Feel like your life is spiraling out of control? Do you long to simply sit down and fall into the deepest most refreshing sleep but it never happens? Do you wake up just as tense as you went to bed? Deep relaxation quietens your mind and it releases physical tension throughout your body. Once you are in a deep state of relaxation your heart rate will slow as will your breathing and you will also find a deep calm.
Yoga nidra comes from an Indian yoga tradition. Think of it as a form of meditation that occurs when you are lying down, it can have a wonderful psychological, physical and spiritual benefit.  Yoga nidra works to enhance your natural energy and to balance the flow of energy. It works in a similar way to the aim of a martial art or acupuncture because the flow of energy as a constant is vital for [...]

Does every little thing get you down? Are you starting to feel that you might have been born stressed? It’s a horrible feeling when your heart starts to race, you find it difficult to concentrate and your muscles become wound up in painful knots. You may feel frustrated and helpless, feeling that life is a myriad of problems over which you have no control. But fear not, stress may make you feel helpless but you simply need to plan a ‘Get Stress Fit Campaign.’
Think of a Get Stress Fit program akin to a physical fitness program. You work hard to develop greater fitness – in this case, develop an increased resistance to those external pressures. You may be surprised to know that there is a great deal that you can do to combat those external pressures and demands and you will start feeling much less stressed as a result. Consistent [...]

The time arrives when you suddenly start to feel more emotional for apparently no real reason. Your sleep pattern becomes interrupted, you make frequent trips to the toilet overnight and then just as you are about to drop off to sleep, those dreaded night sweats begin to start.
You might be wondering what is happening but a quick trek to the doctor will probably confirm that the peri-menopause is on its way. These symptoms can feel suddenly overwhelming and can be caused because you have lower estrogen levels. As much as the peri-menopause is a natural occurrence because every woman has to go through the change of life, it can be a very unsettling time leading to a real dip in your ability to stay positive.  Every woman is at a greater risk of mood swings or depression during mid-life and if your mood starts to plummet it’s always advisable to talk [...]

If you haven’t used aromatherapy oils before you will be amazed at just how useful they can become every day of your life. From cleaning, to health benefits to general pampering, once you have your favourite oils, it’s easy to incorporate them into your life. Essential oils are simply aromatic liquid that has been extracted from flowers, bark, berries, leaves or root. The extractions are very concentrated however so all have their own sets of contra-indications and these should be taken seriously and checked out prior to use.
The following points are just general guidelines but a little research will ensure that they are really safe:

Avoid using on your pets, particularly if you have cats as some oils can be highly toxic to them.
Do not use if pregnant
Most of the oils are unsafe if applied neatly to the skin – so take some time to do a  little research first.

A lot of [...]

Do you suffer with a flabby middle? Do you feel that your back and stomach muscles need a little bit of work so that you can get your body back into shape? Do you look in the mirror from a side view and find yourself pulling your stomach in? Do you hate how you look?
 
If you feel less than toned then it’s a good idea to develop an exercise program that works specifically on this area. Toned stomach and back muscles are essential if you want to have a good posture as well as to help you avoid injuring your back. Weak back muscles make it incredibly easy for you to bend and lift awkwardly and a bad back can put you out of action for many weeks.
 
To start your exercise regime, you do not need any fancy weight training equipment, all you need is the simple push-up and that will [...]

Nature has an abundance of natural remedies that when taken can be used to boost your immune system or can be used to target specific health issues.
Honey is a phenomenal remedy and a great source of carbohydrates. Honey can provide you with lots of energy. It’s a fantastic performance booster, and many athletes use honey to help prevent fatigue during any exercise session. It works because the glucose that is within the honey is absorbed very quickly and this provides a real quick-fix of energy whilst fructose provides a more sustaining energy.
If you feel lethargic when you wake, try taking just a spoonful of honey as it will help you to feel a little more energised and is a much better option than having a sugary drink. You can add a spoonful of honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice into a glass of water if you prefer as it works as [...]

If you have been suffering with any form of arthritis and find the nasty side-effect of joint inflammation really frustrating, then you have my full sympathy. Arthritis, which is the collective term for any condition that impacts the joints, can impact every aspect of your life. It can affect your sleep pattern, make you feel tired and emotional as you combat the pain, it can make you feel irritable and depressed. Of course, the other negative is that it can and does impair flexibility and general movement.
It’s easy to turn to painkillers to help control the pain and to give you some degree of normality each day, but rather than just accepting your lot and relying on the pills from pharmaceutical companies, there are often things that you can do to help combat joint pain from the inside and out.
The following foods have been found to reduce the inflammation and are [...]

Mark Twain once said that “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.” He may have had a point because we all know that real laughter is contagious and when one person starts to laugh wholeheartedly, others soon follow. When we laugh, we feel good; it increases our levels of happiness and more, it connects us with our friends, family or peers. Unbelievably perhaps, by indulging in a fit of the giggles, it boosts our levels of health considerably.
Many people want a short-term fix to help them feel better these days, and if there were a pill to make life seem wonderful and one that also increases overall health and well-being, many people would be clamouring for this wonder pill but in fact, it’s even easier than that. Laughter is free and completely natural and you can’t get much better than that.
So what does laughter do in [...]

Sometimes life has the habit of kicking you in the teeth and whilst we all go through times when we feel fed up, lonely, frightened or even unloved, it can be a very isolating time. Life isn’t supposed to be so difficult. During your childhood, did you ever once think about money problems or that you would find yourself in difficult situations and be struggling to cope? Bills, unpaid mortgage payments, relationship problems. Your whole life was focussed on having fun back then and you felt healthy and filled with the zest for life. So, what changed?
Sometimes it is easy to depict the answers. You made some bad choices or perhaps you just didn’t look after yourself, it’s a slippery slope and whatever difficulties you might experience, the one thing that you cannot afford to do is to bury your head in the sand.
But even if you feel fed-up and that [...]

If you have been inspired by the London 2012 Olympics, then you may be tempted to try out some of the televised sports for yourself. Whilst most Olympic sports require a great deal of all-round fitness, you may be surprised to know that swimming can offer you some fantastic health and fitness benefits that other sports cannot. Most towns have a public swimming pool within easy reach and you can make your swimming pursuits a real family affair.
The great thing about swimming is that it allows you to give your body a really good work-out without any harsh impact on your skeletal system at all and this is because once your body is submerged, you actually become lighter. So if you suffer from stiff or inflexible joints, are overweight or are just generally unfit, swimming can be a real boost to your aim to become fitter and healthier. You will soon [...]