New Yorkers Try Facial Yoga to Reduce Wrinkles

By Christine Kearney

(excerpts)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Botox and plastic surgery may promise to reduce wrinkles and worry lines, but some New Yorkers are turning to facial yoga to achieve a youthful appearance

… yoga instructor Annelise Hagen teaches several facial exercises designed to stretch and tone facial muscles... including "The Lion," showing the tongue hanging out and eyes rolled up ... for 60 seconds. … other exercises include "Satchmo," in which the cheeks are blown out Louis Armstrong-style, and "Marilyn," in which glamorous kisses are blown to strengthen mouth muscles for full and firm lips. "It uses the same principles of exercise you would use for any other parts of your body," Hagen said. "Facial muscles also become more toned, so it is a natural way of getting a lift."

Hagen recently released a book, "The Yoga Face: Eliminate Wrinkles with the Ultimate Natural Facelift." She said she developed a workshop using facial yoga because women wanted to look their best, "but they weren't really thinking about how to exercise their facial muscles."

She said facial muscles become weak and flabby and need regular workouts and circulation to reduce wrinkles.

Come on, ladies. We have 2 years to work on those muscles. Miracles still happen.

Mahusay Ba Ang Memorya Mo?

Mayroong gusto ang lahat ng tao, gusto niyang marinig na siya'y tinatawag sa kanyang pangalan. Para sa isang tao, ang pinakamasarap na marinig ay ang "sound" ng kanyang sariling pangalan. Naalaala ko tuloy ang magandang katotohanan sa buhay ni Jim Farley ng Estados Unidos ng America. Nang mapag-usapan ang tungkol sa tagumpay ni Jim Farley, ganito ang sabi ng isang sikat na peryodista at author: "I understand you can call ten thousand people by their first names." "No you are wrong ," said Jim Farley, "I call fifty thousand people by their first name."

Ang kahusayang iyon ni Jim Farley ay nakatulong nang malaki sa pagluluklok kay Franklin D. Roosevelt sa White House, sa America when he managed Roosevelt's campaign in 1932. In the Philippines, one of the politicians na mayroong ganoong katangian tulad nang kay Jim Farley ay si Presidente Ramon Magsaysay. Kung minsan ay mahirap tandaan ang ngalan ng isang tao. lalo na kung iyon ay mahirap bigkasin. At kung talagang mahirap ispelingin at mahirap memoryahin umiimbeto na lang ng isang palayaw para sa kanyang pangalan, at iyon na lang ang kanilang itinatawag sa nabanggit na tao.

May isang tao na ang pangalan ay Nicodemus Papadoulos. Dahil napakahirap tandaan ang kanyang pangalan, ang tawag na lang sa kanya'y Nick. Subalit may isang businessman , si Sid Levy na tinandaang mabuti ang pangalang iyon. At nang tumawag si Levy sa telepono, ganito ang kanyang sinabi: "Good afternoon, Mr. Nicodemus Papadoulos." Ang naging katuguna'y saglit na katahimikan. Ang narinig lamang ay ang gapang ng buntunghininga sa kawad ng koryente. At saka pa lamang ang boses mula sa kabilang dulo ng kawad. "Mr. Levy, in all the fifteen years I have been in this country, nobody has ever made the efforts to call me by my right name." Tuwang-tuwa si Nicodemus Papadoulos sapagkat sa kaunaunahang pagkakataon, mula nang manirahan siya sa bansang iyon sa loob ng 15 taon, ay may tumawag sa kanya sa kanyang buong pangalan.

Halimbawang may isang retrato. Marami kayo na nakaretrato roon, iyon ay isang group picture. Kapag ipinakita sa iyo ang retratong iyon, sino ang una mong hahanapin at titingnan? Natural ang sarili muna, bago ang iba. Kung papaanong napakasarap marinig ang sariling pangalan, gayundin napakasarap makita ang sariling larawan.


Source: Inspirasyon
Author: Rev. Fr. Rodolfo C. Cruz

Pilar V C - "In My Corner"

At school I hated Literature as we were asked to stand in front and recite a poem and everybody would be looking at me. I liked Trigonometry but most of all I loved Recess, a chance to be away from our teachers and avoid recitation.

My earliest memory is the joy I felt when I stood up on the stage to receive a medal for my daughter when she graduated in grade seven at O.B. Montessori, Greenhills, in Philippines; in high school here in Maryland and most of all when she graduated magna cum laude in College also here in Maryland.

When I was a child I wanted to travel around the world to see the beauty of God's creations.

If I wasn’t me I’d like to be an Astronaut to experience the feeling inside a spacecraft and to travel beyond the earth's atmosphere.


My worst habit is going shopping for clothes with matching bag and shoes.

I’m my best at working in a quiet place. I work professionally and I am so organized. I am also good at helping others when they request me to do something for them and I am so happy when I have done what they request.

The best lesson my parents taught me is to be humble and to love others the way I love myself but most of all to love God above all things and to be thankful for the gift of life.


Five famous people (living or dead) I would like to have met are our Lord Jesus Christ when he became man to experience all His miracles; the Blessed Virgin Mary as she was the closest person to our Lord Jesus Christ; St. Therese the Little Flower of Jesus who at her early age showed her love and devotion to our Lord God until her death at the age of 24; Pope John Paul, II as he was also devoted to our Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Maria Teresa for her love of the poorest of the poor.

I don’t like gossiping about bad things done by others behind their back.


My happiest moment was when I, together with my husband and children, travelled to U.S. to join permanently my mother and all my brothers and sisters and their family here in Baltimore, Maryland.


My secret skill (that is now no longer a secret) is that I can do hair cut kaya lang "uka-uka" (new style) hahahahaha!. Do you want a try a new look?


Friends say I am lovely, trustworthy, can be relied on, pious, a true friend, etc.


I’m very bad at the kitchen. I am not good at cooking, but I know how to cook rice and to fry scramble egg, bacon, fish as long as it is fried.


My biggest regret was when I was not able to get a U.S. visa to attend the funeral of my brother whom I was not able to see since he left to U.S.


The hardest thing I have ever done was when I was 35 years old and I was learning how to drive then and I tried to drive without my husband on my side as he was on his job and I had to take my son to his piano lesson. I drove from our house inside Tahanan Village out to Sucat Road, Paranaque, a busy street with too many jeepneys and cars. I took off my shoes to feel the brake and gasoline pedals. My knee really shook then and every time I recall that occasion my blood pressure shoots up as my son who was only 5 years old then was my passenger.


My greatest fear is that if I get too sick, I'd be lying on my bed unable to stand up to do the things I love like going out with my family, playing with my grandchildren, cleaning my house and going shopping. But I am leaving up to the Lord this fear of mine and I ask our Lord God to keep me healthy in mind and body and give me a peaceful death when the time comes.


I often wonder what is life after death.

Hang over Rankings

This piece is for the batch '63 boys...noon !! Just to sive a name for the feelings you had then when you were so happy drinking beer and wine.Identify which you have often experienced.I am sharing this blog to you all.







1 Star Hangover


No pain. No real feeling of illness. Your sleep last
night was a mere disco nap which is giving you a whole
lot of misplaced energy. Be glad that you are able
to function relatively well. However, you are still
parched. You can drink 10 bottles of water and
still feel this way. Even vegetarians are craving
a Cheeseburger and a side of fries.


2 Star Hangover

Slight headache. Don't feel sick, but something is definitely
amiss. You may look okay but you have the attention span and
mental capacity of a stapler. The coffee you chug to try and
remain focused is only exacerbating your rumbling gut, which
is craving a full English breakfast. Last night has wreaked
havoc on your bowels and even though you have a nice demeanor
about the office, you are costing your employer valuable money
because all you really can handle is aimlessly surfing the net
and writing junk e-mails.




3 Star Hangover
Definite headache. Stomach feels crappy. You are definitely a
pace cadet and so not productive. Anytime a girl walks by you
gag because her perfume reminds you of the random gin shots
you did with your alcoholic friends after the bouncer kicked you
out at 1:45 a.m. Life would be better right now if you were in
your bed with a dozen donuts and a liter of coke. You've had 4 cups of coffee,
a gallon of water, 2 Sausage Rolls and a liter of diet coke
- yet you haven't peed once.




4 Star Hangover
Your head is throbbing and you can't speak too quickly or else
you might honk. You have lost the will to live. Your boss has
already lambasted you for being late and has given you a
lecture for reeking of booze. You wore nice clothes, but that
can't hide the fact that you missed an oh-so crucial spot
shaving, (girls, it looks like you put your make-up on while riding
the bumper cars), your teeth have sweaters, your eyes look like
one big vein and your hair style makes you look like a reject
from the class picture of Moss side secondary school circa
1976. You would give a weeks pay for one the following:
1. Home time,
2. A duvet and somewhere to be alone, or
3. A time machine so you could go back and
NOT have gone out the night before.


5 Star Hangover
(aka Dante's 4th Circle of Hell)
You have a second heartbeat in your head which is actually scaring the employee who sits next to you. Death seems pretty good right now. You can't focus as your eyes are scrunched up against the overpowering glare from your computer screen Rancid vodka vapour is seeping out of every pore, staining your shirt and making you dizzy. You still have toothpaste crust in the corners of your mouth, at least you think it's toothpaste crust. You don't give a damn either way. Your body has lost the ability to generate saliva and your tongue is suffocating you. You'd cry but that would take the last of the moisture left in your body. Talking is not an option. Your boss doesn't even get mad at you and your co-workers think that your dog just died because you look so pathetic. You should have called in sick because all you can manage to do is breathe....very gently.

Reunion of the Decade

Thank you Corazon for your nice idea that our next reunion should be a Reunion of the Decade which will be held on the third week of Jan., 2010 which was published two weeks ago by orionjri. The title of our next reunion should be like that because we have held already our grand reunion last May 9, 2007. Our grand reunion was really very successful and we could not deny the happiness that overflows in our heart and once in a while eh bumabalik pa rin sa ating alaala ang masasayang tagpo
na naganap in our grand reunion. For those who attened only in Dela Fuentes Farm and Crown Royale
maaaring "bitin" ika nga tulad ng mga nanggaling sa Manila at ayon na rin sa sinabi ni Boy Evangelista but for those who always attended the meetings and gatherings which was posted in detail by Kumareng Emma in the blog hindi na marahil "bitin", like for example the gathering at Kumareng Nelia's residence with 42 members were present at masasayang naghapunan sa tatlong mahabang papag sa ibabaw ng dahon ng saging. Naging mahigpit tuloy ang bigkis ng pagsasama the family of JRI ORION BATCH 1963 because of that grand reunion.

On the last part of an article of Kumareng Emma regarding our grand reunion there was a big question mark; "Ganito pa rin kaya tayo sa Jan., 2010." Maaaring mas masaya pa ang ating Reunion of the Decade according to Josie because we have enough time to prepare for it. And one thing more we will be having additional balikbayans to attend. We were able to contact already the following batchmates who failed to attend our last grand reunion: Ruben Gomez, Lourdes Garcia Cruz, Manny Rivera(Manuel Baluyot), Lolita Zulueta Alfonso, Renato Matic, Elenita(Luna)Mariano, and Estrella Baluyot Isidro and Zenaida Mendoza Sison and Severina Perez who are still in UK and Chicago respectively for their tour.

On the part of the balikbayans we have agreed that our contribution should be $300 which is divided as follows: Dec.,2007, $100--Dec.,2008, $100--and Dec.,2009, $100. And Kumareng Nelia if I am not mistaken have a pledge of 1 litson. On the part of the locals it is still purely voluntary. According to Pareng Rollie they were only few when they tackled regarding the contribution and for those who can afford can contibute P100. a month yong iba naman eh kung magkano lang ang kaya nila hindi natin sila inoobliga for P100. a month. Like what I have said the contribution for the locals is purely voluntary. We, the balikbayans don't want that the contribution be the barrier para hindi makasama ang iba. The most important thing eh we all be there in the reunion of the decade. Pareng Rollie and Pareng Fredo, you take care of the locals to attend 100% and we will take care of the balikbayans. God bless the members of Jri Orion Batch 1963.

Julie Santos - "In My Corner"

At school I…teach whatever needs to be learned by my pupils.

My earliest memory is….simple and beautiful

When I was a child I wanted to be… a teacher, a good one.

If I wasn’t me I’d like to be…expressive of my love and feelings.

My worst habit is …dependence.

I’m my best at…appreciating gifts and efforts.

The best lesson my parents taught me …for GOD all things are possible.

Five famous people (living or dead) I would like to have met…John F. Kennedy Princess Diana , Princess Grace of Monaco ,

I don’t like talking about…death.

My happiest moment was…a wish fulfilled.

My secret skill (that is now no longer a secret) is…the art of forgetting.

Friends say I am…level headed.

I’m very bad at…putting off what must be done.

My biggest regret was…those embarrassing moments in my life.

The hardest thing I have ever done was…healing my grief when my Mom died.

My greatest fear is…”will I be prepared when my last moment come”

I often wonder…if I am filling the world with love.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS and Batch Personalities for September 2007

WE, ORIONJRI BATCH 1963 WOULD LIKE TO GREET OUR BATCH MATES SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS A HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE BIRTHDAYS TO COME. MAY OUR LORD GOD BLESS YOU THE BEST ESPECIALLY OF GOOD HEALTH OF MIND AND BODY FULL OF JOY, PEACE AND LOVE IN YOUR HEART.

ROSA VILLEGAS BARBOSA BALMACEDA - SEPTEMBER 4

OFELIA ANGELES CALIMBAS - SEPTEMBER 6

ALFREDO GABRIEL - SEPTEMBER 9

RAMON LACSON - SEPTEMBER 16