Cairns’ Personal Trainer at Osprey Reef: Christmas on the Coral Sea to integrate my mind-body&soul

Hey folks,

I want to announce I won’t be available from 18/12/08 till 01/01/09 because I will be going diviiiiiiiiiing with Mike Ball!!!! I’m looking forward forward to this trip like a child looks forward to Santa and the elves (21 more sleeps

See this video and envy! Only kidding~ I wish each and every one of you the best in following your heart this Christmas. We must not forget to take time-out for ourselves, and to take opportunities to keep on learning, sharing and integrating our mind-body&soul.

I’ll gladly give each person who wants to /get fit over the silly season a Physical Activity Program so that you can focus on cultivating your mind and soul.

Please share your mind-body&soul agenda for the Christmas/New Year period…

An Ecstatic Presence Empowerment: Three steps to engaged gratitude by guest blogger LaSara FireFox

Do you want to increase the peace in your life? Do you want more love, more joy, more presence? Do you want to take an active part in becoming the actual manifestation of “heaven on earth”?

The most revolutionary thing we can do to increase the peace is to LIVE IT.

As Gandhi said, “there is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” The more we practice peace, the more peace becomes our lives. We can live peace in every moment. I’m not talking about some abstraction, or idea of peace. Nor am I speaking of the absence of conflict. Even in the midst of conflict, we can BE peace.

Engaged Gratitude practice, in three steps:

1: Invoke and Embody The Presence of Love

Make love real. Agapic love. The big, big love that lives at the center of all things. The
flame that burns “in every heart of man, and in the core of every star.” How to realize, or
remember, this love, you may ask. The practices are many, the goal one. Gratitude
practice, asking powerful questions, inducing positive states, prayer and meditation are
all ways to invoke love.

Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we can invoke and embody the presence of
love. In my “playshop” called Being The Presence of Love, I offer not only many
practices to make this practice accessible, but also offer the template of experiencing
being present in love, so that you have a reliable, physiological anchor that will make it
easy to access the power of Divine Love in any moment.
For now, an easy way to manifest the presence of love is to think of something that
makes you feel a love beyond limits, unconditional, eternal. The perfect love. I find this
love at the heart of deep prayer, in the arms of my beloved, sharing a smile with my
child.
Think about it, and then feel it. Ahhhh. There it is. Now feel it even more. Let your heart,
your whole being, glow with this love. Of course, invoking the presence of love is only step one.
2: Grow Your Gratitude!
Gratitude heals the heart. This is true on multiple levels. Of course it makes sense on the metaphorical level – how could becoming grateful NOT heal a broken heart? When we experience loss, healing comes from realizing that the sum total of the impact of any experience was for the best. When we get this, it becomes easy to be grateful for the experiences we encounter.

In addition to the metaphorical, gratitude also heals the actual physiology of your heart. This is wonderful, and true! Gratitude practice is recommended as part of many heartsurgery and heart disease recovery programs. How does it work? Gratitude is the antidote for stress, anger, anxiety and many other ills. Stress, of course, is a huge contributor to both heart disease and heart attack.
Gratitude offers a rest to our physiological systems. For instance, say you’re standing in line at the grocery store, and the people in front of you are taking forever. You may be late getting to where ever you’re going, but is stressing out about it going to change the fact that you’re stuck in line? Not a chance!
The one thing you CAN change is how you are experiencing the moment. So, instead of obsessing about your situation, take the time and cultivate gratitude. Even starting small will work. You can be grateful that you have the money to buy food. You can be grateful that you have a chance to read those amazing headlines on the trashy mag in the rack. I get really simple with it, and remember to be grateful to have a moment to be in stillness and silence.

(Standing in line is a perfect opportunity for a moment of meditation.)

This choice is affecting you, and as a true believer in systems theory, I would say that is affects all that is. Your stress is not just your stress – it may very well affect the whole system in some subtle way. Your gratitude is the same way. As you choose to relax instead of stress, the ripples spread. Your interaction with the cashier is going to be different.

His interaction with the next person in line may well be different, too. On the personal level alone, though, the benefits are too many to mention. Gratitude is SO much nicer to hold in our cells than the alternative.
Another wonderful bonus is that because our minds sort for, and we notice, that which we expect, when we start practicing gratitude, we start noticing more and more to be grateful for.

Gratitude practice, just like any other practice, becomes easier the more you do it!

3: Make Love a Verb; Gratitude in Action!

Love and gratitude become more powerful by far, when put into engaged action. Engagement is the final step of this process. Take your love and DO something with it.
That something might be sitting in prayer, but think of how much more prayer you’d bring if you were to start hosting a weekly group prayer night at your home.
When you find gratitude for the food on your table, let it remind you that you can do your part to reduce suffering by offering food to those in need. Make a meal, box it up, and offer it to a local homeless person you have seen around. While you’re at it, have a conversation with this person.
At the Season for Nonviolence gathering a while back, Dr. Arun Gandhi pointed out that compassion is different from pity.

I paraphrase the esteemed man here; pity offers the food and hopes the person will walk away with it. Compassion offers the food, asks the person how they ended up on the streets, witnesses the story, and does it’s part to cause an end to the reasons that this person and others end up without.
Namaste. We are one. We are none. Consider yourself empowered!
About the author:
LaSara FireFox, MPT-NLP, is a master practitioner/trainer of Neuro-Linguistic
Programming/Patterning, life coach, educator, and professional speaker. LaSara helps her
clients to find balance in their lives, and alignment with their personal and family-held
values. http://lasarafirefox.com/

The Ministry of Burger: The opinion of a Cairns’ personal trainer

After I saw today’s Jamie’s Ministry of Food I couldn’t help myself and had to write a commentary. I like that guy very much; he is trying so hard to implement very basics of cooking – eating healthy food into heads of ordinary people.

Here in Cairns, as in most other parts of the globe, Jamie is really a big icon in this business of cooking and nutrition. Why is it, in Australia at least, that advertisers and fast-food chains try to use the televised shows, and good name, of Jamie, for their own benefits. Parasites!

It really pissed me off the other night that the commercials during Jamie’s Ministry of Food, were about crap (unhealthy food); Pizza Hut, Dominos and Hungry Jacks were the few I noticed during my rant around the house at the hypocrisy of it all. Unfortunately, The Ministry of Food, is seen merely as a tool to source advertiser income, and the income of the audience who are now more likely to spend their money on “junk for their trunk”; research shows that people who feel good during a TV report much more positive feelings toward commercials shown during that programme (references on request).

These fast-food commercials should not be shown during a program that is actively doing something about increasing obesity rates, aiding those in poverty who do have not been skilled in healthy shopping and cooking habits, and just generally creating a better standard of living for those most in need of such.

I don’t think people are stupid – they really know that burgers and pizza are not healthy food; but due to the commercials being embedded in the Ministry of Food they now have a plausible excuse for over-indulging: “OK, if burgers and pizzas are advertised together with healthy food, they can’t be so bad.”

And that’s it. That’s what the companies want. They want to claim their products as healthy food. And, of course, all of this is about money. It is not about proactively taking responsibility for the part each of us (including advertisers and fast-food enterprises), have to ensure the health and well being of our communities.

Why do governments, academics and other social critiques continue to urge us on the one hand to educate ourselves toward healthy living, and on the other not use Policy to ensure that we have access to accurate and non-biased resources (i.e., due to the goals of advertisers and fast-food chains).

No wonder we continue to pay such heavy taxes, in the form of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and children who cannot focus on studies because their bodies are starved of nutrition.

Are you wanting real lifestyle change?  Harmonics: Massage, Training & Motivation will provide you with shopping tours, a “fridge blitz” and home-cooking nutrition with our Lifestyle Consultancy programs.

Share with us your lifestyle change needs via Comment or email (harmonics@zenbe.com)

And come join us over at Jaimie Oliver’s website~ HarmonicsCairns is on the blogroll. You too can join the campaign to “Pass it On”

Cairns’ Personal Trainer Offers Free Stretching Demos at the Arrows

Cairns‘ personal trainer, Jarek Sevcik, core founder of Harmonics (massage, training and motivation), emphasizes community focus.We are organizing ourselves to provide free stretching demos at the foot of the Red and Blue Arrow rainforest tracks here in Cairns.

For many people, a power walk up and down either the Red or Blue Arrow is a must~ however, is stretching before and after also part of the routine. Harmonics wants to raise awareness about the importance of stretching as part of peoples walking/jogging routines.

Power stretching (core stretching) will be demonstrated from 3:30pm-4pm on most weekdays (weather permitting) at the base of the Red and Blue Arrow (between the Botanic Gardens and The Tanks). The grassy area is well shaded~ though you may need to bring your mozzie repellent!

We will be sharing more about the powerful benefits of stretching to health and wellbeing in future posts. Today, we just wanted to give Cairn’s residents the “heads up” as to what we have planned over the next week.

Till then, check out this 8-minute stretching routine (love his workout clothes!)

By the way, if you have ever had a massage then you may wan to participate in a PhD study on just that~ massage! The online survey can be accessed via the link below:

http://groups.google.com/group/sci.psychology.announce/browse_thread/thread/e55431f3a94c4b74

Share your favorite stretches here with us.

For Cairns stretchers, this personal trainer is looking forward to meeting you at the Arrows.

Parents! Personal Training is Not an “Extra”: Use Your Lifestyle to Create Change

Yesterday while catching up with a friend (and client!) the topic of financial pressures for families came up. My friend pointed out that for many parents, personal training and massage is seen as an “extra” cost.

We at Harmonics emphasize that your current lifestyle can be used to create change~ health & well being are not extras! they are essential elements for a quality life. Your weekly shopping trip is an opportunity to have a 30m walk, and to educate the kids about how to choose foods and manage a budget.

This activity can be complemented with daily water intake, adequate sleep/naps, and nutritious food choices. The dollars not spent on low nutritional foods can be redirected to celebrating achieving your families health goals.

For example, treat yourself to a 10 or 25m massage instead of one that is an hour. The release of stress and time out for yourself is necessary for those who spend most of their time giving.

Kristinia at Loving Heart Mommy shares with us how keep  on with our efforts to “put a lil’ heart” into all that we do. Her yummy and nutritious review of iLunchbox has a wealth of handy info to aid parents coordinate their current habits with healthy lifestyle changes.

How do you reward yourself at present? What ways do you take time out for yourself at the moment? Can either of these activites redirect dollars toward massage or personal training to support your lifestyle goals?

Sciatic Nerve Pain: Relief with At-Home or At-Work Techniques

The pain from pressure on the sciatic nerve can be excruciating! Read on to discover some tried and true self-treatments at home/at work for releasing pressure on the sciatic nerve. Pain is a sign from the body that something must be attended to. These brief remedies will aid relief of symptoms and support ongoing treatments from you massage/physio therapist.

Of course, see a qualified massage therapist or physiotherapist to ensure a correct diagnosis.

The sciatic nerve originates in the area of the spine known as the  sacral plexus; an anatomical term to mean the bundle of nerves near the base of your spine (within the lower lumber to sacrum are; L4-S3). Here is a picture to help you visualize:

Sciatic pain radiates from the buttocks down the back of the leg. Irritation and/inflammation (pain!) of the nerve occurs when the nerve is “entrapped” somewhere along its path. Here is another pic to be sure we are all on the same page…

A very common cause of sciatic pain is tension in the buttocks (yes~a pain in the bum!).

Slow and deep movements across the area of your sole using your thumb, just before your heel work best here. Alternatively, while sitting at a desk you could use a tennis ball under your foot.

The area is shown in red below:

Dewey Nielsen, a strength coach in Oregon, provides a simple yet effective exercise video (see below) for “Nerve Flossing”. When the head is bent forward the spinal cord is pulled one way, when the leg is extended, the cord is pulled back. CAUTION: go slow! There are times when the sciatic nerve has adhered so forcing the movements can cause damage or exacerbate the pain. Refer to Dewey’s article on sciatic pain for instructions to the video:

Share your stories of sciatic pain, causes and relief…

Recommended Reading

Sciatic Pain Relief

The Sciatic Nerve: The Nerve of Reflexology

Community

Forum and chat coming soon

The Lifestyle Journal Begins: A Review of Char’s Motivated Monday

Well~ the day began so beautifully with some rain that I did not want to get out of bed. I let myself sleep in for an extra hour (so a 7:30am rise instead of 6am).

I still felt a little tired, but made myself a cuppa tea (white and two sugars)

7:45 After a walk around the house picking up and putting away (gets the circulation moving), I did some light stretches and sat at the computer to tend to emails and to complete work for the first client of the day.

8:15 Emails are filed for later reading, placed in a “To Do This Week” folder or immediately responded to. I find this method of prioritizing most effective to organize my day to ensure the most work is done in my 6 hour day (reduced from 16h as of two weeks ago, yah!!).

10:00 The client’s work is emailed to them and I help my housemate with housework~ a great way to Move, Stretch & Be Productive!

I place the items for Lifeline in the garage, wipe surfaces and sweep.

10:30 Check on client emails, post to my PSI Tutor: Academic Mentor site, have a cup of coffee (freshly ground with a  Saeco automatic coffee machine, with two sugars and milk) and then read several “To Do This Week” emails as I relax with my cuppa.

10:55 I am in the shower and dressed ready for our first client of the day at Harmonics (how excitement!!!).

11:15 Client greeted and in consultation with Jarek~ I set to on the keyboard with my next client.

12:23 Out the door with a friend who is giving me a lift to the city as I have only 30 minutes to send off my next piece (the all-in-one has conspired against me today). I focus on not stressing, as I will only get in my own way, and there is not much I can really do except move through each step to meet my goal of sending off this fax.

13:07 Fax is sent! We parked the car to have a bit of a walk: to Internet cafe, Post Office, coffee shop and return to the car. As my friend and I have never been out for coffee together we were both  a little naughty

I had a Corona and about five of her Nachos, as well as the ice-cream scoop from her chilled coffee.

14:10 Arrive home, put on my hat and sunnies and have a brisk walk to the servo to pick up milk, and some throat soothers as the dust from this morning has me sneezing and I want to support the membranes that are warding off the invading particles. My walk is not brisk, but it is not a stroll either. I enjoy the outdoors, especially on a breexy afternoon like today. The walk is also good to stretch my spine more, especially as I must be back at the keyboard wehn I get home.

14:30 Home again, and time to tick another item of my Do Today list (on scrap paper next to the keyboard):

Wash the dogs! How fun~

15:00 I reply to some client emails and then work on the Harmonics blog layout. Every half hour or so I am asked to volunteer for techniques that Jarek is working on for clients.

16:37 I am still here at the keyboard And have had my second (and last) coffee for the day.

Hello world!

Harmonics: Massage, Train & Motivate has arrived! One-to-one consultations are now available in Cairns and online for those committed to real lifestyle change.

Jarek Sevcik has a Masters in Physical Education, has coordinated military boot camps and, when not traveling, works with his parents at their holistic spa and retreat in the Czech Republic. Char (me has a degree in Psychology, is a Lifestyle Mentor and enjoys being a tutor for university students.

Harmonics can plan a relaxation and/or personal training program that works with activities that you already do each day, and with food choices that you currently make.

Whether it is a one-time self reward or a commitment to long-term change, Jarek & Char at Harmonics (as well as their network of lifestyle mentors within the Cairns community) can support your steps to success.

Massage for weight management, musculoskeletal support and definition, healing and recuperation.

Personal training to maintain physical abilities, physique and mental health.

Boot Camp for military standard physical and mental living. 3 months of intensive learning and training;  nutrition, movement and cognitive change. Youth are welcome to keep up!

The basics as well as finer details for healthy Nutrition and Lifestyle choices are cross-referenced with your existing shopping habits. One of the programs at Harmonics combines a monthly shop, meal prep and “move it” fridge overhaul. Guest chefs are invited to show you, one-to-one, how to shop, store and prepare wholesome meals and tasty treats.

How much fun are Mentor endeavors! Come join us at Harmonics for change that is in harmony with what your body needs, and what you expect from life.

What do you see as your goals for physical and mental health over the next 3 months? Share with a comment below…

And, come and enjoy! It doesn’t matter if you need a training lesson or a massage.