Reblogged from The illustrations of Kyle Wilson:

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This is a no frills/straight forward guide for those of you looking to make your own wall mounted bike hanger but don’t feel like spending a bunch of dough.

simple, easy, cheap

Let’s Start.

Tools:one set of drop styled handle barsone quill stem that fits handle barsone old tireone threaded piece of galvanized steel pipe that your stem fits snuggly into.

Read more… 231 more words

I don't even know how I found this great blog post. It doesn't matter. Lots of us living I urban environments are increasingly feeling a bit "done," with owning and driving a car on a regular basis. There are so many ways it's a drag, right? Expensive for starters. Car payment. Monthly parking somewhere which is actually a cheap alternative to dealing with the city that tickets! Insurance. That right there, as a short list of car expenses, can easily be $500! And that doesn't include driving anyplace yet! What a rip. So, a good bike, might cost you a bit up front but it need not. In Chicago we have Working Bikes (24th and Western) working bikes.org. You can get a good enough bike for around $100+- a bit. That's lots less cost and hassle than buying a car. ( don't get me started on that all day time waster of an affair.) Biking is a great simplifier too. It puts the joy back into getting around the city. And, what I really love, is that it brings me closer to people and experience as I ride around. I have so many great chance meetings that would not happen if I were sealed into the bubble of my car. If you want to know your neighborhood, I urge you to bike it. The super wicked good news is that generally, it's also faster than public transit. Anyway, point taken then, yeah? A bike is a great alternative to a car. But where to put it in our smaller urban spaces? The brilliant simple, inexpensive answer : DIY from Kyle Wilson, who also happens to be a terrific artist. So think green and simple. Try this scheme for storing your bike. And ride on everyone, one peaceful turnof the wheels at a time. Thanks Kyle!

No bootcamp or insanity. Just nearly daily showing up for some aerobic work and some light weights. Fitness walking with my husband, which is a real challenge, because for every one of his steps, I need to take like, three. But we’re learning how to adjust for each other. It’s fun.

English: an exercise of upperarms and forearms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why am I do this? Because it really has been hitting me how much it seems that we tend to treat the body as if it was just a convenient vessel for toting our brains around. But, the body is so much more and sometimes, it can feel like so much less. When we are in even basic shape or fundamentally fit, the body is our gateway to so much enjoyment in life. It just makes doing everything easier and more pleasurable, from getting out of bed in the morning to being with friends and family, even going to work! But when the body is out of shape, unfit, it affects everything we do in the negative. Everything becomes physically harder and more tiring. In this state, our mind can not function well either, because the un-ease of te body pulls the mind down, constantly pestering it with a pantheon of troubles and pains.

Of course, the mind screams at us then, suffering the terrible injustice of physical suffering. And we tend to identify with our physical suffering, don’t we? We become our un-ease or dis-ease. We say things like, “My arthritis, my diabetes, my aching back,” and so on. And that, changes us from merely having some physical discomfort to full-on suffering.

Svenska: Dramatiska teatern i Stockholm, mask av Carl Milles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Alas.  So what’s a poor body to do?

A couple of things maybe. How about some modest exercise and meditation?

Meditation (Photo credit: holisticgeek)

Through mindful attention to the body we can rediscover that the body can be our friend again. We need to proceed, step by step and we need to have a goal. I believe in gentle challenge, reasonable goals that slowly take us towards our destination. While in meditation, we let go of ideas about getting anywhere, because what we need is actually already right here inside us, with getting the body fit (as with other sorts of goals) it helps to know where you want to go.

How you define that is up to you. Maybe you want to climb the stairs without strain and feeling winded. Maybe you want to lose weight. I’d suggest that even if you think you want to lose a lot of weight that you start by breaking your big goal down into smaller, manageable goals so you can see, measure, know your gradual success. It’s not wrong to aim high, but realize that even Olympic athletes get to such levels of achievement through years of steady, determined application of effort of the body and mind.

And where does meditation fit in all this? Very simple, a little meditation helps you let go of stress by giving you a chance to stop thinking all those stressful thoughts, worries and obsessions. It’s also a lot easier to let your mind go quiet after some physical activity. Just sit and breathe. Try to just be aware of the feelings of the body, just as they are. Sensations that will come and go. Try to breathe and observe the sensations without any judgement of like or don’t like. See if you can resist the urge to scratch every itch. Wiggle in place. When I first started to meditate, I felt awfully itchy suddenly. No sudden bug attack, only the mind wanting to distract me from what I was doing.

With this, as with the physical activity, start small. Try one minute. Then two. Go for three if you are up to it. Step by step. Add time as you feel comfortable.

So, be patient. Be determined. Set a schedule for your exercise and meditation plan. Then, go for it. Step by step. Take action and as the saying goes, be the change you want to see in the world.

English: an exercise of abs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let me know how it’s going? What works for you? How do you keep moving toward your goals?

And if you think you need some help, give me a shout. I’m glad to help. You can try a group class if you like or a private or semi-private training for your body and your mind.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you like, join other savvy web travelers, and subscribe!

I am happy to say, this is the exact form I teach at the center. So, please come in and try it. One of the things I love best aout treating pain with tai chi, no icky side effects as you’d experience from medication. And if you become addicted to tai chi as a form of exercise, you’ll just live a healthier life with less pain and more peace of mind.

Please know that if you have restricted or limited mobility, I can adapt the exercises for you. Anyone can learn this.

We’re doing a bit of a schedule change to adapt to you all.
The Intro Qigong  class will start this Thursday evening at 5:30-6:15. 

Join us in the Chicago Arts District for 2nd Friday festivities this week.

You can enjoy mini-meditations and qigong sessions every 30 minutes. It’s important to know I think that these practices are super portable. You don’t need special equipment or hours of time to enjoy the benefits. Of course, doing more is going to be even better for you but even 5 minutes of practice two or three times a day can make a big difference in helping you dump some of that nasty stressed out feeling.

Sessions will be at:

Meditation 7,8,9

Qigong7:30,8:30, 9:30

Meditation: A simple yet profound practice. Learn to quiet the mind by focusing on the body and breath. When the mind becomes still, the fog of our emotions drops away. We can see reality more clearly and make more informed decisions. We experience life’s ups and downs, with greater balance emotionally, mentally and physically.

18-form Qigong: Coordinate the breath with gentle movements to revitalize body, breath and mind. Often prescribed as part of a program of treatment after illness, trauma, accident or surgery, and as a support for those suffering chronic disorders like diabetes, hyper-tension, asthma, depression. These movements are also ideal preventative medicine. Perform the complete set or  pick a few favorites do throughout the day to stay fresh, loose and relaxed.

from yang tai chi shi ba shi qigong first posture

Related articles

• 18-Form Qigong for Good Health/18-Formulario de Qigong para la buena salud (lvbm.org)
• May 11th is Stress Relief All Night Long (calmchicago.org)
• Mayo Study Finds External Qigong Relieves Chronic Pain (prweb.com)

Medical studies continue to show what thousands have known through their own experience, qigong is good for you.

New research which specifically looked at:

• bone density 
• cardiopulmonary effects
• physical function
• falls and related risk factors
• quality of life
• self-efficacy
• patient-reported outcomes
• psychological symptoms
• immune function

found demonstrated consistent, significant results for a number of health benefits in RCTs, evidencing progress toward recognizing the similarity and equivalence of Qigong and Tai Chi.

So, wouldn’t you rather beat back say, loss of bone density with exercise instead of expensive medicines with toxic side effects? I thought so. *(Qigong practice should not replace consultation with your doctor or medical treatment.)

Related articles

• May 11th is Stress Relief All Night Long (calmchicago.org)
• Eliminating Stress Brings Pain Relief (everydayhealth.com)
• Should Osteopenia Be Treated? (everydayhealth.com)

Calm Chicago is participating for the first time ever in the Chicago Art District’s 2nd Friday. We’ll be offering short mini-meditation sessions and qigong from 6-10pm. Our good friend, RoK Teasley will be doing original pastel drawings for you by request.

Meditation can help you focus better and leave you feeling more refreshed than if you took a nap, which can leave you feeling a tad groggy. You can do mini-meditations throughout your work day to help you stay clear of minor and major aggravations. Plus, who can get away with napping at work? You can however take a quick meditation break anytime. Even one minute can help keep you on track and happier.

Qigong not only feels good to do, it’s actually one of the best natural ways to rid your body of the nasty effects of stress. So please join us throughout the night to learn more about how you can help heal your body and mind naturally and easily.

Related articles

• 18-form Qigong Video on You Tube (calmchicago.org)
• Meditation for Anxiety Relief (everydayhealth.com)

So much of what causes a lot of suffering for the average person are chronic stresses and ailments which are very well addressed by Qigong and Tai chi. Examples are diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, depression etc. Study after study shows the efficacy of such “alternative” measures, so much so that increasingly, these methods may soon not be considered alternative at all.

If you’d like to get a handle on your health and your stress and want to give it a try, register for our 4-week Intro class.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay in touch by subscribing to Calm Chicago.

Related articles

• Tai Chi in Millenium Park (calmchicago.org)
• New Class Times and Options Coming in May (calmchicago.org)

Introduction to Qigong and Tai Chi 

Saturday Mornings 10-10:45am (starting in May!) $80/4-week session

Tai Chi/Qigong Drop – In Class

Thursday evenings 5:30 – 6:30 pm $17/class

Special Podmajersky Residents $10/class