Pure Thoughts

Pure Thoughts

BY MADISYN TAYLOR The longer we are able to hold a positive thought, the stronger that energy around us becomes. If we make no effort at all, our thoughts usually scatter in a vast array of directions. They start and stop and move in surprising ways from one second to the next. If we try to follow our thoughts without controlling them, we will be amazed at how truly inconsistent they are. Yet, if we apply our minds to a specific task, especially one that interests us, they gather together and allow us to focus our attention, creating great power and energy. This is what is known as pure thought, because it is undistracted. The law of attraction--like attracts like--influences all energy, including our thoughts, and this is what makes pure thought so potent. Our undistracted thoughts create a powerful magnet that draws similar energy into our vibrational field. As a result, the longer we are able to hold positive thoughts in our minds, the more powerful the positive energy around us becomes. We don't need to focus on action and controlling so much when we are surrounded by energy that draws what we want toward us. We can simply respond to the opportunities that naturally come our way. When this is the essence of our experience, we can go with the flow, knowing that we will be okay. If pure thought is a body, it is our emotions that supply the heart that can really bring it to life. Our thoughts and feelings exist in relation to one another, and they form a feedback loop through which they communicate and empower each other. When we hold a thought in our mind without being distracted, we have achieved pure thought. When we have a positive emotional response to that thought, we enable it to dance and move and breathe itself into existence.

Overcoming Self-Sabotage

Overcoming Self-Sabotage

BY DEBBIE FORD 66,376 PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THIS COURSE If you are not moving steadily in the direction of what you say you want, you can be certain that you are sabotaging yourself somewhere. As we come to understand the mechanisms and patterns that underlie self-sabotage, we begin to free ourselves...we begin to allow ourselves to interact with ourselves and the world with greater success, joy, and fulfillment. The process of breaking through denial, facing your fear, anger, and other difficult emotions, and making peace with your pain, leads to an ending of the internal war with yourself so that you can step fully into the greatest expression of yourself. Finding the wisdom inside the wounds you've endured is one of the most important conversations you'll ever have with yourself, because on the other side of it is the emotional freedom and depth of joy that you were born to have. Breaking through toxic emotions This course invites you to honor the lessons from your past experiences so that your future will have a new tone, a new vibration, and a new kind of passion. You will be guided through powerful lessons that include specific information about how to overcome different aspects of self-sabotage, a new audio meditation each lesson to help you directly access your innate wisdom, and tangible action steps to help you make peace with your past and create radical shifts in your life. Throughout this empowering course you will be: Overcoming Self Sabotage Taking Inventory of Your Biggest Life Lessons Breaking Through Toxic Emotions Discovering Your Unmet Needs Breaking the Trance of Denial Maybe You're Just Hurt Uncovering Unconscious Patterns Feeling Safe in the Face of Fear The Destruction of Hidden Rage Are Your Excuses Keeping You Stuck? The Gifts of Standing in Your Power The Sacred State of Surrender Making Peace with Your Pain Healing the Split Between Ego and Spirit Whatever form it takes - whether unhealthy behaviors or limiting thought patterns - self-sabotage always diminishes the passion and energy we need to fulfill our dreams. At the heart of the matter, it is possible to create as much love, fulfillment, success and joy as we feel worthy of having. By identifying how your inner saboteur is operating in your life, you can make radical progress toward that which you want.

Waging War On Chronic Pain

Waging War On Chronic Pain

By: Sheila Olson

A chronic pain diagnosis can change your life forever. First by validating what your body has been telling you but not showing others, and by confirming the fear that you will be living with pain indefinitely.  Processing the diagnosis can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to dictate your prognosis.  Managing symptoms and finding new ways to handle the challenges of everyday life is a great start to overcoming the stress of learning you have chronic pain and winning the war against it.

Treatment Without Pain Medication

While pain medication can quickly alleviate many symptoms for chronic pain sufferers, the risks that come with long-term use make them a last resort.  Instead, focusing on lifestyle changes and alternative therapies can help improve the condition rather than just providing a short-term fix for the symptoms.  Eating a nutritious diet while abstaining from foods that cause inflammation can help the body heal itself by eliminating toxins. Similarly, staying active helps both the body and mind deal with the conditions that cause chronic pain.  Maintaining mobility can also be incredibly important to maintaining your independence as you navigate the challenges of your condition.  While exercise modifications may be necessary, staying fit will help with stress management too.  If you are already doing these things, and need a little extra help taking the edge off of the pain on those extra difficult days, consider massage therapy or chiropractic care for additional relief.  These natural remedies help with relaxation as well as manual manipulation of the areas that experience atrophy from efforts to avoid pain.  Other options include acupuncture, physical therapy, and cryotherapy to name a few. Whatever options you choose, just be sure to fully disclose your condition to your therapist to ensure its not a contraindication and that you receive all the benefits therapy can provide. 

Creating a Healthy Home Environment

A chronic pain diagnosis can impact your ability to function due to the emotional stress alone, but understanding the physical issues caused by your condition can help you create a home environment that reduces the stress on both your mind and body.  This might mean rearranging items in your home to make managing your condition easier.  Things like a first-floor bedroom or laundry room, furniture positioned differently, or items moved to lower or higher shelves to accommodate your specific needs can help.  Decluttering your home can also help reduce the stress that everyone feels in a chaotic environment, which adds extra emotional stress that chronic pain sufferers, in particular, do not need.  If your condition prohibits you from doing this yourself, consider hiring a professional organizer. They can help you with a particular space or throughout your entire home.  Adding a meditation space can also be a valuable way to help you relax.  Find a spot that has a view of nature and is away from high-traffic areas of your home. Not only does it provide a specific space for you to meditate, but it can serve as a reminder that you need to take time for yourself.    

It can be hard to accept a chronic pain diagnosis, and also a relief to have someone acknowledge that you aren’t making it up.  The emotional roller coaster that chronic pain sufferers experience leading up to a diagnosis, and immediately after, can easily set you on course for the pain to own your life.  Take it back by finding effective ways to manage your pain without medication, and create a healthy home environment that aids rather than hinders your progress.

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

Hero Saturday 8/31

1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson, 25, of the U.S. Marine Corps 7th Communications Battalion, 3rd Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, headquartered in Okinawa, Japan, died September 8, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

He is survived by his wife Durinda Johnson.

The "Johnson" Hero WOD was first posted on crossfit.com as the workout of the day for Friday, July 9, 2010.

Warm Up 

A- Mash lats & quads/ 2x 7 deliberate ring rows + 7 front rack lateral lunges

B- Clean Warm Up

Band rack stretch

Banded overhead shoulder circles + band pull aparts

Bar behind neck force extension both directions

(Add overhead if necessary)

Front squats

Clean technique (add jerk if necessary)

Hit each drill for 5 reps without taking a break:

Tall Clean High-Pull

Muscle Clean

Front Squat

Tall Clean

Press in Clean (Front rack Sots press)

Skill

Muscle ups

WOD

Johnson

20 minute AMRAP 

9 Deadlifts w/165# m/245#

8 Muscle-ups

9 Squat Cleans w/105 m/155#

Friday 8/30

Warm up 

A- Roll t-spine + psoas

B- Single Arm DB Warm Up #2

3x 

10 DB deadlifts (5 right/ 5 left)

OH DB carry 10m right/ 10m left

10 DB row (5 right/ 5 left)

Rack DB carry 10m right/ 10m left

10 DB cleans (5 right/ 5 left)

DB farmers carry 10m right/ 10m left

10 DB thrusters (5 right/ 5 left)

Skill 

Complex

WOD

Heavy DB complex

20 minute AMRAP

1 deadlift

1 full clean

1 front squat

1 jerk

(W/35 m/55)

Thursday 8/29

Warm Up 

A- Roll hip flexor wad + calves/ 30 step up with a pop (15R/ 15L)

B- 1 mile run/2K row

-back peddle

-side shuffle

-carioca

-sprint

-broad jump 10m

Skill

Alternating strict slow TTB

WOD

5 rounds NFT

400m run

10 deliberate horizontal ring rows

10 alternating strict slow TTB

GoFit

Warm Up 

A- Roll hip flexor wad + calves/ 30 step up with a pop (15R/ 15L)

B- 1 mile run/2K row

-back peddle

-side shuffle

-carioca

-sprint

-broad jump 10m

Skill

Movement standards 

WOD

Tabata the following:

-Jump rope 

-Ring rows

-Mountain climbers

-V ups

Why do people take vitamin E?

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is key for strong immunity and healthy skin and eyes. In recent years, vitamin E supplements have become popular as antioxidants. These are substances that protect cells from damage. However, the risks and benefits of taking vitamin E supplements are still unclear.

Why do people take vitamin E?

Many people use vitamin E supplements in the hopes that the vitamin's antioxidant properties will prevent or treat disease. But studies of vitamin E for preventing  cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, and many other conditions have been disappointing. 

So far, the only established benefits of vitamin E supplements are in people who have an actual deficiency. Vitamin E deficiencies are rare. They're more likely in people who have diseases, such as digestive problems and cystic fibrosis. People on very low-fat diets may also have low levels of vitamin E.

How much vitamin E should you take?

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) includes the vitamin E you get from both the food you eat and any supplements you take.

Category	Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in milligrams (mg) and International Units (IU)
CHILDREN
1-3 years	6 mg/day (9 IU)
4-8 years	7 mg/day (10.4 IU)
9-13 years	11 mg/day (16.4 IU)
FEMALES
14 years and up	15 mg/day (22.4 IU)
Pregnant	15 mg/day (22.4 IU)
Breastfeeding	19 mg/day (28.5 IU)
MALES
14 years and up	15 mg/day (22.4 IU)

The tolerable upper intake levels of a supplement are the highest amount that most people can take safely. Higher doses might be used to treat vitamin E deficiencies. But you should never take more unless a doctor says so.

Category (Children & Adults)	Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) of Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) in milligrams (mg) and International Units (IU)
1-3 years	200 mg/day (300 IU)
4-8 years	300 mg/day (450 IU)
9-13 years	600 mg/day (900 IU)
14-18 years	800 mg/day (1,200 IU)
19 years and up	1,000 mg/day (1,500 IU)

Because vitamin E is fat-soluble, supplements are best absorbed with food.

Can you get vitamin E naturally from foods?

Most people get enough vitamin E from food. Good sources of vitamin E include:

• Vegetable oils
• Green leafy vegetables, like spinach
• Fortified cereals and other foods
• Eggs
• Nuts

What are the risks of taking vitamin E?

The risks and benefits of taking vitamin E are still unclear. Long-term use (over 10 years) of vitamin E has been linked to an increase in stroke.

In addition, an analysis of clinical trials found patients who took either synthetic vitamin E or natural vitamin E in doses of 400 IU per day -- or higher -- had an increased risk of dying from all causes, which seems to increase even more at higher doses. Cardiovascular studies also suggest that patients with diabetes or cardiovascular disease who take natural vitamin E at 400 IU per day have an increased risk of heart failure and heart failure-related hospitalization.

Vitamin E supplements might be harmful when taken in early pregnancy. One study found that women who took vitamin E supplementation during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy had a 1.7 to nine-fold increase in congenital heart defects. The exact amount of vitamin E supplements used by pregnant women in this study is unknown.

A large population study showed that men using a multivitamin more than seven times per week in conjunction with a separate vitamin E supplement actually had a significantly increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

The American Heart Association recommends obtaining antioxidants, including vitamin E, by eating a well-balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains rather than from supplements. If you are considering taking a vitamin E supplement, talk to your health careprovider first to see if it is right for you.

What are the side effects of taking vitamin E?

Topical vitamin E can irritate the skin.

Overdoses of vitamin E supplements can cause nausea, headache, bleeding, fatigue, and other symptoms.

People who take blood thinners or other medicines should not take vitamin E supplements without first talking to their health care provider.

WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Carmen Patrick Mohan on June 12, 2017

Sources

SOURCES:

Longe, J., ed. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, second edition, 2004.

Natural Standard Patient Monograph: "Vitamin E."

Office of Dietary Supplement: "Vitamin E."

Tribble, D.L. Circulation, February 1999.

Miller, E.R. III Annals of Internal Medicine, 2005.

Lonn, E. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2005.

Hayden, K.M. The American Journal of Medicine, 2007.

Smedts, H.P. BJOG, 2009.

Lawson, K.A. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2007.

© 2017 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Wednesday 8/28

Warm up 

A- Mash t-spine & pec minor 

B- Combo Activation #3

Overhead banded pull aparts 20 reps

10m OH duck walk

Toy soldiers 10m

Band pull aparts 20 reps

Walking lunge with Sampson followed by a broad jump 15m

Band walks (Lateral)

Inch worm with push up 10m 

Shuttle run 50m

Skill 

Push up and over MB & SB cleans

WOD

4x

30:30

-Air bike

-Push up and over MB

-SB cleans w/50# m/75#

Motivational Sunday 8/25

Tuesday 8/27

Warm up 

A- Roll out lats & ITB/ 2x 20 hitch hikers + 7 OHS with 5 second pause

B- BURGENER WARM-UP:

1. Down and "Finish"

2. Elbows High and Outside

3. Muscle Snatch

4. Snatch Lands at 2", 4", 6"

5. Snatch Drops

SKILL TRANSFER EXERCISES:

1. Snatch Push Press

2. Overhead Squat

3. Heaving Snatch Balance

4. Snatch Balance without a dip

5. Snatch Balance with a dip

Skill

Muscle ups

WOD

Amanda

9-7-5  

Muscle-ups  

Full Snatch w/95# m/135#

GoFit

Warm up 

Warm up 

A- Roll out lats & ITB/ 2x 20 hitch hikers + 7 OHS with 5 second pause

B- DB Warm Up #1

10 DB deadlifts (5 right/ 5 left)

Walking lunge complex 10m

10 DB row (5 right/ 5 left)

Inchworm 10m

10 DB cleans (5 right/ 5 left)

Toy soldiers 10m

10 DB thrusters (5 right/ 5 left)

Walking pigeon 10m

10 DB OHS (5 right/ 5 left)

Skill

DB full snatches

WOD

7x

30:30

-DB full snatches

-Pull ups

-Dips

Monday 8/26

Warm Up 

A- Roll out calves + ITB 

B- Dynamic warm up #2

800m run

1x

Walking lunge Sampson stretch

Dynamic walk

Inch worm

Toy soldiers

High knees

Butt kicks

Toe walks

Heel walks

Power skip

Broad jumps

TTR x 15

Skill

Movement standards 

WOD

35 minute AMRAP

In a weight vest

(w/20# m/45#)

600m run

5x stairwell (every other step)

15 burpees