Happy Monday to you!
I hope you’ve all had a productive week and enjoyable weekend.
Today I will share:
– My son, Mana has arrived!
– The Magic X Factor Part 3/3
– Mike Salemi Shows His Metal at Costa Mesa KB Competition!
– CHEK Advanced Training Program Completions
Mana Bumi Has Arrived Safe and Sound!
Angie gave birth to our son, Mana Bumi Chek, last Monday at 4:15 PM, on a full moon, at Scripps Hospital in Encinitas, CA.,
And what an experience it has been from the beginning. I’ve really enjoyed Angie’s whole pregnancy, watching her grow and change, and connecting to Mana daily in the womb.
Penny has shared boundless Love with Angie, myself, and Mana every step of the way, showing me over and over again why I call her “my Buddha”.
Angie, Penny and I worked diligently together to locate the best possible midwife and physician to work with.
After a variety of interviews and many discussions with mothers we know in the area, we decided on Nicole Morales and her team to handle the midwife functions (nicolemorales3675@hotmail.com 619-252-4784), and Dr. Capetanakis (known as Dr. Cap) (https://www.drcapetanakis.com/) as Angie’s Obstetrician.
Choosing a midwife and a physician very carefully is very wise!
Though we had planned for, and were fully prepared for a natural home birth as Angie approached her due date, there were some unexpected surprises along the way…(beware, having a child is equal to being on a very powerful shamanic journey and as I’ve learned yet again, sometimes, you have to let go of your ideas and be fully present with the reality of the moments as they unfold).
Last Monday (2-22-16), Angie had her final non-stress test as requested by the midwife and Dr. Cap. That morning, I had an uneasy feeling in my gut — I generally find the medical system very challenging due to their addiction to drugs, surgery, and politics, and didn’t want Angie to have to go through any more poking, prodding and “medical sales” than necessary as her due date approached.
The non-stress tests are done at the hospital birthing center, and are not always conducted by our chosen doctor. All the past non-stress tests (which evaluate the mothers contractions, and the babies vital signs to make sure both are safe) Angie did went perfectly well.
I just get tired of having vaccinations and other such stuff pushed on her/us, so thought my gut feeling that something was off was a reaction to now wanting her to be pestered.
Well…though I did miss-interpret the message from my inner-self, I soon found out that my day, week, and life were all about to change forever!
About 1:00 PM, I got an emergency call from Angie informing me that Dr. Cap and crew felt that Mana was at serious risk and they wanted to do a C-section immediately! I had Vidya cancel my clients and jumped into my car to get to the hospital as quick as I could.
Because I’ve seen, and heard of so many people being sold on C-sections for a wide variety of what I’d call, “ridiculous reasons”, I had a deep concern that this may be yet another such case.
Naturally, I was quite fired up about the whole thing when I got there, and wanted to be VERY SURE that she really did need a C-section.
Dr. Cap soon “met the Dragon” in me when I came in, but I must say, he did an excellent job of being honest, open, and forthcoming with his objective findings and suggestions.
He showed me the read out of Angie’s testing. There was a strong contraction that occurred during the testing, and it seems that Mana umbilical cord was getting compressed, causing a huge drop in his heart rate from 145 down to 60, which lasted a full six minutes.
Another element to the story here is that Mana was in what is called the Frank Breach position, which means his head is up, not down in the pelvic basin where it should be for optimal birthing.
Angie had been seeing several different therapists and specialists to see if we could get Mana to turn over, but no method could get him to do more than turn about half way. He would soon just get back into the breach position again; I said to Angie, “I think he just likes to meditate.”
Dr. Cap, knowing full well that giving birth to a breach baby can be much more challenging for mother and baby, was very concerned that if Mana’s blood supply was being that cut off with the comparatively mild contractions Angie was having during the test, that he could loose blood to his brain during the natural birthing process and be born with a brain injury or even brain death.
It turns out that there is a history of breach babies in Angie’s family, in addition to the fact that Angie is 40 years old, pushing the envelop for what a mother’s body can handle in the birthing process, which requires maximum stretch, and dynamic capacity from ALL bodily systems.
With the cards now on the table, we couldn’t risk the home birth for fear that we may hurt our baby. Within 20 minutes, they had Angie in the surgical bay and Mana was on his way.
I’m very grateful for Dr. Cap’s ability to stay calm and not be pushy with me, but put the evidence on the table so we could make an “informed” decision.
I’ve worked with many surgeons in my career, and have been in the surgical arena many times with my patients, sometimes being very disappointed with what I saw occurring, so needless to say, I had those experiences painted on my lens of perception.
I felt a deep calm and trust with Dr. Cap, and we chose him because he is highly respected among holistically minded people in San Diego.
Dr. Cap was meticulous, and very efficient in the whole process, as was the entire surgical team.
It seemed as though just a few minutes had passed since they rolled Angie into the surgical bay and Mana was being handed to me to share with Angie behind the surgical curtain.
It was a powerful moment, a torrential spiral of fear and concern all bundled up in love for Angie and Mana; a shamanic journey extraordinaire!
We spent two days in the hospital so Angie could be monitored, which was a bitter-sweet experience.
On the one hand, the staff at Scirpps Encinitas was very friendly, and on the other hand, they almost drove us mad with constantly pushing vaccinations, tests, vitamin K, and a list of such things on us.
Some resorted to scare tactics, others gave the impression that we were “doing something wrong” by not bending to their programmed beliefs.
When a nurse woke Angie up at 3:00 AM and tried to get her to agree to vaccinations (yet again, and again, and again), it took all my inner-strength not to just tell her to get out of the room “now!”
I gave them some very challenging questions, such as:
1. Why do I have direct reports from nurses informing me that they regularly see children in the hospital with the very illnesses and diseases that they had already been vaccinated for?
2. What about the potential harm being done by all the toxic carriers and other agents in the vaccinations such as aluminum and mercury?
3. What about the piles of research showing the correlation between rising levels of autism and infant vaccinations?
4. If you are so honestly concerned about the welfare of our child, why do you offer toxic, processed junk food to mothers who’ve just given birth?
5. If you are so honestly concerned about the welfare of our child, why is this room we are in literally vibrating with electromagnetic pollution?
Not to mention that you couldn’t open a window and get any fresh air.
In fact, one of the nurses that worked with us walked into our room and said, “what have you done in here, it is so calming?”
I showed her the special pyramids that generate orgone energy (Michelle Hood), and our special Aires Tech ELM pollution converter cards, not to mention the bags of certified organic food, home charged water, and organic clothing for Mana.
She then shared that she has a child with autism, and is very stressed because all the drugs the doctors keep giving her child are making the condition progressively worse…a story I’ve heard over and over again, regardless of what the illness or medical condition is.
Well, to top it all off, the nursing staff got the impression that I may be forcing Angie to make the decision to avoid vaccinations, and that maybe in was being over-controlling, so they sent in a social worker to interview her privately to be sure I wasn’t abusing her.
She informed them that my concerns were for her and the baby, and that I’ve spent a lot of my life researching these issues.
As a parting gift to the nursing staff, I left them a nice big bag of organic oranges and limes from our trees at home, hoping to give them something better than the chocolate most nurses seem to have a love affair with.
Penny and Mana bonded right away. It is so beautiful to see Penny and Mana together. I’m seeing aspects of Penny I’ve never seen before, such as her natural maternal instincts (which she has always keep under wraps until now!), and her joy of caring for Mana.
When I look at this picture, it brings tears to my eyes. Penny is so beautiful and amazing and LOVING. She and I have been through EVERYTHING together in our now 19 years together, and she continues to inspire growth in me as a man.
Angie is BURSTING with love for Mana, as am I!!
She just loves to sit there and look at him with the eyes of a mystic seeing God. He is so very dynamic already, looking at us, making all sorts of faces and expressing all sorts of emotions.
We love watching him dream because he’s so animated. Since he certainly hasn’t had time to develop an intellect, I can only surmise that his soul is giving him the dream images, emotions, and expressions he displays.
Babies are FAR more conscious and complex than most realize, I can assure you that.
Mana is wearing his beautiful rainbow cap my mother hand knitted for him, and we use the blanket she made for him too. So lovely. Thanks Mom!
Maggie (Angie’s Pug, age 9) has been very loving and supportive of Mana too.
It was so cute when we snuck her into the hospital (she’s a licensed service dog, so not too big a deal) to meet Mana.
She was so excited to connect to both Mommy and Mana. She comes up to him, sniffs him, and gives him little kisses on the ears and head (yes, we had her tested for parasites at the vet and she’s clean), and makes cute little grunting sounds, as though she was a mother dog talking to her own baby.
It’s priceless to see.
FYI: People have noticed that Angie’s name has changed from Angie Lustirck to Angie Chek on her Facebook page, and are asking questions about it.
Angie, Penny and I all discussed it, and thought it would be best for Mana if his mother and father had the same last name, so Angie did “the large amount of work” to officially become Angie Chek.
I suspect if you follow my blogs or know me at all, you are hip to the fact that we all live happily together and that there are no secrets being kept or games being played. That’s not my style, nor is it how Penny and Angie operate.
We have consciously chosen to live the way we do because it is natural for us, and we all love being a family together.
Mana is one lucky boy with two “highly educated and skilled” mothers to care for him, and teach him. We will home school him so he “actually learns how the world works and how to think for himself…novel concept today.”
So, that brings you up to date. Today is Mana’s one-week birthday, and he’s growing every day and doing fantastic.
I have only felt this kind of love move through me once before, when my son Paul Chek Jr. was born; he’s really happy to have a little brother, even though he’s now 36, good things come to those who wait they say!
The Magic ‘X’ Factor Pt. 3 of 3
I hope you have found some of the concepts I’ve shared in the series to this point worth meditating.
When we look into the deeper, more meaningful issues of life, we can better decide what is worth including in our awareness each day as we all grow together and learn to address the challenges (and opportunities) in the world today.
In Part-3, the final segment of this series, I will cover:
– Rudolph Steiner’s model of the soul.
– Some additional correlations for each stage of soul development that expand on the Steiner model.
– Tips for using the information presented in this series in your life each day.
Thanks for joining me today!
Mike Salemi Shows His Metal in Costa Mesa CA. KB Competition!
Mike Salemi and I have been working together for about 2.5 years.
First we had to rehabilitate him from thoracic outlet syndrome, and compartment syndrome that he’d acquired using the standard Russian lifting style, and then build him back up to reach his goals of multiple Russian Masters in kettlebell competitions.
Mike’s personality is the “go big” type, and he set his sights on getting his Russian Masters qualification, of course, in the toughest class, the 40 KG class, which requires 26 reps in 5:00 without letting the weights touch the floor; FYI, a pair of 40KG bells is more than Mike weighs!
There are currently very few people in the world that have been able to achieve this goal, so, it’s a big one for sure.
As I watch Mike compete on live streaming video, I was very impressed with his consistent rhythm, and perfect form throughout.
He managed to get 24 reps, which is his best competition performance to date, and a great on at that! We will be on the winner’s podium with his Masters in the 40s-class pretty soon for sure!
Just to highlight what Mike is made of, the conference director asked him if he’d like to enter the 32KG long cycle competition (10:00 without letting the weights touch the floor!) after he’d already competed earlier in the day with the 40s.
Naturally, Mike said, “sure, why not!”
Well, MUCH to the surprise of all the people at the competition, Mike went on to achieve his Russian Masters in this class on the same day!!
After the competition, not only did people want Mike’s autograph, but also lots wanted to learn how to lift just like him!
It was a BIG day for Mike.
I can’t say in words how proud of him I am. He’s the most disciplined competitive athlete I’ve every worked with, and he has learned to truly master himself physically, emotionally, and mentally.
His training for these brutal competitions has given him the life skills to grow in life, not just in the gym, which is what my coaching of athletes is all about; there is life outside the gym.
Being the Master of his 4-Doctors (Dr. Happiness, Dr. Quiet, Dr. Movement, and Dr. Diet) that he is, once the competition was over, he went to the beach to “Work-In”; if you put “out” more than you put in, you progressively diminish yourself.
Athletes do this constantly, which is one of the main reasons there is rampant use and abuse of stimulants and steroids throughout most sports these days.
Mike is powered by wisdom, good training and self-management tactics, and a lot of love and pride in his craft.
I really love this guy! He is living proof of the CHEK Living Philosophy and training philosophy, and certainly has people paying attention now!
I asked Mike if he’d share a little write-up on his experience this weekend at the Costa Mesa KB Competition, and this is what Mike sent me to share with all of you:
What a special day it was… I’ve been gunning to be the first North American to hit a Master of Sport in the double 40kg Long Cycle (clean + jerk) category, and while I came closer than I’ve ever gotten before (with 24 reps), I was just 2 shy of the rank in the 78kg weight class. It was a big PR for me and felt like my best overall performance to date.
One unexpected (and fortunate) last minute decision I made was to also to enter a second category – the classic, 10-minute double 32kg Long Cycle event. This event was to take place just a few hours following my morning set. To prepare in such short time, I hustled to the local convenient store, grabbed three bags of ice, found a patch of grass to spread them over, and proceeded to lay on them – soaking up some wonderful yin energy. After some deep breathing I felt pretty charged up (this is a strategy Paul and I’ve used many times before to help me bounce back between hard double day’s of training).
The result was a total surprise. It was the first time I’ve ever gone the full 10 minutes, reached Master of Sport in this category, and surpassed the current national record of 49 reps by one (although this was the largest competition in the US, it was not a nationally sanctioned event through the IUKL, and so I don’t believe it will go in the record books).
These 50 repetitions were made more special, not so much because of the number, but rather because I experienced zero symptoms of a compartment syndrome in my left arm – the frustrating injury I had suffered from for years, and also the chief motivation for me seeking out Paul as a coach to begin with.
The work I’ve done with Paul (which is directly reflective of the principles he teaches in his HLC programs) is the foundation for the majority of what I’m doing now to achieve my sports related goals and beyond. The 4 Doctor System works, and it works beautifully! While I had been traveling frequently on business prior to this competition, I felt I had the tools to manage the stress, and come in feeling healthy and strong. The principles of athlete self-management are invaluable pieces I take with me both on the platform and off.
Thank you Paul for all that you do, we did it buddy!
CHEK Advanced Training Course Completions
Exercise Coach – Toronto with Ashley Mazurek
Ashley Mazurek (CHEK Faculty and Presenter, all around amazing mother, athlete, therapist and teacher) led her students along with Carl Weston, to completion of CHEK Exercise Coach, our entry-level corrective and high-performance training program.
Thanks Ashley (and Carl) for doing another great job of inspiring and guiding your students to be the change in the world.
Congratulations to all who attended CHEK EC with Ashley and the CHEK Institute. We feel blessed to have you in our tribe!
Exercise Coach – London with Leigh Brandon
Leigh Brandon (CHEK Faculty, Presenter, Tennis Coach, and author of several great books, including the Tennis Biomechanic’s Manual) led his group to successful completion of CHEK Exercise Coach in London, just a couple weeks ago.
Thanks for another great job teaching people how to master the art and science of corrective, holistic, and high-performance exercise Leigh!
Congratulations to all of Leigh’s students and welcome to the CHEK Tribe!
HLC1 Sydney, AU with Joanna Rushton
Jo Rushton (CHEK Faculty, Chef, TV personality, and more) led her group through CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coaching 1 in Sydney, Australia.
Jo is an amazing teacher with a wealth of authentic life experience to share with her students, so I’m sure they were all amazed with JO; I know I always am!
Congratulations to all of you who completed HLC 1 with Jo, and “welcome to the CHEK Tribe!”
If you want to learn more about the CHEK Institute’s Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1 training program, click on the link.
Well, that brings you up to date in my life.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the blog today, and the conclusion to my vlog series: The Magic ‘X’ Factor.
I’ll look forward to sharing something with you next week.
Love and chi,
Paul Chek
