Sugar Lovers Beware

It would be fair to assume that almost everyone on the planet loves sugar and sweet foods. Processed sugar is in many products and is a key ingredient for baking. It seems that everyone has a sweet tooth for some sugar food in one way or another. Most people know to limit their intake of processed sugar, however, what most people don’t know is that sugar is one of the worst ingredients to put into your body. The chemical reaction of sugar in the body acts as a poison. Studies show that sugar has drug like effects in the body.

Processed sugar has many harmful effects throughout the body and can cause major imbalances in the organ systems. You could say that sugar tends to throw off the homeostatic balance of the whole body by increasing the production of adrenaline by many times. In essence, sugar stimulates the nervous system by inducing a flight or fight response.

This is obviously not a healthy process. This intense reaction of the body increases the production of cortisone, which suppresses immune function and can lead to other health disorders.

The daily intake of sugar leads to many other imbalances and malfunctioning of the bodily processes. High sugar consumption leads to an overly acidic body and in turn will cause the body to strip nutrients from its reserves to counterbalance this effect. This can eventually cause the body to take calcium from the bones and teeth since calcium is the primary mineral used to neutralize high acid in the cells. Osteoporosis and arthritic conditions can result from this continued process.

Sugar and its Link to Weight Gain

Excess sugar consumption will eventually effect every organ in the body. Primarily, sugar is stored in the liver as glucose. Since the liver’s capacity to store sugar in this form is limited, the liver will start to expand almost like a balloon with continued daily sugar intake. When the livers’ capacity has been filled, the excess glycogen (glucose) is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids (fat). The fatty acid compounds are then taken to various parts of the body and are stored as fat deposits in the buttocks, belly, breasts and hips since these are the most inactive body parts.

The consumption of excess processed (refined) carbohydrates has the same effect on the body. Eating foods with refined white flours and other enriched products can cause the same physiological effects. Consuming excess pasta, rice, chips, pretzels, and other high processed carbohydrates can lead to fat deposits on the body.

Many people do not understand how eating excess pasta or rice can cause weight gain since these foods has very minute quantities of fat and calories in them. The secret is…it is not that important how much fat or calories a food has. The real key is what biological effect does a food have in the body.

When the inactive body parts have become filled with fat then eventually the excess fatty acid deposits will become stored around major organ systems such as the heart and kidneys. This leads to the degeneration of these organs and in turn will cause poor health. This can result in poor immune response, poor circulation, high blood pressure, and can even impact brain functioning.

A False Energy High

Too much sugar intake gives one a false sense of energy. When you eat a sweet food, your energy will go up, however, it only feels that your energy is going up. In fact, this false energy is really your body being stimulated via the flight or fight response that I spoke of earlier. After this reaction has worn off, your energy levels will come crashing down as most people experience every day after they have eaten a high sugar food.

Most children that have ADD can completely heal themselves just by eliminating processed sugars in their diets. Children eat way too many processed sugars. The behaviors and bodily responses that these children feel are the flight or fight responses of their nervous systems. All forms of processed sugars such as nutra sweet, cane juice, corn syrup, brown sugar, splenda, powdered sugar and others have the same effect on the body. The chemical structures of these compounds are very harmful to the body and should not be consumed on a frequent basis.

Fruit sugars are very healthy for you. The monosaccharides (simple sugars) in these natural foods are in a structure that are beneficial to your cells. Fruit sugar has a much different effect on your body than does processed sugar. Fruit sugars nourish and energize the body naturally. This is true energy as compared to the false energy one gets from processed sugars. Your cells require the simple sugars in fruits consistently since they serve to fuel the body with the best substances. Make sure you consistently eat many fruits a day. I would recommend eating 4 to 5 pieces of different fruits a day for better health.

The True Bitterness of nutra sweet & sucralose (splenda tm)

What you are about to discover is information that has been known for quite some time by various health organizations. Please take this information seriously because there are agendas in place to hide this truth and to use it against you.

Aspartame (nutra sweet) is actually worse to consume than sugar. This technical name includes the following brands of sweeteners- (equal, nutra sweet, spoonful and equal measure).

Be advised that these compounds are very powerful and can cause severe biological effects in your body. To say that they are toxic is an understatement. The manufacturer of these compounds knows of the dangers in consuming regular amounts of aspartame substances. As I have already said there is an agenda for putting these compounds into various products.

If you want to know the true agenda then research it for yourself. I am not one who attempts to prove anything to anyone. I challenge you to do your own research and see if you can prove what I am saying wrong. In trying to prove me wrong, you will prove me right.

The Breakdown of Aspartame

Aspartame is a volatile substance, meaning that it breaks down very readily under normal storing conditions. Primarily, all aspartame compounds break down into methanol (alcohol), which is a known neurotoxin. The methanol in time then will break down into formaldehyde that is a highly reactive chemical that is damaging to the cells and genetics of the body.

This process can cause a number of neurodegenerative diseases such as alzheimers, lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), and parkinson’s disease. The methyl alcohol that forms from aspartame is thousands of times more potent than the alcohol found in a normal alcoholic beverage.

Reactions to aspartame products include the following: headaches, nausea, depression, fatigue, heart palpitations, slurred speech, breathing difficulties, memory loss, seizures and even death. Consuming high amounts of aspartame can also increase your cravings for carbohydrates. I explained earlier that consuming high amounts of empty carbohydrates (refined flours, pasta, rice, chips) will lead to weight gain.

Primarily, the effects of aspartame chemicals in the body seem to alter key hormones thus creating imbalances in neurotransmitters and blocking other hormone precursors.

So, why haven’t you heard about these dangers before now? Let’s see…the diet industry is a trillion dollar market to many organizations. Obviously, they don’t want this secret information to get out to public ears if you know what I mean.

Aspartame & Children

Children love to consume sweets on a daily basis. Many of the food products that these children are consuming have aspartame sweeteners in them. I would advise all parents to get their kids off of aspartame food items. These foods are not healthy for them. There are plenty of healthy alternatives for any of the items that they enjoy.

Email me and I will give you loads of information. Many kids are diagnosed with ADD and other mood disorders. Many of these conditions are being classified as hyper, behavioral problems and others when in fact these children are being affected by the foods they eat. Look at a normal child’s food intake for an average day and you will find that they eat way too much sugar and items with aspartame compounds and other chemicals in them.

This daily consumption of these sweeteners has a harmful effect on their nervous system and therefore becomes expressed as mood disorders and behavioral problems. Take these kids off sugar and these sweeteners and watch them improve.

Pregnant Mothers & Aspartame

If you or anyone you know is pregnant then I would say just stay away from these dangerous sweeteners forever. Make sure you read labels and make it a conscious intent to have the whole family keep clean of these products. It will help your whole family out I assure you.

If you are pregnant and consume aspartame foods you will only be hurting the development of the child. Doing so can cause neurological imbalances and other cellular damage. You are also hurting yourself. It is not worth the price just to have your diet soda. Please educate yourself more on this topic for it can save your health and the baby’s health.

Products to Stay Away From

If you drink diet soda then are you most likely consuming aspartame. Most diet sodas and many other beverages are sweetened with one of the aspartame sugar substitutes. STAY AWAY FROM ALL PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN THE VARIOUS FORMS OF ASPARTAME! These include aspartame, nutra sweet, splenda, spoonful, equal. Read your labels and throw away all items that have these compounds in them. Take responsibility for your diet. If you choose to continue to consume aspartame after reading this chapter well then you are the one to pay the consequences.

What Will I Use To Sweeten My Drinks & My Food

Relax! I know you enjoy sugar and do not want to give up great tasting foods and beverages. You don’t have to. There are some great natural sugar alternatives that I feel taste better than sugar and the other toxic substances mentioned earlier.

To sweeten your drinks you can use Stevia. Stevia is a natural herb that is actually hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar. It has no fat, carbohydrates or calories and is perfectly suitable for people with diabetes, low carb diets and people with candida and other parasitic conditions. Stevia does not cause spikes in blood sugar and has a nourishing effect on the body. It has been used for centuries among various cultures.

You can get stevia at any health food store in the dietary supplement section. There are 2 products: 1 is a liquid concentrate- I recommend this for sweetening beverages like teas and shakes. The other is a ground up version and is in powder form. I recommend this for foods like cereal or oatmeal.

Agave syrup is an awesome food product. You will love this sweetener guaranteed. It is a compound similar to honey only that it comes from a cactus plant in the desert. I believe that it tastes better than honey and can used on pancakes, cookies and to sweeten baked goods. Try it and see! You can find this at most health food stores. If they don’t have it then ask them to carry it.

Rice syrup is also a good sugar alternative. It can be used in various ways and has a pleasant taste.

Date Paste is very sweet and can be added to baked goods and pancakes, waffles and cookies.

Fruit Juice Concentrates can be used to sweeten baked foods as well.

Barley Malt Syrup is another great alternative.

Honey – old time favorite for many, can be used also in various ways from sweetening drinks to sweetening baked goods. Use only organic varieties.

I would say to just buy some of these sweeteners and see which ones you like. They are all healthy to consume on a daily basis and you will feel the difference. You will not miss regular sugar believe me. Your body will thank you I assure by eating natural sugars. If you want some recipes on how to use these sweeteners then let me know via email.

The Truth About Sweet-N-Low

There have many reports that state Sweet-N-Low can be carcinogenic when used frequently. I remember when I was a child I heard that this can be a harmful compound to the body. The truth of the matter is that Sweet-N-Low is not harmful to your body. The chemical structure of this substance does not have any damaging effects to your cells as do the sugar substitutes mentioned earlier.

I stated previously that the important thing of any compound is the chemical structure and its biological effects once in the body. Sweet-N-Low has no negative effects once in the body. It is actually a good substitute for sugar.

So there you have it. You now know the truth about sugar and sugar substitutes. Please use this information immediately.

You Must Learn To See Through The Veils of Illusion To Get at the Truth !

Rino is a Holistic Wellness Consultant & Health Coach. He specializes in helping people with chronic fatigue syndrome to restore their health. Rino had chronic fatigue syndrome for over 4 years and healed himself through self empowerment and natural healing modalities.

Rino's mission is to educate & empower people on how to create and maintain optimum health for their entire lives.

Rino Soriano - "The Chronic Fatigue Buster" http://www.holistichealthexpert.com

Educating & Empowering People For Optimum Health

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Healthy Eating Tips for Healthy Living

Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life. American’s are living longer, however, the goal of many is not to simply live longer, the goal it is to live a longer and healthier life. Simple everyday fruit can help.

Recent studies have indicated that the antioxidants in fruit provide a whole host of health benefits: the anti-aging power of blueberries and the joint pain relieving properties found in cherries to name a few.

The multitudes of health components found in fruit are truly a gift from Mother Nature. Here are a few everyday fruits for healthy living in 2005:

Cherries – The Supercharged Fruit:

Are cherries truly fruit for a healthy you? Recent studies have revealed that cherries offer an assortment of health benefits including the ability to offer natural relief from joint pain caused from gout, arthritis and joint inflammation.

The wonder of the cherry is the anthocyanins. According to research from Michigan State University tart cherries contain anthocyanins and bioflavonoids, which inhibit the enzymes Cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, and prevent inflammation in the body. These compounds have similar activity as aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen.

Further investigations revealed that daily consumption of cherries has the potential to reduce the pain associated with joint inflammation. Many are choosing to drink cherry juice, eat cherries or consume tart cherry pills for relief of gout, arthritis and joint pain.

Linda L. Patterson is a living testimony of the soothing affects of cherries on her joint pain. “I enjoy crocheting and lately my hands have been so painful, I couldn’t crochet for more than about 30 minutes.”, says Patterson. In an attempt to find relief from her pain, she located Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules, (www.fruitadvantage.com) a supplement made from red tart cherries. “Within the first week of taking the tart cherry capsules my hands felt so much better.”, says Ms. Patterson. “I am now able to crochet without the pain in my hands.”

Blueberries – Nature’s Top Antioxidant Fruit:

Blueberries emerged as the top antioxidant capacity fruit in a laboratory testing procedure called ORAC - Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity developed by the USDA*. ORAC has become the definitive measurement of antioxidant capacity.

James Joseph, Ph.D, Chief of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston, is working with blueberries to examine their potential to help improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging.

"The blueberry has emerged as a very powerful food in the aging battle," said Joseph. "Given the possibility that blueberries may reverse short-term memory loss and forestall other effects of aging, their potential may be very great."

Terry Johnson, a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, munchies on dried blueberries for the convenience and taste. “I work behind a computer for eight hours a day and I like to snack. I began eating dried blueberries instead of a candy bar from the vending machine. Now I feel good when I snack because I am eating fruit instead of candy.”

Strawberries:

Studies have shown that strawberries can help promote a healthy digestive system and help lower blood cholesterol. A handful of strawberries can go a long way to a helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

According to Jennifer LaPointe, Director of Marketing for Traverse Bay Farms, www.traversebayfarms.com “many of our customers are looking to eat healthier and our gourmet fruit product fit this trend. It’s certainly better than fast food.”

Traverse Bay Farms sells Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules, cherry juice concentrate and a variety of dried fruit products including: cherries, blueberries, red raspberries, strawberries. The company may be contact for additional information or interviews at 1-877-746-7477 or www.traversebayfarms.com

Andrew LaPointe is a writer, entrepreneur and consultant.He enjoys spending time with his family, writing and traveling.

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Try a Slow-Carb Habit

Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as well as vegetables, fruit, tofu, beans, and dairy - provide the body with the most efficient fuel for energy production and brain activity. They're nutritionally essential, a principle currently downplayed by the "low-carb craze".

What is important to understand is that not all carbohydrates have the same "fuel efficiency". Many carbohydrates - termed "refined" or "simple" - cause blood sugar highs and lows which can result in a period of high energy followed by a period of extremely low energy, often leaving the person craving more of the simple quick release carbs.

Examples of these "refined" carbs are regular pasta, white bread, snack foods and baked goods. The weight loss plans that advocate eating less or none of these foods are on the right track, except they tend to throw out the GOOD carbs as well. We'll call these "slow carbs", and here's why:

After you eat them, the carbohydrates in foods are broken down and released as sugar units (glucose) into your bloodstream. "Slow carbs" are foods that release glucose at a slower rate.

Typically, these foods are "whole foods"; that is, they contain the fibre and minerals that are often removed in making their refined, "quick-release" counterparts. (Such is the difference between whole wheat bread and white bread.)

Choosing "slow carbs" over refined carbs helps keep your blood sugar balanced (positively affecting your hunger level, mood and mental concentration, among other things). Fibre also promotes regularity and helps maintain healthy blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Examples of "slow carbs" are whole grain breads and crackers, potatoes with their skin, beans & legumes, brown rice, oats, and whole grain pasta.

Here are five tips for creating a "slow carb" habit:

1. Whole Foods - Eat as close to natural as possible. Vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils are whole foods that contain all of their original nutrients (fibre, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates for energy).

2. Grains & Breads - When it comes to grain products such as breads, crackers, cereals, and pasta, choose "darker", whole grain varieties. This can be done in restaurants as well as the grocery store.

3. Snacking - Fruit is an excellent snack. Consuming the whole fruit provides the slow-release carbs and will sustain your energy for longer, as opposed to fruit juice, which provides the body with a quick release of fruit sugar into the bloodstream. Another great snack to try is sliced red peppers with hummus (made from chickpeas).

4. Take the time (you're worth it!) - Seeing as some of the slow-carb options take longer to cook (e.g., brown rice versus white rice), make them ahead of time, and make extra to freeze for future meals. Brown rice is very versatile; try it in soups, casseroles, stuffed vegetables, or for breakfast (warmed) with cinnamon, raisins, chopped nuts or ground flaxseed.

5. Read labels - "Whole wheat" (or other "whole" grain) should appear before any other flour in the ingredient list. White flour can be disguised as "wheat flour", “enriched flour", "unbleached flour", or "grain flour", to name a few.

Working at substituting "slow carb" foods into your lifestyle will ensure that you have ample energy, proper nutrition, and that you maintain a healthy weight. Of course it's also essential that you find some ways to be active and that you limit high fat and high calorie snack foods as best you can.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.


Susan Baker, B.Sc.,RHN, RNCP is a registered nutritional consultant who supports individuals on their path to optimal healing through nutrition consultations, with a special interest in digestion and food sensitivities.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, is the author of “The Everyday Self-Care Workbook”. To receive one of her free monthly newsletters, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/newsletter.html

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Free List of Fat Burning Foods

This free list of fat burning foods will help you make the right choices to burn off more fat than you ingest by eating them. The fat burning secret to losing weight is to eat and drink until you are full and satisfied, choosing foods that burn more calories than you consume. This helps your body burn up the excessive stored fat.

This free list of fat burning foods contains mostly fruit and vegetables and if you compare it to other lists you will notice a definite trend. If you eat these fat burning foods and add a good exercise workout program to it you will increase your metabolism and burn calories at a faster rate even several hours after your exercise is done.

apples
apricots
artichokes
asparagus
beets
blackberries
blueberries
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
cantaloupe
carrots
cauliflower
celery
cherries
chives
cod
corn
crabs
cranberries
cucumbers
eggplant
flounder
garlic
grapefruit
grapes
green beans
honeydew
kale
leeks
lemons
lettuce
limes
lobster
mangoes
mushrooms
nectarines
okra
onions
oranges
papaya
parsley
peaches
pears
peas
peppers
pineapple
prunes
pumpkin
radishes
raspberries
red cabbage
sauerkraut
scallions
spinach
squash
strawberries
string beans
tangerines
tomatoes
turnips
watermelon
A recent report from Michael Zemel, Professor of Nutrition and Medicine at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville reports, "If you compare a dairy-rich versus a dairy-poor diet you can nearly double the rate of weight and fat loss with the same level of calorie restriction." It states that the calcium in dairy products can boost weight loss by increasing fat breakdown in fat cells. Therefore, dairy products could be termed as fat burning foods. These include milk, cheese and yogurt and might be considered a fat burning secret.

The best way to approach fat burning food is to start by implementing a sensible eating plan with the help of this free list of fat burning foods and begin an exercise workout program that you enjoy and will stick with.

Copyright © 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

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Hair Loss - Where Did All My Power Go?

They say the truth hurts and the truth is, the way you look will affect how people treat you. It may not be right, but it's the world you live in. Having a great personality is fine, but people are usually nicer to you, if they think you're attractive, then if they don't. The marketing industry feeds off the insecurities, that people have about their appearance, especially when it comes to hair loss.

Hair loss can be a traumatic event, for women and men. You can hide almost any skin problem, but it's practically impossible to hide hair loss. It's not just how others see you, but how you see yourself. No hair loss is good, but if it happens at a young age, then it can be more depressing. It can be hard on your ego, if you're 25 years old, but everyone thinks you're 50. With the lack of self-confidence, that comes from hair loss, a lot of people will stop socializing and could end up alone.

Is losing hair the problem, or is it the fact that the hair doesn't grow back. Everybody loses hair on a daily basis, but for many, there is no re-growth. Usually, about 10% of your hair is in a resting phase, which means it's not growing. After 2 to 3 months, your resting hair will fall out and new hair begins to grow, this is called the growing phase. The growing phase can last from 2 to 6 years and your hair will grow about 1 centimeter per month.

So, why is your hair no longer going through the normal resting and growth phases? There could be numerous circumstances behind your hair loss, but the most common causes are, male and female pattern baldness, this type of hair loss can occur because of genetics and the natural aging process; stress can cause hair loss, but if the stress is removed, the hair may grow back; traction alopecia, which occurs because of excess pulling on the hair, like braiding; trichotillomania, which is the act of pulling out hair, for no reason; alopecia areata, this occurs when hair falls out in patches; and chemical damage, which is common in cancer patients, who go through chemotherapy, but once the chemotherapy stops, the hair can grow back.

Is there a cure for hair loss? The real answer is no. There are a lot of products on the market, which claim to do everything, but they don't cure hair loss. The FDA has yet to certify any product as a cure for hair loss. Most of the products you hear about will not describe themselves as a drug, because if they did, they'd have to go through FDA testing and prove their claims, which of course, they can't. When there isn't a cure, prevention is the next best thing.

When you think about all the advances, that science has made, in just the last 50 years, it's rather amazing that no one has yet to develop a cure for hair loss. Finding a cure for hair loss, would have a greater impact on society, then trying to discover life on Jupiter.


Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Hair Loss.

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Relaxation Magic - Hypnosis, Meditation, Visualization

Hypnosis, meditation and visualization are three similar processes for accessing a creative area of the sub-conscious mind. Relaxation Magic lessons use a combination of all three therapies for maximum results. With the exception of people who have mental disabilities such as schizophrenia and severe retardation, everyone can achieve the relaxed focus of hypnosis, meditation and visualization by themselves.

Within themselves everyone has their own unique solutions for solving a situation they want to work on

The way I work is to help a person first reach a relaxed state and then through visualizations find personal imagery to explore their situation. One reason I feel hypnosis, meditation and visualization are so potent for problem solving is that areas of stress can be reached indirectly through analogies and a situation can be discussed without causing more discomfort

Recent research is confirming how connected the mind is in creating and eliminating physical problems. Physicians can fix the body but the mind can create the situation again. This is why adding the mind to a health program is the optimum method for total healing.
The first step to being in control of your life is being in control of your mind. If you’re not controlling your thoughts, who is?

Meditation and visualization enable you to communicate with your physical body, to relax mental and muscle tension even regulate autonomous body systems. Documentation has been out for years that meditation masters can control their heart rate and body temperature. Perhaps we will never need to use body heat to dry wet robes in frigid weather but being in peaceful control of ourselves mentally and physically is an ideal goal.


Where to start
When brand new at any endeavor it is always best to start at the beginning. To experience maximum results with the advanced Active Visualization Lesson spend the ten to fifteen minutes daily building your mental muscles with the beginning lessons.
Be Relaxed Anytime Anywhere and Recognizing & Reprogramming Self Defeating Behaviors lessons may be utilized without first completing the beginning lessons.
Breathe, breathe, breathe I can’t say it enough. The ultimate quickest way to relax is to breathe.

Details – Time, Setting, Clothing, Posture
What time of day is best to practice is whenever it will best fit your schedule. For beginners to make meditation a habit it is recommended to set a definite time. This way if you miss your meditation appointment you are aware of the omission and can reschedule with yourself before the day is over.

When beginning to meditate, it is good to have a routine or ritual. Routine and ritual will key the mind into what is going to follow. The routine / ritual can be simple or elaborate, whatever suits your personality.
A basic routine is deciding to relax and meditate every day at the same time and in the same setting. Meditating in the same place when starting is also helpful to develop habit and focus.
The optimum setting is one that is comfortable and quiet with minimum distractions obviously away from telephones, TV, adults or children interrupting. Some meditators have to compromise on comfort to gain quiet. I know people who meditate in their bathroom or garage to access quiet time. You might want to try several locations before settling on your favorite. If you are interrupted, just acknowledge what is happening and return to your practice when possible. Eventually you will be able to be in a light meditative state anywhere, even with your eyes open.
Ritual can be as simple as just knowing it is the time that you decided to meditate and going to your meditation place. Or, you can elaborate and use candles, incense, crystals and other background objects that aid your sensation of peace or power. I do not recommend using music during meditation as your mind will listen to the music instead of focusing. Keeping brief notes or a journal on your daily sessions is also recommended.
It is best to wear non-restrictive clothing with as much natural fiber as possible. Loosen belts, ties and if possible remove shoes and socks for some styles.
Sit however is comfortable for you. If you enjoy sitting with a pillow on the floor, go for it. It is also perfectly acceptable to sit with a straight back in a chair and let the chair support your back. (I sit in a chair with my back supported and my legs crossed under me.) Your legs do not need to be crossed and the feet can rest on the floor. Observe the position of your shoulders, neck and head. Relax your shoulders down and lengthen them straight out. Relax your neck muscles. Feel that your head is balanced and centered on your neck. Image that your head is a fish bowl and if it is tipped forward or back, you will spill water and fish out! Check if your jaw is relaxed by allowing the lower jaw to drop slightly.

Breathe through your nose. Begin each lesson observing a few breathes expanding the abdomen on the inhale and contracting the abdomen on the exhale. More detailed breathing instructions are given in the Zen lesson.
How long to meditate? A ten to fifteen minute meditation session will give you results. If you choose to meditate longer, it is because you enjoy the activity (or should I say non-activity). Greater results are not necessarily achieved by time spent in practice as much as your consistency and concentration during practice. Decide how long your meditation will be. Choose whatever works best for you to time the session. Set a timer to ring when your session ends or tell your mind to alert you when the set time has passed. Eventually your mind will know precisely when your set time is up. Do not use this method until you have perfected it if you are on a tight schedule.
During mediation and visualization you will be aware of any outer physical situation that requires your immediate attention.
Mediation is a state of heightened awareness not of unconsciousness.
Excerpt from Relaxation Magic:
http://www.lulu.com/maryannlaraia

Certification Hypnotherapy Training Institute of SD, CA Advanced Hynotherapy Diploma 1989 Basic Hypnotism Diploma 1988

Hypnotherapy KWAFC Kent WA 1990 – 1995 Private Practice Encinitas, CA 1995 – 1998 Hartford, CT 1998 – present

Related Education Chapel of Awareness Encinitas CA 1996 – 1998 Meditation classes with the focus on healing Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA 1982 Physical Effect of the Religious Experience Study of what happens physically in the body during altered states Builders of the Adytum LA, CA 1975 – 1980 Lessons on Meditation, Kabala

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Basic Meditation Exercises

(Authors Note: Before reading this you should see my other articles on Breathing and Full Body Awareness)

Now that you’ve begun to develop the ability to move energy around in your body there are some things that you can do with it. The following exercises range from pretty simple to pretty complicated, but as you develop your abilities you’ll eventually find that you can do them all at once and effortlessly. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years to develop this ability, so remember what I said about expectations.

You’ll eventually be able to remember how to do these exercises by memory, and then after that you’ll get to the point where you just do them without having to think about them. In the beginning it may be helpful to have a partner read the exercises to you or you can order the CD Set that goes with this book at www.windhavenco.org.

Grounding

Grounding will always be an important skill, no matter how advanced you become, so take the time to learn this now and to be able to do it effortlessly.

Stand in the “Standing Stake” pose described above. Go through the breathing and Full Body Awareness exercises. Visualize roots growing from your feet down through the core of the earth, just like a tree. In later meditations you can add some variety by seeing the roots flow down to a large crystal at the earth’s core. Depending on the effect you want you can vary the crystals and access different energies, but that obviously beyond the scope of the exercise at this point.

As you inhale feel the energy of the earth being drawn up through your roots and up through your body and out through the top of your head. On your exhale, let that energy drop back down through your body and feel all the accumulated stress of your life flow out with it and back down through your roots and into the earth. Feel your muscles relax as the stress flows out. This is a good way to release all your stresses, fears, angers and feelings of inadequacy. Repeat this exercise for awhile, as many times as necessary to clean yourself out.

There’s nothing wrong (and a lot of benefit) to stopping at this point and just doing these exercises that I’ve gone over up to this point, until they become completely effortless. Whenever you feel yourself becoming stressed or angry learn to take a moment and ground yourself and let those feelings just flow out.

Progressive Relaxation

Progressive Relaxation is easy to do and you can do it anywhere and anytime. Assume your meditation position of choice (I like the half-lotus on a zafu) and go through all the exercises I’ve covered up to this point. Just take a moment and feel the relaxed energy that you should have after grounding and releasing all your stress. Are you ready to get deeper into this feeling?

Feel the energy that flows up through your roots and into your feet. Make fists with your feet by curling your toes in as far as you can until it hurts, then relax. Let that relaxed feeling flow from your toes back over your feet and feel them relax. As you inhale draw that relaxed feeling up over your ankles and feel them relax completely. On the exhale let any residual stress flow back out and down through the earth.

On your next inhale draw that relaxed feeling back up over your calves, letting them relax after walking all day. Draw that relaxed energy up over your thighs with the next inhale. They’re the biggest muscles in the body, so let them relax and rest now.

As you inhale feel that relaxed feeling flow up over your hips and buttocks. Feel the stress bleed away. We store a lost of stress here, so take a moment and let this area relax. Draw that relaxed feeling up over your stomach and lower back. Feel the muscles in your back relax and feel your stomach move with your inhale.

Bring the energy up over your chest and the middle of your back. Feel your heart area expand with the relaxed energy and feel all the accumulated stress in between your shoulder blades release and flow out and back down with your exhale.

Draw the feeling of relaxation up over your shoulders and neck. Feel any residual tension flow out with your exhale. Let that relaxed energy flow up and over your head. Let the muscles of your face and those at the base of your skull relax.

Just sit here and feel this relaxed body that you have. Remember this feeling as its how you should feel all the time. Tense muscles store energy, which means that your energy isn’t flowing through you, but rather sticking in certain places in your body.

When your muscles are relaxed then your energy flows unimpeded and is continually renewed, leaving you feeling much lighter and more refreshed.

---

Robert Morgen is a Reiki Master who currently holds a Black Belt in Hoshin Roshi Ryu. He's the founder of the Kundalini Awakening Discussion Group, the Druids Circle Discussion Group and the (offline) Druids Circle in Lakewood, CO. You can find more info on all these at;

http://www.robertmorgen.com

He’s also the founder and Executive Director of the Windhaven Foundation for Sustainable Living.

He writes a regular column on subtle energy for Fight Times Magazine and a twice monthly column on Kundalini Awakening at Alumbo.com.

In addition to teaching about energy work and Kundalini Awakening he donates time to teach about Renewable Energy, Alternative Building and Creating Sustainable Lifestyles in various Public Schools.

He travels and teaches as much as possible and you can find out how to attend one of his Kundalini Awakening seminars at his website.

His new book "Kundalini Awakening for Personal Mastery" (ISBN: 0977380106) is available through his website or at a bookstore near you.

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Holosync Meditation - Does It Really Work?

Chances are, if you are on a quest for self-improvement, you've already heard of the Holosync Meditation CD's.

What It Is:

Developed by Bill Harris in the late 1980s, the Holosync Solution is an audio program designed to bring your brain waves to the alpha (and lower)levels automatically just by listening to the cds. According to Bill: "Holosync is a way to create deep meditation easily, precisely and consistently."

Beyond The Hype:

I thought it was about time someone talked about what it's REALLY like to use the Holosync cds. I've been using the program for 2 years fairly consistently. That means sitting down almost every day, putting on my headphones and doing nothing else for an hour. It's a huge time commitment and there were times I wondered if it was worth it.

In The Beginning:

Unlike the other testimonials you may have read, I did not experience profound changes after listening to the first cd. In fact, for the most part, I fell asleep! But that's okay, because the more I listened, the less sleeping I did. Truth be told, I still doze off when I'm starting a new level. Each new level takes you into deeper meditative states and requires an adjustment.

As Time Goes By:

Here I am, two years later, still making the time and financial commitment to stick with it. Why? Because I'm amazed at the person I've become. Over the course of the two years:

I'm calmer
I rarely get angry.
I have a more positive attitude.
I've become more spiritual.
I'm happier - negative thoughts creep in, but they don't stay.

Would I have experienced this growth without Holosync? Maybe, but I believe it would have taken much longer.

Have I reached the "nirvana" state while meditating? A couple of times I have experienced that deep all-encompassing sense of peace, but for the most part, my thoughts tend to drift. I try to start each session with an affirmation or goal statement, but often I'll end up working out a problem or thinking about other things. It seems to work anyway and I always feel refreshed and calm at the end of a session.

What About Using Other Programs?

Absolutely! I've used and still incorporate other programs into my Holosync meditation. I mentioned affirmations, but other types of releasing programs work well, even different meditation techniques can work with Holosync.

Self improvement should be a never-ending quest. You can usually gain some new insights by listening to a different point of view.

If you are interested in learning more about Holosync meditation, click on the link at the end of this article. You'll be directed to a products review site.

GiGi runs a self help products review site that includes books, audios, movies and software. Many free resources! The Holosync Solution

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Past Life Regression - Without Trance or Hypnosis!

Instant Past Life Regression - No Trance Required

I was in the employ of a UK adult education college at one time and was asked to do a course on Hypnosis – BUT I was not to do any hypnosis with anyone, nor hypnotise anyone because that was too dangerous and they didn’t want to take the risk. It was also something to do with the very strange regulations that exist in the UK for the use of public buildings for hypnotist performances and group hypnosis; either way, I was faced with the bizarre challenge how to conduct a hypnosis training but without hypnosis.

So what I did was to teach all the hypnotic inductions, from relaxation to guided meditation and then also rapid inductions as “self hypnosis” – I taught the class how to do it for themselves whilst I stood and watched them do it.

They got very good at it and we would then play with the trance phenomena and had a great time, until one stormy night, with Past Life Regression on the menu, the door opened and a number of principals from the college walked in and told me they had come to observe the class to make sure that absolutely no hypnosis was taking place, even by accident.

Oh dear. What was I going to do? I was in no doubt that the principals would have a fit if I instructed my class to put themselves into a near coma with the use of a set of beads each or a pendulum they were holding themselves and it was then that my unconscious mind, ever helpful and nicely riding in to the rescue with some very unusual suggestions when those are needed, invented for me “Instant Past Life Regression – No Trance Required.” Instant Past Life Regression

This is a great little game and a wonderful party trick. You can play it with anyone at all who can answer these questions even just with a nod or shake of head; it is very quick and very effective.

The only rules are:

1. Don’t think about it;

2. Answer as quickly as you can;

3. If you don’t know, just guess or make it up.

Are you ready to elicit an Instant Past Life without any form of hypnosis?

Let’s go:

* Were you male of female?

* Your job or work?

* Your father?

* Your mother?

* Any children?

* Sisters?

* Brothers?

* Your house or home?

* Where in the world?

* When in time?

* How old when you died?

* What did you die of?

For the purposes of this exercise, I just did this and these were my answers on this particular occasion:

Male, soldier, don’t know my father, mother died when I was young, might have children but don’t know any, no sisters, two brothers I remember, live with my regiment in a tent or barracks, Southern India, 1820, died age 32 of a lance wound to the chest that pierced a lung.

This set of answers, like your set of answers, is only the beginning. You can now take any part of this and refine it with further questions. As you do so, please note that more and more detail comes to light, and the rough sketch above is beginning to be filled in and fleshed out as you give more attention to detail. There comes a point in this process when there is a shift and the whole mental construct that is being created becomes very real, indeed.

Refining The Construct

Here are some questions about our unfolding character:

* How tall?

* Hair colour?

* Hair style?

* Eye colour?

* Skin tone?

* Anything striking about appearance?

* Any other identifying features?

* Clothing?

* Footwear?

* Underwear?

* Unique decorations/jewellery?

* Important possessions?

* Anything else that's important to know about?

My own soldier was close to 6 feet tall, had brown hair that was a little curly and worn in a pig tail, his eyes were brown and he had fair skin with a slightly yellowish cast. He had had chickenpox badly as a child and the skin on his face was rough and full of little scars. A previous injury had left him with a “frozen shoulder” on the left side and he would wear a small package made of wool under his clothes around that area at all times. He was wearing dark brown trousers, boots and a black/charcoal grey (probably faded) jacket at the time of his death and an off white plain linen shirt. His only important possession was a small knife thing you use to get stones out of a horse’s hoof he was wearing around his neck on a leather band that had been given to him by a good friend when he was much younger.

As you can see, even at this second level of questioning we find some very intriguing detail, such as the knife thing – I do believe there is a name for it but I can’t remember what it might be and only “saw” the object during the exercise. We also have entry points into some other story lines here – what happened to the friend? Where did the old injury occur? – and that’s after perhaps five minutes and the most basic of questions one could ask to get to know any individual across time or space.

The Levels Of Reality

As we get more and more information, the person is taking on more and more and life. Here in brief are the levels through which the person becomes manifest and real, as it were:

Generic Information

The first level of reality is generic information to provide the base structure to a construct – who, what, where, when. At this point, your creation is still fairly nebulous and lacks personality which comes with:

Individual Information

The second level of reality which is specific information about that individual construct (person, countryside, event, creature etc) – what is unique about this, what catches your attention, what makes it stand out.

General (Overall) Time Line

The third level of reality is added with the temporal aspects – how did this come to be? What happened? What will happen in the future? This brings the creation to life and makes it very real indeed – it now has a future, a present and a past.

Specific Incidents Remembered

The more you focus in on any aspect of the time of the life of your person the more detail will be provided until you have actual associated first person memories of the events, entirely detailed and entirely real.

101 Uses For Personal Development

This basic pattern has innumerable uses.

The first is of course in the context of personal development and past life regression. Regardless of whether one might view past life regression as real memories of past lives or metaphorical re-inactments of problems in this one, either way the challenges offered need to be resolved and this is a particularly exciting and fascinating way of making real, true and lasting changes in ones life.

Even people who don't usually respond to "guided meditations" can work this pattern through to get extremely specific and associated memories, events and unfoldments to work with and to use for problem resolution.

Another major use for this pattern is of course in the context of creativity - fiction, character development, finding materials and inspiration for all forms of works of art. It is basically a foolproof generator for events, stories, situations that can provide much more material than anyone could work up or out in a single life time.

It is particularly interesting to consider this pattern in terms of Project Sanctuary events and can also be employed for developing other things besides characters, such as habitats, alien societies, objects that have never been or have been forgotten, and all manner of other uses.

Whether you are going to play it as a game at a party, use it to amuse yourself and your children on a long car journey or for serious personal development and making changes to the very structure of your personality, it is a fascinating pattern that is always interesting and begins to soften and expand the channels and pathways of your mind.


Silvia Hartmann, PhD

First published in The Story Teller 2001

The Sidereus Foundation http://sidereus.org

All Rights Reserved.

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The Benefits of Meditation: Tips and Techniques

Meditation is healthy, safe and affordable. In fact it’s free. The only expense you’ll have is a meditation mat, which isn’t especially necessary-at least from my experience. Meditation has been around for 5,000 years, and was originally a spiritual component of yoga. Through the years non-yogis adopted it, intuitively sensing and connecting the practice with greater peace of mind. Personally, I can’t say enough good things about meditation. Its use has rewarded me with less worry and much more energy. But I’ve never been one for anecdotal evidence. Let’s get to the science…

Transcendental Meditation

Recently, there’s an incredible amount of science tied into the benefits of meditation. The studies are endless and cover a variety of meditative practices. On Transcendental Meditation alone (mantra repetition) there are over 500 studies. Some are more noteworthy that others. A study in the Japanese Journal of Public Health found that through Transcendental Meditation, industrial workers sleep improved and their smoking decreased. Another study conducted at the MERU Research Institute, in Buckinghamshire, England found that the length of time practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program correlated with younger biological age and younger functional age.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation, which asks us to focus on our breath to facilitate awareness of the present moment, is another widely studied meditation technique. After studying the effects of 8-weeks of mindfulness meditation on participants, a 2003 report in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine concluded: “A short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function.” Impressive, but fairly vague. To get a more committed response to the benefits of meditation we have to turn to Taiwan. In 2002 their journal Chang Gung Medicine reported that “training in MM may be a medically superior and cost-effective alternative to pain medication for the control of headaches with no underlying organic causes in highly motivated patients.”

Stress Reduction and Meditation

What causes these positive physical changes? To answer this, other research has looked at the specifics of what happens in the body during meditation. . Researchers at the Maharishi School of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, found that meditation has an enormous impact on stress reduction. When they examined a group who had meditated for four months they saw that they produced less of the stress hormone cortisol. They were therefore better able to adapt to stress in their lives, no matter what their circumstances were.

Having balanced cortisol levels is essential to mental and emotional health. Notice I say balanced rather than none. We don’t want to completely eliminate cortisol. If we did we’d be dead. Even low cortisol levels can be dangerous. Not enough cortisol is the identifying trait of Addison’s disease. John F. Kennedy had this condition, which he denied passionately during his presidency. Yet during his term he regulated his levels through hydrocortisone (synthetic cortisol). The reverse of JFK’s condition is called Cushings Syndrome.

The five most common and noticeable changes of this condition include; red face and puffy cheeks; excess fat surrounding the collar bones, muscle weakness, and hypertension. But we don’t have to have Cushing’s Syndrome to be damaged by extra cortisol. The changes we experience may be subtle variations of these. Plus, the changes caused by excess cortisol are age dependent. Young people may stop growing and teenagers can develop acne. The mature among us aren’t safe either. Since excess cortisol damages bone-tissue those over age 60 may develop fractures related to osteoporosis. So it’s evident that if we can regulate cortisol, especially through a natural process, we owe it to ourselves to try.

Other Benefits of Meditation

Regina Drueding, MD, is a meditation instructor at Life Circles in Utah, USA. She quotes the benefits of meditation as follows: “more energy, improved quality of sleep, decreased anxiety, lessened chronological aging, improved concentration, improved visual acuity, increased alertness and heightened immunity.” She writes: “Besides the benefits mentioned earlier, meditation results in improvement of hypertension, sleep disorders, headaches, heartrhythm disturbances, chronic pain – pain due to cancer, infertility and irritable bowel syndrome. Following meditation, mental and physical refreshment result – and benefits are cumulative with regular practice.”

How to Meditate

Meditation is both simple and complex. It’s like defining the color orange: When you see it you know it. Similarly, the experience of meditation is best, well…experienced. In an article in New View magazine, Shippensburg University’s Dr. C. George Boeree describes the basics of Buddhist meditation. In summary, the beginner’s technique is as follows:

1. Sit or kneel comfortably.

2. The hands are loose and open with the palms up, one atop the other and thumbs lightly touching.

3. Head is upright. Eyes may be closed or open. If open they should focus on your hands or a spot nearby.

4. Beginning meditators should count upwards to ten on each exhale. Breathe in a relaxed and natural way. Then begin again at one and repeat. Continue to breathe naturally.

5. Continue for 15 minutes.

In my personal experience, I don’t find that the specific length of time is as important as repetition and persistence. To paraphrase, 10 minutes daily beats 15 minutes once a week. This brings me to another point: We all have different personalities and as such, different meditation approaches suit some more than others. Thankfully there are many varieties of meditation. Some varieties have sub-varieties.

Mindfulness meditation is one of these versatile practices. Perhaps it’s because its essence-awareness of the present moment-is so versatile. Mindfulness in our daily life can be practiced by slowing down and attending to our surroundings. What are our 5 senses telling us? We can use mindfulness in the middle of a hectic day, such as paying attention to our breathing when stopped at a traffic light. We can also use other everyday events as triggers for mindfulness. Buckling your seatbelt? Make this a reminder to return to the present. Really think about what you’re doing and the details of the experience.

The more traditional may benefit from a more formal mindfulness practice. You may sit in the identical form as in traditional Buddhist meditation- on a chair or kneeling. However, you may also sit with your legs crossed. Your eyes are closed and your posture is both straight and relaxed while your head remains upright. Focus on your breath and allow mental chatter to float by without regard. Thoughts, emotions and sensations will come, but don’t be influenced by them. Keep focused on your breath. If you are getting involved with your thoughts don’t worry-your efforts aren’t destroyed. The key thing is to bring your attention back to breathing and continue. This can go on for 5 minutes to 5 hours. It’s up to you.

Transcendental Meditation is another popular form of meditation. Generally, this type is practiced twice daily for a period of 15-20 minutes. Again, this technique involves sitting comfortably. Yet in contrast to basic Buddhist the eyes stay closed. Each student is given a mantra and is instructed to induce relaxation through use of this mantra. Since many of either can’t or won’t go to a formal TM class, a no-fail mantra I recommend is the classic OM. In The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V Desikachar writes that repetition of "OM" enables us to maintain mental and emotional calmness, overcome obstacles and enable understanding. It is the shortest of the mantras, and is said to be suggestive of God. If you’re uncomfortable with the religious aspects of OM I suggest a word that has positive meaning for you, such as love, calm or peace. Calm is an ideal substitute, since vocally it resembles OM.

Final Word

You may never, ever choose to meditate. Yet if this is your choice it may be valuable to question why. For a long time I was reluctant because of images of the dropout hippie 60’s. Yet when I tried it the experience overcame my reservations. If you try it the same may happen to you. If it doesn’t you haven’t lost any money, and you’ve gained a new experience.

Resources:

Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact with God Through Meditation (Hay House Inc., 2003)

The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh (Beacon Press, 1975)

Galina Pembroke

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Health Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is one of the top-10 alternative therapies used by the U. S. population. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reports that 8% of Americans use meditation as a health tool. No longer just for Buddhist monks and New-Age types, meditation is now appealing to mainstream business professionals, medical doctors and even health care companies. This is a result of the growing evidence which supports that meditation can promote physical healing.

Meditation may be spiritual for some, but the practice is not necessarily religious in nature. There are many meditative approaches but regardless of the technique, medical research indicates that the practice of meditation tends to evoke a state of physiological relaxation: blood pressure drops, heart beats slower and breathing is quieter, other biochemical changes can also occur. Scientists do not understand why the changes happen but understanding the physical effects can explain the potential health benefits of meditation.

Twenty minutes of daily meditation can provide relief for ailments such as low back pain, headaches, depression and anxiety. Suffers of these chronic conditions should attempt to incorporate the meditation practice into their daily routine. If meditation can lower blood pressure, it could be a useful tool in helping patients with hypertension. If scientists uncover exactly how meditation works to relieve these symptoms, they may be able to apply that understanding to treat a variety of other disorders.

Research on meditation began back in the late 1960s. Herbert Benson, MD, began studying the physiological impact of Transcendental Meditation on individuals. In recent years, the scope of studies has focused on how the practice can reduce symptoms of chronic illnesses from cardiovascular disease to cancer. Critics indicate some of the research is been on small study populations and has not had adequate control groups for comparison. But some studies have shown promising results.

Meditation can relax the body. Promote more restful sleep and boost the body’s immune system. This will help fight illness and better manage the symptoms of chronic conditions. Meditation can relax the mind and help us better deal with the stress of our daily lives. The popular interest in meditation and its health benefits may help drive more research in the future.

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Allison Preston owns http://www.fitness-web.com where she runs a health & fitness blog covering different diet, health, and fitness related topics. Fitness-Web.com also provides staff and consumer reviews on fitness infomercials.

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