Well! We sure can learn a lot from every experience. My umbilical hernia surgery has taught me so much about my core strength and well being. One month before my surgery, I signed up for the most wonderful online class from the tummy team. Kelly Dean is an MPT in Washington and I was so impressed with her work. The class I took was called Core Preparations.  I highly recommend it to anyone with an upcoming abdominal surgery. The class helps you strengthen your core and so sets you up for the best possible surgical outcome. It is all about connecting your life activities to your transverse abdominals. We PTs…

Ah…The comfort of a hot cup of tea! “You can never get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.”                                                                      ~C.S. Lewis We are in love with tea over here. But did you know that the hot tea bag, once removed from the cup, also has the ability to comfort and heal our aches and pains? Every morning when my tea bag is done with its job of steeping a wonderful cup of tea and smelling faintly of flowers (be still my heart!) I do a quick body scan…. Run my attention over my body, Toes to head…. anything hurting? Put the warm tea…

Hello Dear ones!! My blog helpers, Ellie and Anna are home from their summer travels to Sweden and Peru! I was pretty technologically pathetic without them, so I gave myself a break.   Well! I either have more energy in the summer or the 5 Tibetans on the dock are allowing energy to flood in! I realized I have added onto this ancient system. Don’t know if that is a good thing but I couldn’t hold out on you all ~ fellow questers for best and beautiful health.   I split the 21 downward dogs into 3 groups of 7 repetitions…. After the first set of 7 downward dogs, I…

“Yoga helps you rise to the challenge of living.” ~ Christopher Kilham   It is time to look to the wise ones for advice. This post is a book endorsement of The Five Tibetans by Christopher Kilham.  I love this little book. Originally the 5 tibetans were called The Five Rites of Rejuvenation. Chris thought it sounded a little too corny. Typical me, I love the poetic name:) I have been doing these exercises most mornings for the last 3 years and can testify personally to their ability to increase energy, core strength, and balance.  I’ll bring you through them one by one and throw in my two cents about…

    I LOVE good posture. Our Moms were right! But perfect posture doesn’t just look good; it ensures that we are placing the least amount of wear and tear on ALL our joints. Good posture is easy to assess: Can you stand with your back and the back of your head up against the wall? Your lumbar spine naturally curves out away from the wall, keep it just like that and pull your abdominals in, as if you were putting a tight pair of jeans on and trying to keep your belly from getting pinched by the zipper! Hold for 1 min/ day to increase your postural alignment  and…

I am so very thankful for all the encouragement and helpful advice I received yesterday after launching this site on Facebook. Talking with a beloved friend last night, we realized something. This blog may appear like I have a wonderful life and, believe me, I am beyond grateful for it, but it is NOT PERFECT, my friends! I do a spectacular face plant into the mud at least once a quarter and sometimes every 28 days:) One of my hardest challenges has been letting go of these dear, wonderful, young adults that Linc and I have raised all these years and who do NOT always do exactly what I think…

World Peace begins in the Kitchen. ~Roam, a gift store in Jackson Hole Wyoming                                                                                  Nutrition is a HUGE subject both in amount of literature and the vast impact what we eat has on our physical health and radiant well being. I can make it very simple for you! Just follow my Abuelo’s advice, Dr. Jaime Benavides, a general practitioner in Costa Rica, “Eat everything God made in moderation.” In other words, if it is natural and real food you can eat it. Eat butter and olive oil rather than margarine. Eat grass fed steak rather than some chemically processed “healthy” premade dinner or veggie burger. The fewer ingredients your…

“The deepest happiness is made of the smallest things” ~Friedrich Nietzsche Mindfulness is training our attention to concentrate on the Here and Now. It is learning to quiet our minds from its constant chatter; thinking about the past or wondering about the future. To practice watching the mind might be the greatest gift we can give ourselves. People who meditate have been shown in studies to be happier, more resilient, and less prone to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart disease. Wow! Here is a quick, easy and beautiful way to begin… Sit outside. Sun shining on one side of you. Concentrate only on getting the sun to shine…

The research is pretty simple and clear about  the best formula to stem the tide of outgoing muscle strength in 50-105 year olds. Do 20 min. aerobic exercise everyday… Preferably something that you LOVE. There is a big difference  between taking a walk every day because you LOVE it and taking a walk because you have to! Emotions actually cause chemical changes in each one of our tiny cells! Powerful stuff! So think JOY…. Dance class, hiking, skiing, running, walking, swimming. What physical activity makes you happy? Don’t say sitting on the couch:) That just means you need to do some exploring… Zumba, Tennis, Tai chi, Yoga. Think FUN! For…