New Wave of Healing

the new wave of healing meditation: kirtan kriya
Besides feeling blissful, relaxation is a medical fact. Thirty-odd years ago, Harvard cardiologist Herbert Benson, M.D. identified and scientifically confirmed what happens during the Relaxation Response, namely: heart rate slows down, brain waves slow down and move into theta, or the state of creative flow that is often only accessed when dreaming. The stress hormone cortisol stops flowing and natural feel-good, painkilling hormones such as endorphins are released.

Today, the medical aspects of various types of meditation are an emerging area of research. The first study of Kirtan Kriya kundalini yoga meditation by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. and the Tucson-based Alzheimers Prevention Foundation International has recently discovered that this 12-minute meditation confers powerful cognitive benefits. Read more

Outdoor Yoga

written by ed moffett

My favorite way to do yoga is to go out to some beautiful place in nature where I can express yoga interactively with the natural symmetries around me.

Since every system of yoga has variations of the definition, it’s important to have some flexibility in our concept of what yoga is. Let’s face it- going to a yoga class involves a lot of work to prepare, travel, arrive at a certain time, position yourself in the studio room, participate in the class, pack up and go home. For many people, yoga class is the only time they ever do yoga, and some of us have a lot of resistance to the commitment. Others attempt a home “practice” where they follow a prescribed series of postures, duplicating what they learned in class. Read more

Skin Care, New Zealand Style

written by kyle roderick

Did you know that the vast majority of skin care products (from luxury lines all the way down to discount ranges) contain multiple chemical ingredients whose health hazards are either known to be dangerous or have yet to be determined?

In the U.S., American politician Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and other members of Congress have urged the FDA to reform guidelines regarding permissable chemical ingredients in skin care and cosmetic products. Read more

Gaia’s Got a Brand New Bag

written by kyle roderick

gaia’s got a brand new bag: stylish, earth-friendly purses
Whether you’re a career woman, soccer mom, student or nomad, few females can deny the power of the purse, backpack, tote, clutch or saddle bag to help them navigate successfully through the world. This home truth is reaffirmed by handbag ads in hundreds of fashion magazines around the world, along with everyday experience.

Take my son’s first grade classroom photograph, for example. While the children look spruced in their favorite clothes, one of the girls exudes a deeply personal and arresting style. Read more

Your Personal Scent Wardrobe

written by kyle roderick

building your personal scent wardrobe
You probably already know that wearing scent can change your mood or lift your spirit. According to research conducted at Chicago’s Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, (www.scienceofsmell.com) however, scent also has the power to profoundly alter your performance for the better in intimate and professional life. Read more

Finding Bliss through Ending Your Karma

What is karma and how can you possibly end it? The new book, “The End of Karma: 40 Days to Perfect Peace, Tranquility and Joy,” interweaves inspiration information from Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. (www.drdharma.com) with ancient poetry by an Indian yogi named Nanak who called his writing Japji Sahib, or “respected meditation of the soul.” Read more

Estonian Ecstasy

With its venerable spa culture, advantageous exchange rate; clean, green cities and countryside, Estonia offers superb spa vacations at bargain prices. From this Baltic country’s traditional and postmodern spas in the seaport capital of Tallinn to tiny islands and their innovative spas, Estonia offers the best spa value for money in the Baltics/Northern European region. Read more

El Monte Sagrado

written by kyle roderick

a sustainable eco-spa for deep healing self and our planet
If you’ve ever tried to find a refuge that nurtures the human as well as planetary environment, El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa in Taos, New Mexico (www.elmontesagrado.com) is the nexus for highly specialized, environmentally friendly and deeply bliss-inducing spa care. As the world’s only ecologically sustainable luxury resort and spa, El Monte Sagrado is green, clean and organic in style and substance. Accordingly, El Monte offers life-changing and rare treatments that are unique to the world. Read more

Sex and the Dual Income Couple

written by kyle roderick

Does the daily work grind for two-income couples (also known as Dincs) negatively impact the frequency or quality of their sex life? In other words, does sex stink for dincs?

Janet Hyde, a University of Wisconsin Madison psychology professor, surveyed more than 500 couples for her study, which was reported in the Journal of Family Psychology. Read more

Lighting Up the Dark Times

written by kyle roderick

mind/body strategies for beating depression
Despite a continually expanding body of research into depression and its potential treatments, many couples experience unnecessary suffering while trying to maintain relationships amidst depression. Marriages in which one partner has untreated depression are nine times more likely than others to end in divorce. The number one reason couples seek couples therapy is because of a sexual problem. In half of these cases, the problem can be traced to depression in one of them. It doesn’t have to be this way.While bliss is our birthright, it’s also true that most of us, and hence our relationships, crawl through sadness and often depression at least once in a lifetime. Read more

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