The Friendship Ball – February 13, 2010

What’s up ya’ll? As the First Lady of Fitness, Fashion, and Fun, I am always looking for the places hang out and socialize when  I am not in the gym.  I was lucky enough to attend the Friendship Ball this February. The annual Friendship Ball is fundraiser for Western Pennsylvania Hospital Foundation.  It took place Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010 at the Westin Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.  The goal of the fundraiser was to raise money to help West Penn Hospital patients and families facing lengthy stays with needs such as housing, medications, transportation, parking, and meals.  The theme of this year’s ball is “Shall We Dance?” The ball co-chairs were Dr. James M. Rossetti and Dr. M. Lori Certo Rossetti – a delightful couple who spoke both eloquently and comedicaly to the 300 plus attendees. Music for this black tie event was provided by the band Cityscape who kept the crowd moving and grooving.  Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres began at 6:30 p.m with local Pittsburgh TV personalities Alby Oxenreiter and Rich Walsh as the emcees.

The menu consisted of the following:

Roasted Tomato Soup, Crispy Goat Cheese Salad, Lemon Sorbet, Pan-Seared Filet with Chive Butter accompanied by Grilled Sea Bass over Roasted Arugula and Tomato, Caramelized Onion and Horseradish Whipped Potato, Sauteed Vegetable Medley of Sugar Snap Peas, Shredded Carrot, Spinach, Sliced Yellow Squash, Red Pepper and Red Onion, Bakery Fresh Breads and Rolls with Butter, Triple Chocolate Mousse Charlotte with Fresh Berry Garnish, Whipped Cream and Raspberry Coulis, Coffee Bar, Cookies. Tickets to the ball were $250 per person.

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is a 500-bed academic medical center and the first hospital in Pittsburgh to be recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet Hospital for its excellence in nursing. West Penn Hospital has also received prestigious awards for its bariatric surgery, bone marrow and cell transplantation, burn care, cardiovascular care, joint care, and reproductive medicine programs.

The Foundation sold Swarovski crystal jewelry raffle tickets for $200 each. All participants were guaranteed to win a piece of jewelry and the grand prize winner  received a Swarovski crystal cuff and evening bag worth $1,200.

In addition, the evening featured auction raffle prizes such as a Pittsburgh Pirates suite for 15 people at PNC Park, including food and beverages, as well as autographed jerseys from Jerome Bettis, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, and Franco Harris. Other prizes included plane tickets, a Holland America cruise, and gift certificates from numerous dining, shopping, cultural and recreational venues.

There was also a performance by ballroom dancers from absolute ballroom, which made me really want to head to some professional ballroom classes myself.  Students from Bell School of Irish Dance gave several invigorating performances.  The evening was well worth the expense and I recommend that anyone who can should attend the Friendship Ball in 2011.

“Lights! Glamour! Action!” ™

On Sunday, March 7, 2010, I had the pleasure of attending, Lights! Glamour! Action!” ™ at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

Pittsburghers got on decked out in glamour and creative black tie attire ranging from kilts to full length ball gowns to celebrate the  Oscar’s™ as well mix-and-mingle!  The evening events included a red carpet entrance, silent auction, a VIP champagne reception, gourmet food stations,  and the LIVE Oscar™ telecast on the BIG SCREEN!

“Lights! Glamour! Action!” ™ is the tenth annual Academy Awards™ benefit to  celebrate an outstanding year of the film industry in the Pittsburgh region and support the mission of the Pittsburgh Film Office (PFO).  The PFO is a non-profit economic development agency that markets the southwestern Pennsylvania region to the film industry.
A good time was had by all and I definitely recommend you putting in your social calender for next year.  It is not an event to be missed.

Motivational Quote Feb. 28-March 6, 2010

“The key to happiness is having dreams.  The key to success is making your dreams come true.”

Motivational Quote for Feb. 21-27

A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.

Paul Dudley White

Motivational Quote – January 25-31, 2010

Don’t reserve your best behavior for special occasions. You can’t have two sets of manners, two social codes – one for those you admire and want to impress, another for those whom you consider unimportant. You must be the same to all people.

Lillian Eichler Watson

Welcome to 2010

It is 2010! Can you believe it? Well, I can’t. . . it seems like just yesterday is was 1980 something and I was just a kid watching Madonna perform on the MTV Music Awards.  Alas, I’m not a kid anymore and neither is Madonna.  We are both adults, although she is “borderline” senior citizen and I’m not! Both Madonna and I do however share a passion for fitness, fashion, and fun.  I hope that if you are reading this article you have some passion or at least motivation to get and/or remain fit, fashionable, and to have fun. I’m not big into new year’s resolutions, because I feel like any time is a wonderful time to make changes in your life. . . THE TIME IS ALWAYS NOW, NOT JANUARY 1!

Ella Wheeler Wilcox said that, “There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” Accordingly, becoming a healthier and happier person is COMPLETELY within your control.  You just need to commit and persevere!

Fitness doesn’t happen overnight.  It’s a journey!

For most, it can be a somewhat painful journey – it requires a lifestyle change: changing eating habits, lots of sweat, a plethora of sore muscles and some tears! But the results are more than worth the effort and the journey to a healthier, fitter lifestyle is an enlightening experience. And once you become a healthier, fitter, happier version of yourself. . .YOU WILL NEVER SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS! You can do this!

Happy New Years and Happy Training!

Jackie O.

The First Lady of Fitness, Fashion, and Fun

Motivational Quote January 25-31, 2010

Motivational Quote May 24 – June 1

“All the happiness you ever find lies in you.” Anonymous

Methods of Meditation

Methods of Meditation

Meditate on a lone cloud on a hill, floating effortlessly through space and time. Imagine you are that cloud and with every inhale and exhale, you are blowing yourself gracefully across the heavens, forgetting all sorrow, pain and worry of the hills below…

The art of meditation takes many forms and titles. Meditation has been practiced for over 5,000 years mainly in eastern religious traditions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. Other religions that have used forms of meditation include Janism, Sikhism, New Age, Taoism and Islam. Christianity and Judaism have forms of meditation as well that are very different from eastern religions but still create relaxation and peace in the body.

Techniques are used not only for spiritual purposes, but also health purposes such as yoga meditation and secular meditation which fight against anxiety, stress and chronic physical pain.

By clearing the mind, relaxing the muscles and focusing on deep breathing, circulation, posture and concentration are improved. Yoga is deeply tied to eastern religions and its goal is to improve health and well-being and reaching Moksha which is the release from the cycle of life, death and rebirth and all the suffering attached to it.

There are many different types of meditation techniques including: Mantra, Trakata, Chakra, Vispanna, Raj Yoga, Zazen, and Nada Yoga. All of them include focusing on breathing, entering into an alternate state of consciousness and focusing on a strong sense of self. Beyond being conscious of one’s breathing, there is a wide variety of techniques that help with reaching the developmental goal that the person is aiming for which include:

“Upward” which acts to reverse the pull of gravity on the consciousness by lifting the consciousness out of the body, “Mind-centered” in which the mind is a blank slate, “Monastic” which involves exploring death’s mystery, “Observer” where you watch your thoughts and emotions as they happen from an outside perspective, “Passive” where the mind makes no judgment similar to daydreaming or sleep, “Fantasy-based” where the person goes to an alternate place in his/her mind, “Trance” which included rhythmic chanting, “Denial” or “Dualistic” where divisions in the universe are realized and questioned, and “Religious” where one thinks about an inspiring religious leader.

Transcendental Meditation was introduced in 1957 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, disciple of the Indian spiritual leader, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati. Yogi developed programs and initiatives to promote transcendental meditation and spent time touring the world teaching what he had learned. The technique involves sitting with one’s eyes closed for twenty minutes, twice a day and not contemplating but setting up a framework for the mind to move inwardly instead of being flooded with different ideas and feelings.

Music is a tool that is not only used for entertainment but for healing as well. Certain tones and chords can stimulate brainwaves, produce deep relaxation, increase the ability to learn, relieve stress, and even heal the body as a result of listening and feeling the music. Almost everyone has experienced deep feelings from a song a favorite artist plays or an experience at a concert.

Music can increase self-growth and fulfillment in certain areas of one’s life. Meditation music is one of many forms of music that can accomplish this. It acts to correspond with meditation practices to promote self awareness and relaxation as well as deep connection. It is also used in spas during massages to help the patient relax fully.

What are the Different Types of Meditation?

What are the Different Types of Meditation?

While there are many different types of meditation, there are two general classifications: concentrative and mindfulness.  In concentrative meditation, you focus on clearing your mind to provide you with greater concentration, awareness and clarity. In mindfulness meditation, you open your mind to become more aware of the things around you, such as scents, sounds and thoughts.

The easiest way to engage in concentrative meditation is to sit quietly and focus on your breathing.  Relax and count your breaths as you breathe through your nose. Take deep breaths, hold them and let them out slowly. This helps you to get oxygen into the lowest portions of your lungs.

There are times when you mind may wander, but you refocus on your breathing to get rid of your thoughts. You can also focus on an object when meditating or you may want to repeat a phrase or a word. This is called mantra meditation in which you can choose to repeat the word or phrase aloud or silently in your head.
If you are agitated or worried about something, your breathing will be short and fast when you first start this type of meditation. As you start to relax, your breathing will slow down and become regulated.  As you focus on your breathing or on an object, your mind will become absorbed with the regulation of your breathing and all other thoughts will vanish from your mind.

Zen meditation is one type of concentrative meditation in which you concentrate on the functioning of the heart.  There are three main aims in this form:
??        to develop the power of concentration

??        to awaken your inner sense of wisdom

??        to recognize the action of the Supreme Being on your inner self

The idea is that once you are able to rid yourself of the thoughts of everyday life, you can reach that inner sense of peace that exists in everyone. It helps to calm the mind and body to give you insight into the nature of your existence. You must be patient and persistent in meditating in order for your mind to become clear.

Raja Yoga Meditation is another type of concentrative meditation.  This form of meditation helps you to gain control of your mind to enable to you to develop a sense of peace. The life force of your body moves through the spine so that awareness is able to move into the “Third Eye” which is a point between your eyebrows.

Your mind is not passive and there can be many thoughts racing through it. You try to free yourself of these mindless thoughts and focus on the real meaning of meditating to achieve a pleasant feeling throughout the body.

Mindfulness meditation involves a passing parade of thoughts, emotions and images through your mind. You sit in a meditating position and instead of trying to banish the thoughts from your mind, you allow them to enter. You do acknowledge that they are present but you don’t concentrate on them. This allows you to develop a calm approach to your problems so that you don’t react quickly.

Instead of focusing on one individual thought or scene, you allow each though to become part of the bigger picture. It trains your mind to meditate on things in your life over which you have no control so that you have a heightened sense of inner peace that will enable you to go on with your life in spite or extreme difficulties.

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