Alchemy For Your Soul

Health & Well Being

I am NOT a health professional. Rather, I am a woman many battle scars old who has experienced a range of life moments – sole-parenting, rejection, marriage joys and break-ups, family dissolution, weight management issues, the loss of loved ones, shyness, aging,  and the “I’m not good enoughs’ – and let’s remember menopause. Then there’s  illness – depression, breast cancer, life-threatening allergic reactions and generally a body – one that refuses to conform to the accepted standard of Sex Goddess no matter how I cajole - in a modern world, and a mind that ticks and ticks and ticks.

I feel like I have been taught a thing or two. Occasionally, I even learn something. I’ve certainly learned how to survive and still work towards becoming a ‘me’ I choose to be. I nearly changed that word  ‘work’ (being as it is a world where we speak constantly in the positive to be politically correct – but you know, sometimes, life, a good life, the life we DO deserve is work; no easy passage and no free passes).

As usual this may well be an intuited selection of information that has been important to me; astonishing to me and useful to me. ­­ It might be my ramble of the day. Hey, life is a blessing, so let’s go to it.

There might be exercise tips, recipes, experiences raising children, teaching children, stories of holding the hand of a loved one ready to pass over, managing panic attacks – yep, I’ve had them too.

Not everything is for every person. It is our own responsibility to find the thing that works for us. What works for me may not be for you. But even eliminating that idea often leads to the very thing that is our personal saviour. Don’t be afraid to question. In fact, if I demand anything of you, it is that you DO question and decide for yourself; constantly.

In keeping with that last bogie under the bed – panic attacks - I want to share one of my favourite books. In fact, and I kid you not, this book saved my mind.

Women Who Run With the Wolves written by Clarissa Pinkola-Estes. Not only is she a true story teller who delivers real solutions via ‘story’ but her writing is a flowing and lyrical language of great beauty.  

"Stomach muscles, where are you?" That has been my cry for many a long year.

Now I know a way to send them a text message. No, no up close and personal contact yet, but we are at least on long-distance talking terms. Here's how. Use the bench and a bench press technique to counter balance the posterior and do your leg raisers or lowerings, accordingly.  Check it out with your personal trainer. Cause, you got it! I am not a health professional; merely some sharing what has FINALLY worked for me. I am in high hopes that I will develop a more personal and immediate relationship with my muscles some day, but for  now, I'm enjoying the twinges of stomach muscle sore. Sad, isn't it to be joyous about a sore tum tum.

As always, you know the drill. Question for yourself.