Because they are all directly related, I'm posting these five bits as one.
June 1, 2009Health
social fitnessMy best description of social fitness is this: How well one interacts with his family, friends, neighbors, peers, townsfolk, countrymen, etc.
From my perspective, it seems very important to achieve some notable level of social fitness as we are a social animal and depend on each other for so much.
In my daily activities, I endeavor to be a good example by holding doors for those behind me, by signaling my intent while driving, by saying "please" and "thank you" when making requests
(i.e. placing an order with the wait staff at any restaurant or bar), by NOT playing music so loud from my car or from my home that the neighbors can hear it, by taking my shopping cart back to the corral, by smiling a lot, by listening to and not interrupting the person speaking in a conversation, etc. Really, I just try to use good etiquette. It seems like a good way to practice and grow socially fit.
Be a good person and teach others to do the same by good example.
It's not a lot, but I think it sums it well.
Let's hear it for being social.
Hooray, no man is an island!
Some links:
Social Fitness:
http://www.answers.com/topic/social-health
www.emilypost.comMay 17, 2009Health
spiritual fitness
It's probably important to clarify immediately that I am using the term spirit to reflect one's internal driving force, his deeply personal intent and energy, his will and attitude.
Spiritual is then defined: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit.
I am NOT referring to religion as that is a social institution and would fall under social health.
This is probably the toughest talking point for fitness. It's very personal so everyone has his own concept and methods to achieve spiritual fitness.
I'll try to dilute the general idea through my own experience.
I mentioned in my ramble on physical fitness that
"most of my depression and anger have subsided because of my dedication to a very regular and disciplined exercise schedule. My body is healthy, as is my mind." I was referring to a heavily loaded adolescence, filled with teen-aged angst, depression, and all-around dismal spirit brought on most likely by a lack of good sleep and the overwhelming realization that there is so much corruption in the world. Those times felt heavy and the memories are painted with the darker colors, if any. I spent a lot of time focusing on how much corruption and hypocrisy surrounded me and all the evil that we do to each other in the name of government, religion, and multi-national corporations
(a trinity we can easily call power and greed). The friends with me at that time felt the same way
("birds of a feather ...")I spent a lot of spiritual energy
(unknowingly) on exploring the darker bits and pieces of what we could call my soul, as well as what we could call mankind's soul. The more I focused on the bad, the more bad I could see. The more bad I saw, the heavier my burden grew. As my burden grew heavier, each little thing, including the bad that attracted my focus, grew more intimidating and overwhelming, which made me focus more on the bad ...
Luckily, my old pal, Joe convinced me to start working out with him! The physical workout alone was enough to take some of the edge away from the all that darkness. And, even though Joe was, himself, a friend who did see all the corruption and hypocrisy, he had actually had enough sense to smile as often as possible and take in what little good he could find around him.
Oddly enough, the more time we spent working on our physical fitness, the more laughter we shared; our spirits were growing lighter as well as our bodies.
Fast-forwarding to my Austin years through the USMC years and those few years back in PA, through a steady growth period of finding the more colorful experiences and some lighter approaches, I find myself sitting at a keyboard, punching in funny little symbols that convey to a short list of good people the sum of my experience and a chronicle of the growth of my spirit. It's been a boon to my spiritual fitness to share these things.
In the time that has passed, I've been fortunate enough to meet some of the nicest people on the planet, whose good natures nurtured my somewhat bruised spirit to the point of a well-calloused but, hopefully, open-minded, helpful, and battle-ready entity. These good folks have shared laughter and tears with me, showing me that there is a chance that there is actually good in us all and, perhaps, that chance is worth the good fight.
I also found a great connection and an ability to speak through music. Music not only presented me with a voice, it presented me with an opportunity to change, in some small way, the lives of those who listen and feel what I present to them through my instrument.
Music also taught me to be grateful. Through the many compliments and thanks from individual listeners and audiences, I've learned to see the beauty in the experience. I'm completely knocked out when I learn that someone has enjoyed what I do at any level, let alone at a place where I may have helped improved or encouraged their spirit that day.
Through music and good people
(and the lush and pleasing environment in Austin), I've learned to exercise my spirit. I've learned to focus on the good. The more I focus on the good, the more good I see. The more good I see, the lighter my burden grows. As my burden grows lighter, each little thing, including the good that attracted my focus, grows more beneficial and encouraging, which makes me focus more on the good ...
A long time ago, Mom and Dad, and my beautiful Grandparents taught me that I should do good all the time - not because there is a promise of a reward now or later but because good is just the right thing to do.
That's some of the best advice anyone has ever offered me and, in its practice, I have a daily exercise for my spiritual fitness: Do good things! Say thanks and mean it!
I'm not sure if that sums up spiritual fitness entirely. It's a deep subject. Hopefully, it alludes to something close to it and perhaps, a decent method to exercise this aspect of health.
Thank you, good folks! Enjoy the week.
May 10, 2009Health
mental fitness
Let's define mental fitness as the measure of one's capacity for attentiveness, comprehension, and interpretation.
Again, it seems fairly apparent: what should I write?
Use your brain. Use it constructively, creatively, consciously, and very frequently!
Like all these categories of fitness, mental health has had a great influence on my life.
I was raised with the old fashioned virtue,
"children are to be seen, not heard." Being quiet was a rule. So, my imagination became very important to me. I could quietly go on adventures based on my surroundings or my fantastic dreams. Or, I could sit and study how the grown-ups behaved; I could judge which of these behaviors achieved the most success and how moral these actions seemed in comparison with what I had been taught or what I had gleaned from sitting quietly, studying.
As a result, I have spent the majority of my life as a quiet observer. It's yielded great treasures. I find that when one closes the mouth and opens the eyes, ears, brain, and heart, he tends to slow time and prepare the mind for learning.
This, alone, has helped me attain and maintain decent mental fitness.
I find a number of other methods extremely helpful in keeping my senses in good shape.
Reading
Who doesn't like taking the time out to read a great book?!
I love to read. In fact, there are tons of books out there devoted to achieving mental fitness! How's that for convenience!
Listening
Obviously, I do quite a lot of this exercise; I'm a musicianer. If I'm not listening, I'm not growing nor am I playing music.
I like to listen to other musicianers playing music; I like to listen to the sounds nature produces; I like to listen to the inflections and accents in the voices of others; I like to listen to the sounds machines make.
I listen to lectures on the radio and the internet; I listen to recordings of other musicianers. I listen to the thoughts and ideas of those who share conversation and debate with me.
Writing
Here's one we all know; you get to watch me stumble and grimace through this exercise regularly!
The idea of writing down my experiences formally presented itself when Master Alex suffered a great personal tragedy.
http://ryan-gould.blogspot.com/2008/06/aug-18-2007-alex.html At some point in his future, I thought he might benefit
(or, at least, enjoy some entertainment) from one or two of my tales. I had also realized how much I wished that my Grandparents and Great-grandparents had done the same for me.
No matter how messy I felt the scribbly-drivel that came
(comes) from my keyboard was, I intended to make some note of my own trials and tribulations for this amazing kiddo. As you can see, and I'm happy to say, it has become a weekly habit. Not only has it become this regular, it has become a weekly practice in finding something positive in my life, focusing on it for a short time, and taking stock of it.
Of course, there is a whole bunch of intellectual benefit we could list here, too.
(Not this week, though.) Change things upJust because you can do something well one way doesn't mean you shouldn't try to do it well many other ways. There's a great danger in accepting only one way
(Way).Yoga
Really, all physical exercise falls under the mental fitness section. There isn't one aspect regarding this health discussion that can't be placed in another or isn't dependent on the others.
However, I'd like to discuss yoga under mental health
(and, I said I'd do it last week).Yoga has been a boon to my overall health.
Physically, I'm stretch-ier. Yoga provides me with a daily reminder to rely on my core muscles more often than not.
(Not an easy feat in our Western world of seat backs and recliners and lazy amenities.)
Socially, I have gathered together with an odd collection of folks five days a week for over two years to practice. Some of these folks are radically different than I am and it takes patience, tolerance, and acceptance to maintain civility with some of these folks. It's good practice to move as one unit and to be at peace with the differences of others!
Mentally, in an Ashtanga practice, one needs to be focused on his breath. This blocks out much of the outside stimuli and teaches an ability to control physical and mental stress levels. An hour to an hour and half worth of this exercise bears rather strong mental fitness fruit. Deep focus on any one thing for that amount of time can and will enhance just about anything.
So, there are some of the exercises I've used to attain and maintain my mental fitness. There are plenty more but I think the point is up there somewhere.
Hooray mental fitness!
Some links:
Mental Fitness:
http://www.shapeupamerica.com/2009/03/10/13-mental-fitness-exercises-to-keep-you-sharp/
http://www.cmha.ca/BINS/content_page.asp?cid=2-267-353
http://www.thementalfitnesscenter.com/May 4, 2009Health
physical fitness
This aspect of health seems to receive the most focus in our society. It is, of course, a very important part of health, but we should endeavor to balance each aspect with the others.
For this segment, let's define physical fitness as the physical health and maintenance of the body.
As I dig in, the topic presents itself as painfully obvious; what needs to be said?
Go get some exercise!?
Sitting around is not healthy!?
My guess is that neither of those two sentences makes for very interesting reading.
So, let's touch briefly on the lack of physical fitness. Mental illness
(depression, violent tendencies, listlessness, etc.,) lethargy, obesity are a few general terms we know to be related to lack of regular exercise. I dare say that each of these illnesses is a far greater threat
(epidemics) than the present
"concern" over swine flu. Would it be easier to cure swine flu or obesity? I'm not so sure about that one.
What I do know for sure is that physical fitness is very near and dear to me as it enhances all the good in my life. It also diminishes the bad.
I spent a good deal of time being fairly miserable in my high school years. I wasn't the laziest kid on the block but I was certainly not interested in trying out for the football or basketball teams. I was fairly depressed and miserable all the time. I had a rather bleak outlook on the world and my own personal situation.
In the summer of my junior year, a good friend of mine convinced me to join him for three days a week of lifting weights. We added a short mile and a half run two days a week, also. He also had a pool that cooled us after the workouts.
After almost a year of dedicated time on Joe's bench, I started developing a chest and shoulders. I also started feeling less and less likely to complain about what I saw as the misery in my life. I started laughing much more and enjoying the company of friends rather than commiserating with other gloomy and irate youths. I even started feeling better about myself.
Exercise found its way into my life, settling at the top of my list of important things to do every day.
Enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps magnified that inclination just a bit - you may have assumed this much! Boot camp found me waking up at 0500 hours to stuff a mountain pile of government slop into my pie-hole, then burn off most of that fuel with morning's training schedule
(running, marching, Marine Corps push-ups, sit-ups, side straddle hops, mountain climbers, running, marching, cleaning, running, etc.) Lunchtime featured a similar meal and was followed by a similar schedule. Dinner was like dessert; luckily, there weren't too many instances of constant physical exercise after that meal. We just sat around studying, polishing things, and guarding things.
Combat training, school, and the fleet were no different, really: wake up, exercise, eat, stay rather active all day, sleep; repeat.
I think the point is in there somewhere. I did a lot of physical conditioning in those years. Because of that exercise and conditioning, my mind and body are still convinced that daily exercise is not just an option; it's mandatory. And, my mind and body thank me regularly for all this effort.
After a few years of being in Austin, a friend of mine pointed out the free pool down the street and told me to start using it. Thanks to that good advice, I've been swimming on a regular basis for the last six years. Swimming has really sunk in as my favorite way to stay in shape. I highly recommend it to everyone! There's no impact
(although, if your technique is really nasty, you'll develop some injury - just like any exercise) and, if you're doing it properly, you're working all the major muscle groups in your body. What's more? You're getting outside and soaking up some sun
(vitamin D) and not sitting in front of one of these computers or the boob tube. If that isn't enough, you're practicing breath control and removing a lot of outside stimuli; you’re forced to focus on a few specific things: like it or not, you're meditating.
Yoga also popped into my life a few years ago on the advice of a friend. Beau argued that yoga was the best thing to do to stay in shape while touring. I couldn't deny that; there aren't always pools in every hotel, there aren't always weight rooms, you could probably run in every town but you might get lost or find yourself in the wrong side of the tracks. Yoga can be done in any old motel room or living room floor or any place! I don't think I've been on tour since his advice but I'm surely glad for it.
I won't touch on yoga any more than this today as I plan to use it as an example in one of the following two weeks' health rambles.
My high school life seems so far away from me now. Most of my depression and anger have subsided because of my dedication to a very regular and disciplined exercise schedule. My body is healthy as is my mind. I've even managed to encourage and help a few others to do the same.
So, eat right and exercise every day.Hooray physical fitness!
Some links:
Physical Fitness:
www.fitness.gov
www.physicalfitness.org
www.usms.org/fitness
www.acefitness.org
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200013April 27, 2009
Health
nutritionIn light of last week's stay in San Antonio, discussing good eating habits seems to be rather appropriate.
The first few years of my residence in Austin, Texas found me eating one meal a day: spaghetti with pasta sauce. It was not the wisest way to eat but it certainly was cheap. Eventually, I started playing more gigs and plugged in an extra meal around lunch: hot pockets. Again, not very intelligent or responsible eating but it was affordable. I really started looking forward to restaurant gigs that offered a free meal as part of the pay.
I managed to survive on this diet for a number of years. My dear friend and acupuncturist tried her very best to convince me to eat a healthy diet but ignorance and inexperience in the kitchen as well as what I saw as financial constraints, kept me from following doctor's orders.
Eventually
(and, thankfully), I met Lauryn. The two of us decided that our diet was not really all that attractive. We tried to fix it on our own. Rice, beans, and veggies started happening on a regular basis. The hot pockets were no longer allowed in the house. On the weekends, Lauryn would get excited about some appealing recipe she'd find on
http://www.cooks.com/. We'd hit the grocery store, buy fresh ingredients, cook, then enjoy the meal.
As we progressed in our diet reconstruction, a wonderful friend of ours informed us that she was offering her services as a nutritional consultant
(www.naturesspecialty-pcs.com). That meeting with Rachel was a great turning point for my nutritional life.
Rachel turned us on to a few books and websites to research, as well as her own experience and information to guide us on our path to nutritional enlightenment.
Soon after the meeting, I had given up eating wheat
(as well as many other things), replacing it with more intelligent, healthy choices; I started feeling much better!
It's been over two years of eating responsibly, educating myself about food, the science one can put in his body, and how all these things affect the mind and body. I no longer buy packaged food from the grocery store without thoroughly reading the ingredients on the label and understanding just what those ingredients do when they enter and digest in my body. I carefully choose the dishes I order from restaurants. I feel better and make wiser decisions!
Night In Old San Antonio -
NIOSA -
"is a four-night event that celebrates San Antonio's diverse cultural heritage with fifteen ethnic areas that serve fabulous foods in over 250 food booths and provides entertainment to over 85,000 revelers." - from
http://www.niosa.org/.
Giant Three has played the Main St. Stage for the last three years. So, I feel comfortable discussing the food found in the
"Main St., U.S.A." cultural area of this event. I've watched thousands of people purchasing and consuming
(and/or feeding to their children!) hot dogs, fried chicken, fried cheesecake, fried green tomatoes, Fat bread, brisket biscuits, and a few other nasty poisons. It's really no wonder why San Antonio is ranked third on a list of America's fattest cities.
It makes me sad.
One third of the adult population in America is considered obese! It shouldn't be surprising; we rely on government organizations
(FDA, USDA) to monitor what we put in our body instead of taking on the simple responsibility ourselves. These government organizations are lobbied by some serious corporate interests that stand to make vast profits on selling their food science to ignorant Americans. While this food science has made a lot of foodstuffs very cheap and plentiful, it hasn't bothered to consider the health implications on the population it claims to serve.
Look around, friends! High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, all kinds of behavioral illnesses are popping up in the youth of today who are feeding on science rather than natural foods.
We fuel our bodies with food. It is so vitally important that we know exactly what our bodies need and exactly what happens to anything that we choose to put in our bodies. As a society, we have decided that some drugs are bad enough to warrant very strict laws. Drugs like heroin, marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine are the science derived from naturally occurring plants - much like high fructose corn syrup is the science derived from naturally occurring plants. Most folks don't abuse legal or illegal drugs everyday or even every week; but we all usually eat two, three, four times a day. We are constantly putting stuff in our bodies!!!
We need to be thinking about it a whole lot more.
As for me, I know that changing my diet has made huge difference in my health and well-being. I am so thankful for time-tested, delicious, natural foods! My body is the only one I'll ever have and I intend to treat with a great deal of respect by feeding, exercising, resting, and socializing it in the best ways I can.
Hooray nutrition!
Some links:
www.whfoods.org
www.nutritiondata.com
www.naturesspecialty-pcs.com"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."
~Marcel Proust
