Welcome to the tenth annual 30-day November to Remember Challenge. The 30-day challenge is coming to you in two parts: 1. to those of you already doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®; and 2. to those of you new to the blog and to those who have been inspired about recovery, but who are still thinking about whether or not to do the Recipe. The last nine years have turned out really well for those who decided to accept the challenge and either re-commit to doing the Recipe or begin an abbreviated version of the Recipe. So, here are some thoughts, followed by this year’s challenge.
As we head into the last two months of the year, this is a time filled with the additional stress of the holidays, balancing family, work, friends and extended-family during the holidays. Stress exacerbates Parkinson’s. Fear and worry exacerbate Parkinson’s. Wouldn’t you rather head into the holiday season with less stress, less fear, less worry, and physically feeling a little better? Wouldn’t that make you and your family and friends actually see that you are on your path to recovery?
Okay, then…let’s do this!!! You are two days away! Here we come November 1st!
For those of you already doing the Recipe, this is a time to re-commit yourself to doing the Recipe, the physical exercises, the mind calming, and the soul healing. Also, I welcome your comments at the end this post as a way to encourage and inspire those who are new to the blog or undecided in accepting the 30-day challenge 2020.
For those who are new to the blog or who are inspired but have not yet started doing the Recipe, it is my challenge to you to make a personal commitment to yourself to do the scaled-down version of the Recipe for the month of November to get on your path toward recovery. I am posting the challenge today so you can have plenty of time to get ready. It costs nothing. There is no sign up sheet. There is no catch. There is nothing to lose. There is much to gain.
My 30-day challenge to all of you: Embrace the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® for 30 days and make this your November to Remember!
There are some parameters to go over for my 30-day challenge 2020, and here they are:
1. The body.
For those of you already doing the Recipe, at a minimum, recommit yourself to doing the physical part of the Recipe you already are doing. If you are not doing the entirety of the physical exercises every day, then challenge yourself to do more than what you currently are doing and do it more often than you currently are doing. Practice deep breathing; click here for instructions. Practice drinking enough water; click here for instructions.
For those who are new to the blog or who are inspired but have not yet started doing the Recipe, at a minimum, perform Medical Qigong for Liver, Clearing Liver Wind Qigong, Standing and Balance Qigong, Brain Vibration Chanting (these are numbers in Mandarin Chinese in a sequences to stimulate vibration activity in the brain). There are videos of each of these in the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®. Also, add the Neck Exercises and the Medical Qigong for the Kidneys, elevating and strengthening (there are not videos of these). Additionally, two things to do for your body that seem natural, but many struggle with: Practice deep breathing; click here for instructions. Practice drinking enough water; click here for instructions.
2. The mind.
For those of you already doing the Recipe, and for those who are new to the blog or who are inspired but have not yet started doing the Recipe, a). at a minimum, stop doing research on Parkinson’s remedies and “cures.” This will start to reduce being in Adrenaline mode; click here for more information about Adrenaline mode. Also, this will send a message to your Parkinson’s that says, “I am committed to the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®, I believe in the Recipe and I believe in myself.” Commit to the Recipe for 30 days, and during the 30 days, stop looking for something different. If you are looking for something different, then you are not committed to what you are doing. Use your extra time reading a book, watching TV or a movie, talking to friends…getting back into living life; I am certain if a new miracle cure turns up during the 30 days, somebody you know will tell you about it. b). Getting rid of fear. Click here for a refresher on faith over fear. c). Stop thinking about your Parkinson’s. Instead, think about living your life, truly living your life and doing the things that you can do and want to do. You may do things a little slower, and you may not be able to do things as long, but you still can do the things in life you want to do. Click here for a refresher on having a “can do” attitude toward your cure instead of a “can’t do” attitude toward your life and your Parkinson’s. d). Calming your mind. At a minimum, for 5 minutes (10 minutes minimum for those already doing the Recipe), one time per day, sit in a quiet spot, close your eyes, and count your breaths from 1 to 10 (out breath first, then in breath, count that as 1 breath) and start over counting 1-10 and start over again, etc. Also, click here for a guided meditation designed to help with the Recipe.
3. The soul.
For those of you already doing the Recipe, and for those who are new to the blog or who are inspired but have not yet started doing the Recipe, a). Practice acceptance. When something occurs, instead of visiting it with a negative emotion, just look at it and say, “Okay, I accept what just happened.” And then deal with it without the negative emotions. Stress is caused by the mind’s refusal to accept reality. Accept what is occurring, create a solution, and reduce your stress. Click here for more on stress reduction through acceptance. b). Compassion. Practice compassion every chance you get…compassion for others and for yourself. Practically everybody, including you, is suffering at some level, physically, mentally, and/or spiritually. Practice compassion and unburden some of their load, and unburden some of yours. c). Gratitude. Click here for a refresher on practicing gratitude. Make a Gratitude notebook. Every day write down 10 things for which you are grateful. At the end of the day, look at the list and read it again to reaffirm your gratitude. If 10 things do not come to mind, think of something unpleasant that did not occur, and be grateful that it did not occur. If you run out of new things, you may repeat things you have written on previous days. At the end of the month, you will have between 10 and 300 things for which you are grateful. The closer you are to 300, the more your heart will have opened, and the more your natural dopamine will be flowing. Additionally, for those of you already doing the Recipe, think back to a happy or joyful event in life, get a clear picture of it, and then give gratitude for having had that joyful event take place in your life; something in your brain captures the event, finds it inside you, and releases dopamine as if you were experiencing the joyful event in the present moment. Click here for more information on performing past-event life experience gratitude.
Not only is this the November to Remember 2020, but it also is No Excuses November 2020!
1. Objection to doing the Recipe, “I do not want to go on a vegetarian diet.” My response, “Don’t.” However, during the 30 days, see if you can add a little more fruits, vegetables, greens, and whole grains into your diet, and see if you can reduce a little your fried foods, dairy, and refined-sugar sweets. This will reduce your symptoms — look at number 2 in the Recipe of the causes that bring the symptoms to the surface: “2. Phlegm-Fire Agitating Wind, which is caused by dietary considerations such as consumption of too much greasy, fried or sweet foods.” In simplest terms, these foods cause phlegm and mucus to accumulate inside the body raising the internal temperature, and this cause tremors to increase (agitating wind; wind makes things shake).
2. Objection to doing the Recipe, “I cannot do the Qigong exercises because, a. I do not understand them, b. I am physically unable, c. Both a. and b.” My response, “I will help you.” (See my “My Commitment to All of You” below in this post).
3. Objection to doing the Recipe, “I cannot do the Qigong perfectly, so I know it is not worth my time because if I cannot do it perfectly, I know I cannot recover.” My response: “The only “perfect” Qigong is the one your body is allowing you to do in the moment you are doing it, and it is good enough.” Click here for more information on why your best is good enough.
4. Objection to doing the Recipe, “It takes too much time.” My response, “You are worth the time it takes to cure yourself from a disease from which the professionals say there is no cure. Plus, for those of you doing daily Parkinson’s research, once you stop doing daily Parkinson’s research (Part 2a of the challenge), you will find yourself with extra time to do the Recipe and many other wonderful things.”
5. Objection to doing the Recipe, “I am currently taking medications and I do not want to reduce them.” My response, “Don’t.” I feel that you will benefit greatly from doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® even if you are currently taking medications. Doing the Recipe and cleansing your liver will help your body process your medications better and help you function better, and maybe some time in the future you will decide that reduction makes sense in your recovery. Click here for more on medications.
6. Objection to doing the Recipe. “I am concerned about doing Brain Vibration Chanting because I do not know what I am chanting and I do not want to violate my religious beliefs.” My response, “Brain Vibration Chanting is Mandarin Chinese numbers arranged in a sequence to help create vibrational energy in your brain. Specifically, ling yow chee chee chee – joe ling bah, 01777-908; ling yow chee chee chee – joe ar ar sih sih, 01777-92244.
My Commitment to All of You
People have expressed to me that they feel I was successful in curing myself because of my confidence in what I was doing and my commitment to doing it, the “it” being the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®. I am just as confident in all of you, and just as committed to all of you being successful, so I make this offer:
If you feel that you do not understand how to do any of the things outlined in my 30-day challenge above, send me an email at howard@fightingparkinsonsdrugfree.com and I will respond to your email with the appropriate explanation.
I am committed to all of you. I am committed to assisting you to accept my 30-day challenge, and I am confident in you being able to do the Recipe. Also, I am confident that the Recipe will work for you, and at the end of the 30 days you will see enough positive results in your recovery that you will know you are on your path to recovery and you will know the full Recipe is right for you.
Also, throughout the month of November, I will be posting information to assist you in successfully completing this 30-day challenge. Please check back regularly to this blog, or if you wish to receive an email notification of the blog posting updates, please fill out the “Subscribe to receive blog update notifications” form.
I am committed to you and your recovery from Parkinson’s.
Why not accept the abbreviated Recipe challenge, get on your path toward recovery, and commit yourself for 30 days to the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®!
Parkinson’s is curable! Be your own cure!
Why not make this your November to Remember!
YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!
All my best,
Howard
NOTE: Three years ago during 30-day challenge, I released my book, “Fighting Parkinson’s…and Winning.” Click here for information about my book.
Also, three years go, we started a picture gallery. So far, we have 55 pictures of people who are doing the Recipe or already have fully recovered from Parkinson’s (plus some with their spouses or children). One thing you will see in this picture gallery is what I call the “New Faces of Parkinson’s;” people with big smiles filled with hope and faith about recovery. Click here to see the picture gallery. If you would like your picture included, please email it to me at howard@fightingparkinsonsdrugfree.com.
Finally, I have put five symptom relief videos on You Tube. Click here to access my You Tube channel and see the five symptom relief videos.
Thank you Howard. I am ready to commit to the 30 day challenge! I will remind myself daily that this is no excuses November. Having been diagnosed 12 years ago, it’s about time I did something proactive to improve my health rather than passively waiting to deteriorate over time. I can do this!
I am all in with the challenge! Thank you, Howard.
To all my friends on the blog,
Howard really dumped a big one on us this time! I recommend working through it several times. There are lots of great nuggets for getting your Recipe practice off to a fine start or, if you’ve been around a while, giving it a nice tune up.
Thanks a lot, Howard.
Getting out the wrenches and screw drivers in Wisconsin,
Chris
Thank God,
Its November, a good excuse to re-collect myself. I just read the blog about medication and I’m falling too hard on my body and I’m too impatient with it. OKAY, relax Petra. Okay, Howard, here we go. Thank you for all the adding blogs, good to refresh it.
Oh Yeah! I’m jumping in with both feet!
I’m already doing the recipe so I’m adding at least one extra rep to each exercise and refocusing on calming my mind and loving myself a little more.
I am very excited and look forward to hearing what everyone else is doing.
I just re-read Fighting Parkinsons and Winning book again this week and am so inspired, invigorated and grateful for this journey that we are on, so blessed to have discovered you Howard and the Recipe!
Lots of love
Margaret
Thank you Howard. Got everything to gain and nothing to lose apart from Parkinsons, so I am definitely in for the 30 day November challenge. I have been diagnosed for a year and committed in healing myself without medication……let’s do this!!
Fantastic summary of this amazing and life changing journey. I’m grateful every day I get to do the recipe and reclaim my healthy and loving self, mind body spirit.
Love to all my brother and sister warriors, Anne, Portland, Oregon USA
Howard, thank you for all the encouragement you continually give us. Doing the Recipe every day keeps me moving forward. I have the use of my right hand back thanks to the Recipe!
Thank you so much.
Sharon in North Carolina
Reading Howard’s blogs is like the bright blue ball of energy that greets me every morning when I say hello to the Recipe! My commitment this first November is to stop researching PD and just focus on doing more of the Recipe. Every Day. With gratitude for all of you reading this!
Roger From Chicago
Thank you Howard, I am in too👍
Aloha Howard, your confidence is inspiring. I’ve been riding the PD rollercoaster too long and I am going to recommit to my recovery. All of the objections you mentioned are roadblocks I place on my path. My mind is so easily led astray and my heart is sadly neglected. With enthusiasm and gratitude I accept this challenge. Mahalo for all of your love and support!
Natasha
Count me in!
Thank you Howard and everyone in this community for your greatness and inspiration 🙂
Fantastic info, thankyou so much
I’m finding it hard to fit in everything in each day.
Could you give us an example of your daily schedule please. I feel this would help with motivation as I do feel overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. Cooking food from scratch can take up lots of time, also I allow time to rest.
Thanks Kerry
Response: Hi Kerry. In the November Challenge, there are 6 physical things to do and they can be done at any time of the day. The order does not matter and you do not need to do them all at once. Each day just do what you can, and fit them into your schedule. If you fit them into your schedule, you are more likely to be able to find the time to fit them in then if you are trying to fit somebody else’s schedule into your life. Blessings, Howard
Yes Howard. I’m doing the recipe. The only thing is that because I’m not a morning person I don’t start until around noon but I’m adding the evening practice or doing some of them over again in the evening. Hope it’s still ok to do it this way. Thank you for all the effort you put in helping others.
Response: Yes, Dora, it is okay to do the exercises when they fit your schedule. Blessings, Howard
Thanks Howard. It’s true, the recipe works. I encourage all of you to think about improving the quality of your life for yourself first and then for your family and friends. Life is a precious gift. Do this for you and then reach back and pull someone else up.
We are in this together!
Many Blessings to All
Marie in SC
Alison, Paris
Thank you Howard for the Recipe that I do entirely every day.
Sometimes I bunch up the afternoon and evening exercises into one session according to outside events.
Sometimes my mind wanders while I’m exercising, so there’s always room for improving concentration! On some rare days I think oh I am so tired today, I’ll take a holiday, but actually I always feel better for doing them.
It’s such a great help to have this wonderful tool at hand Howard !
THANK YOU!
I’m in Howard!! I will never stop fighting and your encouragement and advice is absolutely invaluable. I am going to do the recipe morning and late afternoon and heal, heal, heal. We can all do it together, I salute all of you that are doing the recipe and wish you all a complete recovery.
Thanks again Howard, it’s going to be a great month!
Thank you Howard for this challenge! What I learned from our coaching sessions is that I need to lose my mind to open my heart ❣️ My mind is trying very hard to sabotage all aspects of my recovery so this challenge is an excellent pushback.
I am learning so much from you my dear Howard, and my favorite at this moment is that, my relentless negative mind is facing my relentless self-loving Ola and love of the Divine❤️ I am IN!!!!
Much love to all and our recovery,
Ola
Hello everyone, I have only just started doing Qigong recipe for a week now . Just over 1 hour a day for a week , 40mins morning 40mins early afternoon followed by a 20 to 50 minutes power walk and I can feel the healing ! I’m very motivated. Keep smiling and lots of love to everyone Rick from Australia
A big thank you to Howard for all the effort you have put in helping others with Parkinson’s. It has given us all hope that we can eliminate Parkinson’s . I’ve got the first sign of Parkinson’s 2 years ago doing a 120k push bike charity ride in very hot weather. Ive never taken medication . I’ve been trying everything because I love exercise and starting Qigong and first week I feel improvement mind and body already. I’m a fit 64year and Parkinson’s doesn’t even run the family. God Bless to everyone and keep smiling 😀😃😀
Thanks Howard and all fellow PD warriors for the encouragement and support. Life is great, in spite of PD!
My mission this November is to find the young me inside and to love and nurture him. He needs it so much. You see he’s been withdrawn and in hiding for decades. Not trusting anyone I think. It’s time to heal and it’s never too late.
I love you young Bob. I really do. I’m sorry it took me so long to turn and open up my heart to you. I just kept running and just trying to survive. Please forgive me. Let’s talk. I’m here now waiting, listening, longing…
Howard, I am ready for the 30-day challenge to recharge my commitment towards the RECOVERY.
Thank you for your commitment and continuous encouragement.
GOD BLESS to you and to all the warriors out there.
Thank you for all this review information that is wonderful. We can all do this! We our own support community. It so nice to have everyone working in the same direction. We can all do this, we can all recover! Happy November! Karen from Wisconsin
Thank you Howard. I accept the November challenge. I will be doing extra exercises every day and working on gratitude daily.
Jeff
Thanks Howard. I am continuing the Recipe with new determination.
Howard:
I have returned as drug free for the challenge.
Thanks, Michael
I have been doing the Recipe since June 2019 and will try to regain momentum in November, even though the damned disease is destroying me.
Three things Howard has said keep me going:
1. Parkinson’s is only incurable if you do nothing to fight it.
2. Parkinson’s didn’t come in an instant and it won’t go in an instant.
3. Parkinson’s never takes a day off; neither can you.
So great to read all of your comments, Howard and warriors. The review is excellent and re-affirming. We can do this. I’m in for the November challenge, to do more; especially helpful the reminders about breathing and water. My biggest challenge is the mind calming. Thank you for the visions and soul encouragement. I am grateful for the hope and encouragement. Howard, you are amazing, and Sally also. Thank you and blessings to you.
Thank you Howard, I am in for the challenge… we all together will make it thanks to your support and our faith .. you are our angel .. we all will make it, i have no doubt .. I love u all … ocean of love and gratitude
I’m up for the challenge 30 days of more recovery. I really like reading the blogs, and hearing how everybody else is doing. I’m truly grateful for the Lord working through Howard, he’s definitely the right person to have as our coach… I am truly grateful!