Tag: Conditions and Diseases

Quiz of the Day – What Your Sleep Position Says About You

What Your Sleep Position Says About You

 by Melissa Breyer

Starfish? Soldier? Yearner? How do you sleep? I fall firmly into the Fetus category of sleeping  positions–curled up on my side–which, according to researchers at the Sleep  Assessment and Advisory Service, suggests that I am a tough cookie with a  sensitive heart. (And yes, it’s true…underneath it all I am a big mush.)

Sleep scientists believe the position in which a person sleeps offers  important clues about their personality. Director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory  Service, Professor Chris Idzikowski, analyzed six common sleeping positions and  found that each is associated with particular personality traits.

The Fetus

This is the most common sleeping position,  adopted by 41 percent of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than  twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position. Those who curl up in the  fetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart.  They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax.

The Log

Lying on your side with both arms down by your  side is the sleep position favored by 14 percent of the people in the study. I’d  adopt this position if it guaranteed sleeping like a log, but perhaps not at the  risk of being naive. These sleepers are easy going, social people who like being  part of the in-crowd, and who are trusting of strangers. However, they may be  gullible.

The Yearner

13 percent of people sleep in the pose of  the yearner–on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open  nature, but can be suspicious and cynical. They are slow to make up their minds,  but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely to change it.

Soldier

Are you one of the 8 percent who sleep lying on  your back with both arms pinned to your sides? Well hello, soldier. People who  sleep in this position are generally quiet and reserved. They don’t like a fuss,  but set high standards for themselves and others. The soldier style is more  likely to lead to snoring and a bad night’s sleep.

The Freefaller

If you sleep on your stomach with your  hands around the pillow and your head turned to one side, you sleep in the  freefall position. You are probably often gregarious and brash, but can be nervy  and thin-skinned underneath, and don’t like criticism or extreme situations.  Seven percent of sleepers assume this posture, which happens to be good for digestion.

The Starfish

About 5 percent choose to lay on their back  with both arms up around the pillow. These sleepers make good friends because  they are always ready to listen to others, and offer help when needed. They generally  don’t like to be the center of attention. The starfish position is more likely  to lead to snoring and a bad night’s sleep

What do you think? Are these researchers on to something? Leave a comment  below.

Meditate on the Heart

Meditate on the Heart

by Deepak Chopra

The purpose of this exercise is to give you the experience of making your  heart pure enough to witness spirit. Pure here doesn’t mean good and virtuous;  it means free from impurity, with no value judgment intended. In the words of  William Blake, we are cleansing the doors of perception.

Sit comfortably in a quiet room by yourself, choosing a time when you feel  settled and unhurried. Early morning is best, since your mind will be alert and  fresh. Close your eyes and focus your attention on the middle of your chest,  where your heart is. (Your spiritual heart lies directly behind your  breastbone.)

Be aware of your heart as a space. Don’t try to hear your heartbeat or any  other sound you think a heart makes as it pumps blood. The heart center you want  to find is a point of awareness where feelings enter. In its pure form it is  empty, pervaded by weightlessness, absence of care, peace, and a subtle light.  This light may appear as white, gold, pale pink, or blue. But again, don’t  strain to find a light of any kind. You are not trying to sense the purity of  the heart center right now; all you need to feel is whatever is there.

Letting your attention rest easily there, breathe gently and sense your  breath going into your heart center. Here you may want to visualize a soft  pastel light, or a coolness pervading the chest. Let the breath go in and out,  and as it does, ask your heart to speak to you. Don’t phrase this as an order;  just have the faint intention that you want your heart to express itself.

For the next five or 10 minutes, sit and listen. Your heart will begin to  release emotions, memories, wishes, fears, and dreams long stored there, and as  it does, you will find yourself paying attention.

Paying attention to your heart is the object of this meditation.

You will notice as you continue this exercise that three things are naturally  coming together: Meditation, purification and attention. You are learning to be  with your heart in order to heed its spiritual meaning—this is  meditation. You are letting repressed material come up to be  released—this is purification. You are listening to your heart  without judgment or manipulation—this is attention.

Blessed Monday, my dear friends! Please forgive me….

 

I must apologize for yesterday. I was all hyped up to get the Lammas Edition out and my son called. He called to let me know that he was coming out with his two little girls. I thought I might have a minute or two to get something on here. But as soon as I hung up the phone, they were here. I hardly ever get to see these two beautiful angels. So I hope you can understand, I spent the afternoon, loving and playing with them. The little one is two years old and she brings tears to my eyes. She will run up to me, hug me around the neck tightly as possible and say, “Mammy, I love you!” That warms my heart so much. She is a little doll. The other one is five and she is in a moody stage. She can be mad at you one minute and loving you to pieces the next. But that is what happened yesterday and I apologize for not being able to fulfill my obligations here.

 

My comment that I made yesterday about the WOTC needing help still stands. Like I said we have to the second week in August to come up with the money to pay our service provider. If we do not come up with that money, the WOTC will be no more. So those two days, you spent without us, will be permanent unfortunately. If doesn’t matter how much you can give, we desperately need your help. Personally, I want so much to stay on the net. I want to continue to do the Goddess’ work. I have put my faith in Her that she will touch your hearts to help us. I know the economy is bad and that is what has happened to us. We have been hit very hard by the economy. Plus my time I spent in the hospital didn’t help either. The WOTC didn’t pay for that, I paid for that and it cleaned out my finances. In the meantime the WOTC was meeting it’s regular obligations. The electric bill, the phone bill, the building insurance, and the feeding and care of the animals at the refuge. We use to give to the local food banks but we have had to stop that. Which I feel very bad about. But life has been rough, I am hoping with your help we can pull through. The WOTC is an old organization. We have an outstanding reputation and high standards for itself. We hope you will take a moment to search your heart and lend us a hand. Just once, that’s all we ask.

 

If you find it in your heart to help keep us online, you will find a PayPal button in the right hand corner of this page. Or you can use the donate page if you would like. We also have our mailing address on the donate page, if you would like to use that. Please, you know what kind of group we are, search your hearts, no matter how great or small a donation, it all adds up.

 

Thank you so much,

May the Goddess Bless You & Yours,

Lady A

10 Habits for Better Sleep

10 Habits for Better Sleep

by Molly, selected from DivineCaroline

Getting a good night’s sleep ensures more than extra spring in your step each  day.  According to Harvard Women’s Health Watch, chronic sleep  loss can contribute to weight gain, high blood pressure,  and a weakening of the  immune system! Conversely, good sleeping habits  boost the ability to learn and  remember things, keep weight in check,  keep an upbeat attitude, maintain  cardiovascular health, fight off  disease, and avoid accidents caused by  drowsiness. If you struggle with  getting quality zzzs, the following tips can  help you develop sleeping  habits to live by.

Go to bed at the same time every night. One of the best  ways to ensure you get enough sleep it to create a  routine that you and your  body become accustomed to. And step number one  in establishing a healthy sleep  routine is setting and sticking to a  bedtime that allows you to get enough  sleep—but not too much sleep.  (The National Sleep Foundations claims  the “right” amount of sleep is  based on the individual and his or her age.)  Select a bedtime that gives  you between seven and eight hours of snooze time  and you’re on the  right track.

Wake up at the same time every morning. The yin to the  above tip’s yang, waking up at the same time each day  not only assures you  don’t oversleep. It also enables your body to get  into a rhythm, and lots of  studies have shown that longstanding  routine—as well as adequate sleep—has been  linked to longevity.

Nap if you go off schedule. Travel, deadlines, worries,  and all kinds of other routine  interruptions can put a damper on your sleep  schedule. But rather than  try to make up lost time by sleeping in, it’s better  to take a midday  nap when you can. Otherwise, you will throw off your new  routine.

Don’t drink caffeine in the evening. The drink that gets  you going in the morning is also the one that  will keep you up at night—if you  drink it too late in the day. Know your  limits and avoid caffeine too close to  bedtime. After all, the last  thing you want to do is tuck yourself in only to  stare at the walls as  your heart races thanks to an after-dinner espresso.

Don’t use technology in your bedroom. Your TV,  smartphone, and computer are all gadgets that get your mind  buzzing, not  relaxing. In order to calm yourself down, it’s a good idea  to keep all  distractions out of sight, lest you be inspired to click on  the news or check  your email one last time. In fact, your bedroom  should only incorporate items  conducive to sleep.

Create darkness. Your body is designed to take sleep  cues from darkness. So why not  help it out by making your space nice and dark?  Use thick curtains or  shades, cover or hide the clock, and help your brain  power down for the  night.

Use a noise machine if necessary. Some noises are  soothing, such as the sound of the ocean or the  whisper of the wind. But other  noises—like loud neighbors or honking  cars—can keep you from getting the zzzs  you need. Luckily, there are  plenty of noise machines on the market that offer  a variety of “white  noise” options. Even a fan can help drown out unwanted  decibels if  you’re in a pinch.

Eat on the early side. Big meals right before bedtime  force your body to digest rather than  rest, while especially rich or spicy  meals may cause sleep-depriving  discomfort as they make their way through your  stomach. Eat light and on  the early side and you’ll ensure your food won’t keep  you up.

Avoid alcohol before bed. Sure, alcohol can make you  drowsy and even help you fall asleep. But  it also tends to wake you up in the  middle of the night, lessening the  overall quality of your sleep. Steer clear  of libations, or go moderate  early in the evening, to increase your chances of  solid sleep.

Make sure your bed is comfortable. If ever there were  an investment worth making, it’s a quality mattress and bedding.  Yes, these  items are expensive. But consider them a preventative  medical  expense—seriously. A good mattress and comfy sheets and pillows  help ensure you  get the sleep you need—and all the health benefits that  come with it.

Study Shows Herb Effective for Seasonal Allergies

Study Shows Herb Effective for Seasonal Allergies

by Michelle Schoffro Cook

The herb Perilla frutescens and the extract from the perilla leaf  have been found in numerous studies to be effective for the treatment of  allergies. In one study published in Experimental Biology and Medicine,  perilla and one of its active ingredients, rosmarinic extract were found to  ameliorate allergic inflammatory reactions including nasal and sinus congestion,  and eye irritation.

In another study published in Phytotherapy Research, Japanese  scientists at the Department of Kampo Medicinal Sciences, Hokkaido College of  Pharmacy, found that perilla was more effective than a drug used for allergies.  Another study published in the journal Food Chemical Toxicology showed  that perilla oil had a beneficial effect on asthmatic allergies.

Perilla leaf or perilla leaf extract are available from many health food  stores. Follow instructions on the package.

Adapted with permission from Allergy-Proof:  Over 60 All-Natural, Drug-Free Ways to Beat  Allergies by Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD.

 

Quiz of the Day for July 18 – What Your Sleep Position Says About You

What Your Sleep Position Says About You

by Melissa Breyer

 

Starfish? Soldier? Yearner? How do you sleep? I fall firmly into the Fetus category of sleeping  positions–curled up on my side–which, according to researchers at the Sleep  Assessment and Advisory Service, suggests that I am a tough cookie with a  sensitive heart. (And yes, it’s true…underneath it all I am a big mush.)

Sleep scientists believe the position in which a person sleeps offers  important clues about their personality. Director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory  Service, Professor Chris Idzikowski, analyzed six common sleeping positions and  found that each is associated with particular personality traits.

The Fetus This is the most common sleeping position,  adopted by 41 percent of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than  twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position. Those who curl up in the  fetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart.  They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax.

The Log Lying on your side with both arms down by your  side is the sleep position favored by 14 percent of the people in the study. I’d  adopt this position if it guaranteed sleeping like a log, but perhaps not at the  risk of being naive. These sleepers are easy going, social people who like being  part of the in-crowd, and who are trusting of strangers. However, they may be  gullible.

The Yearner 13 percent of people sleep in the pose of  the yearner–on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open  nature, but can be suspicious and cynical. They are slow to make up their minds,  but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely to change it.

Soldier Are you one of the 8 percent who sleep lying on  your back with both arms pinned to your sides? Well hello, soldier. People who  sleep in this position are generally quiet and reserved. They don’t like a fuss,  but set high standards for themselves and others. The soldier style is more  likely to lead to snoring and a bad night’s sleep.

The Freefaller If you sleep on your stomach with your  hands around the pillow and your head turned to one side, you sleep in the  freefall position. You are probably often gregarious and brash, but can be nervy  and thin-skinned underneath, and don’t like criticism or extreme situations.  Seven percent of sleepers assume this posture, which happens to be good for digestion.

The Starfish About 5 percent choose to lay on their back  with both arms up around the pillow. These sleepers make good friends because  they are always ready to listen to others, and offer help when needed. They generally  don’t like to be the center of attention. The starfish position is more likely  to lead to snoring and a bad night’s sleep

What do you think? Are these researchers on to something? Leave a comment  below.

 

How To Stay Healthy Even If You Eat Junk, Smoke Ciggies, Skip Exercise & Booze It Up

How To Stay Healthy Even If You Eat Junk, Smoke Ciggies, Skip Exercise & Booze It Up

By Lissa Rankin

Ever since we docs started teaching people the importance of smoking  cessation, moderation in alcohol intake, a nutritious, mostly plant-based diet,  daily exercise, and weight control, millions of people have been beating  themselves up for unhealthy lifestyle habits.  Yet the guilt and shame so  many feel hasn’t led to significant improvements in the health of the general  public. Even though people know how to live a “healthy” lifestyle, most choose  not to. Instead, rates of diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease,  and other largely preventable diseases are on the rise.

Bummer.

While lots of people rattle off about the importance of healthy lifestyle  modifications – and as a green-juicing, exercising, non-smoking, health food  junkie, I agree with them – what shocks me is how few are talking about the  other critical factors that contribute to health and longevity – the factors  that are arguably even more important than diet, cigarette use, alcohol intake,  weight, and exercise.

Some Diseases Are Preventable

Before I share with you these factors that may shock you, let me start with a  hat tip to conventional medical wisdom. Yes, some diseases are largely  preventable. If you’re a 3 pack-a-day smoker who winds up with lung cancer,  you’re probably feeling pretty crappy about your cancer because you know that if  you had never smoked, you probably wouldn’t have been saddled with that disease.  If you’ve been eating at McDonalds every day, it won’t surprise you if a heart  attack knocks you flat and you have to get bypass surgery. If you’ve been  boozing it up for three decades and you wind up with cirrhosis of the liver,  well… not to be harsh, but you knew that might happen, right? If you’re four  hundred pounds and you get diabetes, um… need I say more?

Yes, if we aim to lead optimally healthy lives, diet, exercise, weight  control, alcohol intake, and cigarette use matter.

Some Unhealthy People Live To Be 100

But let’s face it. Some smoking, boozing, overweight, junk food binging couch  potatoes stay healthy and die of old age. As a physician, these people have  always blown me away. How are their bodies so resilient to such poisons? Is it  genetic? Is it just dumb luck? These people left me scratching my head, until I  was doing the research for my book Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof You  Can Heal Yourself (Hay House, 2013).

Clearly, there are many factors contributing to why one person winds up sick  when another stays healthy, in spite of poor health habits. The same is true for  the health nut who is doing everything “right” but still winds up sick.

So what are these factors that your doctor probably isn’t discussing with  you?

Loving Community Equals Health

Let me start by telling you a story.

Once upon a time, a tribe of Italian immigrants crossed the Atlantic and  settled in Roseto, Pennsylvania, where they didn’t exactly live the most  “healthy” lifestyle. They ate meatballs fried in lard, smoked like chimneys,  boozed it up every night, and pigged out on pasta and pizza. Yet, shockingly,  they had half the rate of heart disease and much lower rates of many other  illnesses than the national average. It wasn’t the water they drank, the  hospital they went to, or their DNA. And clearly, it wasn’t their stellar diet.  So what was it that made the people of Roseto so resistant to heart disease?

One physician, baffled by their low rates of heart disease, studied the  townspeople to determine why they were so protected.

The Effects of Loneliness On The Body

What his researchers found is that the tight knit community living in  multi-generational homes and enjoying communal dinners and frequent festivities  provided solace from the loneliness so many people feel. The love and support of  others in the close knit community alleviated the stress and overwhelm many  lonely people feel. Researchers posit that the stress lonely people feel, which  increases cortisol levels and activates the sympathetic nervous system, raising  heart rate, elevating blood pressure, incapacitating the immune system, and  increasing the risk of heart disease, is responsible for much of the illness  lonely people experience.

Because the people of Roseto never felt alone, they rarely died of heart  disease – most died of “old age”- even though they smoked, ate poorly, and  drank.  As it turns out, alleviation of loneliness is preventative  medicine, and the scientific data suggests that loneliness is a stronger risk  factor for illness than smoking or failure to exercise.

Why One Person Gets Sick & Another Stays Healthy

It’s not just loneliness that contributes to whether you get sick or stay  healthy. As I discussed in my TEDx  talk, it’s not just your relationships that affect your health – it’s work  stress, financial stress, mental health issues like depression and anxiety,  whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic, and whether or not you’re actively  engaging in potentially stress reducing activities like creative expression,  sex, and spiritual activities like prayer, attending religious services, or  meditation.

For example, let’s take one person who eats poorly, smokes, and never  exercises, but who enjoys an incredible marriage, a great family, fabulous  friends, a rewarding and financially lucrative job, a sense of life purpose, a  healthy spiritual life, a blossoming creative life, and a kickin’ sex  life.  Aside from the cloud of smoke infusing the lungs with toxins and the  poisons this person’s body is ingesting, this kind of lifestyle has been  scientifically proven to result in better health than the lonely individual in  an emotionally abusive marriage, with a soul-sucking job, no sex life, an absent  spiritual life, and no creative outlets. The scientific data suggests that the  “unhealthy” individual with an otherwise healthy, balanced life is more likely  to live a long, healthy life than a nonsmoking, abstaining vegan with a personal  trainer who is unhealthy and miserable in all other facets of life.

Make sense?

How Healthy Is Your Life?

In my upcoming book, I go into great detail, proving how each of these  factors of a healthy life affect the physiology of the body, but until then, let  me just assure you that what I’m suggesting is true. I’m not recommending that  you pick up smoking, drinking, or overeating. But  I am suggesting that you start thinking about your health beyond the traditional  confines of how most people define health.

Are you lonely? Are you stressed at work?  Are you depressed? What would  it take to alleviate your loneliness, cut back on your job stress, and get  happier?

Expanding how I think about health,

Lissa

Lissa Rankin, MD: Creator of the health and wellness communities LissaRankin.com and OwningPink.com, author of Mind Over Medicine:  Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself (Hay House, 2013), TEDx speaker, and Health Care Evolutionary. Join  her newsletter list for free guidance on healing yourself, and check her out  on Twitter and Facebook.

Dietary Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

Dietary Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

Inflammation has recently emerged as an important player in the development  of age-related disability and many of our major chronic diseases including heart  disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Now that laboratory tests  such as C-reactive protein have been developed, we can measure the effects  different foods and diets have on inflammatory markers.

Most plant-based foods decrease inflammation. Processing destroys the  anti-inflammatory effects of some (garlic decreases inflammation but garlic  powder does not), but improves these effects in others (tomato juice decreases  inflammation but whole tomatoes do not).

Do these anti-inflammatory plant foods actually have an impact on  inflammatory disease mortality though?  I profile a new study  out of Australia, which followed about 2,500 older adults and their diets for 15  years. In that time, about 200 participants died of inflammatory diseases,  allowing the scientists to calculate the specific aspect of the survivors’ diets  that seemed to help the most. It was nuts! The equivalent of half a walnut a day  appeared to cut the risk of dying from inflammatory disease in nearly half. Fish  consumption, to their surprise, didn’t seem to help, which may be due to pro-inflammatory  industrial pollutants that build up the food chain. This may help explain  why most studies done to date on those eating vegetarian or vegan have found  lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers in their bodies.

However, just because plant-based diets decrease markers of  inflammation doesn’t necessarily mean that plant-based diets can successfully be  used to fight inflammatory disease. To find that out, you’ve got to put it to  the test. The gold standard for evidence in nutritional science is an  interventional trial. You split people into two groups and ask half to go on one  diet, half to go on another, and then stand back and see what happens. That’s  just what researchers recently did for the autoimmune inflammatory bowel  condition known as Crohn’s disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease risk has been tied to arachidonic acid, which may partially explain the  animal protein connection given the levels in chicken and eggs. The anti-inflammatory nature of  plant foods may explain why those eating plant-based diets have less diabetes, fewer allergies, less heart disease, better moods, and fewer chronic diseases in chronic diseases in general.

In health, Michael Greger, M.D.

Good Monday Morning To You, My Dear Friends!

Good Morning Images, Quotes, Comments, Graphics
Good Monday Morning, my dear friends! I wish you a very happy and blessed week to come. I hope your day is off to a great start. Well, mine, oh, brother! My son is still here keeping me company. He informed me the other day that he will probably be here for a while. Oh, boy! Don’t get me wrong, I love him to death. There is nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for him and he knows it. But it is just so different after having the kids all grown and moved away. Then they move back home. Last night, I started once to just sit down and write about how different and strange it is to have one move back home. Then I went outside and looked at the stars and cleared my mind. I have no privacy. I just looked out of the corner of my eye and my son is up. He will be in here in a minute wanting to know what I am doing. He use to know I did my group daily. I thought I told him I now did a blog? My mind must be going. He is on his phone continuously, texting. He will come in here, lay down on the bed, talk and text the whole time. I am use to talking to a person by looking them in the eye. Not him! He has started going out. I told him, he is grown, go do what you want to, you don’t answer to me anymore. He comes in anywhere from 2 to 4 in the morning. The first thing he does is come to the door and holler, “You awake?” Why hell yes I am! I always stay up to all hours of the night :S. Once I go to sleep then get woke up, I can never go back to sleep. Then I take my medicine, I pass out and I sleep late. This runs me late doing the blog. Then last week, he hated his wife, now this week, they might be getting back together. It is enough to make your head swim. I keep thinking have patience. Patience is a virtue. One which I haven’t acquired yet!

Now on to a much lighter note…..

Prayer for Monday – One for Compassion

Dearest parents, please grant me the gift

of compassion. For the green earth; your

woods, forest, waters, air, animals, and

all people. Help me to become an example

of compassion, so I may plant the seed of

compassion for the betterment of all

creation.

So Mote It Be.

Daily Feng Shui Tip for Wednesday, May 23rd

The home remedies that I’d like to share on this ‘World Crohn’s and Colitis Day’ all hail from Mother Nature’s pharmacy, but always be sure to see a qualified professional before trying any medicinal protocol. That said, in the case of Crohn’s Disease or colitis, some have alleviated their stomach pain simply by sipping aloe juice, while others swear by drinking coconut milk or extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil. Any or all of these anti-aging drinks can help heal inflammation while also soothing the soreness of intestinal ulcers. Two cups a day of aloe vera juice can do the trick, while a little coconut milk can also help lessen the belly bloat and pain of these diseases. Although dealing with either of these inflammatory illnesses can be a real pain in the butt, trying any of these suggestions can take the pain out of your belly and bring balance back to your body!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Introduction to the Chakras

According to East Indian philosophy, we possess seven major *Chakras* or psychic centers on the body. Each of these forms a bridge, link, or energy transformer; changing pure (higher) energy into various forms, and connecting the four bodies (ie. spiritual, mental, astral, and physical) together. The chakras are located along the nadies (a network of psychic nerves or channels) and follow the autonomic nervous system along the spinal cord.

Chakras correlate with major acupuncture points along the ‘governing vessel meridian’ (acupuncture term). The seven major chakras are connected together by three major nadies which are parallel and near each other. The middle nadi is called *sushumna* and it has neutral characteristics. The nadi on the left (ie. nearest your left hand) is the *ida* nadi which has yin characteristics. On the other side of sushumna (nearest your right hand) is the *pingala* nadi, having yang qualities.

Chakras are visible to clairvoyant sight as varously colored rotating circles or funnels. In the East they are described as petaled flowers or lotuses. While in Western Shamanism they are devined as Spirit Tunnels.

There are many minor chakras throughout the body but in this writing we will focus on the primary seven as the others are beyond the scope of this discussion. Each chakra has a color and sound letter and a pitch associated with it which can be used to invoke it.

Back To The River

 Back To The River

Back To The River, Back To The Sea

Back To The Ocean, One With Thee

Back To My Blood, And Back Through My Veins

Back To My Heartbeat, One And The Same

Back To The Forest, Back To The Fields

Back To The Mountains, Her Body Revealed

Back To My Bones, Back To My Skin

Back To My Spirit, The Fire Within

Happy & Blessed Friday to all my special friends!

Friday Images, Pics, Comments, Graphics
I hope you are having a fantastic Friday. You should be, the weekend is almost here. I bet you are counting down the seconds, minutes and hours till the workday is over!

I wanted to mention something real quick. You probably see it everyday and just have got use to seeing the PayPal donation button. I know that is the way I am. I see things and see things and just think of them as normal. But I have changed the message on the button. I am a very proud witch but I desperately need your help. I have mentioned it before I am permanently disabled. I cannot hold down any job. In fact, it pains me to sit at the computer everyday. I get the laptop and move from one position to the next, just to get comfortable. I have had two back surgeries. The first one was a total screw-up. The second, the doctor was a miracle worker. He took out all three levels of my lower back on both sides. What I mean by this is, he took out every disc I had left from the first surgery. Then he took wire cages and screws and actually screwed my spine in the shape it should be. I thought he was kidding but he showed me the screwdriver afterwards with blood on it. Good Goddess! Then after he got all that in place, he took bone material and spread it over all the cages. This was to make me have a solid spine. Before I could feel bone rubbing on bone. Now, I feel nothing. The cages are holding the disc’s place apart and keeping that part of my spine from moving.

Recovery from that surgery was pure hell. The pain,I have never felt anything like it. It was undescribable. To top everything off, the doctor had nicked my spinal cord and they weren’t sure I would walk. Well I have an amazing Goddess, I am walking. After the pain went away and I went to my neurologist. He put me on medication (tons of it) to keep me pain-free. The medication I need to function as a human.

My problem is a very big one and I need your help. You know yourself, I never ask you for anything. I am a proud witch and person. But I need you now. My A/C unit is out. I turned it on the other day for a minute. I went outside to check on the animals. When I came back in the house was full of smoke. The A/C unit was about to burn the house down. It is 12 years old, so I guess it is time for it to go. I told you my life story were you would understand I cannot take the heat. I am not supposed to be out in the sun at all while taking my meds. When I do get in a hot situation, I get deathly ill.

I need your help because the A/C unit is out. I am desperate, depressed and to the point of tears. Will you please help get my A/C unit fixed or replaced?

Please!

5 Ways to Safely Survive Allergy Season

5 Ways to Safely Survive Allergy Season

  • AgingCare.com

By Anne-Marie Botek, AgingCare.com

Thanks to an unusually warm winter, allergy season has come early this year. As pollen fills the air weeks ahead of schedule, people afflicted by seasonal allergies are beginning to groan.

Like many millions of Americans, the elderly are not exempt from the stuffy noses and watery eyes that accompany allergies. But, unlike most of those millions, seniors often have complicating factors such as chronic diseases that can make it difficult to deal with their allergies.

Christopher Randolph, M.D., member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology’s Asthma & Allergic Diseases in the Elderly Committee, discusses ways caregivers can make allergy season bearable for their elderly loved ones:

1. Look for the signs: Allergies don’t discriminate between the young and the old. Randolph says that people falsely assume that the elderly do not get seasonal allergies, when, in fact, they are just as likely as anyone else to be affected when spring blooms begin to appear. Caregivers should be on the lookout for the traditional signs of allergies: sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes.

2. Make sure their doctor knows: Randolph points out that it can be difficult for a doctor to diagnose allergies in an older person, particularly when they’re focused on a senior’s larger health issues. Elderly people often have multiple chronic health problems, and it can be hard for a doctor to separate a potential allergy from an ongoing disease. A caregiver who suspects that their elderly loved one may have allergies should bring their concerns to their loved one’s doctor.

3. Be aggressive: “Allergies have a larger impact on the lives and health of the elderly,” Randolph says. It makes sense; allergy symptoms, such as a congested nose and an irritated throat, can be extremely dangerous to a senior who has pre-existing cardiovascular problems. This is why Randolph feels that allergies in the elderly should be treated as rapidly and aggressively as possible.

4. Avoid traditional antihistamines: Antihistamines, the class of drug most commonly prescribed to treat allergies, can be dangerous to seniors. Potential side effects from these medications include: confusion, drowsiness, urinary retention, dry mouth and eyes, and dizziness. Randolph says that antihistamines can potentially cause changes in mood or behavior in the elderly and may lead to dangerous interactions with commonly prescribed medications. For the senior suffering from seasonal allergies, a doctor will likely prescribe a nasal steroid or some form of topical medication.

5. Be on the lookout for upcoming treatment options: Randolph says that there is a new type of treatment for allergies being developed specifically for the elderly. By combining an antihistamine with a steroid inhaler, this new treatment will be able to deliver the antihistamine directly into the nose, avoiding the unpleasant side effects traditionally associated with the drug. While it probably won’t be ready in time to help seniors this season, Randolph expects the treatment will be available to the public within the next three to six months.

What’s Your Seasonal Allergies IQ? (Quiz!)

What’s Your Seasonal Allergies IQ? (Quiz!)

  • Katie Waldeck

Ah, springtime. The flowers are blooming, the temperature’s rising, people are at long last beginning to enjoy the outdoors again. But there’s also a far less pleasant aspect of spring – seasonal allergies come to rear their ugly heads.

So how much do you know about your dreaded seasonal allergies? Take this quiz to test your knowledge!

 

Questions Part I

1. Which of these weather conditions are the most ideal for seasonal allergy sufferers?
A. Hot, dry and windy.
B. Cold and windy.
C. Cold, wet and wind-free.
D. None of the above — they’re all bad.

2. True or false: eating locally-sourced honey will help alleviate spring allergies.
A. True.
B. False.

3. The worst time of day for allergy suffers is:
A. The early morning, 5AM-10AM.
B. Overnight, 10PM-5AM.
C. Midday, 10AM-4PM.
D. They’re all equally as bad.

 

Questions Part II

4. True or False: your lifestyle affects your development of allergies.

A. True.
B. False.

5. Which of the following is least likely to trigger your seasonal allergies?
A. Grasses.
B. Weeds.
C. Flowers.
D. Trees.

6. Which of the following is an easy way to combat pollen?

A. Wash your hair before bed.
B. Close windows and doors.
C. Wear natural fabrics.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.

 

Answers Part I

1. Which of these weather conditions are the most ideal for seasonal allergy sufferers?
A. Hot, dry and windy.
B. Cold and windy.
C. Cold, wet and wind-free.
D. None of the above — they’re all bad.

Portland, Ore. and Seattle, Wash. are the best cities for allergy suffers. Why? Windless days make it much harder for pollen to travel around, and rain usually washes it away! Pack your bags and head to the great Pacific Northwest!

2. True or false: eating locally-sourced honey will help alleviate spring allergies.
A. True.
B. False.

A bit of a trick question. Consuming local honey has never been proven to reduce allergy symptoms, but it hasn’t explicitly been disproven either. Even if it did, it might not even contain the kinds of allergens you’re triggered by.

3. The worst time of day for allergy suffers is:
A. The early morning, 5AM-10AM.
B. Overnight, 10PM-5AM.
C. Midday, 10AM-4PM.
D. They’re all equally as bad.

Pollen counts are worst during the middle of the day — better hold off on that jog til after dinner!

Answers Part II

4. True or False: your lifestyle affects your development of allergies.

A. True.
B. False.

You’re off the hook on this one. Nope, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to yourself to develop allergies. Don’t let that be a free pass, though!

5. Which of the following is least likely to trigger your seasonal allergies?

A. Grasses.
B. Weeds.
C. Flowers.
D. Trees.

Though it has been seen among florists, common folk are very rarely allergic to flowers. What you’re likely allergic to is the pollen from grasses, trees and weeds. Buy yourself a bouquet (or pick one from your garden) to celebrate this fact!

6. Which of the following is an easy way to combat pollen?

A. Wash your hair before bed.
B. Close windows and doors.
C. Wear natural fabrics.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.

These are all easy techniques for reducing pollen levels inside of your home. You can also look to your air conditioning system for help — make sure the humidity level is below 50% and that you change your filters as often as recommended.

Hey, Hey, Hey, Show Me Some Love, Please! I Can Use It!

Showing Some Love Images, Pics, Comments, Graphics
SHOW ME SOME LOVE!

I have to admit things have gotten better, but……I still have to put my knee back in place and pick the thorns out of my hand, lmao! I got outside this morning at the crack of dawn and did farm work 😦 . I have one question after today, why, oh, why do people have to work?

Please love me, please!

Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu.

Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu.

When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner, and someone saw my grin –
and when he smiled I realized, I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that grin, then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begins, don’t leave it undetected –
Let’s start an epidemic quick and get the world infected !

Herb of the Day for April 5 – Cat’s Claw Bark Cut

Herb of the Day for April 5 – Cat’s Claw Bark Cut

    Latin Name: Uncaria tomentosa
Common Names: Bird of Paradise

Folklore:
This herbal treatment, known in Latin as Uncaria Tomentosa, is named after the hook-like horns that are found on its surface, and comes from a vine native to the Amazon Rain Forest and other similarly tropical locals within South and Central America. There, it has been found in traditional medicinal folk lore dating back to the age of the Incans, and is frequently described as a potent aid in treating health problems, such as arthritis, stomach ulcers, fever, and general inflammation. Some lore even suggests that the bark can be utilized when one is seeking a method ofbirth control.

Medicinal Properties:
More Modern studies have shown that Cat’s Claw Bark is indeed a stimulant to the immune system, helping it fight off disease and perhaps thereby relieving symptoms such as fever. Some herbalists also claim that it can be of great use in relaxing and soothing muscles, helping to ease away aches and pains. This is of particular use when combined with the fact that the bark has shown some ability to treat and ease assorted forms of arthritis. Some studies have also shown that Cat’s Claw Bark can help lower blood pressure as well, and act as a diuretic. The bark has also been shown to possess antioxidant properties, which remove the body of particles that damage cells and potentially cause cancer. Early studies are looking into this quality, and examining its antitumor and anticancer effects.

Magical Properties:
Purification, Unhexing, Protection

Cautions:
Not recommended for people who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant. Not recommended for organ transplant recipients, it may stimulate the immune response and cause a rejection of the organ or tissue.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – March 27

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – March 27

“…you have to believe it first. Not wait until you see it first, then touch it, then believe it…You have to say it from the heart.”

–Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

We are designed to function from faith. First we pray. Then we use our imagination to create a vision or picture in our mind. We surround this mental picture with our emotions or feelings. These feelings are available when we ask or say it from the heart. The combination of the mental picture and asking from the heart to create the emotions will cause us to believe it. Then we just need to wait. We need to believe as though it is already done.

Great Spirit, remove from me any doubt that comes up today.

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