Water never tasted so good
“Twenty-seven years ago, Vineyard House began as a grassroots initiative,” Jennifer Vogel, LICSW and executive director of Vineyard House, said. “A group of Islanders saw people go off-Island for recovery and come back to...
Working for Your Health: Vineyard youth
Most of us have an idea of what “being healthy” means to us. Not being sick, being able to do the things I want to do, having energy are a few of the things...
On My Way: Waking up on the water
My kayak sped over the water on a downwind sail. The water shushed the hull and my paddles splashed. I was just waking. The early pink and purple dome of the sun showed over...
Nordic walking
Dozens of Vineyarders gathered recently at Polly Hill Arboretum to learn about Nordic walking, a low-impact, full-body exercise that comes highly commended by doctors, physical therapists, and fitness professionals. Using specially designed poles, it...
On My Way: Cross-Island hike
The birds sang from their hidden perches somewhere in the trees.
The songs rang out on the gorgeous day of abundant sun and blue sky, with a stirring of air in the soggy fields, throughout...
Prevention is the Key to Avoiding Tick Bites
Tick talk is serious business on Martha’s Vineyard, and there is cause for concern once again, as tick activity is on the rise heading into the warmer summer months.
The Island sees a significantly higher...
Defying gravity – Jen DeLorenzo’s aerial yoga
Imagine practicing yoga while defying gravity — well, actually, not defying it so much as creating a new relationship with the Earth. Watching Jen DeLorenzo teach aerial yoga with skill, kindness, and humor, the...
On My Way: Crossing through curiosity
We sat in our kayaks and looked across the pond. A storybook of large dunes, some streaked with swaths of white and others draped in a country green, sat on the far shore.
The morning...
Mental health awareness
The ideas of mental health and celebration might not typically be paired. But Amy Nelson, the programming coordinator at the Oak Bluffs library, has arranged an enticing array of free programs for Mental Health...
Embracing differences
Jason Mazar-Kelly, affectionately known as YogiJay, has set out to make a difference for a community where differences can significantly affect daily life. From his personal experience growing up with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), he...
MVH uses nitrous oxide to bring patients quick pain relief
As part of a federal spending bill recently signed by President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey helped secure much-needed funds for Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
The federal money will assist the hospital...
Dukes County Health Council: Hard conversations
Most of us do not like to think about bad things — like being sick and unable to speak for ourselves. However, most of us do know what we want out of life. Choosing...
A Beacon: Between worlds
The starkness of my new mental wellness still overwhelms me. Electroconvulsive therapy definitely seems like something worth looking into, though few people experience it as the panacea it has proven for me. It feels...
On My Way: Voyage to the pond
In May 1869, John Wesley Powell and nine men pushed off from the banks of the Green River in four specially designed and constructed wood boats on a voyage of exploration. On August 29,...
Working for Your Health: PFAS and you
What is PFAS?
There’s been a lot of news lately — much of it cautionary — about the chemicals known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Chances are you’ve been exposed to them, perhaps unknowingly,...
A salute to the doctors at MVH
We’re thankful for all the doctors at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital every day of the year, but in advance of National Doctors’ Day on March 30, we’d like to give a special shout-out to those...
‘Sprung on Spring!’
The spring equinox is upon us, and on March 19, the Oak Bluffs library is celebrating a day of growth, hope, and wellness with its free “Sprung on Spring!” extravaganza.
The new programming coordinator, Amy...
On My Way: Walking with Becham on South Beach
Becham dug excitedly, and when he had a hole large enough, he stuffed his nose in, not minding the sand all over his face and in his nostrils. No voles were present.
We were on...
Hospital doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to cardiac care
February is Heart Month. No, not because Valentine’s Day falls midway through the month, but to raise awareness about heart health.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. An average...
Working for Your Health: Heart health
Here are some fun facts about the human heart gathered from health.clevelandclinic.org/fun-facts-about-your-heart:
The heart is an organ about the size of two clasped hands. It’s made mostly of muscle tissue that contracts rhythmically, to...