I generally shy away from this topic. But a few things have happened recently causing me to realize that there are some issues that can make the process better.

I did say process. I have observed a range of situations, from a young person with a couple of years to plan, to a middle aged person who died suddenly and unexpectedly, to an elderly person whose passing was entirely anticipated. In all cases it was a process. They were all hard, and they were all different. As an inexperienced observer, I did notice that several things had a big impact on how the whole process went, for the patient and the friends and family.

Wellness in dying comes from wellness in living. It comes from the most basic of things.

Get along with those around you. Resolve your issues and express all your affection.
Stay out of debt.
Obtain life insurance to cover any debt that you have and to provide for spouse and children through college.
Clear out your household clutter so your family and friends will not have to do it.
Have a clear paperwork system.
Have computer backup and passwords entrusted to someone.
Establish a will if you have assets and or children. This can prevent bad feelings after you are gone.
Establish a living will (advance medical directives) including instructions for any organ donation with your primary caregiver.
Arrange your life and work so you are not always postposing special experiences.
Arrange your everyday life and work so you have good experiences routinely.

These are the Days of Return and Repentance in the Jewish Calendar, a time of self examination. It is the week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the High Holy Days. The liturgy refers to the Book of Life. It refers to those whose names will be inscribed for the coming year and those that will not. The traditional blessing reflects this imagery. The whole service is very much a contemplation of mortality and the need to be mindfully present in the time we have.

May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for the coming year. May you have a good year and a sweet year.

This is a fantastic funny article from Greatist about beginning down the path of fitness.

" The Surprising Benefit About Being Bad at Yoga "

I am always encouraging my patients who do not exercise to explore it. I tell them that what they do does not matter so much as just doing it. I ask them to start slowly, and to quit before they are overly tired. I have explained that their muscles, ligaments and joints need weeks to adjust to the new routine.

Some people like to go three or four days a week for a hour or more. This can be appropriate for seasoned athletes, but for those still establishing a solid routine, I prefer 6 days a week of at least two or three different workouts, for only about 20-30 minutes. With this high of a weekly frequency, a habit can be established. With such a low duration, it won't be too hard. Nor will it be allowed to interfere with the daily schedule. In short, it should be sustainable.

Here's a funny thing I hear at the office. " I can't go to the gym until I get in better shape. " This leads me back to the point of this article. When I was taught yoga back in my groovy Southern California high school , we were told to begin by observing and accepting our present state. In doing the poses, we were cautioned to listen to our body, and lean into them only insofar as it felt healthy. This was part of what is now called " mindfulness " or being " present". One of my best high school friends said it best : " Be here now."

Yoga has never been about others. It is a gentle practice wherein we gain the physical skills of strength, stamina, relaxation and flexibility, and the mental skills of self calming and focus. Any exercise or sport can achieve similar goals but it must be a properly crafted regimen with a warm up, a cool down and sensible sequence. Those who are just beginning in fitness do best with some form of guidance. Ideally this is with a class and a teacher, but it can also take place with a DVD at home . That way the truly self conscious can get a taste of the benefits of yoga and similar workouts.

I blogged about this article because I think it did a great job of showing the transformation from disliking exercise to loving it, something I wish all my patients could experience.