 Article from guest writer Brad Krause. Many retirees typically experience lessening flexibility, weaker muscles, and an inhibited ability to move around as they age. This can be frustrating on several levels — not only are they less able to get around physically, but they can also experience a great deal of frustration at their declining motion. The best way to combat this is to help them take steps to improve their mobility and flexibility. Through clever, careful use of yoga and meditation, you can help to keep the senior in your care limber and flexible, both mentally and physically. Boosting Your Senior’s Mind with Meditation As the aging process continues, many seniors frequently have difficulty reconciling their self-image as younger, healthier people when their current state requires them to slow down and take caution. For many seniors, this can lead to feelings of worthlessness. Additionally, any kind of negative talk can build up over time, which is why many seniors choose to become more reserved, separating themselves from their family and their relationships. It is therefore critical for seniors to have a sense of purpose and of self, independent of their age. This is one of the key ways meditation can be beneficial for seniors. While you may find that the senior under your care might initially approach meditation with skepticism, you can tell them that at the center of meditation is self-talk, or mindfulness of one’s self and the surrounding world. Meditation can help seniors come to terms with their own aging and even take joy in it. It can also help create a cycle of positive self-talk in their minds that not only supports good moods, but even boosts their overall cognition and memory recall. In short, practicing meditation for 15 minutes every day can help seniors feel youthful and active. Boosting Your Senior’s Health with Yoga A common side effect of meditation is the desire to start conquering the other major stumbling block seniors experience: a body that may be less healthy than they prefer. Not only can yoga help you build muscle and help improve your mobility, but it can also tackle problems such as an unhealthy gut, which occurs when the flora in your gut becomes out of balance. The best use of their time is to combine the two activities into one exercise that helps support the body and mind simultaneously. Mindfulness meditation is at the heart of basic yoga, which is an exercise routine involving stretches, held positions, and deep breathing. While not all forms of yoga are equal (some types can be extremely difficult for athletes), there are many varieties of yoga that are specifically designed for seniors, like chair yoga, which provides a chair or stool to assist seniors with their balance while they hold the different positions. Practice Yoga and Meditation at Home You can also make it easy for the loved one under your care to explore the world of yoga and meditation by setting them up with their own practice space in their home. You can create a small home gym where they can participate in all of their home-based workouts, but keep in mind that it’s safest for seniors to exercise on padded or rubber flooring in a room with ample lighting. If an all-around home gym isn’t necessary, it’s simple to set up a calming space just for yoga and meditation. If you can, find a quiet spot with a view of nature or another relaxing focal point. Add a yoga mat to cushion the floor and a reliable WiFi connection to allow them to watch or stream instructional videos, guides, and exercise classes. Bonus points if there’s enough room for you to practice alongside them. Yoga and meditation are great ways for seniors to overcome the troubles of their advancing years. After months of supporting their mental health with meditation and their physical health with yoga, they will feel more flexible and quicker in body and in mind. Brad Krause graduated from college in 2010 and went straight to the corporate world at the headquarters of a popular retail company. But what started as a dream job soured quickly. After four years of working 15-hour days and neglecting his health, he decided enough was enough. Through aiding a friend during a tough time, Brad discovered his real calling-helping people implement self-care practices that improve their overall wellbeing. He createdSelfCaring.info to share his own knowledge and the many great resources he finds on his self-care journey.
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 Contribution by freelance writer Sally Writes.
Wonder why so many yoga practitioners embark on meditation retreats regularly? Simply put, they’re investments in yourself. We all know that exercise is supposed to make us feel great. But yoga, which has been around for over 5,000 years, not just improves your physical health, but also enhances your mental and emotional wellbeing. Some benefits, such as improved flexibility and stress relief, have been well-documented, but there are quite a few lesser-known benefits that may surprise you. Here are just some of them. Revamps Your Eating Habits Yoga and mindfulness practice go hand-in-hand. Practicing yoga increases mindfulness even outside the yoga studio. Though yoga isn’t at all about reaching your “ideal weight”, it helps you get on the path to self-improvement. That includes making better choices and taking better care of your body. Research has found that people who practice yoga are more mindful with their eating habits, as their yoga practice helps them become more aware of how their body feels. Gives Your Skin A Yogic Glow Because certain yoga poses are supposed to help detox the body, may yoga practitioners have observed healthier, glowing skin. One yoga pose that is supposed to be great for your skin is the sarvangasana (or shoulder stand), which improves blood circulation in your face. Another is the matsyasana or fish pose, which is said to balance your hormone levels. Even just the simple mountain pose, which lets you concentrate on your breathing, can help make your skin healthier. Eases Asthma Because controlling your breathing is a huge part of yoga, yoga has been lauded by many experts as an effective asthma relieving exercise. Yoga helps reduce stress, which can trigger asthma symptoms, so observing a regular yoga practice can help prevent these symptoms altogether. Yogic breathing techniques can also help alleviate asthma attacks, potentially saving lives. Boosts Your Brain Power Today’s world is full of distractions, making it increasingly difficult to focus on a single task. Yoga can help with that, especially within the context of a yoga and meditation retreat, as it gives you the perfect opportunity to disconnect from the world, quiet your mind, and let it rest. Research has found that yoga can positively affect your brain’s neural patterns, improving your ability to focus. Yoga also helps improve your memory. In one study, participants demonstrated better memory, speed, and accuracy in a test after completing a 20-minute yoga session. Talk about a brain power boost! Rebuilds Your Self-Esteem Many yoga practitioners say that yoga has helped improve their self-image. Yoga helps you feel good in your own skin and encourages you to be more forgiving and patient with yourself and others. It teaches you calming techniques that help you gain perspective in stressful situations. The yoga community is also usually supportive and encouraging, helping you come out of your shell and learn to accept yourself. Yoga isn’t just a great workout. It’s a transformational practice and fantastic form of self-care. It can give you the tools to improve your relationship with yourself, with others, and the world around you. If you haven’t practiced in a while, there’s no better time than now to dust off your mat, take a deep breath, set your intention, and restart your practice. What is meditation and what are the benefits of meditation. Article from guest writer Brad Krause. The key to personal growth is being able to endure the small bits of discomfort associated with growth. Self-care helps us manage and eliminate stress and the challenges that everyday life can toss in our way. Instead of recoiling in the face of challenge, personal growth requires us to stand up and persevere. By providing comfort and rejuvenation, several types of self-care can help us succeed. Here’s how to get started. The Basics of Self-Care It is tempting to reduce the idea of self-care into simple pampering. There are luxurious and frivolous components of self-care, such as getting your nails done or taking a bubble bath, but even the most seemingly self-centered form of pampering provides a great benefit to our mood. Self-care goes beyond grooming and relaxing, though, to encompass any action we can take to support our lives and provide comfort in times of distress. An example of self-care can include getting a sports massage after a tough workout. Such a treatment helps us to sustain our workouts, which are key to overall health. Without the massage, it is possible that we’d skip a workout or more because of injury or pain, which would have a domino effect on our well-being and fitness goals. How Self-Care Can Support Life Goals Similarly, self-care can help bolster areas in our life beyond exercise. Personal growth requires that we identify and work toward betterment, whether that’s going back to school, looking for a new job, or tackling a big life change. Making ourselves better requires an amount of hard work that can be frustrating, painful, and stressful. When faced with these difficult effects of growth, we can make one of two choices: walk away from the growth or power through the stress and discomfort. Self-care helps us do the latter and walk toward success. In fact, one component of self-care is organization, which actually can require hard work -- much the opposite of getting a pampering spa treatment. But the effort you put into getting organized can provide a smooth road to success. When we organize our personal and work lives, we greatly reduce our stress. Take, for instance, something as simple as a cluttered and disorganized bedroom closet. Every day, you may walk into this closet and dig around for clothes you wish you had the time and inclination to organize. Now, imagine walking into that closet and smiling as you grab your outfit and head off to your day. Such positivity infects the rest of your life in immeasurable ways. Even pampering can help us power through our tough days. A nap, for example, can help us reset ourselves and attain a sense of mindfulness about our lives. And when self-care and mindfulness align, personal growth can only expand. Meditation for Personal Growth The best way to attain mindfulness is through meditation. As a component of self-care, meditation does double-duty: It calms us, makes us relaxed and de-stressed, and provides an avenue for self-inventory that is crucial to personal growth. When faced with a difficult decision, mindfulness can show us the right path, not because of some mystical connection, but because in quiet reflection we tune away all outside noise and can listen to ourselves. Creating Your Own Sanctuary Meditation and mindfulness is so important that you should not only include it in your day, but you should also consider creating a dedicated space in your home for the practice. It’s easy -- some people meditate in their bedroom, some in the living room -- but the first step is really the hardest. Find a spot in your home that is quiet and out of the way of daily commotion. Although the kitchen works for some, if you have kids racing through there at all times of the day, it may not be the ideal spot. Make sure the space is serene and simple, but also not just an empty room. Add a nice spot to sit, a plant, and make sure that there is some access to natural light. With mindfulness and other components of self-care, personal growth goals can be identified and attained. Your overall health will thank you for it. Brad Krause graduated from college in 2010 and went straight to the corporate world at the headquarters of a popular retail company. But what started as a dream job soured quickly. After four years of working 15-hour days and neglecting his health, he decided enough was enough. Through aiding a friend during a tough time, Brad discovered his real calling-helping people implement self-care practices that improve their overall wellbeing. He createdSelfCaring.info to share his own knowledge and the many great resources he finds on his self-care journey. Photo Credit: Pixabay  Contribution by freelance writer Sally Writes.
Grief is a natural and often expected reaction to the loss of someone beloved and cherished. This does not, of course, mean to imply that bereavement is any less difficult when it occurs. Having to let go of a loved one is undoubtedly one of the hardest things to do - especially when the loss is sudden. The ones left behind suddenly need to find ways to cope and recover. In the midst of loss, a spiritual retreat can be one of the best ways to reach a healthy goodbye. Solace in Silence A loss is never easy to address and in such times there are several signs or manifestations of grief that may invariably damage you and any relationships you have. Anger is common and an undesired, reaction to grief. A spiritual retreat can help you channel your unfiltered emotions and direct them towards healthy outlets that benefit your overall health in the end. It can help you get started on the path to being able to celebrate the wonderful life that was lived instead of focusing on the pain of loss. The silence that is often coupled with spiritual retreats allows you to listen to the thoughts and feelings that you may have been ignoring all this time. Getting In Touch With Core Beliefs A spiritual retreat enables people to leave distractions for a short time and grant an opportunity to relax and reconnect with one’s long-held beliefs. Meditation and counseling are often part and parcel of spiritual retreats. So not only will you be able to leave the noise behind but you’ll be able to hear words that can truly help you process grief in a healthy and manageable way. Whether you’re religious or more spiritual, a retreat is often successful in helping people find their way toward inner peace. Natural and Healthy Processing Sometimes the loss may be so profound that many choose to use clinical substances like antidepressants to help them along. The trouble with this is as long as the emotions are not processed and settled, the reaction will always be there. Medicine is just a stopgap for the symptoms of loss and not loss itself. A spiritual retreat promotes natural and healthy processing of loss through activities designed to attain emotional and mental liberation. Emotions can be tumultuous at times and you will need a private and safe space to let them wash over you. Grief often comes with pain that is both exquisite and overwhelming but this does not mean that you need to be alone to sort them out. In fact, one of the main things that any psychologist will tell you is to seek help whenever you feel that you are at a loss. Spiritual retreats may just be the thing you need to help you come to terms with the reality of the loss and enable you to be able to say goodbye from a place of authenticity. We are born already overburdened with toxins. Tested newborn blood from the umbilical cord already has 200 toxic chemicals in it. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution till now our living environment has become a very dangerous place. The increase in disease and the amount of toxins in the environment rise side by side. Everyday our bodies take in toxins. The air we breathe, filling the car with fuel, pesticides and heavy metals on food, the list and reasons is long. When the body is functioning properly, the organs and lymph system can filter out toxins and keep the body safe. However, this is not the case for most people. Once our bodies get over burdened natural detox systems shut down. The first place to show signs of damage from toxins is the gastrointestinal tract. Minor imbalances such as gas and bloating are common place these days and major states of dis-ease within the body start in the gut and lymphatic system.  The body is made up of cells, blood, and lymphatic fluid. All three elements need to be as toxin free as possible for the body to stay disease free and mentally healthy. Detoxification is a great way to remove toxins from the body. Toxins are moved out of the body through the lymph system using the urine, stool and sweat to release them. Removing toxins from the body uses a lot of energy, and to energize the body you need to put fresh whole foods, vitamins and minerals in your body. Everyone is mineral and/or vitamin depleted to an extent and this condition allows damage from toxins to occur. Do you want to stay looking young? Rubbing cream on your face and botox are band aids. Lines and wrinkles on the face are caused by toxic build up, saggy skin is caused by the body not using calcium correctly. Detoxification will make you look young, correct imbalance, eliminate disease and make you feel amazing.  Above you can see cells sticking together this is one of the condition a high load of toxins on the body can cause. This condition leads to disease of ALL kinds, mental and physical. Healthy cells make you feel great and stop disease. Healthy cells are toxin free and along with macrophages are constantly working to remove toxins from the body.  Macrophages carry toxins out of the body using the lymph system. Above you can see lymph fluid filled with toxins. This acid in your body is one of the root causes of all disease and can be removed using detoxification.
You heal by feeling, facing and releasing. Making small changes that add up at the end of the week or month. This is how to move forward toward the real you. The real you would never do anything to harm itself. The real you is not sick, or depressed or wants to be in a bad relationship. The real you has no negativity or judgment. The real you is a shining white light of compassion with a limitless will to help others. This is how detox can make you feel. Detox removes the shades of gray/toxins blocking the light that is the real you. These shades of gray are removable, and I know that you are worth the effort to remove them. Through 15 years of personally detoxing and helping others detox I have learned that for detoxification to be most effective it needs to be a gentle and gradual process that turns into a lifestyle. Small and large steps can be made at home to yield substantial gains in your health investment. I call it an investment because your health is the only thing you truly own. Changing what you put into your body and understanding why you don’t always make a healthy choice is the first step in regaining your health and starting the detox process. The role of your digestive tract in how you feel about yourself and your surroundings can not be overstated. Rebalancing and repairing the digestive tract is paramount to achieving any and every health goal. Whole leaf aloe vera has more than 150 vital ingredients. Whole leaf aloe smoothies are very effective in healing and rebalancing the GI tract and lay a foundation for the intake of probiotics. Probiotics reset and rebalance the environment in the GI tract, and this process will have a major positive effect on your mental health. Once a rebalancing has occurred you can start to move waste out of the GI tract. I like to use psyllium husk to do this, although not everyone can take psyllium husk due to certain conditions in the GI tract, there are alternatives. Just healing the digestive tract in the comfort of your own home at your pace, can give you a profound change in your health both physical and mentally. After so you can move on to another protocol, each one building on the foundation of the one before it. This creates a healthy and effective whole body detox, a lifestyle. This lifestyle will rid you of many problems and make it easier for you to move forward in life, find your truth and step into your power. It is quite understandable, remove toxins from the body feel great! If you are suffering from a terminal disease or addiction problems please know that detoxification with no side effects is possible. In these cases the protocols are done in a more specific order to facilitate quick results. Jon Damon uses his 15 years of detox experience to help people rid themselves of all forms of disease. As someone that has cured himself of depression and heavy metal poisoning Jon’s knowledge of the power of detox and lifestyle change has allowed him to help many people change their lives. Website: http://www.frequencybyjondamon.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8p6SsmuoxG1c1WA9mVLgXw  Article from guest writer Brad Krause.
Practicing self-care can mean many different things, depending on your lifestyle and where you live. For some, it means getting rid of bad habits or removing toxic energy from their lives. For others, it’s simply a way to take care of physical, emotional, and mental health in the best ways possible, such as engaging in a relaxing pastime or learning a new fitness routine. And still others incorporate all of those things, ensuring that their mind and body are in perfect harmony. The way you practice self-care is up to you, but it should have positive effects on the way you feel. You might consider learning to say “no” when someone is asking for too much of your time. You may decide that getting more sleep and eating a more balanced diet is the way to go. Evaluate your lifestyle to figure out what changes you can make that will benefit you the most, and go from there. Here are some tips on getting started and why self-care is so important. Start small Sometimes seemingly small actions can have big, positive consequences. Getting a couple more hours of sleep per night and introducing more water and veggies into your diet can improve the way you feel and help boost your daily productivity. Make it a point to go to bed a little earlier at night and eat a more balanced diet, and see how much better you feel. Make home a place of serenity Making your home a place of serenity and calm is especially important for those with stressful lives. It will help you leave the burdens of your day behind so you can take a deep breath. You can do this by making a pact with yourself about not doing work once you walk through your front door—not even answering emails—and creating a space just for you that allows for your comfort and happiness. Paint the walls a calming blue, light a few candles, take a hot shower, and forget about the stresses of work. Decluttering is also a great way to make your home work for you. Learn to say “no” Those of us with stressful jobs or home lives know that being taken advantage of is one of the worst feelings, in part because it just adds to daily stress. It’s important to learn how to say “no” when someone asks for more time than you can give. Taking on too many responsibilities at once can be a huge factor in your stress level. If it’s happening at work, ask a coworker to shoulder the responsibility if possible, or have a talk with your boss about your workload. Eat well Your diet and exercise routine can have a big impact on how you feel both physically and mentally, so it’s important to find a workout you can stick to as well as a diet plan that boosts your energy. Talk to your doctor about the right diet for you, especially if you’ve had health issues in the past, and think about the best ways to keep your workouts fun. This will keep you motivated. Swimming, gardening, and playing your favorite sport are all great examples. Reducing stress and finding ways to boost your self-confidence are two great examples of practicing self-care; the details are up to you. Tailor your daily goals to meet your specific needs and talk to your friends, family, and doctor about how they can help. Brad Krause graduated from college in 2010 and went straight to the corporate world at the headquarters of a popular retail company. But what started as a dream job soured quickly. After four years of working 15-hour days and neglecting his health, he decided enough was enough. Through aiding a friend during a tough time, Brad discovered his real calling-helping people implement self-care practices that improve their overall wellbeing. He created SelfCaring.info to share his own knowledge and the many great resources he finds on his self-care journey.  My whole life I had always been careful with my health and always aware of my happiness with everything I did. My independence and maturity were by far my stand out qualities growing up; after living out of home from the age of 15 and learning to stand on my own 2 feet. These qualities were projected in both my personal and work life throughout my teens and early 20s. As most, my life was full of challenges and growth with sport, school, friends and family, however none of these challenges could have prepared me for the health challenge I was faced with around 4 years ago. At the age of 22 I was told I needed priority surgery to remove cancerous cells from my cervics. As a sporty, independent and outgoing person this in many ways felt like the end - with an intense period of medication, dietary changes and recovery I begun to notice a whole other level of growth within myself. No more than 8 months after surgery I was back in hospital and diagnosed with Kidney disease (adverse reaction to medication). Another 8 months went by and I was faced with more bad news that my cervical cancer cells had come back and I was into surgery number 2. I had now lost all sense of independence, hunger for growth and resilience to challenges - my mental health had slipped and I went into a period of depression and anxiety. After testing my mental health to the edge that I no longer had a fight for life or need to continue, the only thing I could consider was to help others. From my experiences with depression and my health challenges I felt an overwhelming amount of loneliness and misunderstanding. Not because I didn’t have any friends or family around me but because in most cases they couldn’t relate or know how to support me best. It was then that I thought of B.OKideas and the concept of providing a B.OK Box for people to offer long term support and a means to start a conversation when you are not sure how. My passion to help others was lit by the challenges in my past but it has been fueled by my understanding and experience that tough times do not last and that this hope needs to be shared with everyone. Building a movement on and offline through B.OKideas has allowed me to accept my past and share my story so that others who are also going through a tough time, experiencing periods of depression or anxiety or stress can know they are not alone. After launching B.OKideas in March 2018 I have supported many different men health initiatives such as Lifeline, Mens Health Week, Yoga Australia Ball Event and raising over $600 for our charity partner (10% of sales go to Waves of Wellness Foundation).  Website: https://www.bokideas.com/ The Story of B.OKideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSlz7Yc8IjE&t=4s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bokideas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BOKideasco/ FacebookB.OKBuddyCommunity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BOKbuddy/  Photo by Artem Bali on Unsplash Article by freelance writer Sally Writes
Finding Asthma Relief Through Yoga For many, difficulty breathing is a way of life. Asthma affects one in nine Australians or around 2.5 million individuals. It can show itself at any point in our lifetime, from childhood well into adulthood, with more and more cases popping up in recent years due in part to outdoor pollution. Asthma can have symptoms that range from mild to severe, including coughing, wheezing, swelling, and even death. While asthma can be challenging to eradicate, there are a number of both medical and holistic ways to help alleviate symptoms. Yoga and meditation are great ways to strengthen the lungs and encourage free airflow, helping to relieve the symptoms of asthma in both children and adults. Here are just some of the ways that taking up a yoga routine can help you to breathe better throughout the day. Meditative Breathing For the most part, breathing is involuntary. When we practice yoga, however, we’re encouraged to think about our breathing practices and how they impact our body. Mindful breathing techniques can help asthmatics to learn how to exercise control over their breathing with deep, steady inhalation and slow exhalation. Not only does this strengthen the lungs in the long-term, but also offers a way to combat an impending asthma attack. Relaxation of the Mind and Body Stress is a common trigger for asthma patients, causing symptoms to manifest or worsen. One of the best ways to keep asthma attacks to a minimum is to maintain a relaxing lifestyle. Yoga can help to calm the mind and soothe the body, making it easier to cope with a hectic home or work life. By maintaining a relaxed state, you lessen the likelihood of your asthma symptoms kicking in at the worst possible moments. The Best Poses for Asthma Relief While all yoga poses can help to free up the lungs, there are several that are better for breathing than others. Poses that straighten the spine and open the airways help to promote a more even airflow through our bodies. Here are some of the best yoga poses for asthmatic individuals: ● Savasana ● Sukhasana ● Forward Bend ● Butterfly ● Straddle Splits ● The Bridge ● Pranayama It can be tough to cope with the symptoms of asthma, but luckily, there are plenty of remedies that help to alleviate the pain. Practising yoga encourages healthy breathing techniques that promote smooth, clean airflow through the lungs. By including the right poses in your routine, you can reduce your risk of asthma attacks and breathe easy.  Our mind is a powerful tool. Most of the time, we tend to believe what our mind is saying. We hear a voice in our head and we tend to identify with it. Yet whatever is being said isn’t always true. But if we believe all that we hear in our head then our happiness will only depend on our positive thinking. It is great if we are a naturally born optimist but challenging if our mind is wired on fear or self-criticism.
Also our emotions are strongly linked with our thoughts. If our mind tends to worry about something in the future, we then tend to experience fear in the present moment. It does not mean that this worry will actually happen, it may or it may not. But in the meantime we have created stress for ourselves by listening to those thoughts. Whatever the mind is saying, it will create an emotional response in our body.We have a tendency to spend most of our life reacting and responding to our thoughts without questioning. Yet what if it could be different? We hold the power within ourselves to change our thoughts and even to stop our mind at once. And when we become able to control our mind, we also become in control of how we experience life. The best tool I know that can bring us this new quality of life is the practice of meditation. With regular meditation practice, we slowly start managing our thoughts. We become more aware and conscious of all the incessant chatter inside our head. And then we can learn how to completely stop it. Of course it takes time but the peace and happiness that result are definitely worth it. With meditation regular practice is essential. We can learn different techniques and practice the ones that suit us best. We can also join a meditation class in our neighbourhood or enrol in a meditation retreat for a quantum leap in our practice! Check out our meditation ebook and our meditation retreats, we will help you silence that chattering mind! :) |
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