February 2004 Newsletter

Congratulations to the people who earned promotions since our last notice:

• Senior Yellow Belt - Mark McGovern, Rachel Mockler

• Junior Orange Belt - Joshua & Zachary LaPooh, Chris Barry

• Senior Green Belt - Kelly Lynch

• Junior Green Belt #1 - Brian Mulligan

• Brown Belt #3 - Caroline Rupert, Keith O’Hara, Nicole Parks

• Brown Belt #1 - Lori Healy

Ophelia in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” said, “Lord, we know what we are but not what we may be.”

As we enter the new year, have you taken time to think about where you are, what you are doing, why you are doing it, what kind of person you are as perceived by others, where you would like to be (oh, say 5 to 10 years), how you are going to get there . . . and oh yes . . . have you kept your 04 RESOLUTIONS for at least the first month? No matter how busy you are, make sure and find some time to reflect, think, give and plan. Generally, people do this the week between Christmas and New Year's is the ideal time for this. BUT - NOW IS A GREAT TIME to slow things down. Spend time with the ones you love and care about. Take some time to talk with your spouse and kids about goals and dreams for the year 2004. The act of reflecting, thinking, dreaming and planning (with your family) is one of the most important exercises you can do that will positively impact the next 12 months. So, take a moment to gather up the past year of victories and defeats, growing as well as those times of stagnation and use it to wipe a clean slate and thoughtfully design the next year the way we truly desire it to be.

Vitamins for the Mind . . . Happiness by Jim Rohn * Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want. Happiness is not an accident, nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design. How sad to see a father with money and no joy. The man studied economics, but never studied happiness. The greatest source of unhappiness comes from inside. Happiness is the art of learning how to get joy from your substance. Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.

Bringing Balance to a Chaotic Life by Chris Widener . . . President of Made for Success * I am asked frequently, “How can I manage my time more effectively and bring balance to my life in regard to work, family, friends, and social obligations?” I am convinced that the most important thing we must do is to be acutely aware of the reasons I should manage my time and bring balance to my life. This comes to the issue of having a powerful motivating factor or reason. Below are two of mine that keep me motivated: A life of accomplishment. When I am old and unable to get out with the young folks anymore, I want to be able to look back on my life and say that I accomplished much and that my life benefited others. It is what drives me to pursue what I pursue with a passion and vigor. It is why I bring my life into balance in many areas so I can achieve much in many areas. A legacy. Here is a powerful motivating image that I picture with regularity: Picture a family gathering five years after your death. What will it look like? What will the people be talking about? How will they remember you? What will be the quality of their lives and how will you have been instrumental in that? These are questions that we can for the most part, answer now by how we live our lives (for better or for worse). Our lives make a difference in the lives of others! This is a tremendous reason to bring my life into balance!

First, we sit down and prioritize. Have you ever taken a couple of hours and listed everything that you are involved in or could be involved in and then prioritized it by importance? You may come up with a hundred items but that is okay. You will want to separate them into some categories as well, such as Work, Family, Health, Friends, Hobbies, Spiritual, Financial, Intellectual, Emotional, etc. Now you have something to look at and see what is important. This will help you in the process of eliminating areas from your life that you are spending time on that you shouldn't be. And that is an important part: Frustration comes when we get involved in something that isn't a priority and we kick ourselves the whole time we do it. If we stick to priorities, we eliminate much of that.

The next step is to learn the most powerful word in the human language: No. Just look in the mirror and practice saying that word with a smile on your face. This may be the most important part - learning to decline opportunity. It all depends on whether or not it fits in with our priorities. Here is the principle that drives this: Good is the enemy of the best. There are lots of good things we can spend our time on. But because they replace those things that would be the best things we could spend our time on, they become our enemy. They become counterproductive to a successful and balanced life.

Schedule your time. The more we fly by the seat of our pants, the more apt we are to lose control of our time. Become a bit more objective and bring our lives into balance. For example, you may make it your goal to be home by six o'clock every night. In your schedule book, you write in that you have an appointment at six. You schedule to leave the office at five-thirty. Now when a co-worker comes in with an "opportunity" for you to work on, you say, "Sorry, I have an appointment at six that I can't break. Let's get together on it first thing in the morning." Scheduling your time, coupled with saying "no," will do wonders for bringing your life into balance!

Another aspect for us to look at is the area of external pressure that causes us to be out of balance. For example, financial obligations may be what keep us working too much. So we should look at those obligations and see if we can eliminate or reduce them. The last thing I would challenge you with is to give some thought as to what the secret pleasures of being out of balance may be. For example, sometimes we let ourselves over commit because we don't like conflict. Peace is our secret pleasure. Sometimes we allow ourselves to become out of balance because we like it when people say, "Boy, she sure is a dynamo. Look how busy she is." Admiration from others is our secret pleasure.

Improve Your Posture, Improve Your Health! - - - IMPORTANT IDEAS FOR IMPROVED KARATE & LIFE

December, 2003 5Pillars.com

Although good posture certainly contributes to a look of confidence and strength, did you know it also contributes to our health and well-being?

To help you better understand the importance of good posture, let’s start by discussing the spine—which consists of the bones (vertebrae) and discs that support the body and protect the spinal cord. There are three curves in the spine: the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), and lumbar (low back). If one of these curves moves out of alignment, poor posture begins to set in. When the vertebrae become improperly aligned, it leads to stress and strain on your joints and ligaments. In addition, the muscles attached to the bones may also be affected because they are unable to work as efficiently and therefore tire out much faster. This in turn causes increased muscle weakness.

It’s like a domino effect: all of the above factors can lead to pain and degenerative problems. Poor posture is irritating to the spinal nerves, and can restrict or alter the motion of the rib cage, affecting breathing and causing excess stress and pressure on organs and tissues in the chest. Good posture helps the nervous system function normally. Other effects of poor posture may include: joint dysfunction and decreased range of motion; TMJ; knee, shoulder, neck, mid/low back, and/or hip pain; additional stress on the spinal discs.

There are many different possible causes for bad posture, but the most likely culprit is poor sitting, standing and moving practices. If you feel you may have postural problems due to spinal dysfunction early detection is important. The earlier spinal distortions are detected, the better the chance of correcting the problem. However, if – like most of us --your poor posture stems from correctable causes, there are concrete steps you can take.

First of all, take a look at your wardrobe. Wearing high-heeled shoes or boots throws off your center of gravity. Tight fitting clothes and wide belts can also shift your center of gravity and move your body out of normal alignment. Do you carry much of your weight around your mid section? If so, your center of gravity has again been compromised, resulting in a swayback, head forward position. An estimated 90% of the population has a "head forward" posture profile, that is, the head is in front of the shoulders.

Take a look at your exercise routine. Overly developed hip flexor muscles contribute to swayback, while tight hamstring muscles contribute to an overly flat back.

Do you sit at a computer most of the day? Computer use is a major contributor of injuries related to posture. The next time you are seated at your desk, think about how your body is positioned while you are working. Typically the first thing that happens when you’re using a computer is that your head begins to move forward. It is estimated that for every inch the head moves forward, an additional 15-30 lbs. of tension is placed on the muscles of the neck. Once your head moves forward, your posture is automatically thrown off and your body begins to compensate for the shift. In compensating, your neck moves forward, your shoulders become rounded and a sway in the back develops. The end result can be pain, muscle aches, tension and even headaches. Another suggestion for discomfort associated with computer use is to try gently lifting your chest. Your head and shoulders will come back into their proper position without straining the muscles in the neck and back. This trick can also be used when you're standing.

Other tips for office comfort:

• Be sure to angle your work whenever possible so you're not looking down.

• Keep your computer screen 15 degrees below eye level.

• Try not to cross your legs while sitting.

• Use a rolled up towel and place it in the curve of your low back whenever you are seated for an extended period of time.

• Try to keep your desk or table at elbow height.

• Use a footrest to help take pressure off the back of the legs.

• Keep your knees a little higher than your hips.

• Don’t forget to get up every once in a while and stretch.

• Try to take a one to two minute break every 20 minutes or so whenever you find yourself sitting for extended periods of time.

Correcting existing postural problems involves restoring range of motion, increasing flexibility and strengthening weakened muscles. This can be accomplished through various exercises and consistent practice. Muscle relaxation techniques, massage and stretching can also be useful if you are experiencing pain and muscle tension.