentation or demonstration related to photography. Dues ($5) are paid at the event in cash - smaller bills are appreciated! Purchase of food and drink from Bare Bones' menu is encouraged to support our use of the space.

Ready to build something amazing without writing a single line of code? Or want a front-row seat to watch it all come together? Join us for an AI-powered hackathon where you’ll create an app using **Lovable** – the no-code platform that turns plain English prompts into real products. This will be an interactive, high-energy event – not a sit-down lecture. Builders will be hands-on and products will be built! How it works: * We’ll form small AI building groups – no need to come with a team. * Bring a laptop to help your team build by adding features or testing your product. * Each group will collaborate to build an app and share it at the end. * The product brief will be revealed at the start – no prep required! * All Lovable credits are covered – no fees involved. Whether you’re curious about AI tools, eager to experiment, or just want to see how others build fast, this is your chance to experience the future of app creation. Since group spots are limited, please RSVP **only if you’re sure you can commit**. **Agenda:** * **5:00pm - 5:30pm – Arrival / Networking** * **5:30pm - 6:00pm – Hackathon brief** * **6:00pm - 7:00pm – Build time** * **7:00pm - 7:20PM – Networking / Shortlist** * **7:20pm - 7:50pm – Finalist demo, voting and prizes** * **7:50pm - 8:30pm – Wrap-up / Networking** This event will be held at Amazon’s HQ2 in National Landing, Arlington. Please bring a photo ID that matches your registration name to check in with security. There are metro stops (Pentagon City, Crystal City) and parking garages within convenient walking distance. There is also some street parking available in the vicinity.

Please join DMV Wine Explorers on Thursday February 12th at Total Wine Ballston at 6:30PM for a wine and chocolate pairing class. \*\* Tickets are $20 and can be purchased [here](https://www.totalwine.com/class/wine-and-chocolate-a-perfect-pair/ballston/virginia/e/ec714779) \*\* Some things really are better together. Wine and chocolate! Pairing the right wine with the right chocolate creates new and unexpected tastes to delight the senses. Featuring premiere chocolate from a world-famous maker, this is a delish class for wine lovers with a sweet tooth!

Join us for our Thursday Tea Time and social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults! Bring your beverage of choice, and meet in-person at The DC Center from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. For more information, contact Center Aging Program Coordinator, Mac (maca@thedccenter.org). We hope to see you there!

Valentine’s Day is a time when we pause to reflect on love, not only romantic love, but the deeper love expressed through compassion, community, and care. For many in the DMV region and nationwide, February 14 also marks one year since the first federal Reduction in Force (RIF) action, a moment that deeply impacted thousands of current and former federal workers, contractors, and their families. For decades, federal employees and contractors have served our nation with dedication, integrity, and a deep sense of purpose. Recent RIFs and government downsizing have brought sudden change, uncertainty, and emotional strain, impacting not only careers, but identity, stability, and well-being. While the year has brought loss and uncertainty for many, it has also revealed extraordinary resilience, reinvention, and inner strength. Join the Meditation Museum, a remarkable nonprofit dedicated to saving lives and strengthening communities rooted in resilience and perseverance, as we partner with RIF2RISE for a special Valentine’s Day gathering. Together, we will honor and uplift current and former federal workers and contractors through a compassionate, supportive community presence. This meaningful experience is not to be missed and will offer genuine support to all who attend. As part of the program, **Dr. Kanu Kogod** will offer a gentle, honest conversation titled **“The Unwanted Transition: Finding Peace and Direction After Job Loss.”** Designed for those navigating the aftermath of job loss, she will address the full spectrum of emotions, from shock and betrayal to fear and grief, while offering grounding perspectives on unexpected life changes and the search for peace, purpose, and direction. This gathering is **non-partisan** and focused entirely on **well-being, healing, and community care.** Come as you are and leave renewed. ***Sister Dr. Jenna*** *is a spiritual mentor, author, radio and TV personality, renowned speaker, and the founder of the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Museums located in Maryland and Virginia. She hosted the popular America Meditating Radio Show and is a recipient of the President’s Lifetime National Community Service Award. She was selected by Empower A Billion Women 2020 as one of 100 most influential leaders of 2015.* ***Dr. Kanu Kogod*** *is an anthropologist, master certified coach, mindfulness meditation teacher, and lifelong student of spirituality. For more than five decades, she's explored how awareness, compassion, and embodied presence can help people meet change with courage and grace. Her work integrates mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and somatic practices to support deep personal and collective transformation. Whether guiding individuals or groups, Dr. Kogod helps people come home to themselves, finding steadiness, clarity, and connection even in uncertain times.* Saturday, February14th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm. Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD. Free Event – Register at [https://shorturl.at/ilHHC](https://shorturl.at/ilHHC)

Higher Grounds – Del Ray is part of a growing network of gatherings where we create space for thoughtful, authentic dialogue about what matters most. Whether we’re exploring the nature of happiness, the challenges and possibilities of midlife, spirituality, culture, capitalism, parenting, or the role of art and travel in a meaningful life, every conversation is shaped by the people in the room. There’s no set leader or rigid agenda—just a shared commitment to listen as much as we speak. We start with brief introductions focused on what makes you *you* (not your LinkedIn bio), then dive straight into whatever is on people’s minds. The direction of each meetup emerges organically, making every event unique. MANDATORY: PLEASE REVIEW OUR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES IN THE GROUP DESCRIPTION. Everyone is expected to engage in respectful conversations and listen deeply as well as share. We have a zero tolerance policy of sexual harassment and hate speech. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others in Del Ray who are also seeking deeper conversations. **Suggested 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? **Suggested Questions: Identity After the Roles** 1. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you? 2. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed? 3. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted? **Suggested Questions: AI & Being Human** 1. What human experiences will AI never truly understand? 2. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do? 3. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated? **Suggested Questions: Belief & Meaning** 1. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space? 2. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live? 3. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self? **Suggested Questions: The Modern Psyche** 1. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have? 2. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire? 3. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept? **Suggested Questions: Work & Purpose** 1. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you? 2. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors? 3. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years? **Suggested Questions: Relationships & Connection** 1. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why? 2. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best? 3. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others? **Suggested Questions: Time & Mortality** 1. What are you running out of time to say or do? 2. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite? 3. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail? **Suggested Questions: Society & Culture** 1. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense? 2. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing? 3. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years? **Suggested Questions: Personal Philosophy** 1. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way? 2. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out? 3. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

**Looking to** \- Help out neighbors in the DC area? \- Support a secular charity? \- Connect with other atheists and humanists? Join Atheists Helping the Homeless DC at our monthly distribution event! Atheists Helping the Homeless is a 501(c)(3) charity that distributes items like backpacks, socks, gloves, and toiletries to people in need throughout the Washington, DC region. We meet up on the second Saturday of every month outside of a homeless shelter in Silver Spring, MD, called Progress Place, and pass out whatever items we have to whoever is there. Each month we serve between 60 - 100 people. Afterwards, we usually go out for breakfast. Our goal is to provide a way for people to help each other without affiliating with a religion. Our method is to go straight to those in need, and create a welcoming and fun atmosphere to effectively create an environment where secular community can grow and thrive. If this sounds fun, see you there!

This is an absolute beginner Salsa group class. It is specifically designed for those with no prior experience in Salsa and participations does not require having a partner. Every Other Sunday: $25 per person. [Click Here to Sign Up](https://crowndancestudio.com/) 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Beginner Bachata.

Join our partners Watermark Woods Native Plants, Loudoun County Public Library (LCPL), and Birch Tree Bookstore for the Read! Plant! Grow! Book Club, which focuses on native plants, sponsored by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and LCPL. At this meeting we’ll discuss the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Both memoir and journalistic investigation, this book explores how the Kingsolver family took on a new challenge: to spend a year on a locally -produced diet, paying close attention to the provenance of all they consume. Concerned about the environmental, social, and physical costs of American food culture, they hoped to recover what Kingsolver considers our nation’’s lost appreciation for farms and the natural processes of food production. You can either buy the book from Birch Tree Bookstore or contact Allison Forbes at [Allison.forbes@loudoun.gov](mailto:Allison.forbes@loudoun.gov) to borrow a copy of the book at the library. There are two ways to participate: attend the event online via the library website or [sign up to participate in person at Birch Tree Bookstore](https://www.birchtreebookstore.com/event-details/read-plant-grow-2026-02-24-18-30). ***Questions:*** *Contact [info@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:info@loudounwildlife.org)*.

Hello Everybody! Join us this Saturday at 11 AM at the Fairfax Wegmans as we continue our Bible study and discussions. Recently, we've been studying the "types" (patterns or pictures) of Jesus in the Old Testament in chronological order starting with creation. We will go all the way to David as a type of Jesus the King. As anyone who's attended before knows, we have open discussions. Our goal is always to grow in our love, knowledge, and relationship with Jesus and to have fellowship. We invite the presence of the Holy Spirit as we meet together and we've had some great conversations and revelations. Please join us as we continue our Bible study and prayers. God bless you all, Mihail

**In a time of division and isolation, come be part of the community that's rebuilding the town square, one table at a time.** In BreadBreakers, we use the common space of the dining table to have conversations where neighbors can **hear, be heard, and know one another.** If you're hungry for good discourse and deeper community, join us for a Community Dinner in Reston and help blaze the trail to a healthier, more connected society and democracy. Here’s how it works: For just two hours, multiple tables of people set aside the need to "win" and instead focus on sharing, listening, and connecting. Guided by experienced table hosts, we'll tell our stories, try to understand each other, and practice being in community with those with different views or backgrounds. **At this dinner, participants will get to choose between three different topics, including some current events.** Topics range from the political, to the spiritual, to the philosophical, to the off-the-wall - but no matter which table you choose to sit at, you can be sure it'll be like no dinner conversation you've had before! You can also **suggest a topic** by emailing us at BreadBreakersInfo@gmail.com. Food will be provided for free. For those who wish to provide a donation to help fund BreadBreakers, you can [give here](https://pushpay.com/g/restorationrestonumc?fnd=pO6G-N7oO7FH7Mp1u-x6mA&fndv=Lock&r=No&lang=en&src=pcgl) or at the event. We'll have vegetarian and gluten-free options available. If you have any additional dietary restrictions (Celiac Disease, vegan, etc.) please let us know at BreadBreakersInfo@gmail.com so that we can implement the appropriate food handling procedures. **Join us, invite a friend, and be a part of the movement to mend our fractured society and normalize a better way of talking with one another.** BreadBreakers, an initiative by [Restoration United Methodist Church](https://restorationreston.org/breadbreakers) in Reston, VA, is a religiously inclusive community. All faiths and all stripes are welcomed. Our leadership, volunteer team, and community include people who attend Restoration and people who don't.

Social Sips & Bites… We accidentally found out it’s Ann’s birthday 👀 And as a group that never misses food, drinks, or a perfectly good excuse to celebrate… we’ve decided to politely crash her birthday party Come laugh, sip, snack, and help us convince Ann this was always the plan. Because let’s be honest, birthdays are better with great people and zero warning See you there

Ages 3–6 Bring your energy and imagination to play and make new friends. We will have various toys and games for little ones to play freely.

**Note the address says SE but it should be SW** HSLC is excited to collaborate with October One Vineyard for a monthly Yappy Hour! To support our local animals, please bring a pet food donation and you’ll be entered into a raffle for free tastings and glasses! You can also purchase raffle tickets. Your monetary donations help cover much-needed medical expenses for homeless and at-risk animals. This event will be 5-8pm on the last Friday of every month at the October One Vineyard tasting shop in Downtown Leesburg. This event is free to the public, so stop by and raise a glass. HSLC will be on hand to answer questions and let you know about available animals. Let’s “cheer” up our local area animals in need!