Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. Buddhist proverb As someone who suffers from chronic pain, I can’t say enough about the benefits of mindfulness meditation. Back in 2005, shortly after my workplace injury, I sought comfort and guidance in the Buddhist teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn, Pema Chodron and Jon Kabat-Zinn. I began my mindfulness practice with…
Laughter is an instant vacation. Milton Berle, Actor, Comedian I can’t imagine a day without laughter. Growing research shows that daily laughter is healthy for you in many ways. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter is definitely the best medicine. Here are the health benefits of a good chuckle: Laughter relieves pain. It stimulates your…
The world can rest easy in the knowledge that I have no aspirations or illusions of establishing a singing career beyond my shower stall. No, my American Idol moment came when I recently sat down to watch (for the first time) the reality television show. It was the show’s tenth season premier and the debut…
Sleep eludes you. You toss and turn in bed like a Christmas turkey in the oven, hoping for a few hours of shut-eye before that dreaded alarm clock sets off. You’re not alone. According to Statistics Canada, an estimated 3.3 million Canadians, age fifteen and older, have problems falling asleep or staying asleep. The data…
The Christmas holidays are here and for many people it can be more stressful than joyful. There is a wide variety of holiday stresses: crowded shopping malls, family gatherings, being alone and overspending. There are simple things you can do to reduce stress and save your sanity during the holidays: Get outside. Physical exercise,…
There have been days when I didn’t feel like moving because of the pain, but I quickly learned that inactivity just makes things worse, namely increased stiffness which translates into increased pain. So I keep moving; Pilates, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, daily walks and more. A varied exercise routine not only keeps me from…
Pain sucks. I’m not talking about the type of pain associated with the occasional toe stub, shin knock or even accidentally whacking your thumb with a hammer (which I’ve done with inexplicable precision). Okay, the latter does hurt like hell. I’m talking about constant, nagging pain that has you in an unrelenting chokehold. Nearly one…
Hello, welcome to my blog. I’d like to share a quote from the book “Oh The Places You’ll Go” by one of my favourite authors, Dr. Seuss. It never fails to make me smile and reminds us that we all have the potential to create success and happiness for ourselves. You have brains in your…