About

Greetings, Mindful Fitness Reader!

My name is Gentoku McCree. I am a mindfulness based personal trainer, former monastery resident, a yoga school student, writer, and Zen Buddhist practitioner living in Portland, OR. Gentoku stand for manifesting virtue and my goal is to support myself and others in living a healthy, balanced, and more mindful life.

This blog is about blending Mindfulness and Fitness into your life in a practical way. My philosophy is that awareness creates change. All diets, exercise plans, and self help systems work because they make you pay attention. They all fail is some extent because they focus on lots of rules. Rules don't change your life, paying attention does. My goal is to help you transform your life by giving you tools, tips, and support to help you create more awareness in your life.

Most of the posts I write are about one of these topics:

• Mindfulness
• Mindful Eating
• Practical Fitness
• Transformation

Occasionally I'll write about another topic just to keep things interesting. I post to this blog 3 - 4 times a week.

Please subscribe to my blog. I could always use the support of other people on the path and you can make sure not to miss any of my posts. As a Thank You I send everyone who subscribe to my blog as short "Zen Buddhist Guide to Fitness Practice"

You can subscribe by clicking here.

My Top Posts

If you are new to my blog, you might want to start with some of my popular posts. Here are the top 3 in each category

Mindfulness

• Your Thoughts Don't Matter
• What is Mindfulness? Start Today
• 5 Practices When You Are Sick

Mindful Eating

• What is Mindfulness? Mindful Eating 101
• What is Mindfulness? 3 Mindful Eating Tips
• Why Is It A Good Rule To Not Have Rules?

Practical Fitness

• What's One Thing You'll Never Hear A Personal Trainer Admit?
• How does fierce compassion work? – Mantra practice 
• The Most Important Factor - The Archer

Transformation

• Vows, Goals, and Intentions
• How to Make Everyday Perfect
• 5 Simple Steps To Facing Fear

My Biography

I have been a life long seeker of truth and transcendence, but that has taken many forms. I was born overseas in Hahn, Germany and my father was in the Air Force. So I travled alot as a child. I had flown over the atlantic 7 times before the age of 3.

In third grade, we moved to Brentwood, TN a small town south of Nashville where I spent most of my youth. I played sports including, soccer, track, cross country, baseball, and football growing up. In middle school I joined the wrestling team and found my sport.

I was an HVAC champ in Middles School. I was a 3 Time Regional Champ, and Placed 5th in the State in my senior year. In addition I won several tournament championships  my team came in 2nd in the state my senior year, and I won freestyle wrestling tournaments, including the state tournament.

In college I went to George Washington University, where I majored in Philosophy and studied dance and communication, thought I didn't get a minor in either. I continue to play intramural sports, but became largely inactive.

I started smoking cigarettes and pot and turned into a dirty, stinking, hippie. ( A term of endearment I assure you)

After college I moved back to Nashville where I worked in the music business for 5 years. I worked in distribution, for small labels, and on tour. I was a guitar tech ans stage manager for the Gin Blossoms for 2 years. I was the head merchandise guy for Phil Vassar for 1 year.

But I wasn't satisfied so I decided to move out west and seek my fortune. On my way out to Portland, OR I went on an epic adventure. I hiked over 187 miles in over 8 state and national parks and took a side trip to India for one month.

While in India I had a bit of a crisis and came to the realization that I was seeking only external things to make me happy. I realized I needed more. I needed something that would sustain me on the inside.

After coming back to the states, I promptly forgot all that. I got a ski instrucur job and eventually became the manager at Mississippi Studios. After a great deal of conflict with one of my bosses I lost my job and was alos at a loss about how to proceed with my life.

Soon after I met a guy at a party name Lowell Hope. Even though he was much younger than me he had a palpable sense of calm. So I started talking to him, but perhaps it was more like interrogation. He told me he had just come back from traveling after living at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Norther Oregon.

Intrigued I asked him about mediation and some other topics and he invited me to come try it out. So one week I went with him and tried meditation for the first time in my life.

I took to it quickly. I started attending regularly. The next month I went on my first weekend retreat. The month after I went to my first Sesshin (week long silent retreat). Then 2 months later I moved into the monastery.

I spent the next 2 years living a working there. I learned alot about mindfulness, discipline, communication, but most importlanly myself.

After 2 years I decided I didn't want to become and ordained priest and left the monastery to bring what I had learned into the world.

Soon after I rediscovered my love of excercise. I started training for century rides and triathlons and realized the mindfulness and fitness were natural bedfellows. Soon after I decided to start my own business the Mindful Fitness Movement.

“Gentoku is the perfect trainer for working with where you're at and easing anyone's body type into steady activity over the long-term, where change can really take effect. No crazy dieting or denial of enjoyment that has you crashing and losing any gains after a short term goal is reached. Instead, he applies principals of truly observing your body state in exercise, in food, and all aspects so it applies to easier to achieve, far-reaching objectives. And he does it using very modern tools coupled with ancient meditative methods. Thanks to his coaching, I am already on the way to dropping pant sizes and feeling far more comfortable in my body in activities I already enjoy.” — Faddah Wolf (20+lbs lost)