Thursday, September 1, 2016
There are people who can actually see, smell and physically taste music. This is an example of a phenomenon known as synesthesia. Synesthetes report seeing symphonies in spectacular colors, smelling Beethoven, and tasting Chopin.
Four percent of the population, when seeing number five, also see color red. Or hear a C-sharp when seeing blue. Or even associate orange with Tuesdays. And among artists, the number goes to 20-25 percent! This neurologically-based condition is called synesthesia, in which people involuntarily link one sensory percept to another. The colors, sounds, numbers, etc. differ among people (for example, you might see five in red, while someone else sees it in orange), but the association never varies within a person (that is, if five for you is red, it will always be red). There is a surprising overall agreement among synesthetes, however.
The primary perspective of the cause of synesthesia is a mutation that causes defective pruning between areas of the brain that are ordinarily connected only sparsely. Therefore areas that are disconnected within a human brain retain certain connections in synesthetes, which causes unusual associations. The location of gene expression leads to two different types of synesthetes: If the gene is expressed in the fusiform gyrus, the brain area concerned with perception, a perceptual synesthesia results, in which people will actually perceive, for instance, a number five colored in red. If, however, the gene is expressed in the angular gyrus, the brain area involved in processing concepts, a conceptual synesthesia results, in which people will not physically see the color red when presented with a number five, but will nevertheless experience an association between the two concepts.
I must admit, I am a conceptual synesthete (but only for certain numbers). Two is a nice light cream color; three is bright green; four is beige with a bit of light brown; five is definitely blood red; seven is ice blue. Eight wants to be something, but it’s difficult… Nine is dark, almost black. I don’t physically see colors, but when numbers are colored in something other than my associations, it causes some distress. I also paint and am very sensitive to colors and sounds in general.
I also believe that even though perceptual synesthesia may be relatively rare, it does not mean that a subtler cross-sensory undercurrent is nonexistent. I would not be surprised if many creative individuals were conceptual synesthetes. They may not necessarily physically perceive the connections between the percepts, but nevertheless may exhibit the facility in linking seemingly unrelated realms in order to highlight a hidden deep similarity. For example, in a sample of normal university students, those who had higher scores on the remote associates task (which requires finding a common word that can be combined with each of the three problem words to form a common compound or a phrase: e.g., ‘shine, beam, struck;’ solution — ‘moon’) showed stronger associations between colors and pure tones than people with lower scores on the same test. Similarly, synesthetes outperformed controls on the remote associates test. In addition, examination of poetry of Poe, Swinburne, Shelley, Blake, and Keats revealed that they all employed synesthetic usage in their poetry. These findings indicate that cross-sensory linkages may be associated with creative thinking.
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Thursday, September 1, 2016 0
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
WHY COMPLAINING IS LITERALLY KILLING YOU & MAKING YOU SICK. (HERE’S HOW TO STOP)
We all do it — you know, complain about people or situations in our life. We may even call it “venting” in an effort to disguise our complaining, but when it all boils down to it, they’re both the same behaviour.
On the surface, complaining may seem harmless — perhaps even helpful, as venting may make us feel better — but complaining can have serious physical and mental ramifications.
Society itself seems to encourage complaining — we complain about work and being overworked, we complain about lack of time and being too busy to enjoy life, we complain about politics (a favourite past- and present- time activity for many), we complain about family members and issues, we complain about lack of sleep and feeling exhausted, and we love to complain when we get sick— the list goes on and on….
Even if we ourselves don’t complain much (or so we think, though I hope this article makes you take a hard, honest look at your own habits, as it did for me), we all know of people who incessantly complain and how draining it is to be around these “negative Nellies.”
So, how does complaining affect us? From a brain perspective, “synapses that wire together fire together” — this is a basic premise of neuroscience. Every time you complain, you are reinforcing that wiring and making it easier to trigger it. Do it often enough and it can become your default setting. Negative thoughts beget more negative thoughts and you can easily fall into a cycle of negative thinking and chronic complaining.
In addition, misery loves company, so complainers tend to have friends who also complain, which further reinforces the pattern. Complainers also affect people around them. Ever find yourself sympathizing and sharing your own personal similar experience when someone complains to you about something specific? It can happen easily and unintentionally, even to the least complaining and most positive person. Sometimes this can lead to a long conversation comprising entirely of complaints, ie. focused on politics in a negative way or the fear and anger of what is going on in the world. Ask yourself, how do you feel afterwards?
Prolonged complaining leads to stress, and it’s well documented that prolonged stress makes us sick: weakening the immune system, raising blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, and causing a plethora of other ailments.
Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels (the stress hormone) interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, promote weight gain and heart disease, and increase blood pressure and cholesterol. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels also increase risk for depression and mental illness, and lower life expectancy.
How To Stop Complaining
Being human, however, we may need to vent once in a while, so here are some tips to help you avoid over-complaining:
Take time out to cool off and step back from whatever is bothering you so you can diffuse your emotions/anger. Try some deep breathing, go for a walk in nature, hit the gym, meditate, or do something fun or relaxing to calm yourself.
Write down what is bothering you — writing helps us to better understand why we are upset and can help us see the situation with a more balanced perspective.
Take responsibility for your part in the situation; don’t just blame the other person as the wrongdoer. What is the learning for you? What is this situation teaching you? Introspection is helpful for finding balance and being open to a solution or determining if it’s best to let it go at this time.
If you need to vent, let the Listener know ahead of time, so they can prepare themselves or let you know that now is not a good time.
Keep it short — this is very important, as we humans tend to go into stories when we moan and groan. It’s best to keep your share to under 2 minutes to avoid drama and dumping. Ask your Listener to intervene and gently yet firmly stop you if you go past the 2 minutes — you will both be thankful.
Remember that complaining affects your energy, mood, brain activity, and stress levels. If you need to vent, keep it short and sweet, for everyone’s sake — especially your own.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016 0
Friday, August 26, 2016
There are various supplements available to help ease joint pain, whether you have fibromyalgia, arthritis or chronic pain problems. Using the supplements in the best way to manage your pain is essential. Not everyone wants to take pills for the rest of their lives, and others want to find natural remedies to avoid issues that pharmaceutical products could produce.
Here are six ways to consider using supplements to help ease your joint pain. There are options that involve natural remedies and making it easier to swallow over the counter supplements.
Use Turmeric and Ginger Together
A first method is a natural option and one that you can have in and outside the house. Turmeric and ginger both have anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation within the body is one of the main reasons for pain. It can cause muscles to swell and crush the nerves. This is one of the main reasons people with carpel tunnel syndrome suffer flare-ups, all the way up to their elbows and even shoulders!
Turmeric has gained a lot of attention over recent years due to the antioxidant curcumin. You won’t get as much from the dried spice in your cupboard, but there are stronger options available in herbal remedy stores. Turmeric also comes in capsule form, which you can take with a ginger tea if you wish. Another option is to mix the two ingredients together to make your own tea.
All you need is two cups of water with half a teaspoon of both turmeric and ginger. Fresh options work better, but you will get some benefits from the ground spices when they both work together.
This can be a bit strong and spicy for some people. Try adding some honey to help take away some of the bites.
Whether you have it hot or cold is completely up to you. It does work well as an ice tea so you can take it on the go with you if you really want. The mixture will give you two servings, so try both hot and cold to find the best way for you to enjoy it.
Both of these remedies are used in herbal medicine around the world. They’re not just great for managing pain but also to offer other health benefits, like boosting immunity and getting clearer and healthier skin.
Add More Omega 3 Into Your Diet
Omega 3 is one of the best fatty acids you could ever add to your diet. It’s full of goodness for your brain, but it can also help to deal with joint pain. This is especially the case for those who suffer knee problems due to arthritis and swelling.
The fatty acid has a compound that helps to reduce inflammation in the body. The knees also get the lubrication they need to prevent wear and tear on the joints. You’ll aid your problems two-fold, by removing the reason for the pain instead of just treating the symptoms.
There are various ways to get Omega 3 into your diet. One of the best ways is by eating more oily fishes, including salmon and tuna. Sushi is a great way to get this, which keeps fish raw so all the natural fatty acids aren’t damaged. There are also no extra oils added in that can cause other health problems. Of course, if you’re pregnant or can’t eat raw fish for any reason, you will need to cook it. Cooking and eating the oily fishes is better than not getting any at all. If you are pregnant, you’ll always want to talk to your doctor first about taking fish oils on a daily basis, which is something we’ll move onto now.
If you don’t fancy eating fish, you can also get the supplement through cod liver oil. This is an acquired taste, but the good news is you’ll only need one teaspoon of it on a daily basis. You can also get capsules to swallow instead if you really don’t like the taste of the oil. Start your day with your dose to feel all the benefits of omega 3 getting to work.
Remember, you’re not just helping to reduce inflammation. The Omega 3 helps to boost the brain health, so you’re at a lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Soak in Epsom Salts
Soaking your muscles in warm water is one of the best ways to ease the pain. The warm water will help to relax muscles and reduce any swelling in the body. You’ll also help to boost the blood flow, which can reduce pain felt by the body.
Epsom salts in the water will work wonders for your pain management. They’re full of magnesium sulfate, which is a mineral that many nations have used for pain management over the centuries.
Magnesium is the active ingredient, which is needed for more than 300 responses within the body. Even if you don’t use Epsom salts in your water, make sure you increase the amount of magnesium you get in your food on a daily basis. The nerve endings and muscles relax much easier when you have the right amount of this mineral in your body, which will ease any type of pain. Your bones will also get more minerals needed to protect and strengthen them, also helping to ease joint pain.
You’ll need about a cup or two of Epsom salts in a bathtub of water; less if you’re going to use a large bowl to sit and soak. The way you use it will depend on where the pain is.
If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or joint pain in the feet or ankles, you’ll get away with a bowl of water to sit on the couch with and watch TV or read a book. If your joint pain is elsewhere, you’ll need to think about running a bath with some of the salts and enjoying a long soak.
Allow yourself to really soak with the salts. Fifteen minutes is the shortest time period you should consider, but longer periods will really help the body get all the magnesium it needs. Don’t remain in with cold water, as you’ll find your muscles tense and you could find that the pain gets worse.
While you’re using the Epsom salts, you can also get magnesium into your body in other ways. Look for foods that are high in the mineral or take supplements at the same time. Watch out for getting too much of the supplement. You just need enough to help the body responses to keep inflammation down and pain more manageable.
Moisturise With Olive Oil
Who would have thought that olive oil could help to deal with joint pain? Not only is it easy to use, but it’s also full of enzymes that help to reduce inflammation and ease the pain in the joints and muscles. Whatever the reason for the joint pain, you can benefit by using this natural product. Extra virgin olive oil is the best one that you should use to get all the benefits. Unfortunately, heat processes that are used to create other types will destroy the enzymes that your body needs. It’s also important to look out for olive oil that was created from just ripe olives.
Why does this work? The oil is full of enzymes that work like aspirin and Advil. They will ease the inflammation in the body, which takes away the pressure from the nerve endings; the main reason for the pain in joints. It can also add more lubrication to your joints, easing pain from arthritis.
There are various ways that you can use olive oil to help ease the pain felt on a daily basis. One of those is to use it in your cooking, which makes it one of the easiest options. You can use this oil in place of so many other fats and oils, whether you cook with butter or use vegetable oil on a daily basis.
Oil pulling is another option, which will help you absorb the benefits through your mouth. Oil pulling offers many other health benefits, including help to manage pain felt in the mouth on a daily basis. It will take the time to get used to, but it’s worth giving it that chance to reap all the benefits.
There’s also the option to create a moisturising cream out of your extra virgin olive oil. This can be applied directly to your skin and hair without being mixed in with anything else. One major benefit is you’re not trying to handle the extra calories you would intake if you used it in your cooking. You can also add essential oils, offering other ingredients to offer pain management benefits and improve the scent of your moisturising cream. You won’t need to use a lot of oil in this way, and you’ll also benefit the look and feel of the skin quickly. This method allows you to apply the oil directly onto the joints, allowing the skin in the area to soak it all in and pass the benefits straight through.
If you do use the oil as a moisturising cream, don’t forget about massaging into the painful areas. This will help to increase the blood flow around the area, also helping to reduce inflammation. Every little helps when it comes to pressure on the nerves.
Make White Willow Tea Daily
Aspirin is commonly used to help manage joint pain. It is a medical way to reduce inflammation and thin the blood to make it easier to move around the body. However, we don’t really know all the risks to using aspirin, and it’s not something that everyone can medically use for various reasons.
Long before aspirin was created, what did people use? White willow tea is considered the original aspirin. It was made from the bark of the white willow tree and is something that you can still use on a daily basis to help manage your pain and reduce inflammation. It was so popular in the past that even Hippocrates wrote about it and its benefits. It must be good, right?
White willow includes salicin, which turns into a salicylic acid within the body. This is the active ingredient in aspirin, meaning that this really is a natural, original aspirin to use on a daily basis. The benefit is you don’t have all the other chemicals and ingredients used within the medical painkiller to deal with.
One of the benefits of getting your salicin through the white willow tea is that the ingredient only becomes active when it has passed your stomach and is being digested through the intestines. There are fewer side effects noticed with it, and a little irritation. You really can focus on the benefits instead. Of course, there are some side effects and irritations noted in some, which is why there are so many other ways to use supplements to help your joint pain on the list.
It is possible to take white willow in capsule form. This is natural but you can get so many other benefits by getting a powdered version of the bark and mixing in with water to create a tea. Starting your day with a hot cup of white willow tea is an excellent option to ease your joint pain. You could also end the day with it if you’ve had a long day out and needed to ease the pain that you feel overnight.
It can have a strong taste, especially when you opt for it in tea form. You can ease that taste by adding some lemon or honey to your water. Allow the powder or crushed bark to steep for 30 minutes to take in all the beneficial properties.
Try Exercising More
This is likely the last thing you want to hear when you’re in pain, but it can actually be good for you. Exercising is an excellent want to release all the right chemicals from your brain, including endorphins, which are natural painkillers.
The benefit of exercise is that you can do it while using the supplements above! You’ll benefit in multiple ways, and you will find that the pain you experience on a daily basis isn’t as bad as you once felt.
Exercise helps ease joint pain in a few ways. Only one involves the release of the endorphins in the body. You’ll also lose weight, which takes away some of the pressure that you feel on your joints. This is especially beneficial if you suffer pain in your knees, hips or feet. Excess weight puts a lot of strain on these joints, and you’ll find that you suffer from swelling a lot more often.
Your muscles will also develop while you exercise. This helps to strength the joints and will support the cartilage. As more weight is placed on the joints and they go through more strain on a daily basis, the cartilage is worn down. This is what lubricates the joints, preventing the bone from rubbing against bone. As the cartilage thins, the bones connect to each other, and there is more pain felt.
There will also be more liquid to lubricate the joints due to the synovial fluid. This is a thick gel when cold, but will turn to a liquid when warm. You’ll find that your joints loosen up and are easier to move because of the exercise that you do.
But what about dealing with the pain after your exercise? How do you manage that? You can opt for the ways to get your supplements mentioned above. If you know you will seize up throughout the night, try a long hot soak before you go to bed in some Epsom salts and then get up early enough the next morning for another soak. This, along with some white willow or turmeric and ginger tea, will help to give you the best start to the day. You can then moisturise with the olive oil before you get dressed and be ready to deal with anything life throws your way.
You don’t need to do a large amount of exercise to benefit and reduce the pain you feel. Try just walking for 15 minutes a day to get yourself started. It will ease your joints and help with weight loss. As you get quicker and fitter, you’ll find that you can do more and could do up to an hour of walking a day!
Try stretching your muscles on a daily basis and do some strengthening exercises for your joints. These can be done from the comfort of your own home, and you won’t need any specialist equipment to complete it all.
It’s time to ease the joint pain that you feel on a daily basis. By following the above tips, you now have multiple ways to get your supplements to ease the pain, whether you have arthritis playing up on a daily basis or nerve problems that flare up every now and then. These are all completely natural, helping to protect the rest of your health.
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Friday, August 26, 2016 0
Sunday, August 21, 2016
In the early days, relationships are passionate and thrilling, and the sparks come easily. With time, however, they can become weathered by the world around us. As we grow up, we accumulate responsibilities that can drain our energy and leave us less time for the pursuit of magic and adventure. Even the strongest and most loving partnerships can sometimes start to feel disconnected. So – how do you keep your bond strong through the rigors of life?
HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR PARTNER:
HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR PARTNER:
1.TURN OFF YOUR PHONE.
Often, professionals fail to disconnect from the office when they go home at night. Your partner does not want to share your limited time together with your work responsibilities. Even if it is not a career issue, many people have trouble disconnecting from parenting websites, political articles, or silly games. This is an even more alarming reason to neglect your relationship. Institute an “unplugged” time each day – even if it is only an hour. Hide your phones, turn off the TV, and let the computer screen go to black. Just talk to one another. You’ll be surprised at the difference this makes.
2. CREATE YOUR OWN “I LOVE YOU.”
This could be anything. You might have a secret handshake, roar at your partner, or have a code word. The important thing is that it sends a message of love and is exclusive to the two of you. Don’t even share it with the kids – you can have your own thing with them. This is only for you and your significant other. Use it liberally. Show your love in public this way, and revel in the idea that nobody around you knows what it means. This is a fun way to build a secret world that is only inhabited by the two of you.
In our busy lives, we all too often over-schedule ourselves with family, friends, and volunteer commitments before throwing whatever scraps are left over to our partner. Instead, institute a regular date night. This can be weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly, but it needs to be non-negotiable. This should be a time that is set aside exclusively for the two of you to reconnect. No children can come along – hire a babysitter. No friends may meet up with you at the restaurant. No family members can tag along for the movie. Try not to discuss work or raising the children. This night should be all about fun and connection – just like your date nights in the early years were.
4. GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD PARTNERS.
Many people seem to think that the happiest couples want to be together every second of the day, sharing every detail of their lives with one another and never having anything for themselves. This belief is simply untrue, and it can be damaging. In fact, healthy boundaries are absolutely necessary for any good marriage. Don’t be afraid to ask for them, and treat your partner with respect when they do the same. Alone time is healthy, as are solo activities. They help you and your partner to maintain complete and independent identities. They help you to stay whole.
5. INSTITUTE A DAILY RITUAL.
Again, the details and logistics don’t matter. The important thing is that it connects you. Identify a moment of downtime in your day, and take advantage. Look forward to a daily lunchtime Skype session, or a cup of coffee together before work. Play a game of chess after dinner. Have a quick chat, prayer, or meditation session together each night before you fall asleep. In the midst of a busy workday, this will reconnect you and remind you both that someone out there has your back. Soon it might become your favorite part of the day.
Improve Your Relationship by Asking Your Partner These Questions
Improve Your Relationship by Asking Your Partner These Questions
“Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky,” said Rainer Maria Rilke. Seek to connect with one another as two individuals, and go on to build your own beautiful world together. Use the tips above to stay close on even the busiest of days. Your relationship is worth the effort.
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Sunday, August 21, 2016 0
Friday, August 19, 2016
Reading is not what it seems! It’s not just sitting in a comfy armchair with a piece of paper in one’s hand. It’s not boring and passive, nor useless. Finding time for reading a book or a long, informative article can be difficult. We tend to value things that offer us immediate results and benefits. But reading does offer us results and benefits and this, sadly, is being forgotten. It offers an adventure and opportunity to develop on so many different levels.
A book is a vehicle that might take you for a long journey. It’s a friend to be found, a potential mentor, an inspiration. It’s a training device you can use to exercise your mind. It’s also a lesson, perhaps a very practical one, providing you with concrete information, or a philosophical one, opening your mind to new ideas. There are plenty of benefits daily reading might give you. A few of them, a small encouragement, you’ll find listed below.
1. FUN
First of all, reading is fun. With the large variety of genres, there’s something for everyone. Fancy some action? A drama in which you can find characters to identify with, because you feel sad and lonely? Something more down-to-earth, like a reportage about a country or a historical period you’re interested in? Just find the right shelf at the library.
2. IT’S FREE
Of course, you can go to a bookshop and spend a fortune, but it’s not a necessity. People complain so much about how hard it is to find free entertainment in this world of expensive luxurious gyms, fancy restaurants and clubs, while libraries are waiting with their doors wide open. If there isn’t a good one in your town, you can always search online and download some free ebooks. We have previously uploaded a list of over 100 places online where you can find free books.
FREE BOOKS: 100 legal sites to download literature
FREE BOOKS: 100 legal sites to download literature
3. A WORKOUT FOR YOU BRAIN
Your body needs movement. That means your brain needs movement, too. And I don’t mean it needs to be moved from your house to your workplace every morning, together with the rest of your body. Moving your head in space is not enough. All that is inside of it needs to be shaken a bit too. It has been proven that reading has a significant effect on our brains. It’s demanding in a neurological way, requires concentration and intellectual activity. Mental stimulation can slow down the progress of Dementia and Alzheimer, as many studies have shown, starting with the one made by Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) in 2006. Reading is healthy, just like orange juice or a morning run, so try to find time for it.
3. UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS
I am not only talking about the moments spent with a book. As you read, you memorize many things. You try to store in your mind all the facts you find while reading. You follow the plots, get to know the characters, remember the details. All of that is a great exercise for your memory. Memory is not like a plastic bag. It’s not limited and won’t overflow once you put enough things inside of it. The more stuff you place there, the bigger it becomes. When you add a new memory to your collection, new synapses are being created, and the old ones get stronger. It has a positive effect on short-memory recall.
4. NEW WORDS
While reading, you come across new words. The more you read, the more words you add to your vocabulary. The ability to speak in a correct and attractive way makes life easier. It’s extremely useful at work, especially when it comes to making a good impression on partners, clients or employers. Knowing you are well-spoken affects your self-confidence. Being able to express yourself in an accurate way is helpful in personal relationships, too. Using the right words in the right moments can prevent conflicts and misunderstandings.
According to scientists one of the things that attract potential romantic partners is indeed a decent vocabulary.
According to scientists one of the things that attract potential romantic partners is indeed a decent vocabulary.
Books and articles can also be used while studying new languages. It’s a fun way not only to learn new words but also whole phrases and grammar.
5. SHAPING PERSONALITY
Personality is not something you are born and blessed or cursed with forever, till the end of your days. Yes, there are tendencies hard to get rid of, patterns being repeated, mistakes we just can’t help, but making all over again. But can’t we, really?
Through working on ourselves, we can change things. One of the methods is reading. According to studies made by researchers from the University of Toronto, reading can change some personality traits. Romance novels, for example, are likely to promote empathy. Not only romance novels, though. reading any artistic literature can make people more empathetic and understanding, because the process itself is like a conversation, getting to know a person. It also encourages readers to examine their own emotions and behaviors and makes them more open to new experiences.
6. EFFECT ON RELATIONSHIPS
Through reading, we get to know countless characters. We get inside of their lives, follow their stories, see the places they have seen, experienced what they have experienced. Articles on people from faraway countries make you more tolerant towards other cultures, psychological novels- more understanding in the contacts with people from your environment. A reader won’t judge another person easily. A reader knows there’s always more to people than what the first page shows.
If used well, reading can also help you in developing your expressiveness. By accompanying characters in their lives, you get familiar with their feelings and emotions and see it’s not such a shame to have them. That makes it easier to speak freely.
Moreover, hobbies get people together. Books or magazines you read equip you with subjects to discuss when meeting people. Visiting book clubs and libraries, joining online communities, even reading on trams or buses gives you a chance to make new friends and share this interest with them.
7. KNOWLEDGE
Reading is learning. Whatever you read, whether it’s a melodramatic harlequin or a series of scientific articles, you always obtain new information. One day it can turn out to be fruitful. Besides, being well-read, working on your knowledge and intellectual capacities also makes you more self-confident…and totally badass.
8. ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Analyzing the story, making an effort to understand the behavior of characters, trying to solve puzzles and uncover mysteries – all of that engages and develops your critical and analytical thinking.
9. CONCENTRATION
We spend our days doing so many things at the same time. Laptop in front of your eyes with an adorable cat jumping all around the screen, messages from friends popping out from different places – emails, chats, Skype, perhaps a phone too, a coworker speaking on the other side of the room, all the papers on your desk glancing at you and reminding they need to be filled in… Reading requires concentration. You do one thing only. Many people, even if they want to, can’t concentrate anymore. Reading is a great way to work on your ability to concentrate, which increases productivity.
10. RELAXATION TECHNIQUE
Have you ever felt so tense to the point you dreamt of escaping your life for a while? Surprise: you actually can. You don’t even need a one-way ticket to the other side of the globe. A gripping novel can take you all the way to another dimension. A good article might focus all your attention and allow you to forget your troubles for a moment. Many people overthink their problems, while what they need is a break so that they could go back to searching for a solution with a clear, relaxed mind.
11. Makes mundane Activities Fun
Yes, that’s a very practical advantage of reading. You can do it on a bus, on a tram, airplane, even while you’re lined up at the DMV or bank – and make these necessary, often boring activities amusing.
12. INSPIRATION
Fictional characters can be a source of inspiration just like people met in the real life. You can learn from them, get influenced by their words and actions. Same with places, events and facts described in what you read. Let’s say you come across a book on Japanese culture or a novel with the main character who is a carpenter. Next day you might find yourself studying Japanese or making wooden chairs for your kitchen.
13. SAVING THE WORLD
Sounds too much? It isn’t. What this world needs the most are educated, open-minded, self-aware people, inspired and full of ideas. Reading surely creates such people, especially when it’s done in a varied way, with openness for different topics and concepts.
Reading is pleasant, just search for something you would enjoy. It’s useful, too. And so sexy! Go grab a book now, it won’t bite, in fact, it will make you even more awesome than you are!
14. Always Better than The Movie
How many times have you heard, oh, the movie was not as good as the book. Now you don't have to take their word for it!
15. stimulates your imagination
What makes books so good in the first place is that you are not leaving the details up to the movie maker. You fill in the blanks. You picture the scene, dress (or undress) the characters, you imagine what the town looks like. Reading stimulates your imagination and this spills over to the rest of your life.
16. Reading Makes you healthier, happier and wiser.
Friday, August 19, 2016 0
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Take one look in your kitchen, and you might find a plethora of herbs and spices on a rack waiting for you to add a dash of them to your food for flavour. But have you ever thought they offer benefits beyond simply adding excitement to bland foods?
The volatile oils in herbs and spices provide a therapeutic action on the digestive system and various other organ system in the body. Just about everyone seems to like herbs and can attest to how easy it is to grow and preserve them at home, however most spices naturally grow in the tropical or subtropical parts of the world, making it difficult to cultivate them in temperate regions. Fortunately, the heated interiors of our homes can allow low growing spices like ginger and turmeric to prosper.
Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of Western medicine, once uttered the words: “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
And with that, here are three spices you can try growing in the comfort of your own home:
1. Ginger
Often referred to as ginger root, this underground stem of a perennial plant called Zingiber officinale originated in South China and later spread to other tropical areas, including West Africa and India. Ginger is popular in curry dishes, baked goods, and herbal teas. Ginger’s medicinal properties are impressively extensive, and include its ability to enhance immune function.
As the rhizome grows, it sends out new shoots and spreads. The plant can be propagated from 1” to 2” pieces of the rhizome with at least one growing bud, also known as an “eye.”
Growing Ginger
Fill a large tub with well-drained and rich potting mix. On the surface of the tub, lay several pieces of the ginger 6” apart, then cover with an inch of sand and press down firmly. Keep the tub in a well-lit area, and water when soil feels dry.
If growing indoors, dig into the soil and break off only as much of the rhizome as you need at a time. Ginger can be grown in USDA zones 10 and above outdoors. Find a partially sunny location, specifically where it can receive a regular water supply. Good drainage is also necessary. In the colder months, dig up the entire plant, shake off the soil, and harvest the rhizome by removing the aerial stems. Once you have harvested the ginger, it can be dried, candied, or pickled for later use.
For dried ginger, place the rhizomes in boiling water, and be sure to skin and slice them before drying in the shade. Store in airtight jars or grind into a ginger powder. Candied ginger is prepared in sugar syrup, while pickled ginger is prepared in vinegar.
2. Turmeric
A coloured relative of ginger, turmeric’s bright golden yellow colour and spicy flavour makes it a bold addition to condiments and curries. Called Curcuma longa, this Indian native can also be grown indoors in the same way as ginger. The powerful compound within turmeric, called curcumin, is highly touted for its ability to control inflammation. In fact, a study published in the journalOncogene found circumin to be the most effective anti-inflammatory, while aspirin and ibuprofen were the least effective.
Growing Turmeric
Because turmeric is typically used in its dried form, it may be difficult to source planting material, but if you can get a few pieces of the rhizome to begin with, they will multiply each year, which will leave you with an abundant amount.
Put pieces of turmeric into tubs or pots with well-drained and rich potting mix, cover with an inch of soil, and water well. Make sure to provide the plant enough light so the large leaves have a lush and green look.
Grow the plant outdoors in USDA zones 9 and up. Be sure to double-till the beds for proper root run and drainage. Harvest in the fall, when the leaves have begun to wilt. After harvested, bring the turmeric rhizomes to a boil for 35 to 45 minutes and allow to dry. You can store the dried stems or make into a turmeric powder.
5. Garlic
Also referred to as Allium sativum, garlic is a member of the onion family, grown for use in cooking and for its many health benefits. It is high in a sulfur compound called Allicin, which is thought to bring most of the health benefits. Cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes are the world’s biggest killers, and high blood pressure is one of the main triggers of such diseases. Human studies have found garlic supplementation to be an effective treatment for reducing blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. In fact, one study used aged garlic extract at doses of 600-1,500 mg, and found it was just as effective as the blood pressure reducing drug Atenolol. Garlic is an extremely easy bulb to grow both indoors and outdoors.
Growing Garlic
You can start bulbs indoors any time of year, but for outdoor beds, fall planting is best. Keep soil evenly moist, but steer clear of water logging to avoid bulb rotting. You can use the leaves as an herb, but too much snipping will harm the size of the bulb. Once the bulbs have matured (leaves wilting in summer is an indication), you can harvest by digging up all the bulbs and drying them until the outer covering is papery. Braid the leaves and hang in the pantry or skin garlic cloves and place in vinegar for pickling. You can also make garlic powder after drying thinly sliced cloves in the sun or a food dehydrator.
Thursday, August 18, 2016 0
Monday, August 15, 2016
Six Beliefs that Keep You Unhappy
“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be, ” said Abraham Lincoln.You may see the truth in this quote – but do you live your life by it? Many people ache for happiness while unwittingly holding onto beliefs that keep them bitter and dissatisfied.
1. I CAN CHANGE MY HUSBAND/DAUGHTER/MOTHER/CO-WORKER.
You can’t. You can only change yourself. Believing that you are responsible for another person’s behavior puts an unfair burden on your own shoulders. A person’s capacity for change is completely internal. Trying to change them from the outside will only breed frustration and contempt. You will grow to resent one another, and they may even begin to intentionally oppose your efforts. You can not change any of the people in your life, any more than they could change you. You can only change the way you respond to their actions.
2. I’LL BE HAPPY WHEN…
Many people choose to put their happiness on hold. They decline to work on it in the present, thinking that doing so is too difficult, too frivolous, or altogether futile. They attach it to a future event, accomplishment, or life change. For example, “I’ll be happy when I graduate from law school.” “I’ll be happy once I get married and have children.” “I’ll be happy when we can afford to buy our own home.” Although it is admirable to have a goal, attaching your capacity for happiness to it is unwise. This strategy breeds disappointment, since once you reach your goal there will just be another one to go after. Strive for an internal sense of happiness that accompanies you during the journey rather than waiting for you at the destination.
3. PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND ME.
You are not entitled to be easily understood, and expecting others to read your mind will breed frustration and dissatisfaction. Good communication is difficult, and it requires hard work. To be understood, you must first understand the person you are speaking with. This will help you to communicate your ideas in a way that speaks to them. This requires patience and good listening skills. No matter how clear you are, however, some people will simply not be receptive to your point of view. This brings us to our next dangerous belief…
4. EVERYONE SHOULD AGREE WITH ME.
Most people realize this sounds silly but unconsciously buy into it every day. It is natural to feel irritated when someone disagrees with an idea that you feel passionately about – especially when it comes to politics, religion, and parenting. However, your ideas come from a very unique place. Someone who does not share your experiences and education might not understand why you feel the way that you do. In fact, they have likely lived a life filled with an entirely different set of experiences and educational theories that might conflict with your perspective. Open your mind. An honest opinion should not be offensive to you, even when it is at odds with your own. Lose the idea that your answer is the only correct one.
5. I’M GOING TO FAIL.
Your expectations shape your reality. If you expect to fail, you are much more likely to do so. You are also much less likely to challenge yourself and try new things. This is a shame, since trying something new often opens the door to a new set of experiences and possibilities for happiness. Give yourself some credit, and believe you can do great things. You just might surprise yourself.
6. LIFE SHOULD BE FAIR.
If you are an adult, you know very well by now that life is tremendously unfair – but have you accepted this? Many people subconsciously expect fairness, and become bitter and enraged when they do not find it in everyday life. It would be wonderful if life were fair. It would also be wonderful if dogs could talk and chocolate had no calories. Fairness is a beautiful thing to strive for, but expecting it from the world will leave you disappointed. You will not get every advantage your neighbor does. She will not get to enjoy every advantage that you do, either. Feeling angry at this will accomplish nothing. You each just need to do the best with what you have.
“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself,” said Martha Washington, “for I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.” Our very first First Lady understood the internal nature of happiness and likely used this knowledge to make it through the tumultuous early days of our nation. Be like Martha. Take responsibility for your own happiness, and don’t let external events get in the way.
Monday, August 15, 2016 0
Friday, August 5, 2016
For a long time, people have tried to explain why things are the way they are. In modern times, Scientists have been trying to surpass the knowledge passed on by Priests, Prophets, Yogis and many other spiritual teachers since before we even started recording our history. Many believe Science still has a lot of catching up to do.
There are certain spiritual subjects, such as the existence of the soul, that are finally starting to get some of the attention they deserve. Let’s talk about the 6 most common.
1. We are spiritual beings on a human journey. - ”We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
We may inhabit a physical body, but that is not all we truly are. We are consciousness energy. An energetic consciousness made manifest in physical form. Anyone that has studied OBE’s or Astral Projection knows full well that life is not what it seems.
There is so much more that is buried beneath the level of our consciousness that we struggle to explain because we don’t have a full scientific understanding of it yet, nor do we have an easy way to access it at will. (Intuition, deja vu, ESP, etc) But, that doesn’t mean those things aren’t real. Like any skill or physical ability, you just have to do some research and put what you’ve learned into practice to develop them.
2. Our souls never die– we just change our focus. “Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.” - Albert EinsteinThanks to Quantum theory, Scientists are slowly catching up to the idea that we cannot truly die. Energy cannot be created and it cannot be destroyed. It can only change from one form to another.
Death (excluding spectacular deaths) isn’t instantaneous. In fact, even in medical science it’s become more and more difficult to define when people are dead. People ‘come back from the dead’ all the time.
There are even people who come back from the dead with knowledge, new languages and memories that they never had before the experience.
3. Everything is energy vibrating at a certain frequency. “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla
95% of the universe’s mass, Dark Matter, is currently invisible to our senses and internal instruments. These are vibrational frequencies, just like everything else that you are capable of perceiving with your senses.
You are capable of translating these frequencies to an understandable form as well. The first step is to know and accept that all mass is nothing but a vibration; nuclei with electrons orbiting around them at a rate of speed creating centripetal force. There is no such thing as solid matter. It’s just that some matter has a stronger centripetal force than others.
4. Our thoughts create our reality. - “A man is but the product of his thoughts – what he thinks, he becomes.” - Mahatma Gandhi
This basically boils down to The Law of Attraction. Thought power is the key to creating your reality. Everything you perceive in the physical world has its origin in the invisible, inner world of your thoughts and beliefs.
To become the master of your destiny, you must learn how to control the nature of your dominant, habitual thoughts – such as controlling your worries and negativity. Worrying is simply wasting time and energy manifesting things you don’t want. By controlling your thoughts, you will be able to attract the things in life you actually want.
5. Time is an illusion. ”Time is an illusion” – Albert Einstein
Einstein’s belief in an undivided solid reality was clear to him, so much so that he completely rejected the separation we experience as the moment of now. He believed there is no true division between past and future, there is rather a single existence.
His most descriptive testimony to this faith came when his lifelong friend Besso died. Einstein wrote a letter to Besso’s family, saying that although Besso had preceded him in death it was of no consequence, “…for us physicists believe the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion, albeit a convincing one.”
6. Ascension does not involve going anywhere.
Ascension is not about leaving the planet, getting rescued by off-world ETs or flying up into heaven. It is not about watching The Shift unfold online, or waiting for the external world to provide evidence of inner change.
Ascension is a conscious choice to engage in evolution. Ascension is a state of being. A focus of awareness and consciousness into a higher vibrational frequency. It is what we were created for! To “go forth and experience”, and return the experiences back to Source in an infinite loop of co-creation and mastery.
Source
Source
Friday, August 5, 2016 0
Thursday, August 4, 2016
WHAT UNLOCKING YOUR 7TH SENSE COULD MEAN FOR YOU
Because science was not advanced enough to detect and measure 6th and 7th sense energy fields, such phenomena was illegitimized as paranormal, and even ridiculed. Slowly, as cited by supportingarticles found on Collective Evolution, this is beginning to change.
Intimately intertwined within the commonly accepted five senses our body uses to collect information about our external world lies the uncharted territory of our metaphysical world containing extrasensory perception and our chakras. It’s only recently that our sixth sense has come into humanity’s collective awareness. But did you know you have a seventh sense?
It is Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) who is credited with the classification of the primary five sense organs: sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. These sense organs contain receptors for specific stimuli that are connected to your body’s nervous system which then sends data to your brain, providing you with useful information about your physical/external world. But what about your essential/internal world?
Buddhists consider the mind to be a sense organ in addition to the five senses. Simultaneously processing the collective data of the first five senses, the mind becomes a gateway, making an exponential or fractal leap to a broader spectrum of perception that includes your internal sensory system. This extrasensory system has been referred to as the psychic realm.
Because science was not advanced enough to detect and measure these energy fields, such phenomena were illegitimized as paranormal, and even ridiculed. Slowly, this is beginning to change.
Our sixth sense has been feared and revered since humans were a much more primitive species, depending on what period of history you had the (mis)fortune of being born in. If you were lucky enough be born into a Native American tribe, you may have been recognized for your inner genius and exalted as your community’s shaman.
But, historically, for the majority of those unacquainted with their internal guidance system, or those subject to culture and conditioning that only recognizes external power sources, much fear-generated misinformation has been disseminated over the centuries, leading the unfortunate to societal ostracization and even death.
Even in modern times, there is still very little information that can be called qualitative. And, to add to the mystery, a seventh sense is coming to light as humanity continues its evolution into higher forms of consciousness.
BEYOND SPACE AND TIME
The difficulty for scientists in collecting empirical data is that the sixth and seventh senses function outside of space and time. The difficulty for non-scientists is that much outlier phenomena is still accredited to external forces or entities—channeling, spirits (good or bad), extraterrestrials, etc.—rather to than to the anomalous experience that is actually happening within.
Sixth sense experiences range from intuition, déjà vu, prescience, to past life parallels. As our conscious mind is always trying to create a linear story out of our experiences, we tend to look for cause and effect to explain a multi-dimensional event. When our mind can’t make two and two equal four, we call it a coincidence.
To demonstrate the complexity contained within your senses, there isn’t even scientific agreement on the number of senses because of differing definitions. Wikipedia states that the senses are divided into the exteroceptive and interoceptive.
Exteroceptive includes the traditional five while interoceptive senses perceive sensations in the internal organs neurologically linked to the brain for the purpose of regulating bodily functions, i.e. regulation of respiration, the sensation of fullness, blushing and more. Add to these sub-groups, the body’s awareness of balance, pain, temperature, pressure, which are derived from the synthesis of multiple senses.
Some “sense” can be made of all this when you understand that your primary senses are inseparable from your chakra system. Chakras are multi-dimensional vortices of energy, as levels of consciousness, resonating at specific frequencies that also line up with the notes on a musical scale. Chakras act as an interface between the dense physical world and the non-physical world of pure consciousness. There are seven notes in a musical scale, seven chakras, and you have seven senses.
BYPASSING YOUR PHYSICAL WORLD
While your sixth sense utilizes your feeling body to inform you when your intuition is on or off target, your seventh sense is your doorway to the Universal Self via Unity Consciousness. Bypassing physicality, it is direct access to all information contained within the entire Universe—relative to your physical world. No intermediary or channeling is involved. It has been called the Akashic records by some, or the Hall of Records. Another term coined by this author is The Universal Library.
How do you know you are accessing your seventh sense? Every human being intermittently uses his or her seventh sense, but most do so unconsciously. You are using your seventh sense when you ask the Universe a question and receive the answer as your own thought with such clarity, there is no doubt. It is pure knowing.
You could have recently used your seventh sense for something as inane as walking into an unfamiliar grocery story, wondering where the balsamic vinegar was, and allowing your feet to carry you directly there without questioning why “left” was the thought.
You cultivate your seventh sense when you consciously make use of all the resources available to you in the Universe. Quite literally, nothing can be hidden from you by any part of Creation—past, present, or future. All you have to do is tap into your seventh sense and inquire.
This happens by sitting quietly in contemplation—or remaining in a state of open wonderment. The wonder of a child is still contained within you, as you, and is a gateway to greater knowledge. In reality, all of life is a gateway to higher consciousness or enlightenment—Self-Knowledge.
Want to know how the Universe works? Or mankind’s true history? Ask! The information will flow to you at a level you can understand, the spectrum broadening when you are capable of going deeper. Be advised the information is relative to the physical plane as a more comprehensive version of reality, but is by no means complete. No human nervous system has the capacity to contain the totality of light.
As a fun exercise, if you’d like to go deeper using this article as a jump-off point, then contemplate that there are really twelve notes in a musical scale if you include the half notes, twelve chakras in the body, and the exponential/fractal leap from the individual human is the twelve archetypes commonly referred as the twelve tribes!
Are you able to recognize when you are using your seventh sense? Pay attention throughout your day, cultivating greater awareness until your seventh sense becomes inseparable from the rest of your senses.
Thursday, August 4, 2016 0
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