Did you get away this summer? Travel to new places and meet new people? Maybe you are one who packs up each May and leaves the desert for cooler climates. If so, I admire you. Packing up your life and setting up camp in a different location takes a lot of motivation. It also takes… Read more »
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 at the computer and stressful… Read more »
This column is a continuation of last issue’s feature story on Shay Moraga who at 39 years old was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. We are honored to have Shay sharing her journey with Desert Health® readers in an ongoing column. When we left Shay, she was close to finishing 20 weeks of chemo…… Read more »
Everywhere we look nowadays there is political antipathy. Two parties approach the finish line on November 8th holding steadfast to their ideals and platforms, as well as their assumptions about the opposite party. We get very wrapped up in the drama and constant barrage of media influence related to the campaigns. As individuals we hold… Read more »
A number of incidents in my life recently converged, causing me to examine stages of life, quality of each transition, and my preoccupation with aging. This awareness began after listening to Craig Marshall, a magnetic life coach, deliver a talk entitled ‘Don’t Retire, Just Rewire.’ At 23 years of age, Craig became a yoga monk with… Read more »
You have no doubt noticed that we live in chaotic, yet amazingly potent times. Our style and manner of thinking, acting and responding are undergoing a revolution. At no time in history has mankind experienced so many fundamental changes. A shift is underway as we try to function in a climate where everything is increasing… Read more »
Life is about growth, balance, and passion. Life is supposed to be lived peacefully and joyfully. Alas! How often we are stuck in the stresses and strains, losing ourselves completely in the maze of life…too often. Stress hinders growth, leads to imbalance and breeds dispassion. So, it is very important that we prevent stress and… Read more »
The desert is an amazing landscape which can look barren and dry for months of the year and then in spring, vibrancy occurs. There is no better way to explore this beauty than through hiking. This spring unveiled a burst of color on many plants like the beavertail cactus with bright fuchsia flowers which open… Read more »
Life is a delicate balance between routine experiences and new, unusual ones that provide unexpected surprise and “out of the box” change and growth. When traveling, one realizes how much of life is so predictable and mundane. Traveling away from our environment immediately exposes us to new adventures, often with unexpected outcomes. Then, as soon… Read more »
What are you feeling at this moment? Are you taking a quick break from your to do list or does the title “Giving Thanks” put a smile on your face? If you chose the latter, you may already understand the transformation that living a life of gratitude brings. Giving thanks is more than a seat… Read more »
This summer did not go well. In July, I lost my mother to a brutal disease, and thus inherited her responsibilities: keeping her home, caring for my father, and the minutia of wrapping up her “paper existence.” At the same time, my own family expanded. Our grandson moved in for the summer and our son… Read more »
Indie Lee was like many of us, an executive woman who worked hard, enjoyed life and paid great attention to what she put in her body. A native New Yorker, she had a large greenhouse in her back yard filled with organic herbs and vegetables and led a health-conscious existence. Then, in 2008, a string… Read more »
Almost daily, we witness ‘stick-to-itiveness’ and perseverance expressed as “true grit.” Personally, I am attracted to the word “grit” which suggests to me courage, resolve, firmness of character, and an indomitable spirit. These are all lofty personality traits to pursue. The elusive mystery resides in how we achieve the qualities of this simple, yet weighty,… Read more »
“Dogs need just you and love, that’s all.” – Jennifer Westfield Two yellow Labradors took our senior neighbor for a walk every morning and evening. We waved and smiled but never met. With sadness I noticed lately, one dog was missing. Surely because of the dog’s age, the owner had to come to the mournful… Read more »
If you don’t have a disability (or at least won’t admit to having one) or you don’t work in the disability industry, it is unlikely this is a topic of conversation you are likely to have over coffee and a croissant. But it is a discussion to be held across our valley if we are… Read more »
“The question is not how to survive, but how to thrive with passion, compassion, humor and style.” — Maya Angelou Are you just surviving at work – caught up in the day-to-day doldrums of your job? Life is too short to tolerate any sense of dread on Sunday evening as you think about going to… Read more »
Reiki is a complementary health approach in which practitioners place their hands lightly on or just above a person and channel energy with the goal of facilitating the person’s own healing response. It is based on an Eastern belief in a universal energy that supports the body’s innate or natural healing abilities. Although the therapy… Read more »
It is a common belief that as we age, our minds and bodies decline and life inevitably becomes less satisfying and enjoyable. Cognitive decline is inevitable, and work is less productive. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, we are all wrong. Certainly life gets better in many aspects as we get older. Our… Read more »
Most baby boomers will face seven key events in their last stage of life that will color their finances and investments. Prepare for these events by thinking about them now. Unlike earlier, happier events such as getting married, having children, and moving up the career ladder, some of these events may be dreaded. For this… Read more »
A change now affecting us all is the onset of warmer desert temperatures which narrows the window of opportunity to enjoy outdoor exercise. Our habits must alter in response to the seasons, and a productive habit we desert dwellers can take at this time is to alter sleep and wake schedules. Maybe getting up early… Read more »
