Medical News The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 3 In September, the second annual Healthy Desert, Healthy You Summit once again convened scientists, innovators, medical professionals and community members to discuss the impact of environmental factors on public health. Presented by the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation, the event reiterated the environment’s impact on our most vulnerable populations, including east valley children and seniors, and presented many proposed and implemented solutions. Keynote speaker Andrea Vidaurre, who took on public policy at the grassroots level and was awarded TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people, shared her continued efforts amid setbacks and struggles in creating policy change in Southern California’s high-traffic, high-pollution areas. “Momentum doesn’t disappear; it only changes form,” she encouraged. “People can move mountains when mobilized.” Solutions presented at this year’s summit include: •A master plan to increase the “green economy” throughout the valley, utilizing local trees and pollinators. This effort will help produce clean oxygen, add shade structures and create a more vibrant environment. Planting has already begun on the Salton Sea’s vast and barren playa. •Advancing renewable energy for community transit through hydrogen fuel cell technology, increasing residential and commercial solar, enhancing wind power and increasing renewable energy storage. • Weatherizing homes in the east valley’s most vulnerable areas through air sensors, weather stripping, air filters and insulation. • Improving access to health care for those most impacted through mobile medical teams and possibly a trolley system along CV Link to connect community members to care. The valley-wide path is completed from Palm Springs through Coachella with plans to extend to the Salton Sea. There was also much focus on community education. The second day, summit attendees had the opportunity to visit a windmill farm, hydroelectric generating plant, a composting project, and more local efforts underway. Empowered youth groups shared their united efforts, and free education programs on enhancing green environments were proposed. Vidaurre reminded us to get to know our neighbors. Change doesn’t always look like headlines or big winds, she said. Sometimes, it begins with door-to-door efforts and grassroots campaigns, but it is always rooted in hope, trust and action. See more on local air quality on pages 4 and 16. For additional information and resources, visit www.HealthyDesertHealthyYou.com. www.DesertHealthNews.com November/December 2025 In the Coachella Valley. Choose the When comparing 2024 Medicare.gov data from Coachella Valley hospitals. In an emergency, every minute matters. At Desert Care Network, we’re committed to delivering quality care – fast. With three locations in the Desert, we’re here, close to home, with the medical care you need when you need it most. And that’s just the beginning. • Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs • JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio • Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree The holiday season asks a lot of us. Between family gatherings, social obligations, gift shopping, year-end work deadlines, and the kids’/grandkids’ school activities, it's easy to feel you're being pulled in a dozen different directions at once. What if, instead of white-knuckling your way through, you had an anchor—something that kept you grounded no matter what swirled around you? I'm inviting you to embrace the “steadiness practice”—a simple, sustainable commitment to one consistent practice throughout the holiday season. This isn't about adding more to your already full plate; it's about creating a foundation that keeps you centered when everything around you feels chaotic. The steadiness practice is a commitment to show up for yourself with one specific practice, every single day, for the next eight weeks. It's not about perfection or duration—it's about consistency. Whether it's five minutes or fifty, the power lies in the daily return to the practice to which you’ve committed. Choosing your practice. The key is selecting something realistic and meaningful to you. This might be a morning meditation before the house wakes up, three rounds of sun salutations to start your day, ten minutes of restorative postures before bed or simply five conscious breaths whenever you feel overwhelmed. The practice itself matters less than your commitment to it. Consider what you need most right now. Do you crave calm? Choose a breathing practice or meditation. Need energy? A dynamic flow sequence might serve you. Seeking better sleep? Evening restorative postures could be your anchor. The beauty of this challenge is that it's entirely personal—there's no right or wrong choice. Building your steadiness. Start small. It's far better to commit to five minutes daily and actually do it than to aim for thirty minutes and bail after a week. Mark it in your calendar like any other important appointment. Treat this time as non-negotiable— because your well-being is non-negotiable. Notice what happens when you miss a day. Rather than abandoning the practice entirely, simply begin again the next day. Steadiness isn't about never falling; it's about always returning to center. The ripple effect. Here's what often happens: when you create steadiness in one area of your life, it naturally extends to others. That daily five-minute practice becomes a touchstone. When you're standing in a crowded store or navigating a tense family conversation, you'll find yourself instinctively returning to that breath, that grounding, that center you've been cultivating each morning. By January, you won't just have survived another holiday season—you'll have built a sustainable practice that supports you year-round. You'll have proven to yourself that even amid chaos, you can create steadiness. So, what will your practice be? Choose it now, commit to it and watch how consistency transforms not just your holidays, but your relationship with yourself. Jennifer Yockey is an E-RYT500 yoga instructor, an IAPRC professional life and recovery coach and owner of GATHER Yoga + Wellness. She can be reached at (760) 219.7953 or for more information, visit www.gatherlaquinta.com. The Steadiness Practice: Your Holiday Challenge By Jennifer Yockey Attendees visited local eco-friendly sites, including a hydroelectric plant and a windmill farm. 2025 Healthy Desert, Healthy You Summit By Lauren Del Sarto
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