As you ease (or crash) back into schools days, we ask this…

Behold the night sky. Why? Because it’s good for the soul. What’s good for soul adds quality years to your life.

There’s little argument over the fact that taking a pause, being in the moment and shutting down the racing mind all reap profound health benefits. Add in spontaneous deep breaths and the joy of awe, or appreciation of beauty, and you’ve got a magical healing potion that beats all.

Moreover, the benefits of the awe we feel in watching the sky last long after the moment itself. The feelings of generosity and general life satisfaction persist for hours, if not days.

Sharing those effects with loved ones boosts the effects beyond belief. When you catch that perfect sky just at the right time, in the right weather? Oh my. Being able to remind each other of that perfect moment, helps us devour and continue to savor its bounty for years to come.

Finally, the luck and privilege of living in Vermont allows us VIP access to the stars, often denied to city dwellers or urban captives.

Stand on top of the Green Mountains and watch the moon set as the sun rises (or vice versa) and you will never forget it. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and remember being there. The healing rush starts all over again.

September is a fun month for the sky as the bright star Regulus returns to view. The brightest star in the constellation Leo, Regulus means Little King, Price, The Heart of the Lion, The Great, and The Mighty. All around the world, through several conflicted cultures, all agree that this one star is the anchor of the masterful Lion. He is the star we can all count on. A bright light at the center of a forthcoming autumn.

That’s another great feat of the sky… The moon rises here in Vermont just as it does in over Timbuktu, Machu Pichu, The Great Wall and Mount Sinai. The colors of a sunset persist worldwide, holding us all on common ground. Our hearts beat for the same beauty no matter how we appear on the outside or what we believe in doctrine.

As the winds of change whirl, the human condition ever remains tethered to the peace and beauty of our lands, our stars and moon, which in turn anchors us inextricably to each other.

Soak it up and share it with all of us. We can’t wait to see your photos of Week 10!.

See you on the PATH Ahead,

Gillian, Shevonne, Amy, Ashley and the entire VEHI PATH Team

It’s Week Nine and the perfect time to begin practicing mindfulness regularly.  Students are arriving in their classrooms momentarily and while there’s probably plenty of excitement associated with a new year there may also be some apprehension and stress afoot.

What exactly does the term “mindfulness” mean?  Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD from Western Massachusetts who has led the movement to spread the value of mindfulness throughout Western society for the past several decades,  defines “mindfulness” as present-focused attention that is non judgemental.

Though this definition may sound simple and readily achievable, keeping one’s thoughts and focus in the present moment without judgement about oneself or others requires rigorous regular practice throughout one’s lifetime.   The speed of thoughts from our brains to our neural endings is incredibly fast, much faster than a road runner, at 170 miles per hour. Keeping our thoughts in the present for 15-20 minutes every day is quite the feat. However, if we  integrate daily mindfulness practices into our lives, our minds, much like a well cared-for garden, will grow and create abundance and beauty.

To remain in the present means that every time one notices their thoughts have moved into the past or the future, to name that and let go of it.  Remaining present focused requires repeated formal and informal methods of practice. Formal practices focus on integrating meditation and some yoga  into one’s daily routine for 20-30 minutes. To do so, you will want to find a space in which you can truly focus on the present in a quiet uninterrupted area.  Perhaps you will want to make use of a specific meditation app on your phone to assist you in doing so.

As well, you may choose to engage in an informal practice.  For example, taking 20-30 minutes to walk outdoors in silence while listening for sounds, feeling the earth and the weather around your face, feet and body and taking a keen interest to really study something you spot up close is informal practice.  Or maybe your informal practice takes place when you are washing a vehicle or doing the dishes while focusing only on the water temperature and the soap and the sounds.

In July, I had the privilege of participating in the course Kabat-Zinn designed entitled Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in an idyllic location in southern New York with 150 individuals from around the world. The course was intense, especially the requirement that we be in the classroom every day by 6:30 a.m. for an hour of silent meditation. Throughout each day we were asked to participate in many formal and informal mindfulness practices, including a day of silence where we also could not make eye contact with others or converse during meals.  All of these expectations were designed to help us become more attuned to the present and to appreciate everything that was noticed.

Regular mindfulness practices are guaranteed to build resilience and significantly reduce the perception of our stressors.  Explore it and share your photos with our team. As Jon Kabat Zinn says, “Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is, and allow yourself to be exactly as you are.”

See you on the PATH Ahead,

Shevonne, Gillian, Amy and Ashley

It’s week eight of the Sizzlin Summer Challenge and we are off to the farm – a trip, that as Vermonters, we are likely to take for granted given our state’s landscape.  That said, I grew up in the city of Pittsburgh where farms were far from nearby.  Thankfully, my parents insisted on piling us all into our Chevy Bel Air station wagon once or twice each summer to try our hand at milking cows, jumping on hay bales, playing with lambs and meeting Old McDonald.

Whether in Vermont or elsewhere during your travels this summer, farm visit possibilities are endless. Having just returned from a week in the province of Quebec I highly recommend a trip over the border to discover the fall strawberry fields.  The farms are jam packed (did you catch that pun?) with the most delicate and delicious berries, a scrumptious and tasty treat especially with a little added cream. And lest I not forget, the lavender farm in Stanstead, Quebec, known as Bleu Lavande, is another excursion I recommend you add to your bucket list. The fields of lavender bloom in July, August and September in exquisite colors and the surrounding aroma is absolutely marvelous.

Back in Vermont, the apple orchards in the Champlain Valley are now teeming with apples soon ready for picking and some serious drooling.  Cider, apple crisp and chowing down on a rich variety of apples is always high on my list.  And then there are the vineyards now springing up throughout the state, wherein you may be able take part in harvesting the grapes or in some grape stomping.

Perhaps you are more interested in paying a visit to one of Vermont’s 850 dairy farms or branching out to explore an alpaca, emu, chicken or turkey farm.  You might wish to spend a bit of time volunteering to help a farmer with stacking hay or cleaning out stalls. In fact, there are farms throughout the USA (Farm Stay) that offer guests the chance to either participate in farm chores or spend time observing all the different aspects of farming.

In 1787, while in Paris, Thomas Jefferson penned the following message to George Washington: “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.”

Let’s revel in all the ways agriculture reflects our values and our history this week.  Venture out to a farm and get your hands dirty.  Spend some time meeting the farmers and learning more about their lives.   I guarantee it will be good for your soul.

See you on the PATH Ahead,

Shevonne, Gillian, Amy and Ashley

“Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills”  – Stevie Nicks

I know, I know it’s still summer. I’m not trying to speed time. It’s just a sweet reminder of the power of walking through the woods to achieve great heights, then turning to reflect.

What do you see? When you push yourself to new heights, what’s the upshot?

Better yet, why do we stop when trying to push ourselves? Why do some power on ahead at unimaginable odds?

There’s an old adage we’re used to telling each other… “Listen to your body.” Turns out that’s misleading.

Your body does know best and will react to physical exertion with smart cues to help you endure limit pushing. The misleading part is that the brain loves to hijack this system. Let’s just say that the brain is your very nerdy, overly cautious Marcy to your get-over-it, nothing-can-get-in-my-way Peppermint Patty body. In other words, your brain senses your body is going for baroque and tells you to stop and think it over first. The truth is that your body can do quite a lot more than your brain let’s on.

In the ancient forest and fields the brain’s caution was a good thing because we were in fact pushing ourselves to the true limit. But today in our far less physical world, those queues have gotten a little, shall we say, wimpy and nervous.

And therein lies the answer to why some people can do outrageous things with their bodies that the rest of us can’t even imagine. Marvel at how people are running 100 miles on Vermont route 100, all at once, for example. Check out our friend Lindsay Simpson, formerly the Agency of Education’s Physical Education coordinator. This past July, at 41, she won the women’s division and finished in the top 10 overall. It took her 18 hours, 2 mins and 21 seconds, averaging a 10:49 mile pace! Whenever things got “dark”, she said, she would simply count steps. One, two, three….

Then there’s the king of Crossfit, Vermonter Mathew Fraser, who just won the international Crossfit Games 2018 for the third year in a row. Besides being known as the Fittest Man on Earth, he’s supremely good at handling the pain of hard work — the Pain Cave, as many crossfitters like to call it. When the rest of us say, “I’m out,” Matt soldiers on telling his brain that he’s got this.

Then there’s Amelia Harris, my young friend who has limited use of one arm and both legs. This week she successfully ventured out in a kayak with smiles and cheers. Her summit was on a lake. Matt’s was on a podium and Lindsay’s was on a Vermont highway. And mine? I scrambled up the stairs onto an airplane to hold my mom’s hand at a hospital in Michigan.

We don’t’ know what tomorrow brings, so go ahead, become what we call “Summit Proof”… Push yourself so that you have the strength and the reserves to get through life’s challenges. We must always be in training, always working toward those moment to moment summits of survival and passion beyond the odds.

Plainly put, pushing yourself is a state of mind worth exploring. It’s exciting and produces endorphins to beat the band. Of course we want to be cautious but when it comes to adventure and exertion, as a whole, most of us are due for some body brilliance. Push yourself toward inspiration this week and past the brain’s outmoded stop gap measures.

You can and you will, one step, one weight, one paddle, one breath, one hand squeeze at a time.

See you on the PATH Ahead…

Gillian, Shevonne, Amy, Ashley and the VEHI PATH team.

This week is the time for decluttering and donating to charity.  In an effort to get ahead of the game, I convinced my spouse that we needed less clutter in our bedroom. Thus we decided to jettison one dresser and full confession – it was his dresser we eliminated.

Within minutes he rifled through five drawers and the majority of clothing went into a trash bag (I think it had been over a decade since he had gone through the drawers).  We then successfully wrestled the bulky dresser down a flight of stairs and placed it at the edge of the driveway with a brightly colored “Free” sign taped to the side.  In less than an hour it was someone else’s new treasure and we whooped and hollered.

My family and I have been living in the same household for 19 years. Suffice to say our accumulations outweigh what we have disposed of. Not only do we have an abundance of furnishings in our farmhouse, we also have three other buildings on the property; a garage, a barn and yes, a playhouse constructed by our daughter and her father over several years. It’s definitely time to say adieu to maps, old garden hoses, life jackets that have lost their punch and glass bottles collected in the 1950s by long gone relatives.

Now that we have tackled a tidbit of decluttering I am prepared to engage in a much lengthier purge.   According to organizational consultants, clutter holds us back from living fully and in the present. The more organized our homes and our offices, the healthier we will become. Though I have yet to read any of Marie Kondo’s books, (she is the Japanese organizing consultant known as the decluttering guru), I am ready to give some of her enduring tips a try.

Kondo suggests that all tidying take place at once rather than one project or room at a time. For me, that probably means allowing myself a four to six month window.  Next, before throwing anything away, she says individuals must visualize their ideal lifestyle and dig deeper as to why they want to live the way they envision.  For example, if you want to live free of clutter to get more rest, what is underneath that statement? When you discover the answer as to why you truly want to be tidy, it’s time to get started.

Kondo suggests following an ordered decluttering routine – clothes first, then books, then paper and finally miscellaneous items.  Work with one category at a time. For example, if you wish to tackle books, first put them all in one pile from wherever they might presently live.  And then – and here’s the illuminating and magic moment – rather than focusing only on items to trash, (which Kondo says will only bring unhappiness), you must take time to cherish what you love. To do so, take each item into your arms and ask yourself “Does this spark joy?” If yes, then it stays. If it doesn’t it’s time to say farewell and discard it.

Lastly Kondo says when we allow unused possessions to leave us, it liberates their energy as well as our own.  Perhaps my husband’s former dresser is now rocking and rolling in its new environment.  Based on Kondo’s assumptions, donating to charity or gifting items to others will bring you happiness and bliss.

Clutter be gone!  Post your favorite photos.

See you on the PATH Ahead,

Shevonne, Gillian, Amy and Ashley

No way. Pizza can be super nutritious and totally creative. Figuring out how to make it healthy AND yummy for ALL the people in your life is a bit of insanity but part of the fun. Aunt Sally might like anchovies, for example, and you might as well but you never knew until you tried them! A sense of adventure and a little sharing is all that’s required.

Creative crusts can be made from just about anything these days. Eating Well magazine has a two-ingredient recipe of self-rising flour and greek yogurt, another for whole wheat crust and a third for cauliflower crust. That’s right cauliflower. I’m telling you, it’s deeelish, honest.

There are plenty of other options including a myriad of gluten-free ideas. King Arthur Flour, Bob’s Red Mill and Pamela’s products all have options with or without their pre-made mixes.

An article from Bustle.com gives recipes for cauliflower, eggplant, quinoa, sweet potato and even beet crusts. Seriously, anything can become a healthy base for tossing with veggies, organic sauce, and organic, humanely raised, grass-fed, antibiotic-free cheese. Whew! Doesn’t get healthier than that!

Or does it? When it comes to healthy eating, there are a lot of rules. And the rules are ever changing. Nutrition science is moving at the speed of light leaving us dazed and confused at every turn. We famously say in Vermont, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” Nutrition do’s and don’ts now live in that same company.

And don’t dare bring up food topics at parties or you’ll go down the same rabbit hole as often occurs when talking politics. Like pushing a cure for the common cold, we each rattle off our die-hard fix-it codes not to be undermined. The latest craze, the latest ingredient to avoid, the latest industry to try to kill us, the latest research gone bad… ARGH! It’s enough to make you curl up in a ball. Food is loaded.

So how do you have a fun, healthy meal with loved ones without trauma? Pizza.

The only rule we suggest is that everyone bring their own rendition (or ingredients) so they can all stay on their own target for their current healthy eating plan and can offer some to share, anchovies or not.

Beyond that, one simple food rule (as of today) is to limit the hidden and added sugars in your crust and sauce recipes (sauces are notorious for sneaking in a ton of sweetners). White flour can be as hard on the body as sugar too so limit it where you can.

For ultimate health, though, when all the dust settles on these eating do’s and don’ts, the ingredient that matters most is being together. We know that. Human nature requires it. Other people matter.

Toss ideas together, learn from each other, be creative, eat a lot of plant-based foods and enjoy sharing. Again, other people matter. We just can’t say it enough.

“When the moon hits your eye like a pizza pie, that’s amore!” (Songwriters: Harry Warren / Jack Brooks)

See you on the PATH Ahead,

Gillian, Shevonne, Amy, Ashley and the whole VEHI PATH Team.

Welcome to Week Four

We have just crossed the midpoint of summer meaning it’s the perfect time to host a game night; be it an indoor or outdoor game.  Games feed our souls, challenge us, stave off boredom, demand new interactions with friends or family and provide the impetus for a good belly laugh. We probably all have memories of games introduced to us as children whether these were shared among the neighborhood clan or during a summer day or overnight camp.

Earlier this summer, I was elated (yes, I was jumping up and down) to receive an invitation to join the local bocce league.  But that invitation also created some angst as I am brand new to the game, a lefty and certainly not up to speed on the various rules.  Nonetheless, I showed up and thus far, it has been a joy.  I have met community members I never previously interacted with and my ability to land the bocce ball next to the pallino is slowly improving.  While bocce is competitive, it is a game that can be played by individuals of all ages.  The closer in our league, Wes, just celebrated his 87^th birthday.

During the VEHI PATH June Institute, we set up an assortment of lawn games on the patio of the Burke Mountain Resort– Corn hole, Ladder Ball, Spike Ball and Kan Jam- for school teams to learn, play and test their skills.  What fun it was one evening to play a round robin of these games.

Indoor games, especially on a rainy summer weekend, can be a welcome reprieve.  There are so many to choose from – board games, charades, card games, trivia- the choices are endless. Over the holidays last December I was introduced to a game known as “salad bowl,” easily played while sprawling on sofas and chairs.  I highly recommend it as multiple people can play and it is guaranteed to bring forth the giggles.

According to history, the oldest board game, called Senet, was played in Predynastic Egypt.  Therein, Go and Liubo, two Chinese games and backgammon followed suit.   We are eager to see what your game night might look like this week.  Red Rover, Red Rover, we dare you to come over.

See you on the PATH Ahead,

Shevonne, Gillian, Amy and Ashley

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein

And what better way to be creative than to enjoy Live Music? A 2018 study from the UK showed that 20 minutes of a live performance improved emotional well-being by 21%.

The shared experience with others was a key factor along with improving self worth and stimulating the mind. The outcomes were so good the researchers feel 20 minutes every couple of weeks could add nine, count ‘em, NINE years to your life!

The study was done by a behavioral scientist but was also commissioned by a concert venue so take that into account. Nevertheless, intuitively we all know music soothes the savage beast and heals the soul. Research is beginning to back up those melodious cliches, and we are soooo down with that!

The minute your favorite tune pops up on the radio or in any setting really, everything in your body changes, right? Heck, nearly every major celebration or milestone has music alongside. It’s a great feeling, a rush of joy, and all the good memories that go with it. My personal favorite is Fantasy by Earth, Wind and Fire (yup, I’m a 70’s and 80’s girl). It’s not rational. It just makes me all a flutter!

Most certainly, though, the best part of this story, as wellness people, is the idea that live music as a shared experience improves health. We can’t say it enough, “other people matter.” Just picture it. You and a buddy slapping a high five after a rockin’ set of sweet tunes. It’ll leave you smiling for years to come.

Gather up your peeps and get to a live gig this week. Doctor’s orders!

Welcome to Week Two of  the PATH Sizzlin’ Summer Challenge.  Performing a random act of kindness is the name of the game this week and the possibilities are infinite. It may be as simple as opening a door for someone or offering to carry a package for an elderly person whose hands are full.  Or perhaps it’s a bit more involved and requires more time; Donating blood, pulling off on a roadside to help an individual in distress, assisting someone who has taken a spill, offering to mow someone’s lawn or bringing a neighbor a freshly picked pint of raspberries.

As I write this I remain mesmerized by the random acts of kindness hundreds of individuals are providing to the 12 boys and their football coach who have been trapped inside Thailand’s Tham Luang  cave for the past two weeks. Since being discovered alive by a group of British divers, a team of 90 expert divers ,40 from Thailand and 50 from overseas, have been working in the cave system.  They have repeatedly carried food, water and oxygen to the youth through the cave’s treacherous conditions and have done their best to provide impromptu swimming lessons to further assure the boys’ safety as they attempt to extricate them through the water-filled cave using scuba diving equipment.

And that’s not all.  Around the cave’s entrance, hundreds of volunteers have set up a 24 hour tent city and are preparing thousands of meals each day for the youth, their family members  and the volunteers. Thailand’s king is fully on board demonstrated by his commitment to send multiple truckloads of food to the site. A method for family members to communicate with their children inside the cave is now in place. Contractors have worked day in and out to set up huge machines that  pump thousands of liters of water every hour from the cave.

As I believe is fully evidenced by Thailand’s and other countries response to this harrowing rescue operation, the  energy that is unlocked when we engage in random acts of kindness is immeasurable and contagious. Researchers have found  that one’s level of happiness and one’s sense of well-being immediately increases following a random act of kindness. On top of that, individuals performing random acts of kindness are apt to feel  the “helper’s high”, made possible because the neurochemicals dopamine, serotonin and endogenous opioids are released and kick into gear. Ka Ching!!!

And when two or more people are engaged in kindness oriented behavior, more oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, is released.  In fact, the simple witnessing of others being kind can release the same “feel good” chemicals that doing an act of kindness can produce.

This energy is easily transferred to the recipients of acts of kindness, making it much more likely that they will share kindness with others, creating the magic of contagiousness. Feeling connected melds people together and kindness is a powerful way to strengthen a sense of community and belonging.

My first memory of performing a random act of kindness was preparing  May Day baskets of wildflowers and delivering them anonymously at the crack of dawn to some households in my neighborhood.  I was all of six years of age when I began what became a yearly tradition until I became a distracted teenager. Surprising people in this way brought me tremendous pleasure.  Now I realize I was probably experiencing “the helper’s high.”

We are anxious to see how you engage in a random act of kindness this week and we look forward to your posts. Imagine how it will feel to lift up your heart and your soul.  As a result, perhaps your random act of kindness will catch on causing an epidemic of kindness.

See you on the PATH Ahead,

Shevonne, Gillian, Amy and Ashley.

Welcome to Summer! And our annual challenge!

The heat is on. Whew, today plans to be the hottest day of the year (so far) and this week equally steamy!

It’s week one of the Sizzlin’ Summer Challenge and we’re “Building Something.”

Heat Warning! Just a word of precaution if you are building something with your hands this week and you’re outside or not in air conditioning, watch your reaction to the heat. Take frequent breaks in cool shade and, of course, drink lots of water. Don’t forget to add some electrolytes to your drinks (Himalayan pink salt and lemon in your water, Nunn tablets, Ultima powder or Powerpaks are all great options).

Building Something: Several people told us they were afraid to do the summer challenge this year because they “couldn’t possibly build anything.” Well, the famous classic painter Edward Hopper once said:

“No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination.”

Think about it, the world is yours. You can go big and build something in the carpentry realm like a table, chair, bridge, desk, etc.. Or you could go small and build a house for fairies near a tree in the woods using leaves, nut shells, rocks and twigs.

Funny thing is, making something with your hands boosts happiness and overall mental health. For a few hours, you unplug from social media, news onslaughts, and other heady issues, to bring beauty and function to your world. Exercising your creativity is as important as actual exercise.

I was raised by a pioneering, innovative, spirited woman with a depression-era mentality. When she wanted something done, she went to the library, quickly learned about it and then came home and muscled it to life. My sister and I would watch in awe (and stayed the heck out of her way by golly). Etched in my soul is the look on her face each time she’d step back and survey her creations with satisfaction, “And that, my girls, is how it’s done.”

Her built-in bunk beds at our 1931 shack of a cabin in northern Ontario have been a family staple for dozens of kids over 50 years. As a working mom, she didn’t have time or money to wait for someone else to show up.

I inherited that spirit from her and built a desk for my treadmill one day when I couldn’t find a cheap one or afford what was on the market. Other projects have fallen under my belt: deck stairs, a powder room, a ramp for my dogs, gardens, closets and walls, to name a few. I’ve gotta say, it’s a powerful feeling to step back and say “I did that.”

Given what you all do for Vermont families (i.e. lifting them up and building our future), I’m certain you are up to the task of the pioneering spirit. Give yourself a boost by engaging your brain and heart in the satisfying act of using your hands. Your local library and hardware store are excellent resources along with YouTube and your neighbors and friends. Remember, Vermont is a pioneering kind of state with a wealth of “you-can-do-it” knowledge.

Make your physical contribution to the world, even if temporary, and allow us to pat you on the back. You deserve it!