Getting through seemingly simple, everyday tasks can feel downright impossible when facing flare-ups of disease affecting the central nervous system. Battling the bottomless pit of fatigue, it might take an hour just to drag yourself from of the warm womb of your bedsheets. When balance is questionable at best, it might be your greatest accomplishment of the day to move from the bed to the couch. … [Read more...]
Dawn Lerman learned early on in life that cooking delicious meals was the secret to earning the affection of her emotionally distant father. Constantly battling high numbers on the bathroom scale and a voracious appetite for flavor-rich foods, her obese dad’s struggles inspire Dawn to positively support him in his endless experimentation with diets. Aided by the culinary genius of her grandmother, … [Read more...]
Through generations of Southern cooking and tobacco use, my extended family has a strong history of high blood pressure (or hypertension), stroke and heart attack. When I was a young child, I remember both the familiar and pungent scent of pipe smoke from my maternal grandfather and the heartbreaking toll that multiple strokes had on his body. Sadly, I was just a first grader when he passed away … [Read more...]
As much as I adore all the delicious food that bountifully flows this time of year, what I look forward to the most is spending quality time with my family and rekindling fond memories of Christmases past with holiday music. While I was raised in a family of singers and musicians that still performs carols at Christmas, I also grew up singing seasonal music in choral groups that continue to … [Read more...]
After the breathtaking decay of autumn, we are now left in the dark and bitter chill of winter. Yesterday, people all over the world celebrated the solstice, which marks the official beginning of the winter season in the northern hemisphere. Here on the East Coast, the solstice officially began at 6:03 p.m. on Dec. 21, starting the longest night of the year. Yet from this day forward, we can look … [Read more...]
Winding down my last yoga session on the last night of being age 36, as I surrendered at last into a peaceful savasana, I felt as if I were giving birth to a new stage in my practice and a new chapter in my life. In the past, I have greatly resisted this asana. While the body is meant to soften, I could never fully sink down into the pose. My pelvis rested unevenly on the mat. My forearms gently … [Read more...]
In this world of doing, achieving and getting, it’s very easy for us to put far greater focus on our time spent at work than our lives outside of the office. Our quest for progress and perfection often leads us to squelch pleasure for the sake of productivity. While ambition and industriousness is admirable, often leading to great achievements and success, there is also merit in taking time to … [Read more...]
It’s hard to escape the pink during October’s breast cancer awareness month, and that seems to be true for me here at The Mind-Body Shift as well. I’m proud to join Estroven and don their pink robe for the Sleep Pink movement, helping to raise awareness and funds for the Avon Foundation for Women. This is the third year that Estroven—a dietary supplement for menopause relief distributed by … [Read more...]