I looked down at my toes as I lay in the restorative yoga pose and noticed one pant-leg pulled up on my shorter leg, accentuating the way I was born. My right leg is an inch shorter than my left leg and so my body has compensated. My back curves to balance above uneven hips.… Read more »
For most of us eating is a pleasurable experience, but for some it is a double-edged sword that leads down a path of emotional cues, cravings and bad choices. In previous issues of Desert Health, I discussed the neurotransmitter dopamine and how it drives us toward foods and substances to fulfill pleasure to get us… Read more »
As a wellness director, I conduct an ongoing personal and professional search for the most current trends of effective remedies in the marketplace. During a recent meeting of wellness professionals in the Coachella Valley, we discussed the topics of achieving radiant health by using structured water and vibrational therapy. These were intriguing topics featuring a… Read more »
Many of us have heard the advice that, when making changes in our behavior, we should make a small change at first, establish it and see how it works for you. It got me thinking about how our yoga and meditation practices are ongoing. We make our way to the mat and see what happens.… Read more »
There is something deeply meditative in hearing the rustle of the leaves of a tree, in watching a hummingbird kiss the petals of a flower, or in kneeling in a garden when planting spring bulbs. All of us have found ourselves calmed, reinvigorated and inspired both in mind and spirit by the desert colors at… Read more »
The holidays are a time of joy, anticipation, happiness, frivolity, family fun, merriment and well, high expectations. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, or any celebratory event, we tend to get nostalgic and that inner child within all of us wants everything to be picture perfect! The reality is that while perfection may be the goal,… Read more »
Moving isn’t easy according to many researchers and psychologists. The truth is we don’t need researchers to tell us how stressful it is or how we should feel about this experience. However, we most certainly can understand ourselves better by understanding what is happening during this process and what we can do to help ourselves… Read more »
‘Tis the season…to eat pie! With the holidays around the corner, many of us will forego our diets and allow ourselves to enjoy the season baking our favorite desserts to share with family and friends or enjoy the benefits of the enthusiastic chefs in the group. As a seasonal baker, I reflected on the time… Read more »
For many years I have researched the most effective and biggest bang for the buck” exercises for golfers because I know time is always an issue. Having to arrive at the golf course early for an 8 a.m. tee time doesn’t give you much time for preparing your body for golf, so a complex golf… Read more »
When it’s time to “take action” on something, what are the thoughts and feelings that overcome you? Is it fear and anxiety, or excitement and enthusiasm? When we are called to action, many of us are energized to put our nose to the grindstone and dive all in. However, for others, the mere thought of… Read more »
Are you a good listener? With a strong cultural value on being the one at the top, our conversations these days are opinion heavy rather than an exchange of ideas involving both speaking and listening. Good listening is a lost art, and that causes many people to feel frustrated, unheard, and alone. The goal of… Read more »
It’s common for those who suffer emotionally to receive guidance to think positively. While this guidance is well-intended and might help in the short-term, some find themselves frustrated when they are still dealing with the same emotional state months or even years later. This makes them feel like they must not be thinking positively enough.… Read more »
Many of us never stop to think about our health until something goes wrong. But developing and maintaining healthy habits – even for as little as an hour a week – can go a long way toward cultivating a wellness lifestyle meant to keep your body working. Wellness is more than simply feeling good; it’s… Read more »
Modern conveniences developed over the decades have made it hard for us to know what “healthy” means or looks like anymore. Here are a few instinctual habits of healthy people that are more in line with our human design. 1. Eat real food. When we eat food that comes from the earth instead of a… Read more »
Summer is an ideal time to ascend to higher ground by way of the Palm Springs Tram to commune with nature. This journey is a reprieve from triple-digit temperatures in the valley and, at the same time, affords us an opportunity for healthy exercise. It’s also an invitation to observe the fascinating ability of trees… Read more »
Following is an excerpt from Jennifer Johnson’s book, An Awakening Walk, 500 Miles to Self-Love and Acceptance on the Camino de Santiago, which chronicles the incredible challenge she gave herself and now offers others. The first day is the hardest for hikers of the Camino de Santiago – the path is steep, almost sixteen miles… Read more »
Whoever coined the phrase “growing old gracefully” must have thought of it when they were young. Besides looking in the mirror and not recognizing the face staring back at you, I guess the term might be relevant if one didn’t have to deal with the daily aches and pains, doctor’s appointments, chronic pain, hormonal changes,… Read more »
These past couple of years have been peculiar for me and my friends. Every time we stop to catch our breath, a new crisis occurs. As I write this, I have one friend returning from her third family funeral and another who lost her business partner and father in the same month. One is back… Read more »
I was sitting at a stranger’s kitchen table. In fact, I was surrounded by strangers. Strangers who had, with a single text at one o’clock in the morning, become my sisters. There were people congregated in the living room and sitting at the table with me and on the kitchen floor when I asked the… Read more »
Over the past year, parents of the wealthy and privileged have been exposed for cheating the college admissions system. These individuals have personified the levels of desperation to which some parents descend in order to get their child into their school of choice. Stresses of college admissions and even competition among high school students contribute… Read more »
