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LEAN IN

Lean in. Brianna Wiest, in her book The Mountain Is You, counsels: “Embracing the grit of it all was what you were made for. Lean in and start living.” What does it mean to Lean in? What does it mean to you to do so?

To say we live in turbulent times understates the obvious. Reducing global experience to the minutia of our own daily lives, we may still live in turbulent times, facing challenges of health, budget, climate, safety, or more. To dismiss political tensions and tragedies is disrespectful; to ignore them is irresponsible. To begin with ourselves is a step that needs to be taken.

I first learned of antifragility when I was studying to become a Yin Yoga teacher. In his teachings, Bernie Clark, Yin Yoga master, teaches that physical and mental stress makes us grow stronger. Over years of teaching and practicing Yin Yoga, I can agree. Lately there has been some press on the term, antifragility. For example, Weist suggests that dealing with adversity makes the mind stronger and more creative. [I might note that overwhelming stress is not what we’re talking about here. Clark, for example, always recommends moderate stress to the dense connective tissue and joints when practicing and I doubt that any other professional would recommend getting lost in the quagmire of chaos.]

In 2013 Sheryl Sandberg published a book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead that encouraged women to lean into their lives and take more control of what lies ahead. So, the concept is not totally new.

In the world of endurance sports, names like David Goggins, Eliud Kipchoge, Camille Herron and Courtney Dauwalter conjur images of humans meeting larger than life adversity. Some face the work with grit and sheer will power while some, like Herron and Dauwalter, are know for their cheerfulness as they enter the often hours-long “pain cave” of their ultra endurance race. They know it’s coming. It always does. So, rather than try to avoid it, these runners lean in until they are through.

While few of us are out there facing extreme challenges, we may note that there are some little challenges in our everyday lives that make us want to balk, but do need to be faced. Each time we wash the dishes, shovel the walk, take the car to be serviced, clean up after a pet, do our exercise, etc etc – each time we are practicing leaning in.

Just this morning, the following arrived in my inbox: “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin. In a very small moment of practice, I used this powerful statement for something simple – walking my dogs. Trivial, I know. But it was cold, dark, and, though I am grateful for it, my environment is deep in snow. I geared up, leashed my silly girl, grabbed my hiking poles and out we went. My chocolate Lab, the one off leash, is like a snowplow and forged ahead breaking trail for my less adventurous yellow Lab. Realizing the yellow would not get very far, I unleased her and our adventure became magical. The girls romped and raced along the trail that the chocolate had created and I followed, enjoying the deep woods quiet as the sun rose and eventually filtered through the trees. We all three literally and figuratively leaned into our adventure and returned home much the richer for it.

While we may not be able to reframe all challenges into something manageable or positive or even sunny, we can put one foot in front of the other as we step into the process of meeting what we can. To lean in may not be sexy or exciting or dramatic but it may be methodical and ultimately effective. At the very least, we might get the job – whatever it is – done. We may arrive at our destination.

Motivational quotes have become an industry. I will not share one here but instead suggest that to move into a challenge rather than shrinking from it is an act of emotional intelligence. It is a practice of looking squarely at the obstacle, determining what is possible, and, even if uncomfortable, doing it. Life is messy. When the winds blow, let us lean in.

Revisiting a New Year

A “NEW” YEAR

Submitted by Linda Freeman for 12/29/201

“Active Vermont” [Rutland Herald and Times Argus]

At midnight on December 31^st the year 2014 will begin. How do you feel about that? Do you remember this time fourteen years ago when we were about to enter the year 2000 amid predictions of massive universal computer failure, terrorist threats in the red zone and all kinds of foretold evidence of doom and destruction? Guess what. . .

And then there are the interminable, gag-me New Year’s Resolutions that are abandoned before memory can preserve them. All too often, rather than resolve to make worthwhile changes in our personal lives, what we really do is set ourselves up for failure, deepening the pit into which we may have fallen through bad habits or inappropriate lifestyle choices. Ugh.

What do you do to celebrate the New Year? I can remember my dad donning a tuxedo and my mother zipping up her favorite floor-length gown to go dancing on the eve of the 31^st. Once they took all of us kids along. It was my father who taught me how to follow my partner’s lead and my mother who taught my brothers how to hold the door or seat her at the dining table. (Of course, being boys, they pretended to dump her on the floor, but they did get the message and subsequently polished off a few good manners when the occasion warranted.)

There was a formal sit-down dinner and a live orchestra that played until the famous countdown when everyone blew whistles, wore silly hats and left to drive home. (Sobriety? At that point I didn’t know enough to check.)

Later when my children and I moved to Vermont we celebrated big time but in pjs, watching old movies, abandoning dinner for a mound of glorious Vermont made snack foods and then dashing to the barn to wish our horses and ponies a happy new year of soundness and good horse show results.

Though friends of ours told of traveling to Woodstock to dine, dance and spend the evening at the Inn, it seemed that more of our friends were choosing to celebrate quietly at home reducing the risks associated with being on the road on a party night.

Some of us will look back on 2013, sorry to see it end. Others are already anticipating turning over a new leaf and moving into a new year.

As I write this, the word that pops out to me is “new.” Is January 1^st really any different from December 31^st? Do we feel older the day after our birthday? Probably not, but we did recognize the newness of the first day of school, didn’t we? Perhaps January 1^st is similar. We turn to a new calendar page, begin a new session, and may even begin to think about the end of one tax year and the beginning of another.

By the time we get to New Year’s Day, we need a change. The preceding season has been hectic and our personal life is like a computer on overload. When the system is jammed we shut everything down and then restart. Could that be a better way to consider the transition into 2014 than a list of daunting resolutions?

When a client tells me he or she wants to become a new person, I discourage that concept and instead coax into definition parts of that person that are positive and worth developing. Over time we find that each has inner strength, inner qualities that make that person who he or she is. They don’t really want to chuck them all and begin again.

It’s classic that many folks want to “lose weight” and vow to begin on January 1^st. To think that overnight one can turn from habits that have caused packing unhealthy and unnecessary body fat, is an exercise in sabotage. Can we begin the process? Of course. The more we learn and choose to eat and exercise healthfully, the better our chances of continuing a journey that may be long and sometimes slow, chiseling away extra stuff (body fat, stress, unattractive habits) that will chip away to reveal the real you or me underneath, the hidden athlete within, the optimism and enthusiasm that may have been buried for a long time, and the spontaneous laughter that can transform a discouraging day into one with possibilities.

In the long run, “new” is not what happens. Instead of “ring out the old” how about bring out the old, taking a second look at opportunities in the light of inevitable change.

If we are athletes, we may have already run our fastest race, but perhaps it is time to run our longest. If we cannot run, we can ride. If we cannot afford lift tickets, we can ski back country.

If overwhelmed raising small children or developing a professional career, perhaps now we can carve out daily time for deliberate physical activity. We might be able to step back for a few years, but at some point we need to prioritize our own well-being. It’s a no-brainer that if we want to be there for others, we need to be healthy, strong, and fit with enough energy to support and sustain.

Take this notion and go with it. Gather up all the frenzy and stress that drive your days and shut down your internal computer. Then push the restart button. When you open to a blank screen, what will you type in? Some things are up to us. Certainly circumstance, health, economy and relationships play starring roles, but where does one cross the line into excuse?

Connect with friends, explore the vast outdoor experience that the state of Vermont offers, commit to ourselves. There’s nothing new about any of this. It’s all here and now waiting to be utilized. Maybe giving ourselves permission to actively move into 2014 is what is new. The old is who we are already, undiscovered possibilities. Happy New Year.

I APPRECIATE YOU

I appreciate you.

I appreciate that you are reading this post.

I appreciate that you are taking time from what is most likely a busy day to pause and read a message from me.

And now I ask you to pause again, and think about this. If I say to you, “I appreciate you,” how does that land? Does it make you think I’ve gone beyond muttering thanks and truly mean that you – not just your deeds – are important to me? Or do you find it annoying?

All one needs to do is hop on the infamous Reddit site and one will find a plethora of pros, cons, opinions and purported facts about the recent trend to use this phrase. Perhaps beginning in the southern United States and slowly migrating north, maybe around the time of Covid, increasing in popularity in younger communities, the words “I appreciate you” can now be heard coming from the lips of just about anyone, any age.

As I write this post, here in New England we have stepped out of Thanksgiving weekend straight into a snow storm and the month of December. As I work with clients, encouraging each to continue to work to build the habits of strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, balance and play, I also encourage taking time each day for a few moments of stillness.

Last night in my Yin Yoga class, I suggested that during this season of the year, the most Yin time of the year, we are to give ourselves permission to slow down. We have permission (not that we need it!) to pause to simply think. Perhaps that is why I decided to write this post.

This morning I was on a leisurely walk with my two beloved Labs and as I watched them play in the snow, and then nearly stand on their heads, noses buried deep down into who knows what, I went down the proverbial rabbit hole of thinking about the phrase “I appreciate you.” And so it is that even on a mundane walk, one can think deeply.

I remembered that seated at the Thanksgiving table, I looked around and thought “I appreciate you.” Why didn’t I say it out loud? Is the phrase new enough to me that I need to try it out a few times first? I do think there is a certain personal sincerity to it, so the phrase should be used selectively. One day this past summer a contractor was speaking with me and paused, then quietly said “I appreciate you.” To me it was a gift. The other day it happened. I had the perfect opportunity to use this phrase. The exhausted Postmaster at our tiny local Post Office – always seriously overworked – was doing his best to serve many of us. I was the last in line and when he handed over my packages I thoughtfully said, “I appreciate you.” The smile that lit his face reinforced my growing fondness for these few words, judiciously uttered. A pause, eye contact, maybe a soft smile, and some nice words – what does this cost us? Nada.

So perhaps, if we use this phrase carefully, check to be sure of our intention, and then gift another from the heart – perhaps this simple phrase could be the beginning of something sorely needed in the current culture of discourtesy. So much is out of our control. But we do have total control over the words we speak. As Epictetus said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” I would add, then when we do speak, may we do so wisely.

I appreciate you.

AUTUMN RESET

An Autumn Reset dovetails nicely with the academic calendar. Not that long ago, the school year began in September. For weeks before the first day, most of us indulged in new notebooks, pens, backpacks and that oh so important outfit we would wear on our first day back. Though so much is now digital, there is similar excitement to beginning a new year.

I suggest that the beginning of an academic year is more significant than the beginning of a New Year. There may be similar hopes and dreams, goals and aspirations, but traditionally one’s New Year’s Resolutions disintegrate before the month is done. That which we define at the start of a new school year – in school or in our personal lives – has a better chance of realization. Whether first grade, senior year of high school, or somewhere along the journey of college or post graduate learning, there is a structure of study upon which to pin one’s efforts.

What about those who are no longer in an academic setting or endeavor? What is it about the fall months that stir in us so many of those “re-“ concepts such as reorganize, refresh, restart, replenish and, my word for today, RESET?

So often, in spite of ourselves, we find ourselves on a parallel course with the seasons of the year. (Mind you, I write as one who lives in Vermont where we experience at least four – though most suggest more – annual seasonal changes.) If you are familiar with the Five Element Theory, you know that we are now firmly functioning in the midst of the Metal Element’s season, a time of refining, stripping away what is no longer useful, and preparing for the winter ahead. As the leaves fall, colorful as they may or may not be, what is left is the tree which is, after all, the roots, trunk and branches while the leaves are only the costume.

Similarly, perhaps in the autumn we might feel impelled to pause, take a good look at ourselves, our values, and our daily lives to see if we are defining who we truly are or aspire to be.

I am a huge fan of a deliberate Autumn Reset. While one idea of a reset is to put things back in order or to go back to what was, another idea is to do so, but differently. As always, so much is personal. Personal wisdom. Have you slipped from the path you want to follow or do you think you might want to wander off on another? Is what you have been striving for no longer accessible or even desired? Where does it say we cannot change our minds or implement new ideas?

A reset, I believe, takes a lot of honest energy, effort, creativity and integrity. Furthermore, a reset cannot be done on the fly. In the midst of the hurricane of one’s daily, personal and professional life, it is beyond challenging to do a valid reset. In a perfect world, we could each take some very private time – hours, days, whatever is available, to think things through, assess, and, well, reset. And, I suggest, that reset needs to be clearly identified and stated if only to our own hearts.

Look closely to see the full Supermoon rising

A few weeks ago, someone dear to me provided a reset opportunity and then joined me for the adventure. Off season, in a lovely, private area of just a few generationally owned old houses, we, and our dogs, indulged in an empty beach farther up the coast from the rugged, rocks we had previously enjoyed. By the best of coincidences, we watched the full Supermoon of October rise one evening followed by an exquisite sunrise the next morning. We walked and talked. The dogs swam and played in the sand. We explored unknown areas and took time to literally and figuratively frame and focus moon, sun, ocean, islands, unusual sights, spectacular light, grasses – all imbued with the joy of spending time together and knowing that life doesn’t often bless us this way.

My third and final full day of my gifted retreat, alone with my girls, was the fruit of the reset. In spite of a slow rain, we could barely stay indoors as I wanted to (pardon the pun) soak up all that made our experience rich. I wrote and wrote, made notes, outlined plans, created classes and training programs, reframed and reset personal goals and goals that I hope to bring to my clients and students. The ideas flowed along with energy in which to make these ideas realities.

I learned that along with new and different objectives comes hope, excitement, energy and a glimpse of clarity. I wish this for you, my friends. I wish for you the time to gift yourself the opportunity for reflection and then, yes, a reset. Perhaps you are satisfied with your road as well as your means of travel, and if so, bravo. Perhaps your personal reset is simply a boost to what you are already doing and where you are along the way. Self-acknowledgement and self-support. Perhaps there has been some upheaval in your life and you are still staggered by it. This could be time for you to right your own personal ship. Whatever your situation, to become aware of the unique energy of the season and allow it to carry you along, to sustain you and to provide the impulse to do what needs to be done is what is important in this moment.

To pause for a moment at the beginning of each day, to hesitate before leaping into the next thing on your to-do list, to take a deliberately mindful breath, to step outside for a grounding walk, to push that reset button – it is what I wish for you.

I close with one of my favorite quotations: “Take your good fortune and lift your life to its highest calling. Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.” Oprah Winfrey

THE MONTH OF AUGUST

As we near the end of August, let’s pause.

We in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate this month as somewhat a closure to summer. Perhaps summer provided opportunity to vacation, kick back, play in sunshine or float on water. Perhaps summer was a time of family get togethers, gardening, outdoor adventure or time spent in a hammock with a book. August represents different things to different people, of course, but August aligns with the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine in that it is a time of harvest and fruition. The Element Earth corresponds to this time of year – a time of transition from one season to the next as well as personal grounding and nurturing. The Earth Element is known to be the center of all the Elements and thus the center of our entire year of life experience.

August has long been enigmatic for me. I wait all year for summer to arrive and dread the onset of autumn. When I was a child, August meant getting ready for school. As a mom, August meant losing all that special time with my children as the school year seemed to begin earlier and earlier each year.

But there is another side to this month. All that has gone before it in nature, is thriving and we, as consumers, are reaping the rewards. Though the daylight hours are shortening, the nights are comfortably cooler. Yes, there is new energy to adhere to academic calendars, and for some, sending kids to college has begun, but summer lingers.

Many years ago I was introduced to the European practice of taking the entire month of August as vacation – shops and businesses closed, homes left in quiet as residents flocked to summer cottages. This came about for me when I learned of the ballet by Frederick Ashton, (1976) based on the play by Ivan Turgenev. It is a gorgeous 40 minute or so piece of choreography set to music by Chopin. (If you’d like a glimpse, take a few minutes to watch this video of 2 of my favorite dancers from the Royal Ballet. It will be time well spent! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARbeUw6a3sg)

But, how are YOU? Did your summer evolve as you had wished? We have certainly had our share of ups and downs, haven’t we? Here on the East Coast, dry conditions have proven to be a fire risk. I learned this first hand.

August, often a winding down, was a climax month for me. Ongoing construction on my home continues and though the experience is excellent, it is definitely impactful! Furthermore, I had the uniquely amazing opportunity to travel with my brother. We drove across Maine to the Canadian border, crossed the Bay of Funny by ferry, traveled up the Western Coastline of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and spent a glorious 4 days at Cape Breton. We, of course, enjoyed every inch of driving the famous Cabot Trail over to the Atlantic and back, but it was a rather stunning disappointment to find ALL trails everywhere closed! Since the violation could be a demand of as much as $25,000, I gave that up.

My wish for each of you is that you find ways to enjoy the remaining moments of summer before plunging into a more demanding fall schedule. Of course, many embrace autumn as the ideal season of the year. So be it. In the meantime, I will treasure the warmth of each day keeping one foot grounded and the other preparing to take that next step.

ALIGN AND ALLOW – SPRING

May 2025

Spring invites, teases, promises and, in spite of ourselves, stirs our souls. Perhaps Spring, more than January 1^st 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, 20^th 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!

The Energy of June

The Energy of June is light and bright and full of promise. Daylight hours reach completion, personal energy and enthusiasm run high, and a celebratory sense is almost palpable. To those of us who never quite abandon the academic calendar, we intuitively respond to the notion that graduations/end of school year and summer vacations greet us fresh every morning. And, speaking of mornings, we might be fortunate enough to wake up to birdsong, catch the morning dew on the grass, and note little shoots and buds appearing in our gardens, and wonder at those that have come to rich, full bloom!

Mind you, I am writing from Vermont where we are a bit slower to arrive at the threshold of summer, but perhaps our delicate spring season makes the wait more worthwhile. Though many here flourish in snow, others relish the gorgeous days at the other side of the year’s life cycle.

Professionally I may be a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor, but I truly live my work. Concepts of strength, endurance, stability, mobility and balance infuse my daily hours and make my life one of abundance. I enjoy robust health and, as I was recently told, Qi! Perhaps it is a gift of experience, but I am also learning to trust my judgment a little more and to honor quieter moments integrating life’s action. Meditation, generously defined, seeps into many minutes as a reminder to focus on breath managing previously stressful pinches. Above all, my personal hunger to learn and experience life’s richness, enables me to share and even teach. In fact, I am mandated to do so.

That being said, I circle back to the academic concept of a year and to the many meanings of teacher/student. I encourage each of us to pause to consider that we, in our own individual ways, are always students. As research demonstrates, the best way to learn is to turn around and teach what we are learning to another. Therefore I suggest that we are all teachers and that teachers are always students. (talk about circling!)

June is a gorgeous month in which to ponder this. So much happens, so much promises, so much celebrates and all with such clarity. Borrowing from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and the Five Element theory, June is that perfect juxtaposition of Wood and Fire. Transitioning from the Wood Element’s spring season – one in which birth, growth and creativity thrive – into the Fire Element’s summer season – one in which the flames of Yang energy roar – this hiatus is one of clarity before the possible mugginess of summer’s heat settles.

June. With pearls as birthstones and roses as the June flower, what’s not to love? Long ago someone somewhere (probably ancient Italy?) suggested that June signify Juno, an important and powerful deity (counterpart to Greek Hera), and queen of a bunch of gods, goddess, etc. Not surprisingly, Latin could be the root with lunius associated with this month. And as so often happens with etymology, lunius segues to Juno.

June is considered gender neutral and borrows youth and playfulness from the French ‘jeune.’ Though I have only known females named June, I learned that there are men named June as well. (I wonder if the guys are as sunny as the gals I know.) If you are looking for a name for your pet, June is highly recommended! All joking aside, some of the characteristics of the recommendation for doing so point to the energy and quality of this month. For example, one site suggests: “June is a name that exudes warmth and energy. It brings to mind the summer months, which are often associated with fun and adventure.” Playfulness, a strong sense of loyalty, a mysterious side – all pieces of the puzzle that make up June.

Venturing into the animal kingdom, (are bugs animals?), there’s the junebug. You’ve probably heard this: “all over it like a duck on a junebug,” which refers to doing something with great eagerness. In my area, babies are showing up everywhere. So far we’ve only encountered six adult bears, but one was a mamma with triplets. Uncomfortable but exciting. And, after a brief territorial dispute of five geese, two won out the rights to the pond I see from my large windows and ultimately five little ones joined the community. June is a month of proliferation.

May you celebrate June 21, 2024, the day of the Summer Solstice. Though we may not gather at Stonehenge the evening before to watch the sunrise on the longest day of the year, we might at least pause to acknowledge this gift and open it with anticipation. Indeed, June is a time to live life, not just check the boxes and get the jobs done. I leave you with this:

“Help me to be less fearful of the measure of time, and more fully alive in the time that simply is. Help me to live time, not just to simply use it; to breathe it in, and return it in acts of love and presence.” (Avis Crowe)

On Supermoons, Growth and a Reset

No, I have nothing profound to say and certainly nothing that can pass as original thinking. But I have been thinking. A lot. Especially as I walk through the woods with scattered attention looking ahead and in the trees (yes in the trees) for a bear sighting (as that’s where they go when they hear my Sophie) and trying not to trip on the tennis ball that my Lizzie continually drops just as I am about to step.

Recently I have been somewhat grounded – the flood, car trouble and this weekend a fun time dogsitting my grandpup (3 Labs!) – so I have had more time to spend doing what, something? nothing? thinking in spirals or rhymes? meandering mentally and on foot? TBH it’s been nice.

Which brings me to a reset. What follows are a few notes I have gathered to support my claim.

Supermoons. For those of us who cannot help but love a full moon, August is OUR month! How can it not be? There will be TWO full moons and both will be SUPERMOONS. The first is the Sturgeon Moon because, well, the sturgeons (according to Native American lore) are particularly active and happy at this time of year. The second will be a Blue Moon as it is to be the second full moon in the same month. Now, all we need is to be able to see them (please, no rain and no gifted smoke from our northern neighbors).

What is a supermoon? I share this from https://www.space.com/38940-supermoon-facts.html# “Because of its closeness, a supermoon can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter compared to a full moon….” And this pic they share of a supermoon rising over Vancouver. Wow, eh?! (as Canadians would say)

From other sources I have learned that pausing to spend some time with a rising full moon can be a lovely practice. As some of you have heard before, my brother and I have a long-standing connection as we step outdoors to give each other a shout out at each and every full moon. This for many decades! Furthermore, I have also learned that, for those who are in touch with even a tiny bit of astrology, it is significant in which sign a full moon rises. On the night of August 1^st, when the supermoon rises, it will be in the sign of Aquarius. Perhaps you might want to take a few minutes to reflect on what has happened in your year so far and to rewrite your to-do list, the list of goals and dreams you may have identified for this year. You may be able to check some off, or you may want to eliminate, alter or add. In any event, oh so many of us welcome this opportunity for a reset.

Life happens. (Please feel free to substitute another four-letter word.) It’s been a challenging 6 months for absolutely everyone I know. I won’t go into detail but, yes, I know you and you have had it as well! To give a nod to the glass half full, perhaps the challenges are also helping foster growth. We may need to think about this or smother a groan but if we look at the world around us, we might plug in for a little personal growth as well.

Here in Vermont we are not suffering from the heat. Yes, we’ve had tragic flooding and far more dangerous storms and rain than we’d like. Please let me say now that my heart goes out to those who have lost homes, businesses, and well-being during these weeks. So, to look at pretty pictures of flowers, means little within that context. Yet, it still means something.

Growth is apparent everywhere in nature as plants, bees, mushrooms, ferns, trees, slugs and of course the wicked woods flies all flourish and thrive! But it is all growth. May we grow as well.

For me, watching the posts and actions of many friends as they worked and gifted to help those in need was humbling and inspiring. When one can be motivated by generosity to act, growth is certainly at work. And once we taste of the meaningful joy that it brings to reach out, we will never go back. Could this be the growth or the silent benefit of disaster – humanity needing help and humanity needing TO help?*

Without sounding morbid or dramatic or maybe even a little crazed, I do suggest that for many and in many ways the first half of 2023 has been chaotic, problematic and uncomfortable. The synchronicity of a Supermoon in Aquarius, suggesting the gifted opportunity to at least symbolically turn inward to the very center of our being and declare a reset, is timely, necessary and profound. Will you join me in doing so? When I shout out to my brother may I shout out to all of you as well? And will I hear your shout back?

*At this point in my writing, I reached back in my memory for something I had read by Rabbi Harold Kushner along the lines of answering the age-old question how could tragedy happen and where was God? His answer was that God was seen in the human response to tragedy, the love and generosity of those reaching out to help. As I searched for the exact quote I stumbled upon Rabbi Kushner’s obituary. I was stunned to learn that he had passed on April 28, 2023. Since reading “Living a Life That Matters,” (Anchor Books, A Division of Random House, Inc, 2001,2002) a book of his that I treasure, I have been a devoted fan. When a friend gave me a signed copy of one of his books, she proclaimed that I had found “my Rabbi!” May I suggest that you find a book title of his that peaks your interest and spend some reading time with this wonderful man? I share here from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived – that is to have succeeded.” Oh, Rabbi Kushner, you have succeeded.

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!

Linda Freeman Fitness

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