Women — Blog — Athena Wellness

The Athena Principles: Book Overview (First in a Series)

The core message of the book The Athena Principles: Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is: Reconnecting to our mind, body and spirit through the exploration of five Principles (self-compassion, intention, consistency, positive mindset and accountability) and related practices (writing, meditation and positive action) leads to wholehearted living and optimized well-being. Readers will learn what living wholeheartedly means for them along with ideas to create a customized self-care plan that nourishes their deepest desires.

Lessons Learned from My 98-year-old Father’s COVID-19 Recovery

My father was born in 1922. When my mother passed a few years back, he decided it was time to sell his home and move into an (un)assisted living facility. Aside from some industrial deafness and impaired sight from macular degeneration, he is remarkably spry in both mind and body and strong in spirit. And last month, he tested positive for the coronavirus.

Midlife, Well-being, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonJune 1, 2020Women, Wellness, Well-being, Pandemic, Coronavirus

Being With Things As They Are

As we move beyond the one-month anniversary of the Stay-At-Home orders to maintain social distancing with no definitive end in sight, I have noticed a personal shift. While I’m attending to all of the professional and personal things that need to be done . . .

Midlife, Wellness, Women, Well-beingKathy RobinsonApril 15, 2020Women, Wellness, Wellbeing, Pandemic

How to Keep Well-being Intact During Challenging Times

Much has been written about the importance of keeping a daily schedule while learning to live with coronavirus restrictions. Almost overnight, we had to find ways of working remotely, schooling children, caring for elders and tending to family responsibilities while abiding by the guidance for keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe.

Midlife, Well-being, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonApril 1, 2020Women, Well-being, Wellness, coronavirus

Gardens of Ease

It’s been said that nature heals. Studies and related findings point to the benefits of spending time in natural surroundings, including lowered anxiety and stress levels. Nature-oriented therapy is a growing field (pun intended) with the use of therapeutic gardens in institutional settings such as hospitals, recovery and correctional facilities on the rise.

Midlife, Wellness, Women, Well-beingKathy RobinsonMarch 1, 2020Therapeutic gardening, Well-being, Wellness, Women, Midlife

Metta for a New Decade

A new decade is dawning and this moment feels significant. It feels like an opportunity to expand capacity for acceptance. It feels like there’s an opening to shift the dialogue from exclusion to inclusion. It feels like the perfect time to focus on our human commonality – starting with compassion for ourselves and then expanding it out into the world, like rippling concentric circles of kindness.

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonJanuary 1, 20202020, New Year, Compassion, Metta meditation, Midlife, Women, Wellness, Wellbeing

CrossFit Curious at Midlife – On Ramp Introduction

At the end of my last blog post, I mentioned that I was heading to my local CrossFit box (i.e., gym) to check it out. Yes, I’m familiar with the horror stories: the ridiculous workouts, the crazy injuries, and mid-workout visits from “Pukey the Clown.” Yet, for some inexplicable reason, I’ve been intrigued for a while and finally decided to give it a try.

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonNovember 15, 2019CrossFit, Women, Midlife, Wellness

Getting Old is Optional

Last year at this time I was getting ready to run my first ultramarathon. It was the culmination of three years of training for endurance cycling and running events. In 2019, I decided to focus on boot camp workouts and shorter trail runs. A few weeks ago, I began thinking about my next wellness challenge. I wanted something on the horizon to keep me enthusiastic through the upcoming dark winter months. But what?

Women, Wellness, MidlifeKathy RobinsonNovember 1, 2019Women, Midlife, Strength Training, Weightlifting

A Friday the 13th Harvest Moon

It may sound like a tagline from a B movie, but we experienced a rare celestial event this weekend and are still basking in its full moon glow. The last time the United States experienced a full moon across its time zones on Friday the 13thwas in October 2000. It will not occur again until August 2049. The term Harvest Moon was coined because the of the short span of time . . .

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonSeptember 15, 2019Midlife, Wellness, Women, Full Moon, Reflection, Gratitude, Celebrate

Red Kimonos and Beginner's Mind

In Japan, the 60th birthday is special, as it’s believed that the celebrant begins a new circle of life. It’s called kanreki and is traditionally commemorated by wearing red, kimonos for women, vests and hats for men. It’s believed to be a time of rebirth and the color red symbolizes protection. Red gifts are usually given to babies and expectant mothers, making this midlife rebirth all the more celebratory.

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonAugust 15, 2019Midlife, Women, Kanreki

Pressing Reset

During the first six months of the year, I traveled to five countries and three US cities, mostly for business purposes. While I was able to keep up with my exercise routine, my plant-based diet took a hit, having to rely on energy bars, packages of almonds and peanut butter when fresh fruit and veg were out of the question (e.g., India). As mid-July approached and travel stopped for a bit, I knew it was time for a reset.

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonAugust 1, 2019Fasting Mimicking Diet, Midlife, Wellness, Women, ProLon

The Magic of Not Knowing

The switch from a corporate career to an entrepreneurial one was a choice I made in my mid-50’s. The journey began when I asked a question I had never considered before: “How do I want to spend my time?”

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonJuly 15, 2019Women, Entrepreneurship, Feminine Energetics

Tea & Ceremony

Last month I had the pleasure of participating in a ceremony based on the tea traditions of Taiwan. Seven of us gathered on an outdoor veranda with an expansive view in the early morning light to share tea in silence. I can still feel the cool, damp air on my skin, hear the water simmer as it approached the right temperature, and smell the earth in the brewing leaves.

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonJune 15, 2019Wellness, Women, Tea, Mindfulness

Training as Play

We are having an unusually wet and cool spring in the northeast this year. It’s mid-May and we have seen more rain than sun with temperatures hovering in the 50s. The occasional sunny 70-degree day feels like a gift. The shift from indoor winter workouts to outdoor spring ones has been slow. I’m longing for the nice weather so I can go outside and play.

Midlife, Wellness, WomenKathy RobinsonMay 15, 2019Midlife, Wellness, Women

Waves of Uncertainty

I often hear scenarios where someone is inspired to make a wellness change but reverts back to old behaviors and habits when the intended result isn’t quickly realized. The desired changes can include a new eating approach, getting to the gym, meditating, starting a morning practice or being more present throughout the day. The reason why most efforts cease before true change can take root can be linked back to one word – uncertainty.

Wellness, Women, MidlifeKathy RobinsonMarch 15, 2019Women, Midlife, Wellness

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