Yoga
Exercise, Yoga, and Belly Button Rings
Rings, bars, or studs pierced through belly navel skin are not for everyone and may interfere with exercise or clothing stretching skin or becoming infected.
How To Do Yoga Ball Core Exercises
A step-by-step guide to performing effective yoga ball core exercises to strengthen the stomach muscles and thereby enhance one's posture.
Yoga, Medical Tourism and the Power of Healing... Affordably Posted By : Mumtaz Pachisa
Yoga, as it has come to be recognized in the Western world, is a form of exercise. And, medical tourism, as has become popularly accepted, is a form of common uninsured or underinsured man's path to healing - affordably. This article talks about two yoga instructors from the West who chose the East on two occasions - once to better their lifestyle through yoga, and the second time to cure their pain through medical tourism and Healthbase.
The Inspiration of Olympians Posted By : paula wilbert
Ive long been fascinated with the complexity of the human body, the power of the mind & the resilience of the human spirit. To me, Olympians in their commitment to excellence and goal achievement are the personification of mind-body-spirit integration. It was no surprise to learn that many Olympic athletes include mind body disciplines such as Pilates and yoga as part of their training regime.
Yoga Central - Staff Pose Posted By : Mercedes Aspland
This is the latest article in our yoga central series and today we will be looking at a pose known as staff pose or Dandasana. We will look at how to properly carry out the pose, the benefits you can get from it and anything that you need to consider before beginning. Please read the entire article before trying the pose.
Meditation
Workplace Stress - Don't Change Your Job, Change your Mindset
People are spending more and more time at the "office," dealing with workplace stress. We work insane hours in high stress, thankless environments. There is a certain rush of energy that comes with this type of work, but that soon fades into a sort of mental exhaustion and in some cases, ...
FAQs About Mindfulness
Is mindfulness the same as meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is one way to practice mindfulness, but since being mindful simply involves paying attention to the present moment, mindfulness can be brought to anything you do. Becoming more mindful takes practice, and mindfulness meditation is ...
A Guide to Meditation
Meditation is the point where our minds become centered and focused on the now. The first thing that needs to be done is to learn how to breathe. Not just inhale a little air and exhale, but take in a deep cleansing breath. Breathing is important to meditating. When a person breathe with their ...
Master Meditation Manifestation
This preceding week I have enjoyed supplementary moments to journey into meditation than I had been able to get for a long time, exciting as soon as you at that time consider that a whole load of things which I had been working upon through respective aspects from my life suddenly began to create ...
Massage
Ancient Tantra - Practice of Yoni Tantra Massage
Ancient tantra teaches us that yoni massage is an excellent way of building trust between partners - a very vital factor in any relationship. The yoni tantra massage is also used to assist women who need to break through sexual blocks or trauma by creating a powerful bond of safety.
Massage Techniques For Today
Massage therapy can be defined as the manipulation of soft tissue. Massage therapy has physical, physiological, and psychological effects, in other words, it can affects the mind, body, and spirit.
Time For a Massage
We work too many long hours and often do so hunched over a computer screen. Even though we know we should take frequent breaks, get up, walk around or do some stretches, how often do we follow that advice? Then when we get home we tell ourselves we're too tired to go for a walk or spend some time at the gym.
Massage Therapy & Zen Yoga
Zen Yoga can be a wonderful addition to Massage Therapy. It is a means of preparing each client to better understand the function of his or her own body, mind and spirit, and how to find a peaceful balance between all three.
Zen Yoga blends Tai Chi, Qigong, Shanti Yoga, and Mindful Meditation ...
Massage Therapy to Help for Anxiety- Tips from one professional to another
When I first started as a massage therapist and people would walk into my clinic complaining of anxiety, I simply thought they were really stressed and would give them a simple relaxation massage.
Being disappointed with my treatments, I started to do more research on the subject since I believe ...
Tinnitus--How Massage Might Be Able to Help
Tinnitus--ringing or other noises in the ears--is common and usually harmless. However, it can drive people crazy, robbing them of sleep, concentration, and peace of mind. There's no one cause, and no one cure.
When to See Your Doctor
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see your doctor if ...
Need more sleep? Try these tips
Sleep seems to be one of the things that most people don’t do enough of. Adequate sleep can make an lasting impact on your life and assist you with handling daily stress with much more ease. Writer Gretchen Rubin provided the following effective tips for getting the sleep you need.
Good habits for [...]
Easy way to ease foot pain
Here’s a simple solution that I often suggest to clients to address that nagging foot and heel pain:
Press out the bottom of your foot with a spiked rubber ball—a common massage tool sold at health food stores—to ease tightness, break up pain and relieve plantar fasciitis. Stand or sit as you roll your foot over [...]
Kitchen and nutrition reminders
The following are some helpful tips that you may have known before but forgotten and stopped practicing (like I had). That is until Shape Magazine published these gems to keep in mind, especially during your frequent grocery store visits.
Mistake #1: Produce overload
Sure, making one big grocery run at the start of the week seems [...]
Alternative Medicine
Reader Question - Using Jojoba Esters in Body Butters
It's almost that time again when the summer months will be very hot and
humid in North Carolina. I wanted you to tell me about the different
jojoba waxes; (50,60,70). I wanted to know if you think that adding
the MP-70 jojoba wax with some beeswax will help the body butters from
melting so much. My butters are getting popular; and they are oil
based; and I didn't necessarily want to change from oil based to water
based because that's what makes them so unique, I need all the help
that I can get. I usually keep them on ice--then I give to customers,
I tell customers NOT to leave them in the car or in the pocketbook.
Any more suggestions will be appreciated. - AntoinetteHello Antoinette,Thanks for asking about Jojoba Esters. Like liquid Jojoba, Jojoba Esters are a very special type of wax. When they are cool, they are firm and waxy, but when they are warmed they melt into the lovely and familiar texture of Jojoba Oil. I find Jojoba Esters to be a
great way to increase the firmness of whipped body butters without
making them feel overly waxy. They harden well, but will soften upon skin contact, making them a perfect additive for Body Butters. To determine exactly how much of the Esters to add to your existing formula, I would recommend experimenting with
Jojoba Esters 70, the hardest of the esters, by adding it to your body
butters at a rate of 5%, 10%, and 15%. (The softer esters aren't
likely to make a noticeable difference in this type of formula.)
Compare the three experimental batches to see how they feel on your
skin, and how the behave when you subject them to various
temperatures. Of course, no additive can completely protect an oil
based product from melting in extreme temperatures, but by adding
Jojoba Esters you may be able to improve your butters' resilience
slightly. Many handmade skin care purveyors choose not to offer their
body butters online during the summer for this very reason. Mail and
UPS trucks can get extremely hot. So hot, that even firm lip balms have
been known to melt during transit. Another option you might consider,
is to notify your customers of the danger of melting, and then let them
choose, based on their local temperatures, whether or not to take the
chance of ordering it during the summer.Does anyone else have tips for dealing with summer heat and melting products? How do you protect your recipes when the weather heats up? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Feng Shui
Feng Shui Q & A
Q:I’m tempted to rearrange my childrens’ bedroom and there are 2 twin size beds and 1 crib in their room (I have 3 young boys). I found this site http://www.fengshuidiva.com/compass.html which describes several different positions in which relate to birth years and such. Do you follow a similar guide? How do you feel about this guide? Should I follow these bed positioning directions for my children?
A: No, I don’t do this type of feng shui- this is black sect and its more “spiritual practice/astrology/numerology based”. What I do is Pyramid School, which is historically based, yet scientific and pragmatic. I gravitated toward this school beacuse 1. these older schools based on principles not adaptable to modern life without serious remodeling of cities! , 2. not everyone can relate to astrology and numerology 3. sometimes there is no wayto adapt these recommendations to a home even if you find them to be accurate.
A few things I would keep in mind for this room as a start:
functionally, you need to keep space around the crib to allow for easy access to your baby and this space will create a greater sense of safety and sanctity for everyone.
Installing infant-safe, child-safe window coverings (no blinds with pulleys, very safe, please research this carefully) to be able to control the light with an infant so close to the window is vital. If light control is difficult, move the crib furthest from the window.
Make sure that NONE of the beds have their feet directly facing the doorway (as it, if you walk in you are directly facing a child’s feet) - this will necessitate moving beds.
take those very high up “nameplates” down. Swap them for colorful and visible wall vinyl, perhaps, that can be custom made by tons of people online (etsy is a great resource) that are visible and identifiable by the kids. Its REALLY important that the room is set up for the kids to engage in it safely.
Add SQUARES. Square pillows, artwork, patterns— all foster a sense of stability for young children
And allow your young boys to chime in on their color preferences. Pastels are often preferred in this age bracket…Spashes of orange are fantastic for young children as well.
Those are a few basics! Good luck & please send me pictures !!!!!
Health, Happiness & Harmony - The Feng Shui Way
By now, most of us have heard the term Feng Shui. In fact, these two words are often overused (and even misused). When applied correctly, however, this system is an ancient Chinese practice that can bring positive energy, peace and balance to any space.
Dan Graham’s Yin Yang Pavilion in Simmons Hall at MIT.
I...
Dan Graham’s Yin Yang Pavilion in Simmons Hall at MIT.
I truth, I don’t really like it, but in the spirit of innovation, I will point out that the most unique piece of visual intrigue here is the S-curve of the yin/yang symbol. This swirling yin line is so rarely well-formed in modern architecture and, yet, so healthy for a high stress home.
Feng Shui Decor With a Ying and Yang Balance
People use feng shui decor suggestions to improve the energy in their homes and offices. The goal is to increase the flow of the positive energy and to eliminate or suppress the negative energy.
Chan/Taiji/Kyudo…Sanmai-ittai revisted.
Star date 03-05-2010 Planet Earth…
I decided to revisit my practice from the other day. However this time from a different mind set…
When I teach Tai Chi class, we do stretching, then Chi Gong, then 5 -10 min of sitting meditation, then Tai Chi walk, then the form. I do not look at it as separate things, which they are, just one thing that lays the foundation for the next level. The same with the Shaolin/Mantis class. Stretching, Chi Gong, Zhan Zhung ( because we are outside), Tai Chi, then Basic drills, etc… again not separate things, just foundation for the next phase of training, the next level.
I decided to run my today’s practice also as such. Not as an experiment of pieces, but as a whole unit like the other classes. I had RSD to myself today, not even the employees came around. No rain, but there was still a certain peacefulness. I started with some Stretches and motion Chan to warm up for sitting. Then I did sitting Chan ( Zazen) for 10-15 min. Today without a lot of thought about what I am feeling and taking that into Tai Chi. I just did Tai Chi, with some extra thought to my breathing. Slow and deep breathes. I have not been feeling like I’m doing death enough breaths with Kyudo and that was also mentioned to me by the Sensei in LA when watching my video.
Lastly I went into Renmei Tai Hai. Again with out a lot of thought on what I was gong to do, other than breathe deeper, stand taller, body alignment. I think the whole thing went pretty well. I felt comfortable throughout. I did found lot that I shoot better with Aluminum Ya than Bamboo. I also figured out why afterward. The Aluminum one are lighter, they bend with less pressure. I can see them bend so I lighten my hand, my grip. Therefore the release is smoother and they fly straighter. The bamboo is thicker, I can tell when I am holding it way too tight but not a little too tight. I’m learning little by little. Practice makes a Sho-Dan ( new mantra)…yosh.
I think there is improvement, still needs some polish…what do you think?
ok, a few day break from blogdom, at least here, maybe I will go sailing tomorrow, whoot. At least spend some time down on the boat. Change the oil, study Japanese. I’ll do that a lot next week instead of blogging, practice and study.
Mata ne!
Feng Shui for Your Bedroom
By Elaine Giftos Wright
http:/www.way2fengshui.com
In creating a good feng shui bedroom, you can start by getting rid of everything you don't need. Removing clutter is essential for good feng shui. Give away, donate or throw out the things you don't need. You'll feel lighter and the energy will ...
The Mouth of Qi
An open door invites callers.
–Turkish proverb
One of the most frequent questions I am asked in my Tarot readings, is “When (or if) I will ever find my soul mate/true love/a happy marriage?” And the best answer for that, which the cards are so wonderful for helping people focus on, is – what do you offer such a person?
I’ve been writing about how we can affect the energy in our “outer” lives by what the energy in our homes is like. Because whether we intend it or not, our homes are an energetic mirror of who we are, and like attracts like. This is the basic idea in feng shui, the Chinese art of placement, as well as countless other wisdom practices.
So it would be wise to ponder what sort of message your home is sending to the Universe regarding your readiness for a lover in your life. A cramped, heavily perfumed apartment with wall-to-wall fragile porcelain dolls and chintz covering every surface may be fun and girly for you, but not so comfortable for most guys to stretch out in and feel relaxed.
The bachelor pad covered in cheap posters, broken thrift store furniture, and floors cluttered with electronic gear and sports equipment may be fine if you’re fresh out of college and in your first apartment. But what kind of statement does this make about who you are, as an adult who is ready for a serious connection with someone special?
According to feng shui, the three places in your home that have the strongest impact on your love life are your bedroom, the “Relationship Area,” and the space around your front door.
The “Relationship Area” is determined based on which school of feng shui you are working with, and a number of other very personalized factors. So for now, I will simply say that if you would like to get a personal reading, in which a practitioner will develop your own individual ba-gua (a kind of feng shui grid for your home), there are many terrific feng shui experts available in most larger towns and cities. And there are also a number of very helpful books on the market that can walk you through the process on more general terms.
Instead, let’s focus first on the front entrance and later, if you’d like, we’ll talk about the bedroom. (The same principles will apply for the Relationship Area, once you have determined where that is in your case).
The main entrance to your home is called “the Mouth of Qi” in feng shui, because it has the strongest influence on how energy flows into your home. You can’t nourish your body without opening your mouth to eat. Similarly, your home can’t receive fresh, vital Qi if the front door is blocked with clutter or is rarely used. This will impact, not only your love life, but all the fortunes and energy for your home, and thus, your life.
So take a long, honest look at your front door. When was the last time you used it? Is there clutter in the way? Peeling paint, or old dead plants sitting on the porch? Does it even open all the way?
The front door is associated with opportunities. If you’ve been trying to meet someone new without success, getting rid of the junk around the front door and using that entry more often are good ways to shift that stuck energy. You may find that opportunities to connect with someone new begin to come to your attention more often, and that you are more likely to take advantage of them instead of feeling so tired you’d rather stay home.
Or if you are already in a relationship, that cluttered front entry can be contributing to feelings of boredom and being stuck in a rut with each other. Opening the front door more widely and frequently is a good way to breathe new life into a less-than-exciting romantic connection.
Any door in your house that opens into a wall, instead of into free space will impede the energy flow. People in this situation often feel very stuck and as if they are constantly running into obstacles. If you can’t change how or where your doors open, a mirror can be placed on the wall opposite the door, so as to bring energy in. And do be sure to move any plants or tables that are behind your door out of the way, so that it can open wide, and is not constantly bumping into things. For this reflects how you open to and embrace life.
Also, if the entry to your house is somehow confusing, and people never know which door to use, this can create some chaotic, confusing energy in your relationships, as well. You may find yourself involved with people who are fickle, or noncommittal.
Want more? If so, I’ll offer some more suggestions for how shifting the energy in your home can shift the energy in your life. Let me know!
Conscious Living
Online Intensive: Food, Energetics and Nourishment
Join Herbalist, Nutritionist, and food lover, Darcey Blue French of Brighid's Well Herbs (www.brighidswellherbs.com), for a 6 week online intensive course on the energetics of food, true nourishment, nutrition, relationship with place and food, nutritional healing and more.March 15, 2010 - May 3, 2010*Learn about the ways traditional healing systems such as Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine see food energetics, and use food as healing tools on a day to day basis.* Explore your relationship with food, your body, what you eat and why.* Discover your natural physical constitution, and how you can use food to help you stay balanced.* Be prepared for a deep exploration of food and our relationship to it, this can be uncomfortable and emotional, as well as enlightening and sensual. Food is a deeply influential factor in our psyche, social interactions, and cultures. All students are expected to be sensitive to others and compassionate and respectful.*Appropriate for food enthusiasts & practitioners alike.*Very HANDS ON, expect to be preparing foods, meals and weekly assignments for the duration of the course. This is an EXPERIENTIAL class, not just book work. I will provide resources and readings, but the bulk of the work will require the actual preparation and consumption of food.* This is not a cooking how to class. You should feel comfortable cooking and working in your kitchen. There will be recipes and ideas shared during class discussion, and pointers and questions are always acceptable.*Requires access to e mail and the internet on a weekly basis. Class discussion is a part of the learning process. Arrangements may be available for those with limited access. Please inquire.Sliding scale $60-$80 per student, payable by check or paypal. Payment in installments is available by request.Please register by emailing Darcey at shamana.flora@gmail.com or calling 520 429 2654.About the Instructor:Darcey Blue French is an herbalist and food lover, who has over the years explored various ways of eating, interacting with food and preparing food. Educated as a Clinical Nutritionist at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism in 2008, she has been in private practice since that time. She has experience in Ayurvedic Cooking, Vegetarian, Allergen Free, Primal/Paleo diets and the philosophies of Dr. Weston Price. Food is far more than fuel, and Darcey is passionate about food that not only nourishes the body, but also the spirit, and tastes wonderful too. She works closely with plants, both wild and cultivated that provide both food and medicine. She is an avid forager of wild foods, gardener of organic vegetables, and is passionate about local and sustainable food systems, and how our relationship with the land, nature and wilderness impacts our physical and spiritual health and wellbeing. She truly believes that one cannot separate the health of the people from the health of the ecosystem in which they live.
Kids and Herbs a naturally simple class for parents
Kids and Herbs is Live! This is what I have been working on for the past few months! This is why the blog has been so slow! Only so much time with 2 little ones!There is tons of info and over 7 hours of instruction!This was so much fun!Kids and Herbs- a naturally simple course for parents herbalist Angie Goodloe The coolest part of this is for one week only, Kimberly and John Gallagher the creators of Wildcraft are giving away a FREE Wildcraft game with the course! The launch is at 9 am PST this morning!We had so much fun creating this course. I have to thank John Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH from herbmentor and learning herbs for all of the work he put into this, as well as putting up with my TOTAL ignorance when it comes to technology!If you are not a member of the learning herbs email list, and you have not heard about this course, you can check out the details HERE (plus learn how to make Elderberry syrup just in time for flu season!). If you love herbs you should definitely sign up for the learning herbs list, the offer free recepies and videos, all about herbs and health- it is an awesome resource!Subscribe in a reader