Monthly Archives: April 2018

Meditation Retreat: Part 1

Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, and Miriam Graham, DPT (December 2017) with Dr. Boorstein’s books Happiness is an Inside Job and Pay Attention for Goodness Sake.

Current neuroscience states 8 minutes of meditation a day will change brain structure positively!

Meditation is about choosing an object on which to REST your mind. The mind frequently wanders to the past or to the future. GENTLY bring your mind back to REST on the chosen object. Typically, you will go through several cycles back and forth, starting and restarting in any one session. That IS meditation, the exercise that brings about resilience. Just like exercise for your body, meditation requires effort and repetition.

The phrases used in meditation help gather and direct your attention. You can sit, stand (or walk slowly if it is more comfortable to be on the move). If possible, close your eyes while sitting or standing, this will help you bring your attention inward. Comfortably support your spine. It is helpful to have a timer to set for 2, 4, 5 or 8 minutes. Try this mindfulness phrase to exercise being in the present for 2 minutes:

Breathe in: May I be present in this moment.
Breathe out: May I meet it as a friend

Once you feel comfortable with 2 minutes, challenge yourself to 4 minutes. Remember the exercise is to bring yourself back to the phrase and breathing. You ARE doing it RIGHT if you have to redirect yourself back from wandering onto your grocery list or starting to fall asleep… That is the exercise!

Last December I attended a 6-hour meditation retreat lead by Sylvia Boorstein and Sharon Salzberg. Both women were engaging speakers and I appreciated how simply they presented “Metta” or “Loving Kindness” meditation. Metta is a Pali word that is translated as “loving kindness,” fierce compassion or freedom of heart. Next installment we will introduce a cycle of phrases to practice a Metta Meditation. Until then, enjoy the respite of taking just a few minutes to withdraw and rejuvenate in this moment.

Written by Miriam Graham, PT, DPT, MBA

Dr. Mistry’s Oral Hygiene Benefits & Tip

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It’s Spring Cleaning Time … even for your TEETH !

Visiting your dentist regularly has many health benefits overall.

Regular dental visits are important because they help keep your teeth and gums stay healthy. Residue on teeth after eating and drinking all day can cause plaque and tartar to buildup and not only cause tooth decay, but can erode the mouths gum tissues. When this happens, you end up getting an infection called gingivitis. As gingivitis progresses, the tissue that attaches gums to teeth can break down and cause a more serious condition called periodontitis which can cause eventual tooth loss. A dental professional can offer treatment to correct such gum disease.

One way to minimize food residue on your teeth and the associated plaque build up is to lubricate you teeth with drinking water. Gently swish the water between your teeth paying particular attention to direct the flow of water to the front and back teeth–both tops and bottoms before and after you eat.

Don’t wait for sudden unexpected tooth pain before seeing a dentist … go for a tune up of your mouth this SPRING to prevent Tooth trouble!

Written by Bhavana Mistry, DDS

Nicole Anzia of Neat Nik

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Nicole Anzia launched her organizing company, NeatNik in 2007. Ever since, she’s used her innate organizing ability and entrepreneurial spirit to help clients all over DC area simplify their lives. She believes that when people feel in control of their surroundings, they are better able to reach personal and professional goals — and they can spend more time doing the things they love. Nicole also writes a monthly organizing column for The Washington Post. Nicole lives in Washington DC with her husband and two daughters.

Spring-cleaning means different things to different people. For some people, this time of year is a chance to de-clutter surfaces, straighten up the home office and clean out their closet. To others, this is a chance to do some serious deep cleaning – windows, appliances, furniture and rugs. There is no right or wrong way to spring clean your house – do what needs to be done and feels right to you.

On my spring-cleaning/to-do list this month
1) Take things out of my kitchen drawers and cabinets and wipe out the insides. And I’m only going to put back the items I need and use.

2) Wipe out the insides of the garbage and recycling cans in my kitchen.

3) Remove things from my vanity’s cabinets and drawers, wipe out the inside and re-organize the contents.

4) Remove everything from the floor of our coat closet, clean the floor, and throw away or donate any shoes or boots that no longer fit or have not been worn in the past 6 months.

5) Clear off my desk and wipe the surface clean. Cull papers and file papers from the past 3 months.

6) Wash my pillows, pillow covers, and mattress cover.

7) Wash throw blankets and have furniture and area rugs deep cleaned.

8) Wipe down baseboards and doors.

9) Throw away old and expired food from my pantry. Wipe off shelves and make a list of what needs to be re-stocked.

10) Discard all old newspapers and catalogues. Remove myself from the mailing lists of at least 5 company’s catalogues.

The change of seasons is a perfect time to clean and organize your home. It’s an opportunity to get things in order and head into the warm spring and summer months feeling in control and refreshed.