Tag Archive: human development

• Lower your risk for nearly every disease, from colds to cancer
• Strengthen your heart and lungs
• Lower your blood pressure
• Keep your weight down
• Maintain and even increase bone density
• Strengthen your immune system
• Lower the percentage of body fat
• Increase the “good” HDL cholesterol and decrease the “bad” LDL cholesterol
• Relieve stress and tension
• Reduce the chances of lower-back problems
• Change the shape of your body
• Increase your range of motion
• Improve reflexes, memory, and coordination
• Improve your sex life
• Stimulate the release of endorphins, which give your body a natural “high” feeling of euphoria
• Relieve depression
• Change your self-image and self-esteem
• Lengthen your life

Source: Callanetics Fit Forever by Callan Pinckney (p. 30)

When he wasn’t busy establishing our new democracy or writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was out walking. “The solemn invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all exercises walking is the best,” he wrote to his future son-in-law in 1786. He would be adored by health experts the world over for his words: “Not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise, and the weather should be little regarded…”

Jefferson bought a pedometer in France, where he walked to landmarks all over Paris, carefully recording the number of steps in his notebook. An all-season walker, he noted that covering a mile in summer required 2,066.5 steps, while the “brisk walk of winter” reduced it to 1,735 steps. Clearly he didn’t let the cold weather stop him; Jefferson simply picked up the pace and extended his stride to keep warm.

Source: Fenton, M. and Bassett, D. 2006. Pedometer Walking. Guilford, C.T.: Lyons Press. (p.9)

• Allow your creativity to flow: Sing a song, bake a cake, or paint a picture. Start by doing easy and simple things first.
• Allow quiet time often. Discover how much quiet time you need and honor that. Create a healing space in your home or outdoors where you can go to be quiet.
• Create rituals to mark the passing of time or the special events in your life.
• Share a connectedness with others. Surround yourself with friends that are loving, supportive, stimulating, and energizing.

Eliopoulos, C. 2004. Invitation to Holistic Health: A Guide to Living a Balanced Life. Sudbury, M.A.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Streamed live on Nov 7, 2013

Sociologist Stein Ringen explores the art of governance, and the importance of the personal qualities of our leaders – and argued that success or failure depends not on how much power you have, but how well you use it.

This is the full event including the Q&A session.

Streamed live on Mar 24, 2014

Leading criminologist Shadd Maruna asks: can we make a decisive shift from targeted programmes of intervention within a predominantly punitive criminal justice culture, to a much more pervasive rehabilitation ethos that extends to entire institutions, services and communities?

“According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, 4 of the top 10 stressors we experience are related to money- how we get it and how we spend it. Given that, doesn’t it make sense that if we want less and are content with less- smaller houses, fewer gadgets, and simpler forms of transportation- our stress levels will go down? Maybe that applies to our career choices as well. Do you really want to work yourself to death to be the person in charge of the world? Or will just being in charge of a small portion of it make you happy and let you sleep? A recent poll of almost 2,000 Americans reveals that 22 percent declined a promotion or refused to seek one because they thought the job would be too stressful.” (p.69)

Source: Sleep to be Sexy, Smart, and Slim by Ellen Michaud and Julie Bain (2008)

Streamed live on Feb 6, 2014

This event was live streamed Thursday 6 Feb in London

Alain de Botton asks: what is it that we’re really looking for when we watch or read the news – and is it doing us any good?

Streamed live on Feb 20, 2014

Should there be a change in the law to permit physicians and others to assist death in terminally ill, mentally competent people who have expressed a wish to die? A panel of expert commentators, including philosopher and author Raymond Tallis, address one of the most challenging questions of our times.