Andrew Weil's Blog: Dr. Weil's Healthy Living Blog, page 12

The Legacy of Reading

What better way to celebrate life, to share values, to let ourselves be known to the next generation, than by sharing our love of reading: sharing our fond memories of librarians and libraries, (of visiting those humbling places that held more books than we could read in a lifetime), than by sharing our favorite books from youth and adolescence, and how books have expanded our adult lives.

My personal favorites included The Little Match Girl, a tragic Christmas story by Hans Christian Andersen and Hansel and Gretel, the frightening German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. I remember being a fourth grader in love with horses and their stories, enamored with Black Beauty, and The Black Stallion. As a “tweener,” my first feminist heroine was Nancy Drew. I loved books that made me cry: Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. Books taught me about love, danger, courage, and death, important for a protected Midwestern girl growing up in the 1940s and 1950s when such topics were taboo.

I recall reading aloud to my children, then theirs, in the 1970s and then again in recent decades. And my pleasure in passing forward a love of books, of stories that could make them laugh and cry, develop their empathy and compassion, tickle their imaginations, and teach them values. Here are some of the titles I read dozens of times, beloved by both boys and girls over the years: Early Bird by Richard Scary, Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne, Why Can’t I Fly? the tale of a frustrated ostrich by Ken Brown, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, the Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel and the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. And recently the joy of sharing with my granddaughter, Lily, who is fascinated with the myth of Merlin. We’re reading the mystical Mists of Avalon – about Merlin, the romance and intrigue of King Arthur’s court, and a tale of women’s spiritual power hidden beyond the mists – still one of my all-time favorite novels.

“. . . some of my happiest memories are of being read to—most deliciously by my grandmother. I remember her reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to me, long before I was able to appreciate the allegorical genius of this story written by a brilliant logician.”

– Maria Popova

There are those who’ll argue that a tablet or a video can accomplish the same things, but beyond using our own imaginations, there’s something so tactile about holding a book, turning it around to show its illustrations, holding one side of the book as a child grips the other, turning its paper pages – shiny and slippery or textured and thick, imprinting us deep within.

“The role of books in life: ‘. . . meat and medicine and flame and flight and flower’”

– Gwendolyn Brooks

And now in the autumn of my life, I realize how much reading has meant to me and ways it has shaped me and broadened my horizons. I won’t live long enough to read everything I’d like, but reading continues to be a teacher and a guide – about the power of ideas, the beauty of exquisite writing. Reading’s been a companion accom-panying me into the past and the future and all over our planet and beyond.

No matter where life takes you, you’re never alone with a book, which becomes a tutor, a wit, a mind-sharpener, a soulmate, a performer, a sage, a verbal bouquet for a loved one…because they capture the soul of a people, they explore and celebrate all it means to be human. Long live their indelible magic.”

-Diane Ackerman

I hope my book memories will remind you of yours – from childhood forward as well as books you’ve shared with your children and perhaps theirs.

If  I could bless my grandchildren with one value, it just might be: read, read, read – with curiosity, with joy in words and ideas, with openness to learning, with the escape of adventure. and the delight of exploring the unknown. Read, read, read! And remember how much I love you.

Taking Action:

Take time to muse about books and stories you’ve loved and learned from over the years. More will come as days pass, so feel free to add memories and titles to your lists.
Then reflect about ways books and reading have been memorable, important, and an enrichment of your life.
If you’ve read to others (children, grandchildren, friends, the ill or the aging) consider what that has meant to you.
If you choose, write legacy letters to inspire younger generations of readers. Tell them your stories about books that have made a difference in your life and why, and lessons you’ve learned from your reading experiences.

May your stories and memories about books inspire those you love,                   –  Rachael Freed   

Rachael Freed, LICSW, senior fellow, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota, is the author of Your Legacy Matters and Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies: rachael@life-legacies.com, and www.life-legacies.com

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Listen: Dr. Weil Podcasts

Dr. Weil talks with the hosts of these popular podcasts about the long and interesting road his life has taken, and his strongly influential role in establishing the field of integrative medicine.

Dr. Weil Podcasts:
Tim Ferriss, 12/6/2018

Dr. Andrew Weil — Optimal Health, Plant Medicine, and More (#350)

Joe Rogan, 12/12/2018

http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/dr-andrew-weil

Kevin Rose, coming up on 1/31/2019

A direct link to this show will be posted soon!

https://www.kevinrose.com/

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The Legacy Of Our Voices

When I chose the topic of using our voices for January of the new year, I remembered the mystical moment that I heard a voice, never before or since. I was listening to a teacher reading a poem about legacies and an angelic voice demanded of me, “Turn this into a healing tool for women.“ It was 1999 when that voice changed my voice, my work, and my life.

In the early years of working with Legacy, I thought often about the many ways women have been silenced by internal and external pressures. I was hopeful that the turn of the 21st century was the harbinger of a new age when women could and would speak our values, our beliefs, our love. I faced resistance from the women I introduced legacy to; most often they said, “Oh, such a lovely idea, but I can’t write, and I have nothing important to say – I just raised my family.” But beneath those words were deeper fears. Maybe the greatest was the warning: an interior voice that said “if you are visible, you and your family will be endangered. [I’m reminded of Anna Quindlen’s powerful 2010 novel Black and Blue – a compelling read!]

“…three great human fears: That those we deeply love and care about won’t really ‘get’ us; we aren’t good enough, don’t have the skills to make a different in the world; [and] … we won’t fulfill our unique destiny in life … or live up to our own hopes and dreams for ourselves.”

– Rabbi Michelle Missagieh

Conversely, the silence of reflection, turning inward in meditation, provides the necessary balance for speech. But when silence comes from fear, or inadequacy, lack of agency, no power, then silence is not a spiritual practice, but a reaction to our fears.

“Silence”. . . is not so much a lack of sound as it is a deep, interior openness to Presence.”

– Fr. Richard Rohr

“There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear.”

– Toni Morrison

Human life is all about relationships, which we develop by communicating with each other. Reaching beyond ourselves with our spoken or written words is a necessary first step to meeting others.

”Making individual connections are single acts of resistance. . . . to make change, to preserve democracy, all citizens are obliged to speak their truths.”

– Carol Ferris

When I imagine a great grandchild asking me what I did or spoke about the environment, climate crisis, poverty, equal opportunity, world hunger, or the political chaos in the first quarter of the 21st century, I hope the legacy I can honestly respond to her/him is that I did my best to speak up, to speak out, to use my voice for a larger good, even when I felt shy, unimportant, lazy, or afraid. At minimum, that I  taught their parents, my grandchildren, to appreciate the gift of electricity by calling them out, reminding them that penguins were dying, whenever I found they’d left lights on when they left their rooms. That I signed petitions, called my Congressional representatives about my concerns, that I wrote letters and emails for or against important issues of the day, that I made calls to support candidates, that I voted in every election since 1960.

That I did my best not to be intimidated by an inner voice that told me I couldn’t make a difference anyway, so why bother? What I don’t want my great grandchildren to have as a legacy is that their great grandmother kept silent because of fear or a belief that I couldn’t make a difference.

Taking Action:

Reflect about ways you’ve been inhibited from speaking up or out. Which fears have handicapped your relationships with yourself, with loved ones, and the broader world?
Consider how differently you might feel about your life and your legacy if you spoke freely about those things that matter most to you.
Make a decision (a New Year’s Resolution, as it were) about when, where, to whom, and about what, you will speak this very month, January 2019.
Write a legacy letter about your understanding of the value of speaking to someone you care about of a younger generation. You may want to tell them about your decision (resolution) to solidify it. You may even invite them to ask you about what you’ve said since the beginning of 2019. (Perhaps they will want to join you in the resolution and then you can discuss the successes and difficulties together.)

May this be a year when we each commit to speaking up and out with love.

– Rachael Freed

Rachael Freed, LICSW, senior fellow, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota, is the author of Your Legacy Matters and Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies rachael@life-legacies.com and www.life-legacies.com

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What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 7

This article is last in a series from our guest expert, Rachael Freed. You can find the rest of the articles in this series linked at the end of this post.

What exactly does legacy writing give legacy writers? In what ways does it transform legacy writers’ lives?

Following the needs to belong, to be known, to be remembered, to make a positive difference with our lives, to bless & be blessed and to put our lives in order in the previous posts – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6 Tips&Tools, and for this final post in the series, Part 7, we’ll explore our need to Celebrate Life.

The most obvious response when we hear those two words, Celebrate Life, is the joy of birth, feeling gratitude for a healthy new baby coming into the world. But Celebrating Life is even more basic: it’s awakening each day with awe and wonder in our eyes and on our lips, understanding that “expecting” to be alive when we wake is the beginning of a day spent in entitlement rather than a day spent witnessing and celebrating the miracle and gift of life itself.

“Expecting to live is training wheels on the spaceship of our entitlement.”

– Stephen Jenkinson

Celebrating milestones in your own life and others’ with a legacy blessing or letter will be treasured by its recipients.

Celebrating the love in your life: for partners, parents, children, grandchildren, friends, and colleagues, is best expressed in On the Brink of Everything, Parker J. Palmer’s 2018 book:

There’s so much you want to say,

but time keeps taking time and all your

words away. How to say-amid the

flood of grief and gratitude you feel-

‘Thank you!,’ or ‘How beautiful, how

grand!,’ or ‘I don’t know how I survived,’

or ‘I was changed forever the day

we two joined lives and hands.’

Your family, tribe, or ethnic culture may have traditions that you can recognize, revive, and practice as ways to Celebrate Life. ’Gratitude’ was being expressed throughout our country recently: the real purpose of Thanksgiving (neither shopping, overeating nor massacring Native peoples).

After the meeting I brought extra cards to my son’s first Thanksgiving hosting for his family. After we sat down to dinner and blessed the food in front of us, he passed out the cards and pencils to everyone, and suggested that between dinner and dessert we’d share what we were grateful for. We heard deep and thoughtful expressions from everyone at the table, from age 15 to me at 80. After dinner my son expressed his appreciation that I’d brought the idea, and said that he intended to make it a tradition for our family’s Thanksgiving for next year and in  the future. A celebratory legacy for all of us!

Taking Action:

Take time to reflect on ways that you celebrate life for yourself, in nature, and in relationships.
Consider revitalizing a tradition or creating a new one that expresses your gratitude for and Celebration of Life.
Put yourself in the shoes of those who are less fortunate than you; experience your gratitude for all you have.
Write a legacy letter about your understanding of the value of Celebrating Life to someone you care about and are grateful to and for. You may want to write individual letters to different people appropriate to their ages and situations.
Be sure to conclude each letter you write with a loving blessing.

“To pay attention, indeed, is the ultimate celebration of this accidental miracle of life.”                                                                     – Maria Popova

May both your reflections and actions for yourself and loved ones help you stay aware of the mystery and gift of life you have and celebrate it,

– Rachael Freed

This article (Part 7) is the last of a series about needs addressed by legacy writing. You can find the rest of the articles in this series in the links below:

The Significance Of Writing Legacy Letters, Part 1
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 2
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 3
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 4
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 5
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 6

Rachael Freed, LICSW, senior fellow, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota, is the author of Your Legacy Matters and Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies. rachael@life-legacies.com and  www.life-legacies.com

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Addressing Anxiety Symptoms, Naturally

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations; feeling nervous when speaking in front of a large group or experiencing a racing heartbeat when faced with a dangerous situation. These physiological responses help prepare you to react to a threatening situation, or can get you charged up to perform well in a sporting event or an important exam. Learn how to address anxiety symptoms naturally with the following lifestyle changes.



Addressing Anxiety Symptoms, Naturally

Video Transcript

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations; feeling nervous when speaking in public or experiencing a racing heartbeat when faced with a dangerous situation.

Anxiety symptoms can manifest as

Muscle tension
Headaches
Trembling
Restlessness
Sweating
Stomach pain
Dizziness
Irritability

Addressing anxiety symptoms through lifestyle changes can help. Try the following:

Breathing Exercises

Do you hold your breath or hyperventilate while anxious and not even realize it? Breath work can offer an immediate lessening of anxiety and a sense of empowerment.

Meditation Practice

Together – training one’s mind to focus on the here and now, and practicing meditation on a regular basis – can both result in significant, long-term reduction of anxiety.

Eliminate Caffeine

Stimulants in the diet, especially for those are stimulant sensitive can be a contributor to anxiety symptoms.

Journaling

Writing down anxious thoughts and worries can help reduce stress, identify unfounded fears, and monitor progress.

Daily Exercise

Exercises such as brisk walking and moderate strength training can reduce stress and anxiety, and re-focus negative thoughts.

Taking A News Or Media Break

A week (or even a weekend) without the news in any form can teach us that we have choices in how much information we are exposed to, as well as how to process the news.

Other ideas include:

Biofeedback

A mind-body technique that helps teach patients how to influence their autonomic nervous systems: blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and brainwave frequency.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A counseling-oriented approach to achieving long-term improvement in emotional well-being.

Essential oils such as:

Lavender Oil

Studies have found lavender oil to have a significant ability to ease anxiety and some sleep disturbances when used in aromatherapy.
Lemon Balm Oil

Lemon balm has been used for centuries to address restlessness and insomnia and to reduce anxiety and to help promote a sense of calm.
Chamomile Oil

In a placebo-controlled study with cancer patients, massage with chamomile essential oil reduced anxiety and improved symptoms.
Lemongrass Oil

Has been used in folk medicine to treat anxiety, induce rest, and lower blood pressure.

And lastly, some supplments and herbs to consider:

B vitamins can help stabilize mood and support adrenal function
Passionflower can be calming without being meditative.

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A Cruise Of The Greek Isles With Dr. Weil, October 2018

In October 2018 we sailed the Mediterranean Sea on a lovely 14-day “Origins of Wellness Cruise” onboard the Seabourn Odyssey. We took in the sights, scenes and delicious local cuisines along the southern coast of Greece – including Mykonos, Crete, Naxos, and Rhodes, as well as Syracuse, Italy; and Valletta, Malta.

We ended the voyage with an exceptional visit to Asklepion, an archeological site on the island of Kos at the sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of medicine. The well-known Greek physician, Hippocrates (the father of medicine) founded the Kos School of Medicine at this site.

This area is very special to me as it is the region where integrative medicine is rooted. It is said that the treatments offered at this sanctuary, or early version of a hospital were based on a healthy lifestyle; including water therapies like swimming, physical activity, a healthy diet, relaxation therapies, nature therapy, and a focus on recreation. Practitioners here are said to have used natural, herbal medicine and simple interventions – both are part of today’s principles of integrative medicine.

What an adventure!

The ship’s wellness program included many events, workshops and casual discussions with me and other top experts all trained in the field of integrative medicine:

Victoria Maizes, M.D., is executive director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a professor of medicine, family medicine and public health at the University of Arizona. She is a graduate of Barnard College, and received her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Ann Marie Chiasson, M.D., MPH, is the co-director of the fellowship in integrative medicine at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, Arizona. She is board-certified in family medicine and integrative medicine and completed a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Vivian A. Kominos, M.D., FACC received her medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. She is board certified in internal medicine, cardiology and integrative medicine.

Gulshan K. Sethi, M.D., graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India in 1963. He did an internship at the Norwalk Hospital (Yale affiliate), residency in general surgery at the Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago and University of Kansas. He completed his cardiothoracic and vascular surgery fellowship in 1972 from the University of Utah.

William Haas, M.D., earned both his medical and business degrees from East Carolina University, one of the nation’s top primary-care training programs. He is board-certified in family medicine and attended the University of Arizona for his integrative medicine fellowship, where he later served on faculty. In addition to his integrative medicine training, Dr. Haas is a candidate for certification with the Institute for Functional Medicine.

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10 Essential Oils For Health: Uses & Benefits

Learn more about these ten essential oils for health. Essential oils are extracted from aromatic plants, including the flowers, leaves, fruit, bark or roots. The quality of essential oils can vary from source to source; the best and purest can be very expensive. Undiluted essential oils should never be applied directly to the skin or taken orally, consult with a health care practitioner first. Be sure to dilute them in a carrier oil, such as avocado or fractionated coconut oil. They are widely used in diffusers, lotions and perfumes today.

These oils are used to address a number of health problems: Some extracts can calm the senses and influence mood, others have antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties. They play a therapeutic role in aromatherapy and herbal medicine.  Although many are not yet well-researched and seem to have more hype than science behind them, essential oils have been used in conjunction with traditional practices for thousands of years.

 

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How To Get Deep Sleep Naturally

Many of us experience sleep issues, for many reasons. The good news is the that common problems that are associated with sleep disturbances, like insomnia are often easily and naturally addressed without the use of harsh medications or pharmaceutical aids. There are no guaranteed cures, but there are many gentle, effective steps to try. See if several of the following natural methods on how to get deep sleep naturally work for you!

 

How To Get Deep Sleep Naturally

Video Transcript

Looking to improve your deep sleep, naturally? If you find it hard to wind down at the end of the day, or if you wake frequently during the night, try the following natural sleep aid suggestions.

First and foremost: Turn off the technology one to two hours prior to bedtime. ALL OF IT! This can significantly improve quality of sleep. Phones, tablets, televisions, computers: the blue light these devices emit can suppress production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin.

In fact: Consider charging smartphones, and other devices in another room – not at your bedside – so you are not tempted to check a quick text or social media site in the middle of the night.

Don’t eat right before bed; digestion can disrupt sleep. Eat your last meal a few hours before bedtime. An evening walk after dinner might help as well.

Consider essential oils in a warm bath or in a diffuser:

Lavender oil has a soothing scent that has long been associated with sleep and relaxation.
Lemon balm oil has been used for centuries to address sleep issues, including restlessness and anxiety and can help promote a sense of calm before bed.

Think of your physical comfort: Is your pillow old and in need of replacement? Is your mattress supportive? Are your sheets soft enough? You spend a third of your day here, make sure you’re comfortable.

Consider your environment: Are you cool? Is it dark enough? Is it too noisy? You may want to consider a white noise or even a pink noise generator.

Consider your state of mind: Do you have an overactive “monkey mind” before bed? Try a breathing exercise or a meditation to help put your thoughts at rest, before your body.

Eliminate caffeine from your diet, especially in the form of soft drinks and coffee, as well as in over-the-counter drugs (check the labels).

Spend some time outside every day. Exposure to bright, natural light during the day, especially the morning light has been associated with better quality sleep and reduced feelings of stress.

Exercise! A daily fitness regime can help with sleep issues. Working out has been shown to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and may improve the overall quality of sleep.

And lastly, two natural sleep aids recommended by Dr. Weil for very occasional use are valerian and melatonin.

Here are additional sleep aids & tips to try.

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Natural Home Remedies For Acne

Acne is a common inflammation of the skin’s oil-producing glands and is characterized by blackheads, pimples and/or whiteheads. These lesions most often occur on the face, shoulders, chest, back and neck – but can appear anywhere on the skin. Teens are the most predisposed to acne, but this condition can occur at any life stage. Adult acne can be a recurrence of teenage acne or a first-time development. It is a good idea to consult a dermatologist who can look into underlying causes. The following video discusses several natural home remedies for acne treatment.

 

Natural Home Remedies For Acne

 

Video Transcript

Acne is a common inflammatory disorder of the skin’s oil-producing glands. Teens are the most predisposed to acne, but this condition can occur at any life stage. It affects nearly 50 million Americans each year.*

Here are some natural home remedies for acne.

*Source: American Academy of Dermatology

Wash regularly with a mild, glycerin soap. Don’t scrub your face! Use a gentle motion, and pat dry.

If you do experience a breakout, don’t squeeze pimples, ever. This can lead to permanent scarring.

Consider essential oils such as tea tree oil, thyme oil, chamomile, lavender and others. Read the labels carefully.

Use calendula, commonly known as pot marigold (not true marigold). Wash your face using a tea made from the bright orange flowers. Or buy ready-to-use products from the health food store.

Consider Chinese herbal preparations such as astragalus, from the root of a traditional Chinese plant that helps fight chronic infections.

Increase your consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, including fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.

Include omega-3 fatty acids such as wild Alaskan salmon or freshly ground flaxseeds to help reduce and prevent inflammation.

Clean your cell phone periodically. Keeping your phone clean can help remove germs, as can washing your hands several times a day.

Don’t be afraid to indulge in a small piece of dark chocolate on occasion. There isn’t a link between chocolate and acne, and dark chocolate actually has antioxidant benefits!

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What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 6

This article is part of a series from our guest expert, Rachael Freed. You can find the rest of the articles in this series linked at the end of this post.

I discovered a new and seventh need to add to the other six needs as I was preparing for the webinar I and six of my facilitators did this recently for the Aging to Sag-ing* conference. I have long proposed  that there are two elements basic to legacy writing (as expressed by Jacob as he was dying in Genesis 49). Those two elements are blessings and stating death and dying preferences. The latter is more difficult for us because we live in a death-averse culture, and death generally remains, even after Kubler-Ross’s groundbreaking 1969 On Death and Dying, a taboo subject.

Beneath our interest in story and blessing in legacy writing is our awareness that we are mortal. When we acknowledge our mortality, even though we don’t know when death will come, it makes sense that one of the needs we have is to put our lives in order. From a legacy perspective that means that we need to take care of our “stuff.” And then this awareness demands two more important legacy letters that have to do with our dying. the first to accompany your will; the second to accompany your medical directive.

Generally when I begin a legacy workshop I ask participants if they have a will; 90-100% indicate ‘yes’ and when I ask if they have a medical directive or a living will, about 60% indicate ‘yes’. Then I ask, do you have an ethical will (a document or letter of values, not valuables), sometimes a few say they have, but most look dumb-founded. They don’t know what I mean.

Both your will and your living will are legal documents. Your legacy letters are not. You can attach them to the legal documents and they provide you the opportunity to explain how your values led to the choices you wrote in your will and living will. These letters can also serve to initiate family conversations about issues of money and dying, the most difficult conversations families have (or avoid ever  having). Legacy writers to a person say that although those two letters were the most difficult to write, they brought relief, peace of mind, and often a deepening and strengthening of family understanding and intimacy.

Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation.

– Albert Einstein

Death tells us not to waste time…It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other

– Leo Buscaglia

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever 

– Mahatma Gandhi

Practice:

Read and update your will and living will. As you read extract the values that gave rise to your choices.
Take time to reflect on what you mean by and how you feel about the formal, legal words in both documents.
For your will, put yourself in the shoes of those who will read the documents after you’ve passed, Think about the questions they’d have, and how they’ll feel reading your will. Write what you really mean for them to know about your values and why you made the choices you did.
For your living will, take time to decide how you want to be treated in your final days. Express those choices clearly and lovingly, knowing that your loved ones will themselves be grieving about the prospect of losing you.
Be sure to conclude each letter with a loving blessing to each of them.
If you can, share both letters with your loved ones long before your end, to allow for discussion.

May both letters and your conversation with loved ones give you and them peace of mind.

 – Rachael Freed

This article (Part 6) is part of a series. You can find the rest of the articles in this series in the links below:

The Significance Of Writing Legacy Letters, Part 1
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 2
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 3
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 4
What Legacy Letters Give To Its Writers, Part 5

Rachael Freed, LICSW, senior fellow, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota, is the author of Your Legacy Matters and Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies rachael@life-legacies.com and www.life-legacies.com

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