The spring semester of my Integrative Health classes began with a course in CAM, also known as Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. I’m learning about different methods of healing like acupuncture, yoga, Ayurveda, reiki, acupressure, etc. One of our assignments is to choose a CAM practice, and incorporate it into our lifestyle for 4 weeks. After … Continue reading SELF-CARE SUNDAY – Tai Chi
Is Football Good for Mental Health?
With all this talk about football and the upcoming Super Bowl, I got to wondering if there were any mental health benefits to watching this very aggressive sport. I mean all that yelling, tackling, kicking… not to mention the action on the field. I started reading a UK article on football, then suddenly realized they … Continue reading Is Football Good for Mental Health?
‘Rapt’ Up in the Experience
This past weekend, I celebrated my birthday looking out over the Pacific Ocean as a Peregrine Falcon spots a tasty morsel of food and flies with absolute precision to nab it. The best part was that this bird landed on my gloved fist so I could take a good close look at its beauty. Fortunately, … Continue reading ‘Rapt’ Up in the Experience
Why I Love Betty White
People love to gossip. We say we don’t like it when people behave badly, but oh…do we LOVE to talk about it! Tabloids have made a fortune capitalizing on the love of celebrity gossip. The scandals, the drama, the all around bad behavior is a constant source of content for these publishers. But some celebrities … Continue reading Why I Love Betty White
Self-Care Sunday: Break your 2022 resolution yet?
Okay, that’s a bit cynical, but according to this article from Forbes, 80% of New Year's resolutions are broken by the beginning of February. The article then goes into a deeper dive into what I’ve been learning about SMART goals. This is a technique health coaches use to encourage their clients to make steps towards lifestyle … Continue reading Self-Care Sunday: Break your 2022 resolution yet?
Self-Care Sunday: Breathe
Fall semester is over! It’s been quite a ride trying to keep up with my studies while working part time, but I did it! Papers, presentations, exams, all a thing of the past. I’m enjoying learning how to be an Integrative Health Coach… but it’s a lot! Especially my human diseases class. Four exams worth … Continue reading Self-Care Sunday: Breathe
The Difference a Year Makes
There’s an old saying, ‘The days are long, but the years go fast.’ For me, this last year felt like three. An up and down rollercoaster of feelings and emotions that took me to some pretty deep lows. As therapy for dealing with the pandemic, lockdown, losing my job and other garbage that happened during … Continue reading The Difference a Year Makes
Set the Standard
Today I went to a local elementary school to help fill planter boxes that our outreach group built as a community project. The principal wanted us to construct the boxes, line them with plastic, and then fill them with dirt. The students will choose what plants go inside them and plant them as a project … Continue reading Set the Standard
Meals and Memories
For as long as I can remember, my dad talked about his favorite restaurant. A local Mexican restaurant he discovered when he was still a bachelor. Once he got married and moved out the neighborhood, we didn't go there very often. But whenever we did go back to this place called El Cholo, he'd ask … Continue reading Meals and Memories
Fall Semester, with a Life Lesson
Registered, check! Paid, check! Books, almost. Excited to be attending actual classroom time, check and double check! Almost all of my books! Still waiting for two more to arrive. Class has begun, and for this fall it's scheduled zoom classes. Which means I'll actually get to interact with my classmates this year. I was a … Continue reading Fall Semester, with a Life Lesson