Health | Wellness | Yoga

Whether it is nature or conditioning, most humans are repelled by mold, especially on their food. We have all shared the unfortunate experience of uncovering some lost piece of fruit, jar of tomato sauce, or long forgotten leftovers at the back of the fridge only to discover our uncovering is actually covered in bluish-green fuzz. We try to handle it gingerly, having as little direct contact as humanly possible, but we always manage to get a little bit on our finger, or inadvertently touch a soft spot that feels like a sodden abyss. And mold, if left to its own devices, will certainly flourish, if not entirely colonize your fridge, pantry, orgadyour entire kitchen. And in most cases, there is good reason to avoid and reject mold, as they signify the denaturing of the food, and they often carry toxins that could make you quite sick. Still, for anyone that hasnt been told, a good deal of the foods we eat are aided and cultivated by naturally occurring (and relatively benign) molds. Chees...

With her wife Portia di Rossi, Ellen will be opening a vegan restaurant in the Los Angeles area, specifically in the San Fernando Valley. The menu will be created by Tal Ronnen, who also made vegan fare for the pairs meat-free wedding. Ronnen also prepared food for Oprahs vegan cleanse, and for the first vegan dinner for the U.S. Senate. His meatless cookbook titled, The Conscious Cook: Meatless Recipes that Will Change the Way You Eat , was a New York Times bestseller. Meeting Tal has changed our lives for the better. We wish everyone could experience his cooking. Its delicious and healthy at the same timesometimes thats a hard balance, but not with Tal, said Degeneres and di Rossi. (Source: Amazon.com ) Oprah said she never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying. Singer Chrissie Hynde and producer Steve Bing are also investing in the new vegan venture. The interior space will be put together by the same designer who helped Angelina Jolie and others with their residential i...

Youll cut back and forth between lanes on the freeway to save a minute or two from your commute. Youll analyze and obsess over choosing the shortest and fastest checkout line at your grocery store. And you probably even reply to emails while on conference calls. You do all of these things and more while telling yourself you need to use your other 8 hours as efficiently as possible. But theres a HUGE difference between using your time productively and investing your time effectively. Some activities are clear cut. Watching the same Seinfeld episode for the 15th time or playing online poker provides little growth or substance beyond adding entertainment and levity to the day, but what about all of those activities that trick us into thinking were using our time smartly when were really just wasting time? One of the most egregious of these time and life suckers is information pornography. Information pornography is information in the form of books, magazines, newspapers, TV shows, and yes...

Sure, the ancient yogis found inner bliss by stretching in their yoga poses and sitting on their cushions for hours on end. But we live in the real worldfrequently too busy treading water to spare that kind of time! Fortunately, after digesting tons of spiritual books and attending myriad workshops, then experimenting with what works for me, Ive created my own Readers Digest- ish shortcut to daily bliss. To connect to your elevated interior, try (as best as you can) to sprinkle these simple steps throughout your day. 1. Sing in the shower. One thing the ancient yogis were right about: Set a good tone first thing in the morning and you float through the day. But I often cant drag myself out of bed early enough to meditate, so my solution is, I sing in the shower. Rather than fixate on problems and to-dos, I send my thoughts skyward via song. I learned this technique from a healthy and joyful 99-year-old man, whom Im convinced got that way because he belted out Oh, What A Beautiful Morni...

I do not ask to know, I do not ask to see, I ask only to be used. - Sufi Prayer Today is my last day of my last year of the forties. Tomorrow is the first day of a new decade for me and so it seems only right that I start with the beginners mind. These last weeks of my 49th year have been a jumble of success and pain. I have been recognized outwardly as a success by large groups of successful people and earned lovely media coverage in the process. Oddly and ironically even, for all my longing and desire to be recognized by the world for my love work at Good Clean Love, this recent winning and all the external recognition that has come with it has fueled both my insecurity and a fierce inner search for what success means to me. I learn and re-learn this most fundamental of all truths: that the world is made from the inside out. It is timely to learn this again as I celebrate my 50th birthday. I am keenly aware of time and energy now as the truest resources of life. I watch now as the ...

I began writing a blog quite some time ago. In the first flush of enthusiasm, I made more than a dozen posts, and shared the link with my friends. At once, I was rewarded with 17 loyal followers. Then I lost interest in the daily chore of writing a post. My followers kept insisting I post something, because they liked what they saw. But I have never been able to do what my heart doesnt tell me to, so I was quiet. Until now. A few days ago, a personal crisis hit. To make things worse, I realized I didnt have the luxury of reaching out to my close friends for comfort. It happens, sometimespeople just get caught up with their lives. So, you guessed it, I returned to my blog. For the past few days, Ive been posting regularly. And I cannot tell you how good it feels. I have chosen to write about simple pleasures, and this helps me remember the positive and good things in life. It also opens my heart to the infinite pleasures that can be ours for the taking, if we choose to. So, if you have...

by Michael Watson , Contributor to Animals & Pets on All Things Healing The equinox has passed and the weather, at home, and here at the Atlantic shore, has turned decidedly autumnal. Day after day has featured damp and chill. Fog shrouds the ocean. Fortunately, many trees and plants are wearing their fall raiment, providing bursts of brilliant color in the dimly lit landscape. Here and there a squirrel may be seen. Birdsong fills the air Yesterday we were in Cambridge, MA, near Harvard Square, where I happened to notice a young rabbit grazing adjacent a busy sidewalk. The rabbit and I looked at each other, perhaps being four or five feet apart, as other people, many attached to cell phones, moved briskly past. The rabbit was about the size of a gray squirrel, and similar in color. This chance meeting deep in the heart of our urban universe left me wondering how many other denizens of nature we walk by each and every day. Technological culture places animals outside, as other. W...

We are giving away a copy of Stories From the Yogic Heart edited by Lisa Miriam Cherry! Stories From the Yogic Heart is a powerfully-inspiring compilation of 27 stories about how yoga has radically transformed the lives of many. How it has healed, how it has saved, how it has let us feel our connection to all. Whether you practice Ashtanga, Scaravelli, Sivananda, Kripalu, Iyengar or are a student of other schools of of hatha yoga, you will thoroughly enjoy this book which features stories from the shores of India to the hills of Hollywood Personal stories by: Mariel Hemingway, Russell Simmons, Sonny Rollins, Amy Weintraub, Sharon Gannon, Danny Paradise, and many more. WIN THE BOOK! Enter a comment below and you will automatically be entered to win a copy! Winner will be announced on November 8. Good Luck! ...

Has the pace of life left you frazzled? Has balancing work, home, and family responsibilities left you overwhelmed? The stresses of our modern life can be too much for your stress glands to handle. The stress glands, primarily known as the adrenal glands, are two small, triangular-shaped glands that sit atop the kidneys. We dont give them much thought until we start to experience symptoms of poor health. The adrenal glands keep us going through lifes stresses, but over time they can show signs of being overworked. How do you know if your adrenal glands are overworked? Here are 24 signs: 1. Allergies 2. Anxiety or Irritability 3. Arthritis 4. Cravings for salty and/or sweet foods 5. Depression 6. Excessive hunger 7. Extreme fatigue, exhaustion, or chronic fatigue 8. Eyes are sensitive to light 9. Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope with lifes stresses 10. Frequently experience colds, flu, or other infections 11. Insomnia 12. Irritable bowel syndrome, IBS 13. Low blood pressure 14. Low...

From the Sucks to be over 40 file: Halloween is upon us, and this means several things for parents. Besides last minutes costume adjustments for demanding children it also means attempting to stem the tide of candy about to wash over your child. While some parents take a relative laissez faire approach to their childs candy consumption, other parents do their best to run a sort of interference, and try to limit their childs post Halloween consumption to less than 100 grams of sugar (per hour). No matter what your Halloween candy policy might be, there is always left over candy in the trick or treat bag that is either too weird or too unappealing for your child indulge in, and it is up to parents to dispose of as they see fit. One usual suspect in this line up is almost always black licorice. Most kids just dont develop a taste for it until adulthood, and therefore it is left to parents to begrudgingly consume it. But not so fast parents, unless of course you want to wind up face down i...

Orgasm is what happens when the body takes over. -Betty Dodson Our orgasmic potential begins with our capacity and curiosity to explore our arousal mechanism. Recent studies have actually demonstrated that working with your physical arousal response can actually instigate sexual desire, rather than the reverse of waiting for desire to jump-start arousal. This is heartening news because tapping into and enlarging our capacity for arousal is no different than developing any other physical response. Our trained attention and willingness to practice ensures development. Our arousal mechanism lives in the brain, specifically the limbic area of the brain, conveniently co-located with our olfactory center. This means that our sense of smell invigorates our emotional process, our memory store and our sexuality. Trust your sense of smell to excite you and indulge your olfactory in whatever scents turn you on. Napoleon was notorious for requesting his wife not wash for a week when he...

Did you know that farmers markets are sprouting up in neighborhoods and communities all around? According to new research by the U.S department of Agriculture, the number has risen by 17 percent. This means that there are now about 7,175 locally sourced markets in the United States. But why should we choose farmers markets over conventional supermarkets? Here is a list of only a few great reasons: Farmers markets are sourced by local farmers; this means we have access to the freshest, locally grown/raised fruits, veggies meat and dairy. Most of these markets are supplied by a community of farmers nearby, so you get your pick of seasonal foods straight out of the garden. Farmers markets can easily fill a void in areas otherwise known as food deserts . Theyre a great alternative since theyre mobile and can be set up anywhere. When you shop at a local farmers market you are contributing to the local economy, this means that the money youre spending is more likely to be spent lo...

Promachoteuthis sulcus I happen to think this little squidlet is adorablebut if it were to invade a nightmare, that cute expressive mouth could easily take on some sinister, piranha-like characteristics. Promachoteuthis sulcus is very rare deep-sea squid known from a single, small (25 mm ML, sex unknown) but distinctive individual from great depths in the south Atlantic Ocean. < 1 of 9 > Tweet Digg StumbleUpon Reddit Care2 related Bionic Animals Show Nature Knows Best Do Snails Sleep? New Evidence Says Yes The Crazy Dog Technique more on: Garden & Nature , Halloween , Healthy Mind , Nature & Wildlife , Videos , Videos , Wild...

By Sonia Choquette, bestselling author of several books including Traveling at the Speed of Love and True Balance This morning I overslept. I spent the weekend teaching a workshop on the east coast and then caught a flight home that landed at midnight. By the time I collected my luggage, got to my car and drove home it was two a.m. I didnt mind. I still felt exhilarated from the workshop and the happy, joyful response, which emanated from the people who attended. Their love carried me home on such a vibrational high I didnt feel tired at all. That was until the alarm clock went off at seven a.m. this morning and a wave of exhaustion swept over me as I reached over and pushed the snooze button. I immediately fell back into a deep sleep for another ten minutes until the alarm went off again. Struggling to wake up I forced myself to open my eyes, stand up, and find my way to the shower. The deep satisfaction I had felt the day before still lingered, but my body was having none of it. It ...

In another week or so, neighborhoods across America will be flooded with 41 million trick-or-treaters between ages 5 and 14, according to the US Census Bureau. Costumed children will joyously fill their bags with Halloween gold. Of course Im talking about candy. And at the center of the Halloween excitement is about $6.86 billion worth of purchased decorations, costumes and candy according to a 2011 survey by the National Retail Federation . The same survey estimates that the average American family spends $72.31 on these items and according to MSN Money , about 7 of 10 families will participate. Many kids will come home with literally pounds of candy , and many parents will donate some of it to less fortunate people so they can have a sweet Halloween experience. In doing so, most people may not be thinking about the fact that many, if not all, of the recipients might be at risk for tooth decay (a common cause of school absenteeism), obesity and food insecurity. Its one of those times...