Greetings from Narraganset, Rhode Island, the quintessential New England beach town I’ve been coming to pretty much every summer since I married Steve in 2004. Sometimes, our time here is just a day trip, but this year we’re doing a whole week. We have extended family here and it was time to get the kids together and really do it up. Like most people on vacation, my workout routine is thrown off. I’m in a...
When I was 18, I had started to teach aerobics classes at my local gym, and I remember telling my parents that I wanted to be a “career” aerobics instructor, and that I wasn’t too keen on going to college. My mom said, “That’s ridiculous,” and immediately denounced the notion. My Dad gave it a bit more thought but ultimately said, “That’d be like digging ditches all day, Ellen.” He was worried about the toll...
For my entire life – without realizing it until fairly recently – I have used “doses” of cardio as mood boosting medicine. When I was an 8 year old, I freakishly took my dog on walks into the woods when I could have stayed inside idly watching cartoons. (Where were the adults 😉?) In my early teens, I’d bike to my friends house even though I could have gotten a ride. In college, when feeling blue...
I’m a mom of one, a bona fide morning person, a nutrition geek, and a huge believer in “get your day started right,” so breakfast with my son has always been a big thing. We live in a culture that tends to race through meals, and while the rest of the day may require eating on the go, breakfast time is old school in my house. Simple but home cooked food. Real dishes. Real glassware. Sit...
Make sure your heart is in front of the head. Try to lift the heart and drop the shoulders. Does your heart lead the way? It is rare for me to see an adult with their heart open and shining bright, outside of class. I’d say the #1 alignment issue is a closed off, tight, sunken heart. Thus, getting that heart of yours unsunk is a major and ongoing alignment goal. The physical act of aligning the heart center...
Here we are, on the precipice of 2023. This tends to be the time of year for simultaneously looking back and looking ahead, and I do think it’s healthy to have some sort of closing ritual and bid 2022 adieu. I’ll watch the sunset on January 31st and wave it goodbye. “Thanks for the memories! That’s a wrap!” And before looking ahead and focusing on our 2023 goals and aspirations, let’s pause and take a moment...
My niece is finally 16, and she’s obtained her driver’s permit. I’ve been taking her out driving and she’s really getting the hang of it. My biggest driving tip, which I said early on, I’ve really hammered home, and I keep repeating, is: Be sure to get settled in the car before you put it in drive and head down the road. That translates as not rushing, perhaps taking some deep breaths, making sure the...
In the US, we’re heading into Memorial Day weekend, which is sort of like a kickoff to summer. It is always “hit or miss” weather-wise. I remember sunbathing by the pool in 80 degrees this time of year, and I also remember torrential rains for four days straight. You just never know. Memorial Day weather in Connecticut is a metaphor for life. You never know what’s in store. Things don’t always go as planned. An often overlooked “skill” is to not get thrown off too easily....
About a year ago, I read that “busy-ness is trauma response.” I felt that statement. My whole adult life, I’ve been busy. When I had a lull in things to doit would stun me. It induced a moment of shock in a way, like, “Wait, what’s next?” To make matters worse, I’d magnify the busy-ness. When someone asked me how I was doing, I’d respond, “So busy.” For all women on Mother’s Day – even if...
Back in the day, daily exercise was intended for the body – purely for physical fitness. Today, daily exercise, while it is still (obviously) for the body, it is also equally for the mind, for mental fitness. Show me a truly mentally sound person and I guarantee they exercise. It might be formal or informal, but they move their body someway, somehow. Maybe it’s walking around the neighborhood, or maybe it’s a session with a $100/hour trainer. Maybe...
