BREATHE N BOUNCE

BEGINNING JANUARY 5TH, TIME TO PLAY THE GAME MONDAYS AT 430P ELEVATOR VINYASA CHALLENGE A yoga class that stacks poses on top of each other challenging you to move up every level until a huge challenge at the end. RAKOW CENTER 665 BARRINGTON AV CARPENTERSVILLE WEDNESDAYS AT 1PM STILLNESS Meditation class.  Come sit down and drop into your heart and breath. RANDALL OAKS RECREATION CENTER 500 N RANDALL RD WEST DUNDEE WEDNESDAYS AT 430P FLAMEFLOW A mix of yoga and HIIT testing your physical and mental limits RAKOW CENTER 665 BARRINGTON AV CARPENTERSVILLE THURSDAYS AT 4PM ELEVATOR VINYASA CHALLENGE RAKOW CENTER 665 BARRINGTON AV CARPENTERSVILLE For more info on the Dundee Park District, visit them at  www.dtpd.org

 Everyone says this has been tough because it's the year of the snake.  So OK sure we will go with that and we will discuss the numerological impact on life briefly.  Ultimately we all made it through and we did.  So let's take this chance to reflect on this year that was tough on people, and let's plan on how 2026 is going to be our year. MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE UNION OF THE SNAKE - Duran Duran SECOND SKIN (NEW FLESH) - Skinlab TIME OF THE SEASON - The Zombies I MADE IT - Cain THNKS FR TH MMRS - Fall Out Boy TIME OF OUR LIVES - Pitbull w/ Ne-Yo

 Christmas comes with ups and downs.  Highlights and low points.  Yet, we keep going and we don't just stop unless we have absolutely had enough.  So we touch upon that along with the positive memories and have some silly ass fun along the way.  Can you believe we put about 11 of these fricking elves around the house during the holidays?  I can't.  We had to get really creative every December.  I treasure those moments dearly along with the good and the bad and look forward to more moments ahead. MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS - Burt Ives JOLLY OLD ST NICK/THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY - Ray Conniff IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR - Josh Groban RED WATER (CHRISTMAS MOURNING) - Type O Negaive DOMINICK THE DONKEY - Lou Monte NO PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS - King Diamond CHRISTMAS EVE SARAVEJO - Trans Siberian Orchestra HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS - Vonda Sheppard

Why Everyone Is Talking About "Micro-Wins" for Mental Health (And How to Start Today) Okay, let's be real here. This last month has been really tough for me. Like, wake-up-and-immediately-feel-the-weight-of-everything tough. You know those mornings where your brain starts listing all the shit you haven't done before your feet even hit the floor? Yeah, that's been me lately. But here's the thing that's been keeping me somewhat sane, this whole micro-wins approach that everyone seems to be talking about. And honestly? At first, I thought it was just another wellness buzzword that would eventually fade away like "manifesting" or whatever. But damn, there's actually something to this. What the Hell Are Micro-Wins Anyway? YEAH WHAT IS THIS? READ HERE FOR MORE

We live day to day and some of us do the same thing everyday.  Life becomes mundane and boring.  Waking up, go to work, come home, make dinner, blah blah, blah.  Sometimes this is done as a way to keep us safe from harm.  But are we really poisoning ourselves living this way?  Let's explore shall we? SONGS FROM THIS EPISODE    THE TRANCE IS THE MOTION - Static X SUBURBAN LIFE - Kottonmouth Kings LOST IN THE WORLD - Kanye West w/ Bon Iver PAPERCUT - Zedd WE GOT TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE - The Animals REACHING OUT - Nero FIVE TO ONE - The Doors ACT YOUR AGE - Snake River Conspiracy

The Simple Trick to Check on Someone Without Making It Awkward I used to be terrible at this. Like, embarrassingly bad. I'd see a friend posting cryptic Instagram stories or notice someone getting quieter in our group chats, and I'd either panic-text them with some dramatic "ARE YOU OKAY??" message or... do absolutely nothing because I was terrified of making it weird. Both approaches sucked, obviously. The truth is, most of us want to be there for people we care about, but we've somehow convinced ourselves that checking in requires this whole production. Like we need to transform into some kind of mental health superhero with the perfect words and timing. Spoiler alert: we don't. READ MORE

  For the last few weeks, I have had some topsy turvy bullshit going on. Nothing I can't handle but it has been exhausting nevertheless. When life gets like that, we owe it to ourselves to handle it the best way we can. For me, it meant focusing on some other things and putting chronicles on hold. READ MORE

Struggling with Dark Thoughts? Here's What Mental Health Experts Don't Tell You Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat this shit. If you clicked on this post, there's probably a reason. Maybe you're lying in bed at 3 AM with your brain doing that thing where it won't shut the fuck up. Maybe you're scrolling through your phone looking for someone, anyone, to tell you that what's happening in your head isn't as scary as it feels. I've been there. We've all been there, even if we don't talk about it. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I was drowning in my own thoughts: the mental health advice you get from most articles and even some therapists? It's not wrong, but it's incomplete. They give you the textbook answers without acknowledging how messy and complicated this whole thing actually is. So let's talk about the stuff they don't tell you. READ MORE

7 Warning Signs Your Friend Needs You (And How to Actually Help) I've been thinking a lot lately about how we show up for each other. Like, really show up. Not just the surface-level "how are you?" texts, but the deeper stuff. The messy, uncomfortable conversations that might actually save someone's life. Last month, I almost missed the signs with someone close to me. It's such a shitty feeling when you realize later that all the pieces were there, scattered around like breadcrumbs, and you just... didn't connect them. Or maybe you did notice something felt off, but you talked yourself out of reaching out because you didn't want to be dramatic or intrusive. Here's the thing though, we're living in this weird time where everyone's struggling but we're all pretending we're fine. Social media highlights, fake smiles, the whole "I'm busy" culture that keeps us from actually checking in on each other. Meanwhile, people...

 The world is crazy, and we are becoming crazier.  So how do we stop?  How do we find a way to co exist peacefully?  How can we live consciously?  What are the answers? I explore those here and become a little raw and honest myself about my own issues with dealing with people. MUSIC IN THIS EPISODE LIVING IN THE EDGE - Aerosmith WALKING WOUNDED - Frayle NERVOUS BREAKDOWN - Black Flag A THERAPY OF PAIN - Fear Factory SIDEWAYS - Illenium

  We all have things that bring us large amounts of fear and anxiety.  I wanted to take a moment to talk about one of mine, a big one, hence the term "super anxiety."  Flying.  I really get wigged out when the plane takes off.  So I built a playlist to help me cope and it works.  Maybe a playlist will help you.  Perhaps this can inspire you to find something to get you through and eventually thrive through it which has been happening to me over the years of air travel.  SONGS FROM THIS EPISODE MANY RIVERS TO CROSS - CDM CON TI PATIRO - Andrea Bocelli LOVE THAT NEVER - Tokimonsta HOEDOWN - Zomboy BREAKING THE HABBIT - Linkin Park CANDYLAND - Tobu RETURN TO INNOCENCE - Enigma