Celebrate you!

This holiday season, please take a moment out of your busy schedule to breath and relax.  Clear your mind for a couple minutes.  It makes a big difference in your productivity.  Even a half hour massage can assist in what I call defragging and rebooting your systems, and recharging fatigued muscles. 
And please remember the water intake. 
Take the time to celebrate all that you are and do! 

Competencia Fei World Cup

Runnovia Joint Supplement

Check out this link.  www.runnovia.com You know you are the correct site if you see Runnovia, for sore winners. 

This product is vegan and beneficial for joints. Please read all information on it and ask your doctor before taking any supplemtation.  I just would like to share this product as it has been very beneficial for many winning athletes, just like you.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Unbridaled Passion! An Awesome book!

Last Chance to Alkalize this Fall!

Passion Never Grows Up!! And Never Grows Old!

Here is some exciting news about the para rider training coming up! This is true passion and power!

USDF News

For Immediate Release

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Para-Equestrian Training Session to Host Eight Riders

Source: USEF

Lexington, KY- Eight riders have been selected by Para-Equestrian High Performance Committee from an impressive group of applicants to participate in the upcoming Para-Equestrian Training Session to be held at USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. This training session will take place November 5-6, 2011 and will be conducted by Robert Dover and Para-Equestrian Team Coach Missy Ransehousen.

The following riders have been selected to participate in the Para-Equestrian Training Session:

Erin Alberda (Woodinville, WA), Grade III
Charlotte Bathalon (South Burlington, VT), Grade II
Rebecca Hart (Unionville, PA), Grade II
Mary Jordan (Wells, ME), Grade IV
Margaret McIntosh (Reading, PA), Grade II
Elizabeth Pigott (Downington, PA), Grade II
Donna Ponessa (New Windsor, NY), Grade 1a
Freddie Win (Woodbridge, NJ), Grade IV

The following riders have been selected as alternates for the Para-Equestrian Training Session (in ranked order):

Ashley Rosendale (Branchville, NJ), Grade III
Holly Jacobson (Ipswich, MA), Grade II

To learn more about the Para-Equestrian Training Session click here: http://usefnetwork.com/news/7658/2011/9/26/paraequestrian_training_session_to.aspx

For more information about the USEF Para-Equestrian program visit; http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/allparaequestrian/hpparaEquestrian.aspx.

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, e-mail usdressage@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.

Great Quote

"We need the tonic of the wilderness" -Henry David Thoreau

I would say riding a horse on the beach counts as a tonic! Which how I spent the better part of my Sunday! Learning to take some time for enjoyment, is a very necessary lesson. So I hope you all had some fun this weekend!
A big thank you to my friend who allowed me to ride today. Now, refreshed I start the week.

Chazot

"What a great way to wake up!! This flows with appreciation of freedom of movement. awesome!! "

Chazot an OTTB gallops to hsi pasture in this video

View >>

Jumper Classic- Benefits Therapeautic Riding!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Jumper Classic, Inc.

MEDIA CONTACT	Kendra Cecieta, Director of Media Relations media@jumperclassic.com
EDITORIAL CONTACT	Pamela Mansfield, Editor In Chief pmansfield@jumperclassic.com
PHOTO CREDIT	Flashpoint Photography These photos may only be used in relation to this press release with full photo credit.
WEBSITE	Press Releases and Photos are available online. Click Here to view this press release on JumperClassic.com.

Local Non Profit Partners Benefit from An Outstanding Day
at the 2011 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic

Supporters and staff of the UNH Therapeutic riding program charity luncheon at the
2011 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic with their entries for the best hat contest.
From Left Cindy Burke, Director of UNH Therapeutic Riding Program,
Dr. Betsy Bolton, Associate Professor of Equine Studies, D.V.M., D.A.C.V.S.,
Sarah Hamilton, Director of the UNH Equine Program
and Marcie Jacobson, Supporter of the UNH Therapeutic Riding Program.

Photo Credit: Flashpoint Photography

Hampton Falls, NH- September 17, 2011- On a picture perfect fall day, three local equine charities welcomed the opportunity to thank their hardworking staff, dedicated supporters and army of volunteers that make it all possible by hosting a luncheon at the 2011 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic. The luncheons serve to raise money for these great causes in addition to building awareness of each charities mission and programs that they offer.

The Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic is an elite equestrian competition held in beautiful Hampton Falls, NH. The event attracts a star-studded lineup of both local and international riders that range from Olympic medalists to some of the most promising up and coming riders in the sport of show jumping in the race to capture over $200,000 in prize money.

Today's beneficiaries included:

UNH Therapeutic Riding Program: The UNH Therapeutic Riding Program adapts equine activities to allow for participation of riders over the age of 5 with cognitive, physical and emotional challenges. Activities take place in a normal equine environment, augmented with therapeutic games and activities to develop childrens potential rather than focus on their disabilities.

The program is run in coordination with the Equine Studies program at the University of New Hampshire in Durham so that students can learn how to develop, run and manage successful therapeutic riding programs and facilities.

Program Director, Cindy Burke was thrilled with the support the event received this year and stated "This is our fourth year hosting the luncheon and this year we sold out. It's a great event and everyone really looks forward to it. Next up, for fundraising is the 40th anniversary Horse Trials that will be held October 1st and 2nd at UNH. For more information please visit http://www.equine.unh.edu/trp.

Lucky's Legacy: Lucky's Legacy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Epping, NH. It has been created by a group of dedicated volunteers, with over 25 years combined animal rescue experience. Dedicated to saving the horses whose lives were hanging in the balance from the discontinuation of the Equine Protection Act of North America. Lucky's Legacy continues to work towards preventing cruelty to horses in honor of Lucky a very special rescued horse.

Melissa Coe, President of Lucky's Legacy was grateful for the exposure that the Jumper Classic presents each year. " It's a great way for us to raise money and share the stories of some of the horses we have rescued that are now ready to find homes. You can meet some of the horses in need at their open house on October 23rd at the barn in Epping. You can always see the horses available for adoption and support Lucky's Legacy by visiting luckyslegacy.org.

New England Equine Rescue: Founded in 2005, New England Equine Rescues (NEER) was formed to answer a need within the equine community to network hard-to-place horses that were not able to find sanctuary in overcrowded rescues throughout the New England area. Currently, based in West Newbury. Ma NEER's goal is to provide assistance to horses and horse owners in need throughout New England.

Mary Martin is the manager of NEER North. She was thrilled to be back at this years Jumper Classic. " The is just fantastic exposure for us and we are so grateful for the opportunity to fundraise for a cause that needs a lot of support in the times we are facing right now, she said." The next event for NEER North will be a silent auction full of great gifts for horse lovers of all ages on November 6th at Keon's in the Black Swan Country Club in Georgetown, MA. Please visit them at Neernorth.org for more information.

Non- stop show jumping continues tomorrow with the $15,000 Equine Insurance Speed Stake presented by Great American. The Speed Stake is followed by the highlight of the week's events the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic Grand Prix. Tickets are available for purchase at the gate or online at www.jumperclassic.com. Parking is $15.00 per car. Gates open at 10am and PlaneSense Opening Ceremonies begins at 11am.

Among the competitors to watch are 2004 and 2008 United States Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward who has won the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic Grand Prix here in Hampton Falls in 2008. Ward is certainly no stranger to the winner's circle as one of the most accomplished and recognized riders in the sport.

Earlier this month, Ward made history at the Hampton Classic Horse Show by winning multiple Grand Prix classes over three consecutive days. It all began with his win in the 15,000 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper class, followed by a win in the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier CSI****. His winning streak culminated with a win in the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix, a FEI World Cup Qualifier.

While Ward is here to see if his luck can continue, he definitely will have some competition looking to capture some of the $200,000 in prize money up for grabs this week. This includes his two -time Olympic Gold Medalist teammate show jumping all star, Beezie Madden. Madden is recognized as one of the most decorated females in the sport. In 2008, in addition to Team Gold in Beijing, she also captured the individual Bronze medal on her famous mount Authentic. Madden was also the first woman to pass the million dollar mark in show jumping earnings.

Madden is returning to the United States after a strong competitive season in Europe with a recent win in the Longines Grand Prix of Rotterdam, on August 28th aboard Coral Reef Via Volo. In addition, Madden also had many wins this winter in the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, which makes her a strong contender for the winner's circle.

One of the local stars who is sure to delight the crowd is Boston Bruins Principal Charlie Jacobs. Recently Jacobs team, brought their A game to the NHL and celebrated their win with the Stanley Cup. Competing is clearly in his blood and this week Jacobs, will see if he can bring his game to the Grand Prix ring.

Earlier this year Jacobs was named Rider of the Month for February in the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. He also led the Series Amateur-Owner division at the end of May 2011. In the Fieldstone Summer Showcase this past August, Jacobs used his home ice advantage to his benefit. He took the two top spots in the $7,500 Welcome Stake and then went on to capture the win in the $25,000 Herb Chambers Grand Prix on his horse Flaming Star.

Leslie Burr Howard, who is another Olympic Medalist, is coming off two recent wins just last week at the Putnam Boston Classic. She will surely be one to watch literally chase the money in the bigger classes this week. Other notable riders expected to compete throughout the week include, 18 -year old Victoria Birdsall who is one of the top Junior riders in the country. In addition, watch for Olympian Norman Dello Joio, Irish Olympian Kevin Babbington and Grand Prix veteran riders such as Candice King, Jimmy Torano and Jeffery Welles. This all star cast will also feature Marie Hecart of France who one her first U.S. Grand Prix title here last year and plans on returning to see if she can create a repeat performance at the Jumper Classic in 2011.

Show jumping action continues tomorrow with the $12,000 Harvest Group of UBS Financial Services Welcome Stake, a qualifier for Sunday's $75,000 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic Grand Prix. Join us tomorrow for a meet and greet where local horselovers of all ages will have an opportunity to ask the riders questions, get autographs and win prizes starting at 4:30 pm in the rider's tent. Gates open at 10am daily. Entrance is free to the public through Friday with $10 parking fee and tickets for the weekend can be purchased can at www.jumperclassic.com or by calling 978-283-7708.

Fidelity Investments is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services, with assets under administration of $3.4 trillion, including managed assets of more than $1.5 trillion, as of August 31, 2011. Founded in 1946, the firm is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and many other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com.

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Body awareness

Often when I massage a client I will hear them say, "I didn't know I hurt there."
Sometimes that is because they hurt more in one area than another. When relaxation and circulation return to one muscle or group of muscles, the next area of discomfort begins to say hey, over here!
This is "normal" and clients should not be alarmed. The client's body awareness is key to performance, no matter what sport they are training for. This is why I recommend full body treatments. Another reason for full body work is that one muscle group is connected to the next. For the full benefit of recovery from training I recommend it once or twice a month.
Spot treatments are a great way to keep clients going, and get specific problem areas worked out. By receiving this work, clients can continue their work with greater ease.
As body awareness increases, the ability for the athlete to listen to their body, trust it to perform the sport at hand and increase the level of intensity will be reflected.
In this picture, myself and fellow kettle bell enthusiast, train to work on developing technique for the kettle bell push press. form and body awareness are keys to success. Like anything else, every session is a work in progress. Have fun!

REST and MASSAGE

Getting the proper rest is as important as getting a good workout and good nutrition. Even if you take a ten minute cat-nap during the day, that can boost your performance tremendously. Sleeping at your desk is probably not the best idea, but taking a moment during the day to just breathe and relax will help you get through a busy day.
Massage is another great way to get a boost on your rest and rejuvenation. Being relaxed and refreshed, you will perform better in all the jobs and activities that you do.
Go get 'em! Then get a massage!!

Fibromyalgia: What You Need to Know

This content is selected and controlled by WebMD's editorial staff and is funded by Pfizer.

Next Article:

• Fibromyalgia Symptoms See if it may be time to call the doctor.

Fibromyalgia and Exercise: Yes, You Can

Exercise eases the pain of fibromyalgia. Getting started may not be easy, but it’s worth it.

WebMD Feature

By Denise Mann

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

Take it from a Cincinnati, Ohio, mother of six, Pat Holthaun: Exercise may be the last thing you feel like doing if you have fibromyalgia, but it’s also one of the best things you can do to decrease pain.
Like many people, when Holthaun was diagnosed with the widespread pain disorder several years ago, she took up residence on her couch -- unwilling to even think about getting up and moving. But two years ago, the 72-year-old finally decided to take her doctor’s advice and enroll in a warm water aerobics class.
“I just love it,” she says. “It’s such an enjoyable thing, and I am so much more limber and stronger now.” She likes it so much, she now does water aerobics three times a week.
Holthaun is on to something. Along with medication and education about fibromyalgia, exercise plays a critical role in managing the disease.

Fibromyalgia and Exercise: Slow and Steady

“Exercise improves a person’s overall sense of well-being and reduces pain and tenderness over time,” says Lesley M. Arnold, M.D. a psychiatrist and fibromyalgia expert at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio. “We try to pace it slowly and make sure that their symptoms of pain and fatigue are under control before we introduce it.”
The first step is typically an assessment of the person’s current fitness level. “We like to start them on a program that is a level or two below their current level, improve their stamina, and build up to 20 to 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity on most days of the week,” Arnold tells WebMD. “We really encourage them to pace things and set reasonable goals.”

Water Aerobics Soothe and Strengthen

For people with fibromyalgia, low-impact aerobics is the way to go. “We really like an aerobic water class and people tend to go back,” Arnold says.
The research backs her up. A study in Arthritis Research & Therapy found that water aerobics improve health-related quality of life in women with fibromyalgia.
These classes often start in warm-water pools, which can be soothing. What’s more, they are typically group-based, so people can garner support and motivation from other members of the group. Holthaun says that this helps people stick to a program. “People with fibromyalgia tend to isolate, but being in a group helps motivation,” she says.

Strength Training and Low-Impact Exercise

What if you don’t have access to a pool? Don’t despair: Walking, biking, and other forms of low-impact aerobic activity also provide benefits. “Grab a buddy, take a class, or look into physical therapy,” Arnold suggests.
And don’t rule out strength training. Although doctors once believed that strength training could worsen pain in people with fibromyalgia, new research suggests that this is not the case. In fact, the latest research -- presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Orlando -- suggests that strength training can have the same ameliorating effect on pain as aerobic exercise.
Lynne Matallana, president and founder of the National Fibromyalgia Association in Anaheim, Calif., says the benefits of exercise for people with the condition are tremendous. “This has been shown scientifically and anecdotally,” she says.
Matallana’s own experience has shown her that exercise can also soothe the mind. A former dancer, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1995. “I have watched how exercise has improved my symptoms and my overall outlook,” she says. “When I got in water, I could do movements that were almost like dance. That touched my soul again.”

Getting Over the Mental Hurdles

Let’s face it: It may hurt just to think about going from couch potato to marathon runner. To avoid getting overwhelmed, take it in stages.
“If you have fibromyalgia, you have this amplified pain signal telling you that something is wrong,” Mattalana says. “It’s a natural instinct to want to protect your body by going to bed, but that actually makes pain worse.”
Try these two tips to get your mind on board:

• Give yourself a pep talk. “Tell yourself that this is going to be beneficial,” Mattalana says. “Say, ‘Today I will do just this amount because I know this will help me feel better.” 
• Set realistic goals. Arnold often prescribes five minutes of walking to start. “People may think that won’t be too difficult, but it can be if you have fibromyalgia,” she says. “We start very slow and build up from there, and emphasize that there is no hurry.”

From Skeptic to Believer

In the beginning, Mattalana scoffed at the thought of doing only three minutes on the treadmill, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be. “I slowly got my body conditioned and got to a point where I could add more exercise,” she says. “It is a slow process, but every time you get up, stretch, walk, get into a pool, or take a yoga class, you are one step closer to feeling better.”
“Once you convince people to start exercising, they become believers,” says Daniel J. Clauw, MD, professor of anesthesiology and medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “It’s not until they do it and see how much it helps that they embrace it.”
How long does that usually take? “Some people will notice changes right away, but for others, it may take a couple of weeks,” he says.
Exercise is not a panacea for fibromyalgia, Clauw says. But, he says, “it works in more people than anything else. I can’t remember an instance where someone got into an exercise program and didn’t notice a significant improvement in symptoms.”

Give Yoga a Chance

Can't Do Yoga? Think Again

If you've ruled out yoga for physical reasons, it might be time to reconsider.

By Jennifer Soong
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

In Hollywood and glossy magazines, yoga is usually associated with a Jennifer Aniston-type twisting her lithe body into a gravity-defying pretzel. So even though yoga is popular, it can be daunting to people who aren't already bendy and buff.

"The average citizen thinks, 'I can't do all those poses. I'm not cut out for yoga,' says Michele Olson, PhD, FACSM, professor of exercise science at Auburn University Montgomery in Montgomery, Ala.

Recommended Related to Fitness & Exercise

Run Faster, Jump Higher, Hit Harder

By Arnie Cooper A sneaker slogan? Nope. It's plyometrics -- a few simple exercises that will change your life. Developed for Soviet athletes, plyometrics came to the States in 1975 via track-and-field guru Fred Wilt. Whereas weight training makes muscles bigger, plyometrics makes them faster, by improving a muscle's stretch reflex, or the speed with which its energy is transferred to movement. No matter the sport, plyometrics can make you better. Quickly...

Read the Run Faster, Jump Higher, Hit Harder article > >

But don't fold up your yoga mat just yet. It's got benefits for people of all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Here are four people who prove that yoga isn't just for a certain "type" -- and reasons you might give it a try.

Yoga's Physical Benefits

Yoga is good for flexibility, balance, and functional strength, Olson tells WebMD. It can also be a stress reducer.

"We all lose flexibility as we age," Olson says. "When you sit all day long, your hamstrings get tight, and your neck, shoulders, and back. Our muscles are not meant to be in one posture hour after hour."

Yoga can also have other health benefits. Researchers at Simmons College in Boston found that hatha and relaxation yoga can help with controlling weight, lowering blood pressure, and improving mood. Yoga has also been shown to ease hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms in healthy women, as well as in breast cancer survivors.

There are yoga programs designed for different needs, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's. Some VA hospitals offer yoga to help patients recovering from strokes, brain injuries, and other illnesses.

"In a gym, you're really pushing yourself to go further when you're working out. In yoga, it's the opposite," says Megan Dunne, a yoga instructor in Chicago who works with individuals recovering from an injury or illness. "The yoga poses encourage all the range of motion that the body's designed to do. So when you're doing them mindfully and slowly, your body can learn through all the movements."

Turning to Yoga During Chemo

After she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2008, Christine Blumer, president of Winediva Enterprises in Chicago, did yoga while undergoing chemo treatment.

"Even though I couldn't do many of the poses very well, it got me out of my head and helped deal with the depressive thoughts associated with my illness," Blumer tells WebMD in an email.

Blumer wasn't new to yoga at that point. "I'm a fat girl who tried yoga because I really hate 'the gym' experience," she writes, adding that she felt "taller and more fit" when she first started taking classes.

"I just like the fact that yoga isn't a scene and the goal is to be self-focused," Blumer writes. "I feel better knowing my fellow yoga-lovers probably aren't concerned about how ridiculous I look trying to pretzel my plus-sized body into fun and strengthening shapes."

Blumer is not the only person with extra pounds to find a comfortable challenge in yoga.

When Megan Garcia signed up for yoga at Smith College in 1991, she recalls being intimidated because she was the "only overweight person in the class." She stuck with it and noticed she started not only gaining strength, but feeling and sleeping better. Now she is a plus-sized model and Kripalu-certified yoga instructor who teaches in New York and specializes in teaching yoga to people of all shapes and sizes.

Garcia found yoga to be transformative in unexpected ways. "Before I started doing yoga, I really lived life from the neck up," she says. "After yoga, I began to really feel at home in my skin. If I didn't have yoga, I can't imagine feeling so good in my body. Yoga has made it comfortable for me to sit on the floor, to twist, to bend. It grounds me in my body."

RaeAnn Banker, now the owner of River Yoga in Lahaska, Pa., started taking yoga classes on her 42nd birthday as a present to herself.

"I was overweight and since my mother was morbidly obese, I knew I better do something or I was going to end up just like her," Banker tells WebMD in an email. "It took several months of driving by the yoga center before I got up the courage to go in. But once I started, I loved the classes. I was the weakest student in the class, but I kept going. I ended up losing 35 pounds over the next two years and becoming a yoga teacher. Yoga literally changed my life."

Yoga With Paralysis

Matthew Sanford, who is paralyzed from the chest down since a car accident at age 13, says yoga has helped him to "live more vibrantly."

"I was hooked right away," says Sanford, who is now a yoga instructor in Minnetonka, Minn., and the author of Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence.

Sanford recalls that first yoga class. "I got out of my wheelchair and took my legs wide into a V," he says. "It was really, really emotional. Tears were coming down my face. I didn't understand how I could feel so much."

Sanford knows some people may question why he tried it. "The answer is because it's your birthright. And that's true, whether you're disabled or not," he says.

"Yoga doesn't discriminate," he says. "Yoga will make you feel good. Yoga, at its root, is about bringing more awareness to action and to movement. The more you get in your body, the more connected you are to the world."

Tips for Trying Yoga

If you're out of shape or have disabilities, check with your doctor before starting yoga or a new exercise program. And keep these pointers in mind:

• Choose a style of yoga that suits you. Not all yoga classes are alike. Some are more vigorous than others; others may emphasize meditation. For an overview of different yoga styles, see WebMD's article, "Which Style of Yoga is Best for You?"
• Find a teacher you like. Classes that are billed as "intro" or "beginner" can attract a wide range of skill levels. You can sign up for a private one-on-one session customized to your needs.
• Go at your own pace. You can modify yoga poses using blocks, straps and other tools so that you don't overstretch. Ask your instructor for help and for modifications that suit your needs.
• Listen to your body. If you're forcing yourself into a position that's painful, that's a signal to stop.

Don't compare yourself to others. It's not about being as flexible as everyone else -- or as the people you see in yoga magazines. "Those images are people who have been doing [yoga] for a long time and are master yogis," Olson says. But remember, there's room for you, too.

Article compliments of webmd.

para rider Holly on Tito Lipizzan Gelding

I have had the honor of being on the pit crew for a very brave woman named Holly, the day of her dressage test at MRF Dressage in Nottingham. I am truly inspired and impressed by her relentless pursuit of connection and harmony with the horse. She was a rider before the car fire that left her handicapped and she is not allowing that to stop her now!
Her mount is Tito, a very generous powerful Lipizzaner who listens attentively as the two power up to perform their dressage test! He is a great horse, owned and trained by Cyndy West of Bramble Hill Farm in Nottingham NH. The pair train at Carlisle Academy in Lyman Maine.
Here is a great piece of wisdom from Cyndy, "To do great things we must do the little steps day in and day out and never give up." Very true. Thank you Cyndy, Holly and Tito!!

Do It Yourself Americans

AUGUST 1ST to SEPTEMBER 1st, 2011

Well over 50 yrs ago I knew a lady who would not buy Christmas gifts if they
were made in China . Her daughter will recognize her in the following.

Did y'all see Diane Sawyer's special report a few weeks ago? They removed ALL
items from a typical, middle class family's home that were not made in the USA .

There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the
special they showed truckloads of items - USA made - being brought in to replace
everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price
etc..

It was interesting that Diane said if every American spent just $64 more than
normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like
200,000 new jobs!

I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT
SAID 'FROM CHINA '


FOR EXAMPLE THE "OUR FAMILY" BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN
'FROM CHINA '

I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR THE
DOLE SINCE IT'S FROM CALIF.

Are we Americans as dumb as we appear --- or --- is it that we just do not
think. The Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic
products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets.


70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese
should be suspended.

Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF,
AMERICA !!

Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in
China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another
product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese
products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.

Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones
and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example. The point is do not
wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.

THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans each refuse to buy just $20 of
Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our
favor...fast!!

Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on
implementing this on Aug. 1st and continue it until Sept. 1st. That is only one
month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or
8%, of their American exports. Then they might have to ask themselves if the
benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.

Remember, August 1st to Sept. 1st !!!!!! START NOW.

Send this to everybody you know. Let's show them that we are Americans and
NOBODY can take us for granted.

If we can't live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE
DESERVE WHAT WE GET!

Pass it on, America ...

Kettlebell - Ken Blackburn wins Chair Press -- Kettlebells

Interveiw with a very wise man

This article is about a very wise man whose books are amazing!! And one of my training secrets. From reading one of his books and working so hard all my life, I came to decide that if I did not tell myself I could accomplish a goal, or heal my body, then I was by default, telling myself that I could not.

Dr. John Douillard - Control Your Body with Your Mind

By: Janet Bray Attwood



The theme for the Passion Series is expressed by this quote from Upanishads: "Where there is joy there is creation. Where there is no joy there is no creation. Know the nature of joy."

Dr. John Douillard has made a lifelong practice of investigating the nature of joy. He has been teaching Ayurvedic medicine, natural health fitness and nutrition internationally for 21 years. Dr. Douillard is the author of 15 books, CDs and DVDs, including The 3-Season Diet, Perfect Health for Kids, The Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Massage and Body, Mind and Sport, which has sold over 100,000 copies and has been printed in six languages.

He also co-produced three Ayurvedic DVDs with Gaiam Corporation on "Detox,""Weight Loss," and "Stress Relief." Dr. Douillard received his Ayurvedic training in India and holds a PhD in Ayurvedic medicine from the Open International University. He is the former director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets in the NBA. He co-directed an Ayurvedic center for cancer with Deepak Chopra for eight years, and has trained over 2,000 Western doctors in Ayurvedic medicine.

Dr. Douillard launched a preservative-free Ayurvedic skincare line in 1998 and an Ayurvedic herbal line for health professionals in 2003. Currently, he directs the LifeSpa Retreat Center and Clinic where he practices Ayurvedic and chiropractic medicine in Boulder, Colorado, where he lives with his wife and six children.

JANET ATTWOOD: John, thank you so much for being with us tonight, and thank you so much for walking your talk. It so showed up when I visited you and Ginger in Boulder, Colorado, and saw the love that all of you were giving to me when I was there. Thank you, John.

JOHN DOUILLARD: It's great to be here, and thanks for that amazing introduction, really.

JANET ATTWOOD: I truly meant it. I mean it. What we're all looking for, truly, is a doctor who's looking like he's using his own prescription. You truly are. You look amazing, at least 15 years younger. I was just so proud of you when I saw you. We hadn't seen each other for a number of years.

JOHN DOUILLARD: That's right, yes.

JANET ATTWOOD: That was really great for me, so thank you. It reminded me, "Janet, get back to the Ayurvedic Clinic as fast as you can," because it really shows up on your face and in your feeling-level so clearly; so thank you.

JOHN DOUILLARD: You're welcome.

JANET ATTWOOD: We'll get right into the questions. John, what role has passion-and you know that's my favorite word-the things that matter most to you, played in leading you to what you do today?

JOHN DOUILLARD: I think it's what you said; I can't leave the family just yet, because the passion that I have for the family and the love I have for my family and my wife are really what actually inspire me to go out and do what I do for my living. The passion there is to help transform people's lives. I think one of the big messages that I realize in my own personal life is that we find a guru, we find a teacher, we find a religion, we find some way to find some spiritual sense or some comfort in our lives, and joy in our lives outside of ourselves.

Then we come home to our family life and we don't treat that well. We ignore them or passive aggressively do these things in our lives that really aren't supporting us. We always think, "I'll find my joy outside my family." I'm telling you that the work is right inside those doors. If we can accomplish that-and we'll talk about that, hopefully, today-then magic happens, not only in your life but in the world around you.

JANET ATTWOOD: Will you tell us the story of how you discovered Ayurvedic medicine, and how it transformed from a hobby to a vocation? The fact that you've trained over 2,000 people in Ayurveda alone is amazing; you spent that time with Deepak. What I also want everyone to know is it's very rare these days to find what you call a vaidya, a real vaidya, a real Ayurvedic doctor.

John trained with the real deal in India. The fact that he did that says so much about his work. I highly recommend to everyone to go to John's website, which I'll share with you at the end of this interview, to find out more about John and what he's up to. I know you'll want to visit his great clinic.

JOHN DOUILLARD: I guess the answer to that question is that I started out looking and searching for full potential. As an athlete I wanted to experience the runner's high, the zone where athletes say, "My best race is my easiest race"; where they were feeling euphoric and maximizing potential during sport. That led me to being fully, maximally exhausted and depleted to the point where I started looking at alternatives.

I went to a lecture taught by some Ayurvedic teacher in 1979, and I asked him if doing an Ironman Triathlon was really good for me. He looked at me and said, "Why do you want to do that?" after I explained to him what it was, which is running, swimming and biking crazy distances. He said, "Why do you do that?" I said, "Gosh, that's a great question." I had no idea why I did that.

He said, "Do you meditate?" like any fool who would meditate would never do such a thing. I said, "Yes, I do. I meditate every day." He said, "Do you sleep while you meditate?" I said, "Absolutely. I get the deepest sleep." He said, "If you sleep when you meditate, you're exhausted." I said, "That means if I can meditate and train and not fall asleep, then everything is good?" He said, "Perfectly good."

I started training less and meditating more. To make a very long story short, I ended up going professional as a tri-athlete, not winning races but coming in at the top 10 in races I couldn't even compete in prior. All my friends thought I was on steroids. I realized that less was more. I realized that if I trained less I accomplished more, and that rest was the source of my activity.

There was a secret formula in the runner's-high experience that I was so fascinated by. I wrote my first book on this thing called the 'coexistence of opposites', which was to experience dynamic activity and composure at the same time. When you meditate, you're resting deeply but you're fully alert. This is a law of nature, like a hurricane. The bigger the eye of the hurricane, the more powerful the wind.

I went crazy on that concept and started training athletes. I taught them how to do nasal breathing. I worked with the New Jersey Nets teaching nasal breathing exercises, did research on nasal breathing, and found out that the formula was correct. You can accomplish anything if you first establish silence. That led me to realize that not only do you do it in your exercise, but you do it in your life.

You live in harmony with the natural cycles. Birds fly south. Whales migrate. Leaves turn red, fall off trees. Everything in nature's connected to those cycles. When you're going with the current, you're silent inside and dynamic outside. That spun off into the real understanding of spiritual life, which was the same thing-to disarm the protective nervous system mentally and emotionally so we can experience the most vulnerable, delicate and sensitive aspect of ourselves, and let who you really are out.

That just blew my circuits when I put it all together. We have a clinic here in Boulder. People come and we take them through every one of those steps. We unravel all the stress-mental, emotional and physical-and disarm their protective nervous systems, and walk them and hold their hands through the vulnerability of true love to let who they really are out. For me to witness it is an incredible honor, you have to know. I can't help but grow as I continue to work with my patients in this way. It's been an amazing journey.

JANET ATTWOOD: I can really tell just from your voice that this is huge passion for you. I loved what you said, that one of the great gifts is that you get to see others' lives transformed because of the knowledge that you share with them, which is so great.

JOHN DOUILLARD: Yes, absolutely.

JANET ATTWOOD: What is the difference between Ayurveda and other forms of medical treatment?

JOHN DOUILLARD: I like to think of it like 'medical buffets'. You eat at a buffet, you get to take what you want, and you leave the rest. There are three medical buffets. One is Western medicine, which is designed to save our lives at any cost. It uses whatever it takes to save our lives, and I think it's critically important that we honor, use and respect Western medicine.

Then there's naturopathic medicine, functional medicine, or integrative medicine where we use natural things to do the job for us: natural laxatives, natural bioidentical hormones, and things like that, that are actually doing the job for you but in a more natural way. Then there's Ayurvedic medicine, which is a system of medicine designed to help bring ourselves back into balance so our body can have the clarity to employ its own healing system to heal itself.

One allows the body to heal itself by restoring balance with lifestyle, diet, herbs and things like that. Naturopathic does it for you naturally with natural medicines, but it does it for you. Then Western medicine does it for you at any cost. I think the three all practiced together are a powerfully integrative approach that is really in the best interest of our patients.

Of course, most importantly, we all as patients should realize the value of all three and not stiff-arm or be antagonistic to any one of those three. Really, when we use all three as needed, it's the best way to keep ourselves healthy.

JANET ATTWOOD: From the perspective of Ayurveda, what is the fundamental cause of disease?

JOHN DOUILLARD: The fundamental cause of disease is what's called the 'mistake of the intellect'. That's where we start to think, and here it is; we're two years old. "I'm so happy; my mom's nursing me. I roll around in my crib and my playpen. All these things are wonderful. My heart is fully exposed. I go to pre-school and I realize these kids are mean and make fun of my lunch box, my backpack, my hair, my shorts, my shirt.

"Everything's not good enough all of sudden for the first time." I have to now, with my mind, create a personality to make me feel safe and secure all over again. That personality that I project on the screen becomes my illusion of safety. I'm going to become a straight-A student. That makes my parents think I'm wonderful. Therefore I feel safe. I'll become the bully in class, the class clown. I'll become quiet. I'll become withdrawn.

I'll become whatever I can figure out to make sure I feel safe when I interact with these crazy, mean people. I train in that process molecules of emotions to support those belief systems. Those molecules of emotion are projected on my screen of my personality, but they're stored in my fat cells as fat soluble molecules of emotion that remotely make me do the same dumb stuff again and again and again.

We all know we do that. We get in the same situation and, "There I go again," acting the same way, reacting in a similar situation in the same way. We can't break those patterns by changing our mind because the problem, even though it was created in our mind, is now stored in our fat cells. You must convince the body that it's safe enough for it to burn fat. That's the key word.

When the body feels safe, you will burn your fat. When the body feels unsafe, it will store your fat. I don't care how fat or skinny you are, fat-soluble molecules of emotion, fat-soluble cancer-causing chemicals, and fat-soluble chemicals store in our fat cells, and they stay there for 20, 30 or 40 years. The treatments that we do here have been proven to release cancer-cell chemicals like dioxin that have been stored for 25 years out of people's fat cells.

Once those molecules of emotion go there under stress and the chemicals go there under stress, they stay there forever rearing their ugly heads. The cause of disease is when we make that choice between creating this illusion of safety and security, which we all do as children, as opposed to letting who we are out; our more vulnerable, our more delicate, and our more powerful selves out. That's our job, our role, and our mission as adults.

The goal of Ayurveda is to purify the density of the physical body, mentally and emotionally, so we have the clarity to see the choices that we made at a very young age that we still are projecting on the screen today as adults; and then drop those patterns because now we've released them out of the fat cells and we have access to the physiological-based emotional patterns of behavior, and we can transform them and let our more powerful selves out. That's what Ayurveda is all about.

JANET ATTWOOD: In your writing you've said that there are what are called 'sheaths', different sheaths that are described by Ayurveda. What are these sheaths and what is their purpose?

JOHN DOUILLARD: These sheaths are called koshas. We start at the center, like the sun is the center of the solar system and the sheaths are like the planets. At the center is the sun, your heart, just like the sun. It gives light and warmth and love 24/7. That's who we are; ultimately, that's who we are. Your mind says, "Whoa! If you do all that loving stuff and give yourself fully, they're going to take advantage of you. They're going to rip you to shreds. There's no way you can do that, so you better protect yourself."

That's where the mind, the mental-sheath, comes in. It creates a protective version of our personality with sensory stimulation and emotional drama in our lives to somehow keep us a little bit more secure and definitely detached from who we really are. The mind works on mathematics, and everything has to balance out in our mind. If I love you then I want you to love me back equally.

If I buy you a $20 present and you buy me one from the dollar store, you owe me $19, and I need that to feel safe. If I don't get that I'm going to be hurt, and I might react by throwing pots and pans, yelling, being passive-aggressive toward you, not talking to you, or maybe drink a bottle of wine to drown my sorrows. Whatever I do, it's to make sure I mathematically bring balance back to my physiology and my nervous system so I feel safe and secure.

What we do with our minds is a little crazy. It's a little nuts. It's not really in the best interest of ourselves, but it keeps us feeling safe enough to continue to function. That's the crazy drama that takes place in our mind. Outside of our mind is the 'prana', the energy sheath that moves the life force, your breath that connects the outer sheath with your physical body.

The outside sheath is your physical body. The next one is your energy sheath, your breath. The next one is your mind. Your breathing is your connector between your mind and your body, which was my first book, Body, Mind and Sport. We talked about how you can nasal breathe during exercise and produce a meditative brainwave pattern during vigorous exercise, which means being dynamically active, composed and calm like a meditation while you're running as fast as your legs can carry you.

That's the breathing sheath integrating the mind and the body. It was beautiful. It's really amazing research. Here's the best part: underneath your mental sheath is what's called your 'intellectual sheath'. This sheath is infused with your sun, your consciousness or your light. The junction between the mental sheath and the intellectual sheath is called the 'great barrier sheath'.

It's separates you from yourself, from your source, from your light, from the ability for you to give freely and love freely where your mind says, "No, no. You can't love them like that. It's way to risky. You have to hold back a little bit." That great barrier sheath is what I call the Mahabharata or the Bhagavad Gita. In Ayurvedic medicine, in Hindu physiology and in Vedic Science, the wars that were fought that they called Mahabharata were all wars against good and evil. They were never fought on earth.

They continually are fought in our minds at that place, at that junction point between your mind, which is all emotional, needy and mathematical, and your intellect or your consciousness, which is based on physics. Its nature, like the sun, is to expand. Ayurvedic medicine's role is to purify the physical body so we have the clarity to see what's happening at that junction point so we have the choice now to react to a situation based on the old, protective patterns of our mind and the old tapes that we play.

Or, we can experience the vulnerability of true love and let something more vulnerable and more powerful take place. Let yourself love in the face of affliction with response to adversity or hurt with affection. This is the nature of us, and this is the action step of Ayurvedic medicine.

JANET ATTWOOD: How does stress affect these different sheaths?

JOHN DOUILLARD: Stress impacts. Of course, there's a major impact of stress on the physical body. The mind gets stressed. It produces stress-fighting hormones. Those hormones are incredibly toxic and degenerative. They impact the intestinal track in a major way because there are receptors. There are tens of thousands, even millions, of receptors in our intestinal tract.

Our gut, our elimination and our digestion becomes affected. Those hormones of stress are very acidic. They affect the quality of the body's drains, the drainage system of the body, the lymphatic system. Physically, the body's limited by how well we move waste out. Your intestinal tract and your lymphatic system in Ayurveda are critical. The lymph system is twice as big as your blood supply system.

The only time we talk about the lymph is when you get cancer. The lymph is the number-one system we treat in Ayurveda to make sure the drains are open so the body can move nutrition in and waste out. If those cells can't get their waste out, imagine you can't get the waste out of your house. You start to swell. You hold onto water. Your rings get tight. You get rashes, get itchy, get allergies. Your breasts start to swell when you menstruate.

Your tummy swells. You get cellulite. You get headaches, heartburn, sore throats, rashes all over your body, and acne. Those are just to name a few of the things that are caused when your lymphatic system becomes boggy. That's classically caused by stress and the acidity of stress. There's a huge impact of stress on the physical body. That physical stress causes the 'prana', the subtle energy, the life force, not to profuse the physical body as well, and therefore the physical body begins to break down.

Of course, stress impacts our mindset. We create protective emotions to support and protect ourselves against those types of stress. Then we have the impact of the mind and the molecules of emotion now holding onto the physical body, impacting or compromising the flow of the 'prana' and affecting the function of the body. Those three outer layers-the body, the breath and the mental sheath-go back and forth stressing each other out.

Physically stressing the mind, the mind stressing the body; and that has to be reversed. How is it reversed? Living your life in harmony with natural cycles. Do you understand that every season foods are harvested for a very specific reason? They're the medicines of nature to keep us healthy. Understand that there are times of day that are for eating, for sleeping and for resting. We eat six meals a day all day long, nibbling constantly.

This is a violation. It's going against the grain of what the natural cycles are. In nature there are times to eat and times to not eat. We shouldn't be eating six meals a day. No where in the history of the world has that ever happened before. We decided to become a grazing culture in the last five or 10 years. It's insane, really.

JANET ATTWOOD: It really is insane.

JOHN DOUILLARD: It is. It's nuts. In India there's an old saying, "One meal a day is for a yogi. Two meals a day is for a bogi," which is like a low-class, worker-class person. "Three meals a day is for a rogi," which means you're like a sick person in a hospital, a mostly dead person. When I give my seminars I say, "I'm only asking for you to read the studies on three meals a day. The benefits of three meals a day will blow your mind."

We're only asking for three meals a day, which is mostly dead at three. In America we're so addicted to four, five, six or seven meals a day, we eat here, nibble here, gobble here, snack here, snack there. It doesn't allow the body to burn fat. As I mentioned, fat soluble chemicals are pervasive in our culture. All the cancer causing chemicals are fat soluble. The molecules of emotion are fat soluble.

The parasites are fat soluble. If we are under stress they store fat and they stay there forever. To get your body to burn fat you have to give it a reason. If you have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, supper, and snack, you're just going to keep eating. You're just going to burn what you ate all day long. If you have breakfast and nothing until lunch, guess what you burn in between? Your fat.

From lunch to supper you burn your fat in between. From supper until bed to breakfast you burn the fat. You reset very naturally the body's ability to burn fat as a natural source of fuel. Fat is your calm fuel, your stable fuel. You feel calm in your skin. It detoxifies. It tills the soil. It turns the soil over so you can release some of these toxins out of your fat cells and not be stuck, too old to change; stuck in those old mental and emotional patterns.

We can turn those. We can make real progress in our spiritual life, which is hugely important for us to feel joyful for no reason, which is the nature of who we are. It's to be joyful for no reason. That's what we're here to be, right?

JANET ATTWOOD: Absolutely. It was a yogi, hogi and a bogi?

JOHN DOUILLARD: It was a yogi, one meal a day. A bogi, which is like a worker-class person-more like a thief, actually-eats two meals a day. Three meals a day is a rogi, which is a mostly dead person. We're asking for mostly dead here.

JANET ATTWOOD: When you say six meals a day, you're counting snacking as a meal, right? That's considered a meal in Ayurveda?

JOHN DOUILLARD: Yes. If you have a breakfast and a carrot, and then lunch, you're going to burn the carrot between breakfast and lunch. If you have nothing, you burn your fat. The key is to have a good breakfast and a good, relaxing lunch, and a good, relaxing supper. We did a study on that in Denver with 50 people. It was my 3- Season Diet book. We measured weight loss. They lost 1.2 pounds per week.

We also measured anxiety, depression, cravings, fatigue, exhaustion and insomnia. It was amazing two weeks later after getting off the snacks. They'd said, "Are you serious? We can't have our snacks?" I said, "You can have whatever you want for breakfast. Eat as much as you want so you won't starve. Have another meal at lunch and another meal at supper. Have three meals a day, the old-fashioned way."

Their anxieties, depression, cravings, fatigue, exhaustion and insomnia were all significantly improved in just two weeks. It blew our minds. How powerful. Our blood sugars are so unstable that we're under stress all day long. When you're under stress, the body says, "Store fat, crave sugar." That's all we do is crave sugar, dark chocolate, Starbuck's, chocolate, Coke, candy, popcorn and chips.

What is your 'injectable'? We have to understand that that is the body and the mind self-medicating to get some sort of safety or stability to get through the day. When you reset the ability to burn fat you feel calm, you feel stable, and you begin to have spiritual access to transformation.

JANET ATTWOOD: I love this. I want to ask you, are you a yogi, are you a bogi, or are you a rogi?

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