Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.1.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Joan Moran Author and Speaker ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Blogs](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/blogs/) - [3 KEY MINDSETS TO HELP YOU DURING THE PANDEMIC](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/3-key-mindsets-to-help-you-during-the-pandemic/) - As you try to maintain the collective sanity during this maybe-last-first phase of the coronavirus, you can be sure the pandemic is wearing on everyone. Though at first the pandemic looked impossible to endure, you have endured. You’ve self-quarantined, isolated, hibernated, bloviated, and generally imploded a few times. It’s only natural. No need to pile - [MANAGE YOUR MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH IN DIFFICULT TIMES](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/manage-your-mental-and-emotional-health-in-difficult-times/) - For decades, boomers have been exposed to a myriad of changes, and you have managed your mental and emotional health in difficult times. The good news is that your are still here by the grace of either good genes, mindful health practices, or just plain luck. My favorite song from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies is called “I’m Still - [4 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL HOLIDAYS WITH BLENDED FAMILIES](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/4-tips-for-successful-holidays-with-blended-families/) - Celebrating holidays are often difficult and awkward, especially with blended families and strangers. One of the quirkiest Thanksgiving holidays I attended happened in the early 80s. I had recently moved with my two sons from Las Vegas to La Jolla, California. Because I had no family for the holiday, I was invited to dine with - [5 Helpful Steps to Creating A Fulfilling Future](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-helpful-steps-to-creating-a-fulfilling-future/) - How often do you think about creating your third act? If you are my age, days ago turning 76, you might think about it more often than not. You’re comfortable now, and yet, you somehow feel that there will be a few adjustments or changes in your future. After all, this is your third act, - [EMBRACING TRAVEL: MY TRIP TO VIETNAM](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/embracing-travel-my-trip-to-vietnam/) - My first travel memory comes from the time when I was eight. My parents, who embraced the love of travel when they were newly married in the early 1930s, introduced my brother and I to the wonders of travel with a road trip in 1952 – to all 50 states. I accompanied my parents on - [TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH AFTER 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/take-care-of-your-teeth-after-60/) - I was recently sitting at a dinner table in Vietnam with fellow tourists on one of our first nights together. The woman sitting next to me said something I didn’t hear because I was distracted by the poor condition of her teeth. Her teeth were a shade of gray flecked with yellow, and it was - [TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEARING LOSS AFTER 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/take-care-of-hearing-loss-after-60-for-better-physical-health/) - When I was in high school and a smart-aleck with my friends, we used to tease my dad because it as obvious that he wasn't taking care of his hearing loss. Thank goodness he had a great sense of humor and a knowing sense of self. My dad was in his 60s and in pretty - [TAKE CARE OF YOUR EYES AFTER 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/take-care-of-your-eyes-after-60/) - Entering your 60s can be overwhelming when it comes to feeling that your body, particularly your eyes, are not functioning to their best capacity. You imagine all sorts of imaginary issues, talk about cataract surgery, and then put it aside for another time.. Yet, underneath the attempt to age well, there resides an underlying fear - [5 Lifestyle Ideas for Boomers to Manage Expectations](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-lifestyle-ideas-for-boomers-to-manage-expectations/) - It’s a rarity that you have time to sit down and reflect about how to manage expectations. Self-reflection is considered a luxury instead of a necessity.. You rush from pillar to post and the minutes tick by until the end of the day when you literally fall into bed. There you drift into a stupor - [5 Mistakes Women Make on the Road to Happiness](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-mistakes-on-the-road-to-happiness/) - Before I made an intentional decision at the beginning of this year to wake up every day with joy, I thought about 5 mistakes that women make on the road to happiness. I began to draw a considerable list of no-nos – thinking patterns that produce adverse effects on the unconscious mind and reflect negatively in the - [3 Strategies for Living Outside Your Comfort Zone](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/3-strategies-for-living-outside-your-comfort-zone/) - I just returned from a three-week trip to northern Spain and Portugal. Every day, every minute, I was living outside my comfort zone. Granted, I was having a fabulous time, given that I was encountering new people, places and things, learning about new cultures, food, and different ways of living life. Yet, it took me - [5 Powerful Rituals of Mentally Strong People](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-powerful-rituals-of-mentally-strong-people/) - It is a myth that you are born with characteristics that make you mentally strong throughout your life. The truth is, you can develop mental strength with practice, fortitude, and intention as you grow and develop your personality. In a previous blog for Sixty and Me, I suggested you have the power to stretch your mind - [Mental Self-Defense after 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mental-self-defense/) - The idea that you can retain the power to stretch your mind after you hit 60 and still have the ability to mentally defend yourself against the negative influences that often pervade your consciousness powerfully increases your sense of self and well-being. Mind stretching is the process of teaching the brain a new way of - [AN ODE TO WOMEN OVER 60: LEAN INTO THE EQUALITY YOU DESERVE](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/an-ode-to-women-over-60-lean-into-the-equality-you-deserve/) - Women are amazing creations! We have been mythologized, idealized, idolized, lionized, patronized, held up as paragons of virtues, and painted as fallen angels. That’s why I love being a woman and adore feeling the feminine deep inside myself. And I also revere what being a woman represents in mythology, psychology, and society. It’s not just - [4 WAYS TO FIND YOUR CENTER](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/4-ways-to-find-your-center/) - Since the popularity of the modern yoga and meditation movement several decades ago, specifically the late 80s and early 90s, practitioners and gurus have focused on creating a stronger connection between the mind, body, and spirit. The mind, body, spirit connection defines your center, your true self. By knowing and understanding your center, you discover - [19 Lessons Your Conscious Mind Can Teach You](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/19-lessons-your-conscious-mind-can-teach-you/) - Today Is Everyday, And everyday is an opportunity to learn something fabulous about who You Are. Maybe it’s just a human thing, but I think we spend too much time seeking help from outside resources to find happiness and fulfillment. We listen to presentations on how to reinvent ourselves, how to increase happiness, how to - [AN ACCIDENTAL CUBAN: WRITING AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/an-accidental-cuban-writing-and-the-creative-process/) - When I talk about the launch for my coming book, An Accidental Cuban, friends and acquaintances respond with a smile and positive reinforcement. And then they tell me how much they want to write their story. They also ask how I got the idea to write about a Cuban national who desperately wants to leave the island, and how - [3 Ways to Enhance Creativity: Color,Contrast, and Curiosity](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/3-ways-to-enhance-creativity-color-contrast-curiosity/) - Retirement is a fruitful time to develop creative projects and activities that inspire and increase the general health of your mind, body, and spirit. So, let’s get creative! - [5 Ways To Manage Your Expectations](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-manage-expectations/) - As women who have lived for over five decades, we already know that central to most problems in the human condition is the idea that you create expectations for many situations in life. It’s an emotional sink hole, highly difficult to maintain. An expectation is an assumption that something in the future will happen, or - [5 Effective Ways to Stay Motivated After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-effective-ways-to-stay-motivated-after-60/) - On those days when your mature woman mojo isn’t motivated and your mind and body refuse to move, what effective techniques do you use to stay on a positive path? Game On The struggle begins when you pull the bed covers off your comfy, warm body and start your day with a hot coffee or - [5 Simple Techniques To Naturally Boost Your Energy After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-simple-techniques-to-naturally-boost-your-energy-after-60/) - How many of you need an energy boost? Do you think coffee or a diet coke will boost your energy and jump-start your day? How many of us wake up with a fuzzy brain and mindlessly think a shot of java will do it for them? A Morning Boost of Coffee When your energy level - [Your Age is Showing](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/your-age-is-showing/) - Your age showing if you are you anxious that you are acting older than you are, or feeling older than you are, or are becoming irrelevant or invisible? Please, relax. You are only showing your age if you buy into the clichés of aging. If you are, it’s time to let go of your fears - [5 Ways to Have More Fun in your Life After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-have-more-fun-in-your-life-after-60/) - “You always look like you are having so much fun,” remarked one of the young ladies in my condominium area. “You’ve got your boots on or your tango shoes in hand, and you give off the vibe that life is always full of joy.” Of course, life is fun and full of joy, but only - [Aging With Grace in Your 60s](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/aging-with-grace-in-your-60s/) - The idea of aging with grace has multiple definitions. It’s different for everyone: presence, elegance, refinement, and ease are a few qualities associated with aging. To achieve a state of grace is to achieve a healthy, well-balanced life full of joy and respect. Sounds simple, yet, aging gracefully is a learning process, or a re-learning - [5 Guideposts for Developing Patience and Reducing Stress after 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-guideposts-for-developing-patience-and-reducing-stress-after-60/) - As published in SixtyandMe Decades ago, I decided that it would be my major intention in life to develop more patience. As a result, I am always mindful of my pre-disposition to lose patience with people, places, things, and most of all, grocery store check-out lines. But the good news is, I am making progress - [3 Things To Remember When Traveling With Your Grandchildren](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/3-things-to-remember-when-traveling-with-your-grandchildren/) - This is the story of a 74-year-old grandmother. Of course, this is my story, a story about how I joyfully help my family when they need me in summer, fall, winter or spring. If you are a grandparent, you’ll know what my journey is about: embracing my next generation of children with a generosity of - [5 Ways to Create Lasting Positive Change in Your Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-create-lasting-positive-change-in-your-life-2/) - If you want to create lasting positive change in your life in the healthiest and most instructive way, let go of the negative. What is your usual go-to attitude when something adverse happens to you? How do you respond when it’s time to make difficult changes in your life, when it’s time to forgive a - [4 Ways To Become More Courageous and Resilient in Your 60S](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/4-ways-become-courageous-resilient-60s/) - This week I was racing to finish my novel, a thriller that takes place in Cuba, and it struck me that completing this manuscript, which has held my devotion for two years, was an act of courage. I have no idea why I made that observation, but I do know it felt like climbing Kilimanjaro, - [Add Value to Your Life in the New Year](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/add-value-life-new-year/) - It is a common understanding that making important changes in your life reduces struggle and adds value to the quality of your living experience. Change can also help reduce stress and increase happiness. You can tweak your physical appearance by changing your color pallet, style of clothes, makeup or your exercise routine. But lasting change - [Trump is The King of Queens](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/trump-is-the-king-of-queens/) - I don’t think I am going out on a limb by saying Hollywood is chomping at the bit to write a biopic of President Donald Trump. And with scenes that are being played out in real time, this theater of the absurd will be a doozy. You better believe that Arron Sorkin, the master of - [Travel in Bhutan](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/travel-in-bhutan/) - Bhutan – A Country That Measures Happiness It was the call of Tiger’s Nest Monastery high in the Himalayas that captured my imagination. The country of Bhutan called me for a number of reasons, most importantly, because its gross national product is happiness. You can’t beat that idea! Bhutan is also a country which blends - [3 Ways to Maintain the Allure of Confidence in your 60s](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/3-ways-maintain-allure-confidence-60s/) - As published in Sixty and Me The most alluring attribute a woman can possess is confidence. Confidence turns heads, makes easy introductions and can stop the world in its tracks. I just spent a week’s vacation with two of my grammar school chums. Each of us is unique, and each of our lives turned out - [5 Ways to Live With Joy as a Single Older Woman](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-live-joy-single-older-woman/) - As published in Sixty and Me I’ve been single for the last 17 years. I got married in 1964, when I was 20 years old. I was married for 18 years (really, 15 years because that is when we separated). And then, after that, I had a relationship with a significant other for 17 years. - [Anxious About Aging? Get Rid of the Fears](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/anxious-about-aging/) - Are you anxious about aging? Don't be. I recently read David Bowie’s quote and smiled: “Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.” I’m being mindful of that mantra every day of my life since the age of 50. We all know that age is more an attitude - [How Much Does Your Emotional Baggage Weigh?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/much-emotional-baggage-weigh/) - The Greek god Zeus is a prominent patron of June because he is an archetype of light, clarity, power and strength - all themes found in the month of June. Zeus is also a symbol of summer. (Known as the "father of the gods", Zeus is also a figure for Father's Day a holiday in - [8 Ways Toward Better Communication](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/8-ways-toward-better-communication/) - When it comes to communication, we all tend to think we’re pretty good at it. Truth is, even those of us who are good communicators aren’t nearly as good as we think we are. This overestimation of our ability to communicate is magnified when interacting with people we know well. Researchers at the University of - [5 Ways to Leave a Great Legacy](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-leave-a-great-legacy-2/) - The discussion of leaving a legacy has come up in conversation lately among my friends and family. Most of my friends are almost or just past mid-century age, and my sons and daughters in law are almost 40 years old or older. There must something in the water. I thought about the concept of legacy - [Stay Resilient As You Age](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/staying-resilient-as-you-age/) - Your ability to stay resilient, visible and relevant as a sentient and powerful being in the world around you as you is the key to aging. But have you ever wondered what it was like to be invisible? I have, and maybe you’ve even felt invisible yourself from time to time. I had an experience - [The Power of Resilience: Don’t Give Up, Boomers](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/power-resilience-dont-give-boomers/) - The story for the Boomer generation is carrying forward a challenging story about resilience. Boomers have lived through decades of change, from early post war years to the most unimaginable technological advances; from carbon paper to computer print outs; from crinoline slips to spanks; from the first suburban housing tracts to gated communities; from nuclear drills - [Yoga: It Only Takes One To Practice](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/yoga-it-only-takes-one-to-practice/) - Yoga is not only a physical practice, but it is a spiritual practice as well. It is through my yoga practice that I am more able to stay present, to stay internally balanced, and to enjoy good health and a lean body through the principles of breath, alignment, and movements. I am now in the - [The Allure of Confidence](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-allure-of-confidence/) - The most alluring attribute a woman can possess is confidence. Confidence turns heads, makes easy introductions, and can stop the world in its tracks. I just spent a week’s vacation with two of my grammar school chums. I hope some of the women in the SixtyandMe community have also had engaging girlfriend vacation time. Each - [Yoga For Seniors: It's A State of Mind](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/yoga-seniors-state-mind/) - Seniors are taking up yoga in droves. They are finding the practice of yoga and meditation to reduce stress and bring more joy into their lives. Because yoga is designed to bring balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the individual, people of all ages are finding the practice to enrich - [Are You Living Life To The Fullest? It's Time To Get What You Want from Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/living-to-the-fullest/) - Are you living your life to the fullest? It's time to get what you want from your life. Freeze frame your life. Ask yourself if you are living the life you deserve and want. Don’t tell me your answer yet. Tell yourself that answer. At the beginning and end of each decade, and once in - [The Power of Speaking Your Truth - 5 Reflections](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/power-of-speaking-your-truth/) - Speaking your truth will surely piss some people off and that’s a good thing. It’s time now, in your boomer years, to live your life the way you want to - with honesty, reason and kindness. You’ve spent the better part of your life being truthful, patient, compassionate, and loving. And you will always be - [Are You a Victim of Your Thoughts? Meditation Can Help](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/victim-thoughts-maybe-meditation-can-help/) - As Published in Sixty and Me Have you ever been a victim of your own thoughts? If you are not sure, just think about the one or two or 50 nights when you were plagued by thoughts and constant thinking and you couldn’t shut down your mind and get to sleep. Or, you woke up - [Looking into the Future: What's in Your Survival Kit?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/lookingintothefuture/) - As published in Sixty and Me Looking into the future: Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a human survival kit in your possession? The kit would answer the most important questions about your life: How will your life end? Will you find love? Will you be fulfilled emotionally and psychologically? Will you have enough money - [5 Ways to Shape Your Life With Positivity](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-shape-your-life-with-positivity/) - As published in the Huffington Post: 2/7/17 There are all kinds of theories about how to create a positive attitude for your life so that you are able to shape your life to get the most happiness, the most peace of mind, the most whatever it is you hope to achieve in your life. And - [Find Happiness With 5 Subtle Habits](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/find-happiness-5-subtle-habits/) - Published in Sixty and Me I’m on a happiness kick as 2017 begins. As intuitive and intelligent people, you know that happiness is a choice. And you undoubtedly get up every day and make a choice to be happy throughout your day. But some days you just can’t turn on that happiness light. The button - [Are You Living A Happy Life?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/living-happy-life/) - As published in the Huffington Post (You Only Get One Life) Are you living a happy life? Because you only get one life. Do you often find yourself daydreaming that you were living a different life? Do you think deep down inside yourself that you need to make that happen? Especially when it comes to - [Pause, Reflect & Give Thanks: The Power of Gratitude During TheHolidays](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/3729-2/) - As published in Sixty and Me It is my experience that giving gratitude with consciousness and pure intentions reduces stress and brings greater joy to your celebrations. Meister Eckhart, a 13th century mystic, wrote, “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” The holiday season is always - [Stay Positive When You're Feeling Down](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/stay-positive-youre-feeling/) - As published in The Huffington Post Staying positive when you're feeling down takes grit, fortitude and tenacity. We all like to think of ourselves as the woman warrior, the indomitable female the can-do girl who lives every moment with intensity and attention. But, alas, we are human and we have our down days and up - [Measure Your Life After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/measure-life-after-60/) - As published in Sixty and Me It’s rare that you have time to measure your life and take your personal growth temperture. Self-reflection is a considered a luxury these days instead of a necessity. You rush from pillar to post and the minutes tick by until the end of the day when you literally fall - [Autumn: Practicing Balance](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/autumn-practicing-balance/) - As published in Sixty and Me, October, 2016 Autumn has arrived. This is my favorite season because it is about practicing balance. It's about making an assessment about where you are on your life’s path. Autumn is about new beginnings. Autumn is a time of questioning and a time of answering the unresolved. I always - [Aging: Reduce Stress and Find Balance in Life After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/aging-reduce-stress-find-balance-life-60/) - I’ve spent a lifetime aging. And, if you are part of the boomer generation, you know what I mean. Sometimes the decades go by and you wake up and you’re 64! How did that happen? Where did the time go? And, sometimes, you slog through the years and are overly conscious about adding another year, - [What is the Quality of Your Life? Are You Sinking In Quicksand?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/what-is-the-quality-of-your-life/) - How much conscious attention are you devoting to the quality of your life? Is it sufficient enough to get you out of the quicksand you find yourself in? The quality of life means different things to different people. In the West, it’s predominately about gathering financial resources. How much is enough? Or is the quality - [Morning Motivation: 12 Reasons to Get Out of Bed](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/morning-motivation-12-reasons-to-get-out-of-bed/) - As published in The Huffington Post Getting out of bed in the morning required motivation. Sometimes be the most difficult activity of the day, especially when you are retired. Some might call getting out of bed an ordeal, some might say it’s painful, but no matter what you label the first waking minutes of the - [5 Ways To Reduce Stress and Find Balance in Life After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-dramatically-reduce-stress-and-find-balance-in-life-after-60/) - As published in Sixty and Me: I’ve spent a lifetime aging and had my fair share of stress while pursuing balance. And, if you are part of the boomer generation, you know what I mean. Sometimes the decades go by and you wake up and you’re 64! How did that happen? Where did the time - [The Silence of the Whales: A Road Trip](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/silence-whales-road-trip/) - As published in the Huffington Post The idea of a road trip in summer can either make you cringe or bring joy to your heart. I got the idea of taking a road trip this summer when I drove from Los Angeles to Austin about a year and a half ago for the purpose of - [Gaining Confidence with Age: You Are Perfect Just the Way You Are](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/gaining-confidence-age-perfect-just-way/) - As published in Sixty and Me An old friend of mine from over a decade asked me to dance the other night. I have danced Argentine tango for over 20 years. However, each time a beautiful and elegant dancer asks me to dance, I am honored and full of anticipation and joy. I also wanted - [Hump Day: Is the Glass Half Full or Empty](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/hump-day-glass-half-full-empty/) - As published in the Huffington Post - July 2016 We’ve all been there, all experienced it, all had our fair share of despair and disruption during the middle of the week when we are faced with a daunting three more days of WORK! Wednesday signals the mid-point of the average workweek. Two days completed; two - [Why Boomers Need To Get Better At Asking The Tough Questions](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/httpsixtyandme-comwhy-boomers-need-to-get-better-at-ask/) - As published in Sixty and Me: July 2015 http://sixtyandme.com/why-boomers-need-to-get-better-at-ask… We all have fears that stop us from thinking about the really important things. Personally, I think that we should be contemplating bigger issues so that we can make informed decisions. Only then can we take action to make the world better. We are not just - [Improve Employee Satisfaction](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/employee-employee-satisfaction/) - I love to study the employee satisfaction of cashiers at supermarkets. I do the same thing at Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Costco or any place that usually has long checkout lines. I watch the faces and body language of these cashiers, both men and women, and I watch their hands work magic. I watch how - [6 Ways To Find Your Inner Genius](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/6-ways-find-inner-genius/) - From the Huffington Post, July 28, 2015 I'm reading Walter Isaacson's latest book, The Innovators. It took me three weeks to get past page 20. Reading the early chapters took on epic proportion as every night I plowed through two or three pages trying to understand what in the world these innovators were trying to accomplish. - [Increase Productivity in 20 Easy Lessons](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/increase-productivity-20-easy-lessons/) - As published in The Huffington Post I wish she/he would be more productive. I’m sure we’ve all heard this directive before. It might have come from a husband, wife, employer, manager, teacher or a mentor. Productivity is an all purpose word for getting a lot done. It can be as simple as a housewife paying the - [Your Adult Children Are All Grown up, Get Over It](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/your-adult-children-are-all-grown-up-get-over-i/) - As posted in Sixty and Me Having children is overrated. People think that you raise your kids until they’re 18 and then it’s over. No, it isn’t. It’s never over because your kids eventually become your parents. My children are all grown up and I’d love to get over them. I can’t. They’re my children, - [Free Your Mind While Driving On The Freeway](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/free-your-mind-while-driving-on-the-freeway/) - I live in Austin, Texas, and at once upon a time it was a city where freeways were unencumbered by long lines of traffic. According to Politifact Texas, today Austin actually ranks 4th in congested traffic in the U.S., worse than New York and even worse than Los Angeles — a city a left a year - [5 Natural Energy Boosting Techniques to Sustain Your Work](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-natural-energy-boosting-techniques-to-sustain-your-work/) - As Posted in The Huffington Post How many of you in the working universe think you need coffee to boost your energy and jump-start your day? How many of you wake up with a fuzzy brain and mindlessly think a shot of java will do it for you? When your energy level falls into the - [Give Yourself The Gift of Time](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-gift-of-time/) - As published in The Huffington Post The one thing I hear daily from friends, yoga students and family is: "I wish I had more time for me." This seems to be a ubiquitous observation that is repeated many times over on daytime talk shows, in health and wellness articles, women's magazines and from almost everyone - [The Tyranny of Noise](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-tyranny-of-noise/) - I’m writing this blog in silence, not tyrannized by outside noise. I'm aware of the hum of my refrigerator and the occasional swooshing sound of cars on the street in front of my condo complex. It’s Sunday and I like the quiet. I don’t like loud voices in public places, or mindless chatter that disrupts - [Yoga and Recovery](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/yoga-and-recovery/) - As published in The Huffington Post I took my first yoga class at the age of 52. I had dabbled with yogic concepts during the heady days of the 1960s and did some basic postures and meditation. I even practiced Transcendental Meditation for several years. With yoga, I found the combination of stretching, breathing, and - [Talk to me from The Huffington Post](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/talktomehuffingtonpost/) - As posted in the Huffington Post When the Huffington Post asked me to participate in the Huffington Post Talk to Me video series, I was thrilled. I have two amazing sons both of whom would be terrific at interviewing me. Aaron and I live in the same city so it was more convenient to ask him to - [The Power of Resilience: The Boomer Generation](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/boomer-generationresilience/) - As published in Sixty and Me The power of resilience is the story that the Boomer generation is carrying forward. It is a challenging and powerful story. Boomers have lived through decades of change, from early post war years to the most unimaginable technological advances; from carbon paper to computer print outs; from crinoline slips - [Cuba: 57 Years After the Revolution](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/cuba-57-years-after-the-revolution/) - Fifty-seven years ago, in the city of Havana, Fidel Castro triumphantly declared, the victory of the Cuban revolution. The brutal and corrupt Fulgencio Bautista, the Jefe who presided over the best and the worst of Cuban government and life in the 20th century, was finally overthrown on January 1, 1959. In 1961, the U.S. declared - [The Magic of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-magic-of-san-miguel-de-allende-mexico/) - The bus ride from Austin, Texas, to the magical city San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, takes about 16 hours. Located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico, San Miguel is a visual feast. My boyfriend thought it would be a great idea for us to take the bus there. - [Boomer Travel: Getting Along with Your Travel Partner](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/boomer-travel-getting-along-travel-partner/) - As published in Sixty and Me website: Boomers are already out in numbers traveling the world. It’s March and the march is on. Let the Boomer travel season begin. I just got back from touring the island of Cuba for 2 weeks. In December, I was in Colombia for another 2 weeks. Like many women, - [5 Ways to Boost Your Confidence](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-boost-your-confidence/) - Published in The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joan-moran/5-ways-to-boost-your-confidence_b_9287220.html I remember years ago when I told my mother I wanted to take an ESL teaching course in order to expand my employment opportunities. "What will that do for you?" she asked with negative overtones. "Well, I think I can segue-way the classroom teaching skills I've honed for over - [This Valentine's Day, Give Yourself The Gift Of Choice](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/this-valentines-day-give-yourself-the-gift-of-choice/) - Published in Sixty and Me http://sixtyandme.com/this-valentines-day-give-yourself-the-gift-of-choice Have you ever wondered how many choices you make every day? As I listened to President Obama’s state of the union address, in January, I noticed that he used the word choice many times throughout his speech. I like that word – choice. It resonates with me because it has inherent potential - [Dealing With Christmas Stress In My Own Special Way](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/dealing-with-christmas-stress-in-my-own-special-way/) - Published in Sixty and Me http://sixtyandme.com/dealing-with-christmas-stress-in-my-own-special-way If Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, why are we all so stressed, anxious and miserable? Why does so much unpleasant stuff come up during the Christmas holidays? Have you ever noticed how many deaths occur in December? How many people get sick? How - [The Bucket List: 5 Tools For Getting More From Life After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-bucket-list-5-tools-for-getting-the-most-from-life-after-60/) - Published in Sixty and Me http://sixtyandme.com/the-bucket-list-5-tools-for-getting-more-from-life-after-60/ I was recently a participant at the Healthy Aging Conference – Taking Control of Your Life, hosted by the UCLA Longevity Center. Since I am a boomer and a senior, Dr. Gary Small, Director of the UCLA Longevity Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, thought I would - [Empowering Women With Yoga For the New Year](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/empowering-women-with-yoga-for-the-new-year/) - I am now one year into the decade of my 70s, and I am still the only one who can make a difference in myself and in my life. I am fully prepared to look inwardly for guidance. It has been my preference and my joy to stay connected to my mind and body through - [Longevity As A Resource: You Get Better As You Age](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/longevityasaresource/) - Published in Sixty and Me and Boomerly.com http://sixtyandme.com/longevity-is-a-resource http://www.boomerly.com/longevity-is-a-resource You might have entertained the idea that longevity is a resource. If that's true, then you get better as you age. What a great concept! Do you really believe that? Or is that mantra just a fabrication of modern consumerism? Does American advertising use this slogan just - [Sleep Deprived But Staying Alive](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/sleep-deprived-but-staying-alive/) - You know how something sounds like a good idea and, well, then isn’t? That happened to me last week when I joined a PhD research project on sleep and source memory at the University of Texas. My boyfriend requested (more like pleading and imploring) that I join him. “Oh, come on,” he entreated. “It’ll be - [My Latest Retirement Tour: Advice That Could Change Your Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/my-latest-retirement-to/) - Published in Sixty and Me http://www.boomerly.com/retirement-tour-this-retirement-advice-could-change-your-life/ http://sixtyandme.com/this-retirement-advice-could-change-your-life/http://www.boomerly.com/retirement-tour-this-retirement-advice-could-change-your-life/ http://sixtyandme.com/this-retirement-advice-could-change-your-life/ Cher and I have one thing in common when it comes to retirement. Along with other rock groups like “The Who,” Cher and I have had several final farewell, retirement tours. I’m on my latest, and maybe not last retirement tour. Just like Cher. We’ve still got - [Colombia, The Jewel of South America, Part 2](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/colombia-the-jewel-of-south-america-part-2/) - In the months before I went to Colombia on tour, I was reading a book called Salt. Did you know that salt was the most precious commodity since almost the existence of mankind? Salt linked every city, every country, and every tribe for thousands of years before the birth of Christ and thousands of years - [Colombia - The Jewel of South America, Part 1](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/colombia-the-jewel-of-south-america/) - Colombia is truly the jewel of South AMercia. I just returned from a tour of Colombia and I was astounded at my emotional connection. I considered that my travel dream came true when I experienced the natural beauty and the exquisite wild animal life in South Africa last year. I had saved 10 years for - [It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas-2/) - If Christmas is supposed to be the happy time of the year, why are we so stressed, anxious and miserable? Why does so much unpleasant stuff come up in bucket loads during the Christmas holidays? Ever notice how many deaths occur in December? How many people get sick? How many people are divorcing? Fighting? Separating? - [This Thanksgiving It's Time To Put On Your Red Shoes And Dance](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/this-thaknsgiving-put-on-your-red-shoes-and-dance/) - Published in Sixty and Me http://sixtyandme.com/put-on-your-red-shoes-and-dance-this-thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a time for sharing our gratitude with the world. It is also an opportunity for personal reflection. As we give thanks for the many wonderful people, places and things in our lives, we can learn about ourselves and our values. Most importantly, we can channel our gratitude - [The Suffragette Movement - Lead On](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/suffragette-movement/) - I gave myself a birthday present today I treated my boyfriend and me to the movie Suffragette. I thought it might be a derivative retelling of the suffragette movement in the UK in the second decade of the 20th Century. It was anything but derivative. Nothing about the fight to get the vote for women in - [Can You Really Trust Your Tattoo Artist?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/can-you-really-trust-your-tattoo-artist/) - As published in the Huffington Post 9. 21.2015 I got my first tattoo while living in Venice, California, in 1996. I was 53 years old, long before Baby Boomers had an inkling that tattoos were not just for bikers. Getting a tattoo was never going to a topic for discussion in the boomer generation. Several - [5 Reasons Why Emotionally Intelligent People Are Happier](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-reasons-why-emotionally-intelligent-people-are-happier/) - As posted in Linkedin 9.24.2015 Emotionally Intelligent People Are Happier On my way to New Orleans last December, I sat next to a man who was a project manager in northern California. Since I was about to embark on writing a speech about business leadership, I asked him what he thought were the best practices - [Are We Having Fun Yet?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/are-we-having-fun-yet/) - Joan Frances Moran is a regular columnist for Women of Power Magazine Are we having Fun yet? How many times have you been invited to lunch, or dinner, to a club or to the movies with high expectations about what will happen? How fun it will be! Getting together with the girls or in a - [What Marion Ross Taught Me About Getting the Most Out of Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/if-if-not-now-when-what-marion-ross-taught-me/) - Published in Sixty & Me Magazine, Boomerly.com http://sixtyandme.com/what-marion-ross-taught-me-about-getting-the-most-out-of-life http://www.boomerly.com/what-marion-ross-taught-me-about-getting-the-most-out-of-life You’ve all heard the phrase so many times that it has become a universal mantra: If not now, when? I said that same mantra to myself in March, 1984. I was standing backstage at the Old Globe Theater, in San Diego, waiting for my cue to go - [A Quick Technique To Stay Positive When You’re Feeling Down](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-quick-technique-to-stay-positive-when-youre-feeling-down/) - Published in Women of Power Magazine We all like to think of ourselves as the woman warrior, the indomitable female the can-do girl who lives every moment with intensity and attention. But, alas, we are human and we have our down days and up days and in-between days. The days when we don’t feel as - [5 Powerful Ways to Free Your Mind and Discover Personal Success](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-powerful-ways-to-free-your-mind-and-discover-personal-success/) - Published in the Huffington Post, 4/15/2015 My eldest son just recently left his job because he was terribly unhappy and unfulfilled. Since he has a family to support -- three of my grandchildren and a wife -- it felt to most of the family that leaving a well-paid job was professional suicide. A Rough Go - [Love Yourself First - Getting the Most from Life After 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/love-yourself-first-getting-the-most-from-life-after-60/) - Published in Sixty and Me, July 2015 http://sixtyandme.com/love-yourself-first-getting-the-most-from-life-after-60 Lucille Ball said it: Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself first to have a positive and joyful attitude in life. Loving yourself first kills the negativity that builds up in our hectic environment and culture. We’ve got so - [GPS of the Mind: 5 Ways to Keep Directional](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/gps-of-the-mind-5-ways-to-keep-directional/) - Published in the Huffington Post, July 14, 2015 Plutarch said, The whole life of a man is but a point in time; let us enjoy it. Plutarch's quote reminds me of a 4-year-old black Labrador dog called NoLa, named for the city of New Orleans. After years of not being able to be dog trained, my - [Solving the Self-Sabotaging Syndrome](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/solving-the-self-sabotaging-syndrome/) - As Published in the Huffington Post, July 6, 2015 Getting in the way of ourselves – or, as some call this state - being our own worst enemy - has been around since the dawn of man. Modern psychology calls this syndrome self-sabotaging behavior. Sadly, self-sabotaging behavior seems to be ingrained in human nature. According - [5 Ways to Break The Barrier of Fear](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-break-the-barrier-of-fear/) - As published by The Huffington Post June 14, 2015 "The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-created as long as the unobserved mind runs your life." -- Eckhart Tolle When I came across Eckhart Tolle's quote a few weeks ago, I was reminded how profound and influential Mr. Tolle has been in - [5 Ways You Can Successfully Keep Up With Your Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-you-can-successfully-keep-up-with-your-life/) - As published in the Huffington Post, May 29, 2015 I was sitting with a new friend at a popular local coffee shop in Austin talking about the truths of life when my friend threw me a curve ball: Are you keeping up with your life now that you're brand new to Austin? Hold on a - [5 Ways to Reframe Aging With Subtlety and Grace](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-reframe-aging-with-subtlety-and-grace/) - As published in The Huffington Post: 5/16/2005 The ageless Cher just turned 68. She recently was seen attending the Met Gala in New York City. The theme of this year's gala was everything Chinese and those in attendance wore costumes to reflect an aspect of the museum's exhibition. Cher wore a long gown of bended - [5 Ways To Leave A Great Legacy](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-to-leave-a-great-legacy/) - As Published in the Huffington Post May 7th, 2015 The discussion of leaving a legacy has come up in conversation lately among my friends and family. Most of my friends are almost or just past mid-century age, and my sons- and daughters-in-law are almost 40 years old or older. There must something in the water. - [Mindfulness As A Business Management Skill](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mindfulness-as-a-business-management-skill/) - There is a tangible and pervasive mindfulness revolution going on in the workplace. It’s a steep departure from the historical trend where top brass management created unhealthy business cultures by promoting “dollars and cents” rationality, information gatekeepers and abstract business concepts. Due to the incredible advances in technology over the past 15 years turning both - [5 Ways to Modify Your Yoga Practice as You Age](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-modify-yoga-practice-age/) - As published in The Huffington Post, March 25, 2015 I had an epiphany moment over a year ago concerning my yoga practice and aging. I was teaching one of my many yoga flow classes during the week, still in great health and physical shape for 70 and thinking how grateful I was that I didn't - [Why I Stand on My Head to Find Balance, and 5 Other Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/stand-head-find-balance-5-ways-get-comfort-zone/) - As published in the Huffington Post, April 14, 2015 I stand on my head because I can. Every time I turn myself upside down I find my balance -- literally and figuratively. That's when I take center stage in my life. That's when I'm living my experience in the present with full consciousness and intention. - [Finding Your Inner Genius posted by Jackpot Jane Bingo](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/finding-inner-genius-2/) - Finding Your Inner Genius Posted on Jackpot Jane Bingo, February 18, 2015 by www.joanfracesmoran.com I'm really excited to have my Inner Genius article published by Jackpot Jane Bingo in the UK. Joanna Cooper referred me to Ben Dunn who asked me to I write my first article for Jackpot Jane Bingo and I hope to write more! Great group - [Vulnerability and the Art of Family Maintenance](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/vulnerability-and-the-art-of-family-maintanence/) - As published in The Huffington Post, January 6, 2015 I was walking the dogs with my daughter-in-law while on our family's winter ski vacation, and we happened on a discussion of the three most serious stressors in life. In the freezing afternoon, as the sun and the barometer were dipping, Carli and I were trying - [To Risk or Not To Risk: That is the Question](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/to-risk-or-not/) - As published in the Huffington Post: 12/2/14 Every so often a situation arises that feels like it might shake the very foundation of your being or at least considerably discombobulate your comfort zone. When this happens, your inclination is to bury the negative feelings under the rug and keep those mind/body/spirit rumblings locked in a - [7 Ways To Create A Successful Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/create-successful-life/) - Life doesn't have to be perfect for it to be wonderful. The possibility of creating a successful life that is balanced and blissful keeps options and opportunities alive so we can grow and change. To create a successful life also means being comfortable with what fits with who you are and who you want to - [Could Mindfulness Be The Key to the Fountain of Youth?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mindfulness-key-to-the-fountain-of-youth/) - As published in the Huffington Post: 12/1/14 I had an experience 10 years ago that I still think about when I go into a department store. My best friend and I were at the makeup counter and no one would wait on us. "It's our age," she said to me with disdain. "Our age? We're - [TRAVELS FROM A BEATNIK BOOMER](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/travels-beatnik-boomer/) - As published in The Huffington Post Over 10 years ago, I decided I wanted to go to South Africa to see Cape Town, travel around the Cape of Good Hope, get up close and personal with the big five animals in the wild, embrace the beauty of the Indian Ocean, fall in love with the - [You Don't Need To Be Right! 7 Reasons Why](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/need-to-be-right/) - News flash: you don't need to be right! But It’s an epidemic -not like the Ebola virus, or Nile virus, or Dengue fever, or polio, or SARS or even Legionnaires disease. The epidemic I’m referring to is you don't need to be right! Most everyone living on this planet needs to be right. The need to be right is - [5 AMAZING FACTS YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOURSELF](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/learn-from-yourself/) - Today is everyday. And everyday is an opportunity to learn something fabulous about who you are. Think of your life as a giant goodie basket. You can use everything in this goodie basket to your advantage, such as taking on life’s challenges head on, meeting important needs or finding personal and professional success. Life is a - [7 Creative Skills That Can Make You More Successful in Business](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/7-creative-skills-can-make-successful-business/) - As published in the Huffington Post: May 17, 2014 For as long as I can remember, my teachers, parents, friends, mentors and educators said, “A person is oriented either right brain (artistic, intuitive, subjective, more sensory disposed) or left brain (logical, analytical, objectively disposed).” I’m creative. Analytical? Never. I guess that means I need more - [Living With Swag](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/living-with-swag/) - Last weekend I was buying shoes for one of my grandchildren - the 4 year old - and he said to me, "Hey, Gran, I'm getting new shoes with swag." I looked at my son cluelessly and asked, "What's swag?" "Mom, don't you know swag?" he asked incredulously. "It means stylish and all that goes - [7 Business Skills to Make Your Personal Life More Successful](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/business-skills-make-personal-life-successful/) - 7 Business Skills to Make Your Personal Life More Successful Published in the Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/red-room/joan-moran-7-business-ski_b_5179134.html Do you ever wonder why some people are successful in business but not very successful in their personal lives? This question came up when I was dating a famous musician who had a successful music career not only as - [Don't Settle For Less: Dine On Caviar](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/dont-settle-for-less/) - Last week the New York Times had an interview with Gloria Steinem on the occasion of her 80th birthday. When asked if she had any regrets, she said: "It's not that I would do anything different. It's that I'd do things faster." When Ms Steinem, one of my role models, candidly wished she would have - [10 Ways to Measure Your Life (as published in The Huffington Post)](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/10-ways-measure-life-published-huffington-post/) - This is a blog that was published in the Huffington Post, March 30, 2014 Joan Moran: 10 Ways To Measure Your Life It's rare that you have time to reflect on your life. Self-reflection is a considered a luxury these days instead of a necessity. You rush from pillar to post and the minutes tick - [Kick Butt Every Day](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/kick-butt-every-day/) - I was talking to my bestest friend today and we both said the same thing at the same time: Kick Butt Every Day and give that day the best of who you are. We were drinking our TGIF margaritas after I gave him a tango lesson as is our usual ritual at the end of the - [7 Danger Signs That Your Platonic Relationship Is About to End](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/7-danger-signs-platonic-relationship-end/) - As reprinted in in The Huffington Post March 1, 2014 The one common denominator among women is that they are born to bond, to nurture, to listen and to empathize. Women are touch-feely creatures with an acute sense of intuition. When a women's best male friend is not her lover, her level of interests reflects a - [THE WORLD OF MORNING TV: READY, SET, TALK](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/morning-tv-talk-shows/) - The world of morning TV - or ready, set, talk as I like to call it - is a a science unto itself. The segments are prepared the day before the show, the time slot is set but not necessarily adhered to, crew is everywhere and makeup and hair stations are abuzz with lively conversation. - [When Your Best Friend Is Not Your Lover](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/best-friend-not-your-lover/) - Published in The Huffington Post: When Your Best Friend Is Not Your Lover When your best friend is not your lover, are you really in love? Of course! There are all kinds of love, but sometimes it can be stranger than fiction. Love can often be painful and stifling. When you are in sexual love, life - [Stretch Your Mind At Any Age: 25 Tips](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/stretch-mind-any-age/) - You can stretch your mind at any age This is great news because your brain has plasticity. This means that the brain has a natural ability to remodel itself throughout life so that the phrase "stretch your mind at any age" resonates. The brain is always changing, sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse. This neuroplasticity - [5 Ways To Nurture Love](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/5-ways-nurture-love/) - 5 WAYS TO NURTURE LOVE A Huffington Post Blog Reprint http://www.huffingtonpost.com/red-room/emjoan-moranem-5-ways-to_b_4516556.html I don’t really like baseball, but I love baseball analogies. A male friend once told me that baseball was a thinking person’s game and that intrigued me. My friend said the thinking part is the relationship between the pitcher and catcher. That relationship is - [25 Ways to Wake up And Stay Positive: Little Known Facts That Can Affect Your Day](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/25-ways-wake-stay-positive/) - 25 WAYS TO WAKE UP AND STAY POSITIVE: LITTLE KNOWN FACTS THAT CAN AFFECT YOUR DAY As published in Finer Minds: http://www.finerminds.com/happiness/25-ways-to-wake-up-and-stay-positive/ HOW DO YOU WAKE UP AND STAY POSITIVE EVERY DAY? Have you ever spent a night in fitful sleep, had disturbing dreams or just awakened at 3 am with a mind so active you - [It's Time To Forgive, Already](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/forgiveness-2/) - FORGIVENESS IS CHALLENGING FOR SURE If we’re honest, we all have harbored resentments, collected injustices, and become angry over insults that aren’t that important. I meditate. I burn candles. I drink green tea. And I still want to smack someone who offends me. It is challenging and completely exasperating to forgive someone. It might even - [FEED YOURSELF DURING THE HOLIDAYS](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/feed-holidays/) - FEED yourself during the holidays, and I’m not referring to the good old turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. I’m referring to spiritual food – the substance of the soul that enriches your life, brings you peace, love and a whole lot of joy. FEED stands for: Fulfillment, Equilibrium, Energy and Direction. We all want those - [I Love LA](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/love-la/) - I love LA. I really do, but sometimes I feel like a pariah for having these feelings of love for a city everybody loves to hate. No doubt, LA is an acquired taste for those of us who dwell in this sprawling, traffic congested, massively dysfunctional, overpopulated city because between the lines of all of - [Dreams: The Big Blue Blob](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/dreams-the-big-blue-blob/) - My latest dream is about The Big Blue Blob. You, see, I've been having very strange dreams lately. My unconscious is trying to work stuff out - emotions, anxieties, stresses, relationships or lack thereof. The dreams are driving my conscious mind crazy. I mean every night it's like a Fellini movie - that's the famous - [If Not Now, When?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/if-not-now-when/) - You've all heard the phrase so many times it has become a universal mantra: If not now, when. I said that same mantra to myself in March, 1984. I was standing backstage at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego and waiting for my cue to go on stage. The woman in front of me - [A Streetcar Named Desire](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-streetcar-named-desire/) - I'm writing this blog in the room of my 3 1/2 grandson, Jude Love. My son's house is full of children playing - five kids all screaming louder than the next. For some strange reason, I feel this is a good time to blog. It's counter-intuitive, but I'm putting on my mental shield and tuning - [Changing Mindsets](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/changing-mindsets/) - One of my dearest friends queried me a few weeks ago in an email: "Franny," he wrote (that's his nickname for me), "I've got to take some lessons from you about changing. I can't seem to wrap my head around changing mindsets I have to make regarding my situation." Now the situation my friend is - [The Path to Creative Living: Be Vulnerable](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-path-to-creative-living-be-vulnerable/) - I heard Dr. Brene Brown give a speech on the topic of vulnerability in a TEDTalk. She made the point that to be vulnerable is to have real strength and not just the old-fashioned muscle strength. From personal experience, Dr. Brown related that getting in touch with her extensive emotional palate allowed her to realize a - [A Moment of Clarity, Finally](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-moment-of-clarity/) - I was visiting son #2 in Austin the last 6 days. I like to visit my sons as much as possible and get the lay of the land - how they are feeling and how my grandchildren are getting along. Since one son lives in Las Vegas and one in Austin, I have permanent travel - [Release Netative Energy From Your Body: Don't Hold Back](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/release-negative-energy-from-the-body/) - The gurus tell you to release negative energy from the body and don't hold back.. That's a tall order and very challenging. But the truism always holds: you don't need everything in your life to make you happy and fulfilling. There is always negative energy that is disposable and holds you back being the best - [Cruising For A Bruising](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/cruising-for-a-bruising/) - I had trepidations about my cruise to Alaska on the Norwegian Pearl leaving on July 7th. A week on the water with four excursions felt redundant and claustrophobic. Something about ships and small windows. And no, I didn't have room with a balcony. My roommate and I were on Deck 5, not the lower depths - [You're The One That I Want](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/youre-the-one-that-i-want/) - You're the one that I want! For those of you who don't know (but who doesn't know that), it's a song is from the movie, Grease. Danny Zuko loves Sandy: she's the one that he wants. Ah, young love and all that jazz. How many times a day do we say: that's what I want; that's what I - [Itchy Foot](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/itchy-foot/) - I'm writing in the dark. It's very dark. And quiet. It is the summer solstice today and the longest day of the year. The day didn't feel that long because I don't know exactly when the sun sets during the summer. I don't pay much attention to it. I only know the days are long - [Making Decisions, Decisions, Decisions](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/making-decisions-decisions-decisions/) - It seems like we exert such a lot of effort making decisions not just in our daily lives but also in our work lives and in our businesses. Mostly, it's a real struggle. Have you ever counted how many decisions we make in a day? Maybe that would be a good exercise for us because - [Creativity In The Workplace](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/creativity-in-the-workplace/) - SEARCHING FOR CREATIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE Creativity in the workplace begins with a well-developed understanding of your five senses, your intuitive nature, environmental awareness and an understanding about how your extensive emotional palate plays into making creative decisions. Creativity means turning news ideas into reality. It starts from examining your extensive emotional palate. Your own - [Mindfulness As A Management Skill](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mindfulness-meditation-as-a-management-skill/) - Mindfulness might seem like a touchy-feely way to train future corporate executives in management skills, but research supports the idea that mindfulness – paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment – is essential to becoming an effective leader. Mindful meditation or awareness is the moment-by-moment process of actively and openly observing one’s physical - [The Power of Mental Stretching: The Rubberband Revolution](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mental-stretching-rubberband-revolution/) - The power of mental stretching is the next revolution in personal development. The Rubberband Revolution™ is the process of teaching the brain a new way of thinking, and in doing so, connecting the right/left brain more effectively. How can we teach our mind to stretch? Is that possible? In order to answer that question we - [Lessons My Mother Taught Me For Lifelong Vitality](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/lessons-my-mother-taught-me-for-lifelong-vitality/) - Texas Women In Business, a business group in Austin, Texas, provided me the opportunity to present a program on lessons my mother taught me for lifelong vitality. I have always been truly inspired by my amazing mother, Estelle Moran. Estelle lived a fully creative and empowering life. My mother taught me many lessons throughout my - [Mindful Meditation: Staying On The Path](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mindful-meditation-staying-on-path/) - A few nights ago I went to a meditation class. There is a new yoga studio in my neighborhood and it has a peaceful vibe. I know about it because one Sunday morning I was walking through the Brentwood Farmer's Market and a young man looked me straight in the eye as I passed him - [Magical Thinking](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/magical-thinking/) - We all know what magical thinking is. I mean we should know what magical thinking means because we do it all the time. Let us say that we are in a situation that is uncomfortable and not to our liking. For example, we're in a relationship with a man or a woman that isn't working - [60, Sex & Tango: Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer (excerpt)](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/60-sex-tango-confessions-of-a-beatnik-boomer-2/) - 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of A Beatnik Boomer excerpt from Chapter 11 BEING ALONE: IT HURTS SO GOOD I used to think that living alone for the rest of my life was going to be the worst thing that could befall me. The idea of aloneness was disturbing and often frightening. I don't know - [Excerpt from 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/60-sex-tango-confessions-of-a-beatnik-boomer/) - 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer Excerpt Chapter 5 DON'T CALL ME GRANDMA! I never thought much about my sons' reproductive activities. If I had given birth to a girl, I might have been more interested. Females have the same plumbing as I do; and we relate on the level of PMS, - [The Path of Truth for Boomers](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-path-of-truth-for-boomers/) - Ever stop to contemplate the path of truth for the Boomers generation? I'm talking about the values of our generation. We all had certainly had very strong and consistent values growing up: respect your elders, revere wisdom from our grandparents, study hard at school, practice piano every day, help with brothers and sisters, memorize your - [Out Of The Comfort Zone](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/out-of-the-comfort-zone/) - I've been out of my comfort zone of late - way out of my comfort zone. You haven't heard a peep out of me in over a month, maybe more. I've been tempting the fates, getting and flying without a net. Scary but invigorating. At the end of last year, I realized that no matter - [The Power of Intention](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-power-of-intention/) - Given all that I have attempted to learn in my long life, all that I have hopefully learned, all that I have applied to my life's path to a greater or less extent, there have been two most important precepts that I keep close to me: the first is that living in the present, in - [Bucket Lists and Other Bliss](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/bucket-lists/) - Here's a potential for my bucket list: I've always wanted to do stand up comedy. Hasn't everybody? But when do you decide that you have become so fearless that you can get in front of strangers and make a fool out of yourself? Probably just thinking about it gives you the willies. Well, there is - [Stretch Your Life At Any Age](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/stretch-your-life-at-any-age/) - Recently I've met some people who are living their lives in a state of awesomeness. These are people are changing their lives in meaningful ways; they are mindful that growth and transformation are key ingredients in our journey through life. I find it curious, however, that most of these people, in fact all of the - [Making Changes In Life: Just Do it!](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/making-changes-in-life/) - Here's the new year wish for everyone: Peace, joy, prosperity and fun in the year to head. And Then There Are The Resolutions You always make new years resolutions. And by January 15th, you have forgotten them. If you are lucky, you keep one, maybe, and then we forget that by February. Humans by and large have - [It's All About My Mental Health](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/its-all-about-my-mental-health/) - It's taken me a week for find some laughter in my life. The tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, CT, has really devastated my psyche, and most assuredly, the psyche of the country. We've literally had enough of guns and killing. I'm wondering if we'll have enough guts to stop the insanity. But - [What Every Woman Wants For Christmas](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/what-every-woman-wants-for-christmas/) - Hi, Lady Boomers, The following is a list of gifts every women would want for Christmas. Some gifts on this blog come things I have read, kept and fondled with a splash of my own wants that I feel are rockin'. I'm proud to say I have accumulated most of these after 60 years of - [Senior Love](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/senior-love/) - Hi, Boomers, I've been traveling and haven't had time to write. Living large is pretty cool these days and I'm happy as hell in my senior years. I just came back from Austin, TX, my new favorite city - to visit son #2 and 2 of my 5 grandchildren and daughter in law. Aways - [Have An Attitude of Gratitude](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/have-an-attitude-of-gratitude-2/) - Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day to really have an attitude of gratitude. Americans take this holiday seriously. After all, this holiday celebrates the founding of our country. The pilgrims arrived on Plymouth Rock and gave thanks that they landed in a country that offered them freedom from religious persecution, high taxes, and a safe - [Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me A Match](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/matchmaker-matchmaker-make-me-a-match/) - Hi, Boomers, Every once in a while magic happens. The right thing happens. The perfect thing happens. Well, nothing is perfect but what happened in my world was nearly perfect. And it was thrilling. I made a match between a man and a woman over a year ago. Both are my yoga students. Both are - [Happy Birthday to Me](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/happy-birthday-to-me/) - Hi, Boomers, I've been obsessing for a month about my birthday. Sunday is my birthday. I'm leaving my 60s next year, and although I know it's still a year away I'm in preparation. I believe in planning ahead. I don't want to be trumped up by an emotional release that may turn ugly. The day - [Rescue Me](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/rescue-me/) - Hi, Boomers and Animal Lovers, Yesterday afternoon I had the most incredible experience. With a small, invited group, I visited the Wildlife WayStation in the Angeles National Forest. I never knew this rescue sanctuary was there and neither did the other Angeleno natives. Wildlife WayStation is a miracle founded in 1976 by Martine Colette. The Wildlife - [Do You Ever Think About How Little We Think About Things](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/do-you-ever-think-about-how-little-we-think-about-things/) - Hi, Boomers and everyone who has past the age of reason, Ever think about how little we think about things? Here is my top ten list of things we don't think enough about: 1. Romney getting spray tanned in his hotel room before an appearance. 2. What magic underwear looks like. 3. How women really - [The Little Boy With the Boots](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-little-boy-with-the-boots/) - Hi, Boomers, Dang! I hate to be political during an election year. It's boring and enervating. Did I mention boring? Politicians and pundits say the same things over and over again. Every talking head bloviates. I should know because I pour over the NY Times, the Huffington Post, and read all the op-ed pieces by - [Downward Facing Poodle](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/downward-facing-poodle/) - I guess you know by now that I am a yoga and meditation instructor at UCLA. I'm been teaching yoga for at least eight and a half years, maybe nine. I lose track of time. Do you do that? Lose track of time? While I might remember lots of events and important moments and mind-bending - [It's More Fun To Be Surprised By Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/its-more-fun-to-be-surprised-by-life/) - Hi, Boomers, I had another idea for a blog this week; however, political debates happened and I got sidetracked by being surprised by, well, what happens when you don't know what's going to happen. Or, did you see what I saw on the debates last night? It's not my blogger job to be political. But - [Life Is Not A Rehearsal](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/life-is-not-a-rehearsal/) - Life is not a rehearsal! We only go through life one time that we know about; that is, unless you believe in reincarnation and you are absolutely sure that you will return to the earth with bunny ears and furry coats. I jest, but I am one of those believers who believe that energy never - [Stop The Insanity](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/stop-the-insanity/) - Hi, Boomers, Ever feel that you are out of sync with just about everything, with nature, with your mind/body connection or with the peeps in your environment. Off balance? Off your rocker? What's happening, dude? I was given an assignment recently to think about the concept of sustainability as it relates to the mind/body connection. - [Retirement Is Not For Sissies](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/retirement-is-not-for-sissies/) - Hi, Boomers, I want to get back to my original topic about retirement. I wrote my first speech way back a year and a half ago entitled: Retirement Is Not An Option: Act 3 and I'm highly motivated to revisit this retirement subject. Does thinking about having to go to your local social security office to - [The Magnificent Seven](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-magnificent-eleven/) - Hi, Boomers, I want to pay tribute to seven amazing women who were "let go" from UCLA last week. That means 50% of the administrative staff were "let go'" from a program that was running out of funds. The magnificent seven were all diligent employees of a building on campus that serves the cause of - [Austin, My Austin](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/austin-my-austin/) - Hi, Boomers, Who blogs about a city? I do. I just came back from Austin, Texas, and fell in love. This is a city known for its orgasmic musical scene, it's South by Southwest music and film festival, its friendliness, it's tattoo fixation, its fabulous food and margaritas, its hipster vibe and its greenery and - [Women's Right to Choose](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/womens-right-to-choose/) - All this talk about a women's right to choose (NOT) and the "legitimate rape" story is a mind bender. This is a real time fairly tale and it's taking up too much of my time. To see the women's movement take a backflip because men are so pissed at us because we got some rights - [Honor Thy Body In All Its Glory](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/honor-thy-body-in-all-its-glory/) - Hi, Boomers, We are aging and that is a fact - an irreversible fact. I've tried to defy gravity, weariness, lack of motivation and initiative during my 60s. I even wrote my memoir, 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer, as a way to analyze and deflect the state of the state. It has - [The Well in Wellness](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-well-in-wellness/) - Hi, Boomers, By now all of you know I teach yoga. Truly, I taught 25 classes this week; of course, one was tango lesson. I have a dear friend who is known to me as the "wall of sound" (he reflects my sounds) who insists on taking a tango lesson from me every Friday. Of - [Know Yourself: The Most Difficult Challenge In Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/know-yourself-the-most-difficult-challenge-in-life/) - Hi, Boomers, I just read an awesome quote by Carl Jung: Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. I got to thinking about the speech and workshop I am giving in Austin at the Texas Women's Conference Beyond50 on the 23rd of this August. My - [Life Coaching Through Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/life-coaching-my-through-life/) - Hi, Boomers, Last weekend I experienced a transformational event. I spent two days at the Doubletree Hotel in Santa Monica and received my certificate as a Life Coach. Sixteen hours, including 8 hours of practice in Motivational Interviewing. I never heard of that term until last Saturday. I'm still not sure what it means but - [Harlan's Harley: The Bliss of a Bike](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/harlans-harley-the-bliss-of-a-bike/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm working on my new highlight video for my website. Instead of having two of my speeches in full length on my video page, my wonderful new consultant, Joella Hopkins, urged me to make a highlight reel. Sounded all really simple until we started it several weeks ago. Not that simple. In - [Marriage](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/marriage/) - Hi, Boomers, On Saturday, June 23rd, 2012, I officiated at the marriage of one of my yoga students from UCLA to her boyfriend of seven years. When Veronica asked me to marry her and Alex, I was so astounded, I burst into tears. What an honor!!! I immediately froze. What do I know about marrying - [The Cycle of Addiction](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-cycle-of-addiction/) - Hi, Boomers, When I was a practicing drug counselor, I used to say to those I counseled who had drug or alcohol addictions that we are all addicted - if if was not to drugs or alcohol, we were addicted to our behavior. The birds came home to roost on Saturday when I went to - [Customer Service Need Not Apply](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/customer-service-need-not-apply/) - Hi, Boomers, Am I getting old or am I getting cranky and then old. I can't tell sometimes. I had plans yesterday. It was Saturday and I was going to take the afternoon with my dear, adorable friend (as in male) and we were going to run errands in Santa Monica. He is older than - [Life's Lessons Are A Bitch](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/lifes-lessons-are-a-bitch/) - Hi, Boomers, Isn't it amazing how much we still have so much to learn from life? Just when you think you've seen it all, done it all, made all the mistakes that you could possibly make, we learn more stuff and we make more mistakes. Every day there is something new right in front of - [Women, My Women](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/women-my-women/) - Hi, Boomers, When I was doing research for my memoir, 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer, I read something of great interest about women. As women grow older, they become closer in spirit to other women and their capacity for female friendship actually increases. I found that terribly interesting because at - [The Awakening](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-awakening/) - Hi, Boomers, Enough fighting and crying! Enough holding on to things that are no longer! Let's talk about how to manage change. Let's talk about your awakening. I'm riding my horse today. It's going to get a little sweaty out there on the lonely, dusty plains. I opine that it's human nature to struggle. We're - [Do We Ever Grow Up?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/do-we-ever-grow-up/) - Hi, Boomers, Are we forever slogging though adolescence. Are all interpersonal relationships bound to end in "he said, she said?" Can we ever get relationships right? I guess I'm thinking, do we ever really listen to one another. We jump to so many conclusions about "the other." I'm as guilty as the next person on - [The Learning Curve](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-learning-curve/) - Hi, Boomers, Back at the blog. What a week! Every day something new to learn. I actually like to learn new things and I find it exciting while I'm learning. But it's the time leading journey up to the learning situation that gets me. I anticipate and I gyrate and I groan and I moan - [I Wanna Blog, Blog, Blog](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/i-wanna-blog-blog-blog/) - Hi, Boomers, I really do wanna blog, blog, blog, but where is that 45 minutes during the day? Where I ask you? Are the days getting shorter? Am I getting busier? Am I under too much stress? Doing too much? That's it!! All of the above. I'm supposed to be writing a keynote speech for - [College Redux](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/college-redux/) - Hi, Boomers, Do you remember college? I do. Every single minute of it. I loved it. Of course, I loved high school, too. I even loved grammar school. I just love being in school -teaching or as a student. And I'm still on a college campus. UCLA has been my home for the last 8 - [Honoring Women](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/honoring-women/) - Hi, Boomers, What a lovely way to begin the month of March by honoring women. We really don't need a month to honor our genes because we honor ourselves daily but it's nice to be formally recognized as empowered beings. Actually, I had no idea that March was women's month until Cal Tech asked - [When You're Friends, You're Friends](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/when-youre-friends-youre-friends/) - Hi, Boomers, Turns out all my worry and loss over losing my friend was for nothing. Wouldn't you know. I jumped the gun. Oh, ye, of little faith. My so-called lost friend wasn't lost. He sent me an email the next day - after I had sent him and email - and I didn't get - [Losing a Friend](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/loosing-a-friend/) - Hi, Boomers, Have you ever lost a friend? I just did. This is the second time it has happened to me. I'm devastated. I can't sleep. I can't figure out what happened exactly, when it flipped from unconditionally loving one another to disappointment, to jealously, to anger, to outright "I don't want to be your - [Light My Fire](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/wheres-the-fire/) - Hi, Boomers, I didn't dance tango last night and that may be of no concern to anyone reading my blog. I sent an apology to the organizer, a really good friend, and gave her a laundry list of excuses why I didn't attend. The "I didn't do this because" gave me a pass for being - [Movie Magic](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/movie-magic/) - Hi, Boomers, I was wondering if, as we get older, the lure of the movies loses its luster. It's happened to me and I never thought it would. When I was a kid growing up, I used to go to movies every single Saturday and Sunday at the Rafael Theater. I mostly went by myself. - [The New Woman](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-new-woman/) - Hi, Boomers, I've embarked on another journey in my short but lively speaking career. And anyway, who starts a speaking career at the grand old age of 68? Nuts, right? But before I begin to digress on my digression, I want to express my distress for the fact that you never got to read my - [The Mother of All Mothers](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-mother-of-all-mothers/) - Hi, Boomers, I've been thinking about my mother. She died two years ago December 15th. Thursday was a tough day for me. I was teaching yoga - 5 classes in a row - and I kept experiencing emotional flooding with my need to have one of those great conversations with my mother, Estelle, Stella by - [Rita the Wonder](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/rita-the-wonder/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm embarking on the speaking journey that will bring a year's work to fruition. After a year of thinking and writing and editing my speech, "Retirement Is Not An Option: Act 3," I am now heading out into the big city to give the speech. The National Speakers Association tells me that in - [The Gift You Give Yourself](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-gift-you-give-yourself/) - It's the holiday season. We are probably thinking about buying gifts for family and friends right now. But have you thought about giving yourself a gift? How many times do you give yourself a really important gift in your life? I don't mean a cashmere sweater gift. I don't mean a facial or massage gift. - [Have An Attitude of Gratitude](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/have-an-attitude-of-gratitude/) - Hi, Boomers, Today I was feeling gratitude all day, and yes, it was raining and I got soaked walking through Brentwood and I didn't care. I had the most marvelous day. I woke up fresh because I didn't dance tango last night. I realize that at the end of my day, my energy was not - [AGING: IT AIN'T SO BAD, SISTER](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/aging-it-aint-so-bad-sister/) - Hi, Boomers, I gave a speech last Saturday afternoon to a group at the Venice Library. As you may or may not remember, my speech is on the topic of retirement: "Retirement Is Not An Option: Act 3." It was a wet, cold Saturday afternoon and didn't expect many people to show up. I had - [MY CHILDREN ARE GROWN - I STILL WORRY](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/my-children-are-grown/) - How many of you are having issues with your grown children? I don't mean the kind of issues that involve misbehaving, drug use, partying, flunking out of college, road trips that go nowhere, getting girls pregnant, making a first bad marriage, ending up in a cave in the Canary Islands smoking a lot of dope. - [Surrender To The Bliss](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/surrender-to-the-bliss/) - Hi, Boomers, In my last blog post, I mentioned that I wanted to write about a class I teach at UCLA. It is a six o'clock class that is essentially at beginning yoga class that I think is exceptional. I teach this class at the Wooden Center each quarter and it is my largest class. - [Amazing Grace](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/amazing-grace/) - Dear Boomers, I was planning on blogging about my beautiful yogis and yoginis that I teach every day, about how their grace inspires me hourly, how their positive energy fills the rooms with joy and hope. And I still want to do that, but at this moment, I cannot. Sitting in the Ackerman student union - [WHIRLING DERVISH](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/whirling-dervish/) - Hi, Boomers, Fall arrives and the air feels crisp, or the fog rolls in with inversion layers, or the heat rises up in an Indian Summer with aggressive tentacles and I wonder where the year has gone. Winter will be upon us before we know it. I had a panic attack the other day while - [Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/dem-bones-dem-bones-dem-dry-bones/) - Hi, Boomers, I just returned from my 50th high school reunion. I'm still in a euphoric state. Fifty years! I can't even comprehend that much time has passed since I graduated. 1961 - Go Wildcats. There are those who hated high school. There are those who loved it. There are those whose memories are crystal - [Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/stay-hungry-stay-foolish/) - Hi, Boomers, It's a very sad morning for me and it seems for most of our country. One of our heroes passed away - not unexpectedly - but the headline made it more real. Steve Jobs, one of Americans icons, left the earth with an astounding legacy. It was the first headline I ready this - [All In The Family](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-american-disease/) - Hi, Boomers, You think you've seen and heard it all and then something surprises the heck out of you. At my age there are few surprises. Been there, done that, heard that. But there are some things that even though you've heard it before, done it before, it's still a surprise. This one is very - [Renewal](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/renewal/) - Hi, Boomers, Autumn is my favorite season. It fills me with hope and brings me joy. And, as a yogi, it reminds of the importance of giving gratitude for the gifts in my life. The derivation of the Autumn season, also known as the September equinox comes from centuries before when the planting and harvesting - [Maggie The Cat](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/maggie-the-cat/) - Hi, Boomers, As an apartment dweller and happy to be one, there is always drama going on in the nooks and crannies of our two adjoining buildings. Who is doing laundry on what days, who should wash on Saturdays or on Mondays or on Fridays, why can't the manager fix the termite eaten, rot infested - [Yin and Yang](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/yin-and-yang/) - Hi, Boomers, It was a thought-provoking weekend, indeed. The anticipation that lead up to the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and then living through the actual day provided more than enough sorrow and anxiety. Our country still carries an open wound and rightly so. 9/11 traumatized our country and ten years later we still feel - [A Mile High](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-mile-high/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm rounding out the last day of my bi-yearly trek to the Denver Tango Festival. Tango never disappoints and neither do the festivals I attend throughout the year. There are always new curves to negotiate on the dance floor, always surprise partners who take my breath away, always changes in personalities, alterations in - [Retirement Is Not An Option: Act 3](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/retirement-is-not-an-option-act-3/) - Hi, Boomers, It is with somewhat regret that I am signing off my blog from this bloodspot website and will now be blogging from my website: www.joanfrancesmoran.com This site is a dedicated to a new direction in my professional journey: the journey of a public speaker. It is with great joy that I am in - [Feminism: Lost or Found](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/feminism-lost-or-found/) - Hi, Boomers, How many of your remember the feminist movement? Gloria Steinem and the feminist movement are dear to my heart. In fact, I reflect on it almost daily when I teach yoga to those young women two generations removed from my experience of forging for women's rights in the early 1970's. I feel sad - [Smile, Please](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/smile-please/) - Hi, Boomers, Wow! Long time no hear from me. Jeezzz. I must be out of my mind. I must be nuts. I take on a new career as a public speaker and I am consumed by planning, organizing, detailing, and memorizing the speech, working on the website and just getting overwhelmed. I wish the federal - [The Mystical Magical Journey of Kaya](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-mystical-magical-journey-of-kaya/) - Hi, Boomers, It's been a really difficult week and I'm glad it's over. Every day seemed to be a challenge none more than the death of my youngest son's dog, Kaya. Kaya was around 12 years old and a combination of half Bull Mastiff and maybe a pit and maybe an American bulldog. Aaron rescued - [Faster Than a Speeding Bullet](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/faster-than-a-speeding-bullet/) - Hi, Boomers, One of my friends called me up today and said, "Joan, I'm really disappointed in you. You haven't blogged in several weeks. What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" I shouted back. "Are you kidding me? What's wrong is how much I have on my plate and can't get through any of it!" "Hold on, hold - [A Meditation on Yoga](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-meditation-on-yoga/) - Hi, Boomers, I am now in the decade of my 60s, and I am still the only one who can make a difference in myself and in my life. I am fully prepared to do so and look inwardly for guidance. It has been my preference and my joy to stay connected with myself through - [Master of the Universe](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/master-of-the-universe/) - Dear Mr. Wiener, Sorry I'm late to your pity party. I've been slogging through the fourth draft of my hour long speech for the National Speakers Association. I'm still an academy member, not officially a full fledged member, until I give 20 paid speeches. You probably have hundreds of paid speeches in the bag. I - [The Oprah Syndrome](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-oprah-syndrome/) - Hi, Boomers, You have to have lived on another planet last week to have missed Oprah's closing show. Well, there were actually two last closing shows. Twenty-five years and thousands of guests and hundreds of hours of self-promotion with her charity work and book promotions, image issues, and cathartic moments. No matter her weight, Oprah - [Writing As If No One Is Watching](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/writing-as-if-no-one-is-watching/) - Hi, Boomers, Writing is a solitary ritual. We think of rituals as something stemming from religion But the truth is that anything can be a ritual: dancing, playing music, working out, meditation, yoga, praying, taking holy communion, paying bills, cooking, getting ready for bed at night. Even funerals are rituals. I love rituals. They are - [A Hard Day's Night](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-hard-days-night/) - Hi, Boomers, I've been absent from my blog. I apologize. It hasn't been because I don't love blogging. It's because I've been in the midst of thinking about and then changing my life's work. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and ask myself, "Why am I making my life so complicated - [Anticipate the Positive](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/anticipate-the-positive/) - Hi, Boomers, I just came back from 2 days at the Los Angeles Festival of Books. This year it was held on USC campus instead of UCLA. It had been held at UCLA for more than 10 years. When I first heard the news that the festival of books was moving off my beloved UCLA - [Easter Parade](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/easter-parade/) - Hi, Boomers, I don't quite know how to respond to Easter. I was raised a Catholic so I celebrated Easter every year until I married a Jew, had two sons and since then celebrated Passover. It seems ironic that I went from the New Testament to the Old Testament in a few short years. The - [I've Got The World On A String](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/ive-got-the-world-on-a-string/) - Hi, Boomers, Do you remember when Sinatra played Madison Square Garden in 1974? He was singing in the middle of a boxing ring. Howard Cosell introduced Frank. The place was packed, alive and exciting. The great man's voice was golden. He was in his prime and he never hit a false note. Those were the - [Losing Our Minds](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/losing-our-minds/) - Hi, Boomers, I want to share something with you. Something very important. It's concerns our brains. The brain is a very complex organ, composed of approximately 100 billion neurons and each one of those neurons communicates with up to 10.000 other neurons. It's a loaded minefield in our heads. We have been, and rightly so, - [Boomers R Us](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/boomers-r-us/) - Hi, Boomers, You are on my mind lately. I'm trying to write a speech about you/us. I'm not technically a boomer. I'm three years ahead of that curve, but I identify with the zeitgeist because who wants to be associated with hamburger casseroles and green stamps. The desire to write a speech about the boomers - [Love in the Time of Sixty](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/love-in-the-time-of-sixty/) - Hi, Boomers, I've been thinking about love lately. I've been in and out of love a few times but I'm not currently in love so I'm giving myself permission to, well, think about love for this blog. (Okay, maybe for longer than this blog.) And I'm not in a relationship at this moment so that's - [Talk Pretty to Me](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/talk-pretty-to-me/) - Hi, Boomers, I was musing the other day about the power of words. Most of us talk and talk and talk and it becomes an unconscious stream of, well, our unconscious mind. But words are, indeed, a powerful force in our universe. We can use them for good or for evil. When I attended the - [Surrender to the Now](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/surrender-to-the-now/) - Hi, Boomers, I was supposed to be on the road tonight, heading for Vegas to see my family. A long weekend of lots of love. It's my oldest son's birthday. He's thirty-nine. Wow! When did I ever think that would happen. Surrender to it, Mom. But, hey, I'm not on the road. It started to - [The 10% Solution](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-10-solution/) - Hi, Boomers, The learning curve keeps on giving. I was just interviewed on an internet radio site for my book, Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer. It was probably a very small station by comparison to other internet feeds, but I was happy to be asked to speak about my book. The - [When the Journey Begins](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/when-the-journey-begins/) - Hi,Boomers, I talked about you all weekend at the Tucson Book Festival. It was the first time I appeared in public with my book, Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer, except for my book signings. This was a big venue - the fourth largest book festival in the U.S. I had a - [Singular Sensation](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/singular-sensation/) - Hi, Boomers, As you know, last week I admitted myself into the hospital for a laparoscopic procedure. But what I didn't write about was the following incident, which has stuck in my mind since the day I was admitted. My friend had dropped me off at the Santa Monica UCLA out patient center on 15th - [Life is an Action, Not a Thought](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/life-is-an-action-not-a-thought/) - Hi, Boomers,There should be no excuse for a spiritual moment. I'm having one. And this moment comes courtesy of my internal angst and incessant thinking. Will that "monkey mind" ever cease and desist? F. W Robertson a nineteenth century preacher is quoted as saying: Truth is given, not to be contemplated, but to be done. - [Pity Party](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/pity-party/) - Hi, Boomers, When was the last time you were in a hospital, either overnight or for a few days or just an out patient center? I bet it wasn't an experience you'd like to have again. I know my seven hours in the UCLA out patient center was definitely not a walk in the park. - [Mortality Comes Knocking](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mortality-comes-knocking/) - Hi, Boomers, Remember the concept of mortality? We boomers don't like to think much about the prospect of dying because we're so close to it, but I'm forced to do just that today. I'm going in for a "Medical Procedure." Okay, it's not invasive surgery; it's the laparoscopic kind. Three little cuts and it's done! - [Living With Gratitude](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/living-with-gratitude/) - Hi, Boomers, I woke up one morning last week full of gratitude for my life. It was an ordinary day - Wednesday, I think - and I thought about all that I had going on in my life. The privilege o teaching yoga all over UCLA campus, attending to my private yoga students who faithfully - [Back to the Basics](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/back-to-the-basics/) - Hi, Boomers, Remember that first career you started when back when in the late sixties or early seventies? Maybe some of you were in law school (the men) and some of you were studying to be school teachers (the women and some men) or nurses (only women) or doctors (mostly men). It seems like eons - [Take Time Out](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/take-time-out/) - Hi, Boomers, Two of my grandsons are taking a nap at the moment and I am contemplating taking mine. It's so quite in my son's house. The only noises come from the heat and the ice making machine. I'm lying on the futon, the bed where I sleep in the upstairs "boys room" (translated: the - [The Secret of a Happy LIfe: A Straight Spine and an Open Heart](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-secret-of-a-happy-life-a-straight-spine-and-an-open-heart/) - Hi, Boomers, So much has happened this week. The Egyptian populace erupted in a fight for their rights as Egyptian citizens and we mourned those who lost their lives in the 1986 Challenger explosion. Talk about extremes. I remember only the good about my travels through Egypt. I have had the privilege of traveling twice - [Hail! to Keith O](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/hail-to-keith-o/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm in a Boomer kind of mood right now. It's JFK's 50th anniversary of his inauguration and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the beginning of the second semester of my senior year in high school, and I was pissed that I wasn't 18 and I couldn't vote for Kennedy. - [To Twitter or not to Twitter](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/to-twitter-or-not-to-twitter/) - Hi, Boomers, I just had my third tutoring lesson in twittering. How's that for alliteration? I'm feeling stupid, or so, stupid and ask me if I care. I care not. I don't feel any wiser about social networking either. I'm still stuck in the meaning of "hash." I think of corn beef hash every time - [Forgiveness](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/forgiveness/) - Hi, Boomers, Sad times for the nation at this moment. We are all consumed with tragedy. We are looking for something or someone to blame. It's only natural. Innocent people were killed by a young man who saw he world differently than a normal, functioning, rational being. It happens too often in our world. The - [Food For Thought](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/food-for-thought/) - Hi, Boomers, Happy Birthday! The first of the boomers turned 65 as of January 1, 2011. Hard to believe, isn't it. We always thought that we would be young forever. Social Security? Medicare? Not us! Boomers don't age. The first of of were born in 1946, and for the next 19 years, about 10,000 boomers - [Post Dramatic New Year's Disorder](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/post-dramatic-new-years-disorder/) - Hi, Boomers, I think I have a computer hangover. I made it through the new year's weekend of excessive, very excessive tango dancing in San Diego at the annual new year's festival with more than my fair share of sore feet and ankles. I never know what to expect from tango festivals; that is to - [My Tao](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/my-tao/) - Hi, Boomers, It's Christmas day. It's quiet and everyone is napping except my son. He and I are watching the Lakers game. I'd love to be in the stands at Staples Center and watch the game with Miami up close and in personal. My sons have season tickets but they live in Las Vegas at - [First Kiss and Six Degrees of Separation](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/first-kiss-and-six-degrees-of-separation/) - Hi, Boomers, Alas, I have some free time. My year old grandson is asleep with his morning nap and everyone in my family is out. The two older grandsons are in ski school and their parents, my son and daughter in law are picking up my ex-husband a lady friend up from the airport. I'm - [Take It To A Higher Vibration](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/take-it-to-a-higher-vibration/) - Hi, Boomers, How'yr feeling? I read an article today that quoted statistics that over eighty percent of baby boomers are pessimistic about the current direction of the United States, according to the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends study released Monday. Who can blame them with retirement and pension funds shrinking and with the - [Time Out](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/time-out/) - Hi, Boomers, I've been a work horse all my life. It almost seems like I'm not living if I'm not working. It could be actually working like in an office or writing as in a screenplay or marketing my book as in Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer (I'm throwing that in - [Oh, Ye of Little Faith](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/oh-ye-of-little-faith/) - Hi, Boomers, I was walking through the UCLA campus late this afternoon, taking the path up Bruin Way. One of the many tables lining the pathway caught my eye. The sign said: "Religion is for the Weak." I was surprised by the sign. Now, I 'm not a religious person anymore. I left the auspices - [Going Along with the Zeitgiest](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/going-along-with-the-zeitgiest/) - Hi, Boomers, Question: Is going along with the zeitgeist always the right thing to do? I'm conflicted. Today I got a twitter account and I feel sick inside. Ready to vomit up every bit of social networking I have done in the last year. First, I swore I would never text message (see my book, - [Are You Just Along For the Ride?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/are-you-just-along-for-the-ride/) - Hi, Boomers, I was in the post office this morning mailing my book, Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer to a wonderful woman who used to be my partner in the theater we owned in Las Vegas, Nevada, from 1977 to 1892. Maryan was the co-founder and daily managed the finances for - [It's Thanksgiving Every Day](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/its-thanksgiving-every-day/) - Hi, Boomers, It's that time of year again - the beginning of the holiday season. Off to Vegas tomorrow at 5 am for the weekend; only this time there will be only one son in attendance and none of my daughter- in-law's side of the family. I like a bigger crowd on this holiday. It's - [Brother Where Art Thou?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/brother-where-art-thou/) - Hi, Boomers, It's always the best laid plans that go astray in my life. I was away for two consecutive weekends; one weekend was the tango festival in Albuquerque where I danced and sold my book, SIXTY, SEX, & TANGO, CONFESSIONS OF A BEATNIK BOOMER; and just last weekend I was in San Francisco for - [Tango and Other Addictions](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/tango-and-other-addictions/) - Hi, Boomers, My favorite doctor friend, one of the most important opthamologists and plastic surgeons (neck up only, please) in Los Angeles, said to me today, "I wish I could live just one day of your life." She has no idea what a crazy day inside my body and mind can produce. And sometimes, I'm - [Itching For a Fix](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/itching-for-a-fix/) - Hi, Boomers, This pneumonia thing has really made me crazy. I'm itching for a fix - a yoga fix. I was confined to bed for a very long weekend and in between drinking gatorade and hobbling to the kitchen to forage for food, I checked off every little bit of business I had on my - [I'm Down, But Don't Count Me Out](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/im-down-but-dont-count-me-out/) - Hi, Boomers, Nothing like getting sick, I mean really sick like in the worst pneumonia sick, like I mean the kind they call "whopping pneumonia, and "that's the worst right lung I've ever seen," to get one thinking: how the hell did I get this sucker? Denial is one way I got sick. Over working - [Bragging Rights](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/bragging-rights/) - Hi, Boomers, I was recently talking to a young mother about being a grandmother. I have five grandchildren at the moment, and I was telling her how sometimes unreal it all felt to have so many grandchildren, to love unconditionally so many children from my children. At that moment, I got all choked up and - [The Mind/Body Politic](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-mindbody-politic/) - Hi, Boomers, Watch out. I'm on a rant - of sorts. But let's first start with the zen of yoga. Yoga is a spiritual practice that connects the mind and body through the breath. In Hatha Yoga - aka Vinyasa Yoga or Flow Yoga - every movement that a practioner takes on a yoga mat - [Quote of the Day - October 13, 2010](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/quote-of-the-day-october-13-2010/) - Quote of the day: 'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. - [Pasionately Passionate](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/pasionately-passionate/) - Hi, Boomers, I spent the weekend dancing tango in Portland. I love the city of Portland. And I love dancing in that city. The combination is unusually pleasing. Portland is an old and new city. Even as it gentrifies it has an older charm. And it was raining over the weekend. It was a sweet - [I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/im-dancing-as-fast-as-i-can/) - Hi, Boomers, It's been a surreal week. I haven't been able to blog because my mind of all over the place. I started my full yoga schedule this week at UCLA, adding my classes at the Wooden Center - 2 classes back to back totaling close to three hours more yoga teaching twice a week. - [It's About the Ordinary](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/its-about-the-ordinary/) - Hi, Boomers, Yesterday, one of my yoga students causally said:, "Hey, Joan, I was riding the bus the other day and I saw someone reading your book." ' I hardly knew what to say, so I blurted out a medium scream of delight. I immediately understood the unexpected, the surprise and almost shock of that - [A Tug of War or is it Divine?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-tug-of-war-or-is-it-divine/) - Namaste, Boomers, "The divine in me recognizes the divine in you." Namaste I was passing a picture on my bookcase of my parents the other day and it a strange feeling came over me. I wanted to talk to my mother. I wanted to hear my father's laugh. And they were not around. My mother - [Last Words Before Dying](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/last-words-before-dying/) - Hi, Boomers, I was reading an article in both the NY Times and LA Times about the Koch brothers. These are the infamous Koch brothers as written up, exposed, and pillaged in the recent article in The New Yorker Magazine. At the outset, let me make this perfectly clear: these men are not my favorite - [Doing It Alone](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/doing-it-alone/) - Hi, Boomers, Sometimes blogging is downright difficult. You'd think that someone with my verbal acuity would never be at a loss for words or for ideas. But lately, I've been mentally preoccupied with my new book. Shamelessly, I mention again: Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer. When I began to write my - [I Took A Trip To The Moon](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/i-took-a-trip-to-the-moon/) - Hi, Boomers, I've been busy it seems. I started a new writing project. Not a book but a monologue on a theme that is to be part of the Jewish Women's Theater group salon readings for this coming year. This particular theme is: "Jewish Women Do Men." I've got plenty of material, but I have - [The Dog Days Are Over](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-dog-days-are-over/) - Hi, Boomers, It's the eve of August 31st, 2010. It's technically the beginning of the end of the dog days of summer. The end of the week marks Labor Day and the beginning of a fall cycle - back to school, back from vacation, back to work, back to back responsibilities. In the days when - [Expect the Unexpected](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/expect-the-unexpected/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm excited today. In fact, I've been excited all week. I feel like I'm high all the time because adrenalin has been surging through my body with more than its usual speed. It was a good work week, teaching yoga every day - getting back to what I love doing. After experiencing the - [Notes From the Hindu Underground](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/notes-from-the-hindu-underground/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm home and the emersion back to reality has not taken place yet. Hey, the day is almost over and maybe I won't be jarred back into the daily news. A weariness is beginning to creep into my bones and my mind is fuzzier than at noon when I wandered through Ralph's trying - [Up in the Air](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/up-in-the-air/) - Hi, Boomers, A few thoughts on travel before I leave for Bali. Bali. It sounds romantic and so "eat, pray, lovish." Let's set the record straight. I'm not going to Bali because of Ms Gilbert's book. While I found her journey somewhat interesting and a bit whiney, I truly believe there are more interesting anecdotes - [Penelope Sweet](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/penelope-sweet/) - Hi, Boomers, I never even gave being a grandmother a thought until one day five and a half years ago, I became a grandmother to Jordan Mac. And then two years later, Luc Daniel was born. Okay, two grandsons. That's great, really great. But the moniker "grandmother" was still kind of a foreign concept. After - [I Get High With A Little Help From My Friends](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/i-get-high-with-a-little-help-from-my-friends/) - Hi, Boomers, Ah, yes. The bliss of a yoga retreat. There is nothing quite like the beauty of going somewhere special and joyfully doing nothing but yoga, chanting mantras, encountering holotropic breathing (an LSD high without the LDS), vegan cuisine, swimming and hiking and sleeping in the cold night air and trying to find the - [Retreating and Transformation](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/retreating-and-transformation/) - Hi, Boomers, Sometimes you just have to say: Enough! I'm full. I can't take it anymore. There is no more energy left. I'm spent. Basta! Sometimes destiny plays a role in my life. Sometimes the "others" get in the way of my life. And sometimes I'm just plain tired. It was a week of practicing - [It's Gone Live: Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/its-gone-live-sixty-sex-tango-confessions-of-a-beatnik-boomer/) - Hi, Boomers, When I started out to write Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer two years ago June, I began to write my memoir by accident. I really wanted to do stand up comedy. Odd that everyone in Hollywood wants to direct, but I want to do standup comedy. I never wanted - [The Brain Matters](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-brain-matters/) - Hi, Boomers, I was strolling on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica Saturday morning, walking toward the AMC theater to see "Inception" and enter the dreamscape of the mind. The annual UCLA health fair was in full swing. Booths lined either side of the center aisle of the Promenade. It was a health information - [My Tech Guy](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/my-tech-guy/) - Hi, Boomers, I have had the best intentions to write all week. The best laid plans.....gone awry. We all have our nemesis in life. Mine is Verizon. Verizon has plagued me for years. I began to suspect that there was a plot to bump me off the internet when I first signed up with them - [Live with Joy; Live longer](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/live-with-joy-live-longer/) - I haven't really been slacking off since my last blog. It's only been a week but it feels like an eternity. I spent the 4th of July weekend reading my book, Sixty, Sex, & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer, one last time and making final corrections. I thought I would get bogged down in - [Just Kids](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/just-kids/) - Hi, Boomers, I am reading the most interesting book: Patti Smith's Just Kids. Who is Patti Smith, you ask. If we go back to the late 60's, to about 1967-68, there was once a poet rock singer named, Patti Smith. She was also the lover and muse of Robert Mapplethorpe, the infamous provocateur of the - [A Friend in Need](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/a-friend-in-need/) - Hi, Boomers, I've come down off my high horse. I've railed against the world enough. I am supposed to have learned through my yoga practice that I cannot change the way people in the world operate. I can only pay attention to way I live a conscious life. However, I truly strayed from my very - [Digital Drag](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/digital-drag/) - Hi, Boomers, Yes, we're boomers and we are living in the digital/computer age. Aren't we lucky. Just this morning I was listening to my fav, Howard Stern, (don't condemn me to life imprisonment without possibility of parole) rant about living in this age of technology and, oh, yes, war. Let's not forget the a little - [Time After Time](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/time-after-time/) - Hi, Boomers, Frustration mounts. I'm trying to build a website for my book, Sixty, Sex & Tango-Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer - on IWeb on my Mac and I literally want to throw my beloved Mac against my wall. On what planet does IWeb help think I live on? It takes me twenty minutes of - [You Can Go Home Again](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/you-can-go-home-again/) - Hi, Boomers, Okay, I'm on the yoga kick this evening. And, hey, right now I have too much time on my hands. I just sent my publisher the final, final corrections to my book, Sixty, Sex & Tango and I feel like I have just given birth. I am excited and elated and let down - [I Just Want to be Loved](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/i-just-want-to-be-loved/) - Hi, Boomers, What I adore about blogging is that I can have an idea about what to blog about and I can do it any time of the day or night. I'm up way too early this morning after two late nights of dancing tango, but I can't sleep in this morning because I got - [Leading With The Heart](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/leading-with-the-heart/) - Hi, Boomers, I had to make a rather big decision last week. It involved matters of the heart. As a yoga instructor, the overriding emphasis in a practice is the opening of the heart. Yoga is a heart-centered practice. The symbolic nature of the heart is its generosity of spirit, it's aspect of forgiveness, its - [My Secret Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/my-secret-life/) - Hi, Boomers, I decided on the way home from the Denver tango festival that I was leading a secret life. This was not a double life, mind you, but a really secret life that almost no one in my family was privy to on an intimate, personal level. And those who know about my secret - [Down and Dirty](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/down-and-dirty/) - Hi, Boomers, I had a busy week and no time to blog. It made me cranky because from time to time I have things to blog about and can't find the time to do so. However, I find myself in Denver, CO, at this moment at a tango festival with some free time, lying in - [Musings on the Tao](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/musings-on-the-tao/) - Hi, Boomers, In the middle of my busy week of teaching yoga, I found myself musing on my tao, that is to say, my life's journey. Here I am, post 65 years old and reflecting on what it means to follow my bliss by staying present and grounding myself in the power of now while - [The 40 Percent Solution](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-40-percent-solution/) - Hi, Boomers, Yesterday, I had the privilege of having lunch with a classmate of mine from high school. I hadn't seen Frank in 51 years. He was coming into the Los Angeles area with his wife to visit family and friends and then to head off with a couple or two in their RV's to - [Yoga And The Art of Body/Mind Maintenance - Part 2](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/yoga-and-the-art-of-bodymind-maintenance-part-2/) - Hi, Boomers, I was teaching class yesterday at the Math and Engineering building on the UCLA campus (Boelter Hall). The class is held on the 8th floor of the building and is literally referred to at "The Penthouse." It's hardly a penthouse. It's a meeting room on the roof. My first impression of the scene - [Mother's Day](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mothers-day/) - Hi, Boomers, Adult children can be taxing sometimes. I was just talking to my friend, Kathy, about her Mothers' Day and how difficult it was for her. Her daughter has her own agenda so she began the afternoon dinner with: "I can't stay long. I have work to do." This after Kathy, who has a - [The Tango Festival](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-tango-festival/) - Hi Boomers, I don't usually go on and on about Argentine tango not because I'm not passionate about dancing tango but because I'm often private about how I feel about the dance. It's something I have done for about 15 years and my relationship to tango and its long history is emotional, complicated and passionate. - [It's A Girl](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/its-a-girl/) - Hi, Boomers, Well, finally, after thirty-eight years of trying, my family came is about to produce a girl baby. It's a miracle! And it was random, of course. My oldest son and his wife gave birth four months ago to a perfect baby boy, Jude Love. It was their third boy. Oh, there was the - [Mother Nature - Alive and Well at Sixty-Six](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/mother-nature-alive-and-well-at-sixty-six/) - Hi, Boomers, I traveled to Las Vegas last weekend to make my monthly visit to my adult sons and my grandsons. I have made this trek for over three years, beginning with the birth of my first grandson, Jordan Mac, about 5 years ago and a particularly pointed call from my brother who urged me - [Sex in the 60's - my new discovery](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/sex-in-the-60s-my-new-discovery/) - Hi, Boomers, Since I have made a new friend in the tango world, patches of mental fog have disappeared. My new tango friend, who is a psychologist specializing in mid-life relationships, put me on to Alison Armstrong. I only wish I had encountered Ms Armstrong decades ago, perhaps even in the far off days of - [Foraging for Food](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/foraging-for-food/) - Hi, Boomers, As you all know by now, I'm a single girl living in the metropolitan jungle of West Los Angeles. It's technically just plain Los Angeles, 90049. But for us locals, it is known as Brentwood. I love that snobbery - really I do. I don't ever have anything to be snobbery about. I'm - [Post-book Blues](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/post-book-blues/) - Hi, Boomers, I am in a kind of slump of late because my book, SIXTY, SEX, & TANGO is finished, and I am just waiting to get back the layout and design from the publishers. I feel like I just gave birth. I' was pregnant for almost two years, and I finally delivered. It was - [50th High School Reunion Here We come](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/50th-high-school-reunion-here-we-come/) - Hi, Boomers I've been having a wonderful experience lately. My fiftieth high school reunion is coming up in 2011. I found this out from an email sent to me by a high school friend and the organizer of the reunion, class of 1961, Marin Catholic High School in San Rafael, CA. My friend was also - [To Protect and Defend](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/to-protect-and-defend/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm back editing my book for the last time. I had two weeks off from engaging with the material that I've worked on for almost two years. The publisher sent my book back after an editor fixed the grammar and syntax. But now I am line editing the book after all the technical - [The Single Drive](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-single-drive/) - Hi, Boomers, I got up at 5 am today to drive back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas. I rolled out of bed and, sans makeup, dragged my bags into the car and took off in the dark of early morning. I don't usually drive the LA to Vegas route. I'm a once a month - [Yoga And The Art of Body/Mind Maintenance](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/yoga-and-the-art-of-bodymind-maintenance/) - Hi, Boomers, Every day I give gratitude for yoga, especially today when I gave my son on the morning of his 38th birthday a yoga class. This is the second time he asked me to give him a class since I have been spending the week with my family. Yesterday, my daughter in law also - [The Single Life and Bali Here I Come](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-single-life-and-bali-here-i-come/) - Hi, Boomers, I was musing today about being single. After years of fighting the odds to mate with man, I have succumbed to the freedom, the joy, the bliss of being single. Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up sex. Being single and sex are not antithetical to one another. I love sex now - [How Old Are You, Gran?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/how-old-are-you-gran/) - Hi, Boomers, This morning at breakfast my 5 year old grandson asked me how old I was. I thought that was a pretty curious question coming from Jordan; however, this young boy has an unusually potent intellect. So his father, my son, asked him to do a little math. "Before you answer this questions, Jordan, - [CAN WE REALLY FALL IN LOVE AGAIN?](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/can-we-really-fall-in-love-again/) - Hi, Boomers, At the moment, I am surrounded by my 4 grandsons and thinking about falling in love again.How does all this love energy work together? I have no idea, and I am trying to figure it out. I've been keeping a secret to almost everyone in my life. I met a man last Saturday - [Hitting the Road](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/hitting-the-road/) - Hi, Boomers, I'm in a kind of margarita kind of mood. Literally, I just had a margarita after teaching my tango lesson to my best, best friend and not my lover John. I refer to John in my book, SIXTY-SEX & TANGO, as my best friend and not my lover. He is 67 and I - [SIXTY-SEX & TANGO](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/sixty-sex-tango/) - I feel guilty and completely intimidated at this moment. I am back blogging. I have been putting this blogging thing off for a year. If anyone who knows me personally, they will think, "She's kidding, right?" "It's a joke." Joan is never intimidated, never afraid, never insecure. Well, guess what? I am all of those - [Reinventing Myself](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/reinventing-myself/) - Hi Boomers, I haven't written in such a long time. I feel guilty. I've been struggling with my book about turning 60. The good news is that I have an agent. I decided not to self-publish. I've taken a leap of faith and held out for a publisher who may see value in my - [Slogging Through 60](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/slogging-through-60/) - Dear Boomers, I haven't blogged since April 26th. I feel a bit remiss but not necessarily guilty...until now.I've been in a general malaise outside of my yoga teaching. Oh, I love my work and am grateful every day for my students, my private clients and my friends. I guess it has to do with - [The Mirror Has Two Faces](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/the-mirror-has-two-faces/) - Dear Boomers, I'm still in Las Vegas for my monthly visit to my adult children, grandchildren and very elderly mother. I was dreading the "Elmo Live" show, but as my 4 year old grandson said, "Gran, it wasn't really about Elmo. It was about a flower looking for a place to grow." The - [FINDING MY INNER ELMO](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/finding-my-inner-elmo/) - Good Morning, Boomers, I love being a grandmother in my 60's. I'm headed to Las Vegas tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn to take care of my 2 grandsons and attend the 1st birthday of my third grandson. My daughter in law will be away attending a college reunion of friends from her - [I'm Too Old For This Life](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/im-too-old-for-this-life/) - Hi Boomers, I've been thinking that my blogs go into cyberspace and no one is going to read them. I'm right about that, I know, because I should have a website and blog on my website and I'm not there yet. I'm waiting until I publish my book (stupid) or get an agent (I should - [Death Be Not Proud](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/death-be-not-proud/) - Dear Boomer, We're 60 now and we're beginning to lose friends, loved ones, parents, and the inexplicable becomes a zen meditation on daily losing. There is no way to explain those feelings of loss. My therapist would say, "Sit with it, Joan. Be with the feelings for as long as you need to." I - [WHEN AN OLD LOVER RETURNS](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/when-an-old-lover-returns/) - Attention Female Boomers, (this is not a man's issue) I am single, living alone and learning to enjoy the fruits of my being. I was just dancing along in my life with three great days of tango dancing when suddenly an old lover returned. Almost five years (in July), I began to date - [Good News: I'm not shrinking](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/good-news-im-not-shrinking/) - Dear Boomers, I've been remiss in not writing in my blog. I had an assignment. An agent was interested in my book, SO YOU'RE 6O, GET OVER IT: CONFESSIONS OF A BEATNIK/BOOMER, and she wanted a full book proposal. I've been avoiding writing it for a month but, since an agent requested one, - [Attention Boomers: Let's Turn Back Time](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/attention-boomers-lets-turn-back-time/) - Dear Booomers, Did you know that most of the airports in the great and glorious and super tech U.S. do not have Internet access, and if they do, we have to pay for it! This is the United States of American in the year 2009. Years ago I went to Amsterdam and the Internet - [You Can't Go Home Again](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/you-cant-go-home-again/) - Greetings, Beatnik/Boomers,Sometimes it is tough being a parent of adult children and an ex-wife all in the same night. With trepidation I entered the restaurant wearing both hats.I mentioned in my first blog yesterday that I had hoped the birthday dinner of my oldest son was going to go well. It was a family affair, ## Pages - [Home](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/) - an excerpt from joan’s LATEST bookup from hell: echos of the pastcrimes in central texas book 1 I’d wanted to be a policeman since I was eight. The first time I saw a cop was in 1970, when a couple of officers rolled up to my mom’s low-rent building on Oakey Boulevard off Las Vegas - [Up from Hell](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/up-from-hell/) - Up from Hell ABOUT THE BOOK Up From Hell is the story of a small-town Texas cop, Neil Dixon, who is experiencing corruption in his department and in the county. When he was young and living in the seedy section of Las Vegas with his mother, an addict, he was saved by a policeman who - [Women Obsessed](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/women-obsessed/) - Women Obsessed ABOUT THE BOOK Women Obsessed hangs on the premise of a question: What would happen if you are confronted with your deepest fears and your darkest desires.Janet Bodine and Whitney Howard do just that – venture into the world of erotic fantasy where anything is possible. Janet and Whitney are professional women, wives - [60, Sex & Tango](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/60-sex-tango/) - 60, Sex & Tango ABOUT THE BOOK In her memoir, 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer, Joan thinks it is time to get rid of the old cliches about getting older. Joan shares her engaging humorous and wildly entertaining personal journey as she provides a unique perspective on the trials and tribulations of - [I'm The Boss of Me!](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/im-the-boss-of-me/) - I’m The Boss of Me! ABOUT THE BOOK I’m The Boss of Me! Stay Sexy, Smart & Strong at Any Age is a compilation of Joan’s blogs written while she was a yoga and meditation teacher and a motivational speaker. Inciteful, funny, often darkly humorous, Joan blogs about creativity, implementing innovative ideas, adapting to change, - [An Accidental Cuban](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/an-accidental-cuban/) - An Accidental Cuban REVIEW Fast-paced, exciting, sexy, this exhilarating novel by Joan Moran immerses the reader in the maelstrom of contemporary Cuban society and culture. In her trademark crisp and scintillating prose, Moran conjures up a cast of engaging and multidimensional characters, none more original than the accidental Cuban himself, a man whose identity straddles - [Once a Homecoming Queen](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/once-a-homecoming-queen/) - Once a Homecoming Queen A heartfelt journey of courage and redemption A captivating exploration of addiction, recovery, and the unexpected paths to redemption, ‘Once a Homecoming Queen’ by Joan Moran shines with an authenticity that draws readers deeply into the life of a seventy-five-year-old former homecoming queen. With a keen eye for detail and a compassionate grasp - [Suddenly Jewish](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/suddenly-jewish/) - Suddenly Jewish REVIEW In this compelling memoir, Joan Moran traces three generations of Jewish women navigating faith and identity in America. Through the stories of matriarch Rose, rebellious Esther, and the author herself, Moran crafts an intimate portrait of Jewish-American life that resonates beyond her family’s experience.Set in San Francisco, the memoir shines through its - [Books](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/books/) - [Contact](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/contact/) - Name Email Subject Message Send - [About](https://joanfrancesmoran.com/about/) - ABOUT Joan Moran Joan holds two master’s degrees: Theater and Education. It was her desire to teach in the theater department at UNLV that brought her a position at UNLV where she taught acting and theater history. 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