15 Best and Free Health Benefits  by Smiling

We spend trillions of dollars every year in the U.S. alone trying to boost our health. With supplements, fitness routines, gym memberships, doctor visits, dental checkups, and prescriptions, it all adds up fast. Yes, into the trillions! There are many ways you can personally save money and boost your health. There are even a few things you can do that are absolutely free. One of the easiest and cheapest ways to boost your health, your mood, your longevity, and even your success is to smile.

Smiles do a lot more than simply let the world know you’re happy. They don’t even have to be genuine to have some effect, but truest smiles do you the most good. Most people can spot a fake smile, even if they can’t say how they know. Fake smiles usually use fewer muscles than genuine smiles, which involve muscles around the eyes. Real smiles also creep in slower than the false ones. So, if you have to fake a smile, try to make it as real as possible, think of happy memories or visualize your favorite people and places. It makes a difference in what others see and in how you feel.

Smiling slows the heart and relaxes the body. This lets the heart work without overworking. People who smile and laugh often are less likely to develop heart disease. Smiling also temporarily reduces blood pressure.

Stress is a common problem in the modern world that causes a myriad of health problems. Stress relief may be as simple as smiling a little more throughout the day. Smiling releases endorphins that counteract and diminish the stress hormones.

The endorphins do more than kick stress to the curb. Endorphins lift your mood. Feeling down? Slap a smile on your face, even if it isn’t entirely genuine at first, and turn your entire day around with something simple, easy to do, and free.

Smiling has been shown to increase your productivity while preforming tasks. There’s truth to the “whistle while we work” mentality. This also explains why silly internet memes and pictures of cute animals can actually get people motivated and working harder after a few moments of smiling or laughter.

Studies show that we are more trustful of others when they smile and smile genuinely. Trust is an important part of social health when dealing with people, whether they be loved ones or simple acquaintances. Seems relationships are truly built on smiles.

When we’re embarrassed or caught doing something questionable, often our first response is a smile. This instinct breaks the initial ice of embarrassment, promotes leniency in what others think of us, and engenders a sense of empathy since we’ve all experienced embarrassment and we want to smile along.

We smile to avoid feeling bad for not smiling. Sounds weird and circular, but we don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, so we smile when someone shares some story about their dog, even if we don’t really care. Studies show that if we don’t smile, we feel regret for failing to do so. This regret brings down our mood and boosts stress hormones.

Smiling and laughter both have been shown to lessen pain. They release endorphins that lift our moods, but many of these act as natural painkillers too.

Stress limits our perceptions and narrows our attention. Our bodies kick into fight or flight mode where we can focus only on one of those things. Smiling counteracts this and widens our attention again, opening us back up to multitasking and insights that come from the fringes of our perception and our subconscious.

Around 50% of people smile back. This spreads the health benefits throughout those around you and it comes back to you several times as well.

Smiling makes people more attractive. This seems to be especially true for women. Men are more likely to approach a woman who smiles than one who simply makes eye contact, while women aren’t necessarily drawn in by a smile alone.

A smile can appear confident, self-assured, and on top of your work. Those who smile are more likely to earn more money through tips and raises. They are more readily approached with business ideas and offered advancements.

Smiles naturally lift the face and in studies have shown to make people look younger, around 3 years younger on average.

The effects of a good smile extend past just the exterior good looks. People who smile more often live longer too, around 7 years longer than most according to one study. It releases stress, helps the heart, and much more to keep you healthy longer.

Smiles help the body relax and this lets the immune system react more quickly and effectively against invaders.

ADVANTAGES OF BANANAS:

Go Bananas? 

Never, put bananas in the refrigerator!!!After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again .

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassiu! m and ma gnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, 'eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit.

Laughing Therapy 

A type of therapy that uses humor to help relieve pain and stress and improve a person's sense of well-being. ... Laughter therapy may include laughter exercises, clowns, and comedy movies, books, games, and puzzles. It is a type of complementary therapy. Also called humor therapy.

Laughing is an excellent way to reduce stress in our lives. Learn about Laughter Therapy and Laughter Yoga as fun and alternative ways to reduce stress.

Patients, doctors and health-care professionals are all finding that laughter may indeed be the best medicine.

Laughing is found to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, increase muscle flexion, and boost immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.

Laughter is infectious. Hospitals around the country are incorporating formal and informal laughter therapy programs into their therapeutic regimens. In countries such as India, laughing clubs -- in which participants gather in the early morning for the sole purpose of laughing -- are becoming as popular as Rotary Clubs in the United States.

Humor is a universal language. It's a contagious emotion and a natural diversion. It brings other people in and breaks down barriers. Best of all it is free and has no known side reactions.

Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.

Following is a summary of his research, taken from an interview published in the September/October 1996 issue of the Humor and Health Journal.

Laughter Activates the Immune System

In Berk's study, the physiological response produced by belly laughter was opposite of what is seen in classical stress, supporting the conclusion that mirthful laughter is a eustress state -- a state that produces healthy or positive emotions.

Research results indicate that, after exposure to humor, there is a general increase in activity within the immune system, including:

• An increase in the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells.

• An increase in activated T cells (T lymphocytes). There are many T cells that await activation. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to "turn it up a notch."

• An increase in the antibody IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract insults and infections.

• An increase in gamma interferon, which tells various components of the immune system to "turn on."

• An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in the greatest quantity in body, as well as an increase in Complement 3, which helps antibodies to pierce dysfunctional or infected cells. The increase in both substances was not only present while subjects watched a humor video; there also was a lingering effect that continued to show increased levels the next day.

Laughter Decreases "Stress" Hormones

The results of the study also supported research indicating a general decrease in stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity. These were shown to decrease in the study group exposed to humor.

For example, levels of epinephrine were lower in the group both in anticipation of humor and after exposure to humor. Epinephrine levels remained down throughout the experiment.

In addition, dopamine levels (as measured by dopac) were also decreased. Dopamine is involved in the "fight or flight response" and is associated with elevated blood pressure.

Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body's ability to use oxygen.

Laughter brings in positive emotions that can enhance – not replace -- conventional treatments. Hence it is another tool available to help fight the disease.

Experts believe that, when used as an adjunct to conventional care, laughter can reduce pain and aid the healing process. For one thing, laughter offers a powerful distraction from pain.

In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, patients were told one-liners after surgery and before painful medication was administered. Those exposed to humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn't get a dose of humor as part of their therapy.

Perhaps, the biggest benefit of laughter is that it is free and has no known negative side effects.

So, here is a summary of how humor contributes to physical health. More details can be found in the article, Humor and Health contributed by Paul McGhee

Muscle Relaxation - Belly laugh results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh, relaxes. After you finish laughing those muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in two stages.

Reduction of Stress Hormones - Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.

Immune System Enhancement - Clinical studies have shown that humor strengthens the immune system.

Pain Reduction - Humor allows a person to "forget" about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc.

Cardiac Exercise - A belly laugh is equivalent to "an internal jogging." Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises.

Blood Pressure - Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension.

Respiration - Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect - similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial for patient's who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.

Laugh Your Way to Enlightenment!

Happiness is our essential nature.

Rather than waiting for external events to determine our happiness, we can find it deep inside ourselves. Perhaps we think we have to be relaxed and calm, or that all sorts of conditions must exist for us to be happy. This is not the case; happiness can exist for no reason. The more we practice smiling, laughing and enjoying ourselves for no reason, the more we will discover that we already have what we seek.

Many of us know that laughter is good for us, but we might feel that we have nothing to laugh about; we may feel more like crying. The second stage of The Mystic Rose can help us to release and heal old wounds, unburden sorrows and discover deep peace within.

So try some laughter techniques, but be kind and gentle with yourself. And remember: If you are in the midst of a difficult time in your life, commit an equal amount of time to allow your sadness to exist. The balanced awareness and expression of both of these energies will bring you to a deeper harmony and peace within yourself.

The Benefits

Laughter is good for us in every way as several studies have shown. (See, for example, articles by N. Lehrman in Archives of Internal Medicine, April 26,1993; by Lee Berk, Dr. P.H. in Loma Linda University School of Medicine News, March 11,1999; by N.Silver in American Health, November 1986; by J. McCormick in Lancet, August 1994. Among these findings:

• Laughter stimulates physical healing.

• Laughter enhances our creativity.

• Laughter is rejuvenating and regenerating.

• Laughter is sexy.

• Laughter is good for relationships.

• Laughter opens the heart.

• Laughter gives us a glimpse of freedom from the mind.

The Laughter Meditation

When you wake up in the morning, stretch your body-every muscle, cell and fiber-just like a cat. After a few moments, start laughing. Just start. At the beginning you may have to force it a little, saying 'Ha, Ha, Ha,' or 'Ho, Ho, Ho' to get the laughter energy moving. Soon, a spontaneous laughter will arise at the sound of your attempts at laughing. Try it for five minutes. Just laugh for no reason at all. Laugh for the sake of laughing.

Try it again for five minutes when you go to bed, just before you go to sleep. Try it in the shower or while driving your car in traffic. Ha, Ha, Ha. Even to say those words out loud will start a transformation in your energy, in your mood.

At the beginning, it will take some effort; you might want to use a laughter CD to help you get started. After a little while, it will start to happen naturally. Your body will get used to it, will start to expect it.

Laughter is one of the easiest ways to free yourself from the mind's constant thought process and find inner peace. It will make you more alive, more healthy, more creative, and more silent. Simply relax into the enjoyment. You will discover in yourself a tremendous natural talent for rejoicing in life. You may even laugh your way to enlightenment. Yes, it's that good. Remember to laugh-a lot-every day.

What is the Aura...?

An aura or human energy field is, according to New Age beliefs, a colored emanation said to enclose a human body or any animal or object. In some esoteric positions, the aura is described as a subtle body.

Everyone has an aura. Everyone has already seen or experienced the auric fields of others. The problem is that most people ignore the experience or chalk it up to something that it is not.

Mystics from all parts of the world speak of seeing lights around people's heads, but you do not have to be a mystic to see the aura. Anyone can learn to see and experience the aura more effectively. There is nothing magical about the process. It involves recognizing it for what it is and not ignoring the experience. It simply involves a little understanding, time, practice and perseverance.

Children are very good at seeing and experiencing the aura. Those experiences are often translated into their drawings. Around the figures, they will shade in unusual and different colors. These colors often reflect the subtle energies they have observed around what they are drawing.

 Have You Experienced the Auric Energy Field?

1. When you are around some people do you feel drained?

2. Do you associate certain colors with people? ?(For example, "You always seem like a yellow person to me.")

3. Have you ever felt when someone was staring at you?

4. Have you ever been able to sense how someone is feeling, in spite of how this person was acting?

5. Do certain sounds, colors and fragrances make you feel more comfortable or uncomfortable?

6. Do you find that some people excite or energize you more than others?

7. Are some rooms more comfortable and enjoyable to be in than others? Do you notice the difference in one room from the next? Did you ever notice how your brother's/sister's room feels different from yours?

How about your parent's or children's?

The human aura is the energy field that surrounds the physical body. It surrounds you in all directions. It is three dimensional. In a healthy individual, it makes an elliptical or egg shape about the body. I have heard it proposed that the auras of the ancient masters could extend outward from the body for several miles. It is often believed that this is one of the reasons they could draw such large numbers of followers in any area where they traveled. It is worth noting that a common depiction of many masters included the halo, a portion of the aura that is most easily seen by the average individual.

The aura is weakened by:

1. Poor diet

2. Lack of exercise

3. Lack of fresh air

4. Lack of rest

5. Stress

6. Alcohol

7. Drugs

8. Tobacco

9. Negative habits

10. Improper psychic activity

FEELING AND EXPERIENCING SUBTLE ENERGIES

The in and out movement of the hands causes the energy surrounding them to accumulate between them, making it more perceptible to you. The hands are becoming more sensitive to the subtle energies.

As the hands become more sensitive, you can use them to detect the auric energies emanating from other parts of the body as well. These detections may feel like heat, pressure, tingling etc.Hold your dominant hand about a foot and a half above your bared forearm.

Slowly lower your hand toward the forearm. Pay attention to anything that you might feel. How close do you come to the forearm before you can feel the energy from it? Remember that the feeling may be one of pressure, heat, coolness, thickness etc. It will feel much like what you experienced between you hands. It may not be as strong, but you should be able to feel it. If you cannot, slowly repeat it. Remember that you are reawakening your ability to consciously be aware of the subtle energies around you.

The Meaning of Colors

Color can be constructive or destructive. It can stimulate or depress, repel or attract. It can even be male or female in its character. It can reflect positive or negative, and when perceived within the aura it provides a key to the personality, moods, maturity and health of the individual. It reflects physical and spiritual aspects.

It takes a great deal of practice to interpret the color shades seen within the aura. Each color has its general characteristic,but each shade of that color change that characteristic a little. The location of the color, the intensity and even the from the color takes in the auric field must be considered.

This text is not intended to provide all of the subtle nuances of color interpretation within the auric field. You will examine basic colors and the energies they commonly indicate on physical and other levels. This gives you a starting point to begin to understand what is revealed by the colors of the aura.

The colors closest to the body reflect aspects of the individual's physical condition. They also indicate those energies manifesting and energies further away often indicate the energy that the person will be able to determine time elements of certain energy patterns by the color and the location of the color with respect to the physical body.

The Rainbow colors

Red

Red is the color of strong energy, fire and primal creative force. It is the life-promoting energy. It is hot. It can indicate strong passion, mind and will. It is a dynamic color that can reflect anger, love, hate and unexpected changes. It can indicate new birth and transmutation.

It is a color that affects the circulatory system of the body, the reproductive system (sexual energy) and an awakening of latent abilities and talents.

Too much red or a muddiness can reflect overstimulation, inflammation or imbalance. It may reflect nervousness, temper, aggression, impulsiveness or excitement.

Orange

Orange is the color of warmth, creativity and emotions. It is an indication of courage, joy and socialness. It is a color which can reflect an opening of new awareness-especially to the subtle realms (the astral plane) of life.

Depending on the shade, it can also indicate emotional imbalances and agitation. Some of the muddier shades of orange can reflect pride and flamboyance. It may reflect worry and vanity.

Yellow

Yellow is one of the first and the easiest aura colors to be seen. Pale yellow around the hairline can indicate optimism. Yellow is the color of mental activity and new sunshine. It can reflect new learning opportunities, lightness, wisdom and intellect. The more pastel shades often reflect wisdom and intellect. The more pastel shades often reflect an enthusiasm for something (especially in the pale yellow to white spectrum). Yellow is a color which represents the power of ideas and awakening psychic abilities and clairsentience.

Deeper and muddier shades of yellow can reflect excessive thinking and analyzing. It can reflect being overly critical, feeling of being deprived of recognition and being dogmatic.

Green

Green is the color of sensitivity and growing compassion. It reflects growth, sympathy and calm. It can reflect a person who is reliable, dependable and open-minded. Bright green moving toward the blue spectrum in the aura indicate healing ability. It is a color of abundance, strength and friendliness.

The muddier or darker shades of green can reflect uncertainty and miserliness. The muddier shades often reflect jealousy and possessiveness as well. It can indicate self-doubt and mistrust.

Blue

Blue, next to yellow, is one of the easiest colors to see in the aura. It is the color of calm and quietness. It reflects aevotion, truth and seriousness. It can indicate the ability for clairaudience and for the development of telepathy.

The lighter shades of blue reflect an active imagination and good intuition. The deeper shades of blue can indicate a sense of loneliness, which on one level reflects a life-long quest foe the Divine. The deeper shades of blue reflect levels of devotion. Royal blue shades indicate the person has found or is about to find his or her chosen work.

The muddier shades of blue can reflect blocked perceptions. They can indicate melancholy, rushing and worrying, domineering, fearfulness, forgetfulness and oversensitivity.

Violet and Purple

Violet is the color of warmth and transmutation. It is the color for the blending of the heart and the mind, the physical with the spiritual. It reflects independence and intuition, as well as dynamic and important dream activity. It can reflect one who is searching. The purple shades often reflect an ability to handle affairs with practicality and worldliness. The paler and lighter shades of violet and purple can reflect humility and spirituality. The red-purple shades can indicate great passion strength of will. They may also reflect a need for greater individual effort.

The darker and muddier shades can reflect a need to overcome something. They can also reflect intense erotic imaginations as well. Tendencies toward being overbearing, needing sympathy and feeling misunderstood are also reflected in muddier shades.

Other Colors of the Aura

Pink

Pink is a color of compassion, love and purity. It can reflect joy and comfort and a strong sense of companionship. When seen in the aura, it can indicate the quiet, modest type of individual, along with a love of art and beauty.

Depending on the shade of pink, it can also reflect an immaturity, especially the muddier shades. It can reflect truthfulness or a lack of it. It can also reflect times of new love and new vision.

Gold

Gold is a color that reflects dynamic spiritual energy and a true coming into one's own power. It reflects the higher energies of devotion and great inspiration. It indicates a time of revitalizing.

Muddier shades of gold can indicate the person is still in the process of awakening higher inspiration and has not clarified it yet within his/her life. It reflects the alchemical process still being active; i.e.' the person is still working to turn the lead of his/her life into gold.

White

White is often seen in the aura, prior to any actual colors. It is often seen as a diaphanous shades. White has all colors within it, and when it does appear strongly within the aura, it is often in conjunction with other colors. This is how you can know whether it is an actual energy color or just a poor perception of the aura. When the white does stand out as a color in the aura, it reflects truth and purity. It indicates that the energy of the individual is cleansing and purifying itself. It often reflects an awakening of greater creativity as well.

Gray

Gray is a color of initiation. It can indicate a movement toward unveiling innate abilities. Those shades of gray that lean more toward the silver reflect an awakening of the feminine energies. Those are the energies and abilities of illumination, intuition and creative imagination.

The darker shades of gray can indicate physical imbalances, especially if seen next to specific areas of the physical body. They can also indicate a need to leave no task undone. Much gray in the aura can indicate a person who is secretive and who is the lone wolf type.

Brown

Brown often appears in the auric field. Although many people think of as reflecting a lack of energy or an imbalance, this is not always so. Brown is the color of the earth. When it shown itself in the aura, especially in areas above the head and around the feel, it can reflect new growth. It indicates establishing new roots and a desire to accomplish. It is a color that can reflect industry and organization.

On the other hand, brown across the face or touching the head may indicate a lack of and need for discrimination. It seen in the areas of the chakras, it can indicate that those centers need to be cleaned. It will reflect in such cases a clogging of their energies. Brown is often difficult to interpret, as it can easily reflect problem areas in the physical, but you must be careful about jumping to conclusions when you see it. Feedback from the other person is the best means of understanding it.

Black

Black is one of the most confusing of colors in the auric spectrum. I have heard individuals say that, when black shows up in the aura, it is an indication of death or terrible disease. I have not found that to be true.

Black is a color of protection. It is a color which can shield an individual from outside energies. When seen in the aura, it can reflect that the person is protecting himself or herself. It can also indicate that person has secrets. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as it is not taken to extremes. Black can also indicate that a new understanding of burdens and sacrifices is going to manifest.

Black can also indicate imbalances. Physical imbalances often show up as black or darkened areas in the aura around the physical body. the location provides clues to this. In the outer edges of the aura, black can indicate holes in the auric field. I have seen this in the auras of those who were victims of child abuse and those who are or were strong substance abusers ( alcohol, drugs, tobacco etc.).

Silver Twinklies

Another aspect that I have observed should be mentioned. I have often seen within the aura what look to be soft, twinkling lights. They are usually very sparkly and silver in color. I have found that they indicate one of several things. These "twinklies'" as I call them, are almost always a sign of great creativity and fertility. When they appear within the auric field of a person, it indicates that greater creativity is being activated within the individual's life.

Strengthening and Protecting the Aura

TECHNIQUE # 1

PREVENTING YOURSELF FROM BEING DRAINED

We have all experienced being drained by an-other person. You may talk to him or her on the phone or in person, and, when you finish, you are exhausted. Your stomach may ache etc. What you are experiencing is an energy drain.

Some individuals draw or suck off the energy of others. Most of the time this happens because the individuals involved do not realize it. In many cases they are using your energies to supplement their own rather than building up their own. All they may realize is that, when they finish talking with you or being with you, they feel better. This does not give them a right to take your energy, however, and you should not allow it.

This does not mean that you should accuse this person of being a vampire or say that you will not speak to him or her again because he or she is sucking off your energy. If you do, this person will think you have gone off the deep end. In that case, your problem will be solved, because he or she will probably not care to see you after that. Most people still are not open to the subtle aspects of energy, and you must keep this in mind when dealing with them.

It is easier just to correct the situation without saying a word about it. You can control whether another shares your energy or not. One of the simplest methods is to close your circuit of energy. There are currents of energy flowing through your body and around it within the auric field. You can close them down so that your energies only circulate around your own auric field and throughout your body. You prevent your energies from being drawn off from the aura, and you prevent your aura from drawing in another's energy.

Assuming the posture shown on the next page is all it takes. You cross your feet at the ankles and bring your thumbs and fingers together so they are touching. (If you wish, you can use just your thumbs and index fingers.) This close your circuit. Your energy will not go out from you.

The next time you encounter your friend who drains you, assume this posture. Simply rest your hands casually on your lap, touch your fingers and cross your ankles. It is casual and simple, and no one will suspect you of anything. You can also do this when on the phone with such people.

If you do this, you will get some feedback through other friends as to the effects. You may hear comments such as, "You are just not as nice,' "You are not as open as you has nothing to do with being mad at people. You will still be talking with them as nicely and as often as ever. What you are not doing is allowing them to take your energy! You simply are not allowing them to drain you. Because they are not getting "high" from you, they are assuming something is wrong. No one has the right to take your energy without your permission.

TECHNIQUE # 2

ENERGY BREATHING TECHNIQUE

Fresh air and proper breathing are essential to a strong and vital aura. Breathing for maximum energy to the aura should be done through the nostrils. Many people have a bad habit of mouth breathing, not realizing that nostril breathing is more natural and healthy.

Mouth breathing makes an individual more susceptible to diseases. It impairs the vitality of the aura. It can even weaken the constitution. Between the mouth and the lungs, there is nothing to strain the air. Dust, dirt and other impure substances have a clear track to the lungs. Mouth breathing also admits cold air to the lungs, which can lead to inflammation of the respiratory organs.

Nostril breathing, on the other hand, is more vitalizing and healthy to your entire energy system. The nose provides specialized surfaces for the absorption of prana from the air.Prana can be likened to the vitalizing aspect that exists within air. Many Eastern breathing techniques require a conscious focus upon the tip to the nose and the entire nasal area during inhalation. This enhances the prana absorption, raises the vitality of the entire aura and stimulates the entire energy system of the human being.

The nostrils and the nasal passages are designed with hair to filter and sieve the air. They also warm the air through the mucous membranes. This makes the air fit for the delicate organs of the lungs, and breath is them more energizing and strengthening to your auric field.

In yoga, the moon breath is termed the Ida and the sun breath is termed the Pingala. The balance of the two is Susumna. Your energy has polarity, positive and negative, male and female, sun and moon. This breathing technique quickly energizes the aura and balances the polarity of the body. It also enhances your ability to remember and assimilate information. It balances the hemispheres of the brain. It can be used before studies to shorten learning time. It can also be used as a quick-me-up during the day.

The basic technique is comprised of alternate breaths, breathing in one nostril and then breathing out the other. (Remember that conscious attention to the tip of the nose, especially during the in-breath, will magnify the effects of this technique.) The rhythm is aided by holding the nose with the thumb and fingers.

1. Begin with your right thumb and fingers over your nose and exhale. Place your tonque against the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth.

2. Use your thumb and close your right nostril; then inhale through your left nostril for a slow count of four.

3. Keeping your right nostril closed, clamp your fingers down over your left nostril, pinching your nose closed between your thumb and fingers. Hold for a court of 16. (If you have never performed any concentrated rhythmic breathing, the count of 16 may be too long for you. If this is the case, reduce it or count faster. With practice, you will develop the ability to hold your breath for more extended periods. Try indhaling for a exhaling for a count of three. Work to find the rhythm that is most effective for you and then build upon it.)

4. Release your thumb, opening your right nostril. Keep your left nostril closed with your fingers. Exhale slowly out through your right nostril for a count of eight.

5. Release your nose, raise your left hand up and, with your thumb, close off your left nostril. Inhale for a count of four through your right nostril and then clamp your fingers closed on it. Hold for a count of 16.

6. Release your thumb and your left nostril. Keep your right nostril clamped with your fingers. Exhale for a slow count of eight through your left nostril.

7. Repeat four to five breaths, alternating each side. Breath in one nostril, hold and exhale out the other. Reverse it and repeat the procedure. Do at least four to five breaths for each side for a quick pick-me-up. This will saturate your entire body and aura with quick energy.

TECHNIQUE # 3

THE CLEANSING VORTEX

This exercise is a visualization exercise for cleansing and purifying your entire auric field. It is an excellent exercise to perform at the end of a day, especially at those times when you have interacted with a great many people. It helps sweep out energy debris, preventing it from accumulating and creating imbalance within the auric field. It only takes about five minutes to be effective.

1. Take a seated position and perform a progressive relaxation. Performing the breathing technique just described is beneficial as a preparation for this exercise. You may want to use a simple prayer or mantra as well. Remember that the exercise as presented here is a guideline, and you should learn to abapt it to your own energies.

2. About 20 feet above you, in your mind's eye, visualize a small whirlwind of crystalline white fire beginning to form. It looks like a small, visualize it so that it is large enough to encompass your entire auric field. The small end of the funnel should be visualized as capable of entering through the crown of your head and passing down the middle pillar of your body .

3. This whirlwind of spiritual fire should be seen as rotating and spinning clockwise. As it touches your aura, see it as sucking up and burning off all of the energy debris you have accumulated.

4. See, fell and imagine it moving down, over and through your entire aura and body. Know that it is sweeping your energy field clean of all the extraneous energies you have accumulated throughout the day.

5. As it moves through your body, allow this energy vortex to exit out through your feet down into the heart of the earth itself. See the vortex as carrying this energy debris into the lower realms, where it is used to fertilize and benefit the lower kingdoms of life upon and within the planet.

Food labels provide more than just nutrition facts, though. They also tell you what's in a packaged food (i.e., the ingredients). ... These agencies require that all food labels show the same nutrition and health information. This allows consumers to compare different foods and make the choices that are right for them.

What is leisure?

Leisure is that portion of time not obligated by subsistence or existence demands. It represents discretionary or free time, time in which one may make voluntary choices of experience.

Leisure is usually regarded as a synonym for frivolity. The things you do when you have nothing useful to do are called leisure activities. To do something slowly, ploddingly or inefficiently is described as doing it in a leisurely manner.

Yet the old definition of leisure (from the Oxford English Dictionary), "the freedom or opportunity to do something specified or implied," should alert us that leisure is extraordinarily important. "Something specified or implied" can be any action whatever. This degree of generality tells us that leisure is a fundamental of action.

That was Aristotle's view. Aristotle, who was certainly not given to rash and thoughtless hyperbole, repeatedly emphasized the importance of leisure (schole). "As I must repeat once again, the first principle of all action is leisure." (Pol., Bk VII, 3) Indeed, "we are busy that we may have leisure." (Nich. Eth. Bk X, 7.) According to Aristotle, leisure is the goal of busy-ness, of what we call labor. Aristotle is the first, and so far the only philosopher, to have held the doctrine that I call scholism: the view that leisure is a fundamental human value. He did not, however, give a formal account of its nature.

The common definition of leisure as "time off work" or "time for play" points out an important aspect of leisure: time. It specifies the nature of the freedom or opportunity which is involved in leisure: leisure is time available for action. Unfortunately, to define leisure as time off work is like defining money as a commodity which can be exchanged for useless luxuries. Such a definition of money would blind us to the practical uses of money, and the common definition of leisure blinds us to the profoundly practical uses of leisure.

To grasp the full significance of leisure, we must recognize it as time available for any action whatever. When you set aside an hour, day or decade for a particular project, you are devoting an hour, day or decade of your leisure to that project. Whether your project is utterly frivolous or profoundly serious, you require leisure for it. Leisure is a basic resource which is necessary for, and which is used up in, the performance of any action whatever, and therefore in pursuit or enjoyment of any value whatever.

So, what is leisure? To devote your leisure to some action means to devote your mental and physical powers to that action for that period of time. It means to devote your life to that action for that period of time. A minute or hour of your leisure is a minute or hour of your life. Your leisure is your life. Formally, leisure is an individual human life as measured by time. Informally, leisure is the time of your life.

Leisure is a value because life is a value. Leisure is just life regarded as a series of measured portions.

What is Leisure Sickness?

If on weekends, you have trouble sleeping, feel nauseous, exhausted, get cold or flu symptoms or headaches, and particularly if you get ill on vacations, you may be suffering from leisure sickness. In the late 20th century, Ad Vingerhoets and Maaike van Huijgevoort, psychologists at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, first studied the syndrome of leisure sickness. Essentially, Vingerhoets and van Huijgevoort found that many people seem to get ill on weekends and vacations, not from viral based diseases, but from the fact that they are not working.

In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, leisure sickness is associated with aches and pains and an overall feeling of fatigue. Those who suffer from the condition may also have lousy vacations, because they frequently feel ill or lack the energy to enjoy the activities they planned to do. Leisure sickness is considered psychosomatic, because most people in the midst of it are not suffering from any viral or bacterial illness.

In the early studies done by these psychologists, it appeared that certain personality types are most likely to encounter leisure sickness. People who typically are overworked, expressed a lot of stress around working, or who rarely took time off from work were often leisure sickness victims. Others who tended to be affected by leisure sickness were those for whom planning vacations was viewed as especially stressful. In contrast, those people who did not report leisure sickness were likely to exhibit healthy attitudes toward work, had a balanced work and social life, and enjoyed vacation planning, not viewing it as stressful.

For some people, the sudden transition from job orientation to leisure orientation brought on symptoms of leisure sickness. It is as though people really did not know what to do with themselves, even when they had plans, because their central focus was generally on working. This manifested in the body as symptoms of stress, which in turn manifested symptoms of illness.

When people took long vacations, many reported feeling better from leisure sickness symptoms after about a week. Still some reported always being sick on vacations, no matter the length. In the first scenario, it appears that some people are able to shift their focus into a leisure instead of working mode and recover from leisure sickness after being off the job for a while.

It does appear that addressing attitudes toward work can help leisure sickness. Many who reported leisure sickness also reported thinking about work much of the time when they were not working. Some people also noted that they felt guilty for not working in their off time. It’s fairly easy to draw lines between preoccupation with work, stress, and illness.

The suggestion, however, is that curing leisure sickness means changing attitudes about work. This might mean allowing yourself to feel entitled to vacations, and during your workweek, still participating in social activities so that there is a better balance between work and relaxation. From a stress standpoint, many people are able to feel less stress when they deliberately focus on the present, not allowing their jobs to “come home with them.” This can’t always be mastered, but if every vacation represents another bout of leisure sickness, it might well be worth investigating how to change your attitude toward work.

QUOTES: Leisure

"If, then, it seems to you that our investigation is in a satisfactory condition, there must remain for all of you the task of extending us your pardon for the shortcomings of the inquiry, and for the discoveries thereof your warm thanks."
-Aristotle, On Sophistical Refutations

"Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions."

- Mark Twain

"Few Americans even know what 'leisure' really means, and commonly confuse it with recreation or time off from work, even if that time is spent doing chores."
- Shannon Mullen, "Millenium Changes Definition of Leisure", USA Today (5/27/99)

"The individual, in our society, works for profit; but the social purpose of his work lies in the consumption of what he produces. It is this divorce between the individual and the social purpose of production that makes it so difficult for men to think clearly in a world in which profit-making is the incentive to industry."
- Bertrand Russell
"In a society that enforces a schizoid split between Work and Leisure, we have all experienced the trivialization of our "free time", time which is organized neither as work nor as leisure."

- Hakim Bey

"[Play] comes to be viewed by its participants as pleasurable but inessential, except as an interstice between sleep and productive labor. [But] the substance of human liberation may be realized in the play element...play represents the flowering of the imagination unfettered by the constraints of material necessity."

- Stanley Aronowitz, False Promises

"The creative and rewarding use of leisure should be at least as central a concern as the need for meaningful work."
- Paul Wachtel, The Poverty of Affluence

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