January 31, 2008
Yoga, one of my teacher training instructors often said, is about radical self-acceptance. Whatever the loss or limitation: self-acceptance. A challenge when that limitation shows and strangers’ eyes register Not Normal as they stare. I’m reminded daily – at the grocery store, doing errands – that one leg doesn’t quite work right, isn’t within the standard. I might rise above it, describe it in a personal ad as “Gimpy but cute,” but my point is . . . no, my points are:
January 25, 2008
I used to work with a woman who had three trays on her desk: an inbox, an out box, and one labeled “Too Hard.” The third is where she’d toss customer complaints, twenty-page budget reports – anything that interrupted her work flow. She’d set aside time to tackle what had accumulated there, usually by bracing herself and taking a deep breath first. Turning in bed definitely gets filed in my Too Hard box of daily living. Add to it those times when my medication doesn’t kick in and I’m trying to undo the twist tie on a loaf of bread. Give me strength.
January 15, 2008
Parkinson’s Disease & the Art of Moving by John Argue is more than a how-to exercise program. In this pleasant surprise of a book, the author blends an inviting and sometimes humorous style with a solid understanding of the symptoms of the disease. There is a mix of yoga poses, voice training, face exercises and more. With years of theater experience as a teacher and performer, Argue promotes an “artful way of moving and speaking,” much like, he says, that of an actor. There is also a video, which I haven’t yet seen. For additional information, visit http://www.newharbinger.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=162