The Balanced Energy of Late Summer

The energy of late summer slows and steadies. That which was sown in hope matures in abundance. The frantic rush to do it all, the greediness to experience all that the hot summer months have to offer, settles. The fire of summer segues into the deeply grounded fruition of early autumn.

Each of us might observe this transition within ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, creatively, spiritually and experientially. What we notice is not a new scientific discovery, but is in keeping with the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Think about it. The element of Fire is embodied by the summer months of high activity – play, adventure, sports, competition, and an enthusiastic desire to make the most of the deliciously long daylight hours. (Please note that I realize that people experience summer months differently depending on their environment and health, but as a generalization, this works.) Often there are vacations, travel, cookouts, hikes, pool parties and an increase in social interaction – now even safer in our Covid world as it is easy to distance and play outdoors.

Inevitably, thankfully, the seeds we planted in the spring, have grown to harvest. Roadside stands overflow with vegetables and fruit – literally the fruits of the spring labors. In TCM, late summer corresponds with the element Earth. Common sense agrees with this theory as well. Mother Earth is doing her job nurturing, nourishing and providing. At the same time, Earth represents the richness of the soil, the grounding and stability represented by the modulated energy of these days. As we harvest, we also recognize the continuity that this time signifies, the balanced energy evident in comparison with the often frenetic of previous weeks.

If we think of the Five Elements as seasonal, we quickly recognize that the Earth element is the center of the cycle moving into fall’s Metal, winter’s Water, spring’s Wood and summer’s Fire.

Here in Vermont, fall comes quickly. Already in this final week of August goldenrod flourishes, random leaves turn from green to fall colors of red and orange, and as kids go back to school, yellow school busses proliferate. Soon there will be a dusting of snow on the mountains!

The natural world does it’s best to reassure us. Unfortunately, we live in a world of war, illness and nasty political battles. What can we do? Perhaps it is how we live our lives as unique individuals that matters. Perhaps it is the mindset that we nourish and the outreach of compassion that we do for ourselves that will ultimately have a community effect and perhaps penultimately the effect will seep into a global effect. (Don’t you love that word? Many years ago when I worked for the Chief Judge of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland and would help to publish his opinions I would giggle over his frequent use of the word ‘penultimate’ – he just loved that word. Even a word can ignite a memory.) Perhaps even a word can ignite a tiny spark of peace.

Peace Pilgrim was the first woman to hike the 2050 mile long Appalachian Trail. Her response to personal anguish was to adopt the concept of a pilgrim of peace who joyfully spent her life criss-crossing the country with her message of peace. Her legacy is rich, just as the Earth season and characteristics are deep and abundant and stabilizing. She was just one person but her message continues to produce.

“Live in the present.

Do things that need to be done.

Do all the good you can each day.

The future will unfold.”

Peace Pilgrim

Late summer is not without its regrets – regrets of things not accomplished or adventures not taken or the mark of time passing as we send our children off to school or deliver them to their new college dorms. Yet there is reassurance in this season. Continuity demonstrates that our roots have traveled deeply into our centered being. Hope is not frivolous but rather it is based on personal history. We must do the work but we are not without support.

I cannot tell you what to believe. What I do suggest, however, is that you take a moment for yourself to dive deeply into the meaning of the time in which we are living, moving and being.

Is there new life to be nurtured, new ideas, new motivation, new creativity? Nourish and nurture are key components of Earth. Have at it!

On a personal note, I share with you the new member of my family. I will do my best to nourish and nurture this delightful little creature – who, of course, has come with a full set of puppy teeth! Watching growth and change may be what life is all about. May we live abundantly, peacefully and with hearts full of hope and joy.

Oh, to explore life with the wonder and curiosity of a new little being!

THE FOURTH OF JULY 2022

Mt Abe Summit 2022

Happy Fourth of July. This morning I celebrated the day by hiking, with my fabulous Sophie, to summit nearby Mt Abe, appropriately named for President Abraham Lincoln. As I walked the beautiful trails and climbed the challenging rocks and ledges, I was often deep In thought about the significance of this day – in history and today. Coincidentally I have only a few pages left to read in Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday, and my mind wandered to what I have been reading and learning. Politically right, left or center, we all have opportunities to wring our hands in dismay these days. But it was when a young adult told me she could not in good faith celebrate our country on this day, I was challenged to find ways in which I could do so. Perverse? Perhaps, but I’m usually up for a challenge.

So I will suggest the same to each of you, my friends. Has there ever been a time in history when someone somewhere wasn’t afraid for his or her country? Do we think Abe had it any easier? My daughter’s favorite history teacher taught what she dubbed the “spiral theory of history.” So it seems. If all we do is wring our hands, complain, or sit it out, Ryan Holiday would have some words of advice for us – strong words paraphrased from The Stoics.

So today I celebrate my family and my community. I celebrate those who have the courage to question; those who define their beliefs and values and then stand up for them. I celebrate those who reach out to the less fortunate and I celebrate those who put words into action. I celebrate those who refuse to simply accept, “it is what it is.” Furthermore, I celebrate those who do so without violence.

As I continued to make my way deliberately (that’s another word for slowly!) up the roughly 2,000’ climb, I found snippets of thought passing through my mind to support my celebratory experience. And so, I am able to wish you and yours a Happy Fourth of July.

Bring on the fireworks!

Fireworks

MANY WAYS TO MOVE

photo by Teague Dugan 2022

Movement is essential to life and there are many ways to move.

Energy is a blessing. Strength can be cultivated; endurance slowly structured. Bodies are born with a predisposition to the proverbial fast and slow twitch muscles that loosely define one’s preference and natural abilities to marathon or sprint, so to speak. Furthermore, movement can be defined as affecting more than muscles and joints. Physically, mentally, spiritually and naturally movement is evidenced as that which is not stagnant or still, that which is voluntary or involuntary. Movement can be a motion or development, forced or relaxed, coordinated or unskillful. Movement is available to the limited as well as the unlimited; it is a concept to be defined individually and with personal parameters and goals.

To not move is to languish, to decay, to decline. It’s the old “use it or lose it” in real life. Perhaps, though, what is even more significant, is the intention we attach to our action or inaction. Surely finding that sweet spot of stillness enriches our lives, supporting moments of connection with our inner being and multiplying our energies for whatever else fills our existence. Again, it’s a matter of intention. If we allow ourselves to become inadvertently sucked into the mire of dormancy – allowing quiescence to become disabling – we may forever forfeit the awakening from a restful state that makes life something to be thankful for, miraculous.

Indeed, with all that is wrong with this world, there is also much that is right. Often the rightness is seasonal as each of us navigates surges of health, relationship and professional challenges; but the surges recede and we refuel. We refuel, that is, if we keep our mind and body well-maintained.

Before you close this post, hold on. No, I’m not about to harangue about fitness and training and pushing and setting goals and …. No, what I want to submit here is that there are many ways to move and perhaps movement, in and of itself, is the objective.

Our bodies and brains are miraculously made. We are formed to be functionally fit.  Many of us, desiring to go beyond the base level of health and conditioning, want to move into the area of performance and do so with varying degrees of confidence and success. Others seek balanced wellbeing. (No judgment. To each his own but again check that intention!)

Photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
Warren Falls in Warren.

Let me give you two personal examples.  My brother and I emphatically share what we have inherited and cultivated. We are clearly the ‘glass half full’ kind of people and overflow with energy, optimism and enthusiasm for oh so much of life. We commit, persevere and are fiercely loyal. Ethics are important to us. I often quip that my brother is so energetic, strong and active that he makes me look like a slug. (Those of you who know me, know that I am a little more active that an icky, crawly slug.)

But here’s the thing. My brother DOES NOT WORKOUT. I say this with emphasis as it is just that startling. He does, however, get equal benefit from all that he does. He is constantly on the go and has never shied away from strength demands. One can “work out” in a gym with a specifically constructed program or one can chop wood and climb mountains. I need not belabor the point.

Finding Balance

I, on the other hand, have trained all my life from hours of class and rehearsal as a professional dancer to my work as a personal trainer designing fitness programs and encouraging clients to exercise regularly. Even today my Peloton rides, strength sessions and Yoga practices are structured as I continue to both model and teach. I also practice what I preach and this is what I’ve learned.

While intention is mandatory, balance is as well. We can stand on one foot physically, take care to work opposing muscle groups (how many times have I said that?) or weigh active/passive, training/rest. So that which I have learned is all about varying activity. We can build on the fascination of the standing desk or the admonition to stretch periodically during the course of a work day. We can intentionally plan blocks of time to work “out” or to work “outdoors,” to play sports and with our kids, to recreate and to literally realize the value of fun. And we can vary pace and intensity.

Blueberry Lake, Vermont

Once again, a personal example.  Coming from a long history of periodized running and cycling training, I am aware of the value of the LSD, long slow distance, to build endurance. Now I have swapped out the LSD for long, meandering walks with my chocolate lab, Sophie. On trails she is off leash, on country roads she is leashed. Either way, we work together. I defer (with admittedly occasional annoyance) to her nose, as she takes forever to sniff out scents along the way. She, in turn, sits and waits with sighing patience while I frame a scene and snap a picture. In another situation, those long pauses would have negated the value of the “workout” with distressing results. Wait! These long walks are not workouts. They are an additional option to move both physically and mentally, benefiting body and soul. Perhaps there is more to movement than muscular. Do we not shape mental stamina and emotional tolerance? Do we not encourage vision and focus and identification and introspection?

It may not always be what we plan or what we prefer, but there are many ways to move and each bears its own blessing and abundance. May you move each and every day, one way or another, with intention and with balance – and maybe even stop to sniff or snap a photo.

Pausing to frame that photo!

STEP OUTSIDE FOR A DOSE OF LIFE

Seen through the lens of spring. lf

Today, late May, 2022, here in Vermont, the outdoors is making a spectacle of itself. Myriad shades of green are flourishing, dark brown earth is cracking open as seedlings pop through. Brooks and streams are flowing, days are lengthening, lilacs and other blossoms scent the air and animals of all species are up and about. We need only step outside for a dose of life.

GERTRUDE

Tragically there is also an elephant in the room. Meet Gertrude. My granddaughter named her when we addressed “the elephant in the room” a few months back. Here she is again. First, this is a somber weekend celebrating Memorial Day. Then, recent, horrific tragedies here in the United States have broken our hearts. There is much being written and spoken about compassion – how we desperately need to experience compassion for ourselves and for others, how we need to transcend pity and practice compassion as action. Step outside for a dose of compassion?

Indoors, we are surrounded by boundaries. At times we build floors and ceilings and walls in our thinking as well. Sometimes those internal, mental structures are related to the physical space in which we live and move and eat and sleep and breathe. In a sense, we are our own contractors. In a sense we strive to create conflicting elements of comfort and security, beauty and functionality, wealth and simplicity. Perhaps there is a fine line between what imprisons and what sets us free.

Who knows where the trail may lead? lf

Outdoors, square footage becomes environment and personal space spills into the universe.

Being outside is not always lovely. There are bugs and creepy crawly things in the summer and cold and ice in the winter. There are scary things like forest fires and floods and ice storms. But there are also innumerable, and often undefinable, glimpses of life itself.

Have you heard of Forest Bathing? It’s a real thing. Originating in Japan, it’s been around for awhile and is promoted as an antidote to stress. (You can do the research on this one; I have other things to share with your right now.)

Nearly hidden. lf

To be honest, I was not a huge fan of being outside until recently, thanks to my chocolate Lab. I had been a city girl living in Baltimore and Manhattan. (Can’t get much more city than that, right?) Later I participated in outdoor activities, but as soon as they were done, I headed inside rather quickly. All that changed when Sophie needed time outdoors often and every day. No matter how much I complain, once outdoors, I am happy. On my walks with her I am mindful of where I step, what I am brushing up against, what is happening overhead, the feel of the air on my skin and the abundant sounds – all there for the noticing, if I’ll just notice.

And there are stories. So many stories. The world around us is sharing story after story. In the winter, the predawn sky is breathtaking, hinting of the hours to follow. In the summer, the sunset draws the curtain on another long and glorious day – of what? Memories?

Mrs. Snap on my patio. lf

Perhaps this turtle has a story to tell or is looking for a place to lay her eggs. (not on my patio, if you please, Mrs. Snap)

Sunbathing or curious? lf

Perhaps this chipmunk is dreaming of riding a Peloton like mine. (as I was doing when I took this pic.)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak JH

Perhaps a bird is looking for a new eating establishment or a raccoon is reacting to sounds nearby.

Yes, meditation might take place on a cushion, but mindfulness can happen anywhere. Just a few minutes to focus our mental camera on a close up or panorama, just a few minutes to hear leaves rustle or  birds sing, just a few minutes to breathe in clean air and exhale what is stuck inside us, just a few minutes….

Ready to Bolt!  JH

(And yes, I am writing this from Vermont. I am no stranger to city life as I mentioned above so those thoughts are for another day. I can share with you though that I am well aware of the privilege of being able to walk outdoors in safety, removed from most crime and in a clean environment.)

So much of what we do is practice. We do it again and again to establish a habit, improve a technique, gain insight or become more familiar or comfortable with a concept, a value or a belief. Therefore, I encourage us each to pack up our mental camera, leave behind our digital devices, and step outside for a dose of life. But be careful. If you practice this repeatedly, you just may establish a new and lasting habit!

MAMA BEAR and other notes


Mama Bear borrowed from donnaashworth.com

Recently I was called a Mama Bear. I’ll take it. I was in a meeting with a professional, my daughter and son-in-law. At one point, quite unexpectedly and out of character, I flared with outrage and strong, protective language at the way my children were being treated. (I believe it stunned my daughter, but I’m sure I heard my son-in-law cheering in the background of our Zoom call!) I don’t really know how this landed because I needed to excuse myself from the call, but was later teased as their Mama Bear. Again, I’ll take it.

Bears. What do they mean to you? Do you have bears in your life – figuratively or literally? I certainly do. 

The Green Mountain National Forest, and more specifically the Camel’s Hump State Forest, are just outside my door. It is therefore no surprise that black bears, who find this an ideal setting in which to live, breed and raise their young, are my next-door neighbors.  For the most part, they are good neighbors. They have yet to knock on my door, but they have walked within yards of my home. They keep going, though, as there is nothing to tempt them and, if she notices, my chocolate Lab, Sophie, will make quite a fuss.

In fact, it is Sophie about whom I worry the most. Her habit is consistent; her bear-sighting behavior is always the same. First there is that bear barking – it is unique to bear sightings and I know immediately what’s up.  In the car she will turn circles barking all the time and I know to look roadside for a bear.  Off leash, she will dart in the direction of the bear – but run in very large circles around it until it trees.  She will then return to me begging to show me what she has done. No thank you. Let’s walk quietly and steadily home! [Note: I avoid the woods in the spring when the babies are very young and stick to the dirt roads. I also leash her for much of our travels. A bear and dog dispute is not something I want to incite or witness.]

But let me go back to some of what I have learned. First of all, here in Vermont, we have BLACK bears. I first learned this a few years ago. I was hiking a 4000’ trail in New Hampshire on a day when there were very few cars parked on the lot below so allowed Sophie to hike off leash. At one point she ran just ahead of me, around a sharp turn, and I heard a voice shout – “OH (expletive-expletive)! If this is a bear, I’m dead!” (Note, Sophie is effusive in her greetings.) Within seconds several other young male voices laughed and teased the first male and began to play with Sophie. One reminded him that if, in fact, this had been a brown bear, he would be dead.

So, what’s the difference? I learned from my brother that Brown bears come in two sizes – very, very large (the kind you see on videos scooping up salmon; in Alaska they’re Kodiaks) and Grizzlys, considered a subspecies of the Brown bear. I prefer to meet up with neither. We normally associate Brown bears with the western part of the U.S.

Last year there was a video (that went viral) of a Mama Bear in New England doing her best to usher her cubs across two lanes of stopped traffic. It was endearing. However, it is perhaps best that Mama Bear was only frustrated by her young and not by the spectators. Human parents with multiple babies could certainly relate. In fact, for us human parents, the Mama Bear instincts are not only understandable and relatable, but also to be respected.

Which brings me back to my Mama Bear story. In 2000, I found myself unexpectedly single and in Santa Fe with my daughter who had just graduated from high school. It was meant to be a family celebration but became something much different. With my daughter’s help, I connected with the strength that I would need to go forward and recognized that the small, stone bear I purchased had special significance for me and for the years ahead. In Native American tradition, bears symbolize physical strength, leadership and are known as the “first helper.” Bear paws are a symbol representing inner strength. My new little figurine of a Zuni bear signifies The Guardian of the Earth. A heart-line arrow going from head to heart symbolizes a warrior’s heart, strong like the bear’s. If no longer a wife, I would be forever a Mama Bear. Today my bear sits on my desk next to my computer monitor. It has traveled many miles and through many situations since the year 2000.

And then I became fearful of bears. I thought I could avoid hiking trails with signs warning of bears, but they are everywhere. I was not fearful for myself, but for my dog. However, as she matures and as I begin to connect more with Mama Bear, I am more respectful than afraid. Yes, I realize something could trigger a bear’s reaction or there could be a rogue bear out there somewhere, but for the most part, it is best to coexist peacefully and give them space. Oh that we could do that as humans, right?

It is April as I write this. I have learned that cubs are not unlike puppies, born about 8” long and weigh 8-12 ounces. By the time they emerge from their dens they are only 4-8 pounds but are able to follow their mother around. It is no surprise, therefore that Mama Bear is protective. I have also learned that Mama and babies will most likely remain in their habitat above me and away from civilization for a few months yet. Though there is controversy over their habit of hibernation or denning up, it seems that our bears might appear randomly throughout the season if the ‘climate changes’ warm up enough to tempt them outdoors. In fact, during a thaw in February this year, to my great surprise, Sophie treed a young bear (probably 1-2 years old) who had ventured outside his winter home apparently alone.

I return to the Mama Bear identity one last time. Perusing the internet I found one statement in an ad for what was dubbed a Mama Bear fleece, that stated: “tough mamas maximize every day.” I also landed on this: “The real definition: A mama bear is a mama with boundaries. A woman who parents the best way she can, for her child, and a woman who doesn’t apologize for her choices. A mama bear is a woman who asserts herself in any way as a parent. She says ‘no’”.  Mama Bear. I’ll take it.https://abigailgranner.com/2020/11/01/what-mama-bear-really-means/

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Note: I take issue with this survey of black bears in Vermont! The bears in my neighborhood stroll, unconcerned, across patios and along country roads. By later in the summer, when readily available food in the woods is not so readily available, “our” bears have no problem searching dumpsters, around outdoor grills and even through an open door if they happen upon one.  However, I do live in a region where bears find a natural habitat.  https://vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/vermont-critters/mammals/black-bear

However, note that a more recent notice mandates bear boxes and other bear prevention practices for hikers on the Long Trail. Bears are proliferating and are savvy. They know that hikers bring food. Hopefully they do not leave food.

https://www.greenmountainclub.org/hiking/wildlife/

This is a fascinating report on bears that you might want to take a few minutes to read:  https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/denning.htm

OUTDOORS-a very personal perspective

“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.”     John O’Donohue

OUTDOORS

For three decades my habitat was a studio. Not just any studio, mind you, but two distinctly different and amazing studios. First, there was the studio in Baltimore. I began ballet lessons with the reigning royalty of classical ballet, Carol Lynn, way way back when I was just 4 years old. Miss Lynn’s kingdom was the huge ground level studio in the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Dance Department. Miss Lynn was respected far and wide as a leading expert and to study with her was deemed a privilege. The studio space was from another epoch. Gorgeous, worn wooden floors vibrated with the energy of movement over a century. Three story high windows needed to be raised and lowered with a 20-foot-long pole – or longer, I can’t really remember. Needless to say, the ceiling was waaaaaay up there. Massive mirrors covered one entire wall. A balcony lined another wall for visitors and critics. A graduate student from the Conservatory piano department accompanied classes on the baby grand in the corner. One door led to an open marble hallway and another to dressing rooms that in turn led to a courtyard. It was magical. I left this studio in my early teens to study in NYC where another old and fabulously worn studio became my home.

An old school ballet studio as Edward Degas saw it

I had been accepted as a working student and was mentored by the incomparable Margaret Craske, literally world renowned as a teacher and ballet mistress to the Royal Ballet of England, personal coach to Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev when he defected from Russia, and later as teacher and coach to the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and others in the U.S. The old Met studio was definitely a Phantom of the Opera setting! It was even more abused than the studio in Baltimore but reeked of ballet and opera history. Any hour of the day or night, it seemed, there was always something going on from classes to rehearsals to ballet to opera to set design, and so on. Children in the school delighted in appearing in operas that called for them while dancers in the company showed up reluctantly at 10 a.m. for professional class and singers straggled in late afternoon to move clumsily through some type of choreography for whatever opera was being rehearsed at the time. After a rickety ride up an old elevator, we would wind along back halls and climb up to a creaky catwalk along one side of the studio, headed to the dressing room and trying not to make a sound that would inevitably illicit a frown from below.

The “old” Metropolitan Opera House where I had the privilege of performing as a young teen.

My early years of “outdoors” were spent primarily at a stable in the few hours I had outside the Peabody. My other passion was horses, but it had been predetermined that I would become a ballet dancer. My mother had been a singer and had sung at the Met so I was destined to follow, one way or another. Later I walked the streets of NYC as I hurried from residence to studio and back again.

Fast forward. Ultimately I returned to Baltimore where I replaced the retired Miss Lynn and the Peabody studio became my domain. I became a college student at Johns Hopkins University where I also taught and later I transitioned to the gym. When it was time to move on, I did. I trained and taught and made my way through parenting and aerobics, from personal training to Yoga.

Outdoor hours spent at horse shows – here Teague and Ernie compete during Vermont Summer Festival.

Later, in Vermont, I had horses and skiing and soccer and all the wonderful things that we enable here in this beautiful state. But, even though I mucked stalls early in the morning and exercised my horses regularly, I never really did think of it as being, well, the “outdoors.” It was simply where I did what I needed to do.

Sunset at Lookout Point, Maine

Over the years, running, cycling, and oh so much driving, the outdoors always remained simply a place in which my activities occurred.  Fast forward again. For a few summers I had the good fortune to spend a month on the coast of Maine where I watched the sun rise from my deck and crossed to the other side of the peninsula to watch it drop below the horizon across a cove. Sunrise and sunset bookended days that began to embrace the outdoors as more than simply space. Relaxed walks on trails, meanderings along the coast, awakened a sense of pleasure before unknown. And then came Sophie. My amazing chocolate Labrador Retriever did the trick. I traded driven goals for pleasant outings. I left the world of road cycling to hike the steeps of Vermont and New Hampshire, always with my beloved dog. I learned that to breathe in fresh air, to pause to look at tiny snapshots of nature, and to stand in stillness to honor grand vistas, was good for the fitness that I now teach – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

sophie

morning coffee in the all-too-short Vermont summer

Today, thanks to my faithful companion, I live in a home of peace, harmony and beauty. There is no questioning – it’s out the door first thing every morning or I will be reminded that someone needs to go into the woods! In the summer I enjoy my coffee on the patio before I begin my work for the day; and in the winter I love to watch the moon rise over the mountains spilling light on snow-blanketed terrain.

Though I continue to teach and write, and though I continue to spend hours each day in physical activity, I now do so with the constant reminder of the outdoors connection. Possibly, it is why we live in Vermont. The outdoors is safe. The outdoors is clean. The outdoors is free.

City dwellers – I know you are both privileged and neglected – been there, done that. With luck you may enjoy “my” outdoors on weekends or vacations. But, as much science is revealing, even opening a window or putting green plants in our homes, can be helpful. I urge us all to consider moving what we can to the outdoors or bring what we can of the outdoors to us. As the world addresses environment, may we all make the available environment a significant component of our habitat – the habitat in which we live and work and play and grow and love.

photo courtesy of Jim Heins

FOCUS and PERSPECTIVE

PERSPECTIVE photo courtesy of Jim Heins

As I write this post, the yearly “spring forward” will take place in a few hours. Yes, once again, unless we rely on technology to automatically reset for us, we will manually set our clocks forward one hour and begin the shift from winter to spring’s expanding daylight hours. This ritual, like many others, is either wonderful or regrettable depending on one’s perspective.

PERSPECTIVE photo courtesy of Jim Heins

Perspective. Perhaps you, like me, first thought of this word in the context of drawing. As I struggled through a basic art class I failed consistently to find a way to show perspective – the inevitable train tracks or table legs. I relate more easily to perspective as attitude, mental rather than visual. Whereas a drawing may be accurately fixed, our point of view is often fluid and changeable and even more, personal.

FOCUS ON ICE DROPLETS photo courtesy of Jim Heins

Focus is another piece of the pie we call vision. How often have you said to yourself – “come on, FOCUS!” when a problem seems to blur? My brother is a photographer and recently bought a new zoom lens for his camera. When he shared a few pics, I was reminded how pausing to zoom in and truly focus on something is a gift. I am not a photographer, but like many of us, I love to use my iPhone to frame a trailside scrap of nature or catch the fleeting expression of a friend. Framing or reframing what the eye sees or the mind envisions adds depth and, yes, perspective.

In today’s world, we rely on science. Within the study of science there is integration of that which is mental, physical, sociological and psychological in order to explore perspective. A lack of perspective signals ignorance or misunderstanding while the opposite invites context, mindset, comparison and a frame of reference.

Recently I have been introduced to a number of podcast interviews of Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neurobiologist and ophthalmologist. (https://hubermanlab.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ekdc6jCu2E, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxR0zDL7sbc) I invite you to follow your curiosity into these hours of fascinating discussion.

Huberman, professor, Stanford University School of Medicine, teaches with such enthusiasm and expertise that the wealth of science-based material he shares becomes accessible and pertinent to our daily lives.

For example, two (BTW, free) tools he offers are (1)outdoor light exposure at the start of each day (and yes, I know, we are often challenged here in Vermont!) and (2) when stressed – utilize the physiological sigh: inhale fully, then top it off with a 2nd shorter inhale, exhale slowly. Sometimes once is enough to diffuse a situation. He also points out that first we focus with the eyes (which are, by the way, two bits of brain that are outside the framework of the skull, hmmmmm) and then that focus turns inward into the realm of mental action.

If we, as Huberman suggests, train our vision as we train our muscles, might we also train our uses of focus and perspective? Rather than belabor, might I invite you to pause in your busy day to consider each? After all, your perspective will be uniquely our own!

To help you along the way, I share with you some of my brother’s photography, each demonstrating aspects of perspective that might lead you along the path, or track, or whatever, to ponder both focus and perspective. Enjoy.

SEPTEMBER SIGNALS A RESTART

September signals a restart, but of what? Traditionally Labor Day Weekend marks the close of the summer season even though the Autumnal Equinox isn’t until Wednesday, September 22nd. And, sigh, 2021 is a September shrouded by ambiguity. In many places, starting as early as mid-August, students were back on playing fields and campuses, dorm rooms and classes. Yet the dark cloud of question continues to loom with rampant indecision about masks, distancing, vaccinations, boosters and the ever popular – hybrid or not. Ridiculously, tempers flare and threats of violence are aimed at good people trying to make tough decisions. Parents worry about their babies under 12 for whom there is not yet a vaccine (soon, we hear) and about their preteens and teens doing their best to go about adolescence as usual. It’s all so edgy.

We thought last September would be a one-off with respect to Covid even though we were warned about something casually floated as the “new normal.” Businesses that planned onsite staffing from now through October, are putting on the brakes. Back to a discussion of hybrid? At best, I think. Maybe back to the big V (virtual).

On a positive and unequivocally stimulating note, there’s that kind of excitement or fluttering, when something new is about to happen. One feels a bit like coiled spring about to let loose. I noticed this today when I took Sophie for a woods outing and laughed out loud as she tore around in zoomies – over a bridge, into a brook, up a rock, back in the brook, back through a field of goldenrod and milkweed, and over the bridge again and again. Was it sheer joy or has she been bursting at the seams to just buzz? Anyway, it’s what I call my “anticipatory feeling.” Well, there’s that feeling, part intuitive and part reactive, that is the spirit of September. Warm weather teases us to believe there is yet more summer and maybe we can relax; and, then the cooler nights and breezy days inform us that it is well time to pick ourselves up and get organized, restart our sleepy creativity, and begin to use some of the regenerative mental and physical energy that we certainly hope has been nurtured within us.

One of my summer reads was WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE, by Oprah Winfrey (2014). It’s been on my shelf for many years but recently the time was right to have at it.  I love her quote on the back cover: “I know for sure: Your journey begins with a choice to get up, step out, and live fully.” Works well with all that September represents, don’t you think?

Do you remember, as a child, the thrill of shopping for school supplies? May I tell you that I still adore my paper notebooks and journals and colored pens? (not opposed to a sticker or two, either!) I know I am not alone as I hear from friends and colleagues about the search for the perfect journal or the delicious feel of particular writing pages. Ha! There is still room in today’s digital monopoly for some brain enhancing tactile writing and reading. I love that my mother, also addicted to charming notepads, would tell me that each new morning was like turning to a clean page on which no one had yet written. It was my privilege to do the writing. What would I do with my day?  Sweet, eh?

September might well be the kickstart or restart of professional or personal structure. Perhaps we reframe each day to include dedicated blocks of time for healthy habits, a resumption of fitness hours and attention to nutritional benefits. Furthermore, in the reframing of time, perhaps there is also a reframing of motivation, gratitude and respect for the bodies and minds we exercise and fuel.

September is clearly a transitional period between the common concept of summer and the back-to-school mentality of early fall. Gradually the layering begins: clothing, responsibilities, new jobs, and balancing hectic schedules. The obvious seasonal reminder of shorter days and longer evenings mandates yet another segue into the fall months. There’s no fighting it. Until December 21, darkness will increase and the need to adapt is part survival, or seen from an attitude of positivity, part curiosity.

My go-to resource for dealing with stress, or helping others to do so, is Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s THE STRESS SOLUTION (2018). This little book is packed with meaningful tips and discourses on the many aspects of stress and ways to work with this thing that has gained prominence in recent years, bolstered by Covid, and apparently a part of daily life for most, if not all. One piece of advice resonates with the idea of September as being a time to regroup and move forward.  Dr. Chatterjee encourages the reader to L.I.V.E. 

L = LOVE. As we move forward, yes, to love ourselves and others, to both give and receive love. However, more importantly for our purposes here, he challenges us to LOVE what we are doing!

I = INTENTION. As we restart, regroup and reframe the weeks and months to come, let us do so with intention. To be certain of our intention and then to apply our thought and action to that intentional purpose, is to move forward cleanly without waste or wandering.

V = VISION. Oh my, vision is a profound word that runs the gamut from looking and truly seeing all the way to one’s mental, emotional and spiritual vision for individual and universal future possibilities.

E = ENGAGEMENT. Finally we are urged to engage in life itself – from present moments to chance meetings to thoughtful yet bold actions.

Returning to Oprah, let me share a quote of Goethe’s: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it;/Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”  Oprah follows this with: “Make a decision and watch your life move forward.”

Bottom line? It is September. “Make a decision and watch your life move forward.”

COMFORT ZONES

Paying attention to comfort zones is a significant contributing factor to a life well lived.

Perhaps the first step is to identify and define what each of us perceives to be our own, uniquely individual, comfort zone. (Previously I have quipped that my comfort zone is so small that most of what I do on a daily basis is outside it. If this sounds like a person of anxiety, well, so be it.) Then we might ask “why?” – why step out and why not stay safely within?

Here’s the bottom line: living one’s life within the cozy confines of routine with few opportunities to challenge, might sound nice, but soon reduces one’s ability to respond to stimuli – either positive or negative. It is by tasting the unknown, problem-solving potentially awkward or anxiety-producing situations, and moving forward to completion that we build confidence based on history and, in fact, benefit mental health.

Moving outside a comfort zone means many things to many people. Expanding the boundaries and pushing our limits should be done thoughtfully. Not everyone is ready to jump from sofa-safety to skydiving. What is important is to acknowledge when we are enlarging the zone and how we are preparing to do so, experiencing the moment, and processing what has happened when we return “home” perhaps with a mixture of surprise and satisfaction.

Yo-Yo Ma needs no introduction, but to glance at his biography, we can only imagine how far he has lived his life and performed his work outside of any real or perceived comfort zone. He IS his music and his art, but his life practice includes family, community and humanity.

“Each day I move toward that which I do not understand. The result is a continuous accidental learning which constantly shapes my life.” Yo-Yo Ma.

Stepping out of one’s comfort zone may be physical, mental or emotional but has been shown to stimulate brain cell growth and activity as well as the brain’s chemical response to discomfort and challenge. Varying routine – even as mundanely as taking a different route – nurtures seeds of growth. Learning new skills or simply opening thought to differing opinions, pausing the auto-reject response, may be uncomfortable at first, but becomes a generous piece of our modus operandi.

The world is full of change and if we want to live relatively harmoniously in this world, we need to explore that which is constantly changing. This is a topic lodged in infinity so I will pass by.  Perhaps these recent months of Covid response have prompted many of us to spend quality time learning new things, listening to podcasts and TED Talks and indulging in online courses. Here I share tips of what I have learned. I encourage you to take a few minutes to look back, identify, and review your own experiences; then sit with your new knowledge and skills.

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”  Elizabeth Gilbert

90 minutes challenges sticktoittiveness.

*I have had the privilege of stepping physically into challenging situations whether on my Peloton bike or on an adventure with my chocolate Lab, but find that when I identify the degree of hesitation and concern in advance, I am better able to literally put one foot in front of the other. The key here is to STOP and think before moving outside a zone – the huge advantage of perspective.

*Trust personal history. Navigating what is uncomfortable, or even scary, builds a personal history on which to rely for future anxious times.

*Recognize that an appropriate amount and intensity of exercise (whether for health or performance) – as with comfort zones – needs to be adapted to current individual life circumstances. In the world of athletics, periodization including times of intense training must be balanced with rest, recovery and a multitude of supportive practices. As we seek general health, exercise and activity are imperative to manage stress, cortisol and inflammation, but additionally to provide us with pleasure and a sense of wellbeing. It is, therefore, counterproductive to adhere to rigid training programs at all times, as “life happens” and adjustments are often more beneficial that checking the box.

*The more I learn about nutrition, the more respectful I am of this constantly evolving science. I believe it behooves us all to constantly seek new information and put it into practice as best we can whether it is relative to food, breath, new forms of functional training in the gym or on the Yoga mat, or even gardening or DIY projects. (I must laugh at this last as I am a novice gardener and a DIY dummy who panics at the slightest problem. Thank goodness for Google searches!)

I love the concept of “continuous accidental learning” which indeed shapes life and adds to personal history.

And here I return to Yo-Yo Ma. “Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate about something, then you’re more willing to take risks.” Yo-Yo Ma        

My children, students and clients all know that I am a strong believer in passion. We MUST live our lives with passion if we are to squeeze from them every drop of goodness, whether challenge or achievement, fatigue or energy, fear or strength, valley or mountain. Furthermore, if we submit our limiting lines of comfort to the pursuit of that which excites our passions, we will step outside often and well.

 

To be NOTICEFULL

To be “noticefull” invites fluid definition. A child may be filled with the curiosity and wonder created by noticing. A friend may notice the good deed of another. A city dweller might be alert to the sound of footsteps approaching too quickly from behind, while a country resident might look more closely at a fragile blossom along a trail that only yesterday merely hinted of what might follow.  Noticing is rarely an empty pursuit and often fills one with reaction to that which was noticed, i.e., noticefull.

Years ago, each Saturday as I drove to the studio to teach a 7 a.m. Spinning™ class, I listened to the NPR broadcast, a Way with Words. The question was asked if a word is real? The response was clear: “But are they really words if they’re not in the dictionary? Yes, if it’s said or written and has a meaning, it’s a word.” Is noticefull in the dictionary? No, but my 3-year old son used it often and squeezed every drop of meaning out of the compound.

Surely it’s easier to pause when the view invites.

Taking time to pause, to observe, to see, hear, feel, taste or smell, to idle, to muse, may be a gift to retrieve from Covid 19, the grand Thief of life, time, resources and well-being. This thief is not done with us yet. Nor are we ready to surrender as we small individuals in the large mosaic of the 21st century strive to make sense of what has happened and hang on for what may lie ahead. Yes, there are those who want nothing more than to break free of worry and restrictions, kick up their heels, and try to forget it ever happened. But it did happen and it is happening. Should those of us who are fortunate to have escaped health and financial ruin be grateful? Of course. But perhaps not giddy. Maybe in our gratitude we might search for some snippets of goodness and positivity to carry forward with us. If not Covid, surely other challenges will face those of us lucky enough to live to see them and strong enough to challenge back.

You, my friend, do not need to read yet another blog post about Covid, about the universal need for vaccinations, or about lifting requirements and returning to life as the new usual. Nor do you need to read yet another attempt to help each and all deal with anxiety and mental health. All I can say is that if we thought stress was a buzzword before, well, now, in bold letters, it is a condition linked to a very long list of physical illnesses and a given contributing factor to an even longer list of mental and emotional vulnerabilities and resulting behaviors.

For most of my professional life as a personal trainer, I have worked with concepts beyond the building of physical fitness and enhancement of athletic performance. During recent years I have coached the importance of recovery, play and sleep as equally necessary and rewarding as setting and achieving goals. I also coach “noticefull.”

Clients, students and readers have observed my changing focus, clearly influenced by this past year-plus, in which I continue to encourage habits of regular exercise, good nutrition and numerous components of fitness, but do so within a broader and softer context. Certainly my over 500 hours of Yoga training influences me. The advantages of Zoom (and yes there are many) coupled with fewer daily driving hours, has permitted me time to study, research, listen and learn, all in support of my work. (I used to say there is a fine line between teaching and studying. I now say there is NO line between being a teacher and being a student!)

Now, as we (hopefully) exit the Covid phase, what do I believe, practice and teach?      First and foremost, I believe that each of us is precious and good, worthy                                         and unique unto ourselves. Be it good ole nature or nurture,                                                   we each have valid strengths and challenges,                                                                                 dreams and fears, passions and avoidances to be embraced.

In so many instances, it does not matter how we look or how we compare with another, but rather how we learn, grow and complete ourselves; and then how we are able to reach out to others to help them along their own personal journeys.

We each respond to different approaches. Some of us love the thrill of competition and challenging goals and the process that underpins success in both. Some of us simply seek that precious few minutes when we can take a walk away from distractions or steal a quick 10 minutes to sit in stillness.

If you are stuck In the reluctance of these times, or if you are wildly escaping limitations, you may be sharing the same spectrum of inertia. I encourage you to open your hearts and open your minds, to look and listen. There is an entire world of change to be tasted and tried. Experts abound, often sharing personal stories, and there is usually something to be learned from each. Pick and choose what might work for you. What is accessible, affordable, practical and achievable? Can you add a morning ritual to each day? Perhaps a designated time of connection with someone you miss or love? Open a window on silliness and giggle with kids? (Actually do it when your watch says to breathe?) Downregulate through your final hours of the day phasing out screen time?

Parting thought. I’d like to share my morning ritual with you as it is a product of the past months. As you are surely noticefull, you will quickly realize that you’ve read some of this before – yes, in last month’s post! But I do try to practice what I learn and share with you. Taking advice from multiple sources, and with the encouragement of Sophie, my chocolate lab, I spend an early 20 minutes of my day outdoors. In previous years, I would have dragged her past scents as I tried to log a run. Now I walk leisurely, coffee mug in hand, and give her this time as well. Next it’s my turn and she acquiesces. It’s out to the patio – she with her breakfast and I with my refill. Sometimes I’m bundled up in blankets, but unless it’s raining hard, we spend another 10-20 minutes – Sophie and her bone and me with my books and journal.

American Robin courtesy of USFish&Wildlife

Sometimes I simply sit and listen, as does she. Wait, wasn’t it silent a minute ago? These birds are so raucous! Did they only just begin to sing so loudly? (I know, I know – I looked it up and it’s probably the males staking their claim on territory or potential liaison – but I still call it singing.)  But listening is amazing. Touch? – unless I am noticefull, I don’t feel the air on my skin.

Pure pleasure – sniffing!

Smell? OK, TBH I get a general scent of clean, clear, fresh, green, etc, but let me tell you, Sophie is all about scent. Sometimes I just watch her, nostrils fluttering, eyes closed, so loving the moment. (that would be Sophie’s nostrils not mine) You get the idea. Even 10 minutes of being noticefull prepares me for the day ahead. And that’s before making a list or checking my messages. Is this easy? No. But worth putting the distractions aside. I often reorganize my thoughts by coming back to this from David Whyte: “there is a small opening into the day that closes the moment you begin your plans.”  (What to Remember When Waking, David Whyte: Essentials) I do what I can to protect that opening.

The Starting Gate
Alamy stock photos

And, next, of course, I’m off – out of the starting gate of my day with a clean start and a good break.                                                             I wish you the same.                                      And to be notice full.