A Little Inspiration for the Day

Plank Story: Tongue Tied

My dad has a Boston accent that Siri struggles to understand. After he talks a text and clicks send without rereading it, a nonsensical message of gibberish lands in my family’s group text. My siblings and I race to translate what he actually means. When I got a text from him that read, “I appreciate your blood this morning,” I could not figure out the meaning, so I asked. Blood was intended to be blog. He’d read my blog and liked it.

In addition to his misunderstood accent and technical difficulties, sometimes my father stumbles over words. Most recently this has been a problem with his newest grandson, my sister’s son. His name is Quentin, but my father calls him Quintin. Qui vs que. To my dad’s credit, I tend to want to say Quintin over Quentin too. The que doesn’t roll off my tongue and I have to think about it. But since Quentin’s birth, I have witnessed this conversation multiple times:

Dad: How’s Quintin?
Sister: Dad, it’s Quentin.
Dad: Right, what did I say?
Sister: Quintin.
Dad: Yeah, that’s right.
Sister: No, it’s Quentin.
Dad: Isn’t that what I said?

Like Father Like Daughter

My family teases my dad […]

Plank Story: Tongue TiedMaggie Downie2019-03-04T18:39:58-05:00

Low FODMAPs

I have been on a Low FODMAP’s diet since January 2^nd. Commencing immediately after the season of sugar, gluten, chocolate, carbs, gravy, chocolate, eggnog, and did I mention chocolate?

Forced into a Healthy Lifestyle

This diet is not by choice, although I guess no one can make me do it. My gastroenterologist prescribed it. I keep getting this frustrating gut bacteria called SIBO. You can delve deeper into that in my blog titled, “Gas or Menstrual Cramps.” It’s a tale filled with TMI and information you may never have wanted to know about my large and small intestine, or maybe you are super curious about intestines.

My doctor thought Low FODMAPS is so important that she prescribed me a dietician to explain just how I’m supposed to eat now. Going into the New Year I did not feel like I was in the right mental place to alter my food lifestyle. Like a little kid, I just didn’t wanna. I keep reminding myself this is a LOW FODMAPs diet, not a NO FODMAPS diet.

Always Experimenting

This is not the first time I’ve tried a diet experiment. Over the years, I’ve experimented with diets […]

Low FODMAPsMaggie Downie2019-01-30T10:07:26-05:00

Setting Intentions

A few months ago I started taking a yoga class for the first time in about 17 years. I’ve always struggled with holding poses in yoga. I’m not so good at the stillness, so I’ve often stayed away from yoga. For the most part, this power yoga class moves pretty fast and the moves are fun and challenging but manageable. I’m really enjoying the class even though it requires me to get up early on a Sunday. One of the aspects that I’ve come to really appreciate is setting an intention at the start of each class.

Focus

It gives me a focal point that I can return to when my mind wanders or I’m frustrated on my progress or discomfort in a pose. I think, “Well, Maggie, your intention was to breathe, so focus there and see if it helps or what you notice” or “your intention was to find comfort, so ease off today and let it be comfortable” This is a simple idea and no shocking surprise that it’s a way to refocus, but I definitely never appreciated that concept years ago. And in a world that moves at a […]

Setting IntentionsMaggie Downie2019-01-16T15:00:48-05:00

Myers Briggs I’m No Martin Luther King

Guess I can enjoy an 8 hour hike in the woods alone because I’m an introvert.

My best friend from childhood came for a sleep over (is that still the term once you are an adult?) and suggested I take a quick, online Myers Briggs test. The Myers Briggs test is a personality test that is supposed to tell you how you perceive the world and what motivates your decision making. Offices sometimes use them to help people work together and understand coworkers’ motivations. I presumed it would be somewhat relevant, but in the way a daily horoscope could work for almost anyone on any given day. While fun I would not put a lot of stock in horoscopes.

But who cares if it is accurate or not? It’s fun to answer questionnaires like we used to do in magazines as teenagers in her basement bedroom that was decorated with Absolute Vodka advertisements. Now sitting in my living room, snuggled in warm blankets I took the 15-minute quiz. Some questions were easy to answers, others were more challenging. Do you think organization or flexibility is more important? What are they looking for? […]

Myers Briggs I’m No Martin Luther KingMaggie Downie2019-01-16T15:18:22-05:00

Chakra Dance

Our team at Personal Euphoria gets together quarterly to do an activity. Most recently we tried Chakra Dancing with Anne Stamatakis from Circle of Life Holistic Health. I’m familiar with Chakras in that I would have told you they are different colored balls of energy relating to different parts of the body. So, I guess, on second thought, I would say I’m not at all familiar with Chakras, which is part of what intrigued me.

I’ve known Anne for years. She has taken our group classes and private lessons and for years I’ve been meaning to try one of her classes. Lack of time made me hesitate. But, if I’m being honest, I presumed Chakra Dance was a little out of my comfort zone.

Clearly, I know myself well. This turned out to be way out of my comfort zone. Anne is a fantastic guide on the journey, but how uncomfortable I felt made me additionally uncomfortable. I could not believe how hard it was for me to let go. Letting go required work, which seems like a contradiction. I often found myself […]

Chakra DanceMaggie Downie2018-12-14T09:45:11-05:00