Impact Fusion

For some people, the workout is just another part of a day,  fulfilling a need or personal requirement because it is on the list of right things to do.  There are many, and perhaps the majority, who fall into this category.  Physical exercise is a task, something repetitive and boring.  This attitude toward exercise is not altogether unprofitable, because there are many businesses who depend on it, creating entertainment systems for workout rooms and personal workouts.  It does fall into a kind of mindset where taking care of the body is a lot like auto repair, keeping all the systems healthy and running efficiently.

There are others, however, who have an entirely different attitude toward physical exercise.  For them, the body is a vehicle, certainly, but it’s not the only vehicle.  It’s one of many ways that human beings express their human experiences in the world.  There are other experiences, however, and other worlds.  For our purposes, this body is here now for specific reasons, and is our way of connecting not only to the immediate physical world, but as a vehicle for access to other realms.  A healthy physical body, then, is able to have clear and healthy experiences in all of the worlds it might encounter.  Although the idea of other realms might seem a little far-fetched in terms of speaking about physical exercise, it might be helpful to consider hatha yoga as a practice that demonstrates this beautifully.  This is a system which can make enormous changes to one’s physical body and overall health, yet it is not intended as such.  This might be a positive result, but the deeper purpose is to “yoke” oneself to something divine.

Ideas of the ethereal body, or astral body, or any other manifestation of this basic idea, seem to suggest that spiritual realms do reflect the physical realm, and keeping things in good working order, then, make access to any of these realms easier and much smoother.  In the same way that one might pore over a pontiac repair manual online in order to keep the car running, human beings who want to deepen their spiritual experience can do so by learning more about the workings of the body.  The realm that most people experience as reality is perhaps but one world, or perhaps is all that there is, but taking care of one’s health has effects that run much deeper than skin and muscle.  And those who are lucky enough to enjoy their workouts just might have a secret worth knowing.

The economy is picking up and, in spite of rising gas prices, many people are looking forward to their first summer vacation trip in several years. They are getting plane tickets, booking hotels, or pouring over a canada map to plot their exact vacation route. In fact, many vacation planning exercises begin with looking at a map.

If you don’t know where you want to go for vacation, standing in front of a large wall maps can be inspirational. World maps will help you remember which countries you always dreamed of visiting. Country maps can reveal lake regions, mountain ranges, or small villages that would make great destinations. For trips that are closer to home, try taping a road map of a specific region to the wall. This simple act can help you formulate a picture of where you want, or need, to go, and what you want to see along the way.

Should your imagination completely fail you, you can always try the old blind pointing trick. Close or cover you eyes, have someone spin you around for extra effect, and then randomly point to the map. Now you have your destination. Or you can do this several times in a row to create an entire itinerary for your summer vacation.

Canada is a fascinating place to visit. While some foreigners have a vision of the Great White North as an empty wasteland, the country actually has an incredible array of stunning vistas, exciting activities, and important landmarks that make it a wonderful vacation destination. In addition to thriving metropolitan cities like Montreal, Canada is full of lesser known and equally appealing destinations.

Those traveling to the province of Alberta are generally in search of the wonder and beauty of the region’s wilderness. These travelers should be sure to check out Banff, which sports mountains, Lake Minnewanka, and a stunning national park.

Banff National Park covers over 2500 square miles including a natural hot springs. Tourists flock to the Banff Gondola, which offers a breathtaking ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Sunshine Meadows, sitting at 7300 feet, provides Alpine-like views on the Continental Divide. The Park’s highest peak, Mt. Assiniboine, is known as the Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies.

Other sites of interest in banff alberta include the Vermillion Lakes, the Norquay Look-Out, and the Hoodoos. The latter are freestanding pillars composed of gravel, rocks and silt held together by limestone. They are several meters tall and look like guards lining the top of Tunnel Mountain.

Long a home of both literature and a breeding ground for activists, it’s no surprise that San Francisco hosts the only event which brings together activist writers to network, share, and learn from each other and truly change the world. Scheduled for November 13th & 14th, the Writing for Change Conference will be held at one of the top San Francisco hotels . Expect to hear from writers from diverse genres such as politics, personal growth, business, health, spirituality, technology, and the environment.

The event’s motto is Changing the World, One Book at a Time. This year’s conference will feature two keynote speakers. Dan Millman has penned fifteen books, including the world best seller, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, and travels around the globe speaking and holding workshops for people from all walks of life. John Robbins is a popular author who addresses issues relating to health, happiness, and diet.

Writing for Change will offer over 30 breakout sessions for authors, both established and aspiring, on writing, publishing, technology, and publishing. It also offers unpublished authors access to literary agents from California and New York as well as editors and other publishing professionals. The event takes place at the Hilton Financial District/Chinatown.

If the world of art is in a state of entropy, as Ho Tzu Nyen contends, then Singapore is the perfect reflection of its artists. In Singapore, it’s sometimes hard to tell if the city-state influences the artists more than the reverse, and at times it hardly matters. There is a heady feeling in the streets, where one almost feels on the verge of multiple transformations all at the same time. The Singapore Hotels , restaurants, and shops are a culmination of the historical as well as the contemporary, and there is always the sense of skirting between these worlds and extending in many directions at once.

Tzu Nyen, whose films have already shown a remarkable depth and substance, is engaged in the process of reflecting. The process is also working to shape things as they are, and has a very large stake in how things will be. Taking a notion from Deleuze about the One , the work is an attempt to capture the entropy, and in turn it is captivating his audiences, both locally and world-wide. In a space where matter circulates in random patterns, the human stories enter into the picture at opportune times, to suggest that the identities are entirely in process, under construction, and caught in mid-gaze.

Canadians celebrate harvest in October, and in 2010 a month-long Harvest Festival will take place at the Capilano Suspension Bridge . Located just minutes from downtown Vancouver, the Bridge provides a unique location to soak up the culture and history of the area while adding in the adventure associated with the bridge and surrounding wilderness. Suspended 230 feet above the Capilano River, the bridge spans 450 feet.

If you’re staying at a Vancouver hotel , ask for information on the park at the front desk and you’ll learn about the many attractions located at the site. There is a series seven elevated suspension bridges known as the Treetops Adventure, that provide a stunning path amongst the towering Douglas Fir. You can also visit the Totem Park, the Story Centre, or take an Eco Tour through the temperate west coast rain forest.

The Harvest Festival will feature musical entertainment and harvest decorations all month. For Thanksgiving weekend , October 9-11, the festival will host games, crafts, face painting and fortune telling as well as the Rainforest Explorers Program. At the end of the festival, the Halloween celebration will provide ghost tours, a jack-0′-lantern display and trick-or-treating.

The music scene in Las Vegas has always been a peculiarly exciting one. There’s something about the mix of ironic kids in the presence of live musicians that gives the shows an air of uncanny sophistication. There have been subcultures here since it first opened the slots, where cross-sections of the world happen through. It’s similar to a port town, in that regard, where influences are always from all over. Even Las Vegas Hotels have a fascinating mix of local charm with international flair.

In the music scene particularly, this comes through in recent years in stunning technicolor, or whatever might be technicolor’s counterpart in sound. It was certainly possible to distinguish the local sound in the 90s, but perhaps now it’s possible to articulate it. With the band Imagine Dragons coming into their own, fans and critics alike are saying they’re the logical successors to the Killers. This makes it easier to perhaps talk about what is the local sound.

It’s certainly explosive, and it’s traditional rock at the root, but complicated by dense melodies that move it in unexpected directions. There are also traces of rather impressive syncopations, that speak to a kind of music that buzzes the mind along with the solar plexus. But in true Las Vegas form, the work of the Dragons is meant to move a crowd to dance. The dance may be ecstatic and sullen by turns, but it’s the dialogue with the crowd that turns the volume up to 11.

The Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu has origins in being the favorite holiday destination for Hawaiian royalty. And while today the beach and surrounding neighborhood is known as one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations, the city of Honolulu itself continues to have prominent personality associations. The current President of United States, Barack Obama was born in Honolulu and while he may not be Hawaiian royalty, he is certainly the American version of royalty.

President Obama was born on August fourth in 1961 at the Kapi’olani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital . His mother was originally from Kansas and his father was originally from Kenya. He has the distinction of the being the first president to have been born in Hawaii. His parents are rumored to have met during class while both were attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa. And while the 44th President of the United States was born in Honolulu, he moved from Hawaii at a young age.

The staff at some of the hotels Waikiki are proud of their royal history and the fact that a president was born in Honolulu, though they are focused on the needs and pleasure of the tourists they now serve. Tourists who spend their afternoons leisurely walking along the beach or maybe even enjoying some surfing will not spot any secret service agents or security guards on the waves, though they are most likely aware of these important royalty and leadership associations to their favorite vacation destinations.

Gearheads from around the world are always on the lookout for the places where the cool cars like to hang out. This usually winds up being the same cool places that cool people like to go to visit, because like attracts like. In Hawaii, with the effervescent sense of nostalgia for the good old days, coupled with a great love for the contemporary and the innovative, car culture is alive and well.

Those who like their machines done up in the classic style, the AACA has an Aloha Region , where the locals like to show off their old vehicles. Here, the emphasis is on restoration, and staying true to the original design. There are many who like to make slight modifications, with antique-looking tires that will last a little longer than the originals for sure. But the purists will insist that every part be an original, and great care must be taken for the conservation of the integrity of the automobile.

In 2006, the Majestics Car Club launched the first hop-off, and here, the emphasis is not on original parts. It’s totally devoted to modifications, and represents some of the most extraordinary examples of low-rider culture to be found on the islands. Those who do love to look at old cars and cool cars will be able to find something from their nests in the five star Hawaii resorts , and it’s a wonderful look into the past as well as the future of the automobile.

If it’s Saturday or Sunday, and you’re in Boston, check out the South End Open Market located at 460 Harrison Avenue. This is Boston’s answer to the Portobello Market in London, with cheese makers, vintage clothes sellers, artists, antiques dealers, and so much more. All of which makes this white tent outdoors market an exciting experience and one that changes week to week as fascinating vendors come and go.

You can browse from stall to stall and chat with the artisans or some of the local farmers selling their freshly picked produce. This sea of white tents brings life to a black-top parking lot every Saturday and Sunday and makes for a wonderful outing for the entire family. The best hotels in Boston are nearby as well as some really great restaurants. Most out-of-towners find the South End Open Market as they look out from their hotel balconies and wonder what all the white tents are for, and then head on over and find that they are a part of a hip and happening event.

So, whether you’re from out-of-town, or a local you’ll find that you’ve just become a guest at this party of hundreds and that it not only inspired a ‘life is good’ moment as you walked around, but that you found and new favorite destination for the weekend.