As I continue my quest and expand my understanding of what it means to live well with a chronic illness, more and more I am drawn to alternative and non-traditional healing options. I shop nearly exclusively at health food stores these days, choosing the organic option over the non-organic if available. I read, study, and research to make the smartest choices, but ultimately, my body is the best indicator of what is best for me. The more I tune in, the more I notice the relationship between what I put on and in my body to how I am feeling. Lotions and sunscreen filled with chemicals dry my … [Read more...]
Giveaway: The Eat to Beat Fibromyalgia Challenge
What we eat can and does play a role in how we experience the symptoms of fibromyalgia and related chronic illnesses. Even if nutrition is not the initiating cause, it is a major contributing factor and can increase and prolong our symptoms. As the film says - food matters! And speaking from personal experience, I can directly attribute the recent improvements in my health to the majors changes I made in my eating habits - eliminating gluten and processed foods, and increasing lean proteins, and fruits and vegetables. In her program The Eat to Beat Fibromyalgia Challenge, Deirdre Rawlings, … [Read more...]
Learning to Be Mindful Through Meditation
Book Review and Giveaway Last May I challenged myself to a 30 day writing project. My thought being, it takes roughly 30 days to develop a habit, so for each day in May I wrote a blog post. It was a success on some levels, but I failed at making writing a daily habit. Writing is a form of meditation for me. I write more than what you see here on my blog. I do not always enjoy the process of writing, but I enjoy it most when I am singularly focused on it and my only purpose is on finishing my current sentence and thought. I love those moments when I am completely absorbed in the act of … [Read more...]
Lucky Number Two
I was so pleased to have the opportunity to review Yoga for Fibromyalgia and to offer a free copy to one lucky commenter. Andrea was the second person to leave a comment, and her lucky number was selected by Random.org. I wish I had 50 copies to give away! It was fascinating to me reading all of your comments. The first thing that became clear was - we want to heal! Everyone was so encouraged and excited about a resource tailored specifically to our needs, and to my testimonial as to how much yoga has improved my life. I was inspired by your enthusiasm. Second there was the always … [Read more...]
Book Review: Yoga for Fibromyalgia
I may have mentioned it once or twice (like here, here, and here) - I am a huge proponent of yoga. If I had to list the things that have improved my life the most over this past year, yoga would be at the top of my list. I was fortunate to have a great instructor introduce me to a gentle and restorative type of yoga. She also suffers from Fibromyalgia, and through yoga has learned to find balance, energy, and productivity in her life again. Her transformation with yoga was so encouraging she eventually became a certified instructor and began paying her good fortune forward to eager students … [Read more...]