“The mantra becomes one’s staff of life, and carries one through every ordeal.” - Mahatma Gandhi This refers to the continuous repetition of a mantra throughout the day, called Japa in the Hindu tradition, but also practiced in other traditions. The breath is also used for the equivalent purpose. A mantra or the breath helps … Continue reading The Breath or a Mantra as Mindfulness Aids →

This is my latest challenge. I found out I have pretty significant hypertension (elevated blood pressure), . This occurred at my new doctors office (general practitioner). I have had "white coat disease" in the past, where BP reading is elevated in the doctors office, but when I go home it's fine. So when I got … Continue reading New Blood Pressure Adventure →

https://www.outsideonline.com/2410181/masters-marathoners-physiology-research At the Frankfurt Marathon in October 2019, Irishman Tommy Hughes set an impressive age group record of 2:27 for the marathon, at 59. He also set a combined father-son time record of 4:59 when his son Eoin finished in 2:31. The combined time might have been a little better if Eoin had trained as hard as … Continue reading Cool Data From Record-Setting Older Marathoner →

It's supposed to rain multiple times this week which is great because we need it. I headed out to the hills West of Morgan Hill while the weather is still nice. I love the country roads out there, and it is nice to have them so close. This was a pleasant ramble of about 90 … Continue reading Longer Ride Out in The Country Before the Next Rains Hit →

Getting out in nature is a great antidote for the “hustle and bustle” of modern life. Just a stroll in a local park will do, or a jaunt in a wilder or more “unmanicured” natural setting is even better. I strive to do get a dose of this at least once a day. It doesn't … Continue reading The Healing Power of Nature →

Friday was an easy day, I rode for about an hour. I visited the water district perc ponds near San Pedro street on the southern edge of town. The cities in Santa Clara county all use groundwater for their water supply, and the water district recharges the groundwater using various percolation ponds throughout the county, … Continue reading A Short Ride to San Pedro Percolation Ponds →

I recently read the interesting and inspiring book Through Blisters and Saddle Sores. Author Ettienne lives in the greater London area. His wife, Tricia is a cancer survivor, and her treatment was quite an ordeal. But she got a lot of help from the local branch of the Haven Breast Cancer Support Centres. Ettienne decides … Continue reading Through Blisters and Saddle Sores… →

My orthopedic doc in Morgan Hill, Dr. Wong, wanted an update x-ray of my hips since I was complaining of hip pain. He was pretty sure it was piriformis syndrome but wanted to rule out problems with my hip implants. A couple of days ago I did my follow-up visit with him and everything looks … Continue reading Clean Bill of Health on Hips 8+ Years Later →

I'm doing a follow-up to try to summarize the seven lessons from the book The Longevity Plan that I discussed recently. They are described in detail in the first seven chapters of the book. Each one is illustrated with stories about some of the centenarians the author, Dr. Day, interacted with. They are hard to … Continue reading Longevity Village, Part II- The Lessons →

This reminds me of the song that Unity Church Services typically end with: "Let There be peace on earth, and let it begin with me". Both of these notions focus us squarely on what is under our own control. And hopefully by changing ourselves for the better we can inspire others to do so.