Today is International Yoga Day

Yoga is an ancient practice that is at least 5,000 years old. Today marks the first International Yoga Day where millions of people will practice yoga across the globe for a day of health and peace. It was an event called by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Some have criticized the politicization of yoga, but the overall idea could be a good one if it takes on the right objectives.
 Considering that 75% of people in the U.S. are overweight or obese and people have become decensitized to violence a little yoga won't hurt anyone. As a nation we are becoming globalized and engaging in a practice that connects us to the rest of the world in our desire to be of good mind and body is positive. 

Yoga is a practice that is part spritual and part physical. Depending on the type of yoga one practices they can expect to increase focus, reduce stress, improve flexibility and strengthen their muscles. Each person moves through a sequence of actions that speed up the heart and stretch the body. With the right kind of breathing it is possible to slow down and reduce stress. 

By some estimates yoga is practiced by 10% of the country (1). Whether a political stunt, a fitness routine, or part of a meditation program the benefits of yoga are helpful to people's lives. As more people practice the ancient method it is hoped that they will be more reflective of their behavior while improving on their health. Today, Yoga events are planned around the world from New York to San Diego. 

The Nature of Values and Authority-Beyond Metrics

Authority is accompanied  with power, and this can be an irresistible aphrodisiac. It is so intoxicating that people continually seek to gain higher levels of authority through wealth, social position, and power accumulation. Positions of power should come with responsibility, and those who do not have the right kind of values should not be entrusted to direct others. People in power positions set the standards for others and can have an enormous impact on acceptable behaviors among their charges.

A study focusing on disengagement theory found that managers who pushed others to engage in misreporting had a direct impact on the moral performance of their subordinates (Mayhew & Murphy, 2014). Supervisor requests were met with willing subordinates who misreported more, rationalized their unethical behavior and didn't feel that bad about it.

Immoral bosses changed the perspective of their subordinates to the point where they no longer could have any remorse. As unethical behavior becomes embedded into the organizational culture, it creates expectations. For those who “play by the rules,” it can seem like an unfair disadvantage.

Performance metrics becomes to define the individual. Companies that do not concern themselves with how these metrics were achieved will find themselves engage in more immoral activities. Whether the metric is associated with sales or production, the result should include an expectation of ethical behavior in its achievement.

All organizations, whether public or private, should seek to recruit and develop authority figures with moral sentiments. When tough decisions need to be made it is those with an internal moral compass who can make the right choices while those who are self-seeking and need external gratification will be more likely to support unethical behavior. The values of the authority figure will soon spread to their subordinates and create a new way competing.

Mayhew, B. & Murphy, P. (2014). The impact of authority on reporting behavior, rationalization and affect. Contemporary Accounting Research, 31 (2).

Practicing Self-Defense to Complete a Full-Body Workout

Mixing hobbies and fitness is beneficial for achieving multiple goals with the least amout of energy. Self-defense classes can be fun and raise your skill level but in and of themselves don’t necessarily increase your fitness. Mixing kickboxing with cardio, stretch and strength training can help in getting in shape while moving through martial art belts quickly.

Practicing kicks, blocks, and combinations works well for raising a heart rate. Combining this with squats, jumping jacks, burpees and other fat blasting efforts will get anyone huffing and puffing quickly. All that effort will raise the heart rate and improve fitness levels while having fun.

 There is a growing body of evidence that interval training has a higher impact on weight loss and health than a consistent heart rate found in activities like jogging (1). Short bursts of energy with interval periods of rests has a high success rate. The cycle is repeated throughout the entire fitness session of 40, 50 or 60 minutes.

In experimentation I have found it is possible to cycle through kickboxing, strength training, and yoga to achieve a total body workout. For example, kickboxing offers ( kicks, punches, and combinations) to raise the heart rate, slow down that heart rate through Kata (sequenced shadow practice), raise again through strength training (push ups, squats, burpees, weights), stretch and finally strengthen through yoga.

It is a complete practice of raising the heart rate for cardio and weight loss while still increasing the strength of the body. It has the bonus of stretching muscles for maximum flexibility. All of the fitness needs are covered in each exercise session.

This doesn’t mean it works for everyone; nor that it is a perfect workout. However, there are only three types of exercise that include cardio, stretching, and strength training (2). Trying to find an appropriate sequence that maximizes the most benefits of each with the least amount of energy is something that keeps me busy and in shape. If you are going to learn self-defense you might as well get in shape at the same time.

The Necessity of Change-Using Kotter’s Change Model

Organizations that fail to change, eventually fail to exist. Threats to longevity can come from any source that ranges from market preferences to enacted legislation. Organizations must continue to adapt to changes and threats to be fruitful and thwart failure. Kotter’s Transformational Change Model helps formulate how change occurs and ensure that the change becomes embedded.

Kotter’s Change Model has eight different stages that move the company through the process of change and into the solidification of change. The steps required to avoid stagnation include increasing urgency, building guiding teams, developing a vision, communicating, enabling action, develop short-term wins, continue pressure/urgency, and making the changes stay (Tanguay, Waltman& Defebaugh, 2011).

The model seems to create a buzz in the workplace, sets social standards, creates small steps to enact and solidify the change. Staying power requires adjusting the metrics and performance needs of the organization. Much of this includes modifying how employees are promoted and awarded to ensure that change takes effect.

Change comes down to two fundamental ideas of process and expectation. Changing processes leads to new expectations and expectations support the use of processes. People must accept the new methods and then adapt them as the most beneficial. Resistance occurs when processes are rejected, and companies slip back into previuos ways of doing things.

All entities and organizations must change and adapt or they will soon find themselves irrelevant. The processes of development requires challenge and successfully overcoming that challenge. Using models such as Kotter’s helps decision-makers understand how change happens which can lead them to promote more efficient change with the least amount of turmoil. All change will require some frustration and adjustment

Tanguay, D., Waltman, J. & Defebaugh, S.  (2011). An ethics program assessment: a case study of Kotter’s Transformational Change Model. Ethics & Critical Thinking Journal, 2.

Science Starts with a Question, Not a Conclusion

Science is the perpetual pursuit of truth. It explores, identifies, investigates and forms models to predict future events. Models are applied to new instances and are tested against their natural environment to ensure that they are valid under similar situations. Science rests on asking questions. If science starts with a conclusion, the entire process of investigation becomes invalid.

A person who jumps quickly to a conclusion without appropriate fact finding often does so based on their personal and subjective perspective. The conclusion is more about the investigator’s personality and goals than it is about truth. The researcher projects their bias into the study and skews the results; the entire report becomes invalidated.

Starting with a question ensures that all possible outcomes are considered as an explanation. The researcher should not selectively accept and reject relevant information without ensuring they are outside the scope of the study. An accurate picture is created when all of the competing information is included in the study and used to draw logical conclusions.

The process of investigation is so important that we have developed a scientific method of balances and controls. The discovery process rigidly defines how to investigate a problem to help limit investigator bias that inadvertently seeps into the study. Ensuring scientific exploration follows appropriately methodology leads to higher relevance, validity and internal consistency of the study.

I have seen researchers push for a conclusion before designing the study. Even though they may not be aware of it, the investigator designs the entire study to justify their point.  They were not able to see the obvious and more parsimonious answers in front of them because they were perceptual blind to alternative explanations.

Whether one is conducting academic research, investigating a corporate problem, is a law enforcement investigator, or trying to replicate previous studies it is important to start with a question and not an answer. A question creates a better reflection of truth by logically moving to an unknown conclusion.

Training researchers to approach complex problems with the right mindset helps in generating better results that can be applied to predict future events. As the models change, develop, and adjust they become more accurate with each repetitive investigation. Only through openness of thought and exactness of measurement will new discoveries lead to higher performance. Each investigator should seek truth above confirmation of self-beliefs and bias.

Do you have a question or an answer? “By doubting we are led to question, by questioning we arrive at the truth.” Peter Abelard (French Philosopher)

Biking-Working Out While Commuting

Making the decision to put effort into biking is an important one that can do wonders for physical fitness goals. The reasons may be many, but it is possible to save on cost, improve fitness, use time wisely, and help the environment all through the activity of biking. The hardest part about biking is getting the courage to set out on a daily commute.

I am the type of person who jogs or does kickboxing/martial arts 40 minutes every morning and then heads to work. My daily commute takes around 20 minutes in the car. The total commute time and working out is 1 hour. Biking into work is approximately 40 minutes which gives me a net plus of 20 minutes saved in the morning.

The time saver in the morning makes it easier for me to wake up, have a cup of coffee, and make my way to work without being in too much of a rush. Considering the mild weather of San Diego, which neither gets too hot or too cold, it is a great place to bike without the fear of extreme weather differences. You can typically count on the weather being reliable for biking purposes.

A bonus occurs when I come home on the bike and add another 40 minutes to my workout. That is a total of 1.2 hours every time I commute without a car and just about provides most of the fitness I will need. Add a few weights and sports and that is it. Biking may take a lot of motivation but is based on habit. Once I get into the habit, it will become easier. For now, just a couple of times a week.

Poem: Pillars of Blue

 Poem: Pillars of Blue

Bright ocean view,

From a rocky pew.

Dancing foamy air,

We sit as a pair. 

Holding hands into the night,

Until the horizon is out of sight. 

Poems are short stories that express a single thought or idea. This poem discusses the simplest things in life and their importance. We sometimes forget how life is only a flash in the greater universe. Many of the things we chase seem so important but are useless at the end of the day. 

I have met many people who have maxed out their credit cards, bought huge houses they didn't need, clothing they couldn't afford, and jewelry that decorates their outward beauty. Even though these items enhance our lives  they are not truly part of our very existence as a people. The best things in life are free.