Times Are Tough For Many Of Us

These trying times are playing havoc in the lives of many, causing surmountable stress and in some cases, major distress and circumstances out of ones control. I've been there ... I know.

Many of you may now be experiencing a loss in income and possibly no immediate hope in the near future of finding another job. Inasmuch this may prove an embarrassing situation, once the emotion dissipates somewhat, there are organizations and programs available out there to assist you.

Some families can and want to help each other, some prefer not to get involved, and others may have no one to turn to … You are not alone.

http://www.uaadv.org - for those domestic violence victims who need help, solace and support

http://thefoodprogram.net/foodstamps.htm - food stamps and food resources

http://www.liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/sp.htm - low income heating energy assistance for each state in the nation

http://thefoodprogram.net/unemployment.htm - national unemployment benefits

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/ - WIC provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Poverty In America

I read an article just recently and was totally blown away by the statistics that were provided. In lieu of the new stimulus package that has just passed, I pray that as a nation our leaders step back for a moment and take a long, hard look at what is going on in the communities of the very people who elected them into office before sending hundreds of thousands of dollars oversees again.

I'm all about being compassionate, a good UN neighbor, doing unto others yada, yada, yada. But, tell me if I'm wrong here ... why are we overlooking our own kind? More than thirteen million children live in poverty, 3 million of whom go to bed hungry every night. Fifteen million more of them need a mentor to prevent them from dropping out of school or, even worse. Not to mention our elderly with nearly 5 million sacrificing food to pay bills according to AARP.

Our charities are overwhelmed and volunteers help but, they certainly can't create miracles. Has any one at the federal level even considered the below poverty state our Native Americans are still forced to live under across this great nation of ours. In North Dakota, the number of children living in poverty is about 19,000, and about half of those children are living in extreme poverty on reservations. Extreme poverty is defined by a family of four living on $10,000 a year, or less. We took so much away from them but, were never big enough to admit the wrong that was done and make it right.

Why do we keep sending billions to other countries when our own nation is in such dire need? Can someone enlighten me please? As women we are a nation within ourselves. If every aunt, mother, sister, daughter, grandmother and niece copied these words as a letter to their U.S. representatives we might just be able to keep some of those much needed dollars here where they belong.

Crystal Therapy ~ The Magic & The Mystery

A form of vibrational medicine, crystal therapy involves the application of crystals or gemstones to facilitate healing.

Rocks and gemstones house spiritual and healing properties that can be tapped into a variety of ways. Crystals can be carried or worn on the person, or they can be placed in a location where their healing vibrations can be felt by whomever is nearby. Healers also place stones on their clients' reclined bodies to balance the chakras and aura.

Each type of stone has its own unique talent. Gemstone colors, shapes, and textures all have special meanings. Crystal elixirs can be made by soaking crystals for a few hours in a glass of water. Crystals are also used for divination and meditation purposes. You can intuitively choose which crystals to use by noticing which stones you are attracted to. Keep your heart and hands open and allow the appropriate crystals to find their way into your life.

* Laying on of Stones - Healing with Gemstones
* Rose Quartz Meditation
* Divination with Rune Stones

Why Are We Attracted to Gemstones?

Rocks are pretty. As children, we loved to dig them out of the dirt, hold them in our hands. A child's first collection is often an assortment of colored rocks found in the play yard or fished out pebbles from the bottom of a shallow creek. You may have kept these nature treasures inside an egg carton or a cigar box. Did you keep them hidden under your bed for safe keeping like I did?

* Choosing the Right Crystal for Your Purpose
* How to Create a Crystal Altar

Giving Gemstones as Gifts

Gemstones are delightful to give or receive as gifts. They are mother nature's natural healers. Gifting someone with a crystal is the same as offering a healing. There are literally hundreds of different types of stones to choose from.

Some people feel that crystals should never be purchased for personal use, they believe that crystals should only be accepted as gifts directly from the earth or given to you from another person. This believe is born out of the idea that crystals and gemstones come into our lives at the appropriate times when we are in need of their healing gifts. Okay, I get that, but I do not totally agree. Giving yourself a crystal is a form of self-healing. If you are in a store and you sense a vibrational pull toward a particular crystal or gemstone then it is probably meant for you. If you can afford it, buy it! If a crystal is crying out "take me home," please listen! Rocks will talk to you if you are willing to listen.

* Shop for Gemstone Jewelry
* Popular Healing Gemstones
* A to Z Gemstones

Seasonal Stones

You may discover that some stones are better suited to a specific seasons. Yellow topaz and citrine are good examples. These two stones are wonderful energizers, they carry sun energies and are great for uplifting depressive thoughts that linger during dark overcast periods. Anyone who suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) will benefit from wearing either of these "sun bright gems" on dark days. It is little wonder that both yellow topaz and citrine have been represented as November birthstones. These stones may feel "too hot" to carry in summer months. Cooler stones more suitable during hot periods are pearls and coral. Emeralds and turquoise are perfect for springtime. Sapphires and opals in autumn.

* Gemstones of the Zodiac
* SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder

Record Keepers

Stones are ancient and wise. In general, they are excellent memory keepers. Certain stones are better at absorbing and retaining information than others. I have found that red stones (rubies, carnelians, garnets, etc.) are especially good at holding onto information. Melody, author of Love is in the Earth, identifies record keeper crystals as having one or more raised triangles located on the face of the crystal. Keep a memory-keeper stone with you while attending classes if you are student. The stone will not only take notes, but will help you stay grounded and be focused on the lecture being given. Don't forget to carry your memory-keeper in your pocket on exam days.

Choosing Gold or Silver Settings

Choosing what type of metal to wrap around your stones or as settings for your gemstones in rings, pendants and brooches is also important. Silver tends to enhance or magnify the properties of the gemstones. Gold gives the opposite effect, it tames overpowering stones. If you are extremely sensitive to stone energies, gold is a good choice because it will lower the vibrational pulse of the stone so that the healing effects are subtle, offering the wearer a more comfortable transition from imbalance to balance.

* Cleansing and Clearing Gemstones
* Books About Crystals and Crystal Healing

Lost or Misplaced Crystals

Although crystals can be purchased, they can never be truly owned. So, if you have lost or misplaced a crystal this probably means that it has found a new home where its powers can be better utilized. Or, you may get a strong urge to pass on a cherished stone into the hands of someone else. Crystals are very good at sending us intuitive messages whenever they want to be given away, and to whom.

Certain crystals carry very powerful energies and can be overwhelming when worn or carried daily. These are the types of crystals that tend to get lost or misplaced. It is not beneficial to be stimulated by vibrational energies that are too powerful. Crystals and gemstones will either get lost permanently or will be misplaced temporarily. Searching all the nooks and crannies in your home will do no good. Not to worry, lost stones tend to resurface when their services are needed. You may think you have lost a crystal only to have it show up several months later. Or, they are replaced by a more suitable stone that unexpectedly comes your way. For example you may lose or give away an amethyst, later you find or are given a different amethyst or an entirely different type of crystal meant for you.

It is best to allow crystals to come and go since they do their work best without restrictions. Don't feel badly if you have lost or misplaced a crystal. It is either taking a time out in hiding until you need it or it has moved on to a more suitable place or person.

Holistic Healing

Holistic healing means taking an holistic approach when seeking treatment for imbalances and choosing to live a more balanced lifestyle. What primarily distinguishes holistic healing apart from alternative medicine, complementary medicine, and integrative medicine is that physical health is not necessarily the main focus. Even so, it is often the experience of physical discomfort that will first prompt a person's pursuit of holistic healing.

It is true that our pains and other physical discomforts demand our attention. This is where the saying "sticking out like a sore thumb'" originated from. It is difficult to ignore the obvious when we are physically hurting. Common sense tells us that we should seek help to alleviate our discomforts. Holistic healing is not an "alternative" to conventional medical care. Sometimes going to a medical professional is the best solution to addressing a disease.

Physical illnesses are the symptoms of a greater imbalance that may or may not have a root cause in the physical.

Holistic or "wholistic" healing addresses all parts of the individual, not just the physical aspect of a person where manifested illnesses are most apparent. Holistic healing is not intended to serve as a band-aid or a one time fix. It is an ongoing journey of discovery in search of more answers and ultimately; living better, being healthier, and striving for wholeness.
Holistic Healing Goes Beyond the Mind-Body Connection:

Holistic healing is really a lifestyle approach. The holistic approach goes far beyond the Mind-Body connection of finding and maintaining wellness. Overall wellness AND "wholeness" is highly valued. All parts of a person's life (physical healing, mental health and wellness, emotional well-being, and spiritual beliefs and values) are considered. Taking a holistic approach involves seeking the tools that will help us attract our desires and find personal power.

A person who embraces the desire to find wholeness within his own being soon learns the importance of tending to relationships, caring for the planet and our environments, having compassion for humankind in general, and accepting and tolerating differences among a diverse population of people.

Reflexology

The grim reality of stress is showing up in more and more scientific studies like one by the American Medical Association that reported stress was a factor in 75 percent of all diseases. A recent study even linked the effects of stress to weakening of the heart muscle.

Effects of Stress on the Heart

In the August, 2004 edition of Great Life magazine it was reported that Duke University Medical Center researchers in Durham, N.C. studied the effects of stress on hearts in a clinical trial that monitored the reaction of the heart to everyday events.

They discovered that the more stress, anger and sadness someone experienced, the less able their hearts were able to respond effectively. It was like the pressure exerted on the heart by the constant emotional ups and downs of stress caused it to stretch beyond its capacity to bounce back to normal.

Link Between Depression and Reduced Heart Rate

Another study determined a link between depression and impaired heart health. Researchers at Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., and Yale University, New Haven, Conn., recently studied 50 pairs of male twins by hooking them up to electrocardiograms for 24 hours. They concluded a link existed between depression and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) or fluctuations between heartbeats. Decreased HRV can weaken the heart and make it more susceptible to sudden fatalities.

Reflexology: Low Cost Option to Offset Stress

Reflexology can be a natural, low cost option to offsetting the effects of stress on heart and overall health. Reflexology endeavors to treat the body, mind and spirit as a cohesive system by getting to the cause of disease not its symptoms. Reflexology possesses the capacity to cancel out the effects of stress while it helps the body to reach a place of deep relaxation where it can balance the body systems.

Reflexology Reduces Stress

Through the relaxation process the body is more capable of dealing with the stresses placed on it by daily living and those associated with illness. Reflexology gently nudges the body towards improved functioning of the system by improving lymphatic drainage and venous circulation, simulation to the nerve pathways, and muscle relaxation.

In a report on reflexology research published at www.reflexology-research.com a Chinese study demonstrated how reflexology efficiently alleviated the effects of extreme stress. Twenty patients being treated for neurasthenia?a condition of extreme emotional stress-- were given a course of reflexology at the hospital?s department of physiotherapy. The treatments focused on areas of the feet relating to the adrenal glands, kidneys, bladder, sinus, brain and heart organs that are compromised by the effects of stress.

The treatments were given daily for a week with the following results presented at the China reflexology symposium in July, 1993: 40 percent experienced a complete cure; 35 percent were greatly improved; 15 percent mildly improved; and 10 percent reporting no change at all.

Reflexology Releases Feel-Good Hormones

Reflexology therapeutically reduces stress and tension throughout the body?s systems to improve blood and lymph circulation, increase nerve supply to the cells and release toxins from the body's tissues. It is believed to encourage the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good hormones, well documented in their ability to relieve stress.

Reflexology Supports Self-Healing

These physiological benefits facilitate improvements in the body's assimilation of nutrients, elimination of wastes and immune system stimulation. Reflexology supports the body in its process of self-healing and maintaining the balance that leads to good health.

Plus, reflexology feels great and nearly everyone is a candidate for reflexology--even people who are not candidates for traditional massage therapy due to physical restrictions or who may be inhibited about disrobing. With reflexology, all you remove is footwear.

Search Amazon.com Books for stress relief

A Confident Child

Children of any age excel and perform beautifully when they feel loved and confident about life and themselves. When they are belittled, ridiculed or chastised for whatever reason that level of confidence will be blown out of the water, affecting their personality and how they perform socially. A child's mental development is clearly defined by their own self esteem and confidence and at such a young age they are truly susceptible and sensitive. The contributing factors to either building or deflating self esteem evolve around their home, family, school and friends. Being in tune with your child's changes in behavior will help you exasperate any negative impact that can negative effect your child's mental and physical health.

Acknowledge Your Child's Individualism

It is quite natural for parents to get too much involved in their child's activities. However, they often don't know that disregarding kids' individuality may put a question mark in their aptitude. It is of course, important to guide your child and participate in his activities, but it is more vital to acknowledge his individuality. He should be given the freedom and opportunity to develop himself at his own pace.

Impart Knowledge

Effective communication is the prerequisite to develop a strong bond with your child. Share your knowledge of life with him. He should not be in the dark about the basic facts related to health, life, and the society.

Be a Good Listener

Along with being a storehouse of knowledge, it is also important for you to be a good listener. Always lend an ear to the grievances as well as the desires of your child. This will create a better understanding.

Praise Your Child

Acknowledge all his achievements, no matter whether they are big or small. "Well done!" or "Keep up the good work!" are some words that can prove to be magical - they can boost your child's confidence and motivate him to reach greater heights.

Value Your Child's Interests

If you want to maintain your child's confidence, you should start respecting all his interests, even if they seem irrelevant to you.

Remove Fears

As a parent, it is your duty to remove the insecurities or fears of your child. If he expresses them - even if they seem to be trivial, be ready to accept them. For instance, if he looses confidence in doing small problems of Mathematics and every time says, "I am useless, I can't solve even small problems," it means that he is less confident in it. In such case, you should not brush him aside, rather extend assistance to him