I am unsure about what the doctor actually thought but I felt that I had to prove that I wasn’t just making this up. Once I had made these discoveries, I returned to my allopathic doctor. However, after being in the building for about 20 minutes, it became harder to articulate my ideas and I felt myself lose confidence and draw inward toward self-doubt. When I arrived for staff meetings at Kehilla Community Synagogue, I was usually enthusiastic and filled with ideas to share. I continued to monitor how I felt in different places. I begin to suspect that something in the carpet was causing me problems. I knew I had a sensitive nose but didn’t think that it might be an indicator of other sensitivities. I had always disliked the smell of the carpet. I began to reflect on my experience in that building. Instead of dreading the drive home, I wanted to go for a walk in the nearby Oakland hills. My understanding of this immediately changed after the carpets were removed.Īfter the first class with the new floor, I did not feel tired. I had assumed I was tired because it was my last class after a long work week. Usually teaching energizes me, but I was always exhausted after this class. I loved sharing movement practices and talking story with them. The class I taught in this room was made up of a dedicated core of students who came regularly on Friday afternoons. I immediately noticed that I felt worse on days when I spent a lot of time indoors and when I was in the presence of synthetic scents such as air fresheners and laundry detergent.Ī big “aha” moment came after carpeting in a room I had been teaching in for over ten years was replaced with a tile floor. I began to pay close attention to when I felt healthy, strong, and alert and when my energy flagged.
She didn’t have any suggestions, noting that all my test results were within normal range.Īs the fog and fatigue progressively worsened, I decided that I needed to broadened my scope of inquiry. I sought answers from my allopathic doctor. My teaching and personal movement practice brought me great joy and gave me tools to cope with the day-to-day challenges but I knew my situation was not sustainable. But it didn’t quite add up - I was eating well, moving and exercising often and had no problem falling or staying asleep (even though I wasn’t sleeping enough). At first I thought it was because I was working too hard, sleeping too little, and experiencing emotional stress. My hope is that sharing my story will be beneficial to others with similar experiences.įor a number of years before moving to Maui, I had been suffering from fatigue and brain fog. While I don’t usually write publically about my personal health concerns, today I’d like to share a longer explanation.
The next question people ask is “How did you move to Maui?” My quick and somewhat glib response is “I just did.” Which is also true. It sounds funny but the thing is, it’s also very true – at least the first part. When people ask me why I moved to Maui, I have a very quick answer – for the fresh air and the lilikoi (passion fruit).