Signs of Spring

Which ones have you seen lately? 

My first harbingers of spring are usually the birds. On February 12, I saw and heard my first red-wing blackbirds. These songbirds are so apparent with their call (“come-for-tea”) and bright red wings. They usually arrive in a flock so it’s hard to miss them. 

The most important factor in noticing them is to be out in nature. Got a bird feeder? They’ll arrive there. Live near water? Blackbirds or other newly-arriving flocks can be found in a tree overlooking a stream, river, or lake. 

Call to them. Repeat their song and they’ll respond to you. I love doing this as I walk past a tree that they’re sitting in. I feel as though we’re friends. 

Another sign I noticed is magpies with twigs or grasses in their beaks. I don’t see where they’re landing and yet I know there will be squawking in a few months from babies demanding (in no...

How big is your heart?

As a powerful 50+ woman, do you struggle with ways to keep your heart healthy? 

Just think about it, your heart beats 100,000 times a day. It is part of the autonomic nervous system. 

Thank goodness that all of this remarkable reliability takes place without us having to think about it. 

February is Healthy Heart Month-a perfect month for Valentine’s Day! 

Here are a few heartful facts…

An adult heart is about the size of two hands clasped together. A child’s heart is about the size of a fist. 

The youngest person who underwent heart surgery was one minute old. 

More heart attacks occur on Monday than on any other day of the week.

The fairy fly, which is a kind of wasp, has the smallest heart of any living creature.

Your arteries are 4 millimeters thick (It doesn’t take much for greasy foods to clog them).

It only takes 20 seconds for a red blood cell to...

Sept 2020

Winter Wellness Begins in Autumn

Use these strategies to be well all winter. We’re in this together – I’ll pass on what I know and you do the same. Winter Wellness begins now. Stay healthy all year. Don’t let an illness in the autumn send you down a slippery slope this winter. Last week we finished a 4-day Winter Wellness Begins in Autumn Retreat. You can check out the recordings in the A RAY of Wellness Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ARAYofWellnessGroup/?source_id=532370877266699

How many paths are there for good health? Do you ever feel as though you were born in the wrong time period? When I learned about how easy it was to make extracts, shrubs (an herbal syrup made with vinegar), and elixirs, I felt as though I had discovered the secrets of the ancestors. It’s possible to go back in time and rest in the wisdom of those who have gone before. Good health doesn’t have to be complicated.

Do you have...

August 2020

Wow, we are still going through this together. Thank goodness we have each other. To know I can rest in to our community of like-minded, wellness-oriented kindred spirits helps me stay calm through these scary and uncertain times.

In my 3-day training in August, we discussed how to keep your wellness, and that of your loved ones, at the top of your to-do list, even, or especially, during the pandemic. Over one thousand years ago, Avicenna, the father of early modern medicine recommended that in order to maintain optimal health, we pay attention to nutrition, exercise, and sleep. We’re still figuring this out today, a millennium later! Focus on wellness in an understanding manner, one that spurs us to lead more meaningful lives, reduce suffering, and increase the amount of love in the world. We can create a microcosm of our optimal world in each of our lives. This mentality can change the world.

Boosting our brain strength can help us remain...

July 2020

   “A well-spent day brings happy sleep.” Leonardo da Vinci

It can be difficult to wake refreshed when we feel out of control of our destiny. So much of our psyche is reeling with the effects of the pandemic, not to mention other events that happen in people’s lives that are troubling. The not knowing tends to creep up on us, trying to steal our peace. We need to be vigilant, as exhausting as that is. Do we want one more thing to deal with? No, and yet if we don’t pay attention, the effects of living in these uncertain times will have their way with us. Focus. Be present with what is, what comes up.

If you’ve been dealing with life and it’s hard, harder than you’ve ever known, notice this and be gentler with yourself. Sleep is the great equalizer. Look at sleep as having the same positive impact on you as if you’re going out with friends-it’s restorative, can make you happy, and can make...

June 2020

Wildflowers!

*A salve, made in the early 1600s by John Gerard, was “the most precious remedy for deep wounds”.

“The arbutus is now open everywhere in the woods and groves. How pleasant it is to meet the same flowers year after year! …. We admire the strange and brilliant plant of the green-house, but we love most the simple flowers we have loved of old, which have bloomed many a spring, through rain and sunshine, on our native soil.”

― Susan Fenimore Cooper

In the world of wildflowers, the magic and power of wildflowers create health and vitality, if we only know enough to search there.

Let’s discuss the importance of wildflowers, especially native ones, the dangers of invasive species, how to sustainably harvest them, and the top 2 for health and vitality.

Who has a childhood memory of blowing a wish out into the wind on a dandelion seedhead? Food, shelter, pollen, nectar, and nesting materials are...

May 2020

Every day, breathe deeply. Breathe oxygen into the chest, then allow it to fall to the ribs and finally drop into the belly. This inhalation or inspiration is referred to as puraka in Hatha yoga. In Eastern philosophy, this inhalation can be compared to birth. Each breath can be taken as though it is our first and is filled with the potential of the world’s possibilities. Breathing in this manner is a conscious event. One’s attention is focused on this one task. Breathing usually happens automatically. When we allow the rest of the world to fall away and laser in and do conscious breathing, a physiological cascade starts to happen. The heart rate slows, blood pressure is decreased, stress hormone production is lowered and a sense of calm settles over the one-who-is-breathing.

Let the breath sit in the belly for a moment or two, neither inhaling nor exhaling. Feel the full potential of that one inhalation. This part of respiration is called kumbhaka...

April 2020

Prioritize YOUR Health

OK, so here we are, week 6-9 of lockdown for many of us. We’ve watched a lot of the shows and movies we had on our lists. Maybe we cleaned parts of the house and reached out to family and friends.

Is it safe to go out? Isn’t that the $10,000 question? I’m over 60 and am lucky enough to not have to venture out for many items. I’m down to 2 meals/day as my limited lifestyle seems to allow for that. And, I’m launching a 4 day fast! Isn’t this the best time to try something different? Twenty years ago I cured myself of recurring sinus infections by incorporating a myriad of holistic therapies and fasting was one. I’ll describe the process for me. If you are considering a fast, consult with your health provider first.

Set an intention.  I choose 3-10 days fasts. For my 4-day fast, I start tapering down on food intake 4 days before and take 4 days to return to my normal diet. (Once, I craved...

Nov 2019

Spread Joy!

Are you a singer? I am. Yesterday, as I was walking my two German Short Hair Pointer granddogs, I started singing carols. I love to sing and grew up singing many songs at Christmas so the words are etched in my brain. I felt that Bridget and Piper liked hearing my voice (even though it may not be completely on key!) Singing makes me happy.  When I lived in Vermont, we would go caroling in our tiny village of East Corinth. Neighbors knew when we were scheduled to arrive and had treats ready as a thank you. When I’m hiking or biking and think I can’t go on, sometimes I sing. It distracts me and changes the energy enough so I get up the next hill. Making joyful noise is good for the heart. Share audible joy.

Do you like to cook/bake? Holiday baking is a staple in our house. Nut rolls, breakfast bread, and gingerbread are must-haves and help make the days merry and bright. I’ve sent nut rolls to various people over the years and...

December 2019

Well, this is the last blog of 2019 and the last one of this decade. What an amazing year it’s been. Thank you for your support and encouragement as I step into the world of wellness coaching. I am committed to listen and help you explore your paths to health, to create pathways to release the aches and pains, and to make more energy available every day. Build a solid, healthy foundation in your internal, physical, and natural worlds. Now that sounds like a Challenge for the New Decade.

How Do You Spread Joy? was the theme of the December Meet-Up that I lead here in Bozeman. We all shared examples of how joy manifests in our lives. A few ways that were mentioned is to admire the lights that people put up in their neighborhoods, create “Santa and reindeer footprints in ‘ashes’ on the floor in front of the fireplace,” give a plate of cookies to elderly neighbors, send a letter to someone to let them know you’re thinking of them,...