Living with chronic pain for virtually my entire adult life, I have tried almost everything I can think of to help manage it. My initial attempts to stoically tough it out and just push ahead resulted in months of near sleepless nights, constant pain, exhaustion and misery. Eventually, I began to tackle pain from both the Western medicine approach of pharmaceuticals, shots and surgery to the … [Read more...]
With an extremely active mind and the constant distraction of chronic pain, for many years I felt that the practice of meditation was off-limits to me. Coming to so-called quiet standstill released a seemingly endless flow of thoughts upon thoughts. And when I wasn’t struggling to silence those, I was coaxing my defiant body to release tension and pain from tight and spasming muscles to slip into … [Read more...]
"Threading The Needle" by Renée Canada I thread the needle Through tight angles And strained filaments. I look out and through the space That grows and slows with breath And settles from stillness to peace. The battle to control the resistance Overcome by love and acceptance Of my limitations and imperfections. … [Read more...]
Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners from all over the world will be celebrating World Tai Chi & Qigong Day on Saturday, April 26. This is the sixteenth year of the global event dedicated to these healing arts, which always takes place on the last Saturday of the month of April at 10 a.m. local time. More than 80 countries will participate in this special event, which educates the public about … [Read more...]
Toward the end of 2013, I was looking for more tools to not only help me serve clients as a health coach, but to also become a part of my own healing regimen. I had studied and become certified as a holistic health coach, specializing in nutrition at IIN. I had studied as a women’s fitness specialist with NASM. I had even taking the first steps toward getting certified to teach various mind-body … [Read more...]
The last couple weeks have been landmark ones for me in terms of marking progress in my healing journey. Last week, I began the move into my first home away from my parents in several years. This past Wednesday, I made a trip to the DMV and came away with my license to drive again after 3 1/2 years. These two things alone are huge indications that, after a harrowing journey that sometimes seemed … [Read more...]