Health is not Simply the Absence of Sickness ...

A quote I came across by Hannah Green ... dont ask me who she is/was, I don't know and apparently nor does Google. But its a great quote nonetheless.

In 1948, the World Health Assembly defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"

So that's what it means to be healthy. Wow, that's a really tall order if you ask me. First of all it's a state of complete well being, not partly or almost but complete well being. And then ... it's not just physical but mental and social well being also. That's a whole lot to strive for!

No wonder we're seeing Wellness programs all over the place. Have you noticed? There's Chiropractic for Wellness, Workplace Wellness, Financial Wellness, Faith-based Wellness, Wellness through Yoga, Organic Wellness, Shrimp Gumbo (just wanted to make sure you were still reading), Womens' Wellness .... Oh yeah, even me ... my business card reads Massage for Health and Wellness.

Traditional medicine, exercise, nutrition, massage therapy, spirituality, psychotherapy ... All little pieces of the healthy you puzzle. I guess its not that much to strive for .... physical and emotional health really do go hand in hand anyway. And if you're feeling healthy physically, and balanced emotionally ... your social life is enhanced because others want to be around happy and healthy people.

So New Year's resolutions are right around the corner. Anyone want to get healthy with me?

Be Well,
Lea

"Relax" is a verb

Stress is part of our everyday lives. Some stress is even good for us. It keeps our bodies and minds alert and can even boost performance levels. But, as we all know - too much stress can be overwhelming. When the going gets too tough and life's demands exceed your ability to cope, stress becomes a threat to both your physical and emotional well-being.
Recent research suggests that anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of illness is stress related. The physical wear and tear of stress includes migraines, high blood pressure, heartburn, and even infertility.

Following a few simple stress management tips can help you deal with your stress symptoms in a healthy way, and buffer yourself from its negative effects.

So take a deep breath .... and just relax.

Hmmm .... wish it were that simple, right? Actually, it should be. And it can be. We just need to work a little to learn what it feels like to be relaxed and how to stay that way.

Wait a minute, I have to work to relax?!?

Well, yes. You see ... Relax is a verb, an action. But don't get discouraged! It's a good kind of work. Work is defined as the physical or mental effort directed toward the production or accomplishment of something. A journey, if you will.

Now, let's get this journey started. Set aside relaxation time. Give me a call and discover the healing benefits of massage today.

Welcome to Holland

Yes, I'm aware that this is an essay specifically written for parents of children with special needs, but I think its powerful enough that it needs to be shared. In fact, I first came across this piece over 10 years ago ... well before children were even a thought in my life. Yet it moved me as much then as it still does today.

There's a line here ..... "the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss" that resonates. How many of us have mourned over a lost dream? A path not taken? How many continue to feel down over the "If only's" ....

Read on.


Welcome To Holland
By: Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this ...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you'll meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around ... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills ... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy ... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away ... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But ... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Happy People Smile, Mommy ...

So I've been thinking about blogging for a long time now .... but until tonight, thinking is all thats become of it. And I actually had an account established, but couldn't come up with a witty name ... and so it goes.
As is usually the case, my kids are my inspiration. So if you're wondering about my very profound title, let me tell you about my very profound 3 year old.

It's been a long journey in a short 23 months. It went something like this ... Cole has characteristics of Autism, Cole is at risk for Autism ... Cole is Autistic ... I mean Cole has Autism (politically correct). So we fight. He fights. And we "work". I mean, he works. He does. 3 years old, and he "works" 35 hours a week. Works at learning how to play, how to speak, how to pretend, how to have a conversation, how to comment about his day, ... how to read emotions in others. His amazing (did I stress that enough?) AMAZING teachers and therapists teach him this, step by step, day by day. And clearly, it's working.

So today was "one of those days" ... I was feeling down, ... overwhelmed with life and underwhelmed with motivation. The weather was dreary, I was drearier ... you get the picture.
I must have sighed loud enough to disturb Cole from counting his ducks (another story for another blog) and this is how our conversation went ....

Cole: Mommy sad.
Me: No little man, Mommy's happy. Mommy's always happy when I'm with my boys.
Cole: Happy People Smile, Mommy
Me: Wow. Just, Wow.

So take it from a 3 year old with extensive social skill training ... Happy People Smile.

And you know, smiling made me happy.