Trauma, Death, And A Summer Paint Job in December: A Year In Review

It’s a quiet morning caused by an unexpected snowstorm.  I’d like to be full throttle in renovating my home, but scheduled workers didn’t show.  It’s the perfect moment for the quiet introspection I’ve been dreaming of.

Max New Year;s Day last year.

Last December at this time, my dog, Max was in a doggie wheelchair and the vet told me he would never walk again.  The family holiday powwow was to schedule one sibling to be with Mom 24/7 because she had just completed her cancer surgery and needed round the clock assistance.  Mom and I were debating the value of life at 4 AM on a regular basis.

Behind The Curtain: Helping a Parent Though Cancer Part 16

Pasquale family at the dedication of the echolab at Christiana Hospital. I'm at the bottom right and Mom is over my right shoulder. Dad is standing behind Eileen's mom to my left.

It’s holiday time and many of us are thinking about the ones who are not here to share it with us.  As I was washing the dishes this morning, I was crying at the loss of my brother, Mike, who died in September, not of the cancer he had, but of the opportunistic infections he couldn’t beat.

At the same time that I was crying, I was marveling how my body could automatically be washing the dishes.

Then I thought, didn’t I dream of Mike last night? 

Enjoying Mom! Helping a Parent Through Cancer Part 15

Mom and I September 08

Its Thanksgiving time again and it’s a little over a year since Mom got her diagnosis.  She’s went through cancer treatment and now recovery and the whole family has gone with her on this wild ride.

Integritas Training in Tampa

Just got back from a great training in Tampa with Steve Schwartz, Jason Wells, and Chris Lopez. They organized it and drilled us without mercy (only kidding) for more than 3 days. Very intense, practical and helpful information & drills, like I’ve found nowhere else.
Don’t miss the next one!
Thanks for sharing all your great know how. I’m on fire and managed yesterday to
get 20 calls in,10 connects and set 4 appointments, despite travel and family time! Whoppee!

Somers World Class Spa

Here’s a project I am working on–a world class spa to be located in Somers, NY.–and we’re looking for a key partner.   Maybe you’ll know somebody who would want to know about this.  Thanks!

World Class Spa and Holistic Healing Center

Vision Statement:

To offer, in a toxin free environment, spa services inclusive of the following:

• holistic treatments such as spa services, massage, CranioSacral Therapy (CST), meditation, yoga, nutrition, and various body therapies to children and families in a spa setting
• psychology services: psycho-emotional intervention services (stress & trauma relief) such as Emotional Freedom Technique, hypnosis, timeline therapy, family constellation, etc.
• Dentisty, chiropractic, acupuncture
• fitness
• nutrition including the highest quality supplementation, fresh green juices, raw foods and seafood
• To provide a library of information and a staff of experts, resources for the world to access state of the art information about treatments for various health concerns.

Finally! The real deal on Probiotics!

New video presents the science behind the new USANA Probiotic Plus – : http://tinyurl.com/ykmtuu4

Inside Scoop: New product from USANA!

http://www.whatsupusana.com/

Just go there and see what we’ve all been waiting for! I won’t have to say anymore, “No, sorry, USANA doesn’t make that.”

Just exactly how have I anti-aged?

My girlfriend said to me over the weekend that I looked great.  She keeps telling me I don’t look my age and I keep telling her this is how 57 is supposed to look.    I told her that I didn’t use to look this good.  5 years ago, I looked a lot older.  And 5 years before that, older still!  I am grateful to be experiencing anti-aging!  I see it in the mirror and feel it in my body!

So she asked me exactly what differences did I experience.

Time to take the tipi down!.

So I’ve been thinking about it.  10 years ago, I was heavier, my hair was pretty gray (and not so pretty, actually).  It was advanced gray.  My dad, who doesn’t have to be as polite as other people, would say to me, “Don’t you want to color your hair?”

“What am I supposed to do?”

Carina Ehlers from Sweden tweeted

1. Last week I went to an osteopath with knowledge in CranioSacral therapy – He told me that he probably couldn’t help me.3:24 AM Oct 5th from web
2. And pain in my neck from a nine year old whip lash injury on my right side. What am I supposed to do ~ have tried everything. What am I supposed to do?

Forget that osteopath, Carina!  Just because he didn’t know how to help you, doesn’t mean ALL cranio-sacral therapists can’t help you!

There are about one million things I can do, even if CranioSacral Therapy (CST) were not to work.  First,

Young forever? Well, let’s see how far we can go…

Last night my daughter and I met at a dance concert in NYC. It was a remake of a dance from the late 80’s and the choreographer was someone I’ve known as a friend and been a fan of since the ’70’s. The young dancers were exuberant throughout the work and the dance looked familiar and fresh at the same time.

At brief interludes during the performance, my friend made almost furtive appearances upstage. He posed, appeared to be casually observing, and then would launch into private dances behind the choreography going on between him and the audience. It was a riveting juxtaposition of youth and authority. He moved with power and grace and a reserve absent from the younger, full-out explosive energy.  It was very beautiful.

After the concert, we hung around to chat with friends and congratulate the dancers. I observed my choreographer friend across the room. I was just a little surprised at his appearance in the light of, well, not day, because we were in the theater, but normal light rather than theatrical half-light.

He’s a good-looking man, trim and athletic, no doubt about that.  But,

Wednesday, 09/09/09 Helping a Parent Through Cancer, Part 14: How Can I Be Love? The week 2 Michaels died

My brother, Dr. Michael Pasquale, one year ago.

Michael and Catherine Galasso

I got Mom to her CT Pet scan on time, Wednesday, 9/9/09. It was going to take over an hour, so I walked across the street to Washington Square Park and walked through the farmers market. It was a beautiful day and the fruits and vegetables looked so beautiful on all the stands. It was then that I got the phone call from, my daughter, Catherine. She said, “Dad died this morning.”

It was a shock and a confusion. I’d been spending weekends with my brother, Michael Pasquale, in the intensive care unit at Christiana Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, and didn’t realize until that moment that I was expecting to hear this news about him. Now my daughter, Catherine, was calling to say her dad, my x husband, known to many as the composer for the films “In the Mood for Love” and “Seraphine”, had died.

We both sobbed. He had a doctor’s appointment this morning and when she went in to wake him, he had died. He had been suffering for many years. He had 2 liver transplants and in May, he had a heart attack.

(Un)Convention(al) Inspiration

I just got back from the USANA Convention in Salt Lake City.  Each year we gather at the convention center to take stock of our success and challenges.  There was a lot to celebrate this year, with USANA experiencing a record quarter in both profits and new associates despite the recession.

Some of their successes were:

-best healthy energy drink awarded to REV 3, 2009 Utah Best of State, Nutrition Beverage

-best custom nutrition packs, 2009 Utah Best of State, Health/Nutrition Products

-best company blog, 2009 Communicator Award of Distinction for Best Business Blog

A new way to look at autoimmune diseases…

Dr. Ray Strand

The following is an excerpt written by Dr. Ray Strand on his website, www.raystrand.com about treating lupus.  I looked at it because a friend has autoimmune hepatitis and asked me about USANA supplementation.  If anyone reads this who has experience with autoimmune hepatitis & USANA, I’d love to hear from you.

I always refer to Dr. Strand because he’s been using supplements in his practice about 14 years, being one of the first M.D.s to practice nutritional medicine.  He’s been a great resource for me.  I had the privilege of training in his “Healthy for Life” program and became certified in it.  His advice has guided me over the last 3 years and my clients have benefited, even helping my mom through cancer, which has given me the greatest personal joy.

So here is what Dr. Strand says about treating autoimmunity.  I hope this helps someone out there and I hope it will help my friend.

Helping A Parent Through Cancer Part 13: Mom is doing FABULOUS!

For all of you who are following our cancer odyssey and in your kindness are asking how mom is doing, she is doing FABULOUS!

I was having dinner last night with my friend, Jennifer Moyer, who happens to be one of the world’s best BEST (BioEnergeticSynchonizationTechnique) therapists.  We’d just had an awesome trade session, giving each other BEST treatments.  We were having dinner at Pure Food & Wine, the fabulous raw food restaurant on Irving Place, NYC.  Over mint ice cream sundaes, (non-dairy, made from almonds) she asked me did I think USANA saved my mom’s life?

Of course, I don’t think it did.  I do think it saved her quality of life.

Mind of Steel, Heart of Gold: The afterglow

I got home at 2 AM Monday, Aug 17, 2009, after a week in British Columbia taking the course entitled Mind of Steel, Heart of Gold with T. Harv Eker’s PEAK POTENTIALS.   The course was given at a campground in Squamish Valley, north of Vancouver.  Lofty peaks covered in glacier were visible above our tents, at least, when it wasn’t raining. BC was plagued this summer with drought, until we arrived.  And then it poured rain for almost 3 full days.

So the question is What did I learn?  It’s now the end of Wednesday.  I’ll do my best, more because I am listening, rather than to tell you.  Here goes.

Well the first thing I noticed was that I am unusually cheerful.  Downright giddy, actually.  I burst out in expressions of “I love my life!” spontaneously, upon entering my kitchen and seeing the sun come into the window a particular way, or while walking down the street for no apparent reason.  “I love my life!” seems to come barreling through my chest and spout out my lips before I have a chance to suppress it.

A little jingle comes with it and it goes like this:  I’m focused.  I trust my heart. I train my brain.  I love my life!

Also, things I once feared, I am now anticipating with excitement.  For instance, I have had a lifelong fear of heights.  It doesn’t totally stop me from climbing mountains, but it makes it an ordeal.  Today I find myself wondering how I can sign up for a weekend rock climbing course.  I can hardly wait.  People I might have been intimidated to approach, I am stepping up to with a big grin, feeling relaxed and curious.  Dreaded phone calls are now fun.

I found out that I am had by my heart virtue.   What I mean by that is, I don’t have a heart virtue.  It has me.

The heart virtue that has me is harmony and commitment.  I promised Greg Mooers www.lifecamp.com that I would tell 3 people every day about my commitment to harmony and commitment.  I know I am repeating the word commitment a lot of times, but sometimes a heart virtue doesn’t come out the first time in the most proper English.  So here goes, I am telling you:

I am committed to harmony and commitment, and I am especially committed to harmony for children.

There.  I’ve done it.  I promised to say it to 3 people a day for 7 days and watch what happens.

I also learned what I am going to say when I meet Oprah.  I am ready.

And then there was Wilbert Alix www.trancedance.com

I learned about soul from Wilbert.  I learned about stepping into the vastness of it.  Owning that vastness.  I can’t remember a time when I cried more.

I really want to write more about this.  But it’s late and I have an early morning appointment wih Qi Gong.  Yes, I know that’s new for me.  Good night.