Living Life with Gratitude

The holidays are here. Time to gather with friends and family to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. But shouldn’t every day be thanks-giving? Science says yes, because gratitude is the secret to good health and happiness. Some of you are smiling as you read this, because you have known this for… Read more »

A Good Day

You think this is just another day in your life. It’s not just another day; it’s the one day that is given to you today. It’s given to you. It’s a gift. It’s the only gift that you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness. If you do nothing else but to… Read more »

Historic Cancer Prevention Study Needs You

Residents of the Coachella Valley are being presented with an opportunity to participate in an historic study with the potential to change the face of cancer for future generations. Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed to participate in the American Cancer Society’s… Read more »

Nutritious Options for All

The Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) is making significant progress, thanks to the united efforts of numerous Valley organizations and non-profit groups. One of the primary groups within the initiative is the Healthy Eating and Food Quality Workgroup whose goal is to enhance nutritional education and access to healthy food for all members of our… Read more »

How TMC Treats Vertigo

Vertigo, from the Latin word for “a whirling or spinning movement,” is a type of dizziness where one experiences a feeling of motion, usually as if they or the room is spinning. While many of us have had the occasional dizzy spell, vertigo is different with its persistent sense of motion, a feeling of tilting,… Read more »

Do You Yoga?

September is Yoga Awareness Month and we encourage you to give it a try. Although the popularity of yoga is newly on the rise in this country, it is one of the few practices which has sustained for thousands of years on multiple continents throughout the world. So there must be something to it, right?… Read more »

What is Whiplash?

Whiplash describes a range of injuries as a result of a sudden distortion of the neck from hyperflexion and hyperextension.1 It is one of the most common non-fatal car crash injuries with approximately one million whiplash incidents on our roads each year, and many more which are unreported.2 It is also estimated that 6.2% of… Read more »

Raja Yoga: Yoga for Mental Development

There are many ways that practitioners of yoga think about their practice. The term Hatha Yoga has been associated with physical training. Raja Yoga (also known as Royal Yoga) in contrast, has been associated with mental training by a variety of means. In practice, the two are inextricably bound. Anything one does is profoundly affected… Read more »

The Virgin Crusade

There is something special about Palm Desert resident JJ Virgin. She appears to be the girl next door all the boys adored (tall, blonde, athletic build); yet, the inquisitive tomboy who could play and explore with the best of them. In high school, she studied ballet while weight training with the football team. Virgin’s passion,… Read more »

Evidence Based Movement

Obesity rates in America are among the highest in the world.  Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer are household conditions for most. The sedentary, under-slept, over-stressed, ever-indulgent lifestyle has become “The American Way.”  And never before have we so needed a new relationship with exercise! Research now offers a new twist on an old favorite causing… Read more »

Why Eat Raw Foods?

Everyone knows it’s healthy to eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily. But did you know that when you prepare fruits, vegetables, and other natural ingredients without cooking or processing, you preserve the maximum nutrition in these foods? This is the concept of consuming “raw foods”; simply put, eating natural food that is unprocessed, unrefined, and… Read more »

Qigong, Tai Chi and Yoga

Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk, is traditionally credited with introducing yoga to China in the 5th/6th century. He noted that the Shaolin monks were in poor physical health from sitting and meditating all day and needed to incorporate movement in their meditations for physical, as well as mental, well-being.  Coming from the Indian subcontinent, he was… Read more »

The Body Deli Launches The Palm Springs Spa Collection

We love local! So when our friends at The Body Deli announced that they were launching the Palm Springs Spa Collection, we had to help spread the word. Products like these, inspired by the Palm Springs lifestyle and made with local, organic ingredients like grapefruit and dates, promote the best our Valley has to offer… Read more »

Hip Emotions

Early in my yoga teaching career a student approached me after class with tears cascading down her face. My natural instinct was concern. She wrapped her arms around me and thanked me for a wonderful experience. With ambiguous feelings and trepidation, she shared her feelings as to why she was crying. We had performed several… Read more »

Sciatica: Causes and Treatments

The painful and irritating condition we commonly call “sciatica” is also known as sciatic neuritis, sciatic neuralgia, or lumbar radiculopathy. It involves one of five spinal nerve roots of the sciatic nerve which is the longest and widest single nerve in the body.  It begins in the lumbar spine (lower back) from the spinal nerves… Read more »