Now that the fast is over, I can only think of good things about it and cannot think of one negative aspect. 

I love to share new perspectives on the world and health with my community. I’ve been fasting for decades. Now that I have mastered my schedule, I try to fit in four fasts each year. Who knew that the simple act of not eating could yield so many benefits? 

May 15, 2001 ~ Fasted for five days.

I started fasting on returning from a mother-daughter trip with dear cousins in Toronto. I kept up my routine. This maintenance taught me that I can incorporate this form of spirituality into my life without disrupting it too much.  

Forgetting about food is easy while fasting.  The day becomes one long work/play session without being dictated to by mealtime/my stomach. It was a great week to fast because the weather was getting hot—85 degrees on some days. The heat makes fasting so much easier for me, who quickly gets cold.  

 ...

I have a gift for you. 

Relax and be present. How do you listen to your heart? What will it say? 

Listening is one of the first steps in making dreams come true. 

I welcome you to the 'Mindfully Renew Your Energy Retreat' at the Rocky Wold Deep Haven Camps, a serene and picturesque venue nestled on the shores of Squam Lake. The retreat will run from September 7 to 11, Saturday to Wednesday. 

During the retreat, you will have time to notice what you long for and gain skills and practices to build your energy, meet your goals, and listen to your heart. Each day will be structured with morning meditation, wellness workshops, outdoor activities, and evening reflection sessions. 

So many shades of green at this time of year! Blossoms reveal both scent and color. All of this was unseen a few months ago. What talents do you have that are waiting to unfurl? What do you need to birth your future spirit? 

How deeply do you desire a unique journey of...

May 2024 Newsletter 

Do you feel your voice gets lost? Is the feeling of being truly heard a fading memory? As a woman with decades of wisdom and experience, do you know the narrative but are still determining who will listen?

In the symphony of “Elderhood,” Louise Aronson reminds us that it’s a new act when we’re 60 or 70. This is not just an encore but our opportunity to reflect, satisfy, and live life to the fullest.

Assuring our place at the table can be like finding the path through a labyrinth (did you know the first Saturday in May is National Labyrinth Day?). It’s essential to rewrite the tropes of the past and give voice to our diverse and vibrant elder experiences.

As a wholehearted health and accountability coach specializing in empowering women aged 55 and beyond, I aim to break up old paradigms, excite conversations, and cultivate safe spaces where all are heard and celebrated. We all deserve to be on the stage.

Are you...

April 2024 Newsletter

We can use the momentum of this new season to put some pep in our step. 

Are you ready to whip like a spring wind? What is in your dreamland at this budding time of year? 

It’s spring! 

Hopefully, winter’s over where you are. Does it seem as though the seasons are at a standstill? We know the buds are there, just waiting for the right time to burst forth. Often, I’ll feel a new season arrive on a clearing wind. 

Do you ever feel this way, that the right moment has arrived?  

This month, I struggled with low back issues and a cold that wouldn’t quit. I got out the big guns, used all the tools in my green medicine kit, and am finally on the mend. It’s not time to stop remedying. Actually, this is a pivotal point in helping prevent secondary infections such as sinusitis or bronchitis. 

Two nights ago, I had a clearing dream. We were together with cousins and other family members, and there was...

March 2024 Newsletter

Spring is in the air!

What will you do to greet the new Spring season? 

What memories come to mind? 

Let the new season brighten your mood as you replace the snow shovels with a garden trowel. 

Distill Spring's best and soak up the goodness that comes after making it through another winter. 

I love talking about Spring during late winter. 

I know not everyone lives in Zone 3-6 like me, and you may already be wearing your rain jackets, and tulips may be blooming in your garden. Snow has been scarce in Montana, so I'm considering when to plant my radish seeds. Is starting herbs on the windowsill calling to you?

A harbinger is "a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another." 

What are you looking for in the Spring? Your spring cleaning may involve changing out your clothes. Word has it that we wear only 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. Haven't worn an item in a year? Make space in your...

It’s February. The Love Month. 

Let’s stop and breathe in this thought:  

the body is incredible. 

How can we tap into its healing potential, especially during times of crisis or anxiety? 

We all have stress. 

Get this…

Stress can positively affect the body. 

What, you say? 

Instead of fearing the effects of stress, 

stress can prime the heart for resiliency. 

Stress isn’t necessarily toxic and surprisingly, can decrease the chance of premature death. 

Wow.

Here are two indisputable thoughts: 

• We all have stress.
• A myriad of changes can occur in the heart during aging. 

 These two facts are indisputable. 

In Kelly McGonigal’s TED Talk, “How to Make Stress Your Friend,” she makes the claim:

 stress can be equated with stress resiliency. 

How do you respond to anxiety? 

Do you…

What's your genius?  

Everyone has a zone of excellence to share.

What's yours? How did that come to be? Thank you for being part of the tide that improves the world. 

How do you move your skill set to a new level if you're working, or retired?

Personally, what's your aim? 

Mine is to broaden my friendship circle. When I was younger, I used to have a sign on my wall that  stated, "Preserve wildlife, throw a party." I love to play charades (ask me about Justin Bieber sometime!)

How do you get out on the edge? 

How do you help lift other boats? 

How do you toot your horn?

Where are you outstanding in your community? 

This year, I will be offering Meetups every two weeks. 

On the second Friday of each month at 3 pm, we'll walk (~ 1 hour) at Peet's Hill behind the Bozeman Library. 

Then, let's get together for a themed party on the fourth Friday, also at 3 pm, in the Community Room at the Bozeman...

Checking In

How do we make this holiday season easy and safe so we can be fully present? Let’s take time to prepare and plan what our holidays will look like this year. Journal, meditate and visualize key events. 

The seasons progress without our help. Here we are at the beginning of the holiday season. Halloween is over. Hopefully, there’s not too much candy remaining.

Prep with Grace

How do you prepare for the holidays? Are you looking to freeze recipes before the big events? Don’t overcommit. I love to make a list of goodies I want to eat in the next two months. Then, I removed at least two recipes. Will the occasion be any less enjoyable with fewer desserts or appetizers? No one will know but me.

Soul Connections

We are so grateful to have another family gathering in a few weeks with everyone, especially one-year-old Henry. Granddaughter Baby Smith is due in mid-December. As a grandparent, it has been one of the most...

October 2023 Newsletter

Elizabeth Packard…unsung hero

Read and be changed

Women’s stories are vast, and some are unforgettable, especially when the storytelling is powerful. 

Life-changing moments happen. 

I had one when I read “The Woman They Could Not Silence” by Kate Moore. 

When was your last life-changing moment? How did your life change? 

I just finished Kate Moore’s  “The Woman They Could Not Silence” by Kate Moore, about Elizabeth Packard in the 1860s and her mighty struggles during her life and incarceration in an insane asylum. 

Books that lead me to see the world in a new way are a rare find. 

What was the last book that did that for you, changed your perception of the world? 

I love a long book. When I found this one in the library's nonfiction section, I was unprepared for a thriller that read like one. Unputdownable, that’s how it’s described on the ...