Resurrection

“It’s been a long time I shouldn’t have left you, without a strong rhyme to step to.”- Rakim 1987

Out of the darkness.

Hello friends I know I have been away for a long time. But; I am back! I looked back and seen that my last post was in 2013. School really was hectic that year and the course load almost burned me out.

Then in the holiday time of 2013 I got hurt. I strained my groin in an area that was a main junction  for all the nerves that travel down my leg. This pain had me practically crippled and homebound for three months. I was trapped in my third floor apartment and on crutches. Talk about cabin fever! I went through a period of despair and stress from being stuck during that time. To add to this the medication I was taking had me feeling depressed as well. Thankfully with the help of family; especially my  mother  I was able to get food and other things done. December 2013 was a dark month for me.

January rolled in and I started to recover. First with a cane I was able to hobble around and got to get some cold winter air. I can say that this was a time for reflection on my life and what I AM I REALLY DOING?

“I think therefore I am…”

February came I was slowly walking with a limp (no cane).  This gave me the time to slowly build up my strength and work on my mind as well. I listened to a lot of personal development seminars and lectures on how to change and grow. This time I really enjoyed as I got to see what makes me tick good and bad.  I also started doing Yoga to help build my body back.

During March I started to go back to the gym and worked myself back in my usual routine. Each week I pushed myself a little harder added more to see what and how I stood. This is how I recovered.  I mentioned before about Arete, which means excellence in ALL things that you do. This has been my driving force since my injury.

Fast forward to the Summer and I am back! Not in school but considering a new major for my success.

The gears are working towards success.

Finally I wanted to share a few thoughts and ideas some are common truths but need to be reiterated.

• Family will always be there for you.
• Never be to proud to ask for help.
• It’s amazing how your body can heal itself along with your mind.
• Sometimes life can screw your plans up; then you have to adapt and reassert yourself.
• Feeling sorry for yourself wastes time and energy.
• Yoga heals!

Thanks for reading!

Dean

Interlude: Fear

Hello friends this will be another interlude on my blog. These are just short posts on my thoughts on life and things. This one came to me while I was cutting grass. As you know I am a US Army veteran and have done two tours in Iraq. Once in 2003 and again in 2005. I was apart of the initial invasion that thrust into Baghdad in March of 2003. Luckily the parts of the conflict I was involved in was minimal.

I eventually returned home to thankful family and friends. Sometime after I  went to my mother’s church  and the Pastor asked an interesting question. He asked me if I was scared while I was other there. I said ” of course! “. Who wouldn’t be scared of driving into a foreign country who has a reputation for using chemical weapons? Did I let the fear paralyze me? No! I used it. Thats what kept me alert and ready, helping others who needed the help.

Leaders transform fear into something useful then lead.

That is how we use fear, not as a barrier but fuel to keep alert and safe. Not paranoid or nervous but cognizant and aware. Its okay to be afraid thats how we see the challenge and choose whether or not to accept it.

Mastering your fears will liberate you.

Until next time.

Dean

Yoga: Year One

Hello friends and family!

I hope everyone is enjoying the Summer and finding fun ways to beat the heat!

Looks nice but imagine heat and humidity
making it 104° and up!

Todays topic will be about Yoga and what I have learned from my year of re-acquainting myself with it. As I mentioned in 100 Days of Yoga I focused on Yoga during the brutal days of NY heat last summer of 2012. It was an awesome experience and learned a lot from it.

My Favorite Yoga Poses

Well a year has passed and wanted to share some ideas and experiences from this year of doing Yoga. Some you may have heard before . But if  not I will share them here today anyway.

Be intent on action, not on the fruits of action. …Perform actions, firm in discipline, relinquishing attachment.

Bhagavad-Gitã  (2.47-48)

• Yoga is a way to focus on your Internal world after dealing with the external world. This means centering yourself while the world goes on.
• A perfect way to learn and listen to your body intimately.
• You can apply what you do in Yoga daily while working at your desk or lifting grocery bags from the store. As in breathing correct posture and breaking the habit of slouching in a chair.

You will notice a difference in your posture.

• Yoga is Skill in Action: This comes from the Bhagavad-Gitã . I will let you think about that one on your own.
• Patience becomes a virtue and you learn that being in a rush isn’t that serious. I know I am guilty of this one.
• Abolishing bad habits become easier as you can focus and become more aware of them.
• You will respect eating and be more mindful while eating.
• Once you learn your limits you will want to challenge them in a healthy way.
• Yoga will make other physical activities seem flawless and fluid.
• Yoga is fun!

Enjoy Yoga! Its fun!

So these are some reflections and lessons I have had while doing Yoga. Its a journey with no destination. Everyday is a opportunity to learn something more about your own capabilities.

Enjoy the Summer and I will see you soon!

Dean

A Healthy Relationship With Your Body

Hello Everyone! School is out for the Summer! So now its time to Blog!

The first post for the Summer is all about having a healthy relationship with our body.

I want to ask you a serious question, how well do you know your body? Do you treat it well? Take it for granted? Is just for getting around in? Well today we are going to discuss someways you can start if you haven’t; a healthy relationship with your body. If you have read my story  I have come a long way. So now I want to share you with some tips on how to embrace your body and not just use it for getting around in.

• Get a physical on your birthday month, this is the best way to start. I know some people are not fans of Doctors as the fear of bad news. How will you know if anything is wrong if you don’t get checked out?

Annual check-ups are important!

• Eating properly! There is a term used nowadays which is YOLO (You Only Live Once) I am all about seizing the moment but don’t use it as an excuse to eat and drink yourself into a unhealthy lifestyle.

Click the picture for the guide!

• Sleep Hygiene or getting rest and sleeping properly at a certain time. Getting enough rest is important and as a New Yorker we tend to go hard everyday without thinking about resting ourselves. This link here provides some tips to help you figure it out.

Counting Sheep! Get it?

• Personal Hygiene, thats right taking showers, cutting your hair (if needed) and generally keeping yourself clean. As simple as it sounds keeping clean keeps dirt and bacteria away that causes disease and infections. Also if you look good you will feel good too. Some good information about it can be found here.

Showers are your friend!

• Finally Fitness! My favorite topic. Exercise is natural medicine which will help aliments and prolong your longevity. Do some form of exercise that you will look forward too. I like Bike Riding if the weathers nice I make sure I get a decent ride somewhere.

One of the many activities I enjoy!

These tips here can help in embracing a healthy relationship with your body. Its the only one we have until clones come along! Until then we should treat it with all the love and care it deserves!

So readers share with us on how you take care of yourself….

Thanks,

Dean

Number 20!

Hello Everyone! we’ve made it to 20 posts! First off thanks for reading/following/commenting! I am grateful for all of your inputs and critiques as it makes my skills sharper and sharper. So to celebrate the 20th post first I will share some of my greatest hits posts. Then my top twenty favorite songs I jam to while I Run, Yoga and other activities.

Thanks for reading!

My Greatest Hits

Some Healthy Things to Think About

Tools For Being Healthy & Fit

Dean’s Day Off

Deans Top Twenty Workout Jams…

“Man in the Box” – Alice in Chains

“You Take my Breath Away” – The Knife

“In da Club (instrumental)” – 50 Cent

“Ænima” – Tool

“Sober” – Tool

“Theme for Great Cities” – Simple Minds

“Fortune Days” – Glitch Mob

“Hyper” – Cascade

“Goin Out West” – Tom Waits

“Forsaken” – David Draiman of Disturbed

“Blue Jeans” – Ladytron

“Training Montage” – Rocky IV Soundtrack

“Organ Donor” – DJ Shadow

“I Got The Power” – Stevie Wright

“Forty Six and 2” – Tool

“My D!ck” – Mickey Avalon

“Digital Versicolor” – Glass Candy

“Cult of Personality” –  Living Color

“Autobot/Decepticon Battle” -Transformers the Movie Soundtrack 1986

“Why So Serious?” ( Crystal Method Remix) – Dark Knight Soundtrack

Once again thanks and continue to read as we journey on together through this part of my  life.

Crafting Your Skill

I read this blog the other day and it got me thinking about things. Things like what I am doing with myself and my skills. There are people who work just to pay bills and that’s their only unfortunate goal/role. Some people  have families and need to provide for them. That goes without saying. Sometimes we get stuck in a loop of our own habits with even knowing it.

” our habits are invisible to us”

How do your Circles connect?

 This is where having a hobby or a craft comes in. Something that you can do in your pastime that can not really be a distraction but a SELF fulfilling activity that brings you joy.

Once you start to do it and do it well it will bring you the best satisfaction beyond any drug that’s out there. Also you can profit from your skill and you won’t mind doing so because its fun. I know I love to exercise and as soon as I get my qualifications I would love to profit from it. To quote the Joker in The Dark Knight, “If you are good at something never do for free”. Sounds selfish but at the same time it makes sense. Banks are good at saving our money (sometimes). So we pay for that service. We don’t have to profit monetarily from our potential.We can still but profit in other ways as in your own joy and happiness.

So working on a skill that you enjoy will reap benefits for years to come. Even if you don’t profit from it. The joy of doing something else than just being an automaton of waking up, driving to work and going home to your couch and doing the same cycle over and over again.

You know where the pieces fit..

Share your skills here and inspire others to do the same…

Dean

MAY DAY! (Interlude)

Hello Everyone! How is it going out there? Hope all is well with you and yours.

This is just a free write today nothing serious or structured. Also testing out my new look on my page. It has been almost a year since I have started blogging and just reflecting on things as they pass through my mind.

Keeping My Skills Sharp!

Since then I have been doing the school and work thing which is cool that I am learning something but time consuming at the same time. It’s still good and great to be learning a new skill. These skills will add and be what I need to secure the future I want.

2014 Right Around The Corner!

As the days get longer its time to get some fresh air and enjoy the world around. I for one will make it my travel as much as I can and see new things and explore my state and others. Summer is a great time to hang out with friends and make new ones.

Where to Go Next?

So friends tell me how is it going in your world and plans for the Summer and beyond? Feel free to share any thoughts in the Comment Box.

Dean Likes Your Feedback!!!

Peace!

Dean

Tips for Dealing with Eczema.

Hello every one and Happy Holidays! It looks like Spring is officially here and the Sun is beaming its pleasant rays on everyone. Today I want to get a little personal and talk about how to deal with Eczema. If you don’t know what it is click here to find out.

Basically its a rash that appears on parts or all over your body. Its frustrating, embarrassing and annoying. I have had it since I was a child and it comes and goes when it likes. Or so I thought. There was a time from the late 90’s to 2011 when it was non-existent. Then in the Fall of 2011 it came back with a vengeance. So bad I was out of work for almost a month and one trip to the Emergency Room at the VA (Veterans Affairs Hospital).

I went to a Dermatologist and all they wanted to do was treat it. I am not a conspiracy theorist but it seemed like they wanted to just medicate me and not really solve the problem. Why? Maybe to keep me coming and them employed? Keep the Pharmaceutical industry flowing? Who knows? The bottom line is I wanted to find the source of the problem.

Let me back track to the first flare up I had in the Fall of 2011. My doctor gave me a drug called Prednisone. It works by suppressing your immune system which lowers the effects of Eczema. Sounds like a good idea right? No! It worked at first but when it came back I end up at the Emergency Room at the VA. That’s what Prednisone does it leaves your system weaker; then more susceptible to your aliment. I can’t really blame my Doctor because he was stumped himself. He drew blood and checked it everything was ok.

After some careful meditation and thinking I went to an Allergist and explained to her the condition and what I WANTED  to do about it. My plan was clear, analyze my blood and see what is causing my skin to break out. This time my Allergist put me on a metered Prednisone regimen. Which included large then small doses while I waited for the results.Come to find I was allergic to a lot of things. Here is a small list if you know me you know I LOVE to eat and can bust down 2 or 3 plates of food and have room for Ice Cream and Apple Pie.

Here is the short list:

• Wheat
• Soy
• Milk
• Sesame
• Egg
• Pollen

I know you are thinking Damn Dean! What do you eat?!?! The answer is carefully! If you read food ingredients you will find out a lot of foods contain the first three items on that list. Sucks right? No more Ribs slathered in sauce, Hamburgers, Vanilla Ice Cream and Cake. All gone and no more. I live with it and found foods that contain NONE of my allergens.

So there are many morals to this story. One, don’t just get treated; find out the source of what making you sick. Two, Doctors sometimes don’t know everything. Finally, this one is for Parents especially sometimes you think that kids will “grow out” of certain things, that’s not the case. If you can get them looked at before it becomes something that gets out of control. I am leaving you with a list of some things that can cause Eczema and some ways to treat it.

COMMON “TRIGGERS”

• White Sugar/Refined Sugar
• Milk
• ALL SODAS
• Shrimp/Lobster
• CANDY
• DRINKS as Opposed to Juice (There is a difference)
• Citrus Fruits
• Polyester Materials
• Dust Mites and their Waste
• Pets
• Down Comforters
• Perfumes/Colognes
• Certain Soaps and Deodorants

Tips for Dealing and Healing

• Warm Showers
• Cetaphil Soap and Lotion
• Auqaphor Ointment
• ALL COTTON BEDDING!
• Washing Bedding in HOT Water.
• Cotton Clothing
• Wash Dishes with Neoprene Gloves

It’s a process of give and take some things may work some won’t. Also get a skin test and that will also determine what is making you ill.

That’s it for now!

Later,

Dean

Spring is Here!

Spring has Arrived!

Hello everyone! How are you all doing? Hope you all are doing well.

As you know Spring is here! Even though in NY it’s snowy but its time to shake off that winter vibe and embrace the new season. I for one had a bit of a tough winter  but that’s a story for another time.

What comes mind when i think about Spring.

But we are here to celebrate the warm weather and going outside more. Now it’s warm out there’s no excuse for getting that Six Pack you always wanted or that Banging Bikini Body. Which leads me to sharing some of my old posts about exercise and eating. Here they are in a cool order to read, so this will be great for new readers and a refresher for my old ones.

In here or outside to work of that Winter “Pudge”!

Read, Enjoy and Happy Spring Season to everyone!

1. Some Healthy Things to Think About
2. Breakfast! The King of Meals
3. Tools For Being Healthy & Fit
4. 100 Days of Yoga!

***Don’t forget to leave a Comment!***

Breakfast! The King of Meals

Hello everyone! I know it’s been a while since I’ve written anything, but I am around still here and living life to the fullest.

So today we are going to talk about one of my favorite meals; Breakfast! It’s the best way to start your morning and take on the opportunities of the day. What do you consider breakfast? A Full English? Dunkin Donuts? Hash Browns and Sausage?

Good ‘ol Full English Breakfast, Tasty Right?

These choices are all delicious, tasty and somewhat satisfying. I would love a Full English right about now! But is it really going to do me or YOU any good?

An even better breakfast!

Here are some of the benefits of a nutritious breakfast:

• A more nutritionally complete diet, higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals
• Improved concentration and performance in the classroom, boardroom and workplace
• More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity
• Lower cholesterol levels

(courtesy WebMD)

Here is an example I am going to share with you  of what I eat for breakfast. Try it, vary it, experiment with it! Give it a shot!

1 Apple/ Piece of Fruit

1 Cup Cereal

1 Cup Milk/Rice Milk/Soy Milk (Your choice)

See how simple it is? That meal powers and propels me through the day; and lunch (which is a light snack) is a booster for the remainder of the day albeit gym or class. The key is to eat to feel satisfied but not full and bloated, sluggish and wanting to sleep. You can vary this by Toast, Boiled Egg or even a piece of fruit alone.

Thanks once again for stopping by. Be patient and be on the lookout for more posts. Be easy and enjoy what you have!

Peace Dean