“And the award for the Word of the Year goes to…”
No, it’s not that kind of thing, even though this is awards season.
Have you ever been directed in a yoga class to think of your intention for that session? I have; and it really helped me color what I was releasing with an exhale, and what I was absorbing when I was inhaling.
Sometimes my mind would drift to calm – worthy – flow … or other concepts that reflected my needs at the moment. We never shared our intentions … It was just something that helped us enrich our yoga experience, and something to carry with us as we walked out the door of the studio and back into the world.
Recently, I stumbled upon a book that promised to guide the reader through the process of selecting their own “Word for the Year.” The author’s website extolled the benefits of doing this, and how they were going to lead the reader through a process of questions and reflections in order to find that perfect word. Testimonies of readers praised the author and her process; they had been doing this for years and had experienced personal growth and achievement.
Okay. With my yoga experience as my own personal testimony, I could hang my hat on this idea. But in spite of being a self-help author myself, I just did not want to spend $14.99 to find my word … and I did not want to go through pages and pages of exercises to get one.
I just filed all this information away in my brain and heart.
Then, after ten days of being home bound due to snow and ice and a lack of caregivers for my husband, I was gratefully out and about once again, sitting at a favorite breakfast spot, sipping coffee.
“Embrace.”
The word just came to me out of nowhere. Well, I know where due to my personal faith.
Embrace is my word for the year. My personal intention for my inner self.
- Embrace the day, this moment, and give to it my best.
- Embrace myself, accepting myself as I am – warts and all.
- Embrace others with good intentions and actions.
- Embrace my gifts and use them.
- Embrace my weaknesses and find a way to improve them or get help to do so.
- Embrace even the hard situations in life; lean into them, and learn from them.
- Embrace the beauty of the world and absorb it into my very being.
Every day I am finding new ways to embrace. I have been somewhat energized with this experience. It is improving my outlook and my take on each day’s activities, and I’m excited to share this concept with you, too.
Maybe you can ponder on this idea of creating your own Word of the Year.
If your life seems to be stuck, maybe you need a word such as reach, or grow, or discover.
If you are starting a long stretch of schooling, maybe words such as steps or empowered, or learning, would meet your needs.
Sorry, but I can’t offer a questionnaire nor probing exercise to plow through to get to your word. This is something you must find by your own journey!
“Just ponder on it, and it will come.”
Embracing my day-
Deidre
Yawning yet? 
expected to last 
life is NOT to kill you. Think about it. You are the host – their home – and they don’t want to burn down their home. What they want to do is MULTIPLY – pure and simple. Keep their species viable; alive and well. As long as you are alive, they are pretty happy feeding off of you.
These micro-organisms do all kinds of crazy things to stay alive. When conditions become unfavorable for their survival, for instance, some form spores. Spores are like time capsules full of DNA instructions and materials that – some day or century – when conditions once again become favorable to grow, multiply, and flourish, they will spring back to life. Presto!
Just count the 
You may have been extra careful washing your hands after hanging over the commode, puking your guts out, but now? How about after a round of diarrhea? Of course 
we get well! If the “stomach flu” is racing through your family or through your child’s classroom, it’s because of germ-filled poopy hands touching things. Those things get touched by those who, n
Well, how are we supposed to wash our hands you ask? I was waiting for that question. Let me cut and paste a segment from my up-coming book about tips for home caregivers of loved ones:
Scouring the house with Clorox wipes is helpful, but proper hand washing and not touching our faces will go a long ways in avoiding not becoming the next victim and in not spreading the bad news around to others.
Forget the New Year’s party hats. Where’s the chicken soup?
In a saucepan, assemble:
Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, and lemon slices in butter and olive oil until onions are translucent.
There is nothing like Mama’s TLC and chicken soup, to be sure, but this comes in at a close second- especially if you are the source of your own TLC!
those muscles and joints feeling? Headaches again? Unhappy belly? More bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea?
g that is going to cause a bad reaction.
how I had ramped up oatmeal’s “goodness” factor by adding chia seeds and coconut oil. I created another oatmeal recipe by adding collagen hydrolysate and coconut oil. Ramped-up protein and brain healthy fat! What could be better?
husband’s room (he is confined to a hospital bed at home). On top of that, I am currently writing another book, “Caregiver’s Handbook for Caring for the Bedridden,” which requires more sitting at the computer. Efforts to go to the gym once or twice a week are being met, along with home stretches to break up sitting sessions, and almost daily planks.
Everything from my waist down hurt. Heels first. Then hips. Then legs. Is it possible to get that old so fast? Is this my life forever?
l.
different things. As my beloved continues to slumber more than 15 hours a day now, it would be easy for me to just ‘spin in place’ as I watch his winding down. The three rounds of planks that energized me on Tuesday, are just not motivating me today. My yoga mat is not calling to me.
oncept instead.
The first step is to smash-up some watermelon.
Having made this three times this week, my salad contents have varied with the addition of leftover sautéed okra, avocado, mango, blueberries, steamed broccoli, and of course that chicken.
gulping in fresh air before taking another dive? That’s me, too! Taking vacations can definitely help, but we need to “breathe” more often than that.
ly! Yikes!
In my case as a 24/7 caregiver, just getting away several times a week has helped – but only so much. Solo trips to the gym or walks around the waterfront answered only a part of my needs.
t has its place. Usually in group conversation, however, the talk bounces around; others throw thoughts into the mix, and more diverse news is shared.
week-check
appreciate its full brilliance.
takeoff. What switches are we supposed to flip in order to “power up” our engines? There are so many on our dashboard. Can we realistically try to flip them all every day; or are there a critical few that will give us the lift and acceleration we need for a good takeoff and flight?
The goal is not to feel like a failed, spineless weakling if we are not doing these things. The idea is to lead a natural, comfortable life that uses nature’s laws to optimize health – and – to accept the responsibility of intention.
Granted, smooth uninterrupted daily routines probably exist only in fairy tales.
last post 
coffee is brewing. Did your grandmother do this? Mine did. She swore by it and lived to be over 100. Today, we know that a simple drink of lemon juice in warm water is a marvelous detoxifier, helps regulate bowels, and actually helps de-acidify the digestive system! Start by using the juice of ½ of a lemon in one cup of warm water. Swish your mouth out to eliminate remaining juice from reacting with tooth enamel.
Cookies- plain coffee just doesn’t do it for me anymore. Learn about this amazing drink 
One of the best articles I have read about the benefits and history of oil pulling is found 
mouth but the entire body because toxins are absorbed into the oil which is spit out. Coconut oil is highly absorbent so its benefits of moisturizing skin, raising healthy blood cholesterol, increasing energy, and killing toxins are easily accessed by oil pulling.
and put into your mouth and chew on it until it is a swish-able liquid. Hint: You may want to start with a smaller amount just to help yourself warm up to the experience.
o vigorous that you tire your muscles!
solid at cooler temperatures, remember.
So if you are not getting up an hour early each day for the ‘perfect start,’ then just know there are a few things that you can do in your normal, real-life routine that will definitely perk up your body and your day.
e in!
In everything we do, signals are being ‘pinged’ back and forth between the two hemispheres through special nerve pathways between them. This simple technique helps balance the two hemispheres’ activities (as revealed through before and after MRIs), and strengthens mental focus and clarity.
finger of your LEFT hand. The index finger goes on back of the ear lobe and the thumb goes on the front.
Practicing this simple move each day helps to connect and re-energize the nerve pathways between the two brain hemispheres. Don’t worry about doing deep squats, this is more of a brain thing than a physical exercise. Increasing the number of repetitions over time until you are doing this a few minutes, will definitely, “Do your body good!”
which I stand on one foot while brushing my teeth. As mentioned in the exercise chapter of my book, 
a stronger, more positive personal presence, she shares the famous quote of William James (1842-1910), who was a renowned psychologist at Harvard: “I don’t sing because I am happy. I am happy because I sing.”
The ‘victory stance’ is genetically ingrained. People around the world, across cultures, and even the blind, who have never seen a ‘victory stance’ naturally, assume that pose after great personal accomplishments. Feet apart, chin slightly elevated, hands thrown up in the air outstretched.
minimalist postures trying to make yourself disappear. Practice in private to be ‘bigger’ to take more space. Hold that chin up, open up your chest, and thrust your arms skyward.
2017 is looking up!
So let’s blast off each day with a little something that is yummy, delicious, and easy to do. This is also excellent for your energy levels, clarity, and focus – AND – is full of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammation elements which will soothe your insides.
Blitz this in a blender or use an immersion blender.
What I have discovered about Power Coffee is that I am not ‘charged up’ in a jittery way. I am focused. There is no need to ‘dig deep’ to get out of my chair to start the day’s activities. I am experiencing very stable energy levels and my ‘drive’ lasts and lasts. This is all on coffee that is 50% decaf.
with amazing anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show, turmeric is protective against forming the precursors of Alzheimer’s. Its anti-inflammatory properties are shown to relieve symptoms of arthritis, and it is protective against cancer.
