Vitality is a super-abundance of energy. Which, to some extent, is an expression of our biology. The biology has to be there. And the building blocks of our biology is exercise and diet. And sleep.
Beyond that, the snake in the grass is our own complacency. To feel vital the human organism needs to be stretching towards some horizon. That may be as mundane as doing a couple of hot yoga classes a week or starting a new family.
Pietro in a philosophical mood. With hugs and kisses. Ciao baby.
I need antibiotics, I told the doctor in emergency. I got no sleep the last couple of nights because of my coughing.
No you don’t need antibiotics, said the doctor. You’re infection is viral. Antibiotics won’t help.
I don’t abuse antibiotics. It’s not my drug of choice. There’s no danger of me suffering from antibiotic resistant diseases.
Look, I’ve been a doctor for 25 years. I’m telling you antibiotics won’t help because this is not a bacterial infection.
At that precise moment, I coughed up a yellow wad and showed it to the doctor. Please, I’m begging you. I know my body. If you don’t give me a prescription for antibiotics I’ll be hacking and spitting for three weeks. I’ve been through this before.
Okay, okay, against my better judgement I’ll give you the prescription you ask for.
That night, I slept perfectly with very little coughing. The next day I felt significantly better. Today is day 3, I feel 98% better.
I’m not telling this story to put down doctors. Listen to your doctor. He spouts the rhetorical of the medical profession but only you know you. Misdiagnoses are made all the time.
I feel great. Hot yoga is tonite. And abs class is on Saturday.
Ciao, Pietr0
Restorative Yoga is like no other yoga you’ve ever experienced. Catching fire on the yoga scene for it restful and restorative powers, Restorative Yoga leans more on the meditative side of the equation.
The point of the “exercise” is not-doing. Instead of holding poses for 8 seconds or so, you hold them for 5 to 10 minutes. Yes, you heard right. You hold poses for longer without exerting yourself in any way.
Thus, the use of props. It is not only a powerful relaxation technique. but paradoxically, it actually makes you stronger by accelerating recuperation, and bolstering your entire immunity system.
Beside that, it feels unbelievably delicious without any of the pain and suffering that usually goes along with a workout. It’s all pleasure, no pain. A great relief for the mind as well as the body.
Come for Restorative Yoga with Earl this Wednesday, the 21st, 7:30 pm. Limited availability so please book in advance. Just email me. We have hot yoga on Wednesday and Friday nights, and abs on Saturday, 10 am.
I’ll see you there. Ciao, Pietro
If you were diagnosed with heart disease a hundred years ago, you’d be told by the doctor to avoid exertion. Now your doctor tells you to get your butt to the gym long before it gets to that point.
If you’ve already got heart disease, better late-than-never to consistently and prudently develop your cardiovascular health, especially with the safety net of beta blockers.
In my lifetime, saturated fats were declared harmful. Butter was the devil. Not much later conventional wisdom declared that the newfangled alternative, margarine, was about as healthy as eating plastic. And coconut oil also went from bad to good.
Nowadays we’re not any less delusional. Pizza and french fries surely aren’t going improve your waistline but the right carbs done properly are a nutritional energy-boost. Even fruit has gotten a bad reputation, unjustly, from some of the popular diets lately such as Atkins.
The very word “deep-fried” is abhorrent. It’s the re-cooking of food-remnants that becomes carcinogenic, particularly in fast-food restaurants with questionable oil-changing habits. But slow-boiling fish or plantains in fresh, clean, good-quality oil preserves the nutritional content and can do wonders taste-wise.
Be wary of cultural norms. Ciao, Pietro