Stiff Back

Arm side stretch
The AARP suggests doing arm stretches if you have a stiff back. To do them, stand with legs about shoulder-length apart. Face forward with the knees straight and loose. Keep the arms at your sides with the palms facing inward. Slowly raise your right arm as you bend to the left, keeping the palm pointed at the floor. As you bend, slide your left palm down the side of your leg. Face forward, keeping the head aligned with the spine. Hold this stretch for approximately five to 30 seconds. Repeat stretch on the other side. 

Knee to chest
According to the Mayo Clinic, knee-to-chest stretches can help rid the back of stiffness and pain. Start by lying on the back with the knees bent upward. With both hands, pull one knee up into your chest. Hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Return the leg slowly to the floor and repeat with the opposite leg. Hold for the appropriate time and then return this leg to the floor. Finally, grasp both knees and gently pull both legs into the chest simultaneously.

Cross-legged stretch
To do the cross-legged stretch, the AARP suggests lying on your back with your arms resting at your sides. Gently raise the left arm as you cross the left leg over the right leg, meeting at the knees. Stretch your head to the left slightly. Hold this position for about 5 to 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch on the right side. 

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living

Deepavali

Spiritual significance

While Diwali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning behind it is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy (primarily the Yoga, Vedanta, and Samkhya schools of Hindu philosophy) is the belief that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Diwali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Diwali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

Uses for used tea bags

1. Soothe tired eyes. 

Just place a chilled used tea bag over your closed eyes until the puffiness subsides. You can also use warm, wet teabags as a compress to soothe the pain of pinkeye. Bonus tip: Place teabags on your eyes for 15 minutes and reduce under eye circles.

2. Make canker sores feel better. 

Chill a used tea bag in the freezer. Once it’s cold, place it on your canker sore. The cold plus the tea’s healing properties will help your sore feel better faster.

3. Heal sunburned skin. 

Throw used tea bags in a bath and soak in it after a long day in the sun. The cooling and calming effects of the tea will provide relief.

4. Stop a minor nick from bleeding. 

When a kitchen injury strikes while slicing and dicing, staunch the blood flow fast by saturating a black tea bag with hot water, then holding it against the injury for 30 seconds. The tannins in the tea will quickly clot the blood so you can cover the cut with a bandage and get back to whipping up your delicious dinner.

5. Put a soaked tea bag on a bruise to heal it faster. 

Ruptured capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body, create bruises. The tannins will constrict blood vessels which will stop the blood flow that causes bruising.

6. Clean the house. 

Re-steep your used tea bags in cold water to make a weak tea. Use this mixture to scrub linoleum or countertops. Additionally, use the teabags to rub furniture and floor scratches to make them disappear.

7. Fertilize your plants. 

Used tea bags make a great addition to any compost pile! Don't have a compost pile? Used tea bags can be nestled in your potted plants to help protect them from drying out between waterings.

8. Kill dust mites. 

Carefully spray diluted black tea on the carpet to kill dust mites. Color-test the tea first in an inconspicuous spot.

9. Tenderize a tough cut of meat. 

The secret to tender, juicy skirt and flank steaks: Steep four or five black tea bags in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes, then combine with an equal amount o of double-strength beef stock (homemade or store-bought) and marinate the meat in the mixture for 20 minutes. The teas tannins will break down fiber that make the beef tough.

10. Rust-proof your cast-iron cookware. 

Guarantee your trusty skillet stays rust-free by wiping it with a damp. used black tea bag after every cooking session. The tea's tannins will coat the pan with an invisible protective layer that prevents rust-causing oxidation.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com

Elephants and Feng Shui

Nine ways the elephant can be used in a home:
1. Bringing good luck into the home — Place a statue of an elephant, or a pair of elephants, at the front door facing inward to signal good luck and blessings entering the home.
2. Protection— Place an elephant or pair of elephants facing outward to protect the home and to prevent the loss of chi from the home.
3. Promote love and fidelity – Display an elephant or a pair of elephants in the bedroom to promote love and faithfulness between a couple..
4. Bonding between mother and child – Place a statue of a mother elephant and her baby, a symbol of the love and bonding between a mother and her children, in your Family or Children section to strengthen the bond.
5. Fertility – Place an elephant statue beside the bed or place a pair, one on either side of the bedroom door, to welcome in “infant” energy.
6. Knowledge and academic success – Place a statue in your child’s bedroom, on his or her desk, or wherever s/he does homework.  The elephant is a symbol of knowledge and academic success.
7. Energize the Career area – Place an elephant near the door or the Career area to symbolize wisdom and power.
8. Work success – Place an elephant near the front door or the door of the office to attract power and to protect the person from bad energy in the office.
9. Good management – Place an elephant on your work desk facing out to symbolize intelligent leadership, poise under pressure, and cautiousness.
 –Gabriele Amersbach, Lucky Path Feng Shui

http://luckypath-fengshui.com

Facts about soaps

Many different oils, fats and butters are used in the manufacture of soap. These “fats” have different beneficial fatty acids that contribute to the properties of the soap. For example; olive oil contains mainly oleic acid that produces small, mild and creamy bubbles, coconut oil contains nearly 50% lauric acid which makes big, fat, open, fluffy bubbles and sunflower oil contains mainly linoleic acid which produces big, open conditioning bubbles. So the skill of the soapmaker comes into practice with the combining of various oils and fats in the correct proportions that will produce the best lather possible but keep the soap gentle and mild while leaving a nice soothing after-feel on the skin [not the squeaky clean, feeling tight and rough as some soaps do].

Soap removes grease and dirt from the skin because some of its components are surfactants (surface-active agents). Surfactants have a molecular structure that acts as a connecting link between water and the dirt. This loosens the particles of dirt, stale make-up, grease etc. from the skin. One end of the molecule is hydrophilic (attracted to water), and the other is hydrophobic (attracted to substances that are not water soluble).

So, soap is a very effective cleanser, but it is much more! Some ingredients that you see on many popular soaps do not have any beneficial effects for the skin, in fact, they can cause problems such as allergies for many users e.g. perfume - you will see this on most soap ingredients listing. This is a man-made chemical fragrance, simply an aroma that has no therapeutic qualities and can be toxic and irritating for many skin types. In fact, over 70% of women claim to suffer from sensitive skin at some time in their life for various reasons. Therefore the most important thing about our soaps is that they contain NO artificial, chemical fragrances, only aromatherapy quality essential oils that do have beneficial therapeutic properties for the skin. In fact, all essential oils are gently antiseptic in their action and many are corrective for different skin problems, especially when there is an imbalance i.e. overly dry or overly greasy. We use a generous amount of essential oils in all our products that not only smell delicious but have a positive effect for the skin.

http://www.gswoa.com/index.php/pages/goodsoapworks-facts-about-soap.html 

Health benefits of okra

1) Colon Cancer: -

By cleaning out the intestinal tract, Lady Finger is able to improve colon health by allowing the organ to work at a higher rate of efficiency and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

2) Diabetes: -

The presence of Eugenol helps fight against diabetes. The fiber also helps stabilize blood sugar level by delaying sugar absorption from the intestines.

3) Constipation: -

Okra or lady finger is one of the best vegetable sources of dietary fiber essential for the digestive system. Dietary fibers in okra help prevent and relieve constipation problem. The soluble fiber in okra absorbs water and adds bulk to the stool thus preventing constipation.

4) Prevents Anemia: -

The iron content of lady finger forms hemoglobin in the blood and prevents anemia. Vitamin K helps in blood coagulation.

5) Weight Loss: -

The dietary fibers contained in this lady finger vegetable are best for people who are in their weight loss diet programs. Ladies finger contains no calories, hence are great for weight loss.

6) Heart Disease: -

Soluble fiber in lady finger or okra helps to lower serum cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease. Eating okra is the effective control of the body’s high cholesterol level. Okra is also high in pectin that helps in lowering high blood cholesterol by altering the production of bile in the intestines.

7) Hair Problems: -

Okra or lady finger can also help bring your hair back to its original state, free from dandruffs. For bouncy hair, boil water with horizontally cut okra, strain on cooling, squeeze half a lemon and use as a hair rinse. Experts say that it can even rid of lice also.

8) Improve Immune System: -

The high Vitamin C content in Ladies finger helps fight cold and cough by improving healthy immune system. The Vitamin C and many essential minerals like magnesium, manganese, calcium and iron in Lady Finger fights against harmful free radicals and promotes healthy immune system.

9) Improve Eyesight: -

Vitamin A and beta carotene found in lady finger are essential nutrients for maintaining good eyesight. In addition, these essential nutrients also help prevents eye related diseases such as cataracts. The Vitamin A promotes health of the eyes and protects against age related eye disorders.

10) Fetus Development: -

The high amount of folate contained in the lady finger or okra is beneficial for the fetus during pregnancy. Folate is an essential nutrient which improves the development of the fetus brain. The high amount of folic acid in lady finger or okra plays an important role in the neural tube formation of the fetus throughout fourth to twelve weeks of pregnancy.

http://www.mediherbsolution.com/

 

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