Call for Stories: BODY

Section One: BODY

Correlations: Earth/North/Midnight

Concepts: physical health & fitness, material world, nature, all that is tangible

1. Way #1: Just Keep Breathing -- conscious use of breath, whether for stress reduction, in synch with exercise, for meditation, or anything else that’s breath-related (snoring, asthma, high-elevation endurance, etc.)
2. Way #2: Love Thy Body as Thy Self -- body image, beauty, physical changes (graying, wrinkling, sagging, spreading, fatigue, menopause, metabolism slowing down, etc.); listening to your body; loving your body in spite of it all.
3. Way #3: Don’t Let Gravity Get You Down -- posture, musculoskeletal issues, Alexander Method, Rolfing, bone health, “inversion boots” (or chairs), skin sagging, plastic surgery (boob jobs, tummy tucks, face lifts, collagen injections, permanent make-up, Botox, etc.), also repair of pelvic floor, bladder or uterine prolapse, etc. Plus weight training and other ways to “pump [clap!] YOU up!”
4. Way #4: Get Your Motor Runnin’ -- the importance of warming up first, how you rev up a slowing metabolism; caffeine and other stimulants, feeling “stuck” and how to get going; also the Eastern concept of the “dahn-jon” energy centers of the body.
5. Way #5: S-t-r-e-t-c-h---I-t---O-u-t -- Now that we’re warmed up, it’s time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h for muscle maintenance, flexibility, and to prevent injury. Did you learn this the hard way? Got a stretching disaster to share? Also, in the metaphorical sense: stretching beyond comfort zone, expanding horizons. Plus stretching in the sense of making something last.
6. Way #6: Run for Your Life! -- running and walking for fitness; running/walking buddies or groups; any kind of aerobics; keeping things “running” well in your life; “Pacing” yourself; races/marathons. Also foot problems and care, shoe stories, etc.
7. Way #7: Pause -- sabbatical, taking breaks and naps, recovery from hard exertion, meditation; how do you refresh & rejuvenate yourself? Also menopause
8. Way #8: Play Ball! -- This is mostly about the big “fitness” ball, used to strengthen core, improve balance and provide a gentler form of exercise; ball sports; the importance of play in general; also men’s health issues, prostate, male menopause, impotence, etc.
9. Way #9: Eat, Drink & Be Wary -- Changing your eating habits for healthier living; staying hydrated; experiences with fad diets, protein powder, power bars and other shortcuts; stories about comfort foods; overuse of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sleeping pills, recreational drugs, laxatives, etc.
10. Way #10: Take a Load Off Fanny -- body weight issues – gains and losses, “yo-yo” experiences; ALSO purging clutter, getting rid of extraneous stuff; giving things away; taking load off body, mind, and the environment. “Empty Nest” issues. Letting go of emotional baggage.
11. Way #11: “Fung” & “Shway” to Free Your Chi -- We could really use some feng shui stories (arranging your material sphere for balance and harmony with nature) or any stories about “rearranging your stuff.” ALSO what is your “place” in your life’s second half? Are you in “alignment”?
12. Way #12: Take the Waters -- hydration, skincare (moisturizers, sunscreen) Any skin cancer stories? Also swimming, water aerobics, boating, water sports, beach bumming. Tell us your SPA stories. How do you hydrate? Special drinks – tonics, elixirs, share you signature drink recipes!
13. Way #13: Spurn Your Bra -- clothing & other comforts. Let ‘em dangle! Tight bands and belts cut your chi. (Especially for him: “In the clearing stand your boxers.”) How has your fashion sense changed with age? Also: got La-Z-Boy? What are your other comforts? On a more serious note, this chapter also deals with breast cancer.
14. Way #14: Keep On Rockin’ Me Baby -- Kama Sutra, dahling! We wanna hear your sex-in-midlife stories! What’s your favorite euphemism for “doing the nasty”? Let’s talk, not just sex, but also drugs & rock’n’roll. Still rockin’ with your garage band? Any “lived experiences” involving drugs, legal and otherwise? Survivor stories? Hitting-bottom stories? Lived-to-tell-about-it stories?