by guest blogger Holly Walck. Once, after reaching into the backseat of may car resulted in days of back spasms, I discovered how essential twisting postures were for the health of my back. As a bonus, twists cleanse the liver and kidneys. They strengthen the digestive system and give the body a much-needed wringing out after the heavier meals of winter and the rainy days of early Spring.
Love & Family
The Return to America
I’d never been out of the country for three weeks before. I missed my kids like crazy and was happy to come home. But I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you my return was also tinged with a wrenching disappointment in America.
Breaking the Webs of My Weaving
by guest blogger Renee James. Several years ago, I referenced a poem, “A Wish for My Children” by Evangeline Paterson, in a column I wrote to mark the passage of time as my boys were growing up—living through those exploratory years that bridge the end of childhood and the beginning of adolescence. What I didn’t quite recognize at the time—even though the poem references it so beautifully—is that they were beginning grow stronger—and away from me—already. In my mind, we had so many more years together.
Sydney vs. Melbourne:
It’s Like Chalk and Cheese
My last day in Sydney was a day of utter perfection. When I finally got to the Icebergs ocean swimming pool on the beach at Bondi, I truly felt like I had reached the destination of my pilgrimage to Australia. Then I took an 11-hour train ride from Sydney to Melbourne. At first, after the gloriousness of Sydney, I was a bit bummed. But as I started walking and exploring, I started to see the deeper side of Melbourne, which is highly creative and artistic.
Spring Healing Through the Arts
by guest blogger Pam Peeke. Healers come in many forms, from traditional doctors and nurses to complementary practitioners like acupuncturists, yoga instructors, and massage therapists. There’s now plenty of science to show a whole range of positive benefits from regular use of each of these modalities. Flash-forward to the present and we’re witnessing the emergence of a whole new group of healers—artists.
The Effortless Effort
I first heard that phrase when I was a teenager and was friends with an elderly mystic. I remember thinking at the time that it must be some weird, complicated spiritual thing of unknown origins. Being a teenager, I promptly forgot about it. It turns out it’s a Taoist concept known as wu wei. The basic concept is that if we align ourselves with our true nature, we live the way nature does—effortlessly.
Lean In and Lead With Swagger
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. I like to think that I’m one tough, empowered chick, so you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was not, in fact, leaning in. This became apparent as I read Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. It’s an excellent book that perfectly blends personal stories, research, and suggested solutions. It’s also a real eye-opener. As I read, I reviewed experiences in my own career and discovered that there were times when I did lean in (yay, me!) but there were also times when I pulled back.
Turkey Therapy
by guest blogger Leah Zerbe. The start of 2013 hit my family with an emotional sledgehammer that left me with lingering anxiety. I was living in fear, and nothing escaped my worry—not even subtle changes in the behavior of the animals in the barnyard. But it was a turkey that finally got me out of my head and back into the world.
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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