The Basic Breathing Meditation

How we breathe on a particular state of being is very important. Normally, our breathing is automatic which we don't mind thinking of how we should breathe on certain circumstances. Like any other activity that require techniques to be able to achieve, breathing has it too. And this has been what I do whenever I caught myself under a stressful situation.

Deep breathing is known to us. This is infact what we always tell to someone who come to us in a panic state, to take a deep breathe, and is actually helpful. But aside from this, I have learned to apply the breathing meditation which has given me a more relaxing feeling even if I am in the middle of a busy day. It's just the basic and the easiest breathing meditation that I used to do during times of uncertainties. What I do is to listen to my breathing coming in and out. And while doing this I will think of  the unpleasant things happened in my life and visualized it as black ashes inside my body taking them out upon exhalation, and inhaling, visualizing white and clear ashes in. The clear ashes signifies clean air in exchange to the black. Then repeating this process until I feel relaxed and ease. Takes only 5 minutes or more, depending on how quick your body will respond to it and how your mind can be able to concentrate in your visualization. Just try it.

The Secrets Of Tarahumara Running

Running is proven to be one of the most outdoor exercises that increases life span of the people. This is because the effect of fresh air you breathe and the green trees you see while you run can make you feel good. And feeling good makes you healthy. There are those who run not because they wanted to lose extra weight but because running has became part of their lives. There is also something mystery in running because once you are able to run long distances, the more you look forward to run over and over again. However, before you decide to start running, and have not ran before, start with walking first until your body will tell you that you are ready to run. Find your pace to prolong endurance. And apply the light/heavy running method. Meaning, you run for short distance today and long distance the following day. This way, you're not putting so much pressure in your body. How often should we run in a week will depend on how quick your body will recover from the intensity that you've made in running.  Personally, I run 4 times a week on a light/heavy method.

Running shoes is the most important thing to consider in running. Because every person's feet has different structure which will determine the kind of shoe you should wear. There are those whose feet that have the tendency to overly pronate and supinate, that if you don't have the right shoe on will cause more injury to your body, particularly to your feet. Aside from the right pace and right shoes, running with correct posture and breathing should also be applied, so there's no reason for you not to gain that long endurance. But speaking of endurance, you will wonder why are there people whose energy is unbelievable that even elite runners are unable to beat them when it comes to running more than a hundred miles. And this is the tarahumara running...

Building Self Esteem

Building self-esteem should start from thinking positive. How to do this is not easy, especially because at times we can't control our thoughts. The mind has something to do with how far we think over a certain situation. And worst, this create delusions which may lead to something not healthy.

It takes a lot of practice to have positive outlook in all aspects of life. That is, if you like to live happy and get less stress. It's actually normal to feel negative over an ordeal, but you can be able to deal with it through changing your mindset to a positive approach. This way, you will realized that you are detaching yourself from your problem itself. It's called problem solving. When you do this, you will feel good and you start to re-build your self-esteem.

It is being noted that for one to have self-esteem, all his/her needs should be met. This is very true. And in general, it is. But not all times since there are a lot of self-actualized people whose esteem is lost. It may be due to some internal factors in their family or relationships, that has made them low. Physical and verbal abuse are both factors which may addressed the involved person to seek professional help. Life is not perfect. For on the other side you are at the top, on the other one you're at the bottom. It's a fair share actually if you don't see it anyway. If life should have been perfect, there's no chance at all of growing into a better and stronger person, and there's no lesson to be learned at all!

Back To Yoga

I really like yoga. As a matter of fact, it's my area of choice when it comes to staying healthy both in mind and body. But as much as I wanted to do it, I've been more inclined with running than yoga.  This is because I lose more calories than the latter. However, these past few days, when I rested for like a week from running, I tend to eat more food in replacement of what I lost from my run, and I didn't realize that I have eaten more than my body requirements. As a result, I gained a bit of weight.

I just started to be mindful again, of what I eat. Seems like running has created something on my mind saying that it's okay to eat because you're still burning calories when at rest, but it's not. Actually, it is. I just didn't watch what I have eaten. I am compensating. And I am doing yoga today!

Value Health Before It's Too Late

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Working as a mother or housewife is quite a stressful job, that no amount of money can compensate, nor allows you to file for a leave of absence or reasons just to give yourself a break for long vacation. It's tough. And it is tougher though when we have regrets at the end, of taking our health for granted.

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The same is true if you are working either as professional or not. The workload is at times visible thereby making you stressed and sometimes burnt you out. For most of the reasons they have is to earn more money that places their health at stake. This can usually happen to people who are workaholics and/or those who work abroad and have left their family in their homeland.

Positive Outlook

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Self-talk is the endless stream of thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking:

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span

• Lower rates of depression

• Lower levels of distress

• Greater resistance to the common cold

• Better psychological and physical well-being

• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease

• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and have reduced rates of smoking and alcohol consumption.

Benefits of Honey

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Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Ayurvedic as well as Yunani medicine have been using honey as a vital medicine for centuries. Scientists of today also accept honey as a Ram Ban (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients also.

Known as Honig in German, Miele in Italian, Shahad in Hindi, Miel in French, Miel in Spanish, Mel in Portuguese, мед in Russian, Honing in Dutch, and μελι in Greek, there is hardly any region in the world where honey is not cherished.

What makes honey so popular is the ease with which it can be consumed. One can eat honey directly, put it on bread like a jam, mix it with juice or any drink instead of sugar, or mix it with warm water, lime juice, cinnamon and other herbs to make a medicine. It is savored by all due to its taste as well as health benefits.

Honey is a sweet treat. In fact, it is man's oldest sweetener. It can be a good substitute for sugar in our drinks and food. But it is also good for many other things and treating many other conditions. Reliance on commercialized medicines which contains too much chemicals can become hazardous to our health.

Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Several kinds of hormones are also present in it.

Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy. If you have allergies, honey can be beneficial. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may prevent your seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.

Honey may also be good for your skin. It has the ability to attract water. You can use honey instead of alpha hydroxy masks because of its high content of the acid. It is also safe for sensitive skin. You can also use it as a moisturizing mask for your skin as well as your hair. To use it as a conditioner, mix the honey with olive oil. Be sure to wash your hair thoroughly before you go outside.

If you have a sore throat, take some honey. Due to its natural anti-inflammatory effect, it will help to heal the wounds more quickly. It also has different phytochemicals--chemicals found in plants and different foods--that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus making it a good substitute for wound dressings. The taste may also take your mind off the pain. There is evidence that honey diluted in water will help with your stomachaches and dehydration.

Honey benefits for Children:

To avoid bed wetting in children, a teaspoon of honey aids water retention, and calms fears in children.

Honey to help you sleep:

A mug of hot milk with a dessert spoon of honey acts as a mild sedative (minerals, vitamins amino acids) aiding sleep.

Honey to clear nasal congestion:

To clear nasal congestion, mix a dessert spoon or two of honey in basin of hot water. Bend over the basin, covering your head and the basin with a large towel and inhale the fumes.

Honey to heal wounds:

Wounds such as cuts, grazes, scrape when covered with honey and bandage is an excellent healer.

Benefits of honey: Digestion:

Mix honey and apple cider vinegar in equal proportion, dilute with water. This wonder drink aids digestion and eases joint inflammation.

Honey to cool your throat after pungent food:

Trickle down a teaspoon of honey down the throat for inflamed raw tissues for sore throat. If you have eaten any thing pungent, spicy and feel your tongue burning after downing glasses of water. Eat a spoonful of honey to appease your taste buds.

Honey as a energy booster:

A spoon of honey is an instant pick-me-up, giving you the much needed boost of energy. Alternatively 25% of honey with water is a good stabilizer to calm highs and raise lows.

Calcium utilization:

A teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilization and prevents osteoporosis.

Good for your heart:

Heart patients are advised to replace white sugar with honey that has natural fructose and glucose.

Honey to help Asthma patients:

Chewing the tops of honey combs for 20 minutes a teaspoon of bee capping; five to six times a day stimulates the immune system. It’s effective for asthma patients.

Honey for Longevity:

Regular users of honey are most long lived people. Beekeepers are known to suffer less from cancer, arthritis than any other working group worldwide.

Effective use of honey during migraine attacks:

For people who have frequent migraine attacks, should sip a dessert spoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water at the start of the attack. Repeat after 20 minutes if needed. Its effective as migraine is stress related.

Honey during conjunctivitis:

Honey dissolved in equal quantity of warm water is good lotion or eyebath for the conjunctivitis (pus in the eye).

Benefits of honey: Curing coughs:

Mix 6 oz. of liquid honey, 2 oz. of glycerin and juice of two lemons. Mix well, store it bottle with a tight screw cap and use when required. An instant home made remedy for cough.

Honey as a food preservative:

Honey is good food preservative. While baking cakes by replacing sugar with honey, they will stay fresher longer due to natural antibiotics as honey retains moisture.

Honey as a multi-vitamin:

Few teaspoons of honey say four; to a baby’s bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multivitamin additive.