Winter, Spring Class Schedule

It is now official. I will be teaching two classes through the City of Redding Recreation Department. To register for these two classes, you will have to go to the City of Redding Recreation Department, 1250 Parkview Avenue. Cost for the class is $48, equipment will be furnished.

The first class will begin Thursday, March 8, 2012 and continue through April 19, 2012. Time will be from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.  (Note: there will be no class on April 5th.)

The second class will begin Saturday, April 14, 2012 and continue through May 19, 2012. Time will be from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

These two classes will be offered at a lower cost. So if you and a friend are interested in learning about a healthier way of walking, then register and plan to have fun walking. You will learn the art of Nordic Walking, while having fun in the process.

Happy, healthy walking to you in 2012. Lets start out right. Hope to see many of you soon.

Winter Solstice

This evening at 9:30 p.m. our time the Winter Solstice will occur. This will be the shortest day of the year and one in which we need to reflect upon our past and then towards the future. This is a hibernating time of the year for many people and animals, just as for trees, plants and shrubs. It is a time for non growth, stillness, and darkness, but one where we look forward to rejuvenation with the coming of spring equinox.

As we take this time to reflect, lets reflect on the many changes the past year in the Mid-East and our own country. People are waking up to what is happening around them. They are starting to ask questions and seek answers and justice for themselves and other people around the world. The occupiers are busy with the agenda of equality. I believe we can all relate to the equality problem in the world and our own backyard, when we see what is happening around us.

So at this joyous and somber time of the year may we all appreciate what we have and what we would like everyone else to have also. It is really not a case of the haves, but a case of equality in everyones life around the entire world. So lets all strive for equality and justice as we head into winter and really think about "what is equality and justice?", so that when we arrive at the spring equinox we are able to put it into effect for the greater good of all People.

Have a wonderful Winter Solstice.

A Prayer for Kindness

This is the time of the year when people around the world rethink about peace and kindness. We wish people peace at this time of the year and some are not as sincere as they say this, while others are very sincere. With this being the season, I'm putting a Metta Prayer of Kindness up for everyone to read and hopefully include in their daily practice. Take a read and see for yourself how short and simple this prayer is:

Metta Prayer
The transforming force of Kindness

May all Beings be peaceful.
May all Beings be happy.
May all Beings be safe.
May all Beings awaken to light of their true nature.
May all Beings be free.

May all of us someday soon see Peace  with people being happy, safe and free. May Kindness and Peace be with all of you at this time of the year as we come together and walk with a special light around us in a united front to honor our particular beliefs.

May we all awaken to our Nature of True Light and carry this vision.

Namaste

Old Time Holiday at Whiskeytown

It is the time of year when we start preparing our homes for the holidays. What a better way than to attend the "Old Time Holiday" at Whiskeytown National Recreation area. It is a fee free day and the events take place at the Camden House in the old Tower District of the park, which is located near the French Gulch turnoff. There will be old time fiddler music, light refreshments and best of all you can make and take home a Christmas wreath or swath after you make it. The park provides the greenery which is wonderful along with berries, ribbon, wire, glue, sprinkles (glitter), the whole nine yards. Once again this is FREE! There also will be a bin to collect food for the needy if you so desire.

After your wreath making , on your way back to redding, stop by the visitor center and you save an additional 15% on books and other gift ideas. This is a nice way to help  out with your Christmas shopping. There are a lot of excellent books for sale.

As you leave the visitor center, stop by Old Shasta State Historic Park for additional activities.

I have attached the flier, so take not and hope to see you there. I will be there to help greet you.

Fall Nordic Walking Class Schedules Announced

Fall officially begins on Friday at 2:04 a.m. our time. With Fall comes cooler weather, beautiful colors and a good time to get out and learn a new exercise. Nordic Walking with poles  can be very beneficial for you. You may burn up to 40% more calories, take stress off the body joints, work every major muscle group at one time while walking, buildup your cardio, in other words it is a very simple and great exercise to learn and enjoy while walking one of our many trails in the Redding area.

A six week course will begin on Thursday morning October 20, 2011 and run fron 9:30 am to 11:00 a.m. Cost is $75.

A crash course for those that want a quick way to learn and see if they are interested in Nordic Walking will take place on Saturday, October 15, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m., Cost is $30.

For those that may want to set up a Saturday class, get a group of friends together and email me, I'm open to a Saturday class if enough interest ans students signup.

All classes are limited to 10 persons due to the number of sets of poles I have, unless you have your own set of walking poles.

Remember, I provide the poles, all you need to do is preregister by calling 530-945-2218, or email, and then show up with a positive attitude, a good pair of walking shoes and comfortable clothing. So lets get on board and enjoy our great north state fall weather and learn about a new exercise which many walkers have taken up and a healthy new way of walking. All first classes meet at Redding Fleet Feet Sports at 1736 Hilltop Drive in Redding

Imagine

Imagine a world of Peace. Everywhere we look or read, there is a shattering of our Peace. Norway lost a lot of fellow human beings, many of them kids, who were on a vacation on an island. There Peaceful world was shattered by a lone gunman, who needlessly took many lives as a way of communicating his dislike for Islam? In Somalia there is much famine and food aid is not allowed to be delivered to the starving people and some of them are even being raped. What is wrong  with all of us coexisting and letting each one of us believe and live  what we want to believe in without someone else dictating or taking away that belief in us

Here in our own Nation, we have all sorts of different beliefs, religions, etc. and we are not allowed to express our opinion if we do not agree with what is being said or told to us by a small minority. A prime example is how this Congress is dragging all of us down a bad road with only their greed for the wealthy, speaking for what they believe in and not is good for all of us as a nation. There is no honest bargaining as the divide has become a canyon and there is no middle ground as you will fall all the way down if you don't believe in the left of right and fall into the crevice and often forgotten about. Things need to change for the better and it is getting to a point that it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

John Lennon wrote a beautiful song titled Imagine. If you listen to the lyrics they are very poignant in relating to the world today. Enjoy the song, and then practice a world of love and peace. While in Prague, I visited the John Lennon Wall. It looks like a lot of graffiti, but when you read all the different sayings, verses, etc, it brings back a lot of memories, plus it still applies today in this ever changing world. People from all over the world are visiting this wall and leaving there remarks and prayers of Peace for a better world to come. All this where in the 1940's they persecuted the Jewish people for " bieng different" We are all the same regardless of our beliefs, religion, skin color and ideologies. Lets all pray for peace between each other, other countries, other religions and find Peace within ourselves.

Namaste

New Class Starts Tomorrow

For those interested and the ones that have called and emailed, the summer evening class begins tomorrow, Thursday, June 30, 2011. First class meets at Fleet Feet Sports on Hilltop Drive at 6:30 p.m. Spots are still available. To improve the quality of your workouts, stop by and see what Nordic Walking is all about. Class will meet for six Thursdays from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. and poles are provided. Class cost is $75. Email me at this site or call 530-945-2218. Come out and join the walking group.