The Healing Powers of Yoga

There are several medical conditions that can be improved by practicing yoga. It can be used to lessen the negative effects of infertility, lung disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, cancer, high blood pressure, and joint pain. The beneficial effects of yoga practices are well recognized not only by the yoga community but also by medical doctors.

One of the main elements that lead to an illness is stress. Being responsible for a huge number of sicknesses, this item, which we develop in our minds, can be reduced through a good usage of yoga techniques. Here are just some of the problems that are related to an over active stress response: depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some types of diabetes mellitus, cardio-vascular disease, several autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, reproductive problems, and an aggravated suppression of the immune system.

The response of the sympathetic nervous system can trigger stress in our metabolism. The reaction to various outside stimuli is also known as the “fight or flight” response – the mind and body, faced with an endangering or disturbing element, prepare for one of the two options. Physically, this is manifested through an instantaneous heart rate increase, together with a high ascent of blood pressure. Breathing gets shallow and the muscles tense in anticipation to the following action. Internally, this response reduces the blood flow to internal organs and processes that are not essential in that particular moment (such as digestion and elimination) are shut down. This state of increased awareness and readiness is beneficial on a short term, preparing our body to react to the outside interventions and stimuli. Both in a “fight” and in a “flight” situation, the body is physically and mentally prepared to act. The problem arises when long-term exposure to similar stress takes place. This “fight or flight” response is only meant to help on short periods of time – the longer it is activated the less resources will the body have to function normally.

There is a natural countermeasure for the “fight or flight” response. It is called the parasympathetic nervous system or the “relaxation response.” It is automatically activated when the elements that caused the stress are gone but it is also possible to increase its effects by breathing deeply and relaxing your muscles. By increasing the length of this process we allow our body to recover faster, enabling it to eliminate the harmful effects of stress in a prompt and efficient manner.

Yoga highlights the idea that by using breathing and relaxation techniques you can reduce the harmful effects of stress factors on your body. A lessened “fight or flight” response can also be achieved by looking at adverse factors as challenges rather than threats. This approach allows your mind to focus on finding a solution, rather than creating an abrupt response. Another concept employed by this technique is that of acting versus reacting, of taking initiative versus responding to outside factors.

The positive effects of yoga during a healing process are undeniable. However, these techniques should only be used as a form of support and the healing shouldn’t rely solely on them. The best results are achieved by combining yoga with traditional and modern medicine and by addressing a problem both from a mental and physical point of view.


Visit our sponsor
http://www.fl-home-biz.com/wellness.htm

Harness the Power of Breathing

Many cultures see breath as the connection with the soul. Every one of us may be considered an expert in breathing – after all, we are doing it every day! However, this is a wrong assumption and many people never even see the hidden potential breathing incorporates.

The importance of breathing is obvious and we depend on it to sustain our lives. As human beings we have to eliminate the things that our body is no longer using, and breathing takes care of 70% of this process. Other than eliminating the air from your lungs, after it has been depleted of oxygen, breathing also takes out toxins from your body. You can also eliminate non-chemical items such as emotions or stress. By harnessing the immense power of breathing you can create a better connection with your inners self, preparing to efficiently combat outside stress factors.

By becoming more aware of your breathing you will be able to reduce any outside negative elements. Focus your attention on your breath and direct your mind to think only about it. The rhythmical sensation your breath produces will help your mind, and your body, relax and slow down. Thinking is responsible for most of the tensions and upsets we face, and this little exercise takes thinking into a harmonious and peaceful location.

Many of our thoughts are negative in nature. We often use or think about words like “won’t”, “can’t”, “shouldn’t”. Their negative connotations reflect on the way we feel, increasing nervousness and stress. Your brain processes millions of thoughts on a daily basis and focusing it on your breath gives it a much-deserved break. Temporarily lowering your mind’s activity gives you extra peace and helps relax both your brain and your body.

Try to see your breathing education similar to practicing a sport. In order to reach a goal you will need to improve certain skills. You can’t just be an Olympic athlete – you have to become one! This can be done by building up your strengths and stamina, as well as improving your techniques. Improving your breathing works exactly the same way. Right now you are at a low level, as you didn’t do any additional exercises to improve your breathing. Your subconscious mind usually takes care of this process, leaving your conscious mind to deal with other things. However, this is the time to take things into your own hands, and consciously control your breathing for the duration of the exercises

At first, try to analyze yourself every time you inhale and exhale. Do this until your mind gets used to the rhythmic tone of breaths and let your brain preoccupy itself only with your breathing. It might be hard at first, as you will get distracted by sounds or movements around you. In time, however, you will manage to ignore outside interference and sustain a prolonged period of clear focus. Regularly practicing with your breathing and you will soon begin to see some of the positive effects of better understanding and controlling one of the vital elements that keep us alive.


Visit our sponsor
http://www.fl-home-biz.com/wellness.htm

Gain back your time and eliminate stress

Work, meetings, deadlines, appointments, telephone calls, shopping, taking the dogs out etc. – all these are things most people have to accomplish daily. Most of the times, on the waiting list there are other things like: family, friends and even ourselves. Sometimes we discover too late that the points mentioned on the waiting lists are, in fact, the most important and, unfortunately, sometimes, we don’t realize this at all, so find ourselves wondering for what reason we are so unhappy.

There are different books and seminars that help us find out what the best option for managing our time is. All these sources are against enemies and they intend to offer you the best solutions to eliminate it for good, or at least to reduce it drastically.

All this people know that time is more than money – time means, first of all, life and, more than that, it means our lives. That is way we have the obligation not to surrender in stressful situations and to go fighting for the joy of living. Let’s not forget also that deficient management of time can produce tremendous health problems, both at the physical and mental level.
But there is good news! Time can be domesticated – we can make it, in certain manner, obey us. First step in implementing this process is to identify the elements that robe your time.
Normally, they are divided into two groups:

• The external factors (unexpected phone calls, very long phone conversations, unplanned visits, the policy of open doors, not sufficiently trained personnel, frequent meetings, interruptions caused by colleagues, friends and family etc.)
• The internal factors – related strictly to our own persons (priorities and objectives that change, the lack of a daily working plan, lack of self imposed deadlines, the tendency to take care of too many things at the same time, disorder, lateness in resolving the conflicts, incapacity of saying no, lack of decision, tiredness).

By reading the above enumeration, you probably pictured recalled all the similar situations that you went through. Now, all you have to do is to find a way to defeat and eliminate them, so that you can be the mater of your own time again. Here are three possible ways in which you can do that:

• Get used to write everything down. It is useful, especially if you have a bad memory. Otherwise you might fail to remember to go to important meetings, to make important phone calls, to answer messages you promised you would answer. You can also write down great ideas and inspirations that occur to you in the most unexpected moments.
• Make a list of priorities. It takes you very little time to draw it and you can even do it while you’re having your morning coffee. Write down, the things you need to do that day, in the order of their importance and urgency.
• Learn to say no. One big mistake that a lot of us make is that we put other people’s problems in front of ours. Nevertheless, by helping them in a bad moment for us, we give rise to frustration, stress and we find ourselves unable to respect previous engagements.

All these advices are also present in Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber’s book New art of time against stress and they invite us to meditate that more than a weapon against stress, time management is also a philosophy of life.


Visit our sponsor
http://www.fl-home-biz.com/wellness.htm

Eliminate the fears that are holding you back.

One of the best ways to discover exactly what is stopping you from achieving the goals that you have set is to analyze exactly how much you wish to succeed. By honestly looking at your inner self you will find out how strong your will power is and how many resources you have to put into. Unfortunately, for most people this is one of the hardest things to do.

We believe that it is better to hide our failures and disappointments, as they are the ones that can cause pain. The psychological connections go a lot further, but the main idea is that our mind naturally eliminates all the factors that are potentially harmful to our body. This is how our most daring dreams and ideals get hidden somewhere deep in our subconscious mind and we are afraid to bring them out. The idea of succeeding is often much weaker than the notion of failure, and this fear is keeping our potential to a lower limit.

The fear of believing in your ideals is a naturally occurring phenomenon, but it is also greatly amplified by the society in which we grow up. When turning into adults, teenagers have to abandon the dreams and hopes they had as children and see the “actual reality” surrounding them. Society teaches us to follow a set of footsteps and never go stray. By creating order, this process also limits creativity and passion. We may become great citizens, but what good will that do if deep inside we feel like we should want more?

There are a few tricks that may help you get closer to your ideals. Begin by writing them down. Seeing the words on paper has a strong effect and you will soon realize if those dreams are worth fighting for. Try to examine each of your goals through you own eyes. Don’t let the others around you guide your view – you are trying to reach your goal, not theirs. Don’t write your list in stone – there’s nothing wrong to erasing or adding new goals.

Try to envision yourself reaching your ideal. By constructing an image of success in your conscious mind you will also influence your subconscious to do the same. Project yourself in the future, with all the skills that you need to reach that ideal. If you do this often enough you will reinforce your beliefs and increase the chances of getting where you wish.

Sometimes it is hard to manage all the issues mentioned above on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from someone you care about. Share your feelings with a special person that will support your actions and always be in your corner. Try to judge if the trust you will invest in that particular person (parent, brother, wife, best friend etc.) will not fail. Even if you think you won’t be accepted with your new ideals – give it a shot.

There is no magical way of achieving success but you can always increase the chances of reaching your goals with these simple exercises. When you manage to eliminate, or at least diminish, the fear that is holding you back, all of your expectations will seem easier to achieve. It is not easy to take a journey into your own soul, but if you manage to gather sufficient determination this could prove one of the best trips you have ever taken.


Visit our sponsor
http://www.fl-home-biz.com/wellness.htm

Explore Your Past – How to Learn From Memories

Who you are today, your personality and your values, depends on the past events that shaped you. You can always find connections between a present thought or feeling and a past event, no matter how far away it might seem. Explanations for present events can be found by going through some memories, and this practice shows you how to do that. By trying this you will be able to reinterpret yourself, by learning not to judge your actions but to accept and understand them.

Begin by finding a comfortable position, in a chair or armchair. Have a piece of paper or notebook and a pen ready and put them besides you. Try to relax your body and your mind and breath rhythmically through your nose. When you have achieved a state of increased self-awareness go back in time and think of an unpleasant memory that has marked your entire life. You don’t have to find something dramatic – in childhood, for example, even the most insignificant looking remark may have a huge impact on your personality. Let’s say that, as a child, you broke a crystal vase that your mother held dear. She might have said: “You can’t do anything right!”. Of course, that was just an anger driven reaction on her part that disappeared after a short while but you, as a child, were deeply affected by it.

When you have selected your past event try to briefly write it down and finish with a phrase that summarizes your experience (e.g. “You can’t do anything right!”). Make sure your breathing is still rhythmical and relaxed and then think about a minimum of three things that you can learn from that past experience. Do not get stuck on the final phrase, but try to analyze your action in a non-judgmental manner. The main idea is to identify and assimilate the things that you could have improved. Don’t quickly dismiss your past problem by saying “it was a child’s mistake”. The goal here is to find out how any mistake can teach you to become better, instead of lowering your self-esteem and confidence.

When you have found a few positive remarks about the past experience try to write them down. Don’t force your mind to come up with the ideas; instead, try to let everything flow naturally. After you’re done writing make sure to read the statements a couple of times and remember their essence. Put the paper aside and get back to connecting with your breathing. Take a minute or two to focus solely on your breathing and then recall the positive ideas you jotted down on the piece of paper. As an example, in the case of the broken vase, you could write: “I have to concentrate more on my actions”. Repeat that thought in your mind and make sure it represents you completely. Do the same with all the other positive ideas you cam up with. Believing in them and repeating their essence enables you to make them part of who you are.

This exercise is especially useful when you are aware that you are about to go through a similar experience. You may not be in danger of breaking another vase, but you might be in the situation where something a friend holds dear will be in your hands, in your responsibility. If you feel stressed and fearful about that situation make sure you recall the positive aspects from your exercise. Repeat them in your mind before the event and your self-confidence will receive a well-deserved boost, allowing you to do your job free from any negative roots to the past.


Visit our sponsor
http://www.fl-home-biz.com/wellness.htm

Discover and Control Your Dual Nature

We often put a tag on ourselves, accepting only some parts of our personality. We accept a word like “independent” but don’ realize that sometimes we should say “selfish”. We might like to call ourselves “ambitious”, without realizing that we often act “stubborn”. Her is a practice that can give you more insight on who you are and enable you to respond to various situations in your life with a better understanding of your actions. It is also useful to experience this exercise while trying to see yourself in a non-restrictive manner.

1. First of all, write down three personal qualities you have which you feel good about. For example:

I am dedicated.
I am dependable.
I am good at heart.

2. Secondly, add an "alternative reality" to each one of the statements. This means that you should find examples when the opposite of the initial statement is also true. Here’s how it might look:

I am dedicated in a work related environment, but sometimes I can also be easily distracted from my task.
I am dependable and trustworthy when it comes to my work place, but I can also sometimes be less dependable with my friends.
I am good at heart, but sometimes I act selfishly and without regards for other people’s feelings.

3. At this point you should reverse the sentence topics, and even modify some words if you feel it helps. Starting with the negative aspects that accompany your personality will give you more insight and offer you a better perspective on these issues.
Her is how it may look like after the transformation:

I am sometimes distracted from my work, but I am usually dedicated to my chores, especially in a business environment.
My friends may find me less dependable at times, but when it comes to work I am a person you can count on.
I sometimes ignore what other people wish, but I am good at heart most of the time.

Take a look at the last two lists (steps 2 and 3) and read them carefully for a few minutes. Don’t pay attention to the topic of the sentence but try to focus on the meanings your words expressed. Always keep in mind the purpose of this little exercise: “black” and “white” are rarely defining for a person. By identifying your duality you get a better chance of appreciating your actions and the responses they trigger.

You have also created a list of three qualities and three negative aspects that you believe characterize you. The first step in removing the negative characteristics was already taken – you identified them. Now it is time to put the exercise to practical use. Next time you find yourself in a situation where a choice has to be made or a decision to be taken, try to remember the exercise. Observe that particular situation from a dual point of view by acknowledging your positive features while also analyzing the attached negative parts. Practice can lead to a natural integration of this exercise in your conscious and subconscious mind. After a while, you may not even need to make a conscious effort to analyze a situation from both perspectives and this process will come naturally. A much desired objectivity can appear between your positive and negative characteristics, and you can use it to make the right choices in most situations.


Visit our sponsor
http://www.fl-home-biz.com/wellness.htm