THE ESSENCE OF LIFE: MIND - BODY - SOUL

Aware of Ego

2011-10-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

The ego had been a driving force through out my life. I had been seeking acceptance from the outside that had already been met from within but I wasn't aware of it. Most of us tend to seek first from the external before ever seeking from the internal. This is cause we act without faith, but instead with what we physically can see in the restricted dimensional view. The acceptance from the external brought me further away from the truth; the I AM. The appreciation of ones true self, seems not to be realized till one becomes aware of the ego and its deceptions. To understand ones journey, courage has to take hold to accept that misguided direction that was taken by oneself when led by ego. We must humble ourselves and walk in humility to remove the belief that the external observations were what gave us life and worthiness. We then take a step with courage against the old beliefs and create new beliefs,unique beliefs, our own beliefs that pleases ourselves and not beliefs that have to be or need to be accepted or approved by external influences. As it has been said, the ego is part of the totality of the experiences of our journey. With this being the case, we must just be aware of it, and allow our awareness to co-create the reality that is true from within.

Lose Weight from the Inside Out

2011-06-30T02:06:00.000-07:00

To lose weight one must have it set in their mind that they will no longer hold on to fears but become Love. Fears adds weight to their physical bodies by ways of thoughts.The thoughts then become so embedded into their subconscious that they begin to believe in an illusion that is creating their dis-ease and overweight physical body. Our minds need to be re-programmed with thoughts of empowerment and love. We are never alone, and should never attempt to do it alone, or we will find ourselves defining Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. We (mind-body-soul) can do all things that seem to be impossible in a 3-dimensional perspective. As we are truly multi-dimensional, and must apply that fact to our everyday living. To overcome an addiction, overeating, or compulsive eating, one has to be true to their feelings creating these actions. Self-hate is the reason of these actions that cause people to become overweight and unhealthy. Learn to understand that you have been created out of love and are the true essence of love. Anything not align with Love has been co-created by false thoughts. Lose the fear, and the weight will remove itself from the physical body, and you will maintain a healthy body-mind-soul.

Going Against the Myth

2011-05-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

We have been led to believe many different ideas and material about how to lose weight, exercise and diet. We are all obsessed with dieting and weight loss. This topic has evolved into a billionaire dollar international epidemic. Almost daily we seem to be bombarded with new information about diets, much of it contradicting what we have long held as true. The conventional facts about weight loss and dieting dogma dominate the health conscious population, despite being totally false. It’s vital to cut through all of the misinformation circulating out there and shine light on the Truth about dieting and weight loss.

Going Against the Myth

“Humans live through their myths and only endure their realities.”

- Robert Anton Wilson

MYTH 1: Cutting calories will make you lose weight faster.

Cutting calories causes the starvation response to ignite. This response can be defined as a proportional reduction in metabolism in response to reduced availability of food. This response has been trained by the human body by its evolution. Drastic calorie cutting causes the body to think it’s starving, causing a reduction in its metabolism by slowing down physiological processes and maintaining your current weight. Remember you eat to live not live to eat.

MYTH 2: Low-fat or no-fat diets work and are healthy.

The body needs fat for energy, tissues repair and to transport vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fats are an important contributor to the building blocks of the cells of the body and hormones.

MYTH 3: Consumption of saturated fat is bad for your health and weight loss program.

Saturated fat plays a vital role in the health of the bones. They also enhance the immune system. Saturated fat is also vital for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids.

MYTH 4: Fade diets make you lose weight effectively and quickly.

This may be true in the short term, but ultimately it will hinder your weigh

loss. It is also not safe or healthy for your physiological system. The loss of lean muscle tissue causes a fall in the basal metabolic rate, which eventual cuts down the amount of calories your body needs on a daily basis. This unfortunately means your body will need fewer calories that it did previously, making weight gain more likely once you stop dieting.

MYTH 5: Low-carbs diets are essential for body fat reduction.

Depending on your unique biochemistry a low-carb diet can be detrimental to your health and weight loss goals. Diets that exclude or have low amounts of carbohydrates as a means of caloric restrictions promote breakdown of lean muscle tissue which provide the glucose needed for energy, as well as causing ketosis. Be cautious, and be aware of your biochemical individuality before attempting a low carb diet. This can be very dangerous because it will promote the breakdown of lean body tissue, not the reduction of stored body fat.

MYTH 6: One diet fits all – The best diet.

There is no such thing as one diet fits all or the best diet. We have all been created perfectly unique and different. Everyone possesses a unique “biochemical individuality.” A one-size-fits-all approach is non-existent and doesn’t work. It is not possible to imagine all humans have the same basic nutritional requirements. The notion of individuality in diet is the key. There can never be any one diet or product that works for everyone. We must all discover which formula works for our biochemical and cultural individuality.

MYTH 7: The mind doesn’t play a role in weight loss and muscle building.

The mind is one of the most powerful pieces of your exercise puzzle. It important to condition and train it, just as you would any other muscle. The mind will help you reach your full fitness potential. Utilize positive visualization and the mind/body connection can benefit your exercises program and help you achieve the goals you are reaching for.

MYTH 8: Performing Cardio on an empty stomach is effective.

Fat burning doesn’t occur during cardio exercise, but about two hours after. Your body attacks your muscles for energy resource. So unless you are working out to slow down your metabolism and lose the lean muscle tissue you have, go ahead and run on no fuel.

MYTH 9: Eating fewer meals can help lose weight.

Eating fewer meals can have the reverse effect. When you eat fewer meals, your metabolism slows down because you are not fueling the metabolism with calories.

MYTH 10: You can lose weight by skipping meals.

Skipping meals can have the reverse effect. When you skip meals, your metabolism slows and you end up overeating as a result.

MYTH 11: A slow metabolism prevents weight loss.

This is a common myth among dieters who are struggling to lose weight.

Normally the larger you are the more calories you need to keep your body going and the higher your metabolism. The main issue is that the weight gain occurs from the type of calories that are being eaten and the sedentary lifestyle.

MTYH 12: The key to a successful weight loss is a strict diet.

It is extremely difficult to stick to a very strict diet that requires you to eliminate food groups or limit and you are more likely to give up on the diet entirely.

MYTH 13: Eating late at night will cause me to gain weight.

All things considered, it doesn’t really matter when you eat. What matters is what you are consuming in that particular meal and how much of it.

MYTH 14: Willpower is the only method to being successful on a weight loss program.

Willpower is an important factor when it comes to how you respond to cravings, but if you eat due to your biochemical individuality, you shouldn’t experience cravings. Willpower is not sustainable …What’s sustainable is love, joy, pleasure and freedom. Willpower is a way of being under a control or fighting against oneself. Pressuring yourself to do something is not sustainable. Just simply love yourself and treat yourself with love by taking care of your body.

MYTH 15: One must eat X number of calories (or have X number of points) every day.

Does it make sense that you would need exactly the same amount of fuel every day? Aren’t there just days when you are hungrier than others, maybe because of your activity levels or hormonal cycles? Rather than setting yourself up for failure, just start paying more attention to the needs of your body. Allow yourself the flexibility to adjust your intake based on your actual needs rather than an arbitrary number. Your body will let you know when more fuel is required or not required, you just need to become aware and develop a connection to your body. You control your body; your body doesn’t control you.

MYTH 16: You can lose fat and build muscle at the same time.

With very few exceptions, losing a lot of fat and gaining a lot of muscle at the same time is very hard to do. That’s because of the opposing demands these goals impose on the body.

MYTH 17: One needs to only do cardio and resistance exercise to lose weight.

If you want to lose fat, then exercise alone is not enough. You’ll need to eat right too. If you want to make achieve ultimate fat loss, then take a closer look at your diet.

MYTH 18: You need to exercise for 20 minutes or more to burn fat.

Fat is stored energy. To lose it, you have to use more energy (calories) than you get from your diet. And it doesn’t really matter whether you burn those calories in one long workout or several shorter ones.

MYTH 19: Long durations of cardio will help me lose weight.

When you engage in short bursts of high-intensity exercise, your body uses glycogen stored in the muscle tissues for energy. Over time this conditions your body to store energy in the muscle – rather than as fat. Exercising this way will also cause you to burn more fat during your recovery period, instead of your body losing lean muscle tissue during long durations and decreasing your metabolism.

In depth clinical explanation of the Comprehensive Metabolic Profile

2011-04-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Excercise Vs. Medicine: Risks and Benefits

2011-04-10T17:03:00.001-07:00

Exercise and medicine have been a subject of great debate as of late since people
are seeking more economically favorable health decisions. Medication prices have
spiked over the last few years while gym rates have dropped to some pretty tempting
prices over the last year. You as a consumer need to decide which one will provide
the most benefit for the buck. The medical industry’s boom of the 90’s gave
way to some great medications that can be great death prevention drugs. Unfortunately
there was lots of expensive research done during those days which drove up
the price of prescription medications. Exercise is one of the most underused preventative health tools that are used today.

Fitness Tips

2011-04-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

Top 10 reasons for hiring a personal trainer!
1.	To Improve Self Image
2.	Health Related Specific Training
3.	Injury Rehabilitation
4.	Sport Specific Training
5.	Supervision
6.	Efficient and Effective Workouts
7.	Individual Instruction
8.	Safety
9.	Commitment
10.	MOTIVATION!
	*- American Council on Exercise*

Fitness programs: 4 steps to getting started

Step 1: Assess your fitness level

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores can give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. To assess your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition, consider recording.

Step 2: Design your fitness program

It's easy to say that you'll exercise every day. But you'll need a plan — and no single plan is perfect for everyone. As you design your fitness program consider your fitness goals.

Step 3: Get started

Now you're ready for action.

Step 4: Monitor your progress

Retake your personal fitness assessment six weeks after you start your program and then again every three to six months. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise in order to continue improving. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you're exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals. If you lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity. Exercising with a friend or taking a class at a fitness center may help, too. Starting an exercise program is an important decision. But it doesn't have to be an overwhelming one. By planning carefully and pacing yourself, you can establish a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.

These exercise facts will help you learn more about building a strong and healthy body with exercise...

1. Sitting in front of the TV or video games doesn't exercise your body. In fact, if you spend too much time doing them, you can become slow and tired all the time!! To work your muscles, you need to run around and have fun!

2. Your heart is the strongest muscle in your body! It brings oxygen-rich blood to all of your muscles so that they can work as hard as you do. Keeping your heart strong and healthy makes your whole body work better. Stay away from things that weaken and damage your heart like cigarettes. They just slow you down and make it harder for you to run and play. Exercise helps make your heart stronger, so get out there and play!

3. Your body is made up of mostly water, so if you sweat while exercising, your body will need more water put into it! But don't wait till you're already thirsty to start drinking water--your body needs water even before you feel thirsty! Water helps prevent your muscles from cramping (which feels like a really sharp pain) when you exercise. Water helps keep the fluids in your body in balance, so that you stay healthier. Water is good for your skin and it helps your body use food more efficiently.

4. It's very important to ALWAYS wear a bike helmet when you're riding your bike to protect your head and face just in case you fall. Remember, a helmet can save your life!!

5. Exercise will make your muscles stronger and more flexible. Being more flexible means you can move easier and run faster. All good athletes are very flexible. Strong muscles means a stronger body and a better use of the calories that you eat. Be sure to warm up and cool down with a stretch before and after you exercise.

6. Safety is ALWAYS important, no matter what kind of exercise you are doing.

On The Right Path

2011-03-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

Your health is a journey, not a destination. It is one thing to know you want to lose weight, tone up, reduce stress and improve your mental focus, but getting there proposes a challenge and your mind makes it seem confusing at times. Taking the first step can be difficult if you have been in a dis-ease state for awhile now. It's important to gain knowledge about your true self before setting specific goals in order to know how to succeed. With proper knowledge, leadership, motivation and right tools from yourself, you will have the ability to succeed in developing a healthier and more balanced being. It takes a sense of purpose to seek commitment to obtaining balance and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's never too late to improve yourself; life lasts a lifetime. Love yourself by dedicating to yourself...Get on the right path! Your path!

KEY POINTS ON NUTRITION

2011-03-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

· The right amount of food per day is the first and most important step to achieving permanent and predictable weight loss through raising your metabolism.

· Process food leads to new body fat storage.

· Too much time between meals can slow the metabolism.

· Five to seven small meals/snacks can maximize metabolic rate and keep body fat loss consistent.

· Well-planned and spaced meals will lead to steady, high energy levels throughout the entire day.

· You don’t need to give up any of your favorite foods. If you do, you’ll get frustrated and be miserable. The key is eating reasonable amounts of food, even if they are unhealthy. It’s all about portion control.

· Don’t eat too little—it will cause your body to slow your metabolism. This is why so many people gain weight after giving up on a diet.

· Eat a variety of nutritious foods. When you eat, you are fueling your body. A person is bound to fail if they start a weight loss program and the program dictates exactly what foods they should be eating.

· The type of calories you consume is MORE important than the amount of calories you consume. Because of this, you are either gaining weight, or losing weight.

· Consider protein bars or shakes for snacks if protein levels are too difficult to achieve.

· There are different kinds of fat. Some fat is healthy fat. You need fat in your diet to be healthy. Stick to poly and mono saturated fats.

· Just like fats, there are good and bad carbohydrates. Try to stick to complex, unrefined carbohydrates. These kinds of carbohydrates provide you nutrition and fiber, which keeps you full longer.

Exercise Aides in Reducing the risk of Cancer - Dr.Mercola

2011-03-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Exercise—If you are like most people, when you think of reducing your risk of cancer, exercise doesn't immediately come to mind. However, there is some fairly compelling evidence that exercise can slash your risk of cancer.
One of the primary ways exercise lowers your risk for cancer is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Controlling your insulin levels and optimizing your vitamin D level are two of the most powerful steps you can take to reduce your cancer risk. For example, physically active adults experience about half the incidence of colon cancer as their sedentary counterparts, and women who exercise regularly can reduce their breast cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent compared to those who are inactive.
Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold right up to devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer.
The trick about exercise, though, is understanding how to use it as a precise tool. This ensures you are getting enough to achieve the benefit, not too much to cause injury, and the right variety to balance your entire physical structure and maintain strength and flexibility, and aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. This is why it is helpful to view exercise like a drug that needs to be carefully prescribed to achieve its maximum benefit.
It's important to include a large variety of techniques in your exercise routine, such as strength training, aerobics, core-building activities, and stretching. Most important of all, however, is to make sure you include high-intensity, burst-type exercise, such as Peak 8. Peak 8 are exercises performed once or twice a week, in which you raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, and then you recover for 90 seconds.
These exercises activate your super-fast twitch muscle fibers, which can increase your body's natural production of human growth hormone.

Reiki Self Healing Part 1

2011-02-01T05:04:00.001-08:00

Reiki Self Healing Part 2

2011-02-01T05:04:00.000-08:00

Just Release

2011-01-02T04:18:00.000-08:00

Moving on from your daily life of emotionless comfort can be a cosmic transformation in the making. At times people settle just to be comfortable in their own dismay. Challenges, changes, unexpected events are being ignored so one can continue to live in an illusion of comfort; even though happiness in that space of comfort is nonexistent. They willingly accept what their mind at times foolishly perceives to them to be their destined life; ignoring their hunger for change and true happiness. Negative created emotions and thoughts prevent the first step to be taken to journey through their hearts destined potential. One can hold themselves in bondage because of the fear of the unknown.Why would one fear the unknown, when in this limitless universe the unknown is shaped to benefit you in your quest of living in happiness and love. There is no such existing emotion called fear, it is created in the mind by you. Don't be a co-creator of emotions that will prevent you from claiming what is already in your possession; just take a leap of faith and claim your destined life. Follow your heart and walk in faith. Don't let your mind process the decision before your heart reveals that decision to you. Confusion settles in, and a battle of tug of war begin between the mind/ego and the heart. But why such confusion? The mind is not always to be trusted, while the heart is. So release the rope, cease the battle, and move forward with what your heart reveals to you. God leads you through your heart and will never let you stray from his commands. And those commands, are to create a purposeful life for you, which is full of miracles and full of happiness. If you are not happy, how can you create happiness for others in your environment. You are living as a robot, in which your actions are controlled by the environment and not by your hearts desires. Just release yourself from this prison that you allowed yourself to be in. Happiness is and should be effortless. Be free and release yourself from lies that your mind has created and live by the truths that have been in your heart. Travel the path of free, be released, and never be in bondage again.

The Rebirth of Joy

2010-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Why steal your joy away from yourself? Joy is the experience of recognizing the Christ presence within. To claim the Joy back in your life is to recall and proclaim your own rebirth. Behold the God Consciousness and its transforming Glory by renewing the spirit of joy. Your joy is never taken away from you by external circumstances, it is given away by your ego that is adjusting to circumstances. There is no need for such adjustment, just allow and remain in the spirit of joy. People, circumstances, material substances etc.....does not replace or add to what has existed within you since your birth eons ago. Believe in who you are and the creator that created you. Allow your joy to be present during any circumstance (negative or positive, bad or good) that is created for your benefit and your growth. All is joyful, the heart will always confirm it and the mind will at times deny it. There is only love that exist in this world, so don't create or claim mans creation of fear and any other negative fabricated emotions. Joy is the enjoyment of every new day with love for ourselves, others, and our divine plan from our God - Our creator. Each day is a present - literally, and we should rejoice in it through the unleashing of the joy within. Joy is who we are, its in our DNA. Why do you deny yourself? Never be confused of who you are and what you have been Bless with. Why do you deny the joy that is deep rooted in you??...If you are not living in joy, then its time to proclaim your rebirth, and revive the joy that stems within.

Don't Be a Statistic - Profit from Yourself

2010-12-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

Why are there weight loss centers in every corner now days? They seem to be popping up everywhere like fast food restaurants. Has the rate of obesity decline since this has happened? No! A report was assembled and presents that there has been a 44.8% to 66% increases in obesity from 1960 – 2010, and still continues to increase day to day. But why still an increase when there are a growing amount of weight loss centers in business to stabilize and decrease the epidemic? It is predicted that 3 out of 4 Americans will be overweight or obese in the year 2020 and per John Hopkins University Journal Obesity predicts a staggering over 85% will be obese or overweight by 2030. Obviously, something is totally wrong with this picture. More food chains go up and obesity clearly increases; more weight loss centers go up, and oddly obesity still increasing. Are these weight loss centers patient-centered or are they profit driven? The egos of greed become evident in a rapid growing market that oozes out profits from desperate individuals wanting to no longer be a statistic, but just seek assistance to lose weight and become healthy.
The weight loss business has become a billion dollar industry, and sadly enough to say businesses and institutions profit from the expectations of increased numbers of poor health conditioned and overweight consumers. One could stand corrected to say these people seeking clinical weight loss services are being regarded more as consumers and not patients. Again, what is wrong with this picture? This is not a bashing of Doctors of any sort, but why are Doctors who receive little or any training in nutrition go into the weight loss business? There are OBGYNs, Chiropractors, Family Physicians, and other medical professionals that have ventured into the weight loss market because of its high demand and profit gains. Some have been a blessing to their community because of this transition or addition to their practice, and unfortunately most have just become a new business to the community thriving on the population’s failures to lose weight and become healthy on their own. Would it be too much to expect your doctor to focus on the underlying causes of your symptoms, which more than likely is linked to or the byproduct of you being overweight? But instead, your doctor gives you a prescription for that particular symptom and suggests that you make an appointment at his/hers weight loss business for your serious weight condition. Has our health been negotiated to dollar amounts by the health care industry?
Hippocrates believed that the human body has an innate capacity for self-healing. We are our own physicians. “Physician, heal thyself” –Jesus. The power to lose weight and get healthy is under our control, but we throw away that power because of misunderstanding our own self worth and value. We steal money from ourselves to increase the value of someone else, by paying them to assist us on losing weight that we had accumulated by ourselves without their assistance. We become prisoners to our own bodies. If you commit the crime, you have to do the time. So if you were the reason of your weight gain, then let’s do the time and become the reason for our weight loss. No pills, no B12 shots, or surgeries will deliver you from being overweight. Start investing in you and your well being, not a billionaire dollar industry. Instead of throwing money away on so called “industry profiting diet pills” and “industry profiting b12 shots” for weight loss, spend your funds on organic whole foods, essential natural supplements, active living, and a purposeful driven life. Dr. Linus Pauling of forty eight PhDs and two unshared Nobel Prizes quoted, “Optimum nutrition is the medicine of tomorrow.” A good thing never came from not working for it, so become your own profit by working for it and investing into yourself. Don't Be a Statistic.

“Many people think they want things, but they don’t really have the strength, the discipline. They are weak. I believe that you get what you want if you want it badly enough.” – Sophia Loren

The Shift by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

2010-12-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

F.R.E.E - Forever Rejoicing Effortless Eternity

2010-12-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of FREE to each and every one of us? The meaning will be defined in many ways for each individual. Forever Rejoicing Effortless Eternity is one way to define the meaning of free. What prevents this definition to hold true to ones self, is the acceptance of the action of resistance. Resistance is created by the ego and formulated into life through the mind and is displayed by their physical illusion we call a reality. "Stop resisting. Let go. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." - Lao Tzu.... STOP! Why create Resistance? Aren't you made of and by God? Aren't you made of this Universe? Then why not allow yourself to be as free as an Eagle, free of disturbances. Free to roam freely in the vast space created for you by the Greatest of ALL, our God. A job is a job, money is money, a house is a house, a car is a car, but you are not just you. You are a being created into perfection by perfection. You have been granted the Free will...the Freedom to create your own reality through the power that resides within you...the power that has ALWAYS resided within you. This power allows you to be as free as you just allow to be. Imagine, if you realized that being free is looking right back at you in the mirror? You have been given the key to seek and learn how to be FREE since God created you into existence.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and small animals that scurry along the ground."
Genesis 1:27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:28 Then blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.

From the beginning of time we were granted the gift from our Father God to be FREE. We were made of his image and likeness...STOP, and digest that in your mind. We were made of his (GODs) "imagine and likeness." WOW!! What a gift....we are mini-replicas of God :-). We are FREE to reign over ALL the earth effortlessly, such as the Eagle effortlessly flies freely in the open unlimited vast skies. So the question is why do we confine ourselves to a limited drawn up illusion of a reality for ourselves? God Blessed us...US! And said to be fruitful and govern it. Why wait for another lifetime to carry out and enjoy these Blessings? If it was granted to us to be fruitful and to govern over all things with Love, why do we give the power to our ego to instill hesitation in us? Do we disregard the Blessing that was given to every one of us by the Higher Source or do we accept it and show our acceptance through our walk of Faith.

The amount in your bank account doesn't set you free, the cars you drive, the homes you own, the career you have, DOESN'T free you from the reality of who you are and it surely doesn't Complete you. We are all truly Free among imagination. We must wake up and become AWAKEN and realize we are Free, Unconstrained, unconfined, unrestrained, unchecked, unpreventable, unhindered, unobstructed, unbound, uncontrolled, untrammeled,ungoverned, unchained, unshackled, unfettered, unrestrained, unmuzzled, absolute, unforced, unbiased....We are simply FREE, don't allow the illusion of Life to live for you but allow yourself to Live the true reality of Life, so be FREE.

Wayne Dyer/How God Tells You It's Time For a Change

2010-12-11T05:04:00.000-08:00

The Power of the Mind - By His Holiness the Dalai

2010-12-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

The source and cause of peace and happiness is the mind.Both positive and negative experiences arise from the mind, depending on whether your mind is transformed or not. Therefore, it is most important to control and discipline the mind. All the fears and the immeasurable suffering that we encounter arise from the mind. The Buddha taught that there is no enemy more powerful than the mind. In all the realms of existence, there is nothing more frightful—nothing more to be feared than the mind. Likewise, he said that the disciplined mind gives rise to all excellent qualities. The source and cause of peace and happiness is the mind. Happiness arises from virtuous practice; sufferings arise from negative practice.

So happiness and suffering depend upon whether your mind is transformed or not. Even in the short term, the more you control and discipline your mind, the happier and more relaxed you will be. Once the mind within is controlled and relaxed, even if the whole universe appears to turn on you like an enemy, you will not feel threatened or unhappy. On the other hand, if you are internally disturbed and agitated, even if the most delicious food is laid out on the table in front of you, you will not enjoy it. You may hear pleasant things, but they will bring you no joy. So, depending on whether your mind is disciplined or not, you will experience happiness or suffering.
Once you transform your mind so that you have no possessiveness and no craving, you will achieve the perfection of giving. The perfection of giving means that you offer everything that you have, as well as the positive results of the offering, to all sentient beings. The practice is entirely dependent on the mind. The perfection of ethics is similar. Achieving the perfection of ethics means that you attain a state of mind that refrains from harming sentient beings in any way at all. It is a state completely free from self-centeredness. The practice of patience is the same. Unruly sentient beings are as infinite as the extent of space. However, once you control your own mind, it is as if you have destroyed all external enemies. If your mind is calm, even though the whole environment is hostile, you will not be disturbed. To protect your feet from thorns, you cannot cover the entire surface of the earth with leather.

Shifting Health

2010-12-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

Do we no longer eat according to who we are? Our health and well-being have taken a back seat to our materialistic values. We have lost our connections to who we truly are, and due to that we have fallen victim to unfortunate circumstances of dis-ease. We are no longer functioning according to our unique true existence. These negative acquired human habits we take upon ourselves are altering our bodies chemistry and taken the body, mind, and spirit off alignment. Eating according to your unique type goes beyond what you physically can see. It must go deeper into fully knowing one selves. We nourish our body to maintain and restore our eternal and physical being. We are so unique and indigenous people that we are even broken down into different dosha, metabolic type, blood type, etc..Have we taken time to appreciate who we are to understand how to heal ourselves and maintain a perfect alignment of body, mind, and spirit. Allow your whole You to connect as One to stay in the proper state of optimal balance. Healing our selves in all levels is effortless if we hold the key to understanding ourselves beyond the materialistic values and the naked eye. Our health should not continuously be shifting out of balance. Balance is key in all areas of our lives. True balance comes within ourselves. Doesn't matter what foods you may eat, healthy or not, if you are off balance mentally, emotionally, spiritually your physical health will continue to shift continuously towards dis-ease.

The Wellness Meter

2010-11-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

Chakra Meditation Balancing & Healing

2010-11-27T05:47:00.000-08:00

The Intensity Factor: What's your attitude and approach to getting fit and healthy?

2010-11-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed people in the gym that are consistent but you never see any changes in their body? Better yet, have you ever seen people working with a personal trainer month after month only to look the same? I give kudos to people who hit the gym for health benefits. Not everyone is going for the physique of a bodybuilder or fitness model. But if you’re looking for an extreme body transformation, whether it be to gain muscle mass or rip up, just showing up and going through the motions isn’t going to cut it. You need to go all out; you need the intensity factor.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a competitive bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone who wants to pack on more muscle, this first and foremost must become a lifestyle and secondly, you have to develop a love for it. You have to be border line obsessed with it. You need to develop the drive and determination. And if you already have it, you know as well as I do that you don’t have it every single day. Yet you still have to somehow zone in on your goal and push through, and there are ways you can achieve this intensity every workout.
First, you have to have a ‘why.’ Why are you doing this? What are your goals and what do you expect to accomplish? If you put a lot of time and effort into something, you expect to get something in return, even if it’s just personal fulfillment. Some people become comfortable where they’re at, even if it’s a low standard in life. But not you, hence you’ve made it this far in this article. You may be tired of being overweight or tired of being skinny and picked on, or you may be in decent shape already but you want to be better because it defines a tremendous part of who you are. Many people do this because it allows them to have a greater impact on others. Figure out your ‘why’ and hone in on that. This needs to become your focal point and will ramp up your level of intensity.
There are also some practical ways to increase intensity, but let me reiterate that you must discover the reason why you’re doing this first. This goes without saying, but a healthy diet with plenty of quality protein and proper rest are a must. Without that, you’ll be dragging yourself to the gym and will more than likely tear your body down more than you’ll build it up. Some type of pre workout supplement is a good idea as well. These can help with focus and allow you to pump out a few more reps than you normally would. Add that to your ‘why’ and that will give you the formula for success.

Intensity will certainly produce results. Train hard, and train all out

Power Within

2010-11-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

The power within you starts with you and ends with you. To begin a life changing transformation to become healthy and fit can’t happen unless you are mentally and spiritually focused on that change your vision. Your physical actions are the results of the spiritual and mental involvement. Fooling oneself that they are ready for the task is only going to cause one to slip deeper into the valley of failure, instead of progressing from peak to peak of the hilltops of success. To take on the assignments to get fit and healthy is a challenge in its own right, but to approach it without your game face on makes it another challenge all by itself. One has to turn to the power within and accept the truth that permits one to fulfill the achievable goals. The truth is that we can’t unleash the potential within if we don’t completely devote and are in belief of that goal that is pictured in our mind of being a healthy and fit being. We are greater than any challenges we encounter and more powerful from the inside out. To be healthy we must also understand and believe in the benefits of exercising, the essential necessity of eating healthy foods, the importance of repressing stressors, and the most important of them all, the benefit of truly loving ourselves. The value of an exercise and nutrition plan to help transform you into a healthier being is worthless if you try to follow it with no value in yourself. To love one-self is the first step to losing weight, getting healthy and staying fit forever. The manual to the first step of losing weight is found within.

The illusion of weight loss comes in the form of yo-yo diets, magic pills, fat loss for dummy books, and a plethora of gimmicks that magnets people to their demise. To save oneself from these tragic occurrences, one has to ignore the fantasy of quick fixes and accept the reality of self-accomplishments through perseverance, dedication, and the will to believe. Again folks, it’s all about the power within. How much do you value yourself to be a healthy beautiful person? What is the level of your self-worth? What will it take to understand you can accomplish all from the power within? No external force can assist you to meet the goals of losing weight and getting healthy if your mental and spiritual strength are too weak to move past the barriers of fear. The fear to fail, the fear to not believe in what can truly be, the fear that traps you in an illusion you call life. Allow the power within to prepare you for the possible mission of achieving optimal health.