• Sunday, February 14th, 2010
Today I joined the festivities of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and celebrated Chinese New Year and Valentines Day by taking part in a Dragon Dance and mass demonstration of Taoist Tai Chi at the O-Zone in Richmond. Over 400 members of the Taoist Tai Chi Society participated in this event in front of thousands of people. What fun we all had! Click here to find out more information about this event and the International Taoist Tai Chi Society.
Here are some photos courtesy of Stuff Nonsense on Flickr: continue reading to see the pictures of the the dancing dragons and demo
• Friday, November 20th, 2009
Lake O'Hara Hike pics by Ray & Lydia Ducharme
My sister Lydia sent me these beautiful pictures that she and her husband Ray took on a recent hike with two friends to Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. The pictures are so beautiful that I look at them over and over again.
I want to be able to hike in nature, like these folks. I want to be in great physical shape too like these folks.
But…
But… I resist walking outside in the rain. I don’t feel like jumping on the trampoline when it’s wet outside. I’m even reluctant to drag my butt off the chair and do a set of tai chi in the multi-purpose room.
However, I AM willing to move past my resistance. One powerful way to create what I want [good health and fitness] is to get into the feeling of already having it. So I decide to use these beautiful pictures to inspire me. continue reading to see how I used powerful feeling words to release my resistance
• Sunday, July 19th, 2009
In my last post I described how a vivid vision in a book helped inspire my husband and me to launch our dream of living in community. That book was “Cohousing – A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves” by Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett. The community we created was WindSong Cohousing in Langley (near Vancouver) BC. Our cohousing community includes singles, couples and families of all ages. Our residents range in age from 3 months to over 70 years old.
While our community attracts many seniors who love the opportunity to be around children, there are some seniors who would not like this intergenerational cohousing model. Babies crying and little children running around can be a noisy experience for some people.
Luckily for those seniors who would prefer a different configuration, author Chuck Durrett is back with a book geared specifically to seniors. Here, in his own words, he introduces his latest book about a community approach to independent living. continue reading Senior Cohousing makes senior years healthy, social and stimulating
Imagine a woman getting up at 4:30am every weekday morning to get ready to go to the gym. Driving in Edmonton, Alberta on even the coldest days, with snow on the ground and icy patches on the road. And while at the gym, working out on the treadmill for 30 minutes, the stair master for 15 minutes and lifting weights up to 10 pounds with each hand. Then a series of exercises on a balance ball. And after that perhaps a few laps in the pool. Can you imagine that?
Now imagine that this woman is 82 years old.
Well that describes my mother Margaret Evers. She made a commitment to get in shape when she retired at age 60 and continue reading My Mom, My Coach
• Tuesday, May 05th, 2009
Last Friday morning, a shocking message from my sister, Lydia, appeared in my email box. The subject: Mom’s in hospital again.
My heart began pounding as I sat down to read the message.
“Mom has been admitted to the hospital with a small bowel obstruction. They’re prepping her right now for the operating room. They will do a laparoscopy (insert a tiny scope through a small incision in her stomach) and look at what’s going on inside her.”
My Mom is 82 years old; she lives in Edmonton, Alberta – a 12 hour drive from where I live in Langley, BC. Usually, she is the picture of health but this was her second trip to the hospital in a month. I felt concern; but what could I do to support her from here?
In circumstances like this, it used to be my practice to worry, to dwell on the worst that could happen, and to torment myself by imagining how awful it would feel to lose her. Now I know that worry doesn’t support her or me. continue reading How I lost my worry when Mom got sick
