Not Your Conventional Workout

Great video showing examples of working out anywhere, incorporating strength, coordination, flexibility and endurance. No gym required. Move like an animal.

Health Care Reform - Electronic Medical Records Consolidation

From: kim Real (& mostly) Balanced Ideas for Real Living

 

 

Recently, I learned that local businessman and fitness/wellness colleague Steve Reynolds was serving on the Executive Committee of Beacon Communities Consortium, a Western Colorado group working to consolidate patient medical records regionally.  This is all part of a federal grant program driving regional communities to create solutions towards that will ultimately become a part of the Affordable Care Act.

I was very interested to talk with Steve and learn more about this and how it will impact our future health care system.  There is definitely a lot to talk about.  To listen to my first conversation with Steve click on Roaring Fork Wellness's Podcast, Episode 4, on the top & right of the page.

We will definitely talk again.  If you'd like to submit questions or comments, please include them below or you can contact Steve Reynolds directly at:

La Provence Spa (Steve's business)- 970-945-5783 or via email at steveatthegym@live.com

Other articles in this series:

Health Care Reform: Interview with Rayna Gangi
Tick Tick Tick - Health Care Reform is Coming
Health Care Reform-Medical Perspective
Beginning to Understand Health Care Reform

Love

Thank You http://pinterest.com/pin/113504853079724113/

Today Is The Day

Thank You http://pinterest.com/pin/411446115927346304/

Recipe - Crunchy, Salty and Healthy!

Thank You Kim - Real (& mostly) Balanced Ideas for Real Living

 

As a voice over artist, I've fairly recently learned about potato chips effectiveness for combating "mouth noise" when recording. Until recently, I hadn't purchased potato chips in years. So, adding them back into my diet was bitter sweet. I mean, come on, who doesn't love the salty, oily crunch of potato chips? But with every crunch comes the knowledge that I'm probably eating one of the worst things for my overall health. So began my casual search for a healthy replacement that would have the same benefits.

Perhaps I have stumbled upon it here. Behold, Dr. C's recipe for a crunchy, salty, healthy snack! 

Bon apetit!

What's In Your Home?

NEW Podcast today! LOOK to your right! and up!

In Episode 3, Kimberly talks with her colleague Tiffany Swafford about how Tiffany overcame her children's chronic illness by changing their environment and her mother's experience with SIGNIFICANTLY reducing the occurrence of migraine headaches.

To learn more about these topics, you can reach Tiffany or Kimberly.

Tiffany Swafford
435-260-2331
betteryourselfnow@gmail.com

Kimberly Henrie
970-930-1242
kimhenrie@vitalityforlife.com

Cool Meditation Tool

Meditation is easy and is available to anybody at anytime.

 We often make it more complicated and more ritualistic than is necessary.  There are hundreds of methods used for meditation; however, reduced to the essentials meditation is simply learning to quiet the mind. This opens the door for increased awareness of self, and the ability to rest in a peaceful and aware state of consciousness.

One way to quiet the mind is to give it a single thing to focus on. This Android application, "Serenity Now" provides a collection of simple to choose and use focus tools. These tools are designed to give your mind just one thing to focus on, and help clear the mind of the noise of daily life. Within "Serenity Now" you will find a rich collection of Mantras, Mandalas, Bonsai, Nature Images, Focus Videos, Sounds & Music, as well as Guided Meditations. It can be downloaded Here on Google Play. 

Have an enlightening day.

Life Lessons From A Frog

Thank You Sun Gazing

The Power of Movement, the Universe, and You

Anything is possible
by Frank Forencich on May 9, 2013

Thank you Exuberant Animal

Maybe you’re new to movement. Maybe you’ve been on the couch for the last few years. Or, maybe you’re an experienced athlete, but you’re stuck in a movement rut and you need some inspiration. Where do you turn for instruction? Well, maybe you don’t need instruction. Maybe what you really need is yourself, your own body and your own experience.

To begin, forget all the talk about expert knowledge, biomechanics, exercise science and “perfect form.” Forget about doing it “right.” You’ve got everything you need right now. After all, your body is home to the most sophisticated nervous system in the known universe. Even in an untrained state, your body is capable of amazing feats of learning and discovery. We are wired for movement and plasticity. We are hyper-capable.

So begin with a beginner’s mind and a beginner’s movement. Start with a simple movement shape: any direction, any speed, any angle. Try a reach, a push or a pull. Maybe just an easy circle. Find a path that feels good, something that’s pain free, something with potential.

Do a couple of reps to smooth it out and then express it more completely. Exaggerate it. Make the movement more expansive, complete and powerful. Bring more and more of your body into it, integrating your hips and core. Get every muscle into the act, especially your feet and legs. (Bend your knees!)

Now the real fun begins. As you warm to the experience, bring more and more of your mind, spirit and imagination into the movement. Breathe, not just with the muscles of your torso and chest, but with your whole body. Bring the totality of your life into the experience. Amplify whatever you’re feeling at the moment, whether it’s anxiety, fear, stress, joy, desire or passion. Emotion is raw material that you can use to feed the fire of your movement.

As you get deeper into the experience, reach out further and bring the entire power of the earth, the biosphere and the cosmos into your movement. Integrate the power of the wind, the ocean, the crashing waves, the strike of lightning and the spirit that animates every animal that’s ever lived. It’s all right there, waiting for you to gather, concentrate and express.

Perhaps this sounds a little bit outrageous and unconventional; tapping into the power of the universe may strike you as extraordinary or even weird. But in fact, this is a normal part of the human experience. Don’t forget this simple but incredible fact: our bodies are made of stardust. The forces that made this incredibly vast and beautiful universe made us too. Every atom in our muscles, our hearts, our lungs and our brains was forged in supernova explosions billions of years ago. We are embedded in the same energy that animates galaxies, solar systems and planets. The incredible thing is not that we can access this power; the incredible (and disturbing) thing is that we so often fail to do so.

The problem, of course, is that we forget ourselves and our true nature. As we grow into adulthood, we lose touch with our primal energies and the energy of the biosphere. We get distracted by carrots and sticks, rules and responsibilities. We get locked into trivialities, side-tracked by flashing lights, novelties and the latest fashions of the day. Running from one amusement to the next, we literally forget who we are. And of course, sedentary behavior make it all worse. Static bodies simply cannot sense a dynamic world. Without movement, we cannot feel our bodies or their relationship to the world; it is no wonder that we become diseased.

It’s all a question of attention. When we’re born, the power of the cosmos flows through every cell in our bodies. We can feel the potential and our imagination runs wild. But as we age, we get lulled into a kind of waking sleep. We get seduced by the familiar and the regular. By adulthood, this fantastic universe begins to feel predictable, even boring. We lose touch with the primal energies of Life and our bodies, minds and spirits begin to fall into a state of chronic dullness, grayness, triviality and pain.

This reminds us why mindfulness practices are so valuable. As we become more mindful and less distracted, we can keep our attention focused on the staggering and awesome fact of our lives in this immense and glorious universe. We wake up, over and over again, to the fantastic powers of nature that lie all around us and inside of us.

And so the task before us is one of remembering, through movement and meditation. Don’t wait until you’re “in shape” to move powerfully. Don’t wait for some future moment to integrate your life into a single powerful whole. Don’t wait until a big competition or some “peak experience.” You can harness the power of nature right now. It is in you and has been since before you were born. Every atom in your body is ancient beyond imagining and is pulsing with potential.

You are the artist of your body, your movement and your education. Stop waiting for instruction. You don’t need more information. You don’t need someone to hold a clipboard (clipbored) and count your reps. You were born with everything you need. You are far more intelligent and expansive than you realize.

When your body is made of stardust, anything is possible.



Visit Exuberant Animal for more great articles.

Health Care Reform - An Interview with Rayna Gangi

From: kim Real (& mostly) Balanced Ideas for Real Living

In our 4th installment of the Health Care Reform series, I interviewed holistic health practitioner, political activist and author/teacher Rayna Gangi.  In her podcasts, Gangi has gone over the Health Care Act line by line to inform her listeners just what is in there, and quotes page numbers and sections.  I was quite surprised listening to the details, so I wanted to share them with you as a resource.  As you'll find in the interview below, Ms. Gangi is quite passionate about this issue.  It's important we listen to all perspectives and sort out the facts for ourselves.  I encourage you to keep listening/reading and to share your input.  If you think there is a perspective missing from this conversation, please let me know.

Click the graphic above to read what the White House has to say about health care reform.

Here is a list of the other posts in this series: 
Tick Tick Tick - Health Care Reform is Coming
Health Care Reform - Medical Perspective
Beginning to Understand Health Care Reform

And now, Ms. Rayna Gangi:

kim: Welcome Rayna. Can you fill us in on your background?

Rayna: My background is diverse, but as far as healthcare is concerned, I’ve been a holistic health consultant and therapist for more than 35 years. I stayed involved with alternative/complementary health because approaching the body and health holistically is like “an apple a day.” It keeps the doctor away. 

kim: Is it true you’ve combed through every page/line of the Health Care Reform Act? What prompted you to do so?

Rayna: As soon as the health care bill became available, I went through it line-by-line a dozen times. We had already been hit with TARP and a stimulus bill that was obviously the wrong step to take to mend the economy. Many of us had said “no” to those programs and seeing the inherent costs and the amount of government control written into the bill basically enraged me, and many others. Many of us(over a million) went to D.C., believing that Americans marching in dissent of such a travesty would make a difference. It didn’t. Then, Nancy Pelosi’s statement that we have to “pass the bill to see what’s in it,” got me even more involved. I studied the history of those “czars” responsible for this bill. By the way, amazing so many thousands of pages could be written so quickly, right? Well, I compared Hillary Clinton’s failed health care reform bill to this one and found many pages just copied. Then Sebellius and others inserted many phrases that basically gave them carte blanche control over every aspect of our bodies and health.

kim: What is the biggest impact that Americans will see from this bill?

Rayna: Hard Question because this impacts many sectors and groups. In general, health care premiums will rise, and this is on purpose. The government would like to put the individual insurance companies out of business while also causing economic pain on individuals and families so they can eventually announce Single Payer health which puts healthcare in the government’s hands permanently.

Young people under 25 of voting age wanted this bill because they can stay on their parent’s health plan until age 26. This is also on purpose to secure the Democratic vote through the end of Obamas second term. 

$65 billion dollars was taken from Medicare to help pay for the initial implementation, so those on Medicare already see in increase in their premiums, that money coming from Social Security payments. Because the baby boom generation will be hitting retirement age for the next 15 to 20 years, the government wants those premiums, not to pay for Medicare and Senior healthcare, but to pay for the so-called 47 million people who don’t have healthcare. Most of those are illegal aliens, and if amnesty goes through, the cost for the hundreds of thousands granted amnesty with their families will be $6.9 Trillion over the next 10 years. Seniors will be paying for some of this at the risk of their own health and lives.

The so-called “death panel,” touted as a rumor and joke, is no joke. The administration has not yet put the civilian panel in place to make decisions on whether our ailments are worthy because they need more money to pay them.

Those people working both in small businesses and corporations will either see more taken from their paychecks, their jobs eliminated, or their full-time status reduced to part-time so the employer can afford to keep them.

There are many more impacts, but the overall impact is exactly what Democrats are now calling it. A train wreck. Doctors will stop seeing patients and/or leave their professions, hospitals will charge more for care, Seniors may have to wait to be see, and when all those young people reach age 27 and up, they’ll have a rude awakening as healthcare costs, single payer or not, will be too high for most to afford.

This is the reason Congress, Unions and special interests who lobbied for the bill want to be exempted from compliance, and more than 3000 groups have gotten that exemption.

kim: Can you give us a short list of the highlights? What changes are coming down the pipeline?

Rayna:

• Those with individual health insurance will see an average premium increase of 32-40%
• Obamacare imposes $165 billion in new taxes and fees on health plans, drug manufacturers, and device makers
• The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says that these taxes will be passed on to consumers through higher premiums.
• Obamacare includes 21 new or higher taxes that will cost taxpayers roughly $1.1 trillion over the next decade
• 20-65 million Americans could lose their employer-sponsored health insurance.
• 70% of small businesses have cited Obamacare as an obstacle to job creation
• The CBO estimates that Obamacare will decrease the labor force by 800,000 over the next decade.
• These changes are already in the pipeline, and there are more than 20,000 new regulations added recently with more to come.

kim: What segments of the population will be most affected?

CLICK TO CONTINUE INTERVIEW

A Resource To Know About - Wilderness Workshop

Did you know? The Wilderness Workshop is the conservation watchdog of nearly 3 million acres of public lands in western Colorado.

 Thank You Wilderness Workshop

Find Wilderness Workshop on the web at Wilderness Workshop and on Facebook

Using science, the law and grassroots activism, WW works to keep the White River National Forest and nearby BLM lands more or less “as is” and, where possible, to restore wildness to this nationally important landscape.

Founded in 1967, the Wilderness Workshop has earned a national reputation for passionate advocacy, grassroots effectiveness, and scientific authority.

WW is the only nonprofit organization that’s devoted to protecting these particular public lands on a full-time basis. No other local group has the expertise and standing to participate effectively and consistently in the arcane bureaucratic processes that decide the fate of these lands; no state or national organization can devote as much time to our particular area.

We don’t represent any user group; rather, we provide a voice for nature on our public lands. We’re a community of people who enjoy and cherish wild places, and believe that wildlands and wildlife should be protected for their own sake (and for ours).

Although focused on the White River National Forest region, our work is part of a visionary movement to reconnect wildlife habitats and “rewild” landscapes on a continental scale. Thus we frequently partner with other local, state, regional and national groups on projects. CONTINUE

Open Yoga Invitation

You are invited for an hour of yoga on the lawn in beautiful West Glenwood with Kimberly Henrie!

Meet us from 2-3 pm at 317 Sunny Acres (up Charo) on Tuesday May 14th. This event will be outside, overlooking the valley. This is great for beginners or those who want a gentle yoga practice. Bring a mat or beach towel. Offered by donation - suggestion $5, seeds or plantings, baked goods, smiles or hugs.

You are welcome to bring a friend or share this invitation with someone you know.

RSVP's are GREATLY appreciated. Kim at 970-930-1242

We will reschedule if the weather is inclement or the temperature drops below 65 degrees.

CLICK MAP TO ENLARGE!

Mindful Eating

From: kim - Real (& mostly) Balanced Ideas for Real Living

It was a breath of fresh air running across an article this morning that discusses Mindful Eating and the pitfalls of the "good or bad" food mentality that is found in many diet plans. Michelle May MD does a great job of explaining the different approaches and perhaps why so many of our plans are derailed and don't, ultimately, give us the desired outcomes.

I have a difficult time maintaining composure whenever a client, student or friend share with me their latest diet plan.  I have yet to meet a person face-to-face who has had AND maintained weightloss success through a "diet."  Yet, we continue this cycle of moving from one diet to the next, looking for the magic combination of foods and exercise that will make us look good, never mind our health.

I encourage you to read the article, New Shades of Grey and share your thoughts.

What is your experience

True Nature Healing Arts - Sweat Lodge Ceremony

Sweat Lodge Ceremony: Lenado, Saturday, May 18th, 5pm (arrive by 4pm). This will be the last Inipi ceremony in Lenado. 

Thank You True Nature Healing Arts

Dear Friends of the Sacred Red Road, I am in a big time of letting go of many things that no longer serve or feel in alignment with my path, purpose and life. I have decided to bring to a close, my exploration and sharing of the inipi (sweat lodge) ceremony.

Please join us as we offer gratitude, next Saturday, for this incredible journey of love, light, joy, sorrow and remembering who we truly are. Bring a healthy meal to share and your best intention.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, we will deconstruct the lodge and burn it in the sacred fire, to close the energetic circle.

If you would like to share sacred time in other ways, join me weekly, for an intimate meditation practice at TNHA in Carbondale, Thursdays 7-8pm.

What's next: its a mystery. For sure: family, supporting and directing Truth Nature as it grows, flying (I take my instrument rating test this next Monday), making music (kirtan) and my daily practices.

I know that all is unfolding as it should and through deep listening and remembering who I truly am, all will be revealed in time.

Great thanks to all who have participated over the years, you have enriched my life.

Love, Branden

Tick Tick Tick - Health Care Reform is Coming

 From "Kim - Real ( & mostly) Balanced Ideas for Real Livng

We have begun a conversation (see post "kim: Beginning to Understand Health Care Reform") about how Health Care Reform will impact us as individuals, business owners, health care professionals and society-at-large.  Another piece of the puzzle is falling into place - Connect for Health Colorado.

This is the website where you will go to compare and contrast available plans and begin to sort out what your health insurance portfolio may look like effective January 1, 2014 when it becomes mandated that you will have health insurance or pay a penalty. You can enroll in a new plan starting in October, according to this website.  You can also attend board meetings and participate in the process.

Connect for Health Colorado - Take a look, share your insights and get educated.

Next week:  Watch for an interview with holistic health practitioner, author/educator and activist Rayna Gangi, who has combed through the Health Care Reform Bill line by line and will share her insights with you.


What are your anticipations for Health Care Reform? Comment Here.

Study: How Yoga Alters Genes

Alternative therapies meant to help us "break the train of everyday thinking" have effects on a cellular level.

Lindsay Abrams May 2 2013, 10:27 AM ET

RelaxingMusic/Flickr

PROBLEM: The flight or fight response -- the natural response to stress -- essentially puts the nervous system in overdrive. So it's no surprise that its opposite state, known as the relaxation response to stress, is associated with feeling good, in a general sense. People are able to evoke the relaxation response by repeating a yoga pose, prayer, or mantra while disregarding other thoughts, and it's been shown to protect against psychological disorders like anxiety and depression as well as physical conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and types of cancer that are exacerbated by stress.

METHODOLOGY: Researchers at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Subjects trained 26 adults with no prior experience in this type of meditation for eight weeks. They practiced deep breathing, repeated mantras, and learned to ignore intrusive thoughts. CONTINUE

Inner Peace

Thank You Healing With Spirit