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You must reserve your spot before attending class.

Utilize our Burn Fitness App located on our Home page to facilitate reservations.

Click on the classes and/or instructors for all the information you need. Sign up for classes up to one week in advance by clicking "Sign-Up" and following the directions on the page.

You must sign in at the desk before each class or you will be marked absent incurring a no show fee to your account.

Contracts cannot be cancelled unless you have a doctors note.

Groupon cannot be extended pass there expiration dates. Only 1 Groupon per person.

No children are allowed in the studio at anytime.

Parking:

parking is available in the rear and side of building. Please do not park in marked park areas e.g Dr.s ,15 minute parking spots.

Cancellations:

Simply make sure to cancel 2 hours prior to class. For package members your class will be returned to your account. If you do not cancel 2 hours prior start time, a class will be removed from your package.. You can only cancel classes online . If you have a monthly membership, you must still follow cancellation requirements or a $7 no show/late cancellation fee will be charged to your account.

Waitlisting:

If classes are full "waitlist" will appear next to the sign up button. As soon as someone cancels, the first person on the waitlist will be notified by email and/or text message notifing you that you have made it into the class and to please confirm you can make it. Every time someone cancels the next person on the waitlist will be notified about the available spot. You may be contacted up to an hour before the class start time,you will not be charged for the class if you cannot make it, simply let us know by canceling online.

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Zumba and Yoga Classes Piscataway | Burn Fitness Studio

Motivation

Ever wonder why some people seem to be very successful, highly motivated individuals? Where does the energy, the drive, or the direction come from? Motivation is an area of psychology that has gotten a great deal of attention, especially in the recent years. The reason is because we all want to be successful, we all want direction and drive, and we all want to be seen as motivated.

There are several distinct theories of motivation we will discuss in this section. Some include basic biological forces, while others seem to transcend concrete explanation. Lets talk about the five major theories of motivation.

Instinct theory is derived from our biological make-up. Weve all seen spiders webs and perhaps even witnessed a spider in the tedious job of creating its home and trap. Weve all seen birds in their nests, feeding their young or painstakingly placing the twigs in place to form their new home. How do spiders know how to spin webs? How do birds now how to build nests?

The answer is biology. All creatures are born with specific innate knowledge about how to survive. Animals are born with the capacity and often times knowledge of how to survive by spinning webs, building nests, avoiding danger, and reproducing. These innate tendencies are preprogrammed at birth, they are in our genes, and even if the spider never saw a web before, never witnessed its creation, it would still know how to create one.

Humans have the same types of innate tendencies. Babies are born with a unique ability that allows them to survive; they are born with the ability to cry. Without this, how would others know when to feed the baby, know when he needed changing, or when she wanted attention and affection? Crying allows a human infant to survive. We are also born with particular reflexes which promote survival. The most important of these include sucking, swallowing, coughing, blinking. Newborns can perform physical movements to avoid pain; they will turn their head if touched on their cheek and search for a nipple (rooting reflex); and they will grasp an object that touches the palm of their hands.

According to Clark Hull (1943, 1952), humans have internal internal biological needs which motivate us to perform a certain way. These needs, or drives, are defined by Hull as internal states of arousal or tension which must be reduced. A prime example would be the internal feelings of hunger or thirst, which motivates us to eat. According to this theory, we are driven to reduce these drives so that we may maintain a sense of internal calmness.

Similar to Hulls Drive Reduction Theory, Arousal theory states that we are driven to maintain a certain level of arousal in order to feel comfortable. Arousal refers to a state of emotional, intellectual, and physical activity. It is different from the above theory, however, because it doesnt rely on only a reduction of tension, but a balanced amount. It also does better to explain why people climb mountains, go to school, or watch sad movies.

Remember Sigmund Freud and his five part theory of personality. As part of this theory, he believed that humans have only two basic drives: Eros and Thanatos, or the Life and Death drives. According to Psychoanalytic theory, everything we do, every thought we have, and every emotion we experience has one of two goals: to help us survive or to prevent our destruction. This is similar to instinct theory, however, Freud believed that the vast majority of our knowledge about these drives is buried in the unconscious part of the mind.

Psychoanalytic theory therefore argues that we go to school because it will help assure our survival in terms of improved finances, more money for healthcare, or even an improved ability to find a spouse. We move to better school districts to improve our childrens ability to survive and continue our family tree. We demand safety in our cars, toys, and in our homes. We want criminal locked away, and we want to be protected against poisons, terrorists, and any thing else that could lead to our destruction. According to this theory, everything we do, everything we are can be traced back to the two basic drives

Although discussed last, humanistic theory is perhaps the most well know theory of motivation. According to this theory, humans are driven to achieve their maximum potential and will always do so unless obstacles are placed in their way. These obstacles include hunger, thirst, financial problems, safety issues, or anything else that takes our focus away from maximum psychological growth.

The best way to describe this theory is to utilize the famous pyramid developed by Abraham Maslow (1970) called the Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow believed that humans have specific needs that must be met and that if lower level needs go unmet, we can not possible strive for higher level needs. The Hierarchy of Needs shows that at the lower level, we must focus on basic issues such as food, sleep, and safety. Without food, without sleep, how could we possible focus on the higher level needs such as respect, education, and recognition?Throughout our lives, we work toward achieving the top of the pyramid, self actualization, or the realization of all of our potential. As we move up the pyramid, however, things get in the way which slow us down and often knock us backward. Imagine working toward the respect and recognition of your colleagues and suddenly finding yourself out of work and homeless. Suddenly, you are forced backward and can no longer focus your attention on your work due to the need for finding food and shelter for you and your family.

According to Maslow, nobody has ever reached the peak of his pyramid. We all may strive for it and some may even get close, but no one has achieved full self-actualization. Self-actualization means a complete understanding of who you are, a sense of completeness, of being the best person you could possibly be. To have achieved this goal is to stop living, for what is there to strive for if you have learned everything about yourself, if you have experienced all that you can, and if there is no way left for you to grow emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually.

Originally posted here:
Chapter 7: Section 2: Motivation | AllPsych

Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition,[1] moderate-vigorous physical exercise,[2] and sufficient rest.[3]

Before the industrial revolution, fitness was defined as the capacity to carry out the days activities without undue fatigue. However, with automation and changes in lifestyles physical fitness is now considered a measure of the body's ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations.[4]

Fitness is defined[5] as the quality or state of being fit. Around 1950, perhaps consistent with the Industrial Revolution and the treatise of World War II, the term "fitness" increased in western vernacular by a factor of ten.[6] The modern definition of fitness describes either a person or machine's ability to perform a specific function or a holistic definition of human adaptability to cope with various situations. This has led to an interrelation of human fitness and attractiveness that has mobilized global fitness and fitness equipment industries. Regarding specific function, fitness is attributed to persons who possess significant aerobic or anaerobic ability, i.e. endurance or strength. A well-rounded fitness program improves a person in all aspects of fitness compared to practicing only one, such as only cardio/respiratory endurance or only weight training.

A comprehensive fitness program tailored to an individual typically focuses on one or more specific skills,[7] and on age-[8] or health-related needs such as bone health.[9] Many sources[10] also cite mental, social and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness. This is often presented in textbooks as a triangle made up of three points, which represent physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Physical fitness can also prevent or treat many chronic health conditions brought on by unhealthy lifestyle or aging.[11] Working out can also help some people sleep better and possibly alleviate some mood disorders in certain individuals.[12]

Developing research has demonstrated that many of the benefits of exercise are mediated through the role of skeletal muscle as an endocrine organ. That is, contracting muscles release multiple substances known as myokines, which promote the growth of new tissue, tissue repair, and various anti-inflammatory functions, which in turn reduce the risk of developing various inflammatory diseases.[13]

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans was created by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. This publication suggests that all adults should avoid inactivity to promote good health mentally and physically. For substantial health benefits, adults should participate in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably, it should be spread throughout the week.

For additional and more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity. Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond this amount. Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate or high intensity and involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits.[14]

Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person's ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency: for example, sports or military service. Specific training prepares athletes to perform well in their sport.

Examples are:

For physical fitness activity to benefit an individual, the exertion triggers a response called a stimulus. Exercise with the correct amount of intensity, duration, and frequency can produce a significant amount of improvement. The person may overall feel better, but the physical effects on the human body take weeks or months to notice and possibly years for full development. For training purposes, exercise must provide a stress or demand on either a function or tissue. To continue improvements, this demand must eventually increase little over an extended period of time. This sort of exercise training has three basic principles: overload, specificity, and progression. These principles are related to health but also enhancement of physical working capacity.[21]

High intensity interval training (HIIT) consists of repeated, short bursts of exercise, completed at a high level of intensity. These sets of intense activity are followed by a predetermined time of rest or low intensity activity.[22] Studies have shown that exercising at a higher intensity has increased cardiac benefits for humans, compared to when exercising at a low or moderate level.[23] When your workout consists of an HIIT session, your body has to work harder to replace the oxygen it lost. Research into the benefits of HIIT have revealed that it can be very successful for reducing fat, especially around the abdominal region[citation needed]. Furthermore, when compared to continuous moderate exercise, HIIT proves to burn more calories and increase the amount of fat burned post- HIIT session.[24] Lack of time is one of the main reasons stated for not exercising; HIIT is a great alternative for those people because the duration of an HIIT session can be as short as 10 minutes, making it much quicker than conventional workouts.[25]

Cardiorespiratory fitness can be measured using VO2 max, a measure of the amount of oxygen the body can uptake and utilize.[26][27] Aerobic exercise, which improves cardiorespiratory fitness, involves movement that increases the heart rate to improve the body's oxygen consumption. This form of exercise is an important part of all training regiments ranging from professional athletes to the everyday person. Also, it helps increase stamina.

Examples are:

Physical fitness has proven to result in positive effects on the body's blood pressure because staying active and exercising regularly builds up a stronger heart. The heart is the main organ in charge of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Engaging in a physical activity raises blood pressure. Once the subject stops the activity, the blood pressure returns to normal. The more physical activity that one engages in, the easier this process becomes, resulting in a more fit individual.[29] Through regular physical fitness, the heart does not have to work as hard to create a rise in blood pressure, which lowers the force on the arteries, and lowers the overall blood pressure.[30]

Centers for disease control and prevention provide lifestyle guidelines of maintaining a balanced diet and engaging in physical activity to reduce the risk of disease. The WCRF/ American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) published a list of recommendations that reflect the evidence they have found through consistency in fitness and dietary factors that directly relate to cancer prevention.

The WCRF/AICR recommendations include the following:

These recommendations are also widely supported by the American Cancer Society. The guidelines have been evaluated and individuals that have higher guideline adherence scores substantially reduce cancer risk as well as help towards control with a multitude of chronic health problems. Regular physical activity is a factor that helps reduce an individuals blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels, two key components that correlate with heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes.[32] The American Cancer Society encourages the public to "adopt a physically active lifestyle" by meeting the criteria in a variety of physical activities such as hiking, swimming, circuit training, resistance training, lifting, etc. It is understood that cancer is not a disease that can be cured by physical fitness alone, however, because it is a multifactorial disease, physical fitness is a controllable prevention. The large associations tied with being physically fit and reduced cancer risk are enough to provide a strategy to reduce cancer risk.[31]The American Cancer Society asserts different levels of activity ranging from moderate to vigorous to clarify the recommended time spent on a physical activity. These classifications of physical activity consider the intentional exercise and basic activities are done on a daily basis and give the public a greater understanding of what fitness levels suffice as future disease prevention.

Studies have shown an association between increased physical activity and reduced inflammation.[33] It produces both a short-term inflammatory response and a long-term anti-inflammatory effect.[34] Physical activity reduces inflammation in conjunction with or independent of changes in body weight.[35] However, the mechanisms linking physical activity to inflammation are unknown.

Physical activity boosts the immune system. This is dependent on the concentration of endogenous factors (such as sex hormones, metabolic hormones and growth hormones), body temperature, blood flow, hydration status and body position.[36] Physical activity has shown to increase the levels of natural killer (NK) cells, NK T cells, macrophages, neutrophils and eosinophils, complements, cytokines, antibodies and T cytotoxic cells.[37][38] However, the mechanism linking physical activity to immune system is not fully understood.

Achieving resilience through physical fitness promotes a vast and complex range of health-related benefits. Individuals who keep up physical fitness levels generally regulate their distribution of body fat and stay away from obesity. Abdominal fat, specifically visceral fat, is most directly affected by engaging in aerobic exercise. Strength training has been known to increase the amount of muscle in the body, however, it can also reduce body fat.[39] Sex steroid hormones, insulin, and an appropriate immune response are factors that mediate metabolism in relation to the abdominal fat. Therefore, physical fitness provides weight control through regulation of these bodily functions.[40]

Menopause is often said to have occurred when a woman has had no vaginal bleeding for over a year since her last menstrual cycle. There are a number of symptoms connected to menopause, most of which can affect the quality of life of a woman involved in this stage of her life. One way to reduce the severity of the symptoms is to exercise and keep a healthy level of fitness. Prior to and during menopause, as the female body changes, there can be physical, physiological or internal changes to the body. These changes can be reduced or even prevented with regular exercise. These changes include:[41]

The Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project provided evidence that showed over an eight-year time period 438 were followed. Even though the physical activity was not associated with VMS in this cohort at the beginning. Women who reported they were physically active every day at the beginning were 49% less likely to have reported bothersome hot flushes. This is in contrast to women whose level of activity decreased and were more likely to experience bothersome hot flushes.[43]

Studies have shown that physical activity can improve mental health and well-being.[44][45]This improvement is due to an increase in blood flow to the brain and the release of hormones. Being physically fit and working out on a consistent and constant basis can positively impact one's mental health and bring about several other benefits, such as the following.[46]

To achieve some of these benefits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least 30-60 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week.[48]

See more here:
Physical fitness - Wikipedia

When we practise meditation we need to have a comfortable seat and a good posture. The most important feature of the posture is to keep our back straight. To help us do this, if we are sitting on a cushion we make sure that the back of the cushion is slightly higher than the front, inclining our pelvis slightly forward. It is not necessary at first to sit cross-legged, but it is a good idea to become accustomed to sitting in the posture of Buddha Vairochana. If we cannot hold this posture we should sit in one which is as close to this as possible while remaining comfortable.

The seven features of Vairochanas posture are:

If we want to colour our mind with a virtuous motivation we need to clear away all our negative thoughts and distractions.

A further feature of Vairochanas posture is the preliminary breathing meditation, which prepares our mind for developing a good motivation. When we sit down to meditate our mind is usually full of disturbing thoughts, and we cannot immediately convert such a state of mind into the virtuous one we need as our motivation. A negative, disturbed state of mind is like pitch-black cloth. We cannot dye pitch-black cloth any other colour unless we first remove all the black dye and make the cloth white again. In the same way, if we want to colour our mind with a virtuous motivation we need to clear away all our negative thoughts and distractions. We can accomplish this temporarily by practising breathing meditation.

When we have settled down comfortably on our meditation seat we begin by becoming aware of the thoughts and distractions that are arising in our mind. Then we gently turn our attention to our breath, letting its rhythm remain normal. As we breathe out we imagine that we are breathing away all disturbing thoughts and distractions in the form of black smoke that vanishes in space. As we breathe in we imagine that we are breathing in all the blessings and inspiration of the holy beings in the form of white light that enters our body and absorbs into our heart. We maintain this visualization single-pointedly with each inhalation and exhalation for twenty-one rounds, or until our mind has become peaceful and alert. If we concentrate on our breathing in this way, negative thoughts and distractions will temporarily disappear because we cannot concentrate on more than one object at a time. At the conclusion of our breathing meditation we should think `Now I have received the blessings and inspiration of all the holy beings. At this stage our mind is like a clean white cloth which we can now colour with a virtuous motivation such as compassion or bodhichitta.

Originally posted here:

Meditation posture - How to Meditate

Destress, center and focus.

Having your cake and eating it, too, has always had a negative connotation to it, but in terms of meditation and yoga, I honestly feel like it's a suitable label for this combination!

I've been a dedicated yogi for years, but I didn't start meditating until recently. You can find a slew of reasons why meditation is good for you, but reaping the benefits isn't the hard part; getting started is!

Many people (myself included) avoid meditation because it's mistakenly thought you sit on a cushion for an hour without having any thoughts.

This isn't true for everyone, and I highly recommend guided meditation to get you started. It eases you into the practice of meditation without overwhelming you and making you feel like you aren't capable.

There's no need to head to a studio or purchase expensive audio recordings to initiate a meditation practice.

The internet is a great resource for starting meditation, and I've found the following videos to be the best guided meditations on YouTube.

Learning how to meditate should be something you enjoy not stress over, so let these videos be your guide!

This is a guided meditation with imagery, and I highly recommend it if you find beautiful images soothing. The images flow through lovely views of nature with rich colors and floating clouds to whisk you off of your cushion and onto the wind.

The beginning of the video is narrated with directions on how to accomplish deep breathing. This lasts about six minutes, and the final 10 minutes of the video are quiet except for the accompanying sounds of the images.

Are you reading this during the freezing depths of winter? Take an escape from the snow and bitter winds and float right back into summer for some extra sunshine and relaxation.

The beginning of the video reassures you that meditation is your time, and you should pick a time and place where you won't be disturbed. The narrator uses detailed imagery ("breathing in fresh, clean air") to guide you into relaxation and a state of meditation.

The instructions are simple enough that you can listen to them with minimal effort from a state of detached consciousness.

Control freaks and type As, I'm talking to you right now. This meditation is designed to help you release your need of control by surrendering to the support of the universe.

Not only does this work to release your mind, the narrator helps you relax your entire body from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head.

He takes you through each individual body part, allowing you to trust your body and realize you don't need complete control to be happy and relaxed.

A tight schedule is enough to rattle anyone's nerves. Remember that you don't need 30 minutes to an hour to have a relaxing meditation session. It's really the quality of your practice, not the quantity.

The narrator's voice is soft and smooth; it very much reminds me of a mother's nurturing voice when she's tucking her children into bed. I've sifted through a lot of meditation videos, and a "relaxing" voice on most people gets annoying quickly.

The background plays soothing music, and if you prefer to meditate with your eyes open, there are peaceful images that play on the screen.

My favorite line from the video: "The world will not come to an end because you're taking time for yourself".

I think if I could sleep in the rain without catching pneumonia, I would. The sounds, the smells, and the feeling of warm rain can't be beaten.

However, I'm not sure the logistics would make this very comfortable, so the next best thing is allowing stillness to wash over you like rainfall.

This particularly soothing meditation is best done right before you go to bed because it's supposed to create such an intense calming effect that you'll fall to sleep and experience deep, restful sleep.

The soft music is accompanied by the sound of rainfall, so you can pretend you're fulfilling my daydream of taking a nap in the warm rain.

Everyone has days where no matter how tired you are, you simply can't fall asleep. Deep breathing meditations are some of the best ways to transition you into sleep. This meditation is designed for helping you fall asleep with deep breathing, stillness, and internal awareness.

The narrator guides you through your body using your breath and physical awareness to pull you away from consciousness. His voice is rich and velvety, and it's spiked with a British accent for extra relaxation.

The meditation is about 18 minutes long, and the narration lasts until minute eight before he lets you drift off into your own world with the soft strums of music in the background.

This guided visual meditation helps you visualize internal peace to relieve chronic states of anxiety and stress. After this meditation, I felt significantly less stressed and anxious over the daily issues that get me all worked up.

Setting an intention is something we all do during our yoga practice, but novice meditators often forget to set an intention for their meditation practice. You can certainly come up with your own, but this video gives you a pretty strong intention: peace.

The narrator uses colors to help guide you through 30 minutes of deep breathing. Having something specific to focus on while I'm meditating keeps my mind from wandering, as did the narrator giving you directions on how to breathe.

This is a great meditation for people who adhere to Eastern traditions of medicine, but it's simple enough that even more Western-minded folks find it useful.

If you're unfamiliar with chakras, you get a brief explanation of each chakra as the video progresses through each one. The video encourages you to breathe out negativity and inhale positivity, so I highly recommend this one if you're chronically negative.

Just like yoga, even a few minutes of meditation is enough to impact your day. This video gives you the benefits of a 30-minute meditation practice in just five minutes.

It smoothly guides you through a deep breathing exercise, encouraging you to visualize your exhalations pushing away negativity and distractions while your inhalations embrace your imagination and the perception of your circumstances.

In just five minutes, you'll not only be rejuvenated, you'll feel empowered and inspired to shift your perspective and reactions to the things you can't control.

If you've been looking into meditation as a way to go so deeply into your subconscious that you are unaware fo your surroundings, this is a great place to get started as a beginner.

The video gets you so focused on your breath that you ignore the noise in your head and focus on the sound of the waves in the video and the accompanying sound of your breath.

I highly recommend this if you're looking for a mid-length practice (it's only a little over 18 minutes) that introduces you to a deep meditative state.

This is perfect for you, too, if you're looking to take a brief vacation from the chaos of your mind.

Meditation doesn't have to be sitting in silence in an empty room listening to the sound of chimes blowing in the breeze. You can meditate anywhere you want to with these guided meditations: in a coffee shop, in a park, or in the bathtub.

Regardless of where you meditate, you'll find you're leaving behind worry, anxiety, anger, and frustration in less than an hour.

I hope my collection of best guided meditations on YouTube are helpful enough to get you started on meditation and a path to more peace and less stress!

Are you looking for more in-depth meditation videos? Then click here because we got you covered Also check out this great iOS app!

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10 Best Guided Meditation Videos on YouTube

There are three main types of investments:

You can invest in any or all three investment types directly or indirectly by buying mutual funds. Another option is to invest in tax-deferred options, such as an IRA or annuity.

Companies sell shares of stock to raise money for start-up or growth. When you invest in stocks, youre buying a share of ownership in a corporation. Youre a shareholder.

There are two types of stock:

Investment returns and risks for both types of stocks vary, depending on factors such as the economy, political scene, the company's performance and other stock market factors.

When you buy a bond, youre lending money to a company or governmental entity, such as a city, state or nation.

Bonds are issued for a set period of time during which interest payments are made to the bondholder. The amount of these payments depends on the interest rate established by the issuer of the bond when the bond is issued. This is called a coupon rate, which can be fixed or variable. At the end of the set period of time (maturity date), the bond issuer is required to repay the par, or face value, of the bond (the original loan amount).

Bonds are considered a more stable investment compared to stocks because they usually provide a steady flow of income. But because theyre more stable, their long-term return probably will be less when compared to stocks. Bonds, however, can sometimes outperform a particular stocks rate of return.

Keep in mind that bonds are subject to a number of investment risks including credit risk, repayment risk and interest rate risk.

Cash equivalent investments protect your original investment and let you have access to your money. Examples include:

These different types of investments generally deliver a more stable rate of return. But cash equivalent investments arent designed for long-term investment goals such as retirement. After taxes are paid, the rate of return is often so low that it doesnt keep pace with inflation.

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Types of Investments - Nationwide

Last Friday I had the opportunity to check out the Landmark Forum seminar. Many of you have probably heard about their work, and if you havent they are a personal development company that puts on seminars around the world.This was a three day seminar which was held between the hours of 9am and 10pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You are given two half hour breaks every 2.5 hours and then a 1.5 dinner break over the course of the 13 hour day.

My course leader was a fine gentlemen named Barry Terry from Virginia. He had supposedly been a senior trainer for a couple decades and was self-proclaimed as excellent and one of the best in his field. I was excited to take part in the event and sat down in a large hall filled with a 100 other strangers. We all sat in positive anticipating for the intellectual insight that was supposedly coming our way. And boy, were we left disappointed!

We sat in very uncomfortable chairs that were spaced very closely together. The chairs were positioned six aside in each row with a path separating the two sides where Barry Terry would attempt to mesmerize the crowd over the next couple of days. Now take in mind that this was a large hall that could have easily fit double the crowd, so there was plenty of space in this room to move the chairs around to allow for more comfort, but for some reason they thoughtplacing us shoulder to shoulder was more appropriate. It made economy seating on an airplane seem spacious. For a weekend long seminar that costs $650 for the three days you think they would provide you at least a little bit of physical comfort to help the information sink in. Their common solution to this nagging discomfort was to stand in the back corner of the room from time to time stretching out your muscle pain from their agonizing chair layout.

Top 5 Fails of Landmark Forum

1# For Fucks Sake, save your $650 and read The Power of NowandThe Biology of Belief, and mix that new knowledge withtaking responsibility for the wrongs you have made in the past by saying sorry and moving forward in life. This will run you fora grand total of $25 on amazon.com ($625 worth of savings, not to mention saving you from high levels of frustration). For you brave souls out there who are now wondering about amends, well, that doesnt costs you anything but effort. Yes, I know this complex approach of reparation that is so unfamiliar to the masses, but trust me when I say IT WORKS (and often cost you nothing). Taking responsibility for the things you have done wrong in life and now apologizing for your part is an invaluable experience.

2# Instead of answering direct questions from the crowd, the fast talking forum leader consistently chose to speak around any question he was unsure of and provide a completely unhelpful answer to the crowd instead. Heaven forbid he broke his own racket of inferiority and simply stated, Im not sure, but I could find out for you when he was asked a question he couldnt earnestly answer. Now Barry Terry, I guess they dont teach about ego not being your amigo in leader training.

3# Making people speak in front of a crowd they werent comfortable with, coercing them to disclose person information to get down to the hard truths of their problematic lives, because this would solve their problems. Keep in mind we are talking about people who had been raped, recently gone bankrupt, and others who were physically/emotionally abused, life shattering trauma. Barry convinced the crowd that they were safe and the people in the course wouldnt take any of their deeply personal stories out of the room with them (no, that would never happen now, would it?). Non-dislosure agreements of course were nowhere to be seen, but a simple bold statement of trust would be all these innocent people would need to be secure (you can trust me guys, just take the blue pill, lol).

#4 This one still might be my favourite, even thoughknow how much you guys love to save a dollar or two from point #1! Now, after these paying customers divulged very scarring personal information about themselves to the crowd, Barry Terry in all his mighty arrogance would label these people as crazy and laugh at them. Claiming it was their bad or mistake for these choices they had made in front of 100 strangers. Keep in mind, some of these things could happened at a very young age with an undeveloped mind/brain, at a complete innocent state. I may not know very much in life, but one thing I do know is that forcing someone to instantly get over fears of public speaking by exposing life traumas to a crowd, while being told theircrazy from aself-proclaimed mindset leader isnt a winner formula. Fortunately for Barry Terry I wasnt one of those lucky few who got publicly lambasted or else he might have left Canada with a few missing teeth. I will admit it has been a couple years since I have taken a psychology course at the University level, but I dont ever recall reading about the benefits of public humiliation as a useful tool in behaviour change.

#5 Course leaders dominated their co-workers with what seemed to be a subservient regime. Remember that we are supposedly at a seminar where they are guiding you to a higher, better level of life, and in order to complete your pasts you need to enrol others in your bright future. It really is an incredible business model of free marketing and labor. Yet, when it came to these second-class worker-bees who did most of the work to begin with, they seemed to walkaround the room with little to no self-confidence of their own. Every few minutes looking back to the higher-ups to seek validation and direction as if they were a pack of defeated dogs looking back to their Alpha leader. It was really sad. I felt like they had drank the kool-aid and didnt even know it.

BONUS FAIL: After communicating to the course leader that I was receiving little to no value with the course on multiple occasions she finally agreed to connect with me the following Monday. I would be taken care of as she described it in her own words. This course leader preachedthe importance of integrity and willingness in our own lives, and somehow Monday turned intoThursday and I still havent heard one word from her. This was asolidifying moment for my sad experience at the Landmark Forum!

I can only hope that you trust that there are several other ways to obtain the knowledge that is so highly sought after in Landmark. Their work is hardly original and anyone who makes such a claim is participating a racket of their own!

More:
The Landmark Forum - Don't Do It - Growth Guided

Zig Ziglar was the undisputed king of motivation. He was known for packing large auditoriums with raving fans. He wrote more than two dozen books on salesmanship and motivation over five decades.

He is probably mostly known, though for his message about have a positive attitude. He spread his message through stories punctuated with short quotes that became legendary among his followers.

While some would wonder what the true definition of success is, Ziglar made it crystal clear:

Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.

Hey Zig is motivation permanent?

Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis."

How do you define failure:

Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street."

While most of us start our day with an alarm clock, Mr Ziglar would insist that he woke up to an "opportunity clock!" Furthermore, "if you aren't on fire" when you get to work, "then your wood is wet." And you have to remember that "money's not the most important thing in life, but it's reasonably close to oxygen."

All of this would mean less if Ziglar had an easy life. Although you would never hear him complain about his plight, facts would suggest that things were not ideal for a young boy growing up in Yazoo City, Mississippi.

He was raised by a single parent, Hilary Hinton Ziglar, who was the 10th of 12 children. Being raised without his father was nothing you would ever hear Zig talked about. Instead he described his mother as the foremost influence on his life; she was a strict and devout woman whose mental storehouse of adages remained a cornerstone of Mr. Ziglar's speeches and writings.

After Navy service at the end in World War II, he was married in 1946 to Jean Abernathy.

When I talk about her, I refer to her as the red head. When I talk to her I call her sugar baby.

Zig celebrated each day with a positive attitude. He believed it whole heartedly. He implored people that their life could change if they would change their response to the question " How are you doing today? "Zig would tell his followers to say

Outstanding but I am improving."

He didn't believe in cold calls, instead they were warm calls. When asked if all of this changing of words was really necessary. He would simply reply. "No, you can be mediocre without it."

More bits of Ziglar wisdom:

You never judge a day by the weather!"

If you're going to have to swallow a frog, you don't want to have to look at that sucker too long!

You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want

The more you gripe about your problems, the more problems you have to gripe about!

All of this homespun wisdom undeniably makes us better at what we do. One of my favorite Zig quotes about positive thinking:

Positive thinking will not help you do anything! But, it will help you do EVERYTHING better than negative thinking will.

That really explains the success of Zig Ziglar. What a great way to see the world. Although there have been other "positive thinkers" none of them were the supreme communicator that he was. In our NLP, Hypnosis and Sales training, we teach our students that the most powerful form of persuasion is found within stories and metaphors. Zig was the master of both Don't take our word for it, lets hear Zig tell the story like only he can.

WANT TO DISCOVER MORE?

As you already know, Zig Ziglar inspired the I.S.P.I. Mr. Ziglar taught the world about sales and the Institute for the Studies of Professional Influence will forever be in his debt.

It is with in this spirit that we have created the certified course "Professional Influence." You might have already heard that our trainers will actually show you how to formulate "contrast options" into your specific products and services. You may already know, by now, that employers are attracted to people that are different, new and unique. Today we have overwhelming scientific proof that sales people that differentiate themselves from the crowd are more successful. They are more likely to close that sale, get that promotion and have longer lasting relationships.

THIS IS THE NEXT LEVEL OF SALES TRAINING!

Show your employer that you are deadly serious about reaching the companies goals. Increase your income and line yourself up for the next big promotion. All of this can and will be achieved when you enroll in the "Professional Influence Certification Course."

Upon successful completion of this course you will become CERTIFIED! Your certification goes on the "BIO" page and is registered with the INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDIES OF PROFESSIONAL INFLUENCE (ISPI). As you read through this you may begin to realize that a link to this bio page can also be a powerful part of your resume.

Are you ready to take your game to the next level? If so email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information about this and other certification courses simply click here.

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Lessons from Zig Ziglar - Positive Attitude

2010Selfhelp launches its internationally acclaimed Virtual Senior Center in collaboration with Microsoft, the NYC Department for the Aging and the NYC Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications. This transformational program now serves 275 seniors in six locations.

2011Selfhelp commemorates its 75th year of service. Among the many events held was Selfhelp's Fourth International Conference for Professionals Working with Holocaust Survivors.

2012Selfhelp brings Witness Theater to New York, partnering with the Yeshivah of Flatbush High School. An innovative and emotional, full-year "journey" for Holocaust survivors and high school students, Witness Theater began in Israel by JDC-Eshel. Today five schools are participating with 11 performances and a live internet stream.

2013In collaboration with UJA-Federation and the Defiant Requiem Foundation, Selfhelp participated in bringing The Defiant RequiemVerdi at Terezn to Lincoln Center to raise funds and awareness for New York's Holocaust survivors in need. So successful was this event, that an encore performance took place in March, 2015.

Selfhelp expands its affordable housing portfolio to Long Island through an affiliation with the Kimmel Housing Development Foundation. Two affordable housing developments, as well as three Selfhelp programs are housed at the Westbury site.

2014Selfhelp opens its seventh affordable housing residence, featuring innovative aging services technology, a recreational green roof and an on-site health and wellness facility.

2015Unprecedented new funding from the NY City Council and the Federal Government is awarded to support the needs of Holocaust survivors. Selfhelp is a primary beneficiary.

Selfhelp's Housing with Services model is internationally recognized. CEO Stuart C. Kaplan addresses the International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging's International Conference in Australia.

2016Selfhelp marks its 80th year of service by opening its tenth affordable housing residence, hosting two professional conferences, and forming a Chinese Advisory Council to raise awareness of our programs serving Chinese elders. As the largest provider of comprehensive services to Holocaust survivors in North America, we remain true to our mission of serving as "the last surviving relative to our historic constituency." Our broad spectrum of programs now serves 20,000 older adults throughout New York City and Nassau County.

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Programs for Seniors | Holocaust Survivor Services | Elder ...

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The scientist Charles Darwin had awakened the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche from his dogmatic slumber by the realization that, throughout organic history, no species is immutable (including our own). Pervasive change replaced eternal fixity. Going beyond Darwin, the German thinker offered an interpretation of dynamic nature that considered both the philosophical implications and theological consequences of taking the fact of biological evolution seriously.

Nietzsche was not previously oblivious to either geological time or the paleontological record. He accepted the most controversial ramification of Darwins theory: humankind had evolved from remote apelike ancestors, in a completely naturalistic way, through a process of chance and necessity (fortuitous random variations appearing in, and inevitable natural selection acting on, individuals within a changing environment). Even the mental faculties of human beings, including love and reason, were acquired during the course of evolutionary ascent from earlier primate forms.

For Nietzsche, evolution is the correct explanation for organic history but it results in a disastrous picture of reality, since evolution (as he saw it) has far-reaching truths for both scientific cosmology and philosophical anthropology: God is no longer necessary to account for either the existence of this universe or the emergence of our species from prehistoric animals. In fact, this philosopher held that Darwinian evolution led to a collapse of all traditional values, because both objective meaning and spiritual purpose had vanished from reality (and consequently, there can be no fixed or certain morality).

Nietzsche knew that the previous philosophical systems from Plato and Aristotle to Kant and Hegel were inadequate to deal with the crisis of evolution. As a result, a totally new philosophy of the world was now required. Nietzsche offered an interpretation of reality that accepted the fluidity of nature, species, ideas, beliefs and values. Furthermore, he held that it is nonsense to think that the fact of evolution can ever be taught as if it were a religion (since the process of evolution contains nothing that is stable or eternal or spiritual).

One can imagine Nietzsches tirades against the biblical fundamentalism and so-called scientific creationism that have threatened science and reason during the twentieth century. An atheist, Nietzsche would have also abhorred Stephen J. Gould for upholding an unwarranted dualistic ontology which supports both the natural world of the scientist and the transcendent realm of the theologian. Instead, as a monist, he would have admired Richard Dawkins and Daniel C. Dennett for their strictly naturalistic framework, which gives no credence to supernaturalism.

Nietzsche had assumed that the outcome of Darwinian evolution could only account for the success of inferior (weak and mediocre) forms of life simply in terms of sheer numbers, e.g., the ubiquitous viruses, bacteria, insects and fishes. The philosopher argued that Darwins blind speciesstruggle of the masses for existence needed to be replaced by his own discovery of the individual-struggle of a few for selfcreation and excellence.

Nietzsche saw the explanatory mechanism of natural selection as merely accounting for the quantity of species within organic history, but (for him) it is a vitalistic force that increases the quality of life forms throughout progressive biological evolution. He held that nature is essentially the will to power. Evolving life is not merely the Spencerian/Darwinian struggle for existence but, more importantly, it is the ongoing striving toward ever-greater complexity, diversity, multiplicity and creativity. In short, reminiscent of the interpretations offered by Lamarck and Henri Bergson (among others), Nietzsches vitalism had substituted Darwins adaptive fitness with creative power.

The philosopher held that the evolution of organisms had its origin in primordial slime, but our species now stands high and proud on the pyramid of life. Even so, he saw a natural tendency for the human animal to evolve toward common mediocrity. But, through the will to power, superior individuals have the potential to master their lives (overcoming nihilism and pessimism) and the intellect to actualize creative activity.

As with Thomas Huxley, Ernst Haeckel and Darwin himself, Nietzsche taught the historical continuity between human beings and other animals (especially the chimpanzees). However, the philosopher did assert that some individuals will rise far above the beasts, including our own species, but this will only occur in the remote future.

If our species has ascended from the fossil apes, then why should it not be followed by an even higher form of life as the ape has been surpassed by the human animal of today? According to Nietzsche, our biological species is the meaning and purpose of the earth so far, because it is the arrow pointing from the past ape to the future overman; this exalted but unimaginable being will be as intellectually advanced beyond the present human animal as our species is biologically advanced beyond the lowly worm!

For Nietzsche, the aesthetic evolutionist as sculptor, the coming overman is like an ideal image sleeping in a crude rock. In carving this superior being, the philosopher was guided by its shadow, although he remained indifferent to the destruction resulting from his intense creativity: Fragments fly from the stone; what is that to me?

Unlike the silenced priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a geopaleontologist and Jesuit mystic, Nietzsche did not foresee a final end-goal or an ultimate omega point for human evolution. Instead, his metaphysics is grounded in the eternal recurrence of this same universe, i.e., an infinite series of identical cosmic cycles. As such, there is no progressive evolution from universe to universe. Consequently, Nietzsches process cosmology represents being as becoming, and its teleological evolution to the overman within each cycle is strictly determined.

Nietzsche did not speculate on life or intelligence or exoevolution elsewhere in this universe. Furthermore, this philosopher could not have imagined mass extinctions, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and human space travel to other planets. Clearly, continuing advances in science and technology will offer awesome possibilities for neolife and overbeings in the ages ahead.

Friedrich Nietzsche had taken time, change and evolution seriously. He was acutely aware that this universe is totally indifferent to human existence. Yet, his philosophy offers an optimistic challenge for those who are willing to follow the lightning bolts of his heroic vision.

H. James Birx 2000

H. James Birx, Interpreting Evolution: Darwin & Teilhard de Chardin, Prometheus, 1991.Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883-1885),Prometheus, 1993, esp. pp.13-27.Keith Ansell Pearson, Viroid Life: Perspectives on Nietzsche and the Transhuman Condition, Routledge, 1997.Peter Poellner, Nietzsche and Metaphysics, OUP, 1995.Eric Steinhart, On Nietzsche, Wadsworth, 2000.Irving M. Zeitlin, Nietzsche: A Re-examination, Polity, 1994.

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Nietzsche & Evolution | Issue 29 | Philosophy Now