Rebounding – the perfect in, and out of lockdown exercise

Rebounding (bouncing on a quality mini-trampoline), although simple in methodology has been dubbed the miracle exercise of the 21st century!

The benefits have been scientifically proven and NASA employs it to acclimatize their astronauts to weightlessness.
Before I introduce you to rebounding, it is important that you understand how the body works – in particular, the lymphatic system. The latter’s primary function is to rid the body of toxins such as blood protein.
The lymph is to be found in a myriad of vessels just beneath the skin with the nodes which act as filters and the ducts, situated in the chest near the base of one’s throat. This is where the blood protein, once filtered, gets released back into the bloodstream.
The lymphatic system, unlike blood circulation which is driven by the heart, does not have a pump. It is activated through exercise, lightfast stroking of the skin, or in an affected area that suffers from discomfort or by deep breathing. Every cell, of which there are about 70 trillion in the body, generates energy (electricity). These cells are in a constant process of self-regeneration.
The learned Dr. Guyton suggests in a medical textbook that “all chronic pain and suffering and dis-ease are the result of a lack of oxygen at the cellular level”. The dry state is when there is just enough fluid to fill the crevasse between the cells. An active lymphatic system removes access protein and other matter from these crevasses. Should this not happen, the space between cells becomes a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. Toxins are produced when we do not eat healthily and stress a lot.
And this next statement will probably surprise you. It is suggested that every thought that we think, produces a physical response in the body. When actions related to these thoughts are not concluded, it produces toxins (trapped blood protein and lactic acid) in the body and this, if not properly removed via the lymphatic system, will develop a “wet state” in the body and thus, the cells will not be able to produce energy (electricity) and one will experience dis-ease!
One of the best ways to reduce your risks and boost your lymph circulation, detoxify your body and strengthen your immune system is the rebound exercise. No other activity offers an as effective lymph drainage and with such ease – no strain on the ankles, knees or lower back – and it is pure enjoyment.
I have been rebounding for a number of years and van attest to the health benefits.


Rebounding – the methodology


When you bounce on a quality mini trampoline – even with both feet on the mat – the bounce generates G-force against the earth’s magnetic field. The higher the bounce – 15 to 20 cm – the higher the G-force.
Three types of G-forces are generated: acceleration, deceleration, and, at the top of the bounce – weightlessness! At the bottom of the bounce your weight doubles. The effect of this is that every single cell in your body is getting squeezed from imagine – being a round shape to oval and back again! A simple bounce is all that is required to restore your health and lose weight.
When one begins doing aerobic exercise whilst bouncing at say – the ideal would be, 120 bounces per minute – but you will start slower – the effect on your body can triplicate! Two minutes of rebounding is equivalent to six minutes of running, 10 minutes of swimming and 20 minutes of walking. Thus a 20-minute bounce will be equal to more than an hour’s health and fitness work out in a gym.
Best of all, you can do all of this in the privacy of your home or better even, on the veranda especially now under lockdown and after.





Where does one start?
You start with a quality Rebounder – one that offers a gentle bounce at the bottom end and one that will offer you a support bar. The latter is especially helpful for the well-matured senior. You start slowly and with a gentle bounce. Two to three minutes twice a day is all that is required. Breathe slow (rhythmic) and deep whilst bouncing. This will increase the effectiveness of your bounce even at this initial stage of your rebounding program. You will build these two to three minutes up over time to become 40 minutes – the ideal!
The G-force that rebounding generates, boost Lymphatic movement with as much as 30 times and this increase in lymph movement triples the white blood cell count.
Benefits
The benefits are multiple. To mention but a few: it retards aging – builds up the immune system – eliminates cellulite – stimulates cognitive and brain function – boost energy levels and minimize the recurrence of colds and so forth and it oxygenates all tissues and it stabilize the nervous system. Side effects are detoxification, aching calves and mild dizziness in the beginning – quite harmless really!
If you are concerned about your health, do your own research and consult with your doctor but do investigate this exercise option. ReboundingSA is endorsed by the Cancer Association of South Africa.

Photos: Justine Mc Farlane
First published by Lowveld Media

When art comes out to play

Sipho (Pina) Hlengetwa; Sikhumbuzo Nkosi; Shane  Hlophe; William Mcolisi Mahlase and Pamela Nokwazi Mahlalela.

Vincent van Gogh said: " ...and then, I have nature, art, and poetry, and if this is not enough, what is enough?”

When is enough, and what would that enough look like? This is the perfect question for Deanne Kim, the director of Nebulae Productions cc - Artz Africa Cultural Projects.

She studied art after completing school, fine art whilst residing in the Philippines, and then visual arts through Unisa. In 1995, whilst in the Philippines, she was invited to be a judge of the country's arts festival in Baguio. She also taught fine art to ex-pats while living in Baguio.

Back in South Africa in 1998, she opened her first art school, teaching students from the ages of four to 85. In 1999 she met the late Dr. NE Phaswana - at the time, a lecturer at Wits University.

They started Kalahari Productions and Publishing. Deanne also called Lerato, then went on to design more than more 500 book illustrations.

"In 2002 I moved to Kaapsehoop and also became a Kalahari Productions director," she said. Where she gets her infinite energy and zest for what she does, boggles the mind.

The flood gates then opened - 72 OBE educational textbooks followed. She oversaw 25 African writers and also translated her Life Skills Grade R-3 OBE textbooks into nine indigenous languages. These were all later approved by the Department of Education.

"My Nebulae Productions Publishing cc was registered in 2009 and aims to engage with other JVs to assist and enhance education."

Deanne Kim

In 2016 two of her books, When Cinderella Gets Divorced and The Cracked Slipper, saw the light when she launched them at the Casterbridge Book Festival, and now sell on Amazon.

"I met the talented Bob Mnisi at the Mpumalanga Agricultural Show in 2018 where I exhibited my socio-political contemporary art and this meeting kick-started the birth of Artz Africa. With some 100 Mpumalanga artists (most of them unemployed) on its database, Artz Africa, intends to up-skill and enable natural talent to become independent self-employed artists and or writers," said Deanne.

Part of this initiative is also to get artists involved in justifiable and sustainable projects within their communities. The latter may, in due time, include involvement with local schools so as to develop and nurture artistic talent from a young age.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” - Aristotle

This is how Deanne describes her own art. "My art lends toward a contemporary style yet some works are more spiritual. I enjoy doing expressive paintings of native Americans, a tribe that I have always been drawn to. This is due to their them being so drawn to the earth and its elements.

"The political works I paint are not realistic portraits, yet one can visually see exactly who each political hero/icon is. I use metaphors and symbolism to extend additional visual information to the viewer. My preferred medium - definitively oil. I love the smell and the feel of it when I put it on my pallet, it gives me emotional and psychological satisfaction even before I have actually started to paint with it."

So let's highlight just some of the talented Artz Africa artists who are part of Nebulae Productions - Cultural Creative Projects. These artists are all undergoing visual arts skills training which is funded by the National Arts Council.

Bob Mnisi Mpumalanga

Bob Mnisi is acknowledged as the father of Artz Africa. He hails from KaBokweni.
After being selected as one of the ten beneficiaries of Nebulae Productions - Artz Africa Creative/ Cultural Projects / National Arts Council (NAC) Visual Arts Skills development, Bob developed a unique, new, visual art style which is bound to attract the international galleries. This assumption is based on the massive interest in his work generated on social media.
Bob is currently working on a series titled "Isolation”.
In 2017 Bob Mnisi was the winner of the Mpumalanga Agricultural Show. He was also selected as one of the top 100 Standard Bank artists to present his works in Johannesburg.
His works have sold nationally to many five-star private game lodges and it has also found their way onto the walls in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

William Mcolisi Mahlase

William Mcolisi Mahlase.

William qualified as an architect and is one of the latest up and coming Mpumalanga Rural Youth Visual Artists.
He recently started making masks for his KaBokweni Covid-19 Community Project. Besides this, he has sold many of the artworks he created during lockdown.
William is a perfectionist and totally committed to improving his visual art skills. Besides producing art, William and his elderly mother deliver vegetables and groceries to those in the KaBokweni community who are unable to do their shopping.

Pamela Nokwazi Mahlalela

Pamela Mahalalel.

This multi-talented, 28-year-old cultural creative artist is the founder of another Covid-19 community project, named the Khumbula Project in KaBokweni.
Pamela is a fashion designer, writes short stories and poetry.
"In the next five years I see Khumbula Project - with the support of Nebulae Productions Artz Africa Projects, assisting elderly, disabled persons and orphans," she said.

Sipho (Pina) Hlengetwa

Sipho (Pina) Hlengetwa.

Sipho is a contemporary visual artist and founder of a Covid-19 community project NPO in Matsulu.
Prior to the lockdown, Pina’s visual artworks were exhibited at Bohemian Groove Restaurant in Kaapsehoop.
"My mission and vision are to grow in the art industry. I learn from and teach others about the art and one day may open my own art gallery or art center that will give the youth a platform where they can express themselves."
Sipho became the breadwinner at a very young age. He is self-taught and art became a catalyst for overcoming life's challenges.
  

Sikhumbuzo Nkosi

Sikhumbuzo Solomon

Sikhumbuzo is a young 23-year-old KaBokweni artist. His works are created mainly on fabric and seem to attract the younger generation. His recent Artz Africa community mask-making project became a great success with orders rolling in.
"So I am happy," he said.

Shane  Hlophe

Shane Hlope

Shane is another upcoming KaNyamazane visual artist. He won an award at the Mbombela Agricultural Show in 2018.
His visual art paintings were exhibited at the Mercure Hotel/Nebulae Productions - Artz Africa Cultural Creative Hub just a few days before the start of lockdown.
Shane has continued to produce quality artworks throughout the lockdown courtesy of the support of many of his Mbombela clients.

Photos: Supplied
First published in Getit Lowveld

A new museum to celebrate history.

Yesterday is in the past and today will become history by tomorrow. But what one does today, influences the future which is tomorrow. It is also true though that one can, without it being a conscious focus, create history right here and now. This is why the universe teaches us to focus on the present - this moment - now!

And then - sometimes, life dictates a return to one's roots. This certainly holds true for the owner of Dusty Tracks Off-Road Adventures in town, Wynand Engelbrecht.

Wynand is opening a museum - a hub that will incorporate various enterprises - not necessarily all commercial in nature, but all brought together, in one way or another by his love and dedication to the vibrant history of Barberton. "It is part of an initiative to restore and revive the tourism value and attraction of the town and its unique surrounds," he said.

In time this initiative may well bring back authentic storytelling, the excitement and vibrancy of the cancan (you can dream, can't you), and the use of back-to-basics natural medicine like in the days of old.

"Barberton is, from a historical perspective, probably one of the richest towns in the country and with it receiving World Heritage status, many geologists and historians suggested that I expand my tours (Dusty Tracks) to include the latter.

With the geo trail being such a wonderful entrance into the rock formations and so forth, I got stuck into the history and today a rock is just not a rock or any rock any longer, it has a name and I know them all," said Wynand.

"I also crossed paths with Clive Morrow, owner of the BP Garage in town, and this rekindled my interest in cars and bikes and some of Clive's collection will become part of this museum also.

But yes, long and the short, this building lends itself to combining a number of businesses into one to bring back the tourism business, which has largely been diverted by the bypass road that was built. This building is part of, and on the Heritage Walk route, and was part of the old market square which played a huge role in days of old when traders pulled up their ox wagons to sell and trade their wares and products."

"Through my tours into the mountains, we have opened routes last used in the 1800s and we found old mines with its retired and rusted equipment and this ignited my love of history.

Then, of course, people visit the museum - ask questions and I am happy to oblige with all the answers. I have done the work. I know the history and if you don't stop me, I'll bombard you with all the details - some boring and others totally fascinating, like the first two Gold Stock Exchanges in South Africa were established in Barberton.

This town hosted the first horse races up near Eureka City. We have one of the oldest golf courses in South Africa." Wynand continued, "Until late into the '70s, the people of Nelspruit drove to Barberton to do their shopping.

Farming, tobacco, cotton, and vegetables, was an integral part of the economic community but alas, it is no more. Mining became a prominent economic activity, but this has also declined significantly over the years.

Being part of the local heritage group allows one access and permission to explore the local history and environment like no other."

Wynand moved to Barberton in 2005. He grew up in Kruger Park - in fact, his family boasts four generations in the park. He studied nature conservation, worked in tourism, and was later transferred to the finance department.

He eventually decided to take a shot left and moved into the commercial retail environment. This became just too busy and they decided to sell the business. To stay out of mischief, he started Dusty Tracks.

Which part of the Barberton history do you find the most intriguing? "There are so many," he responded. "Barmaids (kroegmeisies)." And he went quiet for a moment. "There were many bars and hotels along the main street (Crown Street) of Barberton. In fact, it is suggested that there was a bar for every 10 men at any one time in Barberton. This created much competition so one owner decided to put a voluptuous lady behind the bar counter and boom - he attracted the most customers." So everyone started doing this.

It was the start of many an illustrious barmaids' careers. One of the most famous barmaids was Cockney Liz. One night she was dared to dance on the counter and men could bid on her - the highest bidder obviously won her attention for the rest of the night. There were others - Trixie who used a wheelbarrow to transport drunken men (after cleaning their pockets) and the six-foot-plus tall golden Danish blonde. There were more - each creating their own legacies and escapades - stories that will keep one entertained for many hours if told around a campfire.

The other part of this history is just the daily living and survival of the miners. They worked and played hard with little in terms of worldly possessions and would pick up in a flash from where they were, to move to a new discovery.

"This museum is a work in progress and hopefully in time we may have a stream running through the premises where people can try their hand at pan mining." So the intention is to develop it to a destination where people can experience various historic activities, tours, traditional food and then return home both enriched with knowledge and a new appreciation for the days of old.

"My upbringing made me who I am - I love nature and the outdoors. Retail is a prison with open doors and well, I had to return to my roots and this is where I am - again and happy to be. The museum is a passion. We want to refurbish Eureka City as a digger’s camp offering a real-life back-to-nature experience. And lockdown has confirmed a new appreciation for authentic experiences, natural products, and people are reaching out to support each other. This is what this museum and everything it will offer, intents to bring back into everyday life.

The tours we offer can be from three hours to seven days and longer. Our full-day back-in-time route is extremely popular and is for many, even for the locals who have participated, a historic eye-opener."

Wynands favorite get-away-from-the-world spot is under a tree high up the mountain on a route that is not for sissies either - and, he becomes emotional trying to share the beauty of this. And the most important thing he has learned through all his experiences is “to never limit yourself - because you can - grab the opportunities because it makes for a richer and more fulfilling life and it teaches gratitude”.

But this is where this journalist has to conclude - the stories are aplenty and should really be told around the campfire with a traditional potjie, Witblits or gin (the preferred drink of the time) and music. In time this may well be part and parcel of Wynand's new historic experience and one you will not want to miss. So watch this space.

First published in the Lowvelder.

The value of blogging

The other night as I was settling down for my evening review (explanation further down) a thought-provoking question popped into my mind. “Does and how many people actually read the blogs/articles that we journalists write?”

Okay well – if it is posted online, it’s easy to check the numbers on the back end but that in itself does not say much. Although, for many on social media – it is about the number of likes or clicks and nothing but. It is not unlike a chartered accountant who based every single decision on the empirical data provided by the bottom line and the bottom line only. 

But perhaps this is the wrong question. What value do readers derive from these blogs/articles? Often times, lots of research, careful thinking, and time to go into writing a blog/article. Information only – does it satisfy? 

With online and the continuous feed of new copy and stories, everything moves down the screen and out of sight fairly quickly once loaded. If readers don’t read the article/blog within a specific timeslot, after it has been loaded, it is “lost”. It is of course possible via cross-posting on various social platforms, to bring a piece to the front again and again. And yet again, the numbers can be tracked.

Journalism is a dynamic and challenging environment. And it is particularly tough now with COVID-19. It is a profession that every day, exposes one to many different people and scenarios - often under tremendous pressure – not just to ensure your info is correct, but also to produce quality copy within tight deadlines. It challenges both your street-savvy and, at times, your own sense of morality.

Journalists are often judged as being cynical or having their own agendas and the rest. Truth is – being objective is always relative to, among others, one’s frame of reference, education, culture, and upbringing. The variables are infinite. Take for example how, with the same set of scientific facts about COVID-19, opinions differ in terms of the yesses and the noes. 

So read, think, and take the time to engage with the author/journalist of a well-written piece because you may both learn something really important through this interaction.

Be safe. 

Gratitude Diairy

COVID-19 caught all of us with our pants down. And for many - if not most, it is dictating that we go inside to reflect on that which is. It has also, as Barry Malone said: “not been an equalizer. It has been a magnifier of inequality and injustice that permeates every aspect of society allowing some to take refuge behind privileges and money whilst those less fortunate, are left to struggle.”

Much has been written about the anxiety caused by the lockdown and how to overcome the sense of powerlessness and despair. Many suggest that one focusses on what you have right within every moment, rather than fussing over what you don’t have. Expressing gratitude has indeed been shown as having a calming effect on the mind and the emotions.

I was once told by my exco (God and the angels) to “just be”. On inquiry as to the precise meaning, this was the reply: ‘to be, is to do absolutely nothing (but being grateful and visualize) in order to achieve absolutely everything’’. 

But here’s the thing. Is a simple emotionless expression of gratitude enough?

Visualization is an amazing technique for manifesting that which one desires in life. In fact, the Essenes - authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls and who, 2000BC lived near the Dead Sea at a place called Qumran, was adamant that any visualization will only yield results when one can actually vividly smell, taste, feel, hear the elements within your visualization or prayer.

So visualization should then in fact be a total immersive emotional/physical experience even though one would be quite still and stationary. Does this make sense?

It does. One has to experience – take ownership of the content of your visualization as if it already is – right here right now. The emotion which accompanies successful achievement is indeed a truly deep and authentic experience as I am sure you can relate to. You see, to think about something is one thing. To actually passionately experience it in your mind, is activating that thought or desire…

So this morning as I woke and expressed gratitude for a new day – I was suddenly struck by the sound of that expression in my mind. It was so - casual and meaningless – I was stunned!

If it sounded meaningless, it is meaningless. I dug into the subconscious to extract reminders of experiences that rendered authentic emotions of gratitude (and there are many), and then I again expressed gratitude. This time it felt different – my soul responded.

Now I am not trying to simplify the challenges relating to stress and anxiety. To practice gratitude is not always that easy. Tell someone who hasn’t eaten for days, to be grateful – or a parent who has been starving themselves in order to feed their children – it is not that easy and I don’t have all the answers either.

Point is if one expresses gratitude and your soul do not respond to this expression, if you don’t feel that gratitude – if you don’t feel the intention and attention – you have not gone inside - and then, in my opinion, the expression is pretty much meaningless.

Lockdown dictates a redirection of our focus. If we make gratitude part and parcel of that new focus and we share within our communities, the gifts may well surprise us all.

 

 

The Change

THE CHANGE

I am not me anymore

I have changed

A gentle peace has taken root in what used to be me

I am stunned by the emotionality of this gentleness that has befallen the “I”

acceptance of what is …

gifts offered by the universe has become an act of joy

acknowledgment and bliss

Accepting is acting

Acting is love

Love is “being”

God is love …

God is being …

Love is being me …

Love is who I am … also

I am not me anymore

I have changed

MD

The miracle that is Corona

https://lowvelder.co.za/613987/the-miracle-that-is-corona/

Rally to Read shows children the road to comprehension

The Rally to Read 2020 Mpumalanga event, held over the past weekend, again showed that when Ford and the Rally to Read teams arrive at a rural school, the reception is vibrant, colorful, energetic, loud and in your face.

Boasting excellent CSI and service delivery stats, Westvaal Numbi Ford and Westvaal Numbi Ford Hazyview were chosen by Ford SA to support the Mpumalanga leg of this national initiative. It was also their second year of participation. The large group of Ford, media and other representatives were divided into five teams, each with a team leader from the participating dealerships. Ford SA has invested significantly into the Rally to Read and other programs over the years and these dealers were visibly energized to once again engage with the nine participating schools in the White/Hazy Area.

We are all in agreement when I say, that the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow - our daughters are the mothers and the nurturers of the future. The reality though is this: forty percent of 14-year olds have the read capacity equal to that of a seven-year-old. Research by Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) found that 78 percent of Grade 4 learners cannot read with comprehension. And, according to David Furlonger (editor at large of the Financial Mail), forty percent of current CSI spent in South Africa is wasted due to the lack of structure and accountability.

So yes - shocking it certainly is but we have to find creative solutions to address these shortcomings within our education methodologies sooner rather than later.

Since its inception in 1998, Rally to Read has brought hope and support to 16 000 primary schools, 12 000 teachers and 250 000 children. Its founder is the well-known Brand Pretorius. The program, which runs over three years, supplies each school with portable classroom libraries. The books and other materials are scientifically developed and synchronize with the curricula of the Department of Education. Teachers are trained on the application of each Grade's material and the intervention is closely monitored over a period of three years. The program currently involves six school districts across five provinces.

Kenneth Lekhuwane - principal at Khombindlela Primary School:” The disappearance of story-telling elders in our culture is partly to blame for the lack of comprehension among our kids. Storytelling and play methodologies within the Rally to Read program helps to bridge these gaps."

This view is supported by Nkosi Nelson - principal at Siyamukela Primary who added: "We have moved from teacher-centric to learner-centric methodologies of teaching and this program provides excellent and creative support in our school."

Ockert Berry (VP Operations, Ford Motor Company of South Africa) said: "From Grade 1 to Grade 3, you learn to read - from Grade 4 onward, you read to learn." Wise words and so true.

Although not the standard, it is not uncommon to find classrooms with as many 90 learners in some of these schools. In rural schools, learners are taught in their mother tongue from Grade R to Grade 3. In Grade 4 the teaching language changes to primarily English. Now this obviously, in my mind, must present some challenges. The vocalization of the alphabet letters - for one - differs from the mother tongue to English and may well produce some misinterpretation? And with English being the language of business and the world, would it not make more sense to just start with English right from Grade R?

Mavis Maseko, a teacher for 20 years and 12 years with the READ Educational Trust, explains the rationale: "Building relationships to cultivate buy-in and overcome resistance, is a challenging process. And although I agree with your sentiment, solid mother-tongue grounding eases the learning of a second language. Our program does introduce English already in Grade 1 and this contributes to its success in changing the face of literacy at participating schools."

"We have, from year one to two, seen a measurable improvement in both reading and understanding of up to 12 percent within the participating schools," said Stephan Venter (general manager for Westvaal Numbi Ford). "Learner confidence levels have also improved."

It is undeniable - Rally to Read programs has proved successful in its intention to bridge the reading and comprehension gaps within the system. It compliments a learner-centric approach where storytelling and play-learning bring back structured fun to the learning process.

Art was first published in the Lowvelder on March 13.