March Newsletter

Hello Reader,

“In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward. Something holds and something pulls inside of us too.”
― Jean Hersey

Reflections & Musings

This time of year is full of the energy of endings and beginnings. Winter is coming a close, the first spring flowers are starting to emerge, but there is no clean delineation. The temperature ping pongs between 60 and 25 degrees. It's May in the sun and January in the shade. Yet we know, we trust that Spring is arriving.

I find this to be true when our metaphorical seasons change as well. Even if there is a defining event, there are hints of change that led up to the event and hints of the old that persist afterwards. In the keynote address for my hooding ceremony as I was graduating PT school, the speaker reminded us that graduation was the middle. Our journeys to becoming PTs started long before that day and would continue to evolve afterwards.

February brought a lot of death in my spheres, none of it sudden or completely unexpected. Like with graduation, the death was the middle of this season for those of us who survived. We saw signs of it coming for months and years before, and we continue to work through our attachments and grief after the passing.

I invite you to think about your seasons of life and where you are evolving and shifting, who you are becoming. There can be a lot of grief with this process, but also a freshness if you allow yourself to move through the grief. I find it fitting that today is the first day of Lent, the Christian season of fasting a preparation for new life. It can be helpful to latch on to structures and seasons, such as Lent to guide us through our evolution.

Celebration

When it's hard for me to find something to celebrate, I go back to the basics. So today I'm celebrating the promise of Spring, the first daffodils emerging, the sun on my face.

Fasting

Fasting, or the practice of abstaining from food for a period of time, is present in nearly every culture and religion worldwide. It can take many forms, including various time restrictions, calorie restrictions, or composition restrictions. Research has demonstrated that intermittent fasting is beneficial for weight loss, cellular repair, and longevity.

Many nutritionists recommend a minimum 12 hour fast each day. For example, if you stop eating at 7:30 pm, you shouldn't eat again until 7:30 am the next day. If you're interested in pursuing more of a fast, you could progressively increase the fasting window and decrease the eating window. Most people do this by pushing back and eventually skipping breakfast.

Of course, there are many things to consider with fasting to make sure that it is safe and effective for you. Check out the resources below for more info and/or schedule a call with me to discuss further.

Resources:

In Loving Memory

Vinny c. 2007 - Feb 18, 2017 - Feb 17, 2022

Among other things, Vinny was my invisible business partner. He was often at my side or on my lap during phone calls, research, note writing, and all the other work from home tasks. He reminded (demanded) me to take breaks with a paw on the keyboard or by nosing whatever electronic device out of my hand. He taught me how to schedule my appointments around his schedule.

His ears were impossibly soft, his body warm, and his bark far deeper than imagined for a 15-20 lb pup. His commitment to food was unwavering. Vinny practiced transitions better than any creature I've encountered. He literally shook off each task or phase with a move we dubbed the "Vin Cycle."

Our lives intersected for a short 5 years. Each of us had full lives ahead of meeting each other, though we could only guess at what our pasts entailed. Nevertheless, we were better for knowing each other.