We had a big Friday night. First we went to the synagogue for services. We stayed for supper and to hear Dr. Ann Lapidus Lerner discuss Yehuda Amichai’s poetry. Friday night services are Kabbalat Shabbat. The tunes are joyous, welcoming Shabbat. Services are short and intimate, with fewer people. I have trouble with services these […]
Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Change Read More »
On Friday, I graduated from physical therapy for my knee replacement. I did all my exercises, showed my therapist how well I could walk up and down the stairs, and said goodbye. It was great. This doesn’t mean I’m done with my knee. I’ve transitioned from my initial rehab to ongoing strength training and remaking
Graduation Day. Now What? Read More »
I’ve been working with a new trainer since my knee replacement, Billy. Today, several great things occurred. When I got on the bike, my rpms started in the 60s. That’s faster than I’ve started yet. When I did my squats to build my hamstring and glut strength, we added a ten-pound weight. And, we started
I realize that some of you have been waiting for this post for a while. Sorry. Was busy. Siebert says most people can live with just parts 1 and 2 quite nicely. That is, until they have a traumatic event. It’s time to get to know your inner selves and build them. Those of us
Emotional Resilience, Part 3, Strengthening Your Inner Selves Read More »
During my workout with Erik this morning, I had troubles with the obstacles. My vertigo varies from minute to minute. My first obstacle set was great. My second set was not so hot. He was using his drill sergeant approach with me, “Come on, Johanna. Just step over it. It hasn’t changed from 12 minutes
What Are You Practicing? Read More »
Part of mental toughness is also having emotional resilience. It’s a different piece. Here’s how I like to explain it. Imagine you were a corporate travel agent back in the 1970s, 1980s, or even the 1990s. You were great at your job. You found the best fares. Your customers loved you. You did a great
Emotional Resilience: Just the Beginning Read More »
I’ve been battling a 10-20% forward lean with my vertigo. I’m standing much straighter these days, and it’s all because of my hip flexors. I’ve been straightening them. Your hip flexors are small muscles on the front of your hips. If you sit too much, they contract, and you don’t stand up straight. If you,
Standing Straight with Oosh and Ah Read More »
I’ve explained that flying is easy and walking is difficult. Well, driving is tough, too. Riding in a car is more difficult than driving, because when I drive I have my hands on the wheel. That feedback helps my proprioception (knowledge of where I am in space). And, it depends on where I drive. Here,
People often ask me: How do you fly? That’s because they think my ear is my problem. Nope. My ears don’t have a problem with flying. My middle ears change pressure just fine, thank you. Remember, it’s my inner ear that had the problem. Flying is easy, much easier than driving or walking. And, I’m
How Do You Travel? Read More »
When I tell people I ballroom dance and that I have vertigo, they are surprised. When Mark is with me, they look at him to see if I’m lying. I’m not lying. We adapt almost everything. Here are two examples. In waltz, there is a gorgeous step, called 3/8ths turns. The gentleman leads a left