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What You can Expect From A Meditation Retreat Center

By on Sunday, October 26th, 2008 | No Comments

meditation techniques

Everyone finds themselves, at one time or another, feeling like life is just too hard, that the challenges are too big, and that they are just not strong enough to go on another day without being crushed by it all. If that sounds at all like a sentiment that you can relate to, then it might be time to sign up for a weekend meditation retreat and allow the retreat to help you get calmed, focused, centered and empowered again.

A retreat center is an option that many people overlook when life just starts to become too much. Many times people will take a quick overnight trip to their favorite beach town or nearby romantic getaway, but then they neglect to make it a true getaway by bringing along the cell phone, their PDA or even their laptop.

The problem is that when people do this, the benefits that are offered in the retreat experience are missed. Usually, they will end up spending too much time answering emails and checking their voicemail to ever have the chance to truly relax and unwind. On top of that, the travel itself might just add more stress to the whole situation and they might come home even more burned out and tied up in knots than they were before.

The type of retreat center that most stressed-out, overworked, overwhelmed and burned out people would benefit from the most would be a retreat for learning meditation techniques. This would provide them with some additional tools that will be useful to them long after they return to the real world after their retreat experience. A meditation retreat can be the perfect way for a person to give themselves the real break they need and that they deserve and can give them a chance to clear out their mind, detoxify, rejuvenate and even reconnect with themselves spiritually.

The average, everyday person doesn’t have the ability to take a couple months to travel to some far-off land to live and study in an ashram or sequester themselves in a monastery. But a retreat that is at a nearby lodge or resort, and which runs over a long weekend or a week, could be just the right thing to provide the break that is needed to “reset” and to set aside the many concerns and stresses for a short time. In many cases, just a few days, if they are truly treated like a retreat experience, is enough to give a person a chance to become calm in body and mind, and to gain a better perspective on life and create a plan to go back and manage things better.

Those who run retreats will strongly encourage participants to completely leave their thoughts and concerns of the world behind. During the time at a retreat, there will be various activities to help support changes in thought processes. There will be opportunities for solitude and mental reflection, as well as for exercise, meditation education, and many delicious and healthy meals.

When people learn to meditate as part of the retreat process, they are able to use contemplation, reflection and relaxation techniques. These techniques can be instrumental in “cleaning the slate.” Many times people emerge from meditation retreats saying that they feel years younger and that they are ready to take on the challenges of daily life once again.

What not to Ignore with Depression

By on Sunday, October 26th, 2008 | No Comments

Today statistics claim that about one in four adult Americans has some form of depression or another.  However one in four adults do not see a doctor to treat the Symptoms of Depression .  Far too many ignore the symptoms and the signs and unfortunately in some cases this can lead to tragic consequences.  Why is it then that so many ignore even the most obvious signs of depression when help is just a doctor’s appointment away?If we explore this a little bit further we can see if some of these things are why people may be ignoring the signs of depession and how you can stop that. 

Gender Stigma

Even in our modern, enlightened times men are still sometimes expected to be a particular way when it comes to emotions.  They are often told to “buck up” and that it’s just not very masculine to worry about your emotions and feelings.  This means that many men ignore the Symptoms of Depression because they’re afraid of what other men might think.  If they are having a hard time coping with feelings of sadness, guilt, low self-esteem, a lack of confidence, and fear, they are usually prone to just swallow these feelings and ignore them.  Unfortunately these signs of depression can become very severe and interfere with a man’s performance at work, his relationships at home, and with every other part of his life. 

Social Stigma

Men and women may assume that if they admit to any signs of depression then they will face social stigma from those around them.  This stigma might include anyone at work that comes into contact with their insurance information or friends and family that may hear about their treatment.  They may mistakenly assume that depression is a form of weakness or a character flaw, and if they think this way they often reason that others will think this way as well.  They may have been raised in a home where signs of depression in others were mocked and ridiculed, or were told that psychiatrists were all “quacks” and that anyone that was depressed simply needed to snap out of it.

Afraid of Treatment

Some also ignore the signs of depression for the same reason they ignore the signs of other healthy problems – they’re afraid of what the doctor will tell them.As always, we seem to think that if we ignore problems they will just go away and so thats what we continue to tell ourselves.  They may also be afraid of how they need to treat the signs of depression, assuming that they’ll need to sit in a group therapy session and share embarrassing stories of their childhood.

Whatever the reasons, it’s never a good idea to ignore the signs of depression.  If left unchecked depression can lead to even more serious problems with one’s physical health and personal relationships.  Some have even lost their jobs because of the unchecked symptoms.Signs of depression that you are seeing consistently should be taken to a doctor to get the care you need.

 

DepressionKnowledge.Com is a new website that has been created for you to give you all of the best and free information on all aspects of Depression. Today you should stop by the website so you can get you own free copy of an ebook on depression just because you showed up. Visit DepressionKnowledge.Com today to get your FREE EBOOK on DEPRESSION!

Centerpointe Holosync Meditation System

By on Friday, October 24th, 2008 | No Comments

Centerpointe’s Holosync meditation system is a series of specially encoded audio CDs that are designed to be listened to using headphones for between 30 and 60 minutes daily.

The CDs are produced in sets of 4 and naturally come with complete listening instructions and support. The lower levels of Centerpointe are usually finished within 3 to 6 months but the deeper levels (called Purification and Flowering) can each take a year or more before the level is completed.

The Holosync system plays binaural beats (sometimes called binaural tones). It plays a marginally different beat into each of your ears, which is why the system requires you to wear stereo headphones.

The beats are disguised by the soothing sound of rainfall. Some of the tracks also have bells tolling as well.

The Centerpointe CDs have two half hour tracks. As you progress on to the next CD, you’ll listen to the first track for the first few sessions to allow your brain to adjust.

The binaural beats are deceptively simple. The slightly different tones cause your brain to try to make the two tones meet. This in turn causes your brain to reorganize itself. It’s not uncommon for deep seated emotions to be released as this happens, freeing you up to be a better person.

Once you’ve got past the first set of Centerpointe Holosync CDs, you’re given the option to personalize any further sets. This is done by phoning a special number and you read out your chosen affirmations (you’re given some suggested wordings or you can create your own). The next batch of CDs you receive will have these affirmations recorded as silent subliminals, as well as the regular binaural beats.

By definition, you won’t directly hear the silent subliminals but they’ll be received loud and clear by your brain – as though they were normal speech.

The long and short of this is that as you move through the Centerpointe levels, you’ll get progressively deeper and deeper meditations and more benefits.

You can read a full review of the Centerpointe Holosync system here.

Does Fresh Garlic Or Aged Garlic Heal The Body Better

By on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 | No Comments

For more than 900 years garlic has been used for medicinal purposes.  From ancient Egypt to medieval Europe, all the way to America, garlic has been used to treat different ailments.  Garlic has stood the test of time and now has over 2200 credible studies to support its health benefits.(1)  These health benefits of Garlic come at a price; garlic has a very strong odor that can last a long time in the body; because of this odor, garlic supplements have become very popular. 

Garlic supplements are an easy and effective way to consume garlic, so your friends and family will not be offended by the odor.  These types of supplements have been around for more than 25 years.   There are two types of garlic supplements on the market and hundreds of manufactures.  You will find either Fresh Garlic supplements or Aged Garlic supplements each of which will claim their garlic is the best and most beneficial.  We are going to take a look and see which type of garlic is most beneficial and why?

First let’s look at what makes garlic so beneficial for you.  At first glance, fresh garlic does not seem to be much of a vegetable.  Garlic is consumed in very small amounts; one serving of garlic provides very little vitamins.  For example: the vitamin C in one serving of garlic is 1 mg compared to potatoes having 26mg and broccoli having 82mg.(4)  So what makes Garlic so good?  It’s the collection of compounds in Fresh garlic called sulfur compounds, this is what make it beneficial to the body.  Over 90% of the research done on garlic has been done on these sulfur compounds.  Sulfur has been used in pharmaceuticals for years.  For example antibiotics, blood pressure lowering drugs and diuretics all have sulfur.  Since sulfur is so readily absorbed into the body, pharmaceutical companies have been able to blend sulfur with medications to make them more effective.

Researchers have primarily focused on one group of sulfur compounds in garlic; this group is called thiosulfates.  Alliin and allinnase are the primary substances found in the garlic clove and both are found in separate chambers in the garlic clove.  Allinnase is an activating enzyme, when garlic is crushed or cut the alliin and allinnase combine to make thiosulfate allicin.  This new compound created is what gives garlic its beneficial effects. (3)

Research has found that allicin has a wide range of benefits.  These benefits include (1) allicin can help kill bacteria and fungi, (2) reduce inflammation, (3) prevent the common cold, (4) stop tumor growth, (5) kill cancer cells, (6) help keep blood from clotting, (7) prevent heart attach, (8) reduce LDL and raise HDL cholesterol, (9) reduce triglycerides, (10) lower blood pressure, (11) improve blood flow in the lungs and help open breathing passages, (12) help reduce liver damage, and (13) allicin works as an antioxidant fighting free radicals in the body.

All the evidence points to how allicin benefits our body yet aged garlic supplement manufactures discount allicin as the primary health compound.  You might be wondering why would anyone discount allicin as beneficial when 90% of research has focused around allicin.  Is the research wrong? 

The chemistry of allicin is why manufacturers claim allicin is not the key component that benefits the body.  Studies have shown allicin to be an unstable compound.  Allicin will breaking down just after a few hours and can loose 50% of its potency from 4 – 30 days if left exposed to Air.(3)  Only a few manufactures make garlic tablets air tight.  Manufactures claim that allicin can be destroyed by stomach acids and rightfully so.  This is why fresh garlic supplements are enteric coated so that it passed through the stomach and opens in the intestines where it is needed most.  Once you understand how allicin works in the body you will see why aged garlic is not the most beneficial to choose. 

Aged garlic has a compound called S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC).  This compound is what aged garlic manufacturers claim is good for you.  An interesting fact, fresh garlic doesn’t contain any SAMC. SAMC only appears after the aging process.(5)

SAMC research has been studied with cancer, heart, immune function, and stress.  These studies were conducted with high amounts of aged garlic, ranging from 10 to 20 grams each day and after months and months of continuous use.  These dosages are nowhere near normal garlic consumption levels; for over 900 years people have been consuming fresh garlic and experiencing benefits at minimal levels how can aged garlic be beneficial at normal doses? 

Aged garlic is made by placing sliced garlic in a solution that contains 15% – 20% ethanol and then is stored for 20 months.  After 20 months the solution is filtered and concentrated.  While the solution is stored for 20 months, the allicin and most of the thiosulfates are destroyed.  Let’s now look at fresh garlic. 

Many universities from around the world have done research on fresh garlic and the health benefits of fresh garlic consumption.  All these universities have been able to replicate each others results further proving fresh garlic’s abilities.  Replications research has found answers to some of the puzzling results in fresh garlic research.  For example, before 1995, researchers were able to replicate the cholesterol lowering benefits of garlic.  But one study after 1995 with clinical trials showed inconsistencies. (6)

Dr. Larry Lawson, a highly respected researcher, closely examined the tablets used in this clinical study and found that these tablets were not enteric coated.  Some of the people consuming these tablets digested them in the stomach; the allicin was destroyed before it reached the bloodstream.  This rendered the tablets useless and those patients didn’t experience any beneficial effect when consuming the garlic tablets.  After finding out the clinical trial used poor quality garlic tablets, Dr. Larry Lawson recommended new clinical trails to be conducted on garlic with higher quality tablets.  Researchers need to look for garlic supplements that are enteric coated and have an allicin potential rating.

Allicin can not be measured in a garlic clove or in an enteric coated tablet.  Look for a garlic supplement that has an allicin potential rating.  Credible manufactures will list this potential on there label.  Also, experts recommend the consumption of 4000mg of fresh garlic each day.  To receive 4000mg of fresh garlic each day in a tablet, look for a garlic supplement that offers at least 5,000 mcg of allicin and at least 11,000 mcg of alliin per serving.  That’s equal to about four cloves of garlinase each day. 

Keep one thing in mind, garlic is a blood thinner, if you are on medication to thin the blood such as Coumadin, consult your doctor before taking garlic. 

Garlic has been consumed for hundreds if not thousands of years for spicing up meals and keeping the common cold away.  Many cultures have claimed garlic can cure what ails you.    Finally, research is here to back the benefits of fresh garlic and explain why aged garlic doesn’t work. (7)  Remember, when looking for a good quality fresh garlic supplement, make sure it delivers 5000 mcg of allicin each serving.  You can find Fresh Garlic and other vitamin supplements at your local vitamin store.

References:
1. Steven Foster Group. Garlic monograph. Accessed on January 26, 2004. Available at: www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/garlic.html

2. Grodner M, Anderson SL, DeYoung S. Food composition table: garlic. In: Foundations and Clinical Applications of Nutrition: A Nursing Approach. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2000: 660-661.

3. Lawson LD. The composition and chemistry of garlic cloves and processed garlic. In: Koch HP, Lawson LD, eds. Garlic: The Science and Therapeutic Application of Allium sativum L. and Related Species. 2nd Ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1996:37-107.

4. Grodner M, Anderson SL, DeYoung S. Food composition table: garlic. In: Foundations and Clinical Applications of Nutrition: A Nursing Approach. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2000: 660-661.

5. Lawson LD. The composition and chemistry of garlic cloves and processed garlic. In: Koch HP, Lawson LD, eds. Garlic: The Science and Therapeutic Application of Allium sativum L. and Related Species. 2nd Ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1996:37-107.

6. Stevinson C, Pittler MH, Ernst E. Garlic for treating hypercholesterolemia. A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Ann Intern Med. 2000; 133(6): 420-9. Review.

7. Amagase H, Block E, Bordia A, Lawson LD. The controversial issues surrounding allicin versus non-allicin containing products. Presentation at the American Herbal Products Association International Garlic Symposium. Aug. 1, 2000.

Binaural Beats Meditations For Really Deep Brain Meditation

By on Friday, October 17th, 2008 | No Comments

Binaural beats meditations are a great way to help your meditation easily reach new heights. Binaural beats can be programmed to take your brain into various states of meditation (depending on the outcome you want to achieve), such a a creative state or a deep brain meditative state.

At the theta level, binaural beats can coax your brain into the same state that you'd achieve whilst you are in deep sleep or also an ultra deep meditative state.

If you haven't come across binaural beats before now, they play two marginally different frequencies into your two ears and are often "hidden" by nature soundtracks or music. Because there's a really, really small difference between the frequencies of the two beats, your mind tries its best to resolve that difference. When it does this, you will naturally drop down into the particular brain state the beats have been designed to produce. So theta binaural beats will take your brain down to the theta level.

If you have binaural beats software available on your computer, you will be able to program it to meet your exact needs. The frequency range for theta is between 4 and 7 hertz.

When your brain reaches a theta state it starts to produce endorphins. Endorphins are opiates that are produced naturally by your body. They are produced after vigorous exercise or when you've reached a state of elation or heightened excitement (no prizes for guessing when that could occur!).

If you’re considering a theta level binaural beats meditation program, you may find that you’re one of the many people who need less sleep once they start using the program regularly. Reports have shown that you're likely to need between one and four hours less sleep every night.

Theta binaural beats have also been shown to help people to learn quicker and easier, so if you're studying for exams they're well worth investigating. Various studies on theta binaural beats have shown that their use can improve your brain's memory capacity. So if you've been "stuck" on your studies, check out a theta level binaural beats MP3 to assist you.

Whatever your reason for choosing a binaural beats meditation, I think you’ll enjoy the ease and simplicity of using this method.

Stress Relief with Emotional Freedom Technique

By on Monday, October 13th, 2008 | No Comments

Just found this interesting video about EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).  Sounds good but what do YOU think?

Watch the video and make a post!

Stress Relief with Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Visit

http://www.Tapping.com

for more Emotional Freedom Technique videos, EFT articles, and my E-Book.

Emotional Freedom Technique is a simple acupressure technique for releasing negative feelings.

You feel negative feelings in the body, so you have to go to the body to work on them.

You can release a negative feeling right now with this video. If you’re stressed you should find yourself more relaxed after this video, and feeling more able to deal with whatever is stressing you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How hard should I tap?
A: Tap lightly, just so that you feel it. The purpose of the tapping is to bring your attention to different parts of your body, it actually works if you just imagine tapping – as long as your attention is drawn to the right points.

Q: How can I be sure I am finding the right points?
A: Use two fingers to make sure you cover the points. Sometimes the point will ‘feel’ right, as if there is a slight indent in the skin or the point is particularly sensitive. It’s all connected so you don’t have to be 100% accurate.

Q: You have missed out points that Gary Craig teaches!
A: Yes. Feel free to tap those too, I left them out to keep the video simple and it seems to work fine without them. If you find the video doesn’t work for you, try tapping the additional points – around the top-middle of the head, and just under the armpit.

Q: Is the sequence important?
A: No. You can tap the points in any order. In fact you only need to tap one or two of the points for each particular feeling. It’s just you have no easy way to know which point so you might as well tap them all.

Q: I am a skeptic! / You are a charlatan!
A: Thanks. Tapping is perfectly explainable scientifically but it does go beyond most people’s understanding. It really does work though, and the best way to prove that to yourself is to try it and watch your negative feelings disappear.

For more info see the Introductory video which gives a bit more explanation:

Also this video shows use of an electro-acupuncture pen to show that the points have a different electrical resistence to other parts of the body:

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