Sleep Is Necessary to Life

The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. According to a recent report, 70 million Americans are having trouble getting a good night's sleep. Research from Harvard Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine has shown the critical importance of sleep in fortifying the body and keeping the mind clear. Modern science has also shown how necessary a good night of sleep is for maintaining healthy brain functions such as memory and learning skills.

Why So Many of Us Sleep Deprived

The reasons are not surprising. For many women, stress is the main reason for lack of sleep. When you're mentally stressed at night, the body increases its production of cortisol, the stress hormone that acts like a shot of adrenaline preventing restful sleep.

For others, it's the culture we live in with so many temptations to stay up late surfing the internet, texting friends, playing video games, checking emails, watching Netflix, etc.

Many Americans are also over-worked with longer hours and night shifts which leads to an over-indulgence in caffeine from coffee, soda, energy drinks and sugar.

The Important Benefits of Sleep

There are so many reasons to get enough sleep. Studies have linked sleep deprivation to a higher risk of stroke and insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those individuals who sleep well at night.

Getting enough sleep at night will also make your mind sharper, your skin healthier and your body slimmer. You will even be nicer and may improve your marriage since lack of sleep can make us irritable and cranky.

Learn How to Sleep Again

Remember when you could fall asleep and stay asleep, waking up feeling rested and refreshed, ready to take on the day? When left untreated, trouble falling asleep can lead to chronic tension, anxiety and even weight gain.

If you are ready to check yourself into sleep rehab or need a sleep intervention, then consider the following sensible tips to help you reclaim your rest and get the type of deep sleep that will rejuvenate your mind and your body.

Tips to Sleeping Better at Night

- Turn off all electronics one hour before bedtime.

- Take time to unwind with a warm bath or good book.

- Set the thermostat to a cooler temperature at night to promote sleep.

- Ease up on the amount of caffeine you drink, especially after 3 PM.

- Maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule including the weekends.

- Consider a sleep mask to block out all light that can disrupt your sleep.

There is no one single solution to improve sleep that works for everyone. Try doing a few things differently at night to find out what works for you. It will be worth the effort because sleep is a basic necessity just like eating and can have a significant impact on every aspect of your overall health and well being. Sweet dreams!

About The Author: Robyn M. Cooke is the editor of Quick-Weight-Loss-Tips-for-Women.com which has everything you will need to reach your weight loss goals, including great advice, great products and the inspiration to succeed! Remember, the best investment you can make is in yourself! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Are You Stressed To The Max? Then Get Help Here!

You should try and keep the stress in your life under control. You can cause yourself serious problems like heart disease, insomnia, muscle aches and depression if you are stressed. If you get enough sleep, you will reduce your stress level, and find it easier to stay in good shape and stay healthy.

While video games and other hobbies can typically be very relaxing, if you find yourself becoming frustrated then you should put it down. You should clear your head and let yourself relax, do not give into stressful feelings or frustration.

Surprisingly, getting better organized can reduce stress. A common cause of stress can be clutter, an inability to find things, or even procrastination. Stay organized; your stress level will decrease when you feel in control.

No matter the source of your stress, you always want to think positively. If you are thinking negatively then things will seem much worse then they really are. Every problem that is eliminated can be quickly replaced by the next one. A positive focus on your life will enable you to live it in a positive and happy way, with stress kept well and truly under control.

Give stress relief tonics a try. Homeopathy could help you reduce your stress. These remedies are absolutely safe and can be very efficient. There are some herbs (Kava is one of them) that have been found to be just as effective as Xanax (alprazolam) in helping people relax and stay calm.

Music can sooth the savage beast that is stress. It is commonly known that music therapy can cut down on stress if you find the music relaxing and soothing. So choose music that works well to relieve your own stress, because what might be soothing to one person, might not be the right stress reliever for you. Listening to music you like will cause your brain to release serotonin, which will make you feel calm and happier.

The first step to getting a grip on your stress level is to take an analytical look at how you could improve your methods of dealing with it. Try recording your responses to stressful situations over a period of a month or so. Looking closely at your reactions to times of high stress can help you to self-analyze whether you are using appropriate means of fighting it. If the way you handled stress only made things worse, you can seek new ways to manage stress in your life.

When someone is giving you directions or instructions, you will be less stressed later if you pay close attention the first time. In order to relieve stress, always be sure to listen attentively when instructions are given. For example, when your doctor gives you advice, or when a teacher lectures in class, paying attention will help you retain important information.

Music is a great stress reliever. In fact, the effect of music is powerful and strong. Science has shown that listening to music has a calming effect on the body. People's musical tastes differ widely; you need to figure out what sort of music works to calm you down and help you relax.

Calming scents can melt the stress away. Smelling soothing things, such as peppermint, rose, thyme, lavender, bay leaves, and eucalyptus, will relax you. In a small container you can add some popular scented oils and a bit of rock salt to create your own aromatherapy. Whenever stress starts to overtake you, just smell one of your favorite aromas.

Working for a living is hard enough without having to be stressed out while doing it. Stress causes many problems such as weight gain, premature aging, and can damage your relationships. Take the advice you've learned here and put it into practice to battle your stress successfully! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

5 Minutes to Find Your "G" Spot

Are you tired of the same old things day in and day out?

You know how it goes. The alarm goes off. You drag yourself out of bed. Down the stairs. Eat breakfast. Shower. Go to work. Come home. Watch TV. Go to bed only to start the whole thing all over again the next day.

On top of that you feel that the world is wobbling at a rapid rate at this point in history and you may be moving through periods of intense fear, loss, and uncertainty; you may feel off-balance, almost as if you are spinning at a different rate than the planet.

Find out in 5 minutes

But, what if you could find out in 5 minutes a simple strategy that has the potential to be the turning point in your life? Would you like to know how to do that? Would that be cool?

If there ever was a time to tune in and listen to your heart, it is now! Feel your heart beating. Start with you. Just breathe. Just be with your heart and feel the power. Know that you didn't have to buy this heart. It is there residing within your chest ticking away and keeping you alive.

Welcome to something quietly powerful

Pssssssst! Around the corner, down the bend in the road, in the unseen, the shift on this planet is happening. Just because you can't physically see a flower growing, doesn't mean it's not.

And, this is precisely the time to find the "G" spot. Yes, that's right. Being Grateful for the little things is absolutely the way to bring more into your life.

If you could only glimpse at the huge potential you have to create an amazing, spectacular life, you would all rise up and embrace those haunting moments of uncertainty, those awesome twists and turns, those bewitching coincidences... the ones that say "What are the chances of that happening?", with such a fierceness it would astound even you! And you would come to realize that it is not happiness that makes you Grateful, but, rather it's your Gratitude that brings happiness on!

So, go forth and give to this planet a kind word, a moment of compassion, or an act of love. Be Grateful that you can do these simple things. These things, so under-valued, are truly the priceless ingredients in the wisdom of life! Go ahead find that "G" spot because Gratitude really is a journey that's best tasted every day.

Here's what I have for you. Visit me at calmtoday.com. You can catch the free online webcast to see for yourself how easy this can be. (Come on, you know you can do this!). Invest in yourself. You're worth it! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Is Healthcare a Luxury?

Healthcare is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council states, "Health care costs are exploding. Many people are bringing in less income every month and seeing their premiums go up at the same time. It's affecting the bottom line and businesses. It's also affecting the fiscal well-being of our country."

We all want a good health care system that's affordable and as long as I can remember our government has been trying to come up with a solution with not much luck. Some of us want it to be up to the individual, while others think it's a government problem. Our health care system has many aspects to it that we aren't looking at and for the most part don't want to. To tell you the truth they are looking for a solution that will never happen. In the west we are trying to kill the disease no matter what it is, a common cold, the flu, or cancer.

Kill! Kill! kill!

It will never work in a 100,000 years. We will never be able to fix a system that is built on the wrong premise. Our government, the drug companies and the large corporations are in business to make money and that's what they are doing.

It's not healthcare, it's sickness care. They are not educating us about health. They're hiding as much as they can and not focusing on health. I believe when they say they want to cure a disease like cancer they are speaking metaphorically.

In Spanish there is an expression (Con de los dientes para fuerat) 'they speak from the teeth out.' We all have heard the saying that food is our medicine. We eat every day, at least most of us do. In the United States McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Wendy's Taco Bell, and all those chicken places are not there for your health.

They serve cheap unhealthy food that people are eating on a daily basis. Food is medicine and if you're eating unhealthy, sooner or later you are going to be unhealthy. You either have to pay more by only buying organic food, taking soda, meat and most restaurants out of your life or you have to pay with sickness and an early death.

People ask me all the time, 'isn't our government protecting us from unhealthy food?' Hell No! We now have heavily poisoned chemicals on most food grown in the USA and it could even be worse in other countries. Our food is being genetically engineered. GEO for short this is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques affecting the DNA of the food.

At this time we have no idea what this will do to our health. For the most part this is banned in Europe and the rest of the world. If you want to have good health care it is up to you.

You have to take responsibility for your own health. Eat a healthy diet; drink a lot of clean water, exercise every day, educate yourself and if you can grow your own organic garden. Think about your health not about your belly -if you think about your cravings like pies, chocolate brownies, cake, fried foods, hamburgers and fried chicken you're going to end up with some form of dis-ease and then complain about the poor health care you are getting or they are not giving you.

Grow a garden, eat food that grow in your area, eat organic as much as possible, stay out of fast food places and stop complaining. You are in charge of your own health or you're out of control.

They are not going to fix it; they don't want to fix it. If you want the best health care start reading labels, ask questions and stop buy junk food. If no one buys it- it will go away. Demand healthy food. I know if you bought a new sports car you wouldn't put the cheapest gas in it, would you?

You'd buy the best yet you put more poor fuel into your mouth daily.

I wish you the best in your Health Wealth and Happiness

Dr. Wu Dhi. energymedicineflorida.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Happiness, Play And Be Happy

Happiness has been described as an illusion, a warm bath, a bowl of cherries, and many other things by many people throughout time. It is not an abstract concept but there are many descriptions which make the feeling of happiness an individual experience. Since the concepts of happiness are reliant upon the mindsets and emotional states of each person who experiences them, there is a "fuzzy logic" kind of feel to it. Often people attempt to describe their state of mind and body as being directly related to an experience. People say that they are happy for many reasons, and for the most part will attribute those reasons as mirrored expressions of their physical and the emotional state which they experience as a result.

In an attempt to nail down the truth about what "being truly happy" means, it is essential to examine the basic needs that have to be met for people to feel that they have reached this euphoric state of mind. The basic needs of all human beings are water, food, shelter, companionship, and health. If any of these are missing it becomes difficult to maintain a happy disposition. Considering that most of these conditions are met, generally people in the modern world can achieve "happiness" on a regular basis. In considering the state of childhood and infancy, babies and small children according to several studies, smile 62 percent more than their adult counterparts. The rationale as to this deficiency in adult levels of happiness can only mean that at some point people become less happy as they get older. If all of the basic needs are still being met from child to adulthood, one must assume either "something has been taken away" or "something else has been added". In either case in order to change these levels of happiness, something must have "changed" to subsequently reduce smiling capacity by 62 percent. If something got changed, then in theory it can be changed back again!

In people's adult lives, things do change as they get older. Increases in responsibilities and requirements to earn an income, greatly detracts from the leisure of "playtime" that most people experienced as children. The action of aging itself has become a condition that for many reasons adds to a persons unhappiness. The evolution from child to adult and then to parent is a journey of increasing responsibilities and diminishing play time, compounded with a sense of becoming older and less likely to participate in play of any sort. People are living longer but attitudes towards well-being as the population ages are not promoted equally.

There are preconceptions regarding "older people who play", but does it have to be this way? Could this increase in responsibilities and accompanying stresses be the reason for the decrease in levels of laughter and happiness? Most likely this is a key reason why most people become "less happy" as they age. They have forgotten how to play. It would seem that the stresses and lack of playtime greatly detracts from a person's ability "to deal with the stresses" they are accumulating as they grow up. As children we could "laugh and forget" about the injustices and mishaps encountered on a daily basis. As adults we don't shed the "feelings of unhappiness" quite so easily.

The solution isn't necessarily to merely take on fewer responsibilities; rather it makes more sense to increase our playtime and "happy state of mind". As small children, the imagination makes up a huge part of our psychological "well-being". The ability to dream up ideas and creatively play with the idea of things used to make our existence more meaningful. As adults we are told often "to grow up and stop behaving like children", perhaps the opposite is what we should be telling each other. While it's true we must take on many more responsibilities, we can still keep some of the key attributes we had as children. Of these, the values of friendship and "fair play", and how to make others laugh are important functions in the transition from our young lives to our maturity. If somehow people could merge the games and imagination used in their youth with the daily requirements of adulthood, perhaps their lives would be happier.

Since there are times when play is not recommended, by finding things "we like to do", people can establish hobbies and pastimes that enrich their lives at the end of the work day. Simple things like drawing and pottery or a martial arts class can mean the difference between being able to shed the stresses of the day and "carrying them over" to the next day. Parents can join in more of the games that their children are playing, even if it does take them a while to catch on to the rules! The bonds that this will help to form and the resulting energies exchanged by getting down on their level, will go a long way to promoting a much better perspective on life.

As time passes and the memories of childhood fade, so too does our memory of what it felt like to "laugh out loud" in the very realest sense of the now much over used text abbreviation. Instead of allowing our lives to become chaotic pits of desperate and relentless stresses, we must continue to play our games and laugh with our friends. Barring the loss of the essential basic needs of survival, we must strive to use our imaginations and come up with new ways to truly "enjoy our lives". By pursuing happiness we are extending our journey here, not only for ourselves, but for all who are within earshot of our infectious laughter. Remember the old Chinese proverb, "where there is laughter, happiness likes to be!"

Author's Website Link: illipharrison.com. Happiness Links: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Fresh Kava Root Versus Dried Kava Root

Unless you are fortunate enough to live on or visit one of the many tropical islands on which the beautiful kava plant grows, chances are you will only ever come across dried or pre-prepared kava root products. Although, in a perfect world, it would be possible to ship fresh kava root to people all over the world, the fresh root does not keep well once it has come out of the ground, making it almost completely impossible to ship safely. On the other hand, dried kava root that is powdered will last for over two years, while dried kava root that has been minimally processed will keep for much longer. Therefore, the preferred method of kava exporters is to sell the dried root rather than trying to deal with all of the complications of shipping the root fresh.

Nevertheless, I want to take a moment to extol the many virtues of fresh kava root, in order to ensure that if any of you ever have the opportunity to work with the fresh root you take it without hesitation. First of all, fresh kava root will almost always be more potent than its dried counterpart, and it will also most likely taste sweeter, as well. It can be difficult to know when buying dried kava root how old it really is - some companies likely leave their dried root sitting on shelves for months, even years - but with fresh kava, you can be assured that it was just harvested. Furthermore, the young lateral roots of kava are known to taste much sweeter than the older taproot of the plant, probably due to different alkaloid contents in the lateral and vertical roots of the plant. When you buy the fresh root, you know exactly what type of kava root you are receiving, as well as what strain it is. This extra level of control will allow you to craft the type of kava experience you really want to have. A final benefit of fresh kava root is that traditional Pacific kava ceremonies always utilize fresh roots, so if you want to experience the real spirit of the kava plant, fresh root is definitely the way to go.

If you do not live in a Kava growing area, and if you cannot foresee a future in which you might have the chance to visit one, don't feel discouraged. I still have good news for you. With a little bit of conscious effort, it is absolutely possible to make your dried kava root experience as close to 'fresh' as possible! The most important thing is to find a supplier that offers high quality dried kava that has not been sitting around for too long. Now, no company is going to admit to selling stale kava, so here are some tips for figuring out which kava supplier is the best:

1. Try to buy your kava direct from a farm, if possible. Kava farms sell to retail outlets and kava bars as well as individuals, and therefore tend to have a much higher turnover rate than retailers. Therefore, kava purchased directly from a farm tends to be much fresher. Fortunately, there are plenty of kava farms who will sell directly to you over the internet.

2. The more details a kava seller provides about the kava, the better. Look for mentions of the specific strain that is being used, where the kava is grown, even kavalactone content! There are many types of kava, and this information will help you to discover what types are the most effective for you.

3. Finally, a great way to determine if your batch of dried kava is potent is to notice whether the prepared kava beverage numbs the insides of your mouth and your tongue. The more numbing quality you experience, the more kavalactones are likely to be present in the dried kava.

By using these tips and doing a little research, you will be able to create a dried kava experience that is as close as possible to the fresh kava experience. And if you are ever in a Pacific island region, make a point of searching out some fresh kava root - you won't regret it!

Kona Kava Farm ships worldwide and offers safe, effective, and unusually potent Kava made only from the roots of our organic-certified, estate-grown plants. Don't forget to register for our free monthly Kava giveaway when you stop by as well. Aloha no, Makaira Kealoha. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Signs Indicating a Spiritual Awakening

There have been times when I questioned my sanity as I walked the path of spiritual purification, feeling very alone. There were times when I fought to repress my intuition as it tried to lead me into truth that my mind could not accept and of which my church would not approve. I lost many friends who began to think of me as too far removed from the traditional teachings of the Christian faith in which I was raised. There was no one to tell me how to regain my emotional health so I could keep going forward. Without information or a guidebook or guru, it took me years to realize that physical and emotional pain comes from resisting the ascension process.

Having said that, I will give a few signs, which indicate that we as individuals and a collective society are going through a spiritual awakening. While none of these should be confused with serious conditions, which require medical attention, here are some other signs indicating that a spiritual awakening is occurring for you:

• Change of relationships, careers, dietary preferences, sleep patterns vision and perception, and libido level
• Creativity and energy surges that include decluttering, detoxing, and simplifying your life
• Desire for freedom
• Depression and loss of interest
• Electronic disturbances
• Fatigue , headaches, heart palpitations, hot flashes, and ringing in the ears
• Synchronicities, intuition, and psychic gifts increased
• Keen awareness of thoughts (your own and of those around you) and more emotional responses (energetic sensitivities)
• Miraculous healing of body, mind, or emotions

This list is by no means complete, but these are a few of the more common symptoms that people have reported in regards to spiritual growth. Let's look at a couple of these in more detail.

Anxiety or Panic Attacks

As things change within the body, it affects the emotions and vice versa. Most people fear unsolicited change and may resist the Spirit's attempt to rid the mind of fear-based patterns of thinking. This can manifest as anxiety, nervousness, or panic attacks.

Anxiety is a sign that you are resisting a clearing process. Simply acknowledge this emotion that has come up for healing. This fragmented part of your soul is asking to be integrated and aligned with the purer vibration of your soul. Breathe and bring it into the flow of life-anxiety is just another form of energy. When you feel nervous, remind yourself that this is only energy moving through. Say something like: "I allow dense/dark energy to be transmuted and integrated into love/light energy as I enjoy my peaceful, prosperous, easy life."

Use the tools you have discovered and keep repeating the mantras, prayers, and affirmations. By the time you memorize them they will have started shifting your response mechanism and you will begin to address anxiety in a new way.

Panic attacks can be "talked down" by tapping into the Sacred Heart center. Reading a passage in A Course in Miracles gets my mind calmed down and into better perspective rather quickly. Certain herbs have been found useful for treating nervousness. Talk with an herbalist or alternative health practitioner about using valerian root, passion flower, kava kava, St. John's wort, or other herbal supplements.

Sometimes the intense energy one feels as anxiety is actually a buildup of faster-vibrating frequencies that need to be released. The best way to do this is to get into the Sacred Heart space for five minutes. Do some deep breathing and then envision a ray of light beaming from your heart center toward anyone you feel needs a boost of God-Goddess love and light. If you don't have a particular person in mind, send that beam into the collective consciousness of humanity.

Body Sensations

As the biological body shifts into the light body, the old cellular structure is dissolving, giving birth to a new crystalline structure. For some who are sensitive, this can be an uncomfortable experience until enough of the form has been transmuted to allow for a purer vibration to take hold. The detoxification process can bring about body aches and pains (flu-like symptoms) or fatigue that our current medical doctors cannot explain or treat. It is not uncommon to experience unusual sensations in your body or chakras. There could be pressure on top of your head, tingling on your scalp or forehead (especially between your eyebrows), or energy surges in your body. Pain, hot flashes, and chills are also reported.

Body aches and pains may be directly related to regions in the subtle bodies that are blocked or stuck. Headaches may indicate that the third eye is opening. Stomachaches could indicate that you are stuffing your feelings/emotions. Chronic cough and sore throat may indicate a blocked fifth chakra. These symptoms should subside once the energetic condition is cleared and the body has acclimated to the new vibration. Until then, take advantage of energy therapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, exercise, herbs, homeopathic remedies, mineral and vitamin supplements, salt baths, massage, or other holistic methods necessary to handle the discomfort.

Because organs and glands within the body are changing to accommodate the light body, your arms, hands, feet, or legs may tingle when you are meditating or doing conscious breathing. For more than ten years, I have experienced the sensation that someone is lightly touching or playing with my hair. I've also felt that I'm half in and half out of my body or that my spirit is too large to fit inside my skin.

If you are having ascension symptoms, be aware of your thoughts because what we think is what creates our reality. Our bodies are a mirror that shows us what beliefs we hold either in our conscious or unconscious mind. Be careful to think and say only positive things about yourself and your body; we are manifesting more quickly than ever.

As we enter these intense years of the shift into purer consciousness, there are spiritually-minded folks all over the world willing and able to help. A Google or Facebook search will help you find a group where you can chat and find community.

Yvonne Perry is the author of Shifting into Purer Consciousness ~ Integrating Spiritual Transformation with the Human Experience (shiftingintopurerconsciousness.com). She holds a bachelor's degree in metaphysics from the American Institute of Holistic Theology and provides personal coaching for spiritual seekers. The host of We Are One in Spirit Podcast, she enjoys speaking about a wide variety of topics to help people realize their own creative power weare1inspirit.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.