The Spot Behind Our Hearts

DR.KATHY GRUVER has her PhD in Natural Health and in this absorbing 10 minute video shares the best advice I have heard recently about stress and an easy way of how to combat it. She also shares about the spot behind our hearts, called the thymus gland, that produces white blood cells and how a simple visualization can increase our immunity to anything, especially during this flu season, when germs are everywhere (according to the FLU MAP FROM THE CDC). If you have a hard time arriving at a mediative place, she also has a VERY simple suggestion, which has been working well for calming my non-mediative busy brain.

Happy New Year and love from me to you,

Louise

 

In the Wild Changing of Things

The above was written by MORGAN HARPER NICHOLS. 

Her work is wonderful.

And below is another beautiful piece by author DONNA ASHWORTH

TIME CAN’T ERASE YOUR BEAUTY

Ageing looks good on anyone who believes

that it does.

It’s an inner light
kind of deal.

It shines through skin, bone, muscle and sinew - bathing everything you see in a luminous glow of peace, acceptance and utter loveliness.

It’s some sort of chemical reaction when self-love (at last) meets Mother Nature.

Then wisdom and hindsight all join together too and cast their magic -
until what you see is a woman who has evolved, grown, learned and risen many many times.

And it’s a beautiful sight to behold.

So, age however you like because if something is not making you happy, that will show.

Time can’t erase your beauty my friend, only negativity can do that.❤️

I hope you are having a lovely summer, and allowing yourself be in the uncertainty, that is always part of life.

xo,

Louise

Reassembling Oneself

 

I love this interview with Paulina Porizkova. She shares some great wisdom about being ourselves, allowing our bodies to age naturally and reassembling oneself, after a very difficult time.

A 103 Year Old Doctor Shares Her Wisdom

This is one of the most inspirational things I have listened to in a very long time.

Take The Plunge

 

As many of you may know, when covid hit and the pools closed, much to my own shock, I became a cold water swimmer. My very dear friend CYNTHIA BRENNEN has written this great post on her experience and the benefits of cold water:

"I’ve discovered something new and exciting in my life. After many years of resistance, I finally dipped my toe (well, my whole body actually), and experienced the most exhilarating feeling I’ve had in a very long time. It’s hard to describe that “hurts so good” feeling but I will do my best to portray the paradoxical exchange of emotions mixed with the physical effects. But first, a little background..

I practically grew up in the water. Being born a Pisces I suppose I was destined to at least test the fluidity in my life and see if it aligned with one of the many reasons I showed up here. I quite liked swimming and especially attached to the camaraderie and excitement of swimming competitively, but the one thing I absolutely abhorred was that first plunge into the pool. The shock of cold water against every cell of my body sent me swimming as fast as I could just to warm up. Early morning swims were always the worst, still feeling half asleep and wanting to crawl back into bed with my warm blankets encasing me. I sometimes struggled with the reason I chose to take this path, and then I would see my teammates and feel the connection between us as we journeyed those waves side by side. The physical pain we endured to reach the thrill was worth every stroke.

It was during this journey I met my swim sister, Louise. We met in the pool in fifth grade and developed a bond not only through swimming, but through the twists and turns of life. We’ve encouraged and listened, cried and sang with joy, felt the agony of defeat and celebrated our wins, all while testing the waters of life. Louise has been such an inspiration in so many ways, but when it comes to H2O inspiration we become totally synchronized. If it wasn’t for Louise, I likely wouldn’t have plunged back into Masters swimming after 30 years, and I certainly would never have even entertained my latest plunge.

It’s been a few years now that Louise has talked about her year-round cold water swims in Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. I’ve always admired her bravery in doing so, but in my mind, it was the worst torture anyone could experience. She would then express how it’s the best natural high she’s ever experienced, and I would smile politely and say, “That’s great, Lou, I’m so happy for you, but that’s something I could never do.” Remember my trauma of jumping into cold pools my whole life? Well that little mini trauma swam around in my head and never left. And then, Louise sent me an article on stimulating your vagus nerve for better mental health, and lo and behold, the very first thing on the list was cold exposure. It talked about researchers finding that exposing yourself to cold on a regular basis can lower your sympathetic “fight or flight” response and increase your parasympathetic “rest and digest” activity through the vagus nerve. Now it was starting to sink in. This was something that could not only benefit my physical health but my mental health as well. I decided to dig a little deeper and read many articles on Cold Water Immersion Therapy. The benefits of taking cold dips were eye opening; decreases depression and anxiety, decreases inflammation, boosts immune system, manages pain, increases energy, soothes muscle soreness, to name a few. That was enough for me. I called Louise and told her I was filling my bath tub with cold water and ice and taking the plunge! She was ecstatic for me. My first try, the temperature was 72 degrees and I lasted about three minutes, and it was challenging! It’s been two months now and I’ve moved down to 59 degrees for six minutes. It sure is cold when I first get in but I’ve learned to accept the pain to enjoy the gain. The funny thing is, it’s still the first few seconds getting in that hurts, but then a calm sets in and I feel as though I’m enveloped in polar bear skin. It is the most peaceful feeling as I focus on my breathing and move into a meditative mode. And then, I can’t even express the exhilaration I feel when I emerge from the water! My endorphins are so happy afterward that I actually caught myself giggling yesterday as I was drying off. Now I get it, Lou. You’ve got a swim sister on another level now, and I can’t thank you enough for lightly nudging me when my ice wall was up. Your patience and warmth always turns it into a pool of peace.

Over the past two months, I must say that my inflammation has decreased and my mood has elevated to a more positive level. Of course, it is only one piece of the balance wheel. Diet, exercise, meditation/relaxation, and adequate sleep are all pieces of the health puzzle. For me, if I don’t pay attention to the amount of sugar I put into my body my cells scream inflammation, and it won’t matter how many plunges I take. Balance in everything we do is the key of life. I’m just grateful I found another healthy opening for that key to fit into.

*If you’re considering taking the plunge please do your own research and talk to a health care professional you trust to be sure this endeavor is for you.

If you give yourself the green light, welcome to the world of exciting exhilaration and hop aboard the Polar Bear Express!"

For further reading on my own experience of cold water click HERE.

And have a nice holiday season!

xo, 

Louise

The Importance of Connection

Everyday it seems the world is getting harder, far less connected and less loving. David Brooks, author of How To Know A Person, was recently interviewed on PBS and he has a wonderful message to share:

Fear Existed Before Our Faces Started Changing

 

I'm loving Justine Bateman's message at age 57:

Also my quote of the decade: 

What

We

Believe,

We 

Become.

This is truer than true.

Sending love out into the world today,

Louise

The Best Years of His Life

I swam the 50-yard-freestyle this past weekend and was beat by a 73-year-old very inspirational man. Not as inspirational, however, as 100-year-old marathoner, Mike Freemont, who shares his story below.  If interested to hear more of his tale about beating cancer 30 years ago, when he was given only 3 months to live, CLICK HERE.

In the End, We Just Have to Go with Our Hearts

 

Serenity in the Storm

Hopi Indian Chief White Eagle commented on our current situation:

′′ This moment humanity is experiencing can be seen as a door or a hole. The decision to fall in the hole or walk through the door is up to you.

If you consume the news 24 hours a day, with negative energy, constantly nervous, with pessimism, you will fall into this hole.

But if you take the opportunity to look at yourself, to rethink life and death, to take care of yourself and others, then you will walk through the portal.

Take care of your home, take care of your body. 

Connect with your spiritual home. 

When you take care of yourself, you take care of everyone at the same time.

Do not underestimate the spiritual dimension of this crisis. 

Take the perspective of an eagle that sees everything from above with a broader view. 

There is a social question in this crisis, but also a spiritual question. 

The two go hand in hand.

Without the social dimension we fall into fanaticism. 

Without the spiritual dimension, we fall into pessimism and futility.

Are you ready to face this crisis? 

Grab your toolbox and use all the tools at your disposal.

Learn resistance from the example of Indian and African peoples: we have been and are exterminated.

But we never stopped singing, dancing, lighting a fire and rejoicing.

Don't feel guilty for feeling blessed in these troubled times. Being sad or angry doesn't help at all.

Resistance is resistance through joy!

You have the right to be strong and positive. And there's no other way to do it than to maintain a beautiful, happy, bright posture.

Has nothing to do with alienation (ignorance of the world). It's a resistance strategy.

When we cross the threshold, we have a new worldview because we faced our fears and difficulties.

This is all you can do now:

- Serenity in the storm
- Keep calm, pray everyday
- Make a habit of meeting the sacred everyday.

Show resistance through art, joy, trust and love.'

The Dalai Lama

I continue to see so many people struggling around me, especially now that I am in the mental health field and learn of many more hardships than I use to. 

Last summer, I visited someone who had this message on their fridge. I think of it all the time as it is such a helpful reminder:

Be

In

It

My therapist use to tell me "Put your arm around the hard things that you are struggling with."

Wherever it is that we're struggling. 

One of ways out of difficult times is the embrace of them, and then we can begin to let them go, and move through, like rain.

Breath into sadness. Breath into the pain. Breath into harsh energy of resentment and hardship.

And I am here to tell you that it works!

So, if you are walking around knowing that something isn't right, take the time to download it and when you discover what the truth is, put your arm around it and do your best to embrace it.

Because then, 

you can begin to heal and allow the light to filter in again. 💓

Jane Goodall at Age 87

Beautiful as ever at age 87, Jane Goodall continues to share her wisdom and hope. Still working 300 days a year pre-pandemic, she wants to spread her message, while she can, to advocate for a more sustainable future. She shares that whiskey soothes her vocal cords and her daily walk, soothes everything else. What a force. I love her.

The Softer Things

And here is another softer thing I discovered this week:

SEX, LOVE & GOOP on Netflix, a 6-part series that is right up my alley. It follows 5 couples as they try out new techniques to improve their sex lives and reflect on pleasure, sex and love. It kind of makes me want to be a Sexologist, which I have been carefully weaving in with a few of the clients I coach, as I have a fair amount of Tantra training. But this is still very much a leap for me to discuss professionally.

The influencer in me wants everyone to watch this series and arrive at a better place with their own sexuality, as well as in a better union with someone else.

In the first episode, they discuss the EROTIC BLUEPRINT QUIZ, which I suggest taking after you watch #1.

That's all for this week my dears. 💗

The Jewel Inside

 

 Beautiful, adorable, 92-year-old Wanda B. Goines shares her poem.

The Blow-Up Bra

In celebration of our new administration this week, I bring you a little humor and a true story.

Yes, a blow-up bra, inflated with something as simple as a straw. 

No bike pump needed.

Below, 94-year-old Betty Jenkins, tells her story about how an inflatable bra, that her mom gave her to wear, actually blew-up, in a most inconvenient place.

Imagine if they had something similar for a guy. 

I also love this animated version of her story:

The Blow-Up Bra (a handmade animation by Manual Cinema with audio story provided by StoryCorps) from Manual Cinema on Vimeo.

Happy Full Moon

And Happy Halloween!

Hopefully we are in the dawn of a new era in just a few shorts days. I imagine most of you have seen this music video that Barabara Streisand made about Trump in 2018, way before Covid hit and we saw more of his true colors.

A president who lies AND doesn't care about people. It can't get any worse then this.

Also this week, I wanted to share this funny, but not so funny, anti-Trump ad, that is much better entertainment than many of the things I'm seeing. Click HERE if you'd like to see it.

Sending love out into the world as always, WITH FINGERS CROSSED!

Louise

Beautiful Aging Souls Are We

As I continue to let my hair gray, sometimes I catch my reflection and think "Who is this older woman?" Usually I celebrate her but also, in some moments, mourn my younger self, while loving the arrival of my gray and the new, more real me & authentic, natural beauty.

It's a lot to put together this whole aging thing isn't it? Even though, in simpler terms, it's as natural as getting our baby teeth. 

Lately a friend questioned whether she should dye her gorgeous gray locks while looking for a new job. I suggested that she doesn't. I questioned if she really wants to work for someone who might judge her ability to be a good employee partly by her age and hair color. 

It’s unfortunate that we even have to consider this question. Women certainly more than men. 

The whole ageism culture we live in is exhausting head trash. I desire, at least in some small way, to change people's perceptions of the aging process. 

My wish for everyone is to age more peacefully, like the generations of women who aged before us. 

How lucky we are to be able to age?

So lucky, especially as of late, with the boogie monster of Covid all around us.

So in this light, I have two things to share with you this week. The first is my PINTEREST BOARD that is full of gorgeous, wrinkly, beautiful, aging souls.

Eye candy. Truly.

The softening of all of us. 

We are all works of art.  

The 2nd is a PODCAST with Brene Brown and Sonya Renee Taylor, the author of The Body Is Not an Apology- The Power of Radical Self -Love .

SONYA'S WEBSITE is also fabulous and has a free download on 10 Tools For Radical Self- Love, on the right hand side of her homepage.

Chow and love for now, my aging beauties. 💜

The Beauty of Aging

I lost a friend this week, who was one of Lines of Beauty's first Beauties of the Week. KAMALA, thank you for your light and inspiration, especially right now as I allow my hair to transition to gray. It took me almost 10 years but I am finally following in your footsteps. I wish so much I could tell you this now.

I think you'd also love to see these other BEAUTIFUL FACES.

Sending love to you on the other side, my dear Kamala. May your soul rest in peace. 💔

The Great Realisation

Happy Mama's Day and love to everyone.

Whether you are a mother to your own, or a mother figure to someone in your life, or even a mama to a beloved animal, we all certainly know the role of being a mother in some way.

I was thinking how since the new world of covid has arrived that many of us are experiencing mothering in new ways. Especially those who are caring for ones that are sick or in need of help or those giving extra love to people on the front-line in the medical world, so that they can get up everyday and do their heroic jobs in an unprecedented way, in this unprecedented time.

A shoutout of gratitude to all the helpers big and small!

 Enjoy the beautiful video above on this day.

Louise ♥️

When This Will All End