-by Bill Plake- There are many benefits to be gained by simply dedicating some time each day to practicing meditation. It as been a tradition deeply revered and ingrained into the cultural fabric of various Eastern cultures. That’s not the case so much here in the “West”, where up until fairly recently it was largely…
All posts in Health
Changing Lifestyle Habits: Starting with What’s Already Available
-by Bill Plake- If you’re like most people, you’ve considered at one time or another the possibility of improving your lifestyle health habits. I know I have (and continue to do so). Maybe you’d like to become more physically active. Maybe you’d like to start eating more mindfully. Or maybe you’d like to find a…
Finding Common Ground
-by Bill Plake- To say that we are living politically and socially turbulent times these days would be an understatement. As differences in our values and worldviews come into sharp contrast, so too do we tend to grow ever more passionate and (in many cases) inflexible about what we believe and hold dear to us.…
A Blessing In Disguise
-by Bia Plake- “Sometimes we need to believe that things happen for a reason. It is difficult to see a bright side when we are in the middle of a potentially dark, life altering change. But if we focus on what we want (something we have some control over), instead of focusing on what happened…
Wisely Growing Older
“If I knew I was going to live this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself.” -Eubie Blake, jazz pianist One the whole, we human beings are living longer than ever before. But we’re not necessarily always living better. Much of our increased longevity can be attributed to advances in science and technology. Modern…
Have You Been Plogging Lately?
-by Bia Plake- Really? I have never seen this word before until I saw a post on the website called Nextdoor, and the title had only the word, “Plogging”. I was like, “What the heck is that?” My curiosity button was triggered and I had to find out what it was about. So I googled…
My (Not So) Secret Fountain of Youth
-by Bill Plake At the college where I teach, I reveal my age to the students on the first day of class. Most of them are somewhat surprised to find out I’m in my early 60s, figuring me for being years younger. So I ask them what it is that makes me appear younger to…
How Accepting My Limitations Saved My Life
-by Bill Plake- “The things that don’t exist are the most difficult to get rid of.” -F.M. Alexander A key obstacle in realizing our potential is the belief that we are limited in some particular way, when in fact, we are not. We all know about the potential danger of self-fulfilled prophecy when pursuing…
Not Being Afraid of Being Afraid
-by Bill Plake- “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anaïs Nin I’ve struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. Things that raise a mild concern in most people can too often bring me into a state of…
Becoming a mom for the first time at 43 yrs old
-by Bia Plake- It is a warm summer day in Brooklyn NY. I am at the park babysitting a little girl. A mom comes up to me and asks me the question that I always get when I was babysitting:” What is your daughter’s name?” One more time I smile and say: ” She is…