Living the Dream

I have  been pretty quiet for some time post-pandemic and post-move.  Relocating to Florida has consumed my life and with good reason.  I needed to concentrate on all things house to make it happen. Unless you have lived through it, you have no idea how stressed you can become in a move and the magic bullet is to remain organized!  That I did, trying to make appointments way ahead of time and breaking down chores and tackling them individually.  It is important to maintain priorities and to realize you cannot complete everything in an impossible timeline.  I managed to bring some furniture with me but I have been okay with empty rooms and would much rather leave them like that than fill them with furniture that I hate six months from now. I also made it a rule to do something for myself for at least an hour or two a day:  go for a walk, hit the beach, take a Spin class, watch a little Netflix, take a nap, etc. and the list goes on.  This leaves you recharged and ready to tackle more.  It is a rule that has kept me sane moving to another state which requires more housekeeping than usual like changing your tag and title and voter’s registration:  all important items that verify your identity.  I have taken things in stages like buying fans, lamps, chandeliers and having my closets gutted.  When I become overwhelmed, I know it is time to “take a break” and step away for a while.  Everything will be there when you come back.  Right now, my next projects are living room furniture, a light fixture for my cathedral ceiling and decorative frames for my bathroom mirrors.  Doing all of this while still maintaining a full time remote job and teaching Pilates Mat in my community and Reformer sessions at Club Pilates has keep me a very busy girl.

What do I miss about New York and what do I love about my new state?  I do not miss the dense population and congestion of New York after just having returned for a visit this week.  More than ever, it seems like a million people are all squashed into a few square miles and they are not happy campers at all.  Just angry, irritable human beings who are looking for a better life.  I have found mine in my adopted state where I wake up to sunshine 365 days a year.  Even when it does rain, it is brief and more often than not it turns into sun shower.  Something I never experienced in New York. Thunderstorms are frequent – also something I have not often lived through in New York. I do love that crack of thunder and often run outside to watch the sky light up.  Living so close to the Kennedy Space Center I can view the launches and I recently saw the SpaceX Falcon 9 take off on August 4^th at 7:03 p.m.  I do miss seeing my co-workers in person (ZOOM has to suffice for now) and my Pilates clients and students – however social media helps me stay connected with all of them.  I have met a whole new group of friends that have enriched my life and made me feel at home.  My new neighbors come from all over the US:  North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, California, Chicago, South Carolina, Washington, DC, Massachusetts, New Jersey, etc.  All of us have left our old group of friends back in our home towns and embraced new ones in our new community.  I don’t miss the change of seasons and, even though I still have my ski parka and snow boots, I have no desire to see another snowflake!   I have been taking pickleball lessons and have heard it is the fastest growing sport in the USA.  I bought the cutest outfits and figure they will motivate me to work on my serve LOL. Time will tell.  All in all, I am delighted after having tackled a major move successfully, especially since my home is worth double what I paid after only 10 months.  It seems ridiculous but it is entirely true.  Can’t beat that return on investment! 

As I sit on my wraparound porch in my new Adirondack chairs watching the glorious sunset, I realize how lucky I am to live in paradise.    

The Agile Workplace

Our office recently renovated to create an Agile Workplace using sit-stand desks.   As much as I enjoy this new working concept, I realized early on there are certain adjustments to be made in order for you to fully take advantage of the benefits.  As a fitness professional, I felt it necessary to share my observations. 

Forward Head Posture

Poor posture has become the norm rather than the exception in the 21st century — the result of our sedentary lifestyles, leaning forward, slouching or hunching over in front of a computer, cellphone or tablet puts extra strain on your back and can lead to an abnormal curve in the upper vertebrae along with a mass of tissue that forms at the base of the neck. In addition, some of us are predisposed if we have conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis and/or spinal fractures.  Bad posture is the most common cause of a dowager’s hump. You have an increased curve in the upper neck so you have to lift the head, so it protrudes forward.  That forward head posture, or FHP as it is called, increases the risk of disk problems and neck fatigue. Our muscles aren’t made for that kind of curve. It can cause upper and lower back pain and even some difficulty with tightness in the legs. 

Old Wives' Tales? Yaass! 👍

I always believe in pursuing a natural, more holistic way of dealing with health issues.  So it’s time I share my favorite “old wives’ tales” that work for me.  These can absolutely assist with the challenges we face in this COVID environment.  The key is to stay on top of your symptoms and act swiftly.  Here we go:

Fighting COVID-19 By Addressing Junk Food

Even from the very beginning, I instinctively knew that diet played a big part in fighting COVID-19. I was and have been super-diligent about what I put in my body and I feel it has paid off.  I feel healthy and lucky that I did not succumb to this horrible illness.  It’s all about keeping your immune system strong and functioning at a very high level.  Junk food is really “bottled poison” but, unfortunately, many of us are addicted to it.  Cutting back on junk food consumption can really help us avoid the risk of COVID-19 and other health issues. 

Ajna Acupressure Mat

I received an awesome gift recently from my nephew and his wife and feel the need to share.  In these times of “social distancing", many of us are missing touch in the form of massage and acupuncture.  These are two modalities that I have used continually in my life until a few months ago. So this gift arrived at the perfect moment! 

The Tapping Solution

Living through the stress of  COVID-19 has us feeling, anxious, depressed, fearful and uncertain about what the future will bring.  These are unprecedented times and no one has an answer as to when all this will come to a end.  The barrage of constant negative information that we hear from the media has us all in “fight or flight” syndrome.  I have recently become enraptured with Tapping, also known as EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques).  It is a powerful holistic healing technique that has been proven to effectively resolve a range of issues, including stress, anxiety, phobias, emotional disorders, chronic pain, addiction and binge eating, just to name a few.