Sometimes when I’m out doing something fun that I know my sick friend would love to be doing, I feel a mix of guilt and sadness. Today I went canoeing. I know if my friend had been out there with me, she would have been making friends with everyone we passed by and laughing often. In fact I imagined hearing her laughter as I paddled. Read more »

My knees bothered me for much of the past year. Through physical therapy, I learned some exercises and ways of moving that diminished the pain I was feeling. Having the knee pain also caused me to be much more observant about how I walk, climb stairs, squat, etc. I have become an ardent “student” of my knees and related parts – at least for now, and I’ve made some surprising discoveries.
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It’s easier to be in love with everything than with just a few choice things. If I see everything through the eyes of love–I mean the adoring “you can do no wrong” kind of love, then nothing can ruin my day. Everything makes me happy.

This simple concept became clear to me this morning. Read more »

I recently received an email from a woman named Mary that reminded me how heavy the load is for so many caregivers and what commitment and strength it takes to give and give and give:

“Hi Pat,

I received the book I think on Friday. Thank you so much for mailing it to me.
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A reader of Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly wrote this week that a friend gave her the book three years ago “when I was laid up for 65 days with a herniated disc. Good reading and page 192 became my mantra: my illness was a drama for others in my life more than it was for me. I was missing that until I read it in your book. Thanks for sharing yourself in print.”What the reader who wrote to me was referring to was a section that described how everything becomes more simplified and less stressful in a way when our busy lives are on hold because of illness. Read more »

What is this thing called stress that seems to plague us?Here’s a simple definition: It’s the feeling we get when we want something we’re not getting. We want to get to an appointment and the traffic is stalled so we know we’ll be late — STRESS! We want our partner to listen to us lovingly and instead we’re getting advice or criticism — STRESS! We have a big dream for our future and we don’t see a way to get there — STRESS!So what do most of us do when we feel stress? We try harder. We try to force our way through the traffic to get somewhere on time. We speak more adamantly or pleadingly, trying to convince our partner to LISTEN! We work really, really hard to get ahead. Read more »

I had a TIA (also called a mini-stroke) last month. My mind suddenly was not able to track information, and I was unable to move my limbs or speak as I usually can. It was a very odd sensation to attempt to reach for the phone and not have my hands move into action. And I was alarmed when the sounds that came out of my mouth were nothing like what was on my mind. As odd and frightening as all this was — fortunately it only lasted about an hour — what seemed the strangest was when the ER doctor would ask me if I could smile — and I couldn’t. How could this be possible, I wondered. How could I not have the ability to smile? Read more »

I regularly get emails from people who have found the messages in my books to be life-transforming. One I received this week touched me so much I have to share it with you. Please take a look.

Believe it or not, your body is your best friend. It is filled with emotional and spiritual wisdom that can help you feel at ease with yourself, heal what hurts, and unleash your creativity. If you’re a woman, you now have a guide to discovering this wisdom and making friends with your body as you age. Read more »

Your body carries your mental and emotional stress. It also carries the secrets for stress relief. Here are five ways to reveal these secrets and create more ease for yourself when stress is mounting during your day. Read more »