Vegetarian

Valerie Brooke, MD

The Necessity of Fire

The second full day in Yosemite started out better than the first. We got up early to get to the valley floor before the crowds and the...

Valerie Brooke, MD

Perfect Versus Good

It was Voltaire who is attributed with the aphorism “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” I have been contemplating this...

Valerie Brooke, MD

Pretzel Twists and Introspection

When I first stepped onto a yoga mat in my late twenties, I had no idea yoga entailed so much more than just moving my body into more and...

Valerie Brooke, MD

The Health Benefits of Yoga

In one corner of my vision board for 2022 are the words yoga, flexibility, and keep moving forward. Right next to them is a photo of a...

Valerie Brooke, MD

Boxes and Boundaries

Many years ago, a wise therapist gave me some excellent guidance in how to stay sane while parenting a teenager. “Set up a box of...

Valerie Brooke, MD

Pandemic Traveling and Gym Workouts

This past weekend I traveled via plane for the first time in two years, since before COVID-19 transformed my way of life and leisure. I...

Valerie Brooke, MD

My Magic Pill

I’ll never forget the PowerPoint lecture in medical school that taught us about a powerful medicine seemingly able to prevent and treat...

Valerie Brooke, MD

Physician burnout - Part 4

I was reminded that my response to the stressors at work during the COVID-19 pandemic are to be expected. It’s normal to feel stress...

Valerie Brooke, MD

Swimming and poetry

There’s a meditative flow that can occur when swimming laps, a shift that occurs when I stop fighting the water, and just relax...