MEN STARTING YOGA OVER 40

     I have found that many men over the age of 40 are curious about yoga but are shy to begin because they feel that they are very inflexible and uncoordinated. They think they will be the only one struggling and this is a blow to self confidence.
  I have enjoyed teaching men for many years and it has been a learning experience for me.
I find that many men think yoga is an activity for women and that yoga is not a manly activity. 

   Let's look back in history, yoga in India was mostly practiced by men for thousands of years and it was only recently since the 1940-50's that it became acceptable for women in India to go to yoga classes and these were female only classes and many still are today. 
When I was in India, I participated in classes that were only for women and the teacher was a man, but there are many teachers teaching mixed classes to foreigners in India.

  The practice of yoga is beneficial for both genders and there is a different way to practice for each gender according to the natural rhythms of life.

    Most of my private students have been men, some of them move on to group classes and some of them like the personal attention and convenience of  private instruction. I encourage my students to practice on their own at home. This is a way of developing self discipline of the mind as well as the body. 

  I always encourage men over 40 to start taking yoga classes and enjoy the many wonderful benefits yoga has to offer. Other than strength and flexibility yoga can alleviate back pain, sciatica, arthritis, improve cardiovascular health, regulate blood pressure, symptoms of diabetes, all stress related issues, insomnia, depression, digestion, increase vitality and vigor. And yoga can improve your sex life!
Men who are athletes find that yoga is a great compliment to their sport, or it can help keep the body toned and prepared for seasonal activities such as golf and skiing.

    When we come to yoga over the age of 40, it is always best to determine what our goal is and then find a teacher who can design a practice that will help us accomplish those goals. We need to take our present physical limitations and needs into account.

   Some men start by taking a group class and find that they are not enjoying it, this may be because the group class is geared towards generally healthy people with very limited or no physical issues .
Not all yoga poses are good for all bodies, especially if one has arthritis, sciatica, frozen shoulder, knee injuries, high blood pressure,  the list goes on.  Yoga can be practiced by any one, we just need to find the way that works for each individual. After all the word "Asana"  translates into "Pose of ease"

  I find private lessons are a great way for men to get started, this helps them to become more comfortable and develop a better understanding of  their personal limitations, needs and what yoga really is. Some studios offer classes for men only, and some instructors can be hired to go to the workplace or office for convenience and time efficiency.

 Meditation - On the subject of learning meditation, one needs to determine, "what is my personal purpose for learning  meditation?" Is it for mental and physical relaxation, for healing or for spiritual enlightenment leading towards self realization?

  When an individual is in physical or psychological  pain they will be less likely to be thinking of spirituality  and more concerned with pain relief, which can be lessened with meditative and breathing techniques.

Yoga clothing for men - No you don't need fancy yoga duds, I find that most men feel comfortable wearing  T- shirts, sweat pants or shorts and preferably in cotton. It's best to have your own personal yoga mat for hygienic reasons and have a small towel handy to wipe off perspiration if needed. 


Remember that yoga is a science of human self development which can  help keep us happy, healthy, moving with ease and offer mental clarity. It's a fabulous way to move forward in life!  Yes real men do yoga! Come on guys get out there and find a studio or teacher to inspire you.

Brenda Bell copyright 2015
www.brendabell.ca 

New Yorker Profile on Dr.OZ

 We have all heard of Dr.Oz and many of us have mixed feelings about what he is up to.

 I am aware that he promotes Reiki which is a good thing.

 The following is a piece that I took from a recent article published in the New Yorker. If you have time I suggest that you read the whole article, it is very interesting.

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/02/04/130204fa_fact_specter#ixzz2JJui0vTl

The Operator

Is the most trusted doctor in America doing more harm than good?

by Michael Specter February 4, 2013

It didn’t take long for Oz to become convinced that a patient’s state of mind could be important to a successful surgical outcome. With his father-in-law’s encouragement, he began to explore music therapy, energy fields, and therapeutic touch, and he began to offer them to his surgical patients. Here, too, Lisa played a major role; she is a Reiki master, and Oz soon became famous at New York-Presbyterian, not to mention within the broader surgical community, for encouraging the practice of Reiki in the operating room. Reiki, the Japanese art of laying on hands, is based on the notion that an unseen, life-giving source of energy flows through our bodies. Oz hired a Reiki master named Julie Motz to stand in the operating room, where, she has said, she would attempt to harness “the body’s own energy to help patients survive risky operations, such as heart transplants.” Many of Oz’s colleagues, including some who worked directly with him, thought that permitting a Reiki master to enter the surgical suite at New York-Presbyterian was ludicrous. “She would come in and daven over the heart-and-lung machine for a while,” Eric Rose told me recently. In 1984, Rose made history when he performed the first successful pediatric heart transplant. He hired Oz in 1986 and then, several years later, when he served as chairman of the surgical department at New York-Presbyterian, assigned him to his transplant team. Studies of energy forces in our bodies have routinely shown that Reiki adheres to no known principles of science. In perhaps the most famous such review, a nine-year-old girl conceived and executed a test in which she demonstrated that twenty-one people who claimed to be skilled in the techniques of Reiki were nevertheless unable to detect her “energy field” more often than they would have by guessing. The study was eventually published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2009, even the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Catholic health-care facilities and clergy not to promote or support Reiki.

I told Oz that I was aware of no evidence showing that Reiki works. He cut in: “Neither am I, if you are talking purely about data. But this is one of the fundamental disconnects between Western medicine and what people often refer to as complementary medicine. Not everything adds up. It’s about making people more comfortable. I offer things like massage therapy, and offered Reiki if people wanted it. I did not recommend it, but I let people know it was their choice.”

Oz often says that he is just trying to present people with all their options, because they are sophisticated enough to make decisions for themselves. But some options are more beneficial than others, and medical experts are morally bound to explain the difference, as David Gorski told me recently. Gorski, an associate professor of surgery at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, is the managing editor of the influential blog Science-Based Medicine. “Oz has a huge bully pulpit, with the entire Oprah empire behind him,” he said. “He can’t simply dispense with facts he doesn’t find convenient.” Scientists often argue that, if alternative medicine proves effective through experimental research, it should no longer be considered alternative; at that point, it becomes medicine. By freely mixing alternatives with proven therapies, Oz makes it nearly impossible for the viewer of his show to assess the impact of either; the process just diminishes the value of science.

“I am guided by evidence above all,” Eric Rose told me recently, when I visited him in his office, at Siga Technologies, a biotechnology firm that develops treatments for highly lethal diseases like smallpox and Ebola fever. He is also a professor of surgery at the Mount Sinai medical school. Rose, who is sixty-two, is slim and thoughtful, with a casual elegance that suggests the head of an auction house more than the chief executive of a biotech firm. His office is framed from floor to ceiling in glass, with modern art on nearly every wall. I noticed a picture of Rose, posing with Oz, displayed on a shelf, above several Prouvé Standard Chairs. “I always liked to encourage surgeons to do what made them comfortable, and Mehmet is a particularly fine surgeon,” he told me when I asked why he permitted a Reiki master in his surgical program. “So when he told me he wanted to try Reiki I didn’t see why I should prevent him. Eventually, though, without any fanfare or difficulty, I suggested that it might be better if he knocked it off.”

By that time, in the mid-nineteen-nineties, anti-rejection drugs like cyclosporine had helped make heart transplants common. They were no longer front-page news, unless they involved notable people. When that happened, Rose was often asked to perform the operation. On October 25, 1996, Frank Torre, the brother of the New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, received a new heart at New York-Presbyterian. Rose led the team and Oz was his deputy. The transplant, which was a success, took place during that year’s World Series. The next night, the patient, who himself had been a successful baseball player and manager, watched from his bed as his brother’s team beat the Atlanta Braves to win the sixth game, and the Series. The publicity surrounding the operation was intense; a collage of articles about the event—“HEART OF THE YANKS,” the Daily News offered, in supersize type—still hangs in the cardiac-department offices at New York-Presbyterian. “I had my fifteen minutes of fame,” Rose said. “It was great for my career and for the hospital, but frankly I learned that it wasn’t something I enjoyed.” Oz had an entirely different reaction to the attention. The Torre transplant, Rose said, “was his first big splash of publicity, and he loved it.” Rose laughed and suggested that the experience helped propel Oz toward his current career. I asked Rose what he thought of his disciple’s work as a television host.

 “I want to stress that Mehmet is a fine surgeon,” Rose said, as he did more than once during our conversation. “He is intellectually unbelievably gifted. But I think if there is any criticism you can apply to some of the stuff he talks about it is that there is no hierarchy of evidence. There rarely is with the alternatives. They have acquired a market, and that drives so much. At times, I think Mehmet does feed into that.”

I asked if he would place his confidence in a heart surgeon, no matter how gifted, who operated just once a week, as Oz does. “Well,” he replied, “in general you want a surgeon who lives and breathes his job, somebody who is above all devoted to that.” Again he mentioned Oz’s experience, but when I asked if he would send a patient to Oz for an operation, he looked uncomfortable. “No,” he said. “I wouldn’t. In many respects, Mehmet is now an entertainer. And he’s great at it. People learn a lot, and it can be meaningful in their lives. But that is a different job. In medicine, your baseline need has to be for a level of evidence that can lead to your conclusions. I don’t know how else you do it. Sometimes Mehmet will entertain wacky ideas—particularly if they are wacky and have entertainment value.”

The era of paternalistic medicine, where the doctor knew best and the patient felt lucky to have him, has ended. We don’t worship authority figures anymore. Our health-care system has become impersonal, mechanized, and hollow, and it has failed millions of people, many of whom want to find a way to regain control of their own medical decisions. As Oz likes to say, Marcus Welby—the kindly, accessible, but straight-talking television doctor—is dead.

Just for today, and each day after.

Above are the 5 Lay Vows of Tibetan Buddhism.
This is just one of the many examples of how Reiki is influenced by Buddhism.

5 Reiki Ideals
Just for today
I will not anger,
I will not worry,
I will be honest,
I will be kind to all living beings,
I will be filled with gratitude.


The repetition of symbols, mantras and clapping three times is coming from Shintoism.


Have a great day!

Brenda Bell
www.brendabell.ca 

"Golden Years" career change? Read this.

If you are living in a smaller city or township, are interested in natural healing and are looking for a way to serve your community while making some extra cash, then becoming a Reiki master may be of interest to you. 

Learning Reiki is not only to help others but it offers us as individuals a unique philosophical approach  for living a healthier and happier life.

If you are interested in this type of adventure I would be happy to answer any questions you many have about the process of certification or what benefits we can acquire by living a life with the awareness of Reiki.

Email:  brenda@bendabell.ca 

 

 

 

 
The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers

The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) provides employment assistance services and employability improvement activities, such as skills upgrading and work experience, to assist unemployed workers aged 55 to 64 with their return to work.

How it Works

TIOW is a federal-provincial/territorial cost shared initiative.
Provinces and territories are responsible for the design and delivery of projects aimed at unemployed older workers in cities and towns that:

• have a population of 250,000 or less; and
• are experiencing ongoing high unemployment; and/or
• have a high reliance on a single industry affected by downsizing or closures.

To be eligible, participants must:

• be aged 55 to 64*;
• be unemployed;
• be legally entitled to work in Canada;
• require new or enhanced skills to successfully transition into new employment; and
• live in an eligible community.

For more info, see the following links:

Fed. Gov't - http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/employment/employment_measures/older_workers/index.shtml
Ont. Gov't -http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/employmentontario/olderworkers.html
 

Homeopathic flu Rx

With the flu virus floating around us I wanted to share with you an natural remedy that I have used in the past with good results. It is a homeopathic made by Boiron and the product name is OSCILLOCOCCINUM.
I buy a large value pack at the beginning of the season, ready to take at the very first signs of the flu. There are smaller packs available.
Be sure that you understand the difference between a cold virus and a flu virus. You don't want to be wasting your money.
 This remedy is a little pricy but well worth the investment. The large value pack is between $28.00 - $38.00 depending on what shop you go to. Healthy Planet has lower prices than The Big Carrot or Noah's.
Follow the directions on the package, it is also safe to give to kids.
 Diabetics be aware that this product contains 0,85g of sucrose & 0,15g of lactose per dose.
I hope you find this helpful, but mostly I hope you don't get the flu!

Have a healthy day.
Brenda
www.brendabell.ca

Considering Vegan? Read this!

Happy New Year!

The New Year is always a time when many people decide to make changes in their life, whether it is giving up a bad habit, taking up a new fitness regime, changing diet, or becoming more organized.

In my past article about "Arthritis and Yoga" I had mentioned that changing our way of eating may decrease symptoms of inflammation in the joints, but this also extends to other inflammatory conditions and cardiovascular health.

We have all heard a lot about the new diet rage "Vegan".  I have to say it is really one of the best natural remedies for many inflammatory ailments and it cuts down on the production of unhealthy mucous in the lungs and sinuses which reduces the breeding ground for many communicable viruses. If you eat this way it will reduce the frequency and severity of colds and flues.

 Another benefit of eating a vegan diet is the fact that it makes the body more alkaline and less acidic. Scientific research has proven that cancer cells thrive in a more acidic environment, so in this time of  many people suffering with different types of cancer it just makes sense to me to eat in a way that may reduce the possibility.

Many people think the Vegan diet is a very boring and unappetizing way to eat , but it's not if you open your mind and palette.

 There is one thing that I have noticed within the Vegan domain, and that is, not all vegans are eating optimally. They are still including refined flours and sugars in baked goods, pasta, white rice, and deep fried foods in their diet. To make the best of this way of eating you really should cut out those things as well as reducing coffee consumption. Coffee is very acidic especially for arthritis and stomach problems.

I would like to share with you  an article that I found about eating Vegan.

I hope that you will find it inspiring and think about the many reasons for considering making the switch. The health of our planet is also a good reason! :)

Brenda

www.brendabell.ca

 

How to Go Vegan - In Seven Easy Steps

Horse meat in beef Burgers? According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Tesco, Lidl & Aldi have been selling burgers that contain meat sourced from a horse. Really, what difference is meat from what we in the West consider a pet, and a 'farm' animal? After BSE and the horrors Jamie Oliver uncovered in children's so called 'happy meals', with formed meat sourced from all manner of parts of animals, not to mention the cost to health, surely now is the time to think about leaving our animal friends be?
A VEGAN BURGER
Is it hard to do? Many people want to give up or reduce their meat intake but they worry about how to replace, what has been for probably all of their lives until now, a majority factor of their diet. I don't come across many who are not interested in eating a healthier, cleaner diet. And who wouldn't like to reduce or cease their meat intake? Some people are afraid of giving up cheese, some don't know what to eat for breakfast if it isn't the customary (in the West at least) milk drenched cereal or buttered toast. All worry about their protein intake.

There are seven simple steps to take. Like anything new, it gets easier after time. They are the simplest to embrace when that moment strikes, and you know you want to be healthier and turn to a plant-based diet.
1. Increase your intake of vegetables, especially green leafy veg and fruit. They will bulk out your meals, give you all the nutrients you need and help you to feel satiated. If you can, invest in a good quality juicer (about £100... will last you for years) and start every day with a green juice (kale, spinach, apple, ginger, turmeric, fresh beetroot, celery, cucumber, kiwi). That alone will make a HUGE difference to your health and energy levels.
2. Replace the dairy. Experiment with alternative milks and butters and cheese. I personally LOVE Kara coconut milk and find it very adaptable and versatile. Almond milk is delicious too as is quinoa milk. Make sure you buy unsweetened as you do not want to be adding extra sugar to your diet. Pure make a really great tasting sunflower spread. You can also do like the Mediterraneans and use olive oil in place of butter in many instances. How did I do it? This is exceptional to me and you will find your own way. The world of produced veggie cheese has come a long way. VEGUSTO and Daiya in the USA make delicious cheeses: Melty. Stringy. Garlicky. Strong. How ever you like your cheese. I challenge you not to like it.
3. Take it slowly. Transition. Back in 1999 I turned vegetarian and I began by using fake 'meats' in the meals I'd been used to in my diet. I really couldn't tell the difference in taste or texture in spaghetti bolognese or shephards pie. Instead of bacon sandwiches, I ate tomato sauce sandwiches (try it... don't knock it - you can even by and make fake 'bacon' bits). Typical meals were, pasta with fresh basil & tomato sauce, and used soy cream to make dishes like carbonara and pea and garlic cream pasta. I made my own gravy from flour, tamari sauce and vegan stock cubes. Back then I got into stuffing all sorts of veggies with mushrooms, garlic, brown rice and breadcrumbs. And a plate of caramelised roasted vegetables were never far from hand. Soups are extremely quick and easy to make and really satisfying. With the addition of beans and mushrooms I was getting all the protein I needed. I didn't feel like I was missing anything. In fact, I felt very pleased with myself. I saw navigating the supermarket labels to detect animal products as a detective investigation. I took to task with excitement the turning my old meals into plant based diners. By body was starting to show signs of thanking me too. My skin cleared up and I felt happier and more 'me'. I moved on from those meals and began to drop the need to substitute. I found great Indian dishes and many Middle Eastern dishes were vegan anyway, with bold flavours to satiate me.
4. For recipe ideas, go to your bookstore and buy a couple of vegan cookbooks. Or source free recipes online. You will be surprised how easy they are, AND delicious.
5.To save money and time - One really good tip as well is to make lots of food ahead. Get yourself some good quality food containers and make big batches of soup, sauces, stews, one pots, curries. Work out what you need for the week and freeze/chill the remainder.
6. Exercise. Even if it is just two ten minute walks a day. It will help your digestion, hasten the detox and make you feel empowered.
7. Drink AT LEAST eight large glasses of water a day. Be it straight from the tap (you can focus on the healthiest way to intake water at a later stage) or in herbal teas. If you don't like plain water then fill up a jug and add lime juice, sliced cucumber, fresh strawberries etc to flavour your water.
ADJUSTING
Your body may take a few weeks or even months (depending on how your diet was previously) to adjust. You may find yourself making more visits to the loo. Your skin may react as first as the toxins flush from your system. You may get a little windy as your digestion adapts. Take a dairy free probiotic pill daily (please no yogurt filled with sugar that claims to be probiotic and good for you!). An increased intake of fresh and uncooked foods (salads and fruit) will have all the enzymes you need to help you to cleanse your body and improve your digestion. DRINK LOTS of water in between meals.
You will feel better than I you ever have and develop a greater appreciation, not only for animals and your health but for the land and the things that foods that nourish you.
Good luck! And know that you have choices and they are yours to make. Support is out there (or here) if you need it. Your decision to go plant-based may be overnight or over several months. Your ongoing health and care of yourself and your environment is for life.
Need help? Go to aveganobsession.com

 

Follow India Leigh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@aveganobsessio

REIKI COURSE DATES 2013

Happy New Year Reiki Friends

A new year is upon us all and it is a time when many of us endevour to start some thing new or to take up some thing we had started but not finished.
With this thought in mind I am posting my teaching schedule for Winter- Spring 2013 with a special offer for "Review" in hopes of encouraging you to continue the Reiki way of life.

Reiki Level One  

Jan 27   Feb 10  March 10  April 14   May 19  June 9

Reiki Level Two

Feb 24  March 24   May 26   June 23

Reiki Level Three

April 20 & 21    Or by appointment

I am offering you to re - take as a review Reiki Level One  or Two at a %50 discount.

This will help you  to increase your personal frequency, remembering all that I have taught you, to encourage you that energy healing is very real and effective. The world needs  reiki practitioners very much now. We have a lot to offer the people around us. The world needs our compassion, loving kindness and healing light. Be that light in the  world and practice reiki!

 If you are attending with a friend that will be taking the course for the first time then your review will be free of charge.Please note: those of you that have a reiki certificate from another teacher are entitled to this offer. But you must provide a copy of your certificate dated no later than 2yrs prior to the date of registration for my courses.

Please refer to my website for more detailed information regarding my reiki courses.
 If you don't find the information you are looking for then email me and I will be happy to get back to you. 

REIKI SHARE
I am making a list of names of people interested in an upcoming Reiki Share to be held on Wed March 6th 6-8pm. This is a free of charge gathering to share reiki and experiences with each other. Please let me know if you want to be on the list. See my website for more information about Reiki Shares.
http://www.brendabell.ca
.
I wish you all a Joyful New Year filled with Light, Good health and Love.
Brenda Bell
http://www.brendabell.ca