There is so much to explore beneath the surface

Reflecting on the times at hand and my great conversation with Steve Cotter I am so intrigued with the idea of surface vs depth. I know I am one who seeks the depths and finds the light in the process but I am also one who teaches the depths, the 'esoteric' of movement, stillness, life.

Yesterday on the surface we as a nation of the United States elected an "African"-American as President. This the first time ever we have had something other than a 'white' man as President of the country and as has been said ruler of the Free World. Yes, this is an amazing and historic and transformational/transcedent time in the history of the world. We need to have gratitude for those who saw this as an opportunity to shift the paradigm of the current state of beliefs and move forward beyond the surface.

The surface is the skin color, the term African-American or White to the fact that we are all humans who truly have more in common the we do differences. The differences exist in our contexts of truths but the realities of logical is we are all humans with so much of our depths interrelated that we when actually look beyond the surface, when we awaken to the see the light in the depths we see that we are bound together by more things in common than differences.

There is few things/areas where we do not have choice: our parents/family, where we are born, the color of our skin, and those first few years of our life when we are discovering and doing so in an environment where we did not choose and those are pivotal years as they become our sub or unconscious behaviors in our latter years.

So, based on this information is our context on truth related to these things such as where we come from and color of our skin really a deep truth in our soul or more a subconscious belief or a socialized belief? I am not sure but I do belief we are all created equal in many senses, maybe not with opportunity but the intended is not to say one person is less or more than another.

How can we fairly judge another? More important, can we?

When acting take a look at the depth of things, beyond your scope, beyond the context of your truth. Be open with your eyes, ears, hands, arms, heart to the possibility that exists not only for you but all. The world is bigger than the individual, it truly is a collection of individuals and all the things that make it up.

Awaken, come alive and look into the depth of your soul, of others, or the nature of being and existence. Be flexible, be strong, and understand that there is more than meets the eye. Be considerate and kind, be compassionate and loving. Why Fear, has it helped you, have you seen it help others?

There is so much to explore beneath the surface.

This weeks Guest, Steve Cotter

Join me and Steve Cotter tomorrow, Wednesday at 1 p.m. PST on

Steve Cotter draws from an extensive and diverse background as a champion athlete and cutting-edge trainer to develop some of the most complete and exciting programs in strength and conditioning today.

Throughout his lifelong study, Steve continues to research and implement the most effective training methods in kettlebells, martial arts, qigong, strength and conditioning, athletics and human performance fields. He constantly improves his skills and abilities to benefit, teach and motivate you.

Cotter shares his years of experience as a martial artist, world-class athlete and fitness coach to design and supervise programs for those who take their training seriously. While each client is unique, a common theme always presents itself in Steve's training programs; an unyielding focus, unparalleled intensity and precise attention to detail.

To learn more about Steve please visit his website and his community.

www.fullkontact.com
www.IKFF.com

context, everything has context based on truths formulated from beliefs, expectations, assumptions, judgements, etc. Therefore I ask how can anyone truly be right or wrong if we only know from our own context? This notion & perspective on context helps me to be more present, more open to life & all the people & experiences, to truly understand the concept of here & now, the idea that evrything is divine, is perfect as is in the moment. Now if we do not like something & we are conscious & present with 'it' then we can take action based on our choir(s) & create the context we wish, want, desire!

For you this may or may not resonate based on your context to a word, the phrase/statement or idea of what I am presenting. This is your choice & your actions will support this truth. Whatever they be I have unconditional love, compassion, respect, gratitude, & peace for you. I applaud you for acting in your truth.

A reflection on one of my take sways from this weekends coaching course.

If your interested toto www.theparadigmshifts.com

So, taking a look and reflecting on my life and its current state and place I have thought about how I best wanted to use my blog. Initially it was all fitness, a way to share my workouts with my coach and others whom might be interested. But as it and I have evolved and involved the blog has progressed more to a free flowing philosophical reflection on life and aspects, things, etc. about life and living.

This being said I plan to use this as a place to continue to share Joelosophy on how to life live without limits. I plan to write and share thoughts about what it all means. If your interested in more details about my workouts please email or make a comment, I am more than willing to share.

I hope this blog and my writings help you and others in some way. I hope to bring to you others inspirational pieces that will do the same and more. This is a place to enhance, inspire, share, feel free and open, be compassionate and expand/transcend.

Thank you for your support and stay tuned! :-)

Thursday Workouts

Another great day just continues. My morning started off with an hour hanging with M. Nora Klaver on her show 'Bare Naked' hosted by VoiceAmerica.com. Wow, being the subject and someone asking you to share your life and your stories is amazing. I feel honored to have such a great opportunity and I thank Nora and all the listeners.

Workouts:
Kettlebell Snatch
24/5/5x2
32/3/3x2
40/1/1x5

Pull-ups
8x5

Felt great to pull of these numbers today. To have this power and strength combined with the Trail Running Endurance and strength and the Yoga strength and flexibility is amazing. Feeling balanced!

Yoga
90 minutes of foundation Yoga with Kent at WG Yoga. Yet again another fantastic Yoga class. Kent pushed us hard today and I could tell he was demanding more out of us in our poses.

Missed all workouts yesterday but considering the great day and fullness of the day I smile and accept that an extra day of rest is a great thing. Now, I will make more out of each training session remaining this week

My 'first' radio interview, I am the subject :-)

Tomorrow will be my first (really second because I just did a pre-record for air on November 25th on Tina Marie Jones show) live on air interview, where I am the subject or interviewee. The show is on the VoiceAmerica network, same one where I host my weekly show and will be with M. Nora Klaver.

www.modavox.com/voiceamerica
6 am PST (with replay and dowload as well through VoiceAmerica)

Here is Nora's Info

Show Description
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep! Welcome to the show - “Bare Naked with Nora Klaver” - a celebration of life and all the inevitable mistakes we make through the course of it! Internationally recognized author, speaker, and master coach, M. Nora Klaver embraces the counter-intuitive -- working against generally accepted mindsets. No matter how you view yourself - making mistakes and having the ability to laugh and learn from them is the single most effective way to turn your challenges into triumphs. Join Nora Thursdays at 6 AM Pacific on VoiceAmerica as she shares her own library of personal blunders and life lessons. Each week, you will learn from experts, authors, business people and celebrities as they share their brilliant ideas and current projects. Nora invites them to go “bare naked”! Laugh with them as they reveal their biggest mistakes, as well as hard earned lessons. You’ll never see your heroes in quite the same way again. http://www.mnoraklaver.com

Tuesday Workouts

Tuesday

Deadlift
135/3x1
185/3x1
225/2x1
2751x1
315/1x1
345/1x1
365/1x1
405/1x1

Good to feel a bit of weight in my hands. Pleased considering I just finished a half marathon on Sunday and have only had one prior deadlifting session, the previous week 315/1x5. I will have more to say down the line as my program continues.

Simply put I love the strength, I love the move and I plan to keep the volume low and focus on a slow progression and their is no known limits.

Military Press
24/3/3x1
32/3/3x2
40/1/1x7

YOGA:
Willow Glen Foundations Yoga with Kent Bond. Wow, this was a spectacular class with Kent really helping us to gain a deeper level understanding of hip opening (kinda reminded me of Pavel's principles). Taking small steps and making one foot go and then the other was the point of this class. The end result was some of the deepest opening ever and a deeper understanding of postures, and beyond. This is what I love about a great teacher, taking time to break it down, work with each student, explore each student, explore poses on all levels and truly help us to take a step forward in the deepening of our practice. WOW!

Wednesday's Guest, Dynamite Awareness

Join me and these 2 amazing and interesting ladies. This should be something different and quite interesting...I am not sure what to expect :-)

Traci Irons and Tracy D. McMahan are pioneers with in the health and wellness industry. Both women have extensive knowledge in multiple healing modalities and Human behavior. They combined their passion for healing and health and co-created a new revolutionary healing method know as Holographic Reprogramming Therapy; which quickly and effectively removes and clears out life times of conscious and unconscious hard wired negative belief systems and programming.
Traci Irons and Tracy D. McMahan (TNT) are producers, radio talk show hosts, media coaches, and authors in the areas of personal awareness, self help and personal growth.


13.1 and my Training Regimen

Yes, today marked a race or what amounts to a training run. The race took us from downtown San Jose, through my old stomping grounds of Willow Glen down the Vasona Trail with a finish in beautiful Los Gatos. A beautiful day, a beautiful run with a strong finish.

The total time was 1:56 which is awesome and this is the first time in my almost 3 months of training I have broke the 10 mile mark so to have a strong finish over the last 4 miles was great. I could tell I was breezing because I passed a lot of people, not that this matters because it truly does not but I could tell I was getting stronger as I neared the end of the run.

The beauty of this whole experience is that all my training for life and everything else is blending and flowing so well. My strength, endurance, flexibility all have and continue to build in all aspects of my being and this was a great example or 'test' of the overall life program.

I did not deviate from my normal training regimen all week doing a long hill run Friday, Yoga yesterday and today's run so that to me made it all the more perfect. The point is that I did not approach this as a race but as another beautiful day. I knew I would push harder, challenge myself more, etc. but I also knew that whatever time that this was another day to train for life and living, another part of my daily practice of being!

My yoga practice has been 5-6 days a week and I have been attending classes rather than home practice in an effort to observe how others teach and make my presence felt as I will begin teaching soon.

My kettlebells have been great, pressing the 40kg, Snatching the 32 and even the 40kg, and now will add a third workout with Jerks plus doing Deadlifts again and pull-ups. The loads are heavy, the volume moderate and intensity what it is because of the weights. I LOVE BEING STRONG!!!!!

My running is only 3 days a week which is just fine and mainly consists of hills. I have to be careful because of the demands on hills but I am listening load and clear to my body, in fact no running till Wed.

TRAINING REGIMEN (in a perfect world, since things do vary I allow for complete flexibility and flow. I try to make the best use of my time and schedule all while listening to my deeper being and body, not my thoughts :-)

Tuesday: Strength and Yoga
*Deadlifts
*Presses
*Pull-ups
*Yoga (Darshana or Willow Glen Yoga)

Wednesday: Endurance and Yoga
*Trail Run (45 minutes or so)
*Yoga (Darshana)

Thursday: Strength and Yoga
*Snatches
*Pull-ups
*Yoga (Home or Willow Glen)

Friday: Endurance and Yoga
*Trail Run (1 hour or so)
*Yoga (depends on business schedule..maybe home practice)

Saturday: Strength and Yoga
*Jerks
*Pull-ups
*Yoga (Darshana or Los Gatos yoga source)

Sunday: Endurance and Yoga
*Trail Run (long)
*Yoga (Home or Darshana)

Trails

If you have had the pleasure of trail running then you may understand where I am coming from. For me trail running in analogous to live in general and the everyday living. Trail running like life takes you on many paths. And like life trails connect to other trails and lead to many other trails, networking. Sometimes these trails will lead you back to a trail on which you have already been on. In addition, trails like the paths of life are typically undulating in nature with some flat, some downhill and some uphill. The degrees of undulation vary from trail to trail, path to path.

Now trail running is by far a challenging experience. One does not typically just go out and run any trail nor does one just go on any path. Typically we do some form of preparation before embarking on trail running, such as running on flat surfaces and building a solid foundation before hitting the trails. Just like any path in life, the choice to run trails is a choice to challenge yourself on a whole new level. After all, as a person who is running I could have chosen to just run the streets and flats, this is not to diminish those who do but there is a certain personality type that is attracted to trail running as there is in any thing in life.

I have chosen to run trails for various reasons and the challenge, physical and mental is so appealing that I have once again found myself spending 3 days a week in the hills running trails. In a sense I have come full circle, because about 4 years ago I stopped adventure racing and with it trail running instead focusing on Kettlebells (which I still do 3 days a week...love them).

When I used to run I would say I did so more with an ego, and a limited knowledge base or foundation in some sense. I never achieved what I could have and never truly understood or at least practiced to my best abilities. I would say I did not prepare nor practice/train smart. Now, I attribute todays approach and subsequent success with a greater understanding of life, myself, training, preparation, the analogy of life and the paths we take, and the past 4 years of learning. Safe to say the path I travelled has helped prepare me to be at my best as of today and with room for so much more.

The greater flexibility in my mind, body, soul and life combined with a greater level of consciousness and a deeper understanding of training and practice has lead me to new trails and new paths the likes which I have never experienced.

So, today as I ran I paid close attention to how my gate, my pace and my mind changed as the terrain and pathways changed before my eyes. When I came to long hills with steep inclines I looked up and noticed where the 'top' was but kept telling myself that 'now with this perspective remember that it is one step at a time, left, right, left right and so on. No matter how long or steep if you take it one step at a time and remember to take it slow and steady not only will you get to the top but you will be able to appreciate what it took to get there and what it takes to continue moving forward on too other trails and other climbs which may indeed be steeper and longer.'

Not focusing on finishing or how hard the was, or how steep the hills are or what was yet to come and instead focusing on taking it all in, one step at a time and truly being present and enjoying, not judging my performance more just observing it all truly enabled me to handle all the 'obstacles' or at least so called obstacles with a calm mind and strong body.

So often we focus on the end result, the outcome and become attached to this outcome and in the process judge and evaluate not only ourselves but others, that we forget about the journey, the process, the paths and things we overcame, that got us to this point. SO much goes into making things happen, bringing it all together that we must remember to appreciate all the little things that make up the big thing, whatever it is.

I am grateful for all the stuff that has helped me to get to this point, this path to be on this trail and I see the endless network of trails that lie ahead. I believe all of this will help prepare me for anything in life.

Life is full of trails with varying degrees of undulation or as someone might say difficulty. Remember to take one step at a time and stop to smell the flowers, listen to the birds, observe the sun and moon and clouds, etc. Enjoy it all and take it all in.

Transcendence

Beyond! Beyond where you stand, where you see, what you hear, what you be, what around you be, beyond your minds eye. We can transcend our current state to that which we wish to be, wish too...Yes, we can move beyond the here, beyond the now, beyond the pain, the suffering, beyond our poor choices, beyond our past, out of our present state to a new state of presence.

As a coach, as a counselor, educator, support mechanism, motivator, inspirational person, friend I contact people everyday wishing to be at a higher level, to achieve a better state of being. Examples include, changing perceptions about body imaging, changing their appearance, having better relations with their loved ones, having a deeper connection with themselves, moving beyond depression, feeling better about themselves, etc.

My one thing I say to them is that, YES YOU CAN, you can transcend your current state and be as you wish to be. Anything is possible, your are only limited by your own self (and you know no better and I cannot fault you for this but just be compassionate and loving). I am here to tell you YES YOU CAN and I am here to support and guide you to your own ability to transcend because truly only YOU CAN transcend your current state.

Yes, it does help to have support and others help but it is your choice, your ability to comprehend, to discover, to uncover and bring yourself to new heights. The great thing again is Transcendence is possible, it does happen, it does exist and examples live here and now.

Transcendence is a journey, a process and the fact that you are here and acknowledging your wish, desire, etc. to move beyond is part of your transcending the moment. However, you need to be conscious, present, aware and alive as much as you possibly can. You need to have love, gratitude, be at peace and have compassion for yourself, your past, your current state. You do not 'need' to go any further, just have respect and understand that everything is ok, everything is perfect as it has been and that you can create the life you wish, YES YOU CAN transcend and move beyond.

Transcendence is a journey, enjoy the moment, be at peace and have love and gratitude for all things past and present and know that anything is possible, that live does not have to have limits.

We can make this as complex as we wish and if you desire to have a deeper more complex understanding then there are plenty a resource out there to explore and examine. I have and do this myself but one thing I have learned is that I am transcending and I am doing so because I have so much love, gratitude, peace, compassion for all that has come to me in life. Also, I realize our stories our different, that indeed I have had it 'easier' than others and for you I have love, compassion, respect, gratitude and peace for you and I believe in you, trust in you that you too can Transcend to new heights, new levels.

Humbly,
Joe

Expectations

Do you have any expectations? If so, are you, have you been successful in fulfilling your expectations? How does it feel to do so? or how does it feel to not do so? Are your expectations set in a solid foundation of reality? Why do you set expectations?

I have lived my life with certain expectations but as I grew I learned that in doing so I was setting limitations on myself. Now, I do not see expectations as goals, after all if they were the same then why do we have 2 different words with 2 different meanings describing the same thing? Well, we do not because they are unique to one another. That being said I said to myself "no expectations, no limitations"

Now, for you expectations may be a positive thing that help you in your life, well then you should continue if you feel good about these. However, when we place expectations on others, when place expectations on things out of our 'control' then I question whether this is fair to anyone or anything.

During this time we are faced with elections for our nation, one of significance as there is a major shift happening one way or another. Is it fair to expect that whomever becomes President or is elected to any office will be the person or people to fulfill our wishes? In my humble opinion, heck no. I am, you are responsible for yourself and your actions...NO ONE ELSE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU! Fair enough?, maybe not but their is a prevailing wisdom amongst people who are considered 'experts' that we are accountable and responsible for ourselves and our actions, no matter what.

So, we must be conscious and aware and not place any expectations on anyone else or anything else. In addition, we must manage our expectations of ourselves (assuming you choose to place this upon yourself). Management and understanding of expectations are key factors in truly grasping what we are saying when we place these things upon ourselves.

Why do I bring this up? Because daily I meet and talk with folks whom have expectations of things. I often with an observational eye wonder if these expectations are truly founded on a solid foundation of reality. What I often see as a result is additional stresses and pressures that add to an already overload of other stressors of life and living. In turn, when these people fail to live up to expectations I see them beat themselves up over it on top of how they beat themselves up through the process.

Take a deep breathe, be open, be flexible and definitely stretch yourself in life, challenge yourself but without expectation, without the added stress of an expected outcome. This and further attachment to the outcome, the fulfillment of the outcome tend to bring undue harm. When we are attached to an outcome, filled with expectations we place limitations on ourselves by (not necessarily intentionally) placing restraints, limiting our ability to adapt, to be flexible, to stretch beyond our comfort, beyond our expectations to something that may be even more amazing, suit us better.

As Deepak Chopra says have faith, because we all live in the unknown. By having faith you live in reality because you have trust, faith in your ownself and that what is to be will be and all will be perfect.

Affirmations from Louise Hay

My income is constantly increasing.
I prosper where ever I turn.
I am open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the universe and THANK YOU LIFE!
I am a magnet for money, prosperity of every kind is drawn to me.
Where ever it is that I work I am deeply appreciated and well compensated.
I live in a loving, abundant, harmonious universe and I am grateful.
I am now willing to be open to the unlimited prosperity that exists everywhere.
Life supplies all my needs in great abundance, I trust life.
The Law of Attraction brings only good into my life.
I move from poverty thinking to prosperity thinking and my finances reflect this change.
I express gratitude for all the good in my life, each day brings wonderful new surprises.
I pay my bills with love, and I rejoice as I write out each check, abundance flows freely though me.
I deserve the best and I accept the best now.
I release all resistance to money and I now allow it to flow joyously into my life.
My good comes from everywhere and everyone.
Money flows into my life in an abundant way.

I accept perfect health now.
I love and appreciate my body.
I allow my body to return to it’s natural vibrant health.
I honor my body and take good care of it.
Wonderful new doors are opening for me all the time.
I am in the process of positive new changes and I expect the best.
I radiate love, and love fills my life.

I enjoy the foods that are best for my body.
I love every cell of my body.
I make healthy choices.
I have respect for myself.
I look forward to a healthy old age because I take loving care of my body now.
I am constantly discovering new ways to improve my health.
I return my body to optimum health by giving it what it needs on every level.
Healing happens, I get my mind out of the way and allow the intelligence of my body to do it’s healing work naturally.
I have a special Guardian Angel, I am divinely guided and protected at all times
Perfect health is my divine right and I claim it now.
I am grateful for my healthy body. I love life.
I am the only person that has control my eating habits, I can always resist something if I chose to.
Water is my favorite beverage. I drink lots of water to cleanse my body and mind.
Filling my mind with pleasant thoughts is the quickest road to health.

The door of my heart opens inwards, I move through forgiveness to love. As I change my thoughts, the world around me changes. The past is over, so it has no power now. The thoughts of this moment create my future.
It is no fun being a victim, I refuse to be helpless anymore. I claim my own power.
I give myself the gift of freedom from the past and move with joy into the now.
There is no problem too big or too small that it can not be solved with love.
I am ready to be healed, I am willing to forgive, and all is well.
I know that old negative patterns no longer limit me, I let them go with ease.
As I forgive myself, it is easier to forgive others.
I forgive myself for not being perfect. I am living the very best way I know how. It is now safe for me to release all of my childhood traumas and move into love.
I forgive everyone in my past for all perceived wrongs, I release them with love.
All of the changes in life that lie before me are positive ones, and I am safe.

I release all resistance to expressing my creativity fully.
I am always in touch with my creative source.
I feel good expressing myself in all sorts of creative ways.
I am a clear thinker and I express myself with ease.
I am learning to be more creative every day.
My potential is unlimited.
I am discovering talents I did not know I had.
My innate creativity surprises and delights me
My talents are in demand and my unique gifts are appreciated by those around me.
I am a joyous creative expression of life. Ideas come to me easily and effortlessly.

I will allow these affirmations to fill my consciousness, knowing that they will come true for me and I will practice them often and with joy.
From time to time I ask those I love “ How can I love you more?”
I choose to see clearly with eyes of love, I love what I see.
I draw love and romance into my love and I accept it now.
Love is around every corner and joy fills my entire world.
I rejoice in the love I encounter every day.
I am comfortable looking in the mirror and saying, “I love you, I really really love you and I accept you exactly as you are.”
I now deserve love, romance and joy and all the good life has to offer me.
I am surrounded by love, all is well.
I am in a joyous intimate relationship with a person who truly loves me.
I am beautiful and everybody loves me. I am greeted by love where ever I go.
I attract only healthy relationships, I am always treated well.
I am very thankful for all the love in my life, I find it everywhere.

No matter where I am, there is only infinite good, infinite wisdom, infinite harmony and love
I only give out that of which I wish to receive. My love and acceptance of others is mirrored to me in everyway.
The joy I find in my career is reflected in my overall happiness.
At my job my coworkers and I encourage each other’s growth and success.
The perfect job is looking for me and we are being brought together now.
I truly believe that we are here to bless and prosper each other. I reflect this belief in my daily interactions.
When it is time for a new job, the perfect position presents itself easily.
Opportunities are everywhere, I have unlimited choices.
Working together is part of the purpose of life, I love the people I work with.
I deserve to have a successful career and I accept it now.
Everyone I encounter at work today has my best interests at heart.
I am very good at giving encouragement and positive feedback to others.
I have unlimited potential, only good lies before me.
My workspace is a pleasure to be in. There is mutual respect among my coworkers.

I let go of all fear and doubt and life becomes simple and easy for me.
I create a stress free world for myself.
I relax all of my neck muscles and I let go of any tension in my shoulders.
I slowly breathe in and out. I find myself relaxing more and more with each breath.
I am a capable person and I can handle anything that comes my way.
I am centered and focused. I feel more secure with each day.
I am safe when I express my feelings.
I can be serene in any situation.
I am comfortable with my finances, I am always able to pay my bills on time.
I trust myself to deal with any problems that arise during the day.
I realize that stress is only fear, I now release all fears.
I am in the process of making positive changes in all areas of my life.

I an totally adequate for all situations.
I choose to feel good about myself, I am worthy of my own love.
I stand on my own two feet, I accept and use my own power. It is safe for me to speak up for myself.
I am loved and accepted as I am, right here and right now.
My self esteem is high because I honor who I am.
My life gets more fabulous every day. I look forward to what each new hour brings.
I am neither too little nor too much, and I do not need to prove myself to anyone.
Life supports me in every possible way.
My consciousness if filled with healthy, positive, loving thoughts that reflect themselves in my experience.
The greatest gift I can give myself is unconditional love.
I love myself exactly as I am.
I no longer wait to be perfect in order to love myself.

This Weeks Guest, Debi Silber

The Mojo Coach

Thats right, Debi SIlber is indeed a Mojo Coach and I have to say well worth your time and worth investing into. Debi specializes in mothers and specifically a wholeness Lifestyle Health and Wellness Program/Approach. Please join us live today at 1 PM PST or if you cannot catch it live, listen for at your pleasure or download to listen (available after 4 pm PST).

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 1pm Pacific

The Mojo Lifestyle Program
Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC, is a Registered Dietitian with a Master's degree in Nutrition Science. She's a Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach, Lifestyle Expert-just for moms, President of Lifestyle Fitness, Inc. and the author of "The Lifestyle Fitness Program: A Six Part Plan So Every Mom Can Look, Feel and Live Her Best". Debi's been branded "The Mojo Coach" because for nearly 20 years she's motivated overweight, overwhelmed and unfit moms to "get their mojo back" through gradual, lifestyle change.
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A Conversation

Below is an exchange between my friend Aimee and I.
PART 1: Joe
To stretch is to explore. To be flexible is to be able to be open,
bend & adapt. It is to be free of ego.

Be intellectual, physical & spiritual. To breathe is to feed, nourish
our being

We must b careful not to feed peoples impatience with magic pills.
Instead we must focus on the patience of the journey, stretching
beyond the moment creating flexibility allowing what is to be, to be!

We r often resistant to change of habit, from what we know or belief
to be right/true. This creates rigidity of disables us. This
disability limits our freedom to explore & the space in which we can
move.

Through yoga we can explore movement & stillness of the physical,
intellectual, & spiritual components of life &existence. In order to
do so &see beyond our walls we need to breakdown our constructs & free
ourselves from the walls the bound us, this creating space to explore
our life without limits.

PART 2: Aimee

When i start thinking about that- or feeling it ...empathetically ;) the idea of safety within our rigidity comes to mind....i think only when we feel safe enough to expand our limitations or self-imposed walls will we do that (expand beyond our barriers)- bc when we are in a state of fear- it automatically triggers our autonomic nervous system and all we know to do is defend ourselves...because we feel threatened- and we do this reflexively (unconsciously)....our walls are there to protect us...but the illusion is the idea or belief that we need protection- bc we are always safe truly- even in life or death situations...because we never really die-- but the flesh makes us feel differently about the whole thing= the illusion of mortality....when we can trascend this then we are truly free- yoga is a great plce to 'practice' our ability to expand our limitations....our rigidity....as instructors it is really crucial that we seek to create a space of love and safety- but alas it is alway in the mind of the pracitioner...the yogi that dictates how far they will allow themselves to go- but what NLP has discovered that we can get ourselves out of our repetilian brain (the fight or flight stance)- through connecting with our higher self our spirit...and i believe we can do this through yoga....or through connecting with our vision and our life dreams- or just simply from appreciating life (thereby connecting with Love- the highest energy imaginable)...hmmmm good stuff -

Workout Updates

Running:

Been spending a lot of time on my legs and in the hills. Runs average 45 to 90 minutes and varying trails as well as a flat run mixed in. Through the runs I am seeing a great increase in my endurance as well as hill strength. I am finding that all the hill/trail runs are increasing my flat times/average miles. My focus has been to listen to my body and my Central Nervous System to determine if I am moving too much or running too many hill miles/minutes. So far so good and I am really happy having this as a strong part of my life and training for life protocols. I feel really balanced with this aspect included.

Kettlebells

Focus on strength. I am again pressing the 40kg and snatching the 32kg each and every week following a progressive scheme. Again with the integration of the Running, Yoga and KB's I have had to pay close attention and not ramp up to hard and fast with anything. I do know I feel really strong and the groove of each move is really strong. I attribute that to the type of training over the last few years where the mind body connection has truly been the greatest component in the increase and ability to maintain/increase my strength.

PS: Also, I am doing pull-ups twice a week using rings, bars and climbing wall grips.

Yoga:

This is in my mind the most important aspect of all my life practices. I am going to class 3 days a week minimum and closer to 5 plus doing my own home practice. Through my practice and through attending various instructors at varying locations and with varying styles I am only more deeply convicted as to what my mind and body need in regards to Yoga.

As much as I enjoy and respect the Power Yoga, which tends to be heavy on the workout and sweat I realize that the Iyengar style Yoga is best suited for me at this point. Now, I am still attending Power classes since that is all I have time for on some days and it is amazing in its own right, I seek Iyengar classes because I am looking to hone my alignment, quiet my mind and connect my breathe and movement. I am such a young student in Yoga terms that the Iyengar style and philosophy are best suited for my development. Although, those power yoga classes truly do kick my ass and make me sweat or detox buckets...dripping wet and glossy.

Overall what I have noticed is that I have the best balance in my life and training ever. I am learning, growing, and deepening my understanding of how to integrate various systems and progress each at the appropriate rate while not over doing anything in particular. The link between my 'training' and my life are tightly intertwined and linked as are the parallels. Best part is I am alive and Living while having a great time filled with fun.

Systems Integration

Yes, this is a very key principle in life, how to integrate different systems into a blend that compliments your lifestyle and helps you to achieve the things you wish to achieve. There are numerous systems available and worthy of integrating that will indeed provide support and compliment any lifestyle system.

I have and continue to expand, explore and bring facets of different systems into mine and work to integrate into the most beautiful painting, a Monet so to speak. However, through all the trials I have specifics that provide the essential foundation for my basic system.

I am constantly exploring my being, my body, my mind, my intellect, my curiousity is a great gift that has put me in touch with many great folks who are kind enough to share their ideals, their philosophies, their integrated systems. They are also kind enough to share with you, the reader, the listener to my show as you seek to improve your system integration and function.

Today, Cameron Shayne, the inventor of Budokon will talk about his system of integration which is a beautiful blend of Martial Arts, Yoga, their philosophies, their movements, and includes a nutritional and lifestyle philosophy as well. He is a brilliant and unique person who himself and his system have much to offer and contemplate.

Enjoy your Systems Integration

Fat and Debt

Being fat and being in debt are two of the biggest challenges people face, this is especially true in the United States. Are they the same thing? Yes and no but it is safe to say that in many ways they are related. Just as people are eating to much we are spending to much and this is representative of our societies model of mass consumption. This pattern of consuming in large quantities and thus typically consuming more than what we need is the main issue and in turn leads to major challenges.

Both of these issues can be resolved with a more conscious and active approach to living. What do I mean? If we actually took the time to consciously enjoy what we consume, think about what we, ask if we 'really' need what we think we need, thereby taking an active role in our daily actions we would increase our awareness of what we are doing and possibly change some of our behaviors.

We are taught at a young age in today's modern society that more is better i.e. if you work more, you make more which means you can have a bigger house, a fancier car, wear higher quality, more expensive clothes, buy a bigger ring with more carats, etc. We see at the grocery stores and other stores that sell various merchandise and goods a multitude of choices, options, brands, and types (i.e. low fat, non fat, low carb, high protein), of food and other items.

The fundamental challenge with all these choices and the mass consumption approach is that people (and the reasons are many but lets just leave it be for now) are getting more of the type of things that lead to more fat and great health risks as well as more in debt. A small price to pay right? Heck no in my opinion.

Some ways to beat fat and debt

Fat:
*eat only what you need
*eat less by getting more out of high quality food sources like veggies, fruits, healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts, etc.) and clean/lean protein sources (white fishes like halibut, swordfish and tuna; salmon; chicken; lean beef)
*Do not stock up, place a minimal amount of food and limited condiments in the refrigerator and cupboards, again only what you need.
*drink water
*exercise and move your body in other ways (walk to the store, clean the house, garden, etc.)

Debt:
*determine what you owe
*make a plan to pay off what you already owe
*determine what bills are required for basic living (rent; car; gas; food; health insurance; phone; etc.)
*make paying those bills a first priority
*save and invest a part or portion of your income (do so every paycheck)
*set aside a small portion of money to enjoy yourself (after paying the bills and savings/investment)
*only buy what you need
*reevaluate how you spend
*make it a point to pay off the 'other' bills
*if you have bills accruing interest pay off well above the minimum, at least double and make sure you pay off the highest interest cards first.
*Call your credit companies and renegotiate your interest rates.
*read the fine print on your bills and look for those hidden charges...analyze your bills
*Make a budget and make a plan

Keep in mind that prices are increasing for many things and it is obvious at the pump, it is happening at the grocery store (4% increase last year and another 4% increase expected this year), basic services are increasing. On the flip side incomes and salaries are not increasing at the same rate as costs of living. Just look around and you can see that this phenomenon is real and if you are not aware and not conscious of how, what and where you are spending and putting your money you could end up spending more than you planned and therefore placing yourself into debt or even deeper in debt and thus have a negative effect on your 'retirement', etc.

On a personal note this is of interest to me for a number of reasons. One I am in the field of fitness and helping people lose fat is part of my business. On the finance side I am proud to say that I took myself out of major debt and I cannot emphasis how GREAT and what a sense of PEACE it brings.

Therefore I have learned through being in debt and now debt free (other than a car payment which is a choice and it serves my life and business so it is dual purpose and mainly used for business so it acts as a substitute for having a office) that more debt due to the desire to own more material possessions like clothes, fancy cars, bigger TV's, etc. does not serve me as well as other things. What are those things?

For me the 'things' that bring me the greatest return on my life investment include
*family time
*personal time to do Yoga, Kettlebells, Mountain Bike, Run, Hike, read, write, cultivate relationships, etc.
*the ability to travel and experience the world and people
*the opportunity to learn new and improve upon existing skills, etc by attending certifications and seminars
*the opportunity to DONATE my time and help people, giving back to the world that has and does give me so much
*taking care of myself (some of the above and things like massage)
*taking care and guiding/helping others

and the list can go on.

My point is that being healthy and debt free and not being part of the mass consumption but only truly taking what I need and of course sometimes I do spoil myself as I work to earn the right are and is the most rewarding life. I feel more peaceful and calm as I do not feel the need to compete with others and instead focus on my being and challenging myself to enjoy the flow of life and in turn give back to my community and the community at large. The Karma I receive back is 10 fold and the stress I feel is minimal to ZERO.

For me it is about QUALITY and not quantity in all aspects of my life. For me how I care for my body, mind, spirit and those around me and the principles that guide me are intertwined with how I carry myself on the whole in every action I take. I am perfect by no means but I work with the flow of live striving to improve, evolve daily and be conscious, aware, kind, peaceful, compassionate, non judgmental, loving and so on

My way not be for you but I wanted to share this bit as I look around and see what is going on outside of me I think of you all and I hope to share my philosophy to inspire you to develop and share yours all while helping yourself to be the best you can be.

with gratitude,
Joe

This Weeks Guest, Cameron Shayne

Cameron Shayne is the creator of the Budokon System which is a unique integration of Martial Arts and Yoga. This dynamic system will be certain to take your health and wellness to another level. Alone each practice is incredible but in this combination the strength of each system is strengthened 2 fold.

Budokon goes well beyond just the movement aspect as there also is a philosophical and nutrition side which makes it one of if not the most unique and complete systems out there. Cameron is a dynamic speaker who is filled with wisdom worthy of listening too. Take the pleasure of enjoying Cameron, learning more about his philosophies, the Budokon System and beyond this

Wed at 1 pm PST
www.modavox.com/voiceamericahealth

You can always catch the show at any point by going to the above site and search for my name or the show date/time or the title
YOUR LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS. Cameron will be sharing his wisdom about how to live your life without limits.

Catch ya Wed on the show.

Thank you for your support, the show is going GREAT thanks to all you who take the time to listen live or download the archives.

Wisdom Begins With Wonder

I do not usually get on my 'high horse' but I just cannot help but share somethings I have observed today and just in general. These things make me wonder about the direction of some of humanity and how and what we are presenting to the world and others.

I cannot begin to tell you how often I smile, say hello, open a door, etc. and receive ZERO response back, not even an acknowledgment. I am certain reasons exist and we can 'justify' them but is that not bothersome to you? Does it not make you wonder? As this sign said today "wisdom begins in wonder" and if this is indeed the case than I becoming wise. :-) But truly, where are we going in this world if we cannot even acknowledge those around us and more so does this extend beyond just the common folk we encounter to even those close to us?

The other thing that truly disturbed me today was the people in the crowd at the McCain/Palin gatherings. As McCain and Palin were both making their speeches people in the crowd were yelling "kill him', "treason", "traitor" about Barack Obama. Is this acceptable to you? Is that how you want people to treat you or how you would treat others? This is not about right, wrong, etc. this too me seems to be about a basic respect and honor we should have for all who walk this planet, who share the air and water, who are fortunate to live in a place like the US where even in tough times we still have more than most.

Sometimes you just have to wonder aloud and ask yourself is that how it should be and is this how I want to be? I say, f*ck no, and therefore I will keep smiling, keep saying high, keep opening doors, keeping offering with no expectation but with gratitude that I am wise and can see the forest through the trees, that I am doing my part to make this a place filled with peace, kindness, gratitude and love.

Movement and Stillness

As my life and business continues its evolution I am beginning to be able to understand more what it is I truly practice and teach. The 2 words that come to mind are Movement and Stillness. Yes, they do sound contradictory but in fact they are representative of the balanced and centered approach of my philosophy on life.

I am not saying they are the definitive, but today and currently in my life they are representative. Each day I practice and teach people how to move and how to do so with optimal strength, flexibility, agility, balance, grace, beauty, speed, endurance, awareness, integration, efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and so much more.

Each day I also practice stillness and speak of such practice in my use of language and description. With my yoga studies ramping up and my level of understanding increasing I will be doing this stillness teaching more so and I begin to take on classes. At this point my stillness teaching is in a developmental stage as I too am truly beginning to understand what it means to be still, be conscious, and be able to move at the same time.

A perfect blend, a perfect balance of life and living.

PS: Take time to listen to today's show with Les Leventhal. Listen carefully and quietly for the wisdom we shared today!

www.modavox.com/voiceamericahealth (go to my page, Your Life Without LImits)

The Power of the Mind!

What comes first the Mind or the Body? For me this is not a question, this is not a right or a wrong this is just a philosophy. Mind over Matter, mind over body!

My training of people revolves around training their minds which in turn will help them achieve more in all aspects of life and of course the body is one key element. I am working to teach people how to use their mind to strength their circuitry and systems, to help enable everything to work in concert like the sounds of the London Philaharmonica.

This process is exactly that, and it takes time to get all the neurons, all the neural pathways to develop in such a way that performance is optimized. Again for me and for them performance has numerous measurements. For many who come it is in the tangible outcomes but the work I do is also aimed at the deeper level philosophical principles of life and living.

Training is something I do for life, everyday I awake and prepare for the moment, the day, and what lies ahead. My goal as a student is to be prepared the current moment, the present moment I am living right at that time and the best part is this approach, this training methodology has and does continue to prepare for all the subsequent moments that lie in the future.

Strengthening the brain, the mind, and the body to work together in concert, developing the strength of the neural pathways which have plasicity and can be retrained, redeveloped is the goal of my training. I want those pathways to be strong and function with clarity, light, positive energy, direction, intention and without resistance.

This is possible, this is strength training, honing, greasing and re-greasing the groove (Pavel) or the neural pathway in a state of consciousness, a state of freshness, a state of presence and awareness.

I have learned through numerous teachers, teachings, and experience about the possibilities of the human, of man kind and I believe that we have so much more we can do, we can achieve, that our max is only barely tapped into, that human potential is infinite.

My training is about infinite possibilities, about living life without limits! I am doing this more and more for myself everyday as those neural pathways continue to develop and strengthen. This is a daily practice, and requires presence.Mo

This Weeks Guest, Les Leventhal

Meet Les
www.lesleventhal.com

Looking back over my life, I realize that I have been practicing yoga for a very long time which I now see as an art and a celebration of life, the way it is and not the way I think it should be based on efforts I put forth. Years ago, when I was a competitive swimmer, there was tremendous attention paid to the breath - so I was practicing pranayama before I even knew it. I remember some days of training were about diving into the pool and swimming under water to the other end and seeing if the turn could be made and head back for home in a single breath, certainly a breath retention. Where now, a breath retention is about being still and watching the inhale and how whole, full and complete that one breath is. Then watching the exhale and pausing to be empty of breath and noticing how whole, full and complete I am even without breath. This kind of awareness stirs up the prana or life-force within me that moves me to study and explore what it is that I am doing and why I am doing it.

My introduction to yoga occurred at a gym during a time when I was busy lifting weights as hard and as fast as I could. I was working furiously to carve and chisel the body on the outside in an attempt to cram and jam that outside look to an inside feeling. It never worked and then one day I jumped - and yes I jumped into a yoga class with vim vigor and pep and I understood nothing and forced everything and fidgeted everywhere. Thank goodness that teacher was Steph Snyder and she had a sense of humor that day and helped me laugh at myself for putting so much effort into that simple task of backing off and letting go. By the end of class, when I collapsed into Savasana (corpse pose), honestly, I felt dead. I remember feeling a bit emotional and embarrassed to show that, yet at the same time there was something quite soothing in the willingness to let go of everything, finally, for those few moments. I was hooked. Sign me up for the year class pass and so I did. I started practicing a couple of times a week and then I found Michael Cooper on Fridays at noon. My whole week revolved around that class. Every Friday, I left work early and thank goodness my boss always worked from home on Fridays until one Friday he didn't. He then asked where I was going and I decided to be honest. I let him know how important it was for me and what it was doing for me. Then I did a little headstand for him and he let me go.

Over the years, I have practiced with many many amazing teachers. I find every teacher which is really just everyone I meet to be amazing. Some of them guide me to continue studying the 8 Limbs of Yoga. Others guide me to explore meditation and the 8 Fold Path of Buddhism. Others remind me to be humble and grow in my compassion for all people and still others remind me of how I used to wander through this life in fear. These teachers give me permission to embrace this life, all of it which has been so freely gifted to me. Every step and every breath that I have taken, regardless of occasionally not being able to see the teachings through the valleys, has brought me to this moment. These are the things that I want to share with you the most.

Somewhere around 2003, I got a little pregnant. There was this feeling inside my spirit and soul, a yearning for something loving and something that completely allowed me to wake up, open up (even in times of fear) and offer up everything without hesitation or thinking that I would not be taken care of. That baby was born in April of 2005 when I left the corporate world which really provided me a tremendous beginning and laying of a foundation that continues to be important to how I live my life today. Without being completely aware of if I wanted to teach or not, I signed up for the Forrest teacher training with a let's check it out attitude. In a few simple words, Ana woke me up, she opened me up and she offers up. I started teaching immediately. Since that first training, I have assisted Ana in her teacher trainings and workshops and along the way I found Tias Little - another amazing teacher for me who re-introduced me to my gentler loving Les and has provided me an opportunity to weave the 8 Fold Path with the 8 Limbs in a way that doesn't feel religious or separating but rather all inclusive. I say that because I used to live my life so separate from everything and everyone and the yoga that I teach and the yoga that I still practice everyday is all inclusive for all levels - all are welcome to stay whether it's your first day of yoga and your teachers are challenge, frustration and confusion or it's your 10th year of yoga and your teachers are joy and inversions or maybe injuries. Often our greatest teachers for compassion are injuries whether it is your knee or even your heart.

One of the things that is so important to me as I continue on this path towards my true Sava pose is to always be a student, then a student teacher, then a teacher. I found teaching because I had such passion as a student. Although things do shift, I want to always continue exploring as a student and continue studying with amazing teachers and amazing people. There's never been a single yoga class that I've attended where I haven't learned something new and had a chance to explore more intuitively how I hold my yoga on and off the mat, how the rolling out of my mat truly reflects my life off that mat and where I tend to hold the more challenging aspects of this lifetime in my body.

A final thought or word - I think that we're meant to have everything, joy and frustration, anger and love. I think that opposites of this world are really the parallels that show us in times of challenge the level of appreciation we might cultivate for this incredibly short life. If you have kids, let them remind you how to just live without filters and judgments. If you don't have kids, get some cats and dogs or other pets and if that's not an option - go get some ice-cream (single scoop - everything in moderation even your yoga). I truly believe that at some point I will meet up with the divine and I will get to ask many questions and see the true answers and that I will be able to embrace the person that I am as I move through this life as my yoga shifts on and off the mat. Today, the asana is an important limb to me - so I focus a lot of attention there. I hope that as my life changes and as perspectives shift and I weave in the other limbs and teachings that you will embrace those with me.

I thank you for your trust and your love and I look forward to a lifetime of learning with you and as a great man sings……Stay Human.

Lotsa Love - Les

Your Essence

What is your essence? What do you think of that defines you? Can you describe yourself in 5 words that define your true essence? Better yet, ask 8 to 10 others to come up with 5 words or so that define you? What if these were people you just met, hardly knew?

This weekend we did this experiment and I was amazed at the 'results' to these questions:

What shows up when I do?
What qualities enter the room when I do?

Just be prepared for a wide variety of answers but when you take a look at all peoples words for you, it will be clear that there are indeed a few that show up consistently.

I like the others had many different words appear, approximately 25 different words from 8 people. They were dwindled down by yet another person to 5, which were

My 5 according to the Group:
Confident, Passionate, Driven, Fun/playful, and Grounded.

Now, recently I made a post called Who I am, What I be and these were not the words I came up with of what I would like to 'project' and hope that others see when they see me.

Now, truly it is what it is and does not matter. What does matter is that you take it all with a grain of salt, smile, reflect, appreciate, and ask why it is these people see me this way, am I truly this person, what is it that I do that makes people see this in me or at least describe me this way?

Keep in mind that these are by no means to me negative words or words that I am not honored to be called. I view them as a very positive description.

NEXT STEP

From here you evaluate how you use your essence in 4 different areas
Family/Friends
Work
Significant Other
Self

What is interesting in this portion of the exercise is how you show up in each of these areas. Are you your essence (whether your own words or those of others) in each area? I know I have a tendency to show my essence in certain areas and not so well in others. The key is to be your essence in all areas. This is easier said than done and I will explain this (from my viewpoint) in another post which is an observation, a key one for me that I had this past weekend.

(Note: These observations happen often, this particular post I will write about will take a look at the importance of Meditation as a tool for helping to be your essence at all times (or at least 90+ percent of the time which is awesome!)

This is by no means a small task for many of us. Evaluating and describing yourself in a big deal and having others participate even more so. But, I will say this, it is rewarding and I am certain the class as a whole will agree and you too if you give it a chance ;-).

Coaching Course, The Basics

This weekend was the first course in the Coaching Course series I began back in March. I had entered the course late so I missed the Basics of Coaching Part 1 and believe me when I say I missed a whole lotta valuable insight and bonding.

The beauty of coaching and in particular this schools philosophy and teachers is in the approach. Rosie Kuhn and Todd Zimmerman www.theparadigmshifts.com come at coaching from a unique perspective that is filled with valuable insight into self, relation, and coaching principles, practices. Their is no perfect question, their is no perfect answer, their is no one way, their is only what your client is seeking, their intention and commitment that matters. You, as coach hold the space, the container and you are there to serve and guide them along their to the answers they seek.

The idea is that the client will go through their own process to dis-cover what it is they seek. You may think you know what is best for them, you may indeed have the answer but it is best they un-cover and you help guide them through questioning, etc.

The other aspect is the self-discover that happens during the course. You are in a constant evaluation mode which makes sense considering it is essential that you as the coach understand yourself, etc. It is pretty safe to say we all could do a bit of digging to help discover 'things' about ourselves. This program gives you such opportunities through the application of the lessons contained in each section by practicing on each other. So, you become client, coach and observer and throughout have a Coach who has been through the program overseeing the process and helping when necessary.

This weekend, the first in the series was nothing less than amazing. To have had the fortune of experiencing prior courses it was fun to look at all the new students/coaches come in and see firsthand what this course was like, to uncover aspects of themselves, to be curious, inquisitive, open, questioning, humble, and to step forward and step out into a new world and in the process bring the whole group to another level.

I love exploring myself, others, relationships, etc. I love having an open, positive communication with people who are willing to challenge the current paradigm. I love to be and feel inspired, too hear others views on everything. I love feeling open to unlimited possibilities, right or wrong does not matter just holding a space which is non judgemental, that is empty and ready to be filled every grain of salt. This is such an environment.

The week as it is...workouts T-Fri

Well this has been a major transition week to say the least. I am on the move again. So packing bags and boxes, moving furniture up and down flights of stairs, and so on has left me less time available than a 'normal' week. However I was able to get in some good workouts even if it was 'less than' normal. Mentally and physically I approached this week as a down cycle week for training purposes.

Tuesday: Kettlebells
MIlitary Press
24/5/5
32/3/3x2
40/2/2x3

Not sure the last time I pressed the 40kg but this sure did feel good and I love that my body's set point is at such a strong level

Ring Pull-ups (superset with Presses)
5x8

Wed: Yoga
90 minutes of Iynegar with Catherine of Darshana Yoga

Thursday: Trail Run
60 minutes at Rancho San Antonio. Awesome run with some big hill climbs. Tried to cover the long hills with a consistent pace using small steps. The big steep hill I broke into 2, 5 minute intervals with a 2 minute hike

Friday: Moving
so lots of odd object lifts up and down stairs, nothing traditional

This Weeks Guest, Mark Romero

Today Mark Romero was kind enough to fill in on short notice. Georgia was unable to make the show due to a scheduling error and we have rescheduled for the 17th of December.

If you did not hear the show, I must tell you that Mr. Mark Romero is an extraordinary person who is a fascinating story teller and very wise. His work is something that will truly boggle the mind in a peaceful and harmonic way. Here is a bit about Mark and his work.

Mark Romero is empowering people to live healthier, more vital and successful lives through the power of his music. Scientists have discovered frequencies in Mark’s music that physically, emotionally and mentally transform listeners into a state of peak performance while tapping into new levels of consciousness. Out of this discovery emerged an amazing transformational technology called, Harmonic Alignment. Through his transformational coaching, music and speaking programs, Mark is empowering people to open doors to infinite untapped possibilities and experience extraordinary results in all aspects of their lives.

www.markromeromusic.com

Kettlebell Workshop, This Saturday 12-3 pm, XBody Fitness In San Jose

YOUR LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS
presents:

The RKC School of Strength and Kettlebell Movement

You will learn the following Kettlebell Movements:

The Swing
*How to create the pendulum for maximal efficiency and work with minimal effort
*Why the Swing is the King of Kettlebell movements
*Why it is all in the hips

The Snatch
*The Czar of all Kettlebell moves
*How to cook your lungs with sizzling Snatch routines
*How to produce massive force with amazing strength, power and grace
*Maximizing athleticism with this one move

The Military Press
*How to press your best ever
*What it means to be strong
*How to use your roots and irridation
*How to tie it all together

The Squat
*How to get deep
*How to use your body to produce maximal force
*How to explode using leverage
*Why the Front Squat is the ultimate ab/core developer

The Clean
*How to move the bell effortlessly
*How the clean sets up a great press
*How to meet the demands of the movement
*Why the Clean, Squat Press combo is the ultimate strength move

The Turkish Get Up
*The all around move to make you a better man or woman
*How to cook your core
*How to increase the strength and stability of your shoulder

The Background:
Whether you know this or not the kettlebell is a tool based of the foundation of physiology, kinesiology, and strength and conditioning principles. The kettlebell is just the tool, a superior tool at that in many cases, especially the aforementioned moves simple due to its unique design. Combining the kettlebell with the principles of strength you will learn how to produce amazing amounts of power, achieve new levels of strength and cook your lungs and make your heart want to burst out of your chest. This is a chance to learn from two highly qualified experts who are trained in the art and who have accomplished much in the strength and conditioning realm due to their use of the kettlebell and the RKC school of strength principles.

The movements and techniques learned in this seminar will have a direct carryover into your Crossfit performance. Not only will you do all Crossfit movements better, you’ll know why. You will learn how to activate and apply your hips and entire body to every WOD to be safer, more efficient and FASTER.

Who are these guys?

Joe Sarti
Joe is a highly regarded expert in health and wellness. He has trained and coached athletes such as Frank Shamrock and his IFL Team, The San Jose Razorclaws. His experience is vast and deep with knowledge of kettlebells, power lifting, olympic lifting, yoga, bodybuilding, odd strength lifts and more. Joe is an accomplished athlete, having competed in sports such as rugby, adventure racing, mountain biking, The Tactical Strength Challenge, The Beast Challenge and more. He is one of the lightest, at 170 lbs, to Press and Pistol the Beast, which is a 106 lb kettlebell, in competition. He has deadlifted more than 546 lbs in competition. Joe’s experiences have put him in the hands of some of the best in the business and he is always excited and honored to share that wisdom with those looking to achieve extraordinary results.

To learn more about Joe visit his website at www.fitnessjoe.com or catch him on the radio, hosting his weekly show on Wednesday at 1 p.m. on www.modavox.com/voiceamericahealth If you have any questions, comments, etc. please feel free to contact Joe via email at joe@fitnessjoe.com

Tim Dymmel
Tim has been a student of the strength game for over 18 years. He played college soccer, football and rugby. As a professional and semi-pro rugby player in New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland, Tim learned the hard way about rehabbing and prehabbing the injuries that are part of the game. His tool of choice for the last 3 years to maintain a high level of conditioning is the kettlebell. Having trained under the top Olympic lifting and kettlebell coaches, Tim is able to pass on his knowledge and expertise those that want to learn. Clients of Tim’s include athletes, SWAT Team members, housewives, grandmas, golfers, pastors, runners and office workers. Tim’s kettlebell training allowed him to enter the 2008 Crossfit Games and finish 85th out of 200, after only 2 months of Crossfit workouts 2X per week.

This Weeks Guest, Georgia Andrianopoulos

Georgia D. Andrianopoulos, Ph.D. has worked in the field of eating disorders for the past 20 years. She has been interviewed by the Chicago Tribune and by local radio and television affiliates of NBC and CBS on various aspects of obesity. She has also been interviewed by the Associated Press and contributed to radio and television segments on obesity and food cravings.

Dr. Andrianopoulos has been awarded the Science Achievement Award by Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, and has served as a grant reviewer for the American Cancer Society. She is the author of numerous original research publications and has contributed chapters for academic books.

She is currently executive director of the residency review committees for dermatology, medical genetics and pathology at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Andrianopoulos is also the founder and director of Brain Fitness, Inc. a division of Neurobehavioral Training Centers, with locations in and around the Chicago area. In addition, she served as an assistant professor of psychiatry and surgery at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago.

Dr. Andrianopoulos completed her doctorate degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. She lives in Chicago, IL.

Workouts

RUNS
Thursday: Hill Repeats
Warm-up of 1.2 miles
Hills: 3 minutes up and 2:30 down with a 30 second recovery X 5 (approximately .28 miles up)

Saturday: Flat Distance
55 Minutes of flats through and around Stanford

Sunday: Long Trail Run
80 minutes of up and down through Arastradero in Los Altos Hills. Great, great run with nice climbs and some good recovery portions. The grades make it a really good place for building strength and endurance.


KETTLEBELLS
Friday:
24/5/5
24/8/8
24/10/10
24/12/12
24/15/15
24/15/15
24/12/12
24/10/10

Wow, forgot how great this type of pyramid is for accomplishing a lot of work while maintaining strong technique. The high rep sets going back to back is much different then the single arm sets for time.

Monday;
Max VO2 Kettlebell Snatch
16/7/7x30

total reps:420 (same as last week but the consistent pace was the difference.)

Great workout but these are tough after long hill runs which is demanding on the legs and hips. The cumulative fatigue has been the biggest challenge as this is day 5 in a row. I am aware of this and it makes me that much more pleased to do this workout and push through with a smile and a great sweat :-)

YOGA
Thursday
90 Minutes with Kent Bond of Willow Glen Yoga
Like my master Marianne says, find a teacher or teachers you enjoy and/or styles. Kent is one I enjoy, because he makes me a better practitioner of Yoga. He is one of the best you will find and this evident in the fact that he teaches at one of the top teacher training programs around in Santa Barbara. Always learn something about myself in relation to the pose and practice in his classes...AWESOME!

Friday
90 minutes of Jivamukti with Laura Noss

Saturday, Sunday, Monday
30 minutes of Restorative poses at home

What I Be, Who I am

I am Joseph Frank Sarti, according to my birth certificate, however some people know me as Joe or Joey. I am a son, brother, a half-brother, a step son, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, a god-father, and a dog owner. I am an exercise physiologist, personal trainer, a life coach, a radio show host, a massage therapist, a russian kettlebell instructor, a yoga instructor, a strength and conditioning coach, a nutritionist, a writer, a businessman, an entrepenuer, and a bootcamp instructor. I am a friend, have been a boyfriend, a partner, a lover, a training partner, a teammate, an adventure racer, a rugby player, a football player, a baseball player, a mountain biker, snowboarder, runner, trail runner, kayaker, hiker, basketball player, tennis player, a martial artist, a white, yellow and orange belt. I am Italian, American, an Italian American, a traveller, reader, guitar enthusiast, music lover, a buddhist, a taoist, a follower of eastern philosophy, a catholic, a Bellarmine College Prep graduate, a San Jose State Univeristy graduate, twice.

I have been and be many things to many different people, in many different situations and at various points in time in life. My identity is constantly shifting and changing depending on time and situation and in relation to who, whom or whatever is present in that moment. However one thing remains, I am what I be, I am me whatever that is.

I like to see myself as a student of life and a citizen of this world who like others shares this wonderful place we call Earth or the World. I like to see myself as compassionate, kind, generous, loving, peaceful, calm, thoughtful, contemplative, appreciative, gracious, friendly, open-minded, non-judgemental, a believer in the good of people and man-kind, sensitive, considerate, honest and with integrity, as supportive, enthusiastic, encouraging and inspirational. At the same time it truly only matters to those who see and observe and thus wish to identity, classify, clarify.

The reality is it truly is of no matter one way or another because it is what it is and I be what I be as you be who you be. I hope you like me have peace in heart, mind, body, soul.

Blessings to you and yours. I am honored to share this place with you and yours.

Workout Evaluation/Revaluation

In exercise as in life I am always evaluating and re-evaluating. Too me this is part of the journey, going through a process of self-evaluation and self-realization and then in turn hopefully becoming self-actualization. I feel confident about the process as I believe I have attained an infinite amount of wisdom and only continue to do so. Therefore, the process feels natural and feels part of the ebb and flow of life.

As I embark on my new training regimen, which has been in full swing since August I am in the process of evaluation. I am seeking a greater understanding about what it is I believe best suits me at this time and moving forward, at least for now :-)

If I had one thing and only one thing to do it would be Yoga. As much as I love strength training, for me the all-around benefits of yoga and the sustainable nature of yoga is perfect for my being. But, since I do not have to choose one, kettlebells are a major component and more important, strength and conditioning using the movements of kettlebells are an essential aspect.

However, I have been seeking how to balance my kettlebells, yoga and running. Under the current regimen and with running goals in place I am out on the trails and roads 4 days a week, including 2 hill runs (Thursday and Sunday) and a hard back to back long run Saturday with the Sunday hills. This is quite a challenging because Friday and Monday I do hard kettlebell snatch sessions which really involve a lot of power from the hips and legs.

Now, I am going to keep my Max VO2 Monday and replace my SSST Friday with heavy snatch using the 32kg. My plan is to just keep to 5 reps and work my volume through sets. I want this to be more pure strength, rather than a higher rep strength endurance routine with the 24kg and the SSST workout.

Also, I am going to keep pressing heavy, I just love this and it fits perfect with my Tuesday hour long flat run and right after the MAX VO2.

As for yoga, my hope is to do at least 3 classes a week and then the other days practice at home doing restorative poses and working my challenging poses. This is essential for me as it is part of Daily Meditation Practice and Breathe practice.

4 Runs (2 hills), 3-4 Yoga days (this is true classes plus my own home practice on other days), 3 Kettlebell workouts

The Breakdown
Monday:
MAX VO2 Snatch 16kg
Yoga

Tuesday:
Long Flat Run
Heavy Press/Pull-up

Wednesday:
REST :-)

Thursday:
Hill Repeats
Yoga

Friday:
Heavy Snatch
Yoga

Saturday:
Long Flat Run
Yoga

Sunday:
Long Hill Run

Think Small

Yes, think small as Dr. Wayne Dyer says and he interprets Lao Tzu saying in the 63rd verse of the Tao Te Ching. I third that notion as all too often we make things out to be bigger than life and near impossible to accomplish. This approach often times leads people not to completion but rather to the inability to finish what they set out to do or in other words failure.

Simplicity is key and essential to the approach. If we makes things bigger than life and seem difficult or impossible then we are setting ourselves up for a tough road. What is the purpose behind this concept? Why make things difficult when they truly can be so much more simple? Are we better served looking to the road ahead than focusing on the road we are on?

As Marianne Wells mentioned in our show discussion Wednesday, she makes her Yoga classes simple. It is not about styles, types, poses, workouts, abstract names like Adho Mudka yada yada. It is about the simplicity of life, enjoying the moment, enjoying your practice, enjoying the environment and people whom are in the class with you, about learning, discovering, uncovering, unearthing, grounding, relaxing, calming, chillin, being in the present moment no strings attached, no expectations just doing what you are doing the best you can without Judgement.

Sounds strange to think in small terms but you cannot go from A to Z with out B, C, and so on. Take it one moment, one step, one second, one day at a time because life only moves that fast. You cannot enjoy the present when you are living in the past or thinking about the future. Who wants to lose that time, the time you are doing what you are doing? Most likely your choices, actions, etc. have put you in that moment, so embrace it and if you are not certain that is where you wish to be, then you have made the step to self-realization, now take more time to learn where you want to be and then take that next step, the of self actualization, meaning taking action.

But, again in order to take action on your realizations you need to have clarity on what it is you are realizing and what it is you want to do with it...step by step, small steps...

There is no hurry! Patience and perspective! If you need help please call, email, comment, I am here for you!

Peace and Stillness

Being a Man For Others

I had the great fortune/opportunity to attend a high school that imparted upon me what I believe is great wisdom, Be a Man for Others and Breakdown the Walls that Bind You! Wow! if I had only realized the true power of this message as I do now. For me, I live a life of servitude, serving the community I touch on a daily basis and beyond. My actions reach far beyond what I realize as do all ours. Just take a look at the Social Networking tools that exist today with Facebook, Linked, and MySpace as examples.

We have the opportunity to spread our word, the wisdom we believe in an enormous and powerful way. For this reason I take my role as a Man For Others and breaking down the walls that bind me and the those of the world to heart. I feel it is essential for me and all of us to find ways to make this world into a place of where goodness overcomes all, love is truly the way, and respect is something we carry for everyone, even if we do not 'agree' with them.

It is essential to breakdown our walls, the ego which holds us back from truly seeing the beauty and appreciating the unique aspects of all humans, of all concepts.

For this reason I am hoping that the radio show gig enables me to bring to the world community (this show is broadcast worldwide, 120 countries) to the best and brightest minds in the area of Holistic Health and Wellness. My hope is to educate people and show them, expose them to the beauty of the wonderful folks whom I know directly and indirectly. The goal is to spread the goodness of living a healthy live, one filled with well being.

The show is my opportunity to serve the community of individuals whom can bring a light to the areas of Holistic Health and Wellness. I want them to share their message and help people to discover ways to uncover their best in the area of health and well being.

I hope all of you will be apart of this journey and will contribute! Some of you know I want to be on the show and I hope you will see that this is truly for you and the world community.

This Weeks Guest, Marianne Wells

MEET MARIANNE

”do good, be good, feel good, live well”

For more than twenty five years, Marianne Wells has been teaching and studying yoga around the globe. Her numerous workshops, Yoga Training Immersion Weekends, and private practice have inspired tens of thousands of honest and dedicated students and instructors both domestically and internationally. Her always evolving curriculum promotes personal study, balanced living, and unceasing growth.

Born and raised in the yoga lifestyle, Marianne is a natural teacher. Her parents instilled in her the benefits of a healthy and holistic existence. From a very early age, she was encouraged by her father to meditate daily and by her mother to practice nightly headstands and other postures through the day. Even when money was tight, her folks always found a way to bring fruits and vegetables to the table, resulting in Marianne's steadfast belief that a family can still eat healthy while living on a budget.

Integrating her yoga upbringing and her formal training into a positive and compassionate teaching style, her classes are tailored to fit the needs of each and every student. Her classes are said to be ”deceptively strenuous, yet surprisingly gentle” as she blends Vinyasa flow and the principles of body alignment into a mindful yoga awareness. Her approach is to offer a warm, comfortable space to inspire and enhance everyone's experience.

Marianne is a graduate from Indiana University. Her in-depth knowledge and practice of the countless branches of yoga and yoga instruction have been honed through years of yoga teaching as well as deeper studies under the supervision of various leaders in the yoga world, including that of Iyengar and Gurmukh, and the study of Eastern Philosophy at the University of Saint Thomas. It is her steadfast belief that yoga is for everyone and that a student selection process, a seemingly new trend in yoga instruction, is contrary to the study and practice of yoga. All are welcome to flow and grow in their practice with Marianne.

www.mariannewells.com

Sunday-Tuesday Traning

Sunday: Trail Run
Rancho San Antonio in beautiful Los Altos Hills, CA. This extensive area provides a network of trails with good long flats for warm-ups, with long hill climbs mixed with varying gradients, switchbacks and more. This place is hard to get bored of and you could probably run a whole years worth of training and never do the same loop.

Today did a nice long warm-up followed by a 1 mile climb turn around come down, connect on to another trail with a short hill climb and gradual decent to a nice long flat and hard finish. Total time about 75 minutes.

75 minutes of mixed hills and flats. Mileage?

Finished off the day with a couple of ice sessions, a self massage session, 30 minutes of restorative yoga, and a 15 minute jacuzzi. Great weeks of workouts and the fun keeps on moving

Monday
Kettlebell Snatch, Max VO2
Even Minutes: 16/6 L & R
Odd MInutes: 16/8 L & R

Total Time: 30 minutes
Total Reps: 420

Yoga:
30 minute Home Practice

TUESDAY:
Kettlebells
Military Press (doubles)
32/5x4

Ring Pull-ups
8x4

Run
55 minutes of flat run at a moderate pace

Yoga:
75 Minute Home practice including Pranayama, meditation and shavasana.

the end of a 6 day regimen and a day off rest tomorrow! Well deserved and appreciated

Wed-Sat Weeks workouts

Monday
Kettlebell Snatch Max Vo2 (details posted on Monday)

Tuesday:
Run: (details posted on Tuesday)
Yoga: home practice

Wednesday:
REST, REST, and more REST

Thursday:
Light Run, 25 minutes. Body and Mind needed more rest so I took it. Listening to your body, mind and spirit is the a forgotten Wonder of the human being, listen, and listen with a clear ear.

Friday:
Kettlebell Snatch SSST
24/8
24/8
24/10
24/10
24/12
24/12
24/14
24/14
24/16
24/16

10 minutes in 1 minute intervals Left Even minutes, Right Odds minutes. Decided to back on the total time this week of 20 minutes and increase the intensity and build the strength to handle higher reps. My main goal is to get 200 in 10 minutes and walk away being able to do all my other stuff. Yes, I want it to be 'simple', even though it may not be easy.

Yoga:
90 minutes of Iyengar Flow with Catherine at Darshana Yoga in Palo Alto. This lady is a true Yogi and has lived the life for over 50 years and it is hard to tell she is over 50, believe me she is healthy, yoga, strong and fit and knows her stuff.

Saturday:
45 Minute Road Run building up my endurance. Nice and mellow run just what I needed. I have a big, long hill run tomorrow so this was a nice compliment.

Yoga:
90 Minutes of Vinyasa with Marta at Darshana. The class was listed as beg/int and I did not want to do an 'advanced' class as I am not doing this for a workout but to breathe, connect my body, mind and breathe, ground myself and my perspective on live and to open my body and create balance.

The Gift of Life

Open your eyes, open your ears, open your arms, open your heart, open your mind, open yourself to life! Why, because life is truly a gift and it is the kind of gift that only comes once in a lifetime. Days, weeks, months, hours, seconds, years go by and before you know it....

My advice for today, for life is stop and put down what you are doing, those daily tasks for survival and take a moment, a really long moment to smell the roses life has given you. If you are reading this, your life cannot be that bad. Think about, you have a computer, access, money to pay for the service, time, etc. and this is more than most. But beyond all this we just never know what is truly around the corner and thus just live in status quo. Now, if this is your conscious choice well then who am I too tell you to do different.

I would say this though, tell your wife or your husband how much you love them, why you love them, how they make your life better; tell your mother and father how much you appreciate them for doing the best they could to raise you, thank them for being human and helping you become the person you are; tell your co-workers, partners, boss how much you appreciate working with them; tell your friends and family members that you appreciate their love and support; give your pet a little extra stroke and send them so love, throw them the ball; and tell yourself that you love yourself and you are going to be the best you can be each and everyday, give yourself so love and attention.

The point is do something more than you probably are already doing, not because you do not already do this, but because you look to show your gratitude for life and the people that make it what it is. Have you ever wished you could have said something to someone and before you know the time passed, the thought and moment passed and you never did say what you wanted.

Life is precious, the people in your life are precious, and there truly is very little in that is guarenteed and life happens in flash! Slow down, take time, give thanks, show love and appreciation, you and everyone around will be better for it.

Choices and Shifting Perspective

That is right, continuing the Excuses Begone theme, you have CHOICES, you have CONTROL. It is time to take a look, smile, laugh, love yourself and tell yourself with CONVICTION that you are beautiful, that anything is possible and that your are going to take those wants, turn it into the power to WILL yourself to the completion and ACHIEVEment of those goals, wants, desires. Enough about what you do not have or what you do not like and focus on what you do have and what you are going to do to get those things you want. And, if you need help CALL, EMAIL, ASK me or Dr. Rosie and checkout her book, SELF EMPOWERMENT 101, it is truly a gem filled with real life examples (which we can all probably relate too on some level) and helps you identify the questions you need to be asking yourself to MAKE it HAPPEN!

We control our DESTINY, not anyone else, not anything else, not what you have done in the past but we your going to do NOW, HERE, IN THE PRESENT MOMENT, to CREATE the life you want. I am just one example of a person who is doing just that and I hope my story, and Rosies and all the other wonderful people on my show as well as my friend and client Jo http://becomingthebiggestloser.blogspot.com/ is doing not be being a 'loser' but by being a person who decided to change her life and become what she wanted through action, responsibility, accountability and sheer will power.

YOU CAN DO IT, in fact you WILL DO IT!

Listen to the show, buy the book and you will know how and why anything is possible that you too can LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS!

Excuses Begone

Excuses Begone, stealing a catch phrase from one of my favorites, Dr. Wayne Dyer. Last night I was doing a home yoga practice and not wanting to use my mind I decided to do a PODCAST. And this got me to thinking about today's technological age and all the advancements and resources available. Think back 10 years, you would have never been able to do a podcast of your favorite type of yoga, at your convenience, in your home, on the road, at 5 am or 1 am or 2 pm, anytime, any place, anywhere.

All one has to do is go to any store, be it a Target, online shopping or health and wellness website and you can find any piece of equipment, video, book, audio, online video to support your needs. Their is no reason to get bored, be lazy, make excuses 'well I have to find time to drive to the gym', 'the fees are expensive', 'it is too crowded', 'I feel uncomfortable working out around others', 'the classes are at times when I cannot go', 'I am not sure how to do it', etc.

EXCUSES BEGONE, it is there, in the palm of your hands, a click away, all for your consumption. This is a day and age when everything is suppose to be more convenient, more readily available, easier to access, easier to understand, more variety for the spice of life, and this is true.

Now, if you choose not to take responsibility, take action and accountability and you choose the life you lead then I understand with great compassion and please do not complain to me or others. However, if you want help, need help, direction, etc. then I know I am more than open to helping you, and I know there are number of other people and ways to do so as well.

The world is your oyster these days and times more than any. We are fortunate that we can go anywhere, talk with anyone and in some ways and formats. Take advantage of this and take advantage of the life you were born to lead, born to live.

Running

I am truly a student, one who loves to learn and explore life and self on various facets, through a variety of angles and relationships. It is no wonder I would put all the great strength achievements aside to take a look at myself in a different light and with a new perspective thanks to all that I learned with Rif and all the strength training stuff. I do realize that I have to give in order to receive and that means giving up goals related to strength, at least at this point.

So, today the odyssey continued on my feet, in the hills, in peace and quiet, and along with a nice Bobcat, which agreed with me that we wanted nothing to do with each other and respected one another's space.

I was out for 55 minutes covering a bit over 5 miles with some nice steep terrain. I remembered to run when I could but to be smart and hike when I needed to because the goal is to cover miles, not be the first one up the hill. This is a marathon of sorts, not a sprint.

I have yet to put down the BIG goal but will do so this week. It is lofty but doable and by far the longest I will ever have covered on my feet and over some of the toughest terrain.

So, the 28th I plan to head out to Quicksilver Almaden, where I was today and do the a race. I believe the half-marathon. I would be happy to finish in 2.5 hours just knowing how up and down the area is I believe this feasible. More again about just increasing time on my feet and learning strategy, etc.