We all face challenges in life and struggle to transcend them. Yoga is a great way of doing just that. In modern yoga, there seems to be an overemphasis on external form. The argument goes, if you do this pose precisely, get into the position, and then breathe – then you’re doing everything just fine. If you aren’t flexible enough, then use some props and you can get it close to perfect. However, with little teaching on the psychological and spiritual aspects of yoga, students may struggle with the meaning of yoga, which would otherwise develop and deepen if they were able to commit to it. Thus, they are left on their own to possibly discover higher states of consciousness along the way. This makes learning yoga more difficult, time consuming, and ultimately less effective.

“The simplest and most powerful technique for protecting your health is absolutely free—and literally right under your nose.”

from Breathing: The Master Key to Self-Healing by Andrew Weil, MD (W445D) The health that you enjoy today, and for the rest of your life, begins with your next breath. In fact, breathing is so crucial to your body’s ability to heal and sustain itself that Dr. Andrew Weil says: “If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.”

How do you face your daily challenges? How often do you feel subtle or extreme stress? Are you constantly reacting to your surroundings without awareness, or are you paying attention to your choices?  Let’s take the universal example of traffic. What do you experience when you are stuck in a serious traffic jam? Often the answer to this question is some kind of negative emotion such as anger, frustration, or pressure. But what if you thought of the traffic jam as a small blessing that allowed you some unexpected time to reflect, relax, or enjoy some deep breathing? It is interesting to note that 20 people stuck in the same traffic jam will have 20 different reactions to the situation. This phenomenon offers a simple yet profound lesson – the traffic jam is simply a traffic jam. It is how we react to the traffic jam that creates and sustains unnecessary levels of stress in our daily lives.

Use items from your kitchen to make your own natural hair care products.

Positive Focus
Practice one or two of these tips for a few nights. If they resonate with you, include them in your Restful Insomnia program. They’ll change your nights and days.

Inner Smile
Most people have heard that emotions influence the body and that the body influences emotions. Much came to light with the research of Paul Ekman and a colleague when they created a photo collection of facial expressions, they found that their expressions influenced their moods. After a day of angry grimaces, Dr. Ekman and his cohort felt grumpy for hours and had matching bodily responses—increased pulse rate, blood pressure, and body tension.