Before we get too far into 2019, I want to appreciate the year we’re leaving behind. In so many ways, last year was a very difficult one for me personally and for me, my friends, colleagues, and the world politically. But professionally as an author and a body-mind practitioner, 2018 was one of the most stellar of my entire blessed life so far — and for that I am truly grateful and want to express what happened . . . .

In 2018, at age 70, I published my first book, The Headache Healer’s Handbook, with a publishing house I’ve admired for years, New World Library. It was amazing to find a note in my files that I’d actually contacted NWL in 1993 when I was first thinking about writing this book. I was fortunate to publish under the guidance of its editorial director, who appreciated and encouraged not only my writing but my illustrations. Thus my artwork was published for the very first time and in a book I wrote.

I was able to write a very detailed book, on my own terms, that takes readers step-by-step through a detailed program of how to heal their own chronic headaches naturally, without drugs. Most people hate headaches, and doctors and advocates say you’ll never get over them, but I love them. Why? Because I can do something about them. I’ve been working with them, hands-on, for almost fifty years, and I make headaches, especially migraines, listen to me, and show sufferers how to do the same for themselves. Former headache sufferers learn to move beyond their pain and live normal lives.

Launched on May 15, 2018, The Headache Healer’s Handbook became available in the U.S. on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble in stores and online, at independent booksellers, in Canada, the UK, and Australia, and via Amazon in Canada, the UK, France, Japan, China, and Germany. Foreign rights were sold to publishers in Italy, Russia, India (English), and China (Taiwan). My book is in various public libraries the U.S., Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and Malaysia.

I received five wonderful reviews in publications, made a video trailer about the book, appeared live on three fabulous videocasts, during one of which I showed the host how to successfully stop his own headache live, on the air — a first! I recorded fifteen live radio shows/podcasts, including at an international online conference, published five articles, did workshops and a panel at Athleta, a talk at NY State Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright’s office, held my book launch at Studio 55C, and received seven five-star reviews on Amazon U.S. and another on Amazon UK.

I wept, in line at Whole Foods, when I read the amazing foreword I received from neurologist Alexander Mauskop, MD, founder/director of New York Headache Center, SUNY professor, and board-certified headache specialist. To have my work grokked at such a deep level and praised by this esteemed, long-time medical professional was indeed very moving and a balm for my soul after so many years of hard work, seeking to break through. I was also moved to tears by the endorsements my book received from my longtime Somatics teachers, Gay Hendricks, PhD, and Richard Strozzi-Heckler, PhD, and from holistic practitioner Michelle Fondin. And all of the above are themselves authors of multiple books.

Oh, and do you know what it feels like to be indexed? Where every idea, technique, concept, and reference you’ve either created or taught on a topic is listed and referenced alphabetically by page number? I read that thing like a novel and wept then too. It was an amazing experience to see everything laid out in that way — like seeing a list of my brain.

Lastly, I am grateful for everyone who bought my book for themselves or others, who came to my events, and encouraged my work over the years — and for each one of my clients and students over my years of practice, who entrusted me to hold their pain and the stories of their pain on all levels, and who let me help them and teach them to heal and about healing. I don’t use the word “healing” lightly, and it has taken me almost fifty years to claim that healing headaches means what it says. Even using the word in this context is a revolutionary act.

Indeed, goodbye 2018. It is with deep appreciation and gratitude for a year of fulfilled dreams and extreme challenges that I bid you adieu.