Monthly Archives: April 2020

The Importance of Practicing Daily Meditation For many of us, the word meditation conjures up images of people sitting serenely on the floor, with hands neatly postured on the lap. Although some will argue there is a strict definition of what meditation is, there are many ways to achieve a meditative state- and not all of them require one to be seated or even have the eyes shut.Meditation engages the mind with the goal of transforming intrapersonal consciousness. It is more than sustained concentration, although that is an element. In a deep state of meditation, a person potentially enters into a state where mundane thoughts wither. The mind receives training to 'see things as they are.' This doesn't change the nature of physical reality, but meditation has the power to favorably influence reactions and responses to outside events, as well as to personal 'inner events.'Arriving at a thought-free, peaceful state is a tall order. It is OK if thoughts arise and quickly pass. The mind tends toward restless mental action. In these cases,…

Stress Busting Foods The foods that you eat play a crucial role in your overall well-being as well as your ability to handle stress. Over 1400 chemical changes occur as stress hormones, such as cortisone, sap important nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium from the body. Here are three foods that can replenish your supply of these nutrients and enhance your ability to manage stress: Cauliflower*Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale are chock full of stress-relieving B vitamins. Cauliflower is also one of the very best sources of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid helps turn carbohydrates and fats into usable energy and improves your ability to respond to stress by supporting your adrenal glands. Fatigue, listlessness, numbness, and tingling or burning pain in the feet are all indications that you may need more vitamin B5 in your diet. Salmon*Salmon is a healthy and delicious way to get your dose of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin B12 supports the production of red…

Maintaining Peace of Mind in the Time of COVID-19 It's been three weeks since the state of California issued *shelter in place* orders to its 40 million residents. Since then thirty-nine other states have followed suit, bringing the total number of states with stay at home orders to 40. It is estimated so far that 297,000 million US citizens have been ordered to stay in--a whopping 90 percent of the country*s population. The novel coronavirus pandemic has made the unimaginable, a reality, in a very short period of time. The experiences we are all sharing can only be described as novel, as in the adjective meaning new, interesting or unusual. This brings us to an old Chinese curse: may you live in interesting times. Who will argue these times are not interesting? As hundreds of millions of us in the US and more than a billion people across the globe remain largely confined to our homes for an extended period of time, we can develop new routines and strategies to maintain our peace of…