Vitamin D Levels Linked with Breast Cancer Survival Rates

Vitamin D Levels Linked with Breast Cancer Survival Rates

Vitamin D Levels Linked with Breast Cancer Survival Rates

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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CREDIT: Dreamstime

The vitamin D levels in women when they are diagnosed with breast cancer may affect how long they will live, according to a new study from Belguim.

Women in the study who had the highest vitamin D levels (above 30 nanograms per millileter of blood) were about half as likely to die within five years of their diagnosis as women with lower vitamin D levels (below 30 ng/ml). And every 10 ng/ml increase in vitamin D levels at diagnosis was linked with a 20 percent reduction in women's risk of dying over the course of the study.

The link held even when researchers took into account factors known to influence women's cancer survival rates, such as body mass index and age.

Additionally, women in the study with higher vitamin D levels were more likely to have smaller tumors when they were diagnosed.

Researchers stressed that the study shows an association between the vitamin and survival rates, not a cause-and-effect link, and more work would be needed to confirm the findings. Researchers did not attempt to change women's vitamin D levels during the study; they took one measurement of vitamin D levels at the time of diagnosis.

The findings mean that physicians and oncologists are going to have to pay attention to vitamin D levels "more closely as their patients go through treatment," said Luke Peppone, a clinical cancer researcher at the University of Rochester in New York, who was not involved in the study.

Peppone noted that previous research suggested vitamin D may reduce cancer risks but that the evidence isn't conclusive enough to add the vitamin to dietary cancer-prevention programs.

In the new study, researchers looked at nearly 1,800 women with breast cancer. By the study's end, 134 of the patients had died — 64 from breast cancer, 55 from other known causes and 15 from unknown causes.

The researchers noted that participants with higher BMIs tended to have lower vitamin D levels, and also that vitamin D levels were lower overall during the winter than during the summer. (Direct exposure to sunlight is a major provider of vitamin D.) The links between the vitamin and survival and tumor size held when these factors and others were taken into account.

One previous study linked vitamin D to breast cancer survival rate, Peppone said. The new study is impressive, he said, due to the large number of participants and the number of variables the researchers took into account.

In the study, the researchers also found a longer period between cancer remission and relapse for women with higher levels of vitamin D at their diagnosis, although this link was seen only in women who had experienced menopause. 

Looking at the difference between premenopausal and postmenopausal women is important because 60 percent of cases of breast cancer occur in woman after menopause, Peppone said. Postmenopausal women also tend to be more likely to be deficient in vitamin D. This may because women's bodies use vitamin D in different ways after menopause, when estrogen levels drop.

"The effects of estrogen tend to be stronger than vitamin D, but when estrogen is depleted, vitamin D becomes more important," Peppone said.

The study was published May 24 in the journal Carcinogenesis.

Pass it on: High levels of vitamin D may result in smaller breast cancer tumors and higher chance of surviving the disease.

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Gym Rat Transformed Into a Yoga Nerd

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT

Article by Yoga Born

The Most Important Skill to Master

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT

Post written by Leo Babauta.

If you're like me, you are constantly learning new skills — gardening, carpentry, pizza-making, languages, sports, and so on. And I think this is a fun and wonderful thing to do.

But what's the most important skill?

That's debatable. I think compassion is a huge one, as is mindfulness. I'd go with those two any day of the week.

But if I had to pick just one, it would be this: learning to be happy with yourself.

That seems too simple, to trite! Too mushy and New-Agey! And I'll grant all of that, but I stand firmly by my pick.

Why? The answer has to do with how this one thing can affect everything else in your life. If you are not happy with yourself, or your body, you become insecure. You think you're not good enough. You fear being abandoned and alone. You do lots of other things to compensate, and these lead to problems.

So many of the problems people have stem from this one thing — being unhappy with themselves (often in the form of being unhappy with their bodies). Let's take a look at why, and then look at some ideas of how to master the skill.

Why It Affects Everything

Let's say you're unhappy with your body. You think you are too fat, or too skinny, or your butt is too small (or too big). Or your boobs are too small, or your pecs aren't big enough. Your stomach is flabby, or loose, or covered in stretch marks. Your thighs are too thick. Your hips are too wide, or too narrow. The list goes on and on.

We'll get into why we're unhappy in a minute, but for now, just imagine the unlikely scenario that you're unhappy with your body. What does that do to you? Well, you might be envious of other people (who, you know, are also unhappy with their bodies). You might be worried that you're not attractive enough to meet someone, and therefore sabotage your chances for a relationship. If you're in a relationship, you might think your boyfriend/girlfriend will leave you for someone more attractive. You might then act jealously, and do things out of this jealousy that actually leads to your partner being unhappy, and possibly eventually leaving you.

If you're unhappy with your body, you might not want to look at it. You might obsessively undereat, and then binge eat, and then feel worse about yourself. You might avoid exercise because you don't want to even think about the problem. You might eat junk food to comfort your bad feelings, and then make the health problems worse.

You might have anxiety about all of this, about your body, your health, your girlfriend leaving you. Then you eat more to assuage the anxiety, and it gets worse. Or you shop to make yourself feel better, and you get deeply in debt and your life fills with clutter. Or you drink alcohol or numb yourself with drugs or television so you don't have to think about all this.

At work, you're unhappy because you aren't confident about yourself or your body, so you don't do the things that require confidence and that would further your career. You might not leave your work to find work you're more passionate about, because you don't think you're good enough. Even at the work you're in, you do what you can to not think about the unhappiness you have, so you procrastinate with social networks, games, and other diversions.

There's much more that's possible, but you get the idea. Not everyone has all of these symptoms, but they're possible for anyone. Many of our problems stems from this one problem, and fixing it can change everything.

That's why, if you have a finite amount of time to learn (and we all do), investing that time into learning this one skill can pay off in innumerable ways. It's the most important skill you can master.

Why We're Like This

If this is so bad, why are we like this? How did it get this way? Well, there's no one answer. It's a building up of lots of reasons, including:

  • Mass media. We see beautiful celebrities with perfect faces, stomachs, thighs, abs, chests and asses all over the place — on the Internet, on TV and movies, in magazines. Everywhere. They're celebrated as the pinacle of our society, and we all want to be them in some way. They're not real, of course — they're Photoshopped, make-upped, did upped in so many ways that what we see is an illusion. We're comparing ourselves to an illusion. But even if they were, why would we need to be like them? Why can't we be like ourselves, and let that be the ideal?
  • Comments from others. Friends, family members, co-workers, even spouses might make a seemingly innocent comment about our butt or boobs that makes us feel bad about ourselves. These comments are small but hit our self-esteem very hard. They're not really about us, though, even if we almost always take them to heart. They're about the other person, who is having a bad day, or jealous of you, or projecting their own insecurities on you, or comparing you to the mass media celebrities they idolize for no good reason. See these comments for what they are, and don't take them to heart.
  • Childhood incidents. In childhood, perhaps our parents made some comments about us that made us feel bad. Perhaps our parents got a divorce, or our dad was never around — if dad left mom, maybe that meant she wasn't good enough for him, and by extension maybe I'm not good enough for someone else? If dad left, maybe it's because I wasn't good enough for him? This might sound like psychological mumbo-jumbo, but it's real. I've experienced it, and so have countless others. It doesn't mean we have to let it rule our lives, but we should be aware that it's there, and learn to deal with it.
  • Failures. Perhaps we've made some mistakes and failed at some things we tried to do. Honestly, everyone does, but when we do it, we take it to heart. It makes us feel bad about ourselves — we're not disciplined, we're not good enough. This leads to further failures, further hurting our self-image.
  • Health problems. While having thick thighs or a bit of flab on the tummy is nothing to feel bad about — love how you look! — a completely separate problem from how we feel about our bodies is the health of our bodies. We tend to mix them together — being fat makes us feel bad about ourselves, for example — but really they can be separated. We can feel good about our bodies but realize that being overweight can lead to heart disease and diabetes down the road, so it only makes sense to lose some weight. Not because we want to look like a celebrity and feel better about ourselves, but because we want to be healthy. Being healthy, by the way, can help your self-image, and even though I said they can be separated, this is one positive benefit from conflating the two that you should accept happily.
  • Spiral of negative thoughts. One bad thought leads to another, and then another, until we have a bundle of bad thoughts that become our self-image. This negative self-image can affect everything we do. But this self-image and these bad thoughts are not us — they are things that happen within us, but we don't have to let them become us. We can cope with them, and turn them into positive thoughts, into gratitude, into happiness.

These are just a few reasons. In fact, so many things affect our self-image that it's impossible to list them all, but it's good to start to be aware of them, so we can cope with them.

How to Master the Skill

Let's say you've accepted my premise that learning to be happy with yourself (let's call it "love thyself") is the most important skill to master … how do you get started?

The simple answer is practice. The complicated answer is that it takes awhile, because our self-image wasn't formed overnight and it won't be changed overnight. That's OK. Just focus on this moment, and you'll learn as you go.

I can't give you a complete guide to learning to love thyself, as that would take a book, and I'm still learning myself, but here are some tips for starting out:

  1. Become aware of your mental movie. You have a movie (perhaps a series of them) that you play inside your head about yourself. Usually we aren't aware of this, but it happens, throughout the day. The movie is about who we are: you have a flabby stomach, you are fat, you are too skinny, you aren't disciplined, you aren't lovable, your braces look weird, you aren't good at anything. Start to pay attention when this movie plays — it affects everything you do. Realize that this movie isn't you — it's just playing in your head. Realize that it isn't true, and isn't based on reality. Realize that it can be changed.
  2. Start to make a new movie. This new movie will replace that play-out old one that keeps running in your theater. It will be a Michael Bay production, with a gorgeous lead actor (hey, that's you!), great visual effects, lots of excitement … except with more character development and a lot smaller budget. Let's base this movie on reality, not fears from childhood or illusions of celebrities or comments from others. Instead, it should be based on the fact that you are a good person, wonderful even, who is loving, kind, beautiful, passionate. This might not be what you think about yourself, but let's make the movie like this anyway. Ask other people why you're lovable (people who are likely to give a kind answer). Use these images in your new movie. When negative images start coming up (my boobs are too small!), cut them out and tell them they have no place in your production. Put better images in.
  3. Consciously play the new movie. Learn to recognize the flicker of the old movie starting, and shut it off. Put the new movie in the projector instead, and play it. Practice this like it's your new religion. You will get better with constant practice. Put up reminders all around you so you don't forget.
  4. Learn mental judo. There will be things coming in all around you that will try to attack your new movie. Comments from friends, celebrities, things you see on Facebook. When they are hurtling towards you, learn to lean to one side and let them whiz by. Give them a small shove, with a thought like, "That comment is not about me, it's about you." (And then go give your friend a hug — she's probably having a bad day.) Or a thought like, "That celebrity probably is also worried about her body — having big boobs or a flat stomach doesn't solve that problem." Give the celebrity a mental hug, then play your new movie.

You are already perfect — you just need to realize it. You don't need anything to solve this problem — you already have it. You just need to practice, like it's the most important thing in your life, because in many ways, it is.

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Is Mind Over Matter Real?

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT

Article by Charles Mentreut

Starting from the power of basic concentration to the power of your will power in improving yourself.

Thus, the power of concentration, the ability of your will power to improve you beyond the wildest dreams, focusing of your mind elsewhere to bear an unbearable pain or even using your thoughts to move physical objects come under it.

A close association exists between the phrase 'Mind over matter' and the term psychokinesis and the latter can even be stated to be an extreme form of the former as it entails being able to move matter physically with the sheer power of one's thoughts.

In order to explain the extent of human mind power influence over matter, parapsychologists in the 19th century carried out research and various experiments. At first the reason behind such phenomena were thought to be due to spirits and was termed Telekinesis but later when the role of human mind was discovered, it was coined Psychokinesis.

Such phenomenon can be measured and categorized into two groups - Micro psychokinesis and Macro psychokinesis. While the former involves small movement in matter that can only be seen with the help of scientific instruments, the latter refers to bigger movements that can be seen by ordinary eyesight.

Extensive use of the mind over matter phrase is also used in mind centric studies in spirituality and philosophies. It is the less extreme version of the phrase where the concept of responsibility assumption is mainly emphasized on.

The core essence of responsibility assumption that is found in personal growth studies talks about you being solely responsible for how your life turns out to be. Simply put, the destiny that unfolds for you in the function of your own mind and the thoughts it harbors.

Other concepts like law of attraction or metal affirmations also talk about the same thing.

The core essence of the Law of attraction is that if you have an object of desire in mind and you fiercely concentrate on the same focusing all your atten! tion on it, visualizing yourself attaining the desire and repeatedly telling yourself that the object of desire is coming your way, then it gets attracted from the infinite universe in reality and manifests in your life.

Countless claimants to the power of psychokinesis exists in our world of which some can be mentioned in this point.

Martin Caidin is one of those who was the author of the novel Cyborg in 1972 and was alleged to move energy wheels kept on one or more table tops.

An Israeli man named Uri Geller was also noted for his spoon bending techniques while an alleged Soviet psychic Nina Kulagina made many black and white short films where she was seen to demonstrate psychokinetic actions.

Felicia Parise on the other hand was an American laboratory technician who got inspired from the Nina Kugani films and started consciously practicing intense concentration towards psychokinesis which was happening to her spontaneously otherwise. Having mastered the same, she was able to mobe objects like compass needles, plastic pill containers, aluminum foil etc.

At the height of her career was also featured as the First American to Move Matter with Mind by the tabloid National Enquirer. She retired after reporting bodily stress from psychokinesis demonstrations.

Coming down to the most spiritually advanced place in the world, the great mountain range of the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Tibet, one can say that this vast place radiates with positive energy and hence is called the seat of spirituality in the ancient East. Sadhus and monks who renounce everything that is worldly reside here in the nooks and corners spending their lives in harnessing the powers of the mind and being experts at it.

Demonstration of psychokinesis by powerful individuals can be seen openly if you visit India during the time of their holy pilgrimage called the Kumbh Mela (Annually), Ardha Kumbh Mela (once in 6 year) or Purna Kumbh Mela (Once in 12 years). It is when all the great sadhus come down from ! the moun tains to take a dip into the waters of the holy river Ganges.

To conclude, one can safely say that the power of the human mind can make any impossible possible. Right from moving matter physically to attracting your desire from the universe, you can create, control and change whatever you want in your life an in this world. Infact, one can create his own destiny by using the power of thoughts, concentration faith and true belief.

About the Author

Explore the phenomena of using your mind power by visiting the popular http://www.mindpower-info.com website. Find out about using the healing power of the mind yourself and discover mind healing when you visit here and get your FREE video and audio DVD Package.

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Gangtok Homestays: Best Location to Stay

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Article by Mathan Mohan

Gangtok is a charming location and the investment finance area of the Sikkim condition of Indian. The area is situated at an elevation of 1,437 measures in the Shivalik Mountains of the southern Himalayan variety. Gangtok is one the most frequented slope areas in southern Indian, which is garlanded with some of the most unique places of this nation. The area is in the most southern part of Indian and frequented by the vacationers all throughout the year for holiday and family vacationing. Gangtok homestays here provide magnificent yet cost-effective remain in the area to the vacationers. The area is prominent for its scenery and Buddhist monasteries and regarded as one of the major Buddhist sacred places. The area is filled with several vacationer places, such as monasteries, areas, scenery, places of worship, and galleries. There are two very prominent monasteries namely Rumtek Monastery and Phensong Monastery, which appeal to Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world. Checking out this area during high period, when Buddhist gatherings are famous, provides opportunity to see Buddhist pilgrims and lifestyle. Apart from the monasteries situated here, there are other destinations in this area such as Tsomgo Water, Enchey Monastery, Pelling, Do Drul Chorten, Pemayangtse, Tashiding Monastery, Rabdentse Damages, Saramsa Lawn, Fambong La Creatures Haven, Kabi Lungchok, Ganesh Tok, Hanuman Tok, and Tashi Standpoint. The scenery and snowfall clothed mountains are the landscapes that take tourist's interest to check out this place.Gangtok is an best location for those who are considering amazing athletics such as going, windsurfing, and riding. In the time of summer time, these actions are performed here. The area is the best mixture of modernity and lifestyle. There are several discothèques, take out dining places, flyovers, and classy areas, which makes it best vacationer location. Moreover, many Gangtok homestays choice are available here. These kinds of resorts are huge, magnificent, and can be provid! ed while experiencing a home like ease and relaxation and ease. The area is the best mixture of modernity and lifestyle. There are several discothèques, take out dining places, flyovers, and classy areas, which makes it best vacationer location. Moreover, many Gangtok homestays choice are available here. These kinds of resorts are huge, magnificent, and can be provided while experiencing a home like ease and relaxation and ease. The area is the best mixture of modernity and lifestyle. There are several discothèques, take out dining places, flyovers, and classy areas, which makes it best vacationer location. Moreover, many Gangtok homestays choice are available here. These kinds of resorts are huge, magnificent, and can be provided while experiencing a home like ease and relaxation and ease. These kinds of resorts are huge, magnificent, and can be provided while experiencing a home like ease and relaxation and ease. These kinds of resorts are huge, magnificent, and can be provided while experiencing a home like ease and relaxation and ease. These kinds of resorts are huge, magnificent, and can be provided while experiencing a home like ease and relaxation and ease.

About the Author

Get more information on hotels">gangtok, Hotels in gangtok

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Knee and Back Pain with the Help of Yoga Part 4

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT

Article by Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher

Knee And Back Pain with the Help of Yoga Part 4

Sciatica described as the pain along the Sciatic Nerve or start from the buttock to the back of the leg. Sciatica may also cause numbness and tingling or pain in the sacrum. In Sciatica, the pain in the posterior thigh, lower leg or foot can be much worse than the lower Back Pain. Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia are the most common forms of arthritis.

The most common treatment for Back Pains includes medication, exercise, and a change in lifestyle, sometimes surgery for sever Back Ailments. Yoga is a mild form of physical activity which can help in strengthening Back Muscles and Skeletal system.

It can help in controlling and preventing the occurrence and re-occurrence of Back Injuries which can lead to some Chronic or Acute Back Ailment.

The practice of Yoga can be helpful to diagnosed disc problems after the acute stage has passed. The Proper Diet and no smoking lifestyle which are part of Yogic Lifestyle will facilitate fast recovery and prevention for Osteoporosis and Herniated disc. Asanas can tone your Back Muscles, make it more flexible, alleviate pain and improve your posture. Yoga lifestyle, Yoga Poses combined with medical attention can decrease the debilitating power of Back Pains.

Unilateral movements can stress the Sacroiliac joint. These are yoga postures such as Tree pose and Warrior 3 which involve balance on one leg. Deep standing postures may also stress the joint but done lightly may be beneficial. If a posture feels like it is causing greater pain patterns it should be avoided or at the least modified.

Lifting weights, riding a bike, running and even skiing don't involve the muscle groups required to facilitate correct posture. Such routines often encourage the development of certain muscle groups and can delude individuals into feeling these are all that are required to stay in shape. Exercise regimens like yoga, Pilates, dancing and swimming all focus on working muscles in the chest, back a! nd abdom en which, in turn, do help maintain a healthy posture. The body's core muscle groups are exercised which allows a greater body work out, strengthening the physique overall and not just specific areas.

In theory, yoga helps people concentrate their energy on breathing and maintaining posture. The methodical breathing increases oxygen flow to the brain and sets a rhythm within the body and mind. This action coupled with the poses and sometimes meditation is said to dissipate stress and anxiety, therefore, relieving back pain caused by psychological and emotional factors.

Continued...

About the Author

Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE "Yoga and You" report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

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Yoga for Drivers Neck and Shoulder Pain Part 3

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT

Article by Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher

Yoga for Drivers Neck and Shoulder Pain Part 3

A 2005 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that practicing yoga postures was more effective than traditional treatments for chronic lower-back pain. Here's a little guide to a pose for the achey places.

It's a Half Locust Variation:

Lie on your stomach, head turned to the left and hands crossed over the lower back with palms up. On an inhale lift your chest and head, stretch the left hand out in front of you, palm down, upper arm alongside your ear. At the same time lift your right leg about 6 inches off the floor while turning your head toward the centre.

On an exhalation lower your head, chest, and leg and bring the outstretched left arm behind you to rest ion your back. As you lower your head, turn it to the right and return it to the mat (the reverse of your starting position). Repeat on the other side. When your ready, repeat the set six times, each time bringing the leg slightly higher. This will be good for helping your back pain.

There are several ways in which the human body feeds back relative to what you are doing with and to it. Part of this feedback system is a pain response. The pain response comes in several forms, levels, or degrees. For example an achey pain might indicate stretching of muscle. A sharp pain might indicate excess elasticity demanded on the tendon.

Yoga postures focus on building core shoulder strength, opening the chest and relaxation of the upper shoulder and neck muscles. Yoga is not a fad; it is a science that is recognized all over the world, re-establishing its credibility as an ancient discipline dating back ten thousand years ago and will help you with shoulder and back pain.

Yoga practitioners have long touted this ancient exercise as a back pain treatment. Now there's scientific evidence to support this claim. A major study on the use of alternative therapies found that almost 60% of people who consulted a medical doctor for back pain had tried som! e sort o f alternative therapy.

In yoga therapy, you use a set of posture designed specifically for your individual problems and imbalances to heal your body. A six week program is designed for people with low back pain who wish to return to yoga practice or explore yoga as a method of managing their back pain.

About the Author

Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back, Shoulder and Neck Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE "Yoga and You" report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

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Sex, Guilt, and Spirituality

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Article by William Frank Diedrich

Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 6/8/2012

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT

"Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life."
 
~The Buddha

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New Age, Spirituality & Dogma - 10 Myths Revealed

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Article by Scott Petullo & Stephen Petullo

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarydefinition of dogma is as follows:

Main Entry: dog*maPronunciation: 'dog-m&, 'däg-Function: nounInflected Form(s): plural dogmas alsodog*ma*ta /-m&-t&/Etymology: Latin dogmat-, dogma, fromGreek, from dokein to seem a point of viewor tenet put forth as authoritative withoutadequate grounds

While we recognize the positive influences oforganized faith, most religions, includingBuddhism for example, have their share ofdogma. Despite valuing many Buddhist tenets,we detect plenty of dogmatic beliefs among itsfollowers. The following email sent to us froma Buddhist who chants daily exemplifies our point:

"I think fate and destiny goes back to karma, yeswe have karma from previous lives, but we createdour own karma, so we also can change it! Althoughwe may not change all bad karma completely,my master promised us that thru chantingNam-myoho-renge-kyo we can absolutelyreach enlightenment in this life time! Andwe can expedite the changing process! That'sthe power of our chanting!

If you start chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyoyou'll reach enlightenment way faster thanany methods you suggest. I've used the powerfrom my prayers (thru chanting) to overcomeobstacles in my everyday life and achieve mygoals - many times making impossible intopossible... Quite mystical, but also a lot of work"

We asked the gentleman who emailed us toshare how much closer he thinks he is to"enlightenment" from chanting and exactlyhow he has "changed" his karma, but he didn'trespond back to us.

The Buddhist above states that his master"promised" him that he'd reach "enlightenment"if he chanted a certain verse. Chanting is a formof meditation and can be used to become morecentered and to focus.

However, if you have further karma to work outand need to come back for other lifetimes (thatmay have been planned well before this one), allthe chanting in the world isn't going to change that.

As we always say, you cannot erase your karma andbypass the ! earthly experience needed to balance it.Sure, you can change how you react to it, which canmake the lessons easier to tolerate, but in no way canyou erase what your ego doesn't like or create whatyour ego wants if it's not part of your destiny.

Other forms of dogma linked to various beliefsystems include the following:

*The "Harmonic Convergence," (a label given, bycreative and opportunistic astrologers, to a type ofirrelevant astrological planetary alignment that hasbeen occurring regularly for eons) and other "cosmicevents" like it; promoters make bogus claims of"unparalleled times" in the earth's history, promotingtheir web sites and selling their products, yet the only"unparalleled time" is for them to take advantage ofthe uneducated, misinformed, and those who areimpressed by far-out, "spiritual" sounding, New Agenotions; other key phrases commonly used include,"now is a momentous time unlike any other," and"many facets of the Divine Plan are unfoldingsimultaneously"

*Men need women in marriage in order to growspiritually

*Women can't be spiritual or religious leaders

*Sex before marriage is a sin

*Directives issued by "ascended masters" through"channeled messages;" these are sometimes valid,yet so often bogus and long-winded cosmic fu-fu;obvious red flags are if the "messages" arebiased-sounding in any way and/or deny thefact that varying degrees of adversity in people'slives has a divine purpose

*Getting married and having children is the rightthing to do

*Divorce is a sin

*You can "Ascend" or "reach enlightenment" inthis life if you consciously choose it

*Because the Universe is changing, we aren'tgoverned by the laws of karma like we used to be

*You can live forever; all you have to do is"download" your consciousness into a clone ofyourself

*Once you die, all your "sins" are forgiven andyou get a "get out of jail free" card; you aren'taccountable for your actions in this life

*You have complete free will while incarnatedand yo! u can cr eate anything you want in this life;what the mind can conceive, you can achieve

*You have the right to anything you desire; it'syour "birthright"

*Cursing is a sin

*Nudity is a sin

*Making a lot of money is a sin

*Taking a vow of poverty is the right thing to do

*Having a drink once a while will corrupt yourspirituality

*Eating meat isn't very spiritual

*Vegetarianism is the most spiritual diet

*Listening to Rock music is not very spiritual

*Dressing provocatively is a sin

*If you don't adhere to a particular beliefsystem, you're doomed

*Select Feng Shui "cures" such as, "Beautifythe money area in your house and become amillionaire!;" yes, we value many Feng Shuiconcepts, but you can't cheat fate through itsmethods

Copyright © 2007 Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo

About the Author

Scott Petullo and Stephen Petullo are identical twins and have been exploring metaphysics since the early 1980's. They are experts in the fields of prediction, personal fate, love life, and past life regression, and are natural psychics and mediums. Get their free report: 13 Spiritual and New Age Myths and 11 Questions to Ask before hiring Psychic. http://www.mystictwins.com http://www.holisticmakeover.com

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What’s to like?

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Liking feels good, plus it encourages us to approach and engage the world rather than withdraw from it.

Your brain continually tracks whether something is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. In essence, is it a carrot, a stick, or safely ignored? Naturally, we like – we enjoy – what's pleasant, dislike what's unpleasant, and wish what's neutral would get pleasant pronto.

Natural opioids – pleasure molecules – are released when you see things you like; on the other hand, disliking things can activate the neural networks of pain. Liking things feels good, so we approach them; disliking things feels bad, so we avoid them.

We are hardwired to like some things, like the sweetness of sugar, and dislike other things, like shivering from cold. But most situations are in the middle, and formed of many parts. Consequently, our response to them – liking or disliking – depends a lot on what we pay attention to and on our own perspective.

Consider someone you know well, maybe your partner in life. Like each one of us, this person is a mosaic with many tiles. Even if you love this person, it's easy to get so used to his or her good qualities that you kind of tune them out.

The same is true for other people, and for many everyday situations. For example, you might feel fine overall about your job or career, but have lost touch with lots of the concretely good things about it.

I'm not talking about craving or clinging to what you like. You can thoroughly enjoy and like a pleasant experience while letting it flow through you without getting attached to it.

Nor am I talking about rose-colored glasses. Sure, we need to see real problems, and deal with them. But when we overlook things we could authentically like, we miss out on chances to feel good, step into life, and seize opportunities.

Plus flip it around. How do you feel when you are with someone who sees lots to like in you? When you find things to like in others, it's a beautiful gift to them. And in turn, it leads them to treat you better.

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How?

Pick something simple – a meal, a room, a view out a window – and find something you like about it. Perhaps it is a particular taste, or the curve of a favorite armchair, or the way that light is playing on leaves outside. For a few seconds or longer, stay with it and let the sense of enjoyment grow. Be mindful of the experience of liking something.

Then shift your awareness to something you don't usually pay much attention to. Perhaps it is a spoon, or a corner of carpet, or a stretch of sidewalk. Try to find one or more things to genuinely like about it. It's fine, in fact normal, if the liking is mild or subtle. Be mindful of the process of self-generating enjoyment. Notice how much power you actually have over whether you like something, and your power to find more and more things to like.

With one or more people, look for things to like – to enjoy, respect, or appreciate. (Of course, you're not waiving your rights or dropping your concerns just because you see something good in a person.) You can do this when you're face-to-face or when you simply bring someone to mind. Try it with a person you're close to, with a friend, and with someone you don't know well (e.g., a server in a restaurant). For example, perhaps the person has a quirky sense of humor, or basic decency, or a gentleness with children, or a plucky passion for doomed causes. Then, for a challenge, try this with someone who is troublesome for you, such as a meddling relative or a stressful person at work.

Be mindful of the results with these various people. I bet it feels better to see what's likable about them – even the ones you find irritating. And for the ones who are dear to you, you could find, as I have, that this practice brings freshness, gratitude, and renewed intimacy.

Last and not least, how about recognizing what's likable – about yourself? What do your friends and loved ones like about you? Can you see yourself in this way? How does this feel?

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Spiritual, Occult & Metaphysical Studies - Here's How You Can Start on The Right Track

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Article by Scott Petullo & Stephen Petullo

Quest for Awakening

The Enlightenment Teachings of Leonard Jacobson

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A Tour to monasteries of Thailand

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT

Article by Shally Camroon

Bangkok is a city of monasteries and temples. Due to the influence of Buddhism in Bangkok, one can find large number of monasteries located in the city which is known as Temple of Buddhist or Wats. There are different types of Wat like Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Benchamabophit, Wat Saket and Wat Ratchabophit.

Wat Pho is a Buddhist monastery situated in Phra Nakhon District of the city. It is a great location for sightseeing in Bangkok. It is also one of the largest and oldest monasteries with a statue of Buddha that is around 160 ft. You can easily reach Bangkok by taking flights to Bangkok from anywhere in the world. Good English speaking guides are available here who will be help to describe you about Wat Pho in simple easy way. You can go for a taxi or car hire option from Bangkok Airport to visit this place.

The other monastery you can visit is Wat Arun. It is a Buddhist temple in Yai district of Bangkok. It is also known as Chaeng. A visit to Bangkok is not considered complete if you do not visit this place. On visit to places like these, you might feel inner peace. Wat Ratchabophit is located near Wat Arun. It was built by King Rama V. The temple features amazing architecture which was designed by an Italian architecture.

Apart from Bangkok, the other cities of Thailand have a lot of Buddhist temples such as Wat Bophut in Koh Samui, which is in northern part of the city. Approximately 300 temples are constructed in Chinag Mai. Among them the famous ones are Wat Goo Come and Wat Goom Gaam located just outside the city. The city of Chinag Rai in Thailand too has some famous and historical Buddhist monasteries like Wat Prasingh, Wat Prakaew and Wat Doi Thong . Other than these you would find various monasteries or historical Wat in all other cities of Thailand.

The people of Bangkok and other cities welcome visitors to visit these temples at their leisure, if anyone wants to visit here get cheap flights to Bangkok or cheap packages to Thailand.

In l! ast thre e months, Bangkok has lost a large number of visitors due to floods and heavy destruction that took place. However, the city has started to attract the visitors once again for leisure and business trip. So come and take a look at the fascinating monasteries of Thailand.

About the Author

Shally Camroon is a English writer. She graduated from California State University in 2008 with English Literature. She is writing for different domain as health, services, travel and real estate. Presently she is writing for cheap flights to Bangkok, flights to Bangkok.

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Tourism in Gangtok, a trip to the land of hills

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 03:00 AM PDT

Article by Flin Martyn

Gangtok is the largest town of Indian state Sikkim and is situated in the Shivalik hills of eastern Himalayas at an altitude of 1,437 meters. The name Gangtok means lofty hills and it adds a perfect picturesque effect to Himalayan beauty. The industry of tourism in Gangtok is flourished with its rich natural surroundings that fascinate nature lovers coming from the different corners of the country.

Blessed with high Himalayan peaks and a mild climate throughout the year, Gangtok has been rediscovered as one of the most popular tourist place in India. Along with nature's splendor beauty Gangtok is surrounded by many Buddhist monasteries and thus it has also become a Buddhist pilgrimage which has turned out as a rewarding factor for Gangtok tourism. Thus, a tour to Gangtok is comprised of both natural and religious tourism.

This beautiful town is blessed with hills and lakes and thus is a perfect blend of nature and architecture. The monasteries all over the town give a Holy effect to the town and spreads and aura of peace and homeliness. There are many tourist spots in Gangtok and the most visited of these are: Do Drul Chorten, Rumtek monastery, Namgyal institute, Deer Park, Tsuk La Khang Monastery, Himalayan Zoological Park, Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, the Tsomgo Lake and so on.

The monasteries and the Tibetan institutes give the visitors and idea of Tibetan culture and history. On the other hand the great Tsomgo Lake is regarded as a very sacred Lake in Gangtok and also serves as popular tourist attraction of Gangtok. Gangtok also offers a perfect glimpse of the Kanchenjunga Mountains which adds much to the grandeur of a trip to Gangtok.

Gangtok is well connected to the rest of the country through the major modes of transportation. It is connected by road to Siliguri, by railway to New Jalpaiguri and by airlines to Bagdogra airport and thus making reachable to tourists all over the world. It is also well accomplished with wide range of hotels and resorts. Gangtok hotel! s are a mark of ancient Buddhist culture blended with modern accomplishments. Gangtok hotels range from luxury suits to budget suits and thus offering the visitors a wide choice of stay. Most of the Gangtok hotels are faced towards mountain peaks and thus offering visual treat for the tourists.

On the other hand the hotels of Gangtok maintain decorum of Tibetan and Buddhist culture and hospitability. Also these hotels are well equipped with modern comforts. Thus, hotels of Gangtok are perfect blend of modernity and ancient cultural heritage. The most popular hotels of Gangtok are: Hotel Chumbi Residency, Hotel Rendevouz, Tashi Delek hotel and so on. Experience a trip to Gangtok and enjoy a ride amidst natural lanes and charming Buddhist shrines.

About the Author

For information on Gangtok and popular Gangtok hotels visit HolidayIQ.

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New Age Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 36 )

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT

Article by Vish Writer / Swami Vivekananda

Even if he is, he must first show that he has done the duty of his own position; and then higher duties will come to him. When we begin to work earnestly in the world, nature gives us blows right and left and soon enables us to find out our position. No man can long occupy satisfactorily a position for which he is not fit. There is no use in grumbling against nature's adjustment. He who does the lower work is not therefore a lower man. No man is to be judged by the mere nature of his duties, but all should be judged by the manner and the spirit in which they perform them.

Later on we shall find that even this idea of duty undergoes change, and that the greatest work is done only when there is no selfish motive to prompt it. Yet it is work through the sense of duty that leads us to work without any idea of duty; when work will become worship -- nay, something higher -- then will work be done for its own sake. We shall find that the philosophy of duty, whether it be in the form of ethics or of love, is the same as in every other Yoga -- the object being the attenuating of the lower self, so that the real higher Self may shine forth -- the lessening of the frittering away of energies on the lower plane of existence, so that the soul may manifest itself on the higher ones. This is accomplished by the continuous denial of low desires, which duty rigorously requires. The whole organisation of society has thus been developed, consciously or unconsciously, in the realms of action and experience, where, by limiting selfishness, we open the way to an unlimited expansion of the real nature of man.

To get more information visit : http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com

About the Author

Lecturer, entrepreneur and Fortune 500 business consultant, Vish Writer is the author of the Amazon No 1 bestseller, "The Joy of Becoming God". Visit him at Spiritual SimplicityThe Real Secret

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Spiritflight -Ascension Activation (HD-3D) By Ascension Series

Hear more at www.reverbnation.com Add yourself to the mailing list -for full play exclusives. If you really want to help create a global shift in consciousness please spread this video fervently far & wide! I could not continue without your support! My work may be used as a comparison to the already available Yogic knowledge. 16 years ago I needed to start from scratch & become the spirituality that I hoped I could have without influence or direction of existing spiritual pursuits. My work is about inner discovery & Ascension. When I realized the results of my experiences I became excited & passionately wanted to share my work with the rest of humanity. I may not agree on other teachings or paths but at the same time I know I am not here to say they are wrong. About The Video I know I could have done better & maybe I will work on it more later. I am only one person with so little time, much work to bring forward. I don't yet do live performances ;) Spiritflight on CD: Amazon.com www.amazon.com www.createspace.com On iTunes: itunes.apple.com Ascension Series is on Facebook www.facebook.com On Myspace www.myspace.com ................................................................ Recommendations: I recommended adjusting the bass level to a more influential level within so that you hear/feel the pulse of the music within you to make it feel as if it were coming from your own heart. Everyone doesn't have the same speakers so that is my recommendation to achieve a greater ...

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Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 52 )

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 01:00 AM PDT

Article by Vish Writer / Swami Vivekananda

Every act of charity, every thought of sympathy, every action of help, every good deed, is taking so much of self- importance away from our little selves and making us think of ourselves as the lowest and the least, and, therefore, it is all good. Here we find that Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma -- all come to one point. The highest ideal is eternal and entire self- abnegation, where there is no "I", but all is "Thou"; and whether he is conscious or unconscious of it, Karma - yoga leads man to that end. A religious preacher may become horrified at the idea of an Impersonal God;he may insist on a Personal God and wish to keep up his own identity and individuality, whatever he may mean by that. But his ideas of ethics,if they are really good, cannot but be based on the highest self- abnegation. It is the basis of all morality; you may extend it to men,or animals,or angels, it is the one basic idea, the one fundamental principle running through all ethical systems.

You will find various classes of men in this world. First,there are the God - men, whose self - abnegation is complete, and who do only good to others even at the sacrifice of their own lives. These are the highest of men. If there are a hundred of such in any country, that country need never despair. But they are unfortunately too few. Then there are the good men who do good to others so long as it does not injure themselves. And there is a third class who, to do good to themselves, injure others. It is said by a Sanskrit poet that there is a fourth unnamable class of people who injure others merely for injury's sake. Just as there are at one pole of existence the highest good men, who do good for the sake of doing good, so, at the other pole,there are others who injure others just for the sake of the injury. They do not gain anything thereby, but it is their nature to do evil.

To get more information visit : http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com

About the Author

Lecturer, entrepreneur and Fortune 500 business consultant, Vish Writer is the author of the Amazon No 1 bestseller, "The Joy of Becoming God". Visit him at Spiritual SimplicityThe Real Secret

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author's information and copyright must be included.

Graham Hancock: Message of the Sphinx

Art Bell with Graham Hancock. Talk pertains to the Mystery & Message of the Sphinx.

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Spirituality, Souls, Drugs & Suicide - It's Your Responsibility to Help Yourself

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 12:00 AM PDT

Article by Scott Petullo & Stephen Petullo

Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 65 )

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:00 PM PDT

Article by Vish Writer / Swami Vivekananda

One is called the "Neti, Neti" (not this,not this),the other is called "iti" (this); the former is the negative, and the latter is the positive way. The negative way is the most difficult. It is only possible to the men of the very highest, exceptional minds and gigantic wills who simply stand up and say, "No, I will not have this," and the mind and body obey their will, and they come out successful. But such people are very rare. The vast majority of mankind choose the positive way, the way through the world, making use of all the bondages themselves to break those very bondages. This is also a kind of giving up; only it is done slowly and gradually, by knowing things, enjoying things and thus obtaining experience, and knowing the nature of things until the mind lets them all go at last and becomes unattached.

The former way of obtaining non-attachment is by reasoning, and the latter way is through work and experience. The first is the path of Jnana-Yoga and is characterised by the refusal to do any work; the second is that of Karma-Yoga,in which there is no cessation from work. Every one must work in the universe. Only those who are perfectly satisfied with the Self, whose desires do not go beyond the Self, whose mind never strays out of the Self, to whom the Self is all in all,only those do not work. The rest must work. A current rushing down of its own nature falls into a hollow and makes a whirlpool, and, after running a little in that whirlpool,it emerges again in the form of the free current to go on unchecked.

Each human life is like that current. It gets into the whirl, gets involved in this world of space,time, and causation,whirls round a little, crying out, "my father, my brother, my name, my fame," and so on, and at last emerges out of it and regains its original freedom. The whole universe is doing that. Whether we know it or not, whether we are conscious or unconscious of it, we are all working to get out of the dream of the world. Man's experience in the world is to ena! ble him to get out of its whirlpool.

To get more information visit : http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com

About the Author

Lecturer, entrepreneur and Fortune 500 business consultant, Vish Writer is the author of the Amazon No 1 bestseller, "The Joy of Becoming God". Visit him at Spiritual SimplicityThe Real Secret

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author's information and copyright must be included.




Food Allergies More Common in City Youngsters Than in Country Kids

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:00 PM PDT

kids-healthy-snack-110207-02
CREDIT: Nagy-bagoly Ilona | Dreamstime

Food allergies are more common among kids living in cities than among children in less populated areas, a new study finds.

Researchers found that the share of children with any type of food allergy was 9.8 percent in cities, 7.2 percent in suburban areas, and 6.2 percent in rural areas.

Previous studies found that city dwellers have higher rates of other types of allergies, such as asthma, eczema and hay fever.

The new findings, based on a survey of parents, held even after the researchers accounted for factors associated with children's likelihood of having a food allergy, including ethnicity, gender, age, household income and the latitude of where they live.

The study is the first to examine the prevalence of child food allergies by geographical region, the researchers said.

The finding means there may be some factors that come with city living that predispose children to food allergies, said study researcher Dr. Ruchi Gupta, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Food allergies by region

Gupta and her colleagues surveyed more than 38,000 parents who had at least one child no older than 18. The online survey asked whether their child suffered from a food allergy and, if so, when it as diagnosed and how severe it was.

Kids' food allergies were then mapped by ZIP code.

The researchers looked at individual foods and found the allergy rates were consistently higher among city children. For instance, close to 3 percent of children in cities had a peanut allergy, compared with 1.3 percent in rural areas. And 2.4 percent of city children had shellfish allergies, compared with 0.8 percent in rural areas.

Generally, kids living in the southern and middle latitudes were more likely to have a food allergy than those living farther north – though not always, the researchers said.

The states with the highest rates of food allergies in children were Nevada, Florida, Georgia, Alaska, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Children in the District of Columbia had the highest rate after Maryland.

Food allergies were just as severe for kids in rural areas as for kids in cities, Gupta said. Nearly 40 percent of kids in the study had undergone a life-threatening allergic reaction, according to their parents.

Possible causes

Researchers aren't sure why certain types of allergies are more common in cities. One idea, known as the hygiene hypothesis, is that early exposure to the bacteria found in rural areas protects against allergies, the researchers said. Or it could be that pollutants in cities trigger allergies.

Researchers also have wondered whether changes in the food supply, such as an increase in processed foods or a move away from locally grown foods, have played a role in the rise in food allergies in recent decades, Gupta said.

Gupta said she plans to conduct future studies looking into the environmental causes of food allergies.

The study will be published in the July issue of the journal Clinical Pediatrics.

Pass it on: Child food allergies are more common in cities.  

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Explore Tourism in Ladakh – Treasure Unique Lifetime Experience

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:00 PM PDT

Article by Kuldeep

Ladakh is an exotic region located in northernmost Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. Sandwiched between the great Himalaya and the mighty Karakoram mountain ranges, Ladakh is often described as a land like no other. It has been an internationally famous destination for adventure tourism in India. It provides exciting outdoor activities and lots of adventure sports. A large number of adventure enthusiasts visit this exotic Indian region in quite good number to explore adventure tourism here. The region is visited by about eighteen thousand tourists every year. There are well preserved Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in this region which make it ever more appealing and attractive.

Gorgeous valleys, snow-clad mountain peaks, frozen rivers, amazing natural beauty and magnificent Buddhist monasteries have made Ladakh one of the best places for tourism in India. Popular tourist places which attract tourists to Ladakh include Leh (the main town of the region), Kargil, Suru Valley, Drass Valley, Salt Valley, Markha Valley, Alchi, Zanskar, Padum, Rangdum, Zangla, etc. These places are very popular among tourists offering opportunities for many adventure spots and seeing famous Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and monuments.

There are many well-preserved Buddhist monuments or monasteries in Ladakh which make it a worth visit. Leh Palace, Thiksey Gompa, Alchi Monastery, Sankar Gompa, Stok Palace, Hemis Gompa, Lamayuru Monastery, Sani Monastery, Likir Gompa, Diskit Monastery, etc are architecturally beautiful and well-preserved Buddhist monuments which are popular attractions on Ladakh tours and travels. Monuments and monasteries are key attractions for cultural tourism in the region.

Apart from sightseeing tours to famous monasteries of Ladakh tourists can enjoy here outstanding and very exciting adventure spots like never before. They can enjoy different adventure sports & activities such as mountaineering, rock climbing, river rafting, frozen river trekking, trekking, hiking, camping, ! camel sa fari, jeep safari, horse safari, etc. The region is home to some of the best trekking trails in the world. Popular trekking options include Manali Ladakh Trek, Nubra Valley Trek, Markha Valley Trek, Indus Valley Trek, Trans-Zanskar Expedition, Chader Ice Trek, Great Sal Lakes Trek, Padum Phuktal, Padam Darcha, Panikhar Heniskot, Padum Manali , Lamayuru Martselang, Lamayuru - Alchi and Kala Patthar Trek. Ladakh trekking is considered to be as the best way to explore the beauty and fascinating of the region.

Apart from adventure tourism and cultural tourism the exotic land of Ladakh is also getting popularity of ecotourism. The concept of ecotourism has been introduced in Ladakh by several tour operators and non-government organizations.

So come to Ladakh; explore Ladakh tours and treasure unique experience of lifetime.

About the Author

Kuldeep Singh is an expert writer primarily focusing on travel and tourism related topics. He has written many articles for travel and tourism in India. Currently he is rendering his services to a reputable Ladakh Trekking and Ladakh Tours.

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Happiness Means Getting to Know Disappointment? (Pema Chödron)

Happiness Means Getting to Know Disappointment? Surprising answers from America's first Buddhist nun.

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Yoga and Back Pain Part 3

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:00 PM PDT

Article by Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher

Exercise

Exercise in an important aspect of treating tension headaches. Yoga exercises for back pain. There are special exercises for relieving your back pain through yoga. A combination of stretching, extending and aerobic exercises will also aid recovery as well as giving you the best chance of avoiding future back injuries. Appropriate stretching exercises, which are best used in the morning and during and after a stressful work day, can be provided by a qualified health care professional.

Another important element to include in an exercise program is a form of cardiovascular exercise done two or three times a week and this can also be yogic. How can exercise help one look good and feel better at the same time? Good posture, proper body mechanics, and exercise will help you prevent back pain. Treatments may include trunk strengthening, range of motion/ stretching exercise, initiation of aerobic exercise program, posture and spinal mechanics instruction, soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, joint mobilization, and modalities for pain control such as heat, ice, ultrasound, and/or electrical stimulation.

Body

Body Awareness: Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. A large percentage of our patients suffer from repetitive strain injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder, elbow pain, back pain, knee injures, and a wide variety of other musculoskeletal conditions throughout the body. Some medical conditions can cause pain to spread to the back from other parts of the body (referred pain). It is important to position yourself so that you can sit comfortably and minimize stress on any one area of your body. Applying ergonomic principles -- designing furniture and tools to protect the body from injury -- at home and in the workplace can greatly reduce the risk of back injury and help maintain a healthy back.

The best way to correct imbalances in the entire body from all injuries is a prevention exercise program with yoga. This t! ug-of-wa r from upper body back muscles verses lower body leg muscles has now caused vertebrae joint instability which can lead to numerous conditions and various pain levels such as stenosis, inflammation, nerve impingement, bulging, or herniated disc, ligament, tendon muscle, hyper-mobility, and so much more.

Relief

Treatment strategies aim to provide pain relief and restore flexibility and mobility. Exercise is amazingly effective in providing pain relief. A doctor said "mind and body effects" help bring pain relief.

Yes, doing yoga for your back may give you the benefit of pain relief, but establishing a yoga for back pain practice that is safe and meaningful for your condition requires that you know more about why and how to do selected yoga poses than the average yoga student.

About the Author

Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher. Glen is a yoga expert who loves to teach you how to lose your neck, shoulder or back pain with yoga. He is dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your back, neck and shoulder pain you need to sign up for your FREE "Yoga and You" report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

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Yoga Shakti - Pawanmuktasan - Dhanurasan

Watch Power Yoga - Pawanmuktasan - Dhanurasan - Yoga Shakti in HD. Menopause is an essential stage in the womens life. This episode talks about dealing this crucial stage effectively with the help of dhanurasan makarasan marjarasan and pawan muktasan. These asans keep the abdomen in a healthy position lessens the stress and maintains the slim and trim figure even after menopause.

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Circumcision Ritual May Carry Herpes Risk, CDC Says

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 08:00 PM PDT

newborn-baby-boy-11100602
CREDIT: Vanessa Van Rensburg | Dreamstime

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish circumcision practice in which the circumciser places his mouth on a newborn's newly circumcised penis and sucks blood away from the wound carries a risk of transmitting the herpes virus to the baby, sometimes fatally, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report is based on researchers' investigation into the cases of 11 infants in New York City who were infected with the herpes virus after this procedure, known as metzitzah b'peh ("direct orogenital suction"), between November 2000 and December 2011. Ten of these infants were hospitalized, and two died.

Some of the infants' parents were not aware this technique would be a part of their child's circumcision, the researchers found. Parents should be aware of the risk of herpes in metzitzah b'peh, and should inquire in advance whether direct orogenital suction will be performed so the practice can be avoided, the CDC researchers said.

"Oral contact with a newborn's open wound risks transmission of [herpes simplex virus] and other pathogens," the researches wrote in their report. "Circumcision is a surgical procedure that should be performed under sterile conditions."

The virus that was found in most of the infants, called herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) — which is typically associated with cold sores, but does not always cause any symptoms — is highly prevalent in the general adult population, the report said. A 2004 study showed that 73 percent of adults ages 20 and older in New York City carried the virus.

At least three of the infants, including one who died, were circumcised by the same person, the report said. The New York City Commissioner of Health has issued a directive ordering that person to stop performing direct orogenital suction during circumcisions.

At least three mohliem (circumcisers) performed the circumcisions of the 11 infected infants, and there may have been as many as eight mohliem, the CDC said. In some cases, parents refused to identify their child's circumciser to CDC officials.

The rate of newborn boys who undergo direct orogenital suction and contract herpes infections is 24.4 per 100,000, the report said. That's 3.4 times higher than the rate of herpes infections seen in the general newborn male population, which is 8 per 100,000. Other cases of herpes are typically transmitted from mother to infant during delivery.

Neonatal herpes infections is a potentially disabling, life-threatening infection, the report said.  

Physicians should counsel parents considering out-of-hospital circumcisions about the risks of direct orogenital suction, and should consider herpes infection when evaluating a newborn male infant with a fever following Jewish ritual circumcision, and inquire about direct orogenital suction, the CDC said.

Mohelim should inform parents about whether they perform direct orogenital suction, and explain the risk of virus transmission, so that parents can choose not to have their newborns exposed, the report said.

Pass it on: An ultra-Orthodox Jewish circumcision practice may transmit the herpes virus to a newborn.

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The Feeding of Spiritual Food for our Spiritual Growth

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT

Article by Rose Smith, BA, DRM, ATMS

How many times have you heard the old cliché "Man does not live by food alone"? As humans, we have a myriad of requirements in order to sustain a life of quality and growth.

There are many parts of us that must be fed, the most important being our spirit. As this is often intangible and nebulous to most us, this is the element in our lives that often gets shunted to a low priority. Our spirit is what drives us forward and we are all immortal infinite beings, but we function here on the earthly plane and so we tend to put our physical requirements first before examining what it is that we really need on a spiritual level.

What we need is spiritual food, we need time, love and nurturing. We require attention and it is our primary mission in life to give that to both ourselves and others. This may be through rearing children, furthering human knowledge, contributing to our community or communicating with others and generally providing support. It is vitally important to feed ourselves as we will not be able to feed others successfully unless our own vital needs are taken care of.

Some of us might say "oh, I don't have the time" or "I have all these other things I have to do" or "the children need me" and that is precisely why we must feed ourselves first to ensure that we have the endurance to last in the long term. We can look at the bigger, long term picture rather than just the current situation.

Spiritual food is whatever feeds us spiritually. It is whatever assists our spiritual growth and expansion. It is whatever nurtures and encourages us to be better people.

Let's ask ourselves, "what feeds me spiritually" and "what am I really hungry for" and it's probably not physical food. It seems more and more now that we live in a time of spiritual hunger which is reflected back to us by the physical hunger of others and the malnutrition that we see in this country and others due to poor diets. People everywhere are searching for something they sometimes perceive as ph! ysical h unger, but it is more likely to be spiritual sustenance they require rather than food.

Most of us have eaten fast food at some time and occasional use is not a problem. It is when unhealthy foods become a regular part of our diet that we are then going down the track to ill health and spiritual hunger. We all have questions about life and death and our purpose on this planet and covering these questions up with food or other external factors doesn't give us the answers that we seek.

Unfortunately, people look for answers to their problems in a place outside themselves. In an attempt to find answers to our spiritual problems we go to external sources such as work, sport, relationships, food and sex, to find solace. As humans we can misuse anything to cover up our pain. Although, these things can of course be used judiciously to encourage our spiritual growth, eating 'light' foods such as a higher proportion of fruit and vegetables, less meat, wholesome meals cooked with love (instead of the begrudging mindset of 'having to cook this meal').

We can use exercise appropriately to 'bring up' blocks in our bodies, we may have sex as a sacred ritual, we can go to nature and breathe in life from the forest, or allow the ocean to soothe our souls as we walk along the beach. There are many ways of feeding ourselves spiritually. Some people may go to organised religions to be fed by the church community and the Eucharist while others may need to turn away from religions if they can't find the spiritual food they require.

It's how we use these external things that counts. We can use many things to feed us spiritually - a past time, hobby, work, nature, a relationship with the earth, people or animals, music, art, literature, good wholesome food, clean air, families, meditation, good sleep, anything that helps us grow and expands our consciousness. Our intent and proper use rather than inappropriate use is what counts towards us growing spiritually.

While writing this article I know! it has provided me with impetus to get out and find some time just to be with myself and feed my inner life. Let's connect with our inner selves daily and regard this connection as the sacred conduit to the divine which it truly is.

About the Author

Rose Smith, BA, DRM, ATMS is a psychic entrepreneur with a background in counseling, healing and teaching. She is also the founder of Absolute Soul Secrets Master Psychics, an Australian network of professional telephone psychics. Visit www.absolutesoulsecrets.com for more information.

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author's information and copyright must be included.

Krishnamurti - Isolation, Intelligence, Meditation (Talk 1/4)

Brockwood Park, Aug./Sept. 1982, Day 1: "What can we do in this world?" About the situation in the world. "What can we do?" Separateness, "You are the mankind." Materialism, How to observe? "Can we life without a cause?" (Brockwood Park, Aug./Sept.1982). Day 2: "What has happened to mankind?" About Individuality, Thought, Isolation, Security, the Limitation of the Brain, Conflict, Ideology, Thought, Desire, Sensation, Time, Fear and the Cause (Brockwood Park, Aug./Sept.1982). www.youtube.com Day 3: "The Intelligence which brings order and peace." About Peace, Inteligence, Order, the Self, Thought, Knowledge, Justice, Goodness, Freedom, Sorrow, Memory and Time (Brockwood Park, Aug./Sept.1982). www.youtube.com Day 4 (last talk): "The beauty of death as part of life." About War, Relationship, Beauty, Living without a Cause, Death, Religion, Meditation and Silence (Brockwood Park, Aug./Sept.1982). www.youtube.com

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More Teens Wearing Seatbelts, But Texting While Driving Common

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT

A teen girl adjusts her rearview mirror before driving.
CREDIT: Teen driver photo via Shutterstock

High school students have improved some of their risky driving behaviors over the last decade, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Between 1991 and 2011, the percentage of high school students who said they never or rarely wore a seatbelt declined from 26 percent to 8 percent; and the percentage who said they had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol declined from 40 percent to 24 percent.

In addition, the percentage who said they had driven a car while under the influence of alcohol in the last month declined from 17 percent to 8 percent between 1997 and 2011.

However, the rise of cell phone use over the last decade has brought new risks to teen driving. In 2011, one in three high school students said they had sent a text or email while driving a car. Last year was the first time the survey asked students about texting while driving.

"We are encouraged that more of today's high school students are choosing healthier, safer behaviors, such as wearing seat belts, and are avoiding behaviors that we know can cause them harm, such as binge drinking or riding with impaired drivers," said Howell Wechsler, director of CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health.

However, the findings also show there is a continued need for government agencies and communities to work to address teens' risky behaviors, Wechsler said.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death among youth.

The 2011 survey is based on responses from more than 15,000 U.S. high school students. The survey is conducted yearly among U.S. youth.

Pass it on: In some ways, teen are behaving more safely in cars. But they're still texting.

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Some natural Helpers to Calm your Mind

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT

Article by Q Moayad

In order to create the life that you would want to live in, you need to be able to visualize. Your mind needs to be in a state where it is relaxed, calm, and balanced enough to produce a picture of your future that sweeps you off your feet.

One way of centering yourself - and by the way in my opinion the most powerful way - is through controlled breathing as shown in one of my videos: 'How to Breathe - the Power of your Breath".A second way - and this would go in tandem with the above mentioned - would be meditation. Click here for a video on "How to properly Meditate - the easy way".

There is another way - the usage of herbal supplements - to help relax the mind during the day and help you to fall asleep after a hard day's work.

In this blog entry I would like to highlight 4 such supplements:

1) Melatonin:

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps regulate other hormones and maintains the body's circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is an internal 24-hour "clock" that plays a critical role in when we fall asleep and when we wake up. When it is dark, your body produces more melatonin; when it is light, the production of melatonin drops. Being exposed to bright lights in the evening or too little light during the day can disrupt the body' s normal melatonin cycles. For example, jet lag, shift work, and poor vision can disrupt melatonin cycles.

Melatonin has strong antioxidant effects. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may help strengthen the immune system.

Studies suggest that melatonin supplements may help people with disrupted circadian rhythms (such as people with jet lag or those who work the night shift) and those with low melatonin levels (such as some seniors and people with schizophrenia) to sleep better. A review of clinical studies suggests that melatonin supplements may help prevent jet lag, particularly in people who cross five or more time zones.

Dosage suggestion: start with 5mg and observe how long ! it takes you to fall asleep. You can crank up the dosage to 15mg if necessary.For more information on the impact of melatonin on your health, please read this article.

2) Magnesium:

Magnesium citrate, a magnesium salt of citric acid, is a chemical agent which is used medicinally as a saline laxative and to completely empty the bowel prior to a major surgery or colonoscopy as well as being a natural supplement to ward off the negative effects of a prolonged period of stress or an overreaction to stress. Going through a stressful period without sufficient magnesium can set up a deficit which, if not corrected, can linger, causing more stress and further health problems.

Magnesium has an important role in essentially every life function. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve activity, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system and keeps bones strong.

Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure and is involved in energy metabolism, helping overcome low energy levels, fatigue, insomnia, and anxiety. Many researchers believe that no single dietary factor is as critical as magnesium. Dosage: you can take it daily, but you would need to build levels that your body can sustain otherwise you will end up having diarrhea. Start with half the recommended amount and work up your way until you feel the effect.

3) St. John's Wort:

St. John's wort is an herb most commonly used for depression and conditions that sometimes go along with depression such as anxiety, tiredness, loss of appetite and trouble sleeping.Dosage: start with 300mg in the evening and pump it up to around 900mg if need be.

About the Author

Q Moayad is the Naked Healer. We have entered a new era of conscious living, noetic science, visualization,sine waves, self healing, self determination, visualizing, power of mind.You can see this all around you: in the stock market, your career, your relationships, your children and even your health. What used to work is no longer working. This era requires a new set of life tools. It calls for you to integrate your life actions with the power of international living.

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author's information and copyright must be included.




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