62900

Move Your Body, Move Your Mind

Keep your knees locked! Hold your arms straight until they hurt! If you feel pain, good for yousomething is happening

Ah, the soft and tender words coming from my militant hot-yoga instructornot exactly soothing. Isnt yoga supposed to be relaxing, you ask? Not the kind Ive been doing for a while. I prefer to think of it as bootcamp yoga: an hour and a half dripping with sweat in a very hot room, often practising next to someone who had too much garlic at dinner last night, contorting myself into positions that make my head want to explode, while feeling murderous towards the teacherwelcome to my form of heaven.

Do I enjoy torturing myself this way three times a week come rain or shine? NO. Do I often get into the hot room and want to run out the door screaming? YES. Do I pay a lot of money to go through this torture? YES. Am I glad I do it? ABSOLUTELY.

You may be scratching your head in confusion at this point and I totally understand why. But when I tell you the real reason I do this exercise regime three times a week religiously, suffering and cursing the entire time, youll understand where Im coming from.

At the age of 36, Ive gotten a bit wiser when it comes to health and taking care of my body. Gone are the days of starving myself or overeating and then punishing myself through exercise. Believe it or not, I absolutely love exercise now. Not because it makes me skinny (nothing will do that due to having the pulchritudinous physique of my shapely Jewish female ancestors which I have come to learn is purely genetic). However, regular exercise does keep me at a healthy weight for my size and stops me from obsessing about my body and food (except during PMS when my body and mind are overtaken by some form of alien life who temporarily makes me think that chocolate is in itself, an entire food group and that excess water in the tummy area is a must-have).

The reason I love exercise now is how it makes me feel AFTERWARDS. You see, after I leave an exercise class, I am transformed. No matter how crappy, miserable, sad, or angry I am feeling before I exercise, for some incredible reason, I consistently feel energized, positive, relaxed, and peaceful after a good workout. And so do many of the women I know. Now we know from brain research that exercise boosts serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter in our brains, increases endorphins; chemicals in our bodies that make us feel happy and neighbourly, and relaxes our muscles, which in turn, relaxes our mind.

I encourage all of my clients to follow a regular, three-times-a-week exercise regime of their choice as the first step in improving their mental health. I have not met one single person who has adopted this healthy lifestyle habit who has not greatly improved their mood, productivity, and reduced stress in their lives as a result. I know we hear it over and over again about exercising regularly, but being the stubborn self-willed person that I am, I have finally accepted that other people are wise when they espouse this concept and its not a conspiracy to make me conform to some strange cult.

I have witnessed countless womens mental health improve vastly from including regular exercise into their lives including recovery from depression, anxiety, disordered eating, post-traumatic stress, and many other issues.

I especially recommend regular exercise for women who are suffering from the effects of being in any kind of abusive relationship where they were systematically stripped of their dignity, sense of worth, and faith in their abilities. Vigorous exercise in this case, especially something like kickboxing, can be extremely empowering and help you to overcome feelings of worthlessness and toxic shame. Through the act of exercising, you can transform a negative self-concept into one of power, strength, and awareness of your abilities and gifts.

In my therapy practise, I have discovered that many women are weighed down with depression or anxiety and that what is often underneath those labels is suppressed anger and/or grief. Being in our bodies and expressing ourselves physically through regular exercise is a fabulous way of releasing emotions that have been stuffed down for a long time.

exercise can be extremely helpful in moving our feelings up and out of the body and can thus free up energy and leave us feeling lighter, stronger, and more peaceful and in control of our destiny.

There are so many wonderful, exhilarating, and enjoyable forms of exercise out there. Check them all out, try them out, and find the one(s) that you feel the best doing. Experiment and have fun!

To end, Ill leave you with some very inspiring reasons for working out regularly

Esthers Top Ten Reasons to exercise regularly:

1.Time for yourself- you get to leave all the people and things that you feel responsible for behind for a time and just focus on yourself

2.Lifts your mood and helps you feel more positive

3.Stops you from obsessing about your body size and shape (in most cases- if you are really prone to this, try a form of exercise that focuses on how you feel on the inside; not how you look on the outside- focus on becoming strong and feeling good emotionally).

4.Gives you a sense of routine which can help you feel more grounded emotionally

5.Gets you out into the world connecting with people you may not meet otherwise

6.Increases your self-esteem as you grow stronger and feel fit

7.Normalizes metabolism which helps you gain or lose weight depending on what is best for your body

8.Improves your sex drive- not a bad side effect, huh?

9.Makes you nicer to be around because youre happier, healthier, and calmer

10.Helps you get out of your head and into your body; this is great for us thinkers and analyzers

So go hop on a bike, take the dog out for a walk, or crank up the stereo and boogie up a storm in the living room - youll feel better as a result!

Esther Kane, MSW, Registered Clinical Counsellor, is the author of Dump That Chump: A Ten-Step Plan for Ending Bad Relationships and Attracting the Fabulous Partner You Deserve http://www.dumpthatchump.com, and What Your Mama Cant or Wont Teach You: Grown Womens Stories of Their Teen Years http://www.guidebooktowomanhood.com Sign up for her free monthly e-zine, Womens Community Counsellor, to uplift and inspire women at: http://www.estherkane.com

Please consider this article for publication in your newsletter or website. Permission is granted to reprint for free with resource box and byline intact. Please send me a copy of your publication if you choose to include my article.

posted by 93093 @ 4:53 PM 0 comments

Geocaching The Technology Behind The Hi-Tech Treasure Hunt

It all started on May 2, 2000 with the removal of selective availability by the White House. (Selective Availability is the intentional modification of GPS signal to degrade accuracy of readings) At that moment, the GPS receiver became 10 times more accurate.

GPS, or Global Positioning system is a navigational system which operates through the use of twenty-four satellites positioned around the globe in low Earth orbit. These sattelites were placed by the U.S. Department of Defense but are free for the world to use.

Each satellite above the Earth is solar-powered, with a battery back-up for times during eclipses. They send a signal that is extremely accurate, within 40 billionths of a second. GPS receivers take the signal from the satellites and use triangulation to calculate the exact location of the user, as well as speed, distance traveled, and elevation.

Triangulation works by the receiver using the signals of three or more satellites to determine location. It is a trigonometric process that identifies the position of a point using the bearings to it from two fixed points a known distance apart.

Before Selective Availability was removed, GPS units received a scrambled signal which affected their accuracy. After May 2, 2000, a new world of opportunity involving GPS opened up.

GPS units are popping up more and more these days as their particular usefulness is recognized by the general public. Many cars today offer a GPS navigational system to help guide you to your destination.

One day after the removal of selective availability, a computer consultant by the name of David Ulmer decided to test the new accuracy. He hid a container in a forest in Oregon and shared the coordinates with an online community. Within a week, several people found his container, and they started hiding their own. Thus, Geocaching was born.

The name of the hobby is simple enough Geo meaning Earth and cache referring to hidden treasure. Taking part in the sport is also simple. The only tools required are the GPS unit and a love for adventure.

The seeker acquires coordinates to the hidden container through the hobbys official website www.geocaching.com. The GPS unit points the way, with an accuracy usually within 25 meters. Once at the location, the seeker must hunt for the hidden cache which may be in a tree stump, in between rocks or even hanging in the air!

The containers may also vary in size, from small keyholders or 35 mm film canisters to large buckets or ammo cans. Each container normally contains a log book for the finder to sign and also may hold various items and trinkets available for trading. Generally the finder takes an item and leaves another item in its place.

The removal of Selective Availability allows civilian use of GPS technology, which has led to many advantages. In addition to the hobby of geocaching, GPS is also used in surveying, exploration, mapping and various location and transportation systems, among many other uses. Geocaching is just one example of how GPS technology is used by civilians today. Technology at its finest offers a plethora of applications.

Tonia Jordan is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for all kinds of writers. Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/spidergirl so stop by and read for a while.

posted by 93093 @ 3:40 AM 0 comments

The Weight Loss Cure

Because obesity has become a pandemic in our society, more and more people are looking for ways to lose weight. Whether they join weight loss clubs; engage in diets drinks or choose the variety of weight loss regimens available; the problem still exists.

Whether or not you have seen Mr. Trudeau's infomercial about this weight loss book, along with the other books he has written; you have to seriously wonder if this book is, in fact, the answer. While his notion that pharmaceutical companies prescribe medications for conditions which can be treated by other methods is not a new concept, he has nonetheless revealed many home remedies and as well as holistic treatments which have been very successful, and which have been used for thousands of years.

This weight loss cure book is no exception. What he is basically describing in this book is a way to lose weight without depending on fad diets, pills, or other forms of weight loss treatments. Evidenced by his weight loss, Mr. Trudeau has been an outspoken advocate against traditional medications which pharmaceutical companies have been promoting, and others of his ilk have followed suit.

In an effort to prove this cure works, he utilized the protocols, and in six weeks lost 45 pounds. He also revealed in his infomercial that no exercise was needed; his energy level increased; and his eating habits drastically changed. Moreover, once you have completed the protocol outlined in the book, you will never feel hungry and your metabolism will increase, thereby allowing for more fat to be burned. If you have had the opportunity to see Mr. Trudeau in his infomercials, you will notice the dramatic change in his weight as well as take note of his youthful appearance.

If you have tried to lose weight and failed, you should read this book. Ensure you check with your doctor before trying any weight loss diet wherein you lose weight as rapidly as Mr. Trudeau claims. However, it is worth the price. It is also important to note that he has also tried other weight loss programs without success. He would lose the weight and gain it back.

The weight loss cure book may be just the answer you are looking for and may also provide answers to questions which traditional types of weight loss diets have failed to provide.

You can find out more about the Weight Loss Cure Book here. http://www.1thinkhealthy.com/weightloss-cures-book.html Lambert Klein is the owner of Think healthy supplements.

posted by 93093 @ 3:40 AM 0 comments