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How To Meditate for Brain Health, Mental Fitness and Energy

While meditation is surrounded by religion, beliefs and superstitions, it is a valid body state like any other, such as arousal or sleep. By learning to meditate, you can reap the benefits of this body state which include relaxation, energy and perspective on your life. Meditation is being taken seriously by health researchers interested in stress reduction and methods to improve overall health.
Meditation is used by people interested addressing conditions such as anxiety, pain, depression, emotional problems, insomnia, and stress. Meditation is also the ultimate brain workout.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 20 minutes, everyday
Here's How:

Sit
Find a place where you can sit comfortably, uninterrupted for about 20 minutes. The most important thing is to sit with your back as straight as possible. Some people find that sitting on the edge of a cushion helps keep the back straight. You will hear about special meditation cushions, candles, incense, statues, bells, and so forth -- don't worry about any of that stuff. The important thing is to sit comfortably and to practice meditation often. You can add in accessories whenever you want.

Set a Timer
At times when you are meditating, you may secretly be looking for any excuse to get up and do something else. One of the most compelling excuses is to "check the time." Often during meditation your sense of timing is lost and that leads to the feeling that you have gone past the time you set for meditation. This will often happen after you have been sitting for 1 or 2 minutes. A timer helps to assure you that you have not meditated too long. If you do not have a timer, you will probably look at a clock or your watch every 30 seconds. So set a timer and then forget about time.

Breathe
Breathing is an unique bodily function. It is automatic, we take over 10 million breaths per year without noticing, but we can also control breathing voluntarily. Think of breathing as how we can communicate with our bodies. If we breathe slowly, our bodies relax. While you sit:
bring your attention to your breathing
notice everything about your breathing:
the inhale
the exhale
the tiny pause between them
breathe naturally, just be aware of your breath
This is your only task in meditation -- be aware of your breath. If your thoughts wander, just come back to breathing.

Label
The goal of meditation is not to have no thoughts (that is impossible) but to not interact with the thoughts that occur. If, while you are meditating, you start wondering when was the last time you changed the oil in your car, that is perfectly normal -- just come back to your breathing and try not to 'chase' the thought.
Some people find it helps to label the thoughts. When you notice yourself drifting, just place a neutral label on the thoughts -- if you are thinking about everything you have to do at work, label the thoughts 'work' and return to breathing.

Don't Judge
Meditation is hard and perfect meditation is impossible. Your thoughts will drift. You will find that on some days you spend your entire meditation time thinking about your kitchen sink. Your awareness will drift away and the time will disappear. That is fine. Whenever you drift, come back to being aware of sitting and breathing. Do not judge yourself. Do not create a train of thought about how you can't meditate, how you are no good at this. Just come back to your breath.

Don't Listen To Yourself
While you meditate, there is a little voice inside your head trying to get you to stop.
This voice will come up with "great ideas" that you just have to write down immediately.
The voice will read your to do list to you, leaving you feeling pressured to just stop and get something done.
The voice will, at least once, utterly convince you that your timer has stopped and you have been meditating for hours and are late for something.
Don't listen to the voice. While you are mediating there is nothing more important for you to do. Just sit.

Watch the "Thought Clouds" Drift
Treat meditation as an experiment. Watch yourself thinking. Examine how thoughts emerge randomly and then begin to connect to other thoughts. Watch what happens to thought if you do not nourish them. How do trains of thought stop? Eventually you will see that most thoughts are random and not really worth your time. You will also begin to develop an awareness apart from your thoughts. Perhaps the greatest lesson of meditation is that you are not your thoughts.
Bring Meditation Into Your Daily Life
Many of the skills learned in meditation can be applied during your daily life. Meditate when:
waiting in line
doing the dishes
feeling upset

Take a two-minute breathing break several times during the day. Watch as your thoughts and ideas turn up at work, in conversation, or while you are solving a problem. Use the same experimental mindset and watch how you behave and think throughout the day.
Repeat Daily

Meditation is a skill that needs practice and more practice. Set a daily time for meditation and stick to it. Your brain will benefit from the endlessly fascinating journey into your own mind. Your body will benefit from the deep relaxation and stress reduction.
More Ways to Improve Your Mental Fitness

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SECRET GUILT-FREE RESTAURANT PICKS From Hungry Girl! "Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake"

(entire serving: 230 calories, 3g fat, 3g fiber)

Yay... Right smack in the middle of our list of guilt-free restaurant picks lands a crazy, layered, chocolate dessert! This cream-cheese-frosting-covered slice of chocolate cake, complete with raspberry sauce and a powdered sugar topping, is a steal at just 230 calories and 3g fat. The kicker? 3 whole g's of filling fiber! This low-fat, cake-tastic treat is a rare find. Pair it with their Grilled Shrimp Skewer Salad and you've got yourself a huge, filling meal that has a grand total of just 440 calories and 5g fat!
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Applebee's - Italian Chicken & Portabella Sandwich

(entire entree w/ sides: 360 calories, 6g fat, 11g fiber)
Wowowow! The 'Bee's recently added a few new items to their Weight Watchers menu. The standout newbie is this marinated chicken breast on a whole-wheat bun, complete with sauteed portabellas and chunky marinara dipping sauce. Plus, it comes with a side of fresh fruit. We recommend this one for people on Weight Watchers, people who count calories, and people who simply dig delicious chicken sandwiches. Go, Applebee's!
Chili's - Guiltless Black Bean Burger on a Whole Wheat Bun(entire entree w/ sides: 410 calories, 8g fat, 1,490mg sodium, 57g carbs, 25g fiber, 29g protein) This is definitely one of the best veggie burgers ever to be served at a restaurant. It's packed with filling fiber and tons of flavor; even meat lovers will dig this meatless wonder. Plus it comes served with heaps of tasty steamed veggies topped with parmesan cheese. The trick here is ordering the massive (and massively delicious) black bean patty on one of their unbuttered whole-wheat buns instead of the "Big Mouth Bun". That right there saves you 240 calories and 4 grams of fat! Serious calorie-counters can skip the bun altogether and the whole meal will clock in at only 320 calories and 6 grams of fat. Just don't use this low-cal platter as an excuse to order dessert at Chili's; each one of those crazy things has 720 to 1,600 calories and 44 to 78 grams of fat. Eeeks!
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The Cheesecake Factory - Weight Management California Salad

(entire salad w/ dressing: 560 calories, 28g fat, 43g carbs, 25g fiber, 15g sugars, 38g protein)
Okay, despite the fact that this salad has a snoozefest of a name, it's actually pretty exciting. Just like a Cobb salad, it has rows of grilled chicken, bacon, bleu cheese, tomato, beets, asparagus and chopped hard-boiled eggs -- but it has far less fat and calories than the average Cobb contains. Sure it's still a little high in fat, but it's also gigantic (scoop off some of the bleu cheese and bacon if you want to downsize the fat count). The best part may very well be the delicious low-calorie dressing. The Mustard Vinaigrette is sweet and tangy with less than 11 calories per tablespoon and very little fat. There is also a Spicy Vinaigrette (which, oddly, is more sweet than spicy) and a Sesame-Soy Dressing available for the same impressive stats. So feel free to use those with any of the salads at the CF, and just leave off the fatty ingredients.
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Health Tip: Symptoms of Ear Infection in Children

Symptoms of ear infections in children vary, based on the type of infection and age of the child. The Nemours Foundation lists these common warning signs:
>Pain or discomfort in the ear, indicated by touching or pulling at the ear in a younger child.
>Pain while lying down, chewing or sucking, which may lead to reduced appetite or difficulty sleeping. >Fluid draining from the ear.
>Difficulty hearing.
>Fever, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting

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8 Manfaat Madu Buat Kecantikan

Selama ini banyak orang mengenal madu sebatas sebagai jenis makanan. Mungkin kita tahu kalau madu memiliki banyak manfaat untuk kesehatan dan kecantikan. Dan tentu ada sejumlah produk kecantikan yang dapat dibeli di toko-toko yang berbahan dasar madu, bagi Anda yang tak mau ribet. Tapi jika Anda lebih senang mengambil manfaat madu alami untuk memoles kecantikan Anda, simak tips yang kami suguhkan ini.

1. Masker Madu: Oleskan madu murni pada wajah Anda dan biarkan selama kira-kira 15 menit, hingga mongering. Setelah kering, basuhlah wajah Anda dengan air hangat.

2. Mandi Untuk Kulit Berkilau: Untuk melembabkan, melembutkan dan membuat kulit berkilau, bawa serta sebotol madu saat Anda mandi. Oleskan ke kulit dan tepuk-tepuk dengan kedua tangan hingga mengering. Sementara menepuk-nempuk kulit, madu akan lengket di kulit Anda. Basuhlah bekas madu yang lengket tersebut setelah Anda selesai. Dan Anda bisa menikmati hasilnya dengan kulit yang nampak cantik nan cerah!!!

3.Mandi Madu: Untuk mendapatkan aroma yang manis dan kulit lembut, tambahkan ¼ hingga ½ cangkir madu di air mandi Anda.

4.Scrub Madu: Campurkan 1 sendok teh madu dengan seikit tepung almond ke telapak tangan Anda. Gosokan perlahan ke wajah sebagai scrub wajah. Lalu basuh wajah Anda dengan air hangat untuk mengangkat madu.
5. Pembersih Wajah Setiap Hari: Campurkan 1 sendok makan madu dengan sedikit susu bubuk di telapak tangan. Oleskan di wajah untuk membersihkan semua kotoran dan make-up, dan lalu basuh hingga bersih dengan air hangat.

6. Rambut Berkilau: Untuk membuat rambut Anda berkilau, campurkan 1 sendok makan madu, perasan satu jeruk nipis, dan sedikit air hangat. Bilas rambut Anda dengan shampo seperti biasa dan lalu tuangkan campuran tadi pada rambut. Keringkan rambut dengan cara biasa.

7. Conditioner Rambut: Untuk menjaga kesehatan rambut dan kulit kepala, campurkan ½ cangkir madu dan satu sendok malan minyak zaitun. Oleskan merata ke rambut dan kulit kepala, lalu ambil penutup rambut dan biarkan selama 30 menit dalam keadaan tertutup. Setelah 30 menit, keramasi dengan shampo dan bilas rambut Anda seperti biasa.

8. Toner Kulit: Untuk mengencangkan, melembutkan dan melembabkan kulit, campurkan 1 buah kulit jeruk ditambah satu sendok makan madu dalam blender hingga halus. Gosokan perlahan campuran madu tadi ke wajah dan biarkan selama 15 menit. Lalu basuh wajah Anda dengan air hangat untuk membersihkan campuran tadi.
Jika Anda mau sedikit repot, dengan tips yang kami berikan di atas Anda dapat menciptakan produk-produk bak spa di rumah. Madu memang produk yang paling luar biasa untuk kecantikan dimana didalamnya terkandung enzyme bermanfaat, vitamin dan mineral. Tapi, sebelum Anda melakukan eksperimen, sebaiknya pastikan produk madu yang Anda beli 100% murni. Dan bagi Anda yang alergi pada madu, sebaiknya jangan mencoba resep ini.
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