17 Jul 2019
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Can Meditation Improve Your Sleep?

Meditation and Sleep

A 2015 study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that mindfulness meditation helped improve sleep quality among older adults with moderate sleep disturbances. 49 participants whose with an average age of 66 were split into two groups. Half of the group was taught mindfulness meditation, and the other half was taught sleep education. Both groups met 6 times, once a week for two hours. The mindfulness meditation group showed significant improvement relative to the sleep education group regarding insomnia symptoms, depression symptoms, and daytime fatigue.

Table of Contents

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

The Mindfulness Meditation program used in the JAMA study is from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Center (MARC), whose purpose is to “foster mindful awareness across the lifespan through education and research to promote well-being and more compassionate society.” MARC’s website defined mindfulness as “Paying attention to present moment experiences with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is. It is an excellent antidote to the stresses of modern times. It invites us to stop, breathe, observe, and connect with one’s inner experience. There are many ways to bring mindfulness into one’s life, such as meditation, yoga, art, or time in nature. Mindfulness can be trained systematically, and can be implemented in daily life, by people of any age, profession or background.”

Their program isn’t just seated meditation but includes mindful eating and mindful movement. Participants started with a 5-minute session, and gradually worked their way to 20-minute sessions.

How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. Many meditation teachers recommend practicing both seated and moving meditations.

Seated Meditation

Here are some steps to practice mindfulness in a seated meditation:

Find a place that is quiet and without distraction.
Sit cross-legged, on your shins, or seated on a bed or chair with spine erect. Place the backs of your hands on your thighs so your palms are up.
Breathe in for a count of 10, hold your breath for 10, and exhale for 10. Repeat that 5 times.
Breathe in and tense your entire body for a few seconds, then relax and exhale quickly. Repeat 5 times.
Let your breath flow in and out without controlling it, and spend some time feeling a sense of relaxation. If you feel a tension in any body part, you can tense and relax that area and try to consciously relax it.
Watch your breath without controlling it. Let go of any thoughts and feelings that come up. It’s a habit to think about the past, the future, what you have to do, to worry, to fear; remind yourself that this is your break from the normal mental routine. When any thoughts or feelings arise, just go back to watching your breath and feeling that sense of calmness.

It’s easiest to start with just a few minutes of practice and gradually increase the amount of time. Understand that some days may feel very peaceful and other days will feel like mental warfare. Over time as you build the habit it will get easier.

Moving Meditation

Moving meditation is practicing mindfulness while doing many activities. Many people use martial arts such as Tai Chi as a form of moving meditation, but you could practice mindfulness while driving, washing the dishes, doing yoga, dancing, or walking.

Here are some steps for practicing mindfulness while driving:

Turn off the radio, or turn on some calming music.
Start by taking a few deep breaths and let go of any tension in your body.
Practice being aware of all of the different components of driving without thinking about or feeling any emotions. Notice your grip on the steering wheel, the pressure you put on the brake and accelerator, and be aware of where you are on the road.
If any thoughts or feelings come up, just go back to focusing on the practice of driving. Don’t hurry, enjoy the present moment, and keep yourself in a relaxed and aware state.

Many mindfulness practitioners find it helpful to practice both seated and moving meditations. If you experience a lot of stress and anxiety throughout the day, you may find it difficult to slow your mind down at night. But if you had practiced some relaxation and mindfulness during the day, it will be easier to get into a state of calmness when you sit to practice meditation.

For more ways to practice mindfulness, visit the MARC website.

Neuroplasticity

The term “Neuronal plasticity” was first used in the early 1900s by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, a Spanish neuroscientist and pathologist. Neuroplasticity was first used by Polish neuroscientist Jerzy Konorski in 1948 to describe changes in the neuronal structures that make up our brains. An easy way to understand it is that certain activities can “rewire” your brain.

In an article published by the National Institutes of Health entitled “Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation,” researchers explain “Over the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours, the long-term practitioners had actually altered the structure and function of their brains.” Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and measured hemodynamic changes to study the brains of experienced meditators.

How Your Genes Respond to Meditation

Harvard University doctor Herbert Benson first coined the term “relaxation response” (RR). He was one of the early medical pioneers to write about the benefits of meditation, noting the relaxation response was recognized by decreased oxygen consumption, increased exhaled nitric oxide, and reduced psychological distress. He wrote about meditation reducing anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and he said it also leads to genetic changes. Benson, the author of The Relaxation Response and founder of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital, claims that the relaxation response is “Effective with virtually all diseases with a stress component.”

Dr. Benson explains further in a Washington Post article, “What we have found is that when you evoke the relaxation response, the very genes that are turned on or off by stress are turned the other way. The mind can actively turn on and turn off genes. The mind is not separated from the body.”

Another study published by the National Institutes of Health found that people subjects who meditated for 8 weeks had an increased change of expression of genes that control inflammation, circadian rhythms, and glucose metabolism.

Can Mediation Help you?

Meditation can be an effective way to help increase the amount of restful sleep you get every night. As with any skill it takes practice, so don’t expect amazing results right from the beginning. Start with just a couple minutes twice per day, and gradually add more time. If you find your mind wandering, you can reduce the time to get a more focused practice.

And don’t expect meditation to fix your sleep issues. You may be breaking some of the basic rules of getting good sleep. Learn the basics from top experts of good sleep hygiene to find out what you are doing that’s preventing you from getting to sleep, staying asleep, and/or waking up refreshed.

About the Author: Aaron Karns

Aaron Karns

Director of Communications | Startsleeping.org

Email: Aaron.C.Karns@gmail.com

24 Jun 2019
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Healthy Eating, Self-Care and You

If you are interested in maintaining your physical health without neglecting your mental health as you age, then self-care should be a critical aspect of your daily life. However, it can be difficult to know where to start. Changing your diet is one of the most effective changes you can make in your everyday routine that will prove to have a lasting impact, both in the immediate short-term and across the years and decades to come.

Here are some ways you can begin to change your eating habits, ideas for maintaining a healthy eating routine in the long run, and cooking ideas to keep it entertaining for yourself.

Start with small alterations to your existing habits

Changing your habits is all about making small alterations to your current schedule that eventually add up to an entirely new routine. While you may know that following a whole-food plant-based diet consisting of mostly vegetables is one of the best ways to ensure your overall health, it can be difficult to jump in without getting accustomed to your new habits. To begin, try swapping out one meal a day with healthier food. Be sure to use minimal amounts of sugar and salt, or none at all. As you get used to this routine, add another healthy meal, and so on until your entire routine is that much better for you.

Adjusting your portion sizes

The size of the portions you consume are almost as important as the quality of the food you consume. Many people in Western cultures are accustomed to almost comically large portions focused on providing good value for their money, where they have enough food to eat past feeling full.

As you begin your healthy eating journey, new portion sizes may seem small by comparison. Eating healthier, smaller portions will help you feel full for longer, without the uncomfortable, overindulged feelings that accompany eating too much. Although there are many ways to get started, you can easily take control of your portion sizes by signing up for a service that delivers fresh food to your home. Not only will you receive great food, but you also won’t have to find the time to take that trip to the local market after work.

Establish a culinary routine you will maintain

The specific time you eat your largest meal of the day doesn’t really matter, nor does the frequency at which you consume meals. While there is a small amount of evidence to suggest that several smaller meals throughout the day may be slightly better for your system than the traditional three square meals a day, what is far more important is that you establish a routine you are likely to maintain over a long period of time. Regularity, maintenance, and your own dedication to your diet are what will ultimately help you to become a healthier person.

Broaden your picture of self-care

Adjusting your eating habits can help you feel fitter, sleep better, and have an overall effect on your mood. But food is only one part of the self-care puzzle. It’s also important to have a healthy way to deal with stress. There is a strong correlation between chronic stress at work and substance abuse, so it’s crucial to find healthy coping mechanisms to deal with feelings of being overwhelmed.

Exercising is one of the best ways to battle stress, and it has been repeatedly shown to help as a natural mood booster. If pain or soreness contribute to a lack of exercise, look for ways to lessen the pain and reduce inflammation. For example, CBD is a great supplement to consider to help you get moving and recover more quickly from a workout, and research points to this being a solid option to reduce inflammation. If a workout session isn’t possible to squeeze in, whether due to your schedule or physical condition, a simple meditation routine can do wonders for your mood, and they’re easy to do at home. Simply set aside part of a room that doesn’t see a lot of foot traffic, clear it of electronics, add a mat and a few pieces of calming decor, and follow a guided practice. Even five or 10 minutes can give you a mental health boost.

Self-care is ultimately about finding a way to deal with the stresses of daily life. Healthy eating, used alongside exercise and a regular routine, can significantly help you feel physically and mentally better each day.

Author, Ascension Lifestyle Contributor:

Stephanie Haywood of mylifeboost.com.

Photo Credit: iStock

03 Jun 2019
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Why Nutritional Psychiatry is the Future of Mental Health Treatment

A lack of essential nutrients is known to contribute to the onset of poor mental health in people suffering from anxiety and depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and ADHD. Nutritional psychiatry is a growing discipline that focuses on the use of food and supplements to provide these essential nutrients as part of an integrated or alternative treatment for mental health disorders.

But nutritional approaches for these debilitating conditions are not widely accepted by mainstream medicine. Treatment options tend to be limited to official National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guidelineswhich recommend talking therapies and antidepressants.

Use of Antidepressants

Antidepressant use has more than doubled in recent years. In England 64.7m prescriptions were issued for antidepressants in 2016 at a cost of £266.6m. This is an increase of 3.7m on the number of items prescribed in 2015 and more than double than the 31m issued in 2006.

A recent Oxford University study found that antidepressants were more effective in treating depression than placebo. The study was led by Dr Andrea Cipriani who claimed that depression is under treated. Cipriani maintains that antidepressants are effective and a further 1m prescriptions should be issued to people in the UK.

This approach suggests that poor mental health caused by social conditions is viewed as easily treated by simply dispensing drugs. But antidepressants are shunned by people whom they could help because of the social stigma associated with mental ill-health which leads to discrimination and exclusion.

More worrying is the increase in the use of antidepressants by children and young people. In Scotland, 5,572 children under 18 were prescribed antidepressants for anxiety and depression in 2016. This figure has more than doubled since 2009/2010.

But according to British psychopharmacologist Professor David Healy, 29 clinical trials of antidepressant use in young people found no benefits at all. These trials revealed that instead of relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression, antidepressants caused children and young people to feel suicidal.

Healy also challenges their safety and effectiveness in adults. He believes that antidepressants are over-prescribed and that there is little evidence that they are safe for long-term use. Antidepressants are said to create dependency, have unpleasant side effects and cannot be relied upon to always relieve symptoms.

Nutrition and Poor Mental Health

In developed countries such as the UK people eat a greater variety of foodstuffs than ever before – but it doesn’t follow that they are well nourished. In fact, many people do not eat enough nutrients that are essential for good brain health, opting for a diet of heavily processed food containing artificial additives and sugar.

The link between poor mental health and nutritional deficiencies has long been recognised by nutritionists working in the complementary health sector. However, psychiatrists are only now becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of using nutritional approaches to mental health, calling for their peers to support and research this new field of treatment.

It is now known that many mental health conditions are caused by inflammation in the brain which ultimately causes our brain cells to die. This inflammatory response starts in our gut and is associated with a lack of nutrients from our food such as magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins and minerals that are all essential for the optimum functioning of our bodies.

Recent research has shown that food supplements such as zinc, magnesium, omega 3, and vitamins B and D3 can help improve people’s mood, relieve anxiety and depression and improve the mental capacity of people with Alzheimer’s.

Magnesium is one of most important minerals for optimal health, yet many people are lacking in it. One study found that a daily magnesium citrate supplement led to a significant improvement in depression and anxiety, regardless of age, gender or severity of depression. Improvement did not continue when the supplement was stopped.

Omega-3 fatty acids are another nutrient that is critical for the development and function of the central nervous system – and a lack has been associated with low mood, cognitive decline and poor comprehension.

The role of probiotics – the beneficial live bacteria in your digestive system – in improving mental health has also been explored by psychiatrists and nutritionists, who found that taking them daily was associated with a significant reduction in depression and anxiety. Vitamin B complex and zinc are other supplements found to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Hope for the Future?

These over-the-counter” supplements are widely available in supermarkets, chemists and online health food stores, although the cost and quality may vary. For people who have not responded to prescription drugs or who cannot tolerate the side effects, nutritional intervention can offer hope for the future.

There is currently much debate over the effectiveness of antidepressants. The use of food supplements offer an alternative approach that has the potential to make a significant difference to the mental health of all age groups.

The emerging scientific evidence suggests that there should be a bigger role for nutritional psychiatry in mental health within conventional health services. If the burden of mental ill health is to be reduced, GPs and psychiatrists need to be aware of the connection between food, inflammation and mental illness.

Medical education has traditionally excluded nutritional knowledge and its association with disease. This has led to a situation where very few doctors in the UK have a proper understanding of the importance of nutrition. Nutritional interventions are thought to have little evidence to support their use to prevent or maintain well-being and so are left to dietitians, rather than doctors, to advise on.

But as the evidence mounts up, it is time for medical education to take nutrition seriously so that GPs and psychiatrists of the future know as much about its role in good health as they do about anatomy and physiology. The state of our mental health could depend on it.

About the Author: Joyce Cavaye

Joyce Cavaye is a senior Lecturer in Health, Well-Being and Social Care at The Open University.

**This article was originally feature at The Conversation and is re-posted here under a creative commons license.

03 Jun 2019
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Your Cells Are Listening: How Talking To Your Body Can Help You Heal

Your Cells are Listening

Every part of your body has its own consciousness or its own soul.

These transformative words, spoken by indigenous medicine women, began my journey within to discover the extraordinary healing capacity of the human body.

When this perspective was introduced to me, I was suffering from a severe chronic pain disorder. I suddenly imagined incorporating this concept into my meditation routine.

I thought, can my body hear me… can I talk to it to gain its cooperation in healing this condition?

The Path to Freedom

That night, after reaching a state of deep calm through meditation, I inwardly engaged my body in a heartfelt conversation, with hope, but having no idea what to expect. After about one hour of this focused communication, something amazing happened.

My tissues began to respond. Connective tissue pulled and stretched apart layers of scar tissue. Nerves fired and my calf muscles began to perform flexion and extension exercises independently of my conscious control.

As this response continued, one of my calf muscles that had become paralyzed by the neuropathic condition — diagnosed as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy — came back to life as electric-like jolts shot through the area.

My heart pounded as I realized that the path to my freedom from this condition had finally begun.

Guidelines for Dynamic Healing

With a background in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, I knew too well how prevalent chronic pain is in this country and I wondered what the implications of this phenomenon could mean to so many others who were suffering.

As I continued to make progress with my condition, I organized my approach into a system that I could teach to clients and shifted my professional focus to hypnotherapy.

When instructing my clients, I explain that a regular meditation practice is necessary to train the brain to enter alpha and theta brain wave states. While in these states, communication between the conscious mind and the physical body is dramatically enhanced.

I have found that when communicating, there are three key steps to gaining the cooperation of the body:

Approach your body with genuine compassion, understanding that it is made up of conscious cells who experience emotions.
Build trust by engaging your body in mental conversations about your desire for the two of you to cooperate and overcome the ailment.
Allow changes in the conversation by using different thoughts and words that elicit spontaneous elevated emotions.

From my experience, the above guidelines are necessary to achieve dynamic healing responses in the body.

The Force of human Intention

I recently came across a very similar set of factors that were discovered by researcher Cleve Backster, who spent 36 years studying biocommunication in plant, animal and human cells. He referred to these factors as real intent, attunement, and spontaneity.

Backster, formerly an interrogation specialist for the CIA, wrote about the defining moment which led him to his real work in this world, in his book Primary Perception.

This moment occurred one February morning in 1966 when he decided to monitor the Dracaena plant in his lab utilizing polygraph equipment.

He attached the electrodes to a leaf and began to think about ways that he might induce a surge in electrical activity in the plant. In humans this surge in electrical activity is associated with intense emotions.

He suddenly imagined burning the electroded leaf. The same instant this idea entered his mind, the polygraph pen shot to the top of the chart showing an extreme reaction on the part of the plant.Amazed, he walked to his secretary’s desk to retrieve a set of matches while pondering the possibility that this plant was somehow detecting the force of human intention.

Can Plants become Attuned to their Primary Care Takers?

When he returned with the matches, the plant was still showing the same high level reaction which would interfere with tracking additional changes on the chart. Backster decided to “remove the threat” by returning the matches to the desk.

At this point, the chart displayed a downward trend as the plant apparently began to calm down. When Backster attempted to repeat the same results by pretending that he was going to burn the plant, there was no reaction. The plant seemed to sense the difference between real and artificial intent.

He eventually discovered that plants become attuned to their primary care takers, responding to both their positive and negative emotions and to their return after being away for a time. Chart findings also showed that plants prioritize the emotions of their primary care takers over the emotions of others nearby.

Signs of Consciousness

Backster later expanded his research to include testing human cells for signs of consciousness.

He collected white blood cells from human donors, electroded them in a test tube and then recorded the cells’ reactions as the donors experienced different emotional states. He found that spontaneous emotions were necessary in order to elicit an electrical reaction in the cells.

For instance, if a donor forced herself to feel an emotion, the cells would not respond. However, when she received a distressing phone call from her daughter, the cells reacted significantly.

He noted that distance seemed to be irrelevant in these experiments. For example, a donor left his electroded cells behind in the lab, then kept a detailed log of any stressful emotions experienced on his trip home to another state, such as missing a turn on the freeway, standing in a long line at the airport, and the take-off of his plane.

Later, his logged incidents compared with the chart recording showed strong correlations between the timing of the stressful events and the electrical reactions in his cells. The chart became quiet again when he arrived home and went to sleep.

Raw Creative Healing Ability

These experiments were conducted while using equipment that screened out electromagnetic radiation — the usual energies used for information transmission. The cells behaved as if the screens weren’t there, suggesting that this communication is carried by a field still unidentified by conventional science.

Some scientists believe that the further development of quantum physics may help guide us to understand this field that communicates emotional intent between living things. Quantum Entanglement is a process where two particles of matter which have interacted with each other, still behave as if they are connected after being separated by many miles.

When an energetic change is made to the properties (position, momentum and rotational spin) of one of the particles, the properties of the other distant particle will change at the same instant.

This scientific phenomenon and the research of Cleve Backster, point to the Eastern concept of oneness — the view that all of nature is interdependent. Ancient cultures understood this interconnection as a living universal energy field that sustains life while guiding the evolution of consciousness throughout the universe.

The meditation techniques involved in my practice bring the mind into attunement with this field. Energy from this field is then focused into a physical healing event through clear intention — delivered by means of a conversation that evokes spontaneous emotions — and attunes the physical body to the conscious mind.

This method which I call Antara (Sanskrit for within), enables one to experience the raw creative healing ability generated by an alliance of the mind and body with this living universal energy field.

Source: antarahealingarts

23 Jan 2019
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2019 and the Law of Attraction

The year 2018 passed in a blur, and to be honest, I’m glad it’s over. I had many awesome experiences. And I was “sufficiently challenged”, as my friend Evy likes to put it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. We grow from challenges and become clearer about what we want and what we don’t want. Then all we need is focus and mindfulness to move forward. The much-cited Law of Attraction is rather simple: whatever you focus your attention on will get bigger in your experience. Happy or sad, pleasant or unpleasant, wanted or unwanted, the thoughts in your mind attract more of the same. So as we begin another journey around the sun with new — or repeated — resolutions, how do we focus our energy on what we desire, rather than on the things that make life unpleasant?

We are genetically predisposed to our mind’s negativity bias. For the evolution of our species it was beneficial to remember foremost the painful, damaging experiences. As a caveman, once you got burned by fire, you did not forget the experience. You were more careful around fire and avoided more physical damage. This is why we remember negative experiences better than the good stuff.

However, if cavemen avoided fire altogether after being burned, they would have frozen to death in a Northern winter. So while one part of the mind rings the alarm at the sight of fire, another says: “This is good, nice and warm.” Both aspects are right. Both deserve attention, and optimally they modify each other to create safe, prudent behavior. In an extremely oversimplified nutshell, this is mindfulness: paying non-judgmental attention to the different, often contradictory parts of your being. On the basis of such awareness and acceptance you can learn to navigate life with your personal inner GPS.

In her brilliant book “Loving What Is”, Byron Katie asks four questions regarding any thought that causes distress:

1. Is it true?

2. Can I know with absolute certainty that this is true?

3. How do I feel when I think this thought?

4. Who would I be in this moment without this thought?

“How do I feel when I think this thought?” is really important if I want to attract more positive experiences in my life. In many situations I am not able to immediately change the external circumstances. But if I don’t like how I feel under these circumstances, I can examine the story I am telling myself about the situation and determine if I get some satisfaction from my story. Am I the victim? Do I benefit from feeling like a victim? If it makes me more angry, what is the benefit?

Short bursts of anger are energizing, invigorating. They call us to action and help us survive dangerous situations. Anger is a necessary progression when we claw our way out of depression. Anger may arise as a signal that someone has crossed my boundaries. In that case, feeling my anger and acting appropriately helps me to reaffirm boundaries for my safety and comfort. That is satisfying and beneficial. However, if I am still angry about a transgression of my boundaries 5 hours or 50 years after the fact, the anger serves only this purpose: to raise my blood pressure and make life unpleasant. Why would I do that? Habit. I have repeated an angry thought pattern so many times, it has formed an 8 lane freeway in my brain. Once I’ve headed up the on-ramp, I am cruising.

In my childhood, people frequently transgressed my boundaries, and I was helpless to do anything about it. Expressing my anger had very unpleasant consequences, so I did not repeat the expression more than a few times. Therefore, anger did not lead to the satisfying resolution of reestablished boundaries, and it remained stuffed away, building and growing, attracting more of the same. Eventually my anger turned against me, because it had nowhere else to go. This caused dis-ease, and I got sick. I know I am not the only one with such an experience.

With a habit of thinking angry thoughts, it is very easy to find things to be angry about. The world is full of injustice, atrocities and sheer stupidity to get upset over. People LIKE being upset over such things. The Evening News proves that. TV stations need to sell ads, and bad news attracts more viewers than happy news. If our focus is on things that make us angry, the world will deliver plenty of justifications to be angry. That is the Law of Attraction.

However, it works the other way around, as well. When we come to the conclusion that we would like to feel better, physically and emotionally, we can turn off the TV and look around our neighborhood for evidence of goodness. There is plenty of evidence in our daily lives that kindness exists, and that it is natural to the human condition. Find kindness in yourself, and you will find it reflected in your environment. When I walk through town looking into people’s eyes with a smile and the intention to lift someone’s spirit, I am met with smiles in return. Not by everyone. Some people are just too caught up in their struggles with life, and they don’t notice me smiling at them. That’s okay. Smiling makes ME happier. It puts a bounce in MY step. And then good things can happen.

When I am feeling joyful and expanded, I am in greater alignment with the Goodness of Life, and it will present itself as delightful synchronicities. I end up in the right place at the right time. I meet a person with the solution to my problem just when I need it. I have an inspired thought and act on it, causing a cascade of beneficial effects for everyone involved. The right words come to me at the right moment. I need a little extra cash, and someone tips me for my services. I am in the zone and things are flowing.

How do I get into the zone when I am not? When I am on my mental freeway of anger, resentment or depression, how do I find an exit ramp? Fast, busy traffic may carry me miles down the road, and it takes a lot of backtracking to get to where I really want to go, which is to feel good. It is much easier to recognize the on-ramp to my anger freeway as I am approaching it and not take it, but that takes mindful practice. Sometimes I succeed, often I don’t.

Intentional distraction from my familiar thought patterns provides a diversion for me. I turn my mind to something totally unrelated that makes me feel better. Playing sudoku or a card game on my phone. Intensely listening to good music. Reading a good book or watching a movie. Taking a bath and being aware of my bodily sensations. Recalling things I find most pleasing, like memories of beautiful places I have been to, people and activities I really like. I hug trees and play with my dog or snuggle with the cat. I go for a ride. I meditate. Focus on my work. Do something nice for someone else. I go through my practice of gratitude. We all have much to be grateful for, starting with a roof over our heads, food on the table, and the ability to get out of bed most mornings. I can be grateful for my toothbrush and indoor plumbing. For the elevator in my office building when my hip is aching. For not getting hurt myself when I drove into a deer on Christmas eve.

Finding a silver lining in the clouds makes them dissipate. Above the clouds, the sun or stars are always shining. The essence of my being is the sky, not the weather. This too shall pass. All manifestations are impermanent. My soul always experiences contrast; what else is an eternal creator being supposed to do? There is nothing wrong with where I am at in this moment. I am simply having an experience. All these thoughts and mantras are exit ramps for me. Find or make up your own. Affirmations only work when they actually ring true to you.

If I can hold a positive feeling in my mind for just a minute or so, and if I can intentionally relax the muscles of my face, neck and shoulders and take a few deep breaths, I have found an exit ramp. Getting into the zone usually takes a little longer. Practice is good. It actually does not make perfect, because there is no such thing as “perfect” in a world that is constantly evolving. We are always in the process of becoming something else, new and different. Do your best to relax into that thought, and smile. At the end of an upper level CranioSacral Therapy class a student said to me with astonishment:

“You know, it feels GOOD to feel good!”

In 2019, give yourself permission to embrace feeling GOOD as a mindfulness practice even for just a few minutes per day. Over time you will pave a new freeway of positive thought habits, which will take you to the zone quickly and easily. May the New Year bring you many genuine smiles!

About the Author: Ascension Lifestyle Contributor Shana Dieterle

Shana Dieterle, PT, CST, is a CranioSacral Therapist practicing in Missoula, MT. She has trained with the Upledger Institute International and is presently working on her Diplomate certification. It is her pleasure to explore the amazing health benefits of light touch therapy to optimize brain function and self-healing.

For further information and contact information, go to www.ShanasHeartofHealing.com

24 Oct 2018
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Becoming Homeopathic: You Are Your Own Medicine

Just as our planet contains all of the resources we need to create and heal — awaiting only our discovery and ingenuity — we contain the ability to self-heal on an intrinsic level. This was brought home to me one day when, in the midst of a strong (and highly unusual for me) allergic reaction, I was looking for a homeopathic remedy.

To my great astonishment and amusement, one of the chief ingredients in the remedy I selected was ignatia amara. I picked another remedy off the shelf, and discovered ignatia amara listed there as well.

In fact, when I did an online search of the remedy, it seemed to describe my very nature to a “T”: “Women of sensitive nature, mild disposition, quick to perceive, rapid in execution. Rapid change of mental and physical condition, opposite to each other.” The website also stated a supreme aversion to coffee — and I can’t stand the smell of brewing coffee!

The Heart of Healing

I smiled in wonder at all this: I am my own antidote. The feeling was immensely empowering. We each, all, contain the answer to whatever toxin that’s currently affecting us, whether physical or mental, personal or global. We need not use a canon when a kiss will suffice: becoming homeopathic is about recognizing, and choosing to use, the smallest possible “dose” to activate healing.

This is how we begin crafting the new global community we’ve been inching towards for decades. It’s a spiritual emergence-y (emerge and see), as we emerge from the cocoon of complacency, the old paradigm, into a courageous new world. Courageous, from the French, means “heart”.

Now it’s about choice: how quickly and collectively we will segue from the old reptilian, limbic brain (the same impulse that drives materialism, separation, self-interest, and misuse of power) into the higher realms of consciousness, where love, wisdom and power are synthesized into service.

It’s a quantum yet infinitesimally subtle shift: from scared to sacred, density to destiny, toxic to tonic, reactive to creative. Homeopathy operates on the principle of “like cures like”, and the minusculedose: the more dilute the dosage, the more powerful the remedy. It’s the exact opposite of what you might expect to effect a healing. Not a canon, a kiss.

I invite you to become homeopathic. Discover and embrace your inner healing/wholeness that has always been there, and decide to make the subtle shift that brings you back to balance.

As for me, I’m going to live ever more deeply into my own name. Blessings!

About the author:

Amara Rose is a metaphysical “midwife” for our global rebirth. A former personal health columnist for Nation’s Business magazine, she’s written for numerous other publications, both digital and print. Subscribe to Amara’s resource-rich monthly newsletter. You can connect with her on social media at Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

24 Sep 2018
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The Benefits of Yoga and Meditation For Seniors: How to Get Started

Yoga and meditation have long been known for their beneficial properties, including reducing stress and anxiety and helping to build muscle strength and balance. They are two of the best activities for people of any age who want to focus on both their mental and physical health, and when done properly, they are excellent ways to stay active even with a health or mobility issue. For seniors, yoga can be done just about anywhere and can be incorporated into daily routines.

Getting started with a new regimen can be difficult for many seniors, however; not only are there often safety precautions involved, but it can also be hard to start a new routine and stay motivated, especially if you have existing health issues. You may be worried about maintaining your balance or hurting yourself in the process. With some careful planning and a little help, you can create a workout regimen that will keep you safe and healthy.

Keep reading to find out how to get started.

Learn the Benefits of Stretching

Stretching can be extremely beneficial when it’s done correctly; not only can it help ease tension, pain, and stiffness, but it can also help reduce stress and allow you to slowly relax. If you experience chronic pain or have arthritis or joint issues, stretching can help you find relief. Just make sure you move through the poses slowly, and always stop immediately if you feel pain. Yoga incorporates lots of stretches into each pose, but they should never hurt.

You Can Do It Just About Anywhere

Yoga has many benefits, but one of the best is that it can be done just about anywhere, at any time. If you’re sitting at a desk for a long period of time and need to stretch your muscles, lay out your yoga mat and do some quick, simple poses to feel better. If you need to alter the poses to fit your needs — seniors with mobility issues can practice yoga in the water or with a chair, for instance — you can do it easily without sacrificing any of the benefits.

Get a Mental Health Boost

Yoga and meditation go hand-in-hand because they focus on mindfulness, which is the art of looking inward to narrow your vision down to the present moment rather than worrying about the past or future. This, combined with breathing exercises and poses, can help you tear down any stress or anxiety you’re feeling for a mental health boost that will stick with you all day. It’s also a great way to practice coping with difficult emotions in the moment.

Know Where to Begin

It’s imperative that you know your limitations and abilities when it comes to your workout routine. In many cases, yoga looks much easier than it actually is, so you’ll want to start slowly and gently. If you haven’t had a workout routine in a long time or have lost muscle mass, it’s important to take it easy on your body at first to avoid injury. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about the best ways to begin.

Yoga can be hugely beneficial to people of all ages; it’s simply important to understand the proper ways to use your body to make the most of your workout. Talk to a healthcare professional before beginning any new routine, and give yourself plenty of breaks in the beginning. With some care and attention to your own safety, you can create an exercise plan that works for your specific needs.

About the Author: Ascension Lifestyle Contributor Julie Morris

Ms. Morris is a life and career coach who strives to help others live the best lives that they can. She believes she can relate to clients who feel run over by life because of her own experiences. She spent years in an unfulfilling career in finance before deciding to help people in other ways.

13 Sep 2018
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Everyday Routines That Let You Connect with Nature

The majority of people from all over the globe live extremely fast these days, being torn between their jobs and their families, unable to achieve a perfect balance and harmony between the two. Connecting with nature and spending some time outdoors can actually help with it, so keep on reading to find out more about everyday routines that help you make that happen. Check them out and enjoy!

Eat fresh foods grown in your garden

One of the best ways to connect with nature and respect Mother Earth is to eat as clean as possible, which means that you should incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. It gets even better if you have enough space in your backyard to come up with your own mini-garden where you can grow organic produce all by yourself. Apart from saving a lot of money in the long run, it’s also friendly towards your environment as organic bio-farming methods exclude all kinds of chemicals and toxic substances that may be extremely hazardous. So, get your gardening tools and take care of your own garden that will both help you connect with nature and establish healthy eating habits. It doesn’t get better than that!

Go for a bike ride every morning

Everyone knows that physical activity is of the utmost importance for all human beings, and cycling is surely one of the most beneficial workouts you can go for. Even though it can’t be described as a typical workout in the gym, it indeed has a lot of amazing health benefits that mustn’t be neglected. Apart from building the muscle in the lower part of your body, riding a bike can also promote weight loss by burning between 400 and 1000 calories per hour – depending on the intensity and the rider’s weight. Of course, it also promotes your lung health as exercising outdoors means breathing fresh air that positively affects your lungs and overall well-being. If you’re up for that, just hop on your bike and spend at least one hour cycling. Time spent in nature will improve both your physical and mental health – don’t forget that.

The ultimate surfing experience for all nature lovers out there

On the other hand, if you love intense outdoor workouts that will get your blood rushing through your veins, you should definitely give surfing a try. Yes, we agree that it isn’t really the easiest sport to learn, as it takes a lot of time, effort, and perseverance, but the truth is that once you master it, you’ll realize that the rewards are truly huge.

First of all, it will contribute to the sense of self-gratification, as you’ll prove yourself that you can achieve anything you imagine. Besides that, it’ll also improve your physical health by strengthening the muscles, improving balance, and increasing flexibility. Do we have to mention the feeling of power and invincibility you’ll experience while riding the ocean waves? Both the experienced surfers and the beginners at this activity agree that this is the best thing about surfing, so be sure to check out a cool surf shop online where you can find literally anything you need to master this sport. When that’s done, you’ll see how quickly you’ll be able to connect with nature and feel its magic!

You won’t make a mistake with yoga either

Everyone’s raving about yoga these days, and the reasons for that are more than good. First of all, this ancient Hindu practice is said to be one of the best activities that relieve stress and anxiety and help you keep your mind and feelings under control. It is essential nowadays, when people are too busy running around, having almost no time just for themselves and their needs. This is exactly when an intense burnout is highly likely to happen, so be sure to avoid that and do something good for yourself.

Apart from perfecting your posture, improving your heart health, and promoting flexibility, yoga will also help you achieve a peaceful state of mind and let go of all your worries – at least for an hour a day. All you have to do is to take your yoga mat, find a secluded place in your backyard or a nearby park, and practice your favorite asanas. As simple as that!

As you can see, connecting with nature on a daily basis is much easier than you think. Aside from embracing healthy eating habits and growing your own organic produce, you should start exercising outdoors in order to experience the real power of nature at its finest. Just give it a fair shot and you’ll see an instant improvement!

13 Sep 2018
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Cellular Healing of Inherited Trauma

Our life experiences may be passed on to our children and our children’s children through our genes. The open question is, can we make a difference? Will healing our own traumas prevent them being delivered at the baby carriage of our grandchildren? Scientists are now revealing that they have discovered how this genetic inheritance can be turned on or off. The good news: healing personal trauma will make a huge difference to future generations.

According to epigenetics — the study of inheritable changes in gene expression not directly coded in our DNA — our life experiences may be passed on to our children and our children’s children. Studies on survivors of traumatic events have suggested that exposure to stress may indeed have lasting effects on subsequent generations. But how exactly are these genetic “memories” passed on?

A new Tel Aviv University study pinpoints the precise mechanism that turns the inheritance of environmental influences “on” and “off.” The research, published last week in Cell and led by Dr. Oded Rechavi and his group from TAU’s Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, reveals the rules that dictate which epigenetic responses will be inherited, and for how long.

“Until now, it has been assumed that a passive dilution or decay governs the inheritance of epigenetic responses,” Dr. Rechavi said. “But we showed that there is an active process that regulates epigenetic inheritance down through generations.”

Passing stress from one generation to the next

Researchers have been preoccupied with how the effects of stress, trauma, and other environmental exposures are passed from one generation to the next for years. Small RNA molecules — short sequences of RNA that regulate the expression of genes — are among the key factors involved in mediating this kind of inheritance. Dr. Rechavi and his team had previously identified a “small RNA inheritance” mechanism through which RNA molecules produced a response to the needs of specific cells and how they were regulated between generations.

“We previously showed that worms inherited small RNAs following the starvation and viral infections of their parents. These small RNAs helped prepare their offspring for similar hardships,” Dr. Rechavi said. “We also identified a mechanism that amplified heritable small RNAs across generations, so the response was not diluted. We found that enzymes called RdRPs are required for re-creating new small RNAs to keep the response going in subsequent generations.”

Most inheritable epigenetic responses in C.elegans worms were found to persist for only a few generations. This created the assumption that epigenetic effects simply “petered out” over time, through a process of dilution or decay.

“But this assumption ignored the possibility that this process doesn’t simply die out but is regulated instead,” said Dr. Rechavi, who in this study treated C.elegans worms with small RNAs that target the GFP (green fluorescent protein), a reporter gene commonly used in experiments. “By following heritable small RNAs that regulated GFP — that ‘silenced’ its expression — we revealed an active, tuneable inheritance mechanism that can be turned ‘on’ or ‘off.’”

The scientists discovered that specific genes, which they named “MOTEK” (Modified Transgenerational Epigenetic Kinetics), were involved in turning on and off epigenetic transmissions.

“We discovered how to manipulate the transgenerational duration of epigenetic inheritance in worms by switching ‘on’ and ‘off’ the small RNAs that worms use to regulate genes,” said Dr. Rechavi. “These switches are controlled by a feedback interaction between gene-regulating small RNAs, which are inheritable, and the MOTEK genes that are required to produce and transmit these small RNAs across generations.

“The feedback determines whether epigenetic memory will continue to the progeny or not, and how long each epigenetic response will last.”

A comprehensive theory of heredity?

Although their research was conducted on worms, the team believes that understanding the principles that control the inheritance of epigenetic information is crucial for constructing a comprehensive theory of heredity for all organisms, humans included.

“We are now planning to study the MOTEK genes to know exactly how these genes affect the duration of epigenetic effects,” said Leah Houri-Zeevi, a PhD student in Dr. Rechavi’s lab and first author of the paper. “Moreover, we are planning to examine whether similar mechanisms exist in humans.”

Source

About the Author: Georgi Johnson

You can find the original article here https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/how-cells-undo-the-legacy-of-trans-generational-trauma

More work by Georgi Johnson here: https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/author/georgi

07 Sep 2018
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Mind De-Clutter: 7 Things to Stop Telling Yourself

Living as a woman in the 21^st century can at times feel like a blessing, while at other times it seems to be getting increasingly difficult. We as women seem to have made a pact with society, and keep imposing impossible goals and standards on ourselves: and we just have to be perfect in every possible way. At home, at work, in the kitchen, with our group of friends, in our relationships: there is just no letting up.

Having in mind the fact that all of these standards are a road to self-doubt, and that self-doubt resides firmly in the mind, here are seven things to stop telling yourself, which will help you shed some of that stress that has been mercilessly piling on for years.

You’re Too Old

We all get told we’re too old at some point in our day. Wrinkle creams, skin softening screams, makeovers that will take years off; you name it, we have to hear of it. The secret here is not to listen to what society tells you to do, instead listen to the voice inside.

You’re a strong beautiful woman who will age, just as everyone will; especially the models in those TV ads! If something is bothering you, then by all means find a a spa treatment that will keep it at bay or help reverse it. The signs of ageing are something we’re all aware of, and they are something that it’s fine to want to do something about, but only if it’s because that’s what you want to do.

Don’t be taken in by airbrushed photos of women who look 25 claiming to be 45 — the real world just isn’t like that. Celebrate how your face and figure will change as you age and you’ll find that you’re so much happier!

You’re Too Young

This is the other one we have to hear about. When we’re young, we’re told to dress older, when we’re old, we’re told that looking younger is the be all and end all. There’s no truth in this, and really, you only have to do what makes you happy.

You won’t suddenly find Mister Right if you do exactly what the world tells you to do, you’ll only attract people who are superficial and focused on appearances. If you want to be able to look a bit older because deep down you know it will make you happy, then go for it. If you want to dress up or wear vintage clothes because you feel like you want to break into a new style, then go for that.

Just don’t feel like you have to. Nothing good ever comes from being pushed by a crowd of people to do something that isn’t really you.

Your Hair Could Look so Much Better

Turn on the TV and within 15 minutes an ad will pop up, so that you can hear about how bad your hair is, and how parting with your money will fix it instantly. Nobody likes to hear this, and to be honest, so much of it is said purely to try and sell you products that will quickly eat up your monthly pay packet.

Whilst you may feel like you’re doing the right thing by paying for them, you’ll soon see that there are so many other products you ‘need’. The problem with this is that it’s a never ending cycle that will have you spending more and more as you go in search of a perfection that you’ll never find.

By all means, treat yourself to a bit of a pampering session every now and again if you’re that way inclined, but don’t feel that you have to listen to every ad you hear. Sometimes it’s enough to just tie your hair up and sit back and enjoy some TV!

You Don’t Look Like an Instagram Model

Social media has a lot to answer for when it comes to images. Instagram is full of airbrushed photos where people with amazing physiques make us feel that we need to spend 10 hours a day in the gym. Whilst it’s great for these few people that have got themselves looking a way they’re delighted with, it doesn’t do us any favours when it comes to body image issues.

If you want to look and feel better, then by all means, hit the gym. Share the odd selfie if you’re proud of what you’ve achieved. But don’t feel like you have to kill yourself on the treadmill purely because you don’t look like the Instagram models. They don’t look like that, either.

You need to be on a Better Diet

You’ve probably lost count of how many different types of diets you’ve tried, and you’ll have no doubt heard about dozens more that you never got round to trying. If you want to be able to feel better and have more energy, then to be honest, a simple balanced diet is probably all you’ll need.

See how you get on with a back-to-basics approach, and if you want to take things to the next level, you will have laid the groundwork, and know it’s the right thing to do. But do it because it’s the right thing for you.

You Need a ‘Woman’s Job’

So many of us hear that you have to do certain types of jobs and skip past dozens of others when you’re thinking about applying. No matter what you do, it shouldn’t change how you view yourself. It doesn’t make you any less feminine if you want to work in a garage or for an engineering firm, etc.

You should free your mind of this kind of clutter and you’ll find you’re so much happier for it. There’s no reason you can’t do what you put your mind to, so just make sure you don’t let stereotypes stand in your way.

It’s Okay to Grin and Bear Mansplaining

Mansplaining is super annoying and it’s far more prevalent than you’d think. If you want to be able to get your point across, power through. If you want to cut someone off for talking down to you, just do it.

People may think you’re being a typical ‘bossy woman’, but free yourself from this type of stuff and you’ll be all the more happy for it. Just be you, and the world will be a better place for it!

About the Author: Ascension Lifestyle Contributor, Rebecca Brown

rebecca.dorothy.brown@gmail.com

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