Tag Archives: health

by | May 25, 2016 · 8:11 am

Who are you allowing into your home?

Business person looking at wall with light tunnel opening

There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. “Ubuntu” is an ancient African term meaning  ‘humanity to others’ because it is those “others” who have made you into that individual who you are.

It means the persons you surround yourself with make you into the person who you are. The village, the individual and the tribe are ONE. So it is worth reflecting on who those five people are who you are letting into your “house.”

Who is supporting and uplifting you?

It will determine how upbeat, optimistic, healthy and successful you are. Are you surrounded by people who are supportive of you on your soul path or do you have people around you who use every opportunity to pull you down?

It is worth reflecting every now and then on those five people who really appreciate and serve you. As you disassociate and realign yourself you will inevitably be confronted by push back.

Is your guest trampling all over your carpet?

So how do I determine who is good for me and who isn’t?  How do I know that the person I let into my home is not going to “trample over my clean white carpet with dirty feet?”

And, it’s basically quite simple:

  • Do you constantly feel drained and emotionally exhausted after spending time with a particular person or a group of people?
  • Have you had this feeling for some time that a relationship is one-sided?
  • Are your conversations with that person or persons centered mainly around negative issues?

If so, it is high time to start disassociating yourself and to move on.

Surround people who emanate kindness and good energy

Open yourself to those people, who, when entering a room, emanate an aura of good energy. I admit those people are few and far between. Most of us are so preoccupied with our own baggage and issues that we no longer notice the true nature of the people around us. True, we cannot always be upbeat. That is not what life is about. Its how we deal on a day to day basis with our ups and downs in the knowledge that nothing stays permanent.

Life is impermanent

All great teachers of Mysticism will tell you that the art of happiness is the ability and wisdom to accept life’s preciousness in the here and now. Impermanence is one of life’s great lessons. Ask anyone who has suddenly lost a loved one, gone through a traumatic divorce or been confronted with a life-changing situation, like losing all one’s savings on the stock market.

The only truth is that life is a constant flow of yin and yang, birth and death, light and shadow, good and evil, expansion and withdrawal. Sorrow, grief, and despair are as much part of life as happiness, joy and exultation or loss and abundance. The discipline of the inner mind and thought process by means of meditation, the body arts or other rituals will help us deal with this ebb and flow.

What we can control is the practice of mind-setting, the choice of the people we surround ourselves with and who we invite into “our holy chambers.”

Reino Gevers – Author, Mentor, and Consultant

(Read more on this topic in my new book “Deep Walking for Body Mind and Soul” Ebook scheduled for publication by Morgan James in New York on May 5th, 2020. Printed edition scheduled for the major outlets in August 2020)

https://www.reinogevers.com

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by | May 4, 2016 · 3:21 pm

Employee vitality – the human factor

Happiness and joy. Young happy female

Its a common fallacy that technology alone and the cost factor are key ingredients on the global corporate playing field. Yet when looking at highly successful companies its the vitality and positive-mindset of its people who have that slight but crucial edge.

These are the corporates with a high stress resilience in rough times, open to innovation and change and who go into positive resonance with clients.

The mindset of key players in a company is crucial. This means having a permanent learning culture of self-development, reflection and positive feedback. Investment in the well-being of employees makes itself paid on all levels.

As the lines between work, family and leisure time become increasingly blurred in the digital world of today, it is all the more necessary to keep in mind essential human needs. We are social animals who feel a great need to interconnect positively with those immediately around us. It gives us a feeling of safety and security because humans have depended on each other for survival since the earliest of times.

Old style management that leads with fear and intimidation creates an environment that stifles all form of healthy human communication, inevitably stirring basic human survival instincts that lead to mobbing, burnout and other psychological fallouts. On the long-run companies that rule by fear are doomed.

A healthy work environment has room for recuperation phases and encourages them. There needs to be a healthy cycle between intensive work sessions, times of stress and rest periods. Its old school thinking not to include private issues at the work place. Immediate colleagues are often the first support network we fall back on when we have tough times at home. So how do you create a healthy corporate culture?

  • Its a long-term learning process. Supervisors and managers need  to keep their ears close to the ground in addressing the needs of their employees. Listening is one of the most important yet least found ingredients among leaders.
  • Self-development, team training and investment in soft-skills training is a crucial element.
  • Self-responsibility on personal health, nutrition, recuperation and lifestyle management can be actively nurtured in a learning environment.
  • Creating a culture of mindfulness and attentiveness is a high ideal but can be learned and creates a highly positive resonance with clients. We are after all dealing with humans.

We spend most of our lives at the workplace and it is sad to see that so little effort is being made in investing in the “human factor”. Do we live to work or work to live?  To quote Studs Terkel:

“Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”

Reino Gevers – coach, author, trainer

http://www.reinogevers.com

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by | September 29, 2015 · 8:56 am

Back from the Camino – what now?

Its been some weeks since we returned from our hike on the Spanish Camino and I’m still astounded at how much the experience still resonates in our lives.

We have just heard from Jim who walked the entire Camino Frances from Jean Pied de Port, arriving in Santiago last week after 40 days of walking.

The many interesting and fascinating people you meet on the Camino is part of part of what I would describe as one of the most precious gifts of the Camino. This is why many Peregrinos decide to give something back in volunteering to work a summer in one of the pilgrims’ hostels.

Many people walk the Camino to find an answer to a life-important question they are dealing with. Mostly they find the answer, sometimes after weeks or months after the walk, with the answer to a question needing time to ripen.

On my first Camino I was somewhat disappointed at not having found “my answer”. The lesson to learn was patience and to open the mind to the so many of the mysteries and lessons of the Path.

The first lesson I learned was that it needs time to “walk things off” and get rid of the old emotional baggage that you often carry with you for years. My theory is that the body has an “emotional memory” just like the emotional mind in holding onto “traumatic” experiences on a cellular level. This is why the first days of walking are so hard, even for people who have prepared well physically.

When this “emotional garbage” comes to the surface on the “path of crucifixion” that often comes during the first week of arduous walking through blisters, sore knees and back pain, the transformation process can begin. Then walking, even through difficult terrain, becomes an easy ride and you can actually start enjoying daily walks of 25-30 kilometres and more.

There were so many images, smells and meetings of mind on this centuries old path that this space is too short to fill them.

There was the father walking the path with two mules in fulfilling a dream that his daughter had on her death bed when dying of cancer. There are the brave young folk in the Aragon province fighting a dam project that will flood a pristine valley and one of the oldest parts of the Camino. There are the faces of people you look at where you know they have just gone through a very hard time in their lives and that they have come through, stronger.

On a physical level, I feel much fitter. My skin seems smoother and my senses of smell and hearing different. In my dreams I am still walking and when I wake up I know that I will soon be making plans for the next walk on the Camino.

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by | February 23, 2015 · 8:14 pm

Are you into conspiracy theory?

A broad cross-section of people I have come across lately believe in conspiracy theories.  The argument mostly goes like this:  The world is being ruled by a small group of people who decide and control most of the things that happen in the world today from political decision-making to technological invention.

conspiracy-theories

Conspiracy theorists seem to have moved from the fringe to the mainstream.  Here is the top 10 list of conspiracy theories compiled by Time magazine:

Some conspiracy theories in history have in fact been proven true, like the Nixon cover-up in the Watergate affair, the Iran-Contra affair and the Libyan involvement in the terror attack on the Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988.  One of the most absurd allegations during  South Africa’s apartheid era also turned out to be true many years later.  Research was actually being conducted on a virus that would only kill the blacks.

But there is a need to be a bit more  sceptical when it comes to some of the conspiracy theories out there. The common thread seems to be to find a way to explain in simplistic terms many of the events happening in a world of growing complexity. A lot of people have the tendency to form an opinion and then verifying what they believe with some information on the Internet. On closer scrutiny the article or website turns out to be a badly written diatribe of a single opinion without any valid sourcing or solid evidence

Take the story on the so-called “fake moon landing”. I cannot possibly imagine thousands of people working on such a complex space project over many years and all of them keeping a “fake made in a Disney film studio” a secret for decades. The world is so intricate and complex that the truth in the end always comes out. A cover-up, especially if many people are involved, simply doesn’t work. It is a human tendency to tell their family and friends “a secret.” Someone will always spill the beans.

The issue that needs to be addressed is the gullibility with which every half-truth, speculation and downright wacky theory is being claimed as truth while sound investigative journalism, scientific study or a judicial finding is being ignored or slammed as being part of this conspiracy thing. Part of the problem is that established media is not doing its job and has lost credibility by placing emphasis on superficial entertainment instead of being a watchdog on society and itself blasting some of these theories into the world without verifying the facts.  A growing number of people feel alienated in a fast-changing society and are seeking simple answers.

Conspiracy theories first and foremost feed on fear. Here lies the bigger problem. Fear breeds irrationality and a victim mentality. It is just a short step away from blaming a religious or racial minority, the politicians, the media or anyone else for all that is going wrong in the world.  It’s a “cop out” mentality of refusing to stand up and taking responsibility.

We have the freedom of choice on most things that matter. Health and personal happiness is a choice. It is a  choice of what we eat, how we exercise, what we read, what people, family and friends we want to spend our time with and especially what information we are feeding our minds with.

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by | September 1, 2014 · 6:53 am

Alarming rate of high-professionals addicted to substance abuse

substance abuse

An alarming rate of doctors, lawyers, bankers, film stars and other high professionals seem to be functioning only by substance and alcohol abuse. While alcohol is the more common, there seems to be a large group of people addicted to substances available at the chemist around the corner or by mail order through the internet.

Most of these substances give a short-term energy boost but cause havoc with your health on the long-term and could even shorten your life.

Lately, I have come across several people in high-powered jobs admitting to taking a sleeping pill every night. The short-term effect is a good nights rest, especially if you have to be alert the next day and have to take important boardroom decisions. But it is important to understand the long-term health effects of these sedatives which are potentially addictive.

Several long-term studies have been conducted on the effects of sleeping pills. One of them is by Daniel F. Kripke. M.D. (The Dark Side of Sleepinig Pills) also available as an eBook.

Kripke refers to the life-shortening effects of common sleeping pills such as zolpidem (e.g., Ambien), temazepam (e.g., Restoril), eszopiclone (e.g., Lunesta), zaleplon (e.g., Sonata), other benzodiazepines such as triazolam (e.g., Halcion) and flurazepam (e.g., Dalmane), barbiturates, and sedative antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (e.g., Benadryl).

A whole industry is thriving on the mass consumption of energy pills, caffeine boosters and other chemical cocktails as a growing number of high-professionals and executives resort to such short-term relief to overcome chronic fatigue. The manufacturers claim that their energy boosters are non-addictive and safe but the truth is quite the opposite.

Most of these supplements provide short-term relief with an energy-high. Eventually, the effects wear off, often resulting what is called a “crash.” with individuals experiencing even more exhaustion, negative mood swings, lack of concentration, irrational decision-making, depression or a chronic headache. The cycles between the “high” and the “crash” become shorter and shorter.

Many energy supplements have been found to speed up the metabolism and to influence the production of adrenaline in the body, which might already be at a high level because of stress. Long-term effects are high blood pressure with the added risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Some experts even claim that the banking crisis was caused by the irrational behavior of the many bankers in the City of London addicted to cocaine.

In our consumerist world our mindset is to want a quick-fix if something goes wrong with the body or mind. Dysfunctional lifestyles inevitably lead to a physical and mental “crash”. Most of our modern diseases and mental health problems are caused by lack of exercise, poor nutrition and high emotional stress levels.

It is possible to lead a highly successful and healthy life by investing just a little time and energy in your own health. Have a look at my blogs on the best weapons against stress and the 7 simple ways of boosting your energy levels by safe and natural means.

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by | March 11, 2014 · 12:17 pm

7 Simple ways to get your energy levels back up

During my workshops people frequently tell me how exhausted they are from many things ranging from work pressure to emotional stresses at home. That, I tell them, is a good sign, because they are feeling their bodies and the need to do something about it.

 Your energy level determines your sense of well-being, happiness, creativity, mood and long-term quality of life. And, it is so easy to do something about it. You have the power to make that decision. Here are the first three steps. The others will follow in my next blogs:

1. Liberate yourself from sugar addiction

Freeing yourself from sugar addiction is one of the most important things you can do to boost your health. Sugar is a stimulant that puts your body on alert by boosting the stress hormone cortisol. Your blood pressure increases and initially you feel a boost of energy. The downside is that such a feeling is only short-lived like taking an addictive drug.

 Did you know that the average Pizza you buy from the supermarket is filled with the equivalent of 25 teaspoons of sugar. All the common soda drinks have equally high white sugar content. Artificial sweeteners are suspected of causing Alzheimer and many other modern-day illnesses. See this damning report on how the pharmaceutical industry managed to bring it onto the market

http://goo.gl/Hr04uJ

Sugar upsets the calcium/phosphorus ratio and thus the homeostasis process in the body. Phosphorus is one of the most important nutrients your body needs because it helps filter out waste in the kidneys and stores energy. Most of it is also used to strengthen the bones and teeth.

Try and do without sugar for about 40 days and you will feel the difference. There are alternatives out there such as unrefined raw cane sugar, honey and stevia that you can buy in any organic store.

2. Drinking good water

Water is crucial to flushing out toxins in your body and is the most crucial life-sustaining drink.  Between 50 and 75 per cent of your body is composed of water. It is responsible for functions such as digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. There are different views on how much each individual needs. It depends a lot on your age, the temperature and the amount of exercise you are doing. A lot of our tap water however is contaminated with heavy metals, hormones and pesticides. So be sure that your source of water is healthy  – ideally spring water. You can also add flavour to your water by adding frozen berries, lemon or cucumber. Your intake of calory foods and soft drinks will naturally decrease.

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3. Eat less and eat healthy seasonal foods

Local seasonal foods with short transportation routes still carry a lot of nutrients that you won’t find in those supermarket foods that have been in storage for a long time before they reach your table. Even many of the power foods no longer have the nutrient level they once had because of degenerating soils, long transportation routes and genetic manipulation. (see graph below) If you eat better quality food your portions can also be smaller. Eating slowly and with pleasure also gives the body time to digest. 

Tested Vegetable

Nutrient

1985

1996

2002

Variation

in %

1985-1996

 

 

1985-2002

Broccoli

 

Calcium

manganese

103

24

33

18

28

11

-68

-25

-73

-55

Spinach

Magnesium

Vitamin C

62

51

19

21

15

18

-68

-58

-76

-65

Banana

Calcium

folic acid

magnesium

Vitamin B6

8

23

31

330

7

3

27

22

7

5

24

18

-12

-84

-13

-92

-12

-79

-25

-95

 

 

 Source: 1985 Geigy. 1996 and 2002 Food laboratory Karlsruhe/Sanatorium Oberthal, Germany. 

 

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by | November 11, 2013 · 7:05 pm

Venice, Climate change and denial

Venice is undoubtedly one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Walking these ancient streets and squares one cannot but be astounded by the architectural masterpieces built by the Venetians over the centuries.

 

The Basilica of San Marco overlooks one of the most beautiful squares in the world. It is the main tourist attraction and a favourite backdrop to many a movie. Unforgettable the scene from “Moonraker”: After being pursued by Drax’s henchmen down the canals in Venice, James Bond approaches St. Marks Square on a gondola. He activates a skirt on the boat, turning it into a hovercraft that allows him to travel on the square to the astonishment of everyone around.

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But St. Marks Square is only one of the many wonders to be admired here. Looking across from St. Marks Square is the magnificent baroque Basilica of St. Mary of Health (Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute), a huge, domed church built on a spit between St. Mark’s Basin and the Grand Canal. It was founded in 1630 as a tribute to the Virgin Mary and took 57 years to complete. It was built as a tribute to the Virgin Mary for freeing the city from the plague. And every year on November 21 the locals pay tribute to her, praying for good health.

 

Venice is literally built on water and the people have learned to live with regular floods. But in recent years the frequency of those floods has increased. Last year the city was flooded several times. A group of mobile flood barriers have been constructed at the entrance to the Venice lagoon in a project started ten years ago and scheduled to be completed in 2015. http://goo.gl/axO9rb

 

Will it be enough?

 

The city once boasted several hundred thousand local inhabitants. Now it is just over 50,000. It is not only the high property prices but the cost and discomfort of having to protect your house against the flood waters that is driving the people away. The first exodus began after the catastrophic flood of November 1966 that virtually submerged the city. At the same time more than 20 million tourists came to the city every year. As a major generator of tourist income the city is worth protecting.

 

Meanwhile another United Nations Climate Conference is taking place in Poland of all places. The country has shown little inclination in the past to do anything about curbing carbon dioxide emissions from its coal-fired power stations. To the contrary it is taking the tack of many climate change sceptics. The outcome of this conference is predictable. Too little is being done too late and the longer we wait, the more difficult it is going to get to save cities like Venice and many low-lying island nations.

 

There seems to be a parallel between the denial ism in the climate debate and personal health. It is beyond doubt that smoking, junk food and lack of exercise will shorten your life. But the human being seems incapable of relating such information to the future. “So what, as long as I can enjoy my Bic Mac in front of the TV now…”

 

In the same way we ignore the warnings from climate scientists that if we don’t radically reduce emissions we are going to have a very hot and uncomfortable planet by the end of this century. We are playing roulette with ourselves and the future of our children. Its time to wake up!

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by | July 15, 2013 · 6:45 pm

Boosting your stress resilience

Feeling burned out by all the stress in your life? There are several ways to boost your mental and physical resources during times of great change and stress. With just a little effort you can be in a much better position to “ride the storm” and to make the right decision with a calm mind.

  • Body movement: Are you feeling fatigued from long sessions in the office or in conference rooms? The first reaction is often a workout out in the gym or a ten kilometre run. Initially you might feel good by all those “happy hormones” or endorphins being emitted by the body. But at the same time you are flooding your body with a stress hormone called cortisol of which you already might have more than enough. The more cortisol in your system, the more your adrenal glands on the kidneys become fatigued. Try body arts that relax you both mentally and physically and bring your entire body metabolism into balance. Yoga, taiji, qi gong, pilates and meditation are ancient proven methods that work. But even a gentle walk in nature and jogging at a gentle pace (with pauses inbetween) will help bring down your stress level.
  • What food do you eat? Too much sugar and salts in processed foods is wreaking havoc on our bodies. White sugars rob the body of phosphates which are vitally important in almost every intracellular reaction. Too much salt interferes with the natural absorption of water in our body, causing constipation, accumulation of toxins and higher blood pressure. You can’t go wrong with a good mixture of fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit. The supplement spirulina is loaded with beta carotene, iron, magnesium and other trace materials which your body really needs during times of stress.
  • Healing rituals: When everything around us appears to be in disarray or collapse a ritual can restore balance and sense of belonging and connection. It could be a religious prayer, the lighting of a candle, a meditation or any other regularly performed daily action at a certain time or place of the day. Rituals have been part of human life and social interaction since the dawn of mankind but we seem to have forgotten the significance of them in the rat-race of modern times.
  • Friends and family: A typical symptom of burnout caused by stress is the withdrawal from social interaction. We are social animals and need to talk and interact with our fellow human beings, who give us important feedback, empathy, sense of meaning and comfort. Sharing and volunteering your help for a non-profit organisation, church, neighborhood initiative or any other group that serves a higher purpose often brings you “back to earth”.
  •  If you can learn to ride the storm, change can positively enrich your life in many ways. The challenge lies in dealing with those defining moments of transition from a position of strength and power.

More information in my book: “Yield and Overcome” http://goo.gl/iry4y

Yield_and_Overcome_Cover_for_Kindle (2)

 

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