At the gym last week (yes!) I was doing leg lifts in the Roman chair - a particularly unpleasant ab workout - and managed to squeeze 10 reps out before my muscles said stop. Dear Kelly (a saint for accompanying me at the ungodly hour of 6 am) kindly offered a tip on getting more out of the exercise....
Credit where it's due (February 4, 2012)
Gotta feel if you're gonna change (January 28, 2012)
Okay folks, the end of January is nigh and how are those resolutions coming along? I will be the first to confess. After a good run-up to the new year with a solid week of daily gym visits between Boxing Day and New Years Day, I have only made it to the gym twice since. Night after night I faithfully...
The rich mixture of you (January 21, 2012)
Snapping into my ski boots, my feet seemingly two sizes larger than at the end of last ski season, I notice my body bracing. My shoulders are up and my quads are tight. Little puffs of frosty air tell me my breath is a bit shallow. I sense the natural urge to ignore my uncomfortable sensations and I...
The body knows before we know (January 14, 2012)
Many years ago when I was first training as a clinician I noticed an odd yet reliable pattern in my sessions. As my client was beginning to experience some emotion I would, in my best junior-therapist way, immediately mirror back what they were feeling. My empathic "You feel so sad right now"...
Soothing your "nervous" system (January 7, 2012)
Your nervous system is nervous. And so is mine. All of us are gifted with neural circuitry that is chronically checking to make sure we are safe. Do you think about your nervous system? A brilliant interconnected web of neurons and biochemicals gathers and sends waves of information to and from your...
Christmas Presence (December 24, 2011)
Fresh smell of pine and oranges. Melty softness of shortbread on my tongue. Eyes meeting joyful eyes and hugs all around. Red and white twinkling on bare maple branches out my window. Body swaying in time to familiar lilting melodies. And singing! Chickadees boldly snatching peanuts and flitting away...
Home for Christmas (December 17, 2011)
It is nearly Christmas and I've been too busy. So busy that things I love have fallen off my to-do list - including my writing here on this blog. Time is flying and things need doing and I have been missing out on the season's gifts by not being in touch with myself. In fleeting moments these past few...
Opportunity Knocks (December 3, 2011)
So you are feeling tense, fidgety, a bit agitated. Your forefingers are rubbing against your thumbs and your shoulders are up. Perhaps you are holding your breath or clenching your butt or tapping your toes. As you register this you have an unconscious urge to get away from the discomfort. Before you...
Accelerate your growth (November 26, 2011)
Do you want to accelerate your growth? That life of joy and relaxation and connection and resilience is calling to you. And it is calling from your very own body. Come home to your body. Really let yourself feel what it feels like to be you. That is where everything begins. With little sensations of...
Letting Go (November 12, 2011)
Autumn leaves falling. Letting go. Loosening their grip and allowing the wind to carry them to where they need to go. Our vulnerable selves, holding on with both hands, wanting to control the timing of the seasons in our lives. There are forces larger than we – touching and lifting and shaping...