Getting your daily exercise is easier when you find breathtaking views around every corner. Who doesn’t want to reach their daily 10,000 steps alongside cheetahs, giraffe, and jaguars? The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is home to unique plants and animals, bringing new meaning to a “walk in the park.” Some members say the main… Read more »
Amazed. Proud. Excited. Blessed. Some of the many emotions I feel as I write this. When I started Desert Health® eight years ago, two of our main objectives were to encourage consumers to take their health into their own hands, and to elevate our valley’s thriving natural health community. I knew from experience that natural… Read more »
Finding meaning in one’s life is both sacred and elusive. These aren’t lessons we learn easily but as we age, we reflect upon them and seek to find a more purposeful life. While there is no one answer on how to do that, I suggest we look to the artist as a creative, life-expanding model.… Read more »
Opportunity often presents itself at the most meaningful time. The door was recently opened for this mom, after a bustling work season, and her millennial teen’s challenging and successful school year. An opportunity to get away from digital and social media promised to be rewarding. Our prescription for bonding was going to a silent meditation… Read more »
Passion is a “strong and barely controllable emotion.” It’s that which physically lifts your spirit, warms your heart, and brings butterflies to your belly. For some, it’s a source that drives them; for others, it’s a long lost hobby, lingering idea or curious thought yet to be embraced. Some are fortunate to live their passion… Read more »
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, those who work with them… Read more »
This past February I found great pleasure watching athletes compete in the winter Olympics. One overriding impression, regardless of the sport, was the great degree of grace exhibited by athletes while performing. The expression of grace should not be underestimated. It is the smooth, controlled, effortless, invisible force that allows competitors to display elegance and… Read more »
Finding wisdom in the difficult moments can be challenging—especially when we are staring those moments square in the face. Sending your child off to kindergarten, being betrayed by a friend or making a painful decision about a family member’s health care—they all can hurt. There is no escaping it: The heart gets bruised, our trust… Read more »
Shay Moraga was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the beginning of 2016 and shares her journey with Desert Health® readers in an ongoing column… If a cancer diagnosis has changed your life like it has mine, then you have been immediately thrown into the world of doctors, treatments, surgeries, fears, and overwhelming opinions… Read more »
When someone is in the midst of medical treatment for cancer, they may not have the strength or desire for vigorous exercise. But gentle forms of movement such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong can be extremely beneficial in a treatment plan that addresses spirit, mind and body. Gentle movement can also be beneficial post-treatment,… Read more »
Does life ever feel as though you’re sitting on a giant swing? Flying through the air to hit a peak, rushing back toward the earth just to rise up into another peak? Does it ever feel like this giant swing represents all of the emotional ups and downs you experience? If you have had these… Read more »
Who could have predicted the power of the first letter written by Shelley Sachs from Central Washington in 1968? A pen-pal letter, written by Shelley in sixth grade, secured a connection, which has lasted fifty years, with Gloria Alvarez who resides in Indian Wells. The first letter written landed in an elementary school in Miami,… Read more »
In every moment of our lives we have the choice to think or say positive or negative thoughts. And those words will not only impact the recipient, but will also impact us. Do you consciously think about how your words will impact those around you? What makes a person choose the negative? Is it the… Read more »
A year ago, I was soul-searching. There were great things happening in my work, and I was passionate about the wellness programs we were providing. However, I was starting to see new possibilities for greater impact and for me to live a more balanced life. Eventually, what I wanted became clear, so I am now… Read more »
Shay Moraga was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the beginning of 2016 and shares her journey with Desert Health® readers in an ongoing column… In this New Year, I look forward to reviewing my goals from last year and reflecting on how the past year has played out. However, the goals I set… Read more »
Life is beautiful gift. From the sand between our toes to tall, snowcapped peaks. From the sun that warms our days to the glow of the midnight moon. Do you take time each day to notice the early morning shadows on the mountains, or the new yellow flowers that have come into bloom? On a… Read more »
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 in her gait was gone,… Read more »
Shay Moraga was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the beginning of 2016 and shares her journey with Desert Health® readers in this ongoing column. We have a lot of concessions, but some of the biggest ones we have are keeping the fear and anxiety away when the world seems to be turning upside… Read more »
This summer I cycled 100 miles in the northern California countryside for an organization called “Best Buddies,” which raises funds for individuals with mental disabilities. This year, the event provided critical thinking related to goals, motivations and how each of us sees the finish line – not only on the bike, but in any physical… Read more »
Years ago when Desert Health’s Publisher, Lauren, lost the horse she loved, it touched memories in my heart about the departure of an equine companion. Horses rank high as the most sublime of all animals, wild and domestic. These magnificent creatures combine strength with grace. Horses became a symbol of power and royalty. I expressed… Read more »
