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Posts Tagged ‘health’

In Gratitude for Health, People, and Purpose

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 22, 2012| 9 Comments »

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Life events ebb and flow – and some periods are more challenging than others.

This Thanksgiving I am especially grateful for the blessings that have come our way as my husband and I have been dealing with tough circumstances, in this particular season of our life.

Health – A few weeks ago my husband received an unexpected diagnosis that led him into surgery and a hospital stay. Thankfully, the operation was successful and my husband is looking forward to healthy days ahead.  This situation has certainly reminded both of us that good health is precious and can’t be taken for granted. Some things are out of our control, but we try to do what we can. One change: we are adding green smoothies to our diet. We each had one as part of breakfast today – traditional turkey and pumpkin pie come later.

People – I am always thankful for my family and friends, but never more so than now. We have been literally enveloped with care and love. The connections we have with other people are valuable beyond expression. It is a reminder to be as good a friend to others as they have been to us. I would also like to extend a special call out to the RNs and CNAs at St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, Minnesota for taking extraordinarily good care of my husband during his stay there.

Purpose – I am thrilled that I will start a new job on Monday – one that looks like it will be a good fit for my qualifications and values. I don’t believe that a person’s identity in life is totally defined by their job, but purposeful employment, an income, and relationships in a positive work environment are all important, and I am happy to have this new role.

As I am grateful for my blessings, it is with a humble heart because there are people who are struggling – with health problems, loss, unemployment, or other problems. I say to them to have hope – this season, too, shall pass. I care, and so do many others.  You are not alone.

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Holistic OT: My Experience with Interactive Guided Visualization

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 5, 2012| 4 Comments »

In your quest to live a full and rich life, have you considered using meditation, visualization techniques, or guided imagery?

Recently I had an experience in using Interactive Guided Imagery to explore some personal matters. I was assisted by Emmy Vadnais, a Holistic Occupational Therapist & Intuitive Healer. I was in the comfort of my own home. My session took place over the telephone, with dialogue between Emmy and me as I went through this experience.

Emmy’s prompts helped me to relax and reach a meditative state where I could access my intuitive, inner self. With her assistance, I imagined my own guide helping me discover answers to my questions and providing me with self acceptance and support. The Interactive Guided Imagery session helped me to find clarity on what my next steps should be.

OT TrendsBefore meeting Emmy Vadnais, I had an incomplete concept of what being an Occupational Therapist could entail. She recently wrote an article about  Observations and Trends in this field.  In it she notes that some Occupational Therapists are getting trained in and are practicing Holistic Therapies and others are being certified as Life and Health and Wellness Coaches.

“Occupational Therapy is a remarkable profession that assists individuals to live their best lives,” she wrote. “Occupational Therapists believe that we find meaning in our lives through the activities we engage in.”

I salute this helping profession and the individuals who can help us live full lives and realize our dreams!

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Excerpt from Realize Your Dreams: Healthy Eating Collage

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2012| 5 Comments »

I am currently writing an e-book, titled Realize Your Dreams: An Action Plan for Life Transformation.  Until it is published (in about one or two months), I will occasionally share with you an excerpt from it:

I think the reason I was able to (finally!) eat healthier and lose weight was in part because I created a colorful dream collage with a written list of my desired weight-loss results right in the center of it.  

The collage still serves as the cover illustration for a healthy eating binder I put together.  Early in my journey I looked at the collage and read the reasons I wanted to lose weight several times a day.  If I hadn’t had that visual inspiration and reminder, it would have been easy to lose my commitment and revert to my old, unhealthy behaviors.  I still slip sometimes, but my collage helps me regain my motivation…

It is one thing to know and believe something, but I think the key to a successful change in life is to keep your intentions fresh in your mind every day – several times a day to begin with, and ongoing as necessary! 

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Energy Connections

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Don’t you just love it when you come across something that just makes you smile and say “Yes!” ?  That happened to me just a few days ago when I read the following:

“A major principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the idea of meridians, along which qi (or ch’i) flows. As carriers of our vital energy, lifeforce or lifebreath, our meridians supply nourishment and connection for our internal organs, and can have a noticeable impact on our health.

I find it interesting to extend the idea of meridians to areas of my outer life, too. I wonder: How is my energy connected to the individuals and community around me? Which of my energetic channels are open and free-flowing? Which channels seem to experience more congestion or contraction? What blocks my energetic self?

So this month, I invite you to notice and explore the multitude of meridians in your life. Creativity. Friendship. Prosperity. Gratitude. Kindness. Health. Service. Love. How might you reduce or eliminate any obstructions, and open to the fully-realized, incredible life you deserve?”

 That piece was written by Elke of Harbin Hot Springs.

I am very familiar with the concept of Qi, and I love Elke’s perspective on applying the concept of energy flow to other areas of our lives.

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Revved Up and Ready to Go!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 27, 2012| 1 Comment »

Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef

Working out – we all know we should have exercise in our lives, but it can be a challenge to make it happen consistently.  When I make the effort to work out often, my body is revved up to help burn extra calories – even between the sessions — bonus!!  Since I am always struggling with my weight, I have to make sure exercise fits into my life.

I enjoyed reading this online article about revving up metabolism (eating, exercise, more). Overall, I think the optimal arrangement is to discover what kind of healthy activities we enjoy doing – then integrate them into our lives wherever and whenever we can do so.

“I would be happy if I could go hiking in a National Park every day!” I told my husband when we toured Glacier National Park several years ago.  Unfortunately, that is not an option in my every day world.

Perhaps the closest I ever came to that goal (so far) was four months ago when my husband and I spent three weeks in Australia, which has 516 National Parks… many more than we could handle!  During our time there, we visited at least seven areas that were designated as World Heritage sites, National Parks or both. 

We spent hours walking: in the Daintree Rain Forest, in the outback at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and checking out the Sydney Opera House and other sites around the Sydney Harbour area.  In the gorgeously scenic Blue Mountain National Park we hiked along a steep, rocky path. I thought the occasional signs that said “Landslide” referred to the trail’s name —  until we came to an actual landslide area! We scrambled over it, and I felt as nimble as a mountain goat. We also went snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef several times.  In Australia the natural world surrounded us and we cherished every moment we could fully experience it.

Unfortunately, I can’t integrate snorkeling into my everyday life. *SIGH*.  But I think my regular workout of choice helped me get to the place where I have enough agility and stamina to handle those kind of more extreme activities when the opportunity arises. That workout program is called Silver Sneakers®.  I specifically like that the routine focuses on Muscular Strength andRange of Motion. 

Two or three times a week I go to my local fitness center where the leader takes a group through a wide variety of activities that provides a good overall body, mind balanced workout.  This program is offered to older adults at 11,000 participating centers nationwide.  It is an enjoyable and valuable exercise program, and it helps keep my body revved up to burn calories.  This is my regular routine, but I still love to go hiking in National Parks (and snorkeling!) as often as I can manage to do so!

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