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White Noise Downloads

 


White noise is considered a kind of noise that has indistinguishable amplitude. The sound of white noise is often compared to the sound of steam seeping into an overheated radiator or to the constant whooshing sound of a waterfall.

 

Numerous white noise downloads have been made available online to suit your individual tastes. If you find it hard to sleep peacefully at night, then you might need to listen to white noise CDs. These downloads are simple to use; simply play the mp3 file at a relaxing volume in order to effectively shield unnecessary background noises. By tuning in to white noise, you can sleep or meditate better.

White noise is a very beneficial kind of sound.

 

Why You Should Use White Noise Downloads

 

White noise is a very beneficial kind of sound. It is commonly used to mask other kinds of sounds because of its efficiency in alleviating the auditory systems. It can block unwanted noises and provide listeners with some solace, even in a cramped and noisy urban living space.

 

White noise is a great antidote for a noisy environment. With the latest technological advancements, you can now take advantage of the soothing benefits of white noise for relaxation or resting, stress reduction, or even for quiet contemplation, among other calming activities. These benefits will help you face life's challenges with a smile.

 

Instead of buying pricey white noise generators, you can save money by just downloading the noise titles that you prefer and even mixing and matching tracks according to your preferences. With a portable mp3 player, you can play the downloaded tracks wherever you go, assuring a peaceful night's rest during all your travels.

 

White Noise provides detailed information on What Is White Noise, White Noise, White Noise CDs, White Noise Downloads and more. White Noise is affiliated with Serenity Spas.

White noise downloads are more manageable and efficient than bulky machines.

Aromatherapy Massage - Benefits

 

An aromatherapy massage combines the benefits of massage therapy with the use of essential oils. They can have many different effects on the mind, body and spirit, and make an aromatherapy massage an uplifting experience.

 

Essential oils are an aromatic essence distilled from a single botanical source and are renowned for their sedative, stimulating and analgesic properties. They have many different therapeutic uses.

 

A few drops in the bath, for inhalation, or added to creams and lotions can be very pleasant, but the most relaxing and therapeutic use is through aromatherapy massage.

 

The Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage

 

The benefits of massage affect the body as a whole and it particularly influences the activity of the following areas of the body

 

Massage, dates back around 4,000 years where massage was used in traditional Chinese medicine where it was used as a healing therapy.

 

Musculoskeletal, circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.

 

Massage is a ‘hands-on’ therapy and there are many variations, ranging from a gentle stoking and kneading of muscles to firmer, deeper, manual techniques.

 

Many studies have shown that massage therapy is an excellent way of reducing stress. Many people from all walks of life enjoy regular massages for this reason.

 

With the correct techniques and the right blend of essential oils, an aromatherapy massage can provided symptomatic relief to a variety of problems.

 

Stress for example, can cause and exacerbate many chronic problems including digestive problems, migraines, hypertension, back ache and muscle tension.

An Aromatherapy massage can be an effective way of inducing relaxation, combating stress and ensuring continuation of good health.

 

Aromatherapy Massage – What You Can Expect

 

On your first visit for an aromatherapy massage, you will be expected to provide your therapist with in-depth information into your current state of health and wellbeing.

 

This is likely to take the form of an initial consultation. During this consultation, your therapist will need to ascertain if you have any illnesses or injuries that may affect the massage.

 

Your therapist may also want you to consider what factors in your life may be contributing to the symptoms you are experiencing. For example, backache or muscle tension might be related to stress at work or family worries.

 

The therapist will be looking to treat you as a ‘whole’ - mind, body and spirit. He or she will blend oils to relax and calm, to ensure you get the best from your aromatherapy massage.

 

A good therapist may also make suggestions for dealing with the issues that are contributing to your symptoms. They may suggest alternative forms of treatment or help.

 

Aromatherapy Massage – How does it work?

 

Armed with the information gathered from your consultation your therapist will select and blend essential oils that they feel best meet your individual need.

 

The essential oil blend will be added to a ‘carrier oil’ and this will be used for your aromatherapy massage.

 

During the aromatherapy massage, much of the essential oils are inhaled and absorbed through the mouth and nose stimulating the production of relaxing, sedative euphoric or sedative neuro-chemicals, providing beneficial mental and emotional effects.

 

Aromatherapy Massage – Choosing a Therapist

 

Massage is a very personable experience. It is important that you choose a therapist whom you are comfortable with, as you will be expected to remove some of your clothing, but only as much as you feel comfortable with.

 

Clear communication, understanding and consent are vital and you should feel confident to advise your therapist if any specific technique hurts, or you feel discomfort at any time.

 

An aromatherapy massage usually lasts about one hour, but can be shorter or longer on request. After the session, your therapist may suggest a blend of oils that you can continue to use at home.

 

The amount of sessions you have will depend on your personal circumstances. Many people recommend the use of aromatherapy massage as a maintenance tool to be used as often as possible.

 

Finding the right aromatherapist for you

 

You should take the time to find a therapist with the appropriate skills and training. If in doubt you should ask to see any relevant certificates of training.

 

There are various professional bodies that you can contact for details of aromatherapy massage and a number of organizations will provide an aromatherapy massage in the comfort of your own home.

 

More FREE info including more articles on the benefits of all types of massage, please visit http://www.privatelyyours.co.uk

 

Guided Meditation

 

For people who find it hard to do personal meditation, guided meditation can prove to be a perfect alternative. It is a kind of meditation that involves getting pointers from a meditation partner to achieve a state of relaxation.

 

There are several types of guided meditations. Some involve the partner telling a relaxing story to the other person. Others would require the partner to give out instructions to the other person to help him or her reach a calm state. However, there are some general reminders in doing guided meditation.

 

In most cases, guided meditation is best performed in the morning or evening. During these times, the surroundings are most quiet. For people who want to get into the practice quicker, twice a day meditation may prove to be helpful. Likewise, to make the environment more peaceful, relaxing music can be played. Scented incense sticks can also be lit to freshen the air.

 

Second, in choosing a partner, it would be best to choose someone from the opposite gender. Because the whole process involves the partner talking to the person doing the meditation, it would also be best to choose someone who has a soft and pleasing voice.

Before the guided meditation process starts, the partners should start focusing on their breathing. This could be better achieved with the partners sitting in front of each other and in an upright position.

 

Once prepared, the guiding partner can start assisting the other person to focus on a certain element. The best example would be a ball of bright light shining on the other person like a sun. It is a symbol of healing for most people. Next, the partner should try to make the other person feel the element in focus. In this case, the bright light can be imagined to penetrate the body of the other person. This way, the healing warmth can more likely be felt. Once the partner is already able to feel the focus element, other elements, such as color, can be put into the picture.

 

The length of guided meditation depends on the way the partners relate to each other. Once the guide feels that the other person has already reached a relaxed state, he or she can slowly divert that person’s attention to the present environment again.

 

Meditation provides detailed information on Meditation, Meditation Techniques, Transcendental Meditation, Guided Meditation and more. Meditation is affiliated with Tai Chi Videos.

 

The Four Techniques

 

Theoretical Physicists have made observations about time, concluding that it is speeding up. As the universe expands, time speeds up. Well, for those of us down here on the street, that's a no-brainer. Every year, every month, every week, sometimes seems like a break-neck rush from one crucial task to another. If we can keep--or find--our sense of humor through it all, and gain a moment of perspective, we might realize that even one minute of ceasing all activity, or one minute of disengaging from the worries and frustrations created by our expectations, can mean the difference between misery and well-being.

 

It is in this spirit of calmly sitting in the eye of the hurricane of our lives that I offer well-tested, scientifically sound techniques you can apply on yourself to reduce pain, eliminate worry, restore equilibrium and bring back that natural state of well-being. I use them daily myself, and have never seen them fail (provided I actually take that one minute and apply them!).

 

Some of these techniques come from ancient spiritual practices, others from modern research into human physiology. They take a minimum of discipline to perform, and produce nearly immediate results. You don't have to ingest any substance, rub anything on, or smell anything. And, best of all it's free. Try these practices, and then let me know what your experiences were on the Forum. Enjoy!

 

PRACTICE #1 - The Inner Smile

 

I first read about this in a book by Taoist Master, Mantak Chia, Awaken Healing Light. The entire book is absolutely fascinating, but this one practice is emphasized as being very important:

 

 

This immediately allows energy to flow through and past the blockages causing the discomfort, and, most importantly, causes an awareness of tension and the thinking that created it.

 

PRACTICE #2 - Take it Away

 

I discovered this phenomenon on my own after doing the Inner Smile consistently in yoga class. I'm speculating as to why it works, and at this point am thinking that pains and discomforts are really the body's attempts at reaching out for relief. All that is necessary, apparently, is to grant relief from a forgiving, smiling space.

 

The Taoists and Buddhists say that there is no heirarchy of tasks. In other words, the flapping butterfly wings are as significant as an erupting volcano, or moving a mountain and moving your little finger are really the same order of magnitude. Motion is motion. It is merely the rearrangement of surfaces. Our assignment of difficulty or ease is an arbitrary and thus illusory habit of mind, thus, the more it hurts, the more severe must be the cause.

 

This concept is important because it factors in to this practice. If nothing else, this practice will teach you that a mildly stiff back and a sharp, stabbing pain in the knee are just different shapes of the same thing: the body's request for relief. I have noticed that whether it is a mild discomfort or worry, or a sharp pain, the time it takes to dispel it seems to have nothing to do with intensity, so I'm quite sure that is completely arbitrary. Experiment with it.

 

I've also gotten definite signals or requests to do something to accompany the Taking Away, such as "drink water," or "eat a grapefruit," or "breathe deeply"--probably to help re-normalize the system.

 

PRACTICE #3 - Jumper Cabling

 

I discovered this in a practice called Jin Shin Jyutsu ("The Art of the Creator through the person of compassion"), developed in the early 20th Century by Jiro Murai, a Japanese sage. The automotive electrical reference was assigned the practice by Mary Burmeister, the American who was Murai's primary student. Burmeister's late sister, Alice, published the reference book on the art, The Touch of Healing in 1997.

 

Jin Shin Jyutsu has several levels to it, and can be practiced by a therapist or by a person on themselves. The particular practice of "jumper cabling" involves simply holding a finger of one hand with the other hand. Each finger contains the energy meridians for particular sections of the body. For example, hold the thumb to assist with digestion, the index finger for kidneys and lower back, the middle finger for liver functions, the ring finger for respiratory and intestinal conditions, and the little finger for the heart.

 

The objective with the holding of the fingers is to continue until you feel a definite pulse in both the finger and the hand holding it. This is the signal that energy is flowing through the respective organs. The time it takes to feel the pulse can be anywhere from immediately to 10 minutes in my experience. Plus, when the pulses get going, a wonderful, warm, throbbing sensation can be felt throughout the body.

 

Use this practice with #1 and #2 above for quite a revelation.

 

PRACTICE #4 - The Heart Lock-In

 

I found out about this practice during a lecture by Gregg Braden a few years ago, and it's stuck with me since. Braden presented fascinating information developed by the HeartMath Institute. Founded by Lew "Doc" Childre in the early 90s, the Institute has done exhaustive research on the psycho-physiological connection between the heart and the brain, and has developed a biofeedback device for teaching how to consciously control heart rate that then changes brain chemistry.

 

From this reserach has come a wonderfully simple and non-mysterious technique based on yogic breathing, they call "The Heart Lock-in" (this and much more available on their website in exchange for your email registration):

 

1. Shift your attention to the area of your heart and breathe slowly and deeply. Heart Breathing helps draw the energy out of the head, where negative thoughts and feelings are amplified. Remember, breathe slow and deeply in a casual way. Imagine the air entering and leaving through the center of your chest and heart area.

 

2. Activate and sustain a genuine feeling of appreciation or care for someone or something in your life.

 

3. Send these feelings of care toward yourself and others. This benefits them and especially helps recharge and balance your own system.

 

When you catch your mind wandering during a Heart Lock-In, no big deal, simply refocus your attention on the heart area and reconnect with feelings of care or appreciation. When you sustain coherence for 5 minutes or more it makes the state more familiar and accessible to you when you need it to meet challenges of stress. With practice, the coherent state becomes your new reference point, making the experience more automatic.

 

An intriguing aspect to the research of the HeartMath Institute is that it was found that the heart actually has a brain of its own--actual brain matter (ganglia). It was also found that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. Consequently, during frustration or emotional upset, the heart and the brain can go "out of phase," with the heart beating out of rhythm, creating stress on the whole body system. By bringing the heart rate into a smooth, continous rhythm, the communication to the brain is calm and steady, creating corresponding changes in brain chemistry. This they call "coherence."

 

Conclusion

 

By using these techniques, and teaching them to your family and friends, many of the milder physical symptoms created from stressful modern living can be managed, and most importantly, brought under empowering control. Further, any dietary supplementation you may be using can certainly be enhanced with these practices.

 

So, take that one minute in the middle of the day, or that five minutes before getting out of bed--and certainly at bedtime--and use these practices to learn about your body-mind connection, and your inherent right to your own well-being.

 

Boyd Martin joined Tristar Online in 1998 as a product distributor, and came on as a staff member in 2002. He designed the website (http://www.subtleenergysolutions.com), and sees to its daily maintenance, including the Vibrant Living Newsletter, where he is a writer. Boyd is a well-known musician (drummer) in the Portland, Oregon, area, having toured the U.S. and Europe with national-level musical acts. He is an avid, daily Bikram Yoga student, with a keen interest in metaphysics, natural health, and alternative healing methods.

 

Meditation -- The Way to Stillness

 

What is meditation - most of you have heard of it, some of you may have even tried it - but for many of us it is an alluring part of Eastern spiritual practice, though it is not solely a spiritual endeavour. The word meditation often conjures images of an Indian sage in a loincloth or a vision of the Buddha seated in serene contemplation; the image is one of stillness and composure. Yogis, Zen Masters, Taoists have all meditated for millennia. Early Christian monastic practice included the lectio divina ; this is the practice of reading the Bible very slowly and deliberately, pondering and contemplating the true meaning of the teachings of Christ. Meditation is mentioned over 20 times in the Bible.

 

At any given period in the history of man, meditation has been an excellent remedy for the over-stimulation, stress and anxiety of society. It is one of the main therapies in the science of Ayurveda and even allopathic physicians recognize the benefits of meditation and recommend meditation to their patients. Scientists have examined meditation from all angles and not one can refute the positive physical, emotional, psychological and physiological benefits that a regular meditation practice can have on the human spirit. There are many styles of meditation and many reasons to meditate - for therapy, for stress management, for knowledge, for devotion, to further the practice of Pranayama or simply as a refreshing and restful break in the day. The entirety of meditation practice is far too vast to cover here, but the list includes:

 

~Mantra Meditation - focusing on sounds and sacred words

~Buddhist Meditation - as part of the Noble Eightfold Path to Enlightenment

~Vipassana Meditation - focusing on reality and insight into the mind

~Devotional Mediation - meditation on God

~Taoist Meditation - meditation on the teachings of the Tao Te Ching

~Zen Meditation - focusing on the teachings of Zen Buddhism

 

Meditation is an integral part of yoga practice, in fact, the purpose of asana practice is to settle the body and focus the mind in preparation for meditation. However, you do not have to be an accomplished yogi or Buddhist Master to practice meditation effectively, you don't need to pretzel yourself into lotus pose - truly, for many of us, Lotus Pose is simply too physically challenging to allow focus. You can meditate while walking, while seated in a straight-backed chair, in Easy Pose, Simple Cross-Legged Pose and for the very flexible the classical meditation pose, Padmasana/ Lotus Pose. Any pose that allows comfortable stillness for the body is effective for meditation; when you remove as many physical and environmental distractions as possible, the mind and breath are free to focus.

 

Meditation has many benefits on many levels, including (but not limited to):

Physiological/Physical

 

~ revitalizes the nervous system

~ strengthens neural pathways within the brain

~ increases lung capacity

~ increases oxygen flow to the brain

~ increases alertness

~ improves sleep

~ can reduce the effects of asthma

~ improves immune system

~ assists with addiction/abuse recovery

~ reduces blood presure

Mental/Emotional

~ calms the senses

~ focusses the mind to bring clarity & perspective

~ soothes the over-stimulated Self

~ reduces stress

~ promotes positive outlook, reduces negative thinking

~ increases Self-Esteem

~ improves memory

~ reduces anxiety and hypersensitivity

~ increases creativity

 

Spiritual

 

~ allows the flow of prana/chi/life energy through the body

~ develops, promotes and maintains spiritual awareness

~ unites one with Consciousness and the truest Higher Self

~ increases connection with the Divine

~ balances the Doshas - especially Vata disturbances (see Ayurveda for information on the Doshas)

~ prepares the Self for the transition of Death

~ allows us to open our minds and hearts in order to Live more fully

~ brings us into the divinity of the present moment

 

Of particular importance to many of us today are the stress-reducing benefits of meditation; this applies to everyone regardless of age, profession, gender, race or spiritual path. Daniel Goleman's research in the scientific community on meditation and stress tolerance returned very convincing results; the following is an excerpt from Goleman's writing followed by a passage from 'Creative Meditation' by Richard Peterson, Ph.D.

 

"People who are chronically anxious or who have a psychosomatic disorder share a specific pattern of reaction to stress; their bodies mobilize to meet the challenge, then fail to stop reacting when the problem is over. Their bodies stay aroused for danger when they should be relaxed, recouping spent energies and gathering resources for the next brush with stress." -D. Goleman

"The anxious person meets life's normal events as though they were crises. Each minor happening increases his tension, and his tension in turn magnifies the next ordinary event - a deadline, an interview, a doctor's appointment - into a threat. Because the anxious person's body stays mobilized after one event has passed, he has a lower threat threshold for the next. Had he been in a relaxed state, he would have taken the second event in stride.

 

A meditator handles stress in a way that breaks up the threat 'arousal' threat spiral. The meditator relaxes after a challenge passes, more often than the non-meditator. This makes him unlikely to see innocent occurrences as harmful. He perceives threat more accurately, and reacts with arousal only when necessary. Once aroused, his rapid recovery makes him less likely than the anxious person to see the next deadline as a threat. "

 

(From The Meditative Mind, pp. 164-165)


From Creative Meditation by Richard Peterson, Ph.D. A.R.E. Press, 1990.

 

When we have peace and clarity in the mind, we experience a healthier physical body. When we have a healthier body, our minds become clearer and settled; we can explore the infinite broadness of the mind when we learn to focus its energies toward that goal. This symbiosis is important in the practice of yoga, pranayama and meditation. All three of these practices together create an incredible wellness system, however, they are powerfully beneficial when approached individually.

 

Meditation does not require that you subscribe to any particular spiritual path, you need not meditate on any God at all - though prayer is a meditative act. Taoists meditate from a place of stillness and emptiness, Zen meditation often centres around the teaching of the Buddha, Christ went into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights in order to fast, meditate and commune with God. Beyond any spiritual application, just the simple act of focusing on the flow of your breath while meditating is enough to gain benefit.

 

Learning to meditate takes patience, just like learning anything. When we begin to meditate we are often critical of our inability to sit still, this is natural - for one, we are not accustomed to sitting still, sitting on the floor or sitting cross-legged (let alone Lotus Pose!). If you find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time, try interspersing walking meditation with sitting meditation. Our tendency is to be critical of ourselves if we do not get it right the in the first few attempts, it is necessary to practice non-competition with ourselves first. In the beginning of your meditation practice it will be difficult to quiet your mind, to cease the endless chatter that goes on inside our heads all the time - this is completely normal. Even those who meditate regularly have thoughts when they meditate, what you must practice is detachment from those thoughts, let them float by unobserved and return your focus to your breath - some find it useful to meditate with their eyes closed, others find that a point of focus like a candle or object works best.

 

More advanced meditation is a subtle practice, not merely sitting still and breathing, but a deeper method of connecting with your Self and working with the breath and the energies of the mind - the mind and the brain are separate entities working in concert; the brain is the tool that collects information, the mind is the system that interprets it. Peaceful existence is intrinsic to the human spirit; it is when we become distracted by external input that we lose our Selves. This creates imbalance and anxiety in the body, mind and spirit and draws us away from our purpose. Through meditation we have the opportunity to heal the mind, heal the body and in quiet contemplation we are re-introduced to who we truly are and to our true balance.

 

What is important is regular meditation practice. Try meditating for five minutes a day to begin with - as your practice becomes more regular you will find it easier to take the time for yourself to allow your mind to rest. Try different styles of meditation to see which style suits you best; you may of course practice as many different styles of meditation as you find useful, restful and beneficial. We have chosen a few meditations for you to try below but you may find more practices on YogaYak.com - above all enjoy your meditation practice and reap the benefits of reduced stress and increased health.

 

Namaste

 

by Jennifer Courtney
aka Bendyjenn
http://www.yogayak.com

 

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