Wellness

Aromatherapy: a way of using aromas and fragrances to calm the soul, relax the nerves and rejuvenate the spirit. Essential oils, small bottles of liquid fragrance, is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to aromatherapy, but did you know those water-like fragrances can be used in other ways? Here are a few you might not have considered:

Most of us use fabric softener, but to change the smell of the dried clothes, add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil onto a dry washcloth. Place in the clothes dryer along with the damp clothes. The clothes will be static-free but won’t smell like everyone else’s clothing.

Instead of throwing out old potpourri, which has lost its smell, place the potpourri in a plastic bag. Drop in a couple of drops of essential oil and shake. Place the scented potpourri back in the container where it was.

Don’t purchase room deodorizing sprays; make them yourself. Just use a squirt bottle full of water and drop in three or four drops of your chosen oil. Spray around the room, spray the furniture, spray rugs, lampshades, drapes and more

Add essential oil drops – two or three drops – to a box of cornstarch or baking soda. Tape the box shut and shake well. Leave this sitting for a day or two then sprinkle it on your capets and rugs. After allowing it to stand for an hour, vacuum up the powder and enjoy!

Purchase small brass rings from a craft store and use them to scent the room. Lay a ring on the light bulb of a lamp and drop a single drop of essential oil on the ring. As the bulb heats the ring the aroma will fill the room.

Put a couple of drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and place it inside your vacuum cleaner bag. The scent fills the room as you sweep. Place a new cotton ball in only when you change the bag.

Run mice out of the house by using peppermint oil on cotton balls. Place them under the kitchen sink, inside closets and other areas where mice are a problem.

Dab cotton balls with lemon oil and place one in each of your sneakers or other shoes. Overnight, the essential oil will eliminate bad odors and leave your shoes smelling great. Do this to car interiors, too. Dab the chosen oil on the cotton balls and set one under each seat.

Smells and aromas are a part of our everyday lives but those smells can be good, not bad. With essential oils you can have lovely aromas in your home, your vehicle and on your person at all times!

Florals are a classic Spring pattern and can be a gorgeous way to welcome the change of seasons. Keep them sophisticated and sassy with these key tips!

April showers bring May flowers in more ways than one! Spring has arrived and with it come the pretty, floaty florals that look so lovely on the hanger but can be a little daunting to work into your wardrobe. A little floral can go a long way, so learning to wear blossoms without looking like you’re off to your first day of school can be hard to master. Using these few tips can insure that you look fresh and sophisticated instead of like you’re missing your lunchbox and pigtails.

Keep it in Proportion

First and foremost, make sure the size of the pattern is in proportion to the size of your body. This rule applies to patterns in general, but it especially important to keep in mind when wearing florals. If you’re petite, a Liberty floral or something similar in a small scale is perfect to keep your small body from being overwhelmed. Similarly, if you’re tall or have a larger frame go with a bigger print. Small florals can look childish on a larger body, and the last thing you want is to look like you’re wearing clothing from the kids department.

Polished Pairings

An easy way to keep a floral pattern from looking overly sweet is to pair the piece with something structured or even menswear-inspired. The juxtaposition of the sweet and serious creates visual interest.

A boyfriend blazer over a knee length floral dress with some short boots or even sandals keeps the look modern and provides the layering that spring weather often requires. Pairing a floral blouse with trouser jeans is both casual and crisp and can even be appropriate for a work environment in a more casual office. One look that never goes out of style is high-waisted cream trousers with a soft floral blouse tucked in paired with simple jewelry and heels. Sophisticated and feminine!

Structured Silhouette

While it may be tempting to pick up that floor length, 1970s inspired slipdress with the sweeping skirt, stay away. Since floral patterns are inherently girly and youthful, it’s important to keep the silhouette modern and crisp, especially if you’re going for an all over floral look in a dress. Keep the item fitted and well tailored, not too tight or too flowy.

A slim pencil skirt in an unexpected floral pattern can be surprisingly stylish when worn with a button down shirt and muted metallic or nude heels. A sleek and modern floral dress can be young and stylish with gladiator heels or wedges and a bold accessory or purse. If the floral item in question looks like it could be worn on the set of “Hair”, it’s generally not appropriate for this decade, especially if you’re planning on wearing it to work.

Floral fabrics can be a fresh and feminine way to take your wardrobe into the Spring season, and can be worn by any body type and at any age. All patterns are trickier to wear than solids, and florals may be the hardest. Make them flattering and stylish by keeping the size of the pattern in proportion to the size of your body, pairing the floral item in the outfit with sleek and structured items, and choosing a floral item that is well tailored to your body. With these simple tips anyone can be a flower girl this Spring season!

Learn how to boost your mood and feel better about yourself in just an hour. These tips will enhance your mood.

Everyone needs a lift at some point in life. Even the most successful people find themselves staring in the mirror sometimes, wondering where it all went wrong. You can put a stop to these negative thought patterns, however, if you just make the effort to practice a few helpful psychological tricks.

If you want to feel mentally, physically, and spiritually healthier, be proactive by using these methods. It’s often the simplest deeds that reap the most extraordinary results. So, do you have an hour to spare?

Take a Cold Shower – 10 Minutes

Apart from feelings of cleanliness and invigoration, a quick blast from a cold shower can improve circulation and even relieve depression. Research at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine indicated short cold showers may stimulate the production of a chemical in the brain that alleviates depression.

A study in 1993 by the Thrombosis Research Institute in England also found that people who took daily cold showers showed an increase in the number of virus-fighting white blood cells, therefore strengthening their immunity. (Those with a heart condition, high blood pressure, or any illness, should take a shower at a warmer, more relaxing temperature.)

Maximize Your Appearance – 15 Minutes

Making sure you look your best doesn’t take very long. Whether you’re a man or a woman, make sure you shave to leave your skin feeling smooth and refreshed. Women can add a little makeup and perfume. Men can put on some aftershave. Then get dressed in some smart clothes.

Put away your old, comfortable jeans for another time. Studies have shown that feeling better about how you look will send a message to others to mirror your positive feelings, ultimately improving your mood.

Write Down Your Negative and Positive Thoughts – 10 Minutes

Write down what you are worried about and how you are feeling. This will help to expel any negative emotions from your mind. Also, write a list of things that make you happy and have made you happy in the past; it will focus your mind on which activities you should include in your life. Make a list of all your best qualities and accomplishments. And promote positive thinking by listing all the things you are thankful for.

Tidy a Space – 5 Minutes

There is something very distracting about a messy desk, an untidy kitchen, or an untidy pile of clothes on the floor. Don’t let a disorderly environment drain your emotional energy.

Tidy your desk, clean your kitchen, and put the clothes where they belong. You don’t have to do it all at once; simply tidying a small area of your house will promote a positive psychological response.

Go For a Walk – 10 Minutes

Research has shown that physical activity increases feelings of well-being by releasing our natural endorphins in the brain and nervous system. This can lead to muscle relaxation and a reduction in stress-related symptoms. It doesn’t have to be strenuous. A 10 minute walk can easily boost your mood, especially if it’s sunny outside.

Talk to a Friend or Relative – 10 Minutes

Talking to someone about how you are feeling can quickly lift your spirits. If you are alone, call a friend or relative for a quick chat. If you have any worries, others can often see problems from a different perspective and alleviate any concerns you may have. Laughing with a friend or loved one will also make you feel better. Studies have shown that laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and can help boost the immune system.

There are obviously numerous ways to boost your mood, but if you take some time to practice these techniques, you can feel better about yourself in a relatively short space of time. It’s often the little things that can make a big difference to your mood. Why not spend an hour of today to enhance your feelings of well-being?

High self-esteem encourages a positive attitude, the most efficient tool to increase good fortune alongside visualization and relaxation techniques.

Some individuals appear to have all the luck, others none, but according to experts, much of this is self-created. The theory seems to be borne by the fact that lucky people tend to be so all round. They win the lottery and land a dream job, have a fabulous house and perfect partner.

Study their attitude, see what can be learnt and remember that life is a roller coaster for everyone. What matters is how one deals with ups and downs. ‘The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity,’ wrote Winston Churchill, ‘the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.’

Be Happy and Attract Good Luck

The best way to attract good luck is to adopt a positive attitude and look on the bright side. If one expects the worst, it’s more likely to come true, and vice-versa. Keep things in perspective. If it’s not life threatening, it’s manageable so look for solutions rather than dwell on problems. Trust intuition, it’s usually right, though this may not be obvious at the time.

Above all, actively seek opportunities, do something new, go somewhere new, meet new people. Any step out of one’s comfort zone could bring a long-awaited lucky break and change life for ever. Whether its’ career, money or relationships, one needs to get out into the world to seize the moment. Don’t agonize about decisions. There’s no right or wrong if you accept responsibility to make it work. Lucky people are positive, determined and ready to act and take risks.

Visualization and Relaxation Techniques to Uplift Body and Soul

Remind yourself how lucky you are, stick a star in your diary when something good happens, however small, and visualize your dream. See it in colour and detail, bring it to the fore before you go to sleep and allow the subconscious mind to take over and guide you. Keep a lucky charm on your desk or in your pocket to remind you throughout the day that good luck is on its way.

Visualization works best when body and mind are at ease and stress free. Choose some easy relaxation techniques and notice the difference, whether it’s yoga, meditation, a painting course, a massage or a walk in the hills. Make it part of a weekly routine, replace tension with positive energy and feel better.

Improve Self-esteem, Feel Better

Those who believe in their dreams are most likely to attract good luck. It’s simply a matter of self-esteem and confidence. Work from the outside in, assess how you look, the way you walk or dress. Make small changes within your budget and notice the difference. When you look better, you feel better.

Smile in the mirror every morning, remind yourself you are unique and fill your mind with personal compliments. Ban any negative vocabulary and squash the slightest hint of self-doubt. Set your goals for the day, tackle any challenge as a chance to grow and always be prepared to accept change. Embrace life, learn, ask questions and have fun along the way. Act confident and sooner or later you will be, act lucky and you will attract good luck, uplift your spirits and enjoy a better life.

Maintaining weight over the holidays can be difficult with the multitude of seasonal parties to attend. But it not impossible to avoid gaining weight at Christmas. Here are some tips that can help everyone make it through to January with their waistline intact.

Maintain Healthy Eating Habits

It’s even more important to eat healthy during the holiday season than at other times of the year. The temptation of treats at every turn means that everyday meals should be healthy and satisfying. Good choices include whole grains, such as oatmeal or bran, at breakfast; veggie filled sandwiches or soups at lunch; and light dinners with lean protein such as chicken, beans or fish. By eating this way every day, anyone can afford to indulge once in a while.

Drink Lots of Water

Often people confuse hunger for thirst, so remember to drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Staying hydrated will keep everyone looking and feeling better, and may help prevent mindless eating.

Exercise Regularly

Working out not only improves mood but also revs up the metabolism so the body burns more calories every day. Whether it’s walking, yoga, or seasonal activities like skating and sledding, aim for exercise most days of the week. When possible, exercise outside during the day because exposure to natural light also improves mood as the days get darker in winter.

Limit “Holiday” Meals

Between office parties, family get-togethers and going out with friends, those two Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can turn into weeks of too much food with too much fat, not to mention the too-many drinks to wash it down. To avoid this, pick a few favorite events to indulge at, and maintain healthy eating and drinking habits at the other ones.

Eat Only Your True Favorites

When it’s that event you’ve been anticipating for weeks, don’t just grab everything from the buffet table, or that one meal could contain hundreds of calories more than the body needs. Choose only foods you truly enjoy and only eat at this time of year. Shortbread cookies and phyllo pastry appetizers could be the top choices, but pass up the chips that are available all year long.

Fight the Mental Battle

Too often, when people eat too much at one meal, they figure their entire diet is blown and they might as well just keep eating and drinking whatever they want. In reality, one meal is not a diet-buster. Keep your perspective and if you overeat once, get right back on track.

It’s possible to avoid holiday weight gain and still enjoy the holiday season. These few simple tips can help anyone decide when to indulge in Christmas treats and when it’s time for healthier choices.

Have you ever spent hours looking at that one spot on your face where the skin in not smooth? Have you cursed yourself for having huge thighs? Have you complained that your nose is not as sharp as you’d like it to be? Saying such negative things about your body does nothing for your self-image. Follow the suggestions made below to break the habit of having such an unkind attitude towards your body.

Be Kind to Yourself

This means going beyond thinking nice thoughts and learning to cultivate attitudes and behaviors that will allow you to feel good. Aim to like being in your own skin and enjoy the way your body moves and feels. Here are a few examples to show you how to do this:

 When you’re taking a shower, instead of rushing through it, enjoy the feel of your skin.
 When you’re dancing, savor the sensations of your hips swaying.
 When you’re sitting in the sun, notice the pleasure you get from the warmth on your skin.

Edit Your Self-Talk

Instead of focusing on all that’s bad about your body, why not follow every negative thought with a positive one. For instance, when you think, “I hate my hips,” change your thought to, “I may have big hips, but I have pretty eyes.” Furthermore, when someone says, “You have nice eyes,” say, “Thank you,” and smile. Remember that most men find self-confidence in a woman more of a turn-on than her flat stomach.

Observe Other Women

Do you think that all celebrities have the perfect figure, skin and features? Look again. Notice Julia Robert’s wide smile and Jessica Simpson’s cleft chin. The thing is, many successful and happy women rarely resemble the supermodel ideal. In fact, real women come in all shapes and sizes and it’s their differences that make them interesting and a joy to be around.

Think Spiritually

Ask a happily married man what attracted him to his wife and, chances are that he’ll say it was her beautiful mind. Understand that your beauty is not reflected in your body, but in your mind and, in your mind, you can choose to be the most beautiful person ever. Here are examples of statements you can recite regularly to help you watch what you think.

 I know that I have a good personality and shapely legs. So, the fact that my breasts are small is not important.
 It’s nice to hear him say I look good in this dress. My efforts to dress to flatter my figure are obviously paying off.
 I love the fact that my body looks like it belongs to a woman and not a little girl.

Banish Crash Dieting

Don’t crash diet because it doesn’t work. What actually happens is this: you only lose a small amount of fat before your body’s protection mechanism swings into action. It thinks that food will be scarce and your body holds on to fat, loses water and slows down your metabolism to conserve energy. When you go back to your normal pattern of eating, you have substantially slowed your metabolism so that it is burning off kilojoules at a snail’s pace. In short, your attempt to fast-track your weight loss backfires, making you prone to put on weight more easily. Instead, be patient and change your lifestyle.

Stand Tall

When you have bad posture, your stomach and breasts look larger while your legs appear shorter. Here’s a trick you can use to improve your posture immediately: imagine that you have a piece of string going up through the top of your head. The moment you picture this, your neck will extend, your tummy will tuck in and you will look slimmer and much more confident.

If you’re trying to break the habit of having such an unkind attitude towards your body, the suggestions made above will be a starting point. In time, you will learn to love yourself a little more every day to the point where you’ll have such a positive outlook that you’ll be a joy to be around.

Do you want to know how to loose belly fat in one week? It can be possible for you to lose unwanted belly fat in just one week and continue to keep it off. You have to introduce certain methods that will enable you to see noticable results in a matter of weeks if not days and by seeing the changes you have made whilst losing weight as your clothes will become more comfortable to wear.

Many people want to lose belly fat especially when it comes to vacation time, as your holiday comes ever more closer you may want to wear a new bikini or swimsuit and may even want to impress a loved one.

One of the worst things you can do is go on a crash diet as this shocks your body into thinking you are starving so it stores exceess food as fat, thus letting your body lose vital nutrients and as your metabolism slows down you will actually gain weight.

If you stop eating altogether for long periods of time your energy level will drop and you will become very weak and light headed. The fastest way to lose belly fat is to increase your metabolism simply by eating the right foods to help you achieve this. Thease foods include:

Citrus Fruits, such as Lemons and Grapefruit

High Fibre Foods, such as vegetables and pulses and even chili and ginger. An excellent way to boost your metabolism first thing in the morning is a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as you have been slleping for at least 8 hours and your body needs fuel to get it going again. Missing breakfast is one of the biggest mistakes you can make whilst on a diet as some people believe it helps lose weight by simply not eating first thing in the morning. As a result of this your metabolism drops causing you next meal to be stored as fat because your body anticipates famine, tempting you to eat a sugary snack or some other fatty food by mid morning because your energy level drops as well.

By eating several smaller meals more often throughout the day instead of two or three large ones can help the weight loss process as your body is getting a continuous supply of fuel with plenty of vitamins and minerals. A greasy plate of fries will fill you up for a while, but this meal wont last long as your body will be craving proper nutrition.

Drinking plenty of water will eliminate the toxins in your body and will aid in the process if you want to lose belly fat in one week because thirst is sometimes mistaken for hunger.

The simple stomach crunch exercise helps strengthen abdominal muscles and with regular and consistent exercise will enable you to get that flatter stomach. Resistance training has to be the best form of exercise for losing belly fat. This both helps you build muscle and burn calories, so the more muscle you build the more calories you will burn. It is very important that you get at least 8 hours sleep as resting is needed in order for muscles to rest and repair themselves.

By combining a good exercise plan and with a calorie controlled diet it is possible to lose at least two pounds of belly fat in just one week, however you will have to alter your lifestyle if you want to keep that slimmer looking body.

Finding the balance of moisture and acne-free skin can be extremely difficult, especially if one is prone to breakouts. Unfortunately, it is easy to have both acne-plagued and dry skin while attempting to clear one’s complexion. The good news is that there is a way to help clear up skin while locking in moisture.

Wash Face Twice a Day

It’s a old saying: wash your face twice a day. There is both good advice and truth in that old adage. Washing one’s face twice daily helps keep blemishes at bay. It is important to wash one’s face gently and be sure to remove all dirt and oil. Exfoliating once or twice a week is also an excellent idea. It is crucial to wash one’s face right before bedtime since most blemishes appear during sleep. It is also a great idea to keep pillowcases clean so that acne has a less chance of developing overnight.

Use Blemish Control Wash

Unfortunately, washing one’s face twice daily may not be enough for most people. It is critical to keep an acne treatment plan that works best for you. It’s always an excellent idea to have a daily acne treatment regime because this is what helps eliminate acne.

What is essential to any daily regime is to use a blemish control wash that is soft and gentle on skin. Do not use the same soap one uses to shower with—often there are extra chemicals in such soaps that can clog pores. Many blemish control washes use salicylic acid which helps keep skin clear and glowing.

Use Moisturize with Salicylic Acid

After washing and using an acne prevention treatment, one has to moisture in order to keep skin from flaking. There are many different varieties available to moisturize skin and help protect against outbreaks. The key to soft skin that’s acne free is to treat acne and moisturize so that extra oil is not produced. Having dry skin can promote blemishes so it is important to maintain some degree of moisture in order to halt blemishes before they pop up.

Moisturizers that contain salicylic acid tend to be the best because they help keep acne at bay. The most important advice to remember is to be aware of what touches one’s face—including makeup. There are concealers that are specially developed that help hide acne while fighting it with enriched salicylic acid.

For the average person weight gain is a result of eating too much and exercising too little, which is why weight gain over the holiday period is particularly common, as people choose to sit in front of their televisions stuffing themselves with food, rather than going for a walk or jog.

There are all those festive films and television shows which are just not to be missed, and besides who exactly wants to leave the warmth and cosiness of their home just to trudge through the snow in the freezing cold? Then there is all that food which simply has to be eaten before it goes off. Nobody wants any food to go to waste, and so everybody ends up eating more than they should.

It is therefore a good idea not to stock up on too much food over the holidays. In years gone by when shops were shut for longer than just a day or two, people had to make sure they had enough food to last. Nowadays, however, most shops are open the day after Christmas; there are even a few shops that open on Christmas Day.

The point is that the more food people buy in, the likelier they are to eat more, and it can be convenient to use the expiry date of an item as an excuse to get rid of it quickly (by eating it). Usually people find that they are also besieged by gifts of chocolates and sweets, anyway, which gives them another potential source of excess calories.

The holidays should be a time for relaxing, not obsessing over every calorie, but it is perhaps a wise idea for individuals to monitor their calorie intake; otherwise they may end up paying for it when they step on the scales after the New Year, or find that they can no longer fit into their favourite clothes.

If they want to prevent this from happening they should limit the amount of calories they consume by choosing healthier options, and by eating what they want but in reasonable portions. They shouldn’t use the holidays as an excuse for a two-week binge on all the food and drink they want, unless they are prepared to pay the price for it.

They should also consider getting more physically active, as it can be a good way for the family to spend time together without sitting in front of the television or at the dining table. They could go for a walk or a bicycle ride, or if it is snowing they could have a snowball fight and run around in the snow.

Going outside might not seem too appealing when it is cold outside, but individuals can console themselves with the thought of the extra calories they can consume when they get home without having to worry what the implications will be for their weight.

Sometimes it can be good for people to relax their routine a bit during the holidays, but it is important not to go overboard if they don’t want to have to spend the next few months trying to lose weight, and if they want to remain in control of their weight they can do so, as long as they stay focused on their diet and activity levels.

Tapping into and expressing the wisdom within the soul is the ultimate of love stories.

The ways in which folks often think of and practice self love are normally very limiting. One person may purchase material items to fill a void and another may have collection of boyfriends to meet her ever growing search and need for happiness. These examples of methods that people often utilize only bring short term satisfaction and never fulfill one’s true need and desire; to quench the spiritual thirst for balance, wholeness, peace, joy and endless love.

What is the Way to Lasting Self Love?

Some believe that the way to lasting self love is to honor the divine within. The divine within is that aspect of self which exists in the realm of the infinite, the home of the all encompassing creator. This aspect of self is often called the ” higher self.” One can connect with higher self through the soul.

What is the Soul?

The soul is considered to be the whole aspect of a person in their expression in this life, and is that part of us that lives through all our earth lives, incarnating in different bodies. It is aware of the expanded version of self which lives outside of space and time constraints. The soul acts as a bridge to higher self.

When accessed, the higher self or spirit ushers in to help in the growth process from human evolution to divine realization. The goal is to bring in light and allow for higher achievements in growing spiritually in consciousness. This not only helps the person doing the exercise, but also helps the all.

How to Honor the Divine Within

There are several ways to honor the divine aspect of self, the soul. Spending time each day to connect on this level deepens the love of self, which in turn many feel is the act of also awakening the God within. Loving self in this way has been known to open the doors to one’s fullest potential.

1. Appreciate the unique soul within self; recognize, contemplate and express in a journal this love.
2. Call upon the soul for guidance and intuition concerning what is best for growth and spiritual evolution.
3. Trust this inner wisdom to reveal how much sleep is necessary, how much outdoor sun time is beneficial, what to eat and which activities are most regenerative for body, mind and spirit.
4. Only allow thoughts and feelings of higher frequency; love, joy, appreciation, gratitude, sharing, caring etc.
5. When a negative though arises, turn the other cheek. Reach for a better feeling thought, ask your soul to show you a better feeling thought.
6. Loving and accepting self right in the here and now. In the present moment, supporting and loving and forgiving self.
7. When a situation arises, know that the soul, connected to higher self, is pouring love upon the issue if given the green light to do so. Know that the soul holds tremendous love that is accessed by opening up to it. Methods for opening up to soul love: meditation, intention, asking or imagining the soul pouring light into any issue or creation to bring it to its highest.

To honor the divine within is to connect on a soul level. To connect on a soul level is to carry out this love thyself. Loving self is to appreciate to the soul, trust in inner wisdom, to entertain only joyful and blissful thoughts as best as possible, to know that endless love is always available, and to remember to stay present in the moment.