Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

 

Biofeedback in the East

August 2nd, 2010

The notion of biofeedback can still seem like an entirely revolutionary idea, even though it is a century old. Biofeedback uses electronic devices to mark responses on the human body in order to teach the person how to modulate their own systems. Controlling breathing, muscle tension, even the perception of pain, are all possible here.

The idea came from a German scientist, J.H. Schulz, in a system called autogenic training. This developed over the 20th century, and most practitioners of biofeedback will acknowledge their great debt to him. Many thought that for the first time, people could have some control over functions that many had assumed were completely automatic.

However, when biofeedback started to reach a peak in the 60s, so did global interest in the practice of Yoga . Here, systems start to meet, and it’s an easy connection to see where Yoga and biofeedback do intersect. This also means that the research in western science was only discovering what the Yogis of the ages already knew. The mechanics of each are entirely different, of course, but the processes they affect are indeed the same. This is one more example of how western and eastern traditions do speak to each other, and continue to influence each other over time. It also suggests realms of infinite possibility.

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Sports in Manhattan

April 20th, 2010

There is plenty of ways to get in some needed exercise through out Manhattan. Most people get lots of exercise in the city by just walking to many of their destinations. There are many who like to take exercise to another level and enjoy some real sports. One can catch a cab or walk from any of the luxurious boutique Manhattan hotels to areas like Central Park. Central Park offers some seasonal out door sports. The running path and walking path is usually open but for the summer time there is roller skating and group sports such as soccer. The winter time one will find a couple of great places to ice skate like the Wollman Rink+http://www.wollmanskatingrink.com/main_wollman.htm which is surrounded by a lush winter park and towering skyscrapers.  

For an amazing walk, bike or run across some real history, people head over to the Brooklyn Bridge+http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridge.html. This bridge is the first of its kind on such a massive scale. It was built more than a hundred and twenty years ago and it is considered as much of an icon to New York as the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building.  

To get into an organized group sport or maybe just lift some weights in a great gym check out all that the Chelsea Piers Sports Center+http://www.chelseapiers.com/sc/ has to offer. They can hook you up with some golf practice and direct you to some great golf courses near by. They have a bowling alley that is quite classy actually. Then there is the Field House which has it all soccer, basketball, rock climbing and baseball for all ages. The Sky Rink offers up some ice skating including some lessons.  

If one is looking for some activities with horses than head back over to Central Park. One can find some stables, get a horse and take a great ride through the beautiful park. When it is time to relax a bit, find a quaint carriage ride to do all the work for you.

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Hot Tubs and Exercise

December 22nd, 2009

With a growing interest of healthy lifestyles and staving off the consequences of age and the associated diseases and health declines it makes sense the consumers are looking for ways to improve their diets, exercise routines and overall health maintenance features. One of the growing popular additions to healthy lifestyles is the incorporation of therapeutic hot tub soaks into one’s daily routine. And while these hot tub spa uses are gaining popularity the surrounding contexts and other activities very with individuals and households.

Many people who chose to purchase and install a home hot tub will also be in the market for various exercise equipment and other health oriented factors. The particular style of personal workout can vary greatly but the essential component of the hot tub is recognizing that that with intended use it can greatly reduce the amount of stress in one’s life and the effects that it has on health. Some people take a simple approach to the lifestyle change and incorporate a morning run, which provides a quality cardio-vascular workout, and follow this with a soothing soak in the hot tub.

Other people prefer to have an entire gym set up installed in a backyard space or patio and complete an entire workout routine and follow it with a tasty smoothie and quiet submersion in the hot tub. Other people prefer to create the perfect yoga platform or space and perform a quality pose and movement routine followed by a nice soak in the tub. Yoga is great not only for the physical benefits that it provides but it is also extremely helpful in calming nerves and maintaining a sense of personal balance. Combined with the stress reducing aspects of regular hot tub use this is a powerful health combination that is great for both heart and mind.

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Hot Tubs and Waking to the Present

November 24th, 2009

Becoming tuned into the present moment is a very simple thing, but the distractions of the waking world make it infinitely complex, and sometimes it seems infinitely far away.  Taking a simple moment to take a few deep breaths is one great method for waking up to the present.  There are some who will say that it is part of the complicated nature of modern life, that our lives have become filled with new problems, and new technologies to always distract us from the things that are really important.  But looking at the teachings of ancient Eastern philosophies can reveal that this is not a modern problem at all, but perhaps it is one of consciousness in general, and something human beings have had in their psyches since they first started to dream.

A hot tub is perhaps considered by many to be a modern convenience to help with a modern sensibility, but even here, the history of human civilizations will reveal that the idea is very old.  So although you can certainly choosehottubsdirect.com to find your perfect personal spa, with their excellent selection and spectacular customer service, in order to solve a modern problem, you’re also entering into a very old tradition.  There are many cultures that have seen the benefits of hot water and massage on the human body, and the idea for the spa comes from the hot springs in many areas of the world.  Ancient philosophers have thought long and hard about the effects of the hot bath on consciousness, and have remarked on its extraordinary ability to calm a busy mind.

It’s a very pleasant thing to have your worries melt away the moment that your skin hits the water.  It’s even more pleasant to know that this only gets better, and the health benefits keep growing the more you use your hot tub.  But it’s also an exquisite side effect that this experience can also help you to wake up to the present moment.  Being connected to the moment also makes you more aware of the needs of other people, and more attentive in general.  Sometimes it’s a long journey to the here and now, but this is one of the best tools we have for making the trip enormously pleasurable.

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Hot Tub is Perfect For Individual Households

November 3rd, 2009

Jesse had waited long enough. He had been wanting to purchase a hot tub for years though it always seemed he was in some kind of transition and that the time was never right. He had been trying to sell his house for a couple of years and only recently moved into the small two bedroom home that he believes he will be happy in for years to come. Jesse has no plans to get married and have children. He is a lawyer who is relatively new to his career, though his future looks promising and he is already stable and with a good firm. He sees his work as being his priority for quite a few years and the demanding hours mean that he spends little time at home.

Jesse wanted a simple house with a small yard. He could remodel it according to his specific tastes and it would be his own little castle, while he was there. Meanwhile, though he was not home often, he validated his decision to purchase a hot tub based on some information he had read about the stress relieving qualities of a therapeutic soak in a hot tub. Not only did it seem to make sound sense to purchase one, but he was also attracted to the idea of coming home later after a long day at work and relaxing in the tub with a nice pint of Guinness or maybe a Boddinton’s Pub Ale.

Jesse contacted choosehottubsdirect.com and was impressed with the speed in which they responded to his inquiry and also the amount of information they offered. At the same time he was stunned to discover the amount of models and various styles of hot tubs that were available. He had a decades old images of an old wooden tub in his head and was utterly fascinated at far the hot tub technology has come. Jesse decided he needed to take a little time before making his final decision but eventually knew exactly what he wanted. He now has a nice comfortable tub with massage features and great stereo system and also a slightly romantic lighting system. While Jesse has no intentions of marrying anytime soon, he does enjoy entertaining special people now and then.

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How to Talk to Your Kids about Drugs

September 21st, 2009

Drug use and abuse is on the rise.  From celebrities to business men to students, more people than ever are in drug rehab or receiving dual diagnosis treatment.  With more teens using more now than ever before, it is even more important that parents talk openly and consistently with their children and teens about drugs.  There are six key steps to talking with your kids about drugs.

Express very clearly and firmly that you do not want your child to use drugs under any circumstances.  On a consistent basis explain to them the risks and hazards of using drugs and that under no condition will that be accepted behavior.  Make sure they know where you stand.

Listen.  It may sound easy but it’s not.  We often get so caught up in our own lives that we miss what our children are saying.  Become involved in their everyday lives.  Let them know that you love them, support them, and are interested in them.  If they feel comfortable around you and know they can come to you, they will be more willing to open up and ask questions rather than keeping it bottled inside or going to their peers.  This also applies to your reaction.  If you blow-up or overreact you will push your child away.  Instead turn it into a discussion.

Be honest.  If your child is mature enough to ask the question, they are mature enough to understand the answer.  Also, if they discover that you have not been honest with them it could do permanent damage your relationship.  If they think they cannot trust you, they will stop coming to you.

Use the media to instigate conversations.  There are always commercials, news, or movies on that reference drug and alcohol use that can spark a thoughtful discussion.  Make the most out of those moments to supplement your own.

Role-play.  As silly as it may sound, having a refusal plan already set into place will make the moment that much easier on your child.

No parent wants to see their child go through addiction treatment.  Start taking steps now to prepare your child for the future.

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