From The Inside Out Mag.
For Personal Healing, Spiritual Growth & Development

By Lady Joy   Sat, May 01, 2010

"Parents can only give good advice or put [us] on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." --Anne Frank

May brings with it the energies of the number Eight (the reduced single-digot sum total of May=month #5 and, when added to 2010, becomes 2+0+1+5=8). I relate many of number Eight's traits to mom: executive, self-disciplined, powerful, authoritative, supervisor, protector, Eight is also associated with equilibrium, justice, and strength.

What's in store for you and mom this month? Strength for any task, to withstand any pressure, to find the solution to any problem, will be as close as our very breath. We are offered, moment by moment, opportunities to experience the rapture of Life. Our strength increases as we flex it, not unlike muscles. The more we turn to that great inner power, the more available that source of strength becomes.

The number Eight is particularly emphasized in the mythology and religious symbolism of the Orient. The Chinese revere the Eight Immortal saints, eight symbols of a scholar, and eight directions of the wind. And there's also Buddhism's eight auspicious emblems and the Eightfold Path leading to enlightenment.

There are eight petals on the lotus flower. Eight planets rotate around the sun. The Hindu god Vishnu has eight arms corresponding to the eight guardians of space. In kabbalistic teachings, the number seven symbolizes perfection—perfection that is achievable via natural means—while Eight symbolizes that which is beyond nature and its inherently limited perception.

To be "behind the eight-ball" is to find oneself in the middle of a dilemma with elusive solutions on each side. And to confront an eight-sided red sign while driving urges us to "stop." Throughout the world, we find the octagon symbolizing the eight lunar cycles, as well as the I Ching's eight trigrams, or stages of transformation.

The tarot's major arcanum number Eight is titled Strength. Not "strength" measured in terms of how much you can lift, or how long you can run. True strength is fortitude (tarot card 8's classic title) of character, and the ability to not only control the emotions, but to rise above them, and triumph over all our lower impulses and desires. Card Eight belies courage and patience. Courage is the antithesis of fear; patience, the control over worldly desires. There is no emotion with an 8, just determination and action. Indeed, mom and 8's qualities are very simpatico, eh?

In the tarot's minor arcanum, recognizing when it's time to move on, or remove yourself from difficulties, is the primary theme of the Eight of Cups, The Eight of Pentacles implies a reward and sense of security when commoited to a task. This commitment is not limited to the material world, however. The Eight can be a sign of dedication to a relationship, or a genuine interest in learning new skills. It is at this point that the spiritual meaning of the Eight becomes apparent.

The appearance of the Eight of Swords in a tarot layout suggests that you may be holding yourself back because you are afraid of getting hurt by a new situation. Eight's "lesson" is all about finding a way to overcome such apprehension, and free yourself from the bonds of fear and doubt.

Like mom getting ready for an important home celebration, the Eight of Wands tarot card speaks of swift and decisive action. Its appearance suggests that obstacles will be swept from your path and will free you to advance as fast as you'd like, provided you refrain from acting impetuously.

May's 8-lessons are the stuff that mom taught us as children. We must take responsibility for ourselves, for who we become, for how we live each day. We may have blamed our parents for not loving us enough. We may have labeled our mom the villian. Today is a new day. The month of May is giving you many solid options for growth. We can meet our personal needs now. We can, with anticipation, chart a clearer course for the days ahead. The time for passivity is over, if we choose to move ahead with this day.

By   Fri, May 07, 2010

In a scene that plays out each night in homes across America, an exhausted woman who has spent the

 day bouncing from home to work and back to family or community obligations, finally climbs into bed

 for the night, ready for some much needed rest. She turns off the light, settles in, and waits to doze

off. But the thing is... she just can’t fall asleep. Or she may fall asleep fairly quickly but then wakes up

in the night — like clockwork — fully alert, with an anxious mind and racing thoughts

Do you:

• Feel “tired but wired?”
• Struggle with low energy in the afternoon?
• Rely on sugar and caffeine to “get through the day?”
• Feel better after eating your evening meal?
• Get a second wind right before bedtime?
• Take a long time to fall asleep initially?
• Wake in the night with anxiety or dread, and then find you can’t get back to sleep?
• Feel as if you’ve only just gotten to sleep when it’s time to get up?
• Feel like a “zombie” until you’ve had your morning caffeine?

Ongoing symptoms of daytime fatigue and nighttime insomnia can be clues to an adrenal imbalance. See our other articles on adrenal health to learn more.

Do these scenarios sound familiar? If so, you might be asking yourself the question, If I’m so tired, then why can’t I sleep? There are many different causes of both fatigue and insomnia, and over the years I have worked with an incredible number of women who are plagued by this frustrating and debilitating duo. Many patients are relieved that there may well be genuine physical reasons for their ongoing fatigue and inability to sleep.

I have found that these companion symptoms can frequently be traced to an imbalance in the brain-hormone pathways of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. When a woman goes through every day in high gear, she forces her body to operate for long periods under stress. This type of unrelenting and oppressive stress — that kind that taxes you both physically and emotionally — hyper-activates the HPA axis and draws you into a whirling cycle of alertness and sleeplessness. It seems as if your body has forgotten how to fully let down and restore itself.

Your internal clock

Many cultures and spiritual traditions believe that we are connected on a core level to the universe itself. In what may be a nod to the truth in this belief, scientists have found that your brain’s hypothalamus maintains a “master circadian clock” which regulates adrenal hormone levels (adrenaline, cortisol, etc.) via the HPA axis. This 24-hour cycle of biochemical, physiological, and behavioral processes generates regular patterns in body temperature, brainwave activity, hormone production — even cell regeneration. It’s a natural timekeeper that is plugged into cycles of approaching daylight, darkness, and seasonal changes, resetting itself according to the shifts in the earth’s rotation. These circadian rhythms and your adrenal glands communicate through adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which usually keeps cortisol — a wake-up hormone —“gated” when it’s time for you to sleep and rest.

But as evidenced by the multitude of women lying wide awake when they long to be sleeping — or nodding off when they’d like to be productive — this internal clock can be disrupted by ongoing stress of almost any kind. With our patients at the clinic, we try to uncover the unique fluctuations that a woman can experience in her circadian patterns. Sometimes while her overall rhythm seems normal, with peaks and valleys occurring at the “right” times during the day, her total levels of ACTH and cortisol are too high.

For other women the entire pattern is upside down: her cortisol level is very low when she wakes up, when it should be at its highest, then goes sky-high in the middle of the night when it should be low. Yet another group of women experience sudden, sharp cortisol spikes between 4:00–5:00 AM that wake them up so completely, they are unable to relax back into sleep. Any one of these patterns leaves a woman exhausted when she gets up in the morning, with recurring episodes of low energy throughout her day.

These altered patterns can be manifestation of stress-induced adrenal imbalance, which is not well understood by many conventional healthcare providers. For a woman with insomnia, there may be a tendency to prescribe sleeping medications, anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs) or even antidepressants. While it’s possible to experience effective short-term results with powerful drugs, such pharmaceuticals can cause additional problems and will delay treatment for the symptoms’ true causes.

Demystifying stress

Broad effects of stress hormones

Adrenaline: increases the speed and force of your heart’s contractions

Cortisol: increases blood pressure and blood sugar, while dampening your immune response

Cortisone: shuts down pain receptors

References

Acute stress — both actual stress and whatever you might perceive or interpret as stress — triggers a physiological reaction in your body called the “fight-or-flight” response, and most of you have heard of this. Fear, anxiety, physical threat, or some other type of stress, sets off a chain reaction in your body that starts with the release of ACTH by the pituitary gland in your brain. In response to the ACTH, your body releases cortisol, adrenaline, and cortisone to help prepare for the emergency. Ideally, a healthy body returns to normal once the threat has passed. But your body cannot tell the difference between real physical danger, and intense work-related stress, for example, and the stress response to either of these situations will be the same.

If you’re like many women today, you may have become used to living under this canopy of ongoing stress, and now it may be your new “normal.” But this tells your body to keep maintaining the emergency state, so the HPA axis adapts to begin delivering higher and higher amounts of stress hormones. You can picture this happening in your body if you live every day with crushing stress from work, or your home life, or something else. But your body cannot sustain this long-term stress response without consequences, including adrenal imbalance symptoms like fatigue and insomnia, and more.

Riding a topsy-turvy cortisol curve

But cortisol is about so much more than saving your life in dire circumstances. Cortisol is released by the adrenal cortex (outer layer of the adrenal glands) and when levels follow their regular arc in a healthy person, output is high in the morning and low at night. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone, meaning it affects the metabolism of carbohydrates, but normally, it participates in a wide array of additional physical reactions and processes.

Cortisol is intended to:

• Moderate cell activity and regulate blood pressure
• Ensure that glucose is properly metabolized and help provide an instantaneous burst of energy when needed, especially when survival is threatened
• Promote the release of insulin in order to maintain steady blood sugar levels
• Heighten memory functions and lower sensitivity to pain
• Play a key role in the healthy inflammatory response of the immune system

But if cortisol levels stay high for prolonged periods, the natural curve becomes inverted, causing all sorts of unintended negative effects. Instead of sharpening your cognitive function, prolonged elevated cortisol levels reduce cognition and impair memory. Anyone who has ever drawn a blank when they’re put on the spot has experienced how stress can blitz even our ability to string a few words together. And rather than regulating healthy blood sugar levels, too much cortisol leads to elevated blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, and increases your appetite for refined carbohydrates. This cascades into stored abdominal, or belly, fat, and may even raise your risk for fatty liver.

Excess cortisol also erodes bone density, breaks down tissue in your muscles and joints, deranges thyroid function, and dampens immunity. And there are long-term emotional effects, too, including heightened risks for anxiety disorders and depression. Extended high cortisol levels eventually disrupt overall hormonal balance, including the sex hormones, blunting libido and increasing symptoms of both PMS and perimenopause.

Overworked adrenal glands destroy normal sleep patterns

If nothing changes, women who experience stress-related adrenal imbalance will eventually become “cortisol dominant.” As they continue to push through their days, cortisol-dominant women will ultimately begin to suffer adrenal fatigue along with additional symptoms. They may even end up with extreme adrenal insufficiency, a medical condition with serious consequences. Women who are on this path often notice their symptoms worsening into debilitating fatigue and chronic insomnia.

“A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”
— Charlotte Brontë

The persistent inability to sleep can begin to haunt your days, and you might worry about bedtime long before it arrives: What if I can’t get to sleep again tonight? Or, Oh no, I hope I don’t wake up at 3:00 AM again! And, if you are magically able to drop off, the fractured sleep you are able to get is probably not going to be enough. That’s because high cortisol alters normal sleep cycling, reducing the amount of restorative REM (dream-state) sleep you experience.

A woman who gets to this point becomes embedded in a vicious cycle of daytime fatigue and nighttime insomnia. Her hormones are measurably out of whack, her symptoms are getting worse, and her adrenal glands continue to be over-tapped and under-supported.

But wait — it doesn’t have to be like this! Once you become aware that a fatigue-insomnia symptom pattern is developing, you can take action to restore your normal cortisol curve, which can prevent additional health problems and help bring back your natural circadian rhythm.

Breaking the cycle of stress-related fatigue and insomnia

Even though it seems counterintuitive, there is often an upside to the symptoms you experience. Like many issues that affect health, a fatigue-insomnia cycle is an early warning sign, even if you’re saying to yourself, I’m managing just fine, thank you very much. If insomnia and fatigue are your symptoms, listen to your body. It’s sending you a clear signal that you may be suffering from adrenal imbalance. You’re getting a literal wake-up call that you’re heading straight down the path toward stress-related illness.

“Stress” — prompting us all to change

In 1936, the famous Hungarian–Canadian doctor, Hans Selye (pronounced SEL-yay), developed the first model for what is now widely known as “stress.” Today we recognize stress — psychosocial, biological, and environmental — as one of our leading health problems.

When the Chinese created a written-language character for this new word meaning “stress,” the resulting character, though translated as “crisis,” actually combines two existing words — “danger” and “opportunity.”

References

Without regular, refreshing sleep you won’t be able to accomplish much during the day. While you may not be able to change your daily schedule, you can improve upon many aspects and, at the Clinic, we believe that sleep is one of those things. W.C. Fields is quoted as saying that “the cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep,” but while going to bed on time is helpful, it’s more complicated than that.

One of the key steps for reducing insomnia is to try to close down the pipeline of stimulation that a stressful life exerts on your body and your emotions. Your insomnia solution won’t just focus on sleep itself. You’ll have to reconsider how much stress you live with every day, and how you handle it. Then you can turn your attention to finding ways to quiet the noise in your mind, and reduce the physical reactions that stress is creating in your body.

Here are the steps I recommend to women who are experiencing stress-related insomnia and fatigue:

• Be objective. Take a look at your life from 20,000 feet. Shine a light on the real levels of tension and pressure you live with every day. Have you gotten used to being stressed-out? Do you thrive on excitement and “need” to be connected 24/7? Have you been compartmentalizing or carrying any emotional burdens for a long time? Be honest and compassionate with yourself. This could be an important opportunity to clear out old emotional connections that may be holding you back — and keeping you awake at night.
• Consider adrenal testing. if you suspect your insomnia and fatigue are connected to adrenal imbalance, talk to your healthcare practitioner about having an Adrenal Stress Index (ASI). This simple saliva test measures the production of several adrenal hormones, including cortisol and DHEA, across a 24-hour period, and can effectively diagram your individual cortisol curve.
• Think plant-based therapy. A phytotherapeutic approach can help you overcome adrenal-based fatigue and insomnia. Several medicinal herbs have been well researched and documented to reset the button on the stress response and restore adrenal balance.
• Eat to support your adrenals. Many of us don’t realize that what, when, and how we eat can be a help or a hindrance to our adrenal glands. Read our article on nutrition for healthy adrenal function to learn eating habits that support normal daily hormone cycles, so you can enjoy steady all-day energy and experience sounder, more refreshing sleep.
• Limit caffeine, sugar, and alcohol intake. Even though many sleepless women rely on caffeine and sugar to make it through the day, these very ingredients can wreak havoc on your natural circadian rhythm. And while a nightcap every night might seem helpful for dropping off to sleep, it can also prompt nocturnal waking several hours after you consume it and dim your ability to “rise and shine” come morning.
• Be open to finding some unwinding. Try out new methods of relaxation (see yoga sidebar) to learn which one dovetails best with your personality and lifestyle. Yoga, guided meditation, listening to peaceful music, massage therapy, and acupuncture have all been studied as effective treatments for insomnia.
• Exercise to help your body feel tired. If you are leading a fairly sedentary lifestyle, you may not “feel” tired when it comes time to turn in. To support your daily adrenal cycle, you can exercise vigorously early in the day, or take a more gentle approach if it’s close to bedtime. The goal is to make yourself physically prepared for rest, which can naturally help you fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly.

Make your bed — and sleep in it!

If you’ve been trapped in the bad dream of stress-related insomnia and fatigue, it may help to know more about why you are awake. This type of awareness helps soothe the desperation that can sweep over you when you can’t doze off.

Try a more measured approach before you head to bed tonight:

• Stop eating, turn off the television, and shut down your computer two to three hours before bedtime: relax, unplug, and unwind.
• Head to bed at least 10-15 minutes earlier than usual (aim for no later than 10:00 pm).
• Make sure your sheets, blankets, and pillows are inviting and comfortable — just the way you like them — and that your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark. Darkness is absolutely crucial for inducing sleep in people with insomnia.
• Try to let go of unresolved problems until tomorrow, and as you settle down to sleep, think of five things for which you are grateful. This simple affirmation can provide a peaceful transition to sleep.

Prolonged stress is not normal for your body, so it may be time for an honest examination of how you might reduce stress, and your reactions to it. Be patient and kind to yourself as you investigate the stressors in your life and discover ways to resolve them. In the end, this exploration will make a difference in your ability to fall asleep, and stay asleep.

Something new to try: yoga techniques for insomnia

Research shows that practicing yoga can help insomnia. A small Harvard study showed that just 30-45 minutes of yoga helped people fall asleep 30% faster and reduced their nighttime waking by 35%.

Kundalini is an ancient type of yoga based on the concept that there is “coiled energy” in the spine which connects to the “subtle body’s” energy centers and channels (chakras and nadis). The scientific community is studying the Kundalini practices, such as alternate nostril breathing, that are currently being used to help people manage anxiety, insomnia, and other sleep disorders.

Alternate nostril breathing: People under stress tend to breathe mostly out of their right nostrils, which is connected to the left brain and activates the sympathetic nervous system. This channel is responsible for the classic stress response: dilated pupils, increased core temperature, sweating, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. Check throughout the day to see what’s true for you — are you left — or right-nostril dominant, or is your breath alternating and balanced?

When you want to calm yourself to get to sleep, try gently holding the right nostril shut with your finger, and breathe deeply and slowly through your left nostril for at least 3 minutes, either before you go to bed, or if you wake in the night. Then release your fingers and breathe normally.

This type of breathing is easy to do but it takes some practice to be able to do it for several minutes. (If you have nasal congestion, try again later.) This technique can be very effective and calming.

Meditation: While some forms of meditation can increase alertness, many techniques are calming and relaxing. Try this method used to prepare for meditation: focus on your breathing. Don’t try to change it — at all — but rather just notice the inhalation and the exhalation, returning to your breath when you get distracted by other thoughts. Over the course of a few minutes, this technique can help clear away worries before bedtime. You can also use it if you wake up and need help getting back to sleep. Though this is a simple exercise, like most breathing methods, it takes a little practice before it feels natural. But you can be rewarded with a sense of calm well-being that can carry you gently into sleep.

for more information http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/effectsofhighcortisol.aspx

By   Fri, May 07, 2010

By   Sat, May 01, 2010

Happy Mother's Day

“Thank you mother for everything you have done for me without you I would not be where I am today”  – Andrew- St Louis, MO

“You didn’t give birth to me but you have been a mother to me.  I am so grateful that when everyone else turned their back on me you didn’t, Happy Mother Day”- Barb!- Toronto ,Canada

“You worked 2 jobs to keep a roof over our heads and food in our mouths.  Now mother it is my turn to take care of you, I hope you like your new home”.  –Erma- San Francisco, Ca

“To the best! Mother, grandmother, great grandmother in the world Lucy we Love you!” - Jason, Malinda, Tracy –Atlanta ,Georgia

“You came to this country with speaking any English you worked many jobs.  Life in the new place was not easy for you but you did not give up because of us.  Thank you Mother”- Angie, Will, Stephanie, Julian and Beth-  Grand Rapids ,Michigan 

“We never wanted for anything and now you will never want for anything because mother we are and will always be there for you”.  “We love you Happy Mother’s Day” –Kevin & Sarah-Lansing, Michigan 

“I am so thankful to God that you are my mother. I hope that I can be half the mother you are to my children”.- James, Carolina- Albany, New York

“I am looking for a woman like you mother, you are the best!”- Junior & family-, Arizona

“To all the MOTHER’S of the world HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!-Christina and family- South Carolina 

“You taught me how to make it in this world, what to do when times are good and times are bad and now I am teaching mine”. “Thank you Mom!”-George and Maggie- Alabama

“I am so happy that my children have gotten the chance to me you and know you the women who raised me to love and live life”.-  “Thank you” Donna- Toronto ,Canada

“I have been blessed to be raised by a group of women Sue, Rebecca , and Anne which none are my birth mother but all three of you have been a mother to me thank you”!-  Wanda -Wisconsin

“My mother died when I was a teenager she did a good job raising me up until the day she got too sick to do so.   Now that she is gone she is still looking out for me, she left things in place for not only me but my children as well”.- Jeffery – Washington

“Mother’s day is your day mother – thank you for everything who you were and who you are today”. –Carolyn, Thomas, Lionel – Michigan

“My daughters have a great woman to look up too”!- Huel,  Jennifer ,Murray  - Michigan

“Happy Mother’s day to our Queen mother” – Aisha and family  

 “You took on the most important job in the world and you have done a good job – thank you mom” – Liz- Austin, Texas

“THANK YOU MOM!” – San Francisco, Ca

“We love you grandma” – Briana, Kerry – Texas

“Happy mother’s day Big Mama” – George, Will, Jill and Tyler-,

“The world is a better place because you are here and because you raised us to be people that make a positive difference in world”. – Washington, Halle, and Marc-,Chicago, Illinois

“Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Now others now how much I love you too! You are the best.

 “Happy Mother’s Day Mom,  I hope you are taking better care of yourself the kids and I don’t want to lose you- take this day off  Love Gina and the girls –London, England

“Happy Mother’s Day Katie! -Denene – Chicago, Ill.

“ I don’t  live near you anymore or speak to you as often I as I would like to but I want you to know and others to know that I love You and Thank You for being my Mother -Jeannine –Miami Fla.

“To our wonderful mother thank you for everything”.  Amber , Harvey, Annette, Renato  - Michigan

 “ We miss you MOM, have a happy mother’s day !-Diahann, and Mark- West Virginia

“Jamaica, Nikki, Paule, Marshall, and Steve- Canada

“ We Love You Mom-“ Fiona ,- Los Angeles, CA

“Happy Mother’s Day to one of world’s greatest Mom’s - Agnes ,- Georgia

“We will see you soon, Happy Mother’s Day - Stephen, Alexis - San Francisco, Ca

“Happy Mother’s Day”- Jacobs ,- Detroit, MI

“I am so glad God made mothers and gave me you, your son”- Roland, -Washington, D.C.

“Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers new and old” -Lisa Hunt-

“ We are thinking about you, we love you and will see you this summer. “ Dawan, Mikki, Cori,-Mississippi

“ Happy Mother’s Day  it’s me- Tatsha Robertson, -

“You are indeed our Goddess- Claire-

“Don’t take having a real mother for granted- Happy Mother’s Day to all the real mom’s -Pamela

“ Happy Mother’s day NaNa - Gwendolyn Covington ,- Detroit, MI

““Happy Mother’s Day grandma, you were a mother and grandmother to me.  Dr. Bell –

“You have been more than just a mother to us, as a manager for child welfare you have been a mothers to hundreds of children” –“ We Love you” Marcia, Michael, Erin,  -Nevada

“ Spending time with us was always your top priority” “ thank you Mom” Carmen,- Dallas, Tx.  

“I lost my mother years ago, but I know how special it is to have a real mother cherish your mother and all the women who behave as mothers God bless you all on this day and everyday Audrey - Washington, D.C.

“Wishing you the best day every !-Edward - San Francisco, Ca

“Happy Mother’s Day grandma “ Lawrence-North Carolina

“ Happy Mother’s Day to one of best women we know” Timothy, Robert , Celine , Scott, -Detroit, MI

“Happy Mother’s Day “ Fumi and Maek  -Japan

“Sheryl, Tucker, Lawrence, Jeff, Joe, josh, Scott, John –Ann Arbor, MI

““Happy Mother’s Day grandma -Kim , -Toronto ,Canada

““Happy Mother’s Day grandma -Deborah- San Francisco, Ca

“Happy Mother’s Day MaMa -Akkida - Washington, D.C.

By Rebecca Twiss   Sat, May 01, 2010

I cannot live your life for you
nor make your choices
nor take away your pain

Yes, I see your struggle
and I wish that I could kiss it away
and yet my dear those day are gone,
when a hug and a bandaid would do.

I can only love

I know where I have fallen
And I pray with all my heart
That you don't follow my footsteps
Sure it got me where I am now
but it was far from easy

I can't paint the picture for you
In bright enough detail
But maybe that is just not my business...painting

I can only love

Every time I step in
thinking here is where I can help
Just my presence sets you spinning
You cannot welcome my extended hand
and I guess this is all a part of growing up
Both yours, and mine.

Instead of trying to control the spin
I need to step aside and let God in

I can only love

So many fears wrapped up inside a mother's heart.
The recognition that I have done all I know how to do
The prayers that it will somehow be enough
When fighting with you to keep you safe
becomes the greatest harm of all

I can only love

You are not hurting me by being exactly yourself.
I grieve for something that never belonged to me.

Your beauty
Your presence
Your grace
Will be there
No matter what life hands you my dearest

I will never say good-bye
But I will let go because I know

I can only love.

And that is what I have to give...always.

Rebecca Twiss

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Photo: Microsoft 7, 2010

By   Sat, May 01, 2010

By Lama Kalla

It is safe to say that just about every child in the world thinks they have a Mother like no other.  This is a normal attitude to have.  Our Mothers are that important in our lives.  It is for this reason that we celebrate Mothers Day. 

After all, they carry us around for nine months and then go through immeasurable pain to give us birth.  Then the real fun begins.  Mothers are then given the added responsibilities of being Teachers, Doctors and eventually Relationship Counselors.  They are bound to the Mothers code of ethics.  Oh yes, Mothers will love their children above life itself.  It is a built in emotion that never becomes tarnished by time.  A Mothers concern for her children is legendary.  Mothers are programmed to protect and love their children for all eternity.  They are destined to become Mothers like no others.

Mothers are there to mold us into the citizens of tomorrow.  They must instill in us the values that will one day sustain us.  This is not an easy task.  It takes a Mothers heart and soul to overcome the pressures of the world and still accomplish their mission.  However, it does not end with the teaching of right and wrong.  Mothers must also mend every ache and pain, coughs and fever.  They must one day mend the pain of broken hearts as well.  Thus we know that a Mothers job is never really done. 

As we grow we learn to appreciate the sacrifices that our Mothers have made.  Mothers Day takes on a whole new meaning.  Although it should not be put off until one day a year, the opportunity to show appreciation for your Mother on Mothers Day is critical.  Mothers Day is a very special holiday and it is a well-deserved tribute to Mothers everywhere.  All Mothers around the world should be saluted for a job well done.  Perhaps it is not said enough, those four little words, I Love You Mom.  We may know this in our hearts but it is essential that we communicate it to our Mothers on their special day and everyday throughout the year.  This is not too much to ask for a Mother Like No Other.

By Dennis Fairchild   Sat, May 01, 2010

It's true that many of us share a yearning to be mothered, the need for someone special to hold us close, stroke our hair, tuck us into bed, and reassure us that tomorrow all will be well. It's a universal deep, real and voracious need—and, alas, often unrequited.

Every home has a venerable and comforting domestic spirit. She whispers reminders to you about that cluttered closet or kitchen cabinet. Smiles as you do laundry clean the litter box. She's the mom of your house. You may not know her by name, even though you may have felt her move through your rooms while making your daily round of picking up.

Three thousand years ago in ancient Greece—around the same time that Feng Shui secrets were held captive by Asia's royalty and the wealthy— Hestia was the celebrated goddess of the hearth, guardian of family life and the temple. It was to Hestia that women turned to for protection and inspiration so that they might, as an act of worship, transform their dwelling places into homes of beauty and comfort.

But she is the least known of the old deities, rarely personified in human form like Zeus and the other gods. Instead, her spiritual presence was honored as an eternal flame burning on a round hearth. Jungian author Jean Shiloh Bolen tells us in her book, Goddess in Everywoman, that Hestia's sacred fire provided illumination, warmth, and the heat necessary for food. Despite her anonymity through the ages, "The goddess Hestia's presence in house and temple was central to everyday life" in ancient Greece.

Invoke Hestia's help when working around the house this month. "Talk" with her. Dr. Bolen reminds us that "tending to household details is a centering activity equivalent to meditation," if we want to make it so. Hestia knows how to make your house holy. And, you should you. 

Today, as you walk through your home, think about ways that you can start to mother yourself in small but tangible ways. Stop calling your daily round "housework" and begin to call it "home caring." After all, caring—for yourself, your loved ones, your pets, and your home—is truly what you are doing when you dust, wash, cook, and clean. Glimpse everything you do in your home, no matter how insignificant it may seem, as part of your authentic path to Wholeness and it shall become so.

"Just trust yourself, and then you will know how to live." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

By Thanate Tan   Tue, Dec 01, 2009

Living a stressful life, living life in the fast lane, and keeping a tight schedule are all sources to find people needing a relaxing, healthy spa treatment. Day spas are very popular and offer a wide range of relaxing methods to fit your need.

Our busy lives can break us down and create unwanted physical and emotional damages to our bodies. Relieving those stresses on your body can be done with various types of spas. Day spas come in different sizes starting with a tiny package and going up to economy size facilities. Availability to the latest technology is greater accessed through the larger facilities. Most spas offer salt scrubs and mud wraps as a service standard.

What greater opportunity than to take a complete vacation getaway to a destination spa for relaxing treatment. A destination spa offers techniques for helping you build a healthier lifestyle
. They focus on eating whole grains, with vegetables and fruits, and give guides to keep a healthy eating routine. Destination spa packages generally offer classes focused on obtaining a full body fitness and classes that help to relieve that unwanted stress. Another stress relieving factor is the wonderful massages.

A medical spa is under the direct supervision of doctors. Treatments like Botox® injections and laser resurfacing are done in medical spas due to the serious nature of giving them. Medical spas are not just limited to medical forms of spas, but they do offer mineral springs spas, club spas, cruise ship spas. A cruise ship spa is among the wonderful ways to decrease your stress levels. You get seaside treatment while relaxing in the sun and watching the dolphins swim.

There is nothing more stressful than waiting in an airport among a crowd of people bumping into each other and spreading germs. A perfect way to flee the insanity is to find the airport spa. You can get a 15 minute chair massage along with oxygen therapy. The brain needs oxygen, and improving the flow will release stressful hormones. After short, relaxing therapy, boarding the plane and getting into the small seats will not be a problem.

If you are in need of a stress reliever, try any of these spa types and feel your stress diminish. Different spas types are available depending on your location. Relieve your stress mess with a SPA treatment and obtain a healthy feeling.

source: articlesbase.com

By Diane Brandon   Fri, May 01, 2009

Of all the themes of literature written over the ages, love has probably served as the perennially dominant theme. When many of us contemplate that blissful condition of romantic love, our minds turn to the prospect of a soul mate, that perfect partner who mirrors or complements us perfectly?and we aspire to be in a soul-mated relationship. What is the "soul mate" connection? How do we find our soul mate?

First of all, I'm not sure that there is only one answer to either question. As I have looked at soul mate relationships, I have gotten widely divergent information as to the feel of the relationship. One consistent characteristic I have gotten with many soul mate relationships is a strong sense of partnering, whether in the work they were doing together or in a general sense of their being partners in life. Another quality I have gotten is comfortableness, two people feeling very at ease with each other.

Often I get that the relationship itself is easy-that it doesn't have to be continually worked at. I have also seen soul mate relationships in which the partners feel completely understood by each other. Some soul mates really spark and stimulate each other's energy, so that they both feel "charged up" and activated. I've also gotten with some soul mates that they "have danced together before." The phrase "dancing together" appears to be a metaphor for how their souls interact, as there's always the sense of a higher and quite beautiful connection.

Another phrase I've gotten is "children in the garden." This phrase always conveys a beautiful quality to the connection, as if it was the innocence deep within them that resonated, so that there was a very pure quality to their connection. Hence, two "children in the garden" in a very pure and innocent state of relating to each other, protected by their innocence and unsullied prior to any "fall"? often creating their own lovely, untarnished world together.
In still others, there's a sense of feeling more complete when together, as if their energies had something similar with which to resonate or the deepest parts of their essences could now be expressed, understood, and welcomed by the other. I have also seen an equality of energies in many soul mate connections.

In many relationships there is a hierarchy, whether expressed through power in the dynamics of the relationship or whether denoting a higher level of personal development. In many soul mate relationships, however, there is equality both in interaction and in personal development, with no question of one person wielding more power over the other. And, as mentioned above, the two partners may be stimulating each other's growth, but the sense of partnering outweighs and transcends any difficulty stemming from a learning aspect.

On a soul level, I have gotten various expressions of connectedness ?from soul mates who felt like twins, to two halves of the same whole. I've seen others who complement each other's energies completely. I've seen still others whose connection feels vertical and high, as if they fit together completely on several levels. In some, there is a feeling of huge energy together and in others, a complete fit.

One consistent theme is that of complete resonance, but not a resonance of the inauthentic stuff. Instead, it is a resonance of each one's essence, the true selves resonating harmoniously and completely. This attribute has implications for how we find our soul mate.

I have seen some consistent things with regard to finding one's partner. The first has to do with lessons learned through learning relationships. You'll recall that learning relationships are those that teach us lessons in growth. One lesson from learning relationships I've seen consistently has to do with discernment ? in knowing what we want in a relationship and in our partner (separate from any superficial considerations of appearance, income, etc.) - e.g., how we want to feel in a relationship and what internal qualities we want the other person to have. Conversely, this discernment also allows us to know what we don't want, whether external habits (substance abuse or inconsideration, for example) or internal attributes (e.g., emotionally closed off or self-absorbed). Difficult learning relationships can often - and sometimes rather emphatically - teach us what we don't want in a partner.
So discernment can be an important factor in finding a soul mate; until we are clear about what we want and do not want, we will usually settle for what presents itself.

I have seen instances of people wanting to be in a relationship so badly that when they met someone they were attracted to, they disregarded the problematic qualities of the person or the problem areas of the relationship. Wanting badly to be in a relationship can lead us to be in a state of denial about any red flags we see - those undesirable or inappropriate qualities of the object of our affections. As a result, the relationship will often not be terribly pleasant. However, it may simply be a necessary learning relationship, to teach us about discernment or finding peace and fulfillment in being alone.

The advantage of going through a series of such learning relationships is that we'll often get to the point where we're so burned out from the relationship problems that we'll resolve not to get into another one unless it feels totally right. This enables us to move past our "relationship at any cost" stance to the more desirable position of knowing what we want - and what we don't want. Thus, these lessons in discernment move us closer to being ready to connect with our true partner with whom we can truly and purely resonate, while we also strengthen enough in ourselves to find the peace and ease in being alone when need be.

I have gotten the information consistently that some clients will be ready for their true partner only after they have recognized, claimed, and embraced their true selves. We've all heard the maxim that "you can't really love someone else until you learn to love yourself." Put another way, we can't be truly open to someone else until we're completely open to ourselves. And this is often a prerequisite to being able to belong with our soul mate. Our soul mate often appears for some of us only after we have cleared some of our stuff and are more in touch with what our true essence is.

For others, the prerequisite to finding their soul mate may lie in external, rather than internal, change, in that their true partner may appear when they cease trying to do what others expect of them and start living their lives in a way that reflects who they really are and what they really want. I will often see this latter aspect expressed in the area of work or career. For these people it is frequently only after they have allowed themselves to do work that expresses both who they are and what their interests are that their soul mate appears. One of the reasons this is so is that even if they know who they truly are but are doing work that doesn't express their true self, they are still living somewhat inauthentically. The soul mate often appears when their lives are more authentic and reflective of true self. In addition, expressing who we are through our activities can have the effect of strengthening us even further in who we innately are. This said, however, it is not always true that we must find a career completely resonant with our essence in order to find our soul mate.

I've seen cases in which the true soul mate appears before some of the primary inauthentic stuff is cleared - and I've seen two ways in which the client and relationship are affected as a result. I've seen some lovely situations in which the soul mate relationship was so positive, supportive, and healing that it actually served to stimulate the healing of one person's emotional stuff (e.g., low self-esteem). In these instances, clearing the inauthentic stuff was not a prerequisite for finding the soul mate.
I've also seen clients who had found their partners, but the relationships were not going well or there were blocks to their being together, because one or both people had stuff to work through before the relationship could succeed, or even before they could be together. If there is a large amount of inauthentic "stuff" on the part of one of the partners that hasn't yet been cleared, it may serve as an impediment to the relationship moving forward - even if the two are soul mates - and/or there may be problems in the relationship.

I've seen several cases of soul mates who were not yet together because one or both had personal issues to work on, and, interestingly, it is frequently the man who had issues to clear. This is perhaps so because of the general disparity between where men and women are in their lives and in clearing their inauthentic stuff. Because of the women's movement, women have, generally speaking, worked on some of their stuff in the past twenty to thirty years - empowering themselves, becoming aware of and clearing their stuff, and becoming overall clearer in their vision. Men, in contrast, have largely not done as much personal work on themselves. This has created a real disparity between where men and women are on their respective paths. This disparity in growth has bled through to the area of romantic relationships. Fortunately, the fairly recent phenomenon of the men's movement has started the process for men to begin to catch up.

Interestingly, I've also learned that we may often have an energetic rapprochement on some level before someone very significant comes into our lives. Not infrequently before two partners meet, they may communicate with each other on some level, whether consciously or unconsciously. I've known clients who started dreaming of their partners prior to their actually meeting physically. And I've known other clients who didn't just dream of their partner, but were communicating with their partner in the dream state prior to meeting.
Two people who are strongly and closely connected, especially soul mates, will often start to move into each other's energy fields before physically meeting. This will often happen shortly before they. Intuitives who can see or sense the aura or energy field will often pick up on this and see or sense the other person's presence there.

A very little-known manifestation of this will be communication on the sexual level prior to two soul mates physically meeting. This can be experienced as strong and rather intense sexual feelings, coming seemingly out of the blue with either a sense of urgency or a sense that they're coming from someone else "out there." Time and distance are no impediments to this happening and the two soul mates could be states or continents apart. This sexual communication will often be experienced as a precursor to the people directly communicating or even knowing that the other person actually exists. This is a very real phenomenon - and often perplexing to experience if you haven't already heard about the possibility of such things occurring.

This preknowledge of the soul mate or significant partner coming in, whether in dreams, telepathy, or sexual communication, would appear to happen outside of our conscious volition. It may be initiated on other levels of our consciousness or may be the universe trying awaken us to the possibility, perhaps as preparation for actually meeting and interacting with our soul mate. I sometimes smile and consider "Cupid's arrow" as causing the sexual communication, as it happens without either person trying to initiate it and would appear to be initiated by an outside agent. On the other hand, interestingly enough, this sexual phenomenon does not necessarily imply that the two people are indeed soul mates or are meant to be together either in person or throughout their lives. These phenomena may be heralding the arrival in our lives of someone who will simply affect us deeply for our own unfolding process.

There are other ways in which we may have knowledge aforehand, frequently quite unconsciously, of our soul mate, often expressed as foreknowledge of the attributes our soul mate will have, of the situation we'll encounter with him/her, etc. We may find ourselves consistently drawn to various people who may all have one particular attribute in common; for instance, we may find ourselves in a pattern of being drawn to writers over and over again. Whereas patterns in our relationships may often signal an unhealthy pattern, herald issues we need to work on in ourselves, or simply represent a familiar pattern from childhood, this is not always the case. We may be continually attracted to writers, for example, because we've always had an unconscious intuitive awareness that our soul mate would be a writer.

Some people have an unconscious awareness of what their soul mate will be like or what situation may surround their relationship. This unconscious awareness can exist, I feel, because we choose our lives before we come into them. Although we tend to have a general amnesia about what we are to encounter and experience (so that we may indeed go through learning and growing experiences freshly), some people will retain some artifacts of awareness, on the unconscious level, of what the script for their lives will be - a scene, for example, or a face, a characteristic, or a career that will be connected to their soul mate.

We may feel that a soul mate relationship must feel a certain way. Interestingly, however, people who find their soul mates will often have varying subjective experiences of what the connection feels like. In some relationships people may feel more whole, engaged, or truly alive.

I have also gotten information about soul mate connections counter to what I had previously thought was true. I used to feel that we have only one soul mate and that this was the person we have been with from one lifetime to the next as our soul mate. What I have seen instead is that there are often several possible soul mates in existence and that we may be with one in some lifetimes and with others in other lifetimes.

By   Sun, Jan 31, 2010

By Alonso Manns LMFT   Tue, May 11, 2010

by Alonso Manns

Have you experienced moments when your anxiety or stress-level seems to be unbearable? Is constant worrying or \"feeling out of control\" distressing you to the point where your job performance or academic work is suffering? Maybe even your daily routine of activities has become hard to manage, as those periods of negative feelings become more common. Constant worrying and excessive stress can interrupt healthy sleep-patterns, cause depression, and affect your physical health!

Unresolved anxiety can cause* the following physical symptons: muscle tension and aches, digestive problems, excessive sweating, clammy hands, being easily startled, fatigue, irritability, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating. Over time, the damage from stress becomes more severe. Heart  disease  (including blocked arteries and heart attacks), impaired memory, weight gain (particularly abdomen fat), diseases related to decreased immune system response (e.g., peptic ulcers), problematic pregnancies and long-term effects on newborns, and even chromosome damage are all linked to enduring stress! If you\'re experiencing three or more of the above symptoms, anxiety and stress are likely creating more chaos in your life, and relationships, than is healthy.

Here\'s where Relaxation Therapy can help! Through a mixture of guided-imagery and meditation techniques, a state of relaxation is induced. While in this relaxed state, individuals will be able to quiet anxiety or stress, ease physical tension, and increase calmness and composure. Individual results will vary, but many clients report long lasting effects. Relaxation Therapy works well in conjunction with massage therapy, psychotherapy, and other holistic stress/anxiety management treatments.

Alonso Manns, LMFT. Immediate appointments may be available.

By   Tue, May 11, 2010

By   Tue, May 11, 2010

By   Sat, May 08, 2010

Darrin Reservitz

Women in the United States have used aromatherapy for over a hundred years. For instance, many used vanilla based perfume and washed with soap that contained rose petals, creating an aromatherapy body lotion. In essence, aromatherapy helped women smell wonderful.

People, in general, find the smell of a bathtub filled with warm water and essential oils combined with aromatic candles irresistible. To some, this what aromatherapy is about – a nice scent that relaxes you. But there’s more to it.

Aromatherapy, today, is as much art as business. Aromatherapy breeds millions of dollars in sales, from aromatherapy body lotion to aromatherapy nebulizers, each year. In addition, people even get degrees in aromatherapy. Yet if you’d like some quick aromatherapy knowledge, just go online and you’ll find many sites dedicated to the practice.

There are two metrics people use when choosing an aromatherapy scent and oil. The first is whether they like the smell. It may, for example, remind them of something they enjoy, like cinnamon apple pie. On the opposite end, the smell might be appealing for no concrete reason.

On the other hand, people choose a scent for its medicinal and healing powers. For example, grapefruit oil can help with stress. Perhaps proof of grapefruit’s power is a recent study that showed that men thought women wearing grapefruit as aromatherapy body lotion were 6 years younger than they actually were. The exact reason for this is unknown, but perhaps the scent made women feel and look more relaxed.

There are a lot of ways to practice aromatherapy. For example, you could inhale beneficial scents from aromatherapy candles or aromatherapy nebulizers. Regardless of the method you choose, to fully realize the nature of aromatherapy, you need patience – experiment and learn. You’ll be glad you did

By   Wed, May 05, 2010

by Sylvia Riley

Affectionately known as the ‘jewel of winter', the pomegranate is receiving growing acclamation for its disease-fighting abilities, largely due to its staggering antioxidant potency. Traditional medicines of the Middle East and India have used the pomegranate for centuries - leaves, skin and rind included - to cure everything from conjunctivitis and sore throats to baldness and hemorrhoids.

This mystical fruit, a symbol of birth, death and eternal life owing to its brimming seeds and blood-like juice, is steeped in mythology. The prophet Mohammed encouraged his followers to eat the fruit to purge their systems of envy and hatred. In the tales of Ancient Greece, Persephone, daughter of Demeter the goddess of agriculture, was offered this fruit by Hades, god of the underworld. In succumbing to the temptation she condemned herself to spend time each year with Hades in the underworld. To modern day Greeks the pomegranate is often a feature at weddings to symbolize fertility, and in China, a sugared version of the pomegranate seed is eaten on the wedding day to bless newlyweds.

The juicy, tangy flesh of the fruit's ruby seeds is delicious and every bit worth the patience required to extract them from their pith. Today you can readily buy pomegranate juice such as pomwonderful or pomegranate from general and health food stores. The soaring sales of pomegranate juice in the UK reflects the growing popularity of this fruit, with RJA Foods reporting a sale increase of their Pomegranate brand from 50,000 to 500,000 liters per month in 2005.

Pro-Heart

Pomegranates are a super food hugely beneficial to the heart, and by neutralizing damaging free-radicals prevent the oxidation of ‘bad' LDL cholesterol that is associated with plaque buildup in blood vessel walls. Pomegranate juice has also been shown to preserve nitric oxide in the body, a key chemical responsible for regulating blood flow and maintaining blood vessel health.

One study on 19 elderly people with atherosclerosis, where plaque was already built-up to a dangerous level, found that drinking just 8 oz. of 100 per cent pure pomegranate juice a day for a one year period decreased the thickness of the lining in their arteries by 30 per cent, where controls experienced an actual rise of 9 per cent. Furthermore, those who drank the pomegranate juice also had a 21 per cent decrease in blood pressure (Aviram et al. 2004; Clinical Nutrition). Pomegranate juice also decreases the activity of an enzyme in the body known as ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) that can lead to high blood pressure resulting in atherosclerosis.

Anti-Cancer Properties

Research at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology led by Dr. Ephraim Lansky (2001) found that pomegranate seed oil triggered cell death (apotosis) in breast cancer cells. A recent study at the University of Wisconsin Medical School (2005) also revealed anti-cancer effects, discovering pomegranate juice to killed human prostate cancer cells in laboratory tests and significantly slowed the progression of prostate cancer in mice (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).

Aid for Arthritis

Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University found that extract of pomegranate inhibited the stimulation of certain enzymes that contribute to the cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis, a condition that currently lacks perspective for treatment. This is reassuring when one considers the vast and growing numbers of those who suffer from the disease.

As well as heart-health, anti-cancer, and arthritic protection, pomegranates offer all-round protection against  aging and disease due to their antioxidant potency. Studies suggest pomegranate juice may contain almost three times the antioxidant power of green tea and red wine due to their content of flavonoids. They also provide substantial amounts of potassium, iron, folic acid and vitamin C, as well as vitamins A and E, niacin, and fibre.

Sylvia Riley

MIRACLE SUPERFOODS:
http://www.miracle-superfoods.com

NATURAL NUTRITION GUIDE FOR DOGS AND CATS:
http://www.pet-nutrition-guide.com

MIRACLE MIND:
http://ww.miracle-mind.com

By   Wed, May 05, 2010

by  David H. Urmann 

Mushrooms are of 2 different types; the edible and the poisonous mushrooms. Edible mushrooms not only provide nutrients, but also have a palatable taste.

Edible mushroom is a mushroom harvested regularly and can be safely eaten. Since it has an enjoyable earthy taste and meaty texture, many famous cuisines largely use mushrooms in cooking such as:
• Chinese
• European
• Japanese

Aside from their pleasant taste the edible mushrooms can be added to foods. They also give you health benefits because they are great source of essential nutrients. These include:
• Thiamine
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Biotin
• Cobalamins
• Ascorbic acid
• Fiber

Also, they are good source of essential minerals, which often are not found in our highly processed-food and these are:
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium

Moreover, mushrooms do not contain fat or cholesterol and they naturally have low sodium content.

Various supermarkets and groceries sell commercially cultured edible mushrooms these days. However, the need to go there in order to find deliciously appetizing mushrooms can longer not be done on your part. Actually, what you only need to do in search of edible mushrooms is to learn a few things about them so as to differentiate them from dangerously poisonous species that can cause violent vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, blurred vision and many more. Information includes:
• Mushrooms distinguishing features
• Where the mushrooms grow
• When the mushrooms can be found

Here are four types of edible mushrooms you should know:
1. Puffballs are grown and seen during summer and fall. They can be found in:
• Lawns
• Open woods
• Pastures
• Barren areas
• Decaying wood
• On soil

The features:
• Round or pear-shaped
• May or may not have a stalk-like base
• Whitish, tan or gray in color
• 1" to 12" in diameter, though sometimes larger

These mushrooms have been mistaken at from a distance for everything from golf balls to sheep. Also, when young, its interior part is solid and white; then it slowly will become yellow and will turn brown when mature. Then this will turn to a mass of dark, powdery spores. As precautionary measures, the mushroom should be sliced from top to bottom and the interior should be examined to know that it is completely white and featureless inside, like a slice of white bread. A yellow or brown color that is seen will eventually spoil the flavor. There should be no sign of a developing mushroom with a stalk, gills and cap when examined. To cook these puffballs, remove the outer skin, in case of tough ones. Slice, dip in butter, and fry.

2. Shaggy Mane or commonly called as the lawyer's wig usually grows in grass, soil or wood chips and mostly seen in lawns and pastures during:
• Spring
• Summer
• Fall

Features of the mushrooms:
• Long, white cylinder cup
• Shaggy, upturned, brownish scales
• Whitish gills
• Fragile
• Crumbled easily
• 4" to 6" tall

Additionally, when shaggy mane reaches maturity, its gills and cup dissolve slowly into a black, inky fluid. Only the standing stalk will remain. Hence, the best time to harvest shaggy mane is before its cup turns black. You should eat it on the same day that you pick it. To cook this mushroom, you can saute it with butter and season with nutmeg or garlic. Combination of this with scrambled eggs or chicken dishes is also good.

3. Coral Fungi are mostly found during summer and fall in:
• Wooded areas
• On the ground
• On decaying logs

This mushroom has:
• Clamp branching stem
• Coral appearance
• Tan, whitish or yellowish in color
• Pinkish or purple in color, but only few
• Up to 8" high in size

It is important to note that few of these mushrooms have a laxative effect. And also, coral fungi that taste bitter, bruise brown when handled or have gelatinous bases should be avoided because this may cause trouble. In cooking, sauté the most tender parts of the mushroom - the tips and the upper branches. You can combine these with vegetables or white sauce.

4. Bearded Toot Mushrooms are also called Bear's head. And these are mostly seen during summer and fall on:
• Trees
• Logs
• Stumps

Its distinct features:
• Clamps of hanging white "fur"
• Resembles polar bear's paw
• Pure white when young and fresh
• Yellowish in color when aged
• 4" to 12" across

Since it has noticeable size and whiteness, it is so easy to spot against the dark logs on which it grows. It has also no poisonous look-alikes. All other several closely related species that are more open and branched are good edibles.

You should eat only the young and white ones because the older, yellowed ones are sour. To prepare a simple menu with this, slice and parboil until tender, then drain and serve with cheese sauce.

David H. Urmann

For more information on Mushroom Field Guides please visit our website.

By   Sat, May 01, 2010

by Paul PhillipsYour body is a bio electromagnetic/electrochemical energy system. Every belief, thought, feeling, emotion, attitude and viewpoint that you have going on in your head affects this energy system, and in turn, has consequences on your health, how well you age, how long you live and how you handle stress... In short, circumstances show up as a consequence of where you are at in your life. This is totally consistent with the Laws of Attraction, the universal nature of cause and effect.

-The trick is to continually monitor and observe yourself (not judge) with regards to where you are at in life. Basically, choosing the very healthy options of the power of love, peace, harmony, allowance and balance above all.

This can be used very effectively in stress relief. Given this principle, making appropriate choices, an individual is capable of transforming their health and discovering a greater happiness in them. Discovering an inner peace and contentment that was not there before. It can bring about some amazing realisations such as the recognition of destructive thought patterns played out in one's own life situations and then choosing to stop them and then act accordingly, develop an attitude more towards the power of love, peace, harmony, allowance and balance. When in quite stressful situations, look for the patterns in the way you see things. Indeed, how does life show up for you? What unwanted patterns: beliefs, thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes and viewpoints could you get rid of that would help handle stress and change your life for the more effective outcome?

This simple but effective application of observing yourself at all times and making the necessary changes, particularly with regards to how you react in stressful situations, can not only bring about ways in handling stress and transform you health, but also produce different outcomes in your life that are more favourable. Remember, your thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitude can influence so many different things... No doubt, the above mind/spirit principles can sometimes be used in many remarkable ways:

Take, for example, the case of Nick Good. This is an amazing man who demonstrated the power of the mind and spirit with regards to his thoughts, feelings, emotions and attitude by walking barefoot over broken glass while carrying a 250-pound man. All this can be seen on a u-tube video. Yes, this is for real!

In summary, keep monitoring your thoughts, feelings, emotions and attitude. Observe don't judge. Make all the necessary desired changes to the more positive outlook in life and watch how this will transform you as time goes by with amazing results!

Paul Phillips am a health writer researcher. I graduated in 'Biological Sciences' which includes biochemistry, physiology and nutrition. I have worked in various related research and development labs. I am always willing to give advice and help people in my field. For more information please try the link below http://www.HealthNewsLive.net

By   Sat, May 01, 2010

by Caroline Selfe 

Stress Relief music has a profound effect on our minds and bodies. Listening to soothing music can ease physical tension and mental anxiety, slow breathing and heartbeat and lower blood pressure. The accompanying relaxed state is highly beneficial to health and well-being.

It is not a mystery that music influences our emotions and state of mind. The fact that music has such a strong impact on us is usually taken for granted. We tend not to think about it. We just know it does.

Exactly how does stress relief music bring about relaxation? The answers may be surprising.

· Slows heart rate and breathing - When you listen to a piece of music you are fond of, your mood immediately changes. When hearing such a song, do you find yourself excitedly saying, "Oh, I love that song"! What happens when you hear a peaceful, slow song that is soothing to you? You relax, tension slides from your body and your mind quiets. This occurs because stress relief music slows heart rate and breathing. As long as beat of the music is slow and steady, your heart rate and breathing will relax into the musical piece.

· Influences brain waves - In a relaxed state, brain wave frequency is alpha. Listening to stress relief music actually influences our brain function by changing brain wave frequency. During times of stress, brain waves are beta or theta which are higher frequency. The brain actually moves toward the frequency it is experiencing. If you listen to relaxing music, especially if it is intertwined with binaural alpha tones, anxiety will ease and tension will be released.

· Lowers stress hormones - Stress relief music is being used more and more by doctors and practitioners. Studies have found when patients listen to their favorite music during a procedure, they have lowered stress hormones in their bloodstreams. The reason is music relaxes the body and calms anxiety. Many dentists use music to ease the pain and anxiety of their patients. Massage therapists, reiki practitioners, acupuncturists and hypnotists use music to aid relaxation and healing of their patients. When stress hormones are lowered through relaxation, healing is enhanced and optimized.

It is quite amazing the impact music has on our mood, emotions and brain function. The beauty of stress relief music is that it is an easy, enjoyable way to relax and unwind. You can listen to relaxing music just about anywhere. It is a wonderful tool for easing stress and promoting healing.

By   Sat, May 01, 2010

by Caroline Selfe

Doing yoga for stress relief doesn't have to be an involved routine. If you don't have time to do a full yoga routine, use the separate parts of yoga to relax and rejuvenate.

Deep breathing, meditation and poses can go a long way toward conquering stress. Simple yoga techniques take minutes to do and can be incorporated into your exercise routine. You can also do them whenever stress takes its toll to regain your balance.

Try doing yoga for stress relief by doing parts of a full routine. If you are pressed for time, these techniques will fit into your life well.

· Deep Breathing - If you want to instantly unwind and revive, do deep breathing. Most people most of the time breathe through the chest. This shallow breathing is caused by tension and stress. Breathing deeply through the belly oxygenates the muscles thereby relieving tension. Fill up your lower abdomen by breathing in. Contract the same area by breathing out. Do the breathing through your nose. This is the easiest part of doing yoga for stress relief.

· Meditation - Spend a few minutes a day quieting your mind. It sounds difficult with a hectic schedule. Take a few minutes to sit in a quiet place. You can close your office door at work or go in your bathroom at home and lock the door. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Breathe deeply and focus on the area between and just above the bridge of your nose. This is the third eye (eye of the soul). When a thought comes to your mind, envision it with wings and let it fly away. Do this until you are relaxed and centered.

· Poses - Yoga poses are a sort of meditation since focus on the movements is key. Try these two simple poses to relax your body and mind.
1)baby Pose - Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Make sure you are sitting on your heels. Hang your arms at your sides. Slowly lean forward at the waist until your forehead touches the floor. Rest your arms at your sides on the floor. Keep your neck relaxed and straight and breathe normally. Hold the pose for however long it feels comfortable - a few minutes, perhaps.
2) Butterfly Pose - Sit on the floor with your knees out and soles of the feet touching - like a butterfly. Keeping your back straight and holding your feet, slowly raise and lower your knees several times. Then, lean forward from your hips. Hold this pose for a few minutes while breathing normally.

If you don't have time for a full routine of yoga for stress relief, try deep breathing, meditation or poses instead. They are ideal for quick relaxation and regaining balance.

Caroline Selfe has been a passionate seeker of natural and holistic stress relief methods for the past 25 years.Learn more simple yoga techniques at: Yoga for Stress Relief  Learn more about healing music here: Stress Relief Music

By   Sat, May 01, 2010

by Adriana N.

Massage for stress must be done daily, even if you don't feel particularly stress. Stress can lead to tense muscles in the neck, shoulders and back leading to headaches and other symptoms including palpitations and raised blood pressure. The Hellerwork massage is a self-massage that works very well as a preventative measure.

Research of the benefits of stress reducing massage has been ongoing for over 120 years and proven that a good massage relaxes the mind, the body and soul by providing a feeling of peace and quiet, away from the tension of day-to-day pressures.

It has also been found that massage decreases anxiety and respiratory rates and also help to increase white blood cells. Hence, massage benefits the immune system. Results from the James Cancer Hospital & Research Institute found that cancer patients experienced less anxiety and pain after they received a therapeutic massage.

The University of South Carolina found that therapeutic massage helped women who experienced the loss of a child were not as depressed. Massage also helps to improve weight gain in infants that are HIV-exposed and is also beneficial to the recovery of abdominal surgery patients.


There are many benefits of massage for stress. It helps to decrease blood pressure and heart rate in hypertension sufferers and alleviating migraines. It also helps to improve alertness and improved performance.

Whilst massage cannot enhance muscle strength, it can certainly arouse frail dormant muscles and also balance out the lack of activity due to infirmity or injury. Massage also speeds up recovery after a tough training session or sports injury.

Research on autistic children proved that massages helped them behave less erratically. Premature babies benefited from massage and gained weight more quickly. Burn patients experienced less pain, itching, tension and anxiety when they were massaged.

Office workers who received massage for stress reported better performance, less stress and higher alertness. Doctors report that stress is the cause of up to 90% of ailments that bring people into the physician's office. People miss the old school touch of a caring doctor or nurse.

The physical benefits of a good therapeutic massage include: stress relieve, muscle relaxation, healing of injured muscles, flexibility of joints, easier and deeper breathing, improved posture, reduced eye-strain and reduced blood pressure.

Massage therapy offers many mental benefits that include peace of mind, mental alertness and increases the mind-body awareness.

Nothing beats a foot massage for stress. Try this yourself by relaxing your foot completely and then soaking both feet in a foot spa or bath of hot water. Add a drop of peppermint oil, which benefits the circulation and also boasts anti-inflammatory as well as antiseptic properties. Relax your body completely by taking deep slow breathes and closing your eyes, letting no negative thoughts or anxiety seep in. After 20 minutes, dry the feet in a soft towel. Gently squeeze the muscles of the calves to relieve muscle stiffness and rotate the ankles five times and stroke the anklebones gently with your fingers. Work all the thumb pads using a press-release motion all over the surface of the foot.

Massage therapy is beneficial in particular to those who have suffered sickness, injury or trauma, whilst massage for stress should be part of the daily regime for everyone.

We offer stress relieving Toronto massages that are guaranteed to leave you relaxed and happy. Find out where you can enjoy our Toronto massage!

By   Fri, Apr 30, 2010

by Andrew Regan

Eradicating stress from your life is easy when you know how and everyone can benefit from feeling a little more at peace with the world. And you can use plants and flowers as just one of many ways to banish the stresses that come with everyday life.

Recent research carried out in the USA, Netherlands and United Kingdom shows a connection between plantsa person’s psychological well-being and the presence of plants, particularly how plants can effectively reduce stress and increase productivity in the workplace. The research revealed that adding plants to a windowless workplace helped to improve productivity whilst also achieving lower stress levels amongst employees.

Introducing plants into your workspace and home can therefore be an easy but effective means of stress relief. What's more, plants can be purchased at a very low cost so this stress-busting plan does not require a lot of cash to carry out. Plants are low maintenance as well as low cost, so it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to keep them in tip-top condition. In fact, most plants you purchase come with watering and feeding directions which are easy to follow, whilst you can choose from different varieties to suit the climate and environment they will be growing in.

It has also been found that the aroma of different plants and flowers have a profound effect on stress levels and are capable of helping to reduce heart rate, stress levels and improve breathing. One of the most popular stress-relieving aromas is lavender, which can easily be grown indoors and used in various ways to sooth the senses.

Aromatherapy is just another way of using plant and flower aromas to brighten your mood and soothe  your nerves. Citrus oils, like Mandarin or Neroli, are good choices if you want to decrease your stress levels - you can simply add a couple of drops to a handkerchief or tissue and inhale.

There are certain types of plants you can grow and use as a food source to improve health by reducing stress and aiding relaxation. Tomato plants can be easily grown on a windowsill, desk or literally anywhere that gets the sunshine. Lettuce is another easy to grow food source, as are herbs which not only release great aromas but can also be used in lunchtime salads or even simply to make cups of fresh mint tea, for example.

If you are thinking of buying some plants or flowers to brighten up your home, office or both but don’t know where to start, then getting in touch with your local florists may prove a good starting point.

Andrew Regan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

By   Thu, Apr 08, 2010

by Caroline Selfe

Hypnosis for stress relief is a technique worth trying if you suffer from anxiety and tension. Learning how to reprogram your subconscious mind is the key. Anxious and negative thinking can be transformed by feeding the subconscious positive images and messages.

Everyone thinks and acts from a conscious and subconscious perspective. The conscious mind is rational and processes information through the five senses. The subconscious mind is impulsive and comes to conclusions using memories, emotions and experiences.

The subconscious mind is the root of worries, fears, anxiety, bad habits, negative thinking and limiting beliefs. All of these stress -causing attributes are a product of what we have been told by family, society, religion, media in addition to a lack of self esteem.

Characteristics either acquired or inherent can be transformed through hypnosis. This process is so effective because it changes negative thoughts and actions where they are formed. By transforming the negative into positive, self-defeating behavior and stress can be eliminated. Using hypnosis for stress relief is a permanent solution to self-defeating thoughts and actions.

How does hypnosis for stress relief work? There are two main parts to hypnosis session. One is deep relaxation and the other planting positive messages and images. The subconscious mind is extremely receptive to new programming in a deeply relaxed state. This is called a "trance" state. Positive messages such as, "My mind is calm and clear" or "My self esteem is overflowing" or "My craving for nicotine is gone" can be impressed on the subconscious mind. When the session is complete, one is brought out of the trance state to the conscious state.

Besides stress relief, the benefits of hypnosis include:

· Elimination of self-defeating behavior

· Ending addictions

· Increasing self esteem

· Improving health and well-being

· Sharpening mental focus

· Rejuvenation and increased energy

· Strengthening of relationships

· Memory recall

Some famous people who have used hypnosis include: Lord Tennyson, Mozart, George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. These visionaries are said to have received inspiration while in a hypnotic state.

If you are willing to give hypnosis for stress relief a try, you can find a qualified hypnotist or hypnotherapist to guide you. Or, you can choose the self-hypnosis route. You can purchase CDs or downloads that take you through a hypnosis session. The sessions are targeted to your desired outcome. Whether it be stress relief, improved health, better relationships, etc., you will make great improvements by reprogramming your subconscious mind.

 

 

Caroline Selfe has been a passionate seeker of natural and holistic stress relief methods for the past 25 years.

By   Tue, Apr 06, 2010

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By   Tue, Dec 07, 2010

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By   Sat, May 15, 2010

by Deborah Lindholm

Desiring change in your life or setting goals is easier by far to making change happen or achieving goals you have set. This process requires determination, appropriate attitude as well as a few tools you may find handy in getting the job done. One very powerful tool is daily affirmations, permitting these changes in your life to be more empowering and positive experiences.

What is an Affirmation?

You could consider affirmations as antonyms to complaints. They are opposites, in the same sense of a complaint being, "I'm so darned tired all the time." The affirmation sounds more like, "I'm full of energy, alive and awake."

Any affirmation would represent goals we have, as well as any desirable changes. They're positive statements made in the present tense. No rules apply when considering how appropriate an affirmation may be. They can be either spiritual, material or a combination of the two.

Many people just have a strong desire to feel happy. We want to hold on to this sense of well-being which is sometimes elusive. This particular desire is tested simply by our day to day challenges, difficulties, and habits which find themselves instilled within us, producing a contrary effect. We have a desire for a sense of well-being; however we actually create the opposite effect. Daily affirmations can be helpers on the path to reaching this goal of well-being and general happiness. Listed here are some affirmations taken from Ernest Holmes' The Science of Mind, published in 1926. .

- I am happy and complete today and forever. Within me is that which is Perfect and Complete. It is The Spirit of all Life, Truth, and Action. I am happy in the sure knowledge of the Inner Light. I cannot be sad or sorry, but must radiate Joy and Life, For Life is within me now. I am happy and complete. .

- Perfection is already accomplished. I do not have to wait for the Perfect Life. I am that Perfect Life here and now. Today I express the Limitless Life of the All Good. Today I manifest my Completion in every part of me. Today I am saved. Here and now I am healed.

There is no need for longwinded paragraphs. Simple sentences designed specifically to uplift and inspire you are more than acceptable. For example,

- I am entirely happy in mind, spirit and body.

- I am radiant, happy and healthy.

- I am filled with light and love, a radiant being.

- I accept and love myself just as I am.

- I am now able to express love to those I meet.

Creating Personal Affirmations

What is it you want from life? This is a very difficult subject for many people to grip. If this is the case for you, ask yourself instead what it is you don't want, and then following up with the opposite of this to create your affirmation. An example of this could be, "I don't want to feel the stress related to my work." The affirmation will become, "I know God gives me everything I require, no matter what challenges I face or what happens around me, I am at peace."

Use positivity and the present tense when phrasing your affirmations. Once you can easily identify your affirmation or affirmations, post them somewhere which allows you to see them often. Some suggestions could be the mirror in your bathroom, on your laptop or computer, your planner, or even your journal. Repeat these affirmations a minimum of three times a day, and turn to them when you're feeling particularly challenged. Eventually your affirmations will be memorized, and turning to them in times of need will come automatically to you.

A fantastic way to initiate this process is to choose daily affirmations designed to be embraced, as well as bring you a sense of happiness and well-being. Once you find the ball is rolling well, take time to consider tracking your affirmations beside the resulting changes in your life. This will enable you to evaluate other areas of your life which may require this same process, as you benefit from their practice in your life now.

By   Sat, May 01, 2010

by Shiba Prasad Parhi 

We are responsible for our Fate

       As per the law of Karma, whatever we are today and we have possessed, these are based on my past actions, and whatever I am going to be and going to get in future all depend upon on my present actions. Knowingly or unknowingly we had committed many mistakes, we should be careful about our actions. Ignorance is the root cause of tension in the personal and professional life. Proper understanding of the self and philosophy of Karma is essential to save self from any misfortunes and miseries. Once one understands the repercussions of the actions, words and thoughts in the life,   one can protect  self from adverse  outcomes. All the miseries in our life are the outcome of our negative actions, words and thoughts.

 TQM( Total quality Management  at the level feeling and thoughts

       One should not be negligent about the subtle effect of thoughts, these are subtle but influential. The subtle parts such as our thoughts, dreams, attractions, attachments and fantasies of our life can drag us down to any directions, which may end with misery and pain. So thorough supervision at the thought level is important, whatever I am thinking is it right, is it necessary, if not then I should have the power to put a brake, otherwise it can cost us heavily.  As in the industry people are using the TQM (Total Quality Management), Kaizen, six sigma to reduce wastes and deviations, similarly we need to formulate the well formulated strategy to rectify the error and deviations in thoughts restricting negatives and wastes.

     Thoughts are more powerful force in the human life. One wonderful thought of human life can raise one to the status of any inventors or Nobel Awardees, one poisonous thought can end one career or hospitalize. Though we should not be too much serious about our thoughts still a sense of self introspection, supervision and analysis is essential.

 Self Healing is the process to be Sweeter and Successful in the life

       Self healing is the process of healing your own psychological wound, through correction of psychological imbalances; one can cure many psychological diseases such as blood pressure, heart attack, asthma, diabetes, migraine and accidents.  To correct your own feelings: be introvert, sit a moment in silence, shut you eyes and remember Almighty Authority with love and realize as “I am the child of such a great Father who is Ocean of love, peace and purity”.  I should have the self respect that I am a child of Supreme Father, who is knowledge full and liberator. Practice this for 10 minutes a daily before sleeping and after waking up in the morning. Start the day with all good wishes for self, for family members and for others with remembrance of Divine Father, and end the days, with self introspection and analysis for improvement with thorough checking of daily activities, before going to bed. Through which throughts can be stabilised, purified and empowered for self transformation.

 This method can work like elixir to any problems in your and others life. Just enjoy the new beginning in the life. Practice again and again throughout the day that I am not simple , I am the master almighty and loving child of Creator and Protector. Observe the change in your life. Any where, any place and any time, while doing any act one can practice to be in peace and to remember the Ocean of Peace.

By   Tue, Feb 23, 2010

What is RSS?

Do you want to keep up to date with the latest issues of  From the Inside Out Magazine ?  

We have a number of ways that you can subscribe to this site and receive updates. The main one that our readers use is our RSS feed. But what is RSS?

What is RSS?

RSS is a technology that is being used by millions of web users around the world to keep track of their favorite websites.

In the ‘old days’ of the web to keep track of updates on a website you had to ‘bookmark’ websites in your browser and manually return to them on a regular basis to see what had been added.

The problems with bookmarking

• You as the web surfer had to do all the work
• It can get complicated when you are trying to track many websites at once
• You miss information when you forget to check your bookmarks
• You end up seeing the same information over and over again on sites that don’t update very often

RSS Changes Everything

What if you could tell a website to let you know every time that they update? In a sense, this is what RSS does for you.

RSS flips things around a little and is a technology that provides you with a method of getting relevant and up to date information sent to you for you to read in your own time. It saves you time and helps you to get the information you want quickly after it was published.

RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’. Many people describe it as a ‘news feed’ that you subscribe to.

I find the ’subscription’ description helpful. It’s like subscribing to a magazine that is delivered to you periodically but instead of it coming in your physical mail box each month when the magazine is published it is delivered to your ‘RSS Reader’ every time your favorite website updates.

 Or you can get updates by adding your email address to the Subscribe Here at the top of the home page.

Come back and visit often !  Thank You!

By   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

By   Fri, Oct 02, 2009

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