Your 5 minutes daily program to Stress management

We all have this favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out, and I wouldn't bother naming all of them since it may also vary in different languages. But when it comes down to it, I think that it is how we work or even relax, for that matter that triggers stress. Ever been stressed even when you're well relaxed and bored? I know I have.

Since Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. is unavoidable in life, it is important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done by just remembering it, since life is basically a routine to follow like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but as they say-- every minute counts.

Managing time

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce your stress.

To improve your time management:

· Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.
· Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.
· Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.
· Manage your commitments by not over- or undercommitting. Don't commit to what is not important to you.
· Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.
· Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.

Build healthy coping strategies

It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.

Lifestyle
Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:

· Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.
· Have a sense of purpose in life.
· Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.
· Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.
· Get moderate exercise throughout the week.
· Limit your consumption of alcohol.
· Don't smoke.

Social support

Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.

Changing thinking

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body's stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.

· Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress.
· Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.
· Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it.
· Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.

Even writers like me can get stressed even though we're just using our hands to do the talking, but having to sit for 7 or 8 hours is already stressful enough and have our own way to relieve stress. Whether you're the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.

Energy Healing 101: Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki

You have probably come across exotic-sounding terms such as “chakra”, “prana”, “aura”, and “tantra” in your course of reading books on spirituality, sex, and healing in the New Age literature section of the bookstore. But what’s the real scoop behind these exotic vocabularies?

Are All Energy Healings the Same?

Chakra or energy center is a term used in Pranic healing, an ancient Hindu system of energy healing. “Prana” means life energy. “Aura” is another terminology traced to Pranic healing. Aura is a non-physical body that consists of energy, which exists along with our physical body. The aura that covers our body is said to have seven layers pertaining to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual as manifested by energy. Studying the color and thickness of auras give ideas on the state of health of individuals. Six colors are associated with aura and interpreted into six personalities. These colors are all present in an individual but one or two are more pronounced.
Green – ambitious achiever
Blue – spiritual peacemaker
White – unconventional chameleon
Red – activist
Orange – creative communicator
Violet - psychic

Although Tantra is popularly associated with the peculiar practice of sex and spirituality, it is another method of energy healing. It comes from the word “tan” which means to spread or expand. The concept of connectedness is a recurring theme in Tantric writings on sex and spirituality. As a method of healing, spirituality and sex figure prominently. It is presupposed that the union of man and woman can reach spiritual levels during orgasm, which removes the body and mind off collected impurities. These impurities being negative energies can in turn manifest as physical illnesses.

Unlike Pranic and Tantric healings, which have Hindu origins, Reiki originated from Japan. It is relatively younger than Pranic and Tantric healings having been rediscovered in the early 1900’s. Reiki stands for universal energy, an energy brought forth by higher intelligence. Students of Reiki are taught how to tap this energy to heal physical, emotional, and mental illnesses.

Although Pranic, Tantra, and Reiki are all systems of energy healing, they differ in the type of energy tapped for healing: life energy, sexual energy, and universal energy respectively.

The concepts of the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the connection of individuals to all living and nonliving things around them and to the universe; and how energy impacts physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are some of the salient similarities of these three healing methods.

Why Do People Turn to Energy Healing?

Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki are considered alternative methods of healing. In spite of the availability and relative accessibility of modern medicine, how come more and more people are being drawned to them? Here are some possible reasons:

· Energy healing worked where modern medicine failed.

For several reasons both explainable and unexplainable, modern medical treatment failed to heal ailments and conditions in several if not many persons. Research or data may not be able to support this statement. But for the families of the dying as well as for the dying patient, they would take the risk of using alternative methods ranging from herbals and organics, faith healers, witch doctors, and New Age healing techniques just to be get well.

· People perceive modern medicine to be isolating.

Medical treatments are oftentimes focused on the disease and its causative agent, which can make a patient feel isolated and treated like a mere host of the disease. Although recent developments in hospital practice are gradually promoting the holistic treatment of a patient, the perception still persists. Unlike in energy healing, since energy and spirituality are intimately linked, the patient feels that all aspects of his health are being attended to.


· Energy healing is non-obtrusive and natural thus it is safer.

Repeated surgical procedures are physically and emotionally traumatic for most patients. It is but a logical and attractive option to both patient and families to look for less stressful health interventions. Moreover, with the rising popularity of New Age religions, going natural is the way to go.


· Energy healing is a good way of relieving stress.

Meditation is part and parcel of energy healing methods and this is an added come-on for highly stressed people. Moreover, sophisticated equipment is not required thus it becomes all the more convenient for students and future students of energy healing.

The battle between alternative healing and mainstream medicine continues as both present the benefits of their approach. But in the final analysis, what matters is the restoration of good health.

THE TRUTH ABOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

There is an epidemic across North America today of Multiple Sclerosis and
Lupus. Most people do not understand why this epidemic is happening, and
they do not know why these diseases are so rampant. I would like to share
with you the main reason we are having this very serious problem. Many
people today use artificial sweeteners in their tea or coffee.

They do this because the ads they see on TV tell them that sugar is bad for
their health. This is absolutely true. Sugar is toxic to us , but what most
people use as a replacement for sugar is much more deadly. I am talking
about ASPARTAME. It is the cause of the epidemic that was mentioned above.
ASPARTAME is an extremely toxic chemical that is produced by a chemical
company called Monsanto.

ASPARTAME is being marketed around the world as a sugar substitute and is
found in all diet soft drinks, such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi . It is also
found in artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful; and
it is used in many other products as a sugar replacement.

ASPARTAME is marketed as a diet product, but it is not a diet product at
all. In fact, it will cause you to GAIN weight because it makes you crave
carbohydrates. Causing you to gain weight is only a very small part of what
ASPARTAME does. It is a toxic chemical that changes the brain's chemistry It
can and does cause severe seizures.

This chemical changes the dopamine level in the brain, and it is
particularly deadly for anyone suffering from Parkinson's disease.

ASPARTAME is extremely poisonous, and here is why one of the toxic
ingredients of it is wood alcohol. When the temperature of

ASPARTAME exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in it is converted to
Formaldehyde, and then to formic acid, which in turn causes folic acidosis.

FORMALDEHYDE is grouped in the same class of poisons as Cyanide and Arsenic
which are very deadly toxins. The only difference is, Formaldehyde kills
quietly, and it takes a little longer. And, in the process of killing
people, it causes all kinds of neurological problems. There are 92
documented symptoms of Aspartame Poisoning leading to coma and death.

The majority of these symptoms are neurological, because the ASPARTAME
attacks and destroys the nervous system. One of these symptoms is Lupus,
which has become almost as rampant as Multiple Sclerosis, especially with
Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos (a fibrous amphibole; used for making fireproof articles).In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or breath
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum - expectorated matter; saliva mixed with discharges from the respiratory passages - (fluid) coughed up.
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:


abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe
bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

Gluten

Wheat, rye, oats, and barley are a major source of the protien gluten.
Research has shown that a disease called gluten intolerance can be
found in up to 35% of people without many of them knowing it (celiac
disease is the severe form of this disease).

Gluten intolerance is like a generally accepted and ignored disease, that creeps into and destroys many people's lives. The problem with gluten is that many people cannot digest it properly, and when it goes undigested into the ileum, it
causes serious inflamations that take time to heal.

The inflamations can hamper ingestion to any level you can think of which can cause severe deficiencies in vitamin B12, calcium, potassium, and other minerals and vitamins, and if prolonged can cause anaemia. Most of the people think that bread makes them fat only because of its large calory content, but actually more than one third of the fat people are fat because of gluten intolerance, because of the reduced metablism caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Gluten intolerance can also make you lose weight very rapidly and in an unhealthy way, and can make you
vulnerable to all kinds of disease.

Breastfeeding

Sufferers from celiac disease can't tolerate wheat and gluten in their diet, but people who were breastfed as babies seem to be less likely to develop the condition, a UK study shows.

Dr. A. K. Akobeng, of Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Manchester, and colleague note in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood that "recent observational studies suggest that breastfeeding may prevent the development of celiac disease."

In an analysis of available evidence, the researchers reviewed six studies published between 1966 and 2004 that examined the relationship between breastfeeding and celiac disease.

An association between increasing duration of breastfeeding and a decreased risk of celiac disease was seen in all of the studies except one small one.

The results of the analysis also demonstrated a 52 percent lower risk of celiac disease among people who were being breastfed at the time when gluten was introduced into their diet, compared with those who were not breast feeding at this time.

"It could be that continuing breast feeding at the time of weaning limits the amount of gluten that the child receives, thereby decreasing the chances of the child developing symptoms of celiac disease," Akobeng and colleagues suggest.

"Another mechanism through which breast milk could protect against celiac disease is by preventing gastrointestinal infections in the infant," the investigators add.

Acupressure : User Friendly Self Healing

For the best results it is important to understand the following acupressure principles. Once you understand these principles refer to description on how to stimulate the points and then to symptoms for what points relate to your symptoms. Ways to stimulate talks about fingers versus tools for stimulating the points.

No pain, no gain. You are looking for sore points. If a point is sore, it needs work. If a point is not sore, you do not need to treat it. Finger pressure will work but most people get a better Healing Response using acupressure tools. They are sharper and allow more pressure to be applied. If a point is very sore, press only as hard as you can tolerate. You must be the judge on this. Light pressure for a longer period will give you the same results. Some people who are larger or less sensitive than others, may need more pressure to activate the healing response. If a point is not sore, study the diagrams to be sure you have located the right spot. Our computer analysis can give you additional points that relate to your condition. If you bruise easily, check the points in Symptoms for bruising.

Repeat, repeat, repeat; treatments have a cumulative effect. Sometimes lasting results are immediate, but most often it takes a while. Each time you activate the Healing Response it brings the system closer to normal. If you do not get a response quickly you can increase the frequency of treatment. Three or four times a day or even once an hour is OK. You cannot overdose. It does not mean that the treatments are not working if the pain comes back. This is normal. Eventually you will reach a point where the pain does not return. Some acupuncturists report treating people 160 times and some think the use of needles is three times as effective as acupressure. You can use acupressure again and again with no additional cost.

As you repeatedly stimulate the points over time the nervous system learns a new response to the problem. Sometimes it is like teaching puppies a new trick. At first you must coach them frequently and then one day they know the new trick. Sometimes this is learned for life, but most often you will just need to remind them of the trick you want them to remember. As you know each puppy is different and the more difficult the trick the more you must work to get the learned response. Long-term results with acupressure depend on repeated use. If you have difficulties getting results, be patient and keep trying. The specific sequence we recommend consists of three different stages.

Phase One :
Get rid of the pain. At least three times a day do acupressure treatments using all the points you have identified (people with the reference books will have about 10 points). Treat for 30 seconds to a minute. You can treat longer (2 to 3 minutes) but not more than 10 minutes. Learn the points so you do not have to refer to the pictures. During this phase use any two of the prevention routines for at least five minutes and whenever you have a free moment for treatment. (See section on Prevention). Do this phase until the pain stays away between treatments.

Phase Two :
Get rid of the sore acupressure points. Treat at least once a day all the points you have. Work any one of your four prevention systems once a day and whenever you have a free moment.

Phase Three :
Keep your system balanced. Use the treatment sequence or a few of the critical points whenever you have a spare moment. Work any one of the four micro-systems at least every other day. For more energy and better health work one of the micro-systems each day or whenever you feel tired or under stress. Stress, a re-injury, overuse, and daily life will sometimes bring the pain back to warn us of imbalances. Move back to the other more intense phases as needed.

Your scale of response relates to the cumulative effect. First, if the points are sore you are on the right spots. Some people report that the points become very sore at first, so go slowly. You may get a lessening of pain or disease with treatment. The pain will go away for short periods, then for longer periods and finally the pain will stay away and the pressure points will lose their soreness.

Prevention :
You can fix a tire by putting more air in it but that is only temporary. The same is true with the imbalances in our body's energy system that underlie all illnesses. Stress in our lives will cause the points to become sore again so work on them regularly. This heals imbalances caused by the stress we normally accumulate. Distressed areas of the body are reflected in the energy system (acupressure points) of the body as painful points.

There are four parts of the body that are miniature representations of the whole body (see diagrams). Stimulating these points can prevent pain and illness before it occurs. Any sore points on these miniaturizations will activate the Healing Response for the stressed area. Use the Happy-Feet tool on all parts of the foot to work out any soreness. The Acu-Ki tool is easiest to use on the hand and some people enjoy the sharper effects of the Happy-Feet on the hand. Your Stressaway Massager is the best tool for rubbing the head, which is also a miniaturization of the body. The Back-Eze is the best tool for stimulating the miniature system of the back. The body point ST36 is your most powerful point for prevention of illnesses. Use it to add years and energy to our lives. Add it to all your treatments and use it daily. Ancient texts site it as the most important point for increasing your life span. People continually tell us how energized they feel using these different systems. If you work with these tools just to get rid of pain or illness, you are missing the most powerful benefit of acupressure -- prevention of illness, better health, and a sense of aliveness.

A few good points :
The goal is to find the fewest points possible that give you effective results. Sorest points usually give the best results. It is critical to find the correct point. This is why we have developed such good diagrams. By looking in the general area and finding the tender spot you will know you are on the point related to your problem. Our books provide at least ten different points so you can test their effectiveness for yourself. More points are available through our computer listings.

A free moment :
You do not have to use all of the points recommended. Using just a few of them when you have a free moment can be effective. Work points while watching TV, in a movie theater, waiting in a line or for an appointment, in class, in meetings, in your car, before going to bed -- anytime.