Jay’s interest in stress management and mind/body healing really goes back to the beginning of his practice in meditation starting in 1982 and Tai Chi in 1986 (please scroll down to the bottom of this page for a brief resume).  He was introduced to these relaxation exercises by two psychological and  spiritual mentors—Walter Clarke and Tom Dyehouse— as a means to learning how to calm his emotions, reduce anxiety and periods of depression, and find relief for cyclical patterns of energy and mood swings with brief periods of insomnia.  Jay found that these mindfulness practices helped to restore harmony to his body and soul.  He has spent many years studying both Eastern and Western teachings on health and healing in an effort to overcome a very difficult dis-ease known as bipolar disorder.  If you would like to read a 33 page story (PDF file) about Jay's healing click here.  (see below for Adobe Acrobat Reader download link)

A combined CD and DVD set is now available for only $15 (includes post expense).  These are personal interviews on public radio and televison.  To learn more this offer click here. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Jay definitely benefited from taking medication during the years 1985 through 1990.  The emotional stability and a reprieve from the symptoms mentioned above while taking lithium during this time was truly a welcome relief!  However, while living in Cleveland as a computer engineering student the noticeable side effects of short term memory inhibition (along with the subtle loss of the poetry of life, so to speak)  led him to explore holistic alternatives to medication.  In December of 1990 he made a visit to the Princeton Biocenter in New Jersey for blood tests and nutritional counseling.  He also continued a regular practice of breath awareness meditation with a Zen meditation group at The Cleveland Buddhist Temple.  Swimming as a form of aerobic exercise became a welcome physical relief from the buildup of stress and tension in the body.

Medication free since 1990, it has been a long and oftentimes steep journey for Jay to develop a healthy mind, body and emotions.  He received immeasurable help through spiritual healing (known as absent or distance healing) from the White Eagle Lodge from 1995 to 2001.  During this time he learned to incorporate the use of healing imagery along with mindfulness of breathing in a daily practice of meditation to find to his true center as a whole person.  Having a strong belief in God, the power of love to heal the old wounds, and the recreative power of keeping on with positive thought combined to eventually overcome the obstacles to discovering a joyful heart, with compassion for himself and for others.

It was while working as a computer programmer at a large social service agency  in Hamilton County (having returned to Cincinnati  with the birth of their son in 1994) that Jay took an interest in helping others learn ways to relieve their stress.  In December of 2000 Jay was given the opportunity to present his first 4 hour stress relief workshop for agency employees.  Through completion of 42 hours of training classes he  became certified as an OCWTP Stress Management trainer in September of  2001 through the Institute for Human Services in Columbus, Ohio.  In that same month he began a weekly class in mindfulness meditation at work which continues into the year 2007.  During the past 7 years there have been numerous workshops and guest speaker engagements at the agency, with regular classes in Tai Chi and meditation held in Northern Kentucky since 2002.  Jay has been a guest speaker three times on WAIF 88.3 fm and has appeared on Feeling Better cable TV (airs in both N Ky and in parts of Cincinnati) for a series of holistic stress relief presentations.

Jay is dedicated to helping others find ways to relieve stress and increase (or rather discover) their personal well-being.  He truly believes that God wants us to be healthy and happy in our life and in our work, and that we are challenged to make our best effort to create meaningful and fulfilling lives whatever our circumstances might be.

To close this "About Jay" page, here is a thought provoking quote I hope you will enjoy:

In [our human] form, you are and will always be inferior to some, superior to others.  In essence, you are neither inferior nor superior to anyone. True self-esteem and true humility arise out of that realization.

 

—Eckhart Tolle,  A New Earth 
Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Jay’s resume

[1 page summary view as Adobe PDF document].

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