By Lee Ostaszewski/Local Columnist

We have enough things to worry about these days, what with climate change, North Korea and former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci.

The Mooch only lasted 10 days on the job, but you just know he is never going away. Thats how it is with all these reality TV show contestants er I mean members of the Trump administration.

With all this going on in the world we certainly dont need to worry about our brain leaking.

Apparently, however, we do. A growing number of people, as it turns out, have experienced brain fluid leaking out their ears.

Yuck is the appropriate response to this.

Ewwww is also acceptable.

Not surprisingly, this condition is linked to obesity. After all, what isnt? Brian leakage could also be caused by sleep apnea, too.

So basically, we all must be concerned anytime we eat or sleep. These activities are likely killing us.

And if being concerned about sleep apnea causes insomnia, be aware that there is an entire list of health issues caused by not sleeping, too.

By the time we sort it all out, I would rather just worry about North Korea or some nutso White House official.

While no one is sure why brain leakage happens, it seems obesity might be contributing to a condition where the skull bone thins, eventually resulting in a small hole where the cerebrospinal fluid can ooze out.

This hole can also lead to infections in the brain. So the hole needs to be fixed, which requires surgery. These types of surgeries are becoming more and more common.

We dont need this as a problem. Medical research is wonderful when it discovers cures and treatments. But when it digs up new issues we previously didnt worry about, then perhaps its time to stop.

Another example of a problem we previously had no clue about is being overfat. This does not necessarily mean overweight or obese. Instead, overfat can happen even if your weight and BMI appear to be in the good range.

Great.

Overfat occurs when you have too much belly fat. Which effects a large percentage of the population of middle-aged, American adults. And by large percentage, I mean 100 percent of adults who dont play quarterback for the New England Patriots.

Personally, I find this news disturbing.

Whats even more disturbing is that there is no viable solution to this problem. All science can come up with is diet and exercise. That is sciences panacea to every health condition: Diet and exercise.

When will science admit diet and exercise is not working?

Granted, it doesnt work mostly because we stop dieting and exercising approximately three days after starting.

We all want science to provide us with a simple, easy-to-follow solution to the obesity epidemic. One that doesnt require us to do very much nor try too hard.

There are companies out there that claim to have the answers. They say that their natural herbs or vitamin supplements reduce belly fat. But these claims fall into the same category as a politicians promises.

Such as having Mexico pay for a border wall, replace and repeal Obamacare, or acting so presidential well be bored.

The American public could use some boredom about now.

It would give us a chance to focus on other things. Such as how much belly fat is too much and what this stuff dripping out our ears might be.

Lee lives in Medway. Email him at lee.online@verizon.net.

Link:
Ostaszewski: Can medical research be great again? - MetroWest Daily News

Dying to know the secrets behind Beyonces post-baby slim down? The juicy details of her nutritious diet and exercise routine have been revealed to HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY.

No, its not Photoshop. Beyonce, 35, just looks that good after welcoming twins last month. The secrets to having a killer body are pretty obvious (working out, eating right, drinking less, etc.) but how many of us are actually determined enough to follow through? Take a few lessons from Queen Bey if youre looking for extra motivation. Firstly, shes taking her time to lose the baby weight and doing it in a healthy, natural way, a source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. Breast feeding is really helping to shed the pounds, and running around after daughter Blue helps too!

Its also beneficial if your partner or roommate lives a healthy lifestyle, that way you wont be tempted to buy a bag of Cheetos at midnight. In the Formation singers case, hubby JAY-Z is really pushing a balanced diet packed with protein. Theyve always eaten healthy, although now shes eating a little more meat and less vegan, the source continues. Exercise wise,Beyonce is going to Soul Cycle, which she loves, and shes doing a special high cardio circuit program thathertrainer designed especially forher. Even if the treadmill isnt your thing, you can try Beyonces FAVORITE workout practice yoga!

She does it every single day, our source adds. Sometimes even Blue tries to join in, its so cute!Beyonce loves the effect yoga has onherbody, but she really loves the effect it has onhermind. Its the perfect way to start the morning, and it gets her in the right mind set for the rest of the day. If that still sounds iffy, try exercising with a loved one. All that sweating and blood pumping will do wonders to your sex life! Beyonce and JAY can barely keep their hands off each other at Soul Cycle!

HollywoodLifers, do you think you could keep up with Beyonces workout routine?

Continued here:
Beyonce's Flawless Post-Baby Bod: Her Nutritious Diet & Exercising Secrets Revealed - Hollywood Life

Times Record staff

Transitional pastor named

Central Presbyterian Church announces that the honorably retired Rev. Rita Wilson will serve as transitional pastor while the congregation searches for a permanent pastor. Wilson joined Central in 1971 and served as director of Christian education for seven years. She retired in 2015 after 37 years of active service.

St. Scholastica offers several retreats

St. Scholastica Retreat Center, 1205 S. Albert Pike, will offer a weekend retreat Sept. 22-24 titled "Seven Sacred Pauses." Using themes drawn from Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr's book, "Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully" and Velma Frye's accompanying CD, "Seven Sacred Pauses: Singing Mindfully," the presenters will lead participants into the contemplative practice of deep listening.

Cost is $245. A $50 nonrefundable, nontransferable deposit is required at time of registration. Lodging and meals are included.

Additionally, the center will offer two ways to practice the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

Retreat in Daily Life will be held both in St. Scholastica Monastery and in northwest Arkansas. Participants will meet weekly in small groups from October through April, meet with a spiritual director twice monthly and spend time in daily prayer, scripture reading, and journaling.

Cost is $560 plus the cost of twice monthly spiritual direction at $20 per session.

Ignatius Transposed! Retreat in Daily Life "transposes" the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius for the 21st century, according to the teachings of the great mystic and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Biweekly meetings will be held between Aug. 29 and May 1 in northwest Arkansas and possibly Fort Smith, and can also be attended through Zoom conferencing.

Participants will meet from 6:30-8:30 p.m. every other Tuesday evening, meet with a spiritual director once a month and participate in 30-45 minutes daily of prayer, scripture reading and journaling.

Cost is $480 plus $20 per month for spiritual direction.

Scholarships are available.

Call (479) 783-1135 or (479) 651-1616 or email retreats@stscho.org or anahas@me.com to register or for information on these retreats.

Religion Notes is published each Saturday as a free public service. All items must reach the Times Record, 3600 Wheeler Ave., by noon Wednesday of the week the item is to be published. Photographs submitted cannot be returned but may be picked up at the office the week after they are published. Photographs will be kept for six months. The street address of the church and the name and phone number of a contact person must accompany each item submitted, or it will not be published. Email submissions to speterson@swtimes.com.

See the article here:
Religion notes 8.5.17 - Entertainment & Life - Arkansas News ... - Arkansas News

Buy the rumor and sell the news doesn't always work out so well.

Investors who followed the old adage with Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) recently learned that lesson the hard way. Shares of the clinical-stage biotech surged after the company announced that it would provide a clinical update for its RSV F vaccine. Many clearly thought that Novavax would deliver some good news for its beleaguered program.

When the update actually happened, though, it was a different story for the stock. Shares gave up all the gains and then some as investors realized the news for the RSV F vaccine didn't justify the previous bounce. With the latest round of drama over, what's the best course of action?

Image source: Getty Images.

Prior to Novavax's update on July 24, I wrote that investors probably should brace themselves for bad news.I don't pretend to be in possession of any psychic skills in making that recommendation. It was simply pragmatism. I quoted the late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, who once stated: "Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes."

Investors who placed big bets on tremendous news for the RSV F vaccine were disappointed. However, those who hoped for good news but were prepared for it to be really bad were in much better shape.The most important advice from Zig Ziglar's statement lies at the heart of what I think is the best reason to buy Novavax stock now: Capitalize on the sell-off from those who were counting on game-changing good news. Pardon the pun, but it could make sense to zig when others zag.

Sure, the story from Novavax didn't generate excitement. Still, though, the news wasn't really bad. The company's phase 2 study evaluating safety and immunogenicity of the RSV F vaccine in older adults was encouraging. Novavax now plans to initiate another phase 2 study in older adults focusing on efficacy next year. Its phase 3 study evaluating the vaccine in infants via maternal immunization appears to be progressing well.

It comes down to your time horizon. If you have a long-term perspective, buying Novavax stock after the recent plunge could make sense. There was no news that should make anyone have a more negative opinion of the RSV F vaccine. The market opportunity if the vaccine ultimately proves to be successful is still huge.

What if you don't have a long-term perspective? Your best bet is probably to stay away from Novavax for now. There are two main reasons why.

First, the biotech doesn't have any major catalysts coming up soon to drive the stock higher. The phase 2 efficacy trial in older adults won't even start until next year. There will be what Novavax refers to as an "informational analysis" of its phase 3 study of the RSV F vaccine in infants via maternal immunization, but it won't happen until near the end of 2017. An interim analysis isn't scheduled until sometime in mid-2018.

Second, Novavax continues to lose money and deplete its cash stockpile. The company reported cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaling $211.2 million at the end of March. That amount could be around $40 million to $50 million lower when Novavax announces its second-quarter results. Although the biotech should be able to fund operations into the first half of 2018, another stock offering is probably in the cards in the not-too-distant future. That would mean more dilution for current shareholders.

There is another alternative for investors who are somewhat bullish on the prospects for Novavax and its RSV F vaccine but want to reduce their risk exposure. You could buy call options.

If you take this route, probably the best approach would be to go with options with expiration dates well into the future. As already mentioned, there aren't obvious big catalysts coming soon enough to make short-term options worthwhile.

With longer-dated options, though, the informational analysis of the phase 3 study in infants could potentially drive Novavax stock (and options) higher. The interim analysis next year could provide a big boost. There's also always the possibility that Novavax forges a licensing deal with a bigger company or even gets bought out. And if none of this happens, the relatively low price of the option means you won't risk losing nearly as much as you would if you had bought the stock outright.

Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Here is the original post:
The Single Best Reason to Buy Novavax Stock Now - Motley Fool

Zig Ziglar

Ziglar in March 2009

Suzan Ziglar Witmeyer (died 1995)Tom ZiglarCindy Ziglar OatesJulie Ziglar Norman

Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar (November 6, 1926 November 28, 2012) was an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.

"Zig" Ziglar was born in Coffee County in southeastern Alabama, to John Silas Ziglar and Lila Wescott Ziglar.[1] He was the tenth of 12 children.[2]

In 1931, when Ziglar was five years old, his father took a management position at a Mississippi farm, and his family moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, where he spent most of his early childhood. The next year, his father died of a stroke, and his younger sister died two days later.

He was in the Navy V-12 Navy College Training Program and attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.[citation needed]

Ziglar later worked as a salesman in a succession of companies. In 1968, he became a vice president and training director for the Automotive Performance company and moved to Dallas, Texas.

In 2007, a fall down a flight of stairs left him with short-term memory problems. Nonetheless, by 2010, Ziglar still traveled around taking part in motivational seminars.[citation needed]

Ziglar met his wife, Jean, in 1944, in Jackson, Mississippi. He was 17 and she was 16; they married in late 1946.[3] They had four children: Suzan, Tom, Cindy, and Julie.

Ziglar, a Baptist, integrated Christianity into his motivational work. He was also a Republican who endorsed the former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee for his party's presidential nomination in 2008.[4]

On November 28, 2012, Ziglar died from pneumonia at a hospital in Plano, Texas.[5]

Continue reading here:
Zig Ziglar - Wikipedia

Alfred Lord Tennyson once said, The height that great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companion slept were toiling upward in night. The meteoric rise of Bezos on the Forbes rating was never sudden as he rose to the top as a result of some life principles blended in healthy proportion and linked together with a tenacious grit. There are some idiosyncratic approaches to business that can be gleaned from the man who built what is today known as the Everything Store.

There are 14 critical points that I will really like to underline to help entrepreneurs and start-ups reach the zenith of their pursuit in life. Here are some of the strategies Bezos used in building his Amazon Empire:

SEEING AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES: True riches are not measured in money but rather in opportunities seized. A sure way to miss success is to miss opportunity! It is an un-debatable truth that people get ahead in life through the opportunity they seize. Great leaders are not necessarily the first to see opportunities but they are the first to seize opportunities. Jackson Brown said, Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity. Our life is defined by opportunities, including the ones we miss. In 1994, Bezos read that the web had grown 2,300% in one year. This number astounded him, and he decided he needed to find some way to take advantage of its rapid growth. He made a list of 20 possible products to sell online and decided books were the best option. Since 1994, the web has grown exponentially and so is Jeff Bezos wealth. The ability to see opportunities when others are seeing only problems is the essential thing that distinguishes successful people from others.

YOUR DREAM MUST BE A PRIORITY, NOT YOUR SALARY: Farrah Gray said, Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. The only thing that is valid in life is your dream, not your job or salary. After graduation in 1986 from Princeton University, Jeff Bezos found work at several firms on Wall Street, including Fitel, Bankers Trust and the investment firm D.E. Shaw. It was there he met his wife, Mackenzie, and became the companys youngest vice president in 1990. While his career in finance was extremely lucrative, Bezos chose to make a risky move into the nascent world of e-commerce to follow his dream. He quit his highly lucrative job in 1994, moved to Seattle and targeted the untapped potential of the Internet market by opening an online bookstore-Amazon was born! Eleanor Roosevelt once said, The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

START SMALL; GROW BIG: The greatest tragedy of life is to do nothing just because you think you can only do little. Learning to start small is the secret of greatness. Edmund Burke captured this succinctly when he said, Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. Bezos started Amazon.com in a garage with a potbelly stove. He held most of his meetings at the neighborhood Barnes & Noble. We are permitted to start small but we must never remain small.

GET A MENTOR: Zig Ziglar said, A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could. In order to get farther in life, we must get a father! Sir Isaac Newton said, If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. Jeff Bezos was a demanding boss and could explode at employees. Rumour has it he hired a leadership coach to help him tone it down. Mentors help us manage our weaknesses and magnify our strength. Costly and damaging mistakes can be avoided when we allow ourselves to be mentored by people that are more matured and experienced in our fields of endeavour.

INVEST, INVEST AND INVEST!: The truly rich people invest their money. The easiest way to make more money is not to work for money but to let your money work for you. You become financially free when you no longer have to work for money because money is working for you. In 1998, Bezos became an early investor in Google. He invested $250,000, which was worth about 3.3 million shares when the company went public in 2004. Those would be worth about $2.2 billion today! In August 2013, Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. He also invested in space projects and his space company Blue Origin made history last year when it became one of the first commercial companies to successfully launch a reusable rocket.

TAKE THE RISK: In todays rapidly changing world, the people who are not taking risk are actually the risk takers! Jeff Bezos said, If you decide that youre going to do only the things you know are going to work, youre going to leave a lot of opportunity on the table. Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go. In the early days of Amazon, many doomsdays were predicted by experts but the e-commerce pathfinder kept saying one thing: I know that if I failed I will not regret that, but I know the one thing I will forever regret is not trying.

E-SALE IS THE NEW PHASE OF SELLING: Online sales and marketing have opened doors to a new era of global marketing. The world we are in today is being sustained by technology and information. Any entrepreneur that is not maximizing the opportunities availed by the Internet and social media will ultimately lag behind. I want to categorically say that entrepreneurs will not be replaced by technology, but entrepreneurs who do not use technology will be replaced by those who do.

DIVERSIFY: Amazon started by selling books on-line at inception but Bezos continued to diversify Amazons offerings with the sale of CDs and videos in 1998, and later clothes, electronics, toys and more through major retail partnerships. Bezos also entered Amazon into the tablet marketplace with the unveiling of the Kindle Fire in 2011. The following September, he announced the new Kindle Fire HD, the companys next generation tablet designed to give Apples iPad a run for its money.

TAKE CRITICISM AS FEEDBACKS: Winners see criticism as feedbacks; average people see criticism as an attack. Jeff Bezos said, If you never want to be criticized, for goodness sake dont do anything new.

YOUR ASSOCIATION MATTERS: The ability to connect with people that are valuable to your destination is priceless. Life is too short to be with a partner who makes you feel less than awesome. Jeff Bezos has this to say about his wife: I wanted a woman who could get me out of a Third World prison. Lifes too short to hang out with people who arent resourceful.

CREATE GOOD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: When you make customers happy, they will tell five friends but when you make customers unhappy, they wont tell five friends, they will tell 5,000 friends! Customer satisfaction is the best form of advertisement. Jeff Bezos said, If youre competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering. Be obsessed about customers, not competitors.

MAKE NEW MISTAKES: Tallulah Bankhead said, If I had my life to live over again, Id make the same mistakes, only sooner. Nobody learns without first getting it wrong. Tony Robbins said, No matter how many mistakes you make. Youre still way ahead of everyone who isnt trying.

EVOLVE: Thomas Edison said, There is always a better way, find it. In business, it is dangerous not to evolve because old ways wont open new doors. Jeff Bezos said, As a company, one of our greatest cultural strengths is accepting the fact that if youre going to invent, youre going to disrupt. Dont glory in the past. I have realised over the years that the greatest hindrance to success is not failure; it is actually the previous success.

THINK LONG-TERM: Be a visionary. Charles C. Noble said, You must have long-term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures.

See the rest here:
Jeff Bezos: Becoming Bill Gates' nightmare - Guardian (blog)

How many of us doctors have time to read? Between the clinic and the hospital, it is often very difficult to take a break. However, there is one place where we get a built in break, our cars. The late motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, once said that if we are looking to improve our business and our life, look no further than the drive to work. By listing to educational audiotapes and CDs, you can have "an entire university in your automobile."

Most of us reserve our time in the car for listening to music, or catching up on current events. So why not be more productive and use that time to educate yourself? I remember a few physician mentors from medical school as well as my father (a pediatrician), would often listen to audiotapes to claim CME credit. Today, with the advent of podcasts and sites like Audible.com, we are privy to podcasts on thousands of niche topics designed for specific demographics, including physicians.

As a business owner, I often spend a few days each month visiting different clinics. During my rides, Ive discovered a number of different podcasts that have helped me improve my medical practice.

In terms of podcast recommendations, as someone who has been a podcaster myself, I know it can be very difficult to record consistently. For this list, I specifically chose podcasts that are current, and have consistently released new content over the last year. I excluded podcasts that were focused on CME or catered to one specialty, preferring general information that could help a majority of docs. Here are my top choices:

1. Freedom Formula for Physicians Podcast: Pretty auspicious title, right? Hosted by financial consultant Dave Denniston, the goal of the podcast is to "help doctors slash their debt, slash their taxes, and live a liberated lifestyle." Denniston has produced over 100 informative episodes tailored to educating doctors with financial and business advice. The podcast covers everything from student loan refinancing, to reducing malpractice premiums. Denniston uses his podcast as a way to cover topics many doctors never learned in medical school.

2. Docs Talk: The podcast title pretty much sums it up. Two Texas-based physicians share their views on healthcare, the science of medicine, and "everything in between." I especially enjoyed the back and forth camaraderie of the two doctors, and they often give insight on whats going on in today's news and how it may relate to your patients. I would compare the podcast to eavesdropping at your local hospital's doctor's lounge.

3. Docs outside the Box: Practicing surgeon Dr. Nii Darko spotlights physicians "thriving in non-traditional career paths." Dissatisfied being an employee, Dr. Darko transitioned to locum tenens and along the way ran into doctors leading strong, fulfilled lives. "If I had known some of these stories or met these people during my climb up the ladder, maybe I would have done things a bit differently," he says. From docs running startups, to flipping real estate, this is definitely a podcast to listen to if you have dreams of being a physician entrepreneur.

4. The White Coat Investor Podcast: Although relatively new to the podcast world, Dr. James Dahle has helped thousands of doctors get a firm hold of their finances with his groundbreaking finance blog. Now through podcasting, you can get your financial advice on the go. This is the site I share with residents and young doctors to curtail their medical school loans.

5. Physicians Practice Podcast: I may write for this website, but it would be a disservice to not highlight the wealth of information freely available for both young and old practicing physicians. The host, Gabriel Perna, does a great job bringing together information that is essential for today's doctors. From practice policy, to the latest news on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), make sure you download a few episodes before your next commute.

Read the original post:
Listen Up! Podcasts for Physicians - Diagnostic Imaging (blog)

Japanese monk Seigaku lives a Zen life with as little money as possible in Berlin. The desire for popularity led Seitaro Higuchi from Tottori on the Sea of Japan to Germanys capital, transforming himself along the way. He had sought to become an actor and instead became a monk. How did this come about?

I wanted to be popular with girls, Seigaku says over the phone, laughing. He is speaking from Kyoto, where he is shooting a movie over two months in summer.

As fate would have it, the 36-year-old monk is now also an actor, playing the role of a monk who was a student of poet Matsuo Basho in a fictional documentary by Swiss filmmaker Richard Dindo.

The documentary traces the life and times of the famous poet, who has since become famous for his haiku verses. Dindo wanted to use real monks in his production and so chose Seigaku to play the role of the student and another higher-ranking monk from a temple in Kyoto to play Basho.

Seigaku, who spends most of the year in Berlin since moving there in 2011, has quite a story to tell.

Born Seitaro Higuchi, he became a Zen monk at the age of 23 after graduating from Keio University with a degree in politics.

I couldnt find a reason to work for capitalism, he recalls, thinking back to his final years at university. Instead, he was looking for something he felt would be more fulfilling.

There was also the desire for popularity. He wanted to be liked and decided to imitate someone who was already popular.

Noting that a popular senior student in his ice hockey team was also an actor, Higuchi seized his chance when a friend invited him to take part in a theater production produced by Yoko Narahashi.

The internationally renowned casting director and film producer also headed an English drama theater group for students at universities in and around Tokyo. Higuchi realized this offered him a great opportunity.

However, Higuchis enthusiasm was soon brought down to earth by Narahashi, who told him not to do anything in front of the camera. Narahashi told him he was doing too much and trying too hard, advising him to undo what he was doing. Such advice tore Higuchi apart.

Up to this point, I thought that we have a purpose in life, and that we have to find this purpose by doing the very best that we can, Higuchi recalls. It was difficult for me to change my mind-set.

At the time, Narahashi was working on The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. Higuchi wondered why such a popular actor was into samurai warriors. He realized that the Japanese kanji for samurai () contains two parts: human () and temple (). This connection between a samurai and Buddhist ways of thinking led him to develop an interest in Buddhism and Zen.

A cousin of Higuchis father was serving as a monk in a Zen temple and so he asked how best to practice Zen.

His distant relative told him the best way to practice is to become a monk. And so he did.

Higuchi decided to practice as a monk for one year at Eiheiji, one of two main temples of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. Eiheiji is located in Fukui Prefecture.

He enjoyed living at Eiheiji very much, although life in the mountains was pretty ordinary. A typical day would consist of waking up, eating, cleaning, sitting and meditating (zazen), and sleeping. All these activities especially the cleaning routine (called samu) would be carried out with mindfulness as a part of Zen. One year at the temple turned into three years before he even knew it.

Higuchi, who had by now adopted the name Seigaku, went back to his former life in Tokyo only to realize that he needed money. He tried to earn the minimum amount needed to survive, working in an izakaya pub as a bartender and chef.

Once I earned the minimum amount, the amount I saved grew larger, he recalls. At the temple I hadnt used electric appliances like TVs, laptops, mobile phones and so on. Once I saved a little bit of money, I thought I should get a phone so that my friends would be able to communicate with me. The more I earned, the more I started living like I used to before I lived in the temple.

Eventually, he worked less and only practiced Zen. He shared an apartment with friends, where they would sit and meditate together.

His next goal would be to attempt living this kind of lifestyle in other parts of the world.

By living like this, I could prove that this way of life is OK, he says. The Zen way of life could therefore become an alternative way of life to capitalism.

Seigaku had planned to move to New York in April 2011, using a scholarship for monks from the Yokohama Zenkoji Scholarship Foundation for International Buddhist Study that would grant him 1 million for one year.

But then the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in Fukushima occurred and he changed his destination. Seigaku had just married and his wife was expecting their first child.

Nobody knew what would happen next. The situation was changing a lot, he recalls. When Germany decided to phase out its nuclear power plants, we chose to move to Berlin instead.

He arrived in Germany with his pregnant wife in May 2011. The scholarship helped them get their first apartment in Berlins Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood and his wife gave birth.

I like the relaxed atmosphere in Berlin a lot, Seigaku says. It feels like people dont seem to depend too much on capitalism and on the economy.

In Berlin, Seigaku has been meditating every day. He first did it in his apartment. Then, friends started to join him in his home. One day an attendant invited him to do it in his cafe, and the word started to spread.

For nearly two years, Seigaku has been holding zazen classes in a yoga studio, owned by another attendant, where students give donations. He also holds zazen workshops in a salon space called Ryoko that is run by Ryoko Hori and her partner, Daniel Kula. Likewise, participants dont pay a fee for the service but instead offer a donation.

Berlin has changed me, Seigaku says. Im healthier today. I have met many different people and become confident that the Zen way of living could be a real alternative for the next generation. That said, its always difficult and never stable.

Sometimes he goes to a square dressed in his black robes. He just sits there and places a bowl in front of him. Occasionally, people put food or money in his bowl.

I want to stay in Berlin because more and more people seem to be interested in my way of living, Seigaku says.

It does indeed seem that a life with less can be so much more.

Name: Seigaku (Seitaro Higuchi)

Profession: Zen monk

Born in: Singapore (My father was working as a teacher at a Japanese school at the time)

Grew up in: Tottori, Poland, U.K.

Age: 36

Key moments in career:

2001 Meets Yoko Narahashi

2007 Begins training as a monk in Eiheiji

2011 Marries and moves to Berlin

Things I miss about Japan: The clouds and the water

36

2001

2007

2011

20112011

Link:
Zen monk Seigaku: A life with less can be so much more - The Japan Times

Staff photo by Kathy Aney

Ron Haynes and Sally Ann Peters pose Wednesday with their water aerobics class at the Roundup Athletic Club. The two met at the class when Haynes started attending after suffering a stroke. Their wedding plans were interrupted a year ago when Peters had a stroke, too.

Stroke survivors Ron Haynes and Sally Ann Peters are helping each other stay afloat in troubled waters.

Haynes and Peters met at the swimming pool. On Friday afternoon, they exchanged vows as their water aerobics classmates looked on.

Haynes started going to the aqua class at the Roundup Athletic Club pool as a way to recuperate from a devastating stroke. The stroke hit seven years ago as the retired teacher slept on a cot in his wife Judys Oregon Health & Science University hospital room in Portland. Judy, recovering from cancer surgery, called a nurse when Ron fell ill.

The nurse got me into a wheelchair and wheeled me to the emergency department, recalled Haynes, 65. They determined I was having a stroke.

So began Haynes long journey back to health. The Pilot Rock man started going to the Pendleton pool as a low-impact way to get his body moving again. One day, Peters noticed Haynes was in a spot of trouble.

He slipped under the water, Peters said. I helped him up.

They became aqua buddies. Peters stayed close in case he foundered.

She kept an eye on me, Haynes said, as did the other class members and instructor Julie Sneden-Carlson.

We are truly a community in here, Sneden-Carlson said of her class. We share each others joys and sorrows.

The class fluctuates between 25 and 35. Its an easygoing group. Sneden-Carlson keeps them moving during each session, but before and after and even during, her charges share each others lives. The class grieved with Haynes, for example, when his wife died of congestive heart failure last April.

Peters and Haynes friendship deepened further as time went on, bonded in part by life experiences they share in common. Both had divorced in their younger years, then married again. Each lost a second spouse to death. Haynes, who grew up in California, the son of a school administrator, taught history and business at Aloha High School near Portland. Peters, raised in Pomeroy, Washington, grew up on a wheat farm, attended secretarial school and finished out her career as the head of the human resources department at the Lourdes Health Network in Pasco. Haynes has a son and Peters has two daughters.

Last summer, the swimmers say love blossomed in earnest.

Things went really fast, Haynes said of their romance. From July 3 on, we were an item.

The rest of the class detected smiles and whispers between the two. One day last summer, Sneden-Carlson noticed the couple was holding hands underwater.

We watched love bloom, said Helen Gowan, who attends the water aerobics classes three times a week. It was heartwarming to see.

When Haynes eventually asked Peters to marry him, she said yes. The couple planned to tie the knot at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Pendleton in November of 2016. Then, a month before the nuptials, on October 11, the unexpected happened Peters suffered a stroke, too.

She was loaded aboard an airplane bound for Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland. At the St. Vincent emergency room, Peters had a second stroke. Eventually, she ended up in College Place at Regency at the Park care center where she struggled to regain her health. Wedding plans went on hold.

Aqua class friends responded with cards, visits to Peters and rides to class for Haynes. When Peters transferred to Elizabethan Manor in Pendleton, Haynes decided he would move there, too, to be with her. The decision meant he needed to give away his beloved springer spaniel, P.J. The dog found a home with water aerobics friend Grace Nelson.

It was a total act of love, Nelson said of Haynes decision to give away his dog. It was devastating for Ron.

On Friday, P.J. was in attendance when Haynes and Peters exchanged vows in Elizabethan Manors dining room. The ceremony, called a ceremony of commitment, stops just short of a traditional wedding. While the ceremony contains all the religious elements, there is no legal involvement by the state. The ceremony offered a way to be blessed by the church, but doesnt affect the couple financially as they work to pay their medical bills.

The couple will honeymoon at Wildhorse Resort, a gift from the water aerobics class. Afterwards, the pair will settle into a life focused on each other and the long slog of recovering from their respective strokes. Sally Ann has one goal she hopes to accomplish before long.

I want to get back in the pool, she said.

As the couple heads into the next leg of their journey together, they know one thing the water aerobics class will have their backs.

Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or call 541-966-0810.

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Here is the original post:

Couple bonded by water aerobics and strokes - East Oregonian (subscription)

Theres something about a swimming pool that can transport you back to languid childhood days spent splashing about, making up games and twisting your body into crazy shapes. Aqua-fitness classes, consequently, are a super-fun and sometimes nostalgic way to get an intense workout.

What started off as a low-impact way for old-age pensioners to stay in shape has been transformed into a full-blown trend that includes props, such as bikes and weights, and exercise routines recreated specifically for the water, such as Zumba and spinning.

The added advantage of replicating vertical movements running, jumping, kicking and even boxing under water is that you are using its natural resistance to amp up your workout. At the same time, the pressure protects your joints and minimises the risk of injury. Furthermore, the buoyancy improves balance, stabilises blood circulation and removes some of the negative impact that we place on our own water-heavy bodies, as we can become up to 90 per cent lighter when submerged. Aqua-based fitness classes are also a great way to exercise outdoors during the sweltering summer months.

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According to a report by Harvard Health Publications, a 30-minute aqua-aerobics session can burn between 120 and 178 calories for people who weigh between 57 kilograms and 84kg.

There are a number of aqua-fitness activities currently on offer in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Sessions last for about 45 minutes and cost from Dh75 per class.

Aqua Zumba

While music features in most fitness classes, the peppiness stakes are raised by several notches in an aqua Zumba session. As Abu Dhabi-based instructor Roula Saleh puts it: Every class feels like a party. The workout itself involves classic Zumba dance moves, twists and stretches, all done while overcoming the natural resistance offered by water, which is about 800 times denser than air. Dubai-based instructor Jackie Miles Kirby tells The National: Every time you move a litre of water, you are moving a kilogram, in terms of resistance. You are also working the ligaments that are attached to the joints, so it encourages sleeker, smaller muscles. The other thing is that the water is self-massaging, so it helps to break down cellulite. There are aqua Zumba sessions available at select locations across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, including Dubai Ladies Club.

Aqua aerobics 2.0

The original water-based workout has now evolved to include full-body toning regimes, such as underwater boxing for slimmer arms; using the bed of the pool as a trampoline as you jump as high as you can without losing your balance on the way down; and running through water to execute kick-like movements on either end of the pool. Aqua aerobics classes typically use props such as pool noodles, foam dumb-bells, plastic balls and bar floats. While these are still around, the focus now is on pitting your own body weight against the water. In Abu Dhabi, aqua aerobics classes are held at Al Seef Mall, Oriental Spa and Inspire Sports, both at Al Bateen, and Cobra Fitness at Al Bandar. In Dubai, LAtelier Aquafitness on Al Wasl Road has a range of mixed-exercise classes, such as Aqua Swing, Aqua Functional and Aqua Circuit Training.

Aquatic shiatsu

Shiatsu, which means finger pressure in Japanese, is a relaxation technique that involves manually activating pressure points on the body, through massage and assisted stretching, to relieve tense joints. Its aqua form, Watsu, is one of the first water-based body therapies, and originated in the 1980s. Now LAtelier is offering one-on-one Watsu sessions to its clients, in which the receiver is cradled, rocked and stretched to mobilise the joints and relieve any aches, pains and knots, all while being supported to keep afloat, of course. We know this isnt technically a workout, but your body will definitely feel the benefits.

Aqua biking

Aqua bikes might not have fancy display screens or be able to monitor the distance you cover, but they are specially created to stand sturdily on the pool floor as you pedal against the pressure of the water. The low-impact, high-intensity workout can be done sitting or standing, depending on your strength and stamina. Riders are typically submerged up to chest level when seated. In Abu Dhabi, SeaTime holds Aqua Cycling classes at Al Raha Beach Hotel and the Hiltons beach club on the Corniche. In Dubai, Fairmont on the Palm offers Aquaspin classes, and LAtelier Aquafitness on Al Wasl Road has both Regular Aquabiking and non-stop Cardio Aquabiking classes for those with advanced fitness levels.

Float DXB

The latest aqua-related fitness concept to come to the UAE, Float DXB is more about balancing on the waters surface than being submerged under it. The 40-minute class involves burpees, lunges, squats, push-ups, planks and other high-intensity interval-training exercises, all performed while balancing on a floating device and trying to keep your core stable. Its not as unnerving as it (looks or) sounds, though, because the workout takes place on the ultra-sturdy Boga FitMat. The class was introduced at the Fitness First branch at the Meadows last month.

Read the original:

Our five favourite aqua-based fitness trends in the UAE - The National