Greetings and Welcome to our July edition,
When I considered our summer theme, health and fitness immediately came to mind, but the word vitality also popped in. I contemplated its place in a somatically balanced life and realized that without health (be it physical, mental, spiritual, emotional) and fitness, our vitality dulls. Its energy lessens, its presence (and/or lack of) is visible, palpable.
If you take a moment during the day and people-watch I suspect you’ll see a range of body shapes and sizes, a full spectrum of facial expressions and gestures. Some appear ‘healthy’, engaged in what they’re doing, they smile, sort of, they may or may not make eye contact. Others seem robotic, almost lethargic as if overwhelmed by their experience. No smile. No engagement. Nothing. They’re there, but not.
And then there are people who simply radiate. There’s a shimmer in their eyes, a dazzle in their smile. Their essence reflects a deeper sense of peace that comes from being at one with themselves and their experiences. Life flows through them. They reach out, engage in conversations easily, freely. Their laughter feels natural. They breathe deeply, slowly. They inhale life, fully expanding their lungs, their chest, their belly. They exhale what they no longer need to survive. These people radiate wholeness, balance and being at peace in relationships with themselves and others. Their energy is almost infectious as it draws you into connection.
Do you see what I mean? Yes? No? Well, now that I have thinking about vitality, I invite you to join our contributors as they, too, consider its role in a somatically balanced life. In ‘The Yoga of Midlife’, Holly Holt explains why it’s important to keep moving, to breathe, allow the muscles to soften, the mind to rest, the heart to open. Defne Dinler discusses an embodied approach to health and fitness by slowing down and noticing ourselves. Serge Prengel explores ‘The Threat Response Cycle as a Different Perspective on Mindfulness’, and Michael Shea discusses the embodiment of primary respiration. Inspired by Reich’s body segments, Aylee Welch details a set of exercises she created and does daily to effect optimal health. Genovino Ferri and Mary Jane A. Paiva write about health and illness as polar opposites on a continuous spectrum in ‘Salutogenesis and Well-being’. And Alex Diaz offers his take on attitude and athletic performance. He explores why, despite having positive thoughts, some athletes still under-achieve in highly pressured moments. We also offer reviews of: The Elusive Obvious; Trauma and the Unbound Body; The Little Book of Being and The Power of Attachment. We’re thankful for Dr. Diane Poole Heller’s reflections on her 12-year journey writing The Power of Attachment.
We’re pleased to present our second in-print issue. Happy reading.
Warmly,
Nancy Eichhorn, PhD
