Dizziness Holding You Back?
By Robert Raad
If you’re an active, healthy boomer—but at times you experience bouts of debilitating dizziness or a strong sense of spinning—chances are you’re feeling the effects of vertigo. Vertigo is the feeling of uncontrollable movement causing one to experience their environment spinning, resulting in dizziness or nausea for the sufferer. The symptoms may be ongoing or can only happen infrequently. Hearing loss, ringing in the ears, visual disturbances, and difficulty performing physical movements—even walking, can also occur.
What’s Really Happening?
Martial Arts for Seniors
Retired baby boomers with time on their hand are now considering taking martial arts whether it be karate, tae kwon do, kung fu, or tai chi. Though many have joined the softer and less aggressive arts like qigong or tai chi, a percentage of them are donning cotton white gis and attending karate classes. Some old timers in denial attempt mix martial arts till they end up the emergency room: Mind is willing but the body says no. Many that have decided to go back into martial arts after retirement are those with some experience, quitting, years back as lower ranking belts returning to finally earn the coveted black belt. Some do so after watching their kids through the years take martial arts but didn’t have the guts to take it then. For whatever reason, it’s something that baby boomers want to do now; a bucket list kind of thing.
Cancer Hates Mind Body Breath
Though this is my story, it's not about me.
It's about all those courageous people who face the biggest challenges of their lives.
I'm talking about those who are diagnosed with cancer.
A crazy and invasive disease involving abnormal growth in a body that eats up healthy cells subsequently increases mortality to healthy individuals. I am not immune to this disease.
My goal is produce video documentary from the heart, a story where Tai Chi is used to bring hope and inspiration to those diagnosed and suffering from the big "C".
To read more go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/416964540/cancer-hates-mind-body-breath
It's about all those courageous people who face the biggest challenges of their lives.
I'm talking about those who are diagnosed with cancer.
A crazy and invasive disease involving abnormal growth in a body that eats up healthy cells subsequently increases mortality to healthy individuals. I am not immune to this disease.
My goal is produce video documentary from the heart, a story where Tai Chi is used to bring hope and inspiration to those diagnosed and suffering from the big "C".
To read more go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/416964540/cancer-hates-mind-body-breath
Baby Boomer Sensei Does 62 Pushups on his 62nd Birthday
Just because I practice Tai Chi and Qigong everyday, doesn't mean I can't do a push up or two.
Health Buzz: Tai Chi Helpful to Heart Patients (Article Reprint)
By ANGELA HAUPT
April 26, 2011
Study: Tai Chi Improves Mood and Quality of Life for Heart Failure Patients
The ancient Chinese exercise tai chi—which blends moderate-intensity aerobics with strength training, breathing techniques, and stress management—could boost heart patients' quality of life. Researchers split 100 patients with heart failure into two groups: Half participated in a 12-week tai chi program, while the others spent 12 weeks in an educational program learning about heart-related issues, like low-sodium diets and heart-rhythm problems. At the end of the study, the tai chi group reported improvements in mood, less depression, less fatigue, and more energy than the others—and those in the first group were more likely to continue with some type of physical activity, according to findings published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. "Maintaining an exercise regimen is important in heart failure," study author Gloria Yeh of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told HealthDay. "Tai chi may be a suitable alternative or adjunct exercise for these patients."
The gentle, 2,000-year-old Chinese practice of tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion." But the Harvard Women's Health Watch newsletter suggests a more apt description is "medication in motion."
Tai chi, the most famous branch of Qigong, or exercises that harness the qi (life energy, pronounced "chee"), has been linked to health benefits for virtually everyone from children to seniors. Researchers aren't sure exactly how, but studies show that tai chi improves the quality of life for breast cancer patients and Parkinson's sufferers. Its combination of martial arts movements and deep breathing can be adapted even for people in wheelchairs. And it has shown promise in treating sleep problems and high blood pressure.
Good Friday
I've done some soul searching and found that the best way to relieve myself of anxiety is to turn my computer off and read a book. I can't tell you why it makes sense for me but it does.
Double Leg Take Down
By Sensei Domi
There’s a story behind this picture.
My Message About Being Bullied
Years ago in high school, I walked my girlfriend to class. It was a normal day except for something that enfolded right before my eyes. I saw this bully approach a smaller boy, smaller in
stature, quiet and unassuming; his victim. The
bigger boy backed by five other tough guys asked the little boy for a
quarter. The smaller boy attempted to
comply by first opening up his locker and placing his books in it. The bigger boy kept on hounding him to hurry
up, classes were about to start. Several
teachers witnessed this event but did nothing. It was well documented that these thugs had a reputation of violence and some had criminal records. So when the little man began pulling money from his pocket the bully slams a fist on the boy’s jaw
knocking him down. The frenzy began; his partners hoot and hollered, screaming and laughing, encouraging him on to finish the job which the bully gladly obliged by throwing punch after
punch.
Being Mindful During the Holiday Season
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| Courtesy of npr.org |
Unfortunately, happy times comes with the burden of additional tasks and responsibilities like carrying heavy rocks on our backs with every step we take.
Sink or swim. No such thing as swim badly.
To “reflect” is “to think, ponder, or meditate a fixing on thoughts with careful consideration.” So far we’ve learned certain concepts, examined both relevant and irrelevant anecdotal examples. With reflection, we ask: “why” for the sake of asking “WHY?” Children ask all the time: Why?” It is perhaps the most fundamental and essential of question of all. Like life itself “WHY?” has to do with its essence: “WHY?” is deep, philosophical, profound, simple, all a bit out of the ordinary. If one question leads to another, the second one will take us to a journey, an experience. There is this thing called “Life” that is both an experience and a journey. What else do we need to know about “journey” and “experience?” It’s days, one after the other that represents a journey, each and every one adding a life’s experience. There are good days and bad, and some barely all that a person can do is just to be able to deal. Despite the aches, pains, trials and tribulations, we manage to persevere, get through the day albeit frustrated, exhausted or drained. As we live and breathe, our lives have purpose and meaning, gauged by accomplishments or lack thereof. They follow a course, path or life road map, planned or unplanned. For those journeying down the path of deliberateness, life is methodical, with direction and predestination, and along the haphazard or prescribed course we call life, and there are tasks that we take charge.
The tasks are ours and ours alone, like the fingerprints or identifiers that make each one of us different. Each day, we perform certain of these tasks or duties that are routine and manageable according to our personal settings and profiles. These particular tasks we take in stride because we expect and await and are prepared for their arrivals. The others, the ones we disdain, we wish are someone else’s headache and more than not, they don’t go away, despite what we hope and wish for. This notwithstanding, whatever the task, we must remain at the ready, always poised for battle. Battles, big or small, are won or lost, assumed the personas of inner struggles where, for example, some “experience” idleness, isolation, loneliness, the likes of which involve empty stares, focuses, ambitions, temporary setbacks or perpetuity. Under duress, faced with harsh and trying, if not extreme circumstances, the battle lines are unequivocally drawn. The process to choose to fight or surrender with respect to all tasks is absolute and comes from within. We are breathing, thinking beings, and we possess this ability. We are warriors one and all, ultimately emboldened to face tasks with confidence and accomplishment. If our minds are cluttered or narrow; not being of open or of “empty” mind, then we may be setting ourselves up for failure. Regardless, each of these tasks or events is depicted or “cartographic,” so to speak, on the map of life. And identifying or recognizing ourselves as warriors or not, we are alive with abilities to make things happen. Do we accept the challenge of “task-facing” or more correctly, “task-taking” with responsibility?
I believe most do. And I believe that those who do, do so fulfilled, multi-dimensional in scope, breadth and depth. Our ferocity, our tenacity forge life ahead forever transforming a world, our world, always in transition, always evolving. With this constant evolution, we have adapted, always persevering. Those who persevere are survivors. Bottom line? It’s either sink or swim; no such thing as swim badly.
Baby Boomer Sensei Writes His First Book!!!
Hi all,
Self promoting myself. I wrote Torn Gi and a Number Two Lead Pencil, an autobiography about my journey through martial arts. I've had other people read it and they said it won't win any prizes, but a good read. Check it out and hope you enjoy it!!!
Torn Gi
Sensei Domi
Self promoting myself. I wrote Torn Gi and a Number Two Lead Pencil, an autobiography about my journey through martial arts. I've had other people read it and they said it won't win any prizes, but a good read. Check it out and hope you enjoy it!!!
Torn Gi
Sensei Domi
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