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Or a handful! Or two!

If you need a way to relax your tired feet, legs, shoulders and everywhere else that aches after summer long-weekend 27-hole rounds, try epsom salts. It’s the mineral magnesium sulfate, which when absorbed through the skin (like, in a lukewarm bath) it draws toxins out through the skin, sedates your nervous system (how it helps you fall asleep), reduces swelling, relaxes muscles and is even great for the look of your skin!

Often less than $5/1lb. bag, you can’t go wrong.

If your not a bath type of person, here are a few more tips for creative uses and benefits of epsom salts:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/use-epsom-salts-13-wonderful-ways.html

I just saw this fantastic feautre on CNN that provides a great list of suggestions for really increasing the VALUE of your car/truck, especially for our Toronto-area readers who’re using cars daily to commute or make tee times, etc. - as a city/culture we really do rely on our cars a lot, so why not reduce the cost?

#1 - Use synthetic oil instead of conventional motor oil
- for $5 more, you’ll see increased fuel efficiency, better performance and oil changes are required only only every 7,500 miles instead of every 5,000 miles

#2 - Check the little things
- make sure your gas cap is not damaged/cracked (17% cars on road have damaged, loose or missing gas caps, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize!), and when you fill up, be sure to tighten the gas cap properly, until you hear the “two clicks”
- check your car’s fuel systems - one mis-firing spark plug can cost 2-3 miles per gallon
- check tire pressure EVERY MONTH, ensuring they’re filled to the specifications for your car, not the general tire pressure listed on the wheel (a label on the inside of the car door, glove box or gas door)

#3 - Be wary of the upsell - when it comes to repairs/maintenance, there’s a long list of unnessesary maintenance that will be offered to help increase the revenue of the auto industry (they’re not selling new cars as well right now…)
- Say NO to nitrogen in tires (in RACE CARS it is useful, but it’s much more costly than free air and really isn’t necessary for the average person’s car)
- consult your car’s manual
- check the internet to find the best price

cnnmoney.com/toptips
toptips@cnn.com

If I were the editor at CNN, I’d add a 4th point to that segment:
Be PROUD to be green, be a role model for your community. Be Rich. Breathe. Smile.
- when you inspire someone else, in a good-karma, pay-it-forward kind of way, you are exponentially multiplying the positive action taken by others.

And from “A Greener Toronto” - Rogers Channel 10, Wednesdays 8:30 - 9:00p
Adjust Your Driving Habits:
- keep your air conditioner set at the lowest rate or OFF to increase fuel economy (I think if you’re almost living Carrie Bradshaw’s life this summer - the lean years - then there’s nothing wrong with being sweaty in the summer ; )
- take the TTC just ONE day a week (if you work in sales then have one day where you take the TTC and work from the office)
- negotiate with your employer to work from home one day a week

Thoughts? Will you apply any of these tips?
Rate the usefulness of this post for you - “Birdie”, “Par” or “Bogie”, in the comments!

Through the Ontario Power Authority, until June 15, 2008 www.EveryKilowattCounts.com has multi-dollar discount coupon s on power saving products - a few examples:

- $15 off Energy Star qualified light fixtures
- $5 off Heavy-duty timers for above-ground pools and spas
- $4 off Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent floodlights and spotlights

… and for our readers who own or manage businesses, like golf courses… imagine how impressed your bosses will be when you can show them how to increase profit through energy saving choices AND provide valuable PR content (I’m sure I’m not the only golfer who’d rather play a more natural and less toxic golf course and even if I am, I won’t be for long!)

- $8 off T8 fluorescent tube fixtures

Visit www.EveryKilowattCounts.com for a complete list of MANY participating retailers and to download YOUR coupons.

Yoga QuickieTM, that is.

These fantastic little excerpts are right on the mark for the needs of our time-starved, responsibility-glutton readers everywhere (present company included). I just tried the standing cross crawls at my desk (in about 3 minutes total) and all of the sudden, I AM AWAKE, happy to be alive, looking forward to enjoying the rest of my day.

Practical Yoga

What I really like about this yoga-instruction clip is that they show one woman who is struggling with the activity, and she takes a break - exactly as she should - and as all yoga instructors should, they encouraged her and all the other students to take a quick break when you need it - your body will tell you when that is.

… and Enter to WIN a Toyota Prius (look down, waaaay down)

I’ve been quite surprised recently to discover all the ways that it costs LESS for me to live when I stay more actively environmentally aware. Some of the big-ticket consumer purchases like houses, cars, weddings (check back for our thoughts on greening your wedding this summer) can actually be quite a bit less costly when approached from a green, or blue perspective.

Think about it like this - although occasionally the cash-register price you pay for “green” products can be higher than convenient consumer products & services, the true environmental cost of natural resources used in the manufacturing, transportation, advertising, delivery, etc. of these regular, non-green consumer products is actually MUCH higher than the end retail price you pay.

I’ve recently been trying to wrap my head around the realization that every product/service I consume also has a perpetually increasing cost associated with the results of consuming it - global-brand fast-food meals may only cost a few bucks at the counter, but the real cost continues to compound after consumption — In global fast-food for example, cost-cutting measures applied before purchase (to increase corporate profits) result in a lower-quality meal (it provides almost no nourishment).

We know our dietary choices at this moment not only impact how we physically, mentally & emotionally function for the next 3-4 hours, but also there is real impact on the quality of life and health for your family for generations to come (genetics and behavior modeling). Since companies cut costs to increase profits, you the consumer are paying the real price in your family’s health care costs, taxes, and everyone shoulders the cost of our health care system (prescription drugs, hospitals, etc.).

For a pre-round snack, consider mixing together some fresh, local organic berries, nuts, yogurt, stevia (to sweeten naturally without carbs, calories or fat) and cinnamon for about $2.75 and long-lasting good health & Karma, instead of unconsciously throwing down food for taste & convenience, like a mass-produced worldwide-ingredient “yogurt parfait” for about $4.50 from your wallet and an unending & uncalculable cost for us all…

Think aboout it for a while & see if you don’t feel physically, mentally and emotionally better when you make just one more-affordable (overall) consumer choice. If you get really enthusiastic about it, you can enter to win a FREE Toyota Prius at www.ChampionsForTheEnvironment.ca - contest ends June 8, 2008

Ever since I walked away from my high-paying ad agency job so I could spend the summer contemplating my next career move (thats the story I tell in public, at least), I’ve been filling my days with working on myself physically, mentally & emotionally. Part of my daily routine is a hot yoga class at noon & cycling anywhere else in the city I need to go.

With so much momentum for exercise, I couldn’t image a 5-minute workout that could even make a dent in my energy levels - until yesterday. The other day I stopped in at the new H.I.T. location at 434 Eglinton Avenue West for a sample 5-minute workout, and let me assure you I thought I’d stroll in there & hardly break a sweat! I was SO wrong…
http://www.hitfit.ca/

I believe cross-training is generally the best approach to honing your skills in a particular sport, so H.I.T.’s 5-minute workout (only a slight exaggeration for marketing’ sake) is a great option for time-starved, downtown-Toronto golfers - the workout intensity can [and should] be customized to your individual needs & help you have more energy, strength & consistency for your golf game.

I think you could reasonably be in & out of there in 20 minutes total including a quick shower & change. The high-intensity part of the training is really quick, only a few minutes, and anyone can handle that right? Also, be sure to try it out at the level of exertion that’s right for you, to avoid falling out of form, daydreaming, potentially causing injuries. With somewhat regular use can see the benefit of the warm-up & cool-down on the vibrating platform - at the very least it can be as passive or active as you want each day.

For me, I didn’t realize how effective the HIT workout really was (sure, I was sweating, but I do that with hot yoga every day), later that day I went to Karate as well, and by the time I was back home at 9pm, I could hardly keep awake. I fell fast asleep for 9 full restorative hours of sleep and was a little bit sore the next day.

If you want a FREE trial workout mention you read about them on www.GolfLogic.ca when you call to book; check the golf deals page soon for a special package offer free to Golf Logic members.

OMG - this season’s allergies are SO Bad! I can’t even imagine how much I’d have to spend on OTC sinus headache, etc. medications if I didn’t have my Neti Pot to help reduce the severity of the experience. If you suffer from any sinus headaches, allergies or stuffiness at home or on the course, or smog sensitivity from the lovely brown haze that settles over Toronto in the summer, you may want to pick up a Neti Pot and start using it today.

As a Recession Buster - there are only two days left on this sale on Neti Pots at all Shoppers Home Health Care Canadian locations
http://www.shoppershomehealthcare.ca/english/home_health_care/store_locations/index.html
(click here for store locations) until May 10th, 2008.
$12.99 sale $16.99 regular FREE $3.99 250g bag of brine with purchase of neti pot
(I paid nearly $30 for mine, and it didn’t include non-iodized salts so this is an excellent deal!)

UPDATE: Here’s a US-based supplier online for our readers south of the border:
http://www.arnoldsupplements.com/Neti_Pot_p/him-001.htm?gclid=CPqc2ILovJMCFQoRswodGAmUCA

After suffering for YEARS with sinus headaches, I bought a neti pot last winter & have developed a bit of a romance with using it habitually, about every second day. For a long time, they were hard to find, understandably since a lot of people don’t like the idea of a ‘nasal douche’ or nose wash, but recently Oprah & Dr. Oz had an audience member who had never tried it before demonstrate on stage how to use neti pot:
http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070426_350_106.jhtml
no, it is not messy and you don’t need to make any special preparations to use it & LOVE it!

Further information and instructions are available all over the web, including here:
http://www.healingdaily.com/exercise/neti-pot.htm

Think of it like this - imagine the state of your oral health if you were NEVER to brush your teeth… Especially if you breathe through your nose at all (which we all do), your nose & sinuses act as a first defense for your body against airborne pollutants, and especially with air-quality dropping rapidly for city-dwellers, you’ll need to help keep your personal air-filter system tuned for peak performance by “cleaning the pipes”. Even if you only use it a few times a year, during allergy season, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been amazed by how it helps reduce the need for sinus/nose medications.

Please let me know your thoughts - Yay? Nay?

Yay! Finally a cool 100% electric car that I can buy!

Unfortunately it is only for the currently financially-abundant Blue early-adopters, at a base price of USD $109,000

Sweeeeet
http://www.teslamotors.com/

PS. Inspiration credit for this post goes to: Mr. Delicious [DiCaprio] for his passion and inspiration of his documentary THE 11TH HOUR, available
http://www.blockbuster.ca/movies/detail.aspx?ID=6060
at video stores now.

http://11thhouraction.com/
Did I mention that yet? ; )

I dream of the day Leo struts up to me [as Howard hughes] and says…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY6VrG7H2Qw

I’ve recently been reevaluating my beliefs on money (stimulated by the Prosperity Podcasts available FREE on iTunes) and I’m really enjoying seeing how resourceful I can be, as well as SHOCKED at how much money I really have, when I’m not spending it mindlessly

In good GolfLogic form, maintaining ourselves as the online space for FREE local golf deals, anytime I see a good deal I think you might be interested in, I’ll be posting notice of it here for you. Please respond to each one - in your own thumbs up/down sort of way, if you like each opportunity we post.

Let’s share the abundance! There’s certainly more than enough to go around.

Mental toughness is personal characteristic I didn’t begin to fully understand until recently - I’m now learning with a deepened yoga practice that includes meditation (just focusing my thoughts; no chanting for this lady!) how to focus my thoughts on the task at hand (my yoga shot) and the tools I have (my feet, legs, hips, arms, torso & head, as well as my golf clubs) to create in reality the success I am visualizing in my mind & FEELING in my body. THIS is mental toughness!

The largest obstacle to manifesting in reality that clear, focused mental image of success are the unnecessary distracting thoughts of the past (I still feel so good about that birdie on the last hole… can I make a joke to my friend about it before I take my shot?) and future (I can almost taste the beers my buddy’ll buy me for winning… mmmm, beer. what am I in the mood for today?).

Without mental clutter (thoughts about past & future) 100% of your senses are able to focus on the present moment, this instant, the task at hand. Really, we manifest whatever is in our minds at that instant of action - if your mind is cluttered with unnecessary, repetitive or compulsive thinking, the result you manifest in reality, this moment, will be an erratic, irrational mess. Not really the kind of results you want in golf, work, life, love, parenting….

It is HARD not to think about past & future. You’re probably doing it right now (because we brought it up). This is why we focus in Yoga For Golfers on breathing… Probably the easiest way to not think about past & future thoughts is to distract your mind with much more tangible, real thinking - observing the present moment and what is required of you right now at this instant. Vigilance is not required.

Try this next time you address the ball. Acute awareness of your body and the world around you can be created when you learn to focus your thoughts on something else - the present moment, how different parts of your body feels, how the environment is flowing around you (wind, sunlight, rain), how your equipment feels, feeling your feet grounding down into the soles of your shoes and the earth below).

Start by observing only your breath for a few seconds. Close your eyes, removing the sometimes distracting sense of sight, and check in with your body as you breathe deep - check in with each of your other senses touch, smell, taste and hearing to focus your thoughts only on the present moment. Now, using everything you’ve learned about the present moment, open your eyes and add observing with sight to the present moment you are focused on. When the time is right, continuing to breathe and observe and make adjustments as necessarily, take your shot.

Whether the shot was “good” or not, it is almost entirely a direct reflection of the state of your mind at the instant you took the shot. It is now in the PAST, and you need to move your awareness forward into the present moment, now, clearing away thoughts of past & future so that you can practice mental toughness again and apply it to the next shot. This is a lifelong practice you can apply to improve in any area of your life - with practice, you’ll become more consistent in the results because you are more consistently able to stay present in your game.