Between my schooling and my time working as a therapist, I have been in the field of occupational therapy for more than 20 years.  And as a result, I’ve spent more than 20 years explaining to people what occupational therapy is.  I think most OT’s accept that, like it or not, this will always be a required part of our job. 

In my last post, I talked about the importance of breath and featured an article by somatic practitioner, teacher, and professional dancer Angela Frederick.  In the second of this two-part series on breath work, Angela outlines 3 breathing exercises that she teaches to her students.  Incorporating breath work into your self-care routine can be such a powerful tool for managing stress and pain.

One aspect of health that is essential (but often underemphasized) is the importance of the breath.  Being able to breathe fully, correctly, and without difficulty is an important tool for stress management, effective exercise, pain management, and more.  I am honored and excited to have Angela Frederick, my friend of 25 years, as a guest author for a two-part series on breath work.  Who better to write about the importance of this topic than someone who teaches it professionally?

For most of us, letting go of unhealthy habits and starting (and sticking with) new ones is challenging.  Most people would be more successful if they had support and guidance from a skilled health professional when attempting to make these changes.  But in our current health care system, medical providers are usually given little time during appointments to work with their patients on implementing health behavior changes.

It seems that everywhere I look these days, there is an article about the growing field of health coaching or an advertisement for someone who is selling coaching services of some sort.  Health coaching is gaining popularity among health care providers and with employers and insurance companies as part of the solution to rising health care costs.

My last post featured a healthy and comforting Carnival squash soup that is perfect for the cold weather of Fall and Winter.  I got so much positive feedback about including a recipe on the blog that I decided to share another one.

Between my Food for Life classes, my kitchen ergonomics services, and my Rouxbe Plant-Based Professional Certification cooking course, I spend a lot of time thinking about healthy food.  So for this post, I thought I would provide an easy and healthy Autumn-themed recipe!

I’ve always had an interest in cooking, but after being diagnosed with food allergies more than a decade ago, it became a necessary skill.  The easiest way to ensure that I am not unintentionally eating foods that I’m allergic to is to cook for myself.   It’s a skill that I acquired with lots of practice (and a lot of trial and error).   Cooking has become one of my favorite stress-relieving activities, and eating home cooked food has transformed my health.  I still enjoy eating at restaurants, but when I want to be certain I know what I’m eating, I cook at home.

In my last post, I talked about the importance of being vulnerable and showing your authentic self.  In addition to supporting my clients as they do this, I’m working on learning to be more vulnerable in my own life.  So in the spirit of vulnerability, I want to share how I’m facing one of my fears.

Most of us are afraid to be vulnerable.  We work hard at projecting confidence and competence in all areas of our lives.  But we all have fear and shame and doubts about our abilities.  We all want to avoid rejection and embarrassment.  We don’t want to expose our insecurities or failures because we all crave connection and acceptance.  So what does vulnerability have to do with pain, illness, weight gain, and food cravings (the most common issues that my clients deal with)?