Thanks Jeff!

I had my doubts whether I'd post anything today .  .  .  Then this morning, Jeff called me and wanted to chat .  .  .  Jeff was in an introspective frame of mind, party because his butt has been parked on the sofa lately because he's dealing with the chest infection from Hell .  .  .  Hey Jeffy, sending good vibes!  Ten minutes into the conversation, I knew what I wanted to write about .  .  .

The topic is "Stuff" .  .  .  Have you ever seen the classic George Carlin routine dealing with "stuff"?  If you haven't, I'm including the video here .  .  .  it's brilliant!  However, the thing we were talking about made me think about all the needless, useless crap we all accumulate as we follow the routines of our lives .  .  .  We all do it, and then at some point we have a realization .  .  .  And then we try to simplify and unclutter, only to start the whole accumulation of stuff all over again at some point .  .  .  Is that just something that human beings are programmed to do?  Hmmm .  .  .  I hope you enjoy the video!  If Jeff hadn't called, you wouldn't be reading this, and you wouldn't have the chance to experience some of the comedic genius of George Carlin .  .  .  Ya gotta love how life works at times!

On another note, I wrote a few days ago about my ONE New Years Resolution, which is actually the first one I've EVER made .  .  .  My resolution is to drink more HtwoO in 2011 .  .  .  But, I'm going way out on a limb and will make a second resolution .  .  .  Which is, to do more stretching .  .  .  At the gym yesterday, I finished a little ahead of time, so stretching seemed like a good idea .  .  .  The truth is, it was sad and pathetic .  .  .  My hammies are as tight as a drum, my traps are rock hard, and I developed an ab cramp that was beyond belief .  .  .  So, getting back to some stretching and yoga is resolution #2 .  .  .  Can I handle two?  Hah!  Send good vibes my way so I can make this happen!

Happy New Year everyone!  And enjoy the late GC!!  And BTW, I was reminded yesterday of a great quote from Victor Hugo, while reading a blog about love .  .  .  Life is the flower, love is the nectar .  .  .  Think about it .  .  . 



Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time in 2011 .  .  .  Ciao!!

Ten (questionable) New Year's Resolutions

I'm not advocating any of these resolutions, but I AM recommending that you watch this video and laugh!

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Grateful . . .

This is the week for reflection .  .  .  So, let's reflect on gratitude, and what I'm grateful for from the year about to end .  .  .


1.  I'm sincerely, consciously grateful for my life .  .  .  


2.  The challenges .  .  .  We all have them .  .  .  Some complain, and some deal with them and learn .  .  .


3.  My family .  .  .  Not big, but high quality .  .  .  I'll take quality over quantity anytime .  .  .


4.  My friends .  .  .   I can't imagine having a group of more loyal people around me .  .  .


5.  2010 .  .  .  A GREAT year .  .  .  2011?  Even better baby!


6.  Steve in Oakville .  .  .  Hey Stevie, in 2011 I'm going to show up on your doorstep .  .  .  Just have that pool WARM, 'cause this Snake despises cold water!


7.  Blogs I enjoy reading .  .  .


8.  The angels .  .  .  


9.  My gym buds, especially the guys at Gold's in Tampa .  .  .


10.  Veronicafish .  .  .  Hoping you'll be writing regularly .  .  .


11.  The inner circle .  .  .


12.  The Journey, and all the life experiences that have brought me to this incredible place  .  .  .


13.  My intuition .  .  .


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!       

To resolve or not to resolve . . .

Tis the season for those annual resolutions .  .  .  I'll be completely honest .  .  .  I've never in my life made a New Year's resolution .  .  .  Not one, not ever .  .  .  Maybe that should change, so this time around I'm going to make just ONE .  .  .  Yeah, start small, and make it something where I'm guaranteed to keep it past January 3rd .  .  .


I was at the gym yesterday, and two people I chatted with brought up the whole resolution thing .  .  .  They were both quite set on giving up some "vices" .  .  .   Interesting that both used that word .  .  .   Vices .  .  .  Which made me think about MY vices .  .  .  Honestly, I have no desire to give them up .  .  .  I quite like them, and am quite attached to them .  .  .  So, I'll be more than happy to keep them for another year .  .  .  Life is beautiful baby!  And honestly, if a person's life is completely devoid of vices, doesn't that sound like a boring existence?

So, my one NYR going into 2011 is simple and boring, but highly achievable .  .  .  Virtually guaranteed to meet with 100% success .  .  .  Here it is .  .  .  I'm going to drink more water .  .  .  That's it and that's all .  .  .  Consume more HtwoO .  .  .  Eight twelve ounce glasses per day .  .  .  I know I have your moral support in making this work!   I can feel the good vibes coming my way .  .  .  

And now, what are YOUR resolutions?  Good luck with 'em, and remember, the fewer we have, the greater the chance of success .  .  .  

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Keep on Rockin' . . .

Neil Young .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Things that amazed me in 2010 . . .

Every year is full of surprises .  .  .  My list of amazing things, Snake-style .  .  .

1.  The stock market rally . . .  Who would have thought?

2.  How effective workout supplements can be .  .  .  Last December, I felt like I'd hit a wall in working out . . .  Couldn't get through it, over it, around it, under it .  .  .  So, Superpump 250 to the rescue .  .  .  and Cell Mass, and NO-XPLODE, and Pre-Surge Unleashed, and Plasma Jet .  .  .  Of course, not all at the same time!  But yes, they DO work, and they're all perfectly legal .  .  .  Nothing in that list is injectable .  .  .

3.  The exhorbitant price of supplements in Canada .  .  .  So, I buy everything online from an American outfit .  .  .  Ridiculously low cost compared to Canada .  .  . 

4.  How cold is can be in Fla in February .  .  .  I nearly froze at times .  .  .  The natives were driven to the edge of despair by the "Canadian" air .  .  .  Honestly, during the Olympics in Vancouver, it was warmer there than in St. Petersburg on occasion .  .  .  That isn't supposed to happen!  It can't have been that bad though, because I'm going back soon .  .  . 

5.  How much I've grown to love Southern Butternut Pecan coffee creme .  .  .  Hazelnut is a close second .  .  .   

6.  How addicting blogging can be at times .  .  .

7.  How unbelievably powerful the Spirits are at Bannock Point Petroforms .  .  .

8.  Did the Montreal Canadiens REALLY knock off the Caps and Penguins back to back in the spring?  Was I dreaming that?  Yes they did, and no I wasn't .  .  .  Les Canadiens sont la!!

9.  The Canada-USA final in Vancouver .  .  .  I watched the OT surrounded by Yanks chanting U-S-A who were really into it .  .  . So, I kept it a bit subdued when the good guys scored .  .  .  What a game it was!  The perfect way to cap off two great weeks in Vancouver .  .  .

10.  How incredibly frustrating it was to watch Olympic coverage only on NBC .  .  .  There's no TSN in Fla .  .  .  At one point, I threw a shoe at the television .  .  .  Quite unlike me for the most part .  .  .

11.  The power of the Tibetan singing bowl .  .  .

12.  How old-school I can be .  .  .  Don't have a cell phone .  .  .  Not on Facebook .  .  .  However, I might need to get a cell phone in '11, and all my friends who are on FB are constantly at me to take the plunge .  .  .  My reply?  Too many people from my past are trying to track me down .  .  .  I can't chance it!  Hah!! 

13.  That I've come to enjoy reading other peoples' blogs religiously .  .  .  There is some incredibly good stuff in Blogland, and I'm always on the prowl for new blogs that will entertain, enlighten, inspire .  .  .  My favorite blog may be the one I haven't yet found .  .  .         

I'm going to stop there, because for me, thirteen is a lucky number .  .  .

Life is beautiful (and amazing) baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

NOTHING like a good party!!

New Years Eve coming, and it's party time .  .  .  I've been at and hosted some great NYE parties, but .  .  .  The most memorable (not necessarily the best) was a Lonesome George party .  .  .  As in, "Lonesome" George Thorogood .  .  .  To get in, a person had to imbibe bourbon, Scotch and beer .  .  .  Only then could a person enter the inner sanctum of debauchery .  .  .  


OK, well .  .  .  My dominant thought about that party?  Thank God there were no cell phone cameras at that time in the evolution of technology .  .  .  It was wild .  .  .  Too many dark corners .  .  .  


So, in honor of that great occasion, here's a video that brings it all back (well, SOME of it) .  .  .





Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!!

The Story of Matt

New Year's Eve is only a few days away .  .  .  What are you planning out there in Blogland?

I mentioned Matt my masseur in my previous blog .  .  .  The story of how Matt and I were brought together is a good one .  .  .  One of those where it's clear to me that the Universe set in motion a series of synchronistic events to get us together, so he could fix my shoulder and then various other body parts that will kick up occasionally (I go the the gym regularly, and work hard, so you gotta know stuff is going to happen every so often) .  .  .  And at the same time, I could help him in a completely different way .  .  .

This goes back to April '07 .  .  .  During a workout, I felt a slight twinge in my right shoulder .  .  .  Nothing big, just a small something .  .  .  During the next couple of weeks, it was still there and getting slighty worse .  .  .  Still, no big thing .  .  .  YET!!  I kept on with my workouts, but was beginning to notice that I was having to work around it more and more .  .  .  By August, it was so bad I knew I had to shut it down for a while .  .  .  It was August 10th, a Friday, and I was standing looking at the pull up machine and thinking, This is completely insane!  Snake had better take a little time off .  .  .  I was leaving for Los Angeles the next day anyway for ten days, so by the time I return, it'll be better, right?  Wrong .  .  .  It actually got worse .  .  .  I was in more pain when I returned than when I left .  .  .

What to do?  I called a physio establishment nearby and set up an appointment .  .  .  Multiple appointments later, many dollars spent, and absolutely NO progress .  .  .  My range of motion is still restricted, the pain level hasn't decreased, and my frustration level is going through the roof .  .  .  Not only that, I didn't like the physio at all .  .  .  She was cold, and I felt, more than a little uncaring about my anatomical dilemma .  .  .  I bailed out of that, and was left wondering, What now??

One day not long after that, I'm sitting in my office at the end of the day .  .  .  Time to go home .  .  .  I picked up my briefcase to leave, and then a thought came literally out of nowhere .  .  .  Why not call my good friend Steve in Oakville?  So, that's what happened .  .  .  Steve answered and we were chatting, and the conversation eventually got around to my shoulder, and my frustration and not really knowing what route to go with it .  .  .  Just at that moment, a colleague named Kristin walked into my office to use a computer, as her's was doing some funky things and was unusable .  .  .  Kristin is a dancer, and is always getting therapy for her back .  .  .  After Steve and I said goodbye, she said, I know a great therapist who does wonders for my back, and I'm sure he can help you .  .  .  I called right then and was able to get in to see Matt two days hence .  .  . 

Sitting in the waiting room, Matt walked out to greet me and take me into the room .  .  .  We've all experienced what happened right then .  .  .  As soon as I set eyes on Matt, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this person will be able to help me .  .  .  You know when the vibe is just that strong?  We've all been in situations like that .  .  .  Matt did his diagnostic thing for about ten minutes, and then said, I know what's wrong with your shoulder?  I asked, What?  His response .  .  .  Everything!  Then he laughed and said, this thing is really f'ed up .  .  .  And then he listed five things that needed fixing in descending order of significance .  .  .  And he started to work right then on making things right .  .  .  Matt promised me three things .  .  .  One, he can fix me .  .  .  Two, it will take at least three weeks with three appointments per week .  .  .  And three, it's really going to hurt!  My God, did it hurt!  He got into places in my shoulder and armpit that had me tearing up occasionally from the pain, but it had to be done .  .  .  This was as deep as deep tissue massage gets .  .  .  The good thing was that as soon as he stopped, the pain stopped .  .  .  Not only did he fix me, but we had some terrific conversations about life and relationships and reality and so on .  .  .  I was able to give him some insight into things going on in his life while he was fixing me .  .  .  So, it was win-win .  .  .

Once that issue was dealt with, I continued to see Matt for this and that, and he always made it better .  .  .  So what is the point of all this?  As I said earlier, the Universe conspired to get Matt and I together .  .  .  Why?  I needed something from him, and he needed something from me, and neither of us knew it .  .  .  That's how synchronicity works .  .  .  I don't believe in "coincidences" .  .  .  I do however believe in synchronistic events .  .  .   And this a perfect example of that .  .  .  What if the thought to call Steve in Oakville hadn't come out of nowhere?  What if he hadn't answered and we didn't have the conversation?  What if Kristin's computer hadn't been misbehaving, and she hadn't come into my office to use mine?  What if she hadn't come in at exactly the moment she did, while I was telling Steve about my shoulder issue?  What if, what if, what if .  .  .  That's synchronicty (not coincidence!) at work .  .  .  And then, after all those "what ifs", Matt gave me what I needed and I gave him what he needed .  .  .  Sometimes, people parachute into our lives out of nowhere in a sense, and they end up having a profound effect on us .  .  .  Blindsided by synchronistic events .  .  .  When I meet someone, I always assume that this person could end up being crucial to some aspect of my life, and of course, vice versa .  .  .

So that is the story of how Matt and I came to be .  .  .  And, since the fall of  '07, I've told several people about Matt, and those who took me up on it sing his praises .  .  .  Don't you love how life works at times?

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Here we are . . .

Another Boxing Day, the stores are packed with bargain hunters, and I can't imagine anywhere I'd less enjoy being .  .  .  Best Buy will just have to get through another BD without this Snake . . .  So, I'm right here listening to an internet bluegrass station as I write this post .  .  .  I'll get the urge to listen to some bluegrass maybe twice a year, and today is one of those .  .  . 


I always tend to become somewhat reflective as we move into the last week of the year .  .  .  No doubt that's very common for people to do .  .  .  The one thing that I feel is a deep sense of gratitude to have the life I have .  .  .  Not that 2010 has been without challenges, but everything has played out as it should, and life is beautiful baby!  It's a mindset that we can all develop, but sadly, many don't .  .  .




Gratitude is the mother of all emotions .  .  .  When we're sincerely, consciously grateful, everything else is enriched and things just flow a lot more easily .  .  .  There is so much to be grateful for .  .  .  Unfortunately, so many people simply take those things for granted and tend to fixate on what isn't working out in their lives .  .  .  It all comes down to perspective .  .  .  What is our world view?  What is our personal reality?


One of the things I'm grateful for is having the opportunity to maintain this blog .  .  .  In many countries, I couldn't do this .  .  .  Our freedom should never be taken for granted, because it can slip away right under our noses, something like the death of the thousand cuts .  .  .  It amazes me sometimes that this technology exists, which allows me and others to speak literally to the world .  .  .  And I'm so grateful to be able to read the blogs created by some very talented people .  .  . 


When I started this thing in April '09, I had no idea how it would unfold or how many hits it would get .  .  .  All I knew was that it would have a focus on a particular, crucial aspect of my life and being .  .  .  I wouldn't talk about politics, I'd leave out the X-rated parts of my life, and so on .  .  .  I put that stuff in my other blogs .  .  .  I know, you think I'm kidding .  .  .  Or do you?   


It's been a terrific year, and I wouldn't change a thing .  .  .  I'm looking forward to a great 2011 and traveling further down this path .  .  .  Yes, there will be some ups and downs here and there, but I'll embrace it all and try to learn more lessons from whatever the Universe throws in my path .  .  .  Everything and everyone is a teacher .  .  .  The Universe speaks to us all in a myriad of ways, but not everyone is listening .  .  .


Oh, and by the way, I REALLY need a massage!  Time to call Matt and set that up .  .  .  If anyone wants the name of a terrific masseur, I have one for you!! 


Life is beautiful baby!!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!




   

Couldn't resist . . .

Perhaps I should apologize for posting this pic of Naked Santa .  .  .  But, I'm not going to!  Hah!


I saw this yesterday, and really, how could I not use it?  I know, some of you are probably thinking this just might be a shot of ol' Snake .  .  .  Nah, it isn't .  .  .  That's me on the left, looking slightly reptilian .  .  .  Much better looking, don't you think?  Come to think of it though, Santa does bear a slight facial resemblance to one of my older Gold's Gym buds in Fla .  .  .  Hey Scottie, I'll see you soon! 


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

L'air III

Well then, this entry was not in the cards earlier today .  .  .  As a matter of fact, I had no intention of writing anything until next week .  .  . 

For those keeping track, I've dedicated two entries to my great friend L'air, who was given as little as two days to live in early November .  .  .  I go to see L'air regularly, and he's making great progress .  .  .  He isn't ready to go home anytime soon, and there are still some serious issues, but .  .  .  He's alive to see another Christmas, which was the longest of long shots seven weeks ago .  .  .

This is real life .  .  .  Real life and death .  .  . 

I saw L'air this morning, and was blown away by the progress he's made since Sunday .  .  .  Definitely a terrific Christmas present for friends and family .  .  .  Christmas, to me, is as much about rebirth as anything else .  .  .  Rebirth can have many connotations .  .  .  In this case, it's a rebirth for L'air, even if he passes next week .  .  .  I'm not a Buddhist per se, but I do wholeheartedly subscribe to this .  .  .  We die daily, and are reborn daily .  .  .  L'air has been reborn, and so have others who are close to him and have witnessed what might, in all honesty, be described as a miracle .  .  .

Fast forward to a couple of hours ago .  .  .  I was at the gym (a cardio day), and I couldn't stop thinking about L'air .  .  .  When I think of him and what he's overcome, I can't help but feel a sense of awe, and people need to hear the story .  .  .

I'm going to throw this out there as well .  .  .  I believe in distance healing, and so does L'air .  .  .  And, I have some friends who are pretty well connected to the Universe, and we've been doing our best to help things along .  .  .  If someone thinks that's crap, well, I'll just say, your view of the true reality doesn't mesh with mine .  .  .  And that's OK, because there are levels of reality and consciousness, and we all understand them differently .  .  .

So my friends, L'air has survived, and based upon that, we should all understand that there is always hope!!

Life is beautiful baby!!



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!   

Merry Christmas!!

Time for Snake to take his Christmas break .  .  .  Things are getting very busy!

To all those who take time to stop by this blog, I wish you the best of the Season!  Thanks for reading what I have to say .  .  .   And, thank you to all the people whose blogs I enjoy reading!  There are some very talented writers out there .  .  .

If you're like me, you get a little tired of all the traditional Christmas music we hear endlessly .  .  .  So, here's one to make you laugh a little .  .  .

Life is beautiful baby!!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Can we wrap up empathy and put it under the tree?

There are plenty of attributes we'd hope to find in an emotionally healthy human being .  .  .  Gratitude, ability to love, work ethic, balance, communication skills, and on and on .  .  .   But, high up on this list should be empathy, the ability to walk a mile in anothers shoes .  .  .   This seems to be second nature to many, but completely anathema to more than a few .  .  .


I've always been fascinated by human nature .  .  .  


Empathy .  .  .  To take the time to listen, feel, and understand another person's view and emotional state .  .  .


It all goes back to a very basic psychological precept .  .  .  Thoughts drive emotions, which in turn drive behaviors .  .  .  What is the other person thinking?  What are they feeling?  And, why do they do what they do? 


My opinion?  There's a profound lack of empathy in society .  .  .  


Let's face it .  .  .  Life can be very hard for many, and if that's us, we become so wrapped up in our own survival (and our family's), and we have very little time and energy to feel what others are feeling .  .  .


But, if we simply stop and listen to what others are saying, and imagine what they might be feeling, and why they behave the way they do, we are doing our little bit in our tiny corner of the Universe to make this a better place, a better life, a better existence for all .  .  .




Tis the season!!


Never doubt the power of ONE .  .  .  Which is you and me .  .  .


And now, I'm off to a surprise birthday party where I'm the official photographer and videographer .  .  .  Baby, THAT'S pressure .  .  .

Life is beautiful .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

White Christmas . . . Jim Carrey

What Christmas is complete without a rendition of White Christmas?  And by a fellow Canadian, no less!  But really, Bing doesn't have much to worry about .  .  .  It's hilarious though, so have a good time!

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Does Rudolph get too much pub?

Obviously, Vixen thinks so!

Life is beautiful .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Christmas All Over Again!!!

My favorite rock Christmas song .  .  .  Tom Petty .  .  .


Life is beautiful baby!





Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

L'air II

Websters definitions of "miracle" .  .  .

"An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs"



"An extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment"

I'm still not sure what a miracle would be .  .  .  DNA apparently regulates all of our life functions, but we don't know how .  .  .  Is that a miracle?   Light is a constant in our lives, but the more we study it with the newest and best technology, the more mysterious it becomes .  .  .  Is that a miracle?  When I plug in a lamp, and then turn the switch, the light illuminates .  .  .  Is THAT a miracle?

When I first saw L'air in the hospital on Sunday, November 7th, it was with the knowledge that he had days, if not hours .  .  .  L'air was semi-coherent, and drifting from lucidity to out there and back to lucidity .  .  . 

L'air was lying on his right side .  .  .  I pulled up a chair and sat nose to nose, probably 18 inches away .  .  .  I was conscious of three things .  .  .  One, this could be the last time .  .  .  Two, this interaction is going to be directed from a higher source .  .  .  Three, we kept eye contact throughout our entire conversation .  .  .

When I walked out of that rooom an hour later, I knew beyond a doubt, THERE IS HOPE .  .  .  It was a message from the Universe .  .  .  So, I and the inner circle have done all we can to make it happen .  .  .  And it IS happening .  .  .

L'air is surviving and more! 

OK then, is this a miracle unfolding?  Do I have a front row seat?  Just yesterday, one of the doctors told L'air that he and the medical people have no idea how he's survived .  .  .  It's beyond anything they could have imagined .  .  .

Miracle?

Life is beautiful baby!

L'air would love this video .  .  .



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Let's reinforce a stereotype . . .

Within every stereotype is a layer of truth .  .  . 

This video is hilarious .  .  .

I'm going to send this to every woman I know!  They'll nod and laugh .  .  . 

And in case you're wondering, YES, I do know my way around a Dirt Devil .  .  .  And an iron, and washing machine and dryer and dishwasher and dust cloth and anything else that a domicile requires .  .  .

But, I DO prefer a chainsaw .  .  .  Hah!

Life is beautiful!



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Breathing for Life II

How we breathe can and does have a significant effect on every aspect of our lives .  .  .  If we are inefficient, shallow breathers, we pay a price physically and psychologically .  .  .  If we are diaphragmatic breathers, we reap the benefits .  .  .

A more specialized breathing technique is called Alternate Nostril Breathing .  .  .  ANB can be practiced for three to five minutes at a time, as often as one likes .  .  .  I've taught this to many people, and it is quite simply one of the best ways to calm and energize at once .  .  .

Some simple anatomy and physiology .  .  .  Our brains have a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere .  .  .  Generally, the left is considered the "male" or "sympathetic" side .  .  .  The right is the "female", or "parasympathetic" side .  .  .  The hemispheres function with a certain amount of coordination, but at any one time, one hemisphere or the other is more active or dominant .  .  .  This dominance moves back and forth between left and right every half-hour to two hours .  .  .

How do we know which half is dominating at any one time?  If we inhale through one nostril at a time, we will find that one is more open than the other .  .  .  If the left nostril is more open, then the right hemisphere is more active at that time .  .  .  If we check back in an hour or two, it quite likely will have reversed .  .  .   This goes on constantly, and we don't even know it .  .  . 

Here's the point .  .  .  ANB is a simple technique which brings the two hemispheres into greater harmony, allowing them to communicate with each other more efficiently .  .  .  This results in clearer thinking, calmness, reduced anxiety, a feeling of energization, more complete removal of waste from the lungs, and so on .  .  .  Speaking personally, this is something I've been using for years, and can vouch for its effectiveness .  .  .

This video very clearly explains the mechanics of ANB .  .  .  Take a look and give it a try .  .  .  It works!!

Life is beautiful baby!



Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!   

Breathing for Life . . .

Do you know how to breathe?  Silly question, huh?


We breath thousands of times each day .  .  .  Each person will take between 15000 and 20000 breaths in 24 hours .  .  .  So, we all know how to breathe, right?  We inhale, we exhale, repeat, repeat, repeat .  .  .  Pretty easy .  .  .   The truth is, however, most people have no idea of proper breathing technique .  .  .  Proper breathing technique has profoundly positive physical and psychological benefits .  .  .  It helps to calm the mind, removes toxins from the body more efficiently, energizes mind and body, promotes better sleep, stimulates the immune system, decreases stress, harmonizes energy flow (prana) throughout the body .  .  .  There is no downside to proper breathing .  .  .


I've taught proper breathing and also some other specific breathing techniques to many people, and they all report positive benefits if they stay with the program .  .  .  Like anything else, it takes time for the benefits to accrue, but it's well worth taking that time .  .  .  And, it's painfully simple!    


Let's begin with the most basic of breathing .  .  .  Lie down on your back, close the eyes and relax .  .  .  Place the right hand on the abdomen with the palm centered over the belly button .  .  .  Inhale long and slow (3-5 seconds), first feeling the upper lungs filling in the collar bone area, then the rib cage expanding, and finally the abdomen rising .  .  .  The right hand will rise as the abdomen expands .  .  .  Hold that for a bit, then exhale feeling the abdomen pull back, then the rib cage dropping back, and then the upper chest dropping back .  .  .  Hold for a second or two, then repeat .  .  .  This is diaphragmatic breathing, the most efficient way to breathe .  .  .  This can be done for five minutes anytime, such as upon waking, before going to sleep, and anytime in between .  .  .  And, once we have the pattern down, we can do it sitting or standing anywhere we are .  .  .   Once we've practiced this for a period, it will become our normal way of breathing at all times .  .  .  Most people are shallow breathers, meaning they inhale into the upper chest only .  .  .  This is very inefficient, and is like driving a car with its air intake restricted .  .  .  It isn't going to work as well!  And neither do we if we are inefficient in the most basic thing we ever do, which is breathing .  .  .


Try it out, and keep practicing, and reap the benefits!  More to come on this topic .  .  .


Life is beautiful baby!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!     

'Tis the season to . . .

.  .  .  stop worrying!

Do you know someone who is lost in worry and anxiety?  Is it rational?  Is it logical?  Has their worry ever led to a positive outcome, to whatever it is they worry about?  That's rhetorical BTW, because we all know the correct answer .  .  .

I had a conversation with a young woman at the gym on Tuesday that really got me back to thinking about worry .  .  .  Hence, this blog entry .  .  .

I'm not going to say anything more for now, except .  .  .

Take a couple of minutes and check out this video .  .  . 

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Hello Croatia!!

The significance of the title will become evident if you simply keep reading .  .  .


When I started this blog in April 2009, I really had no idea what it would amount to, or how far it would go, and how long .  .  .  Here we are twenty months in and it's still truckin' along, albeit with a few short breaks hear and there, and one rather extended hiatus .  .  .  A part of me is somewhat surprised it's still here, but then again, on the other hand, I'm not surprised at all .  .  .  That's called duality .  .  .


It can honestly be said that this blog is inspired .  .  .  And by that, I don't mean it's exceptionally good .  .  .  "Inspired" in this case means I've felt inspired to write every entry in some way, shape, or form .  .  .  Every one of them is from the heart .  .  .  What you see and read is what you get .  .  .  That's me .  .  .  Take it or leave it .  .  .  No phoniness, no contriving, no making s*** up .  .  .  This blog is a piece of me, as much as my left arm .  .  .  Many entries have been written after meditation when I'm trippin' on a few levels .  .  .  Many have been written out of nowhere, meaning, I don't plan any particular thing to write about with much deliberation .  .  .  It just happens with some inspiration from a higher source .  .  .  The beauty of it is, it's often a complete surprise to me how an entry turns out .  .  .  

I haven't planned the breaks I've taken for the most part, and that LONG interlude from Feb. 9th until Oct. 12th shocked me, in a sense .  .  .  When I posted Dem Saints in February while spending an extended time in Florida, I had absolutely no idea I would be gone until October .  .  .   Looking back, I simply lost the inspiration to write anything .  .  .  Not feeling the love, and stuff was happening .  .  .  It wasn't a case of writer's block, it was just that there was NO desire to write .  .  .  No doubt, that's not uncommon .  .  .  And honestly, with every entry, my feeling is, this should be the last .  .  .   


I truly enjoy reading other blogs, and finding new ones covering any and all subjects .  .  .  The writing process fascinates me, and there are as many approaches to writing as there are people who write .  .  .  I'd love to sit in a room with people whose blogs I find very stimulating and entertaining and just talk about how we all approach things in a writing sense .  .  .  It would be highly educational for me, and I think also very enlightening, because my guess is our approach to writing mirrors our approach to life in many ways .  .  .  Writing can be a great voyage of self-discovery .  .  .  There are people who I know or who I've come across, and I've encouraged them to do some writing .  .  .  Some have done it, and some not .  .  .  Strictly up to them .  .  .  It's important though to reach out and plants seeds .  .  .  The nice thing about the internet is that we can be as anonymous or as out there as we'd like .  .  .

Only yesterday did I realize that I can see where the traffic is coming from to this blog .  .  .  That's very cool .  .  .  Not only are there readers in North America, but also in the UK, Germany, China, Russia, Denmark, South Korea, Slovakia, Singapore, Poland, Holland, Belgium, France, and Croatia .  .  .  Hello Croatia!!  But, where's the Middle East exposure?  Where are you Israel and Egypt?  And how about the South Asian sub-continent?  Where are you India?  Maybe one day .  .  .  

Not only does this blog give me an outlet to speak from my heart, but it also permits reaching out to a big world (or is that a small world?) in a way only made possible by some incredible technology .  .  .  Within my inner circle of friends and family, I can count on three fingers the ones who know about this blog .  .  .  Whether they ever read it or not, I have no idea .  .  .  But, they're sworn to secrecy and I know it's in the vault .  .  .

Hey, thanks to all who take a few minutes here and there to check in and read what Snake has to say .  .  .  and if you ever want to send an e-mail my way to say hello, by all means feel free .  .  .  Ask a question if you like .  .  .  This Snake is very friendly and welcoming, and most definitely doesn't bite!  I'm right here in my tiny corner of cyberspace .  .  . 

As a gift to my brothers and sisters, here's a video of one of my favorite songs of all time .  .  .  The vibe is warm and rockin' .  .  .  Crank it up!  Let's meet on the Road to Shamballa!!

Life is beautiful baby!  







Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!  

Let's laugh . . .

We need to laugh more, don't you think?  

Mitch Hedberg was a standup comedian with a quirky sense of humor and a unique delivery .  .  .  Sadly, he passed in 2005 from a drug overdose .  .  .  But, he left us some VERY funny material, and a lot of it is on Youtube .  .  .  So, take a couple of minutes and enjoy this clip .  .  .  Very funny!!

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Blindsided

Remember the last time you felt like you'd been run over by a six ton Greyhound bus?  Did you get the license number?

We've all been there .  .  .  I remember a certain hockey game .  .  .  I was sixteen, a teammate was passing me the puck, it was just about to touch my stick and .  .  .  The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back looking up into a combination of blackness and exploding light .  .  .  NOT a good experience .  .  .  It reminds me of an old expression .  .  .  If I knew what was REALLY going to happen today, I might never get out of bed!

However, I'm not so much talking about that kind of thing .  .  .  It's more of an emotional experience I'm referring to .  .  .  We get blindsided emotionally from time to time .  .  .  Sometimes good, and sometimes not .  .  .  And, there are times when events and the accompanying emotions are catalysts for change in our lives .  .  .   And often, we don't even realize at that point that change might be necessary until well after the fact .  .  .  But, someone parachutes in, seemingly out of nowhere, and things begin to go in a different direction .  .  .

I go back to 2001 .  .  .  A man named Denis suddenly appeared in my then workplace as a replacement for a colleague who had become quite ill .  .  .  Some people didn't care for him, and I could never understand why .  .  .  Denis and I became very good friends from the get go, and it was completely out of the blue .  .  .  I was having a difficult time with a few things at that period in my life .  .  .  Nothing traumatic, but some things had to be worked through and I was doing that .  .  .  But Denis was the one who said a few things and exhibited some behaviors that put me over the top in a sense .  .  .  I'm a great believer in synchronicity .  .  .  Was it preordained that we meet the way we did, and that he would be the catalyst I needed at that point?  I have some definite views on that .  .  .

Yes, I believe that if we're open to the Universe and its messages, we're going to receive those messages all the time .  .  .  They could take any number of forms, but they happen .  .  .  I've seen it over and over .  .  .  And, they can blindside us .  .  .  Just, BANG!  Here's a message for you Sport .  .  .  You'd better be listening to it!  And I know I've been the catalyst in other peoples' lives now and again, and they didn't see it coming in any way, shape, or form .  .  . 

So, the point is this .  .  .  Be OPEN to the messages we're being sent .  .  .  Don't run away from them, or minimize them, or ignore them .  .  .  Listen to the inner voice of intuition .  .  .  It's usually right, and often coming from a higher source!

Life is beautiful baby!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Gym Rat

I've been a lot of things in this lifetime, and one of them is a gym rat .  .  .  And I say that with pride!  GYM RAT!!  I absolutely love working out, and get to the gym five or six times a week .  .  .  And, I consider myself VERY fortunate to enjoy it so much, both lifting and cardio (I really do need to do more stretching, but what guy likes to stretch?) .  .  .  Because, so many people despise exercise of any kind, and if we look around, we can see pretty quickly which ones they are .  .  .  I'm six feet, one eighty, and have been blessed with some great genes .  .  .  However, I still work my butt off at the gym, and hope I'll be able to continue that until my last day .  .  .


We're getting close to New Years Resolution time .  .  .  What's on YOUR list?  Maybe you already have some kind of regular fitness routine .  .  .  If so, congrats and keep it up!  If not, well .  .  .  You might want to think about it .  .  .  Because, we can give ourselves some terrific gifts, and one of the greatest is the gift of feeling good!  And, that is a happy byproduct of getting fit and then maintaining what we've worked hard to accomplish .  .  .   You don't have to kill yourself .  .  .  Slow and steady wins the race!  Avoiding injury is key, so be smart about it .  .  .


So choose something, ANYTHING, that eventually gets you to where you want to be .  .  .  Make it fun, but still strenuous enough to gain some benefit over time .  .  .  Your quality of life is hanging in the balance!  OK, that might be a little strong, but quality of life is SO important .  .  .  And when we feel good, everything else improves along with that .  .  .  And, do you know that many studies show that exercise is just as effective, if not more so, for many people than prescription medication for things like depression and anxiety?

A note especially for the ladies .  .  .  Adding some weight/resistance training has nothing but positive results .  .  .  Not only will it tone and define the muscles (and will NOT create bulkiness, so no worries there), but it will also strengthen the bones by stimulating them to absorb calcium .  .  .  Keeping osteoporosis at bay is so crucial!  It's never too soon to start .  .  .   And BTW, yoga can also strengthen upper body musculature and bones .  .  .  The key is to find something we like and that's fun .  .  .  There are plenty of fitness options out there .  .  .


So let's get that onto our Resolution List for 2011, and keep it there .  .  .

Life is beautiful baby!




Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

Life is for the living . . .

 Life is what it is .  .  .  But, what IS it?!

We've all experienced joy, sadness, and everything in between .  .  .  What is life, except a kaleidoscope (and at times a roller coaster) of experiences and emotions?   With every experience comes a plethora of emotions, and it's the emotions which make events memorable .  .  .   The more intense the emotions, the more vivid the memory, whether good or not so good .  .  .

This time of year can be a challenge for many .  .  .  And, that includes ol' Snake .  .  .  Four very dear friends have passed during the holiday season within the last eight years, and that timing makes the feeling of loss seem just a bit more intense .  .  .  The most recent was last Christmas Eve .  .  .  A car accident on an icy highway after a family dinner .  .  .  

However, this blog is NOT about sadness and morbidity .  .  .  That isn't what life should be .  .  .  After all, we are all born, and we all will pass .  .  .  It's an inevitability for all of us .  .  .

My opinion, and mine only .  .  .  Live, laugh, love, be happy, be positive, don't look back, make a difference, see the Divine beauty in others (even if they can't see it in themselves), live as though we are here to make others' lives easier, enjoy the moment, avoid self-pity, be consciously grateful for all we have, put a smile on your face, and someone else's as a result, wish the best for all human beings, understand that events don't always play out as we would like, and when we would like .  .  .  And, when someone close to us passes, we can honor them by becoming more like them .  .  .  

We can't bring anyone back to join us .  .  .  Gone is gone .  .  .  We can, however, carry them in our hearts .  .  .  Their memory, their being, their spirit .  .  .  If we do that, they live on and we honor them .  .  .  And, we should smile and laugh and celebrate in their remembrance .  .  .

I'm not Jewish, but I have no doubt I was in another lifetime .  .  .  Hasidic Jews believe that celebrating, and laughing, and dancing, and experiencing joy takes us closer to God (whatever that concept means to us) .  .  .  Melancholy is to avoided .  .  .  That's a GREAT image .  .  .  So, in that vein, lets sing and dance and celebrate being ALIVE!  And MEAN IT!!

Life is beautiful baby!!

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

 

 

L'air . . .

Larry is a great buddy, but we call him L'air .  .  .  A former girlfriend gave him that name, and it's stuck .  .  .  None of the inner circle call him Larry .  .  .


L'air has been hospitalized since mid-October .  .  .  He was given three weeks to live, then we were told three days to a week .  .  .  And finally, he won't last the weekend .  .  .  That was early November .  .  .


Can you imagine?  L'air is still with us, and making progress at a rate no one, and I mean NO ONE, could have predicted, without being considered a Pollyanna .  .  .  But survive he has, and we continue to see positive signs day by day .  .  .  The latest?  He's getting physio daily, and has been told he needs to go to a different facility, because the one he's in now doesn't have the ability to meet his level of progress .  .  .

Think about this .  .  .  A person is told he/she has a 5% chance of survival .  .  .  How does that news resonate in the psyche?  Truth is, it means in cold hard probability that 95% of people in a similar position don't make it .  .  .  But, and this is the kicker, 5% DO MAKE IT!!  Somebody has to be in that 5%, so why NOT L'air?  And people like him?  There is always hope, tempered with a dose of reality .  .  . 

Life is beautiful baby!!  

Continue to think beautiful thoughts, and let the rest take care of itself .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Twenty years . . .

Every human being has defining moments, and defining experiences, and defining periods of time .  .  .  So many people wish to be able to go back, to be younger, to be that fresh faced twenty-five year old again  .  .  . 

If the Archangel Gabriel taps me on the shoulder and says, Hey Snake, wanna be twenty years younger?  We can make it happen!  All you have to say is, Yes .  .  .

Would I do it?  Would ol' Snake want to take twenty off the top?  In a nanosecond, NO .  .  .  I don't want to be anything but what I am, and where I am, and WHEN I am,  because .  .  .  Life is beautiful baby!  

With twenty years gone, that would mean I'd miss the 60's .  .  . The SIXTIES!!  Truly, the decade that most defines where we are right now as a society, and as a world .  .  .  The 60's turned everything on its head .  .  .  Again and again .  .  .  

The great promise of 1960 .  .  .  The upheaval of 1969 .  .  .  And everything in between .  .  .  The Kennedys, Martin Luther King, civil rights, Jim Brown, Selma, the Mick,  Motown music, Vietnam, the Beatles, Nikita Khrushchev, the Yankee dynasty ending, the Six Day War, TM, Moshe Dayan, assassinations, Sandy Koufax, Cuban missile crisis, bomb shelters, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Timothy Leary, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Tony C, my first girlfriend in the 4th grade, Joe Willie Namath, the Berlin Wall, Fidel Castro, Rolling Stones, the summer of love, the Rat Pack, Mississippi burning, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, flowers in your hair, acid, Johnny U, San Francisco in '67, Charles Manson, Abbey Road, Ed Sullivan, Marilyn Monroe, man on the moon in '69, Let It Bleed, Pierre Trudeau, Mrs. Robinson, the Doors .  .  .  The list is endless!  What decade it was, and I was lucky enough to see it all .  .  .

To my mind, the single ongoing event that galvanized a generation in that decade was the Vietnam War, and it did it worldwide .  .  .  And the song that has become attached to it, rightly or not, is The End, beautifully and brilliantly and disturbingly used by Francis Ford Coppola in Apocalypse Now .  .  .

Peace and love .  .  .

Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!! 

Law and Order . . . Texas Style!

First, let me make two things very clear .  .  .  One, I'm as much in favor of law and order as the next guy .  .  .  And two, I've been to Texas a few times and have always enjoyed it .  .  .  I have nothing whatsoever against Texas .  .  .  But, this story falls into the category of, What on earth were they thinking?!  This is hard ass, if I've ever seen hard ass .  .  .  


Take a look at this, and if you don't agree it's hard ass, then you and I just don't perceive reality quite the same way .  .  .  Maybe they could use a little more peace and love in Baytown, Texas .  .  .





I mean, seriously .  .  .  Putting someone in jail because of library books?  Ouch!


Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!

June, Ruth, Anita . . .

The Pointer Sisters .  .  .


Sadly, June has passed too soon .  .  .


A Christmas classic .  .  .





Peace and love .  .  .


Until next time .  .  .  Ciao!!