Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 10, 2015

9

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 10, 2015 


THE JOY OF YOGA


THERE’S NO TIME!

DISCIPLINE & A HEALTHY LIFE

Each new year I ask 
myself, how can I 
improve my life? 
What areas have 
been neglected? 
What would I 
enjoy doing this 
year? I always go back to my yoga practice. It’s pure 
sustenance and gives me the inspiration to do what 
I want in my life. 

Along with this self reflection, or Svadhyaya , 
goes my intentions I have set for the year. It’s an 
exciting undertaking. But now comes the hard 
part; time to put the effort, energy, and time into 
bringing my aspirations to fruition. Yet, about Mid 
January, my personal time already feels squeezed 
with work, the kids, and a million other things. It’s 
easy to sink into the rut of doing life and crossing 
“spiritual nourishment” off the to-do list. Yet, it’s 
the very thing that will give me the energy and 
clarity to be present in my life. Funny that way. 
I have mentioned this before, many times, and I 
always have to reminded. 

Getting on my mat gives me that vital check-in 
time that I need. My body receives the movement 
and exercise it needs while my mind can slow down 
and settle down. The at-home practice is always 
available, but nothing beats the group Shakti, or 
power, from attending class. 

Expanding my practice is always at the forefront 
of my intentions. Whether it be through 
meditation, yoga studies or even through practice 
of core principle of yoga such as Ahimsa, or non 
violence. Broadening my self-understanding this 
way, makes me a better wife, mother, friend, and 
member of the community. 

Make the time for your yoga practice, and life will 
be full and rich! No doubt about it. Come to class 
even when it feels impossible! 

Namaste, 

Keely Totten

“Discipline is getting yourself to do something you 
don’t necessarily want to do to achieve a result you 
really want to get.” –Andy Andrews

 Most people want to be healthy, want to feel 
good, want to function well and live a long life. 
The healthiest and happiest people on the outside 
have usually done a lot of work on the inside or in 
private.

 The discipline it takes to be healthy requires 
daily choices done consistently for a long time. 
Many of these choices are not easy. It requires that 
we have habits, good habits that we rely on to give 
us the best opportunity to have a healthy state of 
being. This requires that we take responsibility for 
our lives.

 “Learn to love the things that are good for you.” 
--Dr. Eric Plasker, author The 100 Year Lifestyle

 If we can discipline ourselves and take 
responsibility for our lives, we recognize that 
between stimulus and response we have the ability 
to respond and this is where our power lies. We 
discipline ourselves to make choices, good choices 
and when we practice this discipline we develop 
habits and these habits develop our true character 
and this character determines our ultimate results. 
This discipline frees us to live unencumbered by 
illness or injury.

 In regards to our physical health we will make 
choices in the areas of exercise, nutrition, rest and 
protecting our spine and nervous system. 

 The question arises are you developing good or 
bad habits in regards to taking responsibility for 
your health? Good habits require discipline and 
are not easy to put in place but once they are in 
place they are easy to live with. Bad habits develop 
when you are not responsible and do not discipline 
yourself. Therefore bad habits are easy to put in 
place but hard to live with.

 When you are in crisis and suffering, the 
situation requires your utmost attention, you are 
motivated and desirous to reclaim your health. 
You will do whatever is required and follow 
instructions in an admirable fashion. However, 
as you become stable and relief has been achieved, 
do you proceed into the critical transition of 
rehabilitation and regeneration with the same 
fervor? Do you continue on the path to achieve 
optimum fitness and achieve lifestyle care?

 Protecting your spine and nervous system 
with exercise, nutrition, rest and practicing 
good posture, and having your spine checked 
for interference and function is a discipline and 
practice of top performers whether it be in sports, 
entertainment, the board room or top performers 
in any industry. They make chiropractic care part 
of the health disciplines they practice regularly so 
their nervous system can function with ease and 
be well connected. The nervous system controls all 
the other systems so they are all necessary to build 
and maintain health.

 In 2014 make regular chiropractic care part of 
the disciplines you employ to create great habits, 
outstanding character and the life you desire and 
deserve.


“What’s Going On?” 

News and Views from Joan Schmidt

THE HEARTLESS EVICTION:

A SHAMELESS ACT

By Joan 
Schmidt

 Just when I 
thought I read 
it all, I read 
Homeless Female Veterans Are Facing Eviction 
and Shelter’s Landlord Evicts Homeless Vets, Kids 
in recent Pasadena Star News issues. To me, just 
evicting Veterans and their children would be 
heartless, but this man (landlord) seems worse. 

 Last November I attended Congresswomen 
Judy Chu and Grace Napolitano’s Domestic 
Violence Campaign Culmination Press 
Conference where I learned that 270 (30 gal. each) 
large bags of women’s/children’s clothing, school 
supplies and toys had been collected for distribute 
to local four shelters. 

 Congresswoman Napolitano also spoke of 
Almost Home, for homeless female veterans and 
their children on a temporary basis. I wanted 
to learn more because I had some children’s 
books which I thought would be good to donate. 
Sometime in mid December, I spoke with Theresa 
Martinez from Almost Home and she said they 
had to go to court to avid eviction! I was shocked!

Almost Home Transitional Housing was founded 
by Esperanza Ortega. The house currently used 
had been an eyesore, badly damaged by squatters. 
But there were extensive improvements by 
volunteers from the Home Depot Foundation 
and the International Brotherhood of Electrical 
Workers; the home opened in early 2014. During 
the year, Home Depot provided an edible garden, 
a barn, new bathrooms, new floors and a new 
kitchen with new appliances. IBEW completely 
rewired the home. Funds from grant money to 
support veterans paid for work.

 How could this eviction happen? The 
homeowner (Shang) says that Ortega missed a 
$3500 rent payment and didn’t get permission 
to operate a transitional home. Ms. Ortega said 
Shang has threatened her with eviction every 
month after he refused to give her a mailing 
address for the rent payments. She told me he 
would show up for the rent-usually after the due 
date. Each late payment came with a tacked-on 
$700 late fee.

 Ms. Ortega also told me that “Every month he 
would demand more money. If I didn’t pay, he 
would put us in for eviction.”

 She also said payments had been made in cash 
until November when Ms. Ortega decided to 
create a record of the payments by only paying 
with checks. She said Shang refused to accept a 
check in November and that is when the eviction 
began.

Monday I spoke to Teresa Martinez a former 
combat medic with the Navy who moved into the 
facility in August with her chronically ill 15-year-
old son. Theresa informed me they were in the 
process of moving into a hotel, thanks to a kind 
donor who paying for two weeks’ lodgings. I was 
heartsick-had seen photos of the home’s interior 
with bunk beds and even a bassinet. I wondered 
about their furniture and belongings; much has 
been put in storage. (Friends, relatives and student 
volunteers from Citrus College Veterans Network 
were helping with the move.)

 Wednesday I spoke with Esperanza. She 
told me how the landlord was there and had no 
remorse. He didn’t even give them time to get 
everything out.

 The deputies who had to make sure the 
eviction was carried out were not happy about the 
situation after seeing the renovated kitchen with 
new appliances and kitchen cabinets, donated by 
Home Depot.(Every year this fine business helps 
out Veterans such as VFW 2070 in Monrovia-
Home Depot remodeled the hall.)

 I am having a VERY HARD time digesting 
this whole situation. Ms. Ortega is hosting a 
FUNDRAISER at 7p.m. January 17th at Azusa‘s 
VWF Post 8070 for Almost Home and her 
Montebello-based Veteran resource center, 
The Hook-up. Anyone interested in directly 
donating can also do it through GoFundMe at 
www.gofundme.com/almosthomevethousing.
com or by visiting their website at www.
almosthomevethousing.com Thank you.