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Understanding Matter, Spirit & Supreme Spirit

By
Elizabeth Williams

There are some of us who may be attracted by the idea of meditation. We may be practicing one form of meditation or another, including mantra meditation. 

We may even be beginning to accept the difference between ourselves and our body and mind. But we find there to be a big leap from that to the concept that there is a Supreme Person in control of all else, responsible for our existence, responsible for the creation of the universe, a God. 

All our lives we have been taught that the universe came about from a big bang, and that the matter in the universe came together in various way to create the planets and then develop into all the forms of life on earth.

In fact there is no big leap at all. Once we clearly understand we are not the body, that we are spiritual in essence, and yet we are still an individual, a person, the concept of other spiritual individuals is not so foreign, and eventually we may then become aware of at least the possibility of the ultimate cause also being a spiritual individual person. 

So what is needed is more clarity at step one, a fuller understanding of the difference between myself and my body.

When we talk about not being the body, we look at this from many angles. We can analyse how the body’s cells continually change, either completely replacing themselves, or turning over all their molecular makeup, such that within a period of approximately five years the body is effectively a new lump of matter.

That body of five years ago is dead and gone, and we still exist.  We can remember existing 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and longer, but all those bodies are dead and gone, while we are still here.

We are just in one place, here, but those bodies have melted away, hence we are not any of those past bodies. Nor are we this current body, which is also gradually disappearing, while we remain in existence. 

We can also meditate on the loss of each body part and consider whether we would still exist if we lost an arm, an ear, an eye, if we had a heart transplant, a kidney transplant, even a face transplant.  For those that would argue that you are your brain, we can consider the fact that some people have literally half their brain removed and still exist as the same living entity within that body.  Just consider, you still exist when the left half of the brain is removed.  Similarly if it were the right side of the brain removed you would still exist.  In fact some people are born with their cranium filled with fluid and very little brain tissue at all, without anyone realising. And then we can consider the fact that the matter in the brain is completely replaced via the metabolic process in a period of only 3 days.

 

We can hear the many thousands of accounts of people who have experienced clinical death, a state in which attending doctors declare the person dead and gone, and yet they have returned to their bodies to describe the events from a view point outside the body. We may even have experienced it ourselves.  Some people may even have had experience with, either personally or via a friend or family member, the ability to leave temporarily, without a near death experience, so called astral travelling.  If we can leave our body we are not our body. 

These are some of the grounds that lead to the conclusion that I am something other than the material body. And while I do not have space to cover it here, we can similarly analyse the difference between the mind and the self.

If one then comes to a degree of understanding that the atma or self, the living being, is not the body, or the mind one is stepping into another view of reality, a view that gives access to perception of an energy other than matter, made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. This other energy is the opposite of matter.  Matter is dead, non-conscious and under the laws of material nature. In other words matter has a particular nature and this nature is described in the laws that govern matter, the laws of material nature. 

For instance we are aware of the laws of gravity, conservation of energy and thermodynamics.  We may not fully understand these laws but we have heard them spoken of.  We know that an apple falls if it is dropped.  We may know that material systems run down, that every material thing becomes more disordered over time.  This is one of the laws of matter, specifically the 2nd law of thermodynamics that entropy that is disorder, increases over time.

These laws have been gradually documented and theorised about and written down over the centuries. They existed before they were “discovered.”  They may not be fully understood and the great thinkers of science tinker over them from generation to generation. But there are laws of nature inherent in the energy known as matter, whether fully and correctly described or not.

Similarly there are laws inherent in another energy, that we can call spiritual energy.  Most of us are educated in areas of life pertaining to material nature, and are not so educated about spiritual nature, hence the term is cloudy to us. When we hear the word spirit or spiritual we may think of séances, and ghosts or some sort of voodoo trickery. We may imagine a great empty white light. We may have many different imaginary conceptions. However, in simple terms spiritual means living. Spirit is alive and spirit is conscious. Matter is not alive.  Protons, neutrons and electrons are not conscious.

The philosophy of the Vedas educates in terms of spiritual nature. It also educates about material nature and it delineates the difference between the two.  A Vedic text, the Sri Isopanisad, specifically speaks about the need to learn both vidya, knowledge of the spiritual energy, and avidya, knowledge of material energy, in order to be successful. (Sri Iso. 11)

One who is beginning to understand that they are not the material body (which includes the subtle body, the mind), is beginning to perceive that there is another energy. That energy is life, the living entities. I am a spark of that energy, a spiritual entity, an atom of spirit, if you will. And just as the entire universe is one unit, even though made up of many separate units or atoms, there is a unit of life, of which the smaller atoms of life are but part and parcel. This is the Supreme Spiritual entity, the Supreme Atma, the Supreme Person.

There is a scientist by the name of Robert Lanza. You may have heard of him. In 2014 he was on the cover of Time as one of the top 100 most influential people. The New York Times called him one of the 3 most important scientists alive today. What is relevant here is that he is well known for coining the phrase “biocentrism.”  Bio means life, and centrism, of course, means at the centre, or central, so this term encompasses the idea that life or consciousness is the cause of material phenomena, not vice versa. It is, of course, a controversial theory, countering, as it does, centuries of teaching that life comes from matter.  I am not proselytising for Robert Lanza, and do not agree with his theories in toto, especially his conclusion that we are not eternally individuals, but he is pointing out, from the standpoint of a practicing and respected scientist, the lack of scientific explanation for the existence of the universe and consciousness, and arguing that the more logical conclusion is that life creates the universe, not vice versa.

For generations, school children have been versed in a sequence of events further drilled into the consciousness of those who entertain themselves watching “The Big Bang Theory.” I’ve done enough of that in my time to remember snatches of the theme song:  “The whole universe was in a hot dense state… Neanderthals…we built a wall we built the Pyramids… and it all started with a Big Bang.”  For many, especially those who extended their science education into their 20’s, these ideas have become axiomatic or supposedly self-evident. Matter, beginning with the big bang, or some variation thereof, became more and more complex and organised until it was capable of building walls and pyramids.

This goes against an established and documented law of nature, that of the 2nd law of thermodynamics which states that entropy, that is, disorder or randomness, increases over time.  We have a system, the universe and it has not become more disordered. 

Whether or not we want to accept the Big Bang theme song, and whether or not we feel capable of understanding the whole history of the universe, we can look at a microcosm of organisation, our own bodies.  As long as my body is alive, its entropy or disorder does not increase.  It does not become more disordered over time. In fact, it has gone in the opposite direction, and developed from one single cell, which over a period of several months, greatly increased in order, complexity and organisation.  The one cell split into two, then into four and so on, developing many different types of cells, and physiological systems.  Entropy decreased to a mind bogglingly huge degree.

And this is the fascinating cross over between spiritual energy and material energy. When matter is by itself it is inert, lacking in a high level of organisation, unconscious, with no will of its own, no desire to love or be loved. Just consider a rock. Even a pet rock doesn’t actually have a desire for love, nor an ability to love its owner. But when the spiritual energy is also present then we can have an entity made of matter, such as a human body, and all its different organs and sub-entities, exhibiting the nature of spiritual energy, that is activity, organisation, consciousness, a will, and a burning desire to love and be loved.

Matter in the presence of life exhibits completely different characteristics from matter without that spiritual energy. This is graphically illustrated when the spiritual energy withdraws, that is, at death. Then the body loses any indication of a desire to love or be loved, there is no will to be done, no consciousness, and the organisational structure begins to melt away, and any activity that goes on is the activity of disintegration, if that can be called activity, and the activity of other entities feeding on that body, the bacteria, the maggots, the worms and beetles.  Have you ever seen a time lapsed video of a dead body breaking down? It appears to move and heave as various processes of decay release gases and liquids ooze away and different creatures devour it, turning it into a feasting ground.  Ghoulish and gruesome, (be warned!) but reality

It is life, spiritual energy that develops the body and maintains it in a thermodynamically unstable state, and on the departure of that spiritual atom, the material energy returns to its natural disorganised, inactive unconscious state, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

If we can see that there is an energy other than matter, that is myself, and if we can see the effects of one small spark of spiritual energy, myself, the atma, on matter, such that my body has developed and is maintained, and it could be said, in violation of the laws of physics, then it is not such a huge step to accept the possibility that spiritual energy, on a larger scale, is the cause of the universe.  And if I can accept that myself and other living beings are atoms of spiritual energy, individuals each with consciousness, individuality, a will and drive to love and be loved, then it should not be too much of a stretch to at least theoretically accept the possibility of a spiritual source with those same characteristics.

Ultimately we choose our own world view.  It is not something that can be forced on one. The world of the yogis is not one of belief, but one of understanding, so I do not ask you to believe or blindly accept, but I encourage you to consider these ideas with an open mind.

Nutritional Plan To Become A Better Car Racer Than Ever Before

By
Elizabeth Williams

Many people wonder what the champion racing drivers would eat before a car race. Some people don’t consider motorsport racing as an actual sport and driving car requires less talent when compared to other sports. You will find a big advanced list of auto parts that boost the performance of a racing car. Just like that, a racing car driver needs high-performance food to remain healthy.

The truth is driving requires talent, and whether you are racing a taxi or a racing car, you need talent and driving fitness to perform. Driving fitness can be grown by eating the right food which is best for you. Racing drivers need to follow a special diet to increase the main point which is needed to become a better driving.

Race day diet is designed in such a way allowing you to:

  • Maintain healthy muscles.
  • Maintain the right body weight.
  • Have enough energy throughout the day.
  • You will maintain a feeling of satiety.

Major Fuels Needed for Your Body

Not all foods are created in an equal way. We should eat the right food to increase metabolism and to burn excess fat. The major fuels required for the high performance of our body are:

  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
  • Fats

Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are sugar and starch, and it is the healthy fats which are needed to make up brain cells. The simple food that has a lot of carbohydrates is fruits, vegetables, and food grains. Before the workout, it is recommended a focus on carbohydrate food items less than 40 units. They are cabbage, apple, cherries, leafy vegetables, beans, and lentils. In the morning after a workout, you must consume food items like potatoes, pumpkin, bananas, honey, bread, porridge, muesli, and cereals.

Proteins – Your brain needs a steady supply of protein to keep you alert at a higher level which you all of you know required to drive a car at high speed. The protein diets that you must include are red meat, fish, egg, and dairy products. Grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetable are good to motivate you and help to focus behind the steering wheel. The diet for racing car drivers must include Vitamin A, B, C, and E which is necessary for driver’s health, energy, and physical tone.

Fats – There is a certain type of fats essential for your brain, but you should be careful consuming such food items. The Omega-3 fatty acid present in the fat helps the brain to form a neuronal membrane which is essential for proper functioning of nervous system. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in egg yolk oils, fish oils, plant oil and krill oil.

Driving a racing car needs energy, so a driver must be hydrated beforehand. Drivers lose several pounds of weight through perspiration during the race. Becoming dehydrated can lead to a slower reaction, fatigue, and driving errors. So racers should drink a lot of water or sports beverage before or during the race.

People With Brown Eyes Have An Unusual Power!

By
Elizabeth Williams

They say the eyes are the mirrors of a person’s soul. Every one of us is lucky to have these two jewels on their heads, and each eye is different and beautiful.

Our eyes reveal our deepest emotions and psychological states. We can tell if a person is sad, happy, or angry, just by looking at its eyes.

And did you know that the color of our eyes can tell a lot about our personality apart from being seen as a beauty factor?

Sure, every eye color is beautiful in its own way; however, every color brings something different to the person’s character. One study, published in Current Psychology, claims so.

The most common eye color in the world is brown. So, if you are one of these people who have brown eyes, read on, and find out what wonderful powers are hidden in you.

People with brown eyes are the attractive ones. They are also full of confidence and determination. This color is rich and is connected to the Earth and the life itself, giving these brown-eyed people an ability to see things clearly and be down-to-earth.

Simplicity, optimism, and creativity are traits that these people surely posses. They are cheerful and outgoing and love making new friends. People with brown eyes are independent, charismatic and empathetic – everyone wants to be like them and to have a person like this in their life.

Researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales in a research conducted in Australia discovered that people with brown eyes are more agreeable than those with light eye color.

They are also reasonable and sensible in every situation. However, when it comes to people they care for; reason gives its front seat to love and compassion. These people are not materialistic. They don’t care about earthly possessions – they just believe in emotions and energy. If you have a good vibe they won’t leave you.

However, sometimes they have trouble in expressing their emotions even though they are very self-confident and honest.

These people radiate with happiness and positivity. They are the ones you go to if you have a problem or you just need someone who listens, because these people are the most trustworthy. You just know only by looking in their warm brown eyes that you can trust them and confide in them.

The experts and psychologists agree that these people have indeed an energetic and magnetic spirits which attract the joys of life. Additionally, when they suffer from some illness they can overcome the disease faster than others because their desire for life is enormous.

These people are highly empathetic and sensitive, which means that they absorb other people’s emotions and feel their pain as their own – this can be overwhelming and exhausting and at times hard to handle.

They have really big hearts and feel everything deeply – every emotion is intensified in them, which makes them great lovers and partners. They will sacrifice everything for the loved ones.

Well, brown-eyed people, do you still think your eye color is ordinary? If you do, think again. If you are lucky to be blessed with this eye color, you are one of the truly good and human people out there. Even if you are not aware of it – you are special to everyone around you.

7 Exercises To Get Rid Of Sciatica And Lower Back Pain

By
Elizabeth Williams
exercises to get rid of sciatica

Sciatica and lower back pain can occur when the sciatic nerve is irritated due to tension or swelling in the piriformis muscle. Both the sciatic nerve and the piriformis muscle are in the buttock area and in many people, the sciatic nerve can suffer pressure from the piriformis muscle.

Sciatica occurs in around 5-10% of the population, and it can affect your daily activities greatly. Sciatica can also affect the senior citizen community. Seniors can follow these tips as well as perform a daily senior exercise routine to help avoid sciatica. Whatever the severity, consulting your doctor about your sciatica is highly advised. In most cases, some exercises can help to alleviate the pain, as we already named some in our previous articles.

As a rule of thumb, whatever exercise you choose to do comes with the risk of damaging your nerve and/or muscle if you don’t approach it with caution. The trick is never to allow yourself to feel pain during the exercises. Ben Walker, fitness specialist at London Fitness, has trained many clients with sciatica. He said “whatever exercise you choose to do comes with the risk of damaging your nerve and/or muscle if you don’t approach it with caution. The trick is never to allow yourself to feel pain during the exercises”.

That means that you don’t have to go all the way through the exercise. Instead, stretch to the point where you don’t feel uncomfortable or in pain. If you feel pain, release the tension a bit and stay there.

7 exercises that can help to get rid of sciatica: 

1. Knee-to-chest stretch 

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent upward at a 90-degree angle.
  • Wrap both your hands around the knee of the affected leg and pull it gently toward your chest.
  • Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds.
  • Switch legs.

2. Gluteal stretch 

  • Lie on your back and lift your affected leg resting the ankle on the opposite thigh.
  • Grab the thigh (the one lying on the floor) with both hands and pull it gently toward you.
  • Pull for 20-30 seconds; release and relax.
  • Repeat 3 times.
  • Switch legs.

3. Knee lifts 

    • Lying on your back lay your arms on the ground by your sides.
    • Lift your legs until your heels are about 1 foot above the ground. (Keep your lower back glued to the ground)
    • Lower your legs gently and repeat 5 times.

4. Hamstring stretches 

    • Sit on the floor with your back straight.
    • Stretch your legs in front of you a hand’s width apart from one another.
    • Inhale, and while exhaling, lean forward with your torso in a rotational manner starting from your hips.
    • Your aim is to reach your toes with your hands while keeping your back straight at all times.
    • Once you reach your feet (you don’t have to touch them), stay in the position for 20-30 seconds.
    • Release and sit back up.

5. Back extensions 

  • Lie on the ground face down with the flat of your feet against the floor.
  • Place your hands next to your head, shoulder-wide apart, with your fingers at about eye level and your forearms rested on the ground alongside your body.
  • Arch your back by pushing down on your hands.
  • Hold for 5-10 seconds and return to the initial position.
  • Repeat 10 times.

6. Piriformis stretch 

  • Lie on your back and bring your heels toward your buttocks.
  • Cross the affected leg over the other, and bend the knee of the upper leg toward your chest.
  • Grab the knee and ankle of the affected leg with each hand and gently pull toward your chest.
  • Hold for 30 seconds and release

7. Tennis ball massage 

  • Lie on your back and place a tennis ball (or a softball) under the affected area.
  • If needed, adjust the position of the ball by making slight movements.
  • Rest for 30-60 seconds. 

Sources:
1. B. Koes, M. van Tulder and W. Peul, “Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica,”http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. NHS, “NHS Choices: Sciatica” http://www.nhs.uk/
3. NHS, “NHS Choices: Back pain”http://www.nhs.uk
4. R. Miller, “Sciatica Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief” http://www.spine-health.com/

Take 2 Minutes And Experience Autism Through Carly’s Eyes—It’s Breathtaking  

By
Elizabeth Williams

Little Carly was diagnosed with acute autism when she was two years old. She was not able to speak, and doctors said that she will never mentally and intellectually develop as a person.

She was going to therapy regularly, but hadn’t made any considerable progress until one day she reached for the laptop and typed “HELP TEETH HURT”. This was her big breakthrough and her therapists were shocked.

This returned the hope to everyone close to her, thus starting her journey of belief which helped breaking the stereotypes about people who suffer from severe autism.

Go watch this first-person video of young Carly and experience autism through her eyes. It is really inspiring and beautiful.

And if you want to learn more about her and her life story, read her book that she wrote with the help of her father called “Carly’s voice.”

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How Much Sleep We Really Need According To The National Sleep Foundation

By
Elizabeth Williams

We spend one third of our lives asleep, and there’s a good reason for it. Sleep is a crucial part of our lives that is responsible for many important things. Whoever said that they didn’t need a lot of sleep, and spent that time of their lives exhausting their bodies, lied to you.

We all need sleep. In fact, sleep is so important, that the lack of it eventually plays an enormous role in both psychological and physical deterioration.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), sleep deficiency can have such negative effect on our health, that in certain cases even your life may be on the line.

It has been proven that sleep affects our memory, cognitive function, and our creativity.  The lack of it has an adverse effect on our emotional state and our ability to make decisions, and it can lead to depression and even suicide.

Which is more, sleep affects our physical health greatly – its deficiency can pose a great threat to our heart function, the risk of obesity, our hormonal levels (including insulin), our growth and development, fertility, and our immune system.

In fact, continual sleep deficiency and large sleep debt have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, kidney diseases, and diabetes.

It also affects our daytime performance, and thus our safety. NIH points to the fact that losing just 1-2 hours of sleep per night may affect your ability to function to the extent as if you haven’t sleep at all for a day or two.

In such cases of sleep debt, we may enter what is called microsleep. This kind of sleep happens while we are awake. In that moment, our brains enter a short sleep during which we are not aware of and we then forget when we ‘wake up’.

This kind of state can be fatal if you are driving, handling dangerous machinery. Many tragic accidents have happened because of sleep deficiency. Car accidents are the most common, as sleep deficiency contributes to around 100,000 car accidents each year, which result in approximately 1500 deaths.

Considering all things mentioned, sleep is crucial and should not be underestimated. Every age of our lives comes with how many hours of sleep the body needs. The general wisdom is the approximate of 7-8 hours.

However, the National Sleep Foundation has provided some more precise guidelines in how many hours of sleep per day are necessary for a person depending on the age.

In the infographic, there are 8 age groups in total with different sleep times. All you need to do is find your own age range and respect the time you need to sleep.

Of course, you can’t always stick to such schedule, as things come up and you may sometimes need to cut a few hours short, leaving them in your sleep debt. But don’t forget to pay your sleep debt off, as it may cost you more than you can bargain for.

The best solution to this is creating a strict sleep schedule with an alarm clock for going to bed and waking up. It may seem strange to have an alarm that sends to bed (and we recommend something relaxing), but sticking to your sleep schedule is important.

So, set your go-to-bed alarm, turn off the lights, leave your cell phone somewhere further from you, and enjoy the coziness of your bed. At first, it may be difficult, but do what you usually do to fall asleep and avoid caffeinated drinks and food before bed.

Oversleeping isn’t good as well, so make sure you train your body and mind through persistent repetition. And when it comes to sleep debt, adjust your next sleep time to last longer, in order to get back to 0.

Sources:
NIH
National Sleep Foundation

7 Natural Ways To Kill Nicotine Cravings For Anyone Who Trying To Quit Smoking

By
Elizabeth Williams

Smoking is a bad habit which besides bad breath, yellow teeth and smelly fingers can cause you many serious health problems.

If nothing else has convinced you to quit smoking until now, then maybe these facts will. Out of 1.1 billion smokers in the world, 50% are killed by the tobacco. According to CDC reports 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and women are caused by smoking.

By smoking cigarettes you inhale over 7,000 harmful ingredients. Carbon monoxide (which displaces oxygen on hemoglobin in the red blood cells, thus causing lack of oxygen in the blood), arsenic, butane and little glass particles (which increase the delivery of nicotine).  

What’s Happening to Your Body If You Are A Smoker?

It doesn’t matter whether you are an active or a passive smoker, lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the most dangerous things which could happen to your body.

Heart diseases, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, bronchitis, high blood pressure, asthma, heart attacks are many more scary diseases which you should have in mind if you are hesitating whether you should quit smoking.

The higher the amount of nicotine level in your blood the higher the level of cortisol (known as the stress hormone) which in long term compromises your immune system.  Smoking also leads to:

  • osteoporosis
  • hormone imbalance
  • problems with the blood sugar
  • infertility
  • gastrointestinal problems
  • sleeping disorders or insomnia

What Happens When You Stop Smoking?

Nicotine is very addictive because when it enters our blood system, produces feelings of happiness by releasing dopamine (the reward and pleasure hormone). After a few minutes of the withdrawal period you’ll feel a strong urge to light up a cigarette. As far as you go into the withdrawal period the more irritable and nervous you’ll be.

There are some claims which have shown that heroin and cocaine addictions are not as strong as nicotine addiction. No matter the reason why you’ve taken up this nasty habit, there are many psychological reasons why quitting is so hard.

Of course, the most ideal situation would be if you could stop smoking just by the snap of the fingers. However that’s not as easy as it sounds. But don’t lose hope, it can happen.

There are many ways to give up smoking for good. And as mentioned above, quitting is a process and may end up taking a long time for some people, but in the end it is definitely worth it. Fortunately, there are many natural alternatives like hypnotherapy, taking vitamins and supplements, exercising, olfactory training, using nicotine patches, and mindfulness that can help you.

Here are 8 useful methods which will help you during the process of withdrawal.

  1. Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a state of subconscious change in a person. A person who is under hypnosis will follow an outer source and connect smoking with some nasty stimuli like worsened health, dry mouth, bad breath, etc, and make them believe that the urge for a cigarette will disappear. According to some studies, Claire Winchester Hypnotherapy will speed up the process of giving up smoking but it won’t contribute to a long term quitting.

  1. Acupuncture

There are many therapeutic effects of acupuncture which yet have to be researched, but acupuncture has been proven effective in giving up smoking. Since acupuncture is a method of using thin needles, placing the needles at points which affect the lungs, airways and mouth will diminish the wish for the tobacco taste thus reduce the craving for a cigarette. Weekly visits to your acupuncturist will show results after a month.

  1. Magnesium

Magnesium is helpful in decreasing the nicotine addiction by opposing NMDA receptors which cause releasing of dopamine. After taking in magnesium a person’s satisfaction from smoking will be lowered. Magnesium will be most fast absorbed if it’s used as a powder. You can use it by NaturalCalm or in Epsom salt bath.

  1. Lime

If you are out of a nicotine gum whenever you feel like smoking, slice a piece of lime, suck on it and then chew the skin. The results will be almost as good as chewing 2 or 4 mg of nicotine gum. Limes are also packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.

  1. Exercise

Regular exercise will help you fight the desire for a cigarette. Even five minutes of intensive exercise will be enough in the process of withdrawal.

  1. Olfactory training

In an experiment, conducted on smokers who were exposed to the smell of smoke of cigarettes and the smell of rotting fish or eggs while they were in the non-REM stage of sleeping for a period of one week, was shown that many smokers smoked less during the week.

  1. Nicotine patch

The nicotine patch is another long lasting solution for those who want to give up smoking. For even better results combine the nicotine patch with bupropion and varenicline or other drugs which target nicotine addiction.

According to a study smokers who used a patch with 44-mg per patch had more short term positive effects but in a period of 4 weeks they had more negative effects than those who used a 22-mg dose patch over the same period. Anyway it is best to determine the dose of the patch depending on the individual, how much and how often does the person smoke.

  1. Mindfulness

The self- will has been proven as the most effective method in giving up smoking. You must believe that you are stronger than any craving and be victorious at the end of the withdrawal period.

Sources: 
1.Action on Smoking & Health. Tobacco Statistics & Facts. http://ash.org/resources/
2. American Cancer Society (ACS). 2015. Why people start smoking and why it’s hard to stop. https://www.cancer.org/
3. Arzi, A., Holtzman, Y., Samnon, P., Eshel, N., Harel, E., & Sobel. N (2014). Olfactory Aversive conditioning during sleep reduces cigarette-smoking behavior. Journal of Neuroscience. 34(46):15382-15393. http://www.jneurosci.org/
4. Bier, I.D., Wilson, J., Studt, P., & Shakleton, M. (2002). Auricular acupuncture, education, and smoking cessation: A randomized, sham-controlled trial. American Journal of Public Health. 92(10):1642-1647. https://www.researchgate.net/
5. Brewer, J.A., et al. (2011). Mindfulness training for smoking cessation: results from a randomized controlled trial. Drug Alcohol Dependency. 119(1-2):72-80.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
6. theheartysoul.com

The 5 Best Foldable Selfie Drones to Buy in 2017

By
Elizabeth Williams

Foldable drones that shoot selfie images and videos are the new design boom in the field of mini drones and quadcopters these days. The big two 900 pound gorillas are the GoPro Karma are and the DJI Mavic. Both companies released their own version of a foldable selfie drone back in September 2016.

GoPro was the first to release their Karma drone, a sports foldable mini quadcopter that is designed like an action camera and build to be taken with you on your trips. One week later DJI brought their Mavic foldable drone into the game. What they actually did was squeezing their DJI Phantom 4 into a smaller size package and making it a foldable version.

Besides these two pioneering drones with foldable design, there were others to follow. In this article, we present you some of the coolest foldable selfie drones that you definitely NEED to know about this year!

# 1: the DJI Mavic Foldable Drone – full reviews summary right here:

We will start with the big boy in the gang. The DJI Mavic is the most interesting drone we have seen from DJI by now. The maker is making its drones friendlier thus pushing those more and more into the mainstream area, but what makes the Mavic such a special drone?

Going small normally means having to sacrifice many things, mostly the camera quality and extra features.

However, the DJI Mavic changes all of that. Despite being relatively small and quite portable it is capable of delivering excellent selfie images, battery life, and autonomous intelligence matching drones twice as big. Using the drone feels like when you first used a laptop and later compared it to a desktop computer.

This drone by DJI has been built with a lot of innovation. Namely, this is the company’s first foldable drone and also their first that can be flown without the use of a controller.

In this mode, the owner switches to WiFi mode and connects his smartphone or tablet to the Mavic. This will certainly take away some of the fine-grained control that comes with the controller but it will surely enable beginners easier to manage.

Another third option is the combination of the two aforementioned modes, that is, simultaneously using the controller and the smartphone. You see, the DJI Mavic controller has a built-in holder for a smartphone so the owner can connect the two with the built-in wire within the controller, providing a live feed to the smartphone and more complex camera settings and autonomous modes. On the other hand, the remote will display more fine-grained control.

While the exterior of the drone is largely different from other drones by the company, its underlying software and components have a lot in common. For starters, they both have the downward facing optical sensors allowing the drone to hold in place and hover even when it’s a bit windy outside. This also makes the Mavic able to hold its position indoors where there is no GPS signal.

The gimbal and the camera specs resemble a lot to those of Mavic’s big brother, the Phantom 4, except in a smaller form. The two cameras record amazing 4K selfie videos and 12 megapixel still videos. The only downside of its camera is that it’s not as wide angle as the one in the Phantom 4.

The DJI Mavic also has forward faced sensors that make it able to see what’s in front of it allowing it to avoid obstacles and thus prevent crashes. Together with the camera, the sensors can also be used for gesture control, just wave your arms to the Mavic and the drone will lock on to the user then frame his face with his hands and shoot a selfie of you…This sounds so military tech!

Since this is the first real consumer drone from DJI the logic of the camera software differs from other drones built by this company. While the auto focus in all other DJI drones allows the user to concentrate on flying, the Mavic requires him to choose his subject first. This is because the idea behind the DJI Mavic is for it to be more of a selfie drone rather than a more general drone.

Although its small size gives it advantages, it also makes the Mavic have some disadvantages as well. Firstly, the legs of the drone are short resulting in little ground clearance. Also when compared to say, the DJI Phantom 4, the wind resistance of the Mavic drone is a bit uncertain, meaning it can get a bit harder to navigate the drone in stronger winds.

Despite its small size, this amazing little drone has the longest claimed range among consumer drones of more than 4 miles. It also has a terrific top speed of 40 mph.

For its intended target, the average consumers, this drone is just about perfect. Except for one small detail, that is the price. Namely, for its features, it has a quite reasonable price, but when we consider this to be a selfie drone for the average consumers, the Mavic is quite an expensive drone with the price at 999 dollars.

So maybe the Mavic is not for the “average” users but more likely for a less demanding professional which can use this great little drone to record pro level videos without spending too much money on its bigger brother the DJI Phantom 4.

Pros:

  • Small light weight and easy to carry foldable design
  • Has a great camera producing excellent quality selfie images and videos
  • Has all the bells and whistles of its bigger brother the DJI Phantom 4 at a cheaper price

Cons:

  • A bit too high price for its targeted market
  • Small legs makes it harder to land on grass and soft surfaces
  • Smaller body and motors makes flying in windy conditions harder

# 2: ZEROTECH Dobby Selfie Drone

ZeroTech’s Dobby is the first foldable drone for selfie to actually start selling on the market. At first look, the Dobby mini drone feels like you’re in a futuristic movie thanks to its foldable design and small size. When packed and folded this drone resembles a tiny pill and weighs less than half a pound. The Dobby is small enough to fit in a pocket. Certainly, this is hardly the smallest drone ever, but when compared to micro and nano drones this is not a toy.

Being spec-wise the Dobby Selfie has very nice features considering the price. Firstly, there is a HD camera shooting at 4K resolution and recording 1080p HD videos with a 13 MP camera. This camera shoots some great quality selfie pictures and videos, although not as much as the one in DJI Mavic but still way better than front facing cameras in smartphones. Dobby runs by a 2.3 GHz quad core Snapdragon 801 chipset with 2 GB of RAM, which is better than most drones out there.

Being made for the average consumers, the control of the Dobby isn’t very hard. For this, the owner can use an application (fortunately available in English) installed on his smartphone and is also responsive to hand gestures. Getting it up in the air in the first place is so high tech and cool, that you can either tap it three times or use your voice to command it to fly. I bet you love that!

Interestingly during the first set up of this drone, the user isn’t allowed to fly it indoors! The first several flights with the Dobby are locked into novice mode which means that the drone needs to be used outdoors with a GPS signal lock. After a 20-minute flight, the more advanced indoor mode is activated, which also allows the Dobby to land on the user’s palm as well to take off on voice command.

Despite its somewhat moderate price, this drone even comes with a built-in GPS. So with the help of the installed app on a smartphone, the user can draw flight path for the drone to follow, allowing him to shoot some sweeping selfie videos or of other objects. It is also equipped with downward facing sensors allowing the drone to maintain its position and hover while recording that great selfie footage.

The Dobby can take up to 9 minutes of flight time, which is quite good for this type of drones, and of course, the user can always get another battery, which is easy to replace allowing for additional flight time.

With the latest software updates, the Dobby mini quadcopter now comes with more advanced features, which weren’t available during its initial launch and there are target tracking and face tracking as well.

One negative point of the Dobby is that the camera doesn’t really have a gimbal. The only control the owner does have over the camera is when he chooses one of the four preset positions, and he needs to do this prior the flight as he cannot control the camera. Also, the absence of gimbal means no physical stabilization built in so the Dobby depends on electronic image stabilization just like a standard smartphone, which is mostly fine for the purpose of this device.

Another downside of the Dobby is that it lacks an obstacle avoidance system. This means when flying in object tracking mode the Dobby may crash into a building or tree so the user needs to keep an eye on it and use it carefully.

ZeroTech’s Dobby is one quite interesting and fun drone to have. It comes with a good build quality that can withstand some bumps and bruises here and there, and despite not having an English manual the application is indeed in English and the controls, in general, are not very hard to comprehend. The good thing about this amazing little selfie device is the support and continued development of the ZeroTech in the form of added features with each new firmware release.

All in all this is an excellent mini drone to have!

Pros:

  • Incredibly small and easy to transport
  • Easy to control with many functions for both novice and more advanced users
  • Good price considering the features and the specs

Cons:

  • Without gimbals, it makes a bit shaky videos
  • The complete absence of an obstacle avoidance system.

# 3: Hover Camera Passport – a mini drone that fits everywhere

Another foldable selfie drone that caused a rumble recently is the Hover Camera Passport. Now this device is very uniquely designed. Not only do the arms fold inside like the Dobby or the DJI Mavic, but the whole body of this drone folds in half just like a passport. Quite a catchy and suitable name, don’t you think?

Another awesome design feature of this mini drone is that its screws are fully enclosed within the body making this selfie device very safe to handle even with its flying you can simply grab it midair without fearing for your fingers to get hurt. This also makes the Hover Camera Passport tough enough to occasionally take some beating and crashes.

And since the Hover Camera Passport is meant to be used by regular folks with no interest in learning all technical information about flying a drone, the Hover Camera Passport doesn’t come with a controller, but same as the Dobby it’s completely controlled by an App installed on the user’s smartphone.

Now let’s talk about the technical aspects of this mini quadcopter. The specifications of the Hover Camera Passport resemble those of the Dobby; they both have a 13 MP camera that records 4K selfie videos. However, this drone’s camera is meant for taking a selfie or a close-up picture more than the one of the Dobby, because of the quite limited control range of 60 feet. Another similarity in both drones is that they are both based on the Snapdragon chipset giving them excellent processing capacity to handle all of their advanced features.

Another advantage of this drone in comparison to the Dobby is that it does have obstacle avoidance system in the form of built-in sonars. This system detects close by objects to prevent the Hover Camera Passport from crashing into them. It also comes with a downward facing camera that captures 100 FPS allowing this drone to know exactly where it should hover even when it‘s indoors without GPS signal.

Another plus is that the camera on this selfie quadcopter comes with a gimbal, but it’s an entry-level one-axis gimbal. It even has a built-in flash, which is the first time we’ve ever seen a drone for selfie with one.

The Hover Camera Passport also has the usual advanced flying modes, like a Follow Me, Orbit and 360 Degrees Spin modes. The Follow Me mode displays a yellow square over the person in its view and with a double tap it switches to green color meaning that the Hover Camera Passport has locked on that person and will follow him. Of course, sudden changes in movement and fast runs will confuse this drone but it’s good enough. Orbit is a very cool feature during which the drone circles around the user even while he is moving.

Pros:

  • Small unique design, safe enough to be held and handled
  • Anyone can control it quite easily and take excellent selfie recordings
  • Great camera for the price

Cons:

  • Very limited control range
  • Limited image stabilizer

#4: 7 Hawk 4k Folding Drone

We have a new entry of a selfie quadcopter from a company called Seventh Sense Technologies Limited. The basic principle of the 7 Hawk 4k is the same as other drones for selfie in today’s round-up; foldable arms, small shape, easy transportation and a fair 4K camera which is mounted with the use of a 3D brushless gimbal giving the user excellent and stable selfie photos and videos.

The 7 Hawk 4k also comes with the usual Follow Me mode found in all other models of selfie quadcopters. So by now you should pretty much get the idea of what you get when purchasing this mini selfie quadcopter.

The unique thing about this mini drone is that it includes a watch that can be used to control the 7 Hawk 4K Folding. The watch is cool, in principle at least, the user would feel like James Bond when controlling a camera drone with his watch. However, in reality, things are a rather different. This watch has 11 buttons in total, some of which have dual functions along with the fact that the small buttons are not very responsive.

Pros:

  • Decent camera mounted on a 3D gimbal
  • Comes with every necessary flight mode

Cons:

  • The wristband controller is so bad that the control becomes annoying.

# 5: AirDog – The Autonomous Action Sports Drone

We are back to the big boys now. Here is the AirDog that is built to record selfie videos of action sports. This is quite noticeable when you consider the fact it allows five dedicated flight modes each customized for a specific action sport, such as bicycle riding, surfing, windsurfing, etc.

The AirDog is equipped with AirLeash, which is similar to the smart watch that comes with the 7 Hawk4K.  This feature along with the smart calculations done by AirDog, enable this selfie device to predict the user’s moves, and to stay on course while he has fun taking a great selfie.

While still with the same features as the other selfie drones in this review, it has a foldable body and the essential Follow Me mode. Yet, after several examinations, we can conclude that the AirDog is actually a member of a different league than the other selfie models on this list, except maybe for the DJI Mavic. First of all, it doesn’t have a built-in camera, the user will need to supply their own action camera. Second, this selfie device receives commands from its own tracker instead of a smartphone, and it’s neither small nor lightweight like the other selfie quadcopters here. Finally, the price of this drone reflects a whole “pro grade” direction.

Pros:

  • Excellent build quality
  • Many dedicated sports modes
  • Smart drone and knows what it does to take a great selfie shot

Cons:

  • Limited crash avoidance detection
  • High price for a selfie device
  • Doesn’t come with a controller or a camera

So there you have it friends, these are the top 5 foldable drones for taking selfie worthy of your purchase in 2017.

Now it’s back to you to make your choice. Do you agree with our recommendations or did we miss an excellent drone for selfie shots that deserves to be on this list? Please give us your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to share this article with all your drone loving friends on the social media.

 

According To Science, THIS Is The Best Age To Have Kids

By
Elizabeth Williams

Our body has a natural course in its development that prepares us for certain life scenarios in certain periods of our lives.  One of those scenarios is pregnancy. Of course, it would be best to know when your body is at its readiest for such a heavy task.

Some would recommend your twenties, as your body does seem strong to endure the toils of pregnancy and provide for the growing life inside. However, this assumption drags onto itself some potential psychological and developmental issues.

In fact, we take a bit longer to develop than you may think. Although the most noticeable development of our body and personality happen before the twenties, we mature until our thirties. This especially goes to the female body, and the difference is noticeable.

The issues that may arise in your twenties are both psychological and sociological. First, the question of the mother’s financial and educational status is a very important one, and these aspects will soon be tossed to the background.

Then, there is the psychological issue of whether the mother is mature enough to tackle the challenges that parenting brings. This may mean that the child can potentially grow to a person with a range of psychological issues.

Having a child in your forties can overcome the possibility of the issues related to your twenties, but the health issues related to having kids can inevitably arise and wear you down.

So, scientists have started searching for the best answer to the question of when the ripest period for pregnancy is. Dr. John Mirowsky, a sociologist at the University of Texas, has conducted a study to find the best age for pregnancy.

His results showed that the perfect age for pregnancy is, in fact, the golden mean between these two ages we talked about above. And the number is 34.

This age is what Dr. Mirkowsky claims to be the point when a woman’s body is “at optimal health to prepare for and carry a healthy child full-term.”

In the study, which included over 1,800 mothers, Dr. Mirkowsky concluded that when long-term health and maternal mortality were taken into account, the optimal age for the first pregnancy is 34.

Other experts will agree, adding that many other important aspects come into play at this age. The whole picture of motherhood includes a solid relationship, the ideal amount of energy, the appropriate maturity needed to raise a child, and the much-needed financial stability.

These aspects just add up to the list of some very solid reasons as to why 34 is the ideal age for pregnancy – and we have science to thank for it.

Source: TheAsianParent

Let’s Face It, Homeschooling Is the Best Way to Teach Kids

By
Elizabeth Williams

Every year, a growing number of families turn to home education as an alternative to the public-school system. Just how many homeschoolers are in the United States? The Department of Education’s most recently released data shows that homeschooling has grown by 61.8% over the last 10 years. At present, there are over 2 million homeschooled kids.

Here are 5 reasons why homeschooling is the most intelligent way to educate children.

1. It is a Myth that Homeschoolers Miss Out on Socialization

In fact, you’ve probably heard a lot of myths about homeschooling, not just that “they aren’t socialized.” Although the socialization myth is the most popular and widespread, most stereotypes you know are likely to be wildly incorrect.

Some homeschoolers are anti-social. And so are some public school students and some private school kids. The common belief is that homeschoolers are anti-social is nothing more than a myth the general public refuses to relinquish.

Some of the highest achievers among our youth are well-adjusted homeschoolers who complete their homework in their living room instead of a classroom.

You may think that school children are primarily “socialized” at school, but this is only partially the case. Just look at the research.

A Pew survey demonstrated that 45% of U.S. teenagers spend time with their best friends during extracurricular activities like sports, afterschool clubs, and hobbies.

An even larger number of students, 55% of all U.S. teens, claim they regularly socialize with friends online and through social media.

Classrooms are not the only way to make friends.

2. Avoiding the Toxic Elements of Public School

What are homeschoolers really missing out on by skipping the public-school process? They are actually avoiding incredibly toxic aspects of the school’s environment that aren’t as present in other social environments.

For instance, there are fewer cliques, bullying, peer pressure, drug abuse, and gang violence outside of the public schools. Children that attend public school are also more likely to stop engaging in academics for fun. They have a decreased interest in creative arts and learn to procrastinate.

In some cases, your child may be incorrectly diagnosed with a disorder like ADD/ADHD because your child doesn’t fit into the public school mold. These are just a few of the warning signs.

3. Schools Kill Creativity, Homeschooling’s Personalized Education Lets Kids Thrive

Ground-breaking pedagogical studies show that tailored instruction and personalized education are the most important aspects of education. In the 21st century, experts not only agree this is the most efficient method, but they say it is the most responsible approach.

When it comes to personalized learning, homeschooling fits the mold better than any alternative.

This is the message that Ken Robinson gave in his famous 2006 TED.com talk, Do schools kill creativity? Over ten years later, Ken has reached millions of ears, but very few of his suggestions have been implemented.

P.S. Just in case you don’t have time to watch it–Yes, public schools do, in fact, kill creativity.

4. Elon Musk Is Doing It

When is Elon Musk (founder of SpaceX, PayPal, and Tesla) not receiving praise for being one of the most brilliant innovators of the present day? In fact, Elon isn’t just homeschooling his kids. He is unschooling them.

What is unschooling? If you thought homeschooling was radical, it pales in comparison to unschooling. Unschooling is a sub-form of homeschooling that advocates child-led learning. Essentially, students engage in pure, self-directed learning.

Nevertheless, when you look at the aim of unschooling, it makes complete sense. Unschooling focuses on equipping children with real world skills. After all, isn’t that the point of education?

Why is Musk unschooling his kids? He said that traditional schooling was “neither valuable nor interesting to him as a child.” Wow. That’s coming from one of the greatest minds of the millennium.

5. Homeschooling Curriculum Isn’t Required to Follow Common Core State Standards

Why do so many parents and teachers despise Common Core? The math makes no sense, and it is downright infuriating. Some parents believe it turns children into corporate cogs because the full focus of Common Core is to create a workforce-prep mentality. It was not designed with the goal of producing citizens capable of self-government.

Within days of retiring from office, well-known former Texas Representative Ron Paul released his very own curriculum, aptly dubbed the Ron Paul curriculum.

Ron Paul’s curriculum was designed to combat the Common Core mentality by focusing on critical and analytical thinking skills. His curriculum is just one of many options available to independent educators.

Even if you support the Common Core State Standards, homeschooling allows students to use a curriculum that is tailored to their individual needs and preferences.

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