Posts Tagged ‘meditation’

A Hormone Imbalance: The Root Of A Variety Of Health Problems

February 8th, 2010

Women have more problems with a hormone imbalance than men because of the way their bodies are made. A woman’s normal cycle is 28 days. Estrogen is produced in the first part of the cycle, followed by ovulation and then in the last part of the cycle, progesterone is produced to prepare the body in the event that she conceives.

If the woman is not pregnant, she has her period, and the process of hormone fabrication begins all over again. This happens on a monthly basis. Some women do not ovulate which means estrogen is produced, but progesterone is not. The only time progesterone is produced is in preparation to receive the egg after ovulation. The lack of progesterone causes an imbalance to occur.

As a woman ages, the same thing happens. Less progesterone is produced in the body, while more estrogen builds up. Some girls start this problem with their first period, or a woman may start it after she has her first baby. Age and having a tubal ligation can, also, cause the hormones to become unbalanced. Once this starts it has a domino on the woman’s health.

The brain is the first thing that is affected by an imbalance of these two hormones. It swells, and women will notice tenderness in their breasts, their hands swell, they have mood swings or they may have headaches. The thyroid can, also, be affected by too much estrogen. The thyroid causes the adrenal glands to stress out, and that causes adrenal fatigue. Once the adrenal glands are exhausted, the woman may experience such symptoms as depression, fatigue, weight gain, sleep problems and the inability to think clearly along with many other health problems.

Anytime there is an imbalance of hormones, the entire immune system is affected. This causes the woman’s fitness level to decrease. She no longer feels like exercising or worrying about her health. She just tries to survive each day. Sometimes it gets so bad she can hardly function.

Interestingly, most women do not see their doctors about this problem because they do not think there is anything wrong. They think it is a problem of just being overworked from trying to care for their husband, home and children and juggle their job at the same time. They, also, have a tendency to think that all women experience the same thing.

Taking natural progesterone is the only way a woman can balance out her hormones when her estrogen is too high. If she does not do this, her fitness level drops even more. She will begin to feel better and have more energy once the amount of progesterone in the body is at the same level as that of estrogen. Her family will consider her to be a different person.

When a woman begins to use the recommended doses of natural progesterone cream, she will not notice a change immediately. It will take anywhere from three to four months for the hormones to become balanced again. She should be able to tell that the hormones are balancing because she will feel better, she will be able to think clearer, the mood swings will go away along with the depression and she will feel like doing things again.

Any woman who is experiencing these symptoms should see her doctor. If not, she should at least begin using a natural progesterone cream, and see if the symptoms begin to ease up after a couple of months. If they don’t begin to respond, the symptoms may be caused by something more serious.

Excessive estrogen in the blood affects the brain, causing it to swell. The most common problems a female faces are breast tenderness, mood swings and even weight gain. We’ve got the inside scoop on how to lose weight with fat burning foods

A Brief Introduction to Binaural Beats

January 3rd, 2010

At one point or another, you may have read information regarding binaural beats and the benefits they can have for people, such as relaxation, better learning, enhanced creativity, and lucid dreaming. But where did binaural beats come from, what are they used for, and are they worth looking into?

In the year 1839, a man by the name of Heinrich Wilhelm Dove detected the curious phenomenon of binaural beats. When auditory impulses (“tones”) are played to both ears simultaneously but differ in frequency, the frequency difference in the Hz (hertz, or cycles per second) will be presented as what is referred to as a “binaural beat.”

For example, if you took a tone of 200 Hz and delivered it in the right ear, and a tone of 190 Hz and played it in the left ear, there is a difference of 10 Hz. This 10 Hz would be perceived as a single binaural beat.

The important part to mention is that the beats are experienced by the brain, and are not actually “heard” as it may sound. These are just responses in areas of the brain stem which are delivered from the superior olivary nucleus of each half of the brain. What makes this so important is that the “beats” that are made actually cause the two hemispheres of the brain to be in sync with one another.

The Monroe Institute is an established organization that has heavily marketed binaural beats as a method of treatment. Utilizing binaural beats has achieved such benefits including less need for pain medicine, faster recuperation, stabilized blood pressure, and other benefits. This was tested by using this method in hospitals and other areas of medicine. As a result, usage of binaural beats has been verified over a significant portion of people.

In 1999, Anesthesia decided to do a study. In order to disprove or prove this concept, a study was done which employed three different tapes that were given to subjects to listen to. Every one of the subjects were undergoing a different procedure, and were all administered a drug called fentanyl. Fentanyl is usually given for chronic pain, or chronic breakthrough pain. The three tapes contained either classical music, a product called “Hemisync,” or a a tape with nothing on it. It was determined that those listening to Hemisync required a reduced amount of fentanyl as compared to the two other tapes.

Luckily, a study was done and has been released that explains to the public that binaural beats can truly be a big benefit to those who choose to utilize them. For additional information, please refer to the study “Hemispheric Synchronized Sounds and Intraoperative Anesthetic Requirements.

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How Can Your Body Benefit From An Excellent Massage Music

January 2nd, 2010

Massage therapies are usually accompanied with good and matching massage music. When you talk about massage music, you might as well are referring to spa melody since these two words are synonymous with each other. Massage therapy includes massaging the critical energy points in the body, which initiate the process of relaxation and stress relieve. After the whole days work, our body tires and demands due relaxation. When the body is under stress, the nerves and body parts also becomes stressed, rendering to be inefficient in facing the daily challenges of life. Massage therapy reinvigorates the body to help restore its balanced state of health.

The body massage combined with a good massage music playing on the background induces a great experience on our body. In order to restore the balance of energy flow in our body, one should ensure that the mind is fit and healthy. In massage therapy, the mind is relaxed by playing good massage music while the body parts are massaged and the whole body is brought to a relaxed state.

The massage music also contains sounds produced from natural plants like bamboos, stems and leaves that generates special effects on the mind, body and soul. Considering the requirement of the patron, you can choose the type of massage music that you would like to play in your massage center or spa lounge.

The massage music takes the body and mind to a whole new and different zone altogether where you can close your eyes and enjoy the natural sounds to your heart’s content while getting rid of all the stress and tension buildup inside the body.Relaxing at home with help of music is made possible by a good massage music. It is very easy to get your own copy of massage music CD since it readily accessible online.

They are available in different categories and if you are a spa owner then it becomes very important to select your massage music CD appropriately in such a way that it should complement the existing theme of the spa, in this way, you will be able to attract maximum number of customers. Ask your massage attendant about massage music, and let it plunge you to a whole new world of comfort.

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Self Hypnosis Weight Loss For A Lasting Solution For Weight Accumulation

December 28th, 2009

If the right technique is not used, weight loss can turn out to be a difficult task. There are various over the counter pills and drugs which enamor you to spend much money but without any permanent results. You may be in the fool’s paradise thinking that you are reducing weight, but ultimately, weight comes back with a vengeance. Overweight results in corroding self esteem and performance of a person. Self hypnosis weight loss is the only feasible solution for this problem.

Though you earnestly desire to reduce weight, it does not happen since you lack the vital things indispensable to succeed in your weight loss goals. They are vision, motivation, confidence and discipline. You will exactly be on the road to achieve success, if you can program these factors into your minds through hypnosis. Conditioning your sub conscious mind can be done very effectively through self hypnosis. Once you learn the techniques, the suggestions give through the hypnosis materials like books or CDs will start affecting your sub conscious mind, which further passes on the message to conscious mind.

The methods used in the most effective self-hypnosis programs are based on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). This technology is based on the utilization of a person’s existing thought processes rather than post-hypnotic suggestions. What you have to do to make your self hypnosis weight loss effective is to select the best program available and follow it meticulously.

There are video weight loss self hypnosis available in this modern era which is capable of conditioning your subconscious mind even to use a negative thought as a stimulus for soothing thoughts. Some people have the tendency to put something in their mouth when they are stressed. And thus, overeating habits are developed. The success of this program lies in the fact that when you start thinking of something negative, your subconscious mind will on its own change it into a positive thought. That moment itself, you become a tranquil being and there would be no feelings of anxiety to start your cravings. Thus you can totally avoid the appetite for overeating thereby making it easy to lose weight permanently.

Many would like to visit a hypnotist to undergo hypnosis. But the benefit of self hypnosis is that it can be done in the serene atmosphere of your home. In addition, self hypnosis is a less expensive affair than going for the help of an expert professional hypnotist. It is indeed possible to attain the body of a Greek god or goddess with self hypnosis weight loss.

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Coming to Terms with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)

December 24th, 2009

The fictitious beliefs surrounding GAD or generalized anxiety disorder are many. Some say it is not an illness of great import and the people that have this are just suffering from a weak mind. This is just a stereotype that has become commonplace and the accuracy of this diagnosis is totally off-track. Millions of people who have GAD are suffering from a genuine incapacitating condition that is not a figment of their imagination.

Essentially, GAD is a form of anxiety which manifests itself primarily as worry and nervousness, and in most cases it is known to be chronic. Sufferers experience frequent bouts of nervousness, fear and even paranoia with regards to various aspects of their lives, whether it’s about personal matters, their career, their family or of course, their financial position. However, it’s only when a person experiences these symptoms for at least six months that they are then considered to be suffering from GAD.

Additionally, people suffering from GAD tend to suffer from a variety of symptoms, such as drowsiness, forgetfulness, irritability, lack of energy, insomnia, as well as a host of other issues. Furthermore, with so much anxiety playing on a person’s mind, this psychological problem soon starts to manifest in physical ways. When the condition reaches this stage, the effects make it virtually impossible for a person to lead a normal day to day life.

There are instances of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among those who have GAD. Events that may have been traumatic can result in flashbacks. This will interfere with the quality of life the person had prior to experiencing these symptoms of GAD and their way of life loses the value when compared to those who do not suffer from GAD. Thus, the importance of seeking treatment for GAD.

An analysis is the number one priority when considering treatment. The psychiatrist will administer a number of standardized tests to start the analysis. Then based on the tests, a diagnosis will be made and treatment will be started. Normally this is a prescribed medicine for the anxiety which should help to alleviate the problem.

Some patients will recover just fine simply by using the anti-anxiety prescriptions. There will be those, however, that prefer to meet with a therapist and discuss counseling options to reduce the onset of GAD. For many, the mix of prescription medication and therapy work quite well.

It is, however, important not to dismiss engaging in simple lifestyle changes to reduce anxiety. Playing sports, cleaning up one’s diet, taking part in hobbies that burn up excess tension can all have a calming and therapeutic. This is why they are considered so valuable.

Those who think GAD is not a serious condition should be dismissed. The opinions of these people are not based on any professional knowledge and are not going to help. The condition is not going to go away by ignoring it and listening to well meaning advice is not advised. This is a myth and has no value as a cure. Seek help from those who know what they are doing.

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Anxiety and Insomnia

December 23rd, 2009

You have been tossing and turning all night. You want to get a decent night’s sleep but it has proven to be completely elusive. This is not something that has just occurred out of the blue. Your sleep disturbances have been occurring for months now. Come to think of it, you have experienced these same problems in the past for several years. What is the cause of it? If you are like many people, the root cause of your sleeplessness could be anxiety.

How is this possible? For one, if you have worries over personal matters, finances or your job which are interfering with getting a good night’s sleep, the diagnosis may well be anxiety induced. Do not take this for a simple problem. The need for a good night’s sleep and your inability to achieve may cause problems that you will have forever.

Just for a minute, try to imagine what it must be like not having a good night’s rest for two or three weeks. Do you think you’d still be efficient with regards to your job? The truth is, such problems could have a dramatic impact on your performance at work. Likewise, your home life could also be put in jeopardy and so too could your relationship with friends and family. Irrespective of what anyone tells you, it’s crucial that deal with the situation.

While we know that anxiety can lead to sleep disturbances, some may wonder why it occurs. The reasons that the two occur hand in hand is largely the result of restlessness and hyperactivity. When you are suffering from anxiety related racing thought and mental noise, the ability to calm down becomes elusive. This is what leads to the sleeplessness so many anxiety sufferers must deal with.

There are numerous ways to reduce anxiety in order to eliminate insomnia. In particular, one of the most beneficial things to do is to avoid consuming any substance that will contribute to your anxiety. For example, you should avoid caffeine and other stimulants if you are having trouble sleeping. Bear in mind, it’s been proven time and time again that these substances are known to increase and contribute to anxiety.

Physical exercise should be on a regular basis as anxiety is known to be connected with pent up tension. When exercising you can alleviate this tension and rid the body of it by using it as energy. Much the same as you burn calories you can burn tension.

Deep breathing exercises are yet another very effective tool which can be used in order to alleviate tension. By learning how to control your breathing, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can reduce anxiety. Essentially, this is because slow deep breathing helps to slow not only your respiration, but also your heart rate and this in turn has a very calming effect.

As any mental health professional can attest to, anxiety on its own is a very serious problem but when it’s accompanied by sleeplessness, the seriousness can escalate dramatically. Fortunately, there are various ways to overcome both anxiety and sleeplessness, in order to regain control of your life once again.

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The Benefits of Wearing The Right Yoga Clothes to Yoga Classes

December 19th, 2009

Are you interested in fashionable yoga clothes? Do trendy clothes contradict the yoga principles? The truth is that yoga is on the forefront of practices meant to open the way to a new age of spirituality in the evolution of mankind since the body and soul have too long been seen as distinct in the western culture.

Generally speaking it doesn’t really matter what you wear for a yoga class, the clothes in themselves should mean nothing, but some trainees really want to combine good looks with the yoga spiritual revolution. And this explains the preference for special yoga clothes.

Spirituality doesn’t necessarily have to exclude fashion, although there seems to be a contradiction. Well, if we looked deeper into the matter we’d surely identify one. Is one distracted by the fashion aspect of the yoga clothes while performing the asanas? This could very well happen if you are too keen on good looks and dislike even the sweat ruining them. Here is the way to identify the quality yoga clothes with the mention that the fashion issue remains a matter of personal choice and there are no clear cut rules to influence selection criteria.

Guide yourself after the quality of the fabric and its softness to determine how good the yoga clothes are. The body postures can be extremely strenuous and the clothes require the possibility to make ample movements while also absorbing the higher amount of perspiration. This is why cotton is preferred instead of any other material for yoga clothes since no other material can absorb a higher amount of perspiration. Synthetic materials can have good absorbing qualities too, not to mention that the drying rate could be better than for cotton.

Some yoga clothes producers use a combination of synthetic and natural fibers for parts of their collections. The truth is that you can come up with your individual yoga clothes available in casual wear stores; as long as you feel comfortable and you practice yoga successfully, then it is unimportant whether you wear a brand name or not. Most of the times the purchase of yoga clothes remains one other way to stay fashionable while preserving a certain self-image. It’s entirely up to you!

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Meditation and Relaxation for Children

December 7th, 2009

Taking a period of time to gather your thoughts before or after a long day of activities is something most people should do, but often don’t seem to be able to manage. Picking up some guidelines for meditation and relaxation will help you to clear your thoughts at work and school, and when you realize the benefits of meditation, you might want to demonstrate them to your kids. Here are some of the most effective means to present meditation and relaxation in a way that your children will be able to follow.

To start with, have your child lie down on the floor. He or she can perform these meditation exercises on the bed or on a child-size yoga mat. Your child should lie with their arms placed comfortably along the sides of their body, and their legs in a relaxed position. You need to describe to your child that meditation and relaxation is for calming the body and mind, and then you can give a demonstration of some breathing techniques to provide your child an illustration of how meditation ought to be carried out.

Your little one needs to learn that these ‘meditation lessons’ with you can help them to feel more relaxed at school, and will even help them to have a clearer mind to solve problems that arise. You can begin using imagery for your meditation and relaxation at this stage. For starters, you can have your child imagine themselves lying in the warm sand at the beach. Ask your little one to shut their eyes while you count to ten. This will assist them to concentrate on their breath so that they can improve their blood flow and get calmer.

Subsequent to taking part in a few of these relaxation processes, you can encourage your children to count to ten by themselves. The more mature your kids are, the more they will be able to focus on exhaling with one count and breathing in with the subsequent one. Ask your children how meditation and relaxation makes them feel. Do your kids feel drowsy? Do they feel less agitated? Pay attention to the descriptions that your children are offering you. If they are experiencing lightheadedness or are not comfortable, reposition them to a better space so that they can try different meditation positions.

Close your child’s meditation and relaxation sessions by requesting them to open their eyes slowly. Subsequently, they can stretch and begin to sit up. At the conclusion of the meditation, they ought to feel much more peaceful and rested. You will observe that your children are significantly more well-behaved, and might experience better social skills as a consequence of regular meditation.

In today’s stress filled society, meditation might be just what you need to manage your life more effectively. Learning some easy meditation techniques can calm and focus your mind, and help you gain awareness of yourself and your surroundings.

How Is Yoga Good For You?

November 30th, 2009

Through the practice of yoga, a person can expect a uniting of spirit, mind, and body, as yoga is based on the belief that mind and body are a single entity, and that when the body reaches a state of harmony it can heal itself.

There are now almost 6 million Americans who are believed to have experienced the benefits of yoga firsthand. Awareness of the body is assisted through the practice of yoga, improving a person’s posture, their movement, and their alignment. Through the regular practice of yoga, people become centered and relaxed, less stressed, have more energy, and feel more peaceful, healthier and happier.

The start of a class usually consists of breathing and stretching, which aids participants in preparing mentally as well as physically. During most classes, the asanas are performed either as individual poses, or linked together in vinyasana. The class usually ends by a period of relaxation and meditation in shavasana (corpse pose).

Yoga comes in many different forms. These different types of produce different benefits in the body. Iyengar is excellent for promoting correct bodily alignment, and may utilize tools such as cushions, blocks, and straps. Yoga performed in a hot room is known as Bikram. It is made up of a set of 26 asanas which are performed in a particular order. Both of these are forms of Hatha yoga which is commonly practiced in the US for its physical strengthening and breathing.

How can you benefit? Yoga promotes excellent flexibility, is great for the circulation, and also increases muscle strength. The benefits go beyond the physical body, as it also promotes a calm and relaxed state. Yoga has, as one of it’s most basic goals, the aim of balancing a person’s life with respect to mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, but in recent years it has been studied scientifically. Modern medicine has demonstrated that it is beneficial for the body. There has been a great deal of research done into the health benefits over the years, both of the asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing). Yoga produces physiological, psychological, and biochemical effects on the body.

Some of the physiological benefits include: reduction in pulse and respiratory rate, decrease in blood pressure, increased cardiovascular efficiency, improvement in excretory functions, improvement in hand/eye coordination, normalization of weight, and decrease in pain. The psychological benefits of yoga are just as important and include: mood and subjective well-being increases, anxiety and depression decrease, concentration improves, learning improves, social skills improve, depth perception improves, and self acceptance increases. Finally, the biochemical improvements that yoga promotes include: blood glucose decreases, sodium decreases, HDL cholesterol increases, LDL and VLDL cholesterol decreases, hemoglobin increases, total serum proteins increase, and the total white blood cell count decreases.

Yoga is a simple way of improving overall health, as it can do so much more than other forms of exercise for all over body benefits.

Ana Paula Hernandez has been a yoga devotee for over twenty years, and now teaches yoga full time. She believes the key to yoga is mastering the basic yoga poses and yoga postures before attempting more difficult ones.

Beyond Meditation: Zen Buddhism Practices

November 24th, 2009

There are a few different types of Buddhism, however Zen is almost certainly one of the most well known around the world. The practice is primarily focused on meditation. But Zen Buddhism practices also go further than that.

The main sects of Zen Buddhism are Soto and Rinzai, with Soto being the most recognized outside of Japan. As with all Zen, their principal focus is on meditation. Indeed, the term Zen originates from the Sanskrit term meaning meditation. In Zen ideology, enlightenment is achieved by looking within, and meditation is considered to be the perfect approach to do this.

In the Soto school of meditation, you face the wall and simply sit, being conscious of thoughts appearing and then releasing them. In Rinzai, you face towards the heart of the room and focus on your breath.

In fact, Zen Buddhist meditation techniques, known as zazen, can be performed anyplace. If you focus your attention on only one activity at a time, everything you do throughout the day can turn into zazen. However, time should be set aside every day for meditation, even if only for five minutes. What is essential is that a regular practice is put into place.

Practicing monks, needless to say, will sit in meditation for much longer periods of time. These periods of sitting can be interspersed with periods of walking meditation which will help to ease the legs. Lay students will frequently attend sesshins which can last anywhere from one to seven days or more. Throughout these sesshins, meditation will be practiced for hours every day, in addition to talks and periods of working.

Although Zen isn’t as well known for chanting as several other sects, it is part of the practice at many temples. Sutras which are often included in this practice are the Heart Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, among other sutras and mantras. There are also altars with figures of Buddhas. House altars are frequently used to honor ancestors.

Meditating on Koans is a well known practice of Zen, and largely practiced by the Rinzai sect. These stories or phrases don’t make much sense on the surface. They’re intended to drive the meditator into a deeper level of awareness. Without this, the Koan will not be understood.

As with the practices of other forms of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism practices are intended to bring you closer to Satori, or enlightenment. If you can attain Satori, you won’t need to be reborn into this world again, which is considered a place of suffering.

With the unprecedented levels of stress that are part of normal life these days, learning to meditate should be made compulsory! Learn more about the many health benefits of the ancient practice of meditation by visiting Meditation Techniques: Relax Your Mind, Reduce Your Stress.