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Are you sleep deprived?
We live in a high tech world that simply operates 24/7, so a lot of us are sleep deprived. Many cities such as my own city of Portland,Oregon, now have supermarkets, drugstores, video stores and restraunts that are open 24 hours a day. The...
Child Yoga – What is All the Fun About?
Many adults have taken up yoga, but yoga has not gained as the same popularity with children. Child yoga can offer many of the same benefits to kids as it does to adults. What can yoga offer your child? A healthier body – Childhood obesity is on...
Creating Insanity: A How-To Guide
Somebody once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Optimal mental health, then, may include adapting your approach if you don't get the result you want. (NOTE: Seek help if you need it - this...
Refining The Golden Hour
In one of the classic personal finance books, "The Richest Man
In Babylon," we are told that the way to wealth is to "pay
yourself first." That a portion of all you earn is yours to
keep. Great words, and just as applicable to your life...
The Mindful Shopper: Learning From Your Trendy Mistakes
Are you a fashion trend watcher? Do you spend a lot of time flipping through magazines and analyzing the wardrobe choices of others? Do you buy trendy items only to despise them--and yourself--later? Trend-watching--and, more precisely, observing...
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Supplements ... The New Magic Pills?
If I hear one more person suggest supplements as the cure to life stressors I'll scream! Everywhere I go I hear someone talking about this or that supplement, this or that herb, this or that dietary regime as the answer to health and happiness. Over the next week or so, listen for the ads yourself and take note.
On the radio I hear, "Are you feeling stressed? Is your life reeling out of control? Do you have too much to do, too little time to do it? Then send for ABC product and help protect yourself from the ravages of stress. ABC will restore your health and well being"
Or one like this, "Do you suffer from heartburn or acid stomach? Is the stress in your life catching up to you? Then send for XYZ product and solve your stomach problems."
Or I am conversing with a holistic health practitioner and I hear, "If only so and so would get into herbs, or put a drop or two of this or that under their tongue every day, their problems would be solved." How would they know what problems or life stressors so-and-so is dealing with?
Multi-level marketers, physician offices, traditional or integrative, it doesn't matter. All want you to ingest some magic product to solve all your problems. Never mind that the stress is caused by behavioral habits that need to change, or by distorted thinking that impedes success and destroys self-esteem. Never mind that relationship or financial problems keep us awake at night. Never mind that you are fourteen years old, have no friends and are being harassed at school. Just take these products and you will feel better. The only difference between the old and the new line is that the traditional physicians push chemicals and man made medicines, and holistic practitioners push soy, herbs, and gluten-free diets.
For heaven's sake, even on a popular wellness physician's website I read, "From improved energy and lowered stress levels to a stronger immune system, our special vitamin plan has the answers." Apparently you can answer a set of questions and magically solve your problems as you "receive regular delivery of your customized supplement packs." Apparently you can answer a set of questions and magically solve your problems as you "receive
regular delivery of your customized supplement packs."
Unfortunately, no matter how fantastic the supplements are, stress releases damaging hormones into the system and shuts down immune function, and no pills or supplements will reverse that process. Only identifying the source of the stress, and doing something about it, will solve that problem.
But, unfortunately, that takes work. Quick and easy is always easier to sell. It is a little harder to stop, look around, and make life changes, than to stick something in our mouth every day. It is much easier to merrily continue to do what we have always done, and get what we have always gotten. And what we get is chronic stress. And chronic stress brings with it worries and fears, stomachaches, backaches and migraines, arthritis and heart disease, numerous doctor appointments, and strained relationships at home and at work.
What is the answer? Fortunately the answer is not as difficult as it may seem. You don't have to stop with your supplements, vitamins, yoga or meditation. Just add a few minutes a day to go inside and become aware of you. Look at your life as a pie, with each slice a different area such as physical health, spiritual health, relationship health, finances, work, social, etc. Consider each area and ask yourself, "On a scale of one to ten, how do I feel about this part of my life? Do I experience stress in this area of my life?
If you identify a problem area, decide whether you want to do anything about it. If you do decide on change, develop a plan of action to reduce stress and improve satisfaction in that area. Then follow through with your plan. If you have trouble following through, or feel you would benefit from a little help, hire a life coach. They say two heads are better than one. There is no limit to what you can achieve with a little support and a lot of encouragement from a friend.
About the Author
Pat Swan, M.S., Life and Relationship Coach, Health and Well Being Coach, author and speaker. Check out Pat's ebook, "Watch Out! Relationships Can Be Hazardous To Your Health," available at www.StopRelationshipStress.com . Learn more about the author and her services at www.patswan.com. Mailto:pat@patswan.com
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Learning Meditation Home Page |
Introduction to the basics of meditation and the reduction of stress. |
www.learningmeditation.com |
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Meditation Room |
Choose freely and feel free to perform more than one meditation. ... Allow some time for your meditation. These meditations last from 3 - 10 minutes. ... |
www.learningmeditation.com |
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Meditation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
An introduction to different traditions, forms, techniques, and benefits. Includes links to other resources. |
en.wikipedia.org |
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World Wide Online Meditation Center |
Contains colorful, clear, concise meditation instruction on a variety of meditation methods from various spiritual teachings, plus tranquil meditation tapes ... |
www.meditationcenter.com |
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The Transcendental Meditation (TM) Program - Official website. How ... |
Meditation validated by over 600 scientific studies. The best meditation against stress. Online video! Personal instruction and lifetime follow-up. |
www.tm.org |
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Vipassana Meditation Website |
Homepage of the organization which offers Vipassana Meditation courses as taught by SN Goenka. |
www.dhamma.org |
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Welcome to Meditation Mount |
Meditation training programs and group meditation as a service to humanity. Worldwide organization based in Ojai, California. |
www.meditation.com |
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Guided meditations on mindfulness, peace, the 23rd Psalm, the way ... |
Come into the present moment with this 10-minute mindfulness meditation narrated by ... Experience a flow of positive energy with this meditation on peace ... |
www.beliefnet.com |
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Meditation Station Presented By The Meditation Society Of America |
Meditation Society of America's web site. Dedicated to sharing meditation techniques and concepts from all traditions. |
www.meditationsociety.com |
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Wildmind | Learn Meditation Online |
Wildmind provides a complete guide to simple meditation techniques. |
www.wildmind.org |
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Meditation |
An article By Dr Tom J. Chalko explaining the process and stressing the need for a spiritual teacher. |
www.thiaoouba.com |
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Free Learn to Meditate, online meditation - Meditation Australia. |
Details of activities, events, and classes in Wollongong University, Australia. Also offer a free online Meditation course. |
meditation.org.au |
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Meditation, Home, what is meditation, types of meditation ... |
Meditation Meditation is an alternative therapy. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation ... |
1stholistic.com |
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Sivananda Yoga - Meditation |
Introduction to the Official Web site of the Internationa Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Lots of information on Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, ... |
www.sivananda.org |
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Stress Reducers: Articles index |
yellow arrow button, Choose a Virtual Meditation Slide Show for Your ... yellow arrow button, Meditation and Relaxation: 20 Minutes A Day Can Make A ... |
www.selfhelpmagazine.com |
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Zen Mountain Monastery: Zen Meditation Instructions |
Detailed instructions from Zen Mountain Monastery on how to practice Zen meditation. |
www.mro.org |
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Meditation and concentration |
meditation concentration ability. ... Online fire meditation use it and develop concentration ability; Online flash meditation look at the screen and ajust ... |
www.ababasoft.com |
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Siddha Yoga path - Gurumayi - Swami Muktananda founder |
Under the guidance and teachings of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Siddha Yoga meditation students embrace the spiritual practices of yoga. |
www.siddhayoga.org |
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Meditation Handbook |
Survey of seven meditation techniques for beginners. |
home.att.net |
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Healing Music|Meditation Music|Self Help products |
Healing Products offers healing music for your Mind, Body & Soul at low prices. Use sound and music to heal and relax. |
www.healingproducts.com |
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