February Fit Tips

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

It’s already the end of January. February is just one short week away, and for many of us, the weather outside is frightful. The cold, dark days combined with the wicked winter weather can wreak havoc on our plans to get fit and stay fit. Besides, swim suit season doesn’t seem quite as threatening when we’re buried under a snow bank, so it might be more tempting to kick back with a cup of hot cocoa rather than leaving the house to go to the gym or fitness class.   However, you don’t even have to leave the house to stay on track with an exercise program. After all, swim suit season will be here before you know it. So, before you slip into a hot cocoa coma, here are a few simple fit tips that you can easily do at home to help keep you fit and healthy.    1). Get on...

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The Gift of Shoes and Human Dignity

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Isn’t it amazing how a simple pair of shoes can mean so much to some people, while others take them for granted? A pair of shoes can change your life, and can even give you back your human dignity.  I was in a store a few days ago where a large screen TV was on one of those silly game shows. A woman from the audience was presented with a prize of $5,000 worth of shoes. I stood there wondering who could possibly want (or wear) so many different pairs of shoes. I marveled at the sheer extravagance of it all, when suddenly a distant memory popped into my head. It was 30 years ago, and I was working at an Intensive Care Unit as a respiratory therapist. One of my patients was an elderly gentleman who had been on a ventilator for weeks. He really touched my heart, because even though he...

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Teaching Bullies Better Manners

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

I detest bullies. In my humble opinion they are sniveling little cowards with no manners or sense of human decency. They pick on those they perceive as weak, vulnerable, or helpless. If only we could teach bullies better manners, I do believe that the world would be a better place. And I believe we can. I recently taught a self-defense class for women and girls. There were several grown women as well as two petite and quiet teen-aged girls attending the class. Well, at least one of the girls were quiet. The other one was a lot more verbose and outgoing. They were sisters, and they were adorable. They were in the class accompanied by their grandmother, who thought it would be a beneficial experience for all of them. She was right about that! Although it usually takes awhile for ladies to...

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New Year: Now What?

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Fit Tips.

Here we are, at the beginning of another New Year. Anything is possible in a new year, including keeping our New Year’s Resolutions. It doesn’t matter what your plans are, but it does matter very much how you implement them. So, whether you would like to exercise more, lose weight, get in shape, eat healthier, improve your finances, or enjoy healthier relationships, here are a few simple steps to keep in mind to help you accomplish your goals. 1). Set clear and specific goals. Rather than making a general statement such as “I want to lose weight,” set a more well-defined goal. For example, “I will lose 2-3 pounds over the next 4-6 weeks.  This will allow you to focus on what you would like to accomplish within a set time frame, rather than a generalized statement...

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Feldenkrais®: The Wizard Within

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Last week my husband and I were channel surfing and came across “The Wizard of Oz.” We didn’t even have to consult each other; in silent agreement, my husband clicked on the channel. Even though I still worry about Toto running around the forest off-leash, and my husband gets a little creeped out from the flying monkeys (a throw back from childhood), we never get tired of watching this classic film. I settled back and prepared to be mindlessly entertained by Dorothy and her entourage as they started down the yellow brick road, off to see the wizard. However, my brain had other plans for me that evening. Of course, the lesson in this great story is that each of the characters already have what they are looking for; they just didn’t realize it. But that evening my mind...

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Feldenkrais®: Science and Magic

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

I am passionate about science, especially neuroscience. If I hadn’t been accepted into a master’s degree program for physical therapy, I would have earned a master’s in neuroscience instead. However, I couldn’t see myself working in a lab all day. I’m more of a people person. Besides, if I had gone in that direction, I may never have discovered Feldenkrais. I absolutely love the method, and I love being a practitioner. My greatest reward is witnessing the magic of this method as it helps my clients improve the quality of their lives. However, my greatest challenge as a Feldenkrais practitioner is trying to explain what Feldenkrais is, how it works, and why it is so effective. Feldenkrais is not magic; it’s science, and is based on the scientific principle...

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There’s a Warrior in All of Us

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

I began my journey into the world of martial arts twelve years ago at the tender young age of 47. I guess this means I am admitting how old I am, even though I know that a lady never tells her age. However, no one has ever accused me of being a lady. Actually, someone once did a long time ago, but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, it takes a tremendous amount of courage for a woman to walk into a testosterone-infested, male-dominated dojo and give strange men permission to attack them. It also requires an enormous amount of trust. I had neither, and there are still times when I have issues with both. However, what I lack in courage and trust, I have always been able to compensate with humor and false bravado. When I began training, there wasn’t a high ranking female student...

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October’s Bright Blue Weather

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

“O suns and skies and clouds of June, And flowers of June together; Ye cannot rival for one hour, October’s bright blue weather…. When loud the bumblebee makes haste, Belated, thriftless vagrant; And goldenrod is dying fast, And lanes with grapes are fragrant… When gentians roll their fingers tight, To save them for the morning; And chestnuts fall from satin burrs, Without a sound of warning…. When on the ground red apples lie, In piles like jewels shining; And redder still on old stone walls, Are leaves of woodbine twining…. When all the lovely wayside things, Their white-winged seeds are sowing; And in the fields still green and fair, Late aftermaths are growing…. When springs run low, and on the brooks, In idle golden freighting; Bright leaves...

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Feldenkrais®: The Tables Have Turned

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

After my interesting experience giving a medical practitioner a Functional Integration lesson, it was my turn to be on the receiving end. When I got to his office he took me into a treatment room and asked me what was wrong with my neck. “Nothing,” I replied. “Huh,” he said, “I see a lot of asymmetries in your cervical spine. You also have really bad posture with a forward head and rounded shoulders, and you slouch, which really surprises me. I would have thought that as a dancer and a Feldenkrais® practitioner you would know better.” He gave me a penetrating look while he said this. Good grief! To say that his statements were jarring to my nervous system was the understatement of the century. A familiar but long abandoned pattern of negative self-talk...

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