Green tea has a lot of health benefits so if you are not drinking it now, you should consider making it a part of your life!
What is it about a cup of hot tea that is so…soothing? I happen to think it’s the warmth that emanates from pretty tea cups. But scientists credit a host of naturally-occurring compounds in tea with beneficial health effects.
All tea comes from the same plant: Camellia sinensis. And over the centuries as this plant grew in the sun, says the USDA Agricultural Research Service, it formed chemicals called “polyphenols” to protect it from the elements. Polyphenols are family to “flavonoids” — health-promoting antioxidant substances found in many fruits and vegetables.
Traffic jam, work, house chores…is daily life stress getting to you? DAAN’s 100% herbal Relaxation Tea is the next best thing to an all expenses paid vacation! It is also recommended for those who have trouble sleeping. Ingredients: Angelicae, Paeoniae, Jujubae, Hordeum and Glycyrrhizae. 10 tea bags x 5 gm. For a strong brew, put a tea bag in 8-12 oz of boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
Meditation not only can enhance your physical but as well as your mental health; in addition, it can also help to reduce stress.
Meditation comes in many forms and is used for everything from pain relief to those who want a more centered self. Donald Dicken, resident of Cumberland and a 30-year member of the Science of Spirituality and member of the Unitarian Universalist church, believes that it in addition to providing pain relief and stress management, meditation is present in every form of religion.
Tai Chi is not only a good exercise that can enhance your health; it’s also a meditation practice that can relieve stress.
Clad in identical loose-fitting gray uniforms bearing patches of yin and yang and resting cranes, a small group of students were practicing Tai Chi one chilly winter night at the Asbury United Methodist Church fellowship hall.
With their legs bent and anchored firmly to the ground, the students simultaneously began moving their arms in the sweeping motions of the centuries-old Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan.
Roughly translated as “absolute fist,” Tai Chi Chuan, or simply Tai Chi, is a Chinese martial art that incorporates a flowing series of slowly-paced hard- and soft-style defensive movements. Signified by the yin and yang symbol of opposite and equal forces, Tai Chi hard- and soft-style movements are characterized by a mixture of crisp, linear movements with softer, circular motions.
Some good news for people struggling with anxiety disorders and depression. Some herbal remedies may prove helpful in relieving symptoms of these disorders:
Two herbal remedies used for centuries to alleviate anxiety have won the backing of scientists.
Researchers found “strong evidence” that passion flower extract and kava both combat anxiety disorders.
Pooled results from an analysis of 24 studies involving more than 2,000 participants also indicated that combinations of the amino acids L-lysine and L-arginine may be useful anxiety remedies.
But the herbal medicine St John’s Wort, which is commonly taken to relieve depression, and magnesium supplements were not found to be effective.
Using a combination of Chinese herbs, yoga and other therapies, the individual profiled in this articule was able to get a better night’s sleep and a healthier life.
When menopause robbed Gail Jones of a good night’s sleep, she reluctantly tried drugs to boost her hormones.
The prescription soothed her symptoms for a time but ultimately couldn’t convince Jones that pharmaceuticals were the best companion on the midlife journey of menopause — and beyond.
Pericardium 6: two thumb-widths above inner crease of right wrist
“I just didn’t want to be on it the rest of my life,” says the 61-year-old Medford resident.
Taking a cue from her mother — hale at age 93 — Jones turned to alternative therapies and exercise, namely acupuncture and yoga. While traditional Chinese medicine improved her sleep, yoga eased the aches and pains of menopause and restored a “certain presence” to her body, Jones says. Regarded for thousands of years as the foundations of health, the Eastern disciplines merged for a March workshop at Medford’s Rasa Center for Yoga and Wellness
Everyone lives with stress with varying degrees of tolerance and one’s ability to deal with it. Many do not realize that there is a difference between controllable and non-controllable stress.
Just as the word suggests, non-controllable stress are things that one does not have direct ability to change, therefore, that is one reason the insurance industry prosper. Instead of fretting over the unknown, one should have a firm grasp over the controllable factors.
Sleeping habit, dietary choices, and exercise are the big three that everyone knows play a pivotal role in garnering good physical health. In fact, these three factors also affect our mental health. A person with insomnia generally takes in more caffeinated drinks and sugary foods to combat fatigue. This spurt of “energy boost” makes one more hyper and jittery. When one’s tired, the last thing on one’s mind is to exercise.
As these poor lifestyle choices repeats itself, the effect of stress and physical health deteriorates at a faster pace.
First, focus on the easy stuff. Instead of grabbing a sugary or caffeinated drink, how about substituting it with a glass of water or milk? For dashboard eaters, carrot/celery sticks and grapes make wonderful snacks that do not leave grease marks in the car. No time to hit the gym? 3 minutes of continuous jumping jacks will have you gasping for air. As for sleeping, be a responsible global citizen and reduce energy consumption no later than 11:30pm.
We are habitual creatures. It takes time to do harm as it does to make it right.
Obviously, life’s stress will not vanish when one’s sleeping quality has improved, eating more healthily and exercising more regularly. But one might be able to handle it better, to see a hint of silver lining during difficult situations.
Medical Qigong is becoming popular in the West, this is partly due to the new awareness on life-work balance and the desire of many to seek a more healthy lifestyle.
It was evening and my 10 week old daughter was starting to cry. Without thinking, I began to rock and sway as I held her. After all, rhythmical, gentle movement is something that we all intuitively do to soothe and calm.
From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong, all of life alternates in rhythmical movement. Within the body the most fundamental rhythm of the heart and lungs forms the basis for our individual life. Within all of nature, we can find a similar, familiar rhythm. The activity of the day quiets at night, and the exuberance of summer is internalized and nurtured during the stillness of winter. All of these fundamental rhythms and movements, both within us and within all of nature, are described as “qi.”
Qi can be translated as energy, influence, vital function and breath. Within nature the transformations of qi can be seen in the cyclical movement of day and night, the phases of the moon, and the changing seasons. Within the body, qi is the energy that allows the functioning of life through warmth, movement, transformation, containment and defense. It is the energy that maintains and safeguards the integrity of the body and mind, containing and preserving what is necessary to our life and repelling what would be harmful to us. The attributes of qi within the body can be seen in the energy, warmth and vital movement of life. From this perspective, all transformations and movements within the body, whether physical or emotional, depend on the correct and balanced movement of the qi.
Medical Qigong is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, like acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Medical Qigong consists of traditional therapeutic exercises used to support the correct movement of qi and address specific health issues. These are relatively simple, gentle exercises that are consist of what are traditionally referred to as the “Three Regulations,” the regulation of the body, breath and mind. Through specific methods of regulating the body, breath and mind we can enter into a rhythm that is in harmony with the greater movements and rhythms of nature. This process can be likened to rocking a baby to calm and settle the little one, helping them to enter into a deep and restorative sleep (at least that’s an analogy that I’ve been thinking about these days).
Susan Yen, L.Ac Everyone lives with stress, but we each have various degrees of tolerance and abilities to relieve it. First and foremost, one needs to differentiate controllable and non-controllable stress.
Non-controllable stress is caused by events that you have no direct control over. Instead of fretting over the unknown, you should take control over the controllable factors in your life that contribute to stress.
Sleeping habits, dietary choices, and exercise are the big three that play a pivotal role in promoting good physical and mental health. A person with insomnia generally indulges in more caffeinated drinks and sugary foods to combat fatigue. This false spurt of “energy” makes you more hyper and jittery. And when you are tired, the last thing on your mind is to exercise. As these poor lifestyle choices repeat themselves, and stress and physical health deterioration snowballs.
To combat this, first, focus on the easy stuff. Instead of grabbing a sugary or caffeinated drink, how about substituting it with a glass of water or milk? For dashboard eaters, carrot or celery sticks and grapes make wonderful snacks that do not leave grease marks in the car. No time to hit the gym? 3 minutes of continuous jumping jacks will have you gasping for air. As for sleeping, be a responsible global citizen and reduce energy consumption by going to be no later than 11:30pm.
We are habitual creatures. It takes time to do harm as it does to make it right.
Obviously, life’s stress will not vanish when one’s sleeping quality has improved, or if you are eating more healthy, and exercising more regularly. But making simple changes can allow you to handle stress better, to see a hint of silver lining during difficult situations.
