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Breathing Practice for Optimum Health

Sympathetic Breathing Meditation Practice

A guided breathing practice that is designed to calm the part of your nervous system that is associated with the fight or flight response (sympathetic nervous system). As the relaxation response is energized, a balance is established that can help you create a new level of functioning physiologically as well as mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

You are restoring balance to your nervous system in a way that synchronizes your heart rhythm. As this happens, various physiological systems alter in ways that are healthier and contribute to effective functioning. You are less irritable, less emotionally reactive, and less likely to jump to conclusions, and thus your judgment tends to improve as well.

Stress relief and relaxation can  lead to optimum health.

Hardy Houseplants: Cleansing & Relaxing

Relaxing Plants for Home and Office That Support Your Health

Even if you have a talent for killing plants, these puppies will defy the odds and turn you into an enthusiastic horticulture advocate. There’s even NASA research that supports this. Relaxation is a consequence of environmental scrubbing just at caring for the plants is relaxing in itself.

Living with plants and caring for them is such wonderful therapy for the soul. As you bring life inside, you maintain your connection with nature and get the satisfaction of watching the natural process of growth. This facilitates relaxation.

You learn to care about the health of your plants and cultivate compassion in ways that are surprisingly easy and rewarding. And these plants take care of you in return. Does it get any better than that?

Read about the benefits and how to care for these rock stars of the plant world.

Houseplants are a truly delightful addition to any home. They’re a great decoration, but they also have profound impacts besides just looking good. They create a relaxed ambiance in pretty any room of your home. According to a 2008 study, researchers found that hospital patients who had plants in their rooms reported much less stress than those who didn’t. That’s why we’ve compiled for you this useful guide to the 10 easiest houseplants to grow. Enjoy!

1. Aloe Vera, Aloe barbadensis miller

Aloe vera is one of my favorite plants to grow. They stay small if you keep them in a smaller pot but get much larger if you transfer them to a larger one. They’re succulents, so they don’t mind a little bit of neglect. Not just that, but they also have some medicinal properties. They’re good for detoxing the body when you add a bit to a smoothie or a juice, can be used to soothe the pain from cuts and burns on your body, and they’re also good for cleaning the air of pollutants. If your air quality is too poor, the plant will begin to show brown spots. Aloe vera enjoys warm, sunny conditions.

2. English ivy, Hedera helix

NASA found that the English Ivy is one of the most purifying houseplants you can have, but be warned! English ivy is extremely, extremely invasive in non-native environments. It makes a great houseplant and it’s seriously easy to grow, but keep it indoors in a pot if it doesn’t grow as a native plant in your area. It enjoys moderate temperatures and medium sunlight.

3. Bamboo palm, Chamaedorea

The bamboo palm also made NASA’s list of best air-purifying plants. It’s especially good at cleansing the air of benzene and trichloroethylene, but require a little more maintenance than the others listed here. They enjoy lots of water and need shade or indirect sunlight. This makes them a great candidate for the kitchen. I keep mine by the kitchen sink. Every time I clean my dishes, I’m reminded that it’s there and needs a squirt of water.

4. Dracaena, Dracaena braunii

It’s not uncommon for a dracaena to grow to ceiling height, up to 15 feet tall, but they can be stunted by staying in a smaller pot. These beautiful plants are known for removing xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde. They do like lots of sunlight and moderate water, however.

5. Golden pothos, Epipremnum aureum

Last but certainly not least is the nearly mythic indestructible golden pothos. It made NASA’s list for its ability to easily clear formaldehyde from our air and the things are seriously difficult to kill. They’re a vine, so they make great hanging baskets. They’ll grow and grow and grow until they’ve reached the floor. They like cool temperatures, low levels of light, and while they do enjoy plenty of water, they can take some serious neglect.

And that’s our list! These plants are all commonly available at nurseries, inexpensive,  and are very, very easy to grow. What could be more relaxing Which one is your favorite?

Read the full article here and learn about 5 MORE plants you can add to this list.

Lavender Lemonade Recipe: Headaches/ Anxiety

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What a Lavendar Solution to a Pesky Problem

Lavender has long been used for it’s aromatic qualities that have so many beneficial medical effects. The amount of research related to it’s use is impressive. And just short of 400,000 people have shared this recipe so far. Perhaps you will want to join the ranks.

And Lavender is not simply an herb that is used as an essential oil for creating an environment with pleasant fragrance. While aromatherapy is it’s typical application, it can actually be used in minute quantities prepared in a tasty glass of lemonade.

And you can discover other ways that this oil can be used as well.

So review the information below and explore the possibilities. 

Flavoring your lemonade with lavender is a great way to utilize the amazing medicinal properties of lavender. Lavender is a wonderful aromatic herb that calms the senses.

Pure lavender oil is an incredible essential oil to use for your own health and wellness. It’s among the gentlest of essential oils, but also one of the most powerful, making it a favorite of households for the healing properties and uses of lavender essential oil. Lavender oil  has a chemically complex structure with over 150 active constituents, which explains its effectiveness at helping with a lot of health ailments. Lavender oil possesses amazing anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, analgesic, detoxifier, hypotensive, and sedative properties.

Florida researchers have found that lavender oil benefits include reducing anxiety and lowering pulse rates in nursing students taking stressful tests. And in hospital settings, lavender aromatherapy has been demonstrated to decrease pre-surgery distress and to be more relaxing than massage or merely resting.

Lavender essential oil has medicinal properties as well. It has been shown to reduce depression, improve insomnia and ease labor pains.

The following are selected examples of clinical trials on lavender aromatherapy:

  • Alaoui-Ismaili and colleagues found that the aroma of lavender is considered by subjects to be very pleasant and is correlated with changes in the autonomic nervous system.56
  • Diego and colleagues demonstrated that people receiving lavender oil (10%) olfaction for 3 minutes felt significantly more relaxed and had decreased anxiety scores, improved mood and increased scores of alpha power on EEG (an indicator of alertness), and increased speed of mathematical calculations.58
  • Lewith and colleagues investigated the effects of lavender aromatherapy on depressed mood and anxiety in female patients being treated with chronic hemodialysis.59 The effects of aromatherapy were measured using the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) and the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAMA). Lavender aroma significantly decreased the mean scores of HAMA, suggesting an effective, noninvasive means for the treatment of anxiety in hemodialysis patients.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw honet
  • 12 cups pure water
  • 1 drop lavender essential oil
  • 6 lemons, peeled and juiced
  • Lavender sprigs for garnish

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and chill. Add more water or raw honey if needed.

 

Other ways you can use Lavender Oil for Anxiety and Headaches

  • Mix 5 to 6 drops of Lavender essential oil to your bath water if you have dry skin.

  • Diffuse 10 to 12 drops of Lavender into the air during your workday for natural stress relief.

  • Add 2 drops of Lavender per ounce of your favorite lightly scented, unrefined organic oil (like almond oil or olive oil) for a body oil with all the benefits of lavender for improving your skin, relaxing your mind, warding off insects or helping you sleep.

You can view the full article here .