Car meditation? Well, perhaps not, especially with eyes closed. However there are many ways to make a car ride more relaxing and enjoyable. Try poetry. Part one poetry reading is here. Book selection is Caroline Kennedy’s “She Walks in Beauty”, eclectic mix not only about love and not only for women.

Celebrate end of the year with positive attitude and reflect on service to others. This 5 minute reflective audio may help you visualize and develop attitude of gratefulness for good things that happen in your life through caring and caring profession. This audio can be played anytime you need positive lift and re-direction.

If you have been following what’s going on in the wellness or preventive health measures movement, you most likely noticed the popularity and momentum gained by any type of mindfulness practices. Many of the practices moved totally in the virtual and app space. I have been exploring them for some time now.

This weekend I tuned into Rhode Island’s BrainWeek Conference that just came to the end, but is available on the website. There is even virtual theater performance with topic, brain of course. The YouTube videos of events will be available as well.

Winter season is particularly likely to get me to knit - in summer wool feels heavy and I spend as much time away from couch as possible. When fall comes and temperatures drop I love the feel of warm wool on my fingers. I like how I can design, draw and then execute a project. Fingers are moving in rhythmical and synchronized fashion - almost like repeated prayer or steady beat. With that I feel that I can take a brake from all what surrounds me, the noise and pressure. You can watch a movie or participate in conversation while knitting, but for me it is more of a solitary sport where I can spend time with the project I am making, and when small pieces come to life to create something bigger, easily utilitarian and with lasting quality to it [Bernie Sanderns mittens anyone?].

I recorded the audio with my recent adventure in trying to find a great yoga bolster. Bolster can be used during meditation practice as well. I contemplate on winter meditation and how to find motivation to keep practicing.

I am a rheumatologist and often see new referrals for blue fingers. While the majority of the cases of RP are benign and very common in society running from 10-20%, there are very rare instances that this condition may require additional work up. What is described as RP is the ischemic phenomenon where the small vessels in the end organs, such as fingers, nose, ears, toes sometimes tongue’s vessels get constricted which may be accompanied by unpleasant sensation of pain, numbness, tingling and discoloration from white, blue, blotchy and finally with the warming phase that extremities, hands, toes become red, then pinkish or natural color again.

If you want to find the best what there is in wellness and be kind to yourself do not hesitate and learn to meditate. It may be good to start with a video or an app, but after a while you will realize that there is so many ways to meditate, whether it’s a walk away from busy traffic, closing your eyes at your desk for few minutes, creating an art and getting lost in that project or reading a poem and contemplating its meaning and textures. Go for a walk and listen to the religious service or music. With time it will become such a natural state of being for which you will reach again and again because it feels so good.

Find out more on baking, meditation and delicious plum cake.

I did subscribe to Headspace meditation app this summer as American Medical Association offered it for its members for free. There is so much emphasis on wellness these days, almost like we realized just yesterday that physicians are humans too, prone to stress, breakout, despair and doubt. I admit that the app helped me to dedicate 10 minutes of my time few times a week to a session designed for beginners. I was advised to sit down, look for solitude, close my eyes, take refreshing breaths and the rest of meditation followed. Each session felt very good. At first I was a little frustrated that I keep unfocusing and being distracted, but with practice that becomes a secondary issue and something not to stress about so not to contradict what you try to accomplish with meditation. One session described this sensation as seeing the picture of big blue sky and clouds passing, but not being taken away or overwhelmed by the clouds which will be there, like life events, no matter what and same can be said about thoughts in our heads, let them pass, but do not allow them to control you. Easier said than done, but the moderator of the sessions explains the concept of practice very well and the sessions are simple enough to follow.

It seems more vital than ever to stay active. Pandemic changed work habits of many from unhealthy long commutes to unhealthy sit at your desk habit. We replaced one terrible sedentary activity (longer commute has been associated with weight gain with actual minutes spent behind wheel making a difference) with even less appealing routine of sitting still for 8 hours a day in front of laptops and computers. Unfortunately the same applies to school children who continue remote learning with hours behind the screens.