I've seen so many people awaken their inner child in my adult gymnastics classes. If you need to make a case for starting gymnastics, this is it.
Tag: Mental Health
What I Learned From Genetic Testing
Genetic testing for cancer markers feels like a big deal. It's like walking a tightrope of wanting and not wanting to know what the future might hold. This is my experience.
Achilles Recovery: My 6 Month Snapiversary
For half a year, I have been recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. The gunshot snap. The boot and crutches. The long, painful, drawn-out healing process. Here’s how strategic healing, positive mindset and proper preparation made the first six months of my recovery go smoothly. When you are 53 and doing athletic things, you wonder… Continue reading Achilles Recovery: My 6 Month Snapiversary
Essential Wisdom for Becoming an Adult
The end of the school year is here. One kid graduated with a Masters degree. The other finished her sophomore year of college. This is one of those moments where I simultaneously look back and ahead. Here, I offer my kids six things I want them to remember as they move forward. To my favorite… Continue reading Essential Wisdom for Becoming an Adult
Achilles Tendon Recovery: 4 months
I've officially passed the four-month mark since rupturing my Achilles tendon at the gym. It was an awful disruption in my existence. To commemorate my resilience and commitment to healing, I did something I've missed since that fateful day. I flipped! April 16, 2025 If you don't know me, I'm an adult gymnast who started… Continue reading Achilles Tendon Recovery: 4 months
The mental toll of Achilles injury
It's been over 3 months since my Achilles tendon rupture. This is a reflection on the quest to balance fear and progress through long-term injury recovery. March 26, 2025 Not too long ago, all of my posts were about the progress I was making at the gym. I’ve celebrated the baby steps and the big… Continue reading The mental toll of Achilles injury
Coping with Bronchitis During Achilles Rehab: Essential Strategies
I've now passed the 12-week mark since my Achilles was repaired. It's been three whole months! Time flies, even when you're limping along. Though progress has been great so far, rehab has stalled this past week. Recovery has taken on a whole new meaning. On Thursday a week ago, I went to work as usual… Continue reading Coping with Bronchitis During Achilles Rehab: Essential Strategies
Managing Risk as a Geriatric Gymnast
Why do I keep coming back to the gym after dealing with so many injuries? This article gets into that very question. This is the continuing saga of me breaking myself. Again. The first major foot injury from the gym starts here. This time, I completely tore my Achilles tendon at the gym. I was… Continue reading Managing Risk as a Geriatric Gymnast
Rebuilding Confidence: How to Overcome Fear After an Injury
Coming back from a physical injury is a great feat. Conquering the mental fallout is like winning the Olympic gold medal. This article chronicles the steps I took on the long road to overcoming fear. Trust the process. I’ve written a lot about managing fear and the effects our Lizard brain has on our ability… Continue reading Rebuilding Confidence: How to Overcome Fear After an Injury
Promoting adult gymnastics
Gymnastics is not just for kids anymore. This is a story of a recent encounter I had with a fellow writer, athlete and coach who is doing a deep dive into the expanding realm of adult gymnastics. I recently made a new flippy friend! Out of the blue, I got an email that caught my… Continue reading Promoting adult gymnastics
The Power of Yet
This article is the convergence of all areas of my life experience: teaching, parenting, singing, and being a Geriatric Gymnast. No matter what the effort is, I have found myself feeling like I am lacking in more ways than one. I've mused a lot about impostor syndrome. I published a meditation about it, talked about… Continue reading The Power of Yet
Mental Breakthroughs 2
Two years ago, I wrote an article about some of the mental blocks I've managed, largely due to injuries sustained, and the mental breakthroughs I've made in trying to overcome them. Months later, I did a little research and realized that the reason for the blocks was due to our lizard brain, the part of… Continue reading Mental Breakthroughs 2
Sometimes you break yourself, part 6
I've been back to work for a week now, and I have to say in the middle of week four, I am exhausted. The boot saga continues.
Episode 14: Solitude
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode explores the bliss of solitude.
Episode 13: What is Mindfulness?
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode talks about what mindfulness is and how can we use it to reclaim our sense of calm, peace and feeling centered.
Episode 12: Impostor Syndrome
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode talks about the dreaded and ubiquitous imposter syndrome.
Episode 11: Dealing With Pain, part 2
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode is another session in dealing with the pain we feel.
Episode 9: Hurry Up and Wait
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode talks about strategies when you need to be patient.
Episode 8: 3-Minute Meditation
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode is a quick 3-minute check in to help you re-center yourself.
Episode 7: Gratitude
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode is about showing appreciation for the life you have.
Episode 6: Mental Decluttering
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode is about decluttering our busy brains.
Episode 5: Nature Walk
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This is about one of my favorite summertime activities: a nature walk.
Episode 4: When Sleep Won’t Come
Here's a meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. If you're having trouble falling asleep, give a listen!
Episode 3: Setting Boundaries
Here's a meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. if you have an issue setting boundaries, give a listen.
Episode 2: I am
A meditation podcast you can listen to in 15 minutes or less. This episode is about how we define ourselves.
Making strides
There’s a familiar squeeze in my chest whenever I start something new, especially when I’m doing it by myself. Anticipatory anxiety creeps in as I’m approach the task. Today's hike was a good example of how I manage the continuum of fear.
Changed for the Better, episode 48
On Changed for the Better, we've talked a lot about how people's lives shift over the course of time. Floryane's story is all about accepting change, re-defining her purpose and establishing a plan for course-correction.
Changed for the Better, episode 47
Michael J. DelPup has an artist's heart. He discovered his love for Thespians in his senior year, and that experience has shaped the person he is today. He is a SCAD trained graphic artist who works for Off White design, and he is responsible for the newest logo art for this podcast!
Changed for the Better, episode 28
As we go through life, our identity is defined by the things we do and the relationships we hold dear. In this episode, Jacqueline Smith-Musselman reflects on all of her identifiers, including the bliss (and terrors) of motherhood and her dream job as a Kindergarten teacher. We also talk about the benefits of therapy, being joyful, and the struggle to maintain balance.
Changed for the Better: episode 23
Before Robyn Corujo became the superhero beast she is today, our paths first crossed in my first year at Spring Valley. Here's a look back to that important musical experience and how we were both "Changed for the Better" because of it.
Stacey's Headspace 