7 Ways on How to Avoid the Risks Associated with HRT

Does hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for your menopause makeyour blood run cold? Many women are faced with the potentialrisks associated with HRT. First, let’s take a quick look at thethree stages of menopause.

Menopause begins in your early 40s as your ovaries graduallyproduce less and less of the hormone estrogen. Your periodsbecome erratic sometimes skipping a month or alternating betweenlight and heavy.

The next period of time is the transitioning to actual menopause.During this time you may continue to have erratic periods andthe “fun stuff” begins to settle in for a long visit. Yes, funstuff like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and insomniaare some of the symptoms.

The final and actual onset of menopause usually occurs in yourearly 50s and is represented by the absence of your period for afull 12 months. It’s those in between years that can wreak havocin your life.

Are there natural alternatives for chemical HRT? The good newsis yes! It’s a sad fact that less than two percent of doctorseven mention alternative therapies and that most of them feelthere is no benefit. Thousands of women would disagree. Hereare just a few of the many natural alternatives:

Try adjusting your diet to include vegetables and fish that arehigh in Omega-3 as they contain nutrients that can help your bodydeal with menopause naturally. Conversely, there are foods thatcan make your menopausal symptoms worse. Caffeine, sugar, fattydairy products, salt, alcohol and saturated oils can aggravatethe symptoms.

Be sure and take a daily multivitamin making certain that thevitamin contains 100% of the daily allowance for nutrients. Justbe aware that vitamins are no substitute for following a healthydiet.

If menopause causes mood swings, it only makes sense that it’spossible to experience extreme responses for stress. Try usingdeep breathing techniques, meditation or some other methods ofrelaxation that works for you and practice the technique for 10to 20 minutes per

day. You will be left feeling calmer, moreable to cope and more in control.

Exercising regularly can also help alleviate menopausal symptoms.Scheduling at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a weekwill relieve hot flashes. You will be able to think more clearlyand reduce your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Some women have found relief through yoga and acupressure. Bothare mainstays of practitioners of eastern medicine.

Last, but not least, we come to herbal treatments. Beans andcertain other plants have a mild estrogenic activity in theirmakeup thanks to "phytoestrogens." These are compounds thatinclude isoflavins, lignans, phytoseterols and saponins. Inadditional to helping your body through menopause, animalexperiments show they are significantly effective in preventingtumors of the breast tissue.

Without sending you off for a medical dictionary to understandthe compounds listed above, here are some of the foods and herbsthat contain healthy compounds: Soy, black cohosh, licorice,alfalfa, chasteberry, Chinese angelica, red clover, strawberry,celery stalks, dates, elder, false unicorn root, fennel, Honduransarsaparilla, lady’s slipper, liferoot, Mexican wild yams,passion flower, pomegranates and sassafras.

The foods, of course, are available from your local grocery. Visit your local health food store where you should be able tofind the herbs and methods to include them in your daily diet.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on
many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

"7 Surprising Keys to Happiness"

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wish you
were in a better mood? Perhaps you tried to shift your state
of mind to something better but struggled to achieve it.

Sometimes we get stuck in our own 'stinking thinking' and
forget how easy it is to feel happier, so here are seven
simple ways to lift your mood that many people have found
useful and some of them may surprise you!

1. Go for a walk.

Most folk know that going for a short daily walk is one of
the best forms of exercise. If you can, go into a natural
environment with flowers, trees and birds. What will you
notice first? The different shades of greenery, the fresh
smell of country air, the bird sounds, or the sunlight
shining through the tree foliage.

2. Listen to some quality music.

Music creates magical effects. It can shift the listeners
state
within moments. Why not dig out that album you haven't
listened to in ages or why not tune in your radio to
something you've never listened to before.

3. Think of others less fortunate.

The fact that you are reading this article suggests that you
are probably much better off than many, many people on this
planet! What if you were to imagine being in space looking
down on the amazing beautiful earth, noticing all the oceans
and lands with the clouds above... And then thinking about
the fact that there are many human beings that are starving,
homeless and in lots of pain... Allow your compassion for
them to grow.

4. Read something radical!

How many different types of magazines can you get these
days?! Have you ever waltzed into a big newsagents and just
browsed through the magazine racks? It's incredible. Why not
buy a magazine you wouldn't normally

buy. You never know you
may discover something wonderful!

5. Laughing at laughter.

Have you ever had the experience when you just laugh for no
good reason? Isn't it great! Laughter is one of the best
ways to lift your spirits. Can't think of anything funny?
Try grinning at yourself insanely in the mirror and notice
how difficult it becomes to control your giggle muscles!

6. Simple breathing meditation.

A great exercise that you can do anywhere is a simple
breathing meditation. No need to dress in orange robes.
Simply find yourself in a comfortable sitting position with
your back straight. Now close your eyes and become aware of
the flow of air into and out of your nostrils. That's it! Do
this for 10/15 minutes and you'll find yourself pleasantly
surprised how you feel afterward.

7. Doodling just for fun!

Remember when you were young and you used to doodle with
crayons for hours. Kids love drawing silly little pictures,
why not adults? So get some pens, pencils, crayons or
whatever you have and just draw - doodle away until your
state of mind shifts.

You might agree that these are all pretty simple and that's
what's so good about them. Making changes, mundane or
profoundly life-changing, are easily and quickly achieved by
putting into action simple ideas, methods, tools and
techniques.

About the Author

Colin G Smith is a licensed Master Practitioner of Neuro-
Linguistic Programming (NLP) and author of 'The NLP
ToolBox', a personal development book that enables the
reader to master any area of their life with amazing speed.
Complete information on Colin G Smith's books are available
at his website, including a FREE personal development eBook.
http://www.NLPToolBox.com

7 Keys to a Happy Life

The following text is copyrighted. You may reproduce exactly as is with credits and footer, any other reproduction is illegal.


1. Do not act in order to receive a payoff.

This is what is causing much of our discomfort as individuals and a society. As soon as you act with the purpose of receiving something, you have removed love from the act. The goal is to act as if all your needs are met, then all your thinking and behavior comes from a different perspective. You also find that you act more effectively to get those things that you truly want, because you are acting and thinking as if you already have them. The alternative is acting and thinking as if you don't, and guess what, you don't. The state of mind of having something creates it, not the other way around.


The place you see this most is in relationships. The more you need in relationships, the less you get. This is simply because you are saying that you are not whole until someone else meets those needs that can never be met. Often what happens is that you eventually get the opposite because you are trying to show yourself that you must look inside. Once again, in relationships you must look to be loving, respectful, and accepting, because this is saying that you have all these things to give. In the end these things will be overflowing from you. Remember if you want to have something, give it, because you must have it if you can give it.


Abundance is another area this concept plays a major role. The more you say you need and operate from a place of not having enough, the more that state of mind will be created physically. This is why the very wealthy can sometimes feel impoverished, and the very poor can sometimes feel wealthy. Remember that perception is everything and that your thinking, feelings, and actions come from those perceptions.

2. You are the only judge of your life and what you will judge in the last moment of your life, is how well you loved.

Believe it or not, you do not really care what you accomplish in your life. How much you acquire, and how successful you are will not mean a thing when you decide to leave your body. Imagine that you are all living your own movie. Each movie has different characters, a different plot, and a different setting, yet the goal for each conclusion is the same. The happy ever after ending for every movie, is that the main character loved well at least once in their life in spite of circumstances. You have probably noticed that people on their deathbed, do or say something loving, often out of character, before they go. This is because they are closer to their spirit and may finally realize that to love well was their goal. Imagine if you lived with that consciousness while you were healthy and had time. Everything else physical comes to an end when you die, but people can take your love with them long after you die.

3. You are perfect, were perfect, and always will be perfect.

To the degree that you believe this, is how much physical success you will have. The people who believe in themselves and their ability are the ones who have lasting success in their lives. Belief creates reality. Some people have success for fleeting periods of time, but it doesn't last if their belief in themselves is dependent on what they do or what others think of them.


Belief in yourself is not like what you consider ego or arrogance. To truly believe in this perfection, you must also believe in the inherent perfection of all people and things. Remember how all things were created. Therefore you do not believe you are better than anyone, even though you may act better and have more success because you know the truth about yourself. You never have to judge or be right because you know that you cannot make anyone believe in themselves, though you can show them what it looks like. Your belief in the constant perfection of creation allows you to know that you are successful always because you cannot be anything else. Then what you choose to create will be a success and you know you can create anything.

4. You act based on what you know.

This sounds simple but is actually very profound. In order to act in a truly loving way, you must know what love really is. To be successful at anything, you need to know what success is. How many people are attempting to be successful in relationships, but don't know what to do because they have never learned what a loving, successful relationship looks like. If you do not know what to do, you will do what you have learned, or try something that you think might work, sometimes getting lucky.


You cannot program a computer without knowing what actions you must perform. If you must learn things because it is so difficult to remember in your physical state, perseverance, patience, and belief in yourself come in handy.
Sometimes you have housed yourself in a body which does not allow you to be successful at certain physical endeavors. This you do because you choose to limit yourself so that you can focus on your higher desire to succeed at something else. If you were physically capable of the other things, you may not choose to do the thing that you really want to accomplish on a spiritual level. Many handicapped people know this and don't like it when people feel sorry for them. They may not know why they don't like sympathy, but they know it feels wrong.
Believe this. You have chosen the body conditions, and situations you experience. This is done on a spiritual level and for good reason. Your goal is to find out what you can do with it, not feel bad about what you cannot do.
So if you want to run a marathon, but your legs don't work, don't focus on not running a marathon. Find out what you can do because you cannot run a marathon.

5. Fear is your biggest enemy, and can only be conquered by faith.

Fear tells you that to only love will not be enough. Fear and faith cannot coexist or control behavior together. One or the other has to take over. Believe it or not, which one takes over is your choice. This may not appear so, because many of you have developed a habit of acting on your fear. Remember that you can act with faith even though you are feeling fear. Which habit have you developed?
This goes back to the role of emotions and how you have developed a script, so to speak, about which behaviors go with which emotions. When you say you are depressed, you are really labeling your set of behaviors and thoughts. A good experiment is to consciously act in a way that your feeling does not describe. For instance, if you are angry, try smiling and saying something nice. If depressed, exercise and tell someone what a beautiful day it is. Most importantly, if afraid, do the thing that you are afraid of if it is in your best interest (jumping off a building may not be included in this).


You may find that these strategies make you feel like a fraud, but they will show you that you can do whatever you choose in spite of what you are feeling, including loving. Remember to use the feeling as a message, but choose the behavior that most effectively and lovingly responds to the message. Knowing that you can choose gives you real power over your life.

I understood the concept of faith. To me it is a powerful word that literally leads to mental invincibility. I was really beginning to feel it in my life.

The next principle takes from the last and is perhaps the most difficult for all of you.

6. No action is involuntary, including your thoughts.

Many of you may have at least come to believe that this is true for overt behaviors, but still struggle with applying it to thoughts. The scope of this principle is out of most human conception. There is not even a body function that is completely involuntary, though the medical profession would like you to believe that they are. Most of you simply do not know the force that controls your so-called autonomic nervous system. Once you really learn where and how thoughts work, you will know this force.


Many of the things you say you are (shy, stupid, alcoholic, etc.), have

(depression, diabetes, cancer, attention deficit disorder, etc.), or feel (sad, angry, love, etc.), are actually verbs, not nouns. Whether you are doing a behavior, having a body function, or thinking, you are on some level doing something voluntarily. All of it, every event that happens in your life, and in your body, is a product of thought.


You are probably thinking that there is no way that you could voluntarily be doing cancer, but it does begin with a thought, and your body is completely controlled by thought. Do you ever wonder why you don't die in dreams very often? Because if you really think you are dead, you are. After being diagnosed with cancer you have more thoughts about that, then more thoughts about your prognosis and course of disease. If you could examine a record of every thought you have ever had, conscious and unconscious, you could find the explanation of everything you experience in your life. We have talked about thought and belief before, but what is important is that you know what is having these thoughts and how you can be the decision maker about the thoughts you have.


When you are born, there is one source of thoughts, your soul, spirit, higher self, God, whatever you choose to call it. This source has all the ultimate truths. Over time (and not a very long time) another aspect of consciousness emerges, which you can call the learned self. This is like an observer who begins to notice that you are separate, have needs for physical survival, and can experience pain. This part continues to define itself through experience. It also defines everything and everyone around it. Within a short time, by about six years, this learned self has all but completely taken over, and is giving commands to your body and the universe by its constant thoughts. Once a thought or belief is established, it may never again be consciously verbalized in your mind again. You may call these echo thoughts because they are no longer conscious, but like an echo, they continue to fill every space available. These thoughts or beliefs are usually in the form of a conclusion and are the most constant, therefore most creative thoughts of all. They begin to operate behind the scenes very powerfully and without conscious attention.


Thought is the creative force of the universe, but it needs to have conviction and consistency to manifest in physical reality. Thought is like hammering a nail. Usually one hit will not put it all the way in. You must decide where you want it and hit it until it is all the way in so it can't easily be pulled out. This is how the echo thoughts work. They continually hammer at the nail until it is very hard to get out. Unless they are recognized, even if you try to pull them out by replacing them with other thoughts, the echo thoughts will hammer themselves back in even if they are part way out.


This is why it is so difficult for you to change your life circumstances. You are not often aware of the echo thoughts which continually maintain the circumstances. Even if you do things to change the situation, you will find yourself in a similar one at some point if the echo thought does not change.
How do you change an echo thought if it is out of awareness? Remember that everything in the universe is a manifestation of thought. If you are unsure what your echo thoughts are, there are two ways to find out. Both of these require guessing and detective work.


First, you could simply look at the circumstances throughout your life and ask what a person with this life might believe. Ask people close to you who know about your life, what they think you believe about yourself and the world. Most people will come up with similar guesses if they have some information about your situation and they are willing to be honest. This is simply working backwards from the manifested to the manifesting thought. Even if you doubt that these beliefs are present, remember that you have lost conscious awareness of them. Therefore act as if they are true based on the evidence in your life, and you will benefit anyway. If you do not challenge a belief, you will provide evidence for it in your life, period.


A second way to accomplish awareness of your echo thoughts is to look at the major messages you got from your parents, or whomever raised you. One or both parents taught you to make conclusions about yourself, the world, and other people, by their words, actions, or other more subtle means. You likely took these conclusions and accepted them as real guiding principles in your life. You wore them like glasses which you saw everything through, and they determined how you acted, thought, and reacted throughout your life. It is then inevitable that the consequences of these accumulated acts will give you what you have today.


Most important among the echo thoughts are the I am commands that are constantly working in your self-talk. These almost always come from the pre-adult years with evidence being provided throughout your teens and adulthood. Some of the more common commands you people are giving yourselves are… I am stupid… I am a quitter… I am worthless… I am a loser… I am weak and powerless… I am fat and ugly. You also make conclusions about the future: I will never be successful; I deserve to be punished and treated badly, My life sucks; I will never be happy; I always screw up; There are no decent men out there.


All of these have endless variations which may be more specific or more general. You were fortunate to discover these as your energy blockages or bumpers as you called them. Meditation and an honest inner enquiry can also give you the awareness you need.


Once you have this awareness, you can apply the sixth principle, that all thoughts and behaviors are voluntary. This is where you must be completely dedicated to find another echo thought and corresponding behaviors. This requires daily practice in all situations with conscious intent. This must take priority over all else for you to manifest these new things in your life. The hardest part is persevering until you see results. Remember that for many years you have burned the old ways in to the universal framework. The old thoughts have become like a template which will be used until another one is complete and more prominent.

7. Gratitude is the antidote for unhappiness.

This is perhaps the easiest yet most powerful truth. When there is gratitude their can be no other feeling than joy. There is always something to be grateful for even in the most dire of situations. You must find a way to focus on that which you have and are grateful for at all times. Even if you have to look at the fact that you are breathing because you can't find anything else. Gratitude brings with it more things to be grateful for. The universe is waiting for you to be grateful so that it can give you more.


If you are dying, be grateful for your life. If someone you love is dying, be grateful for the time you had with them. If you are broke, be grateful for your health and other's prosperity. If you are lonely, be grateful for the time with yourself. It is up to you to find and focus on gratitude. If you are envious of what someone else has, remember you are all one and be grateful for what they have.


In the end you have a choice to be grateful or not. If you choose not to, don't expect to be happy for any great lengths of time. If you choose to be grateful because the sun comes up, you can be happy all the time in spite of your circumstances, and you can choose to change your circumstances without need because you are already grateful for what you have. If you want more, that is fine, but be grateful for what you have until you have more.


Finally, always be grateful that you know the truth about yourself and your connection to all things including God, for these things are everlasting.


This article was written in 2003 by Sean Harder, author of Earth Wisdom, and founder of WholeLifeGym

http://www.wholelifegym.com
Sean has been a therapist and life coach for 13 years. He is a published author and founder of WholeLifeGym.com

7 Easy Creative Rituals to Spark Your Imagination and Inspire Your Soul

Creativity is a mysterious force that visits us with great ideas, new ways of seeing the world and the courage to do things differently. Revitalizing your creative talents will help you in the most unexpectedly wonderful ways: a new business idea, a renewed commitment to self-care, an appreciation for the beauty that lies all around us.

Finding a small bit of time each day to feed this force will not only reward you with increased creativity, but also an expanded sense of appreciation and gratitude for the creative process.

The following list highlights simple yet powerful actions you can take to spark your creative energy from the inside out.

1. Keep a Daily Journal
Use a journal to jot down the meandering thoughts of your mind. Write, draw, doodle, paste collages together. Stuck between your great ideas are random thoughts, mental notes, and menial observations. Use your journal as a place to deposit these thoughts, keeping your creative mental workspace clear. Think of it as feng shui for the mind, a way of keeping the creative juices flowing.

2. Create Sacred Space
Find a place in your home to keep inspiring, motivating and spiritually significant objects. Remind yourself that creativity flows like water and wind, that it is steadfast like earth and powerful like fire. Collect objects from nature to remind you of this. Place things that awe and inspire you, projects you’re most proud of, and photos of people who support and encourage your creative action.

3. Reflection.
Reflection can be a minute of appreciating someone or something, or it can be a day of meditation and writing. Find ways to incorporate reflection into your daily routine, noting how experiences and interactions help you grow as a creative person. This is great for surveying what inspires you and what blocks you, what attracts you and what doesn’t.

4. Get Away.
If you can, find

some time to sneak away and enjoy a creative pleasure. It can be an hour wandering through a craft store, window shopping, a hike in nature or a visit to a special place. If you have kids and can’t get away alone, don’t worry. Enjoy the outing and reflect on it together. There are no rules to creative getaways. It is whatever touches you at that moment.

5. Do Something Loca.
What’s something crazy you’ve always dreamed of doing but didn’t because of insecurity, fear or intimidation? Make a pact with yourself to get to know your Inner Loca (or loco for you guys reading this) and find ways to let her out to play each and every day.

6. See the World Through a Child’s Eyes.
Children have the amazing ability to be open to the possibilities of just about anything. Give yourself playtime to see the world through the eyes of a child. Sometimes it can be simply sitting on the floor and looking at a room from a new angle, or giving yourself permission to laugh and have fun.

7. Chart Your Course
It’s one thing to dream of creative things and it’s another thing to make them happen. Look at all the wonderful ideas you have and pick one to act upon. Make a commitment to do at least one daily action to support this idea. Doing the footwork to make your dream a reality will show you how easy it really is to turn ideas into action.

Ritual is a series of repeated acts. By incorporating creative ritual in your life, you will increase your innovation and creativity in ways that will surprise and delight you. Try at least one of these actions and feel your creativity grow!

About the Author

Nancy Marmolejo is a life and business coach for creative women and the owner of Comadre Coaching. To contact Nancy, email info@comadrecoaching.com or call 714-777-1216. Sign up for Nancy’s award winning newsletter, The Pocket Comadre, by visitng http://www.ComadreCoaching.com.

6 Ways to Slow Down the Adult ADD Brain

If you have adult ADD, then you know that sometimes, slowing down is a very hard thing to do. There are so many tasks to accomplish and so little time to get them done. So your mind goes into high speed, trying to accomplish it all and more, or worrying about the fact that it seems impossible to get it all done. As a result, you spend a lot of time stressing, and very little time enjoying life.

While slowing down is a difficult skill to build, it can be done. Here are 6 proven ways to slow down the adult ADD brain:

1. Leave Work
Set your business hours and stick to them! Although sometimes it's necessary to work late, don't do it unless you absolutely have to! You'll work more efficiently during the day when the time you have to accomplish your tasks is limited. And take weekends off (or at least 2 days a week)! You deserve it.

2. Plan a Night Out with Others
Nothing is more fun than a night out with people you like. This could be coworkers, friends, family, or members of a group you belong to. Enjoy yourself.

3. Make a Weekly Commitment (Like Taking a Class or Participating in a Group)
Get an excuse to get out of the house and out of the office every week! Take a class, preferably learning something you always wanted to know how to do. Make sure you *pay* for the class in advance so you won't be tempted to skip it!

4. Journal
Journaling forces you to stop, reflect and process. It helps you manage stress and gain

clarity. Make the decision to do it every day - even if it's just for 10 minutes! Don't worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation, or flow because no one else ever has to see it.

5. Meditate
There are many different ways to meditate, but I prefer mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation is simply the act of being in the present moment - whether you are working, walking, or doing the dishes! Try to keep your mind in the moment, and don't follow stressful or worrisome thoughts when they arise. It's okay to begin slowly by doing 5 minutes of mindful meditation a day, and then building on your practice as you become more comfortable.

6. Turn off Your Computer 2 Hours Before Bed
Computers are quite stimulating, especially for ADDers. Oftentimes, you'll find yourself sitting at your computer at 3 o'clock in the morning totally engrossed in researching something completely random. You just can't step away from it to go to sleep, and that's because the computer wakes up your brain. Turn the computer off two hours before bed in order to properly wind down, and slow down, at night.

About the Author

Jennifer Koretsky is a Professional ADD Management Coach who helps adults manage their ADD and move forward in life. She offers a 90-day intensive skill-building program, workshops, and private coaching. To subscribe to Jennifer’s free email newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, please visit http://www.addmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm

6 Steps to Relieve Stress

We get over-stressed now and then. It's a natural response under certain conditions. We need to be concern when our stress is getting out of hand and interfering with our lifestyle. What problems can too much stress cause?

· High Blood Pressure · Colds and the Flu · Allergies · Diabetes · Damage Relationships · General Bad Health

The list goes on….

Getting over the stress is what we want to strive for. How can we go about this? Taking the natural approach is probably the best way to start. Here are a few ideas to begin with.

Exercise: It may be difficult to begin an exercise program but once you start it will become easier. Exercise helps to blow off steam and gets rid of excess stress. So you benefit by reducing your tension and obtaining a workout as well. Of course talk to your physician before beginning an exercise program.

Relax: Yes it is hard to relax when you are stressing. Try taking in a deep breath slowly. Now as you breathe out picture all the stress leaving you. You may find that doing relaxation techniques on a regular basic when you aren't stressed out to be beneficial.

Learn relaxation techniques such as: · Meditation · Yoga · EFT · Z-Point · Bio-Feedback · Listening to some soothing music. · Prayer · Asking for Assistance · Joining a Support Network

Look into what causes your stress: You may not know what is inducing you stress. Try to understand where the source is coming from if possible. Once you understand what is causing your stress you can try to modify these problem areas. If you can't, can you substantially reduce them? Maybe you can look at these stressors in a different way.

Have a Positive Attitude: Always look on the bright side of things. Don't think about what may go wrong.

Take positive steps to improve yourself, your business and your spirit. Work on your ambitions. Find methods to enhance your routine activities. At the end of the day understand that you have done all you can to maintain a healthy lookout on life. Now you can relax and enjoy the remainder of the evening either by yourself or with family and friends.

Nutrition: A healthy diet with the proper nutrition is one key to balancing you physical, mental and emotional health. Frozen TV dinners or Big Macs are not good choices. You need to consume as much unprocessed food as possible. Try to eat as much organic products as possible to eliminate pesticides from your diet. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, raw if possible, and some fruit. Drink plenty of clean water to keep those brain neurons communicating.

Get Enough Rest: Getting enough sleep at night is crucial to keeping stress at bay. Try to relax the best you can in the evening. Exercise early so that you aren't all wound up. If you watch a movie ensure it's not too violent are exciting. It may be better to watch a comedy, read something soothing or listen to soft pleasant music.

If your stress is so severe and you can't seem to find relief regardless of what you try then you may desire to request professional help.

So there you have six ideas that will help you reduce stress and enjoy life more. Don't delay. Start on these recommendations right away. Don't stop there. Keep looking for new ways to manage your stress and genuinely enjoy life once more.

Copyright 2005 Think Healthy

About The Author

Lambert Klein is the owner of Think Healthy supplements and products.

http://www.coral-cure.com

5 Time-Tested Ways to Beat Stress

Most of us can attest to the fact that stress is reaching epidemic proportions in modern society. Balancing work, family, health, money, etc. is a challenge that many of us feel ill equipped to face. Eighty percent of the doctor visits in our country are stress related. Our quality of life and health is largely determined by how we adapt and relate to daily stressors. Here are a few ancient techniques for eliminating stress, increasing energy, and creating emotional balance. These are some of the most powerful tools we have for achieving optimal health and preventing future disease.

1) Meditation: Practiced for thousands of years in many Asian cultures, meditation has long been recognized as one of the most powerful tools we have for cultivating peace of mind and balance. Numerous studies have proven the incredibly positive effect that meditation has on stress reduction. There are literally hundreds of meditation techniques taught around the world. For beginners, the most helpful approach is to start with basic mindfulness techniques that develop both relaxation and alertness. Once a basic ground of awareness has been stabilized, then more advanced meditation practices can be undertaken. If you need help getting started, please go to http://www.havinghealthnow.com/meditationcd.html

2) Yoga: This ancient practice has also been utilized by millions of people throughout history. Yoga is typically considered a form of meditation that involves putting the body into a variety of poses in combination with deep breathing to induce mental clarity, increased energy, and physical strength and flexibility. The healing benefits of yoga have been repeatedly documented by a variety of clinical studies. There are many forms of yoga and it is best to experiment to determine which form feels the most helpful for your needs.

3) Acupuncture: One of the pillars of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been practiced for at least 2,500 years. Perhaps one of the last truly holistic forms of healthcare remaining on the planet, acupuncture works with the Qi (life force ) of the body in order to induce a variety

of therapeutic effects. The safety and efficacy of this practice are well documented which accounts for its incredible surge in popularity in the Western world. Acupuncture is considered one of the most powerful treatment options for stress reduction. Only seek acupuncture treatment from licensed acupuncturists ( as opposed to chiropractors or MD's who practice acupuncture).

4) Herbal medicine: There are a variety of both Chinese and Western herbal formulas that have been clinically proven to reduce stress and create emotional balance. Herbs are much less concentrated than pharmaceuticals, which is why they have far less side effects (but can still be as effective). If you are interested in this treatment option, many acupuncturists can skillfully prescribe herbal formulas. This is recommended over buying herbs over the counter with little knowledge of their intended usage.

5) Nutrition: Eating a diet high in antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and low glycemic carbohydrates can go a long ways in healing stress. The standard American diet (high in processed foods, saturated fat, sugar, and transfats) has been linked to anxiety, depression, and increased stress in numerous studies. Change your diet to an organic, whole foods approach and both your body and mind will reward you beyond measure.

Making these lifestyle changes may not be easy in the initial phases and it is often helpful to seek out the support of a health care practitioner to guide you through these transitions. Once you start feeling the enormous payoff of making such changes, there truly is no turning back. Your stress will dissolve, your weight will decrease, and your energy will skyrocket. Isn't that enough to warrant making a few changes?





About the author:

Kevin Doherty, L.Ac., MS is a licensed acupuncturist in private practice in Superior, Colorado and the staff acupuncturist for the integrative care center at Exempla hospital in Lafayette, Colorado. Kevin treats a variety of stress-related health concerns in his practice. For more information, please visit http://www.havinghealthnow.com

5 Stress-Busters: Counteract the Harmful Effects of Stress

Stress - whether it's from the hectic pace of your daily routine or a traumatic life event - can take its toll on your body. Prolonged stress can compromise your immune system, making you more vulnerable to serious illness and infection. If you stress is related to your lifestyle, it might be time to re-evaluate your priorities and slow down a bit. If life has thrown you a curveball, such as the breakup of your marriage or the loss of your job, you may have to ride it out. But, regardless of what's causing your stress, it's important to do what you can to counteract its harmful effects. Here are five ideas to get you started:



1. Change your perspective: You may or may not have control over the source of your stress, but you can control the way you perceive it. If you're on the verge of a meltdown because you're facing an impossible deadline, for example, ask yourself if the Earth will stop spinning on its axis if you're a day late. If you're dealing with a marital separation, acknowledge the pain and sadness, but internalize the knowledge that those feelings will lessen over time. Sometimes a change of perspective frees you to ask for that deadline extension or to feel your sadness but move on through your day.

2. Get moving: Exercise releases endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that act as a natural mood-elevator. If that's not enough to give you a boost, setting aside time each day for exercise will help strengthen your body to more effectively fight off stress-induced illness. Be sure to make your exercise goals achievable, or you'll run the risk of adding to

your stress!

3. Take a time out: Schedule a period of time each day for your personal "time out." Whether it's 15 minutes or an hour, block the time on your calendar as you would an appointment or meeting. Keeping your appointment with yourself must be non-negotiable, and don't dare use your time out to catch up on household chores or read your business report. Spend the time in meditation, read a trashy novel, or create a flower arrangement - whatever will make you feel as though you've put yourself first.

4. Nurture your body: Set aside at least one hour a week to pamper your body. Get a manicure or a pedicure, or spend an hour soaking in a bubble bath. At least once a month, consider having some bodywork done, such as a massage, an exfoliation, or other spa treatment. Not only will you be able to soothe away your stress, but you'll also let your body know that you appreciate all it does for you.

5. Reach out: Stress builds in isolation, so reach out to family members and friends. You don't necessarily have to share what's stressing you out - you just need to connect. Knowing that you have a solid support system in place can get you through the most stressful times.



About the author:

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Health and Beauty Website and Majon's Health and Beauty directory.

5 Steps to Re-charge When You Feel Like Giving Up

Even the most mild-mannered of us have days when we want to spray paint over happy face buttons and strangle the next person who comes close to suggesting that there is always a silver lining.

Even those of us who are completely dedicated to doing WHATEVER it takes to reach our goals have days when all feels hopeless and it seems as if our ability to achieve these goals is rapidly spinning out of control.

While being on track and on target certainly feels better, these kinds of days are going to happen to each of us. The real trick is not to let those days turn into weeks or months or, even worse, to let those days deceive you into believing that your goals are unachievable.

1. Allow yourself to acknowledge your feelings

As much as I would like to tell you differently, ignoring how you are feeling only gets you into more trouble! The sooner that you learn to recognize that you are starting to get out of synch, the easier it is to pull out of a downward spiral. Continuing to push forward anyway just means that you will be falling much faster and harder when the bottom drops out.

2. Take a Day Off

When you have ‘lost ground’ feeling bad or unmotivated, the last thing you think you have time for is to take a day off from activities that will lead you to your goal. BUT, how effective can you really be when you ‘gut it out’ day after day after day after day? How much more could you get done if you gave yourself a small break? Instead of pushing harder, consciously take a step back. I promise that it isn’t the beginning of the end – it is only a pause.

Even if you literally can’t take a full day off, consciously give yourself permission to step back from your goals. Allow yourself some breathing space.

3. Get it OUT

Acknowledging your feelings is one thing – but how does that really help? Once you have some breathing room, allow yourself to work on letting go.

Angry at someone or a situation? Write an angry letter that doesn’t get mailed. Frustrated at yourself? Write it all out. Now read it as if

you had written it to describe your best friend’s behavior – how does that change your view?

Can’t put words to it? Rent a movie that will make you belly laugh or sob the whole way through – that will release a lot of stuck energy.

4. Shoot for neutral

Once it’s all out, allow your goal to be to come back to neutral. Sure, joy and optimism is where you eventually want to end up, but for now, allow yourself the gift of accepting neutral. After all, this is a long way from angry, sad, and frustrated ~ and much more attainable in this moment.

5. Recommit to TODAY

Now that it’s all out and you are in a better place, re-commit to whatever part of your goal that you can accomplish today. Long term planning has its place. But, for right now, focus on this moment and this moment only. Then celebrate as you meet each accomplishment.

The way to meet any goal is to create conscious choices and actions. This formula is the same for times when you aren’t meeting your goals. Too many of us slip into beating ourselves up when we slip out of goal-achieving behaviors. This sets up unconscious resistance. The harder you push, the more resistance there is, and the farther you get from your goals ~ even though you feel like you are working twice as hard.

By making a conscious decision to put yourself through these steps the next time you feel like giving up, you will give yourself just the space you need to make a quantum leap ahead towards meeting your goals – and you won’t have to re-invest in new happy face buttons or mend relationships either!

About The Author

Jennifer R Bloome teaches women a 4 step process to create complete physical and emotional wellness by learning to create peace no matter what is going on around them. Create your own peace by signing up for free meditations at www.AnjiOnline.com.

Article may be reprinted in its entirety along with resource box.

Jennifer@AnjiOnline.com

5 Steps To Better Sleep

If you've ever found yourself counting sheep into the wee hours, then you can take some small comfort from the fact that you’re not alone.

Insomnia is plaguing more and more people each year and with the stresses of our daily lives, it's no surprise. For more than 75% of Americans polled by the National Sleep Foundation, getting a good night's sleep feels more like a distant dream than a reality.

The good news is that enjoying a full and healthy night's sleep is easier than you might think. You can improve the quality and duration of your sleep without resorting to sleeping pills or other artificial sleep aids. All you need to start your journey towards better sleep are these five simple steps:

Establish a routine

Creating a consistent bedtime routine is one of the most important steps you can take towards getting a good night's sleep. Going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning is the first step towards establishing a consistent sleep pattern.

A successful sleep routine also involves reducing outside stimulants like television, computer work and exercise two to three hours before bed, and refraining from caffeine at least three hours before bedtime.

Create a peaceful sleeping environment

Achieving better sleep depends upon a relaxed, peaceful sleeping environment. For the best possible sleep, remove distractions such as televisions, stereos and computers from your bedroom. Keep your bedroom temperature cool. Gentle air circulation through an open window and fresh, clean bed linens also help to promote a good night's sleep.

Reduce stress

Thoughts of work, financial problems and family concerns can often prevent a good night's sleep. Try reducing stimulants, using aromatherapy, a warm bath or some deep breathing and relaxation exercises to induce sleep, reduce stress and decrease the anxiety that can cause insomnia.

Adjust your diet

Maintaining a balanced diet is also one of the keys to enjoying a regular and fulfilling night's sleep. A healthy diet assists the bodily functions necessary for sound sleep. If you aren’t following a healthy

pattern of eating, you may find that altering the balance of your diet will dramatically improve the quality and duration of your sleep.

Use herbs or aromatherapy

Aromatherapy candles or oils and herbal teas are just two natural sleep aids that can significantly improve your nightly sleep. A variety of herbs enjoy a long history of use in addressing the problem of insomnia and in helping to induce better sleep.

Try burning a calming aromatherapy candle or adding soothing essential oils to a warm bath to help your body and mind wind down before bed. You might also try sipping chamomile tea (an age-old sleep remedy) an hour or so before bed to prepare your body for the good night's sleep you've been dreaming about.

The key to achieving better sleep

The five simple steps outlined here represent the basic framework for establishing a pattern of better sleep and provide an excellent starting point if you find yourself amongst the growing band of people suffering from insomnia. The key to achieving better sleep in the long-term doesn’t, as many people believe, lie in reaching for the sleeping pills, but lies in finding a natural solution that works for you.

Copyright © 2005 Donald Saunders Help Me To Sleep Affiliates

About the Author

Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including:
"Help Me To Sleep - A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies", "Jet Lag - An Alternative Approach", "Shift Work Insomnia" and "The Art of Meditation - A Guide To Meditation, Breathing and Relaxation Techniques"
For further details please visit Better Sleep

5 Simple Ways to Kick Start Your Goal-Setting

It's that time of year again where many pause and reflect on the previous year and consider what, if any, changes are needed and appropriate for the new one.

There are five important, yet simple steps to follow, which I believe are necessary for seemingly impossible goals to be achieved.

Step Number One

Spend some quiet time and write down exactly what the change or changes will be and why you want them, this is the first crucial step towards achieving goals. At this stage, write only what it is you'd like to achieve and why. The 'how's' and 'when's' can come later.

Step Number Two

This step too is very important, and it has everything to do with you accessing a state of inner peace. The peace I write about has little to do with listening to relaxation music, essential oils in a burner or harps playing (though they can help).

Achievement of your goal requires having peace through a quiet mind and inner calmness regardless of the chaos around you and how long this chaos reigns.

When you have this (peace) you'll have greater clarity, your creative self will make itself known, you'll gain foresight into how you will achieve your outcome, focus, and negativity will have minimal impact.

There are individuals who know how to step into the state of peace; however others may require some gentle guidance.

If you find achieving a peace state challenging, there are 5 options listed below that may help you:

1. Find yourself some quiet time when you know you'll be undisturbed and paint, draw, write, or map out all you can about your intended outcome.

2. Embark on a meditation program that will teach you a selection of meditation techniques.

3. If you're willing to be coached, find yourself a reputable personal coach who can help you work through limiting beliefs and help you discover what your values are.

4. Seek out a mentor. This would be someone whom you admire, is inspiring, motivating, and successful, be available to you and who is a fundamentally positive, peaceful and calm individual.

5. Embark on a spiritual development program.

The world of alternatives is huge. To find something you'll be happy with may take a little research, start by asking friends and family members to point you in the right direction. If they're just not into that kind of thing it may be wise to broaden your search through the internet, books, and/or other members of your community.

Step Number Three

This important step is about gifting yourself with a fresh outlook on life.

Looking at things in a totally different way and from a new angle will give you a more global perspective revealing greater possibilities and may be achieved by:

1. Asking parts of you what is important to you, each time you receive an answer continue by asking why that answer is important. When you can go no further ask yourself "how can you change this issue?" This may sound a bit strange, however from experience this works.

2. Transformational Coaching.

3. Understanding your motivation or lack of motivation. Once you've gained an understanding of you, you're in a position to become proactive into making necessary changes toward achieving your goal.

4. Reading

autobiographies of how successful people did it.

Step Number Four

By now you know exactly what you want; you can step into profound inner peace at will; have picked up great self-help and self-healing tools; eliminated limiting beliefs; and worked out your values. Now it's time to finally pinpoint exactly how you're going to go about achieving your goal.

There will be many ways on how you'll achieve your goal; however the time frame will vary greatly depending on what you need to acquire first. Maybe you need:

1. To acquire new skills such as sales, writing, technology, or marketing skills etc. for that new career you've always wanted to be part of.

2. To seriously start networking yourself and your product. Become known in your community.

3. To gather a team of like minded individuals that will motivate and inspire you into achieving your goal, whatever it is. Constant negative input can quickly extinguish dreams.

4. Start an investment portfolio for your future if you're after a secure financial future.

5. Read as much as possible on whatever your goal is, it will give you a fundamental understanding of what it's all about.

Step Number Five

This last but important step (they're all important) is the calculation of when your outcome will finally eventuate. If you've followed the previous steps adding Step Number Four into the equation, you'll be able to determine the time you can celebrate in a really, huge way of finally reaching the pot at the end of your rainbow!

1. Calculate the time it takes to complete your training courses or higher education.

2. Investment portfolio goals as discussed with your investment adviser.

3. Discuss with your business/personal development/transformational coach how many sessions and 'home-play' will be required of you for you to achieve your goal.

4. Factor in time it takes for people to get to know you if you're selling a product or you are the product. Speak with a marketing professional or someone 'in the know' first.

5. It's important to be realistic about timeframes. Sometimes our greatest plans will go awry and will take much longer than expected (much like newly discovered actors and singers who have been plugging their trade for many years before hitting the big time!)

Sometimes, incidents will happen and be out of our control no matter what we do. Like my computer taking with it all my electronic office equipment earlier in 2005 (one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever had). To keep going required perseverance, patience and flexibility - it would have been so easy to give up!

Anyone can achieve goals through inner peace, perseverance, patience, flexibility and sometimes viewing situations from an entirely different angle.

Michaela Scherr Transformational Coach

About the author:

Copyright requirements are that it remains with Michaela Scherr and for the link to be "click able" or "live" at http://www.michaelascherr.com

Michaela is a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), writer, and Metaphysician who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives.

5 Simple Steps To Changing Habits

"Good habits are hard to develop but easy to live with" and "Bad habits are easy to develop but hard to live with", according to Brian Tracey, a well-known motivational teacher. You may recognize that to successfully manage habit changes, breaking bad habits may be required in order to develop new ones.

Breaking bad habits takes at least 21 days. Of course, in difficult cases, it can take as long as a year. Here’s an example of the process of how to change an unhealthy habit to a healthy habit. Suppose you’ve decided that coffee is not good for you and right now, you drink coffee with sugar daily. The new habit you would like to institute is to drink herbal tea without sugar.

At first, it may be challenging to break the bad habit of drinking coffee. You will have to use self-discipline for the first few weeks but gradually it will get easier. Once you are able to change the old habit to a new healthier one, it will serve you very well. Habits are remarkable because they don’t require thinking. You just “do it” for years until you find yourself changing the habit again.

Here are 5 easy steps for changing habits:

1. Awareness: You must become aware of your habits. What is this habit exactly? How is this bad habit or group of bad habits affecting you? How is this habit affecting others? For example, smoking often has negative effects on others as well as on you.

2. Wanting to Change : As someone with a health problem, you must decide that breaking bad habits through a conscious effort is a worthy goal. You must convince yourself that the change in the habit is worth the effort involved.

3. Commitment : You must be determined to do whatever it takes for breaking bad habits so that you can better control your life. You make a decision that “no matter what” you will change the habit. You do the work required to stop. Here are some examples of habits you might want to change: Smoking, eating too much, eating processed foods, not exercising, drinking coffee or other beverages with caffeine in them, eating too much sugar or fat, drinking alcohol, procrastinating, etc.

4. Consistent Action : It is important to focus on changing just one habit at a time. Then, take consistent daily actions

for breaking the bad habit that has been causing problems and take the actions to develop a new one. We suggest doing this process one step at a time rather than trying to do it all at once. Sometimes changing a habit can be done “cold turkey” like smoking and sometimes it works better to make a gradual change.

Be sure to give yourself positive rewards often for taking small actions toward changing a bad habit. Continual day-by-day actions are what are critical. This is NOT about an occasional action or step. It is about being consistent every day.

5. Perseverance : There will be times when you question whether it is all worth it. You’ll say to yourself that breaking these bad habits is too difficult; that you are too “weak” to change. Your old self, often so comfortable living with the bad habits, is trying to hold on. Breaking your old patterns may require meditation and prayer.

Visualize regularly the rewards for following through and the costs of not following through on breaking the bad habits and especially the value to your future of building new better habits.

Get support from others, especially other people who want to make changes in their lives and read about people who have been successful in breaking bad habits. Affirm that, no matter what, you will not backslide into your old bad habit patterns.

Now, you are armed with a 5-step process for breaking any bad habit or other condition that requires changing. If you have an addiction to something such as alcohol, these steps alone may not be enough. You may require additional professional help or a support group, but for most cases this 5-step process will do the trick!

Copyright 2005 T. McDonald

About the Author: T. McDonald is a lifelong student of psychology and personal empowerment as well as a writer. She edits http://www.diabetes-guide.org where you will find information on the glycemic index diet, weight loss, managing diabetes, alternative sweeteners, breast cancer bracelets, how to prevent breast cancer and much more.

Source: www.isnare.com

5-Minute Meditation: Healing Temple

Sit comfortably in a private place. Close your eyes and make sure your back is straight. Now draw your attention to your breath...

Notice the rising and falling of your rib cage. Feel any tension or anxiety leaving your body with each exhale....

Pull your breath deeper into your stomach area. Let yourself relax, starting at your toes and working your way upward, until you reach the top of your head and your entire body is relaxed...

In your mind's eye, imagine yourself standing at the top of a staircase. You can see a radiant, white light shining out from below...

Visualize yourself descending the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs you find yourself inside a beautiful, sacred temple. Sitting in the center of the room is a dazzling being of light. This being invites you to sit down...

This can be any ascended master that you identify with; Jesus Christ, Kuan Yin, Buddha, or even Metatron...

Now see yourself reaching out and joining hands with this loving being. Feel this master's powerful, healing light come into your hands and pass through your body in waves. Let this light flow freely...

Feel its peaceful, healing wisdom expanding in your body, raising your consciousness. Let the essence of this pure light extend beyond your body, filling the temple around you. Then feel it stretch beyond the temple to infinity...

Feel your body,

mind and soul coming into alignment with Divine Will. You are in harmony with the natural order of the universe and it's a joyous feeling. Bask in the glow of this joy for a few moments...

When you are ready to leave, thank your ascended master for sharing this loving time with you. Slowly go back up the stairs, bringing with you a renewed sense of freedom...

Remember that you can return to this healing temple any time you wish. Re-enter your body and open your eyes. Gently stretch your limbs and enjoy your day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have permission to reprint what you just read. Use it in your e-zine, at your website or in your newsletter. The only requirement is that you include the following footer...

This 5-Minute Meditation by Avalon De Witt. Visit http://www.AskAvalon.com for more original content like this. Reprint permission granted with this footer included.

About the Author

Avalon De Witt is an authentic psychic by birth and a survivor of a near-death experience. Her gifts include clairvoyance, clairaudience, empathic ability, dream interpretation and healing. She has studied the Tarot and other forms of divination for over 23 years. Avalon has practiced as a professional psychic and spiritual counselor for over 12 years. She has worked successfully with thousands of clients world-wide.

5-Minute Meditation: Flower of Change

Take a moment alone and settle into your body. Close your eyes, relax and breathe... deeply, slowly.

Visualize yourself walking through the woods. Glistening, new-fallen snow carpets the trail beneath your feet. Breathe in the cool air and feel it refreshing you.

Exhale slowly, letting all your worries out with your breath. Spirit is with you and you are expanding your consciousness to take in the life-giving love that Spirit wants to share with you.

Up ahead, you see a beautiful, golden wildflower, standing tall, growing right in the middle of the snow. There is a glorious, warm, loving light beaming out from this amazing flower.

As you step closer to this flower you feel its light permeating you, and you feel lighter, like a weight has lifted. The purest love is flowing all through your entire body, energizing you.

Now think of something you'd like to change in your life. Imagine yourself experiencing this change in total harmony, success coming to you with incredible ease. See yourself celebrating your success. Feel the fulfillment, the joy, the peace that comes from living your dream. Take it all in. Let yourself bask in the glow of this feeling and continue breathing.

When you feel ready, give gratitude to your golden wildflower in the snow for its light and for helping you bring this wonderful change to fruition.

Walking back through the woods, you see that same loving light beaming out from you, too. Extend this light to everyone you meet.

Open your eyes, stretch and return to your day, renewed and energized.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have permission to reprint what you just read. Use it in your e-zine, at your website or in your newsletter. The only requirement is that you include the following footer...

This 5-Minute Meditation by Avalon De Witt. Visit http://www.AskAvalon.com for more original content like this. Reprint permission granted with this footer included.

About the Author

Avalon De Witt is an authentic psychic by birth and a survivor of a near-death experience. Her gifts include clairvoyance, clairaudience, empathic ability, dream interpretation and healing. She has studied the Tarot and other forms of divination for over 23 years. Avalon has practiced as a professional psychic and spiritual counselor for over 12 years. She has worked successfully with thousands of clients world

5-Minute Meditation: Chakra Garden

Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed. Close your eyes and take in a few slow, deep breaths. Picture yourself standing on a garden footpath, in the midst of a great flower garden...

All around you are, hundreds of rich, red roses. You stroll along the footpath, reaching out to gently touch the petals of these fragrant roses. You sense a stabilizing energy emanating from these bold roses. This energy fills your body and you feel yourself connecting to the earth...

The path is bending toward the right, so you continue along. Up ahead, you can see where the roses blend into vivid, orange poppies. As you touch these wide, sunny flowers, you feel energized and motivated...

The poppies are followed by bright, yellow daffodils, standing proudly and pulsing with power. These flowers send a charge of power through your body. You realize this is your own power. You feel focused now...

Winding still to the right, the circular path leads you through emerald green Ambrosia flowers. The tiny blooms clustered on stalks wave in the breeze like an ocean. Love and harmony surround you and penetrate you softly...

Beyond the Ambrosia are cobalt blue Irises. They almost seem to light up as you gaze at these showy flowers. Moving closer, you feel the Irises vibrating. Now, a feeling of creativity rises up within you like a blossom itself, calling out for life...

Further on, you find broadly spreading branches of

deep Wild Indigo in full bloom. The Indigo blooms are like splashes of indigo paint. Your sense of vision is inspired and you can see all your concerns working out beautifully...

Then, closing the circle, you reach a luxuriant carpet of violets. These delicate flowers seem to have an understanding of you. And now, you can feel a sense of understanding pervading you too, about the world, about yourself, about your life...

Now gently return to your body, open your eyes and slowly begin to move around. You can memorize these images and use them - together or separately, any time you need a chakra boost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have permission to reprint what you just read. Use it in your e-zine, at your website or in your newsletter. The only requirement is that you include the following footer...

This 5-Minute Meditation by Avalon De Witt. Visit http://www.AskAvalon.com for more original content like this. Reprint permission granted with this footer included.

About the Author

Avalon De Witt is an authentic psychic by birth and a survivor of a near-death experience. Her gifts include clairvoyance, clairaudience, empathic ability, dream interpretation and healing. She has studied the Tarot and other forms of divination for over 23 years. Avalon has practiced as a professional psychic and spiritual counselor for over 12 years. She has worked successfully with thousands of clients world-wide.

5 Key Ways to Attract Abundance and Prosperity

When you hear the words "abundance" and "prosperity", what immediately comes to mind?Is it money, fulfilling relationships, a lovely house to live in, peace of mind, a career/vocation that expresses your gifts?

It may be all or none of those things. It may mean something else to you. But if you want to attract more prosperity and abundance into your life, no matter how you define them, then this article outlines 5 key ways to do so.

1. Understand Attraction Law

This is better known as the Law of Attraction, as defined by Abraham Hicks, states that "you attract whatever you give your attention and energy to, whether wanted or unwanted".

So, if you're curious about what you're putting out there, look at what you are attracting, the visible results in your life. Knowing about and working with the the Law of Attraction will help you in manifesting, creating and attracting more abundance and prosperity in your life.

Once you understand it, there's no turning back.

2. You get what you focus on

One of the key concepts in the Law of Attraction is that you get what you focus on, whether that be money, relationships, employment etc). So when you focus on having less, that is the experience you create for yourself.

Saying that "I hate my job" will just draw even more attention to the aspects of the job that you don't like. Even if you look for another job, it'll be with that negative energy.

Just wanting something isn't enough, because you will still continue to think about what you don't have. Always focusing on what you lack means that you don't see the present and future opportunities, or begin to realise your true desires. You're getting in your own way!

3. Clear your head

..........to allow you to focus more effectively. Our minds are full of "stuff"; old, tired and limiting beliefs, which don't reflect who we are now, or who we want to become.

Set aside quiet time for yourself on a regular basis to get real clear about what you really want to attract in your life. Use this

opportunity to ask yourself questions.

Ask yourself: "how can I create more prosperity and abundance in my life?". Once your head is clear, you will allow the answers to come to you. Meditation is a great way to start clearing the mind.

4. Appreciate life's abundance

Appreciating life's abundance is another way to opening yourself up to accept more abundance and prosperity in your life. When you fully appreciate what you have in your life, the Universe has a way of giving you more.

Keep a gratitude journal and at the end of each day, write down everything that you appreciate in your life. You'll begin to change your energy and vibration and become more internally aligned with what you want to create in your life.

5. Use prosperity affirmations

As you write your gratitude journal, it is an opportunity to write down prosperity affirmations as well. Affirmations are statements of acceptance that you use to manifest your destiny or what you want to create in your life. They are powerful, positive thoughts and words sent out to the universe.

If you want to use affirmations to create positive changes in your life, then you must first BELIEVE that this is possible. It shouldn't be a half hearted "well, I'll give this a go and see what happens".

To make affirmations more effective, put as much positive energy in writing and saying them as possible. Visualise what you want to create and let this inform your prosperity affirmations.

When you cease operating from a position of lack, you start to create the fertile conditions to make more informed decisions, identify greater opportunities and attract more abundance and prosperity into your life.

Julie Plenty is a Personal and Business Coach who helps self employed creative professionals develop a strong personal foundation and therefore increase the success of their business. For more self growth articles, resources and free ecards, visit: http://www.self-help-personal-development.com

5 Easy Way to Lift the Spirit

I tried the conventional way for many years and found that nothing ever really changed for me. I still got sick, still got sad, and was still unhappy for long periods, rarely experiencing joy and peacefulness.

What to do?

Luckily for me there’s always been that curiosity of what’s out there in the alternative world including the alternative therapies. I’ve tried many of them over the years and will continue to do so, all in the hope I can make things better for my body, mind and spirit. And it has.

I’m aware that what may work for me may not work for someone else, so the message is to keep trying until you find something that will suit your needs.

Many times I’ve been told they’ve tried everything. What is everything? What it actually boiled down to you could count on one hand. It’s worthwhile to keep searching, you may find that your world expands in a most amazing way by the making of new friendships (I have) and picking up useful skills for your ‘self-healing’ tool-kit.

So what do I do when I’ve reached a cross-road and need some direction or could do with some healing?

Below I’ve listed 5 basic points that have helped to lift my spirit and with practice will also help yours:

1. Meditation! Meditation is one of the greatest self healing tools available and costs nothing except a little of your time! There are many meditation techniques out there, find one that suits you and begin.

By putting some meditation music on and spending time in quiet contemplation it can soothe your soul and reconnect you with the highest aspect of yourself.

2. Aromatherapy and Essential Oils.

Rebalance and rejuvenate your spirit through blending a selection of essential oils together in an aromatherapy oil burner. I’ve found the following blend works extremely well when there’s a need for nurturing, support and healing:

Approximately an hour before retiring to bed place a few drops of the following in an aromatherapy oil burner with some water (for safety’s sake, extinguish the flame before lights are turned off for the night):

4 drops Jasmine
4 drops Rose
4 drops Neroli
3 drops Lavender
3 drops Bergamot

The smell divine! I use this one every now and again and not only sleep like a baby but anxiety and stress disappears, and feels like the weight of the world has lifted from my shoulders by the following morning! (If you have a small bedroom you might like to half the amount of drops)

3. Breathe! Stand with feet a shoulder-length apart. Take 3 slow and deep breaths using the diaphragm muscles.

Breathe in through the nose, and breathe out through slightly parted lips. As you do these imagine you’re inhaling your personal power, filling every cell in your body, from your diaphragm up to the top of your head.

Be your personal power and notice how much taller, straighter and stronger you become. Repeat the steps above.

4. Be in the Present Moment. Take a few deep breaths and focus totally on this moment, right now.

If you’re reading a book or magazine, or even this article, totally focus on the words and take in their meaning. There is only you and this article now in the present moment.

If you’re in the workplace, focus totally on the task at hand, and only this task, and what you must do in order to complete it. Nothing else matters except you and the task at hand.

5. Set an intention. When I’m on the lookout for something new and useful for me, I set my intention on what it is I’m after.

For example, I may want to find a book that will give me answers in regards to directing me to another healing modality or skill. I then meditate on this intention, give it a timeframe then open my heart to it. Lo and behold I will have a book in my hand in no time at all! I love the power of intention – I also use intention for getting a parking space when I go shopping!

These days I rarely get sick and when I do and have a medical checkup, doctors tell me I’m actually very healthy (surely they can find something so I can get some sympathy around here!) which also includes blood test results.

I still do sadness and unhappiness well (I’m still human) though neither lasts long whereas in the past it would last many days sometimes weeks. What lasts much longer is a peaceful state.

When using the 5 points above, my spirit lifts and life once again becomes more peaceful and joyful.

Michaela Scherr Transformational Coach at http://www.michaelascherr.com

About The Author

Michaela Scherr

Copyright requirements are that it remains with Michaela Scherr and for the link to be clickable or ‘live’.

Michaela is a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), writer and intuitive who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives.

Michaela is the author of several e-books and publisher of a monthly newsletter called From My Desk.

You can find out what her website offers at http://www.michaelascherr.com.

5 Awesome Actions of Highly Creative Leaders!

How many times have you wondered why you are unable to
"think-out-of-the-box" more often?

We are all products of our environment and our backgrounds
usually prevent us from viewing situations with the unique
eyes of our personal experience.

However, the leaders who think "out-of-the-proverbial-box"
do so by incorporating what I like to see as a,
Strategically Wise Synergistic Process of Creation.

These creative thinkers apply their own kinds of
action-oriented logic to problems to help them find new
wisdom, discover opportunities or see the facts in
different ways.

In a word, truly creative types act differently, in ways
that we'll call "Logical Action-Steps".

Logical Action-Step One: Achieve Understanding not Mere
Reasoning

You want to find the basic or underlying meanings of the
problems facing your group.

You could reason-out what is happening, by using your linear
thinking skills to negotiate, analyze or plan your response.

For instance, you could notice that it is more chilly, by 15
degrees, this evening than it was yesterday at this same
time which is certainly a reasonable observation.

Your could use your reasoning prowess to remember the
cooling trend of last month's temperatures and conclude that
it was windier and the skies much clearer [of clouds] for
most of last night and today - therefore you would assume
that it was those factors which contributed to a colder
night tonight than it was last night.

Creative thinkers would aggressively investigate the weather
by:

- intensely searching for answers,

- through disillusioning or transforming their
pre-conceptions,

- looking within, around and beneath the conditions,

- recognizing and deeply understanding their core
assumptions about the weather

Logical Action-Step Two: Seek The Strategist's Viewpoint

If you're like most knowledge-workers, you probably have a
fairly extensive network of friends, colleagues, and
associates. Your social network has been built over time
through your individual experiences, efforts and encounters.

Strategists release the latent energies of their social
networks through collaborative inquiries into finding new
solutions, handling challenges and exploiting opportunities
for transformation.

Thus by being the strategist you actively look for ways to
create, leverage and extend synergy throughout your group.

You would want to set-up an environment or atmosphere of
synergism where your team interacts and has processes or
policies which encourage interactions in such a way so that
the total impact of the group's efforts adds up to be more
than the mere sum of their individual contributions.

Logical Action-Step Three: Engage in First-Person Research

Creative leaders make it a point to evaluate the progress of
their own personal development - such as, the stages of
growth and the legitimacy of each stage, they also assess
their behavior and preferences.

Do you regularly or completely write down or record your
thoughts, feelings and ideas? How much effort do you devote
to keeping a journal, a diary or notes on your inner self?

Are you the type of person who looks for and analyzes the
contradictory desires inside yourself or do you tend to
notice a distinction between your desires and intentions?

What do you use to practice consciousness development or
strengthening activities? In what ways do you structure your
time to engage in meditation, martial arts, crafts or
improvisational theater kinds of activities?

Logical Action-Step Four: Empower Their Shifts To Change

You can add power to your group through practicing
techniques which enable people to discover the ideas,
approaches and solutions hidden within them.

Effective leaders transform interpersonal activities into
creative exercises. They orient their followers to focus on
reflecting,

learning, thinking, questioning, resolving,
creating, discussing, debriefing, playing and interacting.

You would involve and join your stakeholders - partners,
associates, peers, suppliers, constituents and others who
might a part or vested interest in your venture - to build a
shared vision with as broad a group of your stakeholders as
possible.

Logical Action-Step Five: Capitalize on Wise Synergism

Perhaps you have heard of the principle of master-mind - it's
where two or more people harmonize their thinking around
a specific project or problem for the express purpose of
forming a mind that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Great inventors and leaders like Thomas Edison, George
Washington, Alfred Nobel and many others used their
master-mind groups to generate fantastic innovations,
policies and achievements for all humankind.

You can leverage the collaborative activities of your team
through the strategist's approach to leadership. You can
expand the time horizon of your strategies to encompass a
range from 3 to 21 years.

The benefits that strategic leaders provide is that their
groups enjoy opportunities to:

- Share their reflections on your mission and vision

- Openly disclosure, support and confront any differences
between the organization's and their personal values

- Conduct corporate and personal performance appraisals

- Creatively resolve paradoxes or contradictions in
productivity versus inquiry, autonomy versus control, and
quality versus quantity

- Interactively develop self-amending and self-correcting
structures

------------------------------------------------------------

You can multiply your creativity and creative leadership
skills just by applying these strategies to all of your
problems, situations and decisions.

Experts in psychology, management and organizational
sciences call these strategies, "action-logic" - their
studies reveal that professionals generally fall into one of
three different behavioral categories:
1) Reactive - 5%
2) Preventive - 85%
3) Creative - 10%

This article has described the "creative" forms of
action-logic - by using these strategies people will be
moved to call you an "individualist", a "strategist" or a
"magician"!

"I am personally convinced that one person can be a change
catalyst, a "transformer" in any situation, any
organization. Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an
entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience,
respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a
transforming leader." Stephen R. Covey

Are you ready to leverage, empower and energize your
creative leadership? Are you willing to be that catalyst,
agent of change or provocateur who inspires others to
contribute to the growth of your organization?

Ensure the success of your "Strategically Wise Synergistic
Process of Creation" with these 5 "Logical Action Steps" -
your teammates and organization will be so glad you did.

Mustard Seed Investments Inc.
Copyright © 2004, All rights reserved

------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bill Thomas produces "The Leadership Toolkit" - a web
based training program that improves your leadership skills,
energizes creativity and transforms you into a persuasive,
empowering leader. Inspire Confidence, Be Creative, Enhance
Your Leadership Influence - Get "All the Tools You Need To
Lead!" http://www.leadership-toolkit.com/info.html
------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author

Bill Thomas produces "The Leadership Toolkit" - a web
based training program that improves your leadership skills,
energizes creativity and transforms you into a persuasive,
empowering leader. Inspire Confidence, Be Creative, Enhance
Your Leadership Influence - Get "All the Tools You Need To
Lead!" http://www.leadership-toolkit.com/info.html

4 Ways to Prevent the Most Common Women's Health Problem

You have permission to freely publish this article
electronically or in print as long as the resource box below is included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Title: 4 Ways to Prevent the Number One Women’s Health Problem
Author: Julie Lenz
URL: http://www.pcoscoach.com
Word: 446
Author's Email: Julie@pcoscoach.com
Article Category: Health, Women’s Health, Heart

4 Ways to Prevent the Number One Women’s Health Problem
by Julie Lenz

What disease kills more American women than any other?

If you answered anything except heart disease then you must read this article. According to the American Heart Association heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women. They are two of the many cardiovascular diseases that kill nearly 500,000 women each year. That’s more than the next seven causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

1. Get your cholesterol tested every year. Many women don’t know they have high cholesterol. They assume that heart disease is a man’s problem. Even many doctors don’t realize the risk that women have of heart disease so they fail to suggest testing.

2. Increase your weekly exercise. We now know that as little as 10 minutes of exercise three times a week can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk the dog a little bit longer each day. Get your heart pumping by dancing to your favorite music
while you clean the house. Walk during your lunch hour instead of eating at your desk.

3. Eat more fruits and veggies. Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and high in fiber. They contain heart healthy nutrients. Leafy greens are

particularly healthy. Orange juice is high in folic acid, a nutrient known to protect the heart and prevent
birth defects. Add one vegetable or fruit to every meal and you will likely double your current intake. You can make it easier by keeping prepared vegetables in the refrigerator to throw into a salad or munch on for snacks.

4. Learn about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS affects as many as 5-10% of all women. It is one of the most common endocrine disorders and is one of the most common causes of infertility. PCOS is a cluster of symptoms that can include: unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight, depression or mood swings, painful or irregular periods, absent periods,
acne, hair loss, unexpected hair growth (face, arms, stomach, etc.), infertility, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and more. Untreated PCOS can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and endometrial cancer. Protecting your heart is easier than you might think and it will reward you every moment of every day. Take care of yourself. You are worth it!

Julie Lenz is a life coach who helps professional women cope with the effects of chronic illness. She writes the weekly e-newsletter "PCOS Success!" She is also the author of "A PCOS Daybook: Daily Meditations for Coping With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" to be released May 2004. You can learn more at: www.pcoscoach.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julie Lenz is a life coach who helps professional women cope
With the effects of chronic illness. She writes the weekly
e-newsletter "PCOS Success!" She is also the author of "A
PCOS Daybook: Daily Meditations for Coping With Polycystic
Ovary Syndrome" to be released May 2004. You can learn more
at: www.pcoscoach.com

4 Simple Changes to Regain Your Life from Fibromyalgia

What You Need To Know: Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

According to the American College of Rheumatology, Fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. Other sources say the total number affected could be 8 million people. It primarily occurs in women of childbearing age, but children, the elderly, and men can also be affected. (Approximately 80 percent to 90 percent of affected people are women.)

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by fatigue and widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons. At first, it was not considered an illness at all. Doctors could not find any thing wrong with patients so they believed it to be psychosomatic.

Slowly that dismissive view is changing. Published research at Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania and other top research facilities points to immune dysfunction and cardiac abnormalities in these illnesses. It is difficult to believe that some doctors still regard people with Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome as nothing more than 'extremely worried well people'.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS or chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, CFIDS) is a chronic, often debilitating disorder of unknown cause characterized by fatigue, pain and cognitive disorders. Often severe cognitive complaints differentiate the syndrome from similar disorders and usually occur in a later stage of the disease.

There is no evidence to sustain the thought that CFS or Fibromyalgia is a contagious disease. Contagious diseases typically occur in well-defined clusters, either as outbreaks or epidemics.

What Causes Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Asking what causes Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome can be a tricky question, depending on whom you ask. Doctors and researchers believe there is not a single cause of Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. At this point doctors are just not sure what causes these illnesses.

While the cause of Fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers have several hypotheses about causes or what triggers the illness. Some scientists believe that the syndrome may be caused by an injury or trauma. This injury may affect the central nervous system.

Fibromyalgia may be associated with changes in muscle metabolism, such as decreased blood flow, causing fatigue and decreased strength. Others believe an infectious agent such as a virus in susceptible people may trigger the syndrome, but no such agent has been identified.

Research proposes that CFS may be caused by an immunologic dysfunction or altered capacity of certain immune functions. One thing is certain at this time: there are no immune disorders in CFS or Fibromyalgia patients traditionally affiliated with disease.

That suggests a different approach is needed to reach the state of health you want.

4 Simple Changes to Shift Your Life From Fibromyalgia or CFS

Many studies have indicated that a healthy lifestyle including diet, exercise, relaxation techniques and sufficient sleep offer the most effective approaches for reducing fatigue and pain from CFS and Fibromyalgia.

1. Nutrition/Diet

A common thread in many cases seems to be a tendency to feel better when refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol, fried foods, red meat, and highly processed foods, are kept to a sound personal minimum in the diet.

Try supplementing your current diet with greater quantities of raw or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables. Try substituting meats that are high in fat with fish or lean poultry. Drink plenty of water and take a good vitamin supplement to ensure that you are getting proper nutrition.

2. Quality Sleep: Seven Ways to Become Sleeping Beauty

This is perhaps the most important component of treating CFS/FM. The following tips will help you achieve more restful sleep. Try to follow as many of them as possible to obtain the best level of sleep you can:

· Try to go to bed earlier and at the same time everyday. Even on weekends, try to go to bed and wake at the same time. This will help your body get

used to a set schedule and provide for a more restful sleep.

· Try to avoid any caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee or soda before going to bed. It is a stimulant that will keep you awake at night. Also, alcohol drinking should be kept to a minimum in Fibromyalgia sufferers.

· Don't eat a lot before bedtime. Generally, try not to eat within two hours of going to bed. Particularly avoid spicy or fatty foods and try to keep your "midnight snacks" to a minimum.

· Ensure that you have a comfortable mattress and pillow. Sometimes, people's poor sleeping habits stem from poor mattresses. What constitutes a comfortable bed is different for us all. Usually something that is not too firm and not too soft should be acceptable. Cervical pillows mold to the natural shape of your neck and eliminate any unwanted stresses on the muscles of your neck and upper back. Choosing the appropriate bed and pillow is often done by trial and error. Find the combination that gives you the most restorative sleep and stick with it.

· A regular exercise program will help you have a more deep and refreshing sleep on a consistent basis.

· Try and avoid daytime naps. By doing so you will be more tired at night and be able to sleep deeper, thereby waking up more refreshed. Naps may seem like they provide more sleep time, but they are counterproductive to getting rest. Naps during the day will affect how well you will sleep during the night and it gets the body out of sync with the regular sleep pattern, leading to insomnia at night.

· Keep a proper sleeping environment. This involves a quiet and cool room. A slightly cooler room is ideal for sleeping since this mimics your internal temperature drop during sleep and silence is more conducive to sleep.

3. Exercise: You Can Be More Than A Couch Potato

Many studies have indicated that exercise is the most effective component in managing Fibromyalgia, and patients must expect to undergo a long-term exercise program. Physical activity prevents muscle atrophy, increases a sense of well-being, and over time reduces fatigue and pain itself. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.

4. Relaxation Techniques: Even When You're In Pain

Relaxation and stress-reduction techniques are proving to be helpful in managing chronic pain. There is certainly evidence that people with Fibromyalgia have a more stressful response to daily conflicts and encounters than those without the disorder. A number of relaxation and stress- reduction techniques have proven to be helpful in managing chronic pain:

· Deep breathing exercises. · Muscle relaxation techniques. · Meditation. · Hypnosis. · Biofeedback. · Massage therapy.

Your goal with these lifestyle suggestions is to modify the choices that are within your control. But obviously, many things in your life are not in your control and impact you on many different levels. But, you CAN gain control over these areas too.

A free ebook titled "Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: What you need to know, what you need to do" explains how you can regain control your health to enjoy a life free from the symptoms of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Obtain your free copy now at: http://www.fibromyalgia-and-chronic-fatigue-help.com

Get "the rest of the story" there to start living the life you want and deserve!!

___________________________________________________________

About the Author

Lee Berlemann's FREE ebook titled, "Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: What You Need To Know, What You Need To Do" offers hope for you and your family's health challenges. Obtain your FREE copy at: http://www.fibromyalgia-and-chronic-fatigue-help.com

About the author:

About the Author

Lee Berlemann's FREE ebook titled, "Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: What You Need To Know, What You Need To Do" offers hope for you and your family's health challenges. Obtain your FREE copy at: http://www.fibromyalgia-and-chronic-fatigue-help.com