Health-2

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” (Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free) Resilience is one of those words that I don’t quite understand, especially in relation to myself. When I’ve seen it in other people or heard other people describe resilience, it’s always been in the face of some terrible situation or happening that has taken place or is presently happening in a person’s life. The person speaking usually says of the person experiencing this event or situation that: “he/she is resilient and can get through this” or some similar cliche. Two phone calls I had this past week have given me reason to think about how resilient we are all called to be in this life. ...

We’re on the threshold of a brand New Year and as it approaches, we’re all offering good wishes to those we meet for a “Happy New Year.” One of the principal components of happy would include healthy. That’s certainly a priority for me and I’m sure for you. Good health certainly includes a healthy body but is so much more. It is this “so much more” that I’m pleased to share with you through Simply Spectacular Design’s video. I’m grateful that Ronald Janki of Simply Spectacular Designs has agreed to be my guest for this post. Nature, as we see it in this video presents us with opportunities to enjoy and to heal those deep places within us - our own sea of consciousness within. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often don’t take the time to nurture our souls and spirits. ...

I believe that the nicest and sweetest of days are not those which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." Anne of Green Gables A new year has just truly begun and the above advertising poster, “New Year, Wellness 2016, New You” struck a chord in me the other day. This was in one of my favourite downtown Toronto bookstores. I particularly noted the word “Wellness” there. Of course, there’s a huge inventory of Wellness books and magazines carried in this store. Immediately, the thought came to me that I should plan to spend more time exercising in the gym, taking walks outdoors, making healthy “green” drinks and eating more fruits and vegetables. Maybe, I thought, I should even consider taking a yoga class. Yoga is good for the body and mind. After all, wellness is one of the most important things in life, if not the most important. Or, is it health? ...

[caption id=“attachment_2601” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air — explode softly — and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth — boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn’t go cheap, either — not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum[/caption] ...

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” ― Rumi I accidentally knocked over one of my favorite vases which has served me well for many years. As you can see in the above collage, it’s a very beautiful one. You can also see that it was broken into many pieces and beyond repair. I was disappointed but not devastated. Whether that has to do with the aging process and the “letting go” stage of life or some other process at work is not quite clear to me. ...

“The arrival of a good clown exercises a more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than of twenty asses laden with drugs.” ~ Thomas Sydenham The above photo is of my friend, Inge, who is eighty-six years young and a graduate of Ryerson’s Caring Clown Program. The photo is not mine but was one that Ryerson used on their 2013 Brochure for the Program. For several years Inge’s been telling me about her clowning and especially about her visits with other caring clowns to Nursing Homes. We talked many times about me seeing her all dressed up and taking her picture. It just never happened though. ...

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There’s so much confusion about what’s “healthy” to eat today and what kind of food we ought to be eating. Should we be on a gluten-free diet, stop eating eggs, eat more bananas to increase potassium, and what about terms like glycemic index, cholesterol, and pre-diabetes? With all the conflicting information coming from all sources - books, media, friends, relatives, and Dr. Oz, it was nice to attend “Demstifying Diets” at a local Health Centre yesterday. A Registered Dietitian was present and a Dietetic Intern actually presented the two-hour session. Krystyna was the Registered Dietician and Michelle was the Intern. A very serious topic such as our health and medical issues with regard to our eating habits was made to be fun. ...

Once upon a time, there was a cat who liked to sit with the Buddha, sniff at him, and rest at his feet. They had “Dharma Talks.” He taught her about meditation: **"**As you practice remaining attentive, passionate, and firm in purpose, those memories and conflicts of life are let go, and with their letting go your mind centers and becomes calm, it strengthens. This is how you develop mindfulness of, and in, the body." ...

“If variety is the spice of life, enjoyment of a variety of different foods has to top the list.” (Late Blooms) Food is near and dear to the hearts of most people. If we have enough or more than enough, we’re grateful and happy. If we have very little or just enough to get by, all our energy is directed to the acquisition of this precious life-giving commodity. This is true for all cultures and peoples on earth. ...