The Power of Touch!

Human touch is a very powerful nutrient, as well as therapeutic intervention. Touch can help to decrease pain, improve circulation, relax the body, and promote a feeling of safety, as well as general well-being. It has been shown that babies who are touched more often tend to grow and thrive much better. I believe the same could be said for adults. Touch helps to program us, shape us, and balance us!

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One form of ‘healing touch’ with a long history (thousand of year) of success and positive results is acupressure. It was the original plan before acupuncture (which uses needles) came along. I use it in my own daily life. I like to view acupressure as a daily energy 'tune up'. Vital life energy, as known as 'qi' or 'chi' or 'ki' needs to be able to flow through the body unimpeded for good health to exist. Acupressure helps this to happen.

By applying pressure to certain points on the body, endorphins (the body's natural pain killers) are released, blood flow is enhanced and more oxygen is delivered to various regions of the body to bring about a state of healing. Acupressure is non-invasive, safe, easy to learn, and it's free--you can apply it to yourself! People often say healthcare is 'too expensive'. If more people learned to incorporate a simple practice such as acupressure into their lives, I believe they wouldn't hold such a belief!

'Spring’ Into Good Health!

Spring has sprung for sure! We are moving into the element of “Wood”, which is an upward rising force in nature. This energy is very palpable right now. Plants are blooming, things are moving, and energy is expanding for sure. This is a perfect time to connect with Nature! This is also a great time to really take massive action on your goals and intentions for this year, as the energy to do so now supports you in full force!

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Nature is a sacred temple! Connecting, communing, and cultivating vitality each day by visiting this temple is wise! In other words... spend time outdoorsin Nature, as it's our truenature. Touch the bare earth with your bare feet– and drink the vital energy that flows upward into and through you! Look to the sky– allow the heavens to bathe down upon you it’s Divine light as well. Be still. Go within. Quiet your mind. Listen, receive, learn, be grateful, and smile!  

  • When feeling lost, connect to Nature! 

  • When feeling stressed, connect to Nature!

  • When feeling overwhelmed, connect to Nature!

  • Nature has answers! 

  • Nature is true therapy! 

Cultivate a loving relationship with Nature, and your health will surely prosper!


Dr. SAM - “The Health Raiser!”

Valuing The Growth Process!

Rewards in life are nice, especially when you work really hard to accomplish something. However, I have often found that the process of what it takes to achieve the goal is just as important (if not more so). The process is where the growth really is! For example, I've spent MANY hours in the past working toward cultivating a garden that would produce some greatorganic food. Although the food was a nice reward, the continual process of what it took to grow it was even more nourishing. The growth process taught me many valuable things about myself; and Nature continues to be a great therapeutic laboratory for self-awareness and self-realization.

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Growth in life can be challenging, laborious, and very difficult at times! As with gardening, there will be planing and planting that will have to be done; watching and watering when needed; 'weeds' you will have to remove; and harvesting at the right times! The rewards, or the 'fruits of your labor', will be worth it. However, it's the growth process where the 'true value' may really be! This is where the higher rewards often exist, so be sure to accept and celebrate these gifts as well!

Keep growing.!

Much Love,


The ‘Light’ Within You!



Each day, make sure to do the things that make you 'light up' and put a smile on your face! Explore; laugh; dance; connect; and celebrate life each day! We are living in some very dark times right now. The only way to change this is if we all make a choice to change it! How can you help?  Shine your light each day! 

Here are some simple ways you can BE the Light:

  • Speak kindly. (Say and write nice things!)

  • Act kindly. (Help others in need!)

  • Think positively. (Project good intentions!)

  • Love openly. (Open your heart; show grace; give someone a hug!)

  • Inspire daily. (Lead by example!)

  • Smile often. (This can be contagious!)

  • Celebrate daily. (Sing, dance, and enjoy your life!)

  • Meditate regularly. (Raise your vibrations!)

  • Laugh often. (Humor is audible light!)

  • Accept openly. (Accept yourself and others!)

  • Use teamwork. (Join others that are full of light!)

  • Dress colorfully. (Take pride in your appearance!)




Exercise: Make Your REPS Count!

When it comes to exercise, quality is just as important as quantity. However, it seems many people often forget this basic exercise principle. People seemed to be obsessed with: How much? How far? How fast? How Strong?…. instead of… How well? It’s important to understand that in the long-run,“how well?” will ultimately determine those other things and help people reach their goals. 


However, when how well is ignored, then plateaus are often reached. This is the point at which many people try to “push more” or “train harder” and it often ends up as a decrease in performance; as well as even a significant injury that sets them way back physically, mental-emotionally, and spiritually. In a fast-paced, got-to-have-it-now world, I have only seen this problem getting worse. People are so distracted all the time, even when they are exercising; and thus are ‘tuned out’ to what is really going on in their bodies.

There is an old-school saying: “Don’t just count reps, make your reps count!”. This is beautifully said, because the more times you exercise with poor movement patterns, the more you are ‘hard-wiring’ a poor motor program into your nervous system. It can take thousands of reps to undo this poor motor program as well. So, instead of getting really good at moving really poorly, a bit more attention to just moving correctly in the first place can go a long way to helping a person stay fit and healthy and achieve their exercise goals.

NOTE: Proper Movement Training is one of the many cool features on my Wellness Retreats! The next retreat is coming up March 17th-223rd in beautiful Costa Rica!

More Details here >>> Retreat Details

Synergistic "Nature" Of Health!

If you wish to be healthy, you MUST have a loving synergistic relationship with nature! Although many people believe that nature is wired for competition ("survival of the fittest"), nature is really wired for cooperation. The flower and the bee have a loving relationship as seen in this picture, both giving something to each other in order to thrive. Good health depends on many synergistic factors. For example, you could eat a very healthy diet, but if you're under-slept, don't exercise, or don't get enough fresh air, water, and sunshine, then you won't be nourished well (despite your good diet).  You must work with, not against, nature in order to thrive and be healthy. 

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Here are 4 Simple Ways you can do this: 

1.Grow something to eat!If not, then at least support local farmers who can give you nourishing food to consume. Gardening can be a great form of exercise, as well as a means by which to connect with nature and receive fresh air and sunshine as well. I know that I always feel better after working in my garden. Gardening is about more than just growing food. It's about the connection to nature and our loving synergistic relationship to the world! 

2. Listen to your body! WhenNature speaks, listen! Your body will talk to you in various ways in order to guide you how to care for it. When all is well, you will feelwell. When things need attention, your body will provide you with symptoms. The word symptom means 'signal'. What is your body trying to tell you? For example, a pain (P.A.I.N. = Pay Attention Important Now) may be signaling that something needs attention. Don't ignore this signal; attend to it. Otherwise, this would be like ignoring the warning light on your dash board and hoping the  problem will just go away! Give yourself the love and care it needs each day to be healthy. Dedicate time each day to 'tune in' and do some maintenance work to keep yourself vibrant and strong!

3. Share your talents! Everyone has gifts and talents that they can share with the world. What are yours? Sharing them will help both you and others feel better. Don't allow your talents to be wasted. Use these gifts to bring about better health instead. If you're not sure what your gifts and talents are, just ask others: "What do you think my talents are? What am I good at?" Figure this out! It's very important. You have a chance to make a positive difference in the world every time you're willing to share your gifts and talents with others. The more you do it, the better you will feel. At the same time, don't burn yourself out trying to be a people pleaser. So, share yourself; and spare yourself!  

4. Support others! We all live here together (humans as well as other creatures). Be loving, supportive, and kind to others. Being of loving service to others is one of the key features of having the human experience. One of the highest forms of giving is done without acknowledgment. Don't give love and support because you expect something in return. Do it because it's the right thing to do! Help others, especially when they ask. Allow yourself to be helped as well. Not only give, but learn to receive as well. If you don't receive, then others can't give! Support Mother Nature! Respect her and treat her kindly. She will nurture and provide for you. Be kind to the other creatures as well. They are not here for us to rule and dominate, but rather, to respect, love, and embrace as part of this living experience! 

Cultivating Compassion

Compassion is one of the most important traits to cultivate if you want to find inner peace; as well as peace in the world. Total healing is based on compassion. Compassion is about opening your heart. It's also about forgiveness and understanding. It's about helping, listening, and making a difference. It's part of the human experience!  

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There are different paths to compassion... 

Suffering is one-- This path is painful, but often necessary for some people to truly value the human condition. When you suffer enough, then your heart will open and you will prioritize giving and loving service toward others! (By the way: The word compassion literally means "to suffer together".)

Awakening is another path-- Whether it's through a journal, meditation, prayer, fasting, workshops, retreats, or by other means of 'waking up', more compassion can be cultivated. 

Observation is another path- It's not always easy to view the 'truth', but it's often necessary in order to shift consciousness in the direction of compassion. If you don't ever experience or witness hurt and suffering, then it's hard to truly know and understand compassion. 

Compassion toward ALL creatures is important! All living beings on this planet are connected. Cultivating compassion has a global effect. So, how you choose to live-- eat; drink; sleep; rest; move; exercise; think; act; speak; and love- ALL matter! This is becoming evidently clear in the world we live in. That which does NOT represent compassion will continue to crumble and dissolve away, as it does not represent what is in the highest good of humanity! 

There's plenty of heartlessness in the world right now. Choose not to be a part of it. Open your heart, awaken, and choose compassion instead!

Without Squat, You Don't Have Squat!

I have said for a long-time: “Without squat, you don’t have squat!” What does this mean? It means that the deep squat position is not only healthy, it’s the difference between good and poor health-- for so many reasons! The ability to squat deeply (especially when voiding, such as when “going Number 2”), can help to prevent a myriad of health challenges, such as: hemorrhoids; incontinence (leaky bladder); colon issues (colorectal cancer, Chron’s, colitis, Inflammatory Bowel issues,diverticulosis); hiatal hernia; prostate issues; uterine issues; birth and pregnancy challenges and complications; pelvic organ prolapse; sexual dysfunction; hernias; and appendicitis to name some of them!

If you can squat, then keep squatting (especially on the toilet). Many health challenges listed above may be linked to the negative side-effects of using the modern-day toilet! Not kidding! If you can’t squat, then it would be wise to start getting yourself back in shape so you can (even if that means hiring a competent physical therapist, fitness trainer, or other qualified professional to help you). Squatting is a vital aspect of health and well-being! And… “No, squatting is not bad for your knees!” That is… if you do it correctly! If done correctly, it will actually strengthen your knees, as well as the rest of your body! It’s basically “use it, or lose it” for sure. Unfortunately, in America, many people have lost it (the ability to squat)! It’s interesting to note that in other places around the world, where squatting deeply is an everyday occurrence (even among older age groups), the same health challenges that Americans face (such as those listed above) are far less and/or non-existent! Hmmm…. so just something to think about! 

Mastering the basic body-weight deep squat will suffice. You DO NOT have to do weighted squats to get the benefits of squatting deeply. In fact, many peoples’ form breaks down significantly when they start adding weight to this basic movement pattern. Remember, you don’t need to carry extra weight with you onto the toilet to maintain good health. However, you do need to be able to fully evacuate your colon  (as well as maintain proper pelvic floor alignment and strength) for good health. Assuming the deep squatting position can help you achieve this!  

*Note: If unable to deep squat on the toilet (which would mean standing on the toilet and squatting down vs. sitting on the seat), then using a foot stool to support your feet when sitting on the toilet (so that your knees are positioned above your hips) may help you get into a better voiding position. However, this is NOT a substitute for proper squatting; it’s a modification to provide an advantage over just sitting on the toilet!

Overcoming the "Great Disconnect"!

Do you suffer from what I like to call the “Great Disconnect”? This happens, when what you think you're doing is not what you're actually doing, when it comes to your health. (Or, really any aspect of your life!)

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For example, liking the idea of exercising and eating well, is not the same as actually doing it!  So, how can you avoid the “Great Disconnect” from happening? You need a way to track what you're doing. A way to self-audit your behaviors. A means by which to keep your behaviors consistent with your intentions. One way to do this is to have a simple checklist that you can refer to each day. The checklist should have your key behaviors or 'go to' actions that you need to take to ensure that you stay on track. For example, some of the items may be: 

  • Drink 1 large fruit/veggie smoothie

  • Get to bed by 9:30 pm

  • Go for a 1-2 mile walk

  • 10-20 minute sunbath

It's amazing how many times that the solutions to many health challenges are very simple. And., that starting with the safest, most logical, and least invasive approach is often the best approach. Frequently, people find their health out of balance and don't know how they got there?  The answer is simple: They got there through the “Great Disconnect”! They lost connection with their daily life actions and behaviors. In a world that is filled with constant distractions and stimulation, it's even more important than ever to have a proven and consistent way to stay on track! 

*Note: One of the many benefits of attending one of my Wellness Retreats is that you will learn how to master the art of avoiding the “Great Disconnect”! You will learn how to stay laser focused and on track to achieve vibrant health and well-being, so you can thrive at a higher level!. More retreat info here >>> Retreat Info