Ideas. Experiencelife. Opening your home to guests for the holidays? Here are a few tips to avoid hospitality-induced anxiety. By Jon Spayde / December 2012 Expert Source: Sandy Coughlin, creator of the Reluctant Entertainer blog and author of The Reluctant Entertainer: Every Woman’s Guide to Simple and Gracious Hospitality (Bethany House, 2010) Enjoying a meal with friends and family is supposed to help dust away life’s daily anxieties. But in a recent British survey, half of those questioned said throwing a dinner party is more stressful than going to work. A quarter of respondents found it more traumatic than sitting down for a job interview. A significant share of that anxiety, according to author Sandy Coughlin, is rooted in self-consciousness. Coughlin’s mission is to help people see event hosting as an opportunity to reconnect.
Barriers to Overcome Perfectionism. Strategies for Success Keep it small and simple.
Meditation. Relationship. Inspirational. Autism. 5 Tips to Boost Your Self-Confidence. We all suffer from a lack of confidence to one degree or another. With low self-confidence, we experience anxiety, discouragement, fear and depression. We avoid new things and miss out on wonderful life experiences. The good news is that you can train yourself to become self confident, even if it doesn't come naturally. With practice, your outlook becomes positive, your ability to spot and pursue opportunities increases, and you become more attractive and fun to be around. First, let's take a look at what this is. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Here are some tips to boosting your confidence: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Health. Food. The Shocking Truth About Pringles Potato Chips. 5 Ways to Achieve Spiritual Harmony. Letting go of anything not directly in front of me—in my face—at this very moment. Detaching from any relations or things that occupy my awareness and take me away from being fully present in the here and now. What would life be like if I entered into each scene and moment of life with a brand new slate? What if I entered into each scenario and encounter with a blank canvas of curiosity versus assumption? What if I met myself and others as a question mark, over and over and over again to discover something new each time? I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s an easy thing to do, but it’s getting easier and easier the more I practice. Here are some ways in which you may actively engage in your pursuit of harmony between your spiritual practice and life. Everything in life is happening, because you are saying “yes” to them.
If you’re broke, stop filling your fridge with maca, bee pollen, cacao, fermented kimchi from the farmers market and/or organic produce from Whole Foods. 6 Ways to Steamroll Gossip and Blame. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi’s famous quote is a sweet check-in for how we are showing up in the world before gossiping about others. It’s ironic, because to end all the negativity in our lives, it must start with us. Until we start showing up consistently, and clearing out all of the skeletons in our closet, we have no right to point at others and complain, or gossip about their performance.
It’s a wonderful exercise to try to catch yourself before complaining about the job others are doing in regards to recycling, or how many times you see them eating “badly,” or attending yoga class. 1. For the first two years of my last relationship, I was the quintessential plant-based, whole foods, health-nut, making faces every time my girlfriend was about to sink her teeth into a piece of pizza or a glorious scoop of ice cream. 2. It’s liberating to know that we all interpret every situation as good or bad. 3. Say that again. 4. At least 5-10 minutes a day.
5 Positive Ways to Start Your Day. We go to sleep each night and wake up in the morning to a new day with new opportunities - a day filled with the power and freedom to choose. The minute we wake up, we can choose to get out of bed and make the most of our day or press the snooze button, roll over, pull the blankets over our head, and feel dread about the day ahead. This is nobody's choice but ours. Generally, the way we start our day influences how we feel for the rest of the day.
Let's look at 5 ways we can start our day off on a positive note: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Many people don't understand the power of thoughts, because they live every day on autopilot, doing most things out of habit, and therefore they create their reality unconsciously, as if they’re wearing a blindfold. Now, let me ask you this: How do you start your day? 5 Ways to Heal Your Knee Chakras. Lately I’ve found myself dealing with situations that are not within my realm of control.
Ironically, when this happens I respond by being overly controlling in other areas of my life—areas that then suffer by this controlling behavior. When I was younger, I had an eating disorder. Through much self-examination, I discovered that I was at my worst when I was going through something that made me feel out of control; so I controlled what I ate—or didn’t eat. Similarly, as I get older I’ve discovered that unhealthy patterns in my relationships emerge during time periods when I feel the need to be in charge of something or, well, someone.
The good thing is that recognizing these behavioral connections is the first step towards improvement. We actually have minor chakras located around our knees. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. More than anything, though, I hope that you enjoy getting in touch with this energy of your knee chakras. 5 Ways to Stop Worrying and Feel Calm. When we worry, we create drama in our minds: obsessing about the past, or predicting what might happen in the future. I'm no stranger to worry and the stress it causes in our bodies and minds. In fact, I used to feel trapped by my own self-created 'reality' of worry, until I realized there was a better way. Through practicing some simple strategies, I learned to free myself of worrying thoughts and restore a natural sense of inner calm. Here are my five favorite ways to do this: 1. Honor what we are experiencing.
Our worries can lose their grip on us when we honor their existence instead of feeding them with fear. 2. 3. 4. 5. H3N2: The New Swine Flu. Study Reveals Nanoparticles Jeopardize Food Quality and Soil Fertility. (Beyond Pesticides, August 23, 2012) Two commonly used nanoparticles have a significant impact on the growth and yield of food crops, according to a team of scientists led by University of California Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. The study’s conclusions echo similar research findings that show human and environmental risks from nanoparticles are not fully understood, and conclude that a precautionary approach should be used until their fate and toxicity is better understood.
The nanoparticles tested in the PNAS study, “Soybean susceptibility to manufactured nanomaterials with evidence for food quality and soil fertility interruption,” include zinc oxide, found in everyday products such as sunscreen, lotions, and cosmetics, and cerium oxide, used in diesel fuels to increase fuel combustion. The results of this study underline the urgent need for oversight and regulation of emerging nanotechnology. Source: ScienceDaily and BBC Image Source: BBC. 4 Steps to Finding Your Flow. “Most people die with their music still locked up inside them.” - Benjamin Disraeli I used to be intimidated by yoga classes. I took my first class in college, and for the next 15 years or so, I would pop into a class here or there. Maybe I would go once a year, or perhaps a couple of times a month. I never made a commitment to a teacher, a studio or a practice. The truth was, I sucked at it. Often, it was painful physically, and my mind could never let go and be still.
“I’m not flexible enough.” “My torso is way too short for this pose.” “Who in their right mind would even attempt this pose?” These thoughts often distracted me. I pretty much assumed that everyone else in class were former acrobats, professional dancers or had been practicing since they slid out of the womb. But then, something happened about four years ago. That’s when I discovered that what truly mattered was that I enjoyed the experience of movement, and I honored my own personal edge. As Dr. Dust off that instrument. Mindfulness Meditation: 3 Ways to Get Started. If you’ve always assumed that meditation means sitting cross-legged with your eyes shut, you’re in for a shock: Focusing on the present moment works just as well when you apply it to your everyday life. That means when you’re walking to work, feasting on dinner, and getting ready for bed, you can make subtle changes that calm you and change your life.
Why? When you slow down, you notice the patterns of your own mind. This gives you back the choice of how you want to live as opposed to coursing on autopilot. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. More from Prevention: Meditation to Match Your Personality. Heather Libby: What If TV Weathercasters Told the Truth About Climate Change? It's been a pretty epic summer. Not really for me (mostly I've been working) but for the planet. You've probably noticed, but the weather outside is getting pretty... freaky.
The USA is in the middle of its worst drought in twenty years (and in some states, since the Dust Bowl). There's an ongoing famine in the Horn of Africa and food shortages in the Sahel. I'd expected to hear more about these extreme weather events in the news, and in my ideal world, they'd even include a little context about why they were happening. "Tragic disaster. " Scientists say otherwise. In response, I collaborated with my friend Kai Nagata on creating some smart, eco and socially conscious web videos. This post originally appeared on DeSmogBlog.com.
Restaurant Secrets Putting Your Health at Risk. Simply Activity to Radically Decrease Breast Cancer Risk. KareThe Importance of Feeling What We Feel. It seems that many of us have learned the art of not fully feeling what we feel. We may not know exactly how or when we picked up this skill along the way, but we can sense its presence in how we've become expert dismissers ("Ah, it's not that big of a deal"), second-guessers ("Should I really be feeling this way? "), or harsh inner-critics ("I can't believe you would feel such an embarrassing feeling").
These inner comments not only stop us from truly experiencing our emotions, they also keep us from seeing any value in our feelings or in the messages they contain. In response to our habits of avoiding, numbing out, distracting, and distancing, I've imagined there might come a day when the collective of human emotions will finally rise up in protest -- planting their stakes in the ground, they'll demand to be acknowledged and felt. I've yet to meet an emotion that's been felt by someone for no reason. For more on emotional wellness, click here. 7 Ways to Manage Frustration. “Frustration, although quite painful at times, is a very positive and essential part of success.” ~ Bo Bennett I started my own real estate and feng shui business this year, and already it is teaching me an important lesson: Things aren’t always easy.
The successful birthing of a dream or a vision takes a lot of hard work, action, perseverance, patience, and sometimes, prayers! It also requires an ongoing assessment of where your head is, especially when things don’t always work out the way you envisioned it. Working independently has given me the flexibility, creative freedom, and personal satisfaction I couldn’t attain anywhere else.
No matter how much I planned and analyzed every detail, or anticipated every possible outcome, ultimately, I didn’t have control over anything or anyone. It can be incredibly frustrating. The frustration hasn’t just pulled me down; it pulsated and “ate through” my mind, body, and spirit. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Bad days are inevitable.
Beware: Some Green Cleaning Products May Not Be Very Green. By Dr. Mercola Demand for safe "green" cleaning products is on the rise, as consumers are increasingly unwilling to risk their health for the sake of a "clean" home. The truth is, most cleaning products on the market are toxic chemical cocktails, and when you spritz your bathtub or kitchen counter with that brightly colored liquid you're exposing yourself and your family to endocrine-disrupting phthalates, carcinogenic benzene, and organ-damaging phenols, just to name a few.Unfortunately, finding a safer option is not as straightforward as it may seem, because when it comes to cleaning products -- even avowedly "green" cleaning products -- you can't judge a book by its cover.
Popular Green Cleaner "Simple Green" is Actually Toxic Simple Green is one of the most widely used, supposedly "green" cleaning products on the market. 2-Butoxyethanol Linked to Birth Defects, Reproductive Problems and More 2-Butoxyethanol is Also a Dispersant Chemical Banned in the UK. 6 Ways to Live as If You Have 6 Months Left to Live. A couple weeks ago I was listening to my teacher, Wayne Dyer, in the car as usual. (It's either him or hip-hop. Go figure.) I was stuck in traffic, headed to Equinox to teach some yoga. He said we should live our lives as if we have six months left to live. Whoa! I am not trying to be Debbie Downer here or Mrs.
Dr. How would you live? Here are some suggestions for living your life as if you only had six months left: 1) Stop caring so much what other people think. 2) Be Fearless. 3) Finish the book you're writing, or the project, or the whatever it is. 4) Tell everyone you love how much you love them. 5) Never feel guilt again. 6) Stop beating yourself up. Say this out loud: I am taking this bull by the horns. This is not a suggestion that you live without consequence, but rather with intention, with love, and with passion. If we had only six months left: This exercise can easily slip into cliche.
Maybe you wouldn't do a damn thing differently. Caine's Arcade. 13 Tips for Seriously Better Sex. 10 Little Things Connected Couples Do. 10 Signs You Have Mentally Healthy Happy Person Syndrome. All-Day Tricks to Have Your Best Day Ever. How Restaurants Trick You Into Overeating. 3 Steps to Self Love. 6 Ways to Live as If You Have 6 Months Left to Live. 4 Ways to Your Authentically Awesome Self. 4 Ways to Your Authentically Awesome Self. 5 Ways to Spark Your Sex-Life (Even If You're Married) 4 Ways You Can Serve Others. Playing Hookie Is Good for Your Soul: 4 Ways to Do It Like a Pro. 3 Steps to Stop 'Shoulding' All Over Yourself. 3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Trying to Be Normal (And Start Being Awesome!)
5 Ways to Overcome Criticism. 3 Steps to Self Love. 7 Tips for Reducing Stress. 4 Ways to Live an Inspiring Life. 3 Things to Stop Doing Right Now! How the FDA is Recklessly Abandoning Drug Safety. 5 Things You'll NEVER Regret in Life. 6 Ways to Experience Deeper Love and Intimacy in Your Marriage or Relationship. How to Be a Kinder & More Loving Person. How to Tell If Your Marriage Is In Trouble - Is the Relationship Over. Hair Removal How-To. Cleaners_hallofshame.pdf. Mindfulness Solution For Busy Schedules. Thought Patterns. Interent Is Changing the Brain. How to Beat Your Habit of Saying 'Should' How to Make Up Your Mind - Decision Making - Eckhart Tolle. 8 Ways to Ignite Your Inner Happiness.