tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82079874731581060982008-07-16T16:44:06.276-07:00Living with Heart DiseaseSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-33937344057937632252008-02-26T07:59:00.000-08:002008-02-26T08:03:41.313-08:00I've moved my blogI've recently updated my website and have integrated my blog so that everything is together.
Please stop by and visit me at
Peaceful Heart Stained Glass
SandySandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-74720359182280858542008-02-18T07:50:00.000-08:002008-02-18T08:53:21.727-08:00What is Present Moment?What is the Present Moment?
I woke at 2:04 a.m. this morning. My mind was busy, thinking about what happened the day before and planning the day ahead. I told myself to relax and go back to sleep. I bargain with myself at times like this. I told my mind at that moment if it would stop it’s jabbering, I would wake up early, drive to the nearby mountain top and watch the sunrise.
So as I laidSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-76899487243180123072008-02-16T21:41:00.000-08:002008-02-16T21:43:40.251-08:00Peaceful Warrior
I just finished watching the movie “Peaceful Warrior” with Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz, and Amy Smart. The plot focused on a gymnast who wants to get to the Olympics and the challenges he faces, both physical and psychological. But to me, the movie was much deeper.
I saw myself in the gymnast, Dan Millman. Struggling with every little thing in my life. Then Boom! I end up in the hospital Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-16649896489575667062008-02-15T14:41:00.000-08:002008-02-15T14:44:04.767-08:00A Heavy Backpack
I heard a story today about a woman who carried a backpack full of rock. I had never heard the story before, so I was intrigued. Each rock represented a person she was angry with or a problem she had no control over in her life. The woman carried this backpack around for years until she was so tired she couldn’t move another step.
One day, she was taking a walk and she sat by the side of theSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-47627197407909604142008-02-13T19:24:00.000-08:002008-02-13T19:45:45.908-08:00Time Flies, but We Don't Have To
We’ve all heard the saying “Time flies when you’re having fun,” but lately it seems that time flies regardless of whether you’re having fun, under stress, laying on the couch, working overtime, or shuffling the kids to all their activities.
So, where does the time go? We can make a to do list in the morning or review our day at night, but what does it matter? The time is gone and we can’t getSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-36580124719908938062008-02-04T13:02:00.001-08:002008-02-04T13:10:35.086-08:00Letting Go Yesterday, I said good-bye to my stained glass Sri Yantra. For those unfamiliar with this yogic symbol, the Chakra (or circle) represents a source of energy. The intersecting triangles refer to the cosmic creative force. The Sri Yantra, as a whole, symbolizes the integration of the mind, body and spirit.
I spent several months of my spare time working on this piece. Drawing the intricate Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-16550199129551672792008-01-31T07:06:00.000-08:002008-01-31T07:36:39.846-08:00A Peaceful Heart
A Peaceful Heart is a symbol of transformation, a transformation from a life filled with stress, anger, anxiety or depression to one of love, courage, and forgiveness.
In these stressful times, we can easily get caught unawares. External forces press upon us, telling us we should do things a certain way, or be a person others want us to be. These external forces cause us to get out of Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-73168038196749563032008-01-24T08:21:00.000-08:002008-01-24T08:22:29.561-08:00Winter StormDid you wake up this morning with gray skies and pouring rain or snow covered slick roads and freezing temperatures?
This morning was a gray, rainy day in Southern California. The air was colder than normal and the rain came down so hard it created big bubbles in the little stream behind my apartment. The rhythmic pitter patter of rain on the rooftop warmed my spirits. An hour later, the Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-66293451275167715652008-01-17T06:37:00.000-08:002008-01-17T06:38:34.658-08:00Life is a StoryDid you ever think of your life as a Story? A story with a beginning, middle, and end. We have goals, motivation, and conflict in our lives. Our story begins when we are born. Then, it’s a rollercoaster ride to the end.
I’ve recently been studying the structure of a story by reading “The Comic Toolbox” by John Vorhaus. I’m picking up the proverbial pen – again – and starting a new novel. Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-4906565101709278102008-01-14T07:47:00.000-08:002008-01-14T07:48:37.217-08:00Healing Touch and Heart DiseaseHealing Touch and Heart Disease
I happened to catch Gray’s Anatomy last week. I’m intrigued by the characters and fascinated by the patient’s stories. What caught my attention last week was the patient who came into the hospital with a dissected artery. The doctors told her if she didn’t have surgery immediately, she’d die. The woman kept putting off the doctors, wanting to wait for her Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-27299803028902580702008-01-09T03:27:00.000-08:002008-01-09T03:30:27.740-08:00A Quiet Time of DayIt’s 3 a.m. The middle of the night. I wake out of a deep sleep. I love this time of day. It’s pitch black outside. Stars twinkle in the moonlight. Silence surrounds me. I can hear my breath. I can hear my heart. I can feel the energy surround me. This is the time of day when the world around me sleeps. Thoughts float through my mind like a light summer breeze. There’s a peacefulness Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-50990082877790192102008-01-04T11:17:00.000-08:002008-01-04T11:25:47.813-08:00Chase Away the BluesThere’s a winter storm approaching and the sky is a dull gray. I woke up with a sore throat, feeling blah. If you’re a little down because of the weather or circumstances beyond your control, here’s a yoga pose you can do to perk yourself up.
Lay on the floor and prop your legs straight up against the wall. You can also prop your legs up on a chair with your knees bent. Then close your Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-87799491060720025272008-01-02T14:15:00.000-08:002008-01-02T14:17:21.218-08:00Mindful YogaMost Americans these days are familiar with the term “yoga.” They see yoga studios sprouting up in their neighborhoods, see yoga classes taught at fitness centers, YMCAs, senior centers and the like. They go to these classes thinking it’s a mild form of exercise – easy stretches for the hamstrings, triceps and back. Yet if you look deeper, exercise is only a tiny aspect of yoga.
Did you ever Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-15266677230453715452008-01-01T10:48:00.000-08:002008-01-01T10:50:47.808-08:00Success in LifeSuccess is doing what you love and loving what you do. That’s the saying on one of my coffee, (now turned into my tea) mug. During the past year I’ve looked for ways to be successful after discovering I had heart disease. I’ve blogged my worries away, chanted OM in my yoga practice, become a spokeswoman for WomenHeart, and rediscovered my love for creating stained glass.
As the New Year Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-8289179896902702042007-12-31T05:39:00.000-08:002007-12-31T05:40:25.576-08:00Life is all a matter of PerspectiveLife is all a matter of perspective. How many times do we curse the circumstances of our lives? One day everything seems to conspire against us and the next all is well.
The other day I had the opportunity to fly across the country. As we drove to the Pittsburgh airport, the skies were dull and gray. The cold, crisp air made it hard to breathe. As I walked into the terminal, the sounds ofSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-37018712053715649772007-12-30T06:46:00.000-08:002007-12-30T06:47:29.428-08:00Where there is love...No one knows how long they will live. No one knows the moment that breathe will stop and death begin. But living in the present moment, no matter how happy or sad brings peace into our lives.
I woke up this morning to have my cup of tea and read the tag at the end of the teabag. “Where there is love, there is no question.” I was struck by the truth of that statement. A number of people I Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-75797715655388900512007-11-30T15:50:00.000-08:002007-11-30T15:52:49.466-08:00Reformed Type-AI am a reformed Type-A personality, or at least that’s how I like to think of myself. I decided my Type-Aness needed an overhaul when I discovered I had heart disease (HD). I started with cardiac rehab, changing my lifestyle one tiny step at a time. Once I got the basics down - exercise, stress management, and healthy eating, I began asking myself, “Okay, now what?”
Prior to HD, I was a Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-86305383047635314452007-11-20T09:47:00.000-08:002007-11-20T09:48:21.932-08:00Falling Out of HabitLately I’ve become lax in my vigilance of living a heart healthy lifestyle. It started subtly with portions twice the size of what I ate before. Then a few stressors cropped up that I didn’t handle immediately. Add to that, forgetting to exercise everyday and skipping a day or two of meditation.
A couple of weeks ago, I was eating a tuna fish sandwich and the food seemed to stick in my throatSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-80194973257072476182007-11-12T11:05:00.000-08:002007-11-12T11:06:47.003-08:00What Is My Purpose?Did you ever stop to think about your purpose in life? What are you meant to do?
It seems our lives are filled with busyness, moving from one thing to another. We sometimes go through life reacting to everything around us instead of acting with purpose. Life constantly changes all around us. These changes, some major others minor, set our course in new directions, so knowing our purpose willSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-23259355422984788562007-11-06T09:30:00.000-08:002007-11-06T13:46:38.100-08:00De-stress with MeditationI came across another good article about relieving stress through Meditation.
Meditation A Quick Fix for Stress. While the article talks about a medical study and the benefits of meditation, they don’t describe the different ways you can meditate, so here are some suggestions.
One way to meditate is to be silent. You don’t need any meditation CD. You don’t need to sit on the floor with your Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-73823312803148378322007-10-30T10:21:00.000-07:002007-10-30T10:22:06.151-07:00Stress and Heart DiseaseAh. It seems that stress or more specifically stress and heart disease is a popular topic these days. My doctor told me that stress contributed to my vasospasms. But stress can also contribute to Atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries).
According to the authors of the Mayo Clinic Heart Book, the risk of developing atherosclerosis is increased by certain risk factors: Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-86117618795083271162007-10-26T13:47:00.001-07:002007-10-26T13:47:58.150-07:00The Many Faces of PainThere are many faces of pain in today’s society. There is physical pain, psychological pain, and spiritual pain. As women with heart disease, you know what I mean.
There’s the pain in the middle of our chest when were having a heart attack. The pain when the doctor cracks open our rib cage as we undergo surgery. The pain of recovery when weeks pass by as our bodies slowly heal.
Then thereSandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-67442096960937869312007-10-23T18:55:00.000-07:002007-10-23T18:56:22.619-07:00In Times of DisasterThese past few days in San Diego have been overwhelming. The fires started Sunday afternoon and continue to rage out of control around the county. My family and I are safe. I had to evacuate my mother from her Alzheimer’s facility and my sister-in-law had to leave her home because of intense smoke. The air quality in much of the county is poor. We are keeping our windows closed and the fans Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-3147971980429247212007-10-16T09:25:00.000-07:002007-10-16T09:26:54.350-07:00Anger and Heart DiseaseI Hate Being Sick. Okay, yes I have heart disease, but I’m not talking about that kind of sickness. I’m talking about the everyday kind of sick, like the common cold and the flu. The reason I hate being sick is that all the healthy lifestyle patterns that I’ve worked so hard to change seem to fall by the wayside. In its wake leaves a annoyed, angry person.
It seems as if I’ve been sick with Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207987473158106098.post-91356922980757881672007-10-14T14:42:00.000-07:002007-10-14T14:43:26.980-07:002007 Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo ClinicI recently returned from the Science and Leadership Symposium sponsored by WomenHeart and Mayo Clinic. I’ve been to many professional conferences and personal retreats in my life, but this symposium was so different, I thought I’d share my experience with you.
Imagine being in a room with sixty smiling, happy, energetic women. Now imagine all of these women telling their heart stories: tales Sandy Levinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.com