Life is Good: A Practice of Positivity

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Life is good, and so are people. At least, most of them are, most of the time. But the past few weeks have been pretty brutal. As the election season went into overdrive, I was overwhelmed with the negativity associated with it. People just didn’t seem happy, and they weren’t being very nice to each other. As a matter of fact, some of them were downright nasty. The tsunami of negativity swirling around me threatened to sweep me away, never to be heard from again.    Everywhere I went, people were either trying to draw me into a political conversation, or making snide remarks about both candidates and what they stood for. My attempts to change the subject didn’t work. So, when someone pressed me for my “honest” and candid opinion, I gave it. I was rewarded with...

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Halloween, Feldenkrais, and the Magical Movement of the Skeleton

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Feldenkrais.

Halloween has to be one of my favorite holidays. I loved it as a kid, and I still love it to this day. There is something special about the decorations, the costumes, and the sheer spookiness of Halloween. And of course there’s the candy corn. At Halloween you can be anyone you want to be. You can even be yourself if you like. Another thing I love about Halloween are all of the skeletons hanging around, so to speak. As a physical therapist I’m used to looking at the skeleton in a variety of different ways. But I fell in love with the skeleton during my Feldenkrais training. Because there is something magical about the skeleton. Our skeleton is the very core of our being, and it is responsible for holding our structure together. It’s just like the foundation of a house or...

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Sixty Days Of Cheryl: Reasons to Celebrate

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

Turning sixty is not the end of the world. As a matter of fact, I believe it’s just the beginning, and certainly something to celebrate. And I ought to know, based on personal experience. Not that I’ve ever turned sixty before. But when I turned fifty, magic happened. Full disclosure–my thirties weren’t so great. My forties were a nightmare. I wasn’t sure I would even make it to fifty. But the closer I got to fifty, the more I began to look forward to it. If nothing else, at least it would signify the end of the decade from hell. I was so excited about turning fifty that my girlfriends threw me a party, complete with a red tiara. This was an idea borrowed from the Red Hat Society. You know, the group of women who mark their fiftieth birthday by wearing a red...

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Fit Tips to Step Up Your Walking Program

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Fit Tips.

October is a great time to step up your walking program. The fantastic bright blue October skies, crisp air, and incredible colors make it an ideal month to get outdoors and get moving. Here are a few tips to keep you moving through October and beyond.   1). Invest in hiking poles or walking sticks. No, it’s not cheating, it’s smart. There are many great benefits from using hiking poles or walking sticks, regardless of whether you are enjoying a hike on a mountain trail or a long loop around your favorite city park. Here are just a few of the benefits.     a). Posture.          Using hiking poles (or walking sticks) put you in better postural alignment. They help keep you in a more upright position with your chest up and your shoulders back. So, as you are working on your fitness...

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Blog Tour!

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

My Virtual Blog Tour starts on Monday, Oct 3! Monday I begin an 8-stop virtual book blog tour. I’ll be “visiting” 8 book review blogs from all over the United States and Canada! Below is a list of the blogs I’ll be visiting. The bloggers will post reviews, interviews and excerpts of the book. Please check out the tour by clicking on the links below. You can also join us on my Facebook page for the blog stop of the day. Monday 10/3/2016 Urban Book Review  Tuesday 10/4/2016 Beck Valley Books Wednesday 10/5/2016 3 Partners in Shopping Thursday 10/6/2016 Book Reviews and Giveaways Friday 10/7/2016 Jbarrett5 Book Reviews Monday 10/10/2016 JaM Book Blog Tuesday 10/11/2016 Library of Clean Reads Wednesday 10/12/2016 Buy The Book Marketing Follow along as I “travel”...

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More About Your Core: Strength and Awareness

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Fit Tips.

I have a few more thoughts about core strength that I want to share with you, especially since my previous two posts were on the subject. I can’t include all of the salient points regarding core strength in one post, but I can leave you with more to think about regarding one of my favorite (and often misunderstood) topics. Here’s a brief recap and a few new points as well.  First of all…. Strong core muscles help to eliminate and prevent back pain and injuries. However, they are only effective if you are doing them correctly. Otherwise, not only are you wasting your time, you can cause serious injury to your low back and neck. Even worse, you can develop a strong muscle that pooches out rather than in. Of course, from someone who has suffered miserably from low back pain,...

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Core Strength: The Controversy Continues

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Fit Tips.

You wouldn’t think that there would possibly be a controversy about core strength, because core strength is always good. Or is it? But after posting my last article regarding core strength, I found a fascinating article pointing out the pros and cons of core strength, especially on how it relates to back pain. The author made several excellent points. I highlighted just a few which captured my attention, which I would like to elaborate on for further consideration. 1).Our spines were designed to move. Amen to that, brothers and sisters! Our spines are made to move: forward, backward, side to side and in rotation. Yes, even in rotation. Some practitioners refer to rotation as ‘twisting,” which makes me cringe in horror, since it conjures up an image of someone wringing out...

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Core Strength and The Magical Muscle

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Fit Tips.

Core strength.. We have all heard the term. After all, it has become quite the buzz word in the fitness world, especially in the Pilates and yoga communities, just to name a few. But what exactly is core strength, and how do we get it? In traditional exercise and fitness routines, crunches and sit-ups have been the gold standard for core strength. So has the image of the “six-pack” or washboard abs. However, I am here to tell you that the gold standard is tarnished. So please allow me to shed some light (and hope) on the subject of core strength. Core strength refers to developing the abdominal muscles that stabilize our pelvis and support our low back. The benefits of core strength include a healthy spine, decreased incidence of low back pain, and protects us from back injuries....

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Dance….For Joy

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Everyone knows that I’m crazy about dance. Any kind of dance, regardless of the style you practice or may be interested in is the motherlode for health and fitness. It doesn’t matter if you are a classical dancer or a closet dancer, nothing beats the benefits of dance. I absolutely love the grueling regimen and relentless discipline of a professional level ballet class. However, it always raises eyebrows when I tell people that I take ballet class at least four or five times a week. I get the slow up and down appraisal and the unspoken question hangs in the air–“Really….at your age??” Yep, really. At my age. And why not? I started my ballet “career” at the ripe old age of twenty, when most dancers are packing up their pointe shoes and retiring...

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Feldenkrais, Survival, and Supernovas

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

I love the connection between martial arts and Feldenkrais. After all, Feldenkrais is based on martial arts, the art of movement, and the art of survival. Moshe Feldenkrais believed that all human beings were intended to not just survive, but to thrive in their environment. He also wanted to return to each person their human dignity. How beautiful is that?   To have human dignity, you must be able to protect yourself and have strong personal boundaries. As a martial artist, I understand that, and I always integrate the principles of martial arts, self-defense, and survival skills into my Feldenkrais sessons. I get so passionate about Feldenkrais and the art of survival that many of my clients wanted to explore this connection at a deeper level, with practical application for daily life....

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