In the absence from blogging these past weeks, I was pulled into family issues on both coasts and relearned a lesson we all know but perhaps do not emphasize enough as we make the decisions that make our life.

IT’S A common admonition among bloggers to beware the writer’s block that is surely in their future; in fact, some make a good living dispensing tips on how to keep one’s copy fresh, relevant and well written.

It’s been near three weeks since my last post, but this is not as much “writer’s block” as it is being pulled into the vortex of real life – the non-binary type.

First, I was completely absorbed (aka “overwhelmed) in dealing with matters of my step-mother’s estate.  Finding and signing up a Realtor, repairing the house and dealing with selling the stuff overstuffed inside would have been an unalterable set of actions irrespective of the issues of probate.

But to have dispensed with probate by either a Trust or having had a quick claim deed done (transferring ownership from my step-mother to her heirs) along with such heirs being named on her CD and checking accounts, would have saved much time and effort.  That all this was in NJ and I live in CA adds to the overwhelm.

Second, was my own mother’s knee-replacement surgery.  Fortunately, this is happening near by and I have my sister to pitch in; nevertheless, my blogging has suffered.  My sense of the absurd has not.

I have looked for and conjured the connective tissue between these two, opposite coast experiences.  And it is this:

We reap what we sow.

Insightful, isn’t it… bet you never heard that one before?!  Yes, it’s trite, but we forget it to our detriment.

Along Rt. 37 in Toms River, NJ earlier this month, I saw the disconnect.  Along every block, both sides of the road, pizza, subs, McDonald’s and its derivatives were the overwhelmingly represented “food” purveyors.  Into those establishments did the people storm, or to be more cheeky, waddle.  SaltSugarFat on the menu today, and every day, disguised as food.  These customers aptly demonstrate what they sow.

Then in the hospital with Mom two days ago.  The physical therapists endeavor to make the knee-replacement patients take a few steps the day after surgery.  The healing and effectiveness of the prosthetic is optimized this way, they say.  The patient relies on a walker to take the weight off the repaired leg.  But no amount of pain killer will banish the sharp, overwhelming pain resulting from putting too much weight on the repaired leg.  And when you’re too big to hold most of your weight off the leg by the strength of your arms, the unrepentant pain is what is sown.

It’s hard to watch your mother shaking and crying from pain. It’s great to be able to lift her heavy body before it collapses and carry her like a baby back to the hospital bed.

Thus my lesson of these past weeks:

We reap what we sow.

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Greater things are possible than perhaps you know.  Free your body with yoga. Watch the video below.

Tao Porchon-Lynch does Yoga

WE HUMANS tend to learn about what’s possible from observing others.  We see some people do the most atrocious things conceivable, and others the most wondrous.

Perhaps one key to living a happy and productive life is to fill oneself with, and emulate, the examples of the wondrous.

Let me introduce you to one such person, yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch. At 92 years old, Porchon-Lynch has not let her age or ailments (hip replacement) stop her from living the life she wants, and doing the age-defying things she loves.

Her YouTube channel features a clip of her 2006 appearance on an episode of “Your Total Health” with Hoda Kotb, in which the then-87-year-old Porchon-Lynch demonstrates her dancing and yoga prowess, and shares the attitudes that permit her to live long and strong.

Be inspired!

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“Resistance” Activities and Nutrition are Key

UNLESS YOU’RE a high-impact athlete, you probably don’t think much about how strong or resilient your bones are; until that is, you get into your sixth decade or higher, particularly if you’re a woman.

Although women tend to loose bone mass at the same rate as similarly aged men, they suffer far more hip fractures for reasons that are not clearly understood.  (Read more)

Could it be that women naturally loose lean muscle mass more quickly than men and thus are more prone to falling as they get older?

Whatever the reason, it makes sense to ensure your bones stay strong.  The best ways to do this are:

• Resistance.  Make sure you do activities that stress (in a good way) your bones so that they maintain their capacity to handle the work load put upon them.  You need not start doing squats with a heavily loaded barbell at the age of 80, but holding a chair for balance and squatting up and down is helpful, as is walking up hills.  Both these activities put a “load” on the bones (and muscles) and help them become stronger.

• Nutrition. Make sure your bones are getting the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain or build strength.  The combination of Magnesium and Calcium is a good starter (you need Magnesium to help the assimilation of Calcium), but there’s more you can do that’s beneficial… read on.

Currently, I’m content with the level of Magnesium and Calcium contained in the multiple-vitamin/mineral complex, Maximum Wellness Formula, that I take everyday (except my rest day on Sunday), particularly since I actively “stress” my bones with weightlifting, hill climbing and yoga.

However, when I cracked my pelvis in a bicycle accident and wanted to improve my recovery time, I turned to New Chapter’s Bone Strength.  As with my experience with all these supplements, there was no double-blind study, but I did heal very rapidly.

So, if you’re not covered by the multivitamin/mineral complex you’re taking, or need a boost, check out:

Bone Strength Take Care by New Chapter Offers a calcium complex derived from whole food that delivers key essential nutrients in their safest, most active form, such as calcium carbonate (also known as limestone), and a special form of plant, called Algas Calcareas that is harvested from the pristine shores of a protected national reserve park in South America.

Strontium Bone Maker Clinically proven help for the prevention & treatment of osteoporosis & other bone-related conditions.

Go here for a list of Product Categories.

Supplement Disclaimer

Just as with the descriptive statements made at the various company sites that manufacture and/or sell the supplement products presented in this blog, none, or nearly none, of the potential benefits stated here have been evaluated by the FDA. Likewise none, or nearly none, of the products here can be represented to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Before engaging a supplement program, it always makes sense to get the advice of your health practitioner.

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