Musings June 2012

Reveling in the Beauty and Simplicity of Nature

Posted by Shelagh in SpaWellness on 06/25/12 | 0 Comments

Today I had the supreme good fortune of spending the entire day on a private beach in New Jersey. The weather was perfect with clear blue sky, sunshine and an ocean breeze.  At one point, as I floated on my back in the perfect temperature ocean, looking up at the perfect blue sky and feeling the sun on my face, I felt blissfully at peace. I smiled at myself and thought, “This moment is a ‘10’”.

If you have ever marveled at the beauty of a new snowfall or had your breath taken away at seeing a waterfall in the middle of the forest or been transported by walking barefoot in the grass you have felt the immense power of Nature. Immersing yourself in Nature feels good because Nature has perfect resonance or pitch with the human cellular structure, which makes it restorative and healing.

When I was floating in the ocean--literally immersed in it—I was immersed in Nature; connected body, mind and spirit; in the Universal flow; Bliss-ed out; in perfect harmony with Nature. And I felt wonderful!

Summer is a great time to experience the simplicity and stark beauty of Nature and feel Her healing vibes:

·         Take a walk on the beach or ride a wave

·         Dangle your bare feet in a cool steam

·         Take a walk in the woods and smell the fresh earth

·         Lie on your back and look at the magnificence of the starry sky

There are so many ways to experience the healing power of Nature if you simply slow down enough to be in harmony with Her. Create a ‘10’ moment for yourself today.

Parenting In Reverse

Posted by Shelagh in SpaWellness on 06/18/12 | 0 Comments

Today I found myself speaking with a loved one explaining that if she cannot manage the responsibility of a privilege, the natural consequence is that the privilege will be taken away. The loved one responded with resistance, bullying and a swift finger in the air…directed at me!  

Sounds like Parenting 101, right? The loved one is my 78 year old mother.

As I blogged about last week, my mother recently received a major cardiac diagnosis requiring swift medical intervention with many medical interventions to follow. Although the diagnosis and interventions are urgent, my mother is not treating her condition as urgent or even as critical. Her priority, as recently stated to me, is that she needs 3 new tires on her car. She’s driving?!?! And is more concerned with the car tires ‘blowing’ then her own ‘tire blowing’.

As one of her seven children, I am left to go back & forth with my siblings attempting to navigate a critical situation safely with a non-cooperative parent, who is slowly losing control and independence but does not realize that this is the case. The parent feels “picked on” and “hurried”. We are attempting to remain compassionate and focused on the outcome for her best interest, but I am beginning to wonder if her ‘best interest’ is of interest to her at all. Advice?

1.       Consult the experts as you see fit

2.       Rally support from siblings & friends

3.       Stay clear on the goals of the care & interventions sidestepping emotional baggage

4.       If a parent is non-cooperative and unsafe, seek legal intervention

5.       Maintain your sense of humor! When all else fails…laugh!

6.       Know that you are not alone! Google ‘Managing Aging Parents’ for a plethora of great info

Between A Rock and A Hard Place

Posted by Shelagh in SpaWellness on 06/11/12 | 0 Comments

I spent this weekend in the hospital attending to my 78 year old Mom who went to the ER on Friday afternoon with the complaint of “a little shortness of breath” for several weeks. She was admitted on Friday for a general workup, only to be diagnosed with a significant aortic aneurysm of the ascending arch with left ventricular hypertrophy and regurgitation of the aortic valve. Her surgeon is recommending open heart surgery within a week or two. 

She will not survive if she does not have the surgery and she may not survive if she does have the surgery because she did not take care of ‘small issues’ before they became big issues.

This is a woman who birthed seven babies in almost as many years; was widowed at 42; survived breast cancer; got her degree in music at night while raising seven children alone; worked as the Education Outreach Director at Susan G. Komen for the Cure for 25+ years…and never took the time to take care of herself.

Little health problems become huge, insurmountable problems that cannot be easily ‘fixed’.

Take action today for a healthier today & tomorrow:

1.       Make & keep annual physical, mammogram, gynecologic, colonoscopy, cardiac work-up, dermatology and any other medical/holistic appointments. Follow up as suggested.

2.       If an issue is bothering you, attend to it when it’s ‘small’. Don’t put it off.

3.       Eat healthy food choices on a regular schedule and drink plenty of pure water.

4.       Take off excess weight because it significantly amplifies stress on every body system.

5.       Exercise daily for a minimum of 30 minutes including resistance training for bone health.

6.       Allow some quiet time every day for prayer, meditation or reflective thought.

7.       If you need help & support to achieve any of these goals, reach out for it---It’s all around you!

Make yourself the priority in your life. Self care is not selfish, its self-sustaining. 

Water for Wellness

Posted by Shelagh in SpaWellness on 06/04/12 | 0 Comments

I have had a chronic lower back pain ever since my daughter was born 12 year ago. She was a big baby at 10 pounds 12 ounces and was born naturally, meaning without medication.  I’ve noticed that my pain has good days, and bad days. So I started tracking those days and noticing what was happening around me when the pain was low, as well as what was happening when the pain was high and started ‘connecting the dots’.

Although its rudimentary research, the medical evidence backs up my personal findings:  When I consistently drink enough water, my pain is almost non-existent. Conversely, when I do not,  it stinkin’ hurts!

The medical data supports that our body perceives pain as more acute by several rating points (scale of 1-10) when it is dehydrated, as well percieves a host of other symptoms such as fatigue, constipation, chronic brain fog and poor sleep patterns to name a few. http://nutrition.about.com/od/hydrationwater/a/back_pain_water.htm

So what is “enough” water on a daily basis? Here’s a simple formula:

Take your weight in pounds and divide in half. That’s the # of ounces per day to be hydrated:

150/2 = 75 = 75 ounces of water per day or 6-7 12oz water bottles

Take care of your body with water and your body will take care of you!