A Simple Guide To Meditation To Help You Deal With Stress

By: http://www.skybluecross.com 
Meditation is one of the techniques used in stress management. A person who is riddled with problems often finds it hard to focus; which often leads to more problems cropping up due to their mistakes. Meditation techniques helps a person achieve a calm state of mind without having to resort to drugs or relaxation tools and implements. Every step to meditation is done in the mind.

Remember that meditation is not a one shot deal. It is almost impossible to attain a calm state of mind in just a matter of minutes, especially if it's your first time at it. It is essential that you keep on practicing meditation until you have conditioned your mind to instantaneously achieve the state just by thinking it.

Here are some steps for a beginner to start with meditation as their Stress Management strategy.

Step 1: Find A Quiet Corner To Start Your Meditation

Distraction is a hindrance to those who are still starting out with meditation. When you close your eyes, your sense of hearing will be twice as good so it is quite possible to hear almost anything in your surroundings that will make it hard for you to concentrate.

For beginners, it is important to start out in a quiet place in your home where noise is non-existent. Close your windows and lock your door. If possible, you can tell everyone in your home to minimize their noise so that you won't get distracted.

Step 2: Ready Your Position

It is advisable for beginners to avoid lying down when practicing meditation. The aim here is not to sleep, and it is a guarantee that you will immediately fall off to sleep if your mind reaches a relaxed state. To stop this from happening, you can start your meditation in a lotus position or you can find a chair you can sit on. Make sure that your back is straight and your hands are relaxed on the armrest or on your lap.

Step 3: Begin Your Meditation With Proper Breathing

A good way to start meditation is to do the proper breathing exercise. You inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This way, you can come up with a rhythm that you can easily focus on. Also, the amount of oxygen in your body will be enough to keep you relaxed. Keep practicing your breathing until you can do it easily without having to think about it.

Step 4: Focus On Your Mind

While you are busy with your breathing, you will achieve a state wherein your mind will start throwing images at you. These are mostly in random -- events of the day, future plans, problems and worries, fears and so on. It will be hard to ignore these thoughts and you are not supposed to ignore them. The gist here is to focus on these thoughts without really paying any attention to it.

This might sound hard but a here is a simple example to understand the concept. You know that you have furniture at home -- you can see them clearly with your eyes but you are not really concentrating on it. Focusing on the furniture will usually make you think of its color, its material, how it looks in that part of your home, and more. You need to be able to look at these random thoughts in a detached state -- seeing them clearly in your head but not focusing your attention on it.

There will come a time that these random thought will stop and you will notice that you are already in a blank space in your mind. This is the state you want to achieve during meditation. This is the place where you can think about your problems and focus on it till you can find a solution for it. With this, you have successfully mastered the basics of meditation for your stress management program.

How to get better sleep easily

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More often than not, how to get better sleep is among the common questions that working people think about. This is because they rarely experience it because of too much stress or being too busy in their work. If you are one of those who are having problems when it comes to sleeping, here are some of the ways that can help you get better easier:

1. Develop better sleeping habits. Like everything else, developing good habits helps a person accomplish a certain task at hand. For those who are prone to not sleeping well at night, it would be best to start developing good habits that would help him or her get better sleep. Good sleeping habits might include daytime routines such as eating the right foods, exercise, and enough napping in the afternoon. Experts say that eating the right foods would help a person be lulled into sleep without so much hustle. If one wants to get better sleep, he or she must avoid eating foods that contain ingredients that stimulate the nerves and the senses such as those with caffeine content. To help the body relax, enough physical activities such as exercise should also be done at day time so it will somehow exhaust the body and let it crave for rest at night time. Although napping is good to some people, it can be bad to those who are having sleeping problems because they have a tendency to "over nap" that which will eventually affect their sleeping at night.

2. Enough amount of daily exercise can help a person to get better sleep. Aside from health benefits, regular exercise also helps a person get better sleep especially at night. This is because it lets the body work just enough so it would want to rest at night. Strenuous activities such as workouts are not really necessary if one is not used to it. Simple exercises such as brisk walking or light yoga activities are enough to help to get better sleep at night.

3. Come up with you own personal sleeping plan. Above anybody else, you should be the one who knows your body. If you are having problems sleeping at night, you are the first person to identify what is the problem and try to address the issues properly. If you are having trouble sleeping, analyze what may be the problem. If it is something that you can handle, try to do the things that will help you overcome it. You can do this by coming up with a personal sleeping plan that will really work for you. You can plot the activities that you can do and try to implement them during nighttime. If the specific plan doesn’t work today, try another set of sleeping plans the next night and then another one for next, next night. By doing this, you can discover the techniques that would work for you.

4. Create a good sleeping environment for yourself. If one wants to get better sleep, the easiest way is to create a comfortable, nice, and cozy sleeping environment. If you are having trouble sleeping and you have tried all the techniques available but those did not work, why not try re-arranging your bedroom. Figure out is something inside your bedroom that hinders you from getting better sleep. Check if your bed still suits the needs of your body and if not, try replacing it. Check if there are some things that catch your attention and makes it hard for you to sleep, if there are, try removing them for a while until you are able to sleep better.

History Of Alternative Herbal Medicine

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The use of alternative herbal medicine can be traced back to ancient times. The lack of modern medical technology has made our ancestors improve their healing arts by making use of nature's gifts. Even today, current medical discoveries are mostly based on the findings and usage of natural herbal components by early civilization, improving it to become useful in today's health-related concerns.

Where It All Began

The use of alternative herbal medicine started out as trial and error. Application looms large in the practice than actual research; though the latter came sometime later when medical practices started its evolution.

The basic application of herbal medicine involves disinfecting wounds or used as a poultice. Later discovery on the method involves pounding leaves and roots to paste for directly administering it to patients. It later evolved into combination with other potent medicine to improve its effects, and was even later introduced to meals and normal human diet to promote better health and improve physical, emotional, and mental recovery.

Variation Of Use

The use of herbal medicine varies according to the customs, traditions, and beliefs of the different races. Medical practitioners of the Orient tends to use herbal components in all aspect of their daily lifestyle -- integrating them into a person's daily diet to promote healing and longevity, as well as improving their normal rejuvenation capabilities.

Oriental medical practitioners are also known to use herbal products alongside energy therapy, like Qi Gong and Reiki. Energies provided by an experienced practitioner of the arts stimulate the healing process from the outside, while nutrients and extract from herbal components works its function on the inside to achieve total body rejuvenation.

North American's use of herbal medicine varies; aside from its basic use to treat wounds and cure minor ailments, these natural components are also utilized in tribal ceremonies and customs - to drive away evil spirits, blessing during weddings and celebrations, and so on. Some of these healing traditions involving herbal components are carried on even today.

Uses Of Herbal Medicine

Alternative herbal medicine has many uses today. Aside from being utilized for physical ailments -- like sore throat, fever, flu, diarrhea -- herbal concoction are now being used to address emotional and mental problems.

Certain plants have the capability to help a person relax to cope with their emotional and mental problems. Peppermint, for example, is known to have a minty quality that can cool a person's temper or help a person relax during stressful times.

Also, herbal products today are also utilized to improve the body's overall performance -- boosting a person's stamina, improving the body's defense against infection, and so on.

Safety In Usage

It's true that alternative herbal medicine is safe to use as compared to its synthetic counterpart, but it is essential to take some necessary precaution to ensure that there will be no side-effects or allergic reactions to its ingredients to promote body wellness.

Consultation of a medical expert is necessary to determine whether it is safe for you to use herbal products or not. Even if the medicine worked on others, there is a possibility that it will have a reverse effect depending on your body's chemistry. Such is the case; it is essential to have doctor look at your present medical condition to determine if you are compatible with the alternative herbal medicine or not.
 

Vitamin Supplements FAQs

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With a lot of information about vitamin supplements on the internet, you can easily get flooded by them without really
finding what you’re looking for.That is why we have this list of Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQs) which gives you everything you need to know about vitamin supplements.

What are vitamin supplements?

They are medicines that supply people with the vitamins that their body needs. The foods that we eat can only give
us enough vitamins and we get the rest from these supplements.

Are they safe to take?

Yes but you have to make sure first that you are getting one made by a reputable manufacturer. Keep in mind that the
product is only as good as the one producing it.

Are natural vitamin supplements better than synthetic ones?

A lot of people claim that natural ones are better, but unless they can provide hard scientific proof to back up
that claim then feel free to make your choice.

I’m taking vitamin supplements but I still feel weak, what am I doing wrong?

Taking vitamin supplements is just one step towards a healthy life. Regular exercise and the proper nutrition
also help in making you healthier and stronger.

I’m taking X medication, is it safe to take with a vitamin supplement?

Only your doctor can say. It is therefore important that you consult your physician first before taking a vitamin supplement.

I think my supplement’s not working. Should I up the dosage?

That would be a very bad idea. Instead of doing that, consult your doctor first. He/she is the one who can tell
you what to do. Also try to eat healthy and exercise regularly.They can work wonders if you do them along with taking supplements.

How to Cope Well with Down Syndrome

By: http://www.skybluecross.com/
Down syndrome is often considered as a lifetime problem, so patients really need a lot of support and to learn coping measures to deal with the different challenges. The response of patients will differ, as well as their personal, mental and emotional ability to handle the new situations. Find out the best approaches that lead to independence and wellness.

Expert Advice

It is important that you consult the professionals first, before determining the proper approaches that lead to a better and healthier lifestyle. You may belong to an online forum or local support group. Start to talk about the situation with others who share the same concerns and sentiments with you. It is important to know that patients' reactions can differ depending on their own personal experiences and capabilities.

Find out the most reliable ways and coping measures that worked for most patients. Talk therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other rehabilitative methods are some of the proven ways. There are also medications that may be prescribed, if other symptoms or conditions are present. These should only be used if truly recommended by the experts.

Help Starts Within

You need to start by finding the right coping measures for yourself to provide full support to your child. You may experience feelings of guilt, fear, shock and disbelief. Take note that your baby is the one who needs the most attention and support at this time. Take charge of your emotions and understand the ways to improve and adjust accordingly. You can start by rearranging the home to offer safety and security for the baby, changing your schedule to provide more time for him or her and knowing the right diet, toys and other tools for independence.

Family Support

Other members of the family should also help during the most critical stages of the child's life. Although milestones may be reached at a later age, every person in the house should contribute to boost overall wellness. If you intend to breastfeed your baby, you should ask your physician first, since babies with Down syndrome tend to have low muscle tone or hypotonia. They may have difficulty breastfeeding properly. Breastfeeding can actually help in immunity and other functions for the baby.

Siblings can take turns taking care of the baby. Other relatives can also come over to help the child improve social skills and communicating. Take your child to different venues with different people to boost its confidence. The family should coordinate well to meet the needs of the baby until it is ready to do things alone.

Taking It Slowly

The coping techniques need to be incorporated slowly for patients to deal with the challenges and learn to become independent. Do not pressure the patient so much to reach new heights and give compliments and praise for small efforts. Parents should also be kind to themselves and stop blaming the wrong reasons. Down syndrome is a genetic condition that people truly do not have any control over.

The effects and symptoms of Down syndrome usually last a lifetime so individuals and families need to be ready for these. Parents should not also stop themselves from giving birth to more kids because they have a history of the condition. Although it is not entirely impossible, a lot of parents can actually continue giving birth to normal children despite the previous one being afflicted with Down syndrome.

Different Supplements for Different Needs

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
When you go to your local health and drug store, you will notice that there are a lot of different vitamin supplements on their shelves.

You might wonder what each of them does so here are some helpful information to give you a low down on the most common vitamin supplements in the market.

Multivitamins

- this is arguably the most common form of vitamin supplement in the market.

One tablet gives you the essential vitamins and minerals from - you know what follows next -

A to Zinc.

Vitamin B Complex

- is a combination of several B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5,B6, B7 and B12) and is sometimes combined with other
vitamins. Its benefits include healthy hair, skin and bones, as well as the reduction of stress.

Vitamin C

- also known as ascorbic acid, this is usually taken to boost a person’s immune system. And while it can’t prevent
colds as others believe, this vitamin helps in reducing its symptoms.

Vitamin E

- this vitamin is popular among people who want to reverse or at least slow down the aging process. But more than
that, vitamin E has a host of other benefits such as boosting the immune system, reducing the risk of prostate
cancer and easing menstrual cramps in women.

So there you go the most common vitamin supplements in the market. We hope that you find the information useful and
that you can apply them the next time you visit your favorite health and drug store.

Eastern Alternative Herbal Medicine for Western Children

  By: http://www.skybluecross.com
The pharmacological industry is one of the most promising and progressing business of the present. An increase in the awareness and focus of research and development on medicine has triggered a big push to drug manufacturing.

With the main driving force of improving the lives and promoting human longevity; researchers, scientists, and businessmen have jumped into the business of creating medications for the sick, as well as for those who want to prevent further illness.

The western civilization brought industrially prepared medicine, and sold at commercial markets while the eastern part of the globe saw the need for intervention of natural means of preparation through alternative herbal medicine.

East Meets West

It may very well be said that Western medicine is technologically advanced and came about with the notion of curing an existing illness. It is on the forefront of stopping and getting rid of a susceptible disease or complications.

As for Eastern medication, it is historically rooted and is based on centuries' worth of human existence, with the idea of preventing illnesses from happening in the first place. It is in the background of keeping our bodies healthy and sickness free.

As for the fusion of the old and the new, past and present, technology and tradition, and western and eastern ideologies, alternative herbal medicine was produced. Pharmacological firms embraced the idea of herbal and natural medication in line with their own synthetically made variants to provide an option for everyone in need of medicine.

Sensitive and Fragile

Those who are in need of medication take prescribed drugs, some of which are quite harmful to other cells, and organs. The liver is one of the body's organs hit hard by drug intervention when it synthesizes and tries to bind the specific components to our body's cells. The more unnaturally existing and synthetic the drug is, the more it is at risk for our body to react against. This is even more risky for fragile bodies such as our kids.

Our kids' bodies are still growing, their minds and way of thinking still developing. They are also prone to infection and sickness because of their increased activity without much conscious protective measures. Giving them industrially created drugs expose their bodies to harmful chemicals even if these drugs cure them of their sickness.

They too have their own immune system to provide immediate and automatic protection from harmful elements both in and out of their bodies. However, bacteria and other environmental factors overpower them much like with adults. The only difference is that young children are still building up their body's defenses.

Prevention and Herbal Medication

With the application of research and development on naturally occurring plants in our environment, it is now possible to give alternative herbal medicine to our children. Certain drug companies adhere to the idea of natural medication since it is beneficial not only to children, but to anyone in terms of less adverse reaction of the body. This is because the components of alternative herbal medicine are naturally occurring, organic, and supports life processes.

Administering alternative herbal medicine to children does not stress their livers because organic compounds from the plant source can be easily synthesized as compared to synthetic ones. Herbal supplements also are safe to take on a daily basis as prescribed to prevent sickness and illnesses from occurring.