‘The wound is the place where the Light enters you.’ – Rumi

Four days before this past Christmas, Life delivered a kick to my gut that sent me reeling -on many levels- and drove me so hard to my knees, I struggled for two weeks before I could remotely regain my footing.

During this time, I was shaken to my very core. Unable to eat or sleep, or find my way in the bleak blackness of it all, I began noticing a very strange phenomenon.

As I struggled through my days and nights, folks started coming out of the woodwork complimenting me. ‘You look great!’ ‘There’s so much light in you!’

I’m a very private person, so these compliments came from folks who knew nothing about my loss, or the ensuing grief that threatened to consume me.

This got me thinking… Read the rest of this entry »

Throughout my career, it’s been my mission to do everything within my power to help women- AND men- reach a healthy place of self acceptance-and let me tell you, at times it’s been an uphill battle, especially when addressing body image and self esteem issues.

I deeply believe how a woman accepts herself depends largely upon the cultural and societal norms that prevail in her day to day life. Nowhere is this more apparent than as a woman hits midlife and begins the processes of peri menopause / Menopause.

Women’s responses to Menopause and the aging process in general vary significantly.

The more Menopause is viewed as a ‘loss’ -of youth, vitality, beauty- the more likely a woman will experience pain, illness and emotional issues as she makes the transition.

Coincidence? I don’t think so!
Read the rest of this entry »

We all know the health benefits of going to a Fitness Center. We’ll even make sure to schedule time in our busy lives for exercise. Yet most of us are quicker to hit the gym before hitting the sheets when it comes to taking care of ourselves. However, taking time to self pleasure, or huffing and puffing your way through a sweat-inducing sex session may be far more beneficial to your overall health than the time you spend on the treadmill.
Read the rest of this entry »

“Sandy, I just feel so out of it – discombobulated – like I’m not myself and I really think there is something wrong with me. Sometimes, I think I’m going crazy – and my husband agrees with me,” my dear friend Mary Ellen said to me over the phone one morning. “I feel guilty because all I do is whine to my family and friends about it. None of them want to hear me whine, and they don’t understand or know how to help me.” I could tell that she was almost in a state of panic because of how she was feeling – but more so – because she couldn’t understand why she was feeling this way.
Read the rest of this entry »