Mind Manager

Treadmills are the best fitness machines

2009-01-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

When it comes to exercising, I will be standing last in the line. I used to be a regular visitor to the Gym. But after we shifted our apartment, I am not hitting the gym as I used to. There are 2 reasons for this,

1. I loved my previous apartment Gym facility. The treadmills, elliptical were really good. They were new and user friendly.

2. I had company to the gym. My friends used to join me and we had loads of fun while working out.

Sigh! Since I personally do not like the Gym facility in this new apartment, I am planning to buy a treadmill. I am not a very techie person. The one thing I want is an LCD monitor attached to the treadmill. Wow! that will be pure luxury for me. C'mon who will say a NO to such facilities. While browsing the internet, I came across this 9.45 TV treadmill. It has all that I need.

When it comes to fitness machines, I would blindly say that treadmills are my choice. There is no exercise like that of walking and treadmills are the best. Hopefully I buy this 9.45 TV treadmill soon and start working out and keep my body fit. If anyone of you own this treadmill or anyother type do let me know your reviews. It will be very helpful for me to buy.

Zeolite - Nature's Best Detoxifier

2009-01-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

With the growing population and technology, the pollution grows in abundance. There are a lot of different ways that the environment is getting polluted. And guess what? we get internally polluted with toxic items. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are the cause of environment pollution and the environment is getting back at us by polluting our body with toxins.

Many of these toxins include mercury and settles in our body as fat tissue. The more we store the more dangerous it is. What if we find a solution to this. Something like a detoxification process. Can we really do this? Researchers have said Yes! There are some dietary supplements (Organic pure Zeolite Powder) which can be used to detoxify and remove the toxins in our body.

Not only this, this Zeolite powder also helps in reducing our weight. Scientists say that these toxins that get stored plays a vital role in preventing our weight loss. Once they are removed, it becomes easy for us to reduce weight and stay fit. What else can we ask? Have you tried these Organic pure Zeolite Powder? If so, can you please share your experience so that we can get a clear idea.

Living alone with safety - Medical Alarms

2008-12-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

Unlike India, in the US, people like to live independently and also alone. In India, the parents and grandparents are taken care of by the family and they live with them. However, this is not the case in all other countries. People live alone even when they are in their late 60's or 70's, where they might need some physical help. Do you know someone who lives alone and you care about them? There are a lot of ways you can protect them.

There are new medical products which help to keep the life of elderly intact. Fall alert detector is one that alerts the emergency personnel that the person has fallen and is unable to push a button. This is a very useful product. Why? because, there is a high chance that when we fall we might break our bones. The bones of the old people are even more tender and has a high chance of getting injured. This being the case, it is difficult for the injured person to call for help.

Another helpful product is a GPS Tracking Bracelet with 2-way speakerphone. This helps them to call for help. When we are attacked, either by others or our own body, the first thing we do is panic. We go blank. This device is handy and calls can be made easily without any problem. Medical Alarm has become a necessity for many and if you have anyone living alone, it is better to insist them take precautions. After all, we love them!

Finding difficult to track your goals?

2008-12-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

New year is in 2 weeks. Hope you have your next year's goals in mind. I have quite a few from loosing weight to saving money. It is not that we have to wait till New year to set our goals. We can set them whenever we want. The major issue is tracking them. Most of us, including me will be all excited and set unrealistic goals sometimes or even set goals and completely forget about them. But it is not going to be the case this year.

'Goal for it' is a website which helps us track our goals online. Not only for adults, it also helps us track the development of our kids through their kids goal charts. This is very inspiring and helps children learn their duties in a very fun way. I am pretty sure parents will love this. Not only New Year's resolutions, you can set any goal and track your progress. It is always helpful when someone is behind us and Goal for it is one such program, I would say.

You have free tools to set, manage and achieve goals. The process is very simple and they also have helpful video tutorials for teaching the beginners. You get support, motivation, the opportunity to work together and more. It is always easy when you do something in a group. All for free. Don't you think you should give it a try? This is perfect for people like me, who forgets their goals and find it difficult to track their progress. Let me know what your experience, it is always more room to learn.

What do you think of Online Pharmacy Escrow Service?

2008-12-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

It is always good to know that there is a service which guarantees you something. Especially when you buy something online, you want to be pretty sure that you will get what you have paid for. Online transactions have become very common now a days, that we even try to do most of our grocery shopping online. Then why not our medicines? When it comes to medicine we need a trustworthy person to believe in. Online Pharmacy Escrow services are those which helps you connect with your favorite pharmacy online and assures you that you will receive what you have paid for.

One such service is Canadian Online Pharmacy. They provide the service world wide and accept the most popular method of payments. Sometimes I do feel that purchasing online is more comfortable. You can shop at your own pace. You can get medicine for almost any type of ailments through this service, as they just help you connect with your usual pharmacy.

Refills are also easy through this services. To make the ordering process simple, they have ordering through phone or live chat. Considering the shipping costs, I personally feel that it will be more profitable if we order in bulk. Not only shipping, ordering in bulk saves a lot of money in many ways. With online shopping becoming more popular I think we must give it a try and avail these services if it satisfies our needs. Do you agree?

Food that helps to get pregnant

2008-12-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

When a couple decides to get pregnant, one of the few important things they consider is food. Food plays a major role throughout the pregnancy. What you eat before pregnancy is important too. There are few foods that will help you in conception and few which you need to avoid.

Food to eat :

Fruits and vegetables - especially citrus and leafy vegetables
Folic acid
Food containing Vitamin B6
8 liters of water
Zinc
well cooked egg

Food to Avoid:

Caffeine
more sugar diet
Alcohol
Soy
Sea food as they contain mercury

Few important links:

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/family/142797/Eat-to-get-pregnant

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthination/pregnancy.htm

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/4753/should_pregnant_women_eat_soy/

http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

100 Natural Ways to Overcome Anxiety

2008-12-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was brought to the notice of an article which shares 100 Natural Ways to Overcome Anxiety. Here is the link for you. I have already written about how to overcome stress and in this busy world, we all have different reasons for getting anxious.

Getting anxious is very natural. You cannot prevent it. But sure can overcome without stress. Natural methods like Yoga, meditation are great ways to overcome your anxiety. A normal breathing exercise does help a lot. Through this process, Do not try to control your emotions. Let it free and try to overcome them. It is more effective than trying to control.

Here are few ways which I found very interesting in t he article I mentioned above.

Learn to Say NO - The basic thing which causes emotional disorder.
Journal - Keep a journal and let out your feelings. Do not try to suppress them. It adds fuel to the fire.
Therapies - Acupuncture,Reiki etc helps a lot when done right.
Sleep - If not enough can cause you major problems.
Natural Diet - Taking proper food would definitely help you through this. Green tea, Avocado,Fish oil,mushrooms may help too.

Getting anxious is very normal. Every human being experiences anxiety. It is the way we use to overcome anxiety, that matters. Relax and enjoy every second of your life.

Pregnancy and Men

2008-12-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

It is very clear that men, now a days, want to get involved more with the pregnancy. When a couple finds that they are pregnant, men are even more proud and happy than women and it is true. They get a sense of accomplishment and a living proof of their manhood. It is very important to them. Is it enough? Not at all.

They want to be a part of the pregnancy. They try to get involved in any way that is possible to show that they care and are equally anxious about it. Most of the women are sensitive and very expressive unlike men. Men keeps their anxiety with themselves. This doesn't mean they don't care.

Possible ways that men can participate in this journey of pregnancy

Before conception:

Every women wants to be cared for and spoken to when they are in pressure. And when a couple decides to enter the parenthood, more pressure is on the women. They are more obsessed and if at all they had to try more than one time, they get easily frustrated. This is where men plays an important role. It is very important for him to console and promise that he will be with her this entire process and they are in this together. Such love talk soothes women for sure.

First Trimester:

The important phase of Pregnancy. Most of the women will have morning sickness and it is very important that they take ample rest if required. So, men pitch in and cook for your lady. Do the laundry, she won't complain on the unwashed stain on her dress. She will be very happy and so will your child. Help in the household chores and make her feel comfortable. Talk to her whenever possible. Ask her how she feels.

Second Trimester:

Your baby is grown a little. You can see your lady with a big tummy. Make her feel that you love her however she looks. Most of the women feel very bad when they go out of shape. They think that this might make the relationship grow apart. But make her understand that it is not the case and you love her even more. Continue helping your lady with household chores and start to have a light walk with her. Be with her in all her ultrasounds and express how much lucky you are to have her as your wife.

Third Trimester:

Continue doing the chores and make sure that she does her regular pregnancy exercises. Make sure you are in the labor ward when she is giving birth. Hold her hands and soothe her. Make all the arrangements for your baby and be proud father!

More on Pregnancy and men here.

Lung Cancer- The most common cause of cancer deaths

2008-12-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

When I was browsing through the net, I came across an article describing the struggle of a pregnant women from cancer. I was shocked. How could this even happen? I felt proud of her for being so brave. Then I started reading about different kinds of cancer and their effects. Did you know? Lung Cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths.

Over 1/3 cancer deaths in US is because of Lung Cancer. This is huge! Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. There are mainly 2 types of lung cancer namely mall cell lung carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma. Both are different in the way they are treated.

There are many Lung Cancer Symptoms but, we all know Smoking is the main cause for Lung Cancer. Exposure to harmful chemicals and environmental conditions play a major role in causing this type of cancer.

As any other Cancer treatment, Lung Cancer Treatment also includes Chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition to this Surgery and Drug treatments such as erlotinib (Tarceva) are also prescribed.

For Diagnosing Lung Cancer, X-rays and CT scans are used. Sometimes doctors also conduct 'A bronchoscopy', to identify the cancer stage. A bronchoscopy is a hospital test in which a narrow tube with a light and lens on the end will be passed down the trachea and into your lungs.

These are just introduction to Lung Cancer. Do enlighten yourself with numerous articles and information found in the web and be well informed about this disease. Knowledge is power.

Top 10 Pregnancy symptoms

2008-12-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Every women is anxious when it comes to pregnancy. Every minute of pregnancy is a different experience; New and a lot to learn from. Before the doctor confirms that we are pregnant, we always have a confusion whether we are pregnant or not. We feel that we are but there is no solid proof to back us up. Do you feel the same? then here you go. These are the most common early pregnancy symptoms. Image source: apdk

Missed Periods - OK we all know this. Next!
Swollen or tender Breasts
Fatigue/Tiredness
Backache
Frequent Urination - This happens only after 3rd week or so.
Darkening of Areolas
Implantation Bleeding
Nausea/Morning sickness - There are many lucky women who skip this!
Constipation
Mood Swings - If you normally have mood swings, then it is difficult to differentiate!

Read more in detail about the symptoms here and here.

Food Poison - Diagnosis and home treatment

2008-11-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

I was all ready to shop on Black Friday. You might have read my excitement here. But all messed up within few hours. For Thanksgiving Lunch we had Fish and thanks to salmonella(I think), my husband got affected by food poison that evening and I had to say bu-bye to my Black Friday shopping.

I wanted to share few observations and tips with you so that you could be prepared to fight Food poison.

Common causes for Food poison:

Eating raw or undercooked Meat,seafood,Poultry
Drinking Raw or expired Milk
Eating unwashed vegetables/Fruits
Eating without washing hands

Common Symptoms of Food poison:

Diarrhea
Vomiting
Stomach pain
Head Ache
Nausea

Home Treatment for Food Poison:

Drink plenty of water, preferably warm water.
Boil water with 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2-3 cloves. Allow it to cool and drink when warm.
Goggle with salt water. This comforts your throat and kills any germs that could reside.
Avoid having solid food at least for the next 2 sessions and substitute with liquid food.
Take bed rest and avoid eating out for at least a week.

These are some of my observations and learning. You could also learn more about Food poisoning here and here.

Can we exercise during pregnancy?

2008-11-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

This is the first question that I got even before planning for motherhood. Why? because I am overweight and it is a must that I watch my weight so that I get into an easy labor. With having a bad experience with my first pregnancy, it is very difficult for me to even think that my second would be a normal one.

I had a miscarriage due to the amniotic fluid loss. Now I have to be at rest for my second pregnancy. So how can I watch my weight being at complete rest? It is challenging. I am figuring out a way so that it helps me and also people like me who have to take complete rest during their pregnancy due to special needs.

Till now I have figured out that healthy and low card diet will help me maintain weight and also provide the required nutrients for my baby. But what about exercises? As of now, nothing. If you know anything,do share it. I'll love you forever!

But for others who can lead a normal pregnancy period, the best ways are,

Yoga - before choosing this option, be sure that you learn this from a teacher/expert before trying it. There is a baby to think about now.

Usual exercises in GYM - You can perform the normal walking exercises in treadmill, but just be sure to stop when you are uncomfortable and also don't stress out!

Walking with your better half - This helps a lot. Having a slow long walk with your husband will not only be relaxing and helpful for your labor but also will be a chance to catch up with your loved one and satisfy your emotional needs that grow up during pregnancy.

Always consult doctor and do not assume anything. To know more on exercises, have a look at this article. I liked it very much. Very informative.

Now tell me, do you or did you exercise during your pregnancy? Share your experience so that we can all learn and be prepared to welcome our bundle of joy!

Eating right during Pregnancy

2008-11-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Are you ready enjoy the motherhood? Are you overwhelmed with the different advices you get on what to eat and what not to eat during pregnancy? Well then join me in watching this video. I saw this video while I was browsing today and found the information very clear and useful for every pregnant women or even women who wants to become pregnant.

Liked the information? I am trying to get a lot of information on pregnancy and I will be sharing it in this blog. Do not miss, please Subscribe in a reader to the blog and enjoy a healthy pregnancy period.

8 Things to do before getting pregnant

2008-11-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy - the goal of womanhood. It is a blessing to become a mother. Not all get the opportunity. Few get pregnant immediately and few have to work hard. Whatever be the case, there are few things that you must do before getting pregnant.Few important things. Photo :karindalziel

Intake Folic Acid

By taking 400 micrograms of folic acid a day for at least one month before you start trying and during your first trimester, you can cut your chances of having a baby with neural-tube defects such as spina bifida by up to 70 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Say No to Drugs, Drinks, smoke

If you are a person who loves to party and enjoy drinking and smoking. Well, it is high time you put a stop or atleast a pause to these activities. Drinking/Smoking during pregnancy affects the baby and has high possibility of preventing you from getting pregnant.

Say Bubye to Caffeine

Caffeine is considered as a drug that the absorption of Iron which is vital during pregnancy. It is suggested that you stop taking caffeine in any form. There is a high possibility to increase your risk for stillbirth. So start weaning yourself off of coffee, tea, and colas or switch to decaf.

Check your weight

It is very important that you are fit to become pregnant. It is found that people having a BMI of more than 30 or less than 20 have harder time in getting conceived. Check your BMI here. Be cautious and stay fit.

Eat healthy Food

This is very important. Change your diet from frozen food, junk food etc to healthy fruits and vegetables. Cook your food. Avoid eating outside.

Figure out when you Ovulate

It might sound very difficult to figure out when you ovulate but there are methods to help you. If you have a regular menstrual period, it is easy to figure out your ovulation period. Check out this ovulation calculator. You can also determine your ovulation period with the help of basal temperature. You can also check the ovulation period using the kits available in the market.

Throw your Birth Control Pill

Duh! A very obvious thing to do before getting pregnant.

Contact your doctor

Stay in touch with your doctor. She/he might help you figure out problems, if any.

Getting pregnant is more commitment in life, more responsibilities. So be sure that you are ready for this journey and then get pregnant. Good Luck!

Coronary bypass surgery

2008-11-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

Recently my uncle was asked to undergo the Coronary bypass surgery. Any family would panic hearing this news, and so did we. We had no doctors in our family to make us understand what a heart bypass surgery is. We were scared. At that point I decided to do some research on the Internet and share this news with my friends through this blog, so that, all, at least those who read this will become more aware.

Creating awareness is my main motto here. Not everyone knows about Coronary bypass and I felt it like it is my duty to spread the news and create some awareness. There are a lot of websites and articles about this but let me just brief you on the

- What?
- How?
- Who?

Photo from : UMM.EDU

What is Coronary artery bypass surgery?

This is a medical term used for the bypass surgery performed on a patient whose heart stops functioning or is suffering from severe heart attack. Not all will be asked to undergo this surgery. This surgery will be done only when the coronary arteries are blocked by fat and cholesterol which in turn stops the blood flow to the heart causing in severe heart pain or makes the heart to stop functioning.

How is the surgery performed?

There are different methods followed. It depends on the patent's condition and also the Doctors preference. But I found this procedure in Wiki,

1.The patient is brought to the operating room and moved onto the operating table.

2.An anaesthetist places a variety of intravenous lines and injects an induction agent (usually propofol) to render the person unconscious.

3.An endotracheal tube is inserted and secured by the anesthetist or assistant (e.g. respiratory therapist or nurse anesthetist) and mechanical ventilation is started.

4.The chest is opened via a median sternotomy and the heart is examined by the surgeon.

5.The bypass grafts are harvested - frequent conduits are the internal thoracic arteries, radial arteries and saphenous veins. When harvesting is done, the patient is given heparin to prevent the blood from clotting.

6.In the case of "off-pump" surgery, the surgeon places devices to stabilize the heart.

7.If the case is "on-pump", the surgeon sutures cannulae into the heart and instructs the perfusionist to start cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Once CPB is established, the surgeon places the aortic cross-clamp across the aorta and instructs the perfusionist to deliver cardioplegia to stop the heart.

8.One end of each graft is sewn onto the coronary arteries beyond the blockages and the other end is attached to the aorta.

9.The heart is restarted; or in "off-pump" surgery, the stabilizing devices are removed. In some cases, the Aorta is partially occluded by a C shaped clamp, the heart is restarted and suturing of the grafts to the aorta is done in this partially occluded section of the aorta while the heart is beating.

10.Protamine is given to reverse the effects of heparin.

11.The sternum is wired together and the incisions are sutured closed.

12.The person is moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) to recover. After awakening and stabilizing in the ICU (approximately 1 day), the person is transferred to the cardiac surgery ward until ready to go home (approximately 4 days).

Who can be a victim for this?

- Diabetic patients are more prone to this.

- Women has a higher risk

- Old people, by old I mean people who are 70 years or more.

- A person with history heart problems

- Obese person

More information can be found on the Internet or you can discuss about the causes and effects with your doctor. Hope these information was useful and helped to create awareness. There is nothing to be deeply worried, technologies have improved and so is our possibilities to survive. Do share your thoughts and experiences with us.

Toothache - Homemade Medicines/Immediate Remedy

2008-10-29T09:08:00.001-07:00

As I already mentioned, here are the homemade medicine/remedy for immediate relief of Toothache.

Garlic clove - Take one garlic add a pinch of salt and crushed peppercorns and keep them on the tooth which aches. This is an immediate relief. Garlic has so much power!

Cloves - These are very handy and easy.Just place them on the tooth that aches and after sometime you will get some relief for sure.

Salt and pepper - Take a pinch of each and rub it slowly on the gum of the aching side.

Clove oil - This is also very effective. Just rub it on the Gums and with a help of sponge/cotton apply it on the tooth.

Onions - Place a small piece of onion on the tooth. It helps killing the germs.

As always goggling with warm salt water also helps to some extent.

Do let me know if you are aware of any other Home medicine for toothache.

Tooth Ache - ouch! it hurts.

2008-10-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks, my husband was suffering from tooth ache. He was developing his wisdom tooth and oh! it was painful. Also he has sinus problem which had aggravated his pain. I did give home some home medicine, which I will be sharing with you all soon. But, no relief. The next immediate thought is to find a dentist.

We live in the suburbs of IL and our main concern was dental expenses aren't covered in our insurance. That being said, you know how much we have to pay out from our pocket if we visit a dentist. But, how long can he suffer? Another big issue is, he hates going to a dentist. He says it is more painful than the tooth ache. So, either I have to drag him to the dentist or he must be given conscious sedation. My motto is to get his tooth ache fixed.

For the first week, I just gave him some home medicine. A quick remedy. The next week was OK. He was getting better and now he is alright. He is very happy that he made it through this situation without going to the dentist! My friend always compares him with her son, in this aspect. She lives in NY and her son always throws a tantrum, every time they visit the Rochester NY dentist. She says, Rochester Dentist needs a lot of patience to treat her kid. And same goes with my husband. A lot of patience is required.

Sure do come back for the details of home medicine that I gave my husband to get a quick relief from the pain. Do share your experiences related to tooth ache or dentist whichever you feel is real funny!

How about some water therapy?

2008-10-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

Everyone wants to be fit. Both Physically and mentally. How often do you exercise to make this happen? If you ask me the same question, I would say 'I am lazy to hit the Gym and exercising is no fun.' But, will you consider exercising if it is more fun? Ya, Of course!

Now, the next question. How many of you have been to Spas? For a women Spa is heaven. A great place to relax and meet up with friends. How cool it would be if you could exercise in you spa along with your friends?- A swim spa. I would say super cool.

But...there are always buts in everything. Are these hydrotherapy pools hygienic? Are the water being changed after every customer? A point to be noted. Not all spas do this and it is not affordable too. Also there is a high possibility that they use a highly chlorinated water for these pools. More chlorine content is not good for our skin. So I would suggest you all to think twice and also do your research properly before joining any therapy classes or trainings.

Recently I came across many Aquatic therapy classes, trainings. Also home pools, where you can install these equipments at home and practice it all by yourself. One advantage of having a home pool is that you can avoid spreading of infections and also take care of the water. But can you afford it? It is 100% your call.

Indoor exercises are becoming more popular these days. With having to work all day, having a Gym at home is the easiest and best way to keep your body fit. How efficient is this water therapy? Do you go to any aquatic therapy or do you know someone who participates? Do share your comments here so that it will be useful for all our readers.

Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Leads Recalled?

2008-10-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Do you know what a Defibrillation is? Ofcourse, a laymen would never know these medical terms. If you are a doctor, or a patient who has suffered Cardiac Arrest or a close relation to a heart patient, you will be knowing a lot of information, enough to write an essay. But for all others,

Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator. This depolarizes a critical mass of the heart muscle, terminates the arrhythmia, and allows normal sinus rhythm to be reestablished by the body's natural pacemaker, in the sinoatrial node of the heart

Says Wiki. To know more on this check out Wiki.

But, did you know Medtronic Inc. has removed its Sprint Fidelis defibrillation leads from the market? The reason being,there was five related deaths. Medtronic Defibrillator Recall, which happened recently was a shock to many.

Defective Defibrillator Leads were called off to prevent any future mishap. Know more about Defibrillator Lead Lawsuit. Do you know someone who has been using this device?- consult a Medtronic Recall Lawyer. Sometimes, medical field can be more scary than Halloween!Share your experience with us and educate our readers.

Do you suffer from Acne?

2008-10-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

Whenever I hear the word Acne, it kind of pisses me off. It is one of the major contributors of social insecurity among kids, teenagers or adults. Affects everyone invariably. Especially the teens. Already they are going through a tough time, and acne makes the life even worse.

More than physical, I think Acne has a more emotional effect. Whiteheads, Blackheads, pimples,Cysts are common form of acne. ok, we all know this. So, what causes this acne? - An important question. They say, mostly due to hormones, dirt, heredity, stress, deficiency of vitamin A and E. It varies from person to person.

How can we prevent Acne? - I really do not know how we can prevent it. May be we can be more hygienic. But, I would be more interested in how to cure them.

We really do not have the control over the acne, per say. But sure is curable. There are a lot of treatment for acne complex. We just have to find out which suits us the best. Various treatments like Murad acne complex etc are available. Consult your doctor before deciding on which medication to follow.

Have you ever tried Murad Acne? If so, please share your views and experience. I really appreciate it and would love to know more about the product. My friend is in need of a good treatment. She is suffering from acne for the past 6 months.

Do you suffer from Dandruff Problem?

2008-10-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Dandruff has been a recurring problem in my house. Both me and my husband suffer from dandruff. We have tried many Health and Beauty products. They were of little help but not cured our dandruff problem completely. When we browsed the Internet we came to know many things about Dandruff.

Dandruff or scurf is termed Pityriasis capitis. It is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. It might be due to dryness or excessive oil. Either way there is a lot of possibility for dandruff. Minor dandruff problems can be cured by Anti Dandruff shampoo. Though we have a lot of anti dandruff medicines available, if it is due to fungal infection, it is better to get checked with a doctor first.

There is no convincing evidence that food (such as sugar or yeast), excessive perspiration, or climate have any role in the pathogenesis of dandruff. However, certain oily foods or excessive intake of 'junk food' can trigger the appearance of dandruff . Dandruff can be caused by stress.

says Wiki.

Do you know any handy medication for treating dandruff? Have you suffered from dandruff problems before? I would really appreciate if you could share your experience here with us.

Urinary Tract Infection - Causes and Prevention

2008-10-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am hosting an event called Eat Healthy - Fight Diabetes in my food blog. While doing research about the side effects of diabetics, I found that UTI - Urinary Tract Infection is one among many. UTI is a bacterial infection that is easily curable. Phew! What a relief! There are many cures for UTI.

Who gets this Infection?

Women are much prone to this infection than men. Especially, sexually active women. Adding to it, people who have diabetes have greater chance to be affected by this. Unhealthy toilet habits play a major part in inviting this infection.

How can it be treated?

Most cases can be treated with oral antibiotics. As alternative medicine, D-mannose powder are advocated as a herbal remedy for urinary tract infections. With all these medicine self - discipline is a major way to treat this infection.

Is is ok to Use D Mannose for Urinary Tract Infection in diabetic patients? This is the question I got when I read about D Mannose. But, I was convinced that this doesn't increase the blood sugar level. The best way is to consult your doctor!

What can we do to prevent?

- Having a healthy toilet habits helps a lot!

- Breast feeding reduces the chances of this infection in the new born.

- Acupuncture has proved to be an effective way.

- Recent study shows that cranberry juice can decrease the incidence of UTI!

Facial Paralysis/Bell's Palsy - Did you know about this nerve disorder?

2008-10-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Recently I happened to read an article about Facial Paralysis. Though I was just skimming through the article, the first time, it made a huge impact on me. I never knew facial paralysis could be caused from viral infections such as mumps,chicken pox etc or even HIV. Even a neurological disease like brain tumor can cause this.

It is really very emotional when something happens to our face. Face reflects every thing and if people avoid us because of the facial disorder, it is going to affect us way deep. The viral diseases are very common and I felt that everyone must be educated with its after effects.

Bell's Palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis and its onset is usually sudden. Imagine, if suddenly you are not able to blink or move your lips! How horrible would you feel? I am appalled! It affects 40,000 people in the US every year. Can you believe it? To diagnose this, the patient has to go through a complete checkup. Sometimes Doctors can diagnose Bell's palsy by just looking at the person because the face has a 'certain look'.

There are a few ways with which Bell's Palsy is treated. One of which is Facial Nerve Retaining & Therapy. Do not hesitate. Nothing is too late.Contact your doctor immediately when you suspect something unusual. There are Facial Paralysis surgeons to help you! You deserve better!

Contact

2008-09-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Every reader is important. Your feedback is of great importance to me. Do write to me your thoughts and views and comments about my blog at scribblingsangeeth(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Also you can use the below form to contact me

create form

About me

2008-09-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by. You are very important to me. I am Sangeeth Raghunathan. I am an Indian living in the US. As the unwritten saying goes ' A pampered child is a spoiled child' - I am pampered and I am spoiled.

I quit my job and now a full time homemaker trying out new things. I love cooking and crocheting. They have become a part of my life. I have a Food and Recipe Blog through which I share my recipes.

My Writings

I love to write and share my opinion. I try to write regularly, or at least whenever I find time in ezine articles and associated contents. Click on the images to read my articles.

If you need me to write about something, (by something I mean anything and everything under the sun) please feel free to contact me.

My Crochet works:

I do sell my crochet work, but only if requested. So, if you want anything, feel free to write to me at scribblingsangeeth(AT)gmail(DOT)com Here are some of my crochet works.

Scribbling Scribe- My new blog

2008-09-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to write about topics other than food and I found 'Art of cooking Indian food' or 'Mind Manage' is not the place to write them. Hence I decided to start a new blog and named it Scribbling (As this blog is like my diary where I share my views) Scribe (I love to be a journalist!). Here is the link to my new blog,

http://www.scribblingscribe.com/

I would be more than happy if you give me the same support that you give this blog. You are the one who made me feel that blogging is my life and I owe to each one of you. I take this opportunity to thank each one of my readers, subscribers for giving me your full support.

I have started a event, more like a personal goal to achieve in my new blog. This is to reduce weight. If you are interested please do join me there and give me your full support and encouragement. Hoping to see you all in my new blog soon.

Advertise

2008-08-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

To advertise in this blog, you may contact me at scribblingsangeeth(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Want your body back post-pregnancy?

2008-08-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy – A boon considered most of the times, is a blissful journey that every women wants to experience. But, there is also an significant change in every women in this process that makes them think twice or even more before getting pregnant - ‘The uninvited extra pounds’. Today’s women are more ‘appearance conscious’ than ‘health conscious’. They want to look beautiful and they are willing to do anything to achieve this.

Who said it is impossible to get your body back post- pregnancy? We have real time examples. Look at the celebrity moms, JLo, Katie Holmes, Britney spears. They got their body back almost immediately post- pregnancy. This very thought in the public, lead to an unhealthy way of reducing weight irrespective of pre or post pregnancy. I am not saying that they are bad influence, but I would, without any doubt, say that women are not thinking. These celebrities have additional luxury like expert personal trainers, diet conscious chef, which other ‘normal’ women are deprived of.

Experts say that it is unhealthy to reduce your weight in such a lightning speed. It may not only affect your health, but also your next pregnancy, if at all you have one in mind. So, the next most commonly asked question is ‘when should we begin exercising post-pregnancy?’ The best way is to consult your doctor before implementing anything. It is obvious, that each and every individual is different and will require a different way of treatment or exercise to reduce their extra pounds gained during pregnancy.

Did you know breast feeding burns your calories? There is a thought prevailing among major women that breast feeding degrades the outer beauty. But is it true? We are not here to argue about this, but breast feeding sure does help both the mother and the child in many ways. I would like to suggest a few simple exercises that every mother can do without spending much time.

1. A simple push up would suffice. You can do this along with your new born. Place your child on a flat surface and do your pushups by placing your hands above the baby’s head. By this way you can play with your baby and stay fit.
2. Drinking enough water. This is considered to be the ‘secret mantra’ of reducing weight. Pre or post pregnancy, drinking a lot of water is very good for health. The minimum consumption must be 8 liters per day.
3. Walking. Of course you can do this with your baby in his/her stroller.
4. Diet. Consult your dietician for this, as each one requires a different diet based on their body composition.

Spend a minimum of 15mts practicing the above mentioned exercises along with the ones advised by your doctor, you can get back into shape gradually, may be in 6 months or 1 year’s time. More than reducing your weight, staying healthy is what is vital.

Vishwaroopa - Bring the universe inside you

2008-07-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

VISWAROOPA - This is expansion of our physical structure by imagination. Any one can feel the expansion of his physical structure by practicing the yoga I am going to explain now. Daily u practise this viswaroopa dharsanam early in the morning before sunrise. After your morning ablutions , take bath and sit in a calm place, legs folded, placing right palm over left palm, near the naval point. close your eyes. Focus your mind on ANAGADHA CHAKRA - i.e. near heart .Know more about chakras here. Now imagine you are expanding to the size of your physical body. Then to the room size. Then to your house size, then to your street, then to your area. Then to your city, then to your State, then to your country, then to your continent, then to entire world, entire planet, then one by one all planets, then to the galaxy, then above all the planets, then to the space above all the planets.. Now u feel entire THINGS WITHIN YOU. This is VISWAROOPA. U be there for some minutes. Then slowly feel the reverse order step by step. Finally focus your mind to your self-life force.Sit calmly for some minutes. This way you can see your VISWAROOPA.

Do send in your experiences to psraghunathan@gmail.com or leave a comment here.

Thought watching - A basic type of meditation

2008-07-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

THOUGHTS are one of the deciding factor of human beings. Everyday, while you wake up in the morning, sit on your bed in a convenient posture and close your eyes. Place your right palm on your left palm and keep them on your legs near your navel point. Do not open your eyes. WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS. Let them flow one by one. Do not brood over. Do not analyse. Just watch them and do not follow them. It is not as easy as you think. Watching your thoughts without following them takes time and is an art.

At a point of time, you will feel no thoughts. This state will last for only fraction of seconds.This is TRANQUILITY- the state of Non-duel. Attaining tranquility is difficult, but not impossible. If you practise regularly, you can master this. If you ask me, I would suggest you to watch your thoughts daily for a minimum of 15mts in the morning when you wake up and in the night before you go to sleep. This will help you in self realisation and also keeps you brisk throughout the day. Doing this before going to sleep will help you get deep sleep.

Thought watching is a type of meditation, where you need not involve any action. You may experience tranquility any day. Even the very first time you do this. When you attain this state of tranquility, you are enlightened with knowledge. You are newly born soul with full of joy. Whatever you do will blossom with full of love. Wherever you go, you will be surrounded with sweet aroma. All other living things, including human, will long to be by the side of you . You will always be in a state of bliss. Your approach towards every living and inert thing will be equal. You will become impartial. What else do we need in our life except this? Love and peace will surround us wherever we go. Meditate and try achieving this state and free your soul. Share your experience by writing to psraghunathan@gmail.com or leave a comment here sharing your experience.

Meditation - Getting started

2008-05-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

It is not only me, there are thousands of people who started to meditate and one fine day gave up. When I wanted to know why I gave up on meditation, I had no valid reason. Mostly people answer 'just like that. I was not feeling anything'. I learned meditation from my father and was very curious to know how it works. I had to practice everyday at least for 15mts. I had the patience for 1 week. After that, all gone in air. When he asked why? I had no answer. I knew I gave up because I felt lazy and this lead to a point where I was frustrated and depressed with myself for not realising my inner self through meditation.

No art can be mastered in a day. All of us know this, but still want to be the best overnight. Could this happen? No way. Any art comes to you only if you practice and meditation is an art. An art of realising oneself. This can be achieved if and only if you practice.

The first basic thing in meditation is to find a Guru. Go in search of a Guru. There are a lot of gurus waiting to help you. You know that anything and everything can be googled. However, I would suggest you to consider gurus whom you have heard of or to whom your friend/family is going to. Choosing your Guru is the main and most important step in this process of self realisation. You can learn Technology online with online guides and tutors. But as for as meditation, you need a real Guru who can teach you and guide you through this process. Each one will have a different expectation from their gurus. You are the better person to find out what you desire.

The next step is contact your guru in person and discuss what exactly you want. This is the same as anywhere. You get what you ask. There are many kinds of meditation and you might not know what exactly suites you. Your guru knows. Ask your guru what is best for you and start practicing the same according to his instruction.

The next important step is to practice. This is where most of us will fail. We will start great, but to continue you need perseverance. This is the stage where a lot of people will loose hope and start cursing themselves or their guru. Even to eat a delicious food you need to wait till it is cooked. Similarly, you need to wait till your mind is evolved. For some people it happens within days and for some it takes years.

You get evolved to the next stage without your knowledge. Discuss it with your gurus and they will surely help you get through this stage.When you start feeling that you are hopeless and you have not progressed much, discuss it with your gurus. One more way which I follow whenever I feel frustrated about my progress, I will think of a situation and write down what my reaction would be now and what it would have been before I started practicing meditation. If both are same you need your guru's help. If there is even a slightest difference, you can be sure that you have progressed. However, positive or negative progression can be identified with your answers. You are your best judge.

Meditating is not easy but surely is not that difficult. It is the basic way for realising oneself and it does help you mould you characters. With Meditation, you are one step closer to success.

How to Escape your Suffering - The Blind Man vs. The Cripple

2008-04-29T08:13:00.001-07:00

There is a famous Indian story about the great battle between the blind man and the cripple which I think you will all enjoy. I came across this story first is Osho’s book on Courage, The Joy of Living Dangerously. Here is how it goes. In a remote village in the outskirts of Punjab there lived 2 sworn enemies. One chap was blind and the other was a cripple. They just could not get along. No matter what one did, it would upset the other and visa versa. For years this battle raged on and the animosity between them grew fierce and caustic.

As fate would have it though, during one very hot and dry summer a terrible fire broke out in the village and began consuming everything in its path. The villagers began to flee in fear as there was no stopping the inferno. In the panic, the blind man and the cripple were forgotten about and left to fend for themselves. They now had a big problem. The blind man did not know which way to go in order to escape the fire, and the cripple, who could see the path to safety, could take no action regarding it. So both were stuck. Luckily for them, the desire to live was greater than their hatred for each other, so they decided to work together in order to save their lives. The blind man put the cripple on his shoulders, who then directed him on which way to go in order to escape. Thus, working as a team, they were successful and even ended up becoming friends. Who is the blind man and who is the cripple? The blind man is your mind and the cripple is your heart. What is the fire? The fire is your suffering.

The mind is the instrument through which you can move, act — but it is blind, in that it does not know which way to go. It endlessly debates, weighing pros and cons, wobbling between what will be gained and what will be lost if certain action was to be taken. It cannot see how to escape the suffering. The heart, on the other hand, can see clearly the way out, but does not have any means to act. In order to act, it needs the mind. So they need each other. But, more importantly the heart needs to sit on top of the mind, as the cripple sat on the shoulders of the blind man. With the heart leading the way, the mind becomes intelligent. Give the heart its precedence and wisdom will then emerge and guide you safely out of your suffering.

Reincarnation - Myths and Facts

2008-04-16T09:31:00.001-07:00

I really do not know whether to believe in reincarnation or not. I have heard both sides. There are people who absolutely believe in rebirth and there are others who are skeptical about it. What is reincarnation? According to Wikipedia "literally "to be made flesh again", is a doctrine or metaphysical belief that some essential part of a living being (in some variations only human beings) survives death to be reborn in a new body. This essential part is often referred to as the spirit or soul, the "higher" or "true" self, "divine spark", or "I". According to such beliefs, a new personality is developed during each life in the physical world, but some part of the self remains constant throughout the successive lives."

Before the 1960s, it was called "Transmigration of the Soul". This belief is rooted in Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Many cultures have myths and legends telling about heroes or other characters who die and then come back to life. When they reappear, though, it is not as their former selves but as other people, as animals, or even as plants. The concept of reincarnation—a reappearance of a spirit or soul in earthly form—is based on the belief that a person's soul continues to exist after death and can transmigrate, or move, to another living thing.

However what does the Bible say? I have not read the bible fully, but when I browsed on the Internet, I came across few verses that state for and against reincarnation. For example, Hebrews 9:27 states "It is appointed unto man to die once, then judgment." Since the Bible is God's spoken word to man, then this verse should emphatically prove that reincarnation is a myth. What are some other Bible verses that plainly show "Reincarnation" to be a lie? How about Second Corinthians 5:8 which says 'We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.' What does this mean? That at death, believers in Christ are immediately in the presence of God..their bodies go to the grave but their spirit and soul go to God. Non-believers go to a place to await judgment.

Here is one which supports reincarnation. All the verses in which the Lord refers to John the Baptist as been Elijah. Also Bhagavat gita, the Hindu Bible strongly support reincarnation.

A Russian woman who claims to be able to speak 120 languages says many of them are from her previous lives.Linguists claim to have identified that she speaks 16th century English,Chinese, Persian, Egyptian, Mongolian, Vietnamese, Korean and Swahili, reports Komsomol'skaya Pravda.

There are many people who have claimed to have known their past lives and have reincarnated. But, it is upto us to believe or not. We can do many researches, read many books related to this topic and improve our knowledge. Unless we experience, we will still be skeptical.

I believe meditation is a means of realising oneself. Hoping that we can have even more clear picture when we realise ourselves, I strongly recommend all to practice some kind of meditation which might answer a lot of our unanswered queries.

If anyone had reincarnation experience/knowledge or who knows about their past lives please do leave a comment. I am very eager to learn more in this topic.

Information: Statistics world-wide are difficult to obtain, but in the US the Gallup Organization made a survey in October 2001 of Americans' belief in psychic and paranormal phenomena. For this survey, they asked adults 18 and over amongst other things if they believed in "Reincarnation, that is, the rebirth of the soul in a new body after death". In the results, 25% said they did believe in reincarnation, 20% didn't know, 54% didn't believe in it and 1% had no opinion. Belief was only slightly higher among males than females, while it varied significantly between age groups: belief amongst 28-29 year-olds was at 25%, 30-49 year-olds were at 22%, while people 50 and over were at 28%

References:

http://www.enotes.com/myths-legends/reincarnation http://www.anunseenworld.com/reincarnation.html http://science.krishna.org/Articles/2003/12/001.html http://www.144000.net/reincarn.htm

Teen depression - Facts and Tips to handle

2008-04-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Teen depression has become very common now a days. Most of the parents are thrown to jeopardy due to Teen depression. We need to create more awareness in this topic so that we can save more innocent kids/teens from spoiling their like. Though it is very difficult to find if a teen is in depression, we have more proven methods to find them these days. Though parents take responsibly for most of their child's actions, teens must also try to co-operate and discuss about their problems to their parents or guide, so that we can reduce most of the problem from going out of control. 'Medicinenet.com' is a very good site creating awareness in this topic. Below is an article from their site and I thought it will be good to share it with you. Please Click here to read the article.

Why do we get Disturbing and Violent Dreams?

2008-04-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves to dream. Sometimes we do get upset when we dream of something we do not want to see. Few dreams haunt us. I have many times woken up by a same dream. Dreams are ways through which your subconscious mind try to communicate with you. If you understand what subconscious mind try to say, you can rule! It is not very easy. You need to master the art of dream interpretation. As it is always believed by me 'Nothing is impossible. You just need to try!'. So here is an article about disturbing dreams which I came across in www.psychic-aus.com . It is a good start to read our dreams which surely helps in solving our emotional problems.

Here is the link to the article

Do you feel depressed?

2008-04-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

"Depression is extremely complex," explains London-based psychoanalyst Jean Allen, "And can be very hard to diagnose and evaluate". Who on earth would have thought that a video game can help doctors to find your depression level. According to a team at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, Maryland, however, a video-game could provide crucial clues not only in diagnosing depression, but also in gauging the severity of that depression. Interesting huh? Technology has improved so much that you can do wonders with it.

The game in question is Duke Nukem, a hugely popular virtual reality adventure in which the eponymous Duke -- a muscular, crop-haired, womanizing macho-man in the Arnold Schwarzenegger mold -- defends the earth, and in particular its female inhabitants, against an unpleasant array of aliens, mutants and other physically malformed aggressors.

Battle is joined in a variety of virtual environments, ranging from urban cityscapes to military bases and space stations, with the Duke navigating his way around these environments shooting, bombing, incinerating, stabbing, shrinking, freezing and otherwise terminating (with extreme prejudice) his hapless opponents.

This is an article from CNN.com. An interesting and informative article must be shared and here it is. Many people suffer from depression and few of them still struggle to find out the cause. Depression is very critical. It can lead you to heights of stupidity.

The use of such virtual games to assess mental condition is not in itself new. A team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has used navigation through a virtual reality maze to help in the diagnosis of schizophrenia, while another study from the U.S. National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, has employed a similar system to quantify the mental deterioration caused by old age.

The NIMH experiment, however, is the first of its kind to apply such technology to the problems of depression.

The study combined 30 male and female volunteers from the in-patient and out-patient psychiatric units at NIMH, ages ranging of 21-65, with 19 healthy "control" volunteers. People displaying a "high expertise" in video games were excluded.

The volunteers were allowed to familiarize themselves with a virtual reality town such as that used in Duke Nukem, before being given 20 minutes to navigate their way around that town locating various landmarks.

The results proved extremely instructive. The healthy control group were able to find their way to significantly more locations (an average of 3.8) than those suffering from depression (an average of 2.4).

Within the latter group there emerged a clear correlation between severity of depression and navigational ability, with those suffering from the most acute depression displaying the least ability to find their way around the virtual town.

I have quoted few findings from the article and to read the entire article do CLICK HERE!

Mood Swings during Pregnancy - Why do we have them?

2008-04-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

I couldn't stop thinking about this topic. Not because I am pregnant, it is because I am surrounded by my pregnant friends. It is pregnancy time in our neighbourhood. Almost all of my friends are pregnant and each one acts differently. The one and only topic that we discuss when we all meet is about pregnancy. I have been observing most of them from their day one of pregnancy and to my surprise I see the fun one becoming dull and the shy one becoming overwhelmed.

Suddenly everyone reads about pregnancy symptoms, baby growth and want to be the expert in this field. Each one talks as though they have a PhD in this department and they are not to be blamed. Their mood swings. There are people who does things deliberately during their pregnancy and puts the blame on their mood swings. But, 99% of the mood swings are real and genuine. Why is there a mood swing all of a sudden? What is its cause? Most of us know it is hormonal imbalance. For those who are new to this, Click Here

The Art of Cooking!

2008-03-31T08:28:00.000-07:00

Cooking is not a duty. It is an art. Those who have understood this have always cooked scrumptious food. I used to work for a software company and cooking was a duty for me. I have always whined about cooking and never was happy to cook. Now that I quit my job, I have no other option than to cook. Initially, I was lazy and always complaining.Time went on and nothing changed. I had to cook! Finally, I decided to make cooking a delight. I tried out various recipes and finally found that cooking is an art!

Most of my friend's moms are great cook. They cook both breakfast and lunch in less than 45mts. I used to wonder how they do it. When I asked about this to one of my friend's mother,she said without any hesitation,"I love to cook and Challenge myself daily to cook a dish which is more delicious than what I cooked yesterday!". Wow! I never thought people take part in these kind of challenges. She also gave me few tips which I will be sharing with you.

Do you know you can talk to your vegetables and fruits? I didn't, till I met my old school friend. She used to be the fun and freaky one. But now, She is a mom of 2 kids and an awesome cook. She told me an interesting news about vegetables. If you talk to the vegetables while you are cooking them, you get a very delicious food cooked. The taste of the food you prepare completely depends on your mood. Have you ever wondered why the same dish you cooked last week was more delicious than what you cooked today? Taste does depend on your emotions. When you are happy, the radiations from your body are positive and they make the food taste great. When you are dull,angry or not feeling well, your body produces negative energy which in turn spoils your food. Taking all these into consideration, we must have a clear mind when we start cooking. Think about food and how delicious it is going to taste after you prepare them. This will surely help to crown you as a great cook.

Now let us go for the tips and tricks in cooking. These are very useful for working women. These tips are generally for Indians. Others can change them according to their needs.

1. Cut your vegetables the day before and store it in an airtight container.
2. Cut your cilantro and curry leaves the day you buy them and store in a box so that you can use them whenever necessary.
3. When you start to cook, always place the rice first in the rice cooker. You can do other dishes when the rice is cooking. Guess what?After some days you will complete the entire cooking before the rice is done.(It takes 30mts to cook rice in the rice cooker)
4. Cut all vegetables that are required for that session's cooking at one time. By doing so, you can cook two dishes at a time and you need not worry about the ingredients.
5. Last but not the least, if you can, do sing while cooking. Music makes you feel happy and in turn helps your dishes to taste yummy.

There are a wide range of recipes in the web. I collect them and also share my own recipes in my blog Let Us All Cook!

Does our attitude affect our way of living?

2008-03-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

As I was browsing, I came across this article. We all have a lot of questions about our health and how we can be more healthier. Just read this article and you will find out that 'YOU' are the reason for your body's wellbeing. The below is an article by Chris Woolston from http://healthresources.caremark.com

Curious about your health and your future? You can put yourself through a battery of medical tests, fill out stacks of questionnaires, and see every specialist in town. But for a simple and surprisingly reliable prediction, just ask yourself a simple question: How healthy do you feel?

Do you want to know more about this article. Do Click here

Overcome emotions during pregnancy

2008-01-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

One of the most random things to deal with for expectant mums, is the roller coaster ride of emotions during pregnancy. These emotions are sometimes very difficult to control and usually come at us with no notice, so one minute we may be fine and relaxed, the next we might have turned into a wailing banshee.

Obviously this can be a confusing time, not just for us but our loved ones too. Our partners maybe looking forward to spending some time with their loving wives, only to be greeted by a tired and irritable women in her place. This is why it is worth taking some time to understand the different emotions during pregnancy and why it's important to stay strong. Clearly having some form of expectations is better than not being prepared for certain changes.

Probably the best way to deal with changing emotions during pregnancy is to keep an open, honest and constant dialogue with those around you. Our family is probably as confused or apprehensive as we are, try to take the time and describe how you are feeling, perhaps agree some exclusive "me time" where you do nothing but put your feet up. To read further do visit Pregnancy Wizard

Top 5 Ways to Combat Sadness

2007-11-06T06:39:00.000-08:00

Life is so unpredictable and most of the time things happen against us.This is an article by Jeff Cohen to overcome our sadness and help ourselves to lead a better life.

One moment your face is beaming with a ray of happiness and then the next day you suddenly feel weak, with low energy, and unable to accomplish anything. If you are experiencing the latter, then you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Long ago, the feeling of sadness was closely associated with changing seasons. The transition from summer to winter to spring leads to mood swings. A person switches starts off with a happy mood then becomes depressed and tense.
No person is immune from feeling sad, men or women, young or old, rich or poor, people will always experience sadness.

Here are five helpful tips that can help you combat sadness:
1. Soak up the morning light.

2. Avoid too much alcohol or caffeine.

3. Get regular exercise.

4. Eat lunch outside.
5. Eat foods containing the amino acid trytophan.

To Read more about this article do click here.

How to overcome Homesickness

2007-10-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

In this busy world most of us are away from our family for improving our career opportunities.Not all are attached to family, but I bet all will feel nostalgic at some point during this journey.Homesickness is not an emotion for us to be ashamed of.You must feel proud that you are associated with a wonderful family and you miss their love and affection.Here is an article on how to overcome homesickness.Hope this is helpful for a lot of people out there missing their kith and kin.

Sometimes you just want to get away. Your older brother and his friends are constantly camped in front of the TV, your baby sister won't stay out of your room, and you want some time to yourself.

But when you get it - maybe at a friend's house for an all-weekend DVD marathon or on spring break at Disney World - you're surprised to find yourself missing the chaos at home a bit.
What's that all about? Believe it or not, you're feeling homesick.

The Deal With Homesickness
When you're homesick, you might feel nostalgic for familiar things like your family, friends, pets, house, or neighborhood. You can miss something as simple as your bed or the tree outside your window.
Homesickness isn't only for kids: Practically everyone feels homesick from time to time, even adults. Teens might get homesick when they leave home for the first extended period of time, like during a vacation with a friend's family or a summer job as a camp counselor. Going off to college is another common trigger.

Why Do I Feel This Way?
Familiar surroundings, people, and routines provide people with a sense of security and comfort. In a new place, you may find yourself missing the comforts of home and loved ones. Those homesick feelings are completely normal.

Tips for Dealing With Homesickness
Luckily, homesickness is usually mild and doesn't last long. And there are things you can do to make sure it doesn't spoil your fun.
Try a trial run.

Bring something that reminds you of home.

Call home when you can.

Do something you enjoy.
Talk to a friend, ideally someone who's going through the same experience you are.

Write in a journal.
Stay active.

Review your expectations.
Talk to an adult.

Almost everyone has felt homesick at some time. Remember that there's a good side to homesickness, too: It means you have family and friends worth missing and a place you want to return to when your adventure away from home is over. To read more do visit http://www.kidshealth.org/

Emotional Intelligence

2007-09-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Emotional Intelligence (EI), often measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), describes an ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.

Emotional intelligence tests are very effective tools that can help people demonstrate how aware they are of their own weaknesses and character traits.Although most people claim to be knowledgeable about all aspects of their lives, they are often clueless as to their emotional intelligence. Additionally, it is easy to point out the character flaws and weaknesses in other people but people generally fail to look deep inside themselves to find the flaws within.

It is so important for people to have and to be aware of their emotional intelligence but it is very rare to find someone who actually is.Emotional intelligence in conflict situations can help people deal with struggles and difficult situations in life but often people lack the insight to see inside themselves. An emotional intelligence assessment and exercises can help people get the proof they need to become more self-aware so that they start working on self-improvement.

These tests give guidance as to what specifically needs improvement or which traits need to be acquired to make the person improve and become better. When people are given a clear direction about what they should be working on, it makes self-improvement much less of a daunting task. Being aware of one’s emotional intelligence helps people lead more productive and more fulfilling lives and it can help them have better and stronger relationships.

Emotional intelligence exercises can help people deal with challenges in life and with daily interactions and relationships, making life better and more fulfilling. Emotional intelligence means that people will be able to detect the emotions and feelings of himself and of other people.
Having this skill is very effective in allowing people to know how to deal with many situations in life, such as during conflict. Understanding the other person’s side and viewpoint can help avoid conflict or can help end a disagreement with both parties feeling assuaged and cared about.

Even though emotional intelligence can be learned about by reading, special emotional intelligence exercises can help people work on acquiring this asset in a more tangible and real way.Respecting others is an effective emotional intelligence exercise because it allows on to put himself in another person’s position. It also helps reduce conflict and makes a person more understanding.

Being aware of the names of feelings can help one identify his emotions so that he can channel them more effectively. Another exercise is learning how to take the energy that certain emotions bring. For example, one who feels anger should use emotional intelligence exercises to help him deal with the energy that the anger brings. Once the energy is directed elsewhere, for example into a productive activity, he has used his emotions in as industrious and constructive way instead of allowing it to have destructive effects.

An essential aspect of emotional intelligence tests is that it allows people to become much more self-aware and they can therefore become more responsible for their own actions. This means that instead of blaming others for his mistakes and for things that go wrong in life, a person with emotional intelligence will look internally and will find his own flaws and will work on them.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Monroe Techniques for Astral Projection

2007-08-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

Every one will want to experience the 'Astral Travel' but it requires practice for some while few can do it very easily. Below is a technique suggessted by Scott Rogo, prentice Hall Press in his book 'Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral Projection'.

One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear. Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Cantebury Institute, renowned for its occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving over 2,000 people. None of them were hurt in any way by this, and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly arising problems.

Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting, you should begin monroe's techniques, step by step.

Step one:

Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or 100) are known to work well.

Step two:

Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic state without using your arm. Another method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state. Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.

Step three:

Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. Observe your field of vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of you. After a while, you may notice light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts. The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap.

Step Four:

Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through the body. Their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying to leave the physical one. For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the following directions:

1.Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin.
2.Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light.
3.Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north.
4.Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable.
5.Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
6.Enter a state of relaxation
7.Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your weel-being. Repeat this five times.
8.Proceed to breath through your helf-open mouth.
9.As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.
10.Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet.
11.Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body. Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them.

Step five:

Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave the body.

Step six:

Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control of the state. Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full seperation.

Step seven:

Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point.

Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out" technique.

When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. /do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body. Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but argues that both are equally efficacious.

If, you want to learn more on these techniques, I recommend purchasing 'Leaving The Body', by R. Scott Rogo. It contains another eight or so techniques. Not all techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one that works for you in this book.

Astral Projection - An interview with Jerry Gross (Part II)

2007-08-23T07:05:00.002-07:00

Jones: Are there any dangers people should be aware of?

Gross: When you do this consciously, there is no danger in it. One thing I'll say, you must develop your thinking skills, and know what you want and where you want to go. The only dangerous part of it, is if you practice it while you are taking in drugs or alcohol. Remember back in the sixties when people were taking the drug called LSD, and they had some bad trips? They ended up in the lower astral. I'm trying to teach that you can have full control of what you are doing. I would suggest if you like to drink or take drugs that you not try it.

Jones: What else can you do when you leave the body?

Gross: That is entirely up to you. You must know where you are going. You cannot just leave your body and have no destination, because you'll bounce around like a rubber ball. Remember, you are controlling yourself with your thoughts, so if you think of California, you'll be there. One of the most important things I like to teach people in my workshops is how to use their minds to astral project. The best thing I can say is to learn to control yourself, so you'll go where you wanted to go. When you first start out this might happen for awhile, but after you get full control of it, you'll realize someone else is watching you, a teacher or guide. They'll contact you then and let you know it's time for you go on, and learn.

Jones: How would the average person know if this is for real? Is there a way to prove it, and have you ever been asked to prove it?

Gross: In my workshops, I teach you to astral project by having you sit in a chair and go out and turn around and look at yourself. If you are lying in bed, you can rise up, turn around and look at yourself lying on the bed. You'll have proof enough when you are able to look at your physical body, from outside of it. I've been asked to prove this many times, in radio shows, and at the Whole Life Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center where I traveled astrally from St. Paul, Minnesota to Los Angeles and moved a box they had set up on the stage for me. Once you learn how to do this you'll have proved this to yourself, and that's why I call my little group, Search and Prove. I want you to prove this to yourself for that's the ultimate proof. Don't take my word for it, prove it to yourself.

Jones: Are certain kinds of people more inclined to develop this ability than others?

Gross: I would say some learn faster than others. I had one lady who took two years before she finally succeeded. The most important thing is to keep a positive mind and know you can do this, because as soon as doubt comes into your mind, you won't be able to do it. The negative is taking over then. So it's important to keep an open, positive mind that you can do this. It might take a little time, but it will happen. I like to think about people going on a diet. They get real enthused about it at first, when they've lost a couple of pounds. All of a sudden it gets hard to lose, and they give up. It's the same way with astral projection. If things don't happen right away, some people give up.

Jones: Does daily lifestyle make a difference in being able to project?

Gross: No. If you have a normal lifestyle, you shouldn't have any problem.

Jones: If people have the inherent ability to do this, why is it that so few can actually do it?

Gross: As I said earlier, they lost it when they were young. They must learn how to bring the ability back again, because everyone can do this. We all do it when the physical is asleep. So you must learn to do it while you are sitting in a chair, awake or lying on a bed. You must learn to allow the subconscious to take over, and not let the physical mind control you.

Jones: Some people have dreams of flying. Where they actually out of their bodies? How can you tell the difference between dreaming and actually being out of the body?

Gross: Usually when people dream of flying they are out of the body, because this is the way you get around. If you ever wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning with a jolt, this is the astral body returning to the physical. Usually your dreams are in the beginning of your sleep cycle at night, and those dreams are nothing more than an accumulation of your thoughts during the day. If you wake up in the morning and remember your dream real well, it is usually an astral body experience; so keep track of these clear dreams, for they are lessons for you. It might not make much sense at first, but later on down the road, it will all come together for you.

Jones: If you could give one piece of advice to people who are astral projecting, what would it be?

Gross: The main thing is to start remembering your dreams and have a pencil and paper next to your bed, or a tape recorder. Another piece of advice I'll give you is, right before you go to sleep at night, say to yourself three times, I will remember, I will remember, I will remember. From that point on, within about two to three weeks, you are going to start remembering everything that happens to you while the physical is sleeping. Actually, the best piece of advice I could give, is to come to a workshop, because we really do have a lot of people who have good experiences at them. The workshop is the best way I know to teach anyone to do this, because I am able to spend a lot of time with the participants. We practice different techniques from 9:00 in the morning until sometimes 11:00 at night. By the end, they have good experiences, and I find this with all my workshops.

Jerry Gross holds workshops on astral projection in the United States and abroad. For further information on his work, visit his website at www.searchandprove.com. You may also call 612-436-8505; write Search and Prove, Box 311, St. Paul Park, MN 55071; or send e-mail to Rgross6162@aol.com.

Astral Projection - An interview with Jerry Gross (Part I)

2007-08-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Everyone can have an out-of-body experience, says expert Jerry Gross - in fact, you probably have. In this interview, Gross explains OBEs, what happens and how to begin your adventure.

When noted out-of-body teacher and practitioner Jerry Gross wants to travel long distances, he doesn't bother with the time and expense of catching a plane. He just uses a different kind of plane, and travels there astrally - unless, of course, he is teaching one of his many classes and workshops on astral projection, also known as OBE or out-of-body experience.

According to Gross, the ability to leave the body has been with him since childhood. Yet, rather than regarding this as a special gift, he believes that this is an inherent ability that can be developed by anyone. In the following article, Gross discusses the out-of-body experience with freelance writer and former workshop participant Sandy Jones.

Jones: What is astral projection? How would you describe it?

Gross: Astral projection is the ability to leave your body. Everyone leaves their body at night, but before they do leave, they have to put the physical mind to sleep. Most people don't remember this, but when the physical mind is asleep, the subconscious takes over, and this is usually when you do your astral projection. In other words, everybody does it, but they just don't remember doing it.

Jones: What is your earliest recollection of doing this? What was it like?

Gross: I can remember doing this clear back to when I was about four years old. I never lost the ability to astral project, and kept it throughout my whole life now. Everyone is born with this ability. If you think back, you can probably recall having dreams of being somewhere, but as you got older, you lost the ability. What I'm trying to teach is that you can do this at will.

Jones: In those days, astral projection was almost unheard of. Did you ever tell anyone about it? How did they react?

Gross: It was strange for me because at that age, I thought everybody did it. I used to talk about it, until it kind of got out of hand, and when I started getting into trouble with it, I went to my grandmother, who could do it too. She told me not everyone could do it, so it would be best not to talk about it, and to come to here if I wanted to talk about it. So throughout all my life, most of my experiences with astral projection were kept a secret, except for her.

Jones: These days, with the many publications on near-death experience and related topics, the concept is not so unusual. Is this experience the same as what is described in the near-death experiences?

Gross: It's not quite the same, because when you astral project, you don't have to go through the white light, or a tunnel. When you project, you usually go right where you would like to go, right away. Remember this, when you're out of the body, there is no time or no distance. Everything is right here, now. Astral projecting is a little different than the death experience, because in the death experience, you are getting ready to leave the body for the last time. During the death experience, a person sees the white light, and there is usually someone there that you know, waiting for you. When you astral project, you decide where you want to go.

Jones: When you leave your body, what happens to the physical body?

Gross: When your physical body sleeps and the astral body leaves, the physical body just rests. No harm can come to you through this.

Jones: What do you do when you leave the body?

Gross: I go to the astral plane and communicate with my teachers, I visit other places and other dimensions, and I visit my loved ones who have left the earth plane. There are many things you can do once you develop this skill.

Jones: It has been said that there is a silver cord attached to the body, and that this cord could be severed when you astrally project, thereby making it impossible to come back to your body. Is there a danger of this happening?

Gross: Absolutely not. The silver cord is connected to you when you enter the physical body for the first time, and it is not cut again until you leave for the last time. If this were possible, that you couldn't get back to the body, it would happen to you at night when you do leave the body. There is no danger in this; it is a gift given to us to learn how to use.

To be continued...

Astral Projection and Astral Travel

2007-08-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Has anyone of you experienced astral travel? I have heard a lot of stories about them and they truely are fascinating. I wonder how only few people get to do this astral travel. But after analysing and reading a lot of articles related to this I came to a conclusion that everyone does astral travel but only few are able to relate them and understand them.

HOW TO ASTRAL TRAVEL

Astral projection is a form of out of body experience that sometimes occurs during lucid dreaming during deep meditation or at times of crisis. The soul moves into an astral body (or "etheric double"), which moves free of the physical body in a parallel world known as the astral plane. Astral Travel is spoken about in may mystical texts and has more recently been studied by scientists investigating reports of people who have has a near death experience.

ASTRAL TRAVEL CLAIMS

During an astral voyage, communication with other astral projectors is claimed to be possible. Of interest is the work of Robert Monroe who founded the Monroe Institute and published several accounts of his experiences of astral projection including "Far Journeys". Robert Monroe developed a method he calls Hemisync to induce mental states that are favourable for projection.

ASTRAL TRAVEL ATTACKS

Sometimes the astral traveller reports being attached to his/her physical body by a silver umbilical cord. Pets have been said to react in a frightened manner, and some claim seeing an astrally projecting person's spirit as a coloured beam or shot or light darting around the room.

ASTRAL TRAVEL & ASTRAL PROJECTION DREAMS

From Craig Hamilton-Parker's Book Psychic Dreaming: Out-of-body dreams, in which you "float" up and look down upon yourself or upon another location, are a form of psychic dream. Some psychics claim they visit other actual locations, often ones that they've never seen. Travelling out of the body is sometimes called Astral Projection.

Frederik van Eeden presented one of the first studies of out of body dreams to the Society of Psychical Research in 1913. Van Eeden had already presented evidence for lucid dreams in which the dreamer becomes conscious while the dream is taking place. He told the society that his own lucid dreams were often preceded for several nights by dreams of flying. Sometimes these lucid dreams included apparent clairvoyantly received information that could be verified later. In other instances he believed he left his body.

In one instance while 'flying' he dreamed that he would be robbed of a large sum of money, a predicted event that was to take place soon afterwards. Of great interest to Van Eeden was when he noted that sometimes he would dream of lying on his stomach when in reality he was lying in bed and on his back. If he allowed himself to wake slowly he would experience the sensation of slipping from his 'dream body' that was lying face down into his actual sleeping body.

Depending upon the person, the appearance of the 'dream body' ranges from a gossamer-like form to an exact replica of the physical body. Having the ability to project consciousness can open up many interesting opportunities to the dreamer. Some claim to be able to travel to remote locations. They claim to be able to walk the beaches of Hawaii, explore the ancient pyramids of Egypt or even have a free ticket to the moon.

Craig's Astral Projection Experience
I have had many of these experiences myself but have found in most instances that it is hard to maintain consciousness for long periods of time. My own experience is one of projecting my awareness rather than a dream body. Nonetheless on occasions I have looked down at my sleeping body from the ceiling and have sometimes awoken with clear memories of having visited a remote location. Many people report having these experiences during puberty.
At first the experience of being without a body is frightening if you have never heard about astral projection. It is natural to assume that you are dead and panic sets in. The result is usually a quick return to the body. A quick return is sometimes accompanied by sensations of a jolt to the physical body accompanied by a loud band and a flash of brilliant light. Once the initial fears are overcome astral travel become natural and is not accompanied by any negative sensations.

I will be posting more on astral travel.Keep watching!

Difference between Nightmares and Night terrors

2007-08-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Only very recently I came to know the difference between a Nightmare and a Night terror. Though both have a common word 'Night', but they are very much different from one another. They form a very important study material when dealing with dream analysis and I thought it would be really useful and interesting to share it with you. There are many sources to find more about this topic but I am quoting here one from 'Sleep Disorders Blog'.

There is much difference between nightmares and night terrors and there is a difference in the way of handling by the parents or caretakers.

A nightmare is an unpleasant or scary dream. Many of them are unaware of nightmares and children experience more frequently than adults. Children experience them from time to time. One out of four children experience nightmares more than once in a week.

A child wakes up after a nightmare and is often distressed and you cannot comfort a child after nightmare.

Night terror is not a dream but is a partial awakening from sleep with unusual behaviors such as screaming, mumbling or kicking. The child may be sweating or breathing fast during a night terror. Night terrors occur within two hours of sleep after a child goes to sleep.

Night terrors are harmless and each event will end in deep sleep. A child will not wake up with night terror even though he or she may have their eyes open. They are not completely awake and cannot recognize or communicate with you.

Children may oppose going back to sleep after a nightmare because they are afraid. Nightmares always occur almost in the night during the light stages of REM sleep. children usually remember a nightmare.

Children will settle down quickly after a night terror. You have to stay with them until they go back to sleep. Night terrors are usually completely forgotten. The main cause of night terrors is overtiredness of your child.

The cause of nightmares may be due to the worries your child is having. Separation anxiety may be another cause of nightmares.

Helping your child during a night terror:

1.Help your child to go back to sleep and don’t try to awaken your child. Whenever your child experiences a night terror turn on the lights and soothe him so that he will not be confused.
2.Hold your child to feel better and don’t shout as your child may become more upset.
3.Protect your child from injuries as he may fall down a staircase, or break a window and gently take your child back to the bed.
4.Overtiredness is the main cause, so prevent tiredness and make sure that he goes to bed early.

Visit the doctor:

1.When the night terrors happen continuously for seven nights.
2.If the child is drooling, stiffening or jerking.
3.If the terrors are happening during second half of the night.
4.If the night terrors are happening for half an hour or more.

Helping your child during nightmare:

1.You have to reassure and comfort your child.
2.Protect your child from watching horror movies and shows in television.
3.Talk to your child at daytime about the bad dreams he had at night.
4.After the nightmare, let your child go back to sleep.
5.During bedtime, talk to your child about happiest things and funny things.
6.Leave your child’s bedroom door open to overcome the fear.

Visit the doctor:

1.When nightmares are happening more often or becoming worse.
2.If the fear interferes with day time activities.
3.If nightmares are disturbing your child’s sleep and ability to function

Brain Teasers and their answers

2007-08-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

This post contains the brain teasers and their answers.

26Sept'07 Teaser:

You have been promoted to pet detective while Ace Ventura guides some tourists on a safari. From the following clues, you must figure out who is the owner of each pet, and where the pet got lost.
1.A rabbit and a dog are two of the lost pets.
2.The pet lost in the garden is owned by Mary.
3.Robert does not own a dog.
4.John's pet was lost in the woods.
5.The cat was not lost in the woods or in the park.

Answer:

I. Read the complete problem:

Get a general idea of the problem. Here we have 3 owners, 3 pets, and 3 locations. You are being asked to match each pet with an owner and a location. A 3×3 table, also called a logic matrix, can be used to organize this information.

II. Make a list of the members of each category:

Owners: Mary, Robert, John

Pets: rabbit, dog, cat

Places: park, garden, woods

III. Start filling the table with information from the clues.
The clues may provide direct or deduced information and can be processed in any order. We start by putting the owner names in the top row. Here, we start with clue number 2:

2. The pet lost in the garden is owned by Mary.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets
Places garden

5. The cat was not lost in the woods or in the park.

Therefore, the cat must have been lost in the garden.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets cat
Places garden

4. John's pet was lost in the woods.... and, therefore, Robert's pet must have been lost in the park.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets cat
Places garden woods park

1. A rabbit and a dog are two of the lost pets.

3. Robert does not own a dog.

This means that Robert owns the rabbit, and John must own the dog.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets cat dog rabbit
Places garden woods park

Congratulations! You now qualify as a pet detective.

20Sep'07 Teaser:

At an eBay auction, a woman's ring and a filigree jewelry box with a hand-painted ceramic top are on sale for $200.00 Dollars. The jewelry box is valued at $190.00 Dollars more than the ring. How much is the ring worth?

Answer:

If you said $10.00 Dollars, you are wrong! It is not that simple.

This is a problem that requires setting up two equations with two unknowns to find the answer.The box (B) plus the ring (R) cost $200.00 Dollars:

B + R = 200

The jewelry box is valued at $190.00 Dollars more than the ring, i.e., the price of the box (B) is equal to the price of the ring (R) plus $190.00 Dollars:

B = R + 190

Now we can substitute the right side of the second equation in the first equation and solve for R.
R + 190 + R = 200

2 R = 200 - 190

2 R = 10R = 10/2R = 5

The ring is worth $5.00 Dollars.

The price of the box is $190.00 plus $5.00, which is $195.00 Dollars, and the box plus the ring add up to $200.00. So, everything checks out.

18Sep'07 Teaser:

A chicken farmer has figured out that a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many hens does the farmer need to produce one dozen eggs in six days?

Answer:

This is a classic problem that many people get wrong because they reason that half of a hen cannot lay an egg, and a hen cannot lay half an egg. However, we can get a satisfactory solution by treating this as a purely mathematical problem where the numbers represent averages.

To solve the problem, we first need to find the rate at which the hens lay eggs. The problem can be represented by the following equation, where RATE is the number of eggs produced per hen per day:

1-1/2 hens × 1-1/2 days × RATE = 1-1/2 eggs

We convert this to fractions thus:

3/2 hens × 3/2 days × RATE = 3/2 eggs

Multiplying both sides of the equation by 2/3, we get:

1 hen × 3/2 days × RATE = 1 egg

Multiplying both sides of the equation again by 2/3 and solving for RATE, we get:

RATE = 2/3 eggs per hen per day.

Now that we know the rate at which hens lay eggs, we can calculate how many hens (H) can produce 12 eggs in six days using the following equation:

H hens × 6 days × 2/3 eggs per hen per day = 12 eggs

Solving for H, we get:

H = 12 /(6 × 2/3) = 12/4 = 3 hens.

Therefore, the farmer needs 3 hens to produce 12 eggs in 6 days.

17Sep'07 Teaser:

A fruit vendor bought 100 pounds of berries for $2.00 per pound and expected to double his investment by selling the berries for $4.00 per pound at an open-air market. The vendor only managed to sell 50 pounds of berries the first day and he sold the remainder on the second day. The fresh berries had a content of 99% water, but because of the hot weather, the berries dehydrated and contained only 98% water on the second day. How much profit did the vendor make?

Answer:

The decrease of water content from 99% to 98% may seem insignificant, but it reduces the weight of the fruit by 50%. The 1% decrease in water content of the fruit should not be confused with a 1% decrease of the total amount of water, which would indeed be small.The cost of the berries is: 100 pounds × $2.00/pound = $200.00

The first day sale of berries with 99% water is: 50 pounds × $4.00/pound = $200.00. The vendor covers his cost on the first day, but does not make a profit.
On the second day, the berries have a water content of 98%. The weight of the dehydrated berries can be calculated as follows:

The leftover 50 pounds of berries with 99% water have 1% of non-water components which weigh 0.5 pound (50 pounds × 1/100 = 0.5 pounds).

When the berries dehydrate, the weight of the non-water component is still 0.5 pounds but it now comprises 2% of the total weight of the dehydrated fruit with the other 98% being water. The weight, W, of the dehydrated fruit can be calculated as follows:

0.5 pounds = W pounds 2% 100%W = (0.5×100)/2 = 25 pounds

What used to be 50 pounds of berries with 99% water content are now 25 pounds of berries with 98% water content.

The second day sale of berries with 98% water is: 25 pounds × $4.00/pound = $100.00. The profit is the total sales ($300.00) minus the cost ($200.00). The vendor had a $100.00 Dollar profit. The loss of water is also a loss of profits. This is why supermarkets spray water on fresh vegetables and keep produce refrigerated.

13Sept'07 Teaser:

A valuable painting was stolen from the Liar's Club, but the police are having a hard time identifying the culprit because every statement made by a member of the Liar's Club is false. Only four members visited the club on the day that the painting was stolen. This is what they told the police:

Ann: None of us took the painting. The painting was here when I left.

Bob: I arrived second. The painting was already gone.

Chuck: I was the third to arrive. The painting was here when I arrived.

Tom: Whoever stole the painting arrived before me. The painting was already gone.

Who of these four liars stole the painting?

Answer:

Since every statement is false, let us convert them into true statements, and number each statement:

Ann: 1) One of us took the painting. 2) The painting was gone when I left.

Bob: 3) I arrived first, third, or fourth. 4) The painting was still here.

Chuck: 5) I arrived first, second, or fourth. 6) The painting was gone when I arrived.

Tom: 7) Whoever stole the painting arrived after me. 8) The painting was still here.

According to statement #7, Tom is not the thief. #8: Since the painting was there when Tom arrived, he could not have been the last to arrive. Tom must have gone there first, second, or third. #6: The painting was gone when Chuck was there, so he didn't arrive first. #5: So Chuck got there second or fourth. #4 and #8: As two other members (Bob and Tom) arrived to see the painting, Chuck didn't get there second, either. So Chuck arrived fourth. #3: This means Bob arrived first or third. #2: Since the painting was gone when Ann left, she didn't arrive first. Otherwise, no member after her would have seen the painting. So Ann went there second or third and Chuck arrived fourth. But since two other members (Bob and Tom) saw the painting when they arrived, Ann didn't go there second, either. So Ann arrived third. #3: Therefore, Bob arrived first, and Tom arrived second.

In summary, Bob arrived first. Tom got there next and the painting was still there, so Bob was not the thief, and neither was Tom. When Ann arrived, the painting was still there, but it was gone when she left. So Ann was the one who stole the painting. Chuck arrived last and discovered that the painting was gone.

12Sept'07 Teaser:

At a bar, there is a bucket containing ice, some of which has melted. A bartender gets an ice cube weighing 20 grams from the ice bucket and puts it into an insulated cup containing 100 grams of water at 20 degrees Celsius. Will the ice cube melt completely? What will be the final temperature of the water in the cup?

Answer:

First of all, you have to know that the ice in the bucket has a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. How do we know this? The Celsius temperature scale is defined to be 0°C when ice is in thermal equilibrium with water, and 100°C when water is in equilibrium with steam. An ice bucket does not provide extra cooling, it just maintains ice at its equilibrium melting point temperature.

The Specific Heat (Sh) of a substance is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by one degree Celsius. By definition, the Specific Heat of water is 1.0, and this amount of heat is called a calorie. A kilocalorie is 1000 calories, also called a "Calorie" with upper case. The Calories in nutrition labels are kilocalories.

Additional heat is required to change the state of a substance from solid to liquid, or from liquid to gas. This is called the "latent heat". Water is in thermal equilibrium with ice when it freezes at the same rate that the ice melts. The heat for melting or freezing water, also called the Heat of Fusion (Hf), is 80 calories per gram at 0°C, which is the equilibrium temperature. In other words, it is necessary to add 80 calories of energy to melt one gram of ice at 0°C. Conversely, it is necessary to remove 80 calories of energy to freeze one gram of water at 0°C. The heat for boiling or condensing water at 100°C, called the Heat of Vaporization, is 539 calories per gram, although this is not relevant to our problem. The following graph summarizes the effect of energy on the temperature of water in its solid, liquid, and gaseous phases.

The problem can be solved by breaking it into smaller pieces. The amount of energy needed to melt the ice is Wi×Hf, where Wi is the weight of the ice. In addition, the 20 grams of water obtained from the ice must be heated from 0°C, which is the temperature of the ice, to the final temperature Tf.

Where does the energy for melting the ice come from? Since the cup is insulated, the heat has to come from the 100 grams of water at 20°C. The amount of heat required to melt the ice and to increase the temperature of the resulting water to the final temperature is equal to the heat lost by the 100 grams of water. This can be expressed by an equation:

Wi×Hf + Wi×Sh×(Tf - 0°C) = Ww×Sh×(Twi - Tf)

WhereWi = weight of ice = 20g

Hf = Heat of fusion = 80 calories/gram

Ww = weight of water = 100gTf = final temperature,

Twi = initial water temperature = 20°C

Sh = Specific Heat for water = 1.0 calories per gram per °C

Substituting the values we get:

20×80 + 20×1×(Tf - 0°C) = 100×1×(20°C - Tf)1600 + 20Tf = 2000 - 100Tf120Tf = 400Tf = 400/120 = 3.3°C

The final temperature is 3.3°C. If we had had more ice or less water, there would not have been enough energy in the water to melt all the ice. Once the temperature of the water reaches 0°C, no more ice can melt.

How much ice could be melted by 100 g of water at 20°C? Using the equation above, where the final temperature is 0°C and the weight of the ice is unknown, we have:

Wi×80 = 100×1×20 The maximum amount of ice that could be melted is:

Wi = 2000/80 = 25 grams
If the amount of ice exceeds 25 grams, the remainder will just float in 125 grams of water at 0°C.

11Sept'07 Teaser:

A bear walks south for one kilometer, then it walks west for one kilometer, then it walks north for one kilometer and ends up at the same point from which it started. What color was the bear?

Answer:

The bear was white because it was a polar bear. The only place on earth where a bear can go south, west and north equal distances and end up where it started is the North Pole.

10Sept'07 Teaser:

There are twelve identical-looking balls, but one is either heavier or lighter than the other eleven. How can you determine which is the odd ball and find out whether this ball is heavier or lighter than the others using only three weighings with a balance?

Answer:

Label the balls from 1 to 12 to identify them.

Weigh 1, 2, 3, 4 against 5, 6, 7, 8:
I. If they balance, 9, 10, 11, 12 contain the odd ball.

Weigh 6, 7, 8 against 9, 10, 11.
a..If they balance, 12 is the odd ball. Weigh 12 against any other ball to discover whether it is heavy or light.
b..If 9, 10, 11 are heavy, they contain an odd heavy ball. Weigh 9 against 10. If they balance, 11 is the odd heavy ball, otherwise the heavier of 9 and 10 is the odd ball.
c.If 9, 10, 11 are light, we use the same procedure to reach the same conclusion for the odd light ball.

II.If 5, 6, 7, 8 are heavy, either they contain an odd heavy ball or 1, 2, 3, 4 contain an odd light ball.Weigh 1, 2, 5 against 3, 6, 10.
a.If they balance, the odd ball is 4 (light) or 7 or 8 (heavy). Weigh 7 against 8. If they balance 4 is light, otherwise the heavier of 7 and 8 is the odd heavy ball.
b.If 3, 6, 10 are heavy, the odd ball can be 6 (heavy) or 1 or 2 (light). Weigh 1 against 2. If they balance 6 is heavy, otherwise the lighter of 1 and 2 is the odd light ball.
c.If 3, 6, 10 are light, the odd ball is 3 and light or 5 and heavy. We thus weigh 3 against 10. If they balance, 5 is heavy, otherwise 3 is light.

III. If 5, 6, 7, 8 are light we use a similar procedure to that in II.

7Sept'07 Teaser:

An investor trading through a discount stock broker that charges $10.00 Dollars per transaction bought 200 shares of Vola Tile Corporation at $50.00 Dollars per share. The stock quickly increased in value by 50%, but then lost 40% of its value. The investor sold the stock. How much money did the investor gain or lose?

Answer:

The cost of 200 shares at $50.00 Dollars each is $10,000.00 Dollars.

The 50% gain on $10,000 is $5,000, making the new total $15,000.00 Dollars.

The 40% loss on $15,000 is $6,000, reducing the total amount to $9,000.00 Dollars.

This is a $1000.00 Dollar loss, plus $10 Dollars for the Buy transaction, and $10 Dollars for the Sell transaction.

The investor lost a total of $1020.00 Dollars.

It seems counterintuitive that the investor should lose money when the percentage of the loss is less than the percentage of the gain. However, the percentage of the loss is calculated on a bigger amount than the percentage of the gain.

6Sept'07 Teaser:

My sister has six red stamps and three blue ones. In her collection, seven stamps are from Mexico and six stamps are from France. One stamp is purple and it is not from Mexico or France. Two of her Mexican stamps are red and one is blue. Two of her French stamps are blue and three are red. How many stamps does she have?

Answer:

She has a minimum of 15 stamps.

Mexico: 1 blue, 2 red, 4 unknown color

France: 2 blue, 3 red, 1 unknown color

Unknown country: 1 purple, 1 red

... and for all we know, she might also have 2 green stamps from Germany.

29Aug'07 Teaser:

Three students checked into a hotel and paid the clerk $30 for a room ($10 each). When the hotel manager returned, he noticed that the clerk had incorrectly charged $30 instead of $25 for the room. The manager told the clerk to return $5 to the students. The clerk, knowing that the students would not be able to divide $5 evenly, decided to keep $2 and to give them only $3.

The students were very happy because they paid only $27 for the room ($9 each). However, if they paid $27 and the clerk kept $2, that adds up to $29. What happened to the other Dollar?

Answer:

The students have paid $27 and have kept $3 for themselves and that adds up to $30. Not a real puzzle... just a mistake in math! You cannot tally the clerks total twice, it's already included in the $27 the students have paid. The equation is incorrect...if they paid $27 and the clerk kept $2...then that does not add up to anything.

As far as the students are concerned, they paid $27 and received $3 change which adds up to $30, but the $27 Dollars obtained from subtracting $3 from $30 is just the result of a calculation and not an accounting of the real money. The confusion about the $2 Dollars kept by the clerk can be avoided by tracking down the real money.

27Aug'07 Teaser:

A scientist is experimenting with bacteria that are one micron in diameter and that reproduce by dividing every minute into two bacteria. At 12:00 PM, he puts a single organism in a container. At precisely 1:00 PM, the container is full.How big was the container?

Answer:

The number of bacteria in the container is 2n where n is the number of minutes elapsed. The full container has 260 (two to the sixtieth power), or approximately 1.153×1018 bacteria. Since one micron (one millionth of a meter) is 1×10-4 centimeters, each bacterium occupies a volume of about 1×10-12 cubic centimeters. Multiplying times the number of organisms, we conclude that the container had a capacity of 1.153×106 cc or 1,153 liters. The container was slightly bigger than one cubic meter.

260 = 1,152,921,504,606,846,976

24Aug'07 Teaser:

Answer:

The container was half full at 12:59 PM. When the bacteria doubled in the next minute, the container became full.

23Aug'07 Teaser:

A chicken farmer also has some cows for a total of 30 animals, and the animals have 74 legs in all. How many chickens does the farmer have?

Answer:

This is a typical algebra problem with two unknowns, and we need to have two equations to solve the problem. Let X be the number of cows, and Y the number of chickens.The number of cows plus the number of chickens equals 30:
X + Y = 30

Since cows have four legs and chickens have two legs, we can also have an equation for the number of legs.
4 X + 2 Y = 74

Rearranging the first equation we get
X = 30 - Y

Substituting X in the second equation gives us
4 × (30 - Y) + 2 Y = 74120 - 4 Y + 2 Y = 74-2 Y = 74 - 120 = -46Y = 23

The farmer has 23 chickens. (and 7 cows).

22Aug'07 Teaser:

At a party, everyone shook hands with everybody else. There were 66 handshakes. How many people were at the party?

Answer:

With two people (A and B), there is one handshake (A with B).

With three people (A, B, and C), there are three handshakes (A with B and C; B with C).

With four people (A, B, C, and D), there are six handshakes (A with B, C, and D; B with C and D; C with D).

In general, with n+1 people, the number of handshakes is the sum of the first n consecutive numbers: 1+2+3+ ... + n.

Since this sum is n(n+1)/2, we need to solve the equation n(n+1)/2 = 66.

This is the quadratic equation n2+ n -132 = 0. Solving for n, we obtain 11 as the answer and deduce that there were 12 people at the party.

Since 66 is a relatively small number, you can also solve this problem with a hand calculator. Add 1 + 2 = + 3 = +... etc. until the total is 66. The last number that you entered (11) is n.

21Aug'07 Teaser:

You have to measure exactly 4 liters of water, but you only have a 3-liter bottle and a 5-liter bottle. How do you do it?

Answer:

1.Fill the 3-liter bottle and pour it into the empty 5-liter bottle.

2.Fill the 3-liter bottle again, and pour enough to fill 5-liter bottle. This leaves exactly 1 liter in the 3-liter bottle.

3.Empty the 5-liter bottle; pour the remaining 1 liter from the 3-liter bottle into the 5-liter bottle.

4.Fill the 3-liter bottle and pour it into the 5-liter bottle. The 5-liter bottle now has exactly 4 liters.

Here is another way to do it

1.Fill the 5-liter bottle and pour water from it into the 3-liter bottle until it is full.This leaves 2 liters in the 5-liter bottle.

2.Empty the 3-liter bottle and pour the 2 liters of water from the 5-liter bottle into the 3-liter bottle.

3.Fill the 5-liter bottle again.

4.Fill the 3-liter bottle from the 5-liter bottle. Since the 3-liter bottle had 2 liters of water, only one liter is transferred leaving exactly 4 liters of water in the 5-liter jug.

20Aug'07 Teaser:

The grandson is about as many days old as the son is in weeks. The grandson is approximately as many months old as the father is in years. The ages of the grandson, the son, and the father add up to 120 years. What are their ages in years?

Answer:

Let G, S, and F represent the ages in years of the grandson, the son, and the father, respectively. Since a year has 365 days, or 52 weeks, or 12 months, the problem can be represented by three equations with three unknowns:

365 G = 52 S (The grandson is about as many days old as the son is in weeks)

12 G = F (The grandson is approximately as many months old as the father is in years)

G + S + F = 120 (The ages of the grandson, the son, and the father add up to 120 years)

Because the grandson's age is G = F/12, the son's age can be represented in terms of F by substituting:

S = (365/52)×GS = (365/52)×(F/12)

The third equation can now be represented with only the father's age as an unknown:

F/12 + (365/52)×(F/12) + F = 120

Multiplying by 12, we get:

F + (365/52)×F + 12 F = 120×12

20 F = 1440

F = 72

G = F/12 = 6

S = (365/52)×6 = 42

The father is 72, the son is 42, and the grandson is 6 years old.

10 Tips to Boost Your Positive Energy

2007-08-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Knowing that positive energy can do miracles in our life, its high time that we take control and generate more positive energy. I am sharing the 10 tips to increase the positive energy generation quoted by Larina Kase.

Wouldn’t it be great to pop out of bed in the morning, have flowing energy throughout your day without any caffeine or candy bars, accomplish everything you want, and feel great? For most people this would be a dream—we could all use more energy!

I’ll share with you 10 simple tips to boost your energy each day. The key is consistency. You need to do these things regularly to feel the cumulative effects.

1. Plan important activities when you have the most energy.

This is one of my favorite tips. Plan your schedule around your energy level. Choose activities and projects that are naturally energy producing at your low points in the day. If you drag in the morning, plan one of your more enjoyable activities first thing. It may take some time to transition your schedule but it will be worth it!

2. Do the work you love.

Nothing is as energy increasing as passion and enthusiasm. If you have no interest in your work, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have optimal energy. This doesn’t mean that you must love everything you do but at least some of it must utilize your natural talents and interests.

3. Boost your energy by getting regular exercise.

This certainly does not come as a surprise to you. You know that you exercise makes you feel good and boosts your energy. You just need to do it—regularly.

4. Know your personality style.

Your personality determines what is energy draining or producing for you. If you’re naturally an introvert you typically recharge by quiet time on your own. If you’re naturally an extrovert, you typically gain energy by social time with others.

5. Eat right and watch your energy soar.

This is another one of those tips that you already know but, if you’re like most people, probably aren’t doing. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber will help you sustain energy and avoid the sugar roller coaster that you get when you eat sugary snacks.

6. Keep the big picture in mind.

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment of stressful situations and feel exhausted. If, however, you remember the big picture including why you’re motivated to achieve your goal or why the small stuff isn’t that important, you’ll feel energized.

7. Drink water.

One of the most common causes of fatigue is dehydration. We often mistakenly assume that we’re hungry but the fatigue culprit is often thirst.

8. Celebrate and reward achievements.

The more you focus on your achievements, both large and small, the more success focused you will become. This will help you achieve more and all this achievement is sure to boost energy.

9. Avoid energy-vampires.

You know these types of people. Just being in their presence seems to drain your energy in the blink of an eye. Use assertiveness skills and limit your time with them.

10. Take physical and mental breaks.

Monotony is exhausting. Periodically give yourself a break by a few moments of mindless activity and quick stretching exercises or walking.

If some of these tips stand out to you as more energizing or practical, select those and focus on implementing them consistently. You’ll get and keep your energy flowing.

Mind and Brain Relationship

2007-08-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

There are many people who still don’t know if mind and brain are same. When we talk we refer mind as heart, something which has a feeling; where as brain is like an organ which helps you take decision without getting influenced by emotions. But then, are brain and mind different? This is a million dollar question.

People have tried to prove this scientifically and also philosophically. Still there are people who find it heard to believe that mind and brain are different. If you ask me, I would safely say 'I don’t know'. It can be same or different.

With this question in mind when I was searching for answers I came across many articles, theory which contradicted one another. There were many interesting articles that I found in the internet.

Here is one of them, really interesting theory. Have a look and let me know what you feel.

Mind and Brain Relationship

Overcome Frustration with your MIND!

2007-07-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Hi people...I know it’s been long time...Now that I'll be able to share with you my views on a regular basis let me start with frustrations...

We all know frustration is a slow poison. Once we open our door for it to join our life, it'll become the master and you'll loose every beautiful second of your life. Everyone gets frustrated at one point of time. Usually when we reach your saturation point in any activity that we are forced to do. Frustrations can happen at work, at home and even with our relationships.

Why do we get frustrated?

It’s very simple. When something happens continuously in a way against our thoughts! We generally expect a lot from our life. We want to be rich. We want to have all the luxuries in life. We want our love. We want and want many things in life. When our wants turns us down, we feel frustrated and lose hopes and there’s the starting of our end!

Our thoughts are the key factor for our frustration. When we realize this, we can surely overcome them with the help of our THOUGHTS!

Now, what can frustrations do to us?

What the heck! What can they do to us? We can't leave them unnoticed. We can't let them rule us. On doing so we will loose ourselves. We will be hypnotized by them. We will never in our life again know what is Happiness, what is Laugh, what is love, what we can achieve, our talents etc. It'll keep you arrested in a witch’s world...here I mean bad witches! We will not be able to take proper decisions. Ultimately we will not have fun! Before we even realize that we are trapped we will have lost half of we precious life.

How to overcome frustration?

Frustrations are nothing but our own thoughts. We are the owner of our thoughts. We can do miracles. The only cure for your frustration is YOU and ONLY YOU! Your thoughts. Do not ponder on thoughts that give you the negative energy. Do not waste your time thinking about the past mishaps or past worries. Past is Past. You can't change it. Also do not involve your thoughts more towards your future. Live you’re present. Try to change your attitude. Love your surroundings. When you are able to control your thoughts and focus them on one single motto you will surely achieve it in no time. The thoughts will create a positive energy which will help you to achieve your goals. When things start to happen in the way you want it, I bet you will never get frustrated in your life.

Also personally, I request you to meditate in a very peaceful, sielent place in your home. During this time, the most important thing is you need to concentrate on the thoughts which flow in your mind. Focus them on your immediate goal. Keep on chanting what you want daily at the same time and at the same place. And before you even realize the positive energy would have been created and would have started to work for you. Good luck!

How to meditate?

2007-05-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Before starting meditation, ideally we need to take care of a few things:

- a quiet place (using music is nice for relaxing, but not really meditation), switching off the phone will help.

- make sure you are not too tired, early morning is generally said to be the best time.

- sit comfortable; most people like a cushion under their behind, the room is best not too warm or cold.

- wear loose, comfortable clothing.

- try to create continuity in time and place to become habituated to the circumstances of meditation.

The Body:

- keeping the back straight, in whichever posture you meditate is most essential.

- try to be comfortable and physically relaxed, and avoid moving too much.

- keep the head straight, slightly bent forward, keep the teeth slightly apart, the tip of the tongue against the upper pallet.

- the eyes are best kept half-open (without really looking), but many beginners find that too distracting and close them.

- the shoulders should be relaxed and the hands can be put in one's lap.

- the legs can be in the full lotus (which not many Westerners manage), but also simply crossed.

In fact, other positions like sitting on one's knees or on a bench are good as well. If all of these are too difficult, you can also use a chair, but remember to sit only on the front half of the seat, not leaning against the back rest to avoid a bent back, and keep the feet flat on the floor. Keeping the knees warm may help to avoid numbness of the legs.

- try belly-breathing; not breathing with the chest, but from the navel.

- always remember that the posture should enhance meditation, not be an obstacle!

The Buddha even taught one of his disciples who had many problems with his posture to lie down with his back on a bed, and then he quickly made progress; however, most people tend to fall asleep - so it will not be suitable for everyone...

The Mind:

- be relaxed but at the same time awake and attentive: finding your balance here is not easy!

- be a careful observer of your own mind and thoughts; sometimes called the 'little spy inside':

How to control anger

2007-02-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

1 Give Yourself Permission to Express Anger.

Our society does not allow us to express strong emotions. We are taught to hold in our emotions from the earliest age. This can have a profoundly negative effect on our overall health. It’s not wrong to express anger, fear, sadness, rage. In fact, it is healthy to release these emotions regularly. What’s wrong is when we hurt someone in the process. It is preferable to find safe ways to dump the negative feelings.

2 Combine Mental and Physical Effort.

Mental therapy alone may be extremely helpful for anger release, but it can only take you so far. Similarly, the physical act of doing exercise can help many people let off steam, but it may not remove deep-seated anger. The most effective process is when you can combine both the mental and physical effort. This is when you do a particular physical activity along with the mental intention of releasing the anger. Please see the next step for specific examples of how to combine the mental and physical effort to help release your anger. In each example, don’t just pound pillows, or rip paper, but REALLY FEEL the heavy anger emotion with it’s full intensity WHILE you do the physical activity. This is so important and will assist you to finally RELEASE the anger energy so that it won’t come back. You may have to do the process repeatedly because it releases layer by layer and it is doubtful that you will get to all of it in one session. There are many studies recently showing that doing this type of activity can MAKE someone more aggressive. This is a complicated issue. Let’s say that the type of people who hold in their anger their whole life NEED to learn to become more aggressive in order to become balanced. It is important to learn how to not be a doomat and have people walk all over you. It is important to speak up for what you believe and not take garbage from everyone. So, indeed, if this behavior makes a person RELATIVELY more aggressive, it is in the vein of becoming whole, and that is a good thing! If you are already an explosive person who throws temper tantrums and becomes violent, then this approach is not appropriate. This recommendation is more appropriate for the “quiet anger” that a person keeps inside for many years. This is the anger that causes physical illnesses, sleep disturbances and other stress-related conditions. Getting the anger out in these cases is extremely therapeutic.

3 Never Hurt Others in the Process.

Give yourself the opportunity to express anger in a safe way, without hurting anyone else. Most people will benefit by having a private room to pound pillows with their fists or legs, or with a plastic bat. Some people may prefer ripping pages of paper, screaming, throwing plates (old ones). Many people find it helpful to use anger-release music as a stimulus or catalyst for this process. Remember, NEVER hurt yourself in the process and never aim your anger literally at another person. What is important here is your expression of the negative emotion, NOT who receives it. If the anger (or other emotion) is traced to a specific individual, some people have found it helpful to have a symbol of this person at which they can direct the anger. This could be an enlarged photocopy of a photo on a piece of paper which you then scribble-over, tear, burn, or otherwise destroy. Be open to discovering your own dynamic anger-release method.

4 Totally Let Go, Without Hesitation.

It is also important to suggest that if you feel the need to express yourself in any of these ways, that you either are totally alone so that you don’t feel inhibited, or that you are in the surroundings of a group of people who are supportive of this type of activity. If you don’t have a private room in your house, maybe you can find a secluded area, where no one will hear or see you — even the inside of your car may work. (Don’t do any of this while actually driving!)

5 Strive to Forgive.

The final step in maintaining anger-release is to truly forgive the person who wronged you as well as to truly forgive yourself.

How do we dream?

2007-02-07T01:38:00.000-08:00

Understanding the sleep cycle is the first important part of understanding dreams and how dreams happen. The average human being spends eight hours a day, fifty six hours a week, two hundred twenty-four hours a month, and two thousand, six hundred eighty-eight hours a year sleeping.

Sleep is thought to be made of two basic forms known as slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Humans seem to go through four really sharp stages of SWS and then enter REM sleep. The four stages plus REM are mostly happen various times every nightly sleep cycle.

While awake and alert, a human's EEGs (electroencephalograms) contain beta waves at 14-30 Hz, which is relatively high frequency and low voltage activity. When the human is resting and quiet, the EEGs have alpha waves at 8-13 Hz with slightly higher voltage. As humans begin to fall asleep, the EEGs have slower, higher-voltage delta waves, which are a large number of brain neurons (e.g., nerves) firing in unison. The myth is that we "drift off to sleep." The reality is that the onset of sleep is quite sudden. Stage ones sleep involves our breathing slowing, our muscle tone decreasing, and our body relaxing, with slow and low-voltage EEG. Stages 2-4 are notable for the person not awakening by outside push. These stages are marked by increasing frequency of delta waves, and the continued slowing of the body's functions. An exit from the pattern of Stage 1, then 2, 3 and 4 is a sign of physical and/or psychological disorder.

Rapid eye-movement sleep differs from the 4 stages of sleep. During REM sleep, EEG activity of the brain resembles the awake but resting pattern. During REM, there are no delta waves, and the voltage activity is low and fast. To an observer, a human in REM sleep's eyes are beginning to move rapidly beneath the closed lids, as if the human is watching a movie. Also, during REM sleep, there is almost a full clampdown of muscle responses of the body. The body almost seems to be paralyzed.During REM, dream activity is happening.

Dream research has tended to focus to a big degree on dream interpretation and meaning. It may be less interesting to consider how dreams happen. Recent discoveries find that dreams are neurocognitive in origin. To understand dreaming and particularly to understand dream content, it is necessary to better understand dreaming as a developmental cognitive achievement. The word "cognitive" refers to "thinking". "Neuro" refers to "the central nervous system". "Developmental" refers to the changes and maturation that occur from birth. Finally, the neurocognitive system, which is developing and maturing, suggests that there are several forebrain structures which are important to dreaming. Recent research states that the limbic, paralimbic, and associational areas of the forebrain are vital to visual dream imagery. Related research reports that dreaming is a cognitive achievement and in humans develops over the first 8-9 years of life and happens at about the same pace as other developmental areas such as cognition and language. Young children's dreams are very different from adolescent dreams or adult dreams. Until recently, dreams were believed to occur only during REM sleep. Some scientists, known as "brainstorm theorists" believe dreams may occur during Stage 2 Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (NREM). These same scientists believe brainstorm stimulation is as important to dreams as stimulation of the forebrain areas mentioned earlier in this section.

Humans usually enter REM ninety minutes into sleeping and go through Stages 1-4, plus REM, 5-6 times per night. In one year, a human could have on average 1825 dreams of which the typical human remembers only a few of their dreams. REM sleep is thought to be vital for memory and learning. Sleep, particularly REM sleep, is hypothesized to be restorative in nature. If deprived of REM sleep, humans become irritable, anxious, and depressed. When deprived of REM sleep, some humans go into "REM rebound". In other words, REM periods of sleep would occur more often and for a longer period of time than is typical. Drugs and medications frequently interfere with dreaming which suggests that there is a neurochemical relationship to dreams. Recent research is looking at the relationship between the neurochemical dopamine and dream activity. Serotonin may also have a relationship to dreams.

ESP and DREAMS

2007-01-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

ESP, or extrasensory perception, refers to the acquisition of information without the use of any the normal five human sense organs. It is the scientific designation for psychic, intuitive, mediumistic, prophetic, and related phenomena. Related terms are telepathy, which indicates information originating from the mind of another person. Clairvoyance (literally, ‘clear seeing’), refers to psychic sensitivity (particularly) in the form of visual information. Precognition is the perception of information about future events.

In regards to mysticism, ESP is commonly referred to as the sixth sense, and can provide an individual with information about the past, present, and future. To some, such information is regarded as having originated in a second, or alternate, reality.

Paranormal dreams fall within the range of research on extrasensory perception, although the dividing line between them and normal dreams is often difficult to draw. Various distortions or displacements of details frequently occur. Also, some go unnoticed by an outside researcher or even by the dreamer. Individuals who experience paranormal dreams usually describe them as being vivid and intense. The paranormal character of telepathic and prophetic dreams is usually quite clear. Sweating and trembling often occur, the dreams produce an impression lasting for days, and they tend to be repeated.

Hallucinations, which are the least common type of spontaneous ESP, may or may not be realistic. Basically, hallucinations fall between the direct knowledge of intuitions and the pictorial knowledge in dreams. Like intuitions, they occur when one is awake, but like dreams, the information is inferred from sensory input. Hallucinations of a psychic nature can occur in circumstances that might trigger ordinary hallucinations, such as extreme stress or fatigue, but can also occur when there seems to be no particular cause. The distinguishing feature of psychic hallucination is that the information conveyed could not have come from "past memories or present inferences" (as it is believed that typical hallucinations are based on memories and other unconscious material).

Precognition - This is one of the most common types of dream ESP people talk about. Apparently, they seem to dream about an event before it happens in reality, and in startlingly accurate detail. Some do not even realize that their dreams are precognitive until the event starts to happen in real life exactly as they had in the dream. If these dreams really do predict future events, this could have great implications. It may be that they future has already been decided and that we are just following a set path in our life. There are people without a precognitive dreaming background that believe this as well, but even though it may sound a bit strange, it could confirm their beliefs if ESP in dreams in found to be factual.

Dream Psychometry - This is the most uncommon of the three areas of dream ESP. These too, are accounts that cannot be proved because they are based purely on what the dreamer experiences. Dream psychometry is gaining information about an object in your dreams of which you know nothing about in waking life. The easiest way to do this would be to take a picture of a person you don't know and think about this person before you go to sleep at night. Then, when you wake up in the morning, record your dream and analyze them for any meaning that could relate to the picture. You may even want to try this with a book, such as calculus, the night before you have a test on the subject and see if you learn anything. This is not suggested unless you have no other options, this is referred to as osmosis, when you aren't in the dreaming state.

Synchronous - These are dreams in which the dreamer encounters another familiar character in a dream, and upon awakening and talking to that person they also recount the same dream experience during the night. If shared dreams are possible, it could prove the astral projection theory that goes along with OBE's. Most people are sceptical about this idea. They cant be blamed!, that is the way we have been brought up, especially in western culture, where they do not believe something unless there is sufficient scientific evidence to back it up. We may never be sure whether any of these theories will be proven, since the study of these rare occurrences is very difficult, so the only thing we can do is keep dreaming and know what we believe for ourselves.

To know more about this topic please visit Thinkquest

TAKE ONLINE ESP TEST!

How can Thoughts and Emotions influence and get influenced by Food.

2007-01-16T01:03:00.000-08:00

How many of us believe that food we intake plays a major role in our mental and physical health? All of us know that it is very important to have proper diet to avoid physical illness. But, how many of us have realised that it also plays a vital role in improving our mental health. I would say less than 1%.Hope you agree with me. With this in mind let us move forward in understanding the process.

Food and our mind have cause-and-effect relationship. What is this cause and effect? It is nothing but Newton’s third law – “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. It is as simple as this. Whatever we intake undergoes a chemical reaction and then is converted to energy – positive or negative. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels and pressure levels are associated with changes in mood and energy, and are affected by what we eat. The ways we think, feel and behave are influenced by what we’ve eaten. Also, low levels of the mineral zinc leads to eating disorders and low levels of omega-3 oils leads to depression. These are scientifically proved.

Influence of thoughts on food:

A very important fact is that, when we cook, our thoughts play a major role. Do you know how? Let me explain. For example, if we are in an irritated mood while cooking, the taste of food will be hot even if we have put the correct proportion of ingredients. Our thoughts flow into the food we cook and produce an impact by reducing or increasing the nutrition of the food and also affect the taste of the food. There are examples where food even after 2 to 3 days of preservation has not got spoiled due to positive thoughts during cooking. Thus, food can heal our illness if cooked with positive thoughts. Hence we will have to make sure that we don’t fight with our husband or children before cooking, as it will highly influence the food we cook and will lead to illness- both physical and mental.

A fundamental thing for you to consider will be: is there any one food or type of food that I eat nearly every day or in particularly large amounts? The basis of a healthy diet is about achieving a balance between wide varieties of foods, where the variety is spread out over a number of days. Certain foods are eaten on most days, by most people, perhaps because they are generally considered healthy to eat. The foods and drinks that most often cause problems are those containing alcohol, sugar, caffeine, chocolate, wheat (such as bread, biscuits, and cakes), dairy products (such as cheese), certain artificial additives (or E numbers) and hydrogenated fats. Other commonly eaten foods, such as yeast, corn, eggs, oranges, soya and tomatoes, may also cause symptoms for some people, sometimes.

Influence of food on thoughts:

Food is made up of nutrients, which include protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Proteins and carbohydrates play vital role. These two macro-nutrients are instrumental in the manufacture and transport of the neurotransmitters, or brain chemicals, the chemical substances, made by the brain and other organs, that transmit thought. The main neurotransmitters for our purposes are the alertness chemicals (dopamine, norepineprine, and adrenaline) and the calming chemical (serotonin).

Three of the many amino acids in protein contribute to making these neurotransmitters: tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. The first two are involved in the building of dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline; these are the "alertness chemicals," and cause us to be mentally energetic and alert. Tryptophan is the precursor to the brain chemical serotonin, which is the "calming chemical" and makes us more relaxed and calm.

A large amount of protein foods does not make things even better, but instead creates the opposite: sleepiness and lethargy. When you eat a carbohydrate food with some protein (as in a grain and bean combination, or a chicken sandwich), the carbohydrate will allow for more tryptophan uptake by the brain, and create a calm and focused mood.

The most vital substance for a healthy mind and body is water. Water is the best medicine. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water. Also if we follow proper diet and eat at regular intervals prescribed by our dietician we can control our mental health, and thus our thoughts and emotions.

If you want to learn more on this topic do refer

• The complete guide to food allergy and intolerance J. Brostoff, L. Gamlin (Bloomsbury 1989)
• Food and healing A. Colbin (Ballantine Books 1986)
• The food and mood cookbook E. Somer, J. Williams (Owl Books 2004)
• The food and mood handbook A. Geary (Thorsons 2001)

Emotion and decision - How are they related.

2007-01-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

We make many decisions, and sometimes we are more or less logical about them. And it is arguable that all decision are, ultimately emotional.

Logical vs. emotional decision-making

Decision-making is a cognitive process where the outcome is a choice between alternatives. We often have different preferences as to our preferred, approach, varying between thinking and feeling.

Logical decision-making

When we use logic to make decisions, we seek to exclude emotions, using only rational methods, and perhaps even mathematical tools. The foundation of such decisions is the principle of utility, whereby the value of each option is assessed by assigning criteria (often weighted).

Emotional decision-making

There is a whole range of decision-making that uses emotion, depending on the degree of logic that is included in the process.

A totally emotional decision is typically very fast. This is because it takes time (at least 0.1 seconds) for the rational cortex to get going. This is the reactive (and largely subconscious) decision-making that you encounter in heated arguments or when faced with immediate danger.

Common emotional decisions may use some logic, but the main driving force is emotion, which either overrides logic or uses a pseudo-logic to support emotional choices (this is extremely common).

Another common use of emotion in decision is to start with logic and then use emotion in the final choice.

To read more on this topic do visit Changing Minds

Dream Analysis & Interpretation - The Basic Concept

2007-01-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

You can use the instruction page to learn how to interpret your own dreams. For assistance you can consult the dream dictionary and for an understanding of the multiple meanings of symbols click on the meaning of symbols link.

What type of dream are you dealing with?

To interpret your dreams, you need to determine what type of dream you are dealing with. There are two categories that they fit into, those that are generated from within your physical body and mind and those that come from your spirit guides or tutors. They have different purposes and its necessary to recognize what these differences mean to you and how they interact in your waking and dreaming state.

Two main categories.

The dreams that originate with the physical body are for your functioning and survival in the world of physical nature. They deal with your physical and psychological well being. These dreams are like your manager and janitor who try to keep body and mind tidy for your general well being.

Then, there are those dreams that have a mystical and special characteristic to them which are for your spiritual development and progress. They produce instant knowledge and information that is beyond your ability to garner through intellectual or logical means.

Why you get information when you sleep?

To know more click here

Want to Control your thoughts?

2007-01-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

Do you think that your thoughts can rule you? If your answer is YES then you are in the right path. Thoughts play an important role in our life. Our thoughts can be so influencing that we can even heal ailments with just only thoughts. Most of us know this. Also we can make things happen in the way you want them with your thoughts. With your thoughts you can do both good and bad. You may wonder how, just keep reading further.

Thoughts are broadly classified as Positive and Negative thoughts. As the name conveys, positive thoughts are the ones that we will have to give more importance as they do more good than the negative thoughts. There is never a moment a person is not thinking. Most of the time, we are carried away by our thoughts. And most of our thoughts are influenced by people around us.

First of all we must watch our thoughts. Just observe them cautiously. Of course it is difficult the first time. But, you know practice makes a man perfect! You will be able to master this art in no time, if you practice it regularly. Now, after watching them, the next step is to identify them. You can easily find out if it is a Positive or a negative thought. A negative thought is not only those which are bad for us but also the thoughts which will affect others are considered to be negative thoughts. After categorising, our major step will be to control the negative and replace them with the positive thoughts. This is not as easy as we say.

We have to replace the negative thoughts with our positive ones immediately whenever we find them taking control. Longer intervals for this replacement will weaken the positive thoughts and hence the effect will be less. When a negative thought comes and controls? Its origin is from the external forces. Majority of them is from the place and the people. They influence our thoughts and thus affect us. But we need not worry for this because; our thoughts will get influenced only to the extent we allow them. So it’s very easy for us now. We must be strong and must not allow our thoughts to get influenced. For this we need to practice.

For example, if you have failed in any of your attempts to complete an activity and you thoughts are in such a way which makes you feel more depressed then they are negative thoughts. Say if you think 'Oh I failed! I could not do it! How impotent I am' all these will add on to your failure and will never allow you to try again and succeed. Instead if you start thinking 'these are my new experience and learning that will help me in succeeding in the next attempt. I can do it!' then you will be a winner always!

When we keep reinforcing positive thoughts over the negative ones, we will soon realise that our negative thoughts are gradually getting vanished and we are in control of our thoughts, in turn our emotions. This will surely lead to a happy and peaceful life.

Attitude is Everything!!!

2007-01-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

Most of us are optimistic but sometimes we do become pessimist.This really needs action. When we
become pessimist, we have the wrong thoughts. These thoughts, most of the time are negative.This finally leads to a situation which we don't not like. Possitive attiude always lead possitive thoughts to control and thus fill our life with funa and happiness. Here is an example of a possitive attitude person by Francie Baltazar-Schwartz. This really will create an impact. Do read this and try to welcome possitive attitude to control us.

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it.

I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers.

While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied.

The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply... I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Negative Emotions - Throw them away!!

2006-12-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

The term "Negative Emotions" implies all those emotions which are negative in character. They prevent us from seeing and accepting the life situations naturally. "Negative Emotions" are primarily responsible for gradual declination or downfall of our normal thinking process, which is essential for our natural (unforced) survival, even in the struggle for existence!

Continuous accumulation of negative emotions within the mind for a longer period of time can pervert our entire persona and can badly hamper the health and happiness. At earlier stages, negative emotions get backdoor entry with stealthy steps and later on entraps the mind wholly, affecting the physical body badly. Behavioral Negativities --like fear, shame, guilt, arrogance, envy, jealousy, greed, phobia and many other like that-- are considered to be an expression of "Negative Emotions"

As said above, there are various ways of expressing negative emotions like jealousy, anger, envy, greed, sloth, shame, guilt etc. Even the pleasant things in excess like over-enthusiasm, passions, elations or even certain forms of love, can also generate negative emotions. Despite being of no use to us, negative emotions are tremendously powerful. They can debilitate our lives extremely quick. A life-long friendship may come to an end with few words; suspicion or doubting the moral character of partner may lead to divorce or make disastrous choices, because we are out to prove something.

Disturbance in thought pattern over a longer period of time affects the body systems and gradually causes imbalance in our energy system, which triggers a sequence of physiological activities (body) OR symptoms that ultimately culminates in ill-health. Simple things may also affect our psyche badly. A cold, a headache, a late night or a missed meal; is all enough to severely alter our behavior. We may be irritated by far less than usual. We may feel tearful even at the slightest pressure. This can be controlled if we could remember the limitations of our innate nature, as well as our innate capacity to alleviate the surge of reigning negative emotions, so as to face the life situations correctly.

Either in an impulsive passion as well as in a quiet manner, negative emotions can be expressed.

Rage, anger, arrogance, uncontrolled desire, and violence, as well as self-pity, melancholy, loneliness, boredom, dissatisfaction, inadequacy or envy are few of the most common examples of expressing negative emotions.

We should not fool ourselves that saying we do not want to stop being negative means we could stop if we wanted to. We have no control, and cannot choose not to be negative.

Giving up the behavioral negativity is part of the price we pay for awakening. We have to give up something if we wish to make space for something new in our lives. We can hardly be receptive to higher forces when we are busy in criticizing or quipping others. Purging Negative emotions from the core of psyche at proper timing is the most crucial decision. Well-balanced nature, and a rational or optimistic attitude towards life leads to positive self-image and in turn, satisfying relationships with friends and others. Please remember, your innate nature and general behavioral traits dominates your thoughts, feelings, and mental make-up that affect your overall life. Having emotionally balanced nature and pragmatic attitude help you make good decisions and deal with life's challenges at home and workplace. We cannot learn to swim if we fall in the sea during a storm. We must learn swimming in a calm water. Then perhaps if we fall in we'll be able to swim. Obviously, deal with negative emotions becomes easier when we see that our repertoire of negative emotions is quite limited.

Although not scientifically -but broadly- general negativities are classified as:

1.Teenagers Negatives
2.Childhood Negatives
3.Student Negatives
4.At Mental Level
5.At Physical Level

To learn more about these negatives do visit 'www.charminghealth.com'.

Managing emotions at workplace

2006-12-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

Most of us do not want to face any kind difficult situations that may arise in our workplace.I bet you agree with me. We are pampered by our parents and we have been facing only happiness and things would happen the way we want them during our college and school days. But, after entering the new world called 'Workplace', we are forced to face the challenges and the difficulties that they offer. Almost 90% of us find it hard to master the emotional imbalance that we experience in our workplace.

Why is managing emotions an important skill today?

It's primarily because there's more of it now than in the past. Workers of all types are more likely to speak up for their own ideas or actions, rather than follow the dictating corporate chain of command. Conflict also sometimes arises as a result of unclear company goals, or when those goals aren't shared equally by all. Rather than working for a single common good, employees and managers seek individual goals, such as promotion, job security, experience, money. Also people with different attitude, culture and habbits work for the same target as a team.This also contributes a lot for conflicts, which in turn requires managing emotions.

Now let us get deep into how we can go about in managing our emotions in workplace. Knowing the importance of emotions, we have to give our atmost effort in controlling and mastering them.

Sit back and analyse what incidents/actions put you in a position where your emotions take control.Write them down in a paper. For example,

a.I get frustrated when Iam not recogonised for the work I have done.

b.I get angry when my team member does not complete the alloted work on time.

c.I feel like crying when my superior blasts me for a small mistake.

Let us analyse these 3 examples.We can put in similar approach for any kind of problem that we are likely to face in our workplace. In our first example, the emotion taken for discussion is 'Frustration'. This is the most common emotion that most of us undergo. There are two ways to approch this. First one... though we feel that we have done a good job, our boss might not be satisfied with our performance. He would have expected more from us and this would have lead in delay in our recogonision. This would be the reason most of the times. The best way to handle this scenario is to have a 'One to One' with our boss. Ask him/her to set your goals clearly.This would solve 70% of the problem. Also ask your boss to define his expections on you. You must make sure that you create a visibility for what you have done for the project/company.This ensures that your boss is aware of what you have been doing and makes you get noticed within your team. The second one is self recogonision. When you feel proud of what you have achieved you will not expect anyone to appreciate this accomplishment of yours.Your innerself will be your boss and will boost your confidence, productivity and your self esteem. If you practise the second method, you can easily control and manage your emotions.Most of us will prefere to go by the first method,though.

Moving on to our second and thrird examples. We can look at them together;as in one situation you are the boss and in another you are a team member.Same person performing both the roles will give a clear idea of how a boss thinks and how a team member thinks. When you come accross a situation like this, the best option is to look at that incident from a third person's view. DO NOT make the mistake of putting yourself into others shoe, in this case as a team member (in example 2) and as a boss (in example 3).This will surely add on to the problem and will never solve the problem. We are working as a team and we will obviously have different kinds of people with different attitudes. We will have a team member who is more proactive and do all the work before even telling him/her to do. However, we will also have members who needs driving. Knowing this we will have to handle the situation givin in our example 2 and 3. When you expect a behaviour from your subordinate, you must be aware that the same kind of behaviour will be expected from you. This thought will help you in managing your emotions.

We might face different situations in our workplace that ignites our emotions. But most of the time it will be only the emotions that i have discussed here. If we know the way to control and manage these emotions, we will be able to control and manage any other emotion that tries to dominate us in workplace. Hope this was helpful for you. Do drop in your suggessions at http://mindmanage.blogspot.com/

Principles of Christian Dream Interpretation

2006-12-21T00:59:00.000-08:00

There are lot many ways that a dream could be interpreted. Each religion has its own way of dream interpretation. In this article we will see how a dream is interpreted in Christianity. I have taken quotes from ‘The Bible’ and also have referred an e-book ‘Principles of Christian Dream Interpretation’. This article gives the gist from the book.

Dream - “A sequence of images, etc. passing through a sleeping person’s mind”.

Sleep laboratories have proven that everyone dreams one to two hours each night during a certain period of sleep known as alpha level, which is light sleep. Every 90-minute cycle of sleep begins with alpha, and then goes into deeper sleep which is called theta, and finally deepest sleep which is called delta. At the close of the first 90-minute cycle each night, the individual returns to alpha level sleep, where he has a short, five-minute dream period. The next time he cycles up to alpha, he has a ten-minute dream period. The third time in alpha, the dream period is about 15 minutes, and so on. If one sleeps a full eight hours, the entire last hour is essentially spent in alpha level sleep. Thus, the average person sleeping for eight hours a night will dream about one to two hours of that time.

Alpha level sleep is where one has what is called Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Rapid Eye Movement is exactly what it sounds like: the eyes of the dreamer begin moving rapidly. He is actually watching the scenes in the dream, and thus his eyes are literally moving back and forth, observing the action. By observing the alpha level sleep when Rapid Eye Movement occurs, researchers in sleep laboratories have determined when a person is dreaming and how much time is spent dreaming in an average night.

Dreams can be considered guardians of our mental and emotional well-being!

It is believed that GOD speaks to us through dreams. He guides and counsels us through
our dreams. He establishes covenants with us through our dreams. It is said that we must believe in dreams. Most dreams are symbolic (including biblical dreams), so view them the same way you would view a political cartoon. Throw the switch in your brain that says, “Look at this symbolically.”

At least 95% of your dreams will be about you – your inner self, your current situation, and your relationships. Your dreams come from your heart and will express the things that are important to your heart. The most common area your spirit will reveal will be your emotional, heart struggles and sanctification issues, expressed symbolically. Actions in the dream are to be viewed symbolically. If your dream wanted to really show you that you were going to die, it would picture that event symbolically. For example, just a few days before his assassination, President Lincoln dreamed of a casket.

 The people in your dreams often represent characteristics within you.

 Animals often represent your emotions

 Numbers in dreams generally represent the identical number in real life.

When interpreting dreams, we must look for metaphors, similes, and metonymies of our language. Dreaming about ketchup may be calling you to “catch up” in some area. A fire may be trying to warn you that you are “playing with fire.”

There is lot more how Christianity Interprets dreams. For more information read the book ‘Principles of Christian Dream Interpretation’.

Swami Vivekananda's laws for peaceful mind.

2006-12-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Araise, Awake, stop not till the goal is reached!!!

I always wonder why people have jealousy, anger and many qualities that will bring down his/her growth. But, sometimes I myself will be controlled by these kinds of emotions. Though we all know the consequences of these feelings we are bound to become a slave for them. If you all have the same feeling as I have, to overcome these emotions and control them, go ahead and read the following 15 laws preached by Swami Vivekananda.

What You Need to Keep in Mind?

1. Love Is the Law of Life: All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live.

2. It's Your Outlook That Matters: It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light.

3. Life is Beautiful: First, believe in this world - that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!

4. It's The Way You Feel: Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.

5. Set Yourself Free: The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

6. Don't Play The Blame Game: Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.

7. Help Others: If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.

8. Uphold Your Ideals: Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

9. Listen To Your Soul: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

10. Be Yourself: The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!

11. Nothing Is Impossible: Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin - to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

12. You Have The Power: All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

13. Learn Everyday: The goal of mankind is knowledge... now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils'; what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.

14. Be Truthful: Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.

15. Think Different: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.

Are Dreams controlled by Mind?

2006-12-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

DREAMS!!! What they convey to us????

It has always been a mystery to understand our dreams. Sometime we get dreams wherein we are in some kind of a wonderland and immediately following that we will get some horror dream…some kind of ghosts following us and spying on us…puzzled and scared we find us in our bed hugging our pillow. Is it not true? I don’t know about you guys, but I have this kind of experience many times. And to my surprise, I get a particular dream very often and even when I am awake, I will be able to narrate my dream to my friends...it’s so close to me…

I wanted to find reasons for all these and then I started searching for dream analysis books and stuff like that and here is an article about the language of dreams that I found in web written by ‘Aura Wright’ and would like to share with you.

Using the Language of Dreams is the Key to Success

Using the language of dreams can show us the way to achieve both our waking dreams and our greatest satisfaction in life. The landscape of dreams the sort we have at night when we are sleeping can hold the key to unlock our greatest human potential.

But the language is tricky. Its not quite like solving a math problem. Its more like solving a riddle or those picture puzzles that you played with in school. Remember, they were set up to show a series of pictures and symbols and you were supposed to piece them together in order to solve the puzzle. It might show something like: (a picture of an eye) 8 2 (a picture of a bird) grrr. This particular puzzle would mean, I ate two burgers. These types of puzzles use phonetics, pictures and symbols all combined to convey a meaning that makes sense once it is strung together into one message.

This sort of language and the tools you need to understand it can be learned with some specific techniques.

The example above is very similar to the way that the unconscious sends messages, signals and information to your conscious mind. The conscious mind the part of you that is aware and reading these words has learned to communicate in specific linear ways. It is very logic and language oriented, and it appears to be factual. This is how our culture has developed and evolved. The unconscious however, usually speaks to us through the right brain. The right brain is all about images, color, symbol and metaphor. It can be very literal as well. But it is not logical and linear that is the domain of the left-brain.

Dream interpretation, therapy, psychotherapy and advertising such as what you see on TV or a billboard on the side of the road are all aimed at either understanding, changing or manipulating the language of your right brain. The reason for this is simple, when we work directly with the right or symbolic brain, there is no resistance, and it is usually more truthful. It is truthful precisely because it is symbolic and takes things literally. It does not have language capacity to trick or cover up information from itself or anyone else. This is why therapy is effective. When we (or a therapist) can read the symbolic language your unconscious is speaking often without your knowledge then that therapist can speak back and help work out conflicts, desires, or fears that emerge in the language of symbol.

In much the same way, mainstream advertising; magazines, television, billboards are all aimed at convincing your subconscious to make a positive parallel between a favorable emotion or desire and their product. This is why you see beautiful smiling young people holding up beer glasses. Unconsciously you associate positive feelings or desires with the product. It doesnt matter if you are smart, or onto their technique, the imagination is captured, and the advertisement has done its job. The instant you become aware of the advertising campaign, you can make a decision as to what you want to do with that information you always have free will.

It is extremely useful to educate yourself to the language that your own symbolic brain is using. This is why I wrote "The Golden Path. a book and workbook about personal development and harnessing the power of the unconscious mind. Your mind holds the keys to whatever you want, need, desire and hope to accomplish even if those things are not in the realm of your waking awareness. Try keeping a dream journal, or taking time to listen for pictures, images and symbols that may emerge from your inner mind. These are keys, and they can unlock the inner meaning of personal happiness for you.

You can learn to become more aware of this symbolic language, and through this awareness you will begin to have mastery over it and yourself. To learn more visit: http://www.goldenpathbook.com.

More to come on dream analysis…WATCH OUT!!!

Back to Top

Name:
Email Address:
Your Comments: