Dangers of self treating

Ayurveda is a very very fine art of balancing dosh-as for well being and many people jump in headstrong but many of you must realize that tweaking one part of your health or well being is sure to affect another. Although ayurvedic diet is recommended when it comes to DIY treatment with herbs then you should always consult a registered practitioner as you could throw your body off balance an example of this would be when you start taking Ayurveda medicines there are many which will throw your blood sugar low or higher than it should be and regardless to say this is very dangerous for diabetics.

100 Steps = 100 Years Of Life

I cannot remember where exactly I heard this amazing advice but I do when I follow it feel much better than I would otherwise. I remember being told sometime a decade ago that if you want to live a long life you should walk a hundred steps after every meal in order to fully digest a meal.

Ayurveda finally being recognized in the West

If you have followed this blog which has been going for a few years now you will see that since its inception and the benefits we have been touting of natural ayurvedic strategies natural indian remedies for common symptoms are being sold en masse everywhere from India to the USA. We will now be posting links to our favourite and most trusted suppliers of these products so that you can make an informed choice on whether to buy or not.

Ayurveda now in the USA

Ayurvedic therapies are fast being discovered by the USA and are being taken up by people because of their effectiveness and almost instant results. Companies like Himalaya are leading the drive into the West which is sure to be a thorn in big medicines side.

Online Health Scams

Most of the information you will find online regarding health websites is rehashed rubbish used to sell advertising and useless supplements almost everybody has a miracle cure and for every cure that works there are 100 people paid to disapprove it I will be bringing some interesting insights on how to separate the good products from the ones that simply do not work.

Laughing & the immune system

Laughing an hour a day boosts immune system forf many hours. Ancient yogis of india knew this was the case thousands of years ago apparently laughing stimulates the glands in the body which helps the immune system and keep you looking young and healthy.

So how do you laugh at thing for an hour a day when alla round you on the news the people you meet is doom and gloom quite simply you just laugh and after a few practice sessions on your own you will find it very easy to do it daily.

Make sure when you do this it is in private as wellall know in society nowadays gloomy people are always suspicious of people who are happy for no reason.

EGCG Green Tea Extract

EGCG: Epigallocatechin Gallate is a very exciting compound found in green tea. EGCG is being tested in some of top universities of America for its potential cancer disabling abilities. The Japanese who drink green tea daily have known of the benefits of the tea for centuries however it is only now we know of the actual compounds which are effective in the fight against aging and disease. By learning about these compounds it is of course possible to extract them to a much higher potency which actually potentiates the effects on the body.
The most effective dose of EGCG is from 400mg per day to 800mg per day however clinical trials are using up to 1200mg per day. 

The best supplements in the world and more

Over the next few months I will be reviewing and providing information on the best supplements in the world. Through vigorous research over the last two years I have managed to find the best of the best supplements that I guarantee will work.
These reviews will also include links to my site and external sites where they can be purchased even if I don't stock these supplements rest assured you will be able to find them from my recommended suppliers across the world.
The information I will be publishing is worth thousands of pounds in hours and research time all that I ask is a link be provided back to my site as a source of this information.
Subscribe via feedburner for this free information.

Incense & Disease

Disease or specifically the lack of ease in ones mind is now recognised as one of the major causes of chronic disease around the world. In India and the East it is recognised that one of the best cures for the ills of the mind is meditation.

Incense is seen as vital when meditating as it relaxes the senses and charges the atmosphere. Many yogis acknowledge that incense carries blessings and prayers around the room it is lit.

So take up meditation now and buy some incense you will see a major difference in body and mind in as little as a week.

Ayurmedic.co.uk live

Afetr being down for a few months we are happy to announce our website ayurmedic | Ayurveda | Natural health is live again for the latest news and reports plus now book reviews of ayurvedic resorts and trewatment breakthroughs from across the world.

Ayurmedic to launch in 2010

Ayurmedic.eu is launching early 2011 why the three year delay well we didnt want to sell any old supplements online to poeple to we have gone through an intense 3 year study perios to make sure only the best of the best supplements are sold online.

Amla Fruit Explained

In my next series of posts I will be adding information on commonly used Indian tonics and natural supplements used to keep in good shape.

Amla fruit also known as Emblica Officinalis is used for heart conditions it is known as 'mother' and is a sour tasting fruit whick grows over India. It contains one of the highest content of vitamin 'C' and contains many tannins. It is a very good antioxidant it reduces cholesterol and is also a mild laxative which helps clean intestines.

Sicko Michael Moore - DVD

After watching sicko today by Michael Moore I was quite taken aback by medical insurance companies procedures in the USA. It showed the blatant disregard for the sick in the USA.

One of the things that came to mind was that many people around the world have to pay for medical insurance only when they get sick I feel that if like the eastern countries such as India and Bangladesh prevention is indeed the best defense against this disaster awaiting to happen in the West. Although there are people whose diseases are brought oon naturally I feel that even if a few percentage of peoples diseases are prevented we can make a huge difference.

Watch this DVD as it had a profound effect on me I'm sure it will go a little way to making people who are at good health at the moment stay that way.

Wifi may harm you and your family

With news that Wifi components may damage your health via radiation people are becoming aware of new dangers that technology are posing.

I can say I am not surprised as a few months ago I bought a wifi modem and after sitting near it I starting feeling what I can only describe as pressure (very light) in my head I immediatly switched it off and went back to using a wired adsl modem.

I searched the web for information relating to this but at the time there was no information about which I am sure is about to change.

I will keep you posted over the coming months with new developments with this new potential hazard.

Aspartame Detoxification Program

You can fix a problem, any problem, if you simply remove the cause. But if you don't know the cause of your problem, how do you expect to permanently fix it? This is the basis for the Aspartame Detoxification Program.

First, identify the cause or causes of your health problems, such as aspartame, and stop exposing yourself to it. Then have a hair analysis performed to target any toxic by-products that remain within your body.

Follow through with the specific mixture of supplements I discovered in my detoxification plan to remove these toxins naturally and permanently, as long as you permanently remove the cause, that is. Replace each of the specific nutrients your body is depleted in, and your natural state of health should restore.

Stretch Mark Causes and Removal Techniques by James Kellog

Every woman who has gone through pregnancy has either experienced or at least fretfully thought about stretch marks.

Stretch marks don't just occur from pregnancy though, many women, and men as well, have suffered from stretch marks that have occurred from gaining too much weight or muscle mass too fast.

Stretch marks can also appear when the body over exerts itself. For example, weight lifters often get stretch marks on their arms and/or legs, and sometimes across their chests.

Sometimes teens will get stretch marks because they grow too fast. Take heart, those types of stretch marks often fade with time.

Typically stretch marks occur whenever we over exert ourselves. That should be a lesson; don't become too obsessed with staying fit and trim, too much is too much. In the case of pregnancy, stretch marks are like a badge of honor reflecting the flames of creation occurring inside. That said; there are many people that don't appreciate stretch marks and want them gone.

Three different ways of removing stretch marks:

Plastic Surgery Removing stretch marks permanently is no easy task. Plastic surgery has been used to successfully remove stretch marks. Typically a plastic surgeon simply removes the skin, and often also does a "tummy tuck", which of course removes the stretch marks with the skin. Always use a board certified plastic surgeon (http://www.perfectyourself.com/) for any procedures you have done.

As always, there is a down-side. Plastic surgery is expensive, and typically not covered by insurance. There are some areas that stretch marks can not be removed from which include those which extend far above the belly button. There can also be many complications involved with such extreme methods, and many don't believe in or want to endure that type of invasive procedure.

Cosmetic Laser Surgery There has been a lot of buzz about cosmetic laser surgery. It is much less invasive, with far fewer possible side effects. The claims indicate that laser surgery stimulates new collagen growth and can reduce or eliminate the visible signs of stretch marks. To find a doctor in your area, try http://www.plasticsurgery.com.

Many plastic surgeons don't believe that laser surgery is effective for removing stretch marks. They claim that lasers are good for breaking down tissue, not rebuilding it. At any rate, laser techniques are typically much less painful with a much shorter recovery time, and are typically less expensive than surgery. However, you normally have to stay out of the sun for a few days.

Creams and Lotions There are many creams and lotions available on the market and of course the all claim that they work. The truth is that some actually do, I've seen it myself. However, don't get your expectations too high. While some creams have been able to effectively remove stretch marks, more often than not, they will simply reduce stretch marks.

This isn't entirely bad because there are other techniques that you can use to reduce the visible signs of stretch marks even further.

One technique is to use sunless tanning products. Tanning beds and true sun tanning won't work because stretch marks typically don't darken from the sun. One of the types of sunless tanning that seems to work without a lot of mess is sunless tanning towels (one source is http://www.sunless-tanning-towels.com/).

The downside to creams and lotions is that many simply do not work. Some are oily and greasy, and those that do work are somewhat expensive. Of course, there is no recovery time for any of them so if they don't work you may just be out a little cash.

Typically 30 days is plenty of time to see at least some improvement, if there is going to be any. So make certain that any company whose product you try has at least a 30 day return policy. That way if it doesn't work, you can return the product and only be out a few dollars for shipping.

Two types of cream that I've seen work are Strivectin (http://www.stretchmarkrepair.com/information.asp) and Everderm (http://www.everderm.com). A company called Klein Becker manufactures Strivectin and we produce Everderm.

Those people who don't currently have stretch marks and would like to try preventing can use a moisturizer to keep the skin moist and elastic. The stretch mark creams that successfully reduce stretch marks are also great candidates for those people interested in prevention. Of course, some people will still develop stretch marks regardless of preventative measures used.

The bottom line is; the more elastic your skin is, the more you can stretch it before permanent damage occurs.

If you are one of the unlucky ones that end up developing stretch marks for whatever reason, all hope is not lost. There are ways to reduce and sometimes even eliminate stretch marks. If all else fails, go visit with a dermatologist or three, there's almost always something that can be done.

Lose Weight by Changing Yourself From Within by Bill Schuchman

Lose Weight by Changing Yourself From Within

People who are not overweight cannot understand why some people are fat. After all if you want to lose weight all you have to do is eat less, eat better and exercise more.

Unfortunately this is the way most diet plans approach peoples weight loss issues. Most weight loss plans focus on your actions. They tell you that you have to eat this but not that, you must drink only this and you have to eat by combining your foods in a certain order. You are instructed to exercise until you drop.

While many of these processes can work in the short term - they are not sustainable in the long term. These weight loss plans are generally too restrictive and they require a tremendous amount of will power. Let's face it, if losing weight were as easy as eating less and exercising more then 100 million Americans would not be over weight.

These weight loss plans always fail to address the root of your weight issues. The root of most weight issues is the ways you think and feel create emotional issues that keep the weight on you. Your thoughts create your feelings; your feelings determine your actions. Your body changes at a cellular level based on how your feeling.

Think about it for a moment. When are you most likely to over eat? During emotionally challenging times such as being under stress, being angry, sad, fearful and even board. Over time the more you over eat due to emotional causes the more your body expects the extra food so you reach a point where you eat just to eat.

Our thoughts create our emotions... Our emotions determine our actions. All of our actions originate first from a thought. Some of these thoughts generate strong emotional responses such as if we're worried or frightened about something. Anyone who is overweight has emotional triggers to food.

We think of something and have an emotional response to that thought which in turn triggers an eating response. Many times we're not even aware we doing this, it's sort of being on automatic pilot. Think about your own triggers. Do you ever reach for food or a snack when your under stress or worried? How about if you're lonely or sad?

Our thoughts create our emotions... Our emotions create our body.

What's happening inside of us creates what's happening outside of us. There is no difference to the way our body feels to us then it actually is. Each of us creates our own reality including our body. We believe that what is happening outside of us is what is creating the feeling within us when actually the opposite is true. The way we feel, the thoughts we have, what we focus on makes internal changes to us on a cellular level that creates our external world.

That's why no matter what diet we try we ultimately fail. That's why we keep doing the same things over and over even though we know that it's detrimental to our weight loss goals.

Diets try to change you from the outside when the only way you can be changed is from the inside. No matter what you do to lose weight you will fail unless you change yourself from the inside, nothing external can work.

The importance of focusing on what your desired out come is and believing that it has already occurred can not be over stated. Scientific studies have shown that if you monitor a persons brain activity a real event is recorded the same as an imagined event within the brain.

If a person was to look at a flag, and then close their eyes and imagine a flag their brain waves would be identical. The same neuro networks are activated, the same neurons are fired.

The brain cannot distinguish between real or imagined events. Your brain cannot distinguish between what's happening outside to your own internal thoughts. Your brain cannot distinguish between what you see and what you imagine or pretend to see. Now take this a step further. When you close your eyes and picture yourself what do you see? If you modify that picture, your reality will bend to that image.

So why is that important? Your thoughts, beliefs and intents create your reality, your outcome. What you think about you body creates your body. Your thoughts alone can alter your body. Your thoughts create emotions and if the emotions are strong you create memories.

Your hypothalamus is a gland that is rich in fibers and synaptic connections and it controls the functions of the body such as blood pressure, heartbeat, metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. The way that it accomplishes this is that your hypothalamus is a chemical factory that creates peptides which are small chained amino acids. These peptides are created based on our emotions.

Different neuro hormones are created based on the emotion we are feeling: Joy, love, happiness, fear, hate and all other emotions that we actually experience or imaging create peptides. At the moment that we experience an emotion, real or imagined hormones are released into the body.

Every cell in your body has receptors for the various hormones that are released. The hormones that are released into the body are attached to the cell through the receptor. This is very similar to a key going into a lock. Once attached the cell will change based on the hormone that has attached to it which ultimately is determined by your emotions.

Each cell is alive with its own consciousness and over time your cell will create more receptors for the predominate hormone being released. The more receptors for a given emotion that is created will cause the body to create situations the will satisfy the chemical cravings of our cells. The more you experience joy the more joy receptors will be activated within your cells. The more joy receptors the more your body will create situations that will cause you to feel joyful. This holds true for your weight as well.

The more you feel fat and over weight the more that those receptors become activated thereby causing your body to react in a way that will keep you overweight. Every function of the body is influenced by your emotional state.

In order to break this you must first change way you think about your body. Then as you become aware of the negative thought patterns that have been contributing to your negative body image you need to choose different thoughts. Most overweight people have thoughts like: - I will never be able to lose weight - If I look at food I gain 5 pounds - I'm not desirable - I'm not good enough - I hate my body

It is impossible to lose weight and keep the weight off if you have a negative body image.

Changing your thought patterns is simple to do. Simply focus on things that you do like about your body. You could say to yourself: - I have nice eyes - I feel strong - I feel thinner today - I love how my body is going to look - My children love me

The whole point is to raise your emotional level; you want to feel good about you and your body.

Another useful tool is the "Wouldn't it be nice game" When you're not in a good place emotionally simply say to yourself "Wouldn't it be nice if____ : - I lost 20 pounds - I could fit into that dress - I could get into a size 6

By playing the "Wouldn't it be nice game" you immediately change your emotional state and feel more positive.

By changing your negative thoughts concerning your body you will change your emotions. You will have a more positive approach to your body and to life. By using this approach you will not have the struggle that you have come to expect when attempting to lose weight.

So start raising your emotional state today!

Please use the following link for a FREE subscription to the QA Weight Loss ezine. www.qaweightloss.com

Hair Loss and Stress by Raj Pandey

Stress & Hair Loss by Raj Pandey

Everyone loses hair on a daily basis - this is seen as quite normal. However there are a variety of factors that can prematurely accelerate this process - a major one is any form of stress mental or physical.

Stress has become the latest buzz word in the our lives. Whether it is from work or family many people are feeling that they are overwhelmed and simply cannot keep up with the demands made on them. In an effort to meet these demands often the first activity to go is our own self care. We think "Oh I can do without that for now". While this may be true in the moment what often occurs is a an unhealthy response to stress that goes beyond losing interest in self care. This ranges from neglect of yourself to abuse of substances or behaviours just to deal with stress.

Usually stress is felt when change is happening that we believe we cannot control. What some call the "stress response" is also seen in your own body in the form of nutritional deficits and chemical imbalances. This "bio storm" so to speak very often adversely the proper environment for healthy hair. In fact, in some cases hair loss can be tied to a specific event such as a death, job loss or other sudden trauma. Chronic stress can have the same effect as a sudden trauma which is way maintaining balance in our lives is so important. So if you notice a sudden increase in hair loss, after checking with your Doctor, consider also as part of your Hair Loss Treatment Plan checking in with a counselor. Create a Stress Plan that will lower as much stress as possible in your life.

Is Your Insomnia Just a Bad Habit? by Wendy Owen

Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen

Many of us that suffer with insomnia can actually pinpoint the time it started. It could be the death of a loved one, exams or a stressful relationship. But ever since then we've not been able to sleep well.

Even if the triggering event has passed and no longer concerns us, our sleep continues to suffer. This means we've actually learned to sleep badly and this is what we've come to expect. We believe we're poor sleepers and therefore we will continue to sleep poorly.

Our insomnia is actually just a bad habit!

Hey, that's actually good news! Habits can be broken and beliefs can be changed with a bit of effort. Sometimes just realising this can be enough to allow us to experience better sleep.

Usually though, it will take a bit more work. Habits can become pretty firmly entrenched (as any smoker would attest to!) We've got to change the belief that we don't sleep well into the belief that we enjoy deep and restful sleep every night.

Affirmations work well. An affirmation is when we repeat positive statements to ourselves over and over again until our sub conscious mind accepts it and changes our bad habits into good ones.

Many people poo pah affirmations saying, "I've tried them and they don't work" Well they do work but you must keep them up. Don't affirm for a few days and give up. Affirmations can take weeks to have a beneficial effect.

Another reason affirmations may not work is that we have trouble believing them. Our rational mind agues all the time. For instance if we affirm, "I sleep well for 8 hours every night", we think to ourselves, "That's rubbish! I'm lucky if I get 4 hours a night!"

So make your affirmations believable. Try affirming, "I am sleeping better and waking up more refreshed".

Another useful tip is to say your affirmations when you're relaxed. This is when your sub conscious mind is most receptive and will accept the suggestions more readily. Try it during a relaxing meditation, last thing at night or when you've just woken up.

A natural sleep aid is very useful during this time as you're learning to sleep better. The site below will recommend safe and natural sleep medications.

If you have the odd night when sleep refuses to come no matter what, try to relax and accept this as part of being normal. Even the best sleepers have nights like these. Just lie still and remember that you will still get some benefit from just lying back and relaxing.

So don't tell yourself you suffer from insomnia. Instil positive affirmations into your mind and watch your sleep improve.

5 Simple, Sure-Fire Ways to LOSE FAT--Quickly!! by ElmerFizz

5 Simple, Sure-Fire Ways to LOSE FAT--Quickly!!

If you're looking to lose some unwanted body fat, this article will show you 5 simple, proven ways to shed more fat in less time.

1. Drink more water throughout the day

Water is used in every physiological process your body undergoes, including vitamin absorption, digestion, and waste removal. In order to make sure these important processes are not disrupted, you want to drink enough clean water.

Drinking water will also help you feel more full throughout the day, so you're less likely to be hungry and less likely to snack.

One trick to help you eat less during your meals is to drink a tall glass of clean, cold water before you eat. This will help you feel less hungry, so you'll eat less during your meal.

Try to drink at least a gallon of water each day. Keep a bottle of water at your work desk, in your car, and one handy at home. The importance of water for good health cannot be overstated. You can live weeks without food, but only days without water.

2. Eat five to six smaller meals each day

This will keep your metabolism running smoothly and efficiently. Eating a smaller meal every 3 to 4 hours will help speed up your metabolism so that it burns through food quicker.

Eating one or two larger meals each day will cause your metabolism to slow down. If it's not presented with food more often, it doesn't burn through it as fast.

Skipping meals altogether will cause your body to hold onto stored fat as a defense mechanism. Your body isn't sure when it's going to get its next meal, so it conserves stored fat to use in case of future calorie needs.

Each meal should consist of high protein (builds muscle), moderate carbohydrates (fuel for the body), and low fat (used for energy and organ protection).

Foods like chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, and milk are good sources of protein. For quality carbohydrates, eat complex sources like whole grains, cereals, breads, vegetables, and beans. Fats should be kept to a minimum and they should come from sources like fish oil, olive oil, flax seed, and whole fish.

3. Do three to four cardiovascular workouts each week

This is how you'll burn the majority of your daily calories. Cardio increases your metabolic rate, so that you'll burn more calories throughout the day, even while resting.

30 minutes of cardio, three to four times a week, is enough to raise your metabolism and help burn calories. Any more than that could lead to overtraining.

Choose cardio machines that get more of your body moving. the more you move your body, the more calories you burn. The Stairmaster, biking, and running on the treadmill are all good examples of intense cardio that will move more of your body.

4. Weight train three to four times a week

Weight training will not burn a sufficient amount of fat while you're doing it. Weight training will help you burn more calories and fat in the future.

When you add more lean muscle tissue to your body, you have to expend more energy (burn more calories) just to maintain that lean muscle tissue. So when you're at rest, even sleeping, you'll burn off more calories with this additional lean muscle. The more calories you burn, the more body fat you will lose.

That's why weight training is an important part of the weight loss equation. The more lean muscle tissue you have on your body, the more calories you will burn off as a result.

5. Begin to slowly reduce your calorie intake

In order to lose body fat, you need to expend more calories than you consume. Or simply put, burn off more calories than you eat.

Begin by reducing your daily calorie intake by 150 to 300 calories. Start cutting out extras like butter, cream, mayo, sugar, and any high-calorie dressings or condiments.

Instead, use spices or low-calories sauces to add flavor to your food.

As you reduce your daily calories, begin to observe in the mirror what effect it's having on your body composition. This will help you decide whether or not you should reduce your calories again or if you're making progress where you are.

If you don't see results after a couple weeks of reducing your daily calories, reduce them again by 150 to 300 calories.

This slow, methodical drop in calories will allow you to find the number you need to keep losing fat, without sacrificing lean muscle tissue. If you eat too few calories, your metabolism will slow down and you'll also stop adding lean muscle tissue.

Over time, you'll find the number of daily calories you need to keep losing body fat, without losing lean muscle tissue.

There you have five simple, proven ways you can lose more fat in less time. The more of these tips you use, the quicker you'll begin to see positive changes in the mirror.

This article may be reprinted on a website or blog IF left unchanged and this resource box is included. http://www.elmerfizz.com http://www.crazyhealthnut.com

What Is A Flu Pandemic And How Likely Is It? by Sarah Jenkins

A pandemic is a global epidemic in which an infectious disease breaks out over a large geographic region. A flu pandemic is, of course, an epidemic of a strain of the influenza virus. With the recent media coverage of bird flu, many people are becoming educated on avian influenza, pandemics in history, and the likelihood another may occur.

There have actually been several pandemics or epidemics of various flu strains in the last century. One of which, the Spanish Flu, surfaced in 1918 in Massachusetts and spread worldwide, killing 50 million people. This particular strain, H1N1, has been reconstructed by the Center for Disease Control to study the molecular make up of the virus.

The Asian Flu spread from China in 1957 to the United States and led to the death of 70,000 people. Likewise, the Hong Kong Flu was identified in the U.S. in 1968 and led to 34,000 people dying. This strain of the flu virus is still in circulation today.

If you look back into history, there is record of influenza pandemics varying in intensity at 20-40 year intervals. So, to answer the question, "how likely is a flu pandemic", the answer would have to be relatively likely.

However, the history books will also show things like the Black Plague, the Antonine Plague, and the Plague of Justinian; bubonic plague and smallpox being the most likely causes of these pandemics. With our advanced medical technology, these diseases have almost completely been removed from circulation and have little threat on modern society.

For this reason, many people doubt the likelihood of a pandemic considering technical advancements in medical diagnosis and treatment. Others expect a vaccine to be developed before any widespread infection of the bird flu virus.

The current outbreak of avian influenza has infected 131 people and killed 68 of those. With an exceptional mortality rate, this virus has a potential to be a danger. The accelerated spread of the disease is also reason for concern. In less than two years, it has covered Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and is mutating, unfortunately, to a form that may be transmitted more easily. Each of these factors, coupled with the fact that no vaccine for the mutated form has been created and can not be created until after mutation occurs, supports the possibility of a pandemic. If the mutation occurs and a vaccine is developed quickly, there may be no concern for the incredible panic sweeping the world.

Feng Shui In The Bedroom

Most feng shui principals are common sense, so be prepared to ‘clear' and ’Create” before you ‘add’ anything. Since we spend many hours in our bedroom, more than we do in any other room.



Your personal focus should begin IN THE bedroom to create serenity, auspicious circumstances and opportunities and imminent growth.



Let’s start to create serenity with the door and the Greeter the door is where the energy (or chi) enters your space.



A bedroom door needs to open completely (90 degrees /at a right angle.)This represents the full allowance of fortuitous opportunities and good possibilities to come in. Doors that open less than 90* symbolically means restricted of opportunities .



The Greeter is the first thing your eyes see when entering through the doorway in your bedroom. You could strategically place something that energetically says nice things to you, such as a photo, a favorite quote, a painting, sculpture, flower vase or any symbol of welcome.



Clutter and organization Clutter needs to be cleaned up to Create serenity, to live efficiently and to function optimally. Clutter ‘keeps you in the past’ and does not allow forward progress. Symbolically clutter represents all that is left undone in your life. Tackle small projects at first, to avoid “overwhelm”.



Begin with a drawer or a portion of a closet. You’ll then be inspired to move on to the bureau and the entire closet & other cluttered areas. Better organization empowers you. clear energy flow Feng and Shui mean wind and water which both have natural flows. For your safety and well as for clear energy circulation, its best not to have an obstructed walk way. Pick up shoes, bags, wires, and papers to assure good energy flow, ease of movement , a sense of organization & a serene place to rest.



What’s opposite the door Often there is a window across the room directly aligned with your door. This may mean that the energy that comes in and flies right out. A cure for this would be to hang from the ceiling, a multifaceted crystal midway between the door and the window. This will help the energy to stay in your space.



If a wall is opposite your door and the distance is shorter than you are tall, the cure would be to hang a mirror on that wall to help circulate the energy instead of having the energy hit a (brick) wall. . Ideal bed orientation The direction that your bed faces (as you sit up in bed & look over your feet upon waking), determines the ‘command position’. This means your are in control or not!



don’t worry about the absolute direction, like east north, etc. The command position or power position just means that you’re able to see the entrance/ bedroom door. With a sense of command, there lies serene assurance. It is not good to be in direct alignment (feet pointing out the door ~the chinese and other cultures say this is the ‘death position‘~). If you can’t move your bed so that you see the door, the cure is: to rig a mirror to enable yourself to see the door when you sit up in bed.



Try not to have a mirror opposite the foot of the bed. Cure: it is better to place the mirror behind the bed or to its side. This cure assures that you feel, serene & like yourself upon waking. In your bedroom, be careful not to sleep under an exposed beam in the ceiling~ a direct symbol of oppression~,There is no serenity with direct oppression.

Cure: Move the bed, if you can’t move the bed, place two chinese flutes on the wall on either side of the bed to symbolically lift the oppressive energy. Lay on your bed and see if you are in direct alignment with a ‘poison arrow’ which is any sharp corner whose tangent is aimed and shoots ill energy toward your head.



There is no serenity while under attack. Cure: move the bed or soften and camouflage the sharp corner. So you see with this understanding and some ‘work’ at cleaning up first, setting a scene of what represents quiet serene, calm and warm-fuzzy cultivation and then adding a few cures you can invite opportunities, enhance your power. keep the good energy within,, and feel better about yourself and your serene surroundings.

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils

AROMATHERAPY: uses essential oils from flowers, trees, roots, herbs, berries and fruits, to treat emotional disorders such as stress and anxiety as well as a wide range of other ailments and to promote physical, mental and emotional wellness. Oils are either massaged into the skin in diluted form, inhaled, placed in baths, or applied on and around the body.



Aromatherapy is often used in conjunction with massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, herbology, chiropractic and other wholistic healing.



What is aromatherapy?

It is the controlled use of natural essential oils in the process of physical and emotional healing. You may have discovered that in some ways, you've been experiencing aromatherapy most of your life without even knowing it.



We have all experienced memory recall triggered by a particular scent; perhaps the scent of a favorite flower, or the perfume your grandmother used to wear, or an aunt's linen closet. The event can produce positive or negative memories. Certain scents may trigger negative thoughts of a person or place in your past. Whatever the case, the importance of scent in our lives is quite profound and in some ways, unique to each of us. Aromatherapy is a way to enjoy a controlled use of natural oils to enrich and benefit your life.



What are essential oils?

Whole, pure essential oils come from nature; they are the "essence" of plants. They are droplets of water-like fluid contained in the leaves, stems, bark, flowers, roots and/or fruits of different plants, and give the plant its unique scent. Essential oils are volatile, whereas they easily transfer from a liquid to a gaseous state at room temperature or higher. The amount of essential oil found in most plants is 1 to 2%, but can contain amounts from 0.01 to 10%. They can change in composition and location with a particular plant. For example, orange trees produce neroli oil in their blossoms, orange oil in their citrus, and petitgrain oil in their leaves. Essential oils are also very concentrated and extremely potent, and sometimes 75 to 100 times more concentrated than say, the herb it is present in. This is all the more reason to use these oils with thorough knowledge of their potency.



How are essential oils extracted?

There are two common procedures for extracting true essential oils:

1. Steam distillation
2. Expression



The process of steam distillation has 5 steps:

1. Steam plant material
2. Collect steam carrying aromatic molecules
3. Cool in cold-water bath
4. Produce floral water and essential oil
5. Separate essential oil, then bottle



This process is also the most popular for obtaining the essential oils from plants. The steam is forced into a vat containing the plant material, which ruptures the oil glands and releases the oil. The volatile oils are cooled, separated from the water content, and bottled. It may take hundreds or thousands of pounds of plant material to distill a single pound of the essential oil. Bulgarian Rose oil requires about 4,000 pounds of hand-picked flower petals to make 1 pound of oil, obviously making this one expensive oil!



The second method, extraction, has 4 major steps:

1. Have citrus peels
2. Machine press
3. Obtain essential oils and fruit waxes
4. Separate oils, then bottle



This method is primarily used in the perfume and food industries, and does not produce a 100% pure essential oil. Solvents are used in the process to pull out the soluable molecules; therefore making them incomplete oils. Resins, concretes, absolutes, and pomades result from this method.



How are essential oils taken in?

Essential oils are absorbed into the body two ways; through the skin and through nasal inhalation. Our sense of smell, controlled by the olfactory system, is some 10,000 times greater than any other sense. The olfactory system is directly linked to the limbic system, which is responsible for our emotional state, memory, and certain regulatory function.



Essential oils also penetrate the skin, or the integumentary system. Because essential oils have a low molecular weight and are organic in nature, they are absorbed through the pores and hair follicles of the skin, and unlike synthetic chemicals, they do not accumulate in the body. Absorption can take place anywhere from 15 minutes to 12 hours, and take from 3 to 6 hours to be metabolized in a healthy body. Excessive fat or toughened skin may slow down the rate of absorption; whereas heat, water, exercise, or broken skin may speed it up.



How are essential oils used?

Aromatherapy is used to self-heal and soothe common, everyday health challenges. It is by no means a replacement for the opinion of a licensed physician, and should always be used with respect.



As with all things derived from nature, some essential oils are considered hazardous, and under certain circumstances, should be avoided. Some are phototoxic, neurotoxic, or carcinogenic, and safety precautions should always be considered when working with and administering any essential oil.



Here are common-sense safety points to note:

1. Avoid essential oils deemed as hazardous
2. Keep all essential oils out of the reach of children.
3. Remember essentail oils are very potent.
4. Do not take orally.
5. Follow dilution guidelines carefully. Never use an oil without first diluting.
6. Use 1% or less dilution during pregnancy.
7. Be aware of others with sensitivities or allergies.
8. Do not use on or near the eyes.
9. Do a skin patch test if prone to sensitivities.
10. Use extra care on broken or damaged skin.
11. Avoid phototoxic essential oils if history of skin cancer.
12. Keep them away from light and heat sources.
13. Use only therapeutic genuine and authentic essential oils.

Ayurveda Healing Waters

Ayurveda is perhaps the oldest science of life and a system of diet, healing and health maintenance that is deeply spiritual in origin. In this article the healing properties of water will be presented.

Well water, pond water, rain water – there are many types of water described in ayurvedic texts, and each has a therapeutic value, just as food does. water represents soma, the nourishing cooling quality that is associated with lunar energy. It helps with digestion, cools and balances pitta dosha, supports kapha and counteracts the dryness of vata. It nurtures, lubricates and also detoxifies when it flows out of the body as urine. water, when properly absorbed by the body, has several healing qualities.

1. helps to remove fatigue (shramnashana)
2. enhances glow of skin
3. prevents constipation
4. increase stamina
5. Provides satisfaction
6. helps the heart
7. Helps digestion
8. cooling
9. Always helpful to the body
10. Easy to assimilate
11. life-giving
12. antioxidant


The healing effects of water can be enhanced using ayurvedic methods.

water for cleansing
Sometimes people have dry skin and unquenchable thirst even though they drink lots of water. The deeper physiology is not getting enough moist. This occurs when the person’s agni is low and mucus blocks the micro channels, which carry water to the cells. In order to cleanse the channels and enhance moisture absorption, ayurvedic texts recommend boiling the water for various lengths of time, creating therapeutic water called ushnodaka. Another method is to add spices or herbs to the water after boiling.

Why it works
When the water boils, it gets charged with heat and becoming sharper in quality. This sharpness allows it to cleanse the channels and penetrate deeper levels of the physiology. spice creates an added therapeutic effect by interacting with the water on the molecular level. Spices create different effects on the body through aroma and taste.

It becomes easier for the body to flush out toxins and impurities because of the sharpness of the agni (heat) in the water and because of the sharpness of the spices. Over time, it cleanses the channels so the water is unobstructed as it travels into the body to hydrate the tissues, and travels out carrying waste.

ancient texts talk about the difference in the rate of absorption of regular water vs. boiled water:

1. Regular water – takes about six hours if every channel is clear.
2. Boiled and cooled water – takes about three hours to be absorbed, and helps open the channels
3. Hot herbalized water – takes about 1 1/2 hours, due to sharpness of agni, herbs and spices.


water for your body type
An ayurvedic expert can design a therapeutic water recipe to give a specific benefit. One water recipe might enhance immunity, another might cleanse the skin, and another might help with prostate imbalance. You can also choose a spice-water recipe for your body type of imbalances.

vata balancing water

Boil two quarts of water for 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and add 3 leaves mint, 1/2 tsp ajwain (ajwain is also known as bishop's Weed, relatid with cumin but tastes more like thyme with an astringent edge) and 1/4 tsp singhada flour. Place the water in a thermos. Sip it throughout the day at a warm but not hot temperature.


pitta balancing water

Boil two quarts of water for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and add 1/4 tsp ajwain, 2 rose buds and 1 clove. store in hot in inside a thermos, but before drinking pour it into a cup and let it cool to room temperature in summer. In winter, it can be slightly warmer.

kapha balancing water

Boil two quarts of water for 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and add 3 holy basil leaves (Tulsi), two thin slices of fresh ginger, 1/4 tsp of cumin and 1/2 tsp of ajwain. Place the water and spices in a thermos, and sip the water at a hot or warm temperature throughout the day.

How much is enough
How much water you should drink depends on your age, how much physical work or exercise you do, the weather, your diet, your stress levels, your herbal food supplements, and your body type. The warm pitta types usually are thirstier than the watery kapha types. vata types are often constipated or have dry skin and thus need to drink more water.

We recommend making your spice water first thing in the morning and sipping it every fifteen minutes throughout the day. Drink plain water after 7:00 pm, as spice-water is too enlivening to drink right before sleeping. If you don’t finish the spice-water by then, throw it out and start fresh in the morning.

You may want to drink some plain water during the day as well. If you have been exercising and need to drink a full glass of water, it’s better to drink plain water rather than the spice-water.

Feng Shui

Our home, our domain. The one safe retreat for us when we are hurt, upset or threatened. Nothing can happen to us there.

So imagine someone coming and telling that your haven can cause miseries, especially if you keep certain wrong things in the wrong direction? Yet that's what people are being told today, making them change everything they have so far been used to.

Because with the economical and cultural globalisation, the chinese feng shui has entered also indian homes. Suddenly everything that was previously done was pooh-poohed. Everything, right from the pictures in your house to your sleeping positions were changed. You had to have lights on every beam and wind chimes in every nook, brass turtles on your floors and your favourite idol of goddess lakshmi got replaced by toads! The ancestral houses were no longer 'good' for the inhabitants. The direction of everyone's entry into the house was changed. People started investing in fortune bamboos and laughing buddhas.

Then, not to be kept under wraps of old-fashionedness, vaastu lifted its head. Soon two camps were formed, and after much mud slinging (feng shui-ites called vaastu the outdated, unfashionable idea and vaastu loyals called feng shui unreligious chinese vaastu), people began to wonder - which was the right one, who would give them good days?

feng shui v/s vaastu
To find out who's more authentic and beneficial, we must know everything about the two first. vaastu, which literally means to live, works on the premise that the earth is a living organism, out of which other living organisms emerge. This life energy is known as vaastu purusha. The vaastu shastra works for a bounded premise i.e., a house, building, industrial area or shop. The main aim is to form a balance between the outside atmosphere and the atmosphere within the premise. vaastu makes use of five elements - prithvi (earth), agni (fire), tej (light), vayu (wind) and akash (ether), the earth's magnetic fields i.e. the north and the south pole and the sun's rays. feng shui literally means wind and water, is based on the idea that individuals should live in harmony with their environment. It was believed that if we live in balance with the order of the world, we could attract fortune and prosperity.

This science makes extensive use of the wind and the water - the former is supposed to carry the energy and the latter is supposed to retain it. In addition, feng shui also makes use of five elements - earth, fire, water, wood and metal.

So even as the basic premise of both seems to be the same - living in harmony with the environments and seeking equilibrium with it - both sciences have vast differences in the way they operate. Probably due to the fact that they have originated in two geographically and culturally different areas, and different times.

history
vaastu dates back to the times when the sages lived - probably 6,000 and 3,000 BC. The mention of vaastu can be found in ancient scriptures like the Rigveda, Atharvaveda, ramayana, mahabharata, Mayamatam, Manasa saar, etc. ancient indian architecture depended on this science for the building of almost all the palaces and temples. Although the exact origins of feng shui are debatable, it is thought to have originated about five thousand years ago. Scholars have recorded various aspects of feng shui as early as the song Dynasty (960 BC). However, the basic principles of feng shui were first written down during the han dynasty (25 AD).

How vaastu works
vaastu works on three principles of design that cover the entire premise. The first one is Bhogadyam, which says that the designed premise must be useful and lend itself to easy application. The second is sukha Darsham, in which the designed premise must be aesthetically pleasing. The proportions of the spaces and the material used, in the interiors and exteriors of the building - ornamentation, colour, sizes of the windows, doors and the rooms and the rhythms of projection and depressions - should be beautiful. The third principle is Ramya, where the designed premise should evoke a feeling of well being in the user.

Also, vaastu is a complicated form of science put together by seventeen sages. There are certain rules that should be followed while building a house or a building. For instance, the building's underground water tank or well should be situated in the northeast direction. But, if the building has an overhead tank then it should be placed in the southwest direction. Also, more space should be left to the north and the east of the building compound and less on the south and the west. Open space should be kept around the building and if the plot has a road on the east-north directions, it is better for the inhabitants.

In the kitchen, the platform should be placed in the east with the cooking stove on the right hand side and the sink and the water on the left. The mandir of the house should be in the northeast direction. The permanent or the heavy items should be kept in the south and southwest side of the building and so with equipments like TV, radio or any other entertainment device. Sleeping in the right direction is also an important factor in vaastu; the head should be in the east or the south directions.

vaastu shastra, in addition, also says what kinds of plants and trees are good for the family residing in the building.

It is believed that if a house is built on these few rules, then that particular house will never face serious health and money problems and the family members will live in harmony.

How feng shui works
In practice, feng shui is optimising one's space in a specific period of time. Traditional feng shui gives equal importance to Time, space and action. So it is important to have a mix of the right action, in the right place at the right time to do well. The most important principles therefore are 'earth luck', the energies that are present in your space and time. The second is the 'man luck', which are your own actions and free will. So how you use the available opportunities make a difference in your life. The third one is 'heaven luck', which is your fate and destiny and least in your hands.

These three principles make it easy for us to understand why different people moving into the same house can do varied things in their lives.

Also, the traditional feng shui has two main systems of application - the eight mansions or the Pachai and the flying stars or the Xuan Kong meaning time and space. The former is very simple and most popular; it is usually done if you do not know the year in which your building was constructed which is important in the latter. It is a less detailed system and gives you 80 per cent results as compared to the other.

The flying stars however is a very complex system, it is actually making a horoscope of your house, and is much more effective. Since the stars change every two years, so do the cures of feng shui. The difference between the two is same as the difference between your weekly horoscope appearing in the newspaper and your janampatri.

Even if vaastu and feng shui both mean to harmonise you with your surroundings, they have totally different philosophies. It is very difficult to say which is better, but the fact is that both are encompassed in the blanket of misconceptions. People believe that feng shui means changing everything that they had done around their homes earlier. But it is not true. In fact, the real masters say that if you have been having a satisfactory life in the terms of health, wealth and relationships, your house is utilising all the energies properly, so do not disturb it. Also, they warn against generalising of the good and the bad directions, as these directions vary from house to house and person to person. Therefore following these directions and putting up cures, especially the water ones, can do more harm than good as water is a very strong cure and is quick in showing both good and bad effects. And lastly, laughing buddhas, fortune bamboos, wind chimes and a few other feng shui items are not necessary. A good feng shui master will tell you affordable and simple alternatives that are very much indian and pleasing to the eye. So if you believe that an idol of goddess lakshmi represents wealth, you install it in your wealth corner and not the three-legged toad.

vaastu is also a victim of misunderstanding. It is believed that as vaastu is done at the time of the construction of the house, what happens latter, good or bad is inevitable and cannot be changed. But vaastu shastra believes that just like humans, a building has a life that weakens after some years. Therefore, to rejuvenate it, the resident must do a vaastu puja every 30 years. Whatever the differences, both these methods have proved that there is a definite science involved and should not be taken lightly.

Health applications and clinical studies of meditation

In the recent years there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation (Venkatesh et al., 1997; Peng et al., 1999; Lazar et al., 2000; Carlson et.al, 2001). Many concepts of meditation have been applied to clinical settings in order to measure its effect on somatic motor function as well as cardiovascular and respiratory function. Also the hermeneutic and phenomenological aspects of meditation are objects of growing interest. Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a method of stress and pain reduction. For example, in an early study in 1972, transcendental meditation was shown to affect the human metabolism by lowering the biochemical byproducts of stress, such as lactate (lactic acid), and by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure and inducing favorable brain waves. (Scientific American 226: 84-90 (1972)) The meditative aspects of T'ai Chi Ch'uan and some forms of yoga have also become increasingly popular as means of healthful stress management in recent years.

As a method of stress reduction, meditation is often used in hospitals in cases of chronic or terminal illness to reduce complications associated with increased stress including a depressed immune system. There is a growing consensus in the medical community that mental factors such as stress significantly contribute to a lack of physical health, and there is a growing movement in mainstream science to fund and do research in this area (e.g. the establishment by the NIH in the U.S. of 5 research centers to research the mind-body aspects of disease.) Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado, reported that Zen meditation rewires the circuitry of the brain in his landmark book Zen and the Brain (Austin, 1999). This has been confirmed using sophisticated imaging techniques which examine the electrical activity of the brain.

Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind-Body Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard and several Boston hospitals, reports that meditation induces a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body collectively referred to as the "relaxation response" (Lazar et.al, 2003). The relaxation response includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. Benson and his team have also done clinical studies at Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains. Among other well-known studies within this particular field of interest we find the research of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts who have done extensive research on the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress (Kabat-Zinn et.al, 1985; Davidson et.al,2003).

One of the most important invitations to study the clinical effects of meditation comes from The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet. The Dalai Lama has had many dialogues with Western scientists about this subject and it was at the top of the agenda when he visited Massachusetts Institute of Technology in September 2003 for the "Investigating the Mind conference".

Meditation and the Brain

Mindfulness meditation and related techniques are intended to train attention for the sake of provoking insight. Think of it as the opposite of attention deficit disorder. A wider, more flexible attention span makes it easier to be aware of a situation, easier to be objective in emotionally or morally difficult situations, and easier to achieve a state of responsive, creative awareness or "flow".

One theory, presented by Daniel Goleman & Tara Bennett-Goleman, suggests that meditation works because of the relationship between the amygdala, the part of the brain that handles emotions (sometimes referred to as the "emotional brain"), and the neocortex, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which handles reasoning and is also known as the inhibitory centre of the brain.

The neocortex processes information very deeply--so it's smart and flexible, but also very slow. Meanwhile, the amygdala, which is a simpler structure (and older in evolutionary terms), makes rapid guesses about our perceptions, and triggers an appropriate emotional response. These emotional responses are very powerful--often because they are related to our immediate survival needs. In other words, if you're an early human standing on the savannah and a lion jumps out at you, your amygdala will have you running and screaming long before your neocortex can figure out what's happening.

Of course, in making snap judgements, our amygdalas are prone to error, seeing danger where there is none. This is particularly true in contemporary society where social conflicts are far more common than encounters with predators. A basically harmless but emotionally charged situation can trigger our amygdala's fight or flight reflexes before we know what's happening, causing conflict, stress, anxiety, and frustration.

Certain kinds of meditation (also, martial arts, yoga, etc.) train attention to watch the entire experience, so it's possible to catch emotional reflexes before they take over--but at the same time without squashing or denying the emotion (which would only cause additional frustration). The trick is that there is very little time to do this (roughly a quarter of a second) before the amygdala takes over and the person is flooded with emotion. But the idea is that a skilled meditator can quickly reframe fear and anger, and mould them into constructive responses and perhaps even good cheer.

The different roles of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex can be easily observed under the influence of various drugs. Alcohol depresses the brain generally, but the complicated prefrontal cortex is more affected than the comparatively simple and robust amygdala, resulting in lowered inhibitions, decreased attention span, and increased influence of emotions over behaviour. Likewise, the controversial drug ritalin has the opposite effect, because it stimulates activity in the prefrontal cortex.

Some other studies of meditation have linked the practice to increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex, which is associated with concentration, planning, meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), and with positive affect (good feelings). There are similar studies linking depression and anxiety with decreased activity in the same region, and/or with dominant activity in the right prefrontal cortex. Meditation increases activity in the left prefrontal cortex, and the changes are stable over time--even if you stop meditating for a while, the effect lingers.

Water And Sunlight Helps To Clear Acne

Drink More Water

The skin stores around 12% water. It is important to maintain this amount with the correct amount of good fat to keep your skin from getting acne. You need to drink around 2 quarts of distilled water every day. If you are not drinking this amount, just start increasing the amount that you do drink.

Drinking water helps you get rid of toxins in the blood. By drinking water, you will urinate more and more toxins will be eliminated. The cleaner your blood the healthier your skin will be and your will not have a problem with acne.

Use glass containers when buying distilled or reverse osmosis water. Try to avoid using plastic containers for water since plastic containers contain chemicals, left in the container walls during manufacturing, which leaches out into the water.

If you are drinking fresh juices, you will also be getting water from these juices. Drinking sodas is not drinking water.

Here’s a few things you do to help you drink more water or to make the water healthier. Find a 16 or 32 oz glass container and add distilled water. Then add one of the following nutrients:

* A few drops of Alkalife. This solution changes the pH of the water from 7 to 8 and also activates the water with its electrolytes – sodium and potassium.

* Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water. Do not add sugar. A few drops of honey may be ok.

* Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water and add up to one teaspoon of powdered MSM. MSM is excellent for the skin disorders such as acne. It makes the skin cells more flexible, allowing more nutrients to go into and out of the cells, and its anti-inflammatory. MSM is also excellent in activating peristaltic action and will prevent constipation.

* Put 2 oz of mangosteen into the water. Mangosteen is an over all body tonic. It works on all parts of the body and will help keep you regular.

You can also choose to add your favorite nutritional flavor to give water an additional value.

Chose one of these natural additives for your water and drink this water little by little all day long. This is one more thing you can do to get rid of acne, improve your skin texture or to keep the nice skin you already have.

Get Some Sunshine

One more thing you can do for your skin is to get more natural light.

Expose your face to plenty of sun and air. This helps your skin to heal faster. But don’t purposely place your face in the sun, but remaining in the shade and open outdoors gives you plenty of sun and air.

At least 20 – 40 minutes a day in the outdoors is necessary for you to get sufficient vitamin D for you daily needs.

Fruits For Constipation

Fruits are made by nature and are a perfect food. They contain the right balance of nutrients with distilled water. You gain enormous benefits from eating fruits especially if you eat the outer skin and eat them without cooking. They are easy to digest and absorb and do not stress your colon.

Fruits contain fiber, which help to cleanse your colon and prevent constipation. Most fruits help provide the body with minerals that help the body reduce acid as it is created. And most important of all, fruits help cleanse the body of mucus slime that accumulates throughout the body.

Fruits do not leave any slime residue in the body when eaten except when they have pesticides and preservatives in their outer skin. They do not ferment or putrefy in your colon, as do processed foods, dairy products and meats.

Choose your fruits carefully. They should be eaten when they are fully ripe. Do not eat them if they are under ripe or overripe. In the under ripe condition they may be acidic and in the overripe condition the many contain more natural sugar.

Fruits, vegetables, and grains contain fructooligosaccharides, FOS. It is this compound that helps to feed the good bacteria in your colon. Without an adequate supply of FOS, good bacteria will dwindle and bad bacteria will flourish.

Just Plain Fruits

Eat fruits throughout the day but especially in the evening. This will help to promote a bowel movement in the morning. These are the fruits you should eat.

* Apples

* Apricots

* Avocados

* Bananas

* Blueberries

* Boysenberries

* Cantaloupes

* Cherries

* Figs and dates

* Grapes

* Lemons

* Papayas

* Peaches

* Pears

* Persimmons

* Plums

* Prunes

* Raspberries

Apples

Eat 3-4 apples a day to relieve constipation. It does not matter what type of apple you eat, but I like gala or Fuji apples since they are small and crisp.

It is best to use fresh organic apples when eating apples as a snack since you will not know what pesticides were used in growing the apples. If apples are not organic, it is better to peel the apple before eating.

Using baked apples also helps to clear constipation.

Eat one baked apple at night, right before bedtime, and one just upon rising. Do this until you constipation is cleared.

In his book, John Heinerman, Heinerman’s Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs, describes how to bake apples:

“Cut apples in half and clear out the centers. Add chopped dates to the center. Pour some cranberry juice over the dates and apples. Then sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on the top. You can pour cranberry juice on some of the apples and see if you like the taste after they are cooked. Cook apples for 46-60 min at 375-400 C.”

Dried Apples

Dried apple slices are also a good source of fiber. However, when the slices are dehydrated most nutrients are lost but fiber is retained. Sulfur dioxide is typically used to dry apple slices and this can cause allergic or asthmatic reactions in some people. I do not recommend using dried apple slices in place of fresh organic apples.

Just Apples and Mineral Water

Just after waking, eat two unpeeled apples, chew well, and then drink 8 oz of water that has two drops of Alkalife. Or, you can use any other mineral additive or supplement you use.

This combination of apples and activated mineral water will stimulate your colon to become less sluggish and to move fecal matter out of the rectum.

Natural Treatment For Depression - Is There An Alternative?

Many people who are suffering from mild to moderate depression, are choosing to either forego drugs entirely, or to supplement the minimum dosage their doctor will prescribe, with natural treatment for depression.

This can include a number of lifestyle alterations, and even herbal treatment for depression. The choices are entirely up to the patient, who as always, should consult with their physician before undertaking any regimen on their own.

One of the first things that Naturopaths will look at for a client suffering from depression, is dietary deficiencies. They may ask you to have blood tests that will measure levels of such things as the B complex vitamins in your system. These have been identified as some of the vitamins that figure largely in natural treatment for depression.

Of course, a balanced, healthy diet is of prime importance. Next, comes vitamin supplements, with an emphasis on those your body is lacking.

Add to those things, a good exercise program consisting of at least three "aerobic", or concentrated sessions of exercise a week. This can not only reduce stress, but burn off the adrenalin that comes with anxiety. Exercise produces natural endorphins as well.

With your doctor's approval, you can also try some of the herbal treatments for depression, but only if they are aware of what you are taking, in order to check for contraindications against any other medications you might be on.

St. John's Wort is the herb cited most frequently for treatment of depression, but the amount to be taken can vary greatly between patients, from as little as 300mg daily to as much as 2700mg. This is where consultation with your doctor and a Naturopath can help.

Some studies have also show that Gingko Bilboa is beneficial, as are herbs specific to treatment of "female problems", such as PMS, menopause, and post natal depression.

If natural treatment for depression is the path you want to follow, get the very best advice you can, and get yourself back on the road to good mental health.

Acid Reflux And Heartburn Natural Remedies

Here is a list of natural remedies that you can use when you have acid reflux or heartburn. No need to use antacids, which have unwanted side effects and contain aluminum, which has been associated with senility and Alzheimer’s disease.

Anise, peppermint, and lavender

Here’s a tea that you can make to help you with acid reflux or heartburn. It will help you reduce the amount of acid you have in your stomach. Mix together equal amounts of aniseed, peppermint and lavender. Make an infusion of this tea:

* boiling 2 ½ cup distilled water
* pour this water over a teaspoon of the herbal mixture
* let this tea sit for 3- 5 minutes
* strain the tea and add a little bit of honey if you like.
* place this tea in a thermos

Drink up to 8 oz in the morning and 8 oz in the evening to get relief of acid reflux.

Aniseed or anise – is a powerful herb that helps in digestive conditions and has many other benefits for your body. Use only the ash-colored anise called green anise, European anise or sweet anise. There are two other types of anise, star anise and caraway, which should not be used here.

Peppermint – is another powerful herb for stomach conditions or heartburn. It helps in digestion, stomach distension, cramps, ulcers, and gas.

Lavender – known for it scent has enormous healing activity for your body. Is also an excellent stomach aid. It is useful in reducing acid in the stomach.

Betain, Pepsin, and Papaya digestive enzymes

As you get older, your stomach weakens in its ability to produce hydrochloric acid to digest protein. It is undigested protein that leads to acid reflux or heartburn. Use digestive enzymes that contain Betain, pepsin, or HCl with each meal to make sure you digest all of your protein.

Papaya digestive enzymes, which contain papain, are also excellent for protein digestion and you can use them with each meal. Use 500mg or more of papaya enzymes per meal.

Pineapples

Pineapples are a store house of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that reduces protein. Pineapples support digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux.

You can also buy bromelain as tablet and take 200 – 500mg per meal.

Chicory Root

Chicory comes from a family of bitter herbs that contain endive and escarole. Boil 1 ½ cup of chicory root for 5 - 10 minutes. After it colds to room temperature, drink this tea to correct acid reflux or heartburn.

Adding these herbs to your salad will also have benefits in preventing acid reflux. Eating those foods that are alkaline is the best way to avoid acid reflux and heartburn.

Using the remedies listed here will give relief from your acid reflux. But more importantly add a salad to your diet everyday and you will have less acid reflux in your life.

How To Nip The Problem In The Bud... Prevent Hair Loss

Hair loss is universal problem and millions of people worldwide are suffering from some degree of hair loss. There are several cures for hair loss.

However, they do not work on all. Some types of hair loss or baldness do not respond to the treatments. Nevertheless, hair loss is preventable and good care and regular maintenance of hair can go a long way in preventing hair loss. Here are some tips to take care of your mane -

#1 Keep it Clean

Dirt and excess oil in the scalp can clog the pores, making it difficult for the hair root to receive nutrition and grow. This is a major reason for hair loss. Frequently shampoo your hair and use clean combs. Trimming of split ends is essential to prevent major hair damage.

#2 Take Care Of Diet

Ultimately, the hair, like any other body part, requires nutrition to stay healthy and grow. Malnutrition and imbalanced diet can be a major reason for hair loss. Include vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, chromium, iodine, potassium, zinc and Vitamin A in your diet.

There is no need to take mega doses because they can at times be counterproductive. Evidence suggests that excess of Vitamins A and E can actually contribute to hair loss.

#3 Do Not Overdo It

Excessive exposure to heat and chemicals such as hair colors, styling products, hot iron and blow dryers can cause damage to hair and result in severe hair loss. You should use these products sparingly.

Instead of blow dryers, make time to allow your hair to dry naturally. Get your hair styled in a manner that does not require any of the above-mentioned procedures.

#4 Give Yourself A Head Massage

A gentle head massage with a hair oil helps to improve blood circulation to the hair roots and prevent hair loss. Aromatherapy recommends creating hair oil using equivalent parts of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedar wood.

#5 Avoid Stress

Stress is damaging for the hair. Get adequate sleep and follow stress reduction techniques to prevent hair loss.

#6 Be Careful Of Medication

Certain medications such as anti-depressants, some drugs taken for epilepsy, cancer have hair loss as a side effect. Consult with your doctor before taking medication to prevent hair loss.

#7 Hormone Tests

Thyroid disorders can cause hair loss. Get hormone tests for thyroid on a regular basis.

It is rightly said that prevention is better than cure. By adopting the above-mentioned methods, you can prevent hair loss and maintain good health of your hair.

Do You Know About These Remedies For Hair Loss?

Millions of the people worldwide suffer from hair loss and this is the reason why hair loss remedies are a billion dollar industry.

The answer to the million-dollar question of how to get hair back is to know how you lost it in the first place. You can determine the correct remedy for hair loss only after you know the exact cause of hair loss.

#1 Get Your Hormones Checked

Specific problems with the hormones such as thyroid and pituitary is a cause of hair loss. Consult your doctor to conduct relevant tests and rule out this possibility. If a hormonal imbalance were the reason for hair loss, the doctor would recommend a course of appropriate drugs to solve the problem.

#2 Anti - Androgenic Therapy

Excessive amount of DHT (which is a component of the male hormone) causes hair loss and baldness. If DHT were the problem and causing hair loss, the doctor would put you on drugs that form a part of antiandrogen therapy. In women, the treatment is called CPA (cyproterone acetate) with ethinyl-estradiol. The therapy typically lasts for a period of one year.

#3 Some Wonder Drugs - Over the years, researchers have invented certain drugs that work very successfully for hair loss. This includes minoxidil (more popularly known as Rogaine) and finasteride. However, finasteride is not for good for hair loss among women.

#4 Keep the Scalp Clean

Clean the scalp of dirt, dandruff and excess oil can help prevent hair loss.

#5 Hair Transplant

Hair transplant is surgical method to treat hair loss. It involves operations that extract parts of the scalp from the sides and back of the head where the hair grows well. It is then implanted on those regions of the head that are going bald.

Hair re-growth is possible because the hair follicles in the side and the back of the head are immune to the hair loss problems. However, It is an expensive procedure. It costs approximately $15,000 and takes 1-2 years to complete.

#6 Hair Weaving

Hair weaving is not a surgical method for hair loss. This cosmetic procedure attaches extensions of natural or synthetic hair.

#7 Tissue Expansion

In this procedure, silicone bags are inserted beneath hair-bearing skin to expand the tissues. This is then transferred to the areas with a hair loss or baldness.

#8 Other Solutions

Some other solutions camouflage the hair loss or baldness problem. These include using wigs or toupees and getting a smart haircut to hide thinning hair or bald patches. For this process, you need the services of a skilled barber.

Misleading Pharmaceutical Advertising

In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules for drug advertising on television and radio. Since that time, the airwaves have been flooded with commercials for all sorts of drugs. Some of them are vague, with a simple “Ask your doctor if drug x is right for you”; others spell out what the drug is used for and devote the commercial to telling you how much you will appreciate your product. Most consumers will probably assume that these commercials are honest, that the drugs will do what the ads say they will do, and that there are no side effects other than those mentioned in the ad. That may not be true, and consumers should be aware that the ads may not tell the whole story, and that they may be misleading.

The pharmaceutical industry spends $9 billion per year advertising their products, and the money they spend on television and radio ads is probably the most effective. Doctors may be skeptical of a product touted by a salesman, but consumers are easily swayed by television ads that show people living happy, productive lives while being treated for an ailment using the advertised product. Unfortunately, these ads may not be completely honest. In 2004, the FDA investigated thirty-six ads for drugs that the agency found to be misleading or incomplete in their descriptions of side effects. Consumers might think that the commercials must be honest, since the FDA wouldn’t allow dishonest commercials to air. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The FDA does not require pharmaceutical companies to provide screening copies of their advertisements prior to airing. The FDA doesn’t actually see the ads until the consumers do. Several months may pass before the FDA takes action. In the case of misleading advertising, the most the FDA can usually do is ask the companies to either stop running the ads or to change them. These requests aren’t always timely, however. In the last five years, the FDA has asked the drug companies to stop running several ads that had already stopped running!

What this means for consumers is that some doubt should be exercised while viewing a commercial for a new drug. If you think an advertised product may be useful to you, discuss it with your physician, but ask if they know of any problems associated with the product. Research the product on the Internet. When your health is at stake, a little caution may be a good idea.

Reduce Cholestorol naturally

Eating raw celery is an excellent and healthy way to reduce high cholesterol blood levels. According to tests by researchers at the University of Chicago, celery reduces cholesterol levels by as much as 7 points with as little as 2 stalks a day.

Not all the cholesterol that causes problems comes from food. The liver manufactures up to 75 percent of the cholesterol in the body. It is in the liver that cholesterol is manufactured and broken down by special enzymes to be removed from the body. Celery aids this process by increasing bile acid secretion. Laboratory studies also indicate that butyl phthalide, a chemical in celery, may help reduce high cholesterol.

Medical experts say that celery is good for people with circulation problems because celery fights fat. Serious circulatory problems can be caused by too much cholesterol in the blood. Heart attacks and strokes are the two most common complications caused by hardening and blockage of the arteries. Celery contains chemicals that stimulate the elimination of fat throughout the body says a physician at the University of Italy in Milan.

Celery is high in calcium. High calcium intake invigorates the endocrine system which releases hormones that break down fatty buildup in cells. The adrenal and thyroid glands secrete the hormone adrenaline and thyroxine respectively, which help to burn accumulated fats in the body cells. The pituitary gland secretes at least nine known hormones which influence body weight gain and loss.

By aiding the body's processes in dissolving already accumulated cholesterol on the interior walls of the arteries, known as plaque, and helping the liver to metabolize and prevent additional formation of cholesterol, celery is an excellent food for cholesterol control.

Hair Care Tips

The way our hair looks and feels is such an important matter to us “women”. It is the frame of our faces. Therefore, one of the first things people notice when they see us. So it is only natural that we all want to have it looking and feeling the best way possible. However, if you want to have radiant, shiny hair there is one thing you must understand whether it is straight, wavy, curly or coarse: In order to have healthy hair we must take proper care of it. This takes extra effort but, the results are more than worth it. Below I have added some tips that guarantee to give hair a healthy sheen and maintain it (for any hair type).

• Chemicals like hair relaxers and color can really damage the structure of your hair. However, I do not believe that women will stop using them and we don’t have to as long as we maintain their use to a minimal and take care of it properly.

• Deep condition it every week or at least every two weeks. How can you do this? Shampoo hair as usual, rinse off, apply your favorite conditioner, cover hair with a plastic cap and get under a bonnet or hard hat hair dryer. Stay there anywhere from 10-20 minutes. If you don’t have a bonnet dryer you might want to use the blower to heat over the plastic cap and last rinse conditioner off.

• Whether you do your hair at home or at the salon you should start setting or doing rollers rather than drying it up with the blower or other hot appliances (bonnet dryer heat is less damaging). Hair rollers will leave it with more body but, if you want a sleeker look you may want to use the blow dryer afterwards, just to get the look you want. Your hair will look nice while maintaining the use of hot appliances to a minimal amount of time. Note: heat rollers should also be avoided.

• Do not wash hair daily. Wait for at least four to seven days before your next wash. Washing your hair too often strips away its natural oils.

• Use leave in hair treatments.

• Use hair products that help protect it from the sun. The label should say UVA & UVB Protection or SPF.

• Sleep with a satin or silk pillow case. You can find them in your local beauty shop or department store for a few dollars.

• Eat properly and take multi vitamins to ensure you are getting all the required nutrients for your body in general and hair.

5 Keys to Better Sleep

Do you have trouble getting a good night's sleep?

What you are about to read may make a huge difference to your future health! Being well rested is essential to our wellbeing and is a major key in living an energetic lifestyle.

Here are some of the benefits of a good night's sleep:

- You will look and feel your best.

- Relating to others will come easier with enough rest.

- You'll be a safer driver and be less likely to fall asleep at the wheel.

- More alertness and creativity on the job will be a major benefit.

- You'll feel less stressed.

- There'll be an increased ability to fight off illness.

- You'll enjoy life more.

Here are some keys to getting a better night's sleep:

1. Set your body clock.

Choose a bedtime schedule by deciding how many hours of shut-eye you need and try to stick with it. That's because we are all creatures of habit.

Try not to oversleep too often because this tends to throw your body clock off. If you are tired, try taking a short nap. However, it should not be longer than about one half an hour because more time than that and you will wind up not being able to fall asleep that night.

2. Be wise about eating and drinking.

Drinking too much fluid in the late afternoon and evening can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night to trot off to the bathroom. Also consuming food and beverages that contain caffeine before bedtime can cause you to toss and turn for hours. So it would be wise to avoid coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate before going to bed. However, a hot non-caffeinated drink can relax you.

3. Prepare your sleeping environment.

You have control over a number of factors in your sleeping environment that will make or break a good night's sleep.

One of them is the temperature of your bedroom. Adjust the temperature of your bedroom so it's conducive to sleeping. It's usually best to have your room a little on the cool side, but be sure you have enough blankets on your bed.

Another environmental issue is the darkness of our bedrooms. Many people prefer sleeping when it's totally dark, so turn off the lights except for night lights.

A key bedroom environment factor is your bed. Purchase the best mattress you can afford since you'll spend a large proportion of your life on it.

Quietness is very important to our rest. Try to keep the noise down. If that's impossible, consider using ear plugs. Play calming music and avoid watching television just before bedtime. Violent scenes can lead to sleeplessness and violent dreams!

Design your bedroom to be a peaceful sanctuary in your home. Separate your work from the bedroom area so your body knows the bedroom is a place to rest - not work.

4. Prepare yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually for bedtime.

There are a number of steps you can take before going to bed to prepare yourself physically. Slowly stretching before hitting the sack can help you relax. Regular exercise during the day will enhance your ability to fall asleep. Taking a warm bath - not a shower - can be helpful too. If you are still tense, a back massage can help you relax. Wear comfortable nonbinding clothing.

Here's the most important thing you can do once you've hit the sack - let go of the day's worries. Bedtime is a bad time to dwell on problems since worry can keep you tossing and turning for hours! I've found that reading the Bible and praying before going to bed is a wonderful way to end the day. Then I can truly relax and lay down my problems. My sleep is much sweeter and so are my dreams!

5. Seek specialized help if needed.

A medical condition could be preventing you from getting your full rest at night. See your doctor if you have continuing difficulty with falling asleep. Usually it's not wise to take sleeping pills since they can become addictive. They also interfere with the body's own inner sleeping rhythm.

Here are three organizations that offer specialized help:

National Sleep Foundation http://www.sleepfoundation.org/about.cfm

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://www.aasmnet.org/

National Center on Sleep Disorders Research http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/index.htm

The suggestions in this article have been listed to help you get a better night's sleep. Now try putting them into practice and enjoy a more rested and energetic lifestyle.

The Ayurvedic Way to Perfect Skin

Ayurveda, the 5000-year-old science of healing from India, advocates the use of natural skin care products that feature potent herbs, fruits and spices to keep your skin and hair looking healthy and radiant in every season and at every age

Want healthy beautiful skin? Think farmers' markets brimming with Nature's bountiful produce, not sterile labs and "dead" chemicals with polysyllabic names.

"According to the ayurvedic texts, fresh vegetables and fruits, grains, nuts, honey, milk, coconut milk and cream are excellent sources of nutrients for your skin and hair," says renowned ayurvedic dermatologist Rama Kant Mishra. "Extracts, powders and pastes made from these natural materials, topically applied, deliver their healing benefits from the outside to all the layers of the skin. Add therapeutic herbs, fragrant flowers and skin-friendly spices such as saffron and turmeric, and you have all the ingredients you need for healthy glowing skin and strong lustrous hair."

Phytochemicals-chemicals occurring naturally in plants-have been shown to have potent antioxidant power. Research has also shown that your skin can benefit from topically applied antioxidants just as it does from the antioxidants in the foods you eat. Carrot oil, for example, which is included in many natural sun protection formulations, contains carotenoids that enhance your skin's ability to resist damage caused by the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Ayurvedic herbs such as Gotu Kola have been shown in research studies to support collagen synthesis and heal skin conditions such as varicose veins when taken internally and applied topically.

"Herbs work their magic both from the inside out and the outside in," says Mishra. "It is a truly holistic approach to beautiful skin and hair, with beautiful appearance a result of perfect health, not artifices that are temporary and may actually do more harm than good in the long term."

How herbs work from the inside out

According to ayurveda, perfect skin and healthy hair are the result of good digestion that leads to proper absorption of nutrients by the body and efficient elimination of wastes.

"Both absorption of nutrients and elimination of toxins are equally important," says Mishra.

"Your skin needs lots of nourishment on an ongoing basis. Good digestion creates good rasa, the nutrient fluid that is the basis of healthy body tissue. Rasa is responsible for skin moisture level and plumpness. Good digestion also creates good rakta dhatu, pure blood. Rakta governs skin clarity, color and glow. So when the nutrients from the foods you eat are properly absorbed by the body, your skin shows the results in glowing healthy color, vibrant good health and clear tone."

Efficient elimination of wastes is equally crucial for skin and hair health. When toxins build up in the body, your skin and hair look dull, lifeless and unhealthy. "Skin eruptions and lack of clarity often stem from toxin build-up either inside the body or on the skin," says Mishra.

Classical ayurvedic herbs and fruits such as Amla and Triphala are skin rasayanas-herbs that have an overall positive effect on skin and hair health and appearance. "Amla or Amalaki (Indian Gooseberry) is very nourishing for the skin and hair," says Mishra. "It has powerful antioxidant properties, enhances the digestion, and supports all the layers of the skin." Triphala is a traditional internal cleanser that helps cleanse the physiology of toxins. That's a boon especially for persons with oily skin, because oily skin needs stringent cleansing to stay clear and healthy. Tulsi (Holy Basil) is another well-known ayurvedic skin rasayana. "Tulsi's special quality is that it helps boost the body's ability to withstand the effects of environmental pollution," says Mishra. "When buying any herbs, make sure you invest in quality herbs that have been processed carefully and are potent and pure."

These herbal rasayanas, when made correctly from whole, mature herbs without using chemical solvents or preservatives, act just like whole foods in delivering healing benefits to your skin and hair, according to Mishra.

"There is no doubt that you have to maintain a proper daily routine of caring for your skin and hair," says Mishra. "When you combine a regular regimen of cleansing and nourishing externally using natural, botanicals-rich topical products with whole herbs that offer support from within, your skin and hair will look their very best, no matter what your age."

10 Strategies for Stress-Free Living

1. Identify and live by your values. When we know what our values are, and our goals and actions are in harmony with our values, we are seldom stressed or in conflict about what we are doing.

2. Complete the Past Sometimes we hang on to voices or perceived injustices from the past, long after the person or situation is dead and gone. By bringing closure to these events, we are free to move forward.

3. Plan for the Future. It is important to know where we want to go and to have a rough idea of how we plan to get there. While it is important to give up final control to God or the Universe, we need a sense of focus and direction to our lives. Planning for the future gives us that sense of direction.

4. Live in the Present. This is key. Once we have completed the past and planned for the future, we need to stay focused in the here and now. There is very little that we cannot handle in the moment. (A clue: if you are feeling guilt, you are in the past. If you are feeling fear, you are in the future. The absence of those feelings generally means you are planted firmly in the present!)

5. Understand that if you can dream it, you can achieve it. If we are - truly - not capable of something, then it is practically impossible for us to dream about it. Knowledge of what we are capable of is in each and every cell of our being. So no matter how wild and far-fetched your dream appears, the very existence of the dream means that you can achieve it if you are willing to commit to it.

6. Allow others to live their own lives. Allowing others to be themselves and to live their own lives is the first step in being able to be yourself and living your own life. If you have any 'shoulds' or expectations of others, let them go. Shoulds kill relationships faster than any weapon I know of and fill our lives with unnecessary stress.

7. Recognize God in everyone. Everyone (literally, everyone!) is a reflection of God. Sometimes we have to dig a little deep to see it as our perceptions, expectations and fears cloud our vision. But when we can recognize how God is mirrored in each person, our lives are calmer and freer!

8. Create reserves where you need them. Stress is often created through lack, either right now or right around the corner. Create reserves of time, space, money, love, vitality and meaningful action, starting where you feel most stressed.

9. Focus on being and not doing or having. When we are focused on who we are, what kind of person we are, we tend to be on a journey of spiritual evolution, which in itself tends to have less stress (or the stress is less stressful!). When we are focused on doing or having, we are not focused on our higher selves, but only on certain dimensions of who we are (and usually on what we think that means). Be a being, not a doing!

10. Choose to be the best you possible. Making a choice to be our best selves, to live life to our fullest potential, typically allows us to transcend our lives and reduces much stress because we understand that the source of stress is temporary. Also, don't forget that today, you are the best you've ever been! Revel in that fact.