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Feng Shui for Your Bedroom and Your Love Life

By Guest Author on Sunday, August 8th, 2010 | No Comments

Feeling down in the dumps in life and in love and just don’t know how to shake the negative energy?  Looking to create a positive new start to the day, every day, and begin your quest for romance?  Tired of seeing nothing but the same old knick knacks scattered around your room, only good for collecting dust and harboring memories?  Well try something new – feng shui your room to clear out all that old, negative energy and attract new positive forces around you!  Follow these quick and easy four suggestions to begin the feng shui journey towards drawing in better, more positive energy in life and in love.

1. Out with the old, in with the new. The images you choose to surround yourself with, especially in your bedroom, have a heavy influence on the energy of your life and love.  Remove pictures that represent loneliness, anger, conflict, or any other negatively charged emotional energy from your bedroom, which really is the space that defines who and how you are in life in regards to love.  Photographs of old family members may be sacred treasures, but if harnesses any of that unwanted energy, it doesn’t belong in the bedroom; stick them in another, less intimate, part of the house.

2. Open your doors to life and love. Take heed and insure that the door to your bedroom opens with ease, without impediments that disallow the door from opening completely or that make it stick or squeak.  Eyes may be the portal to the soul, but the bedroom door is the portal to the heart, and a stuck bedroom door hinders the smooth, natural flow of positive, intimate energy from entering into your bedroom.  Check the hinges and the doorknob, as well.  Broken hinges and loose doorknobs might imply troublesome times, needing some fine-tuning and fixer-upping in the romance department.

3. Balance your bed.  The best feng shui positioning of a bed is opposed to the door of the bedroom, slightly misaligned.  If your bed is situated alongside a bedroom wall, the person sleeping against the wall may feel trapped, disenfranchised, or suffocated.  If possible, find a place in the room where there is equal space aside each half of the bed, to insure that your partner (or future partner) with share a sense of equality and welcomeness with you in your personal space.  However, if there’s a lack of space on the opposite side of the bedroom door for the bed to fir, hang a mirror; this provides a reflected view of the entry and keeps the space open for the natural flow of positive, intimate energy.

4. Manifest your destiny.  Visualize everything you wish for yourself in life and love, and bring it to life through surrounding yourself in that intimate space with images of it.  Place the collage of images somewhere you’ll see it every day, and soon those dreams will become a reality.  You can’t ascertain the things in life that you want most if you can’t visualize them and remind yourself of what they are everyday.

Kyle Simpson is a writer for Medical Coding where you can brose medical coding schools and industry jobs.

Top 10 Ways to Relax and Decompress

By Guest Author on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 | No Comments

Remember when you were a kid?  You always seemed to have too much time on your hands.  Nothing exciting ever happened and you often found yourself bored to tears.  Oh, how we long for those lazy days now.  If there’s one problem that almost every adult faces, it’s a lack of free time.  No matter how you try to schedule in a little respite, you seem to fill every waking moment with something that just can’t wait.  If it’s not squeezing in your annual physical, it’s running out for the item you forgot on your grocery list, washing the dog, or dealing with any number of household “fix it” projects that have fallen by the wayside.  And you have no idea how it happened, but every time you blink, half the year is gone.  You’re almost positive time has sped up while you weren’t looking.  And in the midst of all this running around, you’ve managed to compile a huge debt of unreleased stress that leaves your mind spinning all night and your body tense and twitchy.  You need a break!  Here are the top 10 ways to take it.

  1. Do some yoga.  I’m not talking about 105 degrees of Bikram or some exercise program that will leave you feeling like a pretzel.  Just do a nice, simple routine that stretches the sore spots and leaves you feeling like a fresh, new person.
  2. Get a massage.  It doesn’t get much better than an hour or two of letting someone else take care of you.  So set aside some table time to let a strong pair of hands work out the kinks.
  3. Go to the park.  How long has it been since you flopped down on a blanket, curled your toes in the grass, and watched the leaves flutter and the clouds go by?  Probably too long.  Embrace the favorite pastime of kids everywhere and find your inner peace.
  4. Read a book.  Let’s see, you’ve had the first Stieg Larsson novel gathering dust on your nightstand for the past year without so much as cracking the cover.  So brew up some coffee, find a cozy corner, and immerse yourself in the world of Lisbeth Salander.
  5. Take a dip.  Lie out on a lawn chair and soak up some vitamin D before stepping into the cooling waters of a swimming pool (laze at home if that’s an option or visit your local community pool).
  6. Take a nap.  It doesn’t get any more relaxing than watching reflected light inch across your ceiling as you slowly drift off to dreamland for a mid-afternoon siesta.
  7. Take a walk.  Sometimes a little motion can loosen up your limbs, get you breathing deeper, and help to clear some of the cobwebs from your mind.  So take a stroll around the block or get back to nature on a nearby hiking trail.
  8. Play hooky.  If, like most people, work is number one on your list of stressors, take a page from the playbook of your teenage self and cut class (so to speak).  Spend the day loafing on the couch, lunching with friends, or shopping downtown.  But avoid anything even vaguely resembling work!
  9. Plant a garden.  Tending to plants and watching them grow to maturity is not only a good way to fill your home with flowers or get organic produce.  It’s also a proven way to decompress and focus your mental faculties.
  10. Pop a pill.  This should be reserved for special occasions when absolutely nothing else will work.  If you’re going out of your mind and you cannot find another way to relax, ask your doctor to prescribe something to take the edge off.  You shouldn’t make a regular habit of it, but a Xanax, Valium, or Ambien once in awhile can allow you to let go of your problems and help you get back to the well-balanced individual you know you can be.

Derwood Talbot is a writer for the popular book review website, Written Word. Browse the site to find information on the latest book gadgets and information on your favorite authors.

Five Ways to Get Back to Nature for Less Stress

By Guest Author on Monday, July 19th, 2010 | No Comments

So much of our daily lives are spent indoors that sometimes we feel like Margot, the little girl locked in the closet, in Ray Bradbury’s All Summer in a Day.  Luckily, we have windows to see the outside world, but it’s not as good as feeling the sun warm your skin, the wind lift your hair, or the cool patter of rainfall on your upturned face.  Sitting in front of a computer all day may pay the bills, but it certainly doesn’t seem to enrich your life in any other way.  In fact, more and more people are suffering from stress-related disorders like sleeplessness and fatigue, anxiety and depression, and even hypertension (as well as more serious disorders).  So what can you do to beat the office blues?  Simple: head outdoors.  And here are a few ways to get back to nature.

  1. Visit a park.  You may not realize it (especially if you don’t have kids) but there are plenty of parks in your area (most cities have a required number of parks per capita).  Leave your cell phone, iPod, and laptop at home, grab a book and a blanket, and wiggle your toes in the grass for awhile.  You’ll be surprised by how therapeutic an hour in the park can be (and you can squeeze it into your lunch break).
  2. Take a hike.  If you exercise anyway, why not do it in the wilderness instead of on a machine?  Sure it gives you time to catch up on your soaps, but when you get off the treadmill you always have this nagging feeling that you haven’t gone anywhere.  By hitting a local hiking trail, you’re workout will go by fast as you drink in the beauty of your natural surroundings and inhale a little dose of happiness with every lungful of fresh air.
  3. Volunteer with Parks and Rec.  If you want to work a little activism into your daily routine and still enjoy the great outdoors, consider donating some time to the Department of Parks and Recreation.  They have all kinds of programs for kids that you can help with (lead nature hikes, set up a stargazing seminar, etc.) as well as many ways to work towards a cleaner environment (plant trees, pick up trash, etc.).  Whatever activity you choose, you will not only be giving something of yourself, you will be getting something back from nature.
  4. Create a garden.  This activity can be fulfilling on more than a spiritual level (although weeding can certainly take you to your Zen place).  You will have a tangible accomplishment to feel proud of when your flowers begin to bloom, and if you plant fruits and vegetables, you can also enjoy healthy, organic produce.
  5. Go camping.  There’s no better way to get back to nature than a camping trip.  Separated from society by miles of wilderness, you have a chance to really slow down and let go of all the pent-up anxieties that have plagued you in your busy career.  So unplug your life and marvel at the splendor that is all around you.  It can really put things in perspective and leaving you feeling like a new (and improved) person.

Michelle Wells is a writer for the website Therapist Schools. You can browse the site to find information about educational therapist jobs and countless others.

Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Treat Your Body as a Temple

By Guest Author on Friday, July 2nd, 2010 | No Comments
  1. It’s easy.  Treating  yourself well is not as difficult as people seem to think.  Okay, so exercise and diet can be a little difficult, but when you’re feeling good, it’s easy to keep up with a regimen that promotes healthy living.  As for a little pampering, you control the schedule, so make sure you’re not so bogged down that you don’t make a little time for yourself.
  2. You’re worth it.  You must believe with everything in you that you deserve to feel good.  You have every opportunity in life to be the best you can be, so don’t phone it in!  You have intrinsic value as a person, as a body, and as a mind, so treat yourself accordingly.
  3. Nobody cares about you like you.  People will run you ragged with requests, demands, and obligations, but keep in mind that you control your own schedule, so pencil in a little time for your health.  Make “no” your favorite word and use it arbitrarily or to deflect time constraints that will impede your efforts to care for yourself.  Tending to your body and mind is solely in your hands, so don’t let a lunch date, a soccer skirmish, or charity events get in the way.  If you need a break, take it.
  4. You’re not a garbage disposal.  So stop dumping all that junk down your throat.  You know what I’m talking about.  Cookies, chips, and soda, while tasty, are nothing more than pollutants that foul up your system and provide little or no nutritional value.  If you need a sugar fix, go for fruits (which provide valuable nutrients and longer-lasting energy) or a smidge of dark chocolate (which has less fat and sugar).  If salt is your thing, snack on a handful of nuts.  Healthy eating can help you feel full longer, improve digestion, and increase brain activity.
  5. You are divine.  Each of us has special qualities that should not be overlooked or downplayed.  Embrace your personal divinity and anoint your body appropriately (get a massage, buy those cute sandals, and basically love the skin you’re in).
  6. Form follows function.  If your body isn’t working like it should on the inside, you’re going to see the results on the outside, so make sure you’re getting the level of activity, the amount of sleep, and the foods you need to function properly.  When you do, you’ll find that you’re more alert, active, and energized (and your body will respond in kind).
  7. Performance matters.  You want your body in top form, but you’re going to have to work for it, so make sure you’re giving life your all.  Don’t jog a mile and then come home and eat a candy bar.  If you expect your body to go when you tell it to, you have to treat it like the high-performance vehicle it is with proper fuel and frequent maintenance.
  8. You get what you give.  This is a pretty simple mantra that you can really live by.  If you subject your body to the tortures like sitting in the same position all day and sustain it with processed foods, then you can’t reasonably expect it to flee from an attacker on command.  If, on the other hand, you condition yourself for movement and ingest proper nutrients, that marathon you’ve been considering may be well within your reach.
  9. You only have one body.  So don’t screw it up!  We’re not quite to the point where our aging heads can be attached to nubile younger bodies, so take care of yourself.  You’re the one that has to live with the mistakes.
  10. Death is inevitable.  You have no control over when it strikes, but you do have a say in how you live your life.  Everything you do to your body will affect how easy or difficult your life is, how much pain you suffer or pleasure you enjoy in your time on Earth.  You know how to treat your body right.  You know what to eat, how to move, and when you need a break or a little pampering, so listen to what your body is telling you and treat it like the temple it is.  See every day as another chance to worship yourself and when your number is up, you can shuffle off this mortal coil with no regrets.

This post was written by Alicia Witt of Abusing Adderall. Browse the website to find out more about Adderall dependence and what symptoms to look for.

Yoga Lays the Foundation for Other Types of Fitness

By Guest Author on Thursday, June 24th, 2010 | No Comments

If you’ve never done yoga, you may have some preconceived notions about people who endorse the practice.  You may feel that it requires some sort of spiritual enlightenment or the flexibility of a contortionist to perform.  You might think that you have to be “new age” or a “hippie” to engage in yoga, or that it is a stand-alone exercise that has nothing to do with “real” workouts.  In fact, none of these things are true.  Yoga is for anyone and everyone, at all levels of fitness.  It is an extremely malleable form of exercise that can be tailored to the individual’s needs and abilities, and as such, it is also an excellent supplement to other types of physical training.  Yoga, in its many forms, can help you prepare for, or allow you to advance in, all other forms of exercise.

To begin with, yoga strengthens your body.  Whether you’re working a flow or holding a static pose, your muscles are responding to your demands and becoming stronger through both dynamic movement and isometrics.  The nice thing about yoga is that it requires no weights, instead using the weight of your own body to help you become stronger.  Additionally, most of the exercises promote a strengthening of the core muscles (back and abs) that will help to improve toning, posture, and balance, making it easier to increase strength in other areas.

It’s also great for improving flexibility and range of motion.  When we enter this world, our bodies seem almost infinitely flexible.  Babies and small children can bend and flex in ways that adults marvel at.  Well, the only reason you can’t do it anymore is that you’re out of practice!  Since we don’t all spend our lives training like gymnasts or ballerinas, we lose the flexibility that we’re born with (standing and sitting at work all day don’t help in this arena).  But yoga can facilitate gaining back what you’ve lost, through targeted stretching that not only elongates tight muscles, but also opens your body to enhance range of motion.  This can spell benefits for any other type of exercise routine, such as running, swimming, martial arts, or even weight-training.  Have you ever had to skip a day of exercise because muscles were too sore and tight, or felt a pinch in your shoulder blade after some heavy lifting?  Yoga can help to reduce and, over time, eliminate these aches and pains through the release of muscle tension and the creation of space in areas that we tend to compress or tense up (shoulders, ribcage, hip flexors, etc.).

Finally, there are certain types of yoga that provide an excellent cardio exercise.  If you are interested in losing weight or improving lung function and heart health, but think that slow motions and static poses are all wrong for you, then you are sadly mistaken.  Once you get the basic movements and poses down, you can begin to move more quickly through a flowing series that will allow you to enjoy the benefits listed above, all the while increasing your heart rate and breathing, just like aerobic exercise.

In short, yoga is a great all-around exercise that can supplement any other workout routine or provide a foundation to begin conditioning.  And in addition to all of the physical benefits, it also allows you to link your breath to movement, which provides for a mind-body experience that will leave you feeling relaxed and focused, something that anyone interested in health is sure to appreciate.

Martin Longreen is a fitness buff and writer for the popular self defense website Hertao.

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