Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Barefoot Running Health Secret
Many broken down, injured runners are finding their stride again by simply kicking off their shoes and running barefoot. Barefoot running has provided many runners the opportunity to run pain and injury free. A simple google search will yield enough reading material to keep you busy for at least a few weeks. Barefoot running has been said to strengthen the feet, improve posture, soften foot landing, improve proprioception, and improve focus.
In all my research of barefoot running I have seen hardly any discussion about grounding. For the latest research on grounding check out the book Earthing by Clint Ober. After reviewing the research in the book, and experimenting on myself as well observing the effects of several others, it is clear to me that grounding can provide tremendous health benefits including; deeper sleep, reduction in stiffness and pain, greater mental clarity, improved digestion and much more.
When your skin touches the earth your body is flooded with electrons that help eliminate free radicals and reduce chronic inflammation. I suspect this is one of the reasons barefoot runners experience a dramatic reduction in pain after just a few barefoot runs. You don't need to run barefoot to get these benefits. You can simply sit outside with the soles of your feet touching the earth. This is probably why jumping in the ocean feels so great, why yogis meditate in caves, and why many pregnant women instinctually want to go barefoot.
The risk of sitting outside with your feet on the grass is incredibly low, while the reward is very high. Give it a try and see what happens for you. With all the damage we are doing to ourselves and our environment it is essential we reconnect with the earth, our loving mother, who has birthed us and provided us boundless beauty and life.
What are your experiences with barefoot running and/or grounding?
In all my research of barefoot running I have seen hardly any discussion about grounding. For the latest research on grounding check out the book Earthing by Clint Ober. After reviewing the research in the book, and experimenting on myself as well observing the effects of several others, it is clear to me that grounding can provide tremendous health benefits including; deeper sleep, reduction in stiffness and pain, greater mental clarity, improved digestion and much more.
When your skin touches the earth your body is flooded with electrons that help eliminate free radicals and reduce chronic inflammation. I suspect this is one of the reasons barefoot runners experience a dramatic reduction in pain after just a few barefoot runs. You don't need to run barefoot to get these benefits. You can simply sit outside with the soles of your feet touching the earth. This is probably why jumping in the ocean feels so great, why yogis meditate in caves, and why many pregnant women instinctually want to go barefoot.
The risk of sitting outside with your feet on the grass is incredibly low, while the reward is very high. Give it a try and see what happens for you. With all the damage we are doing to ourselves and our environment it is essential we reconnect with the earth, our loving mother, who has birthed us and provided us boundless beauty and life.
What are your experiences with barefoot running and/or grounding?
Friday, March 19, 2010
ChiRunning Simplified Video
A great introduction or refresher on the basic principles of ChiRunning. Video provided by my good friend David Stretanski.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Having One Night Stands with Ho-Ho's
Hi Positive Eaters,
The title was absolutely meant to shock and awe you all! When I first started doing health coaching, I delivered this talk called Building a Positive Relationship with Food. This was a fun talk that centered around the truly intimate relationship we share with our food. What we eat involves taking an external, physical thing and making it a part of us. What can be more intimate than that?
During the talk I likened eating fast food to a "one night stand". Think about it! We run into some glitzy and overly fake setting and pick up a juicy fake food item and rush to experience an instantaneous few moments of pleasure. The salt and the fat is just right and its texture helps it glide smoothly down our esophagus. We finish it off with a creamy sugary substance that puts us into a brief state of bliss. Then only a few moments later we are wondering what we just did.
I believe eating should be an enjoyable experience everytime we pick up a fork. I am often challenged on this point. People tell me that if they followed their bliss in regards to eating, they would scarf down ho-ho's and eat ice cream all day long. This may be true for the short term. Do food choices like these provide us with any lasting joy?
When we deprive ourselves of valuable nutrients and we don't pay attention to what's on the inside of our food, we often miss out. I am not speaking just of the thousands of beneficial minerals, vitamins and micronutrients found in clean, natural and whole foods, I am talking about our sense of self respect. When we eat real foods that we love it fosters a deep connection to our bodies. We feel nourished down to the core of our being. I thoroughly believe this stimulates thoughts and feelings within us that are self affirming.
Few would argue that the foundation of a joyful life is an abundance of true and meaningful relationships. Why not start with your food. Nature adorned it with pretty and vibrant colors just to attract you and you won't need to worry about rejection...well unless you are allergic to that particular food. The point is to enjoy food that makes you feel good all the way down through your head, heart and toes. Eat and let yourself feel wonderful about how well you are treating your body with this magnificent food you are eating. Do this and maybe you can avoid the guilt you feel when you step on the wrapper you left on the floor from your recent fling with Little Debbie.
Stay Positive,
Matthew
The title was absolutely meant to shock and awe you all! When I first started doing health coaching, I delivered this talk called Building a Positive Relationship with Food. This was a fun talk that centered around the truly intimate relationship we share with our food. What we eat involves taking an external, physical thing and making it a part of us. What can be more intimate than that?
During the talk I likened eating fast food to a "one night stand". Think about it! We run into some glitzy and overly fake setting and pick up a juicy fake food item and rush to experience an instantaneous few moments of pleasure. The salt and the fat is just right and its texture helps it glide smoothly down our esophagus. We finish it off with a creamy sugary substance that puts us into a brief state of bliss. Then only a few moments later we are wondering what we just did.
I believe eating should be an enjoyable experience everytime we pick up a fork. I am often challenged on this point. People tell me that if they followed their bliss in regards to eating, they would scarf down ho-ho's and eat ice cream all day long. This may be true for the short term. Do food choices like these provide us with any lasting joy?
When we deprive ourselves of valuable nutrients and we don't pay attention to what's on the inside of our food, we often miss out. I am not speaking just of the thousands of beneficial minerals, vitamins and micronutrients found in clean, natural and whole foods, I am talking about our sense of self respect. When we eat real foods that we love it fosters a deep connection to our bodies. We feel nourished down to the core of our being. I thoroughly believe this stimulates thoughts and feelings within us that are self affirming.
Few would argue that the foundation of a joyful life is an abundance of true and meaningful relationships. Why not start with your food. Nature adorned it with pretty and vibrant colors just to attract you and you won't need to worry about rejection...well unless you are allergic to that particular food. The point is to enjoy food that makes you feel good all the way down through your head, heart and toes. Eat and let yourself feel wonderful about how well you are treating your body with this magnificent food you are eating. Do this and maybe you can avoid the guilt you feel when you step on the wrapper you left on the floor from your recent fling with Little Debbie.
Stay Positive,
Matthew
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A Positive Blog
Hey All,
I found this blog...
I thought I'd post it here because it's right up our alley!
ENJOY!
http://goodfoodbetterlife.blogspot.com/
-Caitlyn
I found this blog...
I thought I'd post it here because it's right up our alley!
ENJOY!
http://goodfoodbetterlife.blogspot.com/
-Caitlyn
Friday, February 12, 2010
Uncondional Love by Dr. John Douillard
This is an article by Dr. John Douillard, the author of Body, Mind, Sport...a great book that turns the old paradigm of athletics on its head. Here is a great article on uncondional love.
Learn to Love Unconditionally
by Dr. John Douillard
Have you ever asked yourself, "Have I become a different person?"
Is there a deeper more real version of yourself waiting for the right time to show up - but for the most part letting that person out is just way too risky?!
It's Time To Drop the Old Layers of Protection
Maybe when you were three years old, someone hurt your feelings and to survive you needed to protect yourself. To do this you employed the services of your mind to help you create a personality that would keep you safe. Maybe you became the class clown, a straight A student or Mom's best helper - the better you played these roles the more they liked you. You were safe, loved and appreciated - who could ask for more?
We are all playing a lead role in a movie made by our minds designed to protect us from getting hurt and we try very hard to make a movie that everyone will like. We casted ourselves in this part when we were young and we are still reading the same lines from the same script in that same movie thirty of forty years later. Instead of pleasing our parents we find ourselves pleasing our boss, our spouse and even our kids because the script says if I do these things they will like me.
Love With Expectations Hurts
Our minds have convinced us that in order to feel loved we have to continue to perform - even into a state of exhaustion. Soon we become resentful because while bending over backwards for everyone else, sooner or later they will let you down. "For crying out loud! I do so much for them, you would think they would show some appreciation!" Or, we find ourselves saying, "If they would change, or just stop doing this or do more of that I would be willing to love them so much more." When we expect everyone in our world to change or love us back as a return on the investment we made to them, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and disaster.
Star In Your Own Movie - And Make It A Good One!
The mind has created this world of illusion to keep us safe at a time when our senses, emotions and intellect were not yet developed. When we were two, we needed this type of protection, but now at thirty-two we can become the director of our movie and change the script, create a new scene and even take on that role that you were always meant to play - your real, vulnerable, loving and powerful self. Living a life without access to this part of yourself will be, in due time, a very depressing experience.
Your senses will only offer temporary pleasure, emotions will only distract you from the yearning to be yourself for only so long until - sooner or later - you have to step into this new role. The problem is that the mind has convinced you that you can't do this. "If you just be yourself and love everyone unconditionally and they don't love you back you will be hurt devastated, it is way too risky. Just play it safe and stick with what has been working."
The mind will use your senses and emotions to distract you. It will use fear to make sure you never cross over and drive this chariot to the true, real and powerful part of yourself. It has convinced you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, tall enough, skinny enough so you better stay put, safely living out a life in the illusion of the mind.
Be Happy Even When Something 'Bad' Happens
In the world of illusion we can only be happy when something good happens, if something bad happens we become unhappy. In truth, the joy of our soul is available to all of us, all the time. It is not dependant on something happening - it is the expression of our true nature -- and by definition, truth never changes. It is the emotions that change, or mood changes but who we really are is always there for us.
A flower, for example, doesn't count the number of bees that come nor does it pump up its smell just when you walk by. Its nature, as is ours, is to expand itself no matter if anyone ever loves it back. We think that we will feel better when Mr. Right comes along and loves us, fully making all our dreams come true. The reality is that this kind of love will never satisfy you.
Please try this exercise:
Take a paper and write a love letter to someone you love fully, completely. Someone you trust with all your heart. Tell them all the ways that you love and appreciate them - really go for it. While writing it know that they will never read this letter - it is for your eyes only. As you write it - become aware of how you feel writing this letter. You will see that as you write this letter you will actually feel loved, appreciated, cared for and even feel important.
All the things we so desperately think we need from someone else to make us feel good, we actually experience all by ourselves when we give love or like freely - without any concern that they will read it and then love you back.
"I love you --- but it is no concern of yours"
This is the game the mind has been playing on us for all these years. To truly win we must taste the vulnerability of true love by allowing ourselves to love without the need for any return of investment.
"I love you --- but it is no concern of yours" means I now know that what I really seek is to love rather than to be loved.
Learn to Love Unconditionally
by Dr. John Douillard
Have you ever asked yourself, "Have I become a different person?"
Is there a deeper more real version of yourself waiting for the right time to show up - but for the most part letting that person out is just way too risky?!
It's Time To Drop the Old Layers of Protection
Maybe when you were three years old, someone hurt your feelings and to survive you needed to protect yourself. To do this you employed the services of your mind to help you create a personality that would keep you safe. Maybe you became the class clown, a straight A student or Mom's best helper - the better you played these roles the more they liked you. You were safe, loved and appreciated - who could ask for more?
We are all playing a lead role in a movie made by our minds designed to protect us from getting hurt and we try very hard to make a movie that everyone will like. We casted ourselves in this part when we were young and we are still reading the same lines from the same script in that same movie thirty of forty years later. Instead of pleasing our parents we find ourselves pleasing our boss, our spouse and even our kids because the script says if I do these things they will like me.
Love With Expectations Hurts
Our minds have convinced us that in order to feel loved we have to continue to perform - even into a state of exhaustion. Soon we become resentful because while bending over backwards for everyone else, sooner or later they will let you down. "For crying out loud! I do so much for them, you would think they would show some appreciation!" Or, we find ourselves saying, "If they would change, or just stop doing this or do more of that I would be willing to love them so much more." When we expect everyone in our world to change or love us back as a return on the investment we made to them, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and disaster.
Star In Your Own Movie - And Make It A Good One!
The mind has created this world of illusion to keep us safe at a time when our senses, emotions and intellect were not yet developed. When we were two, we needed this type of protection, but now at thirty-two we can become the director of our movie and change the script, create a new scene and even take on that role that you were always meant to play - your real, vulnerable, loving and powerful self. Living a life without access to this part of yourself will be, in due time, a very depressing experience.
Your senses will only offer temporary pleasure, emotions will only distract you from the yearning to be yourself for only so long until - sooner or later - you have to step into this new role. The problem is that the mind has convinced you that you can't do this. "If you just be yourself and love everyone unconditionally and they don't love you back you will be hurt devastated, it is way too risky. Just play it safe and stick with what has been working."
The mind will use your senses and emotions to distract you. It will use fear to make sure you never cross over and drive this chariot to the true, real and powerful part of yourself. It has convinced you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, tall enough, skinny enough so you better stay put, safely living out a life in the illusion of the mind.
Be Happy Even When Something 'Bad' Happens
In the world of illusion we can only be happy when something good happens, if something bad happens we become unhappy. In truth, the joy of our soul is available to all of us, all the time. It is not dependant on something happening - it is the expression of our true nature -- and by definition, truth never changes. It is the emotions that change, or mood changes but who we really are is always there for us.
A flower, for example, doesn't count the number of bees that come nor does it pump up its smell just when you walk by. Its nature, as is ours, is to expand itself no matter if anyone ever loves it back. We think that we will feel better when Mr. Right comes along and loves us, fully making all our dreams come true. The reality is that this kind of love will never satisfy you.
Please try this exercise:
Take a paper and write a love letter to someone you love fully, completely. Someone you trust with all your heart. Tell them all the ways that you love and appreciate them - really go for it. While writing it know that they will never read this letter - it is for your eyes only. As you write it - become aware of how you feel writing this letter. You will see that as you write this letter you will actually feel loved, appreciated, cared for and even feel important.
All the things we so desperately think we need from someone else to make us feel good, we actually experience all by ourselves when we give love or like freely - without any concern that they will read it and then love you back.
"I love you --- but it is no concern of yours"
This is the game the mind has been playing on us for all these years. To truly win we must taste the vulnerability of true love by allowing ourselves to love without the need for any return of investment.
"I love you --- but it is no concern of yours" means I now know that what I really seek is to love rather than to be loved.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Positive Signs
Hey Everyone,
I wanted to write a post on being positive. I post on this topic often because I feel people become confused by this concept. People ask "how can you just be happy all the time." Or..."thinking happy thoughts won't help all the people starving in the world." These people are absolutely right. However, being positive is not about forcing ourselves to be happy.
No one is happy all the time...the disturbing images coming out of Haiti are enough to sink even the most hardened person's heart. Holding hands and visualizing sunshine and butterflies while reading fairy tales will not pull desperate people out of the rubble. This type of catastrophe does call for people to be positive.
My brand of positivism is best displayed with an addition symbol +. When we add to something we are making a positive contribution. I was not a stellar math student but I did grasp this concept. Whenever we add or move forward me are making positive progress. I understand people will object, stating "if we put more guns on the street we are adding something but it results in tragedy." Once again this person would be correct. However, I am sure if we write out the rest of the equation we will end up with less than we started. People will lose their lives either to violence or to jail. True positivity occurs when our actions, our thoughts, our words add to the totality of human existence. There is no one on Earth who can finish out the whole equation, so we move forward in faith.
Even the smallest gesture can add to the sum. I contributed $15 to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Effort. This was matched by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and I am sure many of my fellow classmates followed suit. In contributed with hope that my positive action would add to the efforts in the embattled country. If I simply turned off the television listened to some John Tesh music and thought about skipping through a magical forest, my gesture would at best be labeled null. I guess I would be one more supporter of John Tesh's lovely piano music....but in my estimation would have done very little.
Being positive is about progress. Each of us can either help one another evolve and in turn evolve ourselves...or we can live survival of the fittest in which each of us takes and takes until nothing is left. I believe human beings got to this advanced state of development through their positive intentions. Call me delusional but I believe it to be so. I would encourage each of you to remember that every action carries with it this potential. When I close my emails with "stay positive", I do not mean "think happy thoughts", I mean continue to evolve, to grow and to contribute to the world around you.
Stay Positive,
Matthew
To contribute to the Haiti Relief Effort see links below
Red Cross
https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=1457186616&df_id=4437&4437.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=iziao0c2t1.app196a
Bill Clinton and George Bush Effort
http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org
International Rescue Committee
http://www.theirc.org
I wanted to write a post on being positive. I post on this topic often because I feel people become confused by this concept. People ask "how can you just be happy all the time." Or..."thinking happy thoughts won't help all the people starving in the world." These people are absolutely right. However, being positive is not about forcing ourselves to be happy.
No one is happy all the time...the disturbing images coming out of Haiti are enough to sink even the most hardened person's heart. Holding hands and visualizing sunshine and butterflies while reading fairy tales will not pull desperate people out of the rubble. This type of catastrophe does call for people to be positive.
My brand of positivism is best displayed with an addition symbol +. When we add to something we are making a positive contribution. I was not a stellar math student but I did grasp this concept. Whenever we add or move forward me are making positive progress. I understand people will object, stating "if we put more guns on the street we are adding something but it results in tragedy." Once again this person would be correct. However, I am sure if we write out the rest of the equation we will end up with less than we started. People will lose their lives either to violence or to jail. True positivity occurs when our actions, our thoughts, our words add to the totality of human existence. There is no one on Earth who can finish out the whole equation, so we move forward in faith.
Even the smallest gesture can add to the sum. I contributed $15 to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Effort. This was matched by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and I am sure many of my fellow classmates followed suit. In contributed with hope that my positive action would add to the efforts in the embattled country. If I simply turned off the television listened to some John Tesh music and thought about skipping through a magical forest, my gesture would at best be labeled null. I guess I would be one more supporter of John Tesh's lovely piano music....but in my estimation would have done very little.
Being positive is about progress. Each of us can either help one another evolve and in turn evolve ourselves...or we can live survival of the fittest in which each of us takes and takes until nothing is left. I believe human beings got to this advanced state of development through their positive intentions. Call me delusional but I believe it to be so. I would encourage each of you to remember that every action carries with it this potential. When I close my emails with "stay positive", I do not mean "think happy thoughts", I mean continue to evolve, to grow and to contribute to the world around you.
Stay Positive,
Matthew
To contribute to the Haiti Relief Effort see links below
Red Cross
https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=1457186616&df_id=4437&4437.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=iziao0c2t1.app196a
Bill Clinton and George Bush Effort
http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org
International Rescue Committee
http://www.theirc.org
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