Introductions--Arden Blair and RDavis

Greetings,

I’m Arden Blair, a contributor to The Dharma Kitchen. Welcome! It is my goal to share with you the things I’m discovering on my journey to holistic and healthy living. My quest isn’t always easy; I have good, bad, great, and miserable days and weeks yet becoming healthy and whole—in all their various meanings and manifestations—are paramount objectives in my process; therefore, it should go without saying, but here it is anyway. Failure is not an option.  There is too much at stake.

My interest in holistic and healthy living started while in college when my intense study of theatre began. Yet, much like a yo-yo, its longevity in my daily routine was up and down. Nevertheless, with my knowledge of the importance of the performing artist’s physique, it was information consumed in my educational process and has been an important component in my teaching methodology of theatre. The actor’s primary tool—his/her body (physique and voice)—is what I teach (preach) still; for edification, I don’t stress perfection but flexibility of use. So the knowledge was there but remained untapped, underused, and misappropriated when it came to my own life. Throughout the years as my hips, thighs, and butt expanded, I became more and more disconnected to my body on the visible plane meaning that I refused to see my mirrored reflection, yet, I suffered with the physical, psychological, and spiritual realities of it on a daily bases. Years of not loving myself enough to care rippled through my flesh and bones like echoes in a cave. The ripples enlarging and multiplying with each new medication added to my growing list of prescriptions and each new physical dis-ease and ailment that arose.  

The Dharma Kitchen is our (RDavis and Arden Blair’s) space to share our stories as well as recipes and exercise tips along the way. Please feel free to comment and share your discoveries as well.

Peace and blessings!

Hello All,

I'm Rhonda D., and I am a student of Arden Blair's. She has been an inspiration not only to my academic life but also to the journey I have been on most of my life, the fight to lose the weight that I have gained over the years. I have always been on some kind of diet in my life, especially after having 4 children. Marriage, motherhood, and its ups and downs, has kept me on a weight loss roller-coaster that I couldn't seem to get off of. Food was, and sometimes still is, my best friend. However, with the help of Arden Blair, who I must say is my new food guru, I have started to make better choices when it comes to snacking and choosing what goes into my meals. We look forward to posting pictures soon, because my journey has just begun and I want to get a good before snapshot up so you all can join us and cheer us on, and we too can cheer you on, any ideas? We sure would like to hear from you all.
Rhonda D.