Lately I’ve taken on this weird habit of eating high fat, high calorie foods in order to “fit in” and help people feel comfortable around me when attending professional events. This comes after many years of comments such as, “Ooo, you wellness freaks aren’t gonna make us eat rabbit food are you?” Or, “quick, hide […]
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Use Your Arms!
By Gillian Pieper | Published:And… Walk with purpose today. “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” – Audre Lorde When I’m walking and feeling good I can’t help but pump my arms and put a little bounce in my […]
Read moreWinning Directions = Winning Moves
By Gillian Pieper | Published:Keeping on our favorite theme of more bang for your buck and speaking of quick and easy winning wellness activities… Change directions. Here’s are four moves to do anywhere, anytime that energize and revitalize your whole body. These come to us through our resident yoga expert Anna Van Fleet who is a certified Bikram instructor […]
Read moreWinning Health is What We Do
By Gillian Pieper | Published:Last week, in Vermont, we went on our annual prize patrol. This is one of my favorite days! We gather up awesome party fixin’s and a hefty gift certificate for outdoor gear. One lucky school employee out of 17,000 in this particular PATH group will win that certificate and we must move fast to surprise […]
Read moreMaking Room for Progress — Part Two
By Gillian Pieper | Published:How does one give up comforts and readjust to ever shifting health strategies? There isn’t a formula but we can say three ingredients offer crucial leverage: patience, optimism and social support. When my “coffee and cigarette” friend saw me stew over my morning beverage consternation he said, “Couldn’t you have both?” Cue V-8 slap (oh […]
Read moreMake Room For Progress – Part One
By Gillian Pieper | Published:Last Sunday I heard a pastor tell a reporter the following: “They say even the air conditioner had an impact on our community connections because people were no longer sitting on their porches and interacting with neighbors. So I worry about the unintended consequences of all this technology in religion.” Let’s say he’s right, for […]
Read moreBiggest Bang for Stretching Buck
By Gillian Pieper | Published:If you have time for only one stretch and strengthen exercise, fitness, yoga and pilates experts will say, unequivocally, the truly famous “Downward Dog” is the winner. Blog dog Winnie agrees: And if you have a dog, you know they do this every time the get up to walk around by remote control. Skipping it […]
Read moreWake Up You Sleepy Head
By Gillian Pieper | Published:I just read the original story of Rip Van Winkle (Washington Irving, 1819) and discovered why he really slept for 20 years. He had needy neighbors, bratty kids, an unruly farm, and a really awful wife, of which he cautioned: “… a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.” […]
Read moreA Pocket Full of Anxiety
By Gillian Pieper | Published:All wound up? Is stress making you anxious or down in the dumpy? Mean and slumpy? Take time to make time and lighten your mood by being mindful. No joke. The anxieties of today are very different from primitive times. From the saber tooth tiger to the black plague, worry was overt and right in […]
Read moreHappiness and Mildred’s Mistep
By Gillian Pieper | Published:“In here is the sitting room. I do all my sitting here. I’m becoming quite an expert here… at sitting.” A favorite line from the 1945 movie version of Mildred Pierce with Joan Crawford. Her trust-fund boyfriend tells her this once he’s become the ultimate procrastinator and mooch, and is being forced to sell his grand mansion. […]
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