Parkinson’s Disease (PD) strikes about 60,000 new people every year. According to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, this degenerative disease occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. These cells are responsible for producing dopamine, the chemical that allows muscles to move smoothly and […]

Unless you’re lucky enough to have lived a life untouched by loss, you know how physical grief can be. No matter what sort of loss you’re mourning – the death of a loved one or a cherished pet; the end of a relationship; even something as seemingly unemotional as the loss of a job – […]

From where I stand as I do my dishes I can see a green pasture that blooms with yellow weeds. Pecan trees drape the soft fence line and pine trees seem to grow so tall they touch the sky. In the summer the pasture is filled with wild blackberry bushes and bumble bees. Cows occasionally […]

With all the medical advances of the past few decades, it is discouraging that more hasn’t been accomplished towards finding a cure for cancer. While scientists search for a way to snuff out this dreaded disease once and for all, it’s comforting to know that yoga might be able to help in a variety of […]

The normal routines of our lives give us much comfort. As long as we are functioning within these day to day normalcies, it seems that we can handle just about anything. Multi-tasking and juggling the many things on our to-do lists comes as naturally as sleeping and eating. Just how busy we are and exactly […]

At the end of July in Kerela, India, an ayurvedic rejuvenation ritual begins. Those involved are treated to a balanced diet; good, restorative rest; baths that last over an hour and include vigorous scrubbing, massage, and palm leaves; and a regiment of ayurvedic and allopathic medicines to promote optimum cleansing and good health. This is […]

You probably have heard the term “Ayurveda”, but most of us aren’t sure exactly what Ayurvedic medicine is, or how it relates to yoga. In India, the two practices – both of which have their roots in Indian culture – are closely linked. But while yoga has remained a strong force in its home country, […]

“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” So starts an often-satirized commercial for a home monitoring service, featuring an elderly woman lying on the ground and calling for help. Despite the bad acting in this cheesy ad, falling is a very real problem for older individuals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]

Asthma is defined as inflammation and constriction of the airways in your lungs. But as anyone with asthma will tell you, that definition doesn’t come close to describing the strangling, terrifying experience of a full-blown asthma attack. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, around 20 million Americans suffer from asthma. What’s […]

I have always loved the phrase when the student is ready the teacher will appear.  I suppose it is expressed with hopefulness that all of our needs in this life will always be met.  The older I get the more I realize that oftentimes the teacher has been there ready and waiting for me to […]