Walking Just Might ...

"It engages your buttocks with the world
It modestly reduces fat
It improves glycemic control, especially after meals
It improves triglyceride levels and lowers blood pressure, especially after meals
It might help you live longer if you do it briskly
It is well tolerated by people with arthritis
It is good for your brain
It reduces stress
It boosts immune function
It helps prevent falls in the elderly
It gives you a chance to think
It can be a kind of meditation
It is in your blood, in your genes
It enables recognition of the felt presence of immediate experience."
-  Mark Sisson, Reasons to Walk this Year, 2014



"Walking might:
Allow you to see new aspects of your local environment
Make you a bit mellower and more peaceful
Set a good example for others
Enable you to meet other people and dogs
Make for good conversations with a friend while walking
Engender more gratefulness and kindness
Lift your mood and improve your attitude
Give you time to think, reflect, or contemplate alone
Energize your body, mind, and spirit
Bring new scents and smells to your nostrils
Provide mystical experiences and epiphanies
Reduce or resolve your worries 
Enjoying good memories or testing your memory 
Allow you to feel and see the effects of our invisible Air
Give you more confidence in achieving your goals
Get you in better awareness of your feelings
Change your perspective 
Allow you to help with neighborhood watch
Let you be alone for awhile
Make your legs feel good
Appreciate the beauty in our world
Allow you to come under the 'Spell of the Sensuous'
Provide some time for listening to music or lectures
Reduce the onset or ameliorate physical ailments or diseases."
-  Michael P. Garofalo, Ways of Walking, October 2016  



Ways of Walking Website:  Quotations, Information, Facts, Poetry, Inspiration

Benefits of Walking

Caloric Expenditures While Walking

Walking Meditation

Exercise Options for Older Persons

Aging Well

Tai Chi May Boost One's Immune System

"Dr. Michael Irwin of University of California – Los Angeles conducted a research study that found that after 25-weeks of Tai Chi practice, older adults’ immunity against shingles was slightly higher than people who did not practice Tai Chi but got shingles vaccinations. Combining Tai Chi practice and vaccination, the seniors’ immunity index was twice as high as vaccination alone, the same level of people 30 years younger.

The Chinese Culture University in Taiwan found that Tai Chi Chuan increased circulating myeloid dendritic cells which are antigen-presenting cells of the immune system.

Chang Gung University in Taiwan found that regular Tai Chi Chuan exercise enhances functional mobility and important T cells in the immune system. It also discovered that regular Tai Chi practice improves T cell function of patients with type 2 diabetes.

If that wasn’t enough, even Dr. Oz’s personal trainer Donovan Green and world Kung Fu champion Master Karl Romain endorse taking Tai Chi for developing a stronger immune system.

From a western scientific standpoint, it’s difficult to explain exactly why and how Tai Chi affects our immune system. Dr. Peter Wayne, Assistant Professor of Harvard Medical School and author of the Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi, comments with many active ingredients—movement, breathing, attention, visualization, and rich psychosocial interactions, Tai Chi is a multicomponent intervention."
-  "Can Tai Chi Boost Your Immune System?" from Asian Fortune

The Longevity Plan

 The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China. By John D. Day, M.D., Jane Ann Day, and Matthew LaPlante. Harvard Paperbacks, 2018, 304 pages. VSCL.  

The Seven Lessons are:
1. Eat good food.
2. Master your mind-set.
3. Build your place in a positive community.
4. Be in motion.
5. Find your rhythm.
6. Make the most of your environment.
7. Proceed with purpose. 

Dr. Day, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist from Utah, stayed and studied at the Longevity Center in Bapan, CR China.  He has thoroughly researched the topic and tells us how he applied to his own life.

How to Boost One's Immune System

How to Boost One's Immune System

1.  Daily moderate cross training exercises.
2.  Adequate rest, relaxation, and sleep.
3.  Proper diet and adequate protein.
4.  Vitamin C supplementation.
5.  Reduce stress, overdoing, overreaching, overachieving, unrealistic objectives.
6.  Maintain cleanliness and sanitary conditions.
7.  Adequate water intake.
8.  Maintain an upbeat, positive, and realistic attitude. 
9.  Take all prescribed medicines on schedule.
10.  Don't smoke or drink alcohol.
11.  Develop and maintain positive social relationships.
12.  Stimulate and engage your thinking processes. 
13.  Use effective vaccines and avoidance tactics to prevent communicable diseases.  



There is plenty of evidence that Tai Chi, Yoga, Chi Kung, and Walking all can boost one's immune system.  However, claims by advocates of each of these mind-body exercise systems seem to ignore the fact that regular moderate exercise of just about any type will improve functioning of the immune system, combined with the other healthy living practices listed above.  I find little evidence that any one mind-body exercise system is "the best."  The bottom line, for me, is daily moderate cross training exercises.  

Chen Tai Chi Chuan Short Forms

Chen 18 Taijiquan Short Form of Grandmaster Chen Zenglei

18 Movements Short Form

Notes by Michael P. Garofalo, Vancouver, Washington, 2024

Chen Taijiquan Short 18 Form of Grandmaster Chen Zenglei
Webpage by Michael P. Garofalo
Bibliography, links, resources, notes, quotes, videos, lists, photos, comments.

Chen's Taichi for Health and Wellness  By Grandmaster Chen Zenglei. White Bench Publications, Toronto, Canada, 2010, 94 pages. Warmup exercises, and detailed instructions with some photographs for the Chen 18 Short Form. Jack Yan is a collaborator  I like this book quite a bit.  $24.00 in 2/2021. VSCL.

Chen Style Taijiquan Short 18 Form  Performance by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei  UTube, color, 3:38 Minutes, 2007.

The Chen Style Taijiquan for Life Enhancement. Written by Chen Zhenglei and translated by Xu Hailing. Zhongzhou Classic Publishing House, Zhengzhou, China, 2002. Text in English and Chinese.  ISBN: 7534821819.  149 pages. "Describes the principles of Chen style for life enhancement, basic training, Taiji Skills for Preserving Energy and the 18 Forms of the Chen Style. Many photos of Chen Zhenglei doing Exercises and forms. Chen Zhenglei is one of the top Chen stylists in China. Paperback, 149 pages, 5 1/2' by 8'. -  Wayfarer Publications "It covers the content of the health exercise silk reeling video, and is a useful reference,  giving more detail, especially on theory." This is a very expensive out of print book, not worth $150.00. I purchased back in 2004 for $25.00. VSCL.

Essence of Traditional Chen Style 18 Posture Short Form. Instructional DVD by Shifu Jiang Jian-ye.  Color, 87 Minutes. Capital District Tai Chi and Kung Fu Association of New York, 1997.  "Cheng Zheng Lei (the 19th generation of the Chen Family) created this form from the old style of Chen first and second routines.  It includes "silk reeling," fa jin (releasing energy), and balance.  This short form is a good introduction for beginners or for those with little Chen style experience." "A good introductory Chen form that includes silk reeling and fajing movements as well as other characteristics of the Chen first and second routines. Chen Zhenglei, one of today's top Chen stylists, created the form.There is a demonstration of the entire form followed by step-by-step teaching in slow motion with 2-4 views, from the front, back and side. There are front and back demonstrations of each segment (5 to 7 moves each.)  At the end of the teaching there are demonstrations, front and back. There are also excerpts from other Chen forms." - Wayfarer Publications. CDTKA.  VSCL. I use a Cboy V-Zon portable DVD player and this DVD works fine because of the way it is organized.   

 

Chen Style Taijiquan
Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's Short 18 Movements Tai Chi Hand Form, 2001
List of 18 Movements

 

1.     Beginning Posture of Taiji    (Taiji Chu Shi) 

2.     Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds the Mortar   (Jin Gang Dao Dui) 

3.     Lazily Tying One's Coat   (Lan Zha Yi)   

4.     Six Sealing and Four Closing   (Liu Feng Si Bi)    

5.     Single Whip   (Dan Bian)  

6.     White Crane Spreads Its Wings   (Bai E Liang Chi) 

7.     Walk Diagonally   (Xie Xing)    

8.     Brush Knee   (Lou Xi) 

9.     Stepping to Both Sides   (Ao Bu)    

10.   Cover Hands and Strike with Fist   (Yan Shou Gong Quan)    

11.   High Pat on the Horse   (Gao Tan Ma)   

12.   Kick with the Left Heel    (Zuo Deng Yi Gen) 

13.   Jade Maiden Working Her Loom   (Yu Nu Chuan Suo)    

14.   Cloud Hands   (Yun Shou)     

15.   Turn Body with Double Lotus Kick    (Zhuan Shen Shuang Bai Lian) 

16.   Cannon Fist Over the Head   (Dan Tou Pao)    

17.   Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds the Mortar   (Jin Gang Dao Dui)    

18.   Closing Posture of Taiji   (Taiji Shou Shi)      

 

Chen Taijiquan Short 18 Form of Grandmaster Chen Zenglei. By Michael P. Garofalo. Bibliography, links, resources, notes, information, lists, practices, quotes.

List of Movements in Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's Short 18 Form  (1 Page, PDF)  English Only

Reducing Carbohydrate Eating

Repost from June 17, 2023:

Personal Goal: I have found that if I eat under 140 grams of carbohydrates each day, and under 1,500 calories, I can keep my blood sugar at between 130 and 160. 

Here are some ideas I use for reducing the amount of carbohydrate grams in my daily eating:

Choose non-starchy green vegetables.  Reduce or avoid starchy vegetable foods like potatoes, rice, corn, beets, peas, etc.

Significantly reduce or eliminate eating breads, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, pastries.  Avoid processed grains. 

Keep a daily food log journal.  Increase your awareness and track exactly what you do eat and when; and, correlate it with blood sugar testing results. 

Use a calorie, fat, and carbohydrate counter information book.  I use The NutriBase Complete Book of Foot Counts (2001) which for 40,000 food products provides information on serving size, calories grams, protein grams, carbohydrate grams, sodium grams, fiber grams, fat grams, and cholesterol grams.  Also, I can easily find food information on the Internet.  Also, read food labels carefully.  Learn what foods have higher carbohydrates, and a higher glycemic index. 

  

Stop drinking sugary drinks or fruit juices.  Use non-sugar sweeteners sometimes.  Avoid sugars and sweets like candy. 

Choose low carbohydrate “snacks” (small portions) like nuts, cheese, or fruits. 

Avoid high fat and salty foods because they add calories and result in binging, e.g., potato chips, bagel chips, pizza.

Drink plenty of water each day.  Stay hydrated! 

Reduce or eliminate drinking whole milk, shakes, lattes.  Some dairy products can be high in carbs. 

Eat some high-quality protein at each meal. 

Eat foods with a lower glycemic index. 

Choose baked or broiled foods, and reduce fried foods. 

Limit portions, reduce total caloric intake, and use restraint in eating.  Stay under 1,500 calories each day until I weight 225 pounds. 

Develop strategies and tactics for following a healthy eating pattern for a Type 2 diabetic. 

Consult with my doctor, dietitian, and related health professionals. 

Develop a personal dietary program that I can stick to, maintain, and not diverge from for long term benefit. 

Don’t smoke marihuana [legal in Washington State] because it typically results in more hunger and overeating, not exercising, elevated blood sugar, and some loss of self-control in sticking with your eating program.  You just don’t care about dieting when you are in a euphoric mood. 

Be aware of the potential negative complications of reducing carbohydrate intake for a diabetic, e.g., ketosis.  There are medical cautions about severe carbohydrate reduction, and increased eating of fats and proteins.  Strive for balance, be sensible, and research this topic.  However, I must do what I need to do to get my blood sugar to range from 130 to 160, and my body weight down 20 pounds to 225 pounds. 

“The current national standard for recommended daily intake for carbohydrates is 130 grams/day. Anything below that can be considered a reduced-carbohydrate diet, although Americans typically eat two to three times that amount in a day. The benefits of carbohydrate reduction seem to be continuous; as carbohydrates are reduced, health benefits usually increase. However, for those addressing health concerns such as diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and abnormal lipids, there is usually a threshold effect. In other words, dietary carbohydrates don’t have to be eliminated, just lowered to the point that an individual is able to achieve his or her health goals.”
- Reducing Carbohydrates: A Key to Better Health

Diabetes and Caloric Restriction

Banish the Blues

Boost Your Mood, Pick Yourself Up
Revitalize Yourself, Banish the Blues  

Be grateful for the good in your life.
Give yourself permission to be human.
Brighten someone’s day.
Learn something new.
Listen to upbeat music.
Do some exercise on a regular basis.
Simplify your life, remove clutter, and clean.
Go for a walk.
Enjoy sex and discover romance.
Get organized.
Do a good deed or volunteer.
Smile and put on a happy face.
Indulge your senses.
Seek and cultivate beauty.
Take time to breathe deeply.
Look at some old photos.
Focus on the positive.
Forgive yourself.
Get some fresh air.
Eat often and eat light.
Begin a program of meditation or contemplation.
Talk with your physician or counselor. 
Cook and prepare a lovely and tasty meal.
Eat something nutritious like nuts or fruit.
Pamper yourself.
Alter your routines in some way.
Have confidence.
Talk with your spouse.
Fake it till you make it.
Sign a song out loud.
Tap into your creative side.
Take up a mind-body practice like Taijiquan, Qigong or Yoga.
Inhale a calming scent.
Sit quietly, rest, or sleep.
Brainstorm a problem for solutions.
Avoid bad or negative companions, and find good friends.
Watch a good non-violent movie.
Work in the garden.
Cool down strong emotions.
Take some vacation time for relaxation and retreat.
Look on the Bright Side.
Small steps of progress are better than no steps.
Avoid watching the news for a week.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Focus on past successes, not failures.
Create a wish list and make one wish come true.
Explore ways to boost your self-esteem.
Focus on what you can control and what you can change.
Get some more sunlight on your body.
Choose your attitude and how you will react to life's events.
Spend less, avoid shopping.
Stop all cussing, swearing, or rude language.
Keep a journal or express yourself in writing.
Go easy on yourself and yield.
Count your blessings.
Spend some time with children.
Take a long shower or refreshing soaking bath.
Get relevant and accurate information.
Chat with a friendly person or neighbor.
Things change and time heals.
Adapt, adapt, adapt.
Agree to disagree; you don’t need to win every argument. 
Think fast.
Consider vitamin or herbal supplements that lift mood.
Seek professional help for serious mental health problems.
Read something inspiring.
Avoid comparing yourself to others, and envy is a waste of time.
Try praying or chanting.
Evaluate and revise your goals.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Pet your dog or cat and care for them.
Get a massage.
Enjoy a non-competitive sport.
Try fasting or staying up all night.
Donate your stuff, your skills, or your time. 
Forgive and forget.
Dance till you are tired.
Punch a bag or bang on a drum.
Stop using any recreational drugs.
Spend some time with children.
Abandon false ideas and unrealistic aims.
Enjoy a refreshing drink.
Make someone laugh.
Allow yourself to be eccentric, and enjoy some silly thoughts.
Have a bowl of soup or a cup of tea.
Less talking and more doing.
Get up, dress up, and show up.
Observe nature carefully and respectfully.
Visit your public library and borrow some beautiful books.
Be less self-centered and selfish.
A spiritual advisor, rituals, or religious beliefs can sometimes help.
Love expands your horizons of caring and happiness.
Accept the fact that some things are broken and can't be fixed.
Memorize and inspirational saying, prayer, poem or quote.
Call or visit a sick person.
Play a game. 

By Mike Garofalo
Valley Spirit Center
Red Bluff, California  

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Ways to Lift Your Spirits (3 pages, PDF Format)

Virtues and Good Character

Fitness and Well-Being

Establish and Maintain Ground Force Path: A Beginner's Notes

 

"Rule One:  Stand Up! Warm up. Then do your Taijiquan."
- Mike Garofalo, 2000

Establish and Maintain Ground Force Path: 
A Beginner's Notes 

By Michael P. Garofalo

Ongoing From: September 9, 2022 - 

Interpretation and Skill #1. Sink, Root, Settle, Transfer, Dissolve

You use and apply a technique: gradually loosening some muscles, sinking the entire body, going lower and lower relative to incoming outsides forces, e.g., somebody in front of you slipping and falling into you.  Maintain your balance.  Don't stumble.  Absorbing and deflecting incoming forces down, down, down ... into the LEGS (glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, ankles, feet, shoes, into the Earth or hard floor below your shoes/feet).  Allow the incoming force to flow down and through your body into the Earth.  Imagine some aspect of your body's somatic or perceptual or your mind's flights of fancy being released downward into the Earth.  Root your feet into the Earth!  Brace yourself.  Stand loose, sink, allow and draw into the ground, being as uncannily strong and tough as needed.  

Exercise 1.  Isometric Posture Work: Single Whip

Hold a posture for 1 minute, without strain.  For example, assume the Chen Taijiquan Single Whip posture.  Then, hold still, and do this Single Whip isometric exercise for 1 minute.  As the weeks and months of daily practice of Single Whip change your body, you can add multiple 1-2 minute intervals in this isometric pose each day.  Make increases slowly!  
Interpretation and Skill #1. Sink, Root, Settle, Transfer, Dissolve

Here is Master Chen Xiaowang's Chen Taijiquan Single Whip:  

This Single Whip landing point posture, which you hold still for 1 minute minimum, looks nearly the same as Hatha Yoga's Warrior II (Virabhadrasana - the Distinguished  Hero). The movement sequence for this Chen Taijiquan Single Whip looks like:

In position 5e of Single Whip, the weight is 65L bent/35R straight.  Enjoy being settled, erect confident, loose, ready, strong, aware, seemingly unmovable, balanced, a bit stubborn, rooted into the Earth, a somatic potential of coiled energy ready to uncoil as Peng Jin!  

Or, HOLD STILL in the posture of Fair Lady Works Her Shuttles, or Standing Post, or San Ti Shi, or Brush Knee, or Tadasana ...

for 1 minute or longer each day.  Increase dosage slowly over time.  Sink your body-weight downward into the Earth.  Your feet are strong, sturdy, flexible absorbers. Try to use less effort.  Get loose and settle in 'balanced bliss' until you start to stress and strain and sweat from this effective traditional isometric exercise.  

Rest in peace: the Blond Bomber, Dave Draper; the Italian Chiropractor Strongman, Franco Columbo.
These guys could let heavy squat loads sink into the Earth.  Absorbing these intense downward forces, reeving up their engines, coiling up, then exploding fa jin, lifting till they Stood up Again.

Kung Fu theorists and practitioners emphasize staying balanced, centered, in control appropriate to circumstances, calm, focused.  We allow our life's events to flow more peacefully, smoothly, and happily.  We utilize practical coping, useful support, and toughening tactics.

I once read The Warriors of Stillness by Jan Dierperspot circa 1980, 240 pages.  These Qigong (Daoyin) practitioners would gather together in Walnut Creek, CA, in the SanFran/Oakland region, and hold static postures for long periods of time in silence.  This was rigorous isometric exercising.  Connecting with the Earth, grounding and centering, imagining being as tough and still as a Post in the Ground.  

I sat on the ground, in Half-Lotus, circa 1986, empty-minded (Zaowang), moving little, staying awake, and listening.  After an hour, the Chan Buddhist Retreat bell sounded.  We then all stood up and walked slowly in a circle - Kinshin.  Not, however, circle walking like in bagua-zhang internal martial arts.

We earthly beings are under the constant press and pull of Gravity.  We swim in an invisible sea of Gravity.  Walk up and down steps and you can feel Gravity.  Just standing or walking in some way defies Gravity.  You have better pay close attention to Gravity - or Else!  Gravity can smash you on the Ground!!!  

Read the book The Longevity Plan by John D. Day, M.D.  Find new ways to Get Grounded, Get Down to Earth, Embracing Mother Earth.  Set down some positive community roots down where you live.  Use positive images and thoughts to enhance your balanced, centered, resilient, strong, healthy lifestyle.  Share with others.  

Two Person Playing Options 
Interpretation and Skill #1. Sink, Root, Settle, Transfer, Dissolve

Person 1  Hold a posture, e.g., Single Whip or Brush Knee.  Ground Yourself.  Establish and Maintain the Ground Force Path. Settle into the Earth.  Transfer and dissolve incoming energies downward into the Foundation of the Earth in our everyday ocean of Gravity.  Observe. Sense.  

Person 2  Gently pushes you to try to force you off-balance. Safely use more pushing force to move Person 1 off their center, to uproot them.  Observe.  Sense.  

Push Hands Two Person Exercises, both Standing and Moving
Trying to uproot each other, deflect incoming energies.  

Interpretation and Skill #2.

Ten Ways to Nurture Resilience

 Ten Ways to Nurture Resilience

"1. Boost your physical vitality, with exercise, nourishment, and rest.

2. Boost your mental vitality with quiet time, adequate sleep, and time in nature.

3. Practice coping with small things so you can better cope with the big things.

4. Set yourself a series of small goals and work toward them.

5. Grow something. Pay attention to the difference your care makes.

6. Make regular notes of the things you do well, to remind you how capable you are.

7. Seek out community and build a support network.

8. Seek our resilience role models and learn from them.

9. Support yourself with inspiring quotes.

10. Look for reasons to be positive every day.

- Beth Kempton, Wabi Sabi, 2018

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise and Respected Persons

https://www.egreenway.com/reason/advice.htm

Aging Well https://www.egreenway.com/reason/aging.htm

At any age, the objectives are the same:

Feeling vital and energetic

Playing with gusto and enthusiasm
Becoming delighted by creative play
Reducing stress
Sharing activities and helping others
Learning something interesting and valuable
Trying to do your best
Learning about Chinese internal martial arts
Having some fun and pleasure
Presenting a cheerful and upbeat demeanor
Adjusting performance to limitations and setbacks
Having a positive, open minded, and grateful manner
Mastering an art or practice
Respecting the achievements of older Taijiquan players
Becoming strong, flexible, and conditioned
Developing positive and uplifting habits
Remaining in good health
Preventing accidents and disease
Facing death and dying with courage, poise, dignity, and compassion

Both qigong and taijiquan books frequently show persons over 70 practicing these movement arts. Some books feature masters who lived to be 100 years of age. The enhanced vitality and athletic exuberance of these seniors is an encouragement to everyone; and if longevity is an additional benefit, then so be it.

Martial Arts and the Art of Aging
Rogue Scholarship on Aging
http://uofugeron.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/martial-arts-and-the-art-of-aging/

Fitness and Aging Well
Recommend Reading List by Mike Garofalo

"So far as motivational status is concerned, healthy people have sufficiently gratified their basic needs for safety, belongingness, love, respect and self-esteem so that they are motivated primarily by trends to self-actualization (defined as ongoing actualization of potentials, capacities and talents, as fulfillment of mission (or call, fate, destiny, or vocation), as a fuller knowledge of, and acceptance of, the person's own intrinsic nature, as an unceasing trend toward unity, integration or synergy within the person. ... These healthy people are there defined by describing their clinically observed characteristics. These are:
1. Superior perception of reality.
2. Increased acceptance of self, of others and of nature.
3. Increased spontaneity.
4. Increase in problem-centering.
5. Increased detachment and desire for privacy.
6. Increased autonomy, and resistance to enculturation.
7. Greater freshness of appreciation, and richness of emotional reaction.
8. Higher frequency of peak experiences.
9. Increased identification with the human species.
10. Changed and improved interpersonal relations.
11. More democratic character structure.
12. Greatly increased creativeness.
13. Certain changes in the value system."

Toward a Psychology of Being. Abraham Maslow. New Jersey, Van Nostrand, 1962. 3rd Edition, Wiley, 1998. 320 pages. ISBN: 0471293091. pp.23-24

Liang Tung-Tsai (T. T. Liang) (1900-2002)

Advice for the Elderly

"Japanese Advice for the Elderly
Aging Hints from Hinohara Shigeaki, 1911-
(translated and adapted from Tanoyaku, Vol 38, June, 2007)

Emphasize love, not hate
Recognize your imperfection but aim to improve
Try something new
Focus your attention; don't waste time thoughtlessly
Find a model person to imitate
Seek to empathize
Value encounters with others
Maintain small eating habits
But don't be neurotic about diet; enjoy food
Walk; use stairs as much as possible
Participate in group sport activities
Enjoy leisure; avoid a life with only work
Handle stress by exercising; walk, play
Take responsibility for your own behavior
Change habits when necessary; don't be obsessed with maintaining habits"
-  Advice for Aging Well from David K. Reynolds, Ph.D.

A New Weekly Workout Plan

Monday      
Beat around the bush
Lift myself up by the bootsraps
Make mountains out of mole hills
Get all fired up
Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls

Tuesday
Drag my heels
Make my point
Push my luck
Pull my own load
Hit the nail on the head

Wednesday      
Bend over backwards
Jump on the Band Wagon
Grab all I can get
Run around in circles
Shoulder my share of responsibility

Thursday    
Shop till I drop
Hang loose
Grind to a halt
Rest and recuperate

Friday      
Push it to the limit
Pull out all the stops
Add fuel to the fire
Pave the roadway to hell
Throw it all away

Saturday
Open a can of worms
Put my foot in my mouth
Start the ball rolling
Go over the edge

Sunday
Pick up the pieces.
Wade through the morning paper
Lift my spirits
Toot my own horn

-  Mike Garofalo, 2005, Aging Well

 

Program for Healthy Aging

A Twelve-Point Program for Healthy Aging

"1.  Eat an anti-inflammatory diet.
2.  Use dietary supplements wisely to support the body's defenses and natural healing power.
3.  Use preventive medicine intelligently: know your risks of age-related disease, get appropriate diagnostic and screening
tests and immunizations, and treat problems (like elevated blood pressure and cholesterol) in their early stages.
4.  Get regular physical activity throughout life. 
5.  Get adequate rest and sleep.
6.  Learn and practice methods of stress protection. 
7.  Exercise your mind as well as your body. 
8.  Maintain social and intellectual connections as you go through life. 
9.  Be flexible in mind and body: learn to adapt to losses and let go of behaviors no longer appropriate for your age.
10.  Think about and try to discover for yourself the benefits of aging. 
11.  Do not deny the reality of aging or put energy into trying to stop it.  Use the experience of aging as a stimulus
for spiritual awakening and growth. 
12.  Keep an ongoing record of the lessons you learn, the wisdom you gain, and the values you hold.  At critical points in
your life, read this over, add to it, revise it, and share it with people you care about." 

-  Andrew Weil, Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being, 2005.

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Aging Well, Senior Citizens

Repost from 2019

How to Sleep Better Each Day

 How to Sleep Better Each Day

Follow a schedule and routine for sleep
Prepare for sleeping at 9:00 pm
Sleeping around 7-9 hours is best for most
Don’t use stimulants: drugs, ideas, worry
Get enough sunlight during the day
Get enough exercise during the day
Avoid foods that prevent sleep
Alcohol or drugs might reduce your sleep
Don’t drink liquids a few hours before sleeping
Reduce or eliminate naps during the day
Turn off the television or radio or pod-cast
Bathe if dirty, and change into clean pajamas
Listen only to soft, gentle, relaxing instrumental music
Do any gentle stretching or gentle yoga well before sleeping
Sleep in a cooler room
Reduce, avoid, dim, or turn off any lights in bedroom
Don’t look at clocks if you awaken
Use pillows or bolsters to relieve bodily discomfort
Use clean sheets, covers, pillows and mattress
Don’t work in bed
Reduce reading books or eReader in bed
Sexual activity may or may not help you sleep
Excessive sex will keep you awake
Use techniques to turn off your thinking
Don’t talk a lot or write in bed
Try changing the smell of your bedroom
Go to sleep and get up at the same time each day
Don’t over-sleep beyond your normal wake up time
Keep bugs out of your sleeping area
Other people need to be quiet from 9 pm to 5 am
Some people favor a cup of warm soporific tea
There are many soporific supplemental medicines
  available, but use care with combining medicines
Some people elevate the upper torso and sleep better
If you suffer from insomnia, restless legs syndrome,
  sleep apnea, or narcolepsy consult a physician
Sleep apnea sometimes can be helped with equipment
Keep the CPAP equipment clean
Use meditation techniques to turn off thinking too much

By Michael P. Garofalo  August 23, 2022

I have been dealing with some sleep problems: insomnia, mild sleep apnea,
nighttime urination, tossing and turning when sleeping, no dreams.  

Today, I have an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Steven Hill at the Vancouver Clinic in east Vancouver.  He is a M.D. Sleep Medicine specialist.  Medicare requires an overnight sleep test before any follow up equipment (CPAP, dental devices) or medicine can be prescribed. 

I am reading the following book on the subject:

Say Good Night to Insomnia: The Six Week, Drug Free Program Developed at the Harvard Medical School.  By Gregg D. Jacob.  2009, 256 pages. VSCL.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi: 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart, and Sound Mind.  By Peter Wayne, Ph.D.. Harvard Health Publications.
Shambhala Press, 2013, 240 pages.  

Spiritual Transformation: Practices, Techniques, Activities, Paths

Spiritual Transformation:
Practices, Techniques, Methods, Paths, Activities, Expressions
Ways, Tactics, Strategies, Plans, Engagement, Learning

Most people experiment and then discover methods that work best for them, their circumstances, age, culture, personality, education, habits, etc.

When you find a path that works best for you - stick to that way. It is likely that an open-minded and flexible person will use a variety of spiritual practices.  Some aspects of each practice overlap with some aspects of other practices.  

Transformation is not a goal or aim of a practice; the practice itself is the embodiment of transformation.  The process is itself transformation.  Your transformed here and now by doing the practice with some confidence or belief in the efficacy of the practice. As soon as you make the effort to engage in spiritual practices you immediately taste bites of nourishing enlightenment and transformation.  

Aging and Spirituality, Graceful Aging, Coping with Aging

Art, Beauty, Creative Projects 

Asceticism, Self-Denial, Restraint, Fasting, Self-Discipline

Bhakti Yoga, Loving-Kindness, Worship of Other and the Divine

Beauty of Ordinary Objects, Wabi/Swabi, Aesthetics, Tea

Belief, Confidence, Adherence, Trusting

Biofeedback, Electronic Aids, Lights, Air Filters 

Body-Mind Practices, Somatic Therapy

Breathing, Pranayama, Breath Work, Dao Yin

Chanting, Mantras, Sound Healing, Singing

Charity, Benevolence, Sharing, Volunteering

Classes, Lectures, Training Sessions, Learning, Seminars

Cooking, Mindful Eating, Vegetarianism, Good Nutrition

Comparative Religions and Worldviews Studies

Counseling, Psychotherapy, Advisors, Guides, CBT

Eastern Options: Yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, Stoicism, Zen

Exercises: Walking, Yoga, Taijiquan, Stretching, Weight Lifting, etc.

Family Life and Social Responsibilities Met, Householder Duties

Five Senses Awareness and Explorations

Gardening: Soil Work, Planting, Nurturing, Harvesting, Watering, Ecology

Goddess Devotion and Love, Tara, Kwan Yin, Mary, Lakshmi, Shakti

Gratitude, Thankfulness, Appreciation, Satisfaction

Guided Meditations, Hypnotherapy, Wise Stories 

Hatha Yoga, Tantra, Vajira Body, Longevity, Immortality

Healing, Caring, Helping, Informing 

Holidays, Celebrations, Customs, Observances, Eight Sabbats 

Incense, Smells, Fireplace, Flowers 

Interacting with Others, Group Activities, Church or Temple Services

Jana Yoga, Wisdom Path, Insight, Understanding 

Left Hand Tantra: Libertinism, Antinomianism, Sensuality, Sexuality

Magic, Incantations, Prayers, Spells, Esoterica, Tantra

Massage, Acupressure, Self-Massage 

Meditation, Non-judgmental Awareness, Non-Dual Awareness

Music, Songs, Ambient Sounds, Bells/Gongs, Audio lectures

Nature Outdoors: Ocean, Mountains, Desert, Forest, Rivers, Neighborhood, Garden, Parks

Massage, Acupressure, Healing Hands, Reiki, Acupuncture, Chiropractic

Medicines, Herbal Remedies, Alternative Therapies, TCM 

Movies, Documentaries, UTube Videos

Passages Repeated, Spiritual Notebooks, Inspiring Passages, Prayer Books, Hymnals

Persistence, Grit, Willpower, Determination, Perseverance, Dedication

Photography, Drawing, Painting, Viewing Sacred Images

Philosophy, Thoughtfulness, Reasoning, Understanding, Science

Pilgrimages, Visiting Sacred Places, Learning about Holy Sites 

Play, Games, Sports, Homo Ludens

Praying, Invocations, Spells, Recitations 

Reading, Research, Self-Study, Scriptures, Classics 

Reflections, Ruminations, Considerations, Reminders

Retreats, Vision Quests, Isolation, Solitude, Solo Practice

Riddles, Puzzles, Poems, Dilemmas, Koans

Rituals, Sacraments, Sacred Rites, Rites of Passage

Sacred Objects: Altars, Statues, Bowls, Art, Books

Sacred Places, Sacred Circles, Sacred Groves, Buildings

Service to Others, Helping, Volunteering, Charity

Shamanism, Visions, Astral Travel, Meeting Spirits, Drugs 

Simplicity, Frugality, Conservation, Respect for Things

Sitting in Quiet Awareness, Sitting in Oblivion, Zuowang

Smiling, Joyfulness, Positive Vibrations, Laughter, Jokes

Stories, Inspiring Fiction, Poetry 

Strength Training, Weightlifting, Endurance Events

Spiritual Guides, Gurus, Enlightened Persons, Elders

Supernatural Beings: God, Allah, Shiva, Avatars/Incarnations (Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Vishnu), Nature Spirits, Angels, Saints, Demons, Bodhisattvas, Dao, Wee Folk, Immortals (Xian), etc.  

Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, Dao Yin, Martial Arts

Tarot, I Ching, Random Visuals/Archetypes/Reminders

Theology, Thinking about the Divine, Scripture Study 

Traditions, Ancestors, History, Religions, Philosophies

Walking, Hiking, Sauntering, Kinhin Walking Meditation 

Yoga

Virtue Ethics, Morals, Proper Behaviors, Karma, Niyamas, Values

Visualizing, Imagining, Pretending, Fantasies, Dreams

Vows, Precepts Taking, Initiation, Confirmation

Work Responsibilities, Career, Management, Effort, Right Livelihood

Worship, Submission, Dedication, Bhakti Yoga

Writing, Journaling, Blogging, Web Publishing 

Zazen, Seated Zen Meditation, Zuowang  

Springtime in Vancouver, WA
Mike Garofalo reading Moshe Feldenkrais

"I am a seeker of truth on a spiritual journey. 
I believe life has sacred meaning and purpose.
May my behavior today express my deepest beliefs. 
May I approach each and every task today with quiet impeccability. 
May I be a simple, humble, and kind presence on the earth today. 
May I see the Divine Nature in all beings today. 
May I be grateful today to those who came before me,
and may I make the roads smoother
     for those who will travel them after me. 
May I leave each place at least a little better than I found it today. 
May I truly cherish this day, knowing that it may be my last. 
May I remember, remember, remember, not to forget, forget, forget."
-   Bo Lozoff, It's a Meaningful Life: It Just Takes Practice 

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise and Respected Persons
Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo

Taoist Monk Yun Rou (Soft Cloud), AKA Arthur Rosenthal

 Arthur Rosenthal, Taoist Monk Yun Rou (Soft Cloud), is a Tai Chi and Taoist Master teacher, author, and television personality at Tai Chi for Longevity.

"I work to bring harmony and balance to my community and the world. I believe we must evolve rapidly to help all sentient beings survive and thrive.

Daoist teachings and practices offer a uniquely effective, powerful and effortless path through life.

Love, wisdom, charity, and insight arise in the individual and spread outward to the community, country, and world.

An enlightened mind requires a foundation in a strong, healthy body.

A plant based (vegan) diet is a gift to our own health as well as millions of tortured animals and a warming world.  

Discrimination based on race, gender identity, religious beliefs, or sexual preference is a cancer best cut from society.

Always do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

The morally bankrupt destruction of the natural world doom sentences us all to a life of disconnection and suffering.

Acting with compassion, frugality, and humility benefits the world and gives us each an all-important sense of purpose.

A regard for all sentient beings, health, justice, and spiritually must replace speed-and-greed materialism.

In engaging virtual worlds over the real one, we become less human and loose the life we evolved to life.  

Arthur Rosenthal, Taoist Monk Yun Rou (Soft Cloud)

Taoism.  Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo 

On the Mend - Hopefully

I have not been feeling well for the last month, and really feeling sick last week. 
Medical tests don't, thus far, indicate a serious disease.  
We cancelled our trip to San Diego this week, and will visit later in the year.
I felt better yesterday and today.
Hopefully ... on the mend.  

Tips for Living Longer

Ten Easy Tips for a Happier and Healthier Life

"Tip 1.  The importance of exercise
Tip 2.  Time for recovery [relaxation, rest, quiet time, meditation]
Tip 3.  Sleep Fortifies
Tip 4.  Sunshine and fresh air
Tip 5.  Eat yourself healthy
Tip 6.  Choose the right drink
Tip 7.  Keep your weight in check
Tip 8.  Oral health provides general health
Tip 9.  Be an optimist
Tip 10.  We need each other; nourish friendships"

- Bertil Marklund, MD, Phd, The Nordic Guide to Living 10 Years Longer, 2017

Lagom is a Swedish word that means “just the right amount”, “just the right amount is best”. Lagom implies moderation, balance, pared down simplicity, sufficient without excess, reasonable amounts, what is enough. 

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Many Wise Persons