Author: catherine w

I'm a feminist public health ethicist (yes, that's a thing). I'm interested in heath behavior change, particularly around eating and activity, and how things other than knowledge affect our health decisions.I'm also a cyclist (road, sort-of-off-road, commuter), regular yoga-doer, occasional swimmer and kayaker and leisurely social walker.
A water scene with green trees and one with fall yellow color. from Unsplash. On fall transitions after a quiet summer
fitness · season transitions

On fall transitions after a quiet summer

catherine w2 Comments

This fall marks my 58th year of back-to-school transitions from summer. I started out with elementary, middle and high school. Then on to university and graduate school. After that, work as a professor since 1993. My plans are to continue for the next five years and probably, maybe, possibly retire in 2031. But we will see how things go. I like my job and feel good, for which I feel very fortunate.

Also, I can’t imagine what life will be like when I don’t have to pull myself away from the slower, more indulgent routines of summer in order to begin a schedule of class prep, teaching, and seasonal increase in email and admin. As much as I love summer, it’s always deeply satisfying to return to the pleasures of new syllabi, new students, and well-worn and reliable work routines. It’s a little like pulling out fall clothing– I am happy to get reacquainted with favorite sweaters and jackets that I temporarily forgot about during warmer weather.

For me, fall transitions have meant arranging my physical activity around my work schedule and the seasonal light changes. This year feels different, though.

For a while now, I’ve been less active than in previous years. I struggle with an anxious brain even when life is general is fine, and it’s not been fine lately. My mother is declining, and helping her is difficult and complicated and extremely stressful. My sister and I are working together, but it’s hard.

This summer, I found that I needed quiet for than anything else. Quiet for meditation. Quiet for reading. Quiet for just being. My activities have been lower key– walking and yoga, a little easy cycling, a little swimming, often with friends or family. I went for a meditation retreat where quiet was explicitly on the agenda.

I thought, given how much quiet I needed and wanted and lived in this summer, that transition to the much louder days of fall would be hard. I’m happy to say that I’m really loving September so far. Here are some highlights:

  • Lily from my logic class loves plant cuttings, so I’m bring her some small jades this week. We talked for 20 minutes about our home plant communities, and I’m looking forward to more chat.
  • Already, I’ve got students following me out of the building and to my car, continuing discussions about philosophy. I find this so endearing and sweet and also nice for me.
  • I went to my friends Martin and Andrew’s 40th anniversary party in New York (I’m still here in the Big Apple, as it was last night). It was loud and fun and filled with friends and family and food and festiveness.
  • Today I’m walking around New York, through Greenwich Village, a place not known for sedate quietude. I’m looking forward to stimulation for all my senses, and hopefully not too many impulse purchases.
  • After Labor Day on Monday, I resume teaching on Tuesday, and start to settle into a fall routine. Which I actually love.

What does my activity look like for fall? Probably more of the same as I did in summer, although I’m looking forward to more cycling in cooler temperatures. I’ll go back to Friday night yoga classes with Norah and whoever else wants to come. Walks with friends and swimming (indoors, but that’s okay too) with friends and kids are always a pleasure. I’ll be traveling some to see my mother and helping her with what she needs and seeing my sister and kids and other family, too.

So life will be busy. And louder. And I’m glad.

Dear readers: what is your fall transition looking like? And how are you feeling about it? I’d love to hear from you.

Urban swimming, by Yiquan Zhang, for Unsplash. Catherine and Diane both love open-water swimming, but Boston’s water isn’t cooperating
fitness · swimming

Catherine and Diane both love open-water swimming, but Boston’s water isn’t cooperating

catherine w1 Comment

This week, Diane posted about the newest Ottawa-Gatineau open-water swim spots. If you missed it, you can check it out here. I’ve always been attracted to the idea of swimming in an urban environment. It feels adventurous and a little subversive. You are in nature, but also adjacent to architecture, machinery, roads, cars– all the features of the modern city.

This is no news to European city dwellers, who have their choice of open-water swim spots that have been designed for ease of access and are monitored for safety. The New York Times did a splashy (forgive the pun) spread featuring several of these swimmable cities, which you can see without a paywall here. I can’t resist sharing some of their photos below.

Diving and hanging out in Copenhagen.
Diving and hanging out in Copenhagen.
Leaping from a dock with sauna in Oslo.
Leaping from a dock with sauna in Oslo.
Lining up to plunge into the water in Basel.
Lining up to plunge into the water in Basel.

One of my fantasy vacations would be to do an open-water European swim tour. All I’d need would be my Speedo, a towel, and a public transport pass. Imagine that.

In the US, there are loads of lovely wild swimming spots in national and state parks and also more out-of-the-way but well-known-to-locals spots. I’ve enjoyed refreshing dips in Black Creek in Darlington, South Carolina and Oak Creek in Sedona, Arizona, to name a couple. Our friends at the NYT also covered cool US wild swimming holes are here.

However, if urban open swimming is what you’re looking for, the US is not the best place to find it. There are a handful of city beaches in coastal cities, and some places organize open-water urban swim events, but in general, access to urban waters is not legal or reasily accessible or safe here. Boooo…

In Boston, my hometown, there’s a yearly event called CitySplash, where people can sign up for a time slot to jump into the Charles River from a dock and paddle around with other enthusiastic urban swimmers. Some years, however, the bacteria levels are too high and the event gets canceled. I blogged about my own CitySplash experience here.

The dedicated people at the Charles River Conservancy have big plans to transform parts of the urban riverscape to allow swimming and splashing for people of all ages and swimming abilities. Here’s a rendering of what they envision, with public transport access, shallow and deep swim areas and places to hang out.

A possible future swim park in Boston, hopefully in my lifetime.
A possible future swim park in Boston, hopefully in my lifetime.

But it’s certainly not happening this week. Intermittently this summer, the Charles River has been the site of a cyanobactera alge bloom. And this week, that bloom expanded. You can see it below.

An arial view of the Charles River in Boston, with the orange area highlighted as a cyanobacterial bloom.
An aerial view of the Charles River in Boston, the orange area a cyanobacterial bloom.

The Cambridge public health department explains more here.

Algae and cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) are plant-like organisms that live in water. They can quickly grow out of control, or “bloom.” Some of these blooms produce toxins (poisons) that make people and animals sick. If you, your child, or your pet comes in contact with the water, rinse off immediately. Contact can cause skin and eye irritation, and inhalation or ingestion can cause respiratory irritation and other illness. If the blue-green algae are producing toxins, the health effects can be serious.

Practically speaking, cyanobacteria blooms mean no swimming, boating, paddleboarding, or fishing in the affected areas. Pets should be prevented from drinking the water, as it is harmful to them, too.

What causes these bacterial infections of our urban waters? A bunch of things, including pollution, runoff from hard rains, and increased temperatures. You can read more about it on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website here (which still mentions climate change, miraculously– don’t tell anyone…)

This is a pretty big problem for the planet, the environment, our water supply, and also our access to the joys of urban swimming. There are some things we can do to mitigate and respond to the causes, and I hope we can claim and reclaim some spaces in our cities for swimming and splashing.

Readers, have you done any urban swimming? Where was it? How was it? I’d love to hear from you.

a disembodied hand holding purple and green striped tomatoes. Late summer’s local pleasures: the produce edition
fitness · food · nature · season transitions · vacation

Late summer’s local pleasures: the produce edition

catherine w1 Comment

A friend of mine just got back from a vacation on Long Island with his family and in-laws. He writes for a weekly newsletter, and shared this about his investigations at local farm stands:

At my favorite stand they sell “sugar plums,” a small, sweet fruit I haven’t seen anywhere else. Each one’s about the size of a fig. They’re more pit than fruit, but absolutely full of juice. When they’re ripe, the skin will peel off in your fingers. You can eat three or four of them in a row, ideally standing over the kitchen sink. (You’ll need a mop to clean up if you eat them anywhere else.)

I wasn’t familiar with sugar plums, and you might not be, either. Check them out.

These are what we might think are sugar plums, but aren't.
These are what we might think are sugar plums, but aren’t.
These are fresh sugar plums.
These are fresh sugar plums.

Last summer I spent a week or so in Ontario, visiting Goderich, where my friend Norah had rented a cottage on Lake Huron, and then Guelph to visit Samantha, Sarah and the whole crowd there. At Guelph I learned about musk melons, which were in peak season exactly when I was there.

Musk melon was a new term for me. Turns out it’s what Canadians call cantaloupe. The term also refers to a family of melons that includes honeydews and persian melons. We bought what looked and tasted almost like cantaloupe, and I made melon agua fresca with mint for everyone. Yum.

I have not had very satisfying melon experiences in New England. Nor peach encounters, either. Luckily, there are options, all of which involve going right to the source.

I traveled to South Carolina about two weeks ago and, on my way to my mother’s house from the airport in Charlotte, stopped at McLeod Farms in McBee (pronounced MAC-Bee). They have many varieties of perfect peaches (forget Georgia– SC has the best peaches, says the great-granddaughter of a SC peach farmer). But there are hidden treasures to be found in their supply of the fresh and limited supplies of hyper-local produce. That included large, perfect, not-expensive cantaloupes.

I squeezed and sniffed candidates until I found one that suited me. It rode the rest of the way to my aunt’s house, sitting on her counter for a couple of days until it achieved cantaloupe perfection. I then cut it in long, thin wedges to serve to happy family members.

Some add salt, which they say enhances the flavor, but I prefer to take my cantaloupe straight up, no salt.

Musk melons from Ontario.
Musk melons from Ontario.
South Carolina cantaloupe-- my hometown melon.
South Carolina cantaloupe– my hometown melon.

At my McLeod’s stop, I also bought muscadine and scuppernong grapes. They have tough outer skins, and very sweet green flesh, with seeds. They make you work for it. But the work pays off in a combo of sweet, juicy, and bitter that brings me back to my childhood.

My great aunt Mae used to make a scuppernong cordial that was (once I was old enough to taste it) absolutely vile. But the grapes themselves (grown in an arbor outside her kitchen) were delicious. 

A disembodied hand holding purple muscadine grapes.
A disembodied hand holding purple muscadine grapes.
A disembodied hand holding purple scuppernong grapes.
A disembodied hand holding green scuppernong grapes.

Boiled peanuts were a staple of my childhood in SC, and they don’t travel well, either practically or gustatorally– I’ve brought them back to Boston a few times and people were notably underwhelmed. Hmphf. Their loss.

I bought green peanuts (different from raw peanuts) fro McLeod’s and boiled them for 75 minutes in an InstaPot with a lot of salt and a little Cajun spice (I recommend the Slap Yo Mama brand). They are basically Southern edamame, great warm and perfectly good cold as well. The best way to eat them is in the backyard, throwing the shells into the bushes. We forbore, though, and disposed of them more responsibly. 

Fresh green peanuts (different from raw).
Fresh green peanuts (different from raw).
Boiled peanuts-- soooo gooood.
Boiled peanuts– soooo gooood.

Fresh green peanuts and freshly boiled peanuts have a very minimal shelf life. They should be cooked right away, and then eaten right away. I always comply.

Now that I’m back in New England for the time being (school starts in two weeks), I’ll be keeping an eye out for concord grapes– the locally grown ones with seeds and tart outer skins. They are available generally late August to early October, depending on the weather that year.

I couldn't find a picture of a disembodied hand holding New England concrod grapes, but I think this will do.
I couldn’t find a picture of a disembodied hand holding New England concord grapes, but I think this will do.

Pretty much all of hyper-local and hyper-seasonal produce is like this– available for short period of time and good for eating NOW, not later. This means we have to stop what we were doing and turn to the preparation and subsequent massive enjoyment of these tasty treats of nature. And can you think of a better pastime for mid-late August? I can’t.

Dear readers, what are some of your late summer produce delights? Or other seasonal pleasures? I’d love to know and file away the info for when I’m at the proper time and place to enjoy them with you.

Happy late summer!

A person panning for gold.from Pexels. The “Menopause Gold Rush”: a boom for telehealth, still largely a bust for the rest of us
aging · fitness · health · menopause · pseudoscience · research · Science

The “Menopause Gold Rush”: a boom for telehealth, still largely a bust for the rest of us

catherine wLeave a comment

NOTE: a number of the articles cited have paywalls, so I linked them to open archive.is sites. You can click and get there from here…

For decades (well, centuries, really), menopause was not considered a topic for discussion, much less an issue to be addressed medically for half the world’s population that goes through it. Menopause brings with it a lot of physical and emotional changes and health risks that have not been acknowledged, understood or treated. Women have had to suffer with little or no support. No news there.

Fast-forward (very fast–past the development, backlash, misinformation and correction periods for the use of hormone replacement therapy — HRT; read more about it here and here) to now: 2026.

Menopause and perimenopause are now the hot topics for social media influencers, podcasters, writers, and telehealth companies. You can look here for a list of the top 70 (Why 70? no idea) “menopause influencers of 2026”. Tressie McMillan Cottom, social scientist and NY Times critic wrote here last month “Ladies, we’re entering our Crone era. It’s about time.”

In that same publication, Melinda French Gates noted:

Our society’s approach to menopause and perimenopause reflects the deep flaws of a health system that has long treated women as an afterthought. Consider the staggering fact that, according to one survey, less than a third of American OB-GYN residency programs offer a menopause curriculum of any kind.

We need a menopause revolution in this country. Better training is an obvious place to start. By including menopause care in both foundational and continuing education for health care practitioners, we can equip more of them to support their patients. Medical schools and residencies need to embed menopause care in their curriculums, and accreditation bodies and licensing boards need to make it a required part of training — not just for OB-GYNs, but for anyone who treats women in midlife.

And Cottom readily concurs, pointing out the intersectional health disparities experienced by non-white women:

Unfortunately, those greater expectations [of increased research and clinical care] have not necessarily resulted in a consistent, effective women’s health care system. Most women experiencing menopausal symptoms still do not receive any medical treatment for them. As is often true, that bad news is even worse for Hispanic and Black women. Despite entering menopause earlier and having more health-related consequences (like fibroids), Black and Hispanic women are least likely to have medical support for menopausal symptoms.

So, isn’t it a good thing that the podcasters and the social influencers are spreading the word? Isn’t it a win for healthcare equity and access that telehealth companies are offering a variety of new treatments and approaches to managing the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause?

Well, it’s complicated.

No, with research and training and actual interest in women's health and well-being, it needn't be so complicated. By Jon T for Unsplash.
But with research and training and actual interest in women’s health and well-being, it needn’t be so complicated. By Jon T for Unsplash.

In a JAMA Women’s Health article from last month (newsflash: JAMA started a Women’s Health journal. In September 2025. Uh, better late than never?) Kate Schweitzer writes that the “explosion of products and providers following decades of neglect represents a long-overdue investment—a gold rush fueled by growing awareness and demand for better care.” But, she warns that it has”created a rocky menopause landscape akin to the lawlessness of the Wild West, in which bold claims often reach patients before clinical evidence does.”

I couldn’t agree more. We are being pummeled with ads for products that promise no more hot flashes, less fatigue and brain fog, easier and better sex, and (Content Warning here) even no weight gain (as if that’s the worst thing that can happen to a 40- or 50-something year-old woman).

Using another favorite Wild West theme, Stephanie Faubion, MD, MBA, medical director of the Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health, cautions us:

“The pipeline has expanded significantly, and that’s a good thing,” Faubion said. “But you have to consider when it’s not actually creating value for these women.…You’ve got a lot of people out there selling snake oil, too.”

Wikipedia image of 19th-century snake oil.
Wikipedia image of 19th-century snake oil.
Snakes IN oil, not to be confused with the former.
Snakes IN oil, not to be confused with the former.

I’m happy to report that snake oil was outlawed after the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 (thanks, Wikipedia, for the info!), but for reasons way above my pay grade, not in my area of expertise and utterly beyond my ken, current US telehealth companies are not regulated such that we can trust that the products they market are 1) tested; 2) effective, or 3) safe.

Hence the Wild Wild West talk.

If you’re interested in a deeper dive into current and emerging interventions for menopause, read the JAMA article; it’s got evidence-based information on what we do and do not know about them.

Here’s my bullet-list takeaway:

  • In addition to the much-tested HRT, there are compounded hormones, testosterone therapy, and loads of untested supplements on the market.
  • Influencers are out there extolling the virtues of every potion you can imagine, backed by slim to no evidence.
  • Telehealth is offering to fill the gaps created by lack of access to primary care, offering similar potions from non-medically-trained folks with little to no evidence basis.
  • Dr. Nanette Santoro, an investigator on many studies over decades with the Women’s Health Initiative, summed it up: “What this [boom in menopause treatment products] does is it tells people, ‘You can get ahead of this curve,’” she said. “But because we don’t have enough good evidence, it’s really saying that you are being part of an experiment.”

All I’m saying is, watch your back out there, okay, pardners?

With researchers and clinicians sidelined by lack of results, the gunslinging influencers and telehealth marketers are out there. Watch your backs.
With researchers and clinicians sidelined by lack of evidence, the influencer and telehealth gunslingers are everywhere. Watch your backs.
Research Roundup with a white dog wearing black glasses. Research Roundup: from thigh-brain connections to variety is the spice of life (longevity, actually)
fitness · Research Roundup

Research Roundup: from thigh-brain connections to variety is the spice of life (longevity, actually)

catherine wLeave a comment

It’s been a while since we’ve had a research roundup post, so why not start off the week with a healthy dose of the latest science on health and fitness? Here are three snippets to check out:

  1. I begin with my favorite: strong thighs correlate with strong brain. You can read in this substack about a female twin study, done over 10 years, suggesting that big muscle exercise creates pattern of release of chemical messengers to promote “muscle-brain talk”. Not literally, of course; for the real details, look at the study here.
You can check out the instagram post about the thigh-brain connection here.
The thigh-brain connection is real– says science.

2. More research on group (vs solo) exercise is offering a new term “social energetics” to characterize increased performance of athletes working out in groups. Here’s an example from this article in Outdoor Magazine:

[The researchers] put Oxford’s rowers through a hard workout on a rowing machine, testing their pain threshold before and after. As expected, exercise boosted pain threshold, presumably thanks to the pain-blocking effect of endorphins. But when the rowers repeated exactly the same workout alongside their teammates rather than alone in the room, their pain threshold increased twice as much. There was something about the act of communal exercise that altered the brain’s perception of discomfort.

The original “rower’s high” study in 2009 assumed that these signals were mediated by endorphins, the body’s internal version of opioids. Cohen now thinks endocannabinoids, the body’s internal cannabis, are also involved. And there may well be other mechanisms. A recent stream of research, for example, suggests that the most famous social bonding hormone of all, oxytocin, is released during exercise and is responsible for at least some of exercise’s mental health benefits.

3. In this Facebook reel, some guy (Robert Lufkin, M.D; we’ve never met) posted about this recent study out in the British Medical Journal finding that more varied exercise results in even more lowered mortality risk than doing the same types of exercise habitually (although doing the same activity all the time is still fine and results in lowered mortality risk over not doing that activity). Here’s the lowdown from the article:

What is already known on this topic

  • Total physical activity levels have consistently been associated with lower mortality in a non-linear dose-response relation, but evidence for individual physical activities is limited
  • Previous studies have suggested that different types of physical activity may have distinct physiological effects
  • Whether long term engagement in multiple physical activities has additional benefits beyond total physical activity levels is unclear

What this study adds

  • Most individual physical activities were associated with lower mortality in a non-linear manner
  • The variety of physical activity was associated with lower mortality, independent of total physical activity levels

How this study might affect research, practice, or policy

  • The findings support the notion that promoting engagement in a diverse range of physical activity types, alongside increasing total physical activity levels, may help reduce the risk of premature death

I put in bold the bits that might be more interesting and the novel results. Not that I need an excuse to try out some new activity– I love me some novelty– but now I have medical reasons to do so. And what is next on my list?

Bungee fitness class! Doesn’t this look like fun? There aren’t classes near me, but maybe it’s worth a day trip to try one out. All in the name of science and health, of course.

Bungee fitness! Flying around a studio, hoping not to get hit in the face with a giant elastic band.
Bungee fitness! Flying around a studio, hoping not to get hit in the face with a giant elastic band.

Until next time, this is your research roundup reporter, signing off…

Getting to know you Catherine’s getting to know her Lemond e-bike, for real this time
cycling · fitness

Catherine’s getting to know her Lemond e-bike, for real this time

catherine w1 Comment

As a gigantic birthday present for turning 60, I bought myself a Lemond Prolog all-carbon e-bike. It is a beauty. And it handles like buttah.

Catherine's matte black carbon e-bike, on a visit to London, Ontario a while back.
Catherine’s matte black carbon e-bike, on a visit to London, Ontario a while back.

However, in the years since buying it, I haven’t been riding it much. Why not? Insert your favorite reasons here, adding side helpings of lack-of-fitness shame and anxiety, and that pretty much explains it.

This year I’ve been cautiously venturing out of my inertial state of less activity and taking some steps and strokes and stretches, experiencing what movement has to offer me. A bit of yoga, some walking, some swimming, and yes, some cycling– they are all back on my schedule in modest portions.

And then there is the matter of this bike. I’m somewhat handy with easy maintenance and repair (with a lot of help from friends), but this bike is different from my previous ones. It has thru axle rather than quick-release wheels. Also it has disc brakes, and there’s a motor cable connected to the rear wheel. All this means I have to relearn how to change tubes on this bike.

So I began that journey this week. I went to my LBS (local bike shop) to get the right tubes (this bike has 38mm tires). Check. And I have the necessary 6mm and 8mm hex wrenches for loosening the front and rear thru axles, respectively (why different sizes? Only Greg Lemond knows; or maybe some of you do, too?) Check.

But (and it’s a big but): some of the internet recommends that I use a torque wrench (with 6mm and 8mm bits) to tighten the wheels. Uh, okay.

But what kind of torque wrench? I learned that I can buy a cheap one at Home Depot for $35, or a fancy one at the LBS for $240. Hmmm. And do I REALLY need the torque wrench for tightening the wheels? Yes, it’s an all carbon bike, and cracking the carbon by overtightening would be a world-ending (or rather, frame-ending) scenario. But can I just be careful while tightening them, making them not to loose but not too tight? In other words, can I get it juuuust riiight?

Not too tight, not too loose. Just right. Words to live by.
Not too loose, not too tight– just right. Words to live by.

Given that I received mixed messages about torque wrench usage, I turned to friends and nice employees at the LBS. The consensus seems to be that while, yes, the torque wrench is recommended, and several people I know actually own one , they don’t actually use them for changing out tubes and tightening wheels. They’re all happy to lend me theirs.

Okay. I get the picture. So, all that remains is to bring up my bike stand from the basement and practice a bit so I can be comfortable changing a tube on the side of the road if need be. I’ve got my saddle back fully stocked with the right tubes and tools.

One more thing: I really like this e-bike, but in fact it doesn’t fit me like a glove the way my other bikes do. And I thought I was stuck with this configuration, as it has a monocoque (one-piece) cockpit (handlebar plus stem setup). So, it can’t be adjusted.

Or can it? The nice folks at my LBS (Belmont Wheelworks if anyone is interested) said it might be possible to change out the steerer tube (yes, I’m getting very bike wonky here, but will be done soon) to adjust the height of the handlebars. Or, I can go full Frankenbike and put on my own handlebars, stem, etc. (with the help of the kind LBS-ers). I will be exploring my options and will report back on the results.

In summary: I’m getting to know my e-bike much more intimately, and the two of us will make adjustments so we can ride along more happily together. Which is all we both ever wanted in the first place.

Bike love!
Bike love!
Danny MacAskill on a water obstacle course with his bike. Biking over water? Yes, it seems it’s possible (if you’re Danny MacAskill)
challenge · cycling · fitness

Biking over water? Yes, it seems it’s possible (if you’re Danny MacAskill)

catherine w4 Comments

I’m a big fan of Danny MacAskill, a Scottish cyclist whose feats on his trials bikes confirm the unlikely hypothesis that bikes can perform on land, sea and air. His videos leave me breathless and dumbfounded, but also admiring of his planning, effort, and honesty about how hard it is to know the magnitude of the obstacles you’re facing, and then face them anyway.

I wrote about his Slabs ride in 2021– how navigating a pandemic and a massive stone edifice on a bike both felt impossible but were doable. Navigating a pandemic, riding down cliff slabs: similar rules

Then in 2024, as the political atmosphere in the US became as scary as the previous pandemic one, I wrote about how Danny shows us how to take what comes: slowly when necessary, using acquired skills, trusting that your body has some knowledge that will help you, and using body english to manage unexpected twists and turns. How to make 2024 less scary, or how to move forward anyway

Now it’s 2026, and aspects of my life feel both scary and appalling, in macro and micro views. The US government is falling apart and taking too many people with it. My mother is falling apart and I’m trying to figure out how to respond. Details of life management have become harder, for macro and micro reasons.

I’m about to go on my first coffee ride in a while with my friend Janet, who’s meeting me in Arlington Center to cycle up the bike path to Lexington. I’ve done this ride dozens of times, and am looking forward to easy chat, easy pedaling, and yummy ice coffee. I remember how to do this, and am managing my anxiety with that knowledge along with the reward at the end– hanging with a friend, drinking coffee.

And I can take comfort in the fact that no part of my ride will go over water and require the skills you see practiced below by Danny MacAskill in his newest video– riding over water! I’ll just let you watch, heart in mouth, hoping against hope he doesn’t end up in the drink… If you want to read an interview with him about this course, check it out here.

Have a lovely Sunday!

A bubblegum-pink fake watermelon slushie. Approach wth caution. Mid-summer: a time for ordinary movement and extraordinary sensory experience
fitness · meditation · mindfulness · vacation

Mid-summer: a time for ordinary movement and extraordinary sensory experience

catherine wLeave a comment

The past couple of weeks I’ve been out and about, traveling to Tennessee and North Carolina, and then hosting my sister and niece here in Boston, with a day trip to the beach in Maine.

Nothing extraordinary happened, really; I visited friends, went to a meditation retreat, and did some touristing with my sister and niece.

But, in fact I had extraordinary pleasure from what my senses were conveying to me, once I slowed down to really experience them.

What do I mean here? Lemme explain with examples:

Water: My friend Jennie and I went to Townsend, TN and dipped our feet in the Little River, just inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a shallow rushing river, great for tubing, dipping, and hanging out in and beside.

Here's the Little River. Our section had loads of people enjoying it on a hot summer day.
Here’s the Little River. Our section had loads of people enjoying it on a hot summer day.

The feeling of rushing water on my legs, moving along, on top of and between the rocks, hearing the sounds of the water– so satisfying, cleansing, refreshing.

More water: My sister, niece and I went to the beach at York, Maine last week for the day. Loads of people were out on Long Sands Beach, enjoying the sun, sand, sky and each other. I knew the water was extra cold– 58F/14.4C– but we had to wade in a little. Wow– the contrast between air and water was something! It felt shocking and prickly and a little painful; but the overall sensation was fully engaging.

Beach enclaves in York, ME.
Beach enclaves in York, ME.
The ocean, which was very beautiful and cold-- 58F/14C.
The ocean, which was very beautiful and cold– 58F/14C.

Crunching sounds: during my meditation retreat, while doing a morning sit, we were encouraged to let ourselves be aware of sound around us. This included birds, wind through the trees, the rustling of our fellow meditators, our own breath– any sound could become the object of our attention.

I noticed the distinct and surprisingly pleasurable sound of tires on the gravel way outside our meditation hall. The deep crunch of rubber on rock left me very pleased. And wanting more of it. So, when we next did a walking meditation, I put on my red-strapped Teva sandals and headed out for the gravel path, planning on exploring crunch.

I was not disappointed. From bigger rocks to sandy spots, my sandals made contact with sounds and tactile sensations. They varied, creating a banquet for me to sample from. Honestly, I totally recommend this for anyone who’s feeling stressed or overwhelmed, as immersing yourself in the sound and feeling of something crunchy beneath your feet will reboot you to original human factory settings in the best way. Try it.

Any gravel path anywhere will do, as long as it has some loose rock for crunching. Photo by Alan C for Unslash.
Any gravel path anywhere will do, as long as it has some loose rock for crunching. Photo by Alan C for Unslash.

The color green: during my visit with Jennie and her family, we went to the Knoxville Botanical Garden. It is a well-cared-for space for wandering, contemplation and enjoyment. What I really enjoyed that day was the Bamboo Forest, with many shades of green.

The dark but inviting entrance to the Bamboo Forest.
The dark but inviting entrance to the Bamboo Forest.
A jungle of greenery.
A jungle of greenery.
The path out of the bamboo stands to the lighter green in the sunlight.
The path out of the bamboo stands to the lighter green in the sunlight.

Being surrounded by one color in so many configurations felt wonderful for my eyes, my imagination and my love of the world. Thanks, nature, for such variety!

One last comment: On the cover of this post is the watermelon slushie I had at York Beach. It was its own universe of sensation: intense manufactured sweetness from the fake watermelon taste (not exactly pleasant, but certainly unavoidable), and the piercing brain-freeze feeling from taking too big a sip. We all remember summer brain-freeze, don’t we? It’s a mid-summer thing. Feel free to try it if you dare.

Happy mid-summer!

A bubblegum-pink fake watermelon slushie. Approach wth caution.
A bubblegum-pink fake watermelon slushie. Approach wth caution.
A very big fan in a meditation hall. Neurodivergent meditation retreat preview: the fans
fitness · meditation

Neurodivergent meditation retreat preview: the fans

catherine wLeave a comment

Today is the last day of my 4-day meditation retreat at the Art of Living retreat center, outside of Boone, North Carolina. It’s called How to Meditate, Relate, and Creatively Self-Regulate: a meditation retreat for neurodivergent humans. It’s run by my favorite meditation teacher Jeff Warren (who’s from Toronto), and my now-co-favorite meditation teacher Ofosu Jones-Quartey, who lives in the Washington DC area.

We have been doing sitting, lying down, standing and walking-outside-in-nature meditations, enjoying sound baths, writing in our journals, and talking and listening to each other. I’ve been to a bunch of meditation retreats or workshops, but I think this is now my favorite one.

Our last session is this morning, so I’ll post a thorough review this week. But for now, here’s a preview of one of my favorite things from the retreat:

THERE ARE BIG FANS EVERYWHERE. And I love love love it.

You may be thinking, what?

Lemme explain.

The retreat center is at the top of a mountain in North Carolina, where it used to be always cool and refreshing, even in summer. But no longer– the humidity and summer temperatures have creeped up the hillsides and invaded even this sheltered place.

But these folks are ready for it. Enter the fans.

Here in the dining hall there are silent areas. But the big fans are exempt.
Here in the dining hall there are silent areas. But the big fans are exempt.
I sat at a table strategically placed between two big fans, but far enough that my food did not get blown off the plate.
I sat at a table strategically placed between two big fans, but far enough that my food did not get blown off the plate.

There is a ceiling fan in my room, along with a box fan that can be placed anywhere for spot cooling. I really appreciated it.

I’ve saved the best for last. We did/are doing our sessions in this lovely space called Shakti Hall. Here are some pictures of it from trip advisor (we are not allowed to take pictures inside, which is fair enough).

Shakti Hall, with its gorgeous detailed wood ceiling and lots of light.
Shakti Hall, with its gorgeous wod ceiling and light everywhere.
Shakti Hall set up for a workshop (not mine).
Shakti Hall set up for a workshop (not mine).

Since it was warm and humid, of course they had fans. I begged for (and received) permission to take photos of the fans they used in this space.

Me, looking rumpled but chill post-sit,with this enormous fan.
Me, looking rumpled but chill post-sit,with this enormous fan.
Me giving some love to the enormous fan. You can also better see how big it is. And how loved it is.
Me giving some love to the enormous fan. You can also better see how big it is. And how loved it is.

Omigod I love these fans. I don’t think I can fit one in my car, otherwise I would find out where they got them and buy one immediately. And they work, well, they work very effectively.

You might wonder, but aren’t they loud? Well, the organizers did turn them off for our sits. For which I was a bit sad. But acceptance of what is is part of a meditation practice. So I sat, accepted, but also looked forward to the time the fans were re-activated. Which was a delight.

In case you’re wondering, the retreat has been insightful and surprising and wonderful in ways that outstrip even the awesome big fans. I’ll write more about that this week. In the meantime, maybe go buy yourself a big fan. You’ll be glad you did.

A person in silhouette in a marsh area at sunset. BY Antoine Gatien for Unsplash. Catherine’s plans for July and August involve both sitting and pedaling
cycling · fitness · meditation · vacation

Catherine’s plans for July and August involve both sitting and pedaling

catherine wLeave a comment

It’s almost mid-July, but there’s plenty of summer left (I keep telling myself). And in fact, my two biggest getaway plans are ahead of me.

This week I’m going to Boone, North Carolina for a 4-day meditation retreat with my favorite meditation teacher Jeff Warren. It will be held at the Art of Living retreat center, which I’m looking forward to exploring. But I’ll be sitting a lot, which is kind of the point of being there.

I’m really looking forward to a dedicated time and space for stillness and quiet, and also walking and experiencing the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I doubt we'll be meditating here, but I'm hoping for coffee or ice tea on this terrace. Picture from the retreat center website.
I doubt we’ll be meditating here, but I’m hoping for coffee or ice tea on this terrace. Picture from the retreat center website.

Naturally, I’ll report next Sunday on how things went.

In early-mid August, I’ve planned another getaway– this one to Quebec with my friend Felicity for cycling Le Petit Train du Nord cycling route. We are driving up together with our bikes and parking at the southern terminus of the trail, where bus service takes us and bikes and luggage to the northern terminus. We’ll ride at a leisurely pace down the 234-km trail, staying three nights and ending our trip with an overnight celebration in Montreal. I’m so looking forward to this trip! It’s easy cycling along with opportunities for swimming, strolling around little towns, experiencing nature, and breaking out my creaky French. In case you weren’t already envious, here’s a little Youtube video to help you along.

This trip will be more active and interactive and engaged, which is also just what the doctor ordered.

Dear readers, what getaways or dedicated staycations do you have planned for the rest of the summer? I’m always looking for ideas and inspiration.