August 12, 2004, Vol. II Issue 17

Dear Friends,

I didn’t get to go to the National Wellness Institute’s (NWI) annual conference this summer, as I have the past four years, but I have some re-caps for you straight from the speakers who gave them. This is the place they like to try things out and showcase new material. I love this conference because it’s very casual. Staying in the dorms  at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, and eating meals cafeteria style is definitely retro. I call it “camp for adults.”

We have hot headline news and web resources for you, and upcoming opportunities to get-together and enjoy the company and camaraderie of women with common interests.

And, yahoo (!), it’s National Foot Health Month, http://www.apma.org. There are all kinds of great walking tips on the website. Check it out. I can’t think of a better time, especially because it’s sandals season, to share one of my favorite summer rituals, rainbow toes.

Yours truly,
Barbara

NWI 2004 Revisited

At NWI, Jana Stanfield did one of the things she does best, and that is open a conference with the intention to build community and set the tone for fun and learning. Whether they’re first-timers or alumni, her all-inclusive Keynote Concerts get the attendees’ feet tapping and hearts pumping. And when it’s Jana-style, it’s anybody’s game and you, too, could end up on stage!

“NWI is just the best,” she said. “I get to meet new people, catch up with old friends, learn new stuff. I love it.”

Old-timers got a chance to sing and dance to their favorite Jana songs like “I’m Not Lost, I’m Exploring,” and “If I Were Brave,” and she introduced them to some new ones like, “Let the Change Begin Within” and “I Cannot Do All the Good that the World Needs, but the World Needs All the Good That I Can Do.”

This was her 6th year presenting a Keynote Concert at NWI. That says everything! Sometimes she’s been the opener, sometimes the closer or somewhere in between. In addition to bringing her humor and perspective to storyweaving time in the morning prior to the opening keynote, you can find her filling requests for performances of her songs in individual sessions. Hey, why use a CD when the artist is among you? That’s just how Jana does it. She’s a meeting partner extraordinaire!

 

DR. KAREN WOLFE

One of the things I enjoy most about Dr. Karen Wolfe is her voracious appetite for learning. I can’t keep up with her topics because she’s always delving into something old (read ancient wisdom) that is “suddenly” something new.

You know that old saying about listening to your gut? Well, Karen says, “Listen up,” in her program titled, “The Brain in the Gut: Unlocking the Secret to Total Wellness.” It turns out that gut problems are truly a barometer of overall emotional and physical needs.

“Your gut is an accurate reflection of how you feel,” she says. “It knows you better than you know yourself.” Over 40% of patients who visit internists do so for gastrointestinal problems.

“The mind/gut connection relies on nerve cells in the gut acting as a ‘second’ brain. Our two brains, the one in our head and the one in our bowel, must cooperate to achieve health,” she continued. “This represents a quantum leap in medical knowledge and can benefit all of us if we listen to our guts.”

In another session, she delved into a topic that she and Dr. Deborah Kern uncovered as tender territory as they were researching their book, Create the Body Your Soul Desires. Unfortunately, because the “V” drug word is in the title and the “S” word is throughout the description, I’m not even going to try to describe it here as this newsletter will never get through the sp*m blockers.

Just to give you an idea, she said that the enormous publicity surrounding this drug speaks volumes about the values of our culture. “Sensuality, the ability to feel comfortable in one’s body, suspend time, and communicate through the skin is what we don’t learn from ‘V’,” she said (of course, she used the whole word).

Deb Kern told me it was the best program she’s ever seen Karen present and that’s saying a lot! (More about Deb’s NWI session in our next issue). If you want more info about Karen’s V and S  program, call me at 503-699-5031, or email me and I’ll fax the description. As far as I know there are no sp*m filters on fax machines. Yet.

Karen also facilitated the Conscious Body certificate program, based on the book, Create the Body Your Soul Desires. In this two-day certificate program, wellness professionals learned all about The Conscious Body Method ™, designed to assist their clients to live consciously in their body. Blending science, nutrition, exercise and psychology, it provides a holistic approach that is grounded in practical application and explores all the interconnected relationships of food, exercise, sleep,
stress, emotions, thoughts, body image, and environment. For more info, go to: http://www.theconsciousbodymethod.com

I’ll share more about other NWI presentations by our speakers in future issues.

In the Health Headlines:

WHI, AWHONN, Get the Stories on the Web

This just in! A review and critique of The Women’s Health Initiative 2004 by John A. Goldman, MD, FACP, FACR, FASLMS, has just been posted at medscape.com.
The results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) have been controversial since they hit the newsstands two years ago. On the basis of the study and their interpretation by the lead investigators, guidelines for the use of hormone therapy in postmenopausal women have changed, causing consternation, distress, and uncertainty in consumers and their doctors and health practitioners. This article reviews the published results from the WHI and their various interpretations.
See what they’re saying at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/483902_1

AWHONN
If you didn’t get to attend the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) 2004 Convention in Tampa in June, you can read the highlights of the conference at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/484225_1.

I love the title: “Not Your Mother’s Nursing Conference: 2004 Convention Shatters the Status Quo.” AWHONN has been long respected for its significant role in maternal child health. This year, the group’s unique role in promoting the health of women throughout their lifespans was emphasized as well as the relevance of the conference for all nurses who care and advocate for women, newborns, and families.

The topics were fascinating, including a pharmocology update on dietary supplements for women. Now, if you think that sounds boring, please note that the speaker, Alan Agins, PhD, President, PRN Associates, Ltd., Cranston, Rhode Island, was obviously in tune with his audience as he noted in an anti-aging reference that, “Dark chocolate and red wine both contain antioxidants. The antioxidants in dark chocolate are negated when it is mixed with milk. The solution,according to Agins, may be to enjoy chocolate with red wine!” Yep, DARK chocolate and red wine make the grade as staples in my diet!

For great info, check the link out when you get a chance. There’s a substantial article on the nursing shortage, along with some good stuff about improving the quality of your career/life journey, and a whole bunch of other topics.

Isn’t the internet great? I’m constantly amazed by the information at my fingertips. It seems all I have to do is ask (well, first I have to think of the question or at least surf for the topic!).

Getaway, Getaway, Opportunities Galore

I was surfing Spirit of Women’s website the other day, when I was startled into awareness and action by this headline, “Register to Win a Weekend Spa Escape with Air to the New Age Health Spa.” I didn’t hesitate a minute. After reading the spa description, I was fairly drooling, it sounded so good. Check it out at

http://www.spiritofwomen.org/meno_win.html

It’s quick, easy and I heard the chance of winning is really good!

Now a free spa visit would be fabulous, but if you’re longing for a great getaway with “the girls,” and you have some cash tucked away for an indulgence, you can’t beat the “Spirit of Women and Wise Women Speak Retreat” Nov. 11-14, 2004, at the Amara Creekside Resort, Sedona, Arizona. This place looks awesome! And the program is rich with information, variety and opportunities for renewal, let alone a great excuse to meet and share with colleagues, new friends and old. In fact, if you need to convince anyone about the value of the female friendship factor, let me know and I’ll send you a convincing article about it!

Inspirational authors and motivational speakers of the nationally- acclaimed Wise Women Speak series will celebrate the release of the third anthology, Changes Along the Path. Fern Carness, MPH, RN, is the sparkplug for the series which includes two other books, 20 Ways to Turn Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones and Choosing Stepping Stones Along the Path.

The keynote speakers, who have all shared their stories of challenges and triumphs in the books, include Fern, Sandy Queen, Jana Stanfield, Elaine Sullivan, and Nancy Coey. With that line-up, this will be one fun program, guaranteed!

This would be an opportune time and place to reconnect with an old friend(s), your Mom, sister(s), or gather all the girlfriends and get together among the magnificent red rocks of Sedona. You will experience three days of powerful keynotes, workshops, reflection, guided walking or hiking in beautiful surroundings, shopping in historic Sedona, a visit to Sedona’s Creative Life Center and an unforgettable sunset tour of the Grand Canyon followed by dinner on the rim.

For all the details, go to http://www.spiritofwomen.org/2/travel.html

And, here’s another great opportunity. If you’ve always longed to go to Bali, Jana Stanfield has arranged a trip this December 3-17th at an incredible price. It’s a trip for just 30 people, and you’ll only be staying at 3 hotels (all small, charming and very Balinese), so you can actually settle in a bit at each one. The itinerary is awesome. In addition to planned excursions, there’s lots of time for simply hanging out and doing your own thing. Half of the nights will be spent near waterfront beaches where you can dive, swim, snorkel, or get a massage on the beach.

“Our tour guide is not only an expert at making everyone feel welcome and comfortable, but is also an expert on explaining the Balinese culture to Westerners.” Jana said. “We are probably going to be more interested in the spirituality of the Balinese people than the all-night discos on the other side of the island.

“Ideally, we’ll come back wiser, more peaceful and more confident in our beliefs about what’s important in this life,” Jana says. Check it out at http://www.JanaStanfield.com

Give Yourself a Lift with Rainbow Toes

I was first introduced to the idea of “Rainbow Toes” at the NWI Conference in July, 2000. Deb Kern had a bag full of different colored nail polishes and as many girlfriends as could fit onto the floor of the dorm room gathered and painted each other’s toes, multi-color style!

Then, at the National Association for Women’s Health (NAWH) Summit in Fort Lauderdale, we adapted the idea in our Wonderful Women Speakers booth. We, more or less, captured our potential clients and painted their toes! It was a great way to get their undivided attention, and we all had lots of fun!

So, the idea is multi-color. It doesn’t have to be in the rainbow order (I’ve had people ask me that!) Sometimes I do ten different colors, sometimes the same five, in order, on each foot. Sometimes bright  colors, other times pastels. Now, if you think I’m nuts, go look at the selection of colors at your local drugstore (now you know why there is such a thing as green nail polish!). There’s a brand called Petites, that are about $1 a bottle on sale. This, I call very cheap fun. Oh, and don’t forget the glitter polish. That is the ultimate finishing touch, especially in the summer sun on the beach, it sends off sparkle signals.

As one female executive told me months after NAWH, it just tickled her to be standing behind a podium, and think about her multi-colored toes hiding in her pumps.

Until next time, be good to yourself, paint yourself some rainbow toes for the sheer fun of it, for your well being and those you love.

Yours truly,
Barbara

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ABOUT OUR SERVICES
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My vision for The Speak Well Being Group is to be a connector for speakers I know, love and believe in, with the audiences who will be inspired, motivated, and transformed by their perspectives, knowledge, empathy, compassion, information and, most importantly, capacity to enjoy the process, laughing at themselves and with you along the way.

You’ll find many of our speakers on our website.

http://www.SpeakWellBeing.com

Or please call anytime and let us assist you: 503-699-5031
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