Archive for Featured Articles
Most yoga poses can be practiced by people at any level, so yoga positions for beginners are not really so different from any other yoga poses. What you will find if you go to a beginners’ class is that there will be much more explanation of each pose and where all the parts of your body should be every time. The yoga teacher will also spend more time explaining the principles of yoga and making sure that you know how to practice safely.
In a beginner yoga class the instructor will also tell you the English name for each position (e.g. Downward Facing Dog) and not just the Indian name (Adho Mukha Svanasana). This is especially important if you are joining a power yoga class where students move quickly from one pose to another. In an advanced class the instructor may only say the Indian names and you could be completely lost! Read More→
Aromatherapy as Alternative Medicine for Treating Minor Medical Problems
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Aromatherapy, Featured Articles
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses essential oils extracted from volatile plant materials and other natural aromatic compounds from plants. It is an ancient practice of using certain aromatic fragrances to stimulate the nerves inside the nasal passages. Aromatherapy stimulates these nerves that reach into parts of the brain that controls a person’s mood and cognitive functions.
Aromatherapy uses many scented oils from different parts of flowers, plants, and in some cases – bark for their healing properties. Each scent that’s used in aromatherapy has a specific purpose. Read More→
Six Major Types of Anxiety Disorders
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Anxiety & Panic Attacks, Featured Articles
Most people feel anxious about something for a short time now and then, but people who suffer from anxiety disorders feel this way a majority of the time. Their fears and worries take over their lives, making it hard for them to do everyday tasks. About 18% of American adults have anxiety disorders. Children also may have them.
If you feel you may have more anxiety or your anxiety is more intense than is normal, you may have an anxiety disorder.
How do you decide if your level of anxiety in a given situation is normal or not? Let’s say you see a man walking towards you with a gun pointed at you, naturally your level of anxiety is going to be high in that situation. On the other hand, if you feel anxious just driving to the mall, your level of anxiety is probably out of proportion. There are six major types of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
People with GAD constantly worry about everyday things like health, money, or family problems that we all worry about at sometime or another. The difference is GAD sufferers are at a heightened state of anxiety all the time. It can keep them up at night, cause chronic tiredness and nausea. If you are suffering from GAD, your levels of anxiety are higher than the average person. You imagine and worry about situations that will most likely never happen to you or your loved ones. Examples: Worrying that your daughter riding to school on her bike will get into a serious accident; you are afraid to drive to the neighborhood grocery store because you are convinced you’ll be involved in car wreck; you visualize in your mind the funeral scene should your husband die unexpectedly tomorrow.
Panic Disorder
With this type of anxiety disorder, you experience repeated and unexpected panic attacks. You also fear that the next episode can and will happen soon. Excessive adrenaline and the brain incorrectly assessing a situation with intense anxiety bring on anticipated or random attacks of panic. You spend a lot of time worrying you will have another panic attack and go to great lengths to avoid situations that might bring on an attack. Example: While taking a flight you get a panic attack with symptoms of not being able to breathe, a pounding heart and clamminess in your palms.
Social Anxiety
This is beyond shyness; it’s a high level of anxiety about being out in public or in a group situation. It’s an excessive fear about social places and situations, and it can be incapacitating. You may have low self-esteem or worry too much about what others think of you. You may practice avoidance rather than deal with the anxiety. Example: Severe anxiousness when attending a church service or intense fear of going to any place where there is a crowd of people.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts and anxieties followed by repetitive performance of a ritual. Examples: Unlocking and locking your car door 6 times before you can leave it; washing your hands with 3 squirts of soap and washing the back of the hands 4 times each.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after being exposed to a terrifying event or ordeal in which you experienced or were threatened with grave physical harm. You have very real feelings of anxiety that a similar event will happen again. Examples: The traumatic event of rape can lead to fear of all men; flashbacks; not being able to sleep alone etc.
Phobias
Phobias are persistent, irrational fears and are associated with anxiety. If you are presented with the object of your fears, you immediately experience high levels of anxiety. Examples: Fear of airplanes; fear of snakes.
Having some anxiety in our lives is normal but when it is disproportionate to the point that it seems to be taking over your life, then it is possible that you may be suffering from one of the six major types of anxiety disorders.
For more information about anxiety disorders, visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s web site.
Managing Workplace Stress and Getting Relief
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Featured Articles, Relaxation & Stress Reduction
Like most people, you’ve faced workplace stress at one time or another because it is so prevalent. Don’t let it control you, instead learn how to manage it and achieve workplace stress relief.
It is difficult to manage something if you don’t know the cause of the problem. So let’s look at some of the common factors that lead to workplace stress and how to manage them so you can get relief.
Managing a bossy boss
Maybe you’re dealing with a bossy or mean boss. Working daily for and putting up with an overbearing boss can make your work life miserable and be very stressful.
Your first goal should be to have a heart-to-heart (if possible) with him/her. Don’t lose your temper and start making wild accusations. Calmly explain how you feel about the situation and see if that helps.
If that doesn’t work, then you may need to follow the chain of command and approach your boss’ boss. Talk to him/her about the stressful situation you are experiencing with your boss. If you work for a large company with a separate HR department, you may want to approach the head of the department and share your side of the story with him/her. It always helps if you have documented specific incidents or a written list when you go in.
There’s no good reason for you to put up with workplace stress. Most companies will work with you to resolve the problem once you bring it to their attention.
If the workplace stress doesn’t get resolved despite your best effort, you may have no choice other than to find a different job or request a transfer to another department. Eventually that stress will adversely affect the rest of your personal life. Given the current bad economy and high unemployment, you may have to be a little more patient until you find a viable alternative before leaving your current job.
Work overload
Corporate mantra these days is “do more with less” which usually means you having to shoulder a bigger workload. Improving productivity is great but there comes a point where you feel too stressed with the workload to be efficient. Trying to do more than you can handle in a normal workday will lead to the inevitable workplace stress.
Be honest with yourself and your supervisor; take on only what you can handle. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others and be willing to reciprocate and help them when they need it. A lot of things can be accomplished with teamwork.
Difficult and/or rude co-workers
Most of us have had to deal with rude co-workers at one time or another. Being exposed to daily rudeness can cause a lot of stress in the workplace, making your job performance suffer unnecessarily.
There are a few ways to handle this kind of situation. First, decide if it’s something that really bothers you or not. Sometimes just ignoring them is all you need to do your job effectively.
When ignoring them doesn’t work, you may want to try talking to them about the situation. Sometimes, they may not even be aware that they are coming across as being rude. Getting it out in the open may provide stress relief.
If that doesn’t help, you’ll have to go to your boss and tell him/her what’s going on and how it has been affecting your work. Sometimes a boss will intervene and straighten out the situation because nobody wants unnecessary workplace stress.
Workplace stress can come from many other sources as well. Learn what causes your stress and find out how to manage it and get relief. Your workplace can be a stressful environment, but don’t let that stress get the best of you.
Positive Mental Attitude – the Key to Defying Aging
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Aging, Featured Articles
I’m sure you’ve heard about positive thinking making a huge difference in some people’s lives. But did you know a positive mental attitude could be the key to defying the aging process? You don’t need to discover a secret fountain of youth, just learning the skills to build and maintain a positive attitude can go long way in increasing and improving your life.
The process of developing an attitude that will help you later in life should be nurtured during the younger years. Learning these skills when you’re young to help cope with adversities and strategies through life will become all important when you reach a time that requires those skills.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do for yourself to increase longevity and live a happier, healthier life is to learn how to develop and keep a positive mental attitude.
We now know how important it is to our mental health to figure out a mission for our lives. Then, as you go through the stages and hurdles of life, you can reassess that mission and reconfigure it for where you currently are on life’s path.
Living a full, rich life should be a goal that you not only strive for, but also work toward by doing everything possible to make sure you are healthy, in both body and mind to withstand the ravages of time.
The Most Important Tools to Keep a Positive Attitude
Scientific research indicates that “retirement” as our ancestors viewed it really isn’t a good thing for us to keep a positive mental attitude about life. Below are some helpful tools for you to live by if living a full, rich life is of concern to you.
- Keep Busy – A rocking chair isn’t the way to achieve “Fountain of Youth” effects during the aging process. We now know that keeping active, both in body and mind is the best way to live a long and productive life.
- Write Your Own Road Map – Baby boomers entering their 60s never expected to age, so they’re now looking for ways to keep their youth – but most are trying to retain their youth with cosmetic surgery, pills or surrounding themselves with youthful “things” such as a bright red sports car.
Writing your own road map for the rest of your life is empowering and can help to build your mental aptitude just as you would build your muscles through exercise.
- Cultivate Healthy Relationships – The relationships you cultivate with family and friends can make the difference in how you view the rest of your life. Taking trips and learning new things are all better done with someone you care about than alone.
Take the necessary steps to develop a positive mental attitude that will help you through the aging process gently and optimistically.
You’ll find aging well and anti-aging books in our bookstore.
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