Inspiration
InspirationThe Importance of Play
Think of those times in your life when you were alone doing something you love; those times you remember being filled with nothing but sheer joy…maybe immersing yourself in a hobby, creating something new, walking through a serene landscape or simply sitting in silence. How did you feel? Most likely, Read more…
InspirationProving the Power of Mind Body Healing
Let’s say you’ve been feeling really down lately and can’t seem to shake it. You go to your primary care physician and he recommends a prescription for an anti-depressant, or referral to a psychiatrist for further evaluation. It’s what you’d expect. Now imagine walking away with a prescription for an Read more…
InspirationHow Do People Heal?
In my work as a massage therapist and energy medicine practitioner I consider this question every day. Every client–each person–has a story. We are each on a healing journey. The details vary, but the quest is the same for all: we are searching for wholeness. What helps? What constitutes success? Read more…
InspirationCryotherapy for Breast Cancer
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is beyond overwhelming. I’ve certainly learned this since being told in January that I had breast cancer. There is so much to learn; so many options and opinions to consider. Each person’s experience or knowledge is different – as is every cancer. Not one to leave Read more…
InspirationDealing with a Diagnosis
In January I was told I have breast cancer. The overwhelming news brought tears and the urge to crawl up in a ball and stay there forever. I didn’t want to face what lay ahead – more doctors, more tests, and many life-changing decisions to be made. How could this Read more…
InspirationWanderlust’s Wellspring: Transformative
Transformative. It’s the word I’ve heard most from those who attended Wellspring, the mind-body-spirit think tank produced by Wanderlust and held at the Palm Springs Convention Center last October. With over 150 influential speakers, yoga, meditation and fitness classes, and an array of spaces to experience products and practices, the Read more…
InspirationNaturopathic Medicine: Karen’s Story
Karen was a vivacious young woman living the dream. An avid tennis and softball player, she loved doing yoga, had a private psychotherapy practice, and spent time between Redondo Beach and Palm Springs with her husband and their labradoodle Dood. Her family lived in Texas but her beloved sister, Stephanie, Read more…
InspirationCommunity Adopts School & Changes Lives
More and more research is identifying “giving back” as a key factor to living a long and healthy life. If this theory is true, Trilogy at the Polo Club’s Women of Wisdom, or WOW, have a few extra years coming their way. The self-starting club has over 100 women who Read more…
InspirationSaving Bees in Our Community
We need our bees. They pollinate our food and help our flowers flourish. It may be surprising to learn that one out of every three mouthfuls of food in the American diet is a product of honeybee pollination—from fruit to nuts to coffee beans.1 However, bees are disappearing at alarming Read more…
InspirationWhat happens when you take rescued Horses
What happens when you take rescued horses – some who have been abused, starved or neglected – and pair them with veterans struggling to deal with deep wounds from their past? A miraculous program that participants call both life changing, and lifesaving. Like people, horses can have strong personalities. However, Read more…
InspirationHealth Matters Initiative Achievements
Five years ago, the Coachella Valley received an incredible gift. We were chosen to be the model region for changing health behaviors in our community. The grand task would take many organizations working together for the greater good and the work of countless individuals making significant efforts – large and Read more…
InspirationHealthy Resource for Transitional Aged Youth
The time in your life between childhood and adulthood can be very challenging. Everyone expects you to be a grown up, but you may have no idea how to do that. Many young people in this age group also struggle with additional barriers including family dynamics, self-esteem, mental illness, even homelessness. Read more…
InspirationAli Schaeffer: A Story of Courage and Determine
Since 2014, from time to time, while biking out to the high school track or out on the trail with my high school cross country team, I would catch glimpses of a willowy, 30-something runner with long blonde hair and an observable limp. Over time, I noticed that the hitch Read more…
InspirationI am a lung cancer survivor
In 1986, I was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer. My medical treatment included removal of my lower left lobe followed by 35 radiation treatments. My road to recovery was long and difficult. At the time, there was little information out there for patients like me – Read more…
InspirationOh, What a Night! 2017 Wellness Awards
The third annual Desert Health® Wellness Awards once again united the valley’s doctors, health practitioners and health enthusiasts in an evening of celebration, education and recognition. The sellout event began with an outdoor reception and dinner followed by guest speaker Joseph Scherger, MD, vice president of primary care for Eisenhower Read more…
InspirationWould you like butter with your coffee?
It may be a little hard to swallow, but this latest trend is receiving praise from not only butter lovers, but the integrative health and fitness communities as well. The concept is simple. Most of us should start our day with a heavy dose of fats versus carb-heavy cereal, toast Read more…
InspirationTime for a Seasonal Time Out
Here we are, in the peak of our local high season. We welcome the influx of snowbirds from the cooler climates and recognize that all the Coachella Valley has to offer is in full flight! As a health and wellness professional, I see many people with commitments to activities, fundraisers, Read more…
InspirationLet’s live this New Year full of gratitude
– gratitude for our family, our friends, our community and for those in our life who make each and every day a little better. Are you grateful for someone who inspires you towards good health and wellness? If so, we would like to help you honor them with the Desert Read more…
InspirationPain is killing us in large numbers.
Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., with 47,055 lethal drug overdoses in 2014. Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 18,893 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 10,574 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2014. In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were Read more…
InspirationWhen it comes to health, there is strength in numbers
Whether it’s a workout buddy, Zumba class, or a Spartan team, working towards wellness alongside others creates a sense of accountability, motivation and fun. So why is it that the place many spend most of their day with the largest group of people–the workplace–is often the least healthy? From hours Read more…
