Page 6 – Cheryl Ilov International

Swimming With Sharks and Taking a Risk

Written by Cheryl on May 20, 2020. Posted in Cheryl's View.

When the movie Jaws was released in June of 1975, everyone was terrified to go in the water. It wasn’t safe. So, instead of going for a refreshing swim in the ocean, beach goers sat immobilized in the sand and sweltered in the hot sun, dreaming of the day when it would be safe to go in the water. If ever. The following summer, people began to dip their toes in the water. After all, you can only be immobilized for so long before the desire to return to normal becomes overwhelming, and you’re willing to take a risk. Eventually, swimmers went deeper into the water, and they survived. The water was filled with happy swimmers, bobbing in the surf. But, just when we finally forgot the horrors that lurked just below the water’s surface and began swimming again, Jaws 2 was released....

The Eyes Have it

Written by Cheryl on April 22, 2020. Posted in Cheryl's View.

Making eye contact with another person is crucial to the human connection and establishing a relationship. Averting one’s eyes makes you appear suspicious, furtive, unapproachable, and even dangerous. Or it can communicate to strangers that you are insecure, vulnerable, and an easy target for perpetrators. However, when you look someone in the eye, there is an immediate connection, and an exchange of information. Your brain processes this information, sending electrical, chemical, and hormonal signals through your body how to react. Eye contact gives you an instantaneous respond as to whether this person is a friend or foe, safe or threatening. That’s why it is so dangerous to walk around in public with your head buried in your cell phone. First of all, it’s not safe. Second,...

Excerpt from Mara’s Garden

Written by Cheryl on April 3, 2020. Posted in Mara's Garden.

Recently I picked up a project I began working on about 9 years ago. It was shortly after my parents died, both of them, just 19 days apart. I wanted to write about our family and how my sisters and I grew up, in a family rich with Eastern European heritage and culture. But it was just too soon. However, when I began working on it again it began to take on a life of its own, and I realized I had to go back further in time and dig deeper, including the lives of my parents and how they grew up. Here is an excerpt from “Mara’s Garden”. “I was born on July 9th, 1930, in Aliquippa, a small but thriving steel town in Western Pennsylvania on the banks of the Ohio River. My parents were both working in the garden when my mother suddenly disappeared. Since it was close to...

Not Your Nona’s Lasagna

Written by Cheryl on March 26, 2020. Posted in Cheryl's Kitchen.

I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting recipes. But when I saw a recipe for pumpkin and kale lasagna, I shuddered and moved on. However, it kept calling my name and I looked at it more closely. It certainly intrigued me. After all, I love pumpkin, and I love lasagna. I even love kale, with certain reservations. But the recipe was loaded with heavy and calorie-laden ingredients that seemed unnecessary, and kale sauteed in garlic added to pumpkin was too much for me to even think about. I had a few other misgivings as well, so I incorporated a few of my sneaky ninja moves, as well as substituted almond milk for whole milk to come up with something that might be palatable. One weekend afternoon, it was time to test it. However, before tying on my apron, I warned my husband...

Chicken Dijon

Written by Cheryl on March 12, 2020. Posted in Cheryl's Kitchen.

I was going to name this recipe after my favorite mustard, Grey Poupon, but my husband advised me not to. He said that Poupon Chicken didn’t sound very appetizing, and I guess he had a point. After doing diligent research, I discovered that Grey Poupon is a dijon mustard and has a small amount of white wine in it. No wonder why I like it so much. I also learned that the word poupon means little baby, or baby doll. Who knew cooking could be so educational? I used a few of my ninja tricks to combine a few recipes, cut what I didn’t like, kept what I thought would work, used my imagination, and came up with a variation on a theme. So here it is, my Chicken Dijon, and Poupon too! 6 thinly sliced chicken breast fillets (I buy them already sliced thin. No need to pull out my sharp...

Patience, Perseverance, and Number #1 Best Seller

Written by Cheryl on February 27, 2020. Posted in Cheryl's View.

Patience and perseverance are two valuable principles I learned in my martial arts training. It means that our focus is on the journey, rather than the end result. And it explains why the students that come to our dojo with their primary goal of becoming a black belt are usually gone in just a few months. Because everything takes time and effort. The same applies to every aspect of life. Focus on the journey, put in the time, the effort, and see what unfolds. That’s exactly what happened when I published my first book. I just focused on the journey, even though it was incredibly labor intensive. When I heard that the “real work” in writing a book begins after it’s published, I found it hard to believe. After all, it took me two and a half years to write it. In reality,...

Episode #54: Awareness, Intuition, Trust, and Self-Worth

Written by Cheryl on February 17, 2020. Posted in Femininja Podcast, Uncategorized.

Meet Nicole Jansen, Business Breakthrough Coach and Behavior Specialist who has helped thousands of clients transform their lives and achieve extraordinary results in business. However, her greatest accomplishment is her own personal experience in overcoming adversity through quiet introspection to regain physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Download this episode to hear Nicole’s secrets in this gentle, uplifting, and enlightening interview, and how you can apply them to your own life. You do not want to miss this! www.DiscoverTheEdge.com LeadersOfTransformation.com https://www.facebook.com/nicolejanseninc https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverTheEdge https://www.facebook.com/LeadersOfTransformation https://twitter.com/nicolejansen https://twitter.com/DiscoverTheEdge https:/...

The Best Defense

Written by Cheryl on February 13, 2020. Posted in Health Tips.

As a practicing ninja, I know a thing or two about defense. Most of the time, the best defense against an attack is usually the simplest and the most obvious. Just don’t make yourself vulnerable. It’s cold and flu season, and I’m a germaphobe. Not an over the top crazy kind of germaphobe, but a sensible kind. After all, I spent forty years working in health care, so I also know a little bit about infections, especially how to prevent them. And it’s so simple….wash your hands. Wash them often and wash them well. You don’t need any special equipment or antibacterial soap. All you just need is mild soap and warm water. Wash your hands before and after you eat, use the bathroom, blow your nose, sneeze, cough, touch your face, touch commonly used public surfaces,...

Episode #53 Pelvic Health and Awareness

Written by Cheryl on February 10, 2020. Posted in Femininja Podcast, Uncategorized.

Margaret Woodward, one of the leading pioneers in pelvic floor physical therapy health,explains how dysfunction in the pelvic floor can result in back, knee, hip, and even neck pain, and what we can do about it. Margaret also shares her personal story of facing her own health crisis as well as the proactive steps she took to get her life back on track. Download this information-packed and educational episode to learn more about pelvic dysfunction, interstitial cystitis, pelvic pain, and how you can be proactive and take charge of your health. Knowledge is power! Links: https://www.hopeptlakewood.com/about https://www.pilatespluslakewood.com/ https://www.facebook.com/pilatespluslakewood/

Episode #52: Alternative Health and Healing From Trauma

Written by Cheryl on February 3, 2020. Posted in Femininja Podcast, Uncategorized.

In a follow up episode, Dr. Elva Edwards shares more of her personal story about surviving a terrible car accident that took the lives of her mother, father, and beloved grandmother. Although nineteen month old Elva and her four year old sister survived, they were orphaned by an event that turned their lives upside down. Many of the details were left a mystery to Elva and her sister, because none of the adults wanted to discuss the details of the accident with them. Download this episode to learn how Elva did exhaustive research to find out what really happened that night, and how she was able to be a voice for the parents she lost all those years ago, as well as her passion to help other people heal from childhood trauma. www.drelvaedwards.com

All of her experiences, training and practice contribute to a truly customized workout/core-strengthening program for each of her clients.
-Claudia D.
She not only helped alleviate the pain, she helped me regain flexibility and got me back on my center.
-Misti M-K
She gently guide you so that ultimately you understand your body better and are able to move with greater ease and less pain.
-Gwendolyn P.
Some of the numbness around my knees has subsided and I’ve regained some feeling as well as had deep joint pain reduction. Flexibility and overall strength has increased.
-Melinda C.
Her gentle, loving approach is just what my body needs to fully recover from a recent car accident. I leave each session with a slight tingling sensation and movement seems much more fluid.
-Shannon G
Cheryl’s background in physical therapy, dance, Pilates, Feldenkrais, and martial arts make her very capable of not only understanding movement but helping others achieve their goals!
-Sheila S.

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