40 Years of Meeting with Remarkable Men
by Blair Lewis • March 9, 2010
It was over 40 years ago that I made a conscious decision to find a teacher. I was in my early teens and inspired by the oral traditions of teachers and students. I peered through my imaginary telescope watching Jesus teach his disciples; I tuned in weekly enthralled to watch Kung Fu on television to see Master Po teach his young students; and, my bedroom shelves were filled with books like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, among many – all stories of the wise ones engaging their disciples in discussions of great virtue.
In every case, the teachings were about how to live. The style was experiential. The manner was kind, mutually respectful and filled with gentle guidance. I loved it. Forty years later, I still love it.
If you have read my books, you know I boarded a Greyhound bus after high school to seek out teachers. At that time, I barely knew the word ‘guru’ but that’s what I wanted. A ‘Merlin’ or ‘Yoda’ as a guide and me as the young King Arthur or Jeti Knight, full of curiosity and wanting to succeed and serve.
In my college years, a movie I adored for its content, but more so for its title, was “Meetings with Remarkable Men.” That’s what I was seeking…and by that time, I had finally found some remarkable men.
I still study with my teacher and he still sends me off to study with others. Only a few days ago, I returned home from my 12th trip to India.
As I read the poor outlook for the futures and mental health of young men in the current medical and pop literature, I see a niche. A unique niche for me.
While I am still a work in progress, my own studies in the oral tradition have been the most serious priority in my life for 38 years. Filled with successes and failures, incredible immaturity and errors, and yet balanced by growth, forgiveness and adaptability – I pushed on.
My heart is filled with stories of my own teachers as well as the lives of the great seers and sages – I think it is time to share these stories and teach the techniques referred to in the stories.
How wonderful it would be to sit down with young men and women and tell them the stories of remarkable men and women that have influenced my life and the lives of many. The wisdom contained in the stories can give guidance and direction for seekers of happiness and freedom.
While it is true that Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia have birthed numerous trilogies filled with similar stories. However, there is a difference.
My life was not fiction.
Neither is the life of your son or daughter.
I hope they will join us.
Classes will be starting soon:
• Bright and Shining Armor – the yoga of self-esteem for boys
• Radical Self-Esteem Makeover for Girls
Great Events this Spring!
by Blair Lewis • February 4, 2010
While Blair is in India for a few weeks, he will be blogging out new upcoming events.
Please be sure to visit our Events Page for more information.
Alive & Healthy in 2010 — Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow
by Blair Lewis • December 21, 2009
A New Year is Coming…
In 2010, the Alive and Healthy Institute is going to begin a revolution in the way family members relate to one another. Our mission is to create a place where families can find the resources and tools they need to be a loving and supportive family in this digital age.
Today, families need a double income requiring both parents to work, leaving a major void at home. With families constantly on-the-go, neither the children nor their parents are faring very well. This is quite evident when:
• Divorce is at an all time high.
• Parents are chronically stressed and exhausted, often impatient and angry.
• There is an increased use of prescription medications and street drugs in younger and younger children.
• The list is ongoing, including signs of growing gang affiliations, rising teen pregnancies rates, and more parents and children feel lost and adrift.
Alive and Healthy is committed to reversing this trend. We have gathered a core team of professionals to make this a reality. Each team member brings a wealth of experience that offers targeted and systematic solutions for family stress.
Where will we focus?
With families and individuals that are overwhelmed.
Foundationally, we begin with communication skills, personal and family stress management techniques, nutrition and offering sustainable solutions for physical and mental health problems with natural medicines.
We have developed tools to create a custom ‘map’ of the issues facing each family. These tools make it easy to prioritize the problem areas and ‘map’ the solutions. This results in a concrete plan of simple, specific action items to make the changes needed.
Once your family has a ‘map’, our staff will identify and provide the people, skills, education and coaching needed to help your family to a greater sense of unity and well-being. Can you imagine having time to talk with one another and live and love together as a family? It is possible and you can start learning how to do this right now.
What is the challenge for Alive and Healthy?
To increase our services, we will soon need a larger facility. We need a place for our community to have fellowship, to learn cooking, eating together, talking together, solving issues, and supporting each other.
We need benefactors and supporters who share our passion for this revolution. Some of our families will be able to pay for services, some will not. We do not want to deny services to anyone.
Becoming the change we wish to see in the world…
A world of healthy and happy families and individuals is our goal. We believe our entire world will change if we just start here. Please join us. We look forward to seeing you at Alive and Healthy.
Our core team to make this happen includes:
Blair Lewis, is our spiritual director and classical homeopath. He is also a well-known author and expert in yoga science and Ayurveda.
Theresa Oswald, MD is our medical director and offers holistic, integrative solutions using natural and conventional medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine and is also board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pain Management. Since she is a wife and mother, she knows the challenges of blending family and work priorities.
Anne Schanz, PhD is a psychotherapist, educator, speaker, who has developed many targeted behavioral treatments for improved interpersonal relationships with compassion for self at the core. She is a mom, grandmother and wife.
Fritz Petree is an expert in learning strategies, brain science and our family ‘Map Maker.’ He is an expert in leading a person or organization from being overwhelmed with complexities to specific action-oriented solutions. A wonderful dad and husband, Fritz helps all of us get things done.
As Fleetwood Mac used to sing, “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, it will soon be here.”
Please join us today and walk into a tomorrow that is bright and shiny.
Welcome to the Alive and Healthy Blog!
by Blair Lewis • September 30, 2009
Hello everyone! As you can see, we’ve added a blog to help keep everyone informed about the wonderful events and services available here is Dallas, TX. We appreciate your patience as we’re currently developing the blog to help you stay connected.
In the meantime you can get back to the our home page using this link.
The Happiness Revolution
by Blair Lewis • September 30, 2009
“The lifestyle and skill-sets that foster happiness will simultaneously foster health and rejuvenation.”
