Welcome to the eleventh annual 30-day November to Remember Challenge. The 30-day challenge is coming to you in two parts: those already doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®, and those who are new and have not quite gotten started on the Recipe.
The last ten 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 three 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 2021.
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 2021, 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 sequence to stimulate vibrational 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 2021, but it also is No Excuses November 2021!
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 Recipe 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 Recipe!
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: Four years ago during 30-day challenge, I released my book, “Fighting Parkinson’s…and Winning.” Click here for information about my book.
Also, 4 years go, we started a picture gallery. So far, we have 58 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.
Sounds like a lot of information to take in, but I am “all for it!” High time I do something that scares me and yet it excites me.
Maree from Melbourne
Hi All,
I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Andrew from Ireland. I feel like I know a lot of you already from many hours spent reading the blog and thank you for all your input as well as all of Howard’s insightful blogs of course!!
I did Howard’s 30 day challenge last year but lost my motivation to keep going and subsequently stopped following the Recipe in early December. I realised that I wasn’t ready to be healed but this time I am, so I started doing the Recipe about a month ago and will use this 30 day challenge to re-commit to my healing journey.
Thank you Howard for giving of your precious time to all of us in our journey of recovery. I feel truly grateful to have you as our guide.
Much love,
Andrew
Yeah, Andrew, motivation is a big deal. I read in Norman Doidge’s book, The Brain’s Way of Healing, that, because of the absence of dopamine, Parkies have as much trouble initiating motivation as they do movement.
In the past, I have made absurd calculations about when I’m ‘due’ to be cured on the basis of how much longer I’d had PD than Howard when he started the Recipe so I should double the healing time. Oh, and then add six months, say, for losing my sense of smell in 2006 … and so it goes on, completely random and irrational.
I have found that if you can learn to forget about the outcome and just focus on the journey, it is conducive to opening up the heart and soul. But everyone’s journey is a personal one.
If you’ve spent ‘many hours’ reading the blog, you’ve probably noticed that your compatriot, Karen, is one of the most inspirational and encouraging contributors.
Glad you’re on board to share the craic!
I’m accepting the challenge, no excuses!
Val
Hi Val,
Thanks for your encouraging words. I’m doing my best to focus on the journey one day at a time! I know I’ll get there and have a full recovery; I just have to be patient, put the work in and have faith in the process.
I’ve read many of Karen’s blog entries and I feel the blog wouldn’t be the same without her input 🙂
Andrew
Val thank you so much for your lovely words about my contribution, it made me smile and feel warm on the inside. Like drinking water a mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.lol Can’t remember the last time I had such a treat. 😁
You seem to be all fired up for November. “Good woman yourself “ as we would say here in the beautiful Emerald Island. 😁
I look forward to your progress posts in November 🥰 xx
Hi Andrew from Ireland, I’m pleased to hear you’re back on your bike, it’s gets easier as time passes. You may not feel like it, but make that not an option. Rick from Australia 😊
Hi Rick,
Yes it feels good to be back on my bike and this time I’m not going to fall off! I made too many excuses last time round so this time, to coin Howard’s phrase it’s my “no excuses recipe!” 😊
Hi Andrew, thank you for your complimentary comment to Val about me, you are very kind and it meant a lot to me. I feel every single warrior on here, whether they write one line or a hundred, are a vital contribution as there is strength in numbers and we are building a community of like minded conscious people who support each other, through good weeks and bad weeks with love, compassion, understanding, encouragement and humour. We are one in spirit.
Every one of us supported by our ever smiling coach that we all love and appreciate for his selflessness and care. ( although to this day we are all waiting for him to explain “ carrots and peas “ for BREAKFAST! Lol)
Enjoy November Andrew. I am sure you have felt inspired by our fellow countryman Ray. My money is on him or Rick to be our next warrior across the finish line. 😊 xx
Dear Howard-
Each day I am one step closer to full recovery, thank you for this challenge and giving me the courage to never give up!
I am grateful!
I know I can and will do this, and will kiss Parkinson’s good bye forever.
Love and blessings to you Howard and all my fellow warriors,
Susan
This is Sheryl from San Diego, California. I’m all in on the 30-day challenge!
Thank you Howard for all that you do to help others.
Sheryl
Just the spark I need to raise the bar. Very excited!
A good time for me to go over my notes doing the recovery, picked up something I could do a bit more of with my shoulders as my left arm gets quiet tight. I have been doing the full recovery from dot one, only missed one day because of a 24 hour bug. Thinking of you all fighting for that win 😊😊😊😊
Thank you Howard for this amazing message! I have spent the day reviewing all of it and I feel renewed confidence. Love and blessings to you and Sally and to each of you “in recovery” with the Recipe! — Love, Julie
Thank you Howard. Challenge accepted!
The one month renewal is much better than a New Year’s resolution. I have had too many years where a resolution goes by the wayside a few weeks or months into a year.
Each day of the Recipe is another step closer to full recovery.
Blessings.
I’m reading this with tears, Howard’s words of encouragement, commitment and genuine caring about us is amazing. I so look forward to his blogs, they are always relevant to what I am working on and they ease the stress. The fact that he has made himself available via email is huge. I get stuck on things with no-one to help so to have Howard’s take on things and simply to be able to share the experience is exciting in itself.
One very useful tip from this blog is to stop researching for the shiny new toy that is going to cure us. I do this and it usually makes matters worse.
My heartfelt thanks to you Howard and everyone who believes they can heal themselves
Kerry – Australia
Doing the recipe makes a difference.
The following was my experience. From Feb, 2019, I started doing the complete recipe. In the first three weeks, I saw some symptoms being relieved. After that no progress in relief of symptoms. I continued doing the recipe till Dec, 2020. Gradually the relieved symptoms reappeared. By July 2021, my symptoms became so severe. I stopped driving. I once again started doing the recipe from July. In about a month, some of the symptoms were relieved. I was back to driving.
The moral of the story: doing the recipe makes a difference.
I encourage people to do the recipe, eventhough it seems not making any difference.
Please go for 30 day challenge whether you are new or some one who discontinued it.
Hi everybody, you all are wonderful inspirers. Thank you for that. I made a commitment to myself: I do not stop the recipe until the day I am completely healed. I started the recipe on March 16, 2020. Sometimes the afternoon QiGong is not easy because of work. Than it gets delayed but never missed. My egomind and PD don’t have power over me.
What helps is: I did sports all my life, and the discipline of making the finish line was never lacking. I see the finish line already, my egomind just has not kept up with me; but it will. Thank you Howard! All I know and all I do, to be healed, I know, because God gave me the grace to send you in my life. And I am very grateful for that (not only 10 times a day).
I started doing the challenge (the reduced one) last year but got derailed because of physical problems with a surgery that didn’t happen and insomnia, I am only getting about 3 hours broken sleep a night at the moment with a rare really good night being about 4 and a half hours… but I am sure that I felt better when I was doing it, so with Howard’s help and advice, I am going to try again…
Thank you Howard and everybody who has contributed to this fantastic project!
Ulve from Estonia, I’m all in on the 30-day challenge!
The energy jumping off the page here makes me feel like the world is smiling!
This year I can recommit to doing the Recipe every day and committ (as Howard describes above) to a Gratitude Journal. For today? My gratitude for Howard and every single one of you who are reading these words. Here’s to all of us fighting and winning!
Howard, thank you so much for your encouragement. Please count me in!!
Thank you Howard. I recommit to the whole recipe which I started Dec 2020. My advice is keep going despite days when you just want to go back to bed and when your symptoms suddenly appear worse. It is false western medicine ideas that make you believe that pain, stiffness, tremors mean something bad is happening. So far I am off the meds, have little anxiety, full sense of smell, no constipation and sleep well. BELIEVE that miracles happen. You CAN do it. All my love being sent from the emerald isle.
Ray xx
Thanks, Howard and all, for the opportunity to join this challenge with you. Count me in.
Thank you Howard! Count me in! This helps me being accountable LOL!!
I am jumping in for the 30 day challenge! Here we go everyone! Thank you, Howard. You are an inspiration, because you are changing the world for the better! God bless you.
I’m READY!!! I didn’t know this was starting today and I’ve spent 2 weeks putting it off because of fear, no faith in myself and plain old procrastination. This morning I decided I am totally doing it today come hell or high water. Then I Just opened your email and saw it started today! Perfect timing. Here we go! FAITH OVER FEAR!
Thank you very much Howard for your words of encouragement and deep commitment, I am all in for November challenge!
Dear Howard, thank you for the Nov 30 days challenge. Although I have been doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery, for over a year, I am ready for this Nov Challenge to recover.
Dear Howard, I’m in for the challenge! I want to increase my efforts especially in the evening. Decided to do MQFTL for 15 minutes every evening. My energy level is normally lower at night that’s why I skipped the physical part of Qi Gong. Not during the challenge in November 2021!!!!!!!!!! With all my love, Christiane
I’m late to the party, but count me in! Thanks for the inspiration. I love that you addressed objections. So very helpful. Best suggestion: stop researching Parkinson’s!!