Benefits of Meditation

Meditation or “dhyana” is an extreme form of concentration. It allows your mind to focus on one thing and detaches you from all worldly things. Meditation is one of The 8 Limbs of Yoga. It is believed that all divine powers live in the heart and meditation is the only route to dive deep into your heart. Though meditation is not an answer to all your problems, but it sure results in a harmony between body and soul. To reap the full benefits of meditation, regular practice is required.

How to Meditate?

To mediate you must sit comfortably and start focusing on one thought, object or even your breathing. Initially your mind will wander. Do not try to stop it. Let it go. Do not suppress any feelings or thought, but let these pass. Once done your mind will automatically return to your object of focus. Now your mind will be at peace.

With time your mind will wander less and within no time you will enter into a phase of deep concentration. Mediation will bring you to the present.

Importance of Meditation

•  By daily practicing meditation you will become a calmer person. There will be a mental serenity in every task you perform. Each day you will have a different experience so never think about the day gone by, but on the present.

•  Today’s life is full of stress, which further influences our day to day activities. Meditation helps in reducing stress by affecting your nervous system. Meditation reduces the production of stress related hormones like cortisol and increases the production of good chemicals like serotonin.

•  Sound sleep is very important for the proper functioning of the body. When your mind works faster than required, you do not get proper sleep. Regular meditation helps in relieving stress and thus improves the quality of sleep.

•  Less stress means more happiness. You will live a happier and healthier life with meditation.

•  People suffering from anxiety and depression must mediate daily for 15-20 mins. Mediation also helps in controlling anger.

•  Meditation enhances energy gain from inner sources.

•  You live a disciplined life and cultivate good habits.

•  Improved concentration is the result of meditation.

•  It is believed that meditation improves the immune system and thereby helps in controlling blood pressure and lowering blood cholesterol.

•  Meditation slows down aging.

•  Meditation provides emotional stability.

I recently have started to meditate, and need to be better at consistency! I try to wake up a little earlier, and either say an affirmation over and over in my head, or listen to a guided mediation on you tube. There are a ton of them, and you can choose one based on time. They have 5 minute videos, or hour long ones. I might also just envision my day the way I want it to go, or just start to name the things I am grateful for, and really start to envision these things with great focus.

If you missed your morning meditation, you can download an app called the “Mindfulness App”. It will chime at times during the day reminding you to be your best self, and note how you treat others, but you can also use the time waiting for the school bus or in a doctors office to listen to a simple 5 minute guided meditation.

Namaste.

What are GMO's

GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.

Meanwhile, a growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights.

Why are they bad:

Increased Toxicity
Most plants produce substances that are toxic to humans. Most of the plants that humans consume produce toxins at levels low enough that they do not produce any adverse health effects. There is concern that inserting an exotic gene into a plant could cause it to produce toxins at higher levels that could be dangerous to humans. This could happen through the process of inserting the gene into the plant. If other genes in the plant become damaged during the insertion process it could cause the plant to alter its production of toxins. Alternatively, the new gene could interfere with a metabolic pathway causing a stressed plant to produce more toxins in response. Although these effects have not been observed in GM plants, they have been observed through conventional breeding methods creating a safety concern for GM plants. For example, potatoes conventionally bred for increased diseased resistance have produced higher levels of glycoalkaloids (GEO-PIE website). 

Decreased Nutritional Value
A genetically modified plant could theoretically have lower nutritional quality than its traditional counterpart by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible to humans. For example, phytate is a compound common in seeds and grains that binds with minerals and makes them unavailable to humans. An inserted gene could cause a plant to produce higher levels of phytate decreasing the mineral nutritional value of the plant (GEO-PIE). Another example comes from a study showing that a strain of genetically modified soybean produced lower levels of phytoestrogen compounds, believed to protect against heart disease and cancer, than traditional soybeans (Bakshi, 2003). 

How can I avoid GMOs?

Choose food and products that are Non-GMO Project Verified!

6 Quick and Easy Dry Skin Relievers

Give your dry skin the moisture it craves.

When you have flaky, itchy, dry skin, you want fast relief. Easing your dry skin isn't just about what you put on it. It also depends on how you clean your skin, the air around you, and even your clothes. 

Try these six tips to soothe your dry skin.

1. Warm Yes, Hot No.

A steamy shower feels good, but that hot water is not a good idea for your dry skin, says dermatologist Andrea Lynn Cambio, MD.

The problem is that hot showers strip your body of its natural oil barrier, and you need that barrier to help trap moisture and keep your skin smooth and moist.

So dial down the temperature and don't linger too long. Skin care experts recommend short, warm showers or baths that last no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. 

Afterward, gently pat dry and moisturize your body.

2. Cleanse Gently.

Wash with a soapless cleanser when you shower. Cambio says gentle soaps that are free of fragrance are a great option. Products with deodorant or antibacterial additives can be harsh on skin.

Go easy on toners, peels, and other astringents made with alcohol, which is drying. When you exfoliate, don't scrub too much or too hard, Jacob says. It can irritate and thicken skin.

3. Shave Smartly.

Shaving can irritate dry skin. As you shave unwanted hair, you're also scraping off natural oils. 

The best time to shave is after you shower, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Hairs are softer and more pliable after bathing, making shaving easier.

Always use a shaving cream or gel, and shave in the direction the hair is growing to protect your skin. 

Make sure the razor is sharp. A dull razor blade can cause additional irritation. Change your razor blades often. If you are using a blade you've used before, soak it in rubbing alcohol to clean it. 

4. Cover Up.

Sun damage is one of the main causes behind dry skin, wrinkles, and roughness. You can help prevent that damage by wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen year-round and dressing right.

In cool weather, Cambio says, be sure to "dress in layers to prevent overheating and perspiring excessively; both can irritate the skin."

To prevent dry, chapped lips in winter, use a lip balm with SPF 15 sunscreen, and cover your lips with a scarf or a hat with a mask.

In summer, wear light, loose, long-sleeved shirts when out in the sun, and wear a 2-inch wide-brimmed hat to shade your neck, ears, and eyes.

5. Follow the Rules of Moisturizing.

If you like a very rich moisturizer, look for one with shea butter, ceramides, stearic acid, or glycerin, Leslie Baumann, MD, director of the Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute at the University of Miami, says. "All are rich moisturizers that will help you replenish your skin barrier," Baumann writes in her online article Winter Skin, where she also says she particularly loves glycerin.

Jacobs says that whichever product you choose, a consistent, smart moisturizing routine helps.

•   Wash with a non-soap liquid cleanser, preferably one with ceramides to replenish the skin's outer layer. 

•   Pat skin dry for less than 20 seconds.

•   Apply a thick moisturizer to slightly damp skin within minutes of bathing to trap in moisture.

•   Moisturize your hands every time you wash them so that evaporating water doesn't draw even more moisture from your dry skin.

Finally, look for a cream with sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher to get the added benefit of sun protection. You can find moisturizing sunscreens as ointments, creams, gels, even sprays. The AAD suggests creams as your best bet for helping to combat dry skin.

6. Humidify in Winter.

Cold, dry air is a common cause of dry, irritated skin. Heating your house keeps you warm, but it also removes moisture from the air, which can make dry skin even more parched.

To replenish that missing moisture quickly and easily, use a humidifier in your bedroom, Cambio says. You can track humidity easily with an inexpensive humidity meter, called a hygrometer. Aim for indoor humidity of about 50%.