Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here again, and there is the usual talk of early detection and of finding the “cure” around the corner, but no mention of preventing the dreaded epidemic — an absurd and cruel philosophy that fails humanity by focusing on closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

By focusing on disease, we create anxiety and fear, which itself creates disease by causing stress and disarming the immune system. Instead, by focusing on health, women can move from a position of fear to a position of empowerment.

For the benefit of our beloved womenfolk, I now share vital (from the Latin vitalis “of or belonging to life”) information on staying healthy. more…

Stress is a natural condition of life – any change in our external or internal environment creates a need for the body to balance the effects of that change.

Stress creates the opportunity for growth – physically and mentally. The important point is that periods of stress must be followed by periods of recovery for growth to occur – otherwise, instead, there is damage or burnout. This is the principle that is used in world-class athletic training – and can be applied to all aspects of life. more…

Every disease has a beginning. It doesn’t suddenly pop out of nowhere; it doesn’t strike you down like lightning out of the blue.

Yet people treat illness as “bad luck”, as something that has visited them from the outside – usually by means of a germ, a virus, or an allergen. Even medical doctors fall for this erroneous, illogical way of perceiving illness. They look at the symptoms of the full-blown disease, try to treat them, and move on to the next patient without seeking the root of the disease, or how it could be prevented. This is a tragic shame, because it is such a superficial approach – and it is often done too late to easily restore the body to its previous health. more…

Prana is the Sanskrt term for subtle energy that organises and powers the physical body. Most, if not all, traditional cultures have had a concept of subtle energy – the Chinese called it Qi (or Chi), and the Japanese called it Ki.

Ueshiba founder of Aikido

When I was practising Aikido in the 80s and 90s, I often had direct experience of the power of ki. We learned how to cultivate our own ki; and how to sense and direct an attacker’s ki in order to throw the attacker in a variety of spectacular ways. I met elderly people who had practised extending their ki for several years – they were immensely powerful, yet infinitely gentle. Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, practised and taught well into his nineties; in fact until the day he died. more…