Find Yourself: Meditating on the Taos Rio Grande Gorge

A pause to meditate brings peace and a deep encounter with nature on the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge.

“I PARK IN THE REST AREA by the Río Grande Gorge Bridge and stride along the West Rim Trail through sagebrush fragrant with morning dew. If ever there were an invitation to go west and find whatever we deeply seek in our hearts, that impossibly long view across the mesa is it.”   Read the article for New Mexico Magazine, June 2020

Photo of Rio Grande Gorge from NM magazine

 

Kettlebell Fitness

Kettlebells

It’s a Saturday morning in the L-shaped studio of Santa Fe’s Dynamic Kettlebell Fitness. About 30 students are swinging their kettlebells under the direction of trainer Keira Newton, and despite the rigor of the workout, nobody groans, complains, or tries to sneak a moment’s downtime when Newton’s back is turned. In fact, she has to keep admonishing them to hold back when they’re too eager to launch into the next round. “You’re not going yet, y’all. Hold on, hold on.” She clicks her stopwatch to start the new series of movements (“Use your breath, not your momentum!”) and then, when the timed period is over, has to rein in the over-zealous once again: “Stop! You’re done, you’re done!”

Read the full Kettlebell Fitness article for Local Flavor magazine’s health and fitness issue, March 2011.

The Write Stuff: Put Pen to Paper to Promote Well-Being (for Fit Style)

The Write Stuff: Put Pen to Paper to Promote Well-Being

If the longest thing you’ve written lately is a shopping list – it’s time to sharpen your pencil. Studies prove that writing your feelings out on the page has a positive impact on physical health, reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, and hones concentration and memory. Writing can improve immune function, fight depression and anxiety, and even alleviate symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Article on the benefits of writing and keeping a journal, with suggested writing exercises, for Fit.Style magazine.

Boost Your Spex Appeal (for Total Fitness)

Just because summer is over, there’s no reason to leave your sunglasses at home.

Eye experts recommend shades as a year-round accessory to protect against UV damage, eye strain, and wrinkles. For once, it’s a joy to follow the doctor’s advice.

Eye health and sunglasses style trend feature for Bally Total Fitness magazine. Full feature here. 

Feel-Good Fashion (for Bally Total Fitness)

Shirts that tell your heart rate, pants that may protect against skin cancer, peppermint-scented sportswear to boost energy, and pantyhose that keep your legs soft.

With the double-action fabrics now in store or on the radar screen for the future, fashion finally proves that it’s more than just skin deep.

 

The Art of Doing Nothing (for Bally Total Fitness)

The Art of Doing Nothing by Tania Casselle for Bally Total Fitness magazine.

One day of solo retreat can recharge the batteries, nourish your soul and send you back into the world with a fresh perspective.

“We all need to step outside the frame and look at the big picture periodically,” says Tim O’Brien, director for the Institute for Stress Management. “Taking a personal retreat gives you a way to look at where you’re headed. Do you like the direction of your life? If not, what changes should you make? It’s difficult to make good decisions if you don’t remove yourself from the normal routine.”

If you think you’re too busy to carve a whole day out of your schedule, think again.

Read the full story on The Art of Doing Nothing in PDF.