Writing is an excellent way to bring forth healing, i.e. the use of metaphors, poetry, and journaling. I have always utilized writing with my clients and have found it to be an extremely enlightening experience not only for the women who attend my coaching sessions but for myself as well.
By expressing your feelings and thoughts on paper, you truly begin the process of solidifying what you are experiencing at that moment; it brings what is on the inside to life. For example, the use of personal journals with my clients is highly recommended because it allows them to actually see their progress or short-comings from session to session. It provides another way of participating in their treatment.
A recent client wanted a more creative approach to her coaching sessions and asked that I write a poem with elements and references to God since she considered herself to be a strong believer. Her assignment for the following week was to write about her thoughts from this “creative” session and to make note of any negative thoughts which may have come to mind.
The following poem was written at the request of my client who was experiencing issues related to the death of a close loved one.
Trusting God to Let Go
The greatest gift that God has given is that of love.
It comes in many forms and times in our lives, and yes…… it is beautiful.
When God has chosen you above all to enter into the life of his loved one, it is a great honor.
Your presence brings joy, peace, and happiness to a sometimes broken heart and it is because of that, your bond is unbroken.
In life, as in nature, things rest and then blossom into something so beautiful that you know that it is so because of God’s love; and it is this metamorphosis which is the guide to so much more.
Life is created and then given in love, nurtured in faith, and let go in the trust of God.
The bond will remain unbroken…………………..
By: Alicia Howard
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Eating, a Learnt Behavior
Take a look at what you are eating. If you enjoy cooking, look at how you prepare and cook your meals. Have you ever asked yourself why you cook the way you do? If your style of cooking has been handed down from generation to generation, is it best suited for today’s lifestyles?
It is true, we learn many things from our environment at an early age and those learnt behaviors, whether good or not the best choices, do affect our lives as adults. Take for instance eating; what we eat and how we eat are acquired tastes, and in some instances, there are health issues that go along with these foods. We hear everyday, too much salt and fast foods are not good for our health, yet we continue to ignore warnings from our doctors and our bodies. Ask yourself this question, what would it take to make the change in your life?
There have been numerous stories of people who have found themselves in a life threatening situation due to their eating habits and lack of exercise. And often, it is this frightening situation which is the needed force to make the lifestyle alteration. I was working with a client sometime ago where she was literally told by her doctors that if she did not give up the fried foods and begin an exercise program that she should consider giving up her life. This was a profound statement but this was what it took for this particular person to make a change in her lifestyle.
Of course it was difficult working with this client. Why? Because she had the custom of cooking in a particular way which was traditional to her family, and these traditions were passed down from mother to daughter. Following a few weeks of coaching, she began to show signs of truly seeing and accepting the importance of altering her lifestyle for a healthier way of life.
I and my client worked together to create a plan and set goals which were realistic to her life and schedule. In addition to receiving lifestyle fitness coaching from me, she also saw a registered nutritionist who assisted her in creating a diet that she would be able to maintain. I also worked closely with her nutritionist to design a program and monitor her progress towards achieving and maintaining a healthier way of eating and living.
Making a lifestyle change can sometimes present challenges such as relearning how to prepare and cook your foods and incorporating a daily “exercise program” into your life, but these are only minor adjustments that could possibly prevent a lifetime of medical and health problems. Ask yourself this simple question, “Aren’t I worth it?”
It is true, we learn many things from our environment at an early age and those learnt behaviors, whether good or not the best choices, do affect our lives as adults. Take for instance eating; what we eat and how we eat are acquired tastes, and in some instances, there are health issues that go along with these foods. We hear everyday, too much salt and fast foods are not good for our health, yet we continue to ignore warnings from our doctors and our bodies. Ask yourself this question, what would it take to make the change in your life?
There have been numerous stories of people who have found themselves in a life threatening situation due to their eating habits and lack of exercise. And often, it is this frightening situation which is the needed force to make the lifestyle alteration. I was working with a client sometime ago where she was literally told by her doctors that if she did not give up the fried foods and begin an exercise program that she should consider giving up her life. This was a profound statement but this was what it took for this particular person to make a change in her lifestyle.
Of course it was difficult working with this client. Why? Because she had the custom of cooking in a particular way which was traditional to her family, and these traditions were passed down from mother to daughter. Following a few weeks of coaching, she began to show signs of truly seeing and accepting the importance of altering her lifestyle for a healthier way of life.
I and my client worked together to create a plan and set goals which were realistic to her life and schedule. In addition to receiving lifestyle fitness coaching from me, she also saw a registered nutritionist who assisted her in creating a diet that she would be able to maintain. I also worked closely with her nutritionist to design a program and monitor her progress towards achieving and maintaining a healthier way of eating and living.
Making a lifestyle change can sometimes present challenges such as relearning how to prepare and cook your foods and incorporating a daily “exercise program” into your life, but these are only minor adjustments that could possibly prevent a lifetime of medical and health problems. Ask yourself this simple question, “Aren’t I worth it?”
Thursday, April 12, 2007
FitnessWise: Fitness Program for Seniors
Over the Christmas holidays, I took the opportunity to volunteer my services and time as a movement instructor at the Anderson County Senior Citizen Center in Lawrenceburg, KY. I met with the center director to discuss implementing a light exercise course for the participants to offer the experience of having an activity exclusively designed for their needs. I now call this program The Déjà-Fit: FitnessWise Program for seniors. The program was specifically designed for the Anderson County Senior Citizen Center to provide physical activities for seniors and to initiate the awareness of healthier lifestyles through light fitness movements.
Two important factors which made this program a success were my assessments and the ability to gain the trust of the attendants. I did an assessment of each possible participant with the assistance of the director to find out any medical conditions or movement limitations which could cause complications for the seniors. Based on each person’s file, I decided to use sedentary exercises which permitted even the less mobile person to participate. The primary focus of the program was about inclusion, allowing each person to contribute what they were able to without fear. The age group ranged from 75 – 94 years and they were fantastic.
The music selection was also a key factor in gaining the interest of the participants. I chose music which was appropriate for their age group and preferences. For the first session, I took a chance and brought a few “jazzy tunes” such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing Cole Porter, and to my luck, they were perfect selections. The group began with 5 people and by the end of the session, I had about 15. The activities that were performed were mainly based on imitation. Each person took a turn to create a movement and the others (including myself) had to follow. This type of activity stimulated their minds to think and respond quickly. Everyone was informed that they were only required to perform what they were physically able to do. This, I believe, created a sense of trust between me and the seniors for the assurance that they would be in “safe” hands.
Following the “light exercise” portion of the program, the seniors had the opportunity to express their feelings and to reflect on their experiences during the course. This, I thought was a great way not only to learn about the participants but they also had the chance to learn more about me. In addition, I found that encouraging the seniors to set realistic goals which they could obtain during the course of the class was an excellent memory stimulant; it also added a since of value to what they were achieving in the class.
Although the classes lasted for no more than 4 weeks, I know that this will be an experience that I will always remember. I not only developed a fantastic program for a wonderful group of people, I also learned the beauty of giving and truly sharing myself with people whose only desire was to feel that they were important and appreciated. Encounters like these always reaffirm the value of my career choice and the importance of how giving a little bit of my time to others can often make a big impact.
For further information on The Déjà-Fit: FitnessWise Program please visit:
http://deja-fit.com/fitnesswise.html
Two important factors which made this program a success were my assessments and the ability to gain the trust of the attendants. I did an assessment of each possible participant with the assistance of the director to find out any medical conditions or movement limitations which could cause complications for the seniors. Based on each person’s file, I decided to use sedentary exercises which permitted even the less mobile person to participate. The primary focus of the program was about inclusion, allowing each person to contribute what they were able to without fear. The age group ranged from 75 – 94 years and they were fantastic.
The music selection was also a key factor in gaining the interest of the participants. I chose music which was appropriate for their age group and preferences. For the first session, I took a chance and brought a few “jazzy tunes” such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing Cole Porter, and to my luck, they were perfect selections. The group began with 5 people and by the end of the session, I had about 15. The activities that were performed were mainly based on imitation. Each person took a turn to create a movement and the others (including myself) had to follow. This type of activity stimulated their minds to think and respond quickly. Everyone was informed that they were only required to perform what they were physically able to do. This, I believe, created a sense of trust between me and the seniors for the assurance that they would be in “safe” hands.
Following the “light exercise” portion of the program, the seniors had the opportunity to express their feelings and to reflect on their experiences during the course. This, I thought was a great way not only to learn about the participants but they also had the chance to learn more about me. In addition, I found that encouraging the seniors to set realistic goals which they could obtain during the course of the class was an excellent memory stimulant; it also added a since of value to what they were achieving in the class.
Although the classes lasted for no more than 4 weeks, I know that this will be an experience that I will always remember. I not only developed a fantastic program for a wonderful group of people, I also learned the beauty of giving and truly sharing myself with people whose only desire was to feel that they were important and appreciated. Encounters like these always reaffirm the value of my career choice and the importance of how giving a little bit of my time to others can often make a big impact.
For further information on The Déjà-Fit: FitnessWise Program please visit:
http://deja-fit.com/fitnesswise.html
Thursday, April 5, 2007
The Voices of Readers
The media is a power vehicle which can be manipulated and shaped to reach an audience. I have written a few articles which have discussed the influence of the media on women’s (young and mature) body image and how the images are not representative of the whole. Since the first blog was published a few weeks ago, I have received numerous e-mails expressing their feelings and perspectives on this topic.
Hear what other readers have to say.
Enjoy!
________________________________________________________________________
Ms. H (Cincinnati, Ohio)
I went to your blog spot. It was excellent. I especially liked the first part of the blog that explored the various ways we can be our own worst enemy. We really have to believe in ourselves before anyone else will believe in us. I truly believe that people are able to reach great heights when they are confident and know that they are able to achieve their dreams; this confidence shines to others, and they have no choice but to believe in you as well.
I also liked your exploration of the Western standard of beauty, but I have a question for you. Have you ever felt that you (personally) did not fit the mold of Western beauty? I hear a lot of people say that the standard for beauty here includes White skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, but I've truly never felt that I didn't "fit" into the Western standard of beauty. Of course, I'm Black with dark hair, dark eyes, and thick thighs and hips, but I never felt that I had a standard of beauty pushed on me. How do you think most women of color feel about this issue?
My reply:
Thanks for the reply and for sharing your thoughts. I believe that issues such as these vary from person to person.
As for my personal experience, well it is like this. I have a very athletic body, long lean and defined muscles with broad shoulders and narrow hips. The body that I described was the body which many young women in my high school viewed as desired, but may I also note that my school was about 98% white. After graduating from high school, I was awarded a full scholarship to attend a historically black university where the student population was about 96% Afro-American. At this university however, my body was considered “too European”; this was a terminology that only the “name callers” truly knew the significance.
So as you can see, no one is immune from prejudices based on body image. My story demonstrates that body image is cultural and that, who ever dominates, sets the standard of beauty. In short, our bodies may be shaped differently but the words still affect us in similar ways.
_______________________________________________________________________
Ms. M (Denver, Colorado)
I agree with everything you said about the media. I am Latina, but even within Latinos, I see the lighter skinned Latina women on TV much more than darker ones.
I am actually a light-skinned Latina myself, but my mom is dark (she has African blood). It is shocking how people treat me different than more African or Indigenous looking Latinos. My mom has faced so much discrimination for being dark.
Fortunately, my family taught me better and many of my relatives actually fought during the Guatemalan civil war to defend the Indigenous people of Guatemala.
I used to work with at-risk teenagers; the grand majority of them were Black or Latino. I was paired with a Black girl, so I hung out with her friends a lot. It was also so shocking that she and her friends admired the lighter-skinned, more European looking African Americans, like Beyonce Knowles. In Africa and the Middle-East, they have skin-lightning creams that are dangerous! I can go on forever about this, I better stop.
Anyway. YOU ARE SO AWESOME!! And you're a “BEAUTIFUL COLORED WOMAN”! Take care of yourself.
My reply:
Thanks for the reply and for showing readers that discrimination can occur in any form and in any place.
_______________________________________________________________________
Mdme C. (Abbeville, France)
I live in France and I have enjoyed reading your weekly articles about fitness for women. It is true that the media does present an artificial image of beauty, even in France. I am 62 years of age and grew up in a time that walking was the type of exercise in all people did regularly in my village. The type of food that we ate was more natural too; there were no conversations about additives. Times have changed. I believe that things are more superficial than before; but I do see advertisements now on television for cosmetics which show the beauty of older women in the nude. The time has arrived for all women to be represented without shame.
My reply:
Merci Beaucoup for your reply Mdme C. Your story indicates that women worldwide are affected in one way or another by false images of beauty.
________________________________________________________________________
Ms. P (Virginia Beach, VA)
Dear Alicia, I just wanted to let you know that your article about women’s body image has been very encouraging for me.
When I was 7 years old, my experience of weight management was at the local “Weight Watchers” with my mother and her issues with being over weight. Because my mother had battled her whole life with her weight, she always insisted that I watch what I eat; and even though my mother thought that she was trying to help and give me good advice to insure that my life with weight would be different than her life, what she was actually doing was planting a seed that would affect the way I saw myself. But you know what, I am winning this battle!
I was very thin growing up and I often had numerous battles with Anorexia and Bulimia to keep my slim petite figure but the obsession became so bad at the age of 17 that I had to be hospitalized for Bulimia.
Today, I am learning how to love myself for myself. I have been through so much in my life to let what others say or do determine my self-love; I am taking my life back!!!
My reply:
What a powerful testimony and I do believe that you are already winning your battle. I know that there are going to be many women who can relate to what you have just shared.
Thank you!
Hear what other readers have to say.
Enjoy!
________________________________________________________________________
Ms. H (Cincinnati, Ohio)
I went to your blog spot. It was excellent. I especially liked the first part of the blog that explored the various ways we can be our own worst enemy. We really have to believe in ourselves before anyone else will believe in us. I truly believe that people are able to reach great heights when they are confident and know that they are able to achieve their dreams; this confidence shines to others, and they have no choice but to believe in you as well.
I also liked your exploration of the Western standard of beauty, but I have a question for you. Have you ever felt that you (personally) did not fit the mold of Western beauty? I hear a lot of people say that the standard for beauty here includes White skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, but I've truly never felt that I didn't "fit" into the Western standard of beauty. Of course, I'm Black with dark hair, dark eyes, and thick thighs and hips, but I never felt that I had a standard of beauty pushed on me. How do you think most women of color feel about this issue?
My reply:
Thanks for the reply and for sharing your thoughts. I believe that issues such as these vary from person to person.
As for my personal experience, well it is like this. I have a very athletic body, long lean and defined muscles with broad shoulders and narrow hips. The body that I described was the body which many young women in my high school viewed as desired, but may I also note that my school was about 98% white. After graduating from high school, I was awarded a full scholarship to attend a historically black university where the student population was about 96% Afro-American. At this university however, my body was considered “too European”; this was a terminology that only the “name callers” truly knew the significance.
So as you can see, no one is immune from prejudices based on body image. My story demonstrates that body image is cultural and that, who ever dominates, sets the standard of beauty. In short, our bodies may be shaped differently but the words still affect us in similar ways.
_______________________________________________________________________
Ms. M (Denver, Colorado)
I agree with everything you said about the media. I am Latina, but even within Latinos, I see the lighter skinned Latina women on TV much more than darker ones.
I am actually a light-skinned Latina myself, but my mom is dark (she has African blood). It is shocking how people treat me different than more African or Indigenous looking Latinos. My mom has faced so much discrimination for being dark.
Fortunately, my family taught me better and many of my relatives actually fought during the Guatemalan civil war to defend the Indigenous people of Guatemala.
I used to work with at-risk teenagers; the grand majority of them were Black or Latino. I was paired with a Black girl, so I hung out with her friends a lot. It was also so shocking that she and her friends admired the lighter-skinned, more European looking African Americans, like Beyonce Knowles. In Africa and the Middle-East, they have skin-lightning creams that are dangerous! I can go on forever about this, I better stop.
Anyway. YOU ARE SO AWESOME!! And you're a “BEAUTIFUL COLORED WOMAN”! Take care of yourself.
My reply:
Thanks for the reply and for showing readers that discrimination can occur in any form and in any place.
_______________________________________________________________________
Mdme C. (Abbeville, France)
I live in France and I have enjoyed reading your weekly articles about fitness for women. It is true that the media does present an artificial image of beauty, even in France. I am 62 years of age and grew up in a time that walking was the type of exercise in all people did regularly in my village. The type of food that we ate was more natural too; there were no conversations about additives. Times have changed. I believe that things are more superficial than before; but I do see advertisements now on television for cosmetics which show the beauty of older women in the nude. The time has arrived for all women to be represented without shame.
My reply:
Merci Beaucoup for your reply Mdme C. Your story indicates that women worldwide are affected in one way or another by false images of beauty.
________________________________________________________________________
Ms. P (Virginia Beach, VA)
Dear Alicia, I just wanted to let you know that your article about women’s body image has been very encouraging for me.
When I was 7 years old, my experience of weight management was at the local “Weight Watchers” with my mother and her issues with being over weight. Because my mother had battled her whole life with her weight, she always insisted that I watch what I eat; and even though my mother thought that she was trying to help and give me good advice to insure that my life with weight would be different than her life, what she was actually doing was planting a seed that would affect the way I saw myself. But you know what, I am winning this battle!
I was very thin growing up and I often had numerous battles with Anorexia and Bulimia to keep my slim petite figure but the obsession became so bad at the age of 17 that I had to be hospitalized for Bulimia.
Today, I am learning how to love myself for myself. I have been through so much in my life to let what others say or do determine my self-love; I am taking my life back!!!
My reply:
What a powerful testimony and I do believe that you are already winning your battle. I know that there are going to be many women who can relate to what you have just shared.
Thank you!
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