The past several days I have been cocooning myself in self-care. Eating food that nourishes the body, and foods that comfort the soul. Centering myself on the yoga mat. Immersing myself in a delicious novel. Cuddling with my man and relishing “us” time. Visiting with old and dear friends to help remind me who I am and where I’ve come from. I desperately needed the emotional and physical recovery … [Read more...]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRepnhXq33s] Music can comfort and soothe us or it can stimulate us to action. It is literally the soundtrack of our lives, accompanying us as we drive to work, energizing us through a workout, empowering us after a break-up or setting the tone for concentration as we study. Music can drive us to creativity or create community with a universal message. … [Read more...]
The highlight of my weekend was to have my mother accompany me to see Menopause, The Musical at the Fox Theater on Saturday afternoon at Foxwoods Resort Casino. It was a great time to connect with my mom and better understand her experience with menopause. Having many of the most common symptoms of menopause, she could relate extremely well to the dialogue and songs. “They had creative lyrics … [Read more...]
The colorful Run or Dye 5K is hitting locations all over the country this summer. The playful fitness event, featuring dashes of colored dye, is open to all—athletes and loungers, old and young. Children aged 6 and under can even participate for free. The 5 km race is non-competitive and not timed. Participants are welcome to run, walk, or even skip and dance the route at their own paces. There … [Read more...]
Living with chronic illness for so many years, I’ve learned what it takes for me to not only survive but also thrive. Self-care is at the very top of the list, and it encompasses so many things—from eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, listening to your body and pampering it when it needs it, as well as making sure you have a strong support team. Having a knowledgeable doctor who … [Read more...]
After a lifetime of imagining the day, West Hartford native Elizabeth Lynch was awed as she stood at the starting line, ready to compete in her first Boston Marathon last year. Ever since she watched her mother first run the race when Lynch was 7, she dreamed of the day she too would tackle the route. At 15, she sprinted Heartbreak Hill with her older brother as he ran the marathon. Then in 2013, … [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...]
I am a wild woman I know, inspite of myself and in spite of what I've been told that there's beauty in every age no matter how old I am a wild woman I've learned what it means to be a life bearer* to bear children to create art to plant seeds of love I am a wild woman from the depths of the dirt underneath my fingernails to the height of my very soul I am one with the Earth the winds from the four … [Read more...]
It turns out that today’s post is going to be a more personal one. Yesterday, the uncontrollable muscle movements returned after a pretty significant absence. Yes, it certainly is a pain in the neck (and face and legs). Yet I haven’t been as disheartened as frustrated. So many plans have been canned due to the greedy movement monster: Dystonia. Last night I couldn’t go to the book club I was … [Read more...]
Some of you may look at me now and wonder—what could I possibly know about the struggle to lose weight? What do I understand about what it is like to look at myself in the mirror and not like the image reflected back me, what it’s like to feel a prisoner in my own clothes, to feel my self-worth defined by my body shape and to have my activities restricted by my size? The truth is, this was how I … [Read more...]