Bridges to Empowerment

Join Us On Zoom for Art Journal Wednesday

Art helps our emotional and spiritual body speak when words feel inadequate. Symbols bind us to a universal language of humanity’s struggle. Together these form Bridges to Empowerments’ Healing Notes Project: using art, learning, and sharing to form a circle of care and kindness

Join us every other Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 pm through zoom so that we can create art together. All you need is an art journal, a pencil, and colored pencils or paints of your choice. First session starts April 8th! Please see below for details on how to join

Hi there,

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Apr 8, 2020 05:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Blossoms and Stones

My sister told me a story about an outdoor project she did with her kids to take a brief escape from Covid-19 indoor blues. After hearing it, we talked about how this story could be a metaphor for working one’s way through crisis. I asked to share her story as an illustration of some of the concepts I teach for moving through crisis. Life will give us times that are as hard as stone, but it also gives us moments between the rough that are filled with beauty and softness. It is ultimately up to us what we do with the blossoms and stones within our lives. My sister is a person who moves through the rough in life with love. The type of person who helps everyone around her to feel more love despite what is going on around them. I see how she is now teaching her children to do the same as they use the stones and blossoms in life to create a life full of love.

Here is her story: After too much time stuck inside with my four kids with nothing but chores, CNN, and Facebook to look forward to, I felt my body become overcome with feelings of anxiety. Anxiety that one of us would become infected. Anxiety that if I failed to disinfect something properly, I would be putting a loved one at risk: all these thoughts terrified me and I started to cry. As the tears flowed, I realized no amount of chores would change that my son will miss his graduation or that my toddlers won’t get all the preschool memories I wanted them to have because my state, like many others, is on lockdown from Covid-19. As the warmth of the sun started to envelope my body, I watched my two and four year old laughing as they collected blossoms that had fallen off the cherry tree in our backyard. I thought why am I sitting here in fear instead of taking this time to play with my kids? I wiped my tears away and joined them outside. As my daughter brought me blossoms, I said to her “how about we make some art with all these pretty blossoms.” As we placed stones and blossoms into different designs, I thought, these pieces of nature are like the moments of our lives, we can use them to create more love or more sadness. It was then that I decided to use the time that COVID-19 was giving us to be together to be a time of creating moments of love. I still have some moments when I cry at night with fear, but then I remember all the experiences I have gotten to share with my children during this time that I, otherwise, would not have had. In this moment, I feel connected to all my ancestors that struggled to overcome times of adversity. They had to make the same choice to spend their moments focused on the rough or hardness within life or the simple beauty that we each can find within our own backyards.

Tips for Getting Take-Out Food In The Time Of COVID-19

Today’s tip is laced with good news. Do you like eating out? Do you miss your favorite restaurants? In the time of COVID-19, you can still often dine on your favorite foods at home. Although restaurants are closed to the public, many are still cooking for take-out and sometimes will even deliver. Ordering food from them is a great way to help your local restaurants stay in business during this time. If you are nervous to eat food prepared by someone else in the time of COVID-19, you are not alone, I am one of them. However, experts have stated that they believe there is very little risk of becoming infected through food because your gastric juice would kill the virus even if it was in your food. But, a lot still remains unknown and the risk is not zero. Plus, we if you are reading this, chances are you are in a group of people that are at risk if you get this disease and maybe low risk is not good enough for you. I’ll be honest I’m uncomfortable with anyone I don’t trust preparing my food in this time. It is up to you what level of risk you want to take, but here is what I do to decrease risk even more while not sacrificing my favorite foods to dine in on. Any prepared food I take into my house, I empty out of its to go carton into a pot or microwave/ oven safe dish. I then throw away the container, wipe up any counter areas the outside container touched with a disinfectant, and then wash my hands for while completing the happy birthday song twice. I then reheat the food in the microwave, oven, or stove. In the microwave at least a minute. On the stove until it boils or the oven on low heat unit warmed but not burnt.

COVID-19 Tips

COVID-19 tip for the Immune suppressed and high risk, or just those that don’t want to get sick.

Did you know hydrogen peroxide kills COVID 19? Here are some tips

Wash your fruits and vegetables in 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water and let soak for 20 minutes. Then rinse.

2. You can also make a disinfectant cleaner that is not too harsh if sensitive. Put hydrogen peroxide full strength in a spray bottle to disinfect. You can add essential oils for scent

Downsizing Resources for Seniors to Help Guide Them Through the Process

By Andrea Needham

Downsizing Resources for Seniors to Help Guide Them Through the Process

Downsizing is oft-recommended for seniors, and for some very good reasons. Moving into a smaller home packed with the living features that you need in a city like Denver can take much of the worries and responsibilities of maintaining a larger one out of your hands. Moreover, it can also provide opportunities to stretch your retirement dollars, so you can maintain or even improve quality of life. Here’s how you can get started.

Planning the Transition

Healthcare Costs for Seniors

Get to Know Denver’s Housing Market (Homes Sell for $423k on Average)

Paying for Long-Term Care Using Your Home Equity

Choosing the Right Home

Nine Reasons Aging in Place May Not Be Right for You

Differences Between Senior Housing and Assisted Living

Tips on How to Start Your Senior Living Search

Closing a Chapter

The Ultimate Checklist for Seniors Downsizing

Preserving Keepsakes While Downsizing

Find Affordable Storage in Denver, Starts at $1

Making the big move

Need Help Downsizing? A Senior Move Manager Can Simplify Your Move

The Cost of Moving in Denver ($600 to $1,638 on Average)

How to Adjust After Moving to Independent Living

The success of your downsizing efforts starts with having the right mindset to see it through. Having the right resources to guide you isn’t all that bad as a bonus, either. So, keep your eyes on the prize and heed these tips. Your quality of life in your golden years depends on it!

Photo via Pexels

Bridges To Faith Series On Responsibility to Self and Others

Join us in spiritual empowerment through Bridges to Faith meet-ups. Find out more about our next meeting below held at 2p.m Sunday the 8th at the Mercury Cafe in Denver, Colorado.

How do you respect differences of opinions and beliefs when they promote injustice or hate? How do you “love your neighbor” without condoning bad behavior? Join Rev. Lynsie for an open discussion on how to navigate conflict within society and our personal relationships without compromising our values in the process. This event will be part of an ongoing series held at the Mercury Cafe located at 2199 California street in Denver (please plan to bring enough cash to buy a drink from our host and make a small donation if possible)

The cost to states that did not expand medicaid

Research shows that 14,000 people would be alive if states that refused to expand their medicaid had done so. If states were to fully expand Medicaid, the benefits would include:

Additional lives saved per year: 14,361
Additional infant lives saved per year: 141
Additional early-stage cancer diagnoses per year: 5,034
Reduction in uninsured opioid-related hospitalizations per year: 17,577
Additional bankruptcies prevented per year: 1,517
Reduction in families’ accrued medical debt: $6.8 billion
Money kept in families’ pockets from less costly credit per year: $2.1 billion
Savings to communities from enhanced public safety per year: $7.7 billion

If you have a pre-existing condition your healthcare is under attack

If you are one of the 50 million American with a pre-existing condition, your right to be insured is under attack. The Trump administration is seeking to invalidate the pre-existing condition protections within the Affordable Care Act ( ACA).

27% of adults under age 65 have a pre-existing condition could be uninsurable in the next couple years. In fact, as reported in forbes, before the ACA was passed, a 2010 study showed that 42% of people aged 50-64 had were unable to buy health insurance in the individual market, had to pay much higher premiums, or had their conditions excluded from being covered. The GOP is arguing that the ACA depends on the individual mandate to make premiums affordable, so taking that part of law away invalidates the entire law. It is true that what makes insurance affordable for all is to make sure everyone is covered. The current health care system does not work when insurance companies have to insure people with health problems at an affordable rate if only the sick get coverage. This is why when the GOP voted to take away the mandate to buy healthcare, it was a fiscally irresponsible move that would break the healthcare system instead of fix it. Because of the Tax Cuts and Job Act that eliminated the individual mandate to buy health insurance, insurance plans are set to increase between 15%- 30% in 2019. Worse, it you were counting on savings from the new tax bill to pay for your increased health insurance costs, the tax policy center found that the average American in the coming years will lose their savings from the new bill and and get a tax increase of $30.00. Meanwhile the tax bill adds 1.4 trillion to the national deficit and in 2019 alone, 3 million will become uninsured, raising costs for the remaining people who are insured. We need all our politicians to come together to fix this situation.

Alternative therapies that may help with pain and addiction

Many of our readers have chronic health conditions that require pain management, but are often hesitant to use narcotics to control pain because it could lead to addiction. Kimberly Hayes writes on some alternative ways to help with pain management and addiction recovery.

For many people who struggle with addiction, recovery is a long road that has more than one treatment option. It can be difficult to know which option to go for, however, especially when you are also coping with a mental health disorder or a physical health issue. Some methods are meant to be used as complementary treatments, such as art therapy in conjunction with talk therapy; others are alternative treatments, which means they take the place of a method that has already been used.

It’s essential that you talk to your doctorabout what might be best for you before trying anything new in part because a new treatment method could interfere with your recovery rather than helping. It’s also important to do some research on all the various techniques that have been studied in relation to substance abuse recovery and educate yourself on them before making a decision.

It is important to note that many chronic pain patientsare prescribed opioids by their doctor as a way to treat their pain. Subsequently, opioids also decrease feelings of depression and anxiety, providing relief for both the body and mind. According to addiction expert Marc J. Romano, “Individuals often find the both the physical and psychological effects to be desirable, which increases risk of ongoing use, increased tolerance, and subsequent dependence,” Romano says. If the idea of becoming addicted worries you, it is important that you talk with your doctor. When used correctly, pain medication offers wonderful benefits. However, there are other natural waysto treat pain such as exercise, diet, meditation, and yoga.

If you are currently in recovery, keep reading for some great tips on how to get started and what to avoid.

Relaxation techniques

One of the common factors in substance abuse is stress and/or anxiety, which can lead to an individual looking for a way to relax and forget about their worries. Relaxation techniques can include massage, acupuncture, yoga and meditation, among others, but you can try anything that makes you feel good in a healthy way.

Diet and exercise

Diet and exercisecan be huge factors in recovery. Eating well and getting daily exercise can help you feel more confident, boost your mental health and keep you fit and active, all of which can keep you on a positive path of change after a period of substance abuse. Look online for sample menus and make a shopping list that will be easy to stick to at the grocery store and plan out a workout routine that you can maintain. Sometimes, inviting a friend along on a workout can make it more fun and therefore easier to stay motivated. For more information on making your recovery a success, click here.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you focus on the present and reduce worry and anxiety, and it’s often done in conjunction with yoga and/or meditation. Learning how to narrow your focus can help you cope with stress in the moment and make healthy decisions, which can trickle down to other aspects of your life, including your relationships, your ability to maintain a career and your self-esteem and confidence.

Art therapy

Art therapyhas been used for years to help individuals battle various addictions and disorders and has been so effective, in part, because it allows you to relax, focus on the present moment, and release stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions in a positive way. Talk to your doctor about art therapy and its many benefits and think of ways you can get creative; painting, dancing, acting, singing and even cooking are all great ways to relieve stress. Try a few different things to see which ones you like most, and ask a close friend or loved one to do it along with you.

Going through addiction recovery is a hard job for most, and there’s no one right treatment for everyone, so it’s important to try various methods until you find out what works for you. Keep communication open with your doctor, friends and family to ensure you’ll have support when it matters most.

Kimberly Hayes enjoys writing about health and wellness and created PublicHealthAlert.info to help keep the public informed about the latest developments in popular health issues and concerns. In addition to studying to become a crisis intervention counselor, Kimberly is hard at work on her new book, which discusses the ins and outs of alternative addiction treatments.

The Special Gratitude You Have For Water When You Have Dysautonomia

Today I’m feeling gratitude for water, the source of life that composes sixty percent of my body. Life can only survive in a very narrow range of temperature, and water is essential to sustaining that temperature range inside each one of us and within the world around us. In fact, every biochemical reaction that occurs within us is dependent upon water. Because of my disease—dysautonomia—I need intravenous fluid to maintain my hydration. On the one day a week that the needle I get this water through is taken out and changed, I can quickly feel how my body loses its blood supply to all my organs, as I grow dizzy and my heart works harder. After I get a new needle put into my body so that water can once again flow through me, I feel life…or hope rushing back to each cell within. Hope because standing seemed like an insurmountable challenge in my weakened state, but given water it becomes an obtainable feat. I may get my water in a different way than others, but being forced to become nourished through IV fluids only emphasizes a truth of life a bit more for me: we are all dependent upon water.

A normal person can go three days without water before dehydration becomes an emergency, but for me it is mere hours before my body’s organs are no longer functioning properly. This different existence from so many others makes me look at people playing sports, or even simply walking on a hot day, with a sort of awe someone does when they witness the miracle of birth for the first time. Rationally, you know people have babies, but actually seeing it gives you a sense of awe in how life begets new life. There is something undoubtably miraculous about the whole process. This is the same feeling I get when seeing a body utilize its water to perform a sport under the duress of hot weather. To witness the small miracles that the body performs to play a sport under the hot sun will often brings tears to my eyes.

Today, I am especially grateful for the water I receive through intravenous hydration now that there is a shortage of IV bags is the USA. This shortage is due to disruption of production that occurred due to Puerto Rico’s hurricane aftermath. Having too much or too little water in a place or a body can cause massive imbalances that impact life in direct and indirect ways. When climate change causes our earth to have more severe weather events, the imbalances in water causes changes to some lives immediately––changes like the ones I see when I don’t get my IV fluid and life, suddenly, becomes very fragile as each heart beat becomes a massive feat to manage. Other changes due to water imbalance will be less pronounced and remain mostly invisible until the crisis is at one’s front door. This is how a normal person dehydrates. Their body can compensate much longer with less fluid––to the point people don’t realize they are becoming dehydrated—that is until it’s an emergency. This is the type of emergency the disruption to the production of IV fluid is creating. I am still getting my fluid. There is no real emergency at this point, but if Puerto Rico does not stabilize soon, it will be an emergency that eventually reaches me and many others. It shows me how interconnected all of life is. Once again, my eyes start to water a little at how each life or life function affects other lives in ways we don’t fully realize until that life or byproduct of one’s life is put into jeopardy. It reminds me that I am grateful that I have the fluid in my body right now to cry tears of awe at life and the miracles that each life performs just by being here.

In Last Minute Shopping Support BTPE Through Season of Smiles

It only takes a second to switch over to Amazon Smile when you shop, but it makes a big difference to us. Our #SeasonOfSmiles is here because every time we go into a hospital to do art therapy with patients struggling with serious medical conditions, donations from amazon smile help us to provide art supplies and card stock that patients use to create cards that go to other sick patients. In the circle of caring that Bridges to Patient Empowerment creates, patients use their art therapy to support others in a similar situation. That way patients don’t have to go through their worst moments in life alone. With them during their toughest moments is a card full of support from someone else who has been in a hospital bed. As patients share their stories, insights, and hopes with one another through art and inspiring words, they hold each other in the palm of their hand with each medical challenge they face, making the journey of illness a little easier. Please support our charity while you shop using link smile.amazon.com/ch/46-3858114