We all hear how great meditation is. And at some point we may have been advised that we should be doing it. To start a new meditation practice sounds easy, but I know first hand, it is not. It can be hard to start something so out of our norm when the benefits aren’t easily apparent. If we have chronic medical conditions, especially if they are rheumatologic, inflammatory or autoimmune, it can seem as if meditation isn’t for us. That perhaps we are too far down the “sick road” to get any benefit. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! EVERYONE benefits from a meditation or mindfulness practice – but what does it do exactly and how can it benefit you?
[Read more…] about Why Meditation is the best medicationWellness
Finding motivation to stay healthy
Finding motivation to do anything can be difficult. Especially when you don’t see any value in what you are trying to do or achieve. Although most of us would say that staying healthy is a top priority, why do we find motivation to make the necessary healthy changes difficult to find?
This New Year, as we turn the page on 2020 and get ready to face whatever 2021 has in store, I’m offering up some food for thought about how we approach our health and why we may be having problems staying motivated. This advice is made based on years of observation and working with a lot of patients struggling with all kinds of health issues. No one has it all figured out and everyone struggles with motivation at certain points. But what keeps one person going while another finds it hard to even get started is something I’ve been interested in my entire career.
[Read more…] about Finding motivation to stay healthyPrepare for your doctor’s appointment
To get the most out of each visit, we need to be prepared for our doctor’s appointment. But how do we do that if having a doctor’s appointment can be intimidating. The sterility, the hurry up and wait atmosphere, the white coats, the illness…..trust me, I know no one likes coming to see me! The only reason I can go to my appointments or feel comfortable in hospitals is exposure therapy- my job has desensitized me. It’s one thing when we are just there for an annual checkup and generally feel great, but when we feel horrible or have symptoms that are hard to explain, we can get overwhelmed and easily forget some of the key things we wanted to go over. Our time with the doctor is so limited, the rushed feeling can put us off guard as well. This leaves many of us unsatisfied and not completely cared for.
[Read more…] about Prepare for your doctor’s appointment