PatSamples

We're All Innocent

Author, Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz I spent some time with a man who was dying recently. Gathered around him were his adult children from two marriages. As they took care of him in his final weeks and prepared for his death, they wanted desperately to receive from their father the one thing most of them had never heard-a few words that would say that he loved and appreciated them. Some of them even hoped for a moment of large grace where he would acknowledge and apologize for what an abusive and negligent father he had been. It never happened. More…

How to Interview Your Body

Author, Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz Got unexplained aches, pains, tension or tingles, rashes, or tiredness? Your body is sending you some kind of distress signal. Like a smoke alarm, it’s trying to get your attention so you’ll put out the fire.  It’s clueing you in that something you’re doing, thinking, or feeling isn’t good for you. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to figure out what that is. More…

Worried About Falling?

Author, Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz A common myth you hear among older people is that we can't get down on the floor. "I won't be able to get back up."  That's what I heard repeatedly from a group of women in their seventies and eighties last week when I met with them one morning at their cooperative housing building. But not only did they get down on the floor to do warm-up stretching in preparation for an hour of improvisational dance, they seemed to have little difficulty arising from the floor when it was time to do so. Once they started relaxing and having fun, they forgot their "can't." More…

The Christmas Leftovers: What Feelings Did You Take Home?

Author, Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Bellywww.bodyodyssey.biz  More…

Give Your Body the Best Gift for the Holidays

Author of Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz When I get too busy or lazy to take care of my body, my body is quick to complain. I get backaches, my stomach gets queasy, or I have trouble falling sleep. Our bodies are very smart, and they know what’s good for them and what isn’t. Oddly, instead of respecting that wisdom and ceasing the activity that stresses our bodies, we often try to stop  the complaints by taking Tums, painkillers, or sleeping pills. In this season of goodwill toward all, we forget to be kind to our bodies. We stuff them with foods that strain our digestive system. We fail to exercise. And we get too little sleep. Then we feel guilty about it—and our bodies hurt! More…

What's the Story in Your Suitcase?

If you could represent something important in your life -- your family, your heritage, your passion -- with just a few symbols, what would they be?  Two artists in  Minneapolis-- Susan Armstrong and Carla Vogel -- have created a project called Talking Suitcases, in which they help people tell important stories about their lives. They work with students, senior, immigrants, and other groups to create individualized "talking suitcases" that are quite remarkable. More…

Want to Write a Memoir?

Author, Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz Whenever I tell people that I write books, the response is often an eager "Really? That's what I want to do," and they start telling me a story of great importance to them. Everyone has had experiences worth writing about. In the second half of life, the desire to turn them into a book often becomes compelling. People want their story told in order to leave a mark on the world. More…

Been Swinging Lately?

Author of Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz Whenever I’m out walking and I pass a playground, I can’t resist hopping onto one of the swings. I loved swinging as a kid, and I still do. No rules every said I couldn’t do it after I reached sixty. It’s the closest thing I can find to achieve what I think is everyone’s inborn desire to fly freely through the air—at least until I take up hang-gliding. More…

Say Thanks for the Health of It

Author of Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz Did you know that appreciation is good for your health? I’ve read about two recent studies that document direct health benefits from being thankful. Lowers stress hormones, for one thing. And evens out heart rhythms. I’m glad there’s now scientific evidence for such benefits, but it’s common sense, too. We feel better when in the state of gratitude. Even pain can seem less bothersome. More…

Say It With Eggs

Author: Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly www.bodyodyssey.biz    I just presented another one of my Body Lessons for the Rest of Your Life workshops, and guess what? I gave every woman there a chance to throw eggs. More…