My Life With ALS Is About Learning How to Balance Effort and Ease
During the years I taught yoga, I always enjoyed explaining the concept of effort and ease. It’s the feeling of holding a yoga pose with the right amount of force. Not too much, not…
Living Well With ALS
— Dagmar Munn
When Dagmar Munn was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 59 in 2010, she tapped into her nearly 30 years of professional health and wellness experience. She not only follows her own advice but also inspires and teaches others to do the same. In addition to her columnist role, she is one of the moderators for the ALS News Today Forums and writes a personal blog called “ALS and Wellness.” She lives with her husband in Green Valley, Arizona, enjoying finding humor in life’s situations and spending free time pursuing creative projects in fiber arts.
Featured Post
How can friction be eliminated in my daily life with ALS?
Before ALS entered my life, I barely noticed how easily I completed simple, everyday tasks. But living with ALS can be tiring, and it makes everything — including the little things, our run-of-the-mill…
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Why Am I Singing Through a Straw, You Might Ask?
I’m always open to learning new things, especially when they involve simple ways to improve my life with ALS. When I come across something super helpful, I just have to share it with…
Prepare and Prevent: My Strategy for Living With ALS
During my first year living with ALS, I spent a lot of time researching and learning whatever I could about the disease. I came across long lists of medical equipment that patients like…
My ALS Strategy to Avoid Being a ‘UFO’: I’m a Work in Progress
I’m always surprised how something simple and totally unrelated to ALS can change my perspective about living with the disease. For example, who knew that a bag full of unfinished knitting and…
Learning How to Answer the Question ‘What Is ALS?’
I remember the first time someone asked me, “What is ALS?” It was an awkward moment and the question caught me completely off guard. Why? Because only a few months earlier I had…
How a Robot on Mars Improved My Attitude
I’ll admit that because I live with ALS, some of my past “Human vs. Automation” experiences have been, um, less than perfect. Touchpads that open automated doors don’t always work for me, and…
Midweek Meditations for ALS Patients and Other Mindful News
I’m excited to share good news about the growing access by ALS patients to the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. As readers of this column likely know, I’ve been on a…
I’m Learning to Embrace My High-speed ALS Reflexes
Shortly after I was diagnosed with ALS, I began to notice my reflexes acting kind of wonky. Pre-ALS, thanks to years of practicing yoga and tai chi, I considered myself a relatively calm…
Holiday Get-together Ideas to Reduce Stress for Those With ALS
For most people, the holidays are a time of joy and good cheer, and an opportunity to get together with family and friends. But when living with ALS, social gatherings have the potential…
How Journaling Helped Me Adjust to Living With ALS
A question I’m often asked by newly diagnosed ALS patients is, “What do you think is the one thing that helped you adjust so well to living with ALS?” My answer is…
Why I Still Wear a Mask in Public
I must confess, whenever I’m in a crowded public place, I wear a face mask. Why? Because I’m a person living with ALS and doing everything I can to keep my immune system…
How My Daily Routine Helps Me Live With ALS
Ask me what I think about having a do-the-same-thing-every-day routine and I’ll tell you it is great. Especially now that I live with ALS, having and following a consistent daily routine is absolutely…
