Category: Wellness

Happy Mother’s Day!

To all the moms – and all the women acting as moms and caregivers in their many different forms – hope you’re having a great day and feeling the love!

Here are photos of the paintings by local artist Fay Talley that I bought at the YWCA Art Show held at The Gallery last week. I have mostly framed photographs around my home – in addition to my kids’ artwork, of course! – so I’m thrilled to have some original paintings (which were very reasonably priced.) 🙂

I can’t seem to get the “caption” or “title” function to work today. You should be able to match these titles with the images below: “Justa Pear,” “Reds,” and “Reaching for the Sun.”

Letting Go at High Street Yoga

Admit it. You know it’ll make you feel better. You know you should be doing it. Yes, I’m talking about yoga, and I keep putting it off too. So, what’s stopping us?

For me, I keep getting stuck in the same old rut in how I think about a “workout.” Being a former athlete, I’m locked into the idea of going to the gym, breaking a sweat on a machine, lifting some weights, suffering the consequences in my arthritic joints for the next 24-48 hours… and then avoiding the gym for several days.

A conversation with Barbara Kosciewicz, director of High Street Yoga and Wellness, though, has given me new hope that I can break the cycle. The idea of yoga is to open yourself up, and in that spirit, I asked Barbara to tell us what it’s all about. For more details and to see photos of her tranquil studio – yes, you can find inner peace on High Street! – check out her website and her blog.

High Street Yoga and Wellness is on the second floor at 141 E. High Street, above the Academy of Massage Therapy and Bodyworks. Their refurbished and air-conditioned building is across the street from Borough Hall, where there’s ample parking. (More on the Academy in a future post.)

PP: What’s a typical class like? How long is it?
BK: There are many styles and types of yoga. I really like to help people focus on slowing down, focusing on their breath and truly relaxing. A class is an hour and fifteen minutes. The beginning is all about settling in. It’s hard to walk in the door and just start meditating. So we take deep breaths, focusing on the breathing. Then we move into gentle stretching, easing into the physical practice of yoga. The last 10-15 minutes are for deep relaxation.

PP: Your website says: “A typical class at High Street Yoga offers breath awareness, centering/meditation, sequenced and clearly explained asana (physical postures) and, of course, Savasana (final relaxation).” Where do all those strange words come from?
BK: There is an ancient Indian text, written in Sanskrit, that’s called the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. It’s based on 8 philosophies or steps to achieve a quiet mind. It’s not a religion. That’s where the terms come from.

PP: What if I’ve never meditated before. What happens?
BK: I guide the class to use their breath to still their minds. Meditation is really all about quieting the mind. We take deep, full breaths in and out. The idea is to stop yourself from thinking about work, your day, your lists. Your breath is the one thing that’s constant. That’s the place to always come back to.

By the way, I don’t incorporate chanting into my classes. I want everyone to be comfortable, and some people may be put off by chanting.

Traditionally, yogis did the physical practice of the poses so that they could sustain long hours of meditation. The Western take on this, though, is the reverse – more physical practice, less meditation.

PP: How can I do yoga if I can’t even touch my toes?
BK: You don’t have to be completely flexible in order to do yoga. There are several versions of a pose, so I can help people do what’s comfortable for them. We have props, such as blocks and straps, to help people do the poses at their own comfort level.

PP: How many people are in a class, and what should I bring?
BK: The class size varies. There could be anywhere from 3-9 people. We have mats that people can borrow, or you can bring your own. Dress comfortably, preferably in layers. And bring a water bottle. Classes cost $12 each, and there are packages available.

Riverside Ride

A couple Saturdays ago, I had a block of time to check out the free bike program at Tri-County Bicycles. They run the Bike Pottstown program out of their shop; this totally awesome program lets you check out a bike for the day in exchange for handing over some i.d. and signing a waiver. These single-speed, canary yellow two-wheelers with basket in front hearken back to simpler times – when you pedaled forward to keep moving ahead and backward to stop with no big decisions to make in between. (Apparently these Fuji Sanibel Cruisers – 30 of ’em- were custom painted by Blast From the Past Street Rods.)

I wanted to ride along the Schuylkill River Trail and got some info from the guys at the store and also looked at some of the brochures they have up front. Heading outside, I went right on High Street, took the first right onto Charlotte Street, the next right onto Queen Street and let the downward incline pull me along. It was a bit chilly and rain was in the forecast, but I was willing to take my chances. There’s nothing like cruising along on two wheels to feel like you’ve finally been set free.

At the end of Queen Street, I took a left onto Hanover Street, but not before a quick peek into the former Goodwill firehouse from 1871 on the corner. (Does anyone know what’s happening with that building??) Following the signs to Riverfront Park, I ended up at the trailhead, where the new parking lot looks like it’s just about done.

And then I enjoyed a few miles out and back along the trail, passing walkers, joggers and a couple other cyclists. Although I could usually hear the hum from Rt. 422 or 100, the overwhelmingly green vistas were a gorgeous and welcome break from the built environment. Can’t wait to go back when the sun is shining!

I had forgotten to bring my helmet, but I have to make a plug for remembering to bring yours or asking for one from Tri-County Bicycles. Please note that cyclists using a bike from Bike Pottstown must be at least 16 years old.

And, finally, I have to give a shout-out to the many groups and businesses that support this program and made it come to life: Pottstown Health and Wellness Foundation, Exelon, Pottstown Police Officers’ Association, Borough of Pottstown, Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce, Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association, Preservation Pottstown, Tri-County Bicycles & Blast From the Past — all testament to what can be achieved when everyone’s pulling together.

Tri-County Bicycles
256 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464
484.941.6000
Hours: Monday thru Friday 10am – 6pm; Saturday 10am – 5pm

Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization – Take 1

I was in town last weekend for several activities, and first on tap, after my grilled cheese & pie at The Very Best, was attending the monthly meeting of Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization, a relatively new grassroots coalition of borough residents. (You gotta love a URL like http://www.vivapottstown.com!) The group’s mission is to instill pride and empower residents to get involved and take positive actions in their neighborhoods and throughout town. The two leaders, Katy Jackson and Anna Johnson, have lined up a series of speakers for their meetings, which take place at the PAL building at 146 King Street on the 3rd Friday of the month, beginning at 7 p.m. and lasting about an hour.

I had met Katy a few weeks before (and Anna briefly), when Katy took me on a walking tour of her block in the vicinity of King, Washington, Chestnut, and Franklin Streets. It was one of those gorgeous, sunny, warm afternoons when everyone seemed happy just to be outside. So, there’s this sweet park at the corner of Washington and Chestnut that was just abuzz with activity. Plans are in the works for neighbors to (hopefully) plant some flowers in one area, and for art students from the high school to use a block wall at the back of the park as a kind of rotating exhibit space to showcase their work throughout the year.

I’m not sure how far along the residents are in working out this next concept, so I’ll just say this: there’s a chance there will be a space available in the neighborhood for a community garden. Community gardens are growing in popularity, especially in places where wholesome foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, are not available or are too expensive. Basically, a lot is divided up among interested residents and/or groups/clubs. Someone who knows something about gardening coordinates & teaches, so that participants end up with a steady flow of food and even flowers. Of course, donations of tools, plants, seeds, soil are sought to make it all happen.

Community gardens get people outside, get neighbors working together, provide better food at a lower price, raise awareness about nutrition and food production, and put an empty or nuisance lot to good use. That’s a lot of win-wins in there. So, if this happens, maybe it could be a kind of pilot project for other gardens around town.

But this wasn’t what this post was even supposed to be about! I’ll try again in the next one…

Mercury article on founder of Positive Psychology

Given the name and attitude of this very blog, and given I was a psych major in college, I was intrigued to see this article by Dennis J. Wright in today’s Mercury about Martin Seligman, the founder of the relatively new field of positive psychology. Seligman, who teaches and does research at the University of Pennsylvania, spoke at Ursinus on Tuesday.

It seems Seligman used to study “learned helplessness and depression,” fairly common stuff in a field that focuses on what’s wrong with people and how to fix them. His current emphasis on positivity, though, comes at happiness from the other end of the spectrum: find out what your strengths are and put them to work to ward off depression.

In this 2008 profile, Seligman said, “There are three levels to happiness: pleasure, the delight you get from chocolate, fast cars, and sex; engagement, the feeling of “flow” you get when you’re doing something you’re good at; and meaning, the fulfillment you get from being engaged in an effort greater than yourself.”

At Ursinus, Seligman talked about how to apply these principles in education, maintaining that happiness – or how to achieve a fulfilling life – can actually be taught.

Extending this concept to the community-level, I’d put out there that Pottstown itself is in the midst of figuring out what its strengths are, capitalizing on them and starting to feel the “flow.” Look no further than Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization and “Hip Places to Be Scene in Pottstown,” the latter of which should be releasing a new video any day now. I guarantee you’ll have no trouble smiling at that 🙂

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