Slimmer Legs ... Stress-Free

Well, with the success of my article, "Wrinkle Remover That WORKS!!", I realize that there is a really strong interest in getting information that is going to do something for you, rather than generalities that come under the "same old thing" category. And, as you know if you read the article, we found a great and effective cream that does a knockout job of actually reducing wrinkles.

Funny thing is that the product started out as a solution to a completely different problem (and they tell you all about that on the web link I mentioned in the article), which is kind of like the situation of the equestrian horse product, a coat conditioner, that was flying off the shelves and it took an incredulous tack shop owner's question to uncover the mystery. I mean they were selling more of this stuff than any over fastidious horse community could possibly use, they would have had to be conditioning their horses coats every day or even twice a day to use that much.

So what was the answer? Well the story goes, ladies were using it themselves as it gave a great result, smooth and soft hair (and there was a suggestion that guys were using it too, to encourage hair re-growth). Anyway that story is from a few years ago and now the company actually sells the same product in a small, "human" size bottle for about the same price as you can buy it in the tack shop in the horse size bottle. The name is Mane n' Tail and I use it when getting ready for a horse show as it really does get the tangles out of that tail.

Now I seem to have got a little sidetracked here because I started out with the intention of writing about slimming the legs, and certainly having your legs toned, lithe and athletic makes you feel great, and here is my best advice on how to get your legs to be slimmer, with that better muscle tone and looking sensational: get in the pool!

OK I guess you need a little more info than that, so here we go. Number one let's find a schedule for going to the pool that is going to induce you to continue, because you may be motivated to give this a try but then, on being confronted at your pool by a wall of screaming kids jumping all over the place, you may as quickly be discouraged and resolve to give the whole thing up as another one of those facile, "here's how to do it" nonsenses written by folks who never actually do the stuff they are telling you to do. Well relax, I've been there, and I know that it's pretty important to make the "doing" as comfortable as possible if we have any expectation of making it into a routine. So we find out when is the best "pool time" for us, and I always go for the quietest group (I suppose that's no rocket science suggestion), anyway having got that part organized all we need to do now is the actual swimming.

Now the point of this article is to focus on slimming and toning the legs so obviously we are going to work that area mostly, but first you need to loosen up the whole body a little, so just do some easy, relaxing laps and enjoy the feel of the water.

OK ready for the legs? We'll use a kick-board if you like, although I often don't as I feel it tenses the muscles across my shoulders and behind my neck, so I feather the water with my hands out in front and only lift my head to breathe. Certainly you will get more upper body support using the kick-board and, as far as the legs are concerned, they are going to get worked the same whichever method you use. So we want to start out by doing a few easy laps freestyle leg kick; and then when you start to feel any tightening or stiffness in the upper thigh, stop and stretch the muscles. Remember, swimming lengthens the muscles and we particularly want long, slim, elastic muscles, so stretch and loosen off the legs if you start to feel any tightening up.

So, we've loosened up, we've started on the leg work, now how much do we do and how hard? Well, as with almost all my work, I Stress gradualization, you can't just jump in there and do one hundred laps flat out, you've got to build your fitness, your capacity and your endurance, so do what you can comfortably achieve and strive to increase gradually over time. Getting those legs slim and toned is no great secret, it's just getting in there and doing a terrific set of leg-kick, way easier on the joints than almost any other exercise and terrific for your overall body health, heart and lungs.

Meditation (Scientific Meditation Therapy) - Instructional DVD - Part 8

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Social Reaction (Labeling) Theory: Pros, Cons, and Effects On Society

The Social Reaction, or Labeling Theory as it is sometimes known, has developed over time from as early as 1938 (Wellford, 1975). Currently the Social Reaction Theory proposes that when a person commits a crime; they will receive the label of "criminal". When a person is labeled as such by society, they are likely to accept this label as a part of themselves. Because the person now thinks of him/herself as a criminal, he/she is now likely to continue in his/her criminal behavior (Becker, 1963).

Erwin Lemert is credited with being the founder of what is called the "Societal Reaction" theory. This is the precursor to the social reaction or labeling theory which has present day acceptance and includes many of the same concepts. To better understand Labeling Theory, familiarization with Lemert's Societal Reaction Theory is beneficial. This theory explores the journey to social deviance in two stages; primary deviance and secondary deviance, which are both incorporated into Labeling Theory as well.

Primary deviance begins with an initial criminal act, after which a person may be labeled as deviant or criminal but does not yet accept this label. By this it is meant that they do not think of themselves as being a criminal, it is this lack of viewing themselves as criminal that differentiates primary from secondary deviance. This will remain a state of primary deviance as long as the offender is capable of rationalizing or dealing with this label by saying it is the result of a socially acceptable role (Lemert, 1951). An example of this would be an exotic dancer, who while labeled as deviant, does not consider herself so by claiming it is a legal profession that she must perform in order to maintain an income.

When leading to secondary deviance, this criminal label is placed on an individual during what is known as a "degradation ceremony" in which the accused is officially labeled as a criminal. Often this takes place during court sentencing, but can come about in more subtle fashions as well. For example the relatives of a person become withdrawn and distance themselves from that person when they find out he/she has committed a crime, regardless of whether or not he/she faces formal charges (Wellford, 1975).

 

 

Secondary deviance, according to Lemert, occurs when a person finally accepts the deviant or criminal label into their self image. He/She then thinks or him/herself as a criminal or deviant. "This becomes a means of defense, attack, or adaptation to the problems caused by societal reaction to primary deviation (Lemert, 1951)".

Howard Becker is hailed as the founder of modern labeling theory. He also developed the term "moral entrepreneur" to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behavior outlawed (Becker, 1963). He claims that many laws are established for such purposes, and that behavior that is defined as criminal is dynamic and changes throughout time. Therefore, the actual criminal behavior is irrelevant to the theory. What really matters is which outlaws are arrested and processed by the criminal justice system (Becker, 1963). As a result of the belief that personal and societal factors do not contribute to motivations for criminal behavior there has been little study of the criminal him/herself and the aforesaid factors. As one might expect, this aspect of Labeling Theory is still being debated. There is one exception to this belief, however most labeling theorists claim that the system is biased toward the lower class, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of arrests and convictions within the American criminal justice system (Wellford, 1975).

Becker's work pays particular attention to the way society reacts to people with "criminal" labels. He proposes that this label becomes a person's master status, meaning that this is a constant label, affecting and over-riding how others will view them. The status people use to identify and classify a person will always be that of a criminal. Any other statuses a person occupies are no longer heeded. A person could be a parent, employee, spouse, etc., but the first and major status that will come to mind to other people and themselves is that of the criminal (Becker, 1963).

Sometimes the person's criminal master status may compel them to conform more closely to society's norms in an attempt to show others that the person may have made mistakes in life, but such mistakes will not happen again. Henceforth they will act in a fashion deemed "normal" (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). But it is believed that in most cases where the master status is that of a criminal, secondary deviance will be completed rather than resisted. An identity change will take place in which the person now accepts the label of criminal. Because this new criminal identity is in place, there is subsequent pressure to behave accordingly. Such an identity change could be signaled by a person losing contact with their former conformist friends and beginning to associate with other criminal labeled deviants (Becker, 1963). This new peer group of like-minded deviants also increases the likelihood of the person continuing and possibly escalating the rate and seriousness of their criminal behavior. Secondary deviance has only occurred when both society and the individual share the view that the offender is a criminal.

From a logical standpoint there are flaws within the main points of labeling theory. Initially the theory states that no acts are inherently criminal (Wellford, 1975). Meaning that acts are only "criminal" when society has deemed them as such. The implications of this being that criminal law is dynamic and ever-changing, differing from society to society. But if this is true then why are certain acts illegal within the majority of the civilized world? Murder, rape, arson, armed robbery. All these are considered crimes in any society or country one could care to name.
Also the theory claims that for a criminal to be successfully labeled an audience must be present to provide a reaction to the crimes committed. Does this mean that if a murder is committed where the killer has successfully avoided anyone's suspicion that the act is then not criminal and the killer will not think of him/herself as such? It's probable that the murderer's socialization and/or value system could initialize self-labeling, but the theory clearly states the labeling must come from a 3rd party (Hagan, 1973).

For the sake of argument, if self labeling is possible and a person has obtained a self-initialized criminal master status/label, how do they react to it? Do they become criminals or try to "rationalize" as stated by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972)?

The scope of this theory is proposed to cover all criminal activity of all people regardless of different; nationality, ethnicity, social status, religion, and age (Becker, 1963). Since then criminologists have been, at the very least, skeptical. In a study of drunk drivers it was concluded that socioeconomic status, race, sex, and age can indeed influence whether labeling theory has an effect on people. Unfortunately it was not specified exactly how each of these factors altered the effect labeling theory had on the study subjects. Presumably these study results reflected actual behavioral differences that were reacted to differently by others (Marshall & Purdy, 1972).

The one aspect of this theory that could be regarded positively is that it is very parsimonious. It is easy to understand and can be quickly explained, breaking down all criminal behavior into primary and secondary deviance with a few simple statements for each. An act which has been labeled as deviant or criminal is committed by a member of society. Through either a personal audience such as family or friends, or a formal one such as a court of law the person undergoes a degradation ceremony which labels the person deviant. This is essentially primary deviance. When the labeled person is unable to continue to rationalize and deny this criminal label, often as a result of altered interactions with the "audience" who consider the person in question to be criminal, they finally accept this label as a part of themselves. This is secondary deviance. (I think this is a restatement of the definitions from earlier in the paper. To support the opening sentence, perhaps note WHY the theory is parsimonius. Parsimony simply asks how complex the theory is. If it is short and simple, then it is parsimonious. The point of this section is to show that it can be well summed up in a few simple sentances) From this point onward they will act in a way befitting this new criminal label (Scimecca, 1977).

For the purposes of validity this relative simplicity can be seen negatively as it robs the theory of what value it may have, deliberately turning a blind eye to the contributions of theories of criminology that have had great success in validating their(whose claims? Most any theory of criminology focusing on the individual you could care to name, there are dozens with hundreds of variants) claims. This is in specific reference to the personal and societal factors an individual exhibits which may contribute to the likelihood of committing crimes mentioned earlier (Wellford, 1975).

It would be presumptuous to say that this theory is not testable as several studies have been performed in attempts to see how greatly labeling theory affects different portions of the populace. There are several core variables, each of which is flawed, to be considered. The first is not the initial act of committing a crime, but an "audience" learning of the crime being committed. As it has already been explained, if the audience doesn't know of the crime then this is as far as the process goes.

The second is the audience's reaction to this act and subsequent treatment of the person who committed it. In a study of a sample of 196 boys who had engaged in delinquent activities brought before a court of law, it was found that the majority of the subjects' peers and parents exhibited little change in how they viewed and treated the delinquents (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). Though these children did experience feelings of stigmatization from members of law enforcement, having undergone the degradation ceremony in a court of law, they reported these feelings were negligible compared to those whose family members no longer viewed them in the same light. From this we can conclude that both who the audience is comprised of as well as their reactions affects the level of stigmatization the labeled individual feels, if any.

The third variable is currently open to debate. Hardcore followers of the labeling theory still assert that the personality of the individual undergoing stigmatization is irrelevant. In a study of the societal reaction approach as it relates to Mental Illness, Dr. Walter Grove saw that there were certain qualities people may have which make them particularly resistant to labeling and stigmatization. Those people with such qualities did not see themselves as deviant despite what anyone else may have thought (Broadhead, 1974).

After looking at the study results I remain to be convinced that this theory can be effectively tested as there are too many unknowns. In a later work Lemert finally conceded that "primary deviation, is polygenetic, arising out of a variety of social, cultural, psychological, and physiological factors" (Broadhead, 1974). But he and other believers of this theory have been curiously reticent in attempting to further define these factors. To date no study has been attempted to more accurately state the nature of these factors and how they would affect the criminal's reaction to primary deviance. As a result these factors, which could be considered confounders, greatly hinder any attempt at the operationalization of this theory.

The three known variables cannot be measured effectively, nor can the confounders for that matter. In effect, all that can be studied is the result of this process, mainly focusing on whether career criminals see themselves in the light defined by secondary deviance and what the initial reaction society displays is, as well as how it affects those labeled deviant or criminal.

The biggest question one must ask when evaluating any theory is "has it been empirically validated?" In this case studies have shown little in the way of how this process works, this aspect is still mainly theoretical. There have been plenty of studies which evaluate the conclusion of this process, how criminals view themselves both in the primary and secondary deviance stages. The results of these studies are somewhat mixed in that some provide weak validation for this theory given certain circumstances, the strongest of which being the study of delinquent behavior in children by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless who had experienced primary deviance and stigmatization to a small degree (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972).

The vast majority of the studies had findings do a fine job of disproving social reactions theory. An example of this would be the study by Dentler and Erickson, who concluded that " groups, and society at large will frequently try to accommodate, normalize, and in general resist making an overt reaction to people exhibiting deviant behavior" (Broadhead, 1974). If this is true than people will withhold judgment and stigmatization will not occur, effectively refuting social reactions theory.

In itself this theory is not very useful in dictating policy for the criminal justice system, but there is the possibility for use in rehabilitation of criminal offenders. In a small study of child behavior after punishment, it was found that if the audience held the offender in a positive regard, the offender was likely to rise to these expectations and act in a manner befitting a "good boy" (Wellford, 1975). In this way it is possible to use labeling theory in a more productive manner.

The implications of the study results suggest that two things can be done in order to help prevent labeling theory from having negative effects on people who've broken the law. First of all if the court atmosphere could be avoided in situations where the crime were minor offenses or misdemeanors its possible that the offender would be able to avoid formal sentencing and the degradation ceremony that goes with it. In such cases rehabilitative therapy and out-of-court settlements would be preferable. The other possibility is that a formal ceremony which would cancel the stigma associated with the degradation ceremony could be held. Perhaps a court declaration or letter that the offender is hereby rehabilitated could be used after the offender has served his/her punishment (Broadhead, 1974).
The social reactions theory is undoubtedly flawed in many ways, but it does provide some insight into how both formal and social audiences can have a negative effect on the criminal and increase the likelihood of repeat offenses. This theory has merit in that there is the potential for it to be incorporated into a larger, more inclusive, theory of criminology.

References:

Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. New York: The Free Press

Broadhead, R. S. (1974). A Theoretical Critique of the Societal Reaction Approach to Deviance. The Pacific Sociological Review, Vol. 17, No. 3, 287-312.

Foster, J. D., Dinitz, S. & Reckless, W. C. (1972). Perceptions of Stigma following Public Intervention for Delinquent Behavior. Social Problems, Vol. 20, No. 2, 202-209.

Hagan, J. (1973). Labeling and Deviance: A Case Study in "the Sociology of the Interesting". Social Problems, Vol. 20, No. 4, 447-458.

Lemert, E. M. (1951). Social Pathology. New York: MacGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.

Marshall, H. & Purdy, R. (1972). Hidden Deviance and the Labeling Approach: The Case for Drinking and Driving. Social Problems, Vol. 19, No. 4, 541-553.

Scimecca, J. A. (1977). Labeling Theory and Personal Construct Theory: Toward the Measurement of Individual Variation. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-), Vol. 68, No. 4, 652-659.

Wellford, C. (1975). Labeling Theory and Criminology: An Assessment. Social Problems, Vol. 22, No. 3, 332-345.

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Relieve Depression Naturally

Depression is a mood disorder that ranges from mild to severe. All of us have experienced a form of depression at some time in our lives. It can accompany loss, Stress, unresolved anger, fear, shame, disappointment and other emotional dynamics that are a part of our life situation. Depression is experienced by children, adults, and elderly regardless of economic status, gender, or culture. Depression affects Physical Health, relationships, awareness, weight, memory, decision making ability, energy level, interest, and sleep. In addition to emotional experience, depression can result from diet, nutrition, and other physical biochemical origins.

In severe, special cases of depression associated with extreme mental disorder, synthetic, chemical based drugs called antidepressants are required and necessary for relief of depression. However, most of us do not fall into this category and too often these synthetic antidepressants are prescribed for us who suffer from common daily disappointments in our lives. For most common experiences of depression, antidepressants are not often necessary. Synthetic Antidepressants have been known to have some harmful side effects, prompting the FDA to recommend that manufacturers add this warning label to their products: "Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in short-term studies in children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of {insert established name} or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need. Patients who are started on therapy should be observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidalty, or unusual changes in behavior".

This is not to suggest that ignoring the feelings of depression will make the feelings go away. Since depression can have physical biochemical origin and depression from emotional Stress can cause biochemical change in the body, it would follow that common, not severe, depression would respond to clinically proven all natural remedies as vitamins, herbs, supplements, minerals, amino acids, aromatherapy, and all natural formulas designed to relieve the pain of depression. Other treatments e.g. psychotherapy, exercise, acupuncture, yoga, meditation also aid in the natural relief of depression.

Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can trigger depression as well as depression decreasing the availability of vitamins and minerals essential for the maintaining our body's health. These vitamins and minerals include vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and trace minerals. Supplementing our bodies with these vitamins and minerals can relieve and perhaps prevent depression as well as greatly improving our health generally.

Adding amino acids to our diets can go a long way in relieving depression and promoting general health. For example, SAMe (S-Adensoyl-L-Methionine) is an amino acid that can be found in all cells of our body. It is a natural antidepressant that has additional value of protecting the liver and cardiovascular system, synthesis of natural melatonin that assists sleeping well. Phenylalanine is another amino acid that makes the neurotransmitter, i.e. substance that conducts messages to and within the brain, norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is diminished in the brains of people who are depressed. The amino acid L-Theanine naturally reduces anxiety associated with depression and is not addictive or habit forming. Another amino acid that naturally relieves depression and stimulates alertness is L-Tyrosine.

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophane) is a naturally occurs in our bodies and helps the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Adequate amounts of serotonin is vital for a feeling and sense of emotional well being. 5-HTP can cross the blood brain barrier which makes it unique in the facilitation of serotonin. 5-HTP has gained a great reputation in the natural treatment of insomnia, depression and obesity.

For many people who suffer common depression, a effectively created herbal formula is very beneficial for the natural relief of depression. St. John's wort (hypericum perforaturn), commonly referred to as "Nature's Prozac", helps naturally relieve mild or moderate depression, stress, anxiety, and tension. Gingo biloba is used as an alternative treatment for moderate depression in elderly people because depression is an early sign of cognitive decline or cerebrovascular deficiency. Valerian root has a natural calming effect for anxiety and depression. Passionflower is an efficient natural sedative for calming and sleeping well. Black Cohosh, used by early Native Americans, soothes the body and reduces spasm. These are just a few of the examples of herbs and herbal formula that treat moderate depression effectively and naturally.

Hormonal imbalance can lead to moderate depression. A common treatment is natural progesterone for women. Other natural substances help balance hormones e.g. flax oil, black cohosh, dimpro, promensil, essential fatty acids, red clover, virtex berry and many other naturally derived supplements.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils and other natural aromatic compounds from plants to effect emotional and Physical Health The oils are referred to as "essential" because they are the "essence" of the plant. Olfactory sense has a powerful effect on our emotional and physical health. Aromatherapy can be used to alter mood, inspire confidence, ease moderate depression, and increase energetic feeling. In some nations essential oils are used for their antiseptic qualities to treat infection. In France, many aromatherapy essential oils are perceived in a similar way as prescription drugs are in the United States. Aromatherapy comes in many forms, e.g. essential oil, mists, sticks, candles, infusions, massage creams and oils, mineral bath formulas, and absolutes.

One on the most popular aromatherapy aromas is lavender. Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity. Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia. Lavender essential oil is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago.

In summary, many of us suffer mild to moderate depression for a variety of reasons. Our experience of depression is not so severe or of long duration to justify the use of powerful synthetic prescription drugs or antidepressant drugs with their potential of hazardous, harmful physical and behavioral side effects. We have available to us, a vast variety of effective, efficient, all natural vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, aromatherapy, hormonal balancers, and other safe natural modalities for relieving mild to moderate depression.

Autonomic Healing of Self - Introductory DVD - Part 7

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How To Grow Up Emotionally

Our thoughts have a powerful impact on our feelings. They go hand-in-hand in dictating human behavior. If thoughts are the spark, emotions are the flame. Thoughts are the forest, emotions are the trees. Thoughts are the war, emotions are the battle. We become what we think and we behave the way we feel. Negative emotional reactions are fear based. Our primitive limbic brain is equipped to fit primitive survival patterns, in the fight or flight mode. When we think we are in danger, adrenalin flows into our blood stream, we are prepared to protect and survive, emotional reactions take over and we either run away or fight back. It's hard to separate what comes first, all systems are alerted. Sometimes emotional over reactions take over when we are not in physical danger, but perceive danger real or imagined.



We all feel fearful sometimes, but fear is often irrational and it can be a big STOP sign to growing up. Yet as human beings we are capable of several more subtle emotions. Many of them are learned and carried over from our childhoods. Identifying, recognizing, reflecting on your emotions is important. In the English language we have over 400 names for emotions, I have named 108 in my book How To Grow Up When You're Grown Up: Achieving Balance in Adulthood to help figure out what you are actually feeling.



Once you recognize your emotions you can modify them. We all have both negative and positive feelings. Everyone wants more positive ones. It is usually the negative feelings that get you into trouble, so you need to identify and focus on them to enable you to modify, change and eliminate them if they are problematic. Repeated patterns of reactions and over-reactions are a clue that something is wrong. Your childish reaction was a survival mechanism when you were a kid, but it doesn't work as an adult. That reaction is triggered by some negative childhood pattern that you have used to protect yourself, just like you did as a child.



Has anyone ever said to you, "Why don't you grow up!" I bet it is usually after a childish outbreak. There are two parts to becoming emotionally grown up. One is to heal from the childhood hurts and pain, that affect how you respond emotionally today. The other is to learn better techniques for handling the emotions that arise from events in the present.



Often we are unconsciously triggered into childish reactions by some subtle signal, a tone of voice, a gesture, words the remind us of a chastisement or punishment we got by a disapproving parent., an older sibling, a teacher, or other adult. You may have been shamed or blamed unjustly for something you didn't do, or justifably for something you did do and got caught. Your reaction will be similar to what you felt when you were in that situation as a child. Perhaps you will be defensive and angry lashing out in an over reaction, way out of proportion to the trigger event. Perhaps you will be passive feel defeated, depressed and withdraw feeling helpless.



The key to growing up emotionally is to pay attention to your feelings, they will be very familiar, you have felt them many, many times. Now go back and try to find the source, peel off the layers. When you have done this change your reaction. If you got caught with your fingers in the cookie jar and got punished for it. Visualize letting yourself have the cookie and tell your mom it's okay you deserve the cookie. When you do this you will erase that old wound and turn it into a scar, the trigger will be reduced or gone.We all have a lot of these triggers. Search and destroy them. As you do so you will grow up emotionally and adapt with the appropriate skills to live an emotionally healthy and happy life as a grown-up.





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Autonomic Healing of Self - Introductory DVD - Part 6

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The Most Common Causes of Stress

Copyright (c) 2008 Konstantin Koss

Everyone can experience Stress. The human body is designed to feel Stress and respond to it. Stress keeps us alert and prepared to prevent danger. Being knowledgeable on the prime causes of stress is important and using your knowledge to control stress is vital.

The cause of stress changes as we age. A stressed child at young age can threw tantrums but when he becomes a student, he can be stressed by school works. Once he becomes a teen, he is stressed by dating and relationship. And the causes of stress differ as he grows older thereon.

So what really causes stress? Anything can cause stress if it allows you to adapt to changes in the environment. The body will have to react to changes with mental, emotional and physical responses. All people have their own ways of adjusting to changes, thus the stress causes can differ for each individual.

*General Causes of Stress*

Generally, the causes of stress are:

1.Threat. An apparent threat can be the leading cause for a person to be stressed. Different threats include physical, social, financial, and others. It will become worse if the person experiencing the stress feels that he can't do anything to lessen the threat.

2.Fear. Threat can cause fear which further leads to stress. Fear advances to imagined outcomes and these outcomes are the real causes of stress.

3.Uncertainty. When people are uncertain, they can't predict and thus they feel they are not control of a situation. This can lead to a feeling of fear and of threat.

4.Cognitive dissonance. We are experiencing cognitive dissonance if there is a gap between thinking and doing. This dissonance can also happen when we can't meet our commitments. This dissonance can therefore lead to stress.

Other than the general causes of stress, there are the life causes of stress. Such causes include:

-Health: illness, pregnancy, injury

-Crime: burglary, mugging, sexual molestation, pick-pocketed

-Argument: with friends, family, boss, spouse, boss, co-workers

-Death: of friend, spouse, family

-Money: investing it, lack of it, owning it

-Sexual problems: with partner, getting partner

-Physical change: new work hours, lack of sleep

-Family change: marriage, divorce, new baby, separation

-Self abuse: alcoholism, drug abuse, self-harm

-Environment change: in house, school, job, jail, town

-Responsibility increase: new job, new dependent

-New location: moving house, vacation

*Causes of Stress in the Workplace*

There are also stress-related to work. United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive gives 6 key stress related factors at work:

1.Demands of the job.

2.Relationship with colleagues

3.Control staff on how they can do their work

4.Workplace changes

5.Receiving support from superiors and colleagues

6.Understanding their responsibilities and roles.

The other indicators of stress at work are:

-High staff turnover

-Sickness absence

-Bullying

-Poor team communication

-Contribution and value

-Lack of performance feedback

-Technological change

-Working for long hours

-Lack of clear roles and responsibilities

-Dissatisfaction with the non-monetary benefits

-Mundane and boring work

-Uncomfortable workplace

-One-off incidents

We may not admit it but the lives of students are also faced with a lot of stresses. There are many pressures that are faced by students at school. These pressures equate to a lot of stress. Some of the school stresses are tests and examinations, reports, school bully, difficult subject, strict teachers, etc.

From the causes mentioned above, you may be asking yourself which among them are the leading causes of stress. In 1967, Richard Rahe and Thomas Holmes, both from University of Washington, conducted a study on the relationship between illnesses and significant life events. They compiled the major causes of stress and created a chart as a part of their study. The chart which had 43 stress causes in 1967 was updated on 2006 with 55 additional causes of stress. This proves that our society finds more causes of stress year after year.

Studies come up with ranking for the major causes of stress. The online poll LifeCare Inc. conducted a survey in 2005 on the top most stress causes of that time. Majority of the respondents considered finances to be the leading cause of stress. Next is work related stress such as job security. Third in the rank is family stress followed by personal concerns such as shopping and household chores. The fifth cause of stress is personal health and safety; sixth is personal relationship and the last in the rank is death.

There are seemingly endless causes of stress and we can find some new causes as long as we live. Everyone must be aware of these causes in order to take control of the situations that can lead to stress. Learning about these causes can arm us with defense once stress attacks us.


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Konstantin Koss runs the popular website Real Relaxation.net. Want to learn more about stress causes and how to handle stress? Discover the Top 10 Ways to Relax and more valuable information on his website.

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Alternative Approaches to Pain Relief

Pain. The great leveler. The rich feel it. So do the poor, the happy, the sad, tall, and short. And, of course, article writers, too. It’s therefore not surprising to note that since the dawn of time, humans have attempted to discover ways to reduce pain. In some respect, our ability to experience pain, and seek ways to solve it, connects us more than anything else. But what exactly is pain and how do we deal with it?

Pain is a message sent by the body to the brain, signaling the presence of disease, injury or strain. Without pain, you would be unaware of many problems - from torn ligaments to appendicitis. Pain is simply, Mother Nature's way of telling you something is wrong.

Many of us kill the messenger with narcotics, anti-depressants and tranquilizers that take care of the symptoms, but not the cause of the pain. This kind of treatment cannot only mask symptoms of serious disease, but can also create a cycle of chronic pain.

Not all pain though, serves a useful function. While acute pain, as described above can alert us to a serious problem, chronic pain can linger long after an ailment or injury has healed in the body. Examples of chronic pain include backache, migraines and arthritis. In these cases, pain management, as opposed to a cure, may become the goal of treatment.

The psychological effects that accompany recovery from a disease or injury heighten chronic pain. A loss of confidence is often triggered by prolonged periods of rest and inactivity that cause a loss of physical strength, endurance and flexibility. If the injury has prevented you from performing your usual duties, you may succumb to frustration and depression. Impatience is chronic pain's best friend as many individuals overexert themselves before they have completely healed, thus triggering more pain.

Various treatments can help alleviate chronic pain. Some treatments do so on a purely physical level by interfering with signals from the nerves to the brain or desensitizing the nerves. The following sections are meant to introduce you to some of the ways of dealing with pain without relying on non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, narcotics, tranquilizers or anti-depressants.

For many people, particularly those in the western world, pain relief solutions such as acupuncture, and herbal medicine are novel concepts. However, the rest of the world is probably wondering what the fuss is about, because these traditional approaches to pain relief have been around for thousands of years; Traditional Chinese Medicine, which relies on various techniques and herbs in order to balance the body’s internal energy, is over 5,000 years old.

Acupuncture: the ancient Chinese Practice of acupuncture is based on the belief that health is determined by the level of chi (vital life energy) that is in t he body. This energy is thought to move through the body through pathways called meridians, which connect to specific organs in the body. Acupuncturists insert needles into points on the body that connect to these channels to release blocked "chi" that might be the cause of pain. During acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist inserts thin needles for anywhere from a few minutes to a half an hour into specific points on the body. This practice is thought to stimulate endorphins, the body's natural painkillers and is useful for the treatment of a variety of disorders including backache, sinus pain, jaw pain, spinal disorders, withdrawal and mental disorders.

Herbs: another important part of traditional Chinese medicine is herbal medicine. Herbs have been used for centuries for their pain relieving qualities. Here are some herbs that are recommended for common disorders:

Cramps & Spasms: angelica, cramp bar, kava, rosemary, valerian root.

Nerve Pain: capsaicin, chamomile, gotu kola, licorice, white willow.

Back Pain: hops, wood betony, passionflower.

Migraine: feverfew, linden, skullcap.

Headaches: peppermint, spearmint.

Joint pain: ginger, sea cucumber.

Meditation: meditation, which has also been practiced for thousands of years, is a conscious attempt to calm the mind so that it is not cluttered with thoughts and anxieties that might be contributing to an unnecessary belief in the existence of pain. There are hundreds of different meditation techniques, but mostly they all into three categories: concentrative, mindful and transcendental meditation. During concentrative meditation, focusing on a single sound, object or one's breath, produces tranquil mind that facilitates the production of pain-relieving endorphins. During mindful meditations, the mind is encouraged to become aware of, but not reactive to thoughts, feelings and sensations in order to achieve a tranquil state of mind.

Nutrition: eating a well balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables is thought to be the best way raise your pain threshold or resistance to pain. A deficiency in any of the main vitamins (A, B, C, D or E) can cause chronic pain. Vitamin E is used to treat joint pain. A deficiency in calcium, iron, magnesium and other minerals may also lower your pain threshold. A calcium magnesium supplement taken in a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium is thought to relieve joint pain and headaches. Manganese is a vitamin that is sometimes used for chronic headaches and neuralgia. A deficiency of the B vitamins is also thought to cause nervousness, headaches and chronic pain.

Aromatherapy: sniffing or applying essential oils is thought to change an individual's brain chemistry so that pleasurable neuro-transmitters called endorphins are released to relieve pain. Geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, peppermint, rose, rosemary and thyme are oils commonly used for this purpose.

Guided Imagery: research has indicated that bodily functions that were previously thought to be beyond conscious control, such as chronic pain, can be controlled thorough the use of visualization. Guided imagery encourages the sufferer to think in pictures that eliminate negative thoughts thus raising levels of pleasurable brain chemicals, such as serotonin, decreasing anxiety and increasing the effectiveness of the immune system. Through guided imagery, the mind conjures up mental scenes in order to better direct the body's energy. For instance, if an individual is suffering from a stabbing pain, he or she might want to imagine a knife being removed from the spot and a subsequent glowing feeling of relief. Guided imagery has been used successfully to manage the pain of headaches, sinus problems, arthritis and cancer.

Biofeedback combines a variety of relaxation methods, such as guided imagery and meditation with the use of instruments that monitor the individual's responses to the therapy. After many treatments, biofeedback is thought to train the individual to consciously regulate autonomic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and other processes that are commonly believed to be out of our control. During a session, electrodes connected to a monitoring unit are taped to the skin. The monitor measures skin temperature, pulse, blood pressure, muscle tension and brain activity to determine the success of the relaxation technique. Eventually, over time, biofeedback can train an individual to control the pain of such disorders as TMJ, headaches and migraines.

It is difficult to imagine a world without pain; where would our poetry come from? What would divas sing about? Given that pain is probably always going to be a part of our world, it is of critical importance that we understand the various methods that exist to manage that pain. For some of us, that remedy may lie in the traditional realm, while for others it will be through prescription drugs or some other alternative. Regardless of what remedy you choose, make sure you inform yourself of the various pain treatment options open to you, and by doing so, you may just reduce the amount of suffering in your life. And isn’t that, in some respect, the goal that we all strive towards?

It is important to note that the above suggestions do not represent cures for conditions, but more represent strategies and opportunities to manage your chronic pain. It is also recommended that you consult with your health practitioner before embarking on any new pain management program.

Meditation (Scientific Meditation Therapy) - Instructional DVD - Part 7

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Relationship Parenting: The Filial Therapy Approach

Parent training is perhaps the most powerful tool in touching the emotional and behavioral lives of children, parents, and families. Although most parent training programs focus on behavior management for children who act out, if a childs behavior is primarily a reflection of emotional turmoil and unmet needs, behavior controls will not have a lasting impact. It becomes necessary to provide an intervention that touches the child at emotional and relational levels, while empowering the parent to be the change agent for the child, themselves, and their relationship. Filial therapy does just this.

As parents look to Christian therapists and to Christian parenting literature, they are often met with a focus on the childs behavior and the need to provide appropriate discipline. Discipline, while psychologically appropriate, is incomplete. With some popular parenting approaches, there is potential to equate discipline with behavioral control or punishment. The concept of discipline as a relational or teaching process can easily get lost. Labeling a child as Å"strong-willed or a Å"problem may in fact be an accurate interpretation. Nevertheless, such labeling can result in the justification of the use of force to bring about compliance.

This leads to adversarial parent-child interactions, not relationships noted for understanding, valuing and honoring one another.1 In the parent training process, Sweeney asserted that, Å"rules without relationship equals rebellion.2 Parents can employ the most researched and developmentally appropriate rules of parenting and behavior management, but if the parent-child relationship is poor, the result will involve minimal compliance and potential rebellion. It is relationship that creates the environment for emotional expression and problem solving. Filial therapy helps develop this relationship and provides this opportunity. DANIEL S. SWEENEY Filial therapy is a parent-training program focused on relationship.

The goal is essentially to promote the parent-child relationship through the training of parents in the use of basic skills employed by child-centered play therapists. The parents use the play therapy skills to conduct weekly 30-minute special playtimes in the family home. It is within the special playtime that the parent-child relationship is developed or strengthened. It is upon the foundation of this relationship that discipline and limit-setting can truly be effective. This article will provide a very brief overview of filial therapy, with the hope of whetting the appetite of the interested reader to pursue further study and training. Since filial therapy is essentially the application by parents of child-centered play therapy skills, a quick review of play therapy will be given.

Play Therapy

Play therapy is based upon the fundamental truth that children do not communicate in the same way as adults. Adult communication requires both verbal abilities and abstract thinking skills. Children do not communicate this waythey communicate though play. The basis for doing play therapy therefore, is to honor children through entering their world of communication, rather than forcing children to enter the adult world of verbalization. Play therapy can be defined as a Å"dynamic interpersonal relationship between a child (or person of any age) and a therapist trained in play therapy procedures who provides selected play materials and facilitates the development of a safe relationship for the child (or person of any age) to fully express and explore self (feelings, thoughts, experiences, and behaviors) through play, the childs natural medium of communication, for optimal growth and development.3 There are crucial elements contained within this definition. Play therapy involves a dynamic interpersonal W relationship.

Just as relationship with Christ brings us into spiritual healing, it is relationship that is the basis for therapeutic healing. Without question, therapeutic relationships should be dynamic and interpersonal. The play therapist should be trained in play therapy procedures. Providing play media in a talk therapy session is not play therapy. Attending a brief workshop or reading a book about play therapy does not make a play therapist. Training and supervision are not only essential, but also an ethical necessity. Purposefully selected play materials should be provided, not simply a random collection of toys. As with any form of therapy, it is the responsibility of the play therapist to establish both a safe, therapeutic environment and relationship. Children who already feel disempowered and out of control need to be given the opportunity to fully express and explore self. It is within healthy self-exploration that clients, child and adult alike, can discover an accurate self-image, a process that should lead them to their Creator. As already noted, play therapy allows children to use their natural medium of communication, play.



Filial Therapy

In the filial therapy approach, parents are trained in a small group format to use child-centered play therapy principles and skills in home play-sessions with their own children. Developed by Bernard Guerney and his colleagues,4 filial therapy was an innovative approach to the treatment of emotionally disturbed children, because it depended upon the parents of these children learning to conduct play sessions at home and to become the agent of therapeutic change. The underlying rationale for filial therapy was based on the hypothesis that if parents could be taught to assume the role of therapist, they could conceivably be more effective than a professional because the parent naturally has more emotional significance in the life of the child. Secondly, the anxiety symptoms learned by the child in the presence, or under the influence, of parental attitudes could be more effectively unlearned or extinguished under facilitative parent- child conditions.

Guerney suggested other important advantages to using filial therapy: (1) more parsimonious use of the therapists time; (2) avoidance of fears and rivalry that develop in parents as the child decreases dependency and develops attachment with the therapist; (3) reduction of guilt and feelings of helplessness that often arise when parents feel obligated to abandon the problem to an expert for resolution; and (4) avoidance of the problems that otherwise arise when parents do not develop appropriate responses to new child behavior patterns.



Overview of Filial Therapy Process

Filial therapy with parents is ideally conducted in a group format. The uniqueness of parenting experiences creates a dynamic through which a shared group experience becomes invaluable. It is inevitably reassuring for parents to know that others in the group struggle with similar issues. The groups should generally be limited to six or eight parents. Larger groups are cumbersome in the need to handle the dynamics of the group and in providing education and appropriate supervision of parent-child play sessions. The filial therapist, therefore, must be trained and experienced as both a play therapist and group therapist.

He or she needs the competency in play therapy because filial therapists show play sessions, and then train and supervise parents in the conduct of parent-child play sessions. Since it is recommended that filial therapy with parents be conducted in a group format, the filial therapist must also be trained in group facilitation and dynamics. Landry developed a 10-week model of filial therapy, which is an ideal format for both therapeutic and church settings.5 The 10- weeks should be considered a minimum because of the substantial amount of material covered. The duration is crucial so parents can be supervised adequately in their skill development and proper support can be given to parents who are frequently dealing with emotionally charged parenting issues. Additionally, this 10-week format adapts well to the Sunday morning or mid-week meeting schedules that many churches utilize for discipleship and training, and can be adapted to the Å"quarter system that many churches use for Sunday school. The structured parent-child playtimes and the supervision of these playtimes (parents are asked to videotape at least one session and bring it back to the group for supervision and review) are a unique element in the filial therapy process.

While many parent-training methods involve role-playing parent-child interactions, filial therapy takes this further into supervised experiences. The filial training process involves discussion and interaction. Whereas parents F are often looking for answers from the Å"expert, the filial therapist should focus on facilitation rather than direction and dispensing advice. It is a helpful group dynamic for group members to be able to brainstorm and offer their own solutions to typical child care problems. Homework should be given each session and reviewed at the beginning of the subsequent sessions. There are specific homework assignments in the 10-week filial format, which reinforces the training, and reviewing it reinforces the material covered. Parents are encouraged to ask questions and take notes.



Conclusion

Filial therapy has been well researched and shown to be effective with a wide variety of parent and child populations. Research shows that filial therapy is effective in reducing children acting-out behaviors, increasing children selfishness, increasing parental empathy and expression of acceptance, and reducing parental Stress. In a recent meta-analysis of play and filial therapy studies, filial therapy was shown to have an impressive effect size of 1.06, well above that for other child therapy meta-analyses.6 For a complete list of filial therapy research, the reader is referred to www.centerforplaytherapy. com. In addition to its therapeutic value, filial therapy provides pastors an intervention for a wide variety of their parishioners.

From life-cycle transitions and adjustment responses for parents and children, to trauma and other mental health challenges, families experiencing a broad spectrum of issues can benefit from filial therapy. The church community should provide parent-training, which parishioners and non-church attendees can benefit from. Filial therapy provides pastors with an alternative intervention offer, which bases improvement for families on the fundamental scriptural emphasis on relationship building. Take help from telephone counselor .

Filial therapy is a research-proven parenting training program to enrich parent-child relationships. The basis for the success of filial therapy is the focus on the relationship. God the Father has always desired a relationship with us, His children. Relationship is so important that Jesus Christ entered our world to provide through Himself a new way for us to be re-connected to God the Father. So filial therapy provides parents with an opportunity to be re-connected with their children through the very same empathy and relationship modeled by Christ.

Criticisms of Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarianism is gaining popularity across the world with more and more non vegetarians opting for a vegetarian diet that comprises of only fruits and vegetables and excludes all forms of meats and eggs. All those who have taken up the vegetarian diet, have shown positive changes and have improved their overall health. This diet recommends the intake of fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. At the same time, there are some disadvantages of vegetarianism that you should be aware, if you plan to adopt this diet for weight loss.

Vegetarian diet is found to be low in proteins, calcium, vitamin B12, iron and zinc. Vitamin B12 is found in soy products, fortified cereals and animal products abundantly. This diet restricts meat which is a rich source of vitamin B12. Milk, soymilk and other dairy products that are rich sources of vitamin D are allowed but in low-moderate quantities. But Meat, chicken, fish and poultry contain more quantities of iron, zinc, and phosphorous that are easier to absorb than legumes and cereals are not allowed in the vegetarian diet. Milk, cheese and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium. Foods like cheese, yoghurt, chicken, fish, and other poultry items that have essential vitamins, iron, zinc and other nutrients are not found in large quantities in the vegetarian diet.

Although the Vegetarian diet is healthy, it is not advised to bodybuilders as they need a diet with high level of proteins. This diet can also lead to anemia as foods rich with carbohydrates and proteins are restricted. It is also seen that vegetarians often suffer form bowel irregularities. The vegetarian diet limits the intake of foods with cholesterol and fats, which are essential for a strong nervous system and smooth bodily functions. This might pose a risk to your overall health in a long run.

For meat eaters the transition to a vegetarian diet could be difficult as the nutritional qualities of the plants are at times are not as much as poultry foods. Therefore, it sometimes becomes essential for a few vegetarian diet followers to take additional health supplements of vitamins, calcium, iron or introduce foods like protein bars/powders, soymilk, rice milk, etc., in their regular diets.

Those accustomed to having some form of meat at each meal face the problem of maintaining their levels of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats even when another nutritious foods are present in their diet. Other side effects of the vegetarian diet include brain fog, fatigue, memory loss, irritability, etc., due to sudden fluctuations in blood sugar. This may also affect performance levels at work or other physical activities. Moreover, protein starvation can result in serious illnesses and have an impact on mental and Physical Health.

Women can also experience iron and calcium deficiencies while on a vegetarian diet more so as they regularly lose some amount of these nutrients. Therefore, there are higher risks of their developing osteoporosis as compared to men.

Plant-based diets cannot provide as much amino acids as found in non-vegetarian foods like meat. Few diet experts also say that children raised on vegetarian diet may suffer from deficiencies of nutrients like vitamins, iron, zinc, etc that may hamper their appropriate growth.

In addition to this there is a possibility of weight gain instead of weight loss due to abrupt elimination of meat or other poultry foods which have a high nutritional value. Therefore, it is always advisable to talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian when taking a decision.


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Meditation (Scientific Meditation Therapy) - Instructional DVD - Part 6

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The Difference Between Bipolar And Schizophrenia

For years, psychiatrists and medical professionals have said that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are two very distinct Mental Illnesses. This idea came from a world-renowned German psychiatrist named Emil Kraepelin. Eric Kraepelin has said that bipolar disease and schizophrenia are two very different mental disorders. Up until today, the separation of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is still being practiced by psychiatrists.

However, you have to consider that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is very difficult to distinguish from each other. Both have the same signs and symptoms and psychiatrist often makes mistakes when diagnosing a patient with one of the disorders.

Today, there are certain methods developed to clearly distinguish both diseases. Psychiatrists and brain specialists all over the world have determined that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have distinct signs and symptoms where they can base their diagnosis from.

The first thing you have to consider is that patients with bipolar disorder can experience a schizophrenia-like delusions and hallucinations. However, bipolar disorder has a chronic form of the illness. However, it is still very difficult to distinguish both diseases from one another.

Schizophrenia disorder has been found that it also contains signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder, which includes depressive episodes and sometimes manic episodes. As you can see, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is very hard to distinguish from one another. In fact, there have been several cases where psychiatrists and specialists have made a mistake in diagnosing their patients. There are some cases where severe schizophrenia disorders have the same signs and symptoms of bipolar disorders and even the same frequency of manic and depressive episodes.

Further studies and research have found that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is a form of genetic illness. So, this means that finding out about the genetics of the person, psychiatrists and brain specialists can find a significant distinction of both disorders. Today, there are now available treatments for both disorders that can effectively help you in managing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The treatment for both disorders can be in a form of psychotherapy and is usually combined with medications that can change the brain's biochemistry.

The medications combined with the psychotherapy sessions can help in stabilizing the brain functions and lessen the effect of the signs and symptoms in your life. It is important to remember that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is often misdiagnosed. This will also mean that the patient can be given the wrong medication for their illness. You have to consider the fact that there are different medications for bipolar disorder and in schizophrenia.

Today, one of the most popular medications given to schizophrenic is called Clorazil. This medication is specially made for schizophrenics in order for them to control their brain functions. On the other hand, people suffering from bipolar illness are usually prescribed with a medication called Lithium. Lithium is a very effective medicine that can prevent manic episodes from recurring. For fast cycling bipolar illness, the medicine usually prescribed by specialists is called Valproic acid. This is also a great medication for regular cycling bipolar illness.

It is often very hard to distinguish bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. This is why it is very important for you to choose a doctor, a psychiatrist or a specialist that is reputable in the field of mental diseases. By choosing the right doctor, you can be sure that you will be treated with the right treatment and medications with your illness. It is very important that both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia should be detected as early as possible in order for the treatment to be more effective.

You have to consider that both illnesses can mentally cripple you and make you an unproductive member of the society. By letting the Mental Illness develop without getting it treated, it will worsen in time and can significantly affect your way of life.

So, if you or a member of your family is showing early signs of manic or depressive symptoms, you should immediately consult your doctor about it. They will be able to refer you to a reputable specialist in brain disorders. The specialists will be able to determine if it is either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and administer the proper treatment for the disorder.

For tips on Stress/physical_symptoms_of_Stress.html" rel="nofollow">physical symptoms of stress and stress prevention, visit the Health And Nutrition website.

Personal Alchemy: Three Steps To Positive Transformation

Lately, I've become intrigued by the idea or process of "alchemy." Funk & Wagnall tells me alchemy is a transformation, "a change in nature, form or quality." So how to take charge of your own personal alchemy? For me, it's about changes and transformations of mind, body and spirit. Therefore, in this article I've outlined three of my favorite ways to approach personal alchemy on the path to wholeness and health.

Step One: Dissect A Past Transformation:

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when thinking about the process of making a personal overhaul. Therefore, it's important to break this idea down to its least common denominator. To begin, recall if you can a positive transformation you've made in your life. It could be as simple as beginning and staying with an exercise program. In your mind locate and focus on one specific personal transformation.

Next, break down your transformation into its components: mind, body and spirit. I tend to look at everything in this tri-fold sense. I believe it is important to see the way a particular event contributes to the growth of each component. Right now, take a moment to observe the ways each of these components have contributed to your transformation:

Mind: Was your mind committed to making this positive change?

Body: What daily actions did it take to make this personal transformation effective and permanent?

Spirit: Was there a spiritual component at hand guiding you toward your positive goal?

Step Two: Begin The Uncovering Process:

Now that you've dissected a previous transformation, the uncovering process is simple. This process asks you to take some time with your journal and uncover a new personal transformation you would like to experience. With pen in hand, take time to make notes to yourself. Start small. What transformations would you like to make this year? Do some dreaming.

When you've finished, scan your list for one worthwhile goal that is achievable. If you are unable to commit to one on your list, try these ideas to complete your uncovering:

According to Louise Hay in her book "You Can Heal Your Life" these components will help you live a holistic, healthy life. Perhaps one may inspire you toward a worthwhile goal.

Nurture The Body: Practice sound nutrition. Aim to make the best choices for your body and choose food and beverages that make you feel well. When appropriate supplement with herbs, vitamins and homeopathy.

Practice a sound exercise program. Find a form of exercise that is appealing to you and is one that you will do. Choose from: aerobic exercise, resistance training, tai chi, yoga or Pilates. When appropriate use body work such as massage or reiki.

Nurture The Mind: Add to your daily practice, visualization, guided imagery, affirmations or dream work. Spiritual meditation is also a great way to quiet the mind and allow time to tune in to the divine.

Nurture The Spirit: Find time to practice prayer work, meditation, forgiveness and unconditional love.

Step Three: Find Answers In The Silence: Then Take Your Goals One By One

We can't possibly do everything. For as someone once told me "you have only, all the time there is." With this in mind, I am brought back to my earliest ideas about personal alchemy. This involves one of the most difficult, yet necessary practices: finding time for silence. Finding time is the challenge I most often face when looking at my own personal growth and aiming to find ways to simplify and speed up the process.

Silence. Why does it work? From a physics or scientific standpoint, the electrons within the molecules of the body actually speed up when the body slows down. It seems difficult to understand at first, but the key is its reciprocal process. When the body slows down, the energy surrounding the body and passing through the body speeds up, literally directing the body: instructing it.

Grace, balance and growth are often natural extensions of this process. When you take some time to be still and offer your goal up to the universe, you can then become aware of the divine direction. To do this, try to first become aware of your surroundings. Then aim to find time each day to move toward your worthwhile goal. Keep it close to your heart. Know that there are many distractions in life, but if you take time to rest and stop for one moment, it could be the moment you will receive your greatest inspiration.

When in doubt, there's always help! For a creative boost and further direction in your discovery process, please explore these sources:

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity By Julia Cameron.

Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential by Caroline Myss.

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Autonomic Healing of Self- Instructional DVD- Part 2

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How Do I Recognize The Signs Of Depression After A Break Up?

Many people suffer from depression after the loss of something. But how do you know if you are depressed or just experiencing the normal emotions following the loss of a relationship? Afterall, it's normal to cry, lose sleep, lose your appetite, feel guilty and sad after a break up, isn't it? So if these feelings are all normal how do you recognize the signs of depression after a break up?



Everyone will experience feelings of sadness and anger after a relationship breakup. It's when these feelings last for an extended period of time that they become more concerning. The timeframe may vary depending on who you talk to but typically if you have had these sad feelings or changes in behaviour, appetite, sleep patterns or lifestyle for more than a month then you may be experiencing depression.



Common signs of depression after a relationship break up are these: loss of interest in daily activities, loss of pleasure in activities formerly enjoyed, feelings of sadness, helplessness, or hopelessness, crying spells, sleeping too much or too little, trouble concentrating, difficulty making decisions, memory problems, increased or decreased appetite, unexplained weight gain or loss, restlessness, becoming easily annoyed, lack of energy on a daily basis, speaking in a slow, monotonous tone, feelings of guilt, less interest in sex, thoughts of death, and physical problems such as headaches or stomach problems.



As you can see the signs of depression are very similar to what most people would consider normal feelings and emotions that you would experience after breaking up with someone. It's really the time frame that defines depression after a break up. The longer these feelings last the more likely it is that you are suffering from depression. Because the signs and symptoms are similar you may not recognize them. If you do recogniZe them you may just figure they will go away on their own.



Once you have recognized the signs of depression after a break up there are simple steps you can take on your own to help overcome it. If these things don't work then it is advised that you seek the help of your medical doctor for advice in how to treat depression.



Discover effective and proven methods to save your relationship before it ends so you can avoid a painful state of depression after a relationship breakup. Click here now.



Peter Harris is a health care professional and author and writes frequently about relationships.

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Amino Acids And Tourettes

There are research studies being conducted to determine exactly what the links are between Tourettes and amino acids in treatment. Many studies are being conducted to see what causes Tourettes, however this study differs because it attempts to determine the effects on the treatment of Tourettes instead of focusing on curing Tourettes.

Amino acids are a form of dietary supplement that is anticipated from research to help reduce the symptoms of Tourettes. Many suffer from very severe forms of the disorder, so any relief possible for them is always a great step in the correct direction to assist them in achieving a much better quality of life. While amino acids are certainly not the only treatment option, they are being considered more now than before.

Tourettes is a disorder that is classified by the presence of numerous tics in the body, both motor or physical and vocal tics. Many adults and children alike have problems adjusting to the disorder and treatment options are very limited currently. With nothing truly able to control the symptoms it become a matter of controlling as many aspects as possible until complete control can be realized.

Most occurrences of Tourettes are diagnosed in childhood, with the most severe symptoms being present in childhood as well. Very few adults have as extensive problems with Tourettes as they did as a child, however there are some adults who do have serious complications with the disorder as an adult and are forced to seek what would previously been considered radical treatments.

With new studies being conducted constantly there have been studies into the effects of Candida albicans yeast on the symptoms, by reducing the yeast many are seeing a decrease in the symptoms. Also considered is treatment using amino acids. The treatment using amino acids is a nutritional treatment that focuses on giving the body more nutrients in order to help reduce the symptoms associated with Tourettes.

While there are no clear studies indicating that those who suffer from Tourettes are also suffering from low levels of amino acids, there is reason to believe that an increase in amino acids is able to reduce some symptoms. There are still many questions regarding the exact effects of amino acids; however, the research shows great promise in being very effective.

5-hydroxtryptophan is the main amino acid used to help in the treatment of Tourettes. This is not the first time this particular amino acid has been considered in research for mental and chemical disorders. The amino acid has also been used to treat other disorders such as Schizophrenia, Down's syndrome, PMDD or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, and SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. The range of disorders attempted to treat with the amino acid is starting to grow and there have been several signs that it is helping.

The long term effects of using 5-hydroxtryptophan are still unknown, since the research has only been conducted in the last few years, but the studies are continuing and research will continue to grow and help educate those suffering from the disorders. Studies have shown so far that as much as 70% of the 5-hydroxtryptophan in an oral dose is actually absorbed into the blood stream.

As technology and medical research improves, this number should be able to improve. As the percentage of absorbed amino acid is improved, it allows the dosage either to be better adjusted, or modified, as the symptoms require. As a treatment for Tourettes it is still considered experimental but with the studies growing older, treatment methods improving and dosage requirements tightening it seems very promising that those suffering from extreme Tourettes symptoms will be able to experience improvement in the quality of life.

While treatment options continue to unfold, many do encourage the more natural forms of treatment that are being researched such as the use of amino acids in treating the emotional and mental disorders. While there is no clear indication of a timeline for when the treatment will be fully out of the experimental phase, and when it will yield positive results for all, it is showing great signs of promise in assisting many with Tourettes the ability to lead a much more peaceful and simple life.

5-hydroxtryptophan itself is a product from the African Griffonia Simplicifolia plant, specifically the seeds of the plant. The amino acid is extracted using an alcohol process that leaves the acid with an oily solid appearance that must be refined in order to be transformed into the dry solid that is capable of being used in pill form. The amino acid itself is dispensed either as a tablet, or in the form of a capsule both of which require the dry form in order to be most effective.

Most 5-hydroxytryptophan tablets or capsules are distributed in either 25, 50, or 100 mg dosages depending upon the exact needs of the patient. This allows doctors great flexibility in determining the appropriate dosage for each patient based upon their symptoms, as well as age, weight, gender and other factors that are important in selecting the most effective dosage.

It has also been suggested that the use of 5-hydroxytryptophan is able to produce elevated levels of Serotonin levels. Serotonin is a chemical found in the brain, which is directly linked to the functions of the body and can have a great amount of impact on such basic survival issues as sleep, mood, aggression, temperature, sexual behavior, anxiety, and pain sensation. As you can see the benefits of the treatment seem to out weight any possible adverse side effects, but they are still important to note.

Some of the most common side effects of the amino acid treatments include mild nausea, flatulence, and other gastrointestinal disturbances. While the side effects are mild, some would rather be left with the initial symptoms of the Tourettes depending upon how severe the symptoms are. Most doctors do agree that you should never take more than 100 mg a day of the amino acid 5-hydroxytryphan unless specifically instructed to do so by a doctor. Most individuals using this treatment are only taking 50-100 mg in the average day, which has been determined to be a very safe level for most adults.

Autonomic healing of Self - Introductory DVD - Part 5

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Meditation (Scientific Meditation Therapy) - Instructional DVD - Part 5

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Relieve Your Stress With Meditation

Most of us lead busy, fast-paced lives. We have too much to do and too little time, and may be dealing with career pressures, family difficulties, or financial problems on top of everything else. Doctors have known for some time that there is a direct link between Stress and a variety of health problems including headaches, stomach problems, heart problems, skin conditions, and high blood pressure, as well as depression and anxiety. While we can’t eliminate all Stress from our lives, we can take steps to reduce its effects, and meditation is a wonderful way for you to calm down and regain your balance.

Meditation has been used for centuries as a way for people to reflect, relax and connect with their inner selves, but it is not some mysterious ancient art that requires years of study. At some time in your life, you have probably experienced a meditative state, a feeling of peace and serenity, simply by walking through the woods, or enjoying a beautiful piece of music. With just a little practice, you can achieve that peaceful state whenever you wish, and feel refreshed and ready to take on life’s challenges.

Try to Meditate Daily

Pick a time that works for you. If you have children, wait until they are in school or napping. Many people meditate in the morning as a relaxing way to start the day, while others like to meditate before bed. The time of day is not important, nor is the amount of time you spend meditating. Twenty to thirty minutes is good, but even if you can only spare 5 or 10 minutes you will still benefit from it.

Meditation Basics

Choose a quiet place with few distractions. If you like, you can light incense or a scented candle, but it isn’t necessary. Some people find it helpful to listen to relaxing music or nature sounds while meditating; others prefer complete silence.

You can sit cross-legged on the floor, or sit in a chair with your back supported. The important thing is that you are comfortable. Place one hand on each thigh, or cup your right hand under your left in your lap. You do not have to stay still to meditate! It’s ok to move or scratch an itch! Don’t feel that you have to shut out the world completely to get the benefits of meditation. If the phone rings, or there is some other brief interruption, just take care of it, then go back to meditating.

Breathing

Keep your spine straight, but not stiff, as this allows you to breathe deeply. Breathing deeply helps you to relax and concentrate because more oxygen is getting into the bloodstream. And deep breathing actually slows your heart rate. When you have found a comfortable position, begin focusing on breathing deeply. Follow each breath as it enters your nose, goes down into your lungs, and then out your nose again. Feel it on your upper lip as you exhale. Breathe in to the count of 4, and exhale to the count of 4. Feel the muscles in your body beginning to relax.

Don’t be concerned if you find it difficult to relax in the beginning. Trying too hard to relax can be stressful in itself! You may find yourself thinking about work, or all the things you need to take care of that day. If so, just acknowledge the thoughts that come into your head, but then let them go and focus again on your breathing. You may also want to start with shorter periods of meditation and work up to longer sessions.

Visualize

Visualization is a great tool to help you relax. Imagine yourself in a place that you find peaceful, for example, the beach. Think about the sounds you would hear there: the cries of the seagulls, and the sound of the waves on the shore. Imagine how the sun feels on your skin, and the smell of the salt air. You might choose to visualize being in the woods, or in the mountains. Whatever you choose, imagine every detail as if you are actually there.

Meditation is only one of the ways to reduce the stress in our lives. Eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep and exercise are also very important. Take a look at your lifestyle and decide whether you need to make other changes, but try meditation, too. It is a great way to relax and reduce the negative effects of stress, and you will feel the difference immediately.

Positive Thinking And Its Effect On Your Health

The first situation to consider is the relationship between thoughts and conditions like depression and Stress. A crucial question is whether the person's thoughts are creating the physical depression or the physical depression is creating the negative thinking. When it comes to how you can use your mind to help, this can be accomplished consciously and subconsciously. When someone has a habit of imagining things turning out very badly, rational thinking can show show them that they often exaggerate. However, the unconscious mind is much more powerful in shaping our habitual behavior, oftentimes beyond our conscious control. Visualization and hypnosis can be very effective in modifying beliefs and, if you do this, the long-lasting effects can be more powerful than using logic only.

It is likewise true that positive thinking can have an impact on our Physical Health, and you may be aware of the placebo effect on people who feel ill. This is when individuals are given a pill which in reality does not have any healing value, and yet they claim to notice an improvement in how they feel. This is evidence of the connection between mind and body, and there are many examples of men and women with a positive outlook being able to recover faster from malady and injury. You can also use the power of your mind to help you in achieving your fitness goals. A historic example of this is when the four minute barrier for running the mile was broken, which had been considered as unachievable up to that point. Once the "barrier" had been broken, other runners also began to break through what had really been a barrier of belief.

The effects of aging are likewise influenced by how we think about the process. As you get older, do you talk to your friends about your "aches and pains" and your weakened capabilities? It seems there's a great deal of truth to the saying, "You're only as old as you think you are," and our thoughts can be used to undo a lot of the so-called effects of aging. Unfortunately, numerous individuals will continue to hold on to old beliefs about the unavoidable "decline" of health in old age, and not pay attention to the benefits of a positive outlook.

Now that you are aware that your attitude can bring you a much better state of health, it's up to you to take advantage of this information and set your intention to think positive thoughts whenever you remember.

Autonomic Healing of Self - Introductory DVD - Part 4

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Autonomic Healing of Self - Introductory DVD - Part 4

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Meditation (Scientific Meditation Therapy) - Instructional DVD - Part 4

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Meditation (Scientific Meditation Therapy) - Instructional DVD - Part 4

You can find additional info at the following links:

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