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What I Learned in 8 Weeks of Sitting Still
Tap, tap, tap…is this thing on?
It’s been an awfully long time since my last Vegimental. Turns out my visions of me tapping away at the computer while the baby sleeps in his bassinet was a complete and utter fantasy. In reality, baby Teddy hasn’t been interested in doing much sleeping at all unless someone—namely, me—is holding him. It’s been eight weeks of me doing a whole lot of sitting still. Read more…
Tear-Free Transitions
My two-year-old is a little angel until it’s time for a change in venue—no matter where we’re going to or coming from, transitions unsettle her and spark her worst behavior, from refusing to get dressed to crying to full-on tantrums. As much as I wish I could nip any bad behavior from her in the bud, I can identify with how she feels in those moments—transitions rile all of us. You don’t really know what’s coming next and you’ve got to just roll with the seemingly random change in plan, even when all you really want to do is draw circles with your blue crayon (or insert your own activity of choice here). The change from winter to spring–when insomnia sets in and I can never seem to pull together a temperature-appropriate outfit; waking to sleeping–when I want to loll in bed as long as possible; and finishing up a deadline to starting a new project–when procrastination rears its ugly head; are all differing levels of jarring. Read more…
Self-Care Questionnaire: Esther GokhalePosture expert, author of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back
‘m so happy to have Esther Gokhale (pronounced go-clay) answering this month’s Self-Care Questionnaire. Esther is an expert in natural alignment and effortless posture, and has combined studies in anatomy and movement with anthropological studies of native cultures around the world to identify how the human body was designed to stand, sit, lie, and move. She’s distilled her learning into an easy-to-follow method to help those of us who have gotten out of whack find our way back to a pain-free existence. Best of all, her method doesn’t require you to do thousands of core exercise–instead, she teaches you how to use your body more mindfully so that it can strengthen what needs to be strengthened and stretch what needs to be stretched while you live your everyday life. Her sleeping alignment tips, in particular, have really been helping me rest comfortably despite my ever-changing pregnant body. Read more…
Tap Into Your Energy
Yep, that's the spot I'm talking about
I’m writing this at 3:30 in the afternoon—prime time for a serious slump in energy. Looking for new ways to perk up, I reached for the latest offering from Elaine Petrone, one of my favorite go-to sources for ingenious yet simple ways to get in touch with your breath, reduce stress, and help your body feel its best. Read more…
Stuff I Love: “Lit,” by Mary Karr
Over the long New Year’s weekend we holed up in a huge old house with friends. Inspired by Mary Beth’s recent comment that spending just 15 minutes a day reading a great book helped her feel more sane, I brought a copy of Lit with me, which was named one of the 10 best books of 2009 by the New York Times and was written by Mary Karr, author of two other highly-acclaimed memoirs, The Liar’s Club and Cherry. All I knew about the book was that it centered on Karr’s transition to motherhood, which I’ve recently made myself. I imagined myself reading for a few minutes each night before I fell asleep. Read more…
Light Your Way This Winter with light therapy
The winter solstice just passed. The good news is that from now until mid-summer, our days will only be getting longer and longer. The bad news is that it also means that right now is the darkest period of the year.
I hadn’t really given much thought to the prevalence of darkness other than to grudgingly accept it as part of my least favorite season. Then my daughter and I attended a solstice ceremony at her Waldorf preschool. The school made a small labyrinth of pine boughs with a big candle lit in the center. Each child got a small candle of his or her own and took a turn walking the labyrinth to light the small candle off the larger flame—the idea being that making that walk and lighting your candle will remind you to keep your own light shining even when things are at their darkest. It was simple and sweet—and powerful. As I held her hand and we made our way to the center of the spiral, it clicked for me that we don’t have to just muddle through the dark days. We can literally take steps to keep our own light shining until the sun comes back in spring. Read more…
Survive the Holidays by Squirreling Away Your Self-Care
Welcome to the holiday whirlwind! I’m already feeling like I need a weekend yoga retreat to get back on track—too much eating, not enough moving, not enough sitting still—and the full-court holiday press has even begun yet.
With all the hubbub of the season, you likely won’t have many opportunities to fully immerse yourself in whatever your self-care practice is, whether it’s hitting the gym, going for walks, meditating, or getting to yoga class. But that doesn’t mean you have to forego your health- and sanity-promoting activities altogether. To get the inspiration you need to stay on your particular path, just look to the squirrel. Read more…
Jump-start Your Digestion, And Your Day
I am happy to report that I am pregnant with our second child (expected time of arrival is early spring). Yay! What I’m not so happy to report is that pregnancy, like so many other things in life, takes a major toll on digestion and on energy. I don’t want to get in to a big discussion about poo (which happens all too frequently now that I’ve entered the realm of motherhood), but I know that staying regular and feeling less tired is a major concern for a lot of people, not just pregnant ladies. Read more…
What’re You Looking At: Using visual meditation for stress relief
The average American spends a full eight hours a day staring at various screens—whether they belong to TVs, computers, or mobile devices. And what are we seeing in those 8 hours? A lot of flickering, fleeting, ever-changing, stimulating, and ultimately draining images—just think of how tired your eyes are at the end of the day. While there is some benefit to all our screen time–we are often gaining information and in some cases, interaction with others–there is a way to use your eyes to nourish your capital-S Self. It takes only minutes, even seconds, and it can leave you feeling sharper, calmer, and more energized. Read more…
Reduce stress and relax with acupressure point, the Sea of Tranquility
You may know the Sea of Tranquility as a body of water located on the surface of the moon. Or you may think that it is a lovely-sounding yet mythical place, kind of like the Fountain of Youth. But you probably don’t realize that is an actual physical spot that you can access anytime, anywhere. It’s located in the center of your breastbone, and it’s an acupressure point with an uncanny ability to quiet agitation and promote relaxation. Read more…