Studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found massage
beneficial in improving weight gain in HIV-exposed infants and facilitating
recovery in patients who underwent abdominal surgery. At the University of Miami
School of Medicine's Touch Research Institute, researchers have found that
massage is helpful in decreasing blood pressure in people with hypertension, alleviating pain in migraine sufferers and improving alertness and performance
in office workers.
An increasing number of research studies show massage reduces heart rate,
lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes
muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins (enhancing medical treatment).
Although therapeutic massage does not increase muscle strength, it can
stimulate weak, inactive muscles and, thus, partially compensate for the lack
of exercise and inactivity resulting from illness or injury. It also can
hasten and lead to a more complete recovery from exercise or injury.
FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION
August 06, 2010
Massage for health and fitness by Elliot Greene
MASSAGE IS KNOWN TO:
- Cause changes in the blood. The oxygen capacity of the blood can
increase 10-15% after massage.
- Affect muscles throughout the body. Massage can help loosen contracted,
shortened muscles and can stimulate weak, flaccid muscles. This muscle
"balancing" can help posture and promote more efficient movement. Massage
does not directly increase muscle strength, but it can speed recovery from
the fatigue that occurs after exercise. In this way, it can be possible to
do more exercise and training, which in the long run strengthens muscles
and improves conditioning. Massage also provides a gentle stretching action
to both the muscles and connective tissues that surround and support the
muscles and many other parts of the body, which helps keep these tissues
elastic.
- Increase the body's secretions and excretions. There is a proven increase
in the production of gastric juices, saliva, and urine. There is also
increased excretion of nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus, and sodium chloride
(salt). This suggests that the metabolic rate (the utilization of absorbed
material by the body's cells) increases.
- Affect the nervous system. Massage balances the nervous system by soothing
or stimulating it, depending on which effect is needed by the individual at
the time of the massage.
- Enhance skin condition. Massage directly improves the function of the
sebaceous (oil) and sweat glands which keep the skin lubricated, clean, cooled.
As a result, tough, inflexible skin can become softer and more supple.
- Affect internal organs. By indirectly or directly stimulating nerves that
supply internal organs, blood vessels of these organs dilate and allow greater
blood supply to them.
FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION
- Cause changes in the blood. The oxygen capacity of the blood can
increase 10-15% after massage.
- Affect muscles throughout the body. Massage can help loosen contracted,
shortened muscles and can stimulate weak, flaccid muscles. This muscle
"balancing" can help posture and promote more efficient movement. Massage
does not directly increase muscle strength, but it can speed recovery from
the fatigue that occurs after exercise. In this way, it can be possible to
do more exercise and training, which in the long run strengthens muscles
and improves conditioning. Massage also provides a gentle stretching action
to both the muscles and connective tissues that surround and support the
muscles and many other parts of the body, which helps keep these tissues
elastic.
- Increase the body's secretions and excretions. There is a proven increase
in the production of gastric juices, saliva, and urine. There is also
increased excretion of nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus, and sodium chloride
(salt). This suggests that the metabolic rate (the utilization of absorbed
material by the body's cells) increases.
- Affect the nervous system. Massage balances the nervous system by soothing
or stimulating it, depending on which effect is needed by the individual at
the time of the massage.
- Enhance skin condition. Massage directly improves the function of the
sebaceous (oil) and sweat glands which keep the skin lubricated, clean, cooled.
As a result, tough, inflexible skin can become softer and more supple.
- Affect internal organs. By indirectly or directly stimulating nerves that
supply internal organs, blood vessels of these organs dilate and allow greater
blood supply to them.
FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION
August 04, 2010
Synchronicity
Synchronicity is an explanatory principle, according to its creator,
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist (1875-1961).
Synchronicity explains "meaningful coincidences," such as (for example)
a beetle flying into his room while a patient was describing a dream about
a scarab. The scarab is an Egyptian symbol of rebirth, he noted.
Therefore, the propitious moment of the flying beetle indicated that the transcendental meaning of both the scarab in the dream and the insect in
the room was that the patient needed to be liberated from her excessive
rationalism. His notion of synchronicity is that there is an acausal
principle that links events having a similar meaning by their coincidence
in time rather than sequentially.
Carl Jung (1875-1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and a colleague of Freud who
broke away from Freudian psychoanalysis over the issue of the unconscious
mind as a reservoir of repressed sexual trauma that causes all neuroses.
Jung then founded his own school of analytical psychology.
Jung believed in astrology, spiritualism, telepathy, telekinesis but also
in clairvoyance and ESP. In addition to believing in a number of occult and
paranormal notions, Jung contributed two new ones: synchronicity and the
collective unconscious.
Synchronicities are patterns that repeat in time. The word 'synchronicity'
references the gears or wheels of time, though the actual concept of
synchronicity cannot be scientifically proven. One can only record
synchronicities as they occur and watch the patterns of behavior that
create them.
The concept of synchronicity is currently linked more to metaphysics, yet
physics (quantum physics) and metaphysics are merging, thus showing their interconnection and how we manifest synchronicities in our lives.
Synchronicities are people, places or events that your soul attracts into
your life to help you evolve to higher consciousness or to place emphasis
on something going on in your life. The more 'consciously aware' you become
of how your soul manifests, the higher your frequency becomes and the faster
you manifest positively. Each day your life encounters meaningful
coincidences, synchronicities, that you have attracted, on other words
created in the grid of your experiences in the physical. Souls create synchronicities, played out in the physical.
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist (1875-1961).
Synchronicity explains "meaningful coincidences," such as (for example)
a beetle flying into his room while a patient was describing a dream about
a scarab. The scarab is an Egyptian symbol of rebirth, he noted.
Therefore, the propitious moment of the flying beetle indicated that the transcendental meaning of both the scarab in the dream and the insect in
the room was that the patient needed to be liberated from her excessive
rationalism. His notion of synchronicity is that there is an acausal
principle that links events having a similar meaning by their coincidence
in time rather than sequentially.
Carl Jung (1875-1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and a colleague of Freud who
broke away from Freudian psychoanalysis over the issue of the unconscious
mind as a reservoir of repressed sexual trauma that causes all neuroses.
Jung then founded his own school of analytical psychology.
Jung believed in astrology, spiritualism, telepathy, telekinesis but also
in clairvoyance and ESP. In addition to believing in a number of occult and
paranormal notions, Jung contributed two new ones: synchronicity and the
collective unconscious.
Synchronicities are patterns that repeat in time. The word 'synchronicity'
references the gears or wheels of time, though the actual concept of
synchronicity cannot be scientifically proven. One can only record
synchronicities as they occur and watch the patterns of behavior that
create them.
The concept of synchronicity is currently linked more to metaphysics, yet
physics (quantum physics) and metaphysics are merging, thus showing their interconnection and how we manifest synchronicities in our lives.
Synchronicities are people, places or events that your soul attracts into
your life to help you evolve to higher consciousness or to place emphasis
on something going on in your life. The more 'consciously aware' you become
of how your soul manifests, the higher your frequency becomes and the faster
you manifest positively. Each day your life encounters meaningful
coincidences, synchronicities, that you have attracted, on other words
created in the grid of your experiences in the physical. Souls create synchronicities, played out in the physical.
July 29, 2010
Impermanence by Thich Nhat Hanh
Nothing remains the same for two consecutive moments.
Heraclitus said we can never bathe twice in the same
river. Confucius, while looking at a stream, said:
"It is always flowing, day and night"
The Buddha himself implored us not just to talk about
impermanence but to use it as an instrument to help
us penetrate deeply into reality and obtain
liberating insight. We may be tempted to say that
because things are impermanent, there is suffering.
But the Buddha encouraged us to look again...
Without impermanence, life is not possible. How can
we transform our suffering if things are not
impermanent? How can our daughter grow up into a
beautiful young lady? How can the situation in the
world improve at all?
We need impermanence for social justice and for
hope. If you suffer, it is not because things are
impermanent. It is because you believe things are
permanent. When a flower dies, you don't suffer much
because you understand that flowers are impermanent.
But on the other hand, you cannot accept the
impermanence of your beloved ones and you suffer
deeply as a result.
Aware of impermanence, you become positive, loving
and wise. Impermanence is good news. Without
impermanence, NOTHING would be possible. With
impermanence, every single door is open for change.
We can look at impermanence as an instrument for
our liberation.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh is a vietnamese buddhist monk and the
author of dozens of books.In 1967, Martin Luther King
nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize,
saying: "I do not personally know of anyone more
worthy of this prize than this gentle monk from Vietnam.
His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument
to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity!"
Heraclitus said we can never bathe twice in the same
river. Confucius, while looking at a stream, said:
"It is always flowing, day and night"
The Buddha himself implored us not just to talk about
impermanence but to use it as an instrument to help
us penetrate deeply into reality and obtain
liberating insight. We may be tempted to say that
because things are impermanent, there is suffering.
But the Buddha encouraged us to look again...
Without impermanence, life is not possible. How can
we transform our suffering if things are not
impermanent? How can our daughter grow up into a
beautiful young lady? How can the situation in the
world improve at all?
We need impermanence for social justice and for
hope. If you suffer, it is not because things are
impermanent. It is because you believe things are
permanent. When a flower dies, you don't suffer much
because you understand that flowers are impermanent.
But on the other hand, you cannot accept the
impermanence of your beloved ones and you suffer
deeply as a result.
Aware of impermanence, you become positive, loving
and wise. Impermanence is good news. Without
impermanence, NOTHING would be possible. With
impermanence, every single door is open for change.
We can look at impermanence as an instrument for
our liberation.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh is a vietnamese buddhist monk and the
author of dozens of books.In 1967, Martin Luther King
nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize,
saying: "I do not personally know of anyone more
worthy of this prize than this gentle monk from Vietnam.
His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument
to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity!"
July 25, 2010
Swimming in circles by Dick Sutphen
I recently read about a woman who needed to clean out her fish bowl, but could not find a container in which to place her two goldfish. So she filled up her bathtub with a couple of inches of water and placed the fish in the tub.
After cleaning the bowl and returning for the goldfish, she found them swimming in a corner of the tub in a circle no bigger than the fish bowl.
Compare yourself to the fish in the tub. Do your fears and habits and the patterns of your life keep you swimming in a small circle?
Or do you live dangerously, exploring the potentials of your existence?
Margaret Stortz says, “It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”
When making a new decision about your life, Osho advises, “... don’t choose the convenient, the comfortable, the respectable, the socially acceptable, the honorable. Choose something that rings a bell in your heart. Choose something that you would like to do in spite of any consequences.”
If you’re swimming in small circles and life isn’t as fulfilling as you want it to be, consider your level of aliveness. Aliveness is excitement, enjoyment in doing what you do. It’s that blood-pumping exhilaration, challenge, joy, stimulation, and pleasure that makes life worth living.
For any further information
After cleaning the bowl and returning for the goldfish, she found them swimming in a corner of the tub in a circle no bigger than the fish bowl.
Compare yourself to the fish in the tub. Do your fears and habits and the patterns of your life keep you swimming in a small circle?
Or do you live dangerously, exploring the potentials of your existence?
Margaret Stortz says, “It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”
When making a new decision about your life, Osho advises, “... don’t choose the convenient, the comfortable, the respectable, the socially acceptable, the honorable. Choose something that rings a bell in your heart. Choose something that you would like to do in spite of any consequences.”
If you’re swimming in small circles and life isn’t as fulfilling as you want it to be, consider your level of aliveness. Aliveness is excitement, enjoyment in doing what you do. It’s that blood-pumping exhilaration, challenge, joy, stimulation, and pleasure that makes life worth living.
For any further information
July 24, 2010
The Eighth Chakra
The eighth chakra sits above the 7th chakra about two feet. It is the energy center of divine love, of spiritual compassion and spiritual selflessness. It also is the chakra that holds your karmic residue -- those energy patterns that you have held on to for more than one lifetime. When the eighth center begins to open up and expand, a new spiritual awareness begins to take shape. The individual begins to sense himself or herself as part of a larger community of people. This chakra is the gateway to other ideas, concepts and abilities. This center enables the individual to achieve out of body projection, spiritual perception and spiritual wisdom. I use the word spiritual here because these abilities and ideas are larger than the self and the earth. They go beyond the mundane and are concerned with healing of the planet and the self in regards to the Universe and ALL-THAT-IS.
Because karma is involved here, any kind of healing that can bring out and clear past life trauma or patterns will help the individual. However, keep in mind that as soon as you do clear away any of these old patterns, the individual will experience an acceleration in spiritual abilities. It would be a good idea, in a week or so, after such a healing, that you follow up with a Foot Chakra clearing, to facilitate the passing of these more intense energies. As this chakra clears the individual will pass much more spiritual energy very quickly and is apt to become overwhelmed easily. A good healing mantra to use with this center would be the phrase MA-AH-ZOD. This phrase can help to clear karmic residues out of this center. Focusing or chanting this phrase to yourself while doing a healing will assist you in pulling the energy down that you need to process the chakra. Another mantra for this chakra is DEE-EE-OH. This mantra helps the chakra to open and become more aware of these new spiritual energies that are passing through it. Mantras are very important when working with these spiritual energy centers because a mantra will unlock the energy needed to complete a healing on these levels.
The eighth chakra does have a color associated to it and it is what you consider to be ultraviolet light. Unfortunately you are unable to see what ultraviolet light looks like (at least not with your conventional vision). However, to give you a way to perceive ultraviolet light in a mundane sense, you could imagine a very deep violet light being interpenetrated with spiraling bands of green in it.
For any further information
Because karma is involved here, any kind of healing that can bring out and clear past life trauma or patterns will help the individual. However, keep in mind that as soon as you do clear away any of these old patterns, the individual will experience an acceleration in spiritual abilities. It would be a good idea, in a week or so, after such a healing, that you follow up with a Foot Chakra clearing, to facilitate the passing of these more intense energies. As this chakra clears the individual will pass much more spiritual energy very quickly and is apt to become overwhelmed easily. A good healing mantra to use with this center would be the phrase MA-AH-ZOD. This phrase can help to clear karmic residues out of this center. Focusing or chanting this phrase to yourself while doing a healing will assist you in pulling the energy down that you need to process the chakra. Another mantra for this chakra is DEE-EE-OH. This mantra helps the chakra to open and become more aware of these new spiritual energies that are passing through it. Mantras are very important when working with these spiritual energy centers because a mantra will unlock the energy needed to complete a healing on these levels.
The eighth chakra does have a color associated to it and it is what you consider to be ultraviolet light. Unfortunately you are unable to see what ultraviolet light looks like (at least not with your conventional vision). However, to give you a way to perceive ultraviolet light in a mundane sense, you could imagine a very deep violet light being interpenetrated with spiraling bands of green in it.
For any further information
July 23, 2010
Chakra balancing by Phylameana Lila Desy
Having your chakras balanced is important. Open and balanced chakras allow your life energy to flow naturally. An energy medicine practitioner trained in manipulating the energy flow of energy can assist you in getting misaligned chakras back to functioning properly. It may take one or more appointments with a practitioner to get your energy levels up to par. To maintain balance there are a variety of healthy actions you can take to help keep your chakras open and functioning properly.
For any further information
For any further information
Crown chakra
The Crown Chakra is associated with the color violet or white. We use the seventh chakra as a tool to communicate with our spiritual nature. It is through this vortice that the life force is dispersed from the universe into the lower 6 chakras. It has been referred to as our "GOD SOURCE" - but this terminology might be confusing to anyone who equates God with religious dogma, because of this I choose to call it a spiritual connection or communicator. This chakra is often pictured as a lotus flower opening to allow spiritual awakening in an individual. The crown chakra could also be considered the well intuitive knowing is drawn from.
Chakra Seven - Associations
Chakra Seven - Associations
- Color - violet, white
- Sanskrit Name - sahasrara
- Physical Location - top of head
- Purposes - intuitive knowing, connection to one's spirituality, integration of the whole
- Spiritual Lesson - spirituality, living in the NOW
- Physical Disfunctions- mystical depression, diseases of the muscular system, skeletal system and the skin, chronic exhaustion not associated with physical ailments, sensitivity to light, sound, environment
- Mental and Emotional Issues - discovery of the divine, lack of purpose, loss of meaning or identity, trust, selflessness, humanitarianism, ability to see the bigger picture in the life stream, devotion, inspiration, values, ethics
- Information Stored Inside Crown Chakra - duality, magnetism, controlling patterns, emotional feelings (joy, anger, fear)
- Area of Body Governed - top center of the head, midline above the ears
Brow / Third eye chakra
The Brow Chakra is associated with the color indigo. It is also often referred to as the "third eye" or the "mind center." It is our avenue to wisdom - learning from our experiences and putting them in perspective. Our ability to separate reality from fantasy or delusions is in connection with the healthfulness of this chakra. Achieving the art of detachment beyond "small mindedness" is accomplished through developing impersonal intuitive reasoning. It is through an open brow chakra that visual images are received.
Chakra Six - Associations
Chakra Six - Associations
- Color - indigo
- Sanskrit Name - ajna
- Physical Location - center of the forehead
- Purposes - action of ideas, insight, mind development
- Spiritual Lesson - understanding, reality check point, detachment, open mind
- Physical Dysfunctions- brain tumors, strokes, blindness, deafness, seizures, learning disabilities, spinal dysfunctions, panic, depression
- Mental and Emotional Issues - fear of truth, discipline, judgement, evaluation, emotional intelligence, concept of reality, confusion
- Information Stored Inside Sacral Chakra - seeing clear picture (symbolic or literal), wisdom, intuition, mental facilities, intellect
- Area of Body Governed - brain, neurological system, eyes, ears, nose, pituitary, pineal glands
Throat chakra
The Throat Chakra is associated with the color sky blue. This chakra is our will center. The healthfulness of the fifth chakra is in relation to how honestly one expresses himself/herself. Lying violates the body and spirit . We speak our choices with our voices (throats). All choices we make in our lives have consequences on an energetic level. Even choosing not to make a choice such as in repressing our anger (not speaking out) may manifest into laryngitis. We have all experienced that "lump in our throats" when we are at a crossroad of not knowing how to speak the right words in any given situation, perhaps even stuffing our own emotions. A challenge of the throat chakra is to express ourselves in the most truthful manner. Also to receive and assimilate information. Seek only the truth.
Chakra Five - Associations
Chakra Five - Associations
- Color - blue
- Sanskrit Name - vishuddha
- Physical Location - throat, neck region
- Purposes - learning to take responsibility for one's own needs
- Spiritual Lesson - confession, surrender personal will over to divine will, faith, truthfulness over deceit
- Physical Dysfunctions- sore throat, mouth ulcers, scoliosis, swollen glands, thyroid dysfunctions, laryngitis, voice problems, gum or tooth problems, TMJ
- Mental and Emotional Issues - personal expression, creativity, addiction, criticism, faith, decision making (choices), will, lack of authority
- Information Stored Inside Throat Chakra - self-knowledge, truth, attitudes, hearing, taste, smell
- Area of Body Governed - throat, thyroid, trachea, neck vertebrae, mouth, teeth, gums, esophagus, parathyroid, hyperthalemus
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