Category Archives: Motivation

ALIGN AND ALLOW – SPRING

May 2025

Spring invites, teases, promises and, in spite of ourselves, stirs our souls. Perhaps Spring, more than January 1st or a birthday, marks a beginning. According to the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is the season of the Wood Element. It is the beginning of growth as the season transitions from winter – the most Yin time of the year – to summer – when Yang energy is at it’s peak.

In the world around us, new growth is evident. Geography informs the weeks and months in which this happens, but in any event, green appears – leaves on trees, grass pushing up from the soil, bulbs creating their hopeful display and buds opening to the sun.

This time of growth is also apparent in animals and humans as cubs, pups, goslings and lambs are born and spirits are lifted. Motivation and the awakening of sleepy energy are almost tangible.

How might we align ourselves with this season of new growth? Can we allow the fragile stirrings of energy and hoped for abundance land in our hearts and minds? As our roots grow deep, like trees we can open our branches and let time itself take over the process of flowering.

Returning to the Wood Element each spring makes sense to me. There are many resources but my continuing favorite is WOOD BECOMES WATER*, by Gail Reichstein. Here the author writes simply of relating the five elements to everyday life. For example, in the human life cycle, Wood parallels childhood. Consider the coincidence of dawn, creativity, green, wind, vision (physical and mental/emotional) and flexibility (literal and figurative) – all associated with this season. Again I ask, how might we align with this season of new growth?

Spring Tapestry

Here in Vermont, spring arrives late and is often subtle. As I write this, it is the middle of May and we are experiencing severe thunderstorms and buckets of rain. Gardeners are cautioned not to plant until Memorial Day weekend. (Snow, though welcomed in the winter might make a quick but unwanted appearance well into the month.) For the most part, frost has left the ground and mud season is past. Flooding is always a possibility. Fields of dandelions are about to pop with yellow-gold and hills are displaying texture and color as that gorgeous green of newness superimposes the dark green of pines, firs and their relatives. One cannot help but allow all that spring suggests to enter one’s being.

Yes, the world is a bit of a mess. Yes, we face daily challenges in many aspects of our lives. Yes, we feel helpless at times. And yes we really haven’t much to say about the changing seasons – they will happen one way or another**. So perhaps, the best thing is to let go, align with what this particular season suggests, and allow the growth to happen. If we are motivated to creatively look forward, let us follow those plans with good energy. If we are able to reframe our challenges and look at them – not as Pollyannas – but proactively, well then, let us get on with the business (and privilege) of problem-solving.

Spring is an invitation. If you have read this far(!), I invite you to pause to consider the season of your present life. Recently I was reminded that to pause and simply follow one breath cycle – I am breathing in; I am breathing out – is a meditation in and of itself, a moment of presence. It is a moment to align with oneself, to begin again.

Last night I stood with a much-loved family member to watch a boys’ lacrosse game. Approaching severe thunder storms mingled with intense competition as the two teams played a grudge match. Yet at one point, my companion said ‘Look!’ There across the sky was a complete rainbow. It was breathtaking.

A rainbow means many things to many people. From Noah and his Ark to  Judy Garland to Irish folklore, a rainbow represents an infinite display of meaningful emotions and values from art and religion to color, diversity and creativity; new beginnings. One of my favorite rainbow thoughts is from a work by Kristin Armstrong*** published many years ago in which she writes: “A rainbow is a symbol of mercy. It is more than a happy reminder of the holy calm after a storm. It is an arrestingly beautiful reminder of every single time in our lives when we did not get what we deserved – when we received blessing in place of punishment.” Armstrong goes on to suggest that seeing a rainbow marks a time to pause, a reminder to breathe, and the moment in which to say “Thank  you.”

Look up/

Look up. May you pause to align and allow.

*Wood Becomes Water, Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life, Gail Reichstein, 20th Anniversary Edition, (1998 and 2018) Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC

**There is no political implication in this statement but a rather naive sentiment of the hoped for permanence of the natural world.

***Strength for the Climb, Kristin Armstrong, (2007) Hachette Book Group

MOBILITY

January in Vermont

JANUARY 2025. Another year begins. What will we do with it? Partly, that is a choice each of us can make. Sometimes we can be proactive. At other times we must be reactive – in the highest sense of the word. Might it be that managing our reactivity to circumstances that are  unexpected, alarming or beyond our control could be the key to our daily quality of life or success in living? Or perhaps it is reframing those circumstances and addresses that which is within our capability to mold and form and live in accordance with our uniquely personal wisdom and values.

As I write this, it is the weekend during which we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., and, by stark contrast, the inauguration of a new old president. I am compelled to ponder a few thoughts which I will now share. (Not to worry – not political thoughts!)

making training fun

Each year I choose a word for the year. I am certainly not alone in doing so as it has become the practice of many as well as the topic of many posts online and in social media.

This year, 2025, I will work with the word, and broader concept of, MOBILITY. Yes, it is a buzzword in the world of strength, fitness, physical therapy –  you name it. But the concept of MOBIITY can be expanded to include my significant four elements: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. MOBILITY extends beyond flexibility – though, of course, flexibility is excellent. MOBILITY suggests having the strength, stamina, power, resilience, stability and yes, flexibility to move through a wide ROM (range of motion) of the body (muscles, joints, fascia, etc) as well as of the mind and of each individual’s personal experience. When our beliefs are challenged, our fortitude tested or our bodies exhausted, can we continue to move safely and soundly through our experience? It is my personal and professional goal to help us to do so by sharing what I have experienced and learned as well as brilliant guidance from others.

This year I urge us each to adopt a morning practice, dedicate time each day to fitness, adhere to the principle of progressive overload as we strengthen our precious muscles, step outside our comfort zones, experience new things, nurture enthusiasm and positivity, read words of wisdom or words that make us think our own thoughts and form our own conclusions, eat well, sleep well, practice self-care in its highest and most accessible form, get outdoors daily no matter the weather, connect with friends, honor family, and incorporate modest amounts of breath work into each day learning to reduce stress and to be, according to Thich Nhat Hanh, present. Oh my, this list could go on and on!

Adventure whenever possible!

Furthermore, this year I urge us each to redefine and build on our strength – again, applying this to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. As the world turns upside down globally and locally, as excesses and shortages savage all aspects of our daily lives and future dreams, may we each address our current resolve to be strong as the hours pass and the years accumulate – if we are lucky. For years now, longevity has been another buzzword referring to Health Span and not just Life Span, to living long but living well. Though we may not have the genetic predisposition to age well, we do have a certain amount of agency over that which we do have. And, even if we cannot look into a crystal ball, wouldn’t it be smart to take the best possible care of ourselves? Just in case we CAN affect results somewhat?

What do you think of this from Parker Palmer?  “Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.”

So, on this cold January day of 2025, may we each and all consider taking up the challenge of self-care, personal strength, and, perhaps the culmination of it all, MOBILITY!

MY WORD FOR THE YEAR, 2024 = CHANGE

Change is one of those Yin/Yang words. Just thinking of change has the power to initiate thoughts of fear, loss or unease. Reframed, the concept might be exciting, rich with opportunity, at the very least different but potentially better. The Yang version might be drive or struggle while the Yin side might be flow and process. In any event, change – something different – is often just around the corner.

All one needs to do to find words of wisdom encouraging change, is to use that search engine and have at it! Surely your favorite writer(s) have said something wonderful about change – often counseling the reader to begin with one’s attitude. There seems to be a moral imperative to change as life moves on and maturity comes to the party. And, as with Yin and Yang, balance is crucial.

Change signals positivity. My favorite sweatshirt, a gift from someone who knows me well, reads “Eternal Optimist.” (Spiritual Gangster) It is both a gift and a mandate to be eternally optimistic – a characteristic that must be utilized wisely to meet and temper life’s many struggles and grief.

“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”  Eckhart Tolle

Irresistible advice shamelessly borrowed from a friend

Each January 1st I decide on a word for the year. I begin to explore words and how they might be woven into my intention for an entire year. Repeatedly in recent weeks the word CHANGE has come across my radar. So, CHANGE it is for 2024.  TBH I prefer the word EVOLVE. To evolve suggests taking time, changing gradually, and perhaps, significantly, changing from simple to complex, from lesser to greater, growth.  In my mind, gradual change, taking time to develop, suggests doing so with minimal stress and maybe even with a confidence and sense of purpose that sudden change prohibits. No matter, CHANGE works.

Change is a privilege. I recognize that. In my own experience I have been practicing small steps of change in order to protect and grow my personal fitness physically, creatively and spiritually. I made sometimes painful decisions to step back from roles that I had played for years but, when honest, knew that they were no longer serving me and, more importantly, I was no longer playing those roles with integrity – I was no longer serving those with whom I was connected. For me it takes courage to search my soul, so to speak, and then to deal with what honesty has uncovered.

Since Covid, (how often do we mark time with those words – since Covid…?) many of us have reconnected with family and friends. Zoom gave us a platform to shift our personal and professional lives. As months have passed, many of us have needed to shift again. We learn, we gain, we lose, we ebb, we flow. We change. And if we don’t…?

“Life is about growth and change. When you are no longer doing that – that is your whisper; that is your whisper that you are supposed to do something else.”  Oprah Winfrey

Sunrise

Earlier I used the word REFRAME. What a lovely tool! In the midst of turmoil, it is admittedly difficult to pause, to reframe the situation, the decision, the dilemma. But to do so often brings about a natural resolution or, at the least, turns our faces towards the sun.

There is genius to impulse. Sometimes. Often, however, impulse forces backtracking and rebuilding. Or perhaps that is what the impulse was meant to do. Is it creativity that makes us spring for the “meant to be” next step? Oh to discern the difference between creativity and foolishness. To evolve gradually just might do the trick. And, as so often is the case, I suggest that there is space in our lives for all of it!

As Meister Eckhart famously wrote:  “And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

May you trust the magic of your own beginning in 2024. I am grateful for each and every one of you and wish you health, happiness and love in the new year. I also wish you a word that speaks to you. A Word for the Year is a nice companion with which to begin.

 

Happy New Year from Sophie, Lizzie and me

The Common Dandelion – Weed or Treasure

Spring would not be spring without a field of dandelions. The scourge of the perfect lawn, this common weed is due attention and respect. Just three weeks ago, this landed on the internet about the Chelsea Flower Show: “Four of its 12 show gardens will feature plants traditionally regarded as weeds, which are now being rebranded as “resilient” and “heroes”. Weeds are no longer flowers in the wrong place, according to this year’s organizers, but exactly where they should be, softening the designer’s edge and adding a wild note to far corners. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/26/chelsea-flower-show-wild-weeds-vital-plants-soil-insects-birds

Before I move forward with this little essay on the dandelion, I need to retrace my steps. It’s been a minute since I’ve posted. No worries. It’s all good. Life, as always, is an exercise in opposites – meeting challenges and giving thanks for one’s blessings. My daily journal since January 1 is a lovely little book themed Strength and Grace. Elizabeth Gilbert never fails to inspire me.

Furthermore, thankfully as both a teacher and a student my driving force is curiosity, I have learned even more about this spring season than I had known before – or rather, than I had previously processed.

In the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, spring is the season of the Wood Element. Since I do not plan to write a book here, suffice it to say that this season embodies the revitalizing qualities of Wood – growth, resilience, creativity, imagination, opportunity, potential, and, thanks to the Yin and Yang organs of the Element, Liver and Gallbladder – a nod to sight/vision and decision-making.

And so, as I have worked with these concepts moving through each day, helping to shape optimism and enthusiasm productively, making decisions that need to be made and observing changes in the outdoors around me, I have made the decision to visit the common dandelion.

As many of you do, I’m sure, I find that in spite of myself, my mind thinks outside of the box and my imagination flourishes by observation as I walk my dogs in the morning. Sometimes we walk in the woods and I am startled by the sun rising brightness through the trees. Sometimes my thoughts meander as the trail, moving past a to-do list to a what-if list. More often than not, I create a message, Yoga practice, Peloton team FB post, strength series,  or email in my head and eagerly return home to work with it. I had not planned to do that. Where did the time go?!

I often take a picture of something that attracts my attention. (Thank you iPhone.) Thus, a few thoughts on the dandelion. Here in Vermont, dandelions reliably color fields a brilliant yellow. Here and elsewhere, we are urging “No Mow May,” and beyond, to protect pollinators and encourage balance in the natural world. And yes that seems to work a little more easily for us in more rural settings than in suburban communities. I get that.

Dandelions are functional as well as lovely. “Dandelion is native to Europe but found throughout temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere. The leaves, flowers, and root of the plant have traditionally been used in Mexican and other North American medicine. Today, dandelion is promoted as a ‘tonic,’ as a diuretic, and for a variety of conditions, including infections and digestive symptoms. As a food, dandelion is used as a salad green and in soups, wine, and teas. The roasted root is used as a coffee substitute.”https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/dandelion   Hmmm. Are you game?

What about the nuisance factor?  Yes, dandelions are identified as weeds, a perennial, sometimes invasive, prolific and determined little weed.  “It consists of a complex of biotypes that vary with environmental conditions and is a common weed of mountain meadows and turf. It also inhabits perennial crop fields, especially those in alfalfa, disturbed sites, and nurseries…. Because dandelion contains high amounts of certain minerals, it serves as a complement to pasture forage for livestock. In addition to being weedy, the fine hairs of the one-seeded fruit can clog cultivation equipment.” https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/WEEDS/dandelion.html 

But let’s get down with this:  ok, perhaps dandelions are viewed with frustration when they overtake an expensively maintained lawn. But they are also viewed with wonder as they collectively blanket a meadow or individually speak of personal worth. A dandelion reminds us of rebirth, growth, that precious and delicate spring green that breaks forth into myriad shades and intensities after the cold winter months, and their own mini portraits of strength and grace.

Dandelions suggest healing and optimism, the continuation of life itself. Who hasn’t picked a dandelion that has gone to seed, made a wish, and scattered the wisps with our own breath? Today, perhaps more than ever or perhaps the same as ever, we are in need of and sustained by hope. In this season when we might employ the tool of decision making, perhaps the words of Nelson Mandela might be helpful: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

Here’s to the humble dandelion. And you.

And to the continuation of life itself.

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.”

SNACKS* IN 2021

May 2021

Snacking is good. Well, let me qualify this at the start – I am NOT talking about food.  (Yes, I confess, I jumped on the eat-something-small-every-four-hour bandwagon years ago when grazing was first promoted – about the same time carbs for athletes was being touted. My how things change!  I have definitely jumped off that wagon! So much new science – IF and Timed Eating ….) However, there is another way to embrace snacking and I do so.

The concept of snacking overrules ambitious grand schemes for study, practice, health … and the list goes on and on. I first heard this term used a few months ago referencing adding a walking program to a sedentary person’s life. Presumably sparked by a noble New Years resolution, a couch potato sought advice on how to jump into a schedule. Rather than suggest an idealistic goal of 30, 45, 60 or more minutes a day (in one exercise session) or an unattainable mileage goal, the response was to make snacking a habit. To embrace the habit would be more valuable than scoring high numbers of minutes, steps or miles. In other words, snack on your new habit and walk whenever possible – maybe just 2 minutes to go up the steps, or 5 minutes to the mailbox, or 7-10 minutes around the house, or …. You get the idea. BUT indulge on these snacks frequently. Maybe every hour. Add them up at the end of the day and perhaps the achievement would be as much as or more than the initial but daunting goal of a huge block. The key, of course, is to DO it, to make it a habit that will be repeated daily.

Personal Fav = Peloton:)

(of course, this is not a new concept but perhaps bears repeating or reframing – and of course your Fitbit or Apple Watch or whatever app you might love will do the same thing – just reframing)

Recently I have been enjoying an eclectic selection of podcasts. My current favorites are from Functional Medicine doctors Mark Hyman and Rangan Chatterjee. I know, I’ve mentioned them before, but their interviews are so very thought-provoking. I especially love that Dr. Chatterjee (has an awesome accent but …) concludes his lengthier interviews by asking his expert to sum up with just 4 or 5 actionable tips for the listener to walk away with. Snacks, I think.

a close up is a snack!

Today I was listening to Arianna Huffington talk about “micro habits,” bits and pieces of actionable practices in keeping with the concept of snacks. Perhaps it is the inclusion of  5 minutes of gratitude, or 10 minutes of stillness, or 2 full minutes of breath observation, or reaching out to help one person, or pausing to acknowledge one thing each did well this day.

There are huge obstacles to overcome in each individual’s life. Or perhaps it is more likely that there are huge obstacles to work with and be shaped by, learn from, and move on. After all, Augusten Burroughs says something along the lines of: “I, myself, am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”  (how much do you love that?!)

It is also said that pain is the agent of change. Without disturbance, one might become captive to a shrinking comfort zone. And to borrow from another of Chatterjee’s guests, is one a performer on life’s stage or does one live one’s own unique, exquisitely individual and complex life?

You see, podcasts, essays, blog posts, conversations, and even fortune cookies might offer a sentence or two to take away and chew on as a snack.

Note: an endurance athlete might need a 7-course dinner, not a snack. Snacking is for habit building, for waking up that which might be dormant or for maintaining the forward moving inertia that one has worked hard to put in motion. Snacking fits into the spaces created by life when life gets real and necessary and very demanding. Doing nothing is not an option. Physical activity, mental stimulation, and yes, even pockets of silliness are snacks that sustain and nourish us.

For example: Do not send the kids outside to play – go out with them – at least for a snack. Do not put the dog in the yard and clean up later; take the dog for a walk even if it is frustrating to accommodate the dog’s busy nose as spring scents entice. Stuck on Zoom? Stand up, stretch, pick your knees up, kick your butt, do those infamous six positions of the spine, then see if your stretching snack gave you a pick up. Stress steam-rollering you? Close your mental door and slip behind your eyelids for a moment of stillness, your own personal pause in a world where chaos reigns if you allow it. Brows furrowed? Take a minute or three to thumb through your adolescent kid’s favorite lame joke book. You will laugh, I guarantee it. (If not, you need more than a snack!)

In my teaching and coaching I often encourage students and clients to try to do less but do it more efficiently and achieve the same or greater results. Years ago, before I learned what I know now, I would quip: turn your tension into energy. Yes, well, why not? Stress, striving, pushing, forcing, tend to shut down the flow of energy within and without the body causing pain instead of power. Allow the energy to flow freely and in concert with your inner and outer strength and you will find that which you could only imagine, redefining limitless goals.

Balance, of course, is key. All snacks won’t work forever but will always have a place in one’s daily habits. Constantly shuffling the deck of fitness and wellness components helps sustain equilibrium. Exercise, healthy nutrition, hydration, and sleep are vital. Exercise itself has many pieces: aerobic, strength, power, quickness and mobility/stability training. Nutrition is as varied as the consumer and needs to be studied and tested carefully avoiding extremes. Meditation, Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Qi Gong, and, of course, Peloton, offer plentiful snacks or main courses.

So, what does one ever wait for? You can do this. You can creatively space snacks throughout your day and teach your body, mind and spirit to live life more fully. Expect this of yourself and your expectations will be fulfilled. Engage others in your habits.

SNACKS TO SHARE

PAUSE or PAWS

  • First thing in the morning, take a few minutes to look outside. Even better, take an early morning walk. (if you have a dog, this is a no-brainer)
  • Clear head space before bed and when first awakening as a non-digital time zone. In other words, don’t take your phone to bed with you and when you open your eyes in the morning avoid reaching for it. Deliberately wait to do so until after your first cup of coffee?
  • Adopt the habit to PAUSE. Stop the rush, halt the wave of anxiety in its tracks, seal your lips before saying the four-letter-word busy, or look at your plate of food before diving in.

    PAUSE or PAWS

    PAUSE. Maybe for a moment of gratitude. Maybe for a breath. Maybe just to reorganize your intention for the next step.

    OK, don’t remember where I got these but I wrote them down to share with you:

  • Replace anxiety with curiosity.
  • Gratitude is the antidote to ruminating.
  • Rather than gulping (breath, water, etc) try sipping.
  • And this may be my favorite – before entering your next Zoom meeting, check your face to replace your frown with a smile!
  • And finally, note what others may have done for us. Perhaps a friend has offered time to simply listen or has reached out with a text message just to say hello. Stop to recognize this gift and then pay it forward.

Snacks, little manageable bits, are seeds that, once planted in fertile acceptance, provide unimaginable opportunities for organic growth. And don’t forget to share your snacks!

 

*Disclaimer. True confession – no, I did not know that teenagers use the word snack to refer to someone they might find attractive – usually sexy. I do not have a teenager in my house. Yet.

APRIL IS A PERFECT MONTH

Move forward with optimism, positivity and energy but be alert for tricks and trip-ups along the way. Am I talking about life? About trail running? About business? About spirituality?

Actually, what prompts this post is an offhand comment I made this morning when I said “April is a perfect month.” Then, as so often happens, I wonder why I said that and have been thinking about it all day. So, here I am at my computer and asking you for your thoughts as well.

Look. Any month that begins with April Fool’s Day can’t be burdensome or serous. One source describes the month as capricious. I like that word, don’t you? Sounds like a bit of fun.

I don’t know about you, but I think one of the best parts of anything wonderful is the anticipation. When we were kids, we would approach a birthday with such high anticipation and then crumble on the other side when it became history. Looking forward to a celebration, outing, trip (we’ll get there again; be patient) or athletic pursuit is often more exciting and perhaps even more profound than the event itself and perhaps that which underpins what ultimately become memories.

“April showers bring May flowers.” Yes, well, perhaps not in New England, but we do seem to be able to garden earlier each year. It seems that the word April comes from a Latin word that means to open. That makes sense. And then there’s the thought that the month is named after the goddess Aphrodite. Diamonds and daisies, blue skies and yellow daffodils, longer days and maybe shorts. Even Shakespeare adds to the clout of April when he says: “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” (Sonnet XCVIII) What’s not to love?

And another thing – some note that April is about moving forward. We are leaving cold and mud behind and heading into what, for some of us, is our favorite season. Again, anticipation is to be valued. Each year, to my utter surprise, I realize (sometime in July) that the Summer Solstice has come and gone and that the days are, indeed, getting shorter. Here I am, mid-summer, expecting the daylight to go on and on. But now, here in April, we can look forward to the lengthening of each day for another 2+ months. What a gift!

We do not wait; we move and we move forward. We spring clean, we detox, and we even take another look at our diet/budget twins. We pack away our winter clothes, comforters and skis as we happily unpack lighter wear, bicycles and running shoes.

If we pause, and take a really good look at what we see and how we feel, we may note that we see the opening up – not just of our community following long months of pandemic restrictions – but the opening up of our expectations, hopes and plans. We open our windows and we open our hearts. We inhale fresh air and exhale doubt; inhale boldness and exhale timidity; inhale possibilities and exhale fear; inhale generosity and exhale parsimony.

April is, after all, a month of contradictions that entice us forward with a spring in our steps and hold us back with an unexpected snowfall. April is about the beginning of the kind of inertia that consistently moves onward, not the stodgy old stagnant inertia deeply sloppy mud season.

As soon as the ice melts, jump in!

And though April keeps us guessing, it also encourages the pursuit of equilibrium. We are reminded that things don’t just happen, but that we must seek them. We must seek our own balance, generate our own energy and invite the Yin in our lives to integrate, not compete, with the Yang.

So yes, I think April is a perfect month. It is a month of excitement, renewal and delicate beauty.

If, however, you want more, just be sure to find your own way to celebrate the full Pink Moon on the 26th. Based on previous moons, this one is special, one of only two supermoons of 2021. Look forward, make a plan, execute your plan, and step out in full awareness of what this month has to offer. It is, indeed, perfect.

WORD FOR THE YEAR, 2021

 

New Year’s Resolutions are out. What is in? Because, in the current environment, there is much emphasis on simplicity. perhaps a single word might be foundational to one’s aspirations for the new year.

If 2020 will go down in history as the year of Covid, or the year of insane U.S. politics, or the year of isolation, how will 2021 land? Can we influence the coming year? We have learned to honor connection and self-care. Could we choose to consider 2020 as a gap year, a sabbatical, or as my (current) favorite writer would suggest, a threshold? Join me, if you will, in consideration of a single, motivating, sustaining word to anchor our thoughts and actions throughout the year ahead.

Of course, there are huge words of enormous significance such as HEALING and WHOLENESS. There are the usual FITNESS and DIET words. There are the inevitable words dealing with AGING and lack, translated into LONGEVITY and ABUNDANCE. I have long chosen words such as BOLDNESS or COURAGE or AUDACITY or something that would push me out of my hesitation to do anything uncomfortable. There is comfort in strong words such as STABILITY, MOBILITY (some of my favorite Yoga terms), EFFICIENCY and EFFECTIVENESS. There are the words I use when I teach Yin Yoga – INTENTION and ATTENTION. YIN and YANG are complete.

This year I’m looking elsewhere. Of course, a primary aspiration would be STRENGTH – physical, mental and emotional. other candidates might include ENERGY, CURIOSITY, EXPLORATION, ADAPTATION, RENEWAL, BALANCE.  These are self-explanatory.

I identify as a teacher which means that I also identify as a student. Could 2021 be remarkable as an exercise in STUDY? Recently I completed a course in CONTENT management and realized that significant content, whether in writing, on my website, or in my daily life, is, well, significant. A new word has thus been added to my vocabulary.

CLARITY

CLARITY relates well to organization and problem solving, both of which seem to elude me during these months of Covid! And, I have long promoted the concept of PLAY as valid and, in fact, necessary, in each individual life.

PLAYFULNESS AND SIMPLICITY

I received a Christmas gift of beautifully crafted Mala beads of Dalmatian stone or Jasper. The attached note suggested that these beads encourage and support SIMPLICITY and PLAYFULNESS.

How to choose? On a very personal level, I prefer the concept of EXPERIENCING to that of aging. Furthermore, one of my kids and I have spent many hours discussing our HOPES and DREAMS. Even now.

DANCING WARRIOR

My granddaughter offered to share her word for 2021, WARRIOR.  I am tempted. I love the concept of ENGAGED or EXPERIENCED, the “fight the good fight” notion. And, of course, I love Yoga’s Warrior poses (yes, even Warrior 3 with which I struggle). Any of the many Dancing Warrior flow sequences appeal to me and I love the feeling of strength, coupled with openness in Warrior 2. But … war? No, I just can’t go there. I don’t want to fight. I’d rather go with the FLOW.

FLOW

I do like this one.  FLOW. I imagine the mountain brook flowing downhill bouncing over and around obstacles yet continuing. I imagine the unobstructed flow of air and the rhythmic movement of pedal strokes, running strides or ski glides. There’s a sense of letting go, challenging resistance creatively, and progressing with strength and freedom.  I see flow as active not passive, yet not determined to the point of self-defeat.  “Do your best and then relax. Let things go on in a natural way, rather than force them.” Paramahansa Yogananda.

But I have it. No, it’s not a very creative or original word, but it is right. Just this morning a quotation arrived in my inbox that ended my quest and provided a solution to my word for the new year. It is a curiously timely quote of Emily Dickinson who, though she lived in the 19th century in the nearby state of Massachusetts, is also considered the “American poetic voice,” (along with Walt Whitman). So here goes: “I dwell in possibility.” Good grief, how simple is that? But that’s it! So, my word for 2021 is POSSIBILITY. What is yours?

And my current favorite writer? I share a part of his Beannacht – A New Year Blessing:

“…May a flock of colours,

Indigo, red, green

And azure blue,

Come to awaken in you

A meadow of delight…

May there come across the waters

A path of yellow moonlight

To bring you safely home…

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,

May the clarity of light be yours,

May the fluency of the ocean be yours,

May the protection of the ancestors be yours…

And so may a slow

Wind work these words

Of love around you,

An invisible cloak

To mind your life.”

                                                                         John O’Donohue

Full Moon Hike, Bolton, Tara Dugan

C’s in a time of Covid – find personal Companions to Carry you through the holidays and into 2020.

Please, set aside a few minutes to Contemplate a list of words beginning with the letter C that might beg a little probing, might hint at hidden meanings or even shout out encouragement. It’s a fun game I played while walking in the woods. As Sophie, my Chocolate lab, lost her head following scents of who knows what, I marveled at the winter woods, branches stripped of leaves, but well-dressed by sticky snow; mud and ruts and decay made Clean by a blanket of white. And silence. And time to think with unhurried precision.

The words Continuity and Consistency have been popping up all over the place in the fitness Community. If ever there might be a time to put our heads down and get the job done, it’s now, in this December of Decembers in this year of years. Is anyone urging drama, maximum performance or blinding exhaustion? Not really.

Clause

The voices I hear are Counseling us all to just keep going, to Continue self-Care no matter what Challenges arise. Rather than shouts, I hear whispers of Compassion, Confidence, Curiosity, Creativity, and yes, Celebration.

Get the idea? Your list could look quite different from mine: Cardio, Carbs, Competition, Change, Charge, Complete, Can-do. Hey – whatever works for you, well, works.

Sometimes all we need is a little something. Perhaps Pooh’s little something of honey is more relevant today than when Conceived. Perhaps that quick text, random email, or dedicated phone Call become large somethings as we each work to perpetuate our Connections. And isn’t that the VERY large something that we have learned over the past ten months of dealing with Covid? Haven’t we learned that we can live without much more than we had thought, but that we Cannot survive without Connection?

I have a favorite C word. I once read that each of us, at some point in our lives, needs to feel Cherished. Oh, such sweetness.

Back to the business at hand, I Challenge you to make a little list of C words and then glean from them maybe four or five words that you can put into practice, words that you can Chew on, savor and roll off your tongue then hear in new and different ways. Maybe you like to write them down and doodle around them. Perhaps you like to record them or simply slip them into your mental back pocket to pull out at another time. In any event, as you and I walk into this December holiday season (distanced and masked, of Course!) with a new year oh so Closely following, may we do so with Courage, Caring and Commitment.

A Note on Music

P.S. A personal note on music. I want to share a little thought with you that blew into my brain while reading this morning. The time we are in is typically filled with music – music of all kinds from contemporary (forget the c’s) to sacred, from carols to classics (oh those c’s just keep coming) and from solos to choirs and choruses (ok, I quit). I have always had an aversion to “elevator music” or music that simply drones on in the background. I believe there should be either silence or listening. “Great music is not a matter of great ideas or intricate melodies. It is not about difficult phrasing or complex harmonies. Truly great music brings to expression the states of the soul.” (The Invisible Embrace, Beauty, Rediscovering the True Sources of Compassion, Serenity, and Hope by John O’Donohue. See why I’m reading this now?)  

It was interesting to realize that more than hearing music, I experience it. Great music awakens the dormant dancer in me. Great music drove the Spinning classes I taught and joined us in solidarity in our pursuits. Great music makes my heart beat. Great music leaves me with a flow of notes that, for lack of a better word, become a tune, a memorable melody that will replay in my imagination for hours if not days. I like silence. I do not like to strength train or teach/practice Yoga with music humming in the background. I want music front and center. I want music inside. And if you feel the same, may that music inside you awaken your personal dancer and may you dance – yes, well, “as if no one is watching!”

One last thing – 12/29 – usher out this 2020 by pausing for the Full Moon, surely a promise of better moments ahead. Thanks to my friend Steve Sampson for this gorgeous pic.