Author: Shawn

I am a practitioner of the martial arts and student of the Buddhist faith. I have been a Type 1 Diabetic since I was 4 years old and have been fighting the uphill battle it includes ever since. I enjoy fitness and health and looking for new ways to improve both, as well as examining the many questions of life. Although I have no formal medical training, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding health, Diabetes, martial arts as well as Buddhism and philosophy. My goal is to share this information with the world, and perhaps provide some sarcastic humour along the way. Welcome!

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

No, this isn’t a quote from the Bible as many people are inclined to believe. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume the quote was penned by my late grandmother, who had an intense form of OCD that had her constantly cleaning to the point where she’d walk around her house by sliding her feet on a couple of pieces of paper towel for the following two days. Luckily I’m not THAT bad, but cleanliness is important, which brings me to the point of today’s post…

Maintaining a consistent workout routine can be challenging, especially if you happen to be working a full-time job and handling personal and family responsibilities on a daily basis. For some people, working out can be a very relaxing thing, but many people neglect proper cleanliness AFTER the workouts and this can lead to some smelly and disgusting issues.

If you’ve ever been to a public gym, you’ve noticed that they always (or at least should) provide spray bottles and rags to disinfect and wipe down equipment after each use. The same thing applies to one’s personal workout items. Oh, and one’s body. You gotta wash that body! Nothing worse than someone funking up the immediate area because they hammered out a workout and chose not to shower. Just take the five minutes and wash yourself up. Damn! But I digress…

One of the most well-known issues with sweaty gym gear, specifically clothing, is that leaving them unwashed will make them smell bad. That’s a no-brainer, right? But besides the smell, which no one enjoys, leaving them in this state for long enough can also lead to some nasty staining on your clothes and can even lead to the development of mildew. This is especially problematic if you’re the type to get home or go back to work and drop your gym bag in the corner and ignore it for hours on end.

Picture this: you just finished a wicked run of cardio, you’re coated with sweat and you need to get back to the work day. You go back up to your office and drop your gym bag on the floor by the door. Over the next few hours, that warm, moist sweat (yes, I used the word “moist,” get over it) is contained inside your gym bag where bacteria breeds and mildew can form. Do this often enough and stains that form will become permanent.

Something that most people don’t realize is that sweat itself is inherently odourless. It’s the oils and bacteria on our bodies that cause the smell and when that’s soaked into a fitness garment, it needs to be washed as soon as possible. As do you. Failing to do so can cause blocked pores, rashes, acne in places you don’t want (not that you want acne anywhere, necessarily) and increased chafing if you’re foolish enough to re-wear an unwashed garment.

The ideal scenario is to launder your workout gear as soon as the workout is done. Even removing them from your bag and dropping into the laundry hamper isn’t ideal, as you’re just letting the funk sit there. But I if you find yourself in a position where you CAN’T launder your clothes right away, they should be laid out somewhere with good ventilation and permitted to dry. When you DO launder your garments, it’s best to use hot water to help kill the bacteria. Depending on the garment and your comfort level, a splash of bleach can help, as well.

Also, it’s easy to forget some of the unsung heroes of your workout routine. Namely, your gym bag and your sneakers/shoes. These tend to get neglected and the unfortunate reality is that your sweaty gear gets piled into that bag constantly, so if you don’t wash your gym bag regularly, you’re basically piling clean, pre-workout clothing on top of a bacteria colony. Most canvass/nylon/polyester bags can just be dropped into the washing machine, which is a good practice to observe to keeps things clean and smelling nice.

Sneakers can be a bit more problematic, since putting them in the washing machine can alter their shape, ruin the binding holding them together and potentially damage the machine. you ever sneakers in the wash? It sounds like the bass drum from a marching band booming over and over. One option is to spray an alcohol solution inside and outside the shoes in order to kill bacteria. There are plenty of sources on the web that will explain how many parts of isopropyl alcohol to water you should use. Grab yourself a spray bottle from your local retailer and you’re off to the races. And since alcohol tends to evaporate quickly, your shoes are dry in no time.

Last but certainly not least, never skip a shower if you’ve worked out. Ever. That is all. Seriously, even if you feel you haven’t sweat much and can get away with it, you should still clean yourself up to prevent ALL of the issues I mentioned previously. If you’ve had a light workout and towelled off and returned to work, remember that others are more likely to smell what’s coming off of you than you will. Not the reputation you want and not something others deserve in their work environment. Food for thought… ☯️

Home Is Where You Hang Your Belt

I’ve often written that finding a martial style/school that suits one’s wants, needs and expectation sis a subjective thing and can be a difficult step in the journey towards learning the martial arts. In fact, it can be even worse if you’re experienced in martial arts and are trying to get back into it. this is something I learned the hard way, this week. Since you’re all here reading, allow me to elaborate…

I recently decided that as part of my commitment to better myself overall that I would seek out and join a local karate class. As most of you know, I had been training at a local school for quite some time until they shut down due to COVID-19, something that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. In fact, we were doing classes over Zoom for a while, but lo and behold, I logged on one night to discover that it wasn’t happening and it wasn’t until I reached out that I found out that they cancelled them in lieu of starting in-person classes the following week.

I would have been nice to be told but regardless of what the situation may have been, I’ve opted for a closer dojo whose style more closely resembles my own. Located five minutes down the road from my home and boasting three classes a week instead of two, I was pretty excited to try them out and even observed a class the previous week, which proved to be a good idea as it confirmed it would be a positive experience.

I walked into the dojo on Monday night with excitement and great expectation. I changed into my gi, although I was taken aback by its’ “snugness” and walked out to the dojo floor. An advanced youth class was finishing up and I couldn’t help but observe and see the promise of the young students learning something that would stay with them for years to come. In a way, I was a bit jealous, remembering my own youth and how large a role karate had played in it.

I met the instructors and was welcomed with open arms. They included me among their ranks and class opened. We started with what I’ll describe as a “light” cardio workout because in my head, I can’t seem to picture it as anything but. However, my body responded as though I was putting it through military basic training. Everyone was required to wear masks and I thought it would be a fun gimmick to wear my yin yang mask. Big mistake! The cloth began to cling to my face and the harder I tried to breathe, the more the mask clung to my mouth and nose.

This compromised many of my techniques as I repeatedly tried to pull the mask away from my face as I trained. Besides the difficulty breathing, I had the opportunity to see myself in the dojo mirrors facing me and I have to say… I did NOT like what I saw. I’ve often spoken to friends and family members about the state of their health and gaining weight as one gets older. It’s been a significantly long time since I’ve had the opportunity to see myself in a full-length mirror and assess just how far down that rabbit hole I had fallen, myself.

I don’t consider myself out of shape, by any means. I work out consistently, although my diet often leaves something to be desired. But that first class had me feeling as though I was a tired old man. The class was only an hour in length but by the time it was done, I was coated in sweat, struggling to catch my breath and wishing I didn’t have to wear that DAMN mask. But i felt good. I went home that night with a feeling that I had taken a positive step in the right direction towards regaining some of what I lost.

I didn’t help myself by going running for an hour on Tuesday. I like to take advantage of the free access to a gym facility at my work, and since I already have some weights at home, cardio is usually my go-to in that regard. So on Wednesday night, my legs may have been a bit more tender than they COULD have been. As with all things that take effort, the more you push yourself, the more familiar and easy it potentially gets.

Although I won’t say last night was “easy” in the traditional sense, the familiarity made it possible for me to get through the workout with a bit more ease than on the Monday. So, here I am… I’ve been welcomed; in fact, they want me to demonstrate forms of my own and share techniques and learning. Sounds promising. It may have taken some time, work and effort but I may have found a place to hang my hat. Time will tell, I guess. There’s another class tonight, so wish me luck! I don’t know how much more my legs can take, this week… ☯️

Ah, Symptoms…

I scarcely remember life before I was diagnosed with type-1 Diabetes. bearing in mind that I’m in my 40’s and I was diagnosed at the age of 4 years old, that should be all that surprising. But I do have memories of enjoying certain foods with impunity, drinking sugared soda and being able to go to bed without getting poked by needles and wondering if I would make the night. And no, before anyone starts commenting, the aforementioned consumption didn’t play a role in my being diagnosed with Diabetes.

Although the content of some of my posts tends to repeat itself, I find that some of them are worth a reminder, every six months or so. I’ve written about Diabetic symptoms before, but it’s never a bad thing to get a refresher. This can be particularly important for folks who WORK with Diabetics, as not everyone is as forthcoming about their health in the workplace as I am. There a lot of reasons for this, including embarrassment. Some people are embarrassed at the prospect of divulging ANY health condition, but there’s often a stigma behind Diabetes where a good portion of the population assumes it’s caused by poor diet and lack of exercise.

I’ve always lived by the concept of full disclosure, choosing to divulge my condition and its potential symptoms and treatments, as opposed to claiming privacy or keeping it hidden. When it comes to a condition that could potentially kill me if something happens and no one knows what’s happening, I prefer this method to the alternative. But that’s just me; to each their own. But it’s good to recognize some of the outlying symptoms of Diabetes, in the event someone in your life may be diagnosed with this condition.

In someone who hasn’t been diagnosed, it may be noticed that they’ll have an increased thirst, increased hunger and frequent urination. In fact, these three symptoms may be the most common in someone who hasn’t yet been diagnosed. But body weight fluctuations, mood swings and irritability, fatigue and blurry vision will also appear. In children and even some adults, they may catch themselves wetting the bed in stages where they wouldn’t have done so before.

One would think that bed wetting may be a strange symptom. The problem is that since a Diabetic person doesn’t process glucose properly and creates that increase in urine (frequent urination, remember?), the strain on one’s bladder can cause wetting of the bed where there was none before. I know that when I was first diagnosed, I wet the bed for the first few weeks until my blood sugars were brought under control. The temporary solution was to have me wear a diaper to bed, which was SUPER fun for a 4-year old. But i digress…

But for someone with Diabetes, there can be different symptoms based on whether you’re experiencing high or low blood sugars. I should point out that these symptoms can also be subjective to the person and are not all-encompassing. For example, high blood sugars will cause many of the overall symptoms of someone who hasn’t been diagnosed. This can include thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, nausea and body pains. Someone may get close enough to you to realize that your breath also has a fruity tinge to it.

The increased thirst is the worst, in my opinion, since it causes what I call “the Diabetic Loop.” You have increased thirst and dry mouth, so you drink more water. This aggravates the frequent urination and makes it worse, having you running for the bathroom constantly. But you’re still thirsty, so you pile more water down your gullet. Rinse and repeat. It can be a particularly huge pain in the ass during the night when you’re trying to sleep but your bladder wakes you almost every hour.

If one is suffering from low blood sugar, they may experience or demonstrate symptoms such as shaking, sweating and pale skin. They’ll have difficulties concentration and may be irritable or even violent. This is a particular one because in my case, the irritability comes out when my blood sugars are high. Low blood sugar may cause confusion and numbness in some extremeties (I used to know I was low because my tongue would go numb, of all things).

The irritability thing is subjective but tends to happen because your brain needs glucose to function properly. This means that if you’re suffering from low blood sugar, your brain isn’t being fed adequately and may malfunction, for lack of a better term. It can cause a whole slew of emotional responses, most of them not good. I usually get angry, although I prefer to think it’s “hangry.”

If you have Diabetes, you can avoid many of these symptoms with a few lifestyle adjustments and being prepared. Exercise regularly, eat properly, get enough sleep and test your blood sugars often. Just doing these few things will go a long way towards ensuring you don’t have to do battle with a constant armada of Diabetic symptoms.

If you’re a friend, co-worker or family member of a loved one w you believe is experiencing Diabetic symptoms, the situation will always fall under two categories. If the sufferer is able to communicate clearly, he/she will tell you what they need or take care of it themselves. If they are unconscious or unable to communicate clearly, simply call 911.

Although opinions vary, I always advise people never to try and feed a Diabetic any glucose. Setting aside the fact that they could potentially choke on whatever you try and feed them, without knowing whether the person is suffering a high or a low, you run the risk of aggravating the situation. Better to wait for the professionals to arrive and deal with the patient accordingly.

If you choose to keep your Diabetes private, good for you. That’s your choice and you’re free to exercise it. Myself, I’ve discussed my Diabetes at length with my boss and my family, including what treatments I obtain and what preventative measures I take, as well as what they can do if something happens. It’s a hell of a safety net and makes me feel safer. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved, right? ☯️

Protein Candy Bars…

Protein is an integral part of a person’s health; not just for workouts but for one’s overall body. The jury is still out on the best type of protein but from a personal standpoint, I try to stick to lean proteins, like fish and chicken. The frequent consumption of beef and red meats tend to lead to potential health concerns that I won’t get into here, so let’s not jump on the vegetarian band-wagon, shall we?

My point is that if you exercise consistently, you may seek out additional protein to supplement your diet. Some folks will consume whey protein in a daily shake. Since I’m a fan of consuming a shake as my first meal in the morning, I’m fine with this and there are certainly enough varieties of whey protein on the market to have something for everyone (provided you do your research and consume what’s right for you).

Protein bars can be an easy and effective way of getting your added protein punch, but it’s important to be wary of the bars you buy. If you’re anything like me, the amount of protein contained in the bar will be the first thing your eyes go to. But if you’re not careful, you may catch yourself getting more than what you bargained for. A good example was on a recent trip to a bulk retail location where I wanted to purchase a bulk package of protein bars. For mornings when I don’t have time to make lunches AND prepare a breakfast smoothie, a protein bar can be an easy go-to.

As I was walking down the aisle and trying to decide which brand to purchase, I was watching the front of the box for the protein count. I was pleasantly surprised and excited when i saw a box that boasted over 30 grams of protein per bar! I quickly grabbed a box and dumped it in my cart, satisfied that I had gotten what I was looking for. It wasn’t until we were lingering in a different section that I had the opportunity to pick up the box and start looking at the ingredients.

I should start by pointing out that these bars were chocolate-covered. Alright, chocolate isn’t some all-encompassing devil that needs to be avoided at all costs, but it’s an unnecessary source of sugar and fat. And for Type-1 Diabetics, chocolate is a bit of a nightmare, because it takes a long time for the body to process, so you with won’t notice the blood sugar spike right away, or it will take forever for chocolate to help correct a low. So it’s important to point out that a chocolate covered protein bar is basically a high-protein candy bar, with many of the same pitfalls as simply eating a candy bar.

According to an article posted by HealthLine.com, “Some protein bars are so high in calories and added sugar that they might as well be in the candy aisle.” The article goes on to explain some of the content of various protein bars, including the addition of sweetness to enhance the flavour of the bar. Some of these sweeteners can add an extra amount of oomph to the overall calorie and carb count, making it an unhappy start to your day. If this is the case, you may be better to lean on some other protein-rich foods, such as cheese, hard-boiled eggs, nuts or lean meats.

Protein bars are a subjective purchase, depending on what your overall goal is. They won’t necessarily replace a meal, but they can do in a pinch. I favour Quest bars. They come in at about 200 calories, which is great for helping me get to lunch, and have 21 grams of carbohydrates but 14 grams of that is fibre, leaving me with only 7 grams to bolus for. At 21 grams of protein, it sits at the higher end of things and provides a small hit of calcium and only 8 grams of fat.

The important thing is to read your nutrition labels carefully and choose based on your health, fitness goals and overall bodily requirements. Remember that not all bars are created equal and nothing is more important than your health, so read carefully. And once you find a protein bar that suits your requirements, enjoy! Some of them have some interesting flavours that can add a bit of satisfaction to your day. And your workouts. Food for thought… (pun intended) ☯️

Belated Well-Wishes…

Yesterday was Sensei’s birthday. And although I did wish him happy birthday yesterday, it didn’t dawn on me to share the good tidings here. So here we go… Happy Birthday, Sensei. For over three decades, you’ve changed my life, improved my life and motivated my life.

Mechanical Difficulties… (A Long Read)

Last week, as part of my all-encompassing plan to better myself as a whole instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I visited a local karate class to see if the style would suit my wants, needs and expectations. Since I’m not here to endorse any one given school or style, I’ll keep what school I visited to myself until I’ve officially joined and have decided to stay in. Although I HAD been training at a local karate school since 2016, the pandemic put a chink in that when restrictions hit and the school was forced to close its doors. At one point, they compromised by having classes over Zoom, which wasn’t great but it kept us all seeing each other and practicing techniques as a group instead of training alone.

The Zoom classes topped without notice and when i inquired about it, I was told they had halted and we would be returning to classes in September. I was happy but also a bit curious as to why I hadn’t been advised. The school opened back up, albeit in limited numbers and with increased restrictions on paired training and direct contact. Fair enough, I could work with that. We got through about a week’s worth of class before the Provincial association that oversees that dojo decided to shut us down due to increased case numbers in Saskatchewan and further restrictions. That was last September. Now, even with most dojos operating, I haven’t heard anything from the school or even know if classes are happening.

On the one side, I could just suck it up and reach out to them. But there’s something tickling the back of my mind about the fact that I was overlooked on the group email that discussed the end of Zoom classes and the start of in-person training. For years, the head instructor’s wife included me on a group email that went out to all students whenever there were cancellations, plans or events. So, it isn’t as though she simply didn’t have my email address or contacts. It’s left a bit of a sour taste and since the basic fundamentals of that style didn’t mix well with mine, I’ve decided it’s simply easier to seek out a new dojo.

I visited a local karate school with a style that’s closely related to my own. There is a school of Uechi Ryu in Alberta, which would be easier than flying 3,400 kilometres to go home for the possibility that Sensei would accommodate me. But I’d still find myself travelling for about 7 to 8 hours by car, would need to take days off of work and leave my wife and children behind as I do. How often could I do that before the cost and the toll would begin to be too much? So, I’m back to the thought of starting over, somewhere else. With that in mind, last Wednesday, I walked into the dojo and introduced myself to a young black belt who was sitting at the door.

Through our conversation, I was honest about the fact that I held a black belt in another style. My preference would have been to keep that information to myself, but he asked if I had trained before and what rank I had obtained. Given my personal policy of honesty, I answered truthfully. When the head instructor arrived, she asked all the same questions and explained that it was up to me how I chose to train; I could wear my black belt and they would integrate me and within a couple of years I could continue on my black belt voyage. Or, I could start from scratch as a white belt but I was warned of how long it would potentially take for me to once again reach black belt grade. Ultimately, not matter what colour is around my waist, I was there to learn.

I was asked why I didn’t bring a gi, to which I answered I preferred to observe a class to see how well I would potentially fit in to how they trained. I was given a place to sit and class begun. I was a bit concerned over the fact that class was only an hour in length. I was raised with classes no shorter than two hours and I had difficulty picturing how they would cover enough material in that amount of time. The previous school I trained in had classes that lasted an hour and a half but they spent 30 to 40 minutes of that time on stretches and warm-ups (which should be done by the practitioner BEFORE class), which pretty much cripple their available time.

I was impressed to see that they spent a brief 10 minutes of calisthenics and warm-ups before moving on to actual, structured techniques and forms. They focused the majority of their time on forms, doing them slowly, quickly, individually and together by count. So comprehensive were they, that I caught myself leaning forward in my seat in anticipation of getting on the floor with them. I found myself trying to analyze their katas and predict their movements. Without trying and without skipping a beat, I became vested in their training and was suddenly immersed. When the hour was done they closed out the class and they were all breathing hard, which is how practitioners should be, after training.

I was totally sold and I told them I would return for the following night’s class. And then life happened… On the following morning, which was a Thursday, I was driving down the main strip on my way to work when I received a warning message on my dashboard that said “SERVICE STABILITRAK.” What the fuck is Stabilitrak??? This was followed by another message that said “TRACTION CONTROL DISABLED” and “ENGINE POWER REDUCED.” What the hell is going on??? Bearing in mind that it was about -50 degrees Celsius with the wind chill, I wasn’t entirely surprised at the vehicle having difficulties.

But the reduction in power caused the vehicle to be unable to go much faster than about 30 km/h. I was driving in a 50 km/h zone, so you can imagine the plethora of car horns and middle fingers I was subjected to, during this time. Don’t believe all the hype about Canadian friendliness. It ain’t all maple syrup and Timbits! I managed to make it into work, albeit much slower than usual. I took a few moments to search online for the messages I received and confirmed that it could be some significant issues with the accelerator assembly and that I should get it looked at. I managed to book an appointment for 8:45 that morning. The current time was 8:20.

I updated my boss about my short-term absence and drove to the repair shop and dropped off my vehicle. I was told that they had vehicles that were brought in the previous day that they hadn’t looked at yet and that I would need to leave my car with them for the entire day. I was a little pissed about the fact I had scheduled an appointment and now it wasn’t being honoured, but the vehicle needed to be checked over so I took advantage of their shuttle service and made my way home, where I worked remotely for the remainder of the day.

It was a little after 4 pm when they finally called to say the repairs were completed. I asked for their shuttle to come pick me up, which I was told would take upwards of an hour. By the time I reached the repair shop, it was about 5:30 pm and then i had to fill the tank, putting me back home at about 6 pm. Then, supper had to be made to feed the kids and my oldest had a batch of addition flashcards sent home by his teacher since he was apparently unable to perform basic math when asked. Lovely. Where I’m going with this is that I didn’t make karate class, which is unfortunate as I was hoping to see how well my gi fit after gaining my COVID gut.

Here we are on Sunday, and the next class is tomorrow. I’m trusting the fates to make it possible for me to attend without throwing any other monkey wrenches into my gears. After the last few years I’ve had, it would be nice if life would stop kicking me when I’m down. Hopefully, with a bit of effort and luck, I can make it to karate on Monday and start a new leg of my martial arts journey without any further issue. Here’s hoping… ☯️

Your White Lies Could Make You Black & Blue…

Medical professionals have a pretty rough existence. Besides the long hours, shift work and overall lack of appreciation by their patients, they’re usually living their daily lives within the confines of everyone’s else’s physical and mental ailments. And the current pandemic makes it no easier. On the flip side of that coin, patients usually hate divulging information about themselves, especially information about their private lives and habits.

Where those two sides meet in the middle is when medical professionals ask patients certain key questions, only to have the patients flat out lie about. Or at the very least, stretch or omit the truth. Everybody does it. Hell, I’ve been guilty of answering differently than what I should have on a few occasions. There are a number of reasons why people do this.

For some, it’s to prevent embarrassment. From bad habits to potential addictions, some feel that lying or omitting certain pieces of information related to their habits will save face. Fair enough, I can see that as being a normal human instinct. For others, it may be because they don’t know better. Asking if you’re on any other medication or supplements may seem like an easy answer until you say “no” despite taking multivitamins, workout supplements over even over-the-counter meds.

Then, we unfortunately have the stubborn bastards who simply think, “They don’t need to do that to do their jobs…” When one’s life depends on the outcome of your doctor’s findings, maybe you should let THEM decide what they need to know or not. And that’s the takeaway. Instead of withholding information or lying about it, some transparency can help avoid some unnecessary complications. Let’s examine a few, shall we?

It Can Alter The Effectiveness Of Treatment
Lying or omitting information from your doctor can lead to complications with prescribed medications and treatments, rendering them ineffective or changing how they react to the body.

It Can Alter A Diagnoses
Picture a doctor asking someone if they smoke, who in turn states that they don’t and never have. Meanwhile, the patient in question actually DOES smoke. The problem with this is it can lead to your doctors or medical practitioner looking for the cause of a symptom in the wrong place. Same applies to alcohol, excess sugar, sedentary lifestyle (not exercising) and bad eating habits. This will all cause particular ailments and symptoms that your doctor will have difficulty treating if they aren’t “in the know.”

It Can Cause Severe Harm Or Death
Think I’m exaggerating on this one? Think again… This piggybacks on the earlier point I made, but lying or omitting anything you may be taking can cause severe reactions with medications your doctor prescribes. Imagine dying because that weird workout supplement you decided to order online that comes from someplace you can’t spell, interacted and reacted with your actual prescribed meds?

Doctors and medical practitioners are here to help. If they’re asking, assume they need to know or have a valid reason. If you have someone with you whom you feel less comfortable answering in front of, perhaps you should reschedule or ask that person to leave the room. One good example is a doctor asking how many sexual partners you’ve had but you don’t want to say more than one because your significant other is there… Awkward!)

Ultimately, this is a bit like a bad, 80’s zombie movie where one of the main characters gets bit but doesn’t tell anyone until it’s too late. Then, not only do they end up dying anyway but they take a bunch of folks out with them. Don’t be that person. Be honest. Be transparent. Be open. At the end of the day, not only does it make your doctor’s job significantly easier, it also ensures your increased safety when dealing with medical matters. Food for thought…☯️

Where’s The Quiet Place?

Something that a lot of people seem to sell short is the occasional need for good ol’ peace and quiet. And this can be an extremely difficult thing to obtain, especially in modern society. I recognized this issue last summer, when I was sitting outside in my garage on a warm, sunny day. Some birds were chirping, a light breeze was making the beaches of nearby trees sway and I was peacefully puffing away on a cigar (Yes, yes, I know! Bad habit! One problem at a time, people!)

As I settled into my moment of serenity, I began to notice an audible hum in the air. It was almost unnoticeable at first, like something fleeting at the very edge of my hearing. I slipped into a light meditative state and allowed myself to open up to what I was hearing. I came to realize that among the chirping birds and summer breeze was the background noise of hundreds of cars on the highway about a kilometre away, the rumble of a passenger plane passing overhead and various sounds of society and industry.

It took away some of the magic of my afternoon, especially since once I recognized it was there, I couldn’t “I hear” it. We live in a pretty quiet, suburban neighbourhood of our city and I usually pride myself on being able to get the aforementioned peace and quiet during the warmer seasons by sitting outside. But this post isn’t about noisy neighbourhoods, it’s about the need for quiet as a part of your life.

Surprisingly, many people are uncomfortable with the quiet, preferring a constant barrage of background noise and something to fill the auditory void, whether they’re watching television, reading a book or even trying to sleep. I, myself, use some white noise or Netflix to fall asleep at night. Although the white noise is perfectly fine and in some cases recommended, using a lit screen with a streaming service isn’t the best for a variety of reasons, but that’s one for another post.

The point is, occasional quiet is a good thing. It allows you to simply BE with yourself, something not a lot of people indulge in. The person who should you best is you and without being alone with your thoughts, it’s pretty hard to take that particular step of self-discovery. But even if you’re comfortable being alone with your thoughts, modern life doesn’t always allow for it. After all, as I always say, life doesn’t care about one’s plan…

I noticed how badly I missed having periods of silence when my wife and I recently put the baby down for a nap and our oldest was in the basement entertaining himself. The tv was off, she was reading a book and I was searching for something online through my phone. At some point, I realized that my breathing had slowed, I felt calm and the house seemed peaceful. I commented about it to my wife and I recognized that this is the kind of benefit that silence can bring.

There are some who may argue that once you are adept at meditation that you can do it anywhere, regardless of the distractions. While this is an arguable point (try properly meditating while your 7-year old is running circles around and screaming), some quiet will make it easier for you to do most things. Meditation will be easier, practicing karate is easier and simply letting your head cool while you contemplate the matters of the day will be easier.

Whether you enjoy the quiet or not, don’t sell it short. It can provide unspoken mental and physical health benefits and make the rigours of the day easier to get through. And if you’re in a situation where finding a moment of silence is difficult, there are ways you can still get a moment, whether it involves taking a drive to grab coffee or even staying up a bit later so you can have some quite time once the kids are asleep. Trust me, peace and quiet can be worth the effort. ☯️

Motivation Or The Egg? Or Is It Chicken Or The Motivation…?

It’s important to recognize that motivation doesn’t happen on its own. Like a dynamo, it needs to be worked up to the point where it will make a difference in how you view things. Unfortunately, when one does not HAVE motivational energies within them, making, reaching and achieving goals can be difficult, if not altogether impossible.

What one needs to remember is that motivation won’t necessarily come first. Hell, if it did, I probably wouldn’t bother getting up in the morning. No, in order to build the motivation to accomplish any task or goal, you need to push yourself. You need to exercise your own strength of will and recognize your own self worth and acknowledge that it’s worth it, even if laying back down and closing your eyes feels like such a better option.

But if you can push yourself enough, just enough, to hit the ground running in the morning, you’ll discover that motivation comes on its own. If you’ve never run a mile before, making it across that first finish line may feel like hell and your lungs are on fire and your legs are about to give out. But if you have the fortitude to do it again… and again… and keep pushing yourself, you’ll notice that you’ll get stronger and faster. You’ll shave time off. That mile will feel less exhausting and eventually your body will start telling you that you can go farther and faster. And believe me when I tell you, very little motivates a person like getting stronger and faster, as well as reaching your goals.

Motivation can also come from outside sources. perhaps family or loved ones will have encouraging words or thoughts to push you through the hard parts of life. This can be a God-send but one needs to ensure that one does not become dependent on this type of motivation. It has a tendency of disappearing when one needs it most. Motivation can also be found in the lives of strangers. Perhaps you’ve seen someone go through hell and it pushes you to do better and be better. Maybe a celebrity or an athlete inspires you to go farther. But ultimately, these sources of motivation come and go.

At the end of the day, it will always be up to you to be your own primary source of motivation. you have an untapped well of energy and strength. you simply need to allow yourself to see it. Once you do, you may even surprise yourself at how far you can. And that, in and of itself, is the best kind of motivation there is. Food for thought… ☯️

Stick A Pin In That…

In the course of my training, I’ve been exposed to a number of different things that may relate to the martial arts but aren’t always directly connected. Traditional forms of medicine being one of them. For those who may not be “in the know” or are unclear, traditional medicine refers to the practice of diagnosing, preventing and healing ailments before the time of modern medicine, which is where we are now. Despite its arcane and older origins, many people aren’t familiar with the various aspects of traditional medicine and many doubt its effectiveness or worth.

At the risk of sounding opinionated (because I never do THAT), traditional Chinese medicine has been around for over 2,000 years, with modern medicine as we know it only existing for the past few hundred years. Even though older doesn’t always mean better, it stands to reason that having had this form of medicine around for this long has got to mean that there’s some inherent value to it. Of course, I think bloodletting is the stupidest thing in the world but it’s been around forever and is still used in some parts of the world, today. So, there’s that, I guess. But I digress…

I recently helped an old friend of mine with some writing he was doing for some schooling and it reminded me of some of the materials I’ll talk about today. An Acupuncturist from back home in New Brunswick, he’s made a successful life of maintaining a traditional medicine practice and helping to heal others. I’m thinking I may have written about this before, but at this point I think y’all should expect that some of my material will start to repeat itself. M y mind isn’t a bottomless pit, after all. Here are the three forms of traditional medicine I’ve been exposed to the most, in recent decades:

Acupuncture

I think just about everyone is familiar with acupuncture in some way, shape or form, even if they’ve never experienced it. Rather than try and define it myself, I’m leaning on an article posted by the Mayo Clinic, which states, “Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through your skin at strategic points on your body. a key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain. Increasingly, it is being used for overall wellness, including stress management.”

Although traditional practitioners of acupuncture believe that the insertion of needles helps to rebalance one’s flow of energy, western medicine tends to attribute the effects to the stimulation of nerve endings and muscles, which boosts your body’s natural painkillers. No matter what the thought process, acupuncture is no different than any other form of medicine. It works for some but not for others. One of the biggest problems with traditional medicine is that it often takes several treatments to see any measurable results and in today’s society of immediate gratification, most people prefer popping a pill that takes immediate effect.

The jury is out on how effective modern-day acupuncture may be. I know that I experienced it, back in 2007. I was travelling from northern New Brunswick to Ottawa and decided to stop in at my friend’s place for the night, the same friend mentioned in the third paragraph. He had just started his acupuncture studies and asked if he could practice some insertions on me. I agreed and he had me lie down on a mat and proceeded to insert a couple of needles near and in the elbow joint of my arm. He manipulated the needles a couple of times and it was slightly uncomfortable but not painful.

When he was done, I asked him what the needles were supposed to do, to which he replied that he had “stimulated my digestion.” Assuming nothing worse, I got back on the road for the short, 2-hour drive to Ottawa. Within an hour, my stomach made a gurgling sound the likes of which I had never heard before. I was suddenly struck by bad stomach cramps and before I knew it, I was struggling to find a public washroom as I felt the onslaught of an expulsion I would be powerless to stop, coming my way. I purged my gut for what seemed like forever. “Stimulated my digestion,” indeed. Asshole. He could have warned me. The point is, that shit works.

Acupressure

Acupressure is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that’s based on acupuncture but uses applied pressure from the hands and fingers as opposed to needles. it functions on the basis of increased blood flow, better circulation and shares the concepts of increased energy flow with acupuncture. This is the form of traditional medicine that my Sensei practices and it should be noted that acupressure is almost ALWAYS combined with some other form of naturopathic or traditional medicine, such as herbology, reflexology, massage or acupuncture.

The jury is out on acupressure, with various studies advocating its effectiveness in helping to alleviate certain pains and ailments in the body and even more studies arguing that there’s a significant amount of bias involved and that there really isn’t any viable evidence that acupressure is effective. In my opinion, massages do a great deal to alleviate pain. So does a chiropractor. And through my study of the martial arts, I’m aware of the existence and use of pressure points in certain aspects of combat arts. When you combine all of those factors together, you more or less get acupressure.

Chinese Herbs

This is always a sticky one for people, because most of the population fall under one of two categories: those who think herbs work and those who don’t. The ones who don’t are usually bound by the western logic that modern medicine alternatives are faster, safer and more effective than their-herb-based counterparts. The ones who solely adhere to herbs believe that modern medications are al chemical-based and do more harm than good. The reality is that there’s some truth to both. Modern medications are a combination of things that are found in nature anyway.

Chemicals are nothing more than the combining of naturally-occurring substances through artificial means. The difference between using these artificial compounds or herbs simply involves speed or immediate effectiveness. Once again, this is where that mindset of immediate gratification or results comes in. Some herbs can be very effective at helping certain ailments but they can take a lot longer than their modern counterparts. A really good example are the various teas that are sold just about anywhere that can help with digestion, headaches, stomach aches, menstrual pains and vast array of other conditions. I’ve used tea in a lot of instances, minus menstrual pains, of course. They work, but one could easily argue that it doesn’t kick in or show a measurable or noticeable effect like taking an artificial counterpart.

The important thing is to be wary of starting anything new or different without consulting your doctor or medical practitioner AND ensuring that you do your research before trying any new form of treatment. You want to be certain that you’re dealing with someone trained and certified to practice the form of traditional medicine they profess to be knowledgeable on. Although I can’t speak for other countries, any and all of the different forms of traditional medicine I listed above requires years of study to become proficient. Don’t be afraid to ask to see their certification; if they’re on the level, they should have no issues letting you see it.

And don’t be disappointed if you try something and it doesn’t work. Out of ten people with a headache, maybe only half will be able to treat it with a pill. For the others, a pill won’t work. It’s the same for traditional medicine. It’ll work for some and not for others. So even if your best friend claims that acupuncture changed their life and got rid of all their aches and pains, be aware that it may not work quite as well for you. Food for thought… ☯️