Desert Health News September-October 2024

Wellness wisdom: Practice a "letting go" ritual. Write down something you're ready to release on a leaf (real or paper). Take a moment to reflect on why you're ready to let this go, then burn the leaf safely or bury it in the earth. Follow this with a few rounds of deep breathing, imagining yourself lightened and freed. Nurturing inner peace As the external world prepares for winter's quiet, we can cultivate a sense of inner peace and calm. This doesn't mean withdrawing from the world, but rather finding stillness amidst the motion of life. Wellness wisdom: Create a 5-minute "peace pause" in your day. Find a quiet spot, set a timer and simply sit. You don't need to meditate formally – just observe your breath and the sensations in your body. This “mini-retreat” can refresh your mind and bring a sense of spaciousness to your day. Cultivating gratitude Autumn is traditionally a time of harvest, reminding us to appreciate the abundance in our lives. Practicing gratitude can shift our perspective, helping us find joy even in challenging times. Wellness wisdom: Start a gratitude text chain. Each evening, write down three things for which you are grateful. They can be as simple as a warm cup of tea or as profound as a supportive relationship. This practice trains our minds to notice the positive, cultivating a sense of contentment and peace. And having a friend or two along for the practice never hurts. As we move through this season of change, remember that yoga is not just a physical practice but a way of life. By integrating these principles and practices into our daily routines, we can harvest strength and peace, navigating the autumn months with grace and resilience. This autumn, let's commit to nurturing ourselves with the same care and attention we might give to tending a garden. By grounding ourselves, building strength, letting go of the unnecessary, cultivating peace and practicing gratitude, we prepare ourselves to weather any storm and appreciate the unique beauty each season of life brings. 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 visit www.gatherlaquinta.com . Each year following the Olympics, the Paralympics take place featuring 23 sports and 549 events across 269 sessions. Like the Olympics, these games feature elite athletes pursuing their dreams of becoming the best in the world in their featured sport. And like adapted sports for recreational athletes, the games are important because everyone — no matter their ability —should be able to participate at every level. Paralympic history began in 1948 at a war veteran hospital in Stoke Mandeville, located 60 kilometers north of London. German neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttman was looking for a way to help his paraplegic patients, all World War II veterans, rehabilitate more quickly. In 1952, he was instrumental in establishing the International Stoke Mandeville Games that became the Paralympic Games in 1960. Taking place in Rome, Italy, the first Paralympics featured 400 athletes from 23 countries. Today, over 4,400 athletes from 150 countries take part. As with the Olympics the Paralympics represent a greater population. An estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide experience significant disability representing 16% of the world's population, or 1 in 6 of us. According to 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data, there are about 42.5 million Americans with disabilities, making up 13% of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. These are huge numbers of people who deserve the same opportunities as everybody else, and thus, access, inclusion and leveling the playing field do matter. In theCoachella Valley, we are fortunate that there aremany opportunities for people with disability to participate in whatever they wish; not only sports and physical health opportunities, but also social interactions and connections leading towards positive emotional health. The larger question is how to create greater societal inclusion so that all feel welcomed, respected and appreciated. This doesn’t happen overnight; however, there are still places where accessible restrooms and parking spaces don’t exist. If you are able-bodied, you may find that surprising, but these basic barriers are just the beginning in creating a safe, friendly and welcoming community for all. Educating children during school hours is certainly a good starting point for beginning the conversation about diversity, access and inclusion. SoCal Adaptive Sports’ “Sports for everyBODY” program seeks to do just that and has worked with over 5,000 children throughout the region over the past two years. Attending and watching adaptive sporting events such as the Paralympics is another way to increase awareness, compassion and understanding. Creating greater societal inclusion is possible and begins with having greater awareness and opportunities available to everybody. Leveling the playing field starts with each and every one of us. Michael Rosenkrantz is CEO and Founder of SoCal Adaptive Sports and can be reached at (760) 469.9207 or mike@socaladaptivesports.org . For more information visit www.socaladaptivesports.org. :ource: 1) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health www.DesertHealthNews.com September/October 2024 Harvest Strength and Peace Continued from page 12 www.movementforlife.com/desert Fitness The Valley ' s Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 15 The shared joy of sports can be a great equalizer for all populations. A gratitude journal can train our minds to recognize the positive in life. Leveling the Playing Field From Paralympics to playgrounds By Mike Rosenkrantz