PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK “I have personally benefited from putting Skip’s strategies into place and feel that every other reader will too!” Dr David Hamilton PhD, author of bestselling books including How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body “Skip is a force of nature and is the real deal to learn from.” Wim Hof, “The Ice Man” “He’s such an interesting guy, with an experience of magnitude. He educated me, helped me lose my belly, got me fit, made my skin better, got my jawline back, stopped me smoking and got me focused. I was in a dark place in my career, relationships and within both my mind and body... and Skip really helped me turn all these areas around. Now I am really loving life. I can’t thank him enough.” Tamer Hassan, TV & movie star “Skip is so inspirational – a great wave of energy... with his powerful, inspiring supercharged content (about) healthy exercise, nutrition, mind- set and all the rest. It’s life-changing.” Rachel Elnaugh, businesswoman, former investor on BBC’s Dragons’ Den “Skip saves lives, transforms lives, extends lives. His principles are simple. I consider him one of the few enlightened human beings I’ve met. It’s been a gift having him in my life. Welcome Skip into your life, everyone will thank you for it.” Joel Bauer, top US persuasion guru, known as the “Mentor’s Mentor” LIVING FOREVER YOUNG The 10 Secrets to Optimal Strength, Energy & Vitality Skip Archimedes ABOUT THE AUTHOR Skip Archimedes is an empowering and transformational holistic health coach, motivational mentor and international speaker. Having overcome serious illness, a family break-up, obesity and depression to become a Gymnastics Champion, he then, at the age of 18, broke his back during a training session. Specialists said he would never walk again, but, unwilling to accept this, Skip went on a mission to find a cure. With intensive research, he had returned to full fitness and gained the English Sports Acrobatics Championships title within 18 months. However, he now had a wealth of knowledge about health and vitality from the best in the business in both the East and the West – and, most importantly, the power of the right mindset. Now 45, he dedicates his life to helping people worldwide step into this same positive space, overcoming adversities, whether physical, emotional or spiritual, and living “forever young”. For more information, go to: www.skiparchimedes.com PUBLISHER’S NOTE The information in this book is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment. If you are pregnant or are suffering from any medical conditions or health problems, it is recommended that you consult a medical professional before following any of the advice or practice suggested in this book. Watkins Publishers, or any other persons who have been involved in working on this publication, cannot accept responsibility for any injuries or damage incurred as a result of following the information, exercises or therapeutic techniques contained in this book. AUTHOR DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this book to my wonderful mother who has always been there for me – with love, support, guidance and a belief that something great is always on the other side of every challenge. Without her, I would not have learned what I’ve learned and be both living forever young and helping others around the world to be doing the same. It’s been the greatest gift to be able to get my Mum to be living forever young too. There was a time when she was overweight, with high cholesterol, low blood pressure, having a lot of operations and not even that mobile, never mind feeling up to many adventures in life. And now she’s got a dog that she walks every day, she swims about 100 lengths a day, and in the past 18 months alone she’s been walking with lions, riding elephants and swimming with dolphins. As somebody in her 70s, she is absolute proof that it’s never too late to start your journey to living forever young. Mum, I love you so much. CONTENTS Foreword by David Wolfe Introduction: The 10 Secrets to Living Forever Young Secret 1: Breathe Secret 2: Move Secret 3: Nourish Secret 4: Rest Secret 5: Love Secret 6: Shine Secret 7: Believe Secret 8: Learn Secret 9: Commit Secret 10: Live Useful resources Acknowledgements FOREWORD I first met my friend Skip in London at an event with Dr John D Martini and Dr David Hamilton, and I saw him energize an audience like very few people can do. This is a gift not many share and I knew he would go on to do great work around the world. We got to know each other and bonded like great brothers. Like myself, he has dedicated his life to making a difference and helping people wherever he goes. Skip is really authentic and amazing, truly speaking from his heart, so I encourage you to check out the “living forever young” lifestyle that he has developed and encapsulated within this book. We call him “The Miracle Man” because he has come back from excruciating defeat all the way to becoming a champion several times in his life. When someone bounces back like this, they can teach you things they have learned on their journey that you can normally only learn by walking that path yourself. Skip walks his talk, he is a lot of fun and, by applying the techniques contained within this book, he will leave you with an empowering vision and feeling in your body unlike anything you’re likely to have experienced before. Although he often works with celebrities and top CEOs, what he is sharing are forgotten truths that will be invaluable to absolutely anyone, as they are insights into many areas of life that are needed more than ever in today’s busy modern world. I love hanging out with him, we have shared many adventures together and I really feel like it’s worth experiencing some of his magic. He is a world-class coach and I have no doubt that by reading this book, you will learn things about yourself, life and others that will open you up to a lifestyle where you can reap the many varied benefits of truly “living forever young”, from experiencing more joy in your every-day experiences to feeling generally more energetic, lighter and full of zest for life. Skip is the real deal and I’m excited for you that you have this book to read because it holds many powerful secrets that you can unlock and bring into your life. And if you ever get the chance to go to one of his live events, then you’ll be in for an even bigger treat because you’ll experience his magic at an even deeper level. I’m signing this off from Sacred Precincts in Hawaii, and I’m wishing you the best day ever, the best day ever, David “Avocado” Wolfe Author, adventurer, organic and biodynamic farmer, environmentalist, nutritionist and herbalist Also US spokesperson for the Nutribullet and co-founder of TheBestDayEver online health magazine INTRODUCTION THE 10 SECRETS TO LIVING FOREVER YOUNG Dear Friend Congratulations on purchasing this book that I believe holds secrets that will greatly enrich your life. If you follow my suggestions, by the time you finish reading you’ll be feeling and looking remarkably younger, and enjoying a more focused, energized life. What qualifies me to know all this? In short, conquering challenge. I have been a top-level gymnast and now work around the world as a successful holistic health coach and motivational speaker but, not that long ago, I faced challenges in my life that I thought would break me. However, through digging deep, I’ve learned that if I face my challenges and don’t back away from them – and even learn to recognize them as disguised gifts of empowerment – I can emerge stronger, better, healthier and with even more energy. When I was a young kid I fell into a coma with pneumonia. I was covered with eczema, suffered chronic asthma and chest infections, and was nearly always on medication. Doctors told me that I shouldn’t do any exercise, because I kept having asthma attacks, but a family friend – who was also asthmatic and was a gymnastics coach – disagreed. His mum ran a swimming club and they both firmly believed in the benefits of exercise, at the appropriate level, to improve anyone’s health. They had seen and experienced this first hand on so many occasions. On their advice I started basic swimming and gymnastics, and very quickly the worst of my problems fell away. I found myself doing gymnastics everywhere I went. I didn’t have that much natural talent compared with some of the others kids, but being active in this way made me feel really good, so I kept doing it. I started competing and, before long, I started to get better, so much so that my coaches suggested that I could go on to compete at the very highest level. My life was amazing. Then, when I was 11, my mother left my father for my gymnastics coach and I wasn’t allowed to do gymnastics anymore. Many of my health problems came back, my emotions were all over the place, and I became overweight. I hated my life and was in a sad, dark and lonely place. When I turned 18, though, I decided to take charge of my life – to lose the weight and to go back to gymnastics. I just knew it was the right thing to do. It had been years since I had practised, and I needed more strength, more balance, more flexibility and better techniques. It was a huge struggle, but I was persistent and my efforts were paying off. Then, one day about six months later, I was training with my coach and working on the high bar when I had an accident and broke my back. Doctors and specialists said I would never walk again. I spent six months in traction in the hospital. I went to an even darker place than I’d ever been in before. For four months I was pretty unreachable but my mum, my rock, didn’t give up and, one day, told me she had found out about the story of Bruce Lee – US martial artist turned actor – who had broken his back, but had refused to accept his diagnosis. Instead, he set out to defy doctors and experts and he came back stronger and fitter than before. He gave me hope. I started to study Lee’s philosophy for life (he died in 1973) and the philosophies of the people who inspired him, such as Confucius and the Buddha. I devoured everything I could about these inspirational figures and started to explore the power of the mind, body and spirit through both Eastern and Western approaches. Before I knew it, a world I hadn’t even known existed opened up before me. My connection to life changed and I started believing anything was possible. When I changed, everything else in my life changed too. Without it making any sense to the experts around me, I was able to stand again. That’s when I learned true gratitude, because when you think you’re never going to stand again and then you do, you appreciate it so much more. That soon led to me taking my first steps again. Even as I write, I can feel the emotions of that time flooding through me. Over the following weeks and months, bit by bit, I started walking, climbing, jumping, running and, before I knew it, I was independent again. My mother then asked me what I wanted to do with my life. If the experience of breaking my back had taught me anything, it was how important it is to do what you love. Well, I loved gymnastics. Even though it was through practising gymnastics that I’d been to the darkest places possible, and logically it should be the last thing I’d want to do again, Bruce Lee’s philosophy had taught me – don’t think, feel. I went back to gymnastics and within two years of training with a double World Champion, together we won the English Sports Acrobatics Championship title. Why am I telling you all this? Because no matter how you are challenged – or how tired, unwell or lacking in energy you feel right now – you can rise up higher and stronger than before. And I’m going to give you the secrets as to how.
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