Pilates and Reiki In Paradise

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Book Review - Immortal
2008-06-01 14:32:00
It's a been quite a while since I read a novel that I absolutely adored. Immortal sucked me in at page one and even after over 500 pages of reading I could have read more. In Immortal, Traci L. Slatton follows the 180 year life story of Luca Bastardi, a Florentian citizen and son of Seth who writes his autobiography from his Inquisition cell as he awaits public burning at the stake.This is not an easy read, beginning in a cell as Luca awaits execution. "But now the burns and broken bones, the gangrene putrefying my leg and nauseating me with its odor, curtail my time." Luca's tale begins as he is stolen from his parents and abandoned on the streets of Florence to make his way, and continues as he is enslaved for many years in the homosexual brothel of Giordano Silvano where he learns survival at all costs, becomes muse to Giotto, survives the Black Plague, and learns the arts of medicine, alchemy, and negotiation. He becomes a tutor to Leonardo da Vinci, meets the love of his l...
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Laptop Memory
2008-06-01 14:27:00
Do you need more laptop memory? With all the memory intensive programs out there even a small boost will improve your computer experience. 4allmemory.com offers 100% compatible memory (guaranteed!) with a lifetime warranty, free shipping, award winning customer service, easy to follow installation instructions, and they are a US owned and operated company. What more could you ask for? Tags: laptop memory, lynda lippin
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Book Review - A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life
2008-06-01 14:21:00
For 20 years now, heart disease has killed more women each year than men. Statistically, 40 percent of women will have a cardiovascular problem in her lifetime, and heart disease kills more women than every type of cancer combined. Women have different heart symptoms than men, and yet most of us, including physicians, do not know this."It's shocking!" is the first sentence of Mellanie True Hills' A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life . Hills learned the hard way, undergoing a heart attack and a stroke very close together. As she had none of the obvious risk factors (she was young, didn't smoke, had low cholesterol and blood pressure, and was not diabetic), she thought she was safe. What she was, however, was overweight and overstressed, and that in itself is enough.It also didn't help that it was hard to recognize her heart attack symptoms - shortness of breath, fatigue, mild nausea and heartburn, and a bit of left shoulder and jaw pain. The acronym to remember here is LIFE: Le...
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Great Flight Deals
2008-06-01 14:18:00
Every once in a while I come across something on the web that is useful at that moment and that stays useful. Shermans Travel sight is one of those extremely useful and always great websites. I never travel without checking their flight deals page, and if you travel a lot it is worth subscribing to their Top 25 deal newsletter.Tags: shermans travel, flight deals, lynda lippin
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Book Review - A Life In Secrets
2008-05-31 17:48:00
I loved every second of A Life In Secrets . It was like reading the best mystery, spy novel, espionage thriller, personal history, and WWII fact-finding book all in one volume. In it Sarah Helm tells several stories and unravels many mysteries. The obvious story is that of Vera Atkins and her "missing agents", the women (mostly) and men who were dropped into France and other countries by Britain's Special Operations Executive, formed to help assist underground resistance movements in Nazi occupied countries. These agents were civilians who were hand picked and trained to blend in and do their job, and it was Atkins' job to communicate with their families and make sure they were okay.The obvious aim of Secrets is Helm's biographical telling of the life and career of Vera Atkins, which partially involves interviews with Atkins herself as well as surviving relatives, co-workers, and friends. Just the recounting is fascinating, as Helms travels all over East and West Germany, Romania...
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Payday Loan Advice
2008-05-30 17:43:00
There has been a lot of negative press lately directed at the so-called payday loan industry. Payday loans are small short term loans that are essentially advances on a person’s next paycheck and are expected to be paid off with that next check.Obviously these loans can have great uses. You could pay a credit card, utility bill, or make a loan payment before it accrues late fees or causes the company to raise your interest rates. You can make a rent or mortgage payment and avoid losing your place of residence. And you could use it simply as emergency cash to get you through an unexpected expense until your next paycheck comes through.Because these loans are short term, small, and don’t require a credit check other than verification of employment and pay, the fees on them when left unpaid can be quite high. Again, these really are loans made to be taken and paid back within 1-4 weeks and are not meant to be long term lines of credit.It is easy to abuse such loans and really ...
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Book Review - Bad Faith
2008-05-29 17:40:00
Bad Faith chronicles the life and times of Louis Darquier de Pellepoix, one of the most vile, base, and idiotic Nazi collaborators in Vichy, France. While Carmen Callil's connection to Darquier (who added "de Pellepoix" himself to make his name sound more regal) via his daughter should make the book more interesting, it instead smacks of a very long personal quest with little outside interest.Callil, the Australian author and founder of Virago Press, began to see a psychiatrist in 1960 after a failed suicide attempt. She was referred to Dr. Anne Darquier in part because Dr. Darquier was part Australian, although born and raised in London. After a decade of three times a week sessions, Callil went to her appointment one day and the doctor was not in. Anne Darquier de Pellepoix (Calill saw her full name on her funeral program) had indeed committed suicide herself.Needless to say, when Callil saw this name while watching a television documentary about Vichy, France (Marcel Ophuls...
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Best Running Headphones
2008-05-28 17:20:00
If you enjoy listening to music while you run, yu know the importance of owning a great pair of running headphones. You need headphones that will stay in place, offer good quality sound, and are light & well padded. Wize.com has a great page that pulls together the best running headphonesfrom across the web based on hundreds of user reviews. Sennheiser and V-Moda brands top the list of running headphones. Wize.com also offers you the option of adding your own product reviews and voting on already ranked products. A great resource!Tags: running headphones, wize.com, lynda lippin
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Reiki for A Good Night's Sleep
2008-05-28 17:09:00
I was drawn to an article entitled A Rested Development that showed up in my Reiki Google Alert today. In the midst of a good general article about getting better sleep, including the usual hints to relax before going to bed, only using the bedroom for sleep and relaxation (not work), and avoiding caffeine close to bedtime, is a section devoted to Reiki!In an interview with Reiki Master Sherry Miller, she discusses how she was drawn to study Reiki due to her own insomnia. "'I was led down this path because I couldn't sleep,' she says. 'There were nights when I'd sleep only two hours.'Through the practice of Reiki, which uses relaxation methods to calm the body and ease it more into a sleep phase, she was able to get the sleep she needed."While I didn't start practicing reiki for insomnia (in fact most nights I fall asleep easily and sleep well for at least 7-8 hours) I find that on those occasions when I do have a problem falling asleep doing reiki on myself is one of the o...
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Rehab at Cliffside Malibu
2008-05-27 13:02:00
Entering into any kind of addiction rehabilitation program, especially a residential program, is not an easy decision for anyone. However, it is best to be in an environment where you can focus solely on getting clean and learn the life skills you need to stay that way when back at home.Cliffside Malibu is a residential addiction treatment center for adults located in a beautiful center north of Zuma Beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Comfort is paramount here, with a great gym, swimming pool, spa treatments, good linens, restaurant quality food, and a staff dedicated to helping residents overcome addiction, including helping them through the nightmare of detox and wthdrawal.At Cliffside they also understand that Alcohol Rehab and Drug Rehabilitation need not necessarily be treated the same. they offer individualized programs to help clients overcome their specific addictions.Drug Treatment is a big step to take, and a place like Cliffside Malibu can make that step a productive...

BlogHer Barack Obama Interview
2008-05-26 18:43:00
As a contributer to BlogHer, with a combined audience of nine million women each month via BlogHer.com and a publishing syndicate of 1,800 blogs (including this very one) I was interested to see which of the big 3 US Presidential candidates would accept our interview invitation. I thought for sure we'd hear from Hilary Clinton!But Barack Obama is so far the only candidate to accept! "By answering these questions, I think Sen. Obama makes an important statement about the value he personally -- and his campaign -- places on voters, our questions and opinions, the communities we reach on our blogs and, ultimately, our votes. That's a powerful message. Especially since BlogHer is a non-partisan organization and the women in our network span the political spectrum. This isn't a presidential candidate preaching to the converted -- it's a presidential candidate reaching out to an important cross-section of American influencers, given the audiences these women reach on their blogs."It...
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Music Review: Skinny Songs
2008-05-25 18:19:00
Several weeks ago I was directly contacted by the producers of Skinny Songs , the first CD of motivational music for weight loss. I agreed to listen, they actually sent the CD to Parrot Cay, and I listened.Skinny Songs was created by Heidi Roizen at 190 pounds and on the cusp of her 50th birthday. "Seems like there is always a great song to empower me or get me through any situation. But where were the songs to help me get through what is probably the most daunting, long-term, personal challenge that I face? Where is the song that helps me get back into my skinny jeans? Where is the song to remind me how great it is going to feel when I reach my goal?I figured, there are great songs for pretty much everything else, so there must be some for this. But after a long search didn’t turn anything up, I decided it needed to be done. I started penning lyrics that would inspire me to stick to my plan -- songs about my relationship with food and my need to become 'the boss' of that relati...
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Pilates Session Etiquette
2008-05-24 20:56:00
As a studio owner in the busy wealthy suburbs of Philadelphia, I learned quickly that people have no limitations in terms of cell phone usage. People would be on the phone in the hall, on the reformer, in class. They needed it in case of emergency nanny, school, or office calls (but seemed to answer the phones at all times anyway). Now Stephanie Pierson and Barbara Harrison of The Huffingtom Post have assured me that some etiquette rules must apply in the Pilates studio."Consider your priorities. 'Definitely not during Pilates class. If it's your own private training session, it's your dollar and your time. But it sends a strong message to your trainer as to your priorities,' says Melanie Melillo, Fitness Director at Women For Fitness."Don't be rude to your Pilates teacher. Put the digital device down for an hour!Tags: Pilates, blackberry, etiquette, lynda lippin
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Lingerie Diva
2008-05-23 20:51:00
Both men and women should be interested in buying women's lingerie, but many people are afraid or embarrassed to shop for these items in a store. With a plethora of websites devoted to lingerie you need to really look for sites that offer a wide variety of styles at good prices, with free shipping, and a secure shopping experience for women of all sizes and shapes. Lingerie diva.com offers all of this and more, with a great sizing guide, photos, and testimonials. get ready to have some fun!Tags: women's lingerie, lynda lippin
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Where's the Wii Fit Pilates?
2008-05-22 20:39:00
OK, I am fascinated by the Wii Fit as I have never been with any other video game or exercise product before. It just sounds so cool to have feedback in terms of weight distribution, balance, and statistics (BMI, weight, etc) while exercising--almost like having a personal trainer. So I avidly scour the web for Wii Fit reviews.Today I read a Wii Fit review from Mom Logic which confirmed my need to get one of these things asap (especially if they add Pilates to the roster)."It feels really weird at first to get a workout from a video game, but it doesn't take me long to get hooked.I'm a multi-tasking mom (who isn't?), so I love any device that can multi-task as well. Now that I can get some use out of the Wii too, it makes me feel less guilty about spending 300 bucks on it in the first place. And it will be a great workout for days that are too rainy or too hot to exercise outside.Finally, I'm thankful to have another fun thing in common with daughter, who only occasionally th...

Looking for a Logo?
2008-05-21 20:10:00
There is nothing more frustrating than logo design and business card design, especially if you are not artistically or digitally inclined. Now there is a great service called Logo Yes which allows you to design a beautiful logo AND match it to a business card design in under 10 minutes.Yes, it's true! I created the design you see above in 6 minutes and could have these cards along with the original logo delivered to me for under $100. They have a wide variety of beautiful logos, easy to choose and customize, and they help you with business cards by choosing complementary design and colors.Quick, easy, high quality designs and products delivered quickly and easily. What more could a business owner want?Tags: marketing, logo, business cards, logo creator, logo yes, logoyes.com, lynda lippin

Diary of A Live In Pilates Teacher
2008-05-20 20:02:00
I have been asked several times to work privately for individuals or families as a live-in, travel-with Pilates teacher and personal trainer. And at times I have seriously considered the offers. How bad could it be to work a few hours a day, travel to Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia, and get good pay with housing and food? Then I remember how much I love my privacy, my personal space, and my independence. I happened one day upon a great blog that tells the story of why the whole live in teacher thing is not all it is cracked up to be. Here is the description of The Eloise Chronicles: Diary of the Live In Help:"The following blog postings are the emails I sent to family and close friends during the summer of 2005, when I was the live-in Pilates instructor to Eloise Margot Gewurtztraminer Bourgeois Alcock (not her real name), a very very wealthy woman who summered on Brandywine Way (not its real name) in _____Hampton. (n.b. Although every word of this blog is true, everyone's na...
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Join a Wine Club
2008-05-19 19:54:00
I love wine. Following my favorite French-centric weight loss book I drink a glass of wine every night with dinner and am a happier, healthier, and thinner person for it! Among the wine clubs of the US, Gold medal Wine is the pre-eminent California small vintner club. They deliver two outstanding wines each month from California's small, family-owned ultra-premium vineyards to your home. And if you love the wine you can order it direct through the club at prices that are even lower than wholesale.Tags: california wine, wine clubs, gold medal wine, lynda lippin
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Pilates for Better Sex DVD
2008-05-18 19:34:00
I finally went through some of my Google news alerts that were sitting in my email in box and found a great article that reviews a new DVD, Pilates for Sex. Unfortunately, the fun sounding video received a big fat "F" from the Washington Post reviewer."'[T]here sure was a lot of talking,' particularly about kegel and other exercises to strengthen women's pelvic muscles. More of a lecture, less of a workout, in other words. 'I eventually got so bored, I stopped,' ...not big praise for a video with sex in the title."Tags: Pilates, Videos, Reviews, pilates for sex, pilates for better sex, lynda lippin

Great Memory Foam Mattresses
2008-05-17 19:28:00
Memory foam mattresses are the best and most comfortable (at least for me) mattresses to sleep on. Now ordering high quality memory foam mattresses is easy at myluxurymattress.com. They have mattresses at all price points ranging from $500 to $3000 along with a free 9 piece bed pack including pillows!Tags: mattress, memory foam, lynda lippin
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Memorial Day Video
2008-05-16 19:21:00
In honor of the upcoming US Memorial Day and Turks & Caicos National Heroes Day, I post this video honoring America's soldiers past, present, and future. No matter what you may think of the war (or any war), do not let that cloud your clear vision that soldiers go out there with honorable intentions and put themselves in the line of fire. This video was created by my friend Starfire Muse.
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Golf Balls
2008-05-15 19:14:00
If you play golf (as many people do) then you should be interested in ordering your golf balls on line from The World of Golf . Avoid lines, sales tax, and parking hassles while being able to choose from your favorite golf ball brands such as Nike, Titleist, and Callaway. Very secure shopping and you can even pay with Paypal.Tags: golf, world of golf, golf balls, lynda lippin
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Ab Cramps & Pilates
2008-05-15 00:14:00
I received a question from the Ask Experts site that I feel the need to share, since this is coming up more and more with the advent of mass Pilates DVDs and underqualified instructors.Question:"Hi, I am a beginner in Pilates, when I try to do the V shape or half way crunch, I get a HORRIBLY painful cramp right below my rib cage on the right side, it stops me cold. I feel like I'll never get rid of this flabby belly that ruins all of my cute outfits. Have you heard of this?"First, no Pilates beginner should be doing the teaser (the V shape), which is an intermediate/advanced exercise that requires deeper abdominal recruitment to avoid overusing the hip flexors and external obliques.Second, there is nothing "Crunch" like in Pilates. We do not tighten & compress the midsection like someone who has buttoned his vest to his pants, but seek to strengthen the muscles functionally without compression by using the pelvic floor and transverse abdominus.I hate this mass production of Pila...
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Effects of Bad Form in Pilates
2008-05-13 15:15:00
Badly done Pilates (or any ab work, for that matter) can compress your back and actually cause your abs to stick out instead of pulling in. Since there is no real certification body in the Caribbean, until PhysicalMind came here you never knew if your teacher was certified or how they were trained. Even Pilates studios in the US may not always know what to do! Here is a question I answered at AllExperts.com that is a scary example of why you need to make sure you have a qualified teacher.Question -i have been doing pilates for over a year now. i go to a small(4-5 people) tower mat class. i have also done a few privatelessons.my problem is that my abs have built outward instead of flat. ican't seem to get concave when i do the exercises. i did theprivates in hopes of correcting this. the instructor helped meget into better position...one that she said is correct. however,that was in october and my muscles are still bulging out now injune. i can't do other ab exercises like...
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Small Business Financing
2008-05-12 19:16:00
There is usually time in any and every business where the owner looks for some type of Small Business Loan. Many banks, private lenders, and credit companies require some collateral, such as a savings account, or a fixed asset such as real estate. Of course, for many people if you had these things you wouldn't need a loan, so the system seems backward in many ways.EZUnsecured.com specializes in, as the name suggests, unsecured loans, including business financing. They specialize in Business Loans and Lines of Credit which feature no collateral, no tax returns, no business plans, no documentation for up to $350,000 in credit, and up to $10 Million with full documentation.They work with a network of lenders who focus on your Credit History and available Business Financials to make their decisions, so the stronger your Credit History, the less documentation you will need to provide. For FICO Credit Scores above 700 they rarely ever require any Income or Asset documentation.These ex...
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Weight Watchers Store Fronts
2008-05-12 19:10:00
According to The Australian, Weight Watchers will launch two mini-shopfronts inside Australia-based Myer department stores offering 15-minute consultations to help people work on their weight loss."It's convenient," Weight Watchers Australasian managing director Joseph Saad said. "(The centres) will be very private in that we will have separate consultation areas. We will make it as easy as possible for them to leave that weigh-in and they will know clearly what they have to do (to lose weight)."I wonder how this will work? A mini weigh in and then a referral to the website program or the nearest meeting location? Some retail items such as food, cookbooks, points counters, etc.? If the consultations are free then how will the mini-stores make money?I like the idea of getting people in the store, but in practical terms will this really help if they have to go elsewhere and spend more time and money for assistance? It will be interesting to follow this and see how it goes.Tags: W...
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A Funny Wedding Story...
2008-05-12 18:45:00
My best friend in college was a guy named David Nielsen. David and I were so close that we traveled together, lived together, and I even called his parents "Mom & Dad". David and I never dated or even came close, which is suprising given how much time we spent together.After graduation David ended up marrying another college friend, Debbie Taylor, who was from Endicott, NY just across the river from where I went to high school in Vestal. David invited me to be his Best Person (and yes, Debbie had a male Person of Honor) and my roommate Holly and I drove to upstate NY for the wedding.Going there was a flashback. We stayed at the Vestal Inn, right down the hill from my high school and ate breakfast at the Vestal Diner with the rehearsal dinner at the Vestal Steakhouse (with a giant cow on the roof). Debbie was Irish and they had a huge wedding with lots of drinking involved, and suddenly there were all these people there that I knew from junior high & high school. I was with col...
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Mary Bowen Pilates News
2008-05-12 18:39:00
Some of you may have heard the name Mary Bowen. Mary is a living Pilates Elder and Jungian analyst who runs two Pilates studios and three psychoanalytic offices throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, all of which she visits weekly. She conducts one-on-one sessions for clients or two- through nine-hour "Intensives," continuing education sessions for Pilates teachers, national and international studio workshops, and annual conferences. My first co-worker and most influencial Pilates teacher, Karen Carlson, studied with Mary, so she has entered my sphere of Pilates as well.Now Mary Bowen has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of the Pilates method of conditioning and rehabilitation and the psychological Jungian individuation process.Congratulations Mary! Tags: Pilates, News , pilates elders, mary bowen, cambridge, cambridge who's who, lynda lippin

Direct Marketing
2008-05-12 18:25:00
Back in the US where I owned a business I sometimes used Direct Marketing (mail, postcards, etc.) and we found that the easiest way to get a list together in the appropriate demographic was by utilizing a list broker. A list broker will put a list together of names and addresses within certain zip codes, income brackets, home value, etc. so that you can target your audience and hopefully get some new clients as a result of your hard work. Direct marketing without it is like flying blind--useless & expensive.Tags: direct marketing, dcmg, list brokers, lynda lippin
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Book Review - Hours of Devotion
2008-05-12 13:30:00
As an avid reader of Judaica, I have a special liking for women's prayer books. Poet Dinah Berland happened upon an unknown author's Hours of Devotion in a used book store in LA. Having just been estranged from her son, Berland connected to "A Mother's Prayer Whose Child Is Abroad" and bought the book. She loved the book, loved the prayers, and began to use it every day - morning and evening.Miracles began occurring. Her son Adam reappeared in her life; she joined a wonderful new synagogue; and Berland just kept thinking about updating Hours Of Devotion. But first she needed to know the author. She turned to a colleague and bibliographer who uncovered the name of Fanny Neuda (1819-1894), wife of a Moravian rabbi, whose story is as interesting as the prayers.Fanny Neuda was a brillaint rebbitzen who wrote an essay regarding the importance of religious education and the understanding of the Hebrew language to young women and published two volumes of short children's stories. ...
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